Last Movie You Watched

[Karl Henning]

Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
Sterling Holloway

Of the Disney animated feature films I have now watched, starting from 1937, I chuckled the most at this one.

Endearing and sweet with no particular protagonist, except the character's actions themselves, this is now a favorite of my girls too.

VS

Between this and Jungle Book, I've always loved Sterling Holloway's voice. As a result I got a huge charge out of his appearance on The Twilight Zone.

[VonStupp]

Between this and Jungle Book, I've always loved Sterling Holloway's voice. As a result I got a huge charge out of his appearance on The Twilight Zone.

It is certainly a singular-sounding voice. I will have to check out his Twilight Zone episode.
VS

[LKB]

Between this and Jungle Book, I've always loved Sterling Holloway's voice. As a result I got a huge charge out of his appearance on The Twilight Zone.

Turn's out he was also in Hemo the Magnificent, as a lab assistant. I don't immediately recall the Twilight Zone episode but l'll check it out tonight.

[VonStupp]

The Rescuers (1977)
Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor
Geraldine Page, Bernard Fox, Dub Taylor

A Scarecrow and Mrs. King style investigation by two United Nations secret society mice.

Despite accolades, I find the 70's animation dull and dreary. The kidnapping and mistreatment of an orphan girl is an unusually dark plot point too.

Antagonist Madame Medusa reminds me of a mix between Cruella de Vil and Carol Burnett in Annie; they call her sleazy in the film, and they wouldn't be wrong.

The 70's ballad soundtrack was an unusual, and now dated, choice.

VS

[SonicMan46]

A Foreign Affair (1948) - another DVD-R > BD upgrade; synopsis and cast below; Billy Wilder, director. Filmed on location in a 'bombed-out' Berlin (2nd pic below) - the destruction post-WW II is extensive and devastating - highly recommended; 100% 'Critics Rating' on Rotten Tomatoes HERE.  Dave

A Foreign Affair is an American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Jean Arthur, Marlene Dietrich, and John Lund. The screenplay by Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Richard L. Breen is based on a story by David Shaw. The film is about a United States Army captain in post-World War II Berlin, occupied by the Allies during the early days of the Cold War, who is torn between an ex-Nazi cafe singer and the United States congresswoman investigating her. Though a comedy, the film has a serious and cynical political tone, attesting to the fascination of both Wilder and American audiences with the multiple legacies of Berlin. (Source)

 

[Karl Henning]

Turn's out he was also in Hemo the Magnificent, as a lab assistant. I don't immediately recall the Twilight Zone episode but l'll check it out tonight.

He plays a TV repairman.

[JBS]

The Poseidon Adventure (1972, dir. Ronald Neame) - OMG, so bad, but pretty hilarious, too. I had forgotten about the Irwin Allen era of disaster films and their "special" effects.

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-poseidon-adventure-1972



-Bruce

I remember seeing it when it first came out.
Amid all disaster shtick, there were some good acting jobs and some well known actors who were obviously just collecting a paycheck. In the former category, Ernest Borgnine and Shelley Winters.

[Karl Henning]

With my buddy Scott: Black Panther. We're unanimous in finding it worth watching once.

[aligreto]

Ben Is Back:





A drug addict son arrives home unexpectedly from rehabilitation. His family has to come to terms with him. He has to come to terms with his demons and, more so, so does his mother. The two main protagonists both give very good performances here.

[Cato]

Gary Cooper and Richard Widmark in a moody Western with a dramatic score from Bernard Herrmann, which for the most part avoids the usual "Western music" sounds.

Garden of Evil from 1954:



A woman hires 4 strangers to help rescue her husband, who is trapped in a gold mine, and nearby Apaches are tired of trespassers! 

Some great conversations between Gary Cooper's character and Richard Widmark's, excellent special effects for the day, and a poignant conclusion.

[Roasted Swan]

Gary Cooper and Richard Widmark in a moody Western with a dramatic score from Bernard Herrmann, which for the most part avoids the usual "Western music" sounds.

Garden of Evil from 1954:



A woman hires 4 strangers to help rescue her husband, who is trapped in a gold mine, and nearby Apaches are tired of trespassers! 

Some great conversations between Gary Cooper's character and Richard Widmark's, excellent special effects for the day, and a poignant conclusion.

I don't know the film but Herrmann's complete score is impressively played on this disc - and well worth hearing....

[SonicMan46]

I don't know the film but Herrmann's complete score is impressively played on this disc - and well worth hearing....

Just listened to the Garden of Evil score on Spotify and really enjoyed - probably have not seen that film since my teen days?  But looked up Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975) and was impressed w/ his film score list and their variety - pic below from HERE - own a dozen or so of the films (red boxes), and likely have seen most of the rest (click to enlarge) - Dave

[relm1]

I just saw Dirty Dancing for the first time and really enjoyed it.



Great story, cast, and nostalgia.  I doubt I would have liked it in the 1980's but seeing it now for the first time, thought it was sweet.  Patrick Swayze was perfect in the role and Jennifer Grey did a great job in her first starring role where she had to carry the film.  It reminded me a bit of Footloose which is another very good period film.  I have personal connections to both films.  In Footloose, the girlfriend, Lori Singer, is actually an accomplished cellist and played in my orchestra.  She was lovely and so sweet!  With Dirty Dancing, lead Jennifer Grey's daughter is the barista at my local cafe.   

[Karl Henning]

I just saw Dirty Dancing for the first time and really enjoyed it.



Great story, cast, and nostalgia.  I doubt I would have liked it in the 1980's but seeing it now for the first time, thought it was sweet.  Patrick Swayze was perfect in the role and Jennifer Grey did a great job in her first starring role where she had to carry the film.  It reminded me a bit of Footloose which is another very good period film.  I have personal connections to both films.  In Footloose, the girlfriend, Lori Singer, is actually an accomplished cellist and played in my orchestra.  She was lovely and so sweet!  With Dirty Dancing, lead Jennifer Grey's daughter is the barista at my local cafe. 

Nobody puts Baby in the corner!

[SonicMan46]

I just saw Dirty Dancing for the first time and really enjoyed it.



Great story, cast, and nostalgia.  I doubt I would have liked it in the 1980's but seeing it now for the first time, thought it was sweet.  Patrick Swayze was perfect in the role and Jennifer Grey did a great job in her first starring role where she had to carry the film.  It reminded me a bit of Footloose which is another very good period film.  I have personal connections to both films.  In Footloose, the girlfriend, Lori Singer, is actually an accomplished cellist and played in my orchestra.  She was lovely and so sweet!  With Dirty Dancing, lead Jennifer Grey's daughter is the barista at my local cafe. 

Recently purchased the UHD version on Amazon Prime Video and enjoyed after not seeing the film for years, but a favorite of my DILaw - back in 2018 we treated them to a stay at the Inn on Biltmore Estate (just a 2+ hour drive from our home in Piedmont NC) - near Lake Lure and Chimney Rock, a day trip - part of the film was made at Lake Lure (and in Virginia) - if interested visit my travelogue on the iPad Forums HERE - start at post #160 in that thread (I'm 'giradman' there) - explore the thread if interested in the North Carolina mountains - Dave

[SimonNZ]

Lori Singer played the cello in the original TV series of Fame. I didn't realize she was doing it for real.

[SonicMan46]

Another old DVD-R upgrade to HD Amazon streamer on Prime Video:

Dodsworth (1936) - synopsis and cast below - Huston & Chatterton outstanding - from a new 4K restoration (story HERE) which looked great on my 4K HDTV - highly praised and recommended!  Dave

Dodsworth is an American drama film directed by William Wyler, and starring Walter Huston, Ruth Chatterton, Paul Lukas, Mary Astor and David Niven. Sidney Howard based the screenplay on his 1934 stage adaptation of the 1929 novel of the same name by Sinclair Lewis. Huston reprised his stage role. The film is a study of a marriage in crisis. Recently retired auto magnate Samuel Dodsworth and his narcissistic wife Fran, while on a grand European tour, discover that they want very different things out of life, straining their marriage. The film was critically praised and nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Huston, and Best Director for Wyler (the first of his record twelve nominations in that category), and won for Best Art Direction. (Source)

 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I'm currently going through Star Wars' Revenge of the Sith in bits and pieces.



Why? Because something got me curious about the television shows rather than the films, and I started with the initial animated show The Clone Wars, which it turns out leads very directly into the opening of the film. Then I'll carry on from there into the second iteration of The Clone Wars which was released subsequently (though is also set before the film).

So basically it's context for what I actually want to watch. The highlight thus far was the very opening, which makes more sense when you've just seen the animated TV show. You have some idea of who the hell General Grievous is.

I was prepared rewatch Revenge of the Sith because it's the film where Hayden Christensen is vaguely bearable. I mean, I don't much like him, but at least I don't want to slap him.

Boy, I haven't watched most of the Star Wars prequels.  Trying to remember which ones I've seen?  Perhaps the first and seconds ones?  Don't know the names, but remember losing most of my interest when the character Jar Jar Binks was involved.  Trying to remember if I watched the whole movie or just clips or snippets when Princess Leah (pardon any spelling errors here) returned?

Any thoughts here as to favorite prequels from you and others here?

PD

p.s.  And not familiar with the t.v shows!  When did they start doing that? 

[Madiel]

Boy, I haven't watched most of the Star Wars prequels.  Trying to remember which ones I've seen?  Perhaps the first and seconds ones?  Don't know the names, but remember losing most of my interest when the character Jar Jar Binks was involved.  Trying to remember if I watched the whole movie or just clips or snippets when Princess Leah (pardon any spelling errors here) returned?

Any thoughts here as to favorite prequels from you and others here?

PD

p.s.  And not familiar with the t.v shows!  When did they start doing that? 

The number of TV shows has gone up sharply the last few years. There were some animated ones earlier, essentially the Clone Wars is where it starts with some very short episodes around 2002-3 and then a "proper" series from 2008. But live action ones are all part of the Disney plan now.

As for the prequels, each is better than the previous, though even Revenge of the Sith isn't great. But after the first one and Jar Jar Binks the only way is up.

[Florestan]

On a TV station, the first part of this two-part miniseries. Good acting from all. I haven't read the novel so I can't tell how accurate it is but I like it. Second part next Thursday.