Last Movie You Watched

[AnotherSpin]

Most people care to learn. People like you and me. It's just that most people who rise to the position of (near-unlimited) power are very often actually demons, the ones who didn't learn because demons can't learn anything that is linked to humanism. In undemocratic countries demons rise to they power because they strive in such a system. In democratic countries demons rise to the power because most voters are ignorant morons who can't tell demons apart from normal humans.

I guess, it must be hard to live among demons. Stay strong!

[Florestan]

History teaches loads and is full of warnings to the future.  The problem is no one cares to learn it.  That's our failure, not history's.

That's an exaggeration. There are lots of people who do care to learn (from) history. Heck, you are one such person yourself --- and so are most (all?) GMGers, yours truly humbly included. AFAIC, the greatest lesson I've learned from history is this: governing justly and equitably is a task that far exceeds the capabilities of even the best educated and best willed of men.

[Florestan]

Most people care to learn. People like you and me. It's just that most people who rise to the position of (near-unlimited) power are very often actually demons, the ones who didn't learn because demons can't learn anything that is linked to humanism. In undemocratic countries demons rise to they power because they strive in such a system. In democratic countries demons rise to the power because most voters are ignorant morons who can't tell demons apart from normal humans.

Dictatorships are as authoritarian or liberal as the ruler is. Stalin vs Napoleon.

Democracies are as liberal or authoritarian as the average voter is. Obama vs Peron.

I have deliberately avoided the current times because the difference between democracy and dictatorship is today much more blurred than in the past. We have (would-be) dictators being democratically and enthusiastically elected.

And this brings me to the second greatest lesson I've learned from history: who holds the power (king/emperor, president, aristocracy, oligarchy, the people and whatnot) is irrelevant. How the power is exercised is of paramount importance. Louis XIV of France was the prototypical "absolute monarch" yet the checks and balances on his power were more effective than those on Trump's power; the latter has at his disposal means of enforcing his rule and controlling his opponents about which the former couldn't even have dreamed of.

[Karl Henning]

I have deliberately avoided the current times because the difference between democracy and dictatorship is today much more blurred than in the past.

There's also the issue in the present US of deliberately bad-faith actors. 

[Florestan]

The third greatest lesson I've learned from history is this: ideological politics and policies are the bane of mankind.

The fourth greatest lesson I've learned from history is this: liberty is incompatible with equality. 

And the fifth greatest lesson I've learned from history is this: say what you have to say and cut your off-topic posts before the mods cut them off. So there.

[Philo]

One of my few traditions: Watching the original version of The Snowman

[brewski]

From 1913, The Insects' Christmas, six minutes of stop-motion animation from filmmaker Ladislaw Starewicz (Polish/Russian, 1882-1965), with a score added in 2012 by composer Tom Peters for ukulele, drum, and electric bass, as "a holiday card from Tom and Linda Peters."

More on Open Culture here.

[Cato]

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind from 2019

A drama about drought, famine, and governmental corruption in the tiny country of Malawi: a young teenager wants to together a windmill from unorthodox junkyard parts to provide underground well-water for his village and their crops.

Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor was the star and also the director: nicely done!

[Belle]

I'm an unapologetic vintage film fan and I've just watched - for the very first time - Howard Hawks's "Twentieth Century" screwball from 1934.  Having watched an interview about the film with Hawks from 1977 (just before he died) I became interested in this influential screwball.  Hawks had trouble with Carole Lombard 'not acting'.  Barrymore stood behind her and held his nose during rehearsals so Hawks had to act to turn around her performance by threatening to sack her. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mytCv_YHW6g

The film is dated and boisterous but John Barrymore is absolutely stunning in it!  I've never seen him better on the screen;  deft, changeable, passionate, hammy and completely charming.  Some of the scenes are forced and unfunny but Hawks - more than anybody else - was able to draw real performances from his character actors.  Roscoe Karns is stunning (as he was in 'His Girl Friday').  Lombard was luminous and Hawks shaped her into the part!!

[Belle]

It would be great to have a vintage film thread here on CMG!!!

[Karl Henning]

Master of the World (1961) Vincent Price, Chas Bronson. And yes! I knew that was Vito Scotti playing (what else?) the cook. Screenplay by Twilight Zone veteran Richard Matheson. So much joy from a single impulse purchase!

[Karl Henning]

Master of the World (1961) Vincent Price, Chas Bronson. And yes! I knew that was Vito Scotti playing (what else?) the cook. Screenplay by Twilight Zone veteran Richard Matheson. So much joy from a single impulse purchase!

And the featurette, Richard Matheson,  Storyteller

[Madiel]

I watched the Disney film Enchanted again last night. Amy Adams is an absolute treasure.

It's my setup for watching the sequel soon, even though I gather it's not regarded nearly as highly.

[Cato]

I watched the Disney film Enchanted again last night. Amy Adams is an absolute treasure.

It's my setup for watching the sequel soon, even though I gather it's not regarded nearly as highly.

Both she and especially co-star James Marsden really sell us that they believe themselves to be in another dimension!

His voice alone in the opening cartoon is a treasure when he learns her name: "OH GISELLE!"      Just perfect and perfectly hysterical!   

[Bachthoven]

I enjoyed the first two, but not this one. I didn't know it had so much religion in it--I had not seen seen this image nor read anything about it first. Plus, it was too long.

[Karl Henning]

An Evening of Edgar Allan Poe (1970) Vincent Price orally interpreting "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Sphinx," "The Cask of Amontillado" and "The Pit and the Pendulum." Most of these stories I probably haven't read since my teens. How delightfully vivid. Brilliant performances. 

[71 dB]

I have started my exploration of films by French writer/director Alain Robbe-Grillet (1922-2008). I have watched his first two films.

L'Immortelle (1963) has some interesting visual ideas, but it is clearly a directorial debut that taught Robbe-Grillet some valuable lessons such as not overestimating the viewers' willingness to decode very strange structure of storytelling (unless the director happens to be David Lynch  ). Personally I kind of liked the weirdness of this movie and the oriental music was cool.

Trans-Europ-Express (1967) is a much better film. The way it is structured as a film within a film is done cleverly and the viewer isn't too lost with what's happening. The debut film might be too weird for many, but Trans-Europ-Express is a good starting point with this director.

[Cato]

An Evening of Edgar Allan Poe (1970) Vincent Price orally interpreting "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Sphinx," "The Cask of Amontillado" and "The Pit and the Pendulum." Most of these stories I probably haven't read since my teens. How delightfully vivid. Brilliant performances.

Vincent Price had one of the greatest voices on the planet, up there with Orson Welles, Charlton Heston, Richard Basehart, Gregory Peck, Robert Armstrong, James Earl Jones, off the top of the balding head!


Last night we watched with my brother-in-law:

Everybody's Fine (2009)



The poster has an odd comment: "DeNiro at his imperious best."

The critic either did not watch the movie or did not check what "imperious" means!

[San Antone]

Hoosiers is a 1986 American sports drama film written by Angelo Pizzo and directed by David Anspaugh in his feature directorial debut. It tells the story of a small-town Indiana high school basketball team and its journey to the state championship finals. It is inspired in part by the Milan High School team who won the 1954 state championship against Muncie Central High School.



On my top five favorite movies list. Dennis Hopper is great and almost steals the movie. Hard to believe it will soon be forty years old.

[Kalevala]

I watched the Disney film Enchanted again last night. Amy Adams is an absolute treasure.

It's my setup for watching the sequel soon, even though I gather it's not regarded nearly as highly.

I haven't seen that movie before, but I can hopefully watch it [either dvd from library or elsewhere].

L