Last Movie You Watched

[relm1]

I visited a DVD/Blu-ray/UHD store in Helsinki today by bike (excellent weather). They sell new and used stuff. I picked up two used Blu-rays: James Wan's Dead Silence (5 euros) and Robert Wise's The Day The Earth Stood Still (7 euros). I watched tonight the latter.

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (Robert Wise, 1951)

I had not seen this classic sci-fi movie. The story was a bit different than I anticipated. I didn't expect Klaatu to be an ambassador of peace. The beginning and the end were closer to what I expected to see, but the middle of the movie isn't very sci-fi-like. The movie felt stylistically a strange combination of Hitchcockian thriller and old William Hartnell era Doctor Who. The latter is probably heavily influenced by this movie stylistically: The interior of the u.f.o. looked like many sets of old Doctor Who. The music was good and sonically interesting, early "cosmic" music. The directing is slow and pleasant. There are not many effects in this movie, but they were wisely done and don't look totally ridiculous in the era of massive cgi effects. This kind of movies are nice when you don't watch them too often. They offer something different. Klaatu barada nikto!

Very impactful film.  I believe it was the first benevolent alien movie (most at the time were guy in a rubber suit/monster of the week gore films).  I think the middle story and love triangle are very effective and the building sense of dread well paced and executed.  Classic score.  Robert Wise who directed this film would later direct West Side Story (1962), The Sound of Music (1965), Andromeda Strain (1971), and Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979).  All great films. 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Very impactful film.  I believe it was the first benevolent alien movie (most at the time were guy in a rubber suit/monster of the week gore films).  I think the middle story and love triangle are very effective and the building sense of dread well paced and executed.  Classic score.  Robert Wise who directed this film would later direct West Side Story (1962), The Sound of Music (1965), Andromeda Strain (1971), and Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979).  All great films. 

Didn't know those facts about Robert Wise.  Cool! 

PD

[Karl Henning]

Yesterday, I saw "Sink the Bismarck!" (1960).  I liked it better than 49th Parallel as a movie.  Uniquely, this movie doesn't dwell on the drama on the ships but more about the backroom efforts to track it down.  There is a minor romantic subplot and the captain feared the loss of his son which came across as sincere.  I think the story itself is better than the film perhaps because it sought to focus so much more on the backroom meetings, I think one of the most important aspects of the story is the Bismarck crew knew they were doomed and preemptively received a message thanking them for their sacrifice, but nothing would be done to help them. The film makes no mention of the final hours of doom or what it must have been like to know you were about to meet your end.

Indeed, in the screenplay, the Fleet Commander was expecting both U-boats and the Luftwaffe, so they seemed surprised at their doom. I liked it, and have the feeling I've seen two of the supporting actors in Bond movies.

[71 dB]

Very impactful film.  I believe it was the first benevolent alien movie (most at the time were guy in a rubber suit/monster of the week gore films).  I think the middle story and love triangle are very effective and the building sense of dread well paced and executed.  Classic score.  Robert Wise who directed this film would later direct West Side Story (1962), The Sound of Music (1965), Andromeda Strain (1971), and Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979).  All great films. 

The middle story is well-executed (Hitchcockian), but it made the whole movie less "sci-fi-like" than I expected.

Andromeda Strain is my favorites as a solid sci-fi movie from the early 70's and while I am not a Trekker, I like the Star Trek: The Motion Picture for it's style.

[71 dB]

DEAD SILENCE (James Wan, 2006)

Saw is too brutal and Aquaman is too commercial/high budgeted for my taste, but Conjuring and Insidious are very much to my liking as a fan of ghost horror. I consider James Wan one of the most talented new directors of the 21st century, at least from visual storytelling point of view. Leigh Whannell on the other hand is a talented screenwriter. Dead Silence is an early and imho overlooked* effort from the two trying out ghost horror. Finally I actually saw it. The movie is similar to the Annabelle movies (which I enjoy), only this time the doll is a ventriloquism dummy. The movie feels a "proof-of-concept" work of visual ideas refined and mastered in later movies by James Wan. It is genuinely creepy at places. There is a twist in the end, but I saw it coming because I am not a dummy, heh heh... 

Watching this 17 years old (!) movie got me thinking: It didn't look 17 years old. This movie could have came out today. We live in the era of cultural stagnation and recycled ideas/concepts. 20 years ago a 17 years gap (1986 => 2003) between movies was huge. Nowadays movie only become more "woke" each year if they are made by big studios. Indy 5 being the latest example.

* The critics seem to hate this movie and the box office was poor (one of the least successful James Wan movies ever), but I think this is a solid horror movie that deserves better than that, but then again I have my own taste in movies...

[vers la flamme]

Last night I watched True Grit, the 2010 Coen bros remake. Ah, that was a beautiful movie.

[relm1]

Indeed, in the screenplay, the Fleet Commander was expecting both U-boats and the Luftwaffe, so they seemed surprised at their doom. I liked it, and have the feeling I've seen two of the supporting actors in Bond movies.

Good point about the Bond connection.  I think it was Sean Connery era Bond boss, M, who is in this movie...clearly proving his skill at backroom boardroom acting since that's his role in the Bond films too.  The guy who says "...would you pay attention, 007?" while explaining the plot to the audience.

[Madiel]

We live in the era of cultural stagnation and recycled ideas/concepts.

We always have. We don't notice it from the past because that stuff doesn't survive long-term. Nobody remembers the generic same-old stuff that others were writing while Stravinsky was producing The Rite of Spring.

[Brian]

We always have. We don't notice it from the past because that stuff doesn't survive long-term. Nobody remembers the generic same-old stuff that others were writing while Stravinsky was producing The Rite of Spring.

I'm being reminded of this right now reading a book about the history of literature. The best-selling American novel of the 19th century was Ben-Hur, and the best-selling novelist of that century in general (I think) was Walter Scott. So much of the art of the past - even the acclaimed, beloved art of the past - has sunk into obscurity because it was generic and didn't survive long-term.

[Karl Henning]

I'm being reminded of this right now reading a book about the history of literature. The best-selling American novel of the 19th century was Ben-Hur, and the best-selling novelist of that century in general (I think) was Walter Scott. So much of the art of the past - even the acclaimed, beloved art of the past - has sunk into obscurity because it was generic and didn't survive long-term.

Walter Scott was quite the giant of letters in his day. Washington Irving makes frequent mention of him in the less-famous stretches of The Sketch-Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Esq., for instance. And I know I would be ignorant of Ben-Hur, save for the film adaptation.

[Karl Henning]

Murder, My Sweet (1944) - description and cast below - one of the films that started the 'film noir' genre; now "Double Indemnity" is the better movie, but this one rated 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and 3 1/2*/4* by Leonard Maltin - worth a watch if you like these productions.

I enjoyed it.

[George]

Really enjoyed this wonderful documentary.

[DavidW]

This movie could have came out today. We live in the era of cultural stagnation and recycled ideas/concepts.

That is because James Wan has come to dominate the big blockbuster horror.  As a horror fan, I can tell you that the blockbusters are rarely the ones to watch.  The best ones are typically indie.  You don't need a large budget to make a horror film, and indies get to be more imaginative because they don't have to worry as much about maximizing revenue and profit.

[Karl Henning]

[SonicMan46]

Both Amazon HD streamers:

Johnny Guitar (1954) - synopsis and cast below; not received well in the USA but liked by the foreign audience on release - now considered a 'cult classic' and one of Crawford's best performances.  Ratings: 94%, Rotten Tomatoes; 3*/4*, Maltin & 3 1/2 */4*, VideoHound; 4*/4*, Ebert (Review) - recommended for its 'comeback' reputation!

Angel & the Badman (1947) - summary & cast below; Wayne in an off-beat romantic western w/ the wonderfully beautiful Gail Russell (loved her eyes!), but died at 36 yrs from alcoholism - not considered in the Wayne top tier films, but if the story and stars are of interest, then a recommendation.  Dave

Johnny Guitar is a 1954 American Western film directed by Nicholas Ray and starring Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden, Mercedes McCambridge, Ernest Borgnine and Scott Brady. Vienna has built a saloon outside of town, and she hopes to build her own town once the railroad comes, but the townsfolk want her gone. When four men hold up a stagecoach and kill a man the town officials, led by Emma Small, come to the saloon to grab four of Vienna's friends, the Dancin' Kid and his men. Vienna stands strong against them, and is aided by the presence of an old acquaintance of hers, Johnny Guitar, who is not what he seems. (Source)

Angel and the Badman is a 1947 American Western film written and directed by James Edward Grant and starring John Wayne, Gail Russell, Harry Carey and Bruce Cabot. The film is about an injured gunfighter who is nursed back to health by a young Quaker woman and her family whose way of life influences him and his violent ways. Angel and the Badman was the first film Wayne produced as well as starred in, and was a departure for this genre at the time it was released. Writer-director James Edward Grant was Wayne's frequent screenwriting collaborator. (Source)

   

[Karl Henning]

Indeed, in the screenplay, the Fleet Commander was expecting both U-boats and the Luftwaffe, so they seemed surprised at their doom. I liked it, and have the feeling I've seen two of the supporting actors in Bond movies.

Laurence Naismith is in Diamonds Are Forever. Geoffrey Keen played British Defence Minister Sir Frederick Gray in later Bond films.

[71 dB]

That is because James Wan has come to dominate the big blockbuster horror.  As a horror fan, I can tell you that the blockbusters are rarely the ones to watch.  The best ones are typically indie.  You don't need a large budget to make a horror film, and indies get to be more imaginative because they don't have to worry as much about maximizing revenue and profit.

The Conjuring movies have somewhat big budget, but many James Wan movies are quite small budget. Aquaman has huge budget, but it is not horror.

[JBS]

I'm being reminded of this right now reading a book about the history of literature. The best-selling American novel of the 19th century was Ben-Hur, and the best-selling novelist of that century in general (I think) was Walter Scott. So much of the art of the past - even the acclaimed, beloved art of the past - has sunk into obscurity because it was generic and didn't survive long-term.

I read Ben Hur years ago, and remember nothing of it outside of what I remember of the movie, except that it was rather long.

Scott otoh--The Heart of Midlothian is one of the greatest novels in English, and it's well to remember that if his novels read like generic historical fiction, it's because for all practical purposes he created the genre!

[Karl Henning]

Witness for the Prosecution. I'm already delighted that Elsa Lanchester is in the cast!

[Karl Henning]

Witness for the Prosecution. I'm already delighted that Elsa Lanchester is in the cast!

And now, enter John Williams.