Last Movie You Watched

[bhodges]

Devil Girl from Mars (1954, dir. David MacDonald)

Trailer (perhaps a wiser bet than committing to the full movie): https://www.imdb.com/video/vi2769856793

Well, what can one say. A female alien from Mars (clearly suffering from reproductive issues) lands a spaceship in Scotland, with the intent to abduct men from Earth to help repopulate the planet.

As a Friday night lark, you could do worse. 

--Bruce

[Karl Henning]

Devil Girl from Mars (1954, dir. David MacDonald)

Trailer (perhaps a wiser bet than committing to the full movie): https://www.imdb.com/video/vi2769856793

Well, what can one say. A female alien from Mars (clearly suffering from reproductive issues) lands a spaceship in Scotland, with the intent to abduct men from Earth to help repopulate the planet.

As a Friday night lark, you could do worse. 

--Bruce

(* chortle *)

[aligreto]

The Lost Daughter:





This is the portrayal, depicted through a linear timeline that is interspersed with flashbacks, of a woman who has had major conflicts with balancing the needs of her own persona with that of her role as a mother. The conflict is well explored in the film. I found it to be quite engaging.

[VonStupp]

Have you seen One Hour Photo?

One Hour Photo (2002)
Robin Williams

A terrific outing from Robin Williams, creepy, but not Criminal Minds disturbing; a bit more realism and sincerity comes from RW's characterization.

For me, this was also a sort-of love letter to personal film cameras and in-store film developing, which might strike a modern viewer as antiquated.

No more Fotomat for me! 

VS

[Karl Henning]

One Hour Photo (2002)
Robin Williams

A terrific outing from Robin Williams, creepy, but not Criminal Minds disturbing; a bit more realism and sincerity comes from RW's characterization.

For me, this was also a sort-of love letter to personal film cameras and in-store film developing, which might strike a modern viewer as antiquated.

No more Fotomat for me! 

VS

Glad you liked it!

[Roasted Swan]

The Lost Daughter:





This is the portrayal, depicted through a linear timeline that is interspersed with flashbacks, of a woman who has had major conflicts with balancing the needs of her own persona with that of her role as a mother. The conflict is well explored in the film. I found it to be quite engaging.

I must admit finding this deathly dull!  For sure the basic premise - why should women feel guilty if they struggle with being "good" mothers - is valid but once that point has been hammered home after that its a long haul to the final credits.

[Iota]

I think one of the best things about is the way that the music performances are filmed from a stage perspective, not an audience one.

Yes, I liked that too.

[VonStupp]

Glad you liked it!

Yes, thanks for the suggestion to revisit it! My wife liked it too, although she was uneasy the whole time. 

VS

[Karl Henning]

Yes, thanks for the suggestion to revisit it! My wife liked it too, although she was uneasy the whole time. 

VS

Another one that I like very well, even though it's uneasy-making, is Jacob's Ladder.

[aligreto]

Cold Mountain:





This is basically the story of love in a time of war with the world falling apart around it.

[Todd]

The Unforgivable.  On the one hand, Sandra Bullock does good work, but on the other hand, the overall storyline, the big Plot Twist, and the ham-fisted score all conspire to make the movie basically the Netflix equivalent of a movie of the week.

[VonStupp]

Masterminds (1997)
Patrick Stewart

Not a recommendation, but it was fun to watch Patrick Stewart do his thing in a low-budget, post-Star Trek role.

Following in a long line of movies where private schools are under siege. I prefer both Taps (1981) with Tom Cruise and George C. Scott and Toy Soldiers (1991) with Sean Astin and Louis Gossett Jr. from this ilk of films.

VS





Safe House (1998)
Patrick Stewart, Hector Elizando, Kimberly Williams

Blurring the line between senility and danger, I really like the idea of this one, despite the TV movie feel. Making oneself feel relevant, despite the physical, mental, and societal difficulties of aging, is a topic that never gets old.

What a treasure I find Patrick Stewart, even if the big screen was never his best avenue.

VS

[SonicMan46]

Cold Mountain:





This is basically the story of love in a time of war with the world falling apart around it.

Hi Fergus - read the book and saw the film on release in the theater, but have not re-watched; however, the locale of Cold Mountain is just a 4 hr drive from home (see map); Asheville and environs has been an oft visited area for us over the decades (i.e pre-COVID) - we've hiked (easy trails) the mountains in the past but never visited Cold Mountain (pic below from the Wiki article quoted) - the trail described would not have been a go for us - due to potential filming costs and lack of historic buildings, the film was made in Romania instead.  Dave

Cold Mountain falls in the mountain region of western North Carolina, United States. The mountain is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains within the Appalachian Mountains. Cold Mountain is part of Pisgah National Forest. Cold Mountain is about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Asheville. It rises to 6,030 feet (1,840 m) above sea level. The peak is accessible only via an extremely strenuous branch of the Art Loeb Trail with a 10.6 miles (17.1 km) round trip and an elevation change of 2,800 feet (850 m). The mountain was made famous as the story location in the 1997 novel Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier. A major motion picture based on the novel was distributed by Miramax Films in 2003. The movie was actually filmed in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. (Source)

 

[aligreto]

Hi Fergus - read the book and saw the film on release in the theater, but have not re-watched; however, the locale of Cold Mountain is just a 4 hr drive from home (see map); Asheville and environs has been an oft visited area for us over the decades (i.e pre-COVID) - we've hiked (easy trails) the mountains in the past but never visited Cold Mountain (pic below from the Wiki article quoted) - the trail described would not have been a go for us - due to potential filming costs and lack of historic buildings, the film was made in Romania instead.  Dave

 

That was a very interesting read, Dave. Thank you for that 

[Iota]

Very good indeed. What stood out particularly for me was the intimacy of the relationships, and real-life feel of the dialogue for a Western. As well as an unusual soundtrack. All of which gave it a very distinctive tone. An excellent quartet of lead actors too. I was fully engaged all the way.

[aligreto]

The Nest:





An English entrepreneur living in America decides to relocate his family to a mansion in rural England. Life is idyllic. However, things soon unravel and reality begins to loom large. I enjoyed it.

[milk]

I'm so surprised that this holds up. I laughed all the way through. It's like a Marx Brothers movie in a way. I think it's the slick balance of elements that makes it work.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I share Karl's feelings that music in the cinema is almost invariably too loud for my own enjoyment these days.
Recently:




I was very struck by Bradley Cooper being able to deliver such a magnetic, concentrated performance and direct at the same time. I know it's not uncommon, nonetheless in the setting it seemed a pretty superhuman feat. (He also co-wrote it.)

The film improves as it goes and ends up delivering quite a punch or three. Cooper gets everything just right, Lady Gaga is no slouch either, and Sam Elliot is excellent as the older brother. Quite a weepy at times, though it earned those moments I felt.

Greatly enjoyed that movie.  I saw it in an actual theater (don't go that often...certainly not now!).

And I agree with you two regarding sound in the theaters; they crank it up WAY too loud.  I bring earplugs or at least use some tissue in my ears.  I want to keep my hearing--not lose it!

Last night, re-watched Shutter Island with a friend who hadn't seen it before.  He loved it (and enjoyed the music in it too).  I was happy to see it a second time around though the hard part with movies like these is that the surprises are now gone.  It was interesting though that I caught some things that I had missed the first time through...and nice to hear it through a decent set of speakers vs. t.v. too. 



PD

[Karl Henning]

Re-watched the 1961 West Side Story last night. I nearly chuckled audibly on realizing the Twin Peaks connections: Richard Beymer (Tony/Ben Horne) and Russ Tamblyn (Riff/Dr Jacoby)

[SonicMan46]

Re-watched the 1961 West Side Story last night. I nearly chuckled audibly on realizing the Twin Peaks connections: Richard Beymer (Tony/Ben Horne) and Russ Tamblyn (Riff/Dr Jacoby)

Hi Karl - except for the music and choreography, I was never a fan of that film (not in my collection) and have not seen since the '60s (guess that I never liked the main characters and their dubbed singing?) - BUT, I am looking forward to seeing the remake - in theaters now but will be streaming on HBO Max and Disney+ - when - not sure?  Dave