Last Movie You Watched

[aligreto]

The Circle....





I am not a fan of Hanks but I thought that he was very good in this one.

[James]

Ugetsu
1953 ‧ Drama film/Fantasy ‧ 1h 37m

In 16th century Japan, peasants Genjuro (Masayuki Mori) and Tobei (Sakae Ozawa) sell their earthenware pots to a group of soldiers in a nearby village, in defiance of a local sage's warning against seeking to profit from warfare. Genjuro's pursuit of both riches and the mysterious Lady Wakasa (Machiko Kyo), as well as Tobei's desire to become a samurai, run the risk of destroying both themselves and their wives, Miyagi (Kinuyo Tanaka) and Ohama (Mitsuko Mito).

[asin]B06XP4QG28[/asin]

[Drasko]

Ok, but less good than it promises, same as Wheatley's previous, High Rise.

[Todd]

With Dunkirk nearly here, I rewatched Spielberg's epic.  The shock and awe has worn off over the years, and what remains is comparatively better than twenty years ago.  I see that Nolan's flick is PG-13, so it will be a kinder, gentler vision of war.

[Karl Henning]

Last night, Die Hard 2 with commentary by Finnish director Renny Harlin.  In my view, one of the less interesting commentary tracks I have listened to (I nearly said, endured).  He went on a bit about the Winter of No Snow (when snow was what they particularly wanted in the story) rather longer than I found truly engaging.  I guess I was just inattentive all these years, but I only learnt via the commentary that the Chief of Dulles operations (in the movie) served in the US Senate.  To be fair, one of the more interesting bits was discussion of the "penalty" of the plane crash, the fear on the part of the Suits was that it would disaffect the audience (they pushed for the destroyed plane to be an empty cargo vessel), and Harlin's decision that the story needed the apparent cruelty of some personable shots from the interior of the doomed plane.

[SonicMan46]

Well, I still have some old movies on my DVR - a couple w/ Brian Donlevy from the mid-1940s last few nights:

An American Romance (1944) w/ Brian Donlevy & Ann Richards - short synopsis below - ratings: 6.9/10, IMDB - Donlevy w/ a convincible accent rises from a lowly immigrant to start a car company in Detroit & then build airplanes during WW II, which was still in progress - enjoyable - I'd do a 3.5-4*/5 rating on Amazon.

Hangman Also Die! (1943) w/ Brian Donlevy, Anna Lee, Walter Brennan, & Gene Lockhart; Fritz Lang, director - second synopsis below; based on a true event, i.e. assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, considered one of the main Nazi architects of the Holocaust - rating 7.5/10, IMDB - made in the middle of WW II, historic facts distorted (as expected), but an enjoyable drama - recommended; I'd do a 4*/5 rating on Amazon.  Dave

Czech Stefan Dangosbiblichek (Brian Donlevy) immigrates to America where, despite having almost no money, he is allowed through Ellis Island. Stefan makes an arduous journey on foot to Minnesota, where his cousin works in a mine. Ambitious and energetic, he changes his name to Steve Dangos and eagerly learns English from teacher Anna O'Rourke (Ann Richards), whom he soon marries. The couple move to Chicago to pursue Steve's dream of success, but the way to American citizenship proves rocky.

During the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovokia, insurgent Franticek Svoboda (Brian Donlevy) assassinates the brutal German leader Reinhard Heydrich (Hans Heinrich von Twardowski). Svoboda escapes with the aid of history professor Stephen Novotny (Walter Brennan), but Novotny is then captured, along with 400 other Czechs, through the machinations of Nazi sympathizer Emil Czaka (Gene Lockhart). The Czech prisoners are then told that if Svoboda does not surrender, they will all be executed.

 

[Drasko]

[Todd]

Finally watched THX 1138.  Two things struck me while watching this not so hot film.  First, George Lucas liked some of the sound design elements so much, he couldn't help but use them a few years later.  Second, while he's obviously an idea guy, he's not really a good director.

[Karl Henning]

"Do you like sex, Mr Lebowski?"

Thread Duty:  Last night for the second time, Mimic.  Even when the movie is not at his best level, del Toro's work is a story engagingly told, and beautiful to watch.

[aligreto]

The Green Inferno....





An interesting story line. The film contains many graphic, and sometimes disturbing scenes. Definitely not one to watch with children!

[Karl Henning]

How can a writer express that so poorly?—gripping but you can't look away: worst use of a conjunction by a professional author, ever.

[aligreto]

How can a writer express that so poorly?—gripping but you can't look away: worst use of a conjunction by a professional author, ever.

Although I constantly comment on, and complain about, the correct use [misuse] of language my 24 year old daughter always replies "Dad, language is constantly evolving"; to which I constantly reply "more like a rush to the bottom by ignorant/uneducated people with no standards". Each time this interaction occurs I tell myself that I am definitely starting to get old. 

[Ken B]

How can a writer express that so poorly?—gripping but you can't look away: worst use of a conjunction by a professional author, ever.

I dunno. You ever look at Trump's twitter feed? The phrase suits. 

[Karl Henning]

For probably the first time since 1978, Superman.  97% good fun.  Personally, I find "Can You Read My Mind?" just too goopy.  More than compensated for by Christopher Reeve's performance, wonderfully good-natured.  Of course, Gene Hackman and Ned Beatty are good comic foils.

And now:  Superman II . . . .

[Cato]

For probably the first time since 1978, Superman.  97% good fun.  Personally, I find "Can You Read My Mind?" just too goopy.  More than compensated for by Christopher Reeve's performance, wonderfully good-natured.  Of course, Gene Hackman and Ned Beatty are good comic foils.

And now:  Superman II . . . .

Don't forget Valerie Perrine! 

Sooo...

My youngest son visited today, and confessed that he has become hooked on the 1990's TV show...



Mystery Science Theater 3000 !    

Today the offering was an epic from 1995 (featuring Martin Sheen's brother Joe Estevez     ) called Werewolf , which has a rating of 1.7 out of 10 on IMDB! 

Anyway, it featured an "actress" whose main talent was the ability to breathe while standing sideways, and who oozed an aura of being one late rent payment away from doing hardcore pornography.

When I checked on her other credits, I saw that she had not done anything for 20 years, Werewolf having ruined her career, such as it was.  But then 3 years ago she obtained a writing credit for an animated movie called Dwegons and Leprechauns, which was animated in China.

One reviewer said the movie was so unbelievably awful that it proved God does not exist!  0:) 

[SonicMan46]

Today, a couple BDs arrived as DVD replacements:

 

[Karl Henning]

For probably the first time since 1978, Superman.  97% good fun.  Personally, I find “Can You Read My Mind?” just too goopy.  More than compensated for by Christopher Reeve’s performance, wonderfully good-natured.  Of course, Gene Hackman and Ned Beatty are good comic foils.

And now:  Superman II . . . .

Dude: reversing the earth's orbit again? It's a hard habit to break ....

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[aligreto]

Big Wedding....





Light, fun and entertaining.

[Karl Henning]

Big Wedding....





Light, fun and entertaining.

With Robin Williams as the celebrant, it oughta be!  The poster does not make it look like all that big a wedding, but of course, you want the faces of the stars you've paid for, to be visible . . . .

[aligreto]

With Robin Williams as the celebrant, it oughta be!  The poster does not make it look like all that big a wedding, but of course, you want the faces of the stars you've paid for, to be visible . . . .

I would guess that great fun was had by all of the cast in the making of that one.