Last Movie You Watched

[San Antone]

The Great Gatsby



The Great Gatsby is a 1974 American romantic drama film based on the 1925 novel of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The film was directed by Jack Clayton, produced by David Merrick, and written by Francis Ford Coppola. It stars Robert Redford in the title role of Jay Gatsby, along with Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston, Bruce Dern, and Karen Black.

I hadn't revisited this movie since 1974 when it came out.  The opening song, "What'll I Do," written by Irving Berlin, was a pretty big hit that year, and I remember playing it in this piano trio I was in.  But other than that, I've forgotten most of the movie other than the obvious.

Everyone looks so young! - Makes me almost feel old. 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Really one of the greatest war films ever.  Also fantastic and very unique war score! 

I'll have to find more "bits" from the score; I was so focused on the plot that I don't recall much of it.  I did see that John Williams was in charge. 

PD

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Till



Till is a 2022 biographical drama film directed by Chinonye Chukwu and written by Michael Reilly, Keith Beauchamp, and Chukwu, and produced by Beauchamp, Reilly, and Whoopi Goldberg. It is based on the true story of Mamie Till-Bradley, an educator and activist who pursued justice after the murder of her 14-year-old son Emmett in August 1955. The film stars Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie and Jalyn Hall as Emmett. Kevin Carroll, Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett, Jayme Lawson, Tosin Cole, Sean Patrick Thomas, John Douglas Thompson, Roger Guenveur Smith, and Goldberg also appear in supporting roles.

Very well done.  Acting is impeccable, and the story telling restrained, and as far as I can tell, historically accurate. Wonderful musical score by Abel Korzeniowski.

This one is on my list to watch.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Always curious about rankings of movie genres, such as WW II films - googled a bunch of movie sites and randomly choose the three in the attachment - if the rankings are added w/ the lowest score being the highest, then Saving Private Ryan (SPR) comes in first! However, in this other rating of the top 50 WW II films, SPR is listed at 29 w/ Bridge Over the River Kwai 28 - SO, I guess these rankings can be easily adjusted to your likes by picking those lists that match your taste? 

BTW, I have many of these films in my collection - some others that I like are listed below for your perusal (alphabetical order):

• 39 Steps, The (1935)
• Big Red One (1980)
• Enemy Below, The (1957)
• Foreign Correspondent (1940)
• Guns of Navarone (1961)
• Mister Roberts (1955)
• Patton (1970)
• Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)
• Stalag 17 (1953)
• To Be or Not to Be (1942)
• Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)

You must have a dedicated room just for dvds!    There are many great movies about WWII...always something to learn...new knowledge...new perspectives...untold stories.

Thank you though for the suggestions.  I'll add some of them (that I haven't already watched) to my list of movies to watch.

[SonicMan46]

The Great Gatsby

 

The Great Gatsby is a 1974 American romantic drama film based on the 1925 novel of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The film was directed by Jack Clayton, produced by David Merrick, and written by Francis Ford Coppola. It stars Robert Redford in the title role of Jay Gatsby, along with Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston, Bruce Dern, and Karen Black.

I hadn't revisited this movie since 1974 when it came out.  The opening song, "What'll I Do," written by Irving Berlin, was a pretty big hit that year, and I remember playing it in this piano trio I was in.  But other than that, I've forgotten most of the movie other than the obvious.

Everyone looks so young! - Makes me almost feel old. 

There have been 5 films (at least) made from Fitzgerald's book over nearly 100 years - I've just seen two w/ DiCaprio and Redford, the latter also on release and have never wanted to watch again - the Rotten Tomatoes ratings (inserted above) are uniformly terrible; now I read the book as a teen and enjoyed so not sure why a decent movie has not been produced?

Incidentally, we live just 2 hrs from Asheville where the Fitzgerald's lived at the Grove Park Inn (have stayed there a half dozen times over the decades since 1975) - on one visit we were in the old section on the same floor of their room (2nd pic below) - Dave

 

[SonicMan46]

You must have a dedicated room just for dvds!    There are many great movies about WWII...always something to learn...new knowledge...new perspectives...untold stories.

Thank you though for the suggestions.  I'll add some of them (that I haven't already watched) to my list of movies to watch.

Hi PD - well, I have more WW II films but just listed about 10 or so which are rated highly.  As to optical discs in my house - well, that's an evolving story.  Overall, I own about 1100 movies - nearly 300 are DVD-Rs burnt from the TCM station years ago (occupying little space in sleeved notebooks), rarely look at these films (most from the 1930s into the 1990s); the other 800 or so are a mixture of actual physical discs, mostly BDs, and online streamers from Amazon & iTunes, SO I probably have left about 500 actual discs on the shelves or in cabinets in my den. I'm trying to 'downsize' objects in our house (possible move in a few years to a smaller place w/ progressive medical care). Dave

[Cato]

The Great Gatsby



The Great Gatsby is a 1974 American romantic drama film based on the 1925 novel of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The film was directed by Jack Clayton, produced by David Merrick, and written by Francis Ford Coppola. It stars Robert Redford in the title role of Jay Gatsby, along with Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston, Bruce Dern, and Karen Black.

I hadn't revisited this movie since 1974 when it came out.  The opening song, "What'll I Do," written by Irving Berlin, was a pretty big hit that year, and I remember playing it in this piano trio I was in.  But other than that, I've forgotten most of the movie other than the obvious.

Everyone looks so young! - Makes me almost feel old. 

There have been 5 films (at least) made from Fitzgerald's book over nearly 100 years - I've just seen two w/ DiCaprio and Redford, the latter also on release and have never wanted to watch again - the Rotten Tomatoes ratings (inserted above) are uniformly terrible; now I read the book as a teen and enjoyed so not sure why a decent movie has not been produced?

Do you know the one from the late 1940's with Alan Ladd, which seemed closer to the original story?

We just watched it last week and thought it was very good.  Alan Ladd also seemed to be a much better Gatsby than Robert Redford, who struck us as rather dull and passive in comparison.

[SonicMan46]

Do you know the one from the late 1940's with Alan Ladd, which seemed closer to the original story?

We just watched it last week and thought it was very good.  Alan Ladd also seemed to be a much better Gatsby than Robert Redford, who struck us as rather dull and passive in comparison.

Hi Cato - have not seen the Alan Ladd version - love the actor but a 33% rotten rating, even going below both Redford and DiCaprio doesn't bode for a good experience -    And just check Amazon Prime Video and not available - could google to find a streaming option but not too enthused vs. so many others to be watched - tonight planning to rent the film Till which was just posted recently here - Dave

[San Antone]

There have been 5 films (at least) made from Fitzgerald's book over nearly 100 years - I've just seen two w/ DiCaprio and Redford, the latter also on release and have never wanted to watch again

Do you know the one from the late 1940's with Alan Ladd ... Alan Ladd also seemed to be a much better Gatsby than Robert Redford, who struck us as rather dull and passive in comparison.

I have to disagree with both of these assessments.  The movie was very well done IMO - and well cast.

Mia Farrow was exceptional as the vapid romantic center of Gatsby's fantasy.  And I thought Redford was quietly obsessive, relentless, but also patient, in his pursuit of this woman who was not worth the effort.

Bruce Dern was fabulous as a narcissistic lout. And Karen Black desperate to better her status, at the expense of her simple husband. She and Gatsby were flip sides of the same coin, although he was much more successful at that game.

I want to re-read the book, now.

[Cato]

Hi Cato - have not seen the Alan Ladd version - love the actor but a 33% rotten rating, even going below both Redford and DiCaprio doesn't bode for a good experience -    And just check Amazon Prime Video and not available - could google to find a streaming option but not too enthused vs. so many others to be watched - tonight planning to rent the film Till which was just posted recently here - Dave

Hard to say why so low: a bias against black-and-white movies perhaps?

I have to disagree with both of these assessments.  The movie was very well done IMO - and well cast.

Mia Farrow was exceptional as the vapid romantic center of Gatsby's fantasy.  And I thought Redford was quietly obsessive, relentless, but also patient, in his pursuit of this woman who was not worth the effort.

Bruce Dern was fabulous as a narcissistic lout. And Karen Black desperate to better her status, at the expense of her simple husband. She and Gatsby were flip sides of the same coin, although he was much more successful at that game.

I want to re-read the book, now.

Thanks for the reply!

Bruce Dern is always good!  He was the new Warren Oates 50 years ago!

In the newer generation, Steve Zahn is on their level, I think!

[Cato]

Skipping ahead in our alphabetical journey through our video library...

How To Train Your Dragon:



Vikings with Scottish accents?  Well, it is a comedy!

Marvelous animation and one of the drollest heroes* since Bob Newhart or Victor Borge first tickled audiences. 

*Played by the droll-voiced Jay Baruchel.

[Karl Henning]

Billy Wilder's Love in the Afternoon. 

[JBS]

Vikings with Scottish accents?  Well, it is a comedy!

.

Perhaps they were from Orkney.

After all, from the Viking Wars until Norman times, England and Scotland were really part of Scandinavia...and Scotland for even longer than that.

[relm1]

Always curious about rankings of movie genres, such as WW II films - googled a bunch of movie sites and randomly choose the three in the attachment - if the rankings are added w/ the lowest score being the highest, then Saving Private Ryan (SPR) comes in first! However, in this other rating of the top 50 WW II films, SPR is listed at 29 w/ Bridge Over the River Kwai 28 - SO, I guess these rankings can be easily adjusted to your likes by picking those lists that match your taste? 

BTW, I have many of these films in my collection - some others that I like are listed below for your perusal (alphabetical order):

• 39 Steps, The (1935)
• Big Red One (1980)
• Enemy Below, The (1957)
• Foreign Correspondent (1940)
• Guns of Navarone (1961)
• Mister Roberts (1955)
• Patton (1970)
• Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)
• Stalag 17 (1953)
• To Be or Not to Be (1942)
• Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)

I like Esquire's list but realized I haven't seen most of those films!  The ones I have seen are excellent. 

[San Antone]

Mean Streets



Mean Streets is a 1973 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese, co-written by Scorsese and Mardik Martin, and starring Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro. It was produced by Warner Bros. The film premiered at the New York Film Festival on October 2, 1973, and was released on October 14. De Niro won the National Society of Film Critics and the New York Film Critics Circle award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as "Johnny Boy" Civello.

The film was the first of several collaborations between Scorsese and De Niro. It was also the first Scorsese effort to receive both critical and commercial acclaim. In 1997, Mean Streets was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, who deemed it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

I must have seen this movie before, but for the life of me I don't remember it.  Gritty, realistic portrayal of life on the NYC streets in the late '60s, early '70s. A little long for my taste.

[BWV 1080]

I like Esquire's list but realized I haven't seen most of those films!  The ones I have seen are excellent. 

The 2013 Stalingrad is a horrible Russian action movie, the 1993 German film of the same name should be on the list instead.

The USSR made some good WW2 movies for people who lived through the war, now they are all Putinist propaganda

[Karl Henning]

I've been meaning to go back to the commentary on The Hour of the Wolf. Finally did, last night.  Good and illuming/informative.  The horror element is insidious. And now of course, I need to watch again, without the distraction of the commentary. Can I face it tonight? Perhaps I ought. Thanks again to @Cato

[San Antone]

Desperately Seeking Susan



Desperately Seeking Susan is a 1985 American comedy-drama film directed by Susan Seidelman and starring Rosanna Arquette, Aidan Quinn and Madonna. Set in New York City, the plot involves the interaction between two women – a bored housewife and a bohemian drifter – linked by various messages in the personals section of a newspaper.

Fun movie. I enjoyed it, first time since it came out, almost 40 years ago.

[Karl Henning]

Desperately Seeking Susan



Desperately Seeking Susan is a 1985 American comedy-drama film directed by Susan Seidelman and starring Rosanna Arquette, Aidan Quinn and Madonna. Set in New York City, the plot involves the interaction between two women – a bored housewife and a bohemian drifter – linked by various messages in the personals section of a newspaper.

Fun movie. I enjoyed it, first time since it came out, almost 40 years ago.

Not sure I've watched it. I remember the contemporaraneous jest, "desperately seeking sushi." The only "Madonna movie" I'm sure that I've seen is Dick Tracy.

[Cato]

Mean Streets



Mean Streets is a 1973 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese, co-written by Scorsese and Mardik Martin, and starring Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro. It was produced by Warner Bros. The film premiered at the New York Film Festival on October 2, 1973, and was released on October 14. De Niro won the National Society of Film Critics and the New York Film Critics Circle award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as "Johnny Boy" Civello.

The film was the first of several collaborations between Scorsese and De Niro. It was also the first Scorsese effort to receive both critical and commercial acclaim. In 1997, Mean Streets was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, who deemed it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

I must have seen this movie before, but for the life of me I don't remember it.  Gritty, realistic portrayal of life on the NYC streets in the late '60s, early '70s. A little long for my taste.

Back in the 1970's, a theater in Dayton offered a double-feature of Taxi Driver (new release at the time) with Mean Streets.

So, I attended with a friend, who later went on to become ambassador to a Caribbean island nation, and we both were enthusiastic about Taxi Driver.

After an intermission, Mean Streets came on, which, after 15 minutes, my friend found tedious and then unbearable.  I was not particularly enthusiastic about it either, so we left.

Every so often I think I should give it a chance again: 50 years can make a difference!