Last Movie You Watched

[Cato]

Either I haven't seen this movie before, or wasn't paying proper attention, as I'd forgotten what a masterpiece it is. And Clint writing, directing and acting, all perfect, what an extraordinary talent he is.

Let me recommend an older Western with nearly the same title: The Unforgiven, with Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn, Audie Murphy, and the incredible Lilian Gish as an implacable matriarch, stealing the movie with one particularly hair-raising scene.



Great musical score by Dmitri Tiomkin!

Currently "free" on TUBI and XUMO.

e.g.

This gives you a taste of the plot...watch for John Saxon and Albert Salmi !

[Brian]

A question for the Pronunciation Grumble thread, perhaps: how does one say "Xumo"?

[Cato]

A question for the Pronunciation Grumble thread, perhaps: how does one say "Xumo"?

Oh, given the dominance of illiterate people in the Kulcher these days, it could be pronounced dozens of ways!

I would assume it is "Zoo-mo."  And what does it mean?          And why not just use a "Z"?

Then we have the use of "Q" for a "K."  Why? 

Such names seem to be a disease originating with the Drug Companies, whose drugs increasingly have names with highly nonsensical spelling...or whose ads do not pronounce the drug's name the way it is spelled.

Best example: in a commercial for a drug called "Humira," the narrator clearly pronounces the word "Humayra." 

And to return to "Q"...

We have the incomprehensible steroid "Q M I I Z," which is NOT an abbreviation of some sort!  With this monstrosity, you say the letter's name "KYU" followed by "MEEZ."  So why not Q-Meez?

Who knows?

Then we have "QULIPTA" - finally a proper "QU" - which one would think is pronounced "KWUH-LIP -Tah" but no!

Again, the name of "Q" is used for the "QU-"!  So why not Q-Lipta?

To quote W.C. Fields:

"It baffles Science!" 

[Belle]

Cato, my problem with Huston's "The Unforgiven" is the appalling soundtrack.  The music seems to have been recorded in a studio and not had any connection at all to the imagery of the film.  It has no connection to the emotion or action of the narrative, giving it a generic quality which is at odds with the distinct individuality of the film's sub-text.

I've been reading about the life and work of Max Steiner and have learned that films are scored by looking at the completed (or near-completed) film and responding to the themes, emotional content and dramatic arc represented there.  In fact, some of his notes to his colleagues (eg. Leo Forbstein or Hugo Friedhofer) after viewing some scenes have been hilarious!!

[SurprisedByBeauty]

One Battle after Another

Very confusing movie. Is it meant to make me hate everyone -- and in doing so, being semi-clever and politically nuanced?

Or is it unironically pro-one-side -- and in doing so an absolute sh*tshow of cluelessness?

And does it care about its plot-holes and total lack of character development and ridiculousness and over-the-topness and cartoonishness?

Oh, and Sean Penn developed a funny walk for his character, this time. Would you look at that. How clever. What an actor he is! OSCAR PLEASE!

Speaking of Oscar: Before OBAA, I saw this one, upon better-half's request, who has great child-hood memories of the (dubbed) version.



Oscar

Now this movie does NOT take itself seriously and it doesn't ask its viewers to take it seriously, either. And in doing so, it's an example of a frivolously fun, good bad movie. It's total slapstick; a 1990s screwball comedy that does no more and no less than it sets out to be. Great? No. Good? Well, kindof. Underrated: Definitely.

And then I saw this, because I had actually never seen it (and always confused it with Ms. Doubtfire):



Tootsie

And yes, it's aged a bit. But it has its charm, certainly, even if it did not do much to convince better half of my having good taste in comedies.

[Brian]

Very confusing movie. Is it meant to make me hate everyone -- and in doing so, being semi-clever and politically nuanced?

Or is it unironically pro-one-side -- and in doing so an absolute sh*tshow of cluelessness?

I thought its non-one-sidedness was pretty obvious, and I have seen a lot of commentators opine that Sensei is the only real "good guy" in the movie. Here was how I summarized its critique of Leo and his crew:

it's a story about...how hard it is to outgrow youthful beliefs, how easy it is to exploit a young revolutionary's ambition and power-lust to turn them into a counterrevolutionary, how the most effective fighters are the quietest and least performative, and how much they could get Sean Penn to twitch his reptilian face.

[ando]

Wicked: For Good (2025, Jon M. Chu)
Were it not for my younger sisters I wouldn't have gone near it (either of the 2 part films). I'm a devotee of the original Frank Baum stories. But the second installment does tie up the strange digression from Baum's narrative which, let's face it, has been jettisoned altogether with the franchise. Does no one empathize with little lost Dorothy anymore?  Not this generation. In fact, she's largely regarded as a nuisance in the amended storyline. But leads, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, and company manage put the splintered story over quite well thanks mostly to the fun musical numbers. Definitely worth a single viewing. Classic? Not sure I'll ever call it that.

[Karl Henning]

Now, a nearly two-hour featurette, House of the Long Shadows... revisited.

I also listened to the director's commentary. My favorite story therefrom: they were rehearsing a scene in one of the small rooms of the mansion (the whole shoot was on location) and the actors were warned that there was a bat loose. Without missing a beat, Price asked,  "Anyone we know?"

[Belle]

This magnificent piece of kitsch from John Brahm, "Hangover Square", 1945, starring the ill-fated Laird Cregar as the tormented pianist.  Bernard Herrmann wrote the score and it's a noir thriller worthy of Hitchcock, though conveying too much in the way of incredulity!!  I've got a headache;  think I'll kill somebody!!  Another excellent restoration too.  The characteristic Herrmann atmospherics are everywhere in evidence.  I felt bad about Cregar's short life as I feel he had serious talent!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIOxNo0FJLU

[Iota]

One Battle after Another

Very confusing movie. Is it meant to make me hate everyone -- and in doing so, being semi-clever and politically nuanced?

Or is it unironically pro-one-side -- and in doing so an absolute sh*tshow of cluelessness?

I enjoyed that film when I was watching it, it seemed sort of unlike any other film I'd seen, and I liked (and found directorially bold) its messiness, which somehow held together in a relatable narrative. I thought DiCaprio and del Toro were excellent too. However by the next day it already seemed considerably less impressive in my mind once I had a bit of distance from it. Something of a surprise considering my high regard for PTA.

More recently this:



An absolute joy, nearly three hours long, but I was entranced every minute of the way. Also quite a surprise, it's very probably the first film I ever saw in a cinema, and I don't think I've seen it again since childhood, having always assumed I'd find unbearably twee. But it seems kind of a perfect film in its way (I guess I feel that about the Paddington films too), though I should add I think Julie Andrews' presence in it is a sine qua non. Have never stopped loving the music.

[Cato]

More recently this:



An absolute joy, nearly three hours long, but I was entranced every minute of the way. Also quite a surprise, it's very probably the first film I ever saw in a cinema, and I don't think I've seen it again since childhood, having always assumed I'd find unbearably twee. But it seems kind of a perfect film in its way (I guess I feel that about the Paddington films too), though I should add I think Julie Andrews' presence in it is a sine qua non. Have never stopped loving the music.

We watched it again last summer, and it was just as enjoyable as when I saw it on a Cinerama screen in 1965 (I do not believe it was filmed in that process, but it worked).

It is hard to believe that this movie is c. 45 years old!



Is it too long?  Probably.

And the musicians are terrible actors!

But...the wild audacity of it all remains funny and impressive!

[Karl Henning]

We watched it again last summer, and it was just as enjoyable as when I saw it on a Cinerama screen in 1965

I periodically mean to revisit this. It was the first movie I saw inside a movie theatre, the Rivoli in Rutherford, NJ. Haven't really seen it since.

[Belle]

"The Sound of Music".  I just love Austria anyway so watch the film more than I otherwise would.  My problem with it is Julie Andrews who, although a talented singer, was a cold actress - even clinical at times.  On the other hand the wonderful, gorgeous and sexy Chris Plummer.  This scene is absolutely stunning:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUFBOC6lQoo

[Iota]

My problem with it is Julie Andrews who, although a talented singer, was a cold actress - even clinical at times.

I've always found her very one dimensional and stiff when I've seen her in other things, which is partly why I felt so reluctant to return to TSoM, which I'd loved as a child. But I found she fitted the role perfectly, her unrelenting 'Britishness' and conventionality were totally in tune with the character, and it was her who generated much of the energy that made the film so buoyant imo. Like Arnie in the Terminator films (to jump to the other end of the film spectrum ..), her perceived shortcomings became virtues, making her ideal for the role.

This scene is absolutely stunning:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUFBOC6lQoo

Yes, I found that scene absolutely enchanting too.

[Belle]

The points you've made about Julie Andrew are valid, but I guess it's that starchy "Englishness" which didn't seem to fit.  For me!! 

I love Austria and have lived in Vienna but now I'm infirm and over 70 the spouse and myself won't be travelling again, so there's an emotional dimension to watching the The ländler!!

[Karl Henning]

I've always found her very one dimensional and stiff when I've seen her in other things ....

One almost wonders how Paul Newman's character feels any affection for her in Torn Curtain. (or, one understands how he could contemplate repatriation to East Germany.) Then too, Hitchcock's behavior towards his female leads trending towards creepy (and—yet more creepily—with Alma's complicity) cannot have helped. Andrews' stiffness also winds up something of an asset in Mary Poppins, since the title character is rather off-centre.

[Cato]

One almost wonders how Paul Newman's character feels any affection for her in Torn Curtain. (or, one understands how he could contemplate repatriation to East Germany.) Then too, Hitchcock's behavior towards his female leads trending towards creepy (and—yet more creepily—with Alma's complicity) cannot have helped. Andrews' stiffness also winds up something of an asset in Mary Poppins, since the title character is rather off-centre.

I know that Tippi Hedren had nothing good to say about him! 


Recently...



A two-part story from director Walter Hill: two cowboys, uncle and nephew, drive a herd of horses to market, but along the way, find themselves rescuing a group of kidnapped Chinese women, who were to be sold into an underground slave ring for miners in the West, c. 1900.

Excellent movie! 

[T. D.]

[Karl Henning]

I'm workin' with ya here!

[Madiel]

The Boy and the Heron (EDIT: Apparently this is not anything like the original Japanese title, why do this?)



I've seen quite a lot of the Miyazaki films, though it's quite a number of years ago. They are available for only a few weeks on SBS here so I thought I would go with the one I was certain I hadn't seen before.

And. Um...

Did I like it? Yes. Did it satisfy me? No. I feel like it has some things in common with Spirited Away, which is the Miyazaki film that everyone goes completely nuts about, but which was not one of my favourites. Child goes to a sort of spirit world, which means just about anything could happen. Things happen. Then it ends.

Supposedly there are all sorts of connections to Miyazaki's own life, not just the World War 2 setting but some of the other characters like the heron-man have real-life equivalents. But I'm watching it without being a fan steeped in Miyazaki lore. And it felt to me like the story didn't really land. For something that's supposed to be particularly personal, it didn't end up feeling all that meaningful to me. There's no doubt the whole thing is marvellous to look at, but in terms of emotional connection I think I got the most out of the first, "real world" part of it.