Last Movie You Watched

[Karl Henning]

Alien 3 is one of those guilty pleasures to me. I fully recognize it may not be a good movie but I am still unable to not enjoy much of it.

My brother got the "quadrilogy" (I guess nobody in marketing thought of the word tetralogy) because the price was right (or maybe it was the "quadrilogy"-plus-Prometheus...?) on Blu-ray, so he is going to lend me 3 and Rez.  When they land, I shall watch them for the first time.

I've really been surprised at how many times I've watched Aliens in the past two weeks.  I even know who Ferro and Spunkmeyer are! 

Thread Duty:

Last night I re-watched Braveheart . . . or we might say, watched for the first time, since I had never seen the opening 20 minutes.  I know it's bogus history in favor of sweet epic narration, but I do like it, and it doesn't feel like a three-hour movie.  I cannot help enjoying MacGoohan as "Longshanks" (gawd, was the Prince of Wales really such an utter cheese-straw?), especially when he invites his son's High Counselor to, erm, an early retirement.

[Karl Henning]

Bring on The Banana Splits!

Thread Duty:

Last night, the remake of Planet of the Apes.  I shouldn't have paid it any mind, except that a chap at the office (normally the sober sort) recommended it.  Well, I had to watch it, out of curiosity over the rec, if for no other reason.  I want to go back and watch "the original" (which itself was a scaling-back from Rod Serling's first adaptation of Pierre Boulle's La Planète des singes), but my initial impression is, that I enjoyed the re-make rather better.  It tickled me that Tim Burton teased out both a Deus ex machina and a twist ending, though I certainly saw the twist a-coming.

If I had to choose one reason for my possibly-heretical preference for the newer movie, it would be that (long ago though I saw it), my overwhelming impression is that what drove Heston's character for survival was hate.

Among my questions from recent viewing:

Helena Bonham Carter's visit to Thade in the camp is, arguably, plausible (though I do not find myself terribly convinced).  Why would Thade have a branding iron in the fire at the ready 24/7?  Even in an armed camp the eve before an assault?

The pod has a cruising range (and, power, generally) to take Mark Wahlberg from the apely planet, all the way to Earth?  Really?

I suppose it is possible that the apes could overcome their fear of fire, but not of bodies of water;  but again, it seems something of a scriptwriter's caprice.

I think I am re-gravitating a bit.  Not that I like the Burton remake any less (well, I haven't watched it again since), but my irrational enmity to the original is abating.  Checking out the DVD from the BPL helped, with Heston's first lines, which feel strongly like untampered-with Serling.  So I am planning to revisit Planet of the Apes and Beneath the Planet of the Apes.

Dr. Zaius: I see you've brought the female of your species. I didn't realize that man could be monogamous.

George Taylor: On this planet, it's easy.

(Oh, those weren't Heston's first lines, of course.)

[NikF]

Het Meisje en de Dood/The Girl and Death. (2012) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_and_Death

It's that time again, when Toots watches this film with an increasingly serious face and eventually a trembling bottom lip, while I secretly pick at the calluses on my hands and consider the plot...

...where as told everywhere and many times before an earnest young man falls in love with a beautiful young woman, but despite wishing to return his affection she pushes him away, because she's spoken for in the form of being the property of an evil and powerful old dude. However the young man is blinded by love/inexperienced and so continues his pursuit, regardless. But as usual, these things always end in heartbreaking tragedy. Or do they?

Competently shot and edited with only minimal overuse of slash lights/Charlie bars. Features music by Chopin. Sergei Makovetsky was better in 'Duska' by the same director. I could bench press Sylvia Hoeks all day and not break sweat.












('Charlie bars' http://i.imgur.com/JwsRcKu.jpg http://i.imgur.com/QMq8iRv.jpg)

[SonicMan46]

Last night, one of my favorite westerns:

Red River (1948) w/ John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, and Walter Brennan - own the Criterion production and what a package, i.e. 2 DVDs & 2 BDs (and multiple booklets) - the Extras are worth the price of admission - blu-ray review HERE w/ the ratings shown below - Dave

 

[NikF]

Last night, one of my favorite westerns:

Red River (1948) w/ John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, and Walter Brennan - own the Criterion production and what a package, i.e. 2 DVDs & 2 BDs (and multiple booklets) - the Extras are worth the price of admission - blu-ray review HERE w/ the ratings shown below - Dave

 

Audio interview with Hawks and Peter Bogdanovich and an OTR radio dramatisation? Good stuff.

[bhodges]

Het Meisje en de Dood/The Girl and Death. (2012) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_and_Death
...

('Charlie bars' http://i.imgur.com/JwsRcKu.jpg http://i.imgur.com/QMq8iRv.jpg)

Thanks for the info on what sounds like an interesting little film, and equally, for educating me about "Charlie bars" - never heard that phrase!

--Bruce

[NikF]

Thanks for the info on what sounds like an interesting little film, and equally, for educating me about "Charlie bars" - never heard that phrase!

--Bruce

You're welcome, Bruce.
It's a nice little film, yes. But the other I mentioned is far more interesting - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duska_(film) - and probably more worthwhile.
Yeah, the term 'Charlie bars' isn't in common use so much now, I think. But I still call them that to differentiate between lighting the eyes that way as opposed to a background or something - and then they're 'flags'.

from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_on_the_Third_Floor

[Karl Henning]

Thanks for the info on what sounds like an interesting little film, and equally, for educating me about "Charlie bars" - never heard that phrase!

--Bruce

Parenthetically, I'm revisiting The Thing in a bluray edition this weekend.

[bhodges]

Parenthetically, I'm revisiting The Thing in a bluray edition this weekend.

Oooh, do report, please! (I assume you mean the remake.) Even considering some of Carpenter's other films (e.g., Halloween), I think The Thing remains one of his best.

--Bruce

[lisa needs braces]

Shakespeare in Love

I first saw this film upon its release back in 1998 as a preteen. I was undoubtedly too young for it and a lot of it went over my head. I saw the film again as a teenager and liked it a bit more.

Tonight, at age 30, I finally saw it a third time and utterly adored it and found the love story touching and Gweneth Paltrow's performance utterly captivating. I will be listing it among my favorite films from now on.

[Bogey]

Shakespeare in Love

I first saw this film upon its release back in 1998 as a preteen. I was undoubtedly too young for it and a lot of it went over my head. I saw the film again as a teenager and liked it a bit more.

Tonight, at age 30, I finally saw it a third time and utterly adored it and found the love story touching and Gweneth Paltrow's performance utterly captivating. I will be listing it among my favorite films from now on.

Yup!  Enjoyed it as well....and now can we have the pirates!

[SonicMan46]

Shakespeare in Love

I first saw this film upon its release back in 1998 as a preteen. I was undoubtedly too young for it and a lot of it went over my head. I saw the film again as a teenager and liked it a bit more.

Tonight, at age 30, I finally saw it a third time and utterly adored it and found the love story touching and Gweneth Paltrow's performance utterly captivating. I will be listing it among my favorite films from now on.

Agree w/ you, I enjoy the film tremendously, and recently replaced my DVD w/ the BD shown below - a spectacular restoration and great video & audio ratings from HERE - quoted below a portion of the video description - Dave

The film boasts an incredibly sumptuous production and costume design which both pop magnificently throughout this high definition presentation. Fine detail is really exceptional, to the point where individual pill can be made out quite clearly on Nurse's cowl, to give just one example. Colors are very vibrant, again especially noticeable in the film's gorgeous costumes. But flesh tones are also well saturated and accurate appearing, and the film also boasts a natural looking veneer of grain.

[Brahmsian]

Shakespeare in Love

I first saw this film upon its release back in 1998 as a preteen. I was undoubtedly too young for it and a lot of it went over my head. I saw the film again as a teenager and liked it a bit more.

Tonight, at age 30, I finally saw it a third time and utterly adored it and found the love story touching and Gweneth Paltrow's performance utterly captivating. I will be listing it among my favorite films from now on.

Most overrated film of all time.  How it beat out Saving Private Ryan is beyond me.

[SimonNZ]

Most overrated film of all time.  How it beat out Saving Private Ryan is beyond me.

Heh. Even if I didn't like Shakespeare In Love (which I do) I'd have to opine that there's many many worthier contenders for the Overrated crown.

Try Slumdog Millionaire. One big checklist of cliches.

And then there's Tarantino...

[Drasko]

Beautifully shot, but for a Gothic romance/horror it severely lacks in atmosphere and suspense. Quite boring for most of the time actually. Jessica Chastain has few brilliant moments but that's about it.

[SonicMan46]

Most overrated film of all time.  How it beat out Saving Private Ryan is beyond me.

Heh. Even if I didn't like Shakespeare In Love (which I do) I'd have to opine that there's many many worthier contenders for the Overrated crown.

Try Slumdog Millionaire. One big checklist of cliches.

And then there's Tarantino...

Well, I did not like Saving Private Ryan, so not an award issue for me; BUT, I probably should re-watch the Hanks film to verify my dislike or possibly like - don't know?  Did that w/ Forrest Gump and still did not like the movie - Dave

[lisa needs braces]

Yup!  Enjoyed it as well....and now can we have the pirates!

The humor is great...guffawed when the boatman wanted to show Shakespeare a script he's been working on... 

[aligreto]

Bounce with Affleck & Paltrow....

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Well, I did not like Saving Private Ryan, so not an award issue for me; BUT, I probably should re-watch the Hanks film to verify my dislike or possibly like - don't know?  Did that w/ Forrest Gump and still did not like the movie - Dave

Glad to know that I'm not the only one who dislikes Private Ryan.

[SonicMan46]

I Married A Witch (1942) w/ Veronica Lake & Fredric March - watched w/ Susan last night who did not enjoy as much as me - maybe because Lake looked so good to me in this Criterion restoration (4/5* for video HERE) - highly recommended for Veronica fans who like 'light' romantic comedies from this period - the film was the inspiration for the TV series Bewitched (1964-72) w/ Elizabeth Montgomery (daughter of Robert M.) - Dave