Last Movie You Watched

Started by Drasko, April 06, 2007, 07:51:03 AM

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DavidW

Quote from: relm1 on July 21, 2025, 05:30:28 AMWhy couldn't he have brought his father back, rehabilitated him and moved on with his life because his childhood issues were resolved?  Probably too optimistic, which isn't good either but here, it seemed he let his father go without trying to explain they could resolve whatever he thought was unresolvable.  His father's motivations were still unclear.  He was doing a lot of damage to earth because?  He decided to die because?  Let's say he became obsessed with his work, then why wouldn't he want to continue on this work?  It sort of imploded without justifying the character's actions or motivations.  They don't need to spell it out, but it has to make sense.

I think you missed out on something important. The father found that there is no alien life out there. But that was the purpose that motivated his whole life at the expense of his family. So he went mad. You're looking for logical motivations out of someone who went insane.

There is no more work to be done because he already concluded that there is no alien life out there. Faced with that revelation, the father chose suicide, while the son chose the fellowship of humanity.

relm1

#39001
Quote from: DavidW on July 21, 2025, 06:04:37 AMI think you missed out on something important. The father found that there is no alien life out there. But that was the purpose that motivated his whole life at the expense of his family. So he went mad. You're looking for logical motivations out of someone who went insane.

There is no more work to be done because he already concluded that there is no alien life out there. Faced with that revelation, the father chose suicide, while the son chose the fellowship of humanity.

I see.  I did miss that, and it makes more sense now.  Sad.  I wish he had an overview effect experience then.  That he realized earth was beautiful and a gem in a cold, lifeless universe, therefore life was worth being cherished and salvaged or perhaps make it so he reluctantly agrees to go to earth but because of damage to the ship chooses to sacrifice himself for his estranged son's chance for survival thereby coming full circle.  I also get that the story isn't about the father but about the son, just think they could have done both and would have made it a better ending.

hopefullytrusting

Evolver (1995) starring Ethan Embry (the main reason it popped on my radar, Ethan starred in one of my favorite films - Empire Records, also from 1995):



This is a fantastic cyberpunkish romp of a movie. Go in expecting 1990s vision of technology tinged with camp horror - you will easily be able to predict all the storylines of this film from the get go, but that did nothing to depreciate my enjoyment of the movie. You will see many parallels to what current AI does in Evolver, which is hilarious (like picking up on our bad habits).

Important: You will need to suspend disbelief, as Evolver is like under 3 feet tall, and so would be not much of a threat in real life - think Johnny Five from Short Circuit 2 in relentlessness.

The movie is super fun, the male lead and female lead are excellent together, all the characters are believable tropes - Q from the Star Trek franchise is in it, but it is corny and hokey, but I like that kind of thing these days.

Karl Henning

Re-watching Diamonds Are Forever. Back in the Deeps of Time I bought this on VHS. I was planning a library, I suppose because the fact is, I've never owned a VHS player. I think this the most whimsical of Connery's Bond films, for many reasons. I think that may have been the idea. They'd brought (dragged?) Connery back after On Her Majesty's Secret Service,  unfairly maligned in its day. I think Lazenby did rather well, considering the shoes he had to fill. I wonder, though. Was the "problem" the story?--Bond falls for and weds Diana Rigg, who gets killed. Was this a storyline with too complicated an emotional landscape for Bond fandom to accept? Was Lazenby a scapegoat for the audience's unwillingness to give Bond this emotional space? Diamonds lets the audience feel good about themselves again. 
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

relm1

Quote from: Karl Henning on July 22, 2025, 06:55:54 PMRe-watching Diamonds Are Forever. Back in the Deeps of Time I bought this on VHS. I was planning a library, I suppose because the fact is, I've never owned a VHS player. I think this the most whimsical of Connery's Bond films, for many reasons. I think that may have been the idea. They'd brought (dragged?) Connery back after On Her Majesty's Secret Service,  unfairly maligned in its day. I think Lazenby did rather well, considering the shoes he had to fill. I wonder, though. Was the "problem" the story?--Bond falls for and weds Diana Rigg, who gets killed. Was this a storyline with too complicated an emotional landscape for Bond fandom to accept? Was Lazenby a scapegoat for the audience's unwillingness to give Bond this emotional space? Diamonds lets the audience feel good about themselves again.

Wasn't Lazenby not really an actor?  I think a model, stuntman or something?  These films have some of my favorite John Barry Bond scores.  Connery was so charming in interviews I've seen him in.  Incredibly entertaining and just plain charming.  I almost worked with him too!  Basically, he hired my former boss a few years before I worked there too.

Mister Sharpe

Just starting Wagner & Me from Stephen Fry ("Can you separate the man from his music?").  Should be interesting; I believe Wagner is Fry's favorite composer and as he is of Jewish heritage it will be thought-provoking at the very least. I've really enjoyed Fry's previous documentary work. 

"There are no wrong reasons for liking a work of art, only for disliking one."  E.H. Gombrich

AnotherSpin

Quote from: Mister Sharpe on July 23, 2025, 01:01:12 PMJust starting Wagner & Me from Stephen Fry ("Can you separate the man from his music?").  Should be interesting; I believe Wagner is Fry's favorite composer and as he is of Jewish heritage it will be thought-provoking at the very least. I've really enjoyed Fry's previous documentary work. 



I remember finding the film rather interesting, though not so much because of Fry's attempt to reconcile his Jewish identity with Wagner, but for something else entirely. Perhaps it was the undertones of irony, or rather self-irony, that gave it its peculiar charm.

That said, Gergiev was presented as a legendary interpreter of Wagner, which is, frankly, nonsense. Nonsense is tolerable, of course, so long as it knows its boundaries.

SimonNZ

#39007
Quote from: Mister Sharpe on July 23, 2025, 01:01:12 PMJust starting Wagner & Me from Stephen Fry ("Can you separate the man from his music?").  Should be interesting; I believe Wagner is Fry's favorite composer and as he is of Jewish heritage it will be thought-provoking at the very least. I've really enjoyed Fry's previous documentary work. 



One of my Irrational Cringes At Random Celebrities is Stephen Fry playing "Public Intellectual". There's something so 101 about how he approaches every topic he weighs in on that always makes me react: stick to comedy, stay in your lane. (Including my reaction to that one)

Mister Sharpe

Quote from: SimonNZ on July 24, 2025, 01:04:35 AMOne of my Irrational Cringes At Random Celebrities is Stephen Fry playing "Public Intellectual". There's something so 101 about how he approaches every topic he weighs in on that always makes me react: stick to comedy, stay in your lane. (Including my reaction to that one)

I agree with you 101% on that. As it turns out, this entire production was disappointing. I didn't learn anything new and instead of encouraging Wagner appreciation with insights musical and historical mostly we get Fry's awed reverence.  The 101 approach is of course an effort to appeal to a broad audience, but the Wagner controversy is both real and weighty enough to demand a more incisive - and cogent - discussion and resolution.  It was, however, fun to watch Eva Wagner give Fry rather short shrift; I think he was shocked at the abrupt ending of their interview! BTW, Fry did better with his Willem & Frieda documentary which is recommendable.
"There are no wrong reasons for liking a work of art, only for disliking one."  E.H. Gombrich

AnotherSpin

Quote from: Mister Sharpe on July 24, 2025, 05:14:38 AMI agree with you 101% on that. As it turns out, this entire production was disappointing. I didn't learn anything new and instead of encouraging Wagner appreciation with insights musical and historical mostly we get Fry's awed reverence.  The 101 approach is of course an effort to appeal to a broad audience, but the Wagner controversy is both real and weighty enough to demand a more incisive - and cogent - discussion and resolution.  It was, however, fun to watch Eva Wagner give Fry rather short shrift; I think he was shocked at the abrupt ending of their interview! BTW, Fry did better with his Willem & Frieda documentary which is recommendable.

That episode with Eva Wagner stands out most clearly in my memory. It had everything.

I sometimes recall it when I come across yet another silly attack on Wagner.

Karl Henning

Quote from: relm1 on July 23, 2025, 06:09:12 AMWasn't Lazenby not really an actor?  I think a model, stuntman or something?  These films have some of my favorite John Barry Bond scores.  Connery was so charming in interviews I've seen him in.  Incredibly entertaining and just plain charming.  I almost worked with him too!  Basically, he hired my former boss a few years before I worked there too.
Wonderful! Yes, by all accounts, Connery was a superb human, and the Bond movies made him a worldwide favorite, so there is probably also an element of the audience blaming Lazenby for Connery's not playing Bond. Again, as if that were his fault. Perhaps my favorite Connery story: In Terry Gilliam & Michael Palin's script for Time Bandits, in the scene where Kevin is thrown back to ancient Greece and meets Agamemnon, the description of the king in the script reads "played by Sean Connery or a similarly high-profile actor." Well, Connery was a big Python fan and happened to be available. Et voilà! It's very encouraging, in terms of "go ahead write the script you dream...."
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Mister Sharpe

#39011
Quote from: AnotherSpin on July 23, 2025, 08:35:31 PMI remember finding the film rather interesting, though not so much because of Fry's attempt to reconcile his Jewish identity with Wagner, but for something else entirely. Perhaps it was the undertones of irony, or rather self-irony, that gave it its peculiar charm.

That said, Gergiev was presented as a legendary interpreter of Wagner, which is, frankly, nonsense. Nonsense is tolerable, of course, so long as it knows its boundaries.

I had trouble with the Russia visit myself, mostly coming under the category, WHY?  The Eastern Front saw some of the worst carnage in history and I suppose the producers in their efforts to separate the man from his music sought to show that Wagner's work can transcend such political/military horror. I think it might have been more interesting to go to Israel where only a very few public performances have escaped public protest and condemnation, but that would have turned a relatively accessible documentary into a gut-wrenching one.
"There are no wrong reasons for liking a work of art, only for disliking one."  E.H. Gombrich

relm1

#39012
Quote from: Karl Henning on July 24, 2025, 06:56:20 AMWonderful! Yes, by all accounts, Connery was a superb human, and the Bond movies made him a worldwide favorite, so there is probably also an element of the audience blaming Lazenby for Connery's not playing Bond. Again, as if that were his fault. Perhaps my favorite Connery story: In Terry Gilliam & Michael Palin's script for Time Bandits, in the scene where Kevin is thrown back to ancient Greece and meets Agamemnon, the description of the king in the script reads "played by Sean Connery or a similarly high-profile actor." Well, Connery was a big Python fan and happened to be available. Et voilà! It's very encouraging, in terms of "go ahead write the script you dream...."

I liked this bit.  Makes me wonder who would win in a gunfight.

Iota



Unlike seemingly everyone else in the English-speaking world, I'd not seen this before. The plot, a typical country house murder mystery, is not really important, the film is more an observation of the societal mores of the upper classes and serving classes in 1930's England.
Robert Altman handles the myriad sub-plotlines and interactions between characters like a master of polyphony, somehow fashioning a memorable study in character, dysfunction and human isolation, from the countless strands of events and personal stories bombarding the narrative at breathless pace. It's a highly impressive feat.
The resulting film is very enjoyable, without any aspect of it close to a weak link. Nonetheless even in such a sea of stellar talent I thought Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, Clive Owen and Emily Watson stood out with particular distinction.

AnotherSpin

Quote from: Mister Sharpe on July 24, 2025, 09:03:07 AMI had trouble with the Russia visit myself, mostly coming under the category, WHY?  The Eastern Front saw some of the worst carnage in history and I suppose the producers in their efforts to separate the man from his music sought to show that Wagner's work can transcend such political/military horror. I think it might have been more interesting to go to Israel where only a very few public performances have escaped public protest and condemnation, but that would have turned a relatively accessible documentary into a gut-wrenching one.

It seems like the most fitting category is WTF.

Mister Sharpe

Quote from: AnotherSpin on July 24, 2025, 10:59:10 AMIt seems like the most fitting category is WTF.

And so it truly is; I do the best I can to keep my posts G-rated but it's a constant struggle.
"There are no wrong reasons for liking a work of art, only for disliking one."  E.H. Gombrich

Karl Henning

Quote from: Iota on July 24, 2025, 10:55:29 AM

Unlike seemingly everyone else in the English-speaking world, I'd not seen this before. The plot, a typical country house murder mystery, is not really important, the film is more an observation of the societal mores of the upper classes and serving classes in 1930's England.
Robert Altman handles the myriad sub-plotlines and interactions between characters like a master of polyphony, somehow fashioning a memorable study in character, dysfunction and human isolation, from the countless strands of events and personal stories bombarding the narrative at breathless pace. It's a highly impressive feat.
The resulting film is very enjoyable, without any aspect of it close to a weak link. Nonetheless even in such a sea of stellar talent I thought Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, Clive Owen and Emily Watson stood out with particular distinction.
Fun!
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Madiel

The Scandinavian Film Festival is back on!

So far:

Second Victims (Denmark): A film that essentially follows a doctor on a hospital shift that gets out of control. It's very good. And also a rather intense watch, shot on location in an actual hospital and with the camera sometimes right on top of characters. Second poster included for dramatic effect. Recommended.



Never Alone (Finland): About a Finnish-Jewish businessman and his efforts to help Jewish refugees from Austria just before and during World War 2. Visually very stylish indeed, but I found the script a bit undercooked. Everything seemed a bit obvious. I think my parents liked it better than I did.



Every single post on the forum is unnecessary. Including the ones that are interesting or useful.

hopefullytrusting

Continuing down the Ethan road: Dancer, Texas, Pop. 81:



A movie that is a combination of Desert Blue and The Last Picture Show about four friends who made a "solemn vow" to leave once they all graduated high school and discovering how difficult it is to actually leave. Ethan, of course, plays the "goof" of the group, and I don't buy Breckin Meyer is from small town Texas (his dialogue also feels the most stilted out of the four protagonists), while Peter Facinelli has the Jeff Daniels's charisma, and Eddie Mills plays the role straight.

I suspect it is meant to be heartwarming and touching, but, for me, it just felt too on the nose - like a romcom (see Big Eden or Trick 1 or 2 - where everything wraps up nicely with a bow).

I think the below quote perfectly sums up the point of the movie:
"You live in a town all your life, and you think you know it."

It did have one twist I wasn't expecting, and that was nice, but, in the end, it was Hangin' with the Homeboys with no teeth.

Madiel

Yeah. A town with 81 people wouldn't have 4 young guys all the same age. They've already lost me.
Every single post on the forum is unnecessary. Including the ones that are interesting or useful.