Last Movie You Watched

[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.

[Karl Henning]

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.

(* chortle *)

[71 dB]

THE FABELMANS (Steven Spielberg)

Finally this movie premiered here in Finland (what took so long?). This was the first time for me in 3 years to visit a movie theatre because of all the corona crap. Before the movie started, mr.  Spielberg appeared on the silver screen and thanked the audience for coming to see his most personal movie in the theatre.

Spielberg concentrates on his childhood traumas and memories in ways that leave the audience as outsider spectators, but the movie goes fast for its length of two and a half hours.

Michelle Williams is impressively good as the mother. Paul Dano as the father seems less successful, but maybe Steven's father was just like that? A super-nerd? Gabriel LaBelle as "Sammy" is good, but I was constantly distracted by the contact lenses he used probably to control the colour of his eyes. David Lynch's cameo as John Ford is most entertaining.

I think I will "learn" to appreciate this movie more with repeated viewings, but at this time I don't rank The Fabelmans as one of Spielberg's best, but it is difficult to rank his movies because they are so different from each other. This one felt really "small" for a Spielberg-movie, but there is a lot of warmth and heart in it.

[relm1]

THE FABELMANS (Steven Spielberg)

Finally this movie premiered here in Finland (what took so long?). This was the first time for me in 3 years to visit a movie theatre because of all the corona crap. Before the movie started, mr.  Spielberg appeared on the silver screen and thanked the audience for coming to see his most personal movie in the theatre.

Spielberg concentrates on his childhood traumas and memories in ways that leave the audience as outsider spectators, but the movie goes fast for its length of two and a half hours.

Michelle Williams is impressively good as the mother. Paul Dano as the father seems less successful, but maybe Steven's father was just like that? A super-nerd? Gabriel LaBelle as "Sammy" is good, but I was constantly distracted by the contact lenses he used probably to control the colour of his eyes. David Lynch's cameo as John Ford is most entertaining.

I think I will "learn" to appreciate this movie more with repeated viewings, but at this time I don't rank The Fabelmans as one of Spielberg's best, but it is difficult to rank his movies because they are so different from each other. This one felt really "small" for a Spielberg-movie, but there is a lot of warmth and heart in it.

I loved the movie.  It is very understated and unique in Spielberg's output.  Many will find it boring or more like a tv movie.  Somehow it had a $40 million budget. 

[Karl Henning]

THE FABELMANS (Steven Spielberg)

Finally this movie premiered here in Finland (what took so long?). This was the first time for me in 3 years to visit a movie theatre because of all the corona crap. Before the movie started, mr.  Spielberg appeared on the silver screen and thanked the audience for coming to see his most personal movie in the theatre.

Spielberg concentrates on his childhood traumas and memories in ways that leave the audience as outsider spectators, but the movie goes fast for its length of two and a half hours.

Michelle Williams is impressively good as the mother. Paul Dano as the father seems less successful, but maybe Steven's father was just like that? A super-nerd? Gabriel LaBelle as "Sammy" is good, but I was constantly distracted by the contact lenses he used probably to control the colour of his eyes. David Lynch's cameo as John Ford is most entertaining.

I think I will "learn" to appreciate this movie more with repeated viewings, but at this time I don't rank The Fabelmans as one of Spielberg's best, but it is difficult to rank his movies because they are so different from each other. This one felt really "small" for a Spielberg-movie, but there is a lot of warmth and heart in it.

Interesting review, thanks!

[Roasted Swan]

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

Herrmann is genuinely one of the THE great film composers.  So many great scores - the collection on the Classic Film Scores series is a very good overview especially since it includes great music in less great fims(!) - On Dangerous Ground is a case in point - the Death Hunt......



and here's a fun version in concert from John Williams......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6PzMPm82xs

Prompted by this I put on Herrmann's Moby Dick this afternoon in this spectacular version;



Cinema of the ears I reckon.......!

[71 dB]

I loved the movie.  It is very understated and unique in Spielberg's output.  Many will find it boring or more like a tv movie.  Somehow it had a $40 million budget. 

The Fabelmans is perhaps unique in Spielberg's out for how personal it is, but he has hinted on these things in his other movies. For a Spielberg-fan who knows his movies inside out such as myself this movie doesn't feel shockingly unexpected, but it is one of the smallest movies he has made. Even Sugarland Express feels "epic" in comparison and The Fabelmans almost feels like a "lost" Spielberg movie he made in early 70's before Jaws that was recently discovered on someones attic. Stylistically the movie is very old-fashioned for a 2022 movie. The tornado scene of course uses a lot of cgi but it is cgi that doesn't look like cgi at all and almost all movies these days use cgi like that. $40 isn't that small of a budget these days, especially if you use the best people/companies in film industry (John Williams, Janusz Kaminski, ILM etc.) John Williams alone was probably paid $2 million I believe. It all adds up. This movies doesn't feel small because the lack of (financial or artictic) resources. It feels small, because Spielberg made it feel that way on purpose. It isn't a weakness. It is an artistic statement by a master of cinema.

The box office of this movie is laughably pathetic for a Spielberg flick, but I think people just don't bother to go see this "small movie" on big screen. I think this movie will find its audience on physical media and on streaming platforms later on, expecially if it wins many Oscars.

[Madiel]

The Scar



One of Kieslowski's early films (the first released to cinema), and the first of several currently available here on SBS so I'll be having a bit of a Kieslowski festival in coming months.

Basically it's about cutting down a forest and putting up a stonking great big chemical factory in the name of "progress". The local party leaders of an underdeveloped town want the jobs and the money. It's less clear the general populace actually want it. Stuck in the middle is the man put in charge of the factory, who grew up in the area but left decades ago.

It's a good film and recognisably by Kieslowski, but not quite on the level of the later works I know. Perhaps what's striking about it is that all of the concerns about the environmental and social costs of the factory feel so modern in a film released in 1976.

[Todd]

I was coerced into watching The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker.  It's a true crime documentary about Caleb "Kai" McGillvary, who saved a woman by beating a guy with a hatchet, gained brief internet fame, did some talk shows, and then murdered someone about a decade ago.  I don't remember ever hearing about the guy, and the movie, such as it is, bores and does not enlighten.  My long-standing personal policy of not celebrating hatchet wielding people remains intact.

[VonStupp]

The Avengers (2012)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

My daughter asked to watch the four Avengers movies, so we continue...

I didn't have good remembrances of the Thor movies, and I thought the Iron Man ones were uneven, so I won't be revisiting those with her. I did, however, harken the Captain America movies fondly, so I threw them into our watch.

Robert Redford was a good choice for a conspiracy thriller.

VS

[aligreto]

Mr. Harrigan's Phone:




A young boy goes to work for a wealthy old man a number of times each week. The boy reads to the man and they build up a relationship over the years. The boy teaches the older man how to use a mobile phone and the internet. The boy begins to experience problems at school with bullying. The old man dies suddenly and at the funeral service the boy slips the mobile phone into the man's pocket as a gesture of affiliation. The boy gets a message one day from the dead man's phone....

[Todd]

Heat.  I didn't watch the movie when it came out, and I didn't watch it until now.  On the plus side, this mid-90s flick uses physical locations and physical effects.  It's fun to time travel and see younger versions of some actors.  That's it for the plusses.  Everything else about this is negatives.  Al Pacino delivers a masterclass in overacting, and Robert DeNiro plays a variant on the gangsters he had and has played so many times.  The mostly A-list supporting cast is wasted.  The dialogue is not good.  The big shootout is cartoon stupid, with endless magazines and M-16s that sound like artillery.  The female characters don't even rise to the level of cardboard cutouts.  Seriously, what a waste of time.