Last Movie You Watched

[Cato]

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.

As a History teacher (now retired) of Ancient, Medieval, Byzantine, Modern European, and American History, I thank you for the clarification!  😇

Recently...


A British movie created by Writers and Directors Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburg,
from 1945 (late 1945, after the conclusion of World War II?), with Wendy Hiller...



Available in the restored version from The Criterion Collection on TUBI. A woman is supposed to meet her older fiance' on a Scottish island for their private wedding, and meets the islanders and a charming Navy officer around her own age.

Let's just say it is NOT a mystery movie!   

Plus it has Finlay Currie!

[AnotherSpin]

As a History teacher (now retired) of Ancient, Medieval, Byzantine, Modern European, and American History, I thank you for the clarification!  😇

[...]

I, too, have taught history at university. I have no doubt that history teaches us nothing. If there are no students, meaning people who are truly capable of learning its lessons, then there is not only nothing to learn, but history itself ceases to exist. After all, history becomes a coherent whole in our minds only.

[Karl Henning]

As a History teacher (now retired) of Ancient, Medieval, Byzantine, Modern European, and American History, I thank you for the clarification!  😇

Recently...


A British movie created by Writers and Directors Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburg,
from 1945 (late 1945, after the conclusion of World War II?), with Wendy Hiller...



Available in the restored version from The Criterion Collection on TUBI. A woman is supposed to meet her older fiance' on a Scottish island for their private wedding, and meets the islanders and a charming Navy officer around her own age.

Let's just say it is NOT a mystery movie! 

Plus it has Finlay Currie!

I used to have Tubi via my wifi-connected blu-ray player, but Tubi seems to have dropped off.

[arpeggio]

I just returned from the new Avatar film.
It was a good movie for me.
There are two cons.
One. The Film is 3hrs and 15 minutes long.  They could have cut out 60 minutes and it still would have been a good movie.
Second.  It was essentially a remake of the first movie.  The big bad corporation is trying to take over Pandora (the planet).  The local life forms attack and defeat the corporates armies.

[Brian]

A British movie created by Writers and Directors Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburg,
from 1945 (late 1945, after the conclusion of World War II?), with Wendy Hiller...



Available in the restored version from The Criterion Collection on TUBI. A woman is supposed to meet her older fiance' on a Scottish island for their private wedding, and meets the islanders and a charming Navy officer around her own age.

Let's just say it is NOT a mystery movie!   

Plus it has Finlay Currie!

I watched that one last month. Here was my review: "The plot of this movie is 'Scotland has terrible weather,' and yet the emotional effect of the movie is 'I want to move to Scotland.' Talk about movie magic!"

[Cato]

I watched that one last month. Here was my review: "The plot of this movie is 'Scotland has terrible weather,' and yet the emotional effect of the movie is 'I want to move to Scotland.' Talk about movie magic!"

Love conquers even the weather! 

[Madiel]

Hard Eight



Paul Thomas Anderson's first feature film is pretty good. There were perhaps just a couple of moments that felt tonally off, but on the whole you can see the talent.

Perhaps the most problematic thing is that it takes more than three-quarters of the movie to find out why the hell the central character, Sydney, is doing what he's doing. It does make sense eventually, and the movie is very watchable before that, but I did have this little nagging thing tugging inside my head asking why is any of this happening? I'm glad there was indeed a reason, but I still wonder a bit about the very first scene in the film and I think for me it would have been slightly better if either (a) at least some explanation came earlier (even if it wasn't full or true), or (b) other characters showed some curiosity as to why Sydney is, well, being Sydney.

Plenty of good acting to be had.

[71 dB]

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.

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.

[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.

[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.