Last Movie You Watched

[Cato]

I loved the queen witch who was fabulous and over the top.  She looked very familiar and I realized the evil sorceress queen here:



...was the same beauty in the classic Twilight Zone episode, "The Lonely".

You speak of the great Jean Marsh, who gained fame in the c. 1970's British series Upstairs, Downstairs.

Yes, that Twilight Zone episode is a great one: it hearkens back, of course, to The Sandman, the malicious story by E.T.A. Hoffmann.

In her later years, Jean Marsh was also a villainess in Return to Oz:

[Papy Oli]

With the exception of his Yorkshire Tea ad.

I can't give enough likes to this one  ... The Dog and Trumpet makes me laugh every time...  

[Karl Henning]

You speak of the great Jean Marsh, who gained fame in the c. 1970's British series Upstairs, Downstairs.

Yes, that Twilight Zone episode is a great one: it hearkens back, of course, to The Sandman, the malicious story by E.T.A. Hoffmann.

In her later years, Jean Marsh was also a villainess in Return to Oz:

I hadn't made the Return to Oz connection! And of course, "The Lonely" has an exquisite Herrmann score!

[SimonNZ]

Un métier sérieux -  A real job

A 2023 film by Thomas Lilti.
A nice little film, almost a documentary on teaching in France - anno 2023.

Teaching is 'a serious profession', this French film does not want to leave any misunderstandings about that. For a year we follow a group of teachers at an ordinary, contemporary secondary school. They have to deal with difficult students, boring teaching material, overwork, conflicts with parents and colleagues. But fortunately there is also a lot of satisfaction in return.
Un métier sérieux fits in with films such as Entre les murs and Das Lehrerzimmer (both very exiting, dramatic films),  but has less to offer in terms of drama and tension.
Still a beautiful professional portrait, with lots of nuance and excellent actors.


Peter

Hadn't heard of this - or of Das Lehrerzimmer. Thanks for the heads-up.

Have you seen Bertrand Tavernier's film "Ça commence aujourd'hui" or the documentary "Être et avoir" on the same theme?

[Karl Henning]

Ken Burns' film, The American Buffalo. 

[pjme]

Have you seen Bertrand Tavernier's film "Ça commence aujourd'hui" or the documentary "Être et avoir" on the same theme?

I have it on DVD - but it is difficult to repeat the wonderful emotion and gentle magic that transpired at seeing this film for the first time. 
The film had -for a while - a nasty effect on the village :
"In no time, the small village of Saint-Étienne-sur-Usson and its 244 inhabitants, its two streets, its bar, its church... until then so peaceful, were besieged. "Everyone was after us trying to get even the slightest little sentence. Even the mayor at the time, Serge Coudeyras, was harassed on the phone at his workplace."

Until general fed up. The whole village then stood up as one man to protect "their" children."

I missed Taverniers film. 

[relm1]

I hadn't made the Return to Oz connection! And of course, "The Lonely" has an exquisite Herrmann score!

Nor I.  She was really good in Willow and I can see that she can disappear in her roles becoming the character.  Who knew she makes a great villain too. 

Yes, Herrmann was great at everything but even so, the Lonely was an especially effective score.  I can hear quite a bit of Prokofiev in James Horner's score to Willow.  Basically, Alexander Nevsky.

[LKB]

Nor I.  She was really good in Willow and I can see that she can disappear in her roles becoming the character.  Who knew she makes a great villain too. 

Yes, Herrmann was great at everything but even so, the Lonely was an especially effective score.  I can hear quite a bit of Prokofiev in James Horner's score to Willow.  Basically, Alexander Nevsky.

James Horner did some first-rate scoring in several films, but other films he scored make use of other's music, without attribution. So if you're hearing Prokofiev, it may in fact actually be present.

[Cato]

James Horner did some first-rate scoring in several films, but other films he scored make use of other's music, without attribution. So if you're hearing Prokofiev, it may in fact actually be present.

He also stole from himself: in a movie called For Greater Glory, which deals with a rebellion in Mexico by Catholics against the officially atheist government, I was astonished to hear more than a few snippets of the music from Braveheart!


Concerning Jean Marsh:

... She was really good in Willow and I can see that she can disappear in her roles becoming the character.  Who knew she makes a great villain too. 

I should have included Jean Marsh in my list of great character actresses!


Another name came up yesterday for inclusion in the list of great character actors: Harvey Keitel.


It is difficult to choose a movie for him: two Wes Anderson movies come to mind, one rather unlikely.


The Grand Budapest Hotel



...and...

Isle of Dogs

[Karl Henning]

Another name came up yesterday for inclusion in the list of great character actors: Harvey Keitel.

The last two movies I've seen with Harvey Keitel have probably been Taxi Driver & The Last Temptation of Christ.

[Cato]

Yes, Herrmann was great at everything but even so, (The Twilight Zone episode) The Lonely was an especially effective score.

We came across a copy of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir for a dollar.


Excellent, evocative score by our friend Bernard Herrmann: and the Captain's ghost was good preparation for Rex Harrison's later role in My Fair Lady. 

[Karl Henning]

We came across a copy of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir for a dollar.

Excellent!

[DavidW]

The last two movies I've seen with Harvey Keitel have probably been Taxi Driver & The Last Temptation of Christ.

I think his greatest performance was in Bad Lieutenant.  I'm not saying it is an enjoyable movie... it is really hard to watch... but Keitel delivers the performance of his career.

[relm1]

We came across a copy of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir for a dollar.


Excellent, evocative score by our friend Bernard Herrmann: and the Captain's ghost was good preparation for Rex Harrison's later role in My Fair Lady. 

That film is so, so good too!  I saw it for the first time not long ago and was immediately struck by its perfect pacing, atmosphere, characters, humor, and heart.  I already knew the fantastic score since my college days so that was no surprise.  Also, I think I recall a very adorable Natalie Wood in her first role. 

[Cato]

That film is so, so good too!  I saw it for the first time not long ago and was immediately struck by its perfect pacing, atmosphere, characters, humor, and heart.  I already knew the fantastic score since my college days so that was no surprise.  Also, I think I recall a very adorable Natalie Wood in her first role.
 

Yes, she does not have too much to do, but she is perfect for the part.

George Sanders had one of the greatest voices on the planet, and when he purrs into Gene Tierney's ear, one buys into her acceptance of him, despite his self-deprecating warnings.

He would purr again as Shere Khan in Walt Disney's version of The Jungle Book.

Check out Village of the Damned, in which Sanders plays the heroic professor who exposes an unpleasant reality in the local town.  The professor's investigation and solution to the mystery develop slowly like an avalanche...and also hits you like an avalanche!

I saw it when it first came out, and then again years later: I found George Sanders most persuasive.

[Karl Henning]

That film is so, so good too!  I saw it for the first time not long ago and was immediately struck by its perfect pacing, atmosphere, characters, humor, and heart.  I already knew the fantastic score since my college days so that was no surprise.  Also, I think I recall a very adorable Natalie Wood in her first role. 

Truly an exquisite movie. Back when I was growing up there was a sitcom. Now that I've seen the movie, I wonder they had the cheek to milk a sitcom out of it.

[Karl Henning]

Yes, she does not have too much to do, but she is perfect for the part.

George Sanders had one of the greatest voices on the planet, and when he purrs into Gene Tierney's ear, one buys into her acceptance of him, despite his self-deprecating warnings.

He would purr again as Shere Khan in Walt Disney's version of The Jungle Book.

Check out Village of the Damned, in which Sanders plays the heroic professor who exposes an unpleasant reality in the local town.  The professor's investigation and solution to the mystery develop slowly like an avalanche...and also hits you like an avalanche!

I saw it when it first came out, and then again years later: I found George Sanders most persuasive.

In hindsight, Shere Khan was my introduction to the excellent actor. Terribly sad that he took his own life. 

[Karl Henning]

Separately, I just need to watch Spaceballs tonight.

[Cato]

Yes, there are certain character actors/actresses, who are worth watching, even if the movie/T.V. show is mediocre.

My nominations are (off the top of my head, sort of chronologically)...


Billy Gilbert
Royal Dano
James Hong
Warren Oates
Woody Strode
Dennis Hopper
Billy Bob Thornton
Dennis Haysbert
Steve Zahn
Don Cheadle


Kathleen Howard
Eve Arden
Lillian Gish*
Patricia Collinge
Phyllis Thaxter
Joan Hackett
Jessica Harper
Octavia Spencer
Pamela Adlon



*Lillian Gish was a major star, of course, in silent movies, but in her later years accepted what could be called character roles in sound movies.

A horrible oversight in the list of actors!


STROTHER MARTIN!   


Most famous for this scene in Cool Hand Luke: in high school and college, it seems we were quoting Strother Martin's lines from this movie quite a bit!

[Todd]

Unfrosted.  The movie has received poor reviews, though given that it is a farcical history of the invention of Pop Tarts, I'm not sure what people expected.  As a piece of cinema, it falls flat.  As a string of comedic scenes, nearly every one with a new cameo, it works well enough.  Some of the cameos are inspired: James Marsden as Jack LaLanne, Bill Burr as JFK, Peter Dinklage as the leader of the milk mafia, Felix Solis as El Sucre (there's a subplot about sugar supply), Jon Hamm and John Slattery as big-time ad men.  The main, recurring cast includes quite amusing work from James Gaffigan as a Kellogg, Melissa McCarthy doing her thing as a cereal scientist, and above all Hugh Grant as an actor who played Tony the Tiger and then ends up leading actions that looks suspiciously familiar to 2024 eyes.  There are some homages to The Right Stuff, and some other nostalgic homages to the era.  The digitally rendered Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon are well done.  And I can honestly report that I learned a new fact: Post's competing and failed product launched at the same time was called Country Squares.  This flick is a light and puffy time waster, but since I went in expecting as much, it met expectations.