Last Movie You Watched

[VonStupp]

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Jim Carrey, Anthony Hopkins, Jeffery Tambor

Since Thanksgiving, we have read Dr. Seuss' book a few times, watched the 1966 TV special, and last year, saw the 2018 Benedict Cumberbatch CGI animated film.

Jim Carrey's version never crossed my path. The children were delighted, and the visual style and make-up effects were outstanding. Like the remake of Willy Wonka, I don't like the unnecessary backstory of why the Grinch is the way he is, but that is the era of storytelling we are in.

This is a Jim Carrey vehicle, and its success will depend on how much you like him; he does a strange W.C. Fields / Sean Connery voice that leaves me uncertain, but his physicality is unmistakable.

Of course, it also gave us the song Where are you, Christmas?, which is smeared all over the score.

VS

[Karl Henning]

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Jim Carrey, Anthony Hopkins, Jeffery Tambor

Since Thanksgiving, we have read Dr. Seuss' book a few times, watched the 1966 TV special, and last year, saw the 2018 Benedict Cumberbatch CGI animated film.

Jim Carrey's version never crossed my path. The children were delighted, and the visual style and make-up effects were outstanding. Like the remake of Willy Wonka, I don't like the unnecessary backstory of why the Grinch is the way he is, but that is the era of storytelling we are in.

This is a Jim Carrey vehicle, and its success will depend on how much you like him; he does a strange W.C. Fields / Sean Connery voice that leaves me uncertain, but his physicality is unmistakable.

Of course, it also gave us the song Where are you, Christmas?, which is smeared all over the score.

VS

Dpn't think I could do this 'un. I also avoid the T. B. W. W.

[VonStupp]

Dpn't think I could do this 'un. I also avoid the T. B. W. W.

I probably wouldn't either if I didn't have young ones around. They were very entertained and it was amusing enough for me. 

I am a dad that makes watching movies an event. Never is anything played on endless repeat or as background. It somehow makes movie and TV watching a little more special.

VS

[Karl Henning]

I probably wouldn't either if I didn't have young ones around. They were very entertained and it was amusing enough for me. 

I am a dad that makes watching movies an event. Never is anything played on endless repeat or as background. It somehow makes movie and TV watching a little more special.

VS

Well done!

Viz. T.B., I should give Sleepy Hollow a try someday, If that seems to betoken a lack of genuine enthusiasm, so be it


TD
Christmas movie № 1: Brazil

[VonStupp]

TD
Christmas movie № 1: Brazil

A funny and subversive film!

VS

[Karl Henning]

A funny and subversive film!

VS

Old favorite!

[milk]

My first time seeing this. I did like it a lot despite the fact that the story is told in flashbacks. That usually kills it for me. Here, it works to see how a deep and gutting tragedy from the past overwhelms every possibility in the present for this character. There's a wonderful scene in which the two actors, Affleck and Williams, talk over each other in half finished sentences and thoughts, an incoherent although highly emotional exchange, yet the audience knows exactly what they are communicating, what they can't say but wish too, what they can never say, etc. This is a good film. 

[SonicMan46]

Two more DVD replacements with HD Amazon streamers:

The Country Girl (1954) w/ Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, and William Holden - short synopsis below; Grace Kelly in an early quite non-glamorous role that earned her an Oscar; nominated for 7 Oscars, winner for a biting adapted screenplay; Crosby also nominated for best actor, just one of his best dramatic performances, if all you thought about him were the silly road pics w/ Bob Hope. Highly recommended.

Something's Gotta Give (2003) w/ Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, and others below in the short summary; an adult romantic comedy, well written, and with a wonderful chemistry between the two main stars - recommended for light-hearted fun.  Dave

The Country Girlis a 1954 American drama film written and directed by George Seaton and starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, and William Holden. Adapted by Seaton from Clifford Odets' 1950 play of the same name, the film is about an alcoholic has-been actor/singer struggling with the one last chance he has been given to resurrect his career. Seaton won the Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay.Kelly won the Academy Award for Best Actress for the role, which previously had earned Uta Hagen her first Tony Award in the play's original Broadway production. The role, a non-glamorous departure for Kelly, was as the alcoholic actor's long-suffering wife. (Source)

Something's Gotta Give is a 2003 American romantic comedy film written, produced and directed by Nancy Meyers. It stars Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton as a successful 60-something and 50-something, who find love for each other in later life, despite being complete opposites. Keanu Reeves and Amanda Peet co-star, with Frances McDormand plays a key supporting role. The film received generally positive reviews, and was a box office hit. For her performance Keaton received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress, and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, while Nicholson received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. (Source)

 

[Madiel]

I watched Molly's Game last night. Enjoyed it a lot. And when I saw Aaron Sorkin's name in the credits everything made sense. The verbal style is recognisable. And makes for a really great central character.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

An extraordinary and much-garlanded film, though very depressing. Too depressing on the day for this milquetoast (seems to be the word of the moment ..) alas.

As many may know, it covers Hackman's private surveillance expert, who becomes uncomfortably entangled in a case he is working on. The surgical exposition of human dysfunction and despair however, seemed to actually outweigh for me the pleasure in its many virtues. Perhaps freed of the slightly claustrophobic effect of the pandemic my response would have been different.
 
Nonetheless particularly honourable mentions for Coppola's vision and his incisiveness in realising it, and for Gene Hackman who pulls off the trick of being charismatically uncharismatic (as the character requires) in memorable fashion. Interested that it was apparently Coppola's favourite of his films.

Great movie. Masterpiece!!

[Karl Henning]

Christmas movie № 2: The Lion in Winter

[Daverz]

A middling, though entertaining, spaghetti Western:

[aligreto]

The Unforgivable:





This is a powerful performance by Bullock. Her character is jailed for the killing of a police officer. She serves her time and is released but that is only where the real story begins.

[Karl Henning]

Christmas movie № 3: The Godfather

[Karl Henning]

Christmas movie № 4: Life of Brian

[MusicTurner]

Ouch, a new Matrix movie was just premiered, the 4th ...

There's already a Wiki article, I didn't read the described plot there, but wanted to know about the reception of it. It's not getting particularly good reviews, however.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix_Resurrections

[Karl Henning]

Ouch, a new Matrix movie was just premiered, the 4th ...

There's already a Wiki article, I didn't read the described plot there, but wanted to know about the reception of it. It's not getting particularly good reviews, however.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix_Resurrections

It's one of the ads now, as I play sudoku on my phone. I gladly give it a pass

[SonicMan46]

Ouch, a new Matrix movie was just premiered, the 4th ...

There's already a Wiki article, I didn't read the described plot there, but wanted to know about the reception of it. It's not getting particularly good reviews, however.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix_Resurrections

This morning, a feature in USA Today's 'Life' section - I own the UHD Amazon version of the first one - watched the two sequels but no urge to also have either in my collection.  The 4th new Martix is streaming on HBOMax which we get but after reading the plot on the link above, sounds like an extremely convoluted story (probably needs editing and shortening!) - SO, if I get the 'itch' to watch, then will put on the headphones and hopefully HBO will be streaming in UHD to my 4K HDTV?  Dave 

[Karl Henning]

This morning, a feature in USA Today's 'Life' section - I own the UHD Amazon version of the first one - watched the two sequels but no urge to also have either in my collection.  The 4th new Martix is streaming on HBOMax which we get but after reading the plot on the link above, sounds like an extremely convoluted story (probably needs editing and shortening!) - SO, if I get the 'itch' to watch, then will put on the headphones and hopefully HBO will be streaming in UHD to my 4K HDTV?  Dave 

I own the first. Somehow I cannot bring myself even to watch any sequel. FWIW, I have been slow regarding the John Wick sequels, too.

[MusicTurner]

This morning, a feature in USA Today's 'Life' section - I own the UHD Amazon version of the first one - watched the two sequels but no urge to also have either in my collection.  The 4th new Martix is streaming on HBOMax which we get but after reading the plot on the link above, sounds like an extremely convoluted story (probably needs editing and shortening!) - SO, if I get the 'itch' to watch, then will put on the headphones and hopefully HBO will be streaming in UHD to my 4K HDTV?  Dave 

I liked the first two in the series a lot, whereas the 3rd got very cartoon-, violence- and kitsch-like. The 4th apparently adds some humour, but doesn't leave out the many self-references, seemingly. Hopefully things are explained on the way. Comforting though, that some main characters were allowed to live on anyway and continue the story I'll be watching it some day.