Last Movie You Watched

[Todd]

I'm not watching this although I'm wondering about the Giuliani scene. But not enough to see it. I'm surprised that anyone can get away with parodying a specific country (OK, maybe it it never was about Kazakhstan really - but he could have made up a country) without being cancelled. Though he's clearly talented, I don't really like the concept of trying to find ordinary people to embarrass. There's a little Andy Kauffman in this but Kauffman was so much more of a genius.

The Giuliani scene is not as shocking or naughty as some outlets have claimed.  Since SBC is attacking a certain subset of people (Trump and his supporters), he can do whatever he wants, even to ordinary people, with his only fear being that of receiving too much adulation.  But that's one thing that's different with this film as opposed to the first: one gets the sense that some of the people are not ordinary people at all, but rather are actors reading scripts. 

[George]

Borat 2 - I enjoyed it, had quite a few good laughs. The female lead was great.

[Brian]

But that's one thing that's different with this film as opposed to the first: one gets the sense that some of the people are not ordinary people at all, but rather are actors reading scripts.

I've heard discussion about whether the kooky cabin in the woods guys were all actors/staged.

The thing that bugged me about Borat 1 was that while many of the bits were satiric and pointed, many of them seemed like he just wanted to prank people for the sake of pranking. Like gross out Candid Camera. But I did see it with my parents in the room so maybe I'd enjoy it more without them.

[Todd]

[Karl Henning]

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Rocky Horror Picture Show

[George]

Some good laughs to be had here. Not the best movie I have seen, but certainly enjoyable and worth a watch.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Rocky Horror Picture Show

A classic movie diet for Halloween! 

PD

[SonicMan46]

Criterion was having its 'half sale' recently and obtained the two BDs below:

Heaven Can Wait (1943) w/ Don Ameche, Gene Tierney, Charles Coburn, Louis Calhern, et al; Ernst Lubitsch, Director - short synopsis below - atmospheric settings filmed in gorgeous color and restored beautifully by Criterion, and w/ some of my favorite character actors of the period; Ameche's aging make-up well done.  Highly recommended!  NOTE - a remake w/ the exact same title starring Warren Beatty (1978) is NOT this film but based on Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941) w/ Robert Montgomery & Claude Rains; also available in a Criterion BD, which is in my collection.

Leave Her To Heaven (1945) w/ Gene Tierney, Cornel Wilde, Jeanne Crain, Vincent Price, et al. - short synopsis below - a psychological film noir but in gorgeous technicolor, and with spectacular outdoor filming in New Mexico & Arizona (e.g. Sedona - a favorite past visits of ours); lake scenes in the Pacific Northwest of Oregon and Washington State - and two of my favorite 'great looking' actresses of the era.  Again, highly recommended!  Dave

Spoiled playboy Henry van Cleve (Don Ameche) dies and arrives at the entrance to Hell, a final destination he is sure he deserves after living a life of profligacy. The devil (Laird Cregar), however, isn't so sure Henry meets Hell's standards. Convinced he is where he belongs, Henry recounts his life's deeds, both good and bad, including an act of indiscretion during his 25-year marriage to his wife, Martha (Gene Tierney), with the hope that "His Excellency" will arrive at the proper judgment.

While on a train, writer Richard Harland (Cornel Wilde) strikes up a relationship with the gorgeous Ellen Berent (Gene Tierney). Ellen quickly becomes obsessed with Richard and abandons her fiancé, Russell Quinton (Vincent Price), to be with him. The couple rushes into marriage, with both of them caught up in romance and Richard intrigued by Ellen's intensity. Only after settling into marriage, however, does Richard realize that she is psychotically jealous and highly unstable.

 

[Karl Henning]

R.I.P. Sean Connery: Dr No

[Karl Henning]

R.I.P. Sean Connery: From Russia With Love.

[Handelian]

Mission Impossible.

Impossible to tell what is going on in an impossible plot in which Cruise does impossible things. Impossible to have brain engaged while watching it.

[71 dB]

Blade Runner 2049

This movie certainly tries hard. Tries almost three hours, but somehow it all feels strangely empty and meaningless. There's a few well executed ideas here and there, but those alone don't make a great movie experience. I had quite a bit of difficulties to relate with the story or the people (mostly replicants actually) within the story. This movie falls into the traps of science fiction on big screen. It didn't even try to help the viewer to understand what the characters feel, why they feel the way they do and why they do the things they do. JOI was perhaps the most understandable "character", artificial intelligence wanting to be a real human being. In the end Deckard asks 'K' who he is to him. It was a good question, one that I had been asking myself and a good indicator of how lost this movie was with it's story. I also think the movie has too much violence. Violence for the sake of violence. The movie looks great. Visually this is great stuff. Hans Zimmer's music is mostly disappointing, even annoying. He is one of the most overrated movie composers imo. The whole movie I kept thinking how good the music would be if it was by Tangerine Dream. Camerawork was nice, calm and stylish. No too fast editing or stupid lenses. Finnish actress Krista Kosonen has a very small role and says a couple of lines in Finnish spoken language , something like "Tää jätkä on bladerunneri. Se on vaarallinen. Mennään pois." (This dude is a blade runner. He is dangerous. Let's leave.). So, the movie tries hard, but in the end it felt empty. What was this movie about and why should anyone care? Maybe it was just a very expensive and long SONY add? 

[asin]B07TQ8J8D3[/asin]

[Biffo]

Blade Runner 2049

This movie certainly tries hard. Tries almost three hours, but somehow it all feels strangely empty and meaningless. There's a few well executed ideas here and there, but those alone don't make a great movie experience. I had quite a bit of difficulties to relate with the story or the people (mostly replicants actually) within the story. This movie falls into the traps of science fiction on big screen. It didn't even try to help the viewer to understand what the characters feel, why they feel the way they do and why they do the things they do. JOI was perhaps the most understandable "character", artificial intelligence wanting to be a real human being. In the end Deckard asks 'K' who he is to him. It was a good question, one that I had been asking myself and a good indicator of how lost this movie was with it's story. I also think the movie has too much violence. Violence for the sake of violence. The movie looks great. Visually this is great stuff. Hans Zimmer's music is mostly disappointing, even annoying. He is one of the most overrated movie composers imo. The whole movie I kept thinking how good the music would be if it was by Tangerine Dream. Camerawork was nice, calm and stylish. No too fast editing or stupid lenses. Finnish actress Krista Kosonen has a very small role and says a couple of lines in Finnish spoken language , something like "Tää jätkä on bladerunneri. Se on vaarallinen. Mennään pois." (This dude is a blade runner. He is dangerous. Let's leave.). So, the movie tries hard, but in the end it felt empty. What was this movie about and why should anyone care? Maybe it was just a very expensive and long SONY add? 

[asin]B07TQ8J8D3[/asin]

Congratulations on getting to the end, I bailed out after less than 20 minutes.

[Madiel]

I didn't know it was that long. Hmm. Though I do love another of Villeneuve's films, Arrival.

Also, I know who Krista Kosonen is, having just finished watching the TV series Bullets.

[71 dB]

Congratulations on getting to the end, I bailed out after less than 20 minutes.

I didn't have difficulties watching the whole movie. The camerawork is good. The visuals are great. The movie just isn't as good as I anticipated and especially the story/plot was disappointing. I am quite selective about movies and I try to avoid movies I expect not to like. If I start watching a movie, I often finish it even if the movie turns out poor, or if I stop watching it's halfway into the movie, not much sooner. Why stop at 20 minutes if the movies gets much better at 30 minutes?

Also, I know who Krista Kosonen is, having just finished watching the TV series Bullets.

Oh. Australians watch Nordic shows? Amazing.

[SonicMan46]

I didn't have difficulties watching the whole movie. The camerawork is good. The visuals are great. The movie just isn't as good as I anticipated and especially the story/plot was disappointing. I am quite selective about movies and I try to avoid movies I expect not to like. If I start watching a movie, I often finish it even if the movie turns out poor, or if I stop watching it's halfway into the movie, not much sooner. Why stop at 20 minutes if the movies gets much better at 30 minutes?
......................

Well, own the 'Final Cut' BD of the original Blade Runner which goes for about 2hrs - did stream the newer version in early 2018 and left a few comments in my 'Movies Seen' database - too long but not bad (probably for the same reasons above); however, did not make a purchase, so prefer to watch the older and shorter film -    Dave

[Karl Henning]

Well, own the 'Final Cut' BD of the original Blade Runner which goes for about 2hrs - did stream the newer version in early 2018 and left a few comments in my 'Movies Seen' database - too long but not bad (probably for the same reasons above); however, did not make a purchase, so prefer to watch the older and shorter film -    Dave

Love the original.

My viewing tonight: The Maltese Falcon & In a Lonely Place

[SonicMan46]

Love the original.

My viewing tonight: The Maltese Falcon & In a Lonely Place

Hi Karl - +1 - own a LOT of Bogey films, including those two - enjoy!  Dave

[drogulus]

     I recently watched Paul Thomas Anderson's first film Hard Eight. I rate it among his very best.

     https://www.youtube.com/v/sOPB9c4t0Ok&t=109s&ab_channel=SapirYakov

[Karl Henning]

David Lynch's Dune. I don't think it genuinely great, and it's certainly too well done for the "trashterpiece" category, but I've come back to thinking it very good.