Last Movie You Watched

[aligreto]

Jungle





This is the well worn story of the trip into the wilderness that inevitably goes wrong. However, this one is factually based. I felt that the film was OK. Anyway, when I looked up the true story it appears that one of the main protagonists was asked what he thought of the film. His response was interesting and I am paraphrasing his answer. He said something like Hollywood always tends to over dramatise events but in this case the reality was much more horrific. The film, he said, was just a fair reflection of the facts.

[Stürmisch Bewegt]

On Netflix: the tear-inducing story of two unlikely partners in the blues, Satan & Adam. Trailer here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYmby6hWKwE

[SonicMan46]

Beverly Hills Cop (1984) w/ Eddie Murphy, John Ashton, Judge Reinhold, Ronny Cox, and others - owned this film for many decades from DVD > BD > 4K - outstanding 2160p video transfer (see review HERE) - for sound, I wore headphones (wife not a fan of the film nor Murphy) and must say that I was hearing some extra channels vs. listening on my 2-speaker stereo (from the link - "the audio sounds like the same DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix from the previous release") - usually don't watch films w/ headphones but may try some more - I'm assuming that I was just hearing more w/ my ears covered.  If you have gotten into 4K yet and enjoy this film, then recommended.  Dave

[drogulus]

      I'm about halfway through the documentary Apollo 11, which uses 65mm footage intended for a NASA doc that never happened. Now it's been scanned at ultra high resolution and then reduced to 4k! It's HDR, too.

     

     

     https://www.youtube.com/v/uOp08ToyzlM&ab_channel=CNN

[LKB]

      I'm about halfway through the documentary Apollo 11, which uses 65mm footage intended for a NASA doc that never happened. Now it's been scanned at ultra high resolution and then reduced to 4k! It's HDR, too.

     

     

     https://www.youtube.com/v/uOp08ToyzlM&ab_channel=CNN

I saw this in the theatre, and it's every bit as impressive on Blu-Ray.

And if Drogulus ( or anyone else ) should wish a more immersive Apollo experience, try:

https://apolloinrealtime.org/

,

LKB

[SonicMan46]

      I'm about halfway through the documentary Apollo 11, which uses 65mm footage intended for a NASA doc that never happened. Now it's been scanned at ultra high resolution and then reduced to 4k! It's HDR, too.

          

Wife & I saw the documentary on the big screen on release - quite impressive, both visuals and sound!  But I never bought a 'version', so in exploring Amazon USA, there were 2 options, i.e. the 4K physical package for nearly $30 on the marketplace vs. the streaming 4K UHD choice for $14 - the 4K disc is certainly the better quality choice but for a film I'd watch a few more times, the streamer is the bargain - I'm assuming that you're watching this doc on the disc?  Dave

[Madiel]

Guardians of the Galaxy, which is easily one of the more entertaining movies in the Marvel franchise.

[SimonNZ]

[pjme]

François Ozon: Frantz



I like Ozon : " Huit femmes", "Swimming pool", "Ricky", "Potiche" , "Le temps qui reste"

[André]

François Ozon: Frantz



I like Ozon : " Huit femmes", "Swimming pool", "Ricky", "Potiche" , "Le temps qui reste"

Beautiful. We loved that film. Plot and atmosphere remind me of Tavernier's La vie et rien d'autre.

[aligreto]

Fracture





This is a well thought out "How did he do it?" film which is also very well acted by the two main protagonists. Worth viewing. 

[SonicMan46]

Show Boat (1951) w/ Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ava Gardner, Joe E. Brown, and Agnes Moorehead - recently released on BD and a new replacement for my old DVD - watched last night and was astounded at the restoration, especially the video colors and audio (both 5/5 in the review HERE).  Remake of the B&W 1936 film of the same name w/ Irene Dunne and Alan Jones, plus featuring the amazing Paul Robeson who performs 'Ol Man River' (can be found on YouTube) - William Warfield does the song in the newer version (also on YouTube for those interested). Note that the older film was also recently restored by Criterion and replaced my aging DVD-R last year.

Show Boat based on the Edna Ferber 1926 novel, and first brought to Broadway in the later 1920s with music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and P. G. Wodehouse; the musical was considered revolutionary for its times w/ an integrated plot, great music, and drama vs. what mostly Ziegfeld and others were offering in the '20s.  Now for fans (and I know there likely will not be many -  ), the ending plots were changed, i.e. the 1936 film follows the original musical/book more closely while the 1951 version alters the ending (happier in my mind - the link tells all!) - BUT, if indeed you are a fan of musicals and this particular one, both versions below are worth exploring.  Dave


 

[Stürmisch Bewegt]

Finally got to see "63 Up," which may or may not be the concluding installment of the "7-Up" series.  So easy to fall in love with these people, no matter who they are, their station in life, or political views, and I suddenly realized after all this time that the real reason why this series is so remarkable is not because of its director, Michael Apted (died last year), who can be peevish at times if not outright rude, but whose perseverance is at least admirable, but rather owing to the participants themselves, one of whom has died in in the interim and another has throat cancer, outlook unpromising.  I have seen all the seven-year installments, many of them twice or thrice. Warmly recommended. Trailer here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX5OJN1wq6g

[Stürmisch Bewegt]

Beautiful. We loved that film. Plot and atmosphere remind me of Tavernier's La vie et rien d'autre.

Moi aussi, je l'aimais.

[aligreto]

I have now watched and enjoyed that film. Thank you for posting.

[Todd]

Nomadland.  Frances McDormand and David Straitharn work with mostly unprofessional actors in this film depicting the life of homeless people living out west in vans and RVs.  Set a few years after the financial crash, McDormand's character lost her job when the company town she lived in died, and her husband died as well, so she wanders.  She runs into Straitharn's character, who is a bit less better drawn (on purpose), and both veterans deliver the dramatic goods.  The film gives a lot of sympathetic screen time to real people, though, so one gets an insight into why they live the way they do.  The film is simply magnificent, and its magnificence comes from its simplicity.  No special effects.  No grand visual flourishes.  And, thankfully, no soundtrack most of the time.  When music is used, it is as spare as the film.  Director Chloé Zhao and her production team scouted some striking locations, including an extended segment set in the Badlands, where one gets to take in the view one sees driving in from the west, though no images, still or moving, can capture the impact of seeing it in person.  The world needs more movies like this.

[drogulus]

     I rewatched Constantine, a soon to be appreciated comic book derivation with supernaturalistic goings on. It stars Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz and Tilda Swinton. It also has Peter Stormare playing a or perhaps the devil. That's about right, I think. Also in the film is Pruitt Taylor Vince, one of those guys who makes a film better by being in it, whatever he does.

[SimonNZ]

Finally got to see "63 Up," which may or may not be the concluding installment of the "7-Up" series.  So easy to fall in love with these people, no matter who they are, their station in life, or political views, and I suddenly realized after all this time that the real reason why this series is so remarkable is not because of its director, Michael Apted (died last year), who can be peevish at times if not outright rude, but whose perseverance is at least admirable, but rather owing to the participants themselves, one of whom has died in in the interim and another has throat cancer, outlook unpromising.  I have seen all the seven-year installments, many of them twice or thrice. Warmly recommended. Trailer here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX5OJN1wq6g

I seem to be the sole dissenter in my dislike of the 7up series. Not the participants, who are lovely, but in every aspect of the methodology, in the deafness towards the complaints of the participants most of whom feel they're getting a "poison pill" every seven years and are constantly having their noses rubbed in throwaway remarks they made when they were children. And in proceeding with their foundation assumptions of "show me the child and I'll show you the adult", which has proven demonstrably false to everyone but Apted, and such a rigid class system was already changing when the project began. The real value of the project may be to discuss how much these peoples lives were or were not changed through an uncaring and parasitic act of defiantly observing them despite their protests.

I like the people, but there would have been a way of doing this where they were continually glad to be involved and in every installment it pains me to see how unhappy they are with this thing they can never get away from.

[Stürmisch Bewegt]

I seem to be the sole dissenter in my dislike of the 7up series. Not the participants, who are lovely, but in every aspect of the methodology, in the deafness towards the complaints of the participants most of whom feel they're getting a "poison pill" every seven years and are constantly having their noses rubbed in throwaway remarks they made when they were children. And in proceeding with their foundation assumptions of "show me the child and I'll show you the adult", which has proven demonstrably false to everyone but Apted, and such a rigid class system was already changing when the project began. The real value of the project may be to discuss how much these peoples lives were or were not changed through an uncaring and parasitic act of defiantly observing them despite their protests.

I like the people, but there would have been a way of doing this where they were continually glad to be involved and in every installment it pains me to see how unhappy they are with this thing they can never get away from.

I agree with your criticisms, Simon, just not as vehemently, perhaps because I'm so grateful the series exists and for the extraordinary experience of sharing in the participants' lives. I am cognizant of what it has cost some of them (some, more than others; it is worth observing some have been able to turn their participation to personal advantage). I also think it's worth pointing out that the filming of the first installment (thought to be a one-off, orig.) was surely part and parcel of the greater consciousness that helped ameliorate a starkly class-oriented society.  For sure, Apted himself did not always behave in a manner one could wish.  That cost him at least one person and on and off others through the years.  So, in sum, I take the good with the bad, I guess.  BTW, I remember several participants agreeing with Apted in 63 that the child is indeed father to the man (woman).  I can personally vouch that Stürmisch as a five year old is very much present in the 69 year old typing these words.  His talents, weaknesses, courage and fears are very much mine own still.  His interests, however, have altered considerably.  I also think that many of the participants (a considerable number of whom display an eloquence beyond their schooling) are aware that they are taking part in a noble experiment justifying their taking "poison pills" every seven years.  I sincerely hope Nick's throat cancer can be cured; if that cigar-smoking, liquor-guzzling Sibelius can get his cured way back when, why not Nick who appears to have taken much better care of himself and has the advantage of modern medical care?!  ( Answer: there are, of course, different kinds of cancer with different prognoses). 

[SimonNZ]

Those are all good arguments. Thanks.

I should also add that I've been reluctant to see the last two or three installments so I don't grasp the full arc of the story yet or have heard how the participants look back on it all now.