Last Movie You Watched

[Madiel]

A much better film is Scent of a Woman, which has some of the same thematic elements.

I have 2 main memories of that film:

1. Pacino arguably overacts.
2. It is far too long.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

That Obscure Object of Desire (Cet obscur objet du désir.) Luis Bunuel. Fun movie.

[Karl Henning]

My mention of it the other day probably emerged from my subconscious wish to watch again:
Scent of a Woman

[VonStupp]

Viz. Dead Poets Society: I remembered loving it back when it opened. Perhaps three years ago I borrowed the DVD from the library.  I doubt I shall ever watch it again.  A much better film is Scent of a Woman, which has some of the same thematic elements.

We like both at our household, although I will admit their imperfections. I like the strong metaphor of autumn turning to winter that exists, and yet there is plenty of heavy-handedness in both too.

[Karl Henning]

We like both at our household, although I will admit their imperfections. I like the strong metaphor of autumn turning to winter that exists, and yet there is plenty of heavy-handedness in both too.

I should give DPS another shot.  I think that Pacino's balls-to-the-wall take on Col Slade comes from the character, and it really sets up nice moments of contrast when Slade feels a bit chastened at the Thanksgiving table, and when Chris O'Donnell "talks him off the ledge" and gets him to set down his sidearm. It may, possibly be my favorite Pacino role, though "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy is growing on me

[VonStupp]

I should give DPS another shot.  I think that Pacino's balls-to-the-wall take on Col Slade comes from the character, and it really sets up nice moments of contrast when Slade feels a bit chastened at the Thanksgiving table, and when Chris O'Donnell "talks him off the ledge" and gets him to set down his sidearm. It may, possibly be my favorite Pacino role, though "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy is growing on me

I can get behind that. Scent is a bit more of a character study while Poet is an coming-of-age, ensemble melodrama, so there are distinct differences despite some similarities. I love the tango scene where Pacino shows his ability as a physical actor.

If we are talking 'big' Pacino roles, I would definitely put The Devil's Advocate in there as well. Both Scent and Devil have anodyne young characters to offset Pacino's big, loud portrayals. Hoo-Ah! 

[VonStupp]

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965)
OR
How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours and 11 Minutes

There were some mentions of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World lately, and it reminded me I had meant to watch this. Well, its not great; Mad...World and The Great Race (Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood) are better examples of these epic race movies that were popular for a while.

But, I admit I was drawn to the ever-unlikable Terry-Thomas and a stuffy Robert Morely, plus we get James Fox, Benny Hill, Red Skelton, and Gert Fröbe (Goldfinger) among others I am altogether less familiar with.

[Karl Henning]

I can get behind that. Scent is a bit more of a character study while Poet is an coming-of-age, ensemble melodrama, so there are distinct differences despite some similarities. I love the tango scene where Pacino shows his ability as a physical actor.

I know: playing a blind man dancing the tango. Fearless acting!

[Karl Henning]

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965)
OR
How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours and 11 Minutes

There were some mentions of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World lately, and it reminded me I had meant to watch this. Well, its not great; Mad...World and The Great Race (Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood) are better examples of these epic race movies that were popular for a while.

But, I admit I was drawn to the ever-unlikable Terry-Thomas and a stuffy Robert Morely, plus we get James Fox, Benny Hill, Red Skelton, and Gert Fröbe (Goldfinger) among others I am altogether less familiar with.

Just the thought of Terry Thomas gives me the withers.

[SonicMan46]

Well, a shocker!    I'm getting Susan to go down my DVD/BD/4K database and start selecting some films I actually own - maybe a little break from streaming!  But, won't last for long - the first three up (just one a night starting at the beginning of the alphabet):

African Queen (1951) w/ Humphrey Bogart & Katharine Hepburn; John Huston, director; much of the film was shot on location in Uganda and the Congo in Africa (most of the crew became sick except Bogart and Huston who mainly drank whiskey as their beverage of choice -  ); we own the BD shown below (4.5/5 video rating HERE) - now I've had this as a VHS tape>DVD>BD and the color restoration on the blu-ray version is astounding - try to watch a BD version of the film - highly recommended.

All That Heaven Allows (1955) w/ Rock Hudson & Jane Wyman; Douglas Sirk, director - short summary first quote (Source) - an outstanding Criterion restoration (5/5 both video & audio) HERE - I am just enamored w/ the '50s Douglas Sirk 'soapers' (another w/ the same two stars from 1954 is the Magnificent Obsession, also now a great Criterion BD restoration).  Wife is not a big fan of these films but she did enjoy looking at the handsome Rock Hudson (despite later revelations).  Recommended if you feel like me about these stories.

Amazing Grace (2006) w/ Ioan Gruffudd, Romola Garai, Benedict Cumberbatch, & Albert Finney. Short synopsis below.  We really enjoyed this film (probably my 3-4 watch), but the reviews were disappointedly mixed; 67%, Rotten Tomatoes for critics (85% audience); 7.4/10, IMDB; 4.7/5, Amazon - I'd easily do a 4*/5* and highly recommended as a docudrama, if the subject is of interest - highly recommended.  Dave

ADDENDUM: Wilberforce University in the small Ohio community was named in William Wilberforce's honor (see last quote).

All That Heaven Allows is a 1955 American drama romance film starring Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson in a tale about a well-to-do widow and a younger man, who owns a tree nursery, falling in love. The screenplay was written by Peg Fenwick upon the basis of a story by Edna L. Lee and Harry Lee. The film was directed by Douglas Sirk and produced by Ross Hunter. (Source)

Amazing Grace is a 2006 British-American biographical drama film directed by Michael Apted, about the campaign against the slave trade in the British Empire, led by William Wilberforce, who was responsible for steering anti-slave trade legislation through the British parliament. The title is a reference to the 1772 hymn "Amazing Grace". The film also recounts the experiences of John Newton as a crewman on a slave ship and subsequent religious conversion, which inspired his writing of the poem later used in the hymn. Newton is portrayed as a major influence on Wilberforce and the abolition movement. (Source)

After Wilberforce College was established in 1856, the community was also named for the English statesman William Wilberforce, who worked for the abolition of slavery and achieved the end of the slave trade in the United Kingdom and its empire. The small community served as an important stop for refugee slaves on the Underground Railroad before the American Civil War, as it had seven stations. The Ohio Historical Society operates the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, which provides exhibits and learning opportunities for the regional community. The Association of African American Museums, also located in Wilberforce and supported by the private university, works to build professional capacity among smaller museums. (Source)

   

[Karl Henning]

The African Queen on blu-ray is surely a joy, Dave!

[SonicMan46]

The African Queen on blu-ray is surely a joy, Dave!

+1 Karl - the restoration is amazing - HERE is a more thorough description and some comparison pics, for those interested?  Dave

[André]

« Footnote (Hebrew: הערת שוליים‎, translit. He'arat Shulayim) is a 2011 Israeli drama film written and directed by Joseph Cedar, starring Shlomo Bar Aba and Lior Ashkenazi.[2] The plot revolves around the troubled relationship between a father and son who teach at the Talmud department of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The film won the Best Screenplay Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. Footnote won nine prizes at the 2011 Ophir Awards, becoming Israel's entry for the 84th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.[3][4] On 18 January 2012, the film was named as one of the nine shortlisted entries for the Oscars.[5] On 24 January 2012, the film was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Foreign Language Film,[6] but lost to the Iranian film A Separation«  (source: Wikipedia)

While Footnote didn't stand a chance vs a masterpiece like A Separation at the Oscars, it would be sad if it wasn't recognized as one of the most original movies to have emerged in the past decade. The screenplay is brilliant, the humour scathing and corrosive, the elements of drama taking over abruptly at the end as the worst case scenario materializes. Recommended.

[André]

Kaurismäki is widely recognized as one Finland's most original and thought-provoking filmmakers. He directed relatively few films, some of which were nominated (Oscars) or won (Grand Prix at Cannes) international awards.

Description from Criterion's web site:

« As deadpan as the best of the director's work, and with a deep well of empathy for its down-but-not-out characters (many of them played by members of Kaurismäki's loyal stock company), The Other Side of Hope is a bittersweet celebration of pockets of human kindness in an unwelcoming world«.

Through his cryptic description of its characters' motivations, Kaurismäki keeps us from judging early on if they're 'good' or 'bad', forcing us to set judgments aside and wait for the scenario to unfold at its own pace. He reminds me of Belá Tarr in his refusal to 'tell a story' and by focusing on characters instead of plot. The artwork may be misleading: this is not an anime, its characters are real flesh and blood, but otoh it kind of suits the unglamorous approach.

[Todd]

Ice Road Truckers: The Movie  The Ice Road.  A nefarious mining company skimps of mine safety, so Qui-Gon Jinn and Morpheus team up to save the imperiled miners.  I had low expectations for this movie, but everything about it is so formulaic and predictable, down to the appropriately self-aware ethnic stereotypes, that my expectations were not met.  I really do wonder if the screenplay is the product of screenplay generating software rather than a human writer.  At least the actors and crew got paid, I guess.  Oh, and some of the scenery is nice enough.

[Karl Henning]

About time I'd watched this one, really.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

+1 Karl - the restoration is amazing - HERE is a more thorough description and some comparison pics, for those interested?  Dave

Wow!  Thanks for posting that link.  It's quite interesting to see the differences in terms of color and resolution. 

PD

[SonicMan46]

Wow!  Thanks for posting that link.  It's quite interesting to see the differences in terms of color and resolution. 

PD

Hi PD - amazing description of the BD restoration at that link!  Also for the holidays, I replaced my old HDTV w/ a 50" Sony 4K Bravia and a Sony 4K/UHD BD player - the latter is suppose to 'upscale' the 1080P resolution closer to the 4K (in theory); plus I have the new TV's sound optically cabled to my Cambridge receiver and den speakers (of course, mono sound) - a great experience.  Dave

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Hi PD - amazing description of the BD restoration at that link!  Also for the holidays, I replaced my old HDTV w/ a 50" Sony 4K Bravia and a Sony 4K/UHD BD player - the latter is suppose to 'upscale' the 1080P resolution closer to the 4K (in theory); plus I have the new TV's sound optically cabled to my Cambridge receiver and den speakers (of course, mono sound) - a great experience.  Dave

Sounds like you have quite the setup! 

PD

[bhodges]

Over the weekend, The Lady from Shanghai (1947, dir. Orson Welles). A delight to revisit this masterwork, with too many pleasures to name. Yes, the climactic hall of mirrors scene is fantastic, but there are many other marvels.

Here's a nice video preview, from 2011 by Richard Brody of The New Yorker: 

https://www.newyorker.com/video/watch/lady-from-shanghai

--Bruce