Last Movie You Watched

[Karl Henning]

I adore Arrival. Precisely because it is so very different from most "aliens sci-fi" films. And Amy Adams was the perfect casting choice.
It's also an excellent example of a movie you can watch twice, with your understanding of large parts of it completely changed the 2nd time.

I've now reserved a copy of this, too from the Library.

[Kalevala]

Reminds me loosely of Hudson Hawk, which is a favorite. I've reserved a copy from the Library.

I looked briefly at the description of Hudson Hawk which looks like fun viewing.  Hope that you enjoy Red 2.   

K

[DavidW]

Maybe in part because I was fresh out of rehab and still emotionally tender. If it's on Tubi, I may try it again.

I wouldn't! I don't mean my post to be a strong endorsement.

[Karl Henning]

I wouldn't! I don't mean my post to be a strong endorsement.

No, but I'm mildly curious.

[Cato]

It's like a  miniature @Cato recommendation film festival!

 


Both movies are wonderful experiences!  A Hidden Life is made all the more poignant by its being the true story of anti-Nazi Catholic Franz Jägerstätter.

Best Wishes for Movie Night!

[Karl Henning]

A Hidden Life is made all the more poignant by its being the true story of anti-Nazi Catholic Franz Jägerstätter.

This is the perfect Week to revisit this movie.

[Number Six]

Khartoum (1966)

Heston as British General Gordon, tasked with evacuating the Egyptians from the city of Khartoum in the Sudan in 1884. His foe is the Mahdi (Olivier, in brownface), a holy warrior aiming to take over the entire Muslim world. Based on a true story.

Slow moving, and you really need to be interested in Charlton Heston as well as the British Empire - so, perfect for me. Would love to have seen this one on the big screen. A lot of it was shot in Egypt, and it shows.

(I have seen it before, but it's been a long time. Thrilled to see it's on Prime.)

[Karl Henning]

Khartoum (1966)

Heston as British General Gordon, tasked with evacuating the Egyptians from the city of Khartoum in the Sudan in 1884. His foe is the Mahdi (Olivier, in brownface), a holy warrior aiming to take over the entire Muslim world. Based on a true story.

Slow moving, and you really need to be interested in Charlton Heston as well as the British Empire - so, perfect for me. Would love to have seen this one on the big screen. A lot of it was shot in Egypt, and it shows.

(I have seen it before, but it's been a long time. Thrilled to see it's on Prime.)

Thanks for the reminder, I've been meaning to seek that one out.

[Karl Henning]

Tonight, The Spitfire Grill. (My second viewing) Deeply moving.

[relm1]

Khartoum (1966)

Heston as British General Gordon, tasked with evacuating the Egyptians from the city of Khartoum in the Sudan in 1884. His foe is the Mahdi (Olivier, in brownface), a holy warrior aiming to take over the entire Muslim world. Based on a true story.

Slow moving, and you really need to be interested in Charlton Heston as well as the British Empire - so, perfect for me. Would love to have seen this one on the big screen. A lot of it was shot in Egypt, and it shows.

(I have seen it before, but it's been a long time. Thrilled to see it's on Prime.)

Hmm, interesting.  Never heard of it but reminds me of Lawrence of Arabia. Were they going for something like that?

[Number Six]

Hmm, interesting.  Never heard of it but reminds me of Lawrence of Arabia. Where they going for something like that?

I suspect so.

[Karl Henning]

Both movies are wonderful experiences!  A Hidden Life is made all the more poignant by its being the true story of anti-Nazi Catholic Franz Jägerstätter.

Best Wishes for Movie Night!

I watched one per day. Just finished A Hidden Life (again.) Oh, the lessons.

[Cato]

Khartoum (1966)

Heston as British General Gordon, tasked with evacuating the Egyptians from the city of Khartoum in the Sudan in 1884. His foe is the Mahdi (Olivier, in brownface), a holy warrior aiming to take over the entire Muslim world. Based on a true story.

Slow moving, and you really need to be interested in Charlton Heston as well as the British Empire - so, perfect for me. Would love to have seen this one on the big screen. A lot of it was shot in Egypt, and it shows.

(I have seen it before, but it's been a long time. Thrilled to see it's on Prime.)

I did have that opportunity, and it was a great experience!

General Gordon was certainly a fascinating and extraordinary character, similar to other explorers and adventurers whom the British seemed to produce rather casually and in large numbers in those days (e.g. Sir Richard Burton, David Livingstone, Isabelle Bird, Mary Kingsley, and of course T. E. Lawrence)

Highly recommended movie!

Tonight, The Spitfire Grill. (My second viewing) Deeply moving.
 

The eulogy scene with Wil Patton is simply perfect.

Just finished A Hidden Life (again.) Oh, the lessons.

Something is wrong when you have your priest and bishop asking you to compromise with Evil!  Jägerstätter was and is an example of courage in the face of Evil.

I used to tell my History students that dictators of any kind become powerless, when people refuse to follow their orders.  The problem is that the first one to stand up and say "NO!" will be the first one to be shot.  You need many people to stand up and shout "NO!" at the same time...but History has shown how difficult that can be!

A similar movie from over 40 years ago is The White Rose from German director Michael Verhoeven, which in a semi-documentary fashion shows the rise and fall of the anti-Nazi group centered at the University of Munich.

Also related: a book called Stalin's Barber by Paul Levitt shows the difficulties of existence and resistance under a mass-murdering dictator in Communist Russia.

[Karl Henning]

Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ. I enjoy all the ways this gets the Evangelicals' panties in a bunch. Though to be sure, my enjoyment of the film is much broader and deeper than that gleeful spite. Because of course the film is wonderfully rich. The film plainly discloses at the outset that it is not based on the Gospels. And in some ways that's true. In some ways, how can that be? I thought I liked this movie, but I think I'm growing to love it.

[Madiel]

Because of course the film is wonderfully rich.

I'm glad you think so. I can't even remember whether I've got to the end of it. Many years ago my Bible study group (definitely not of the super-conservative evangelical variety) tried watching it and we frankly found it rather boring. We couldn't help thinking that the controversy had been encouraged in order to get more people to see the film.

I might end up trying it again because I have a vague idea of going through Scorsese's body of work. But it won't be one of the films that I'll approach enthusiastically.

[Karl Henning]

I'm glad you think so. I can't even remember whether I've got to the end of it. Many years ago my Bible study group (definitely not of the super-conservative evangelical variety) tried watching it and we frankly found it rather boring. We couldn't help thinking that the controversy had been encouraged in order to get more people to see the film.

I might end up trying it again because I have a vague idea of going through Scorsese's body of work. But it won't be one of the films that I'll approach enthusiastically.

Late to the party, we might say, but this time I'm wondering how the Greek Orthodox church took Kazantsakis' book, or rather, how strongly and in just what terms they objected to it. I think it interesting how Jesus has history with both Magdalene and Iscariot, particularly that he is friends with the latter, though they are so different in temper. Unlike the Jesus in the Gospel who says I am the Truth, we have a Jesus who denounces himself as a hypocrite because he says he's afraid of the truth. The night I went to see it in the cinemas there were protesters picketing and there was a sign reading something like "Jesus wasn't a wimp," and that is really only a point if one insists that any movie about Jesus ought simply to be a tract in celluloid. In the film Jesus says, "Everything comes from God and everything has a double meaning." which I'm still chewing over. since this Jesus is wrestling with self-awareness, naturally (and obviously unlike the Gospel narrative) John the Baptist isn't sure of who Jesus is, either. I chuckled lightly at Iscariot (who derided Jesus as a collaborator) remarks of John that he acts like a Messiah.

[Madiel]

naturally (and obviously unlike the Gospel narrative) John the Baptist isn't sure of who Jesus is, either.

Actually I think you'll find the Bible recording John the Baptist having exactly those doubts. Luke 7:18-23 is about him sending people to ask Jesus if he (Jesus) was really the one John had been preaching was going to come.

EDIT: The whole "Jesus wasn't a wimp" thing tells you far more about a particular hyper-masculine strand of American Christianity than it does anything about Jesus.

[relm1]

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) based on George Orwell's book.  This story has been coming up in discussion but I hadn't seen or read it so went in blind.  It was very good, and very timely!  I was first surprised by the excellent cast including an emaciated John Hurt and Richard Burton in his final role.  He must have died just days after filming had completed and didn't seem ill or anything. 

Synopsys/Spoilers/My Thoughts: In a dystopian future, a crowd is stirred to feverish hatred of their enemy Eurasia.  You can tell not everyone is buying in to it, but the crowd is also seeing each other's reaction.  It's a police state and very suspicious of each other.  There are thought police who torture people who don't think in the nationalist way.  The ruling class is Oligarchs (that's literally in the film) who have a slightly better life than the normal citizens.  Truth is defined as that which the ruling party says.  Love, free thought is all forbidden.  Winston, who works at the Ministry of Truth erasing history that doesn't agree with the ruling class's politics, falls in love with Julia - another free thinker.  They are arrested by the police after discovering they've been seen all along by surveillance.  Under arrest, they are threatened and tortured to conform to the party's rules and definitions of truth.  If they are told 2+2=5, they must agree or get tortured.  They reach the breaking point, both turning on each other to survive and no longer have feelings for each other as they agree with the party's version of truth.

Thoughts: The film is way, way deeper than my lousy summary and had excellent directing and performances.  I couldn't believe how relevant it seems now.  The government defining truth, oligarchy as the ruling class, the goal of war not being to win but to sustain a sense of hatred that makes the people easier to rule through propaganda.  A very dark story based on a book written in 1949 that seems like it is not so far off from current reality.  Maybe that's the point of the story too, that it was a warning and will always feel timely so citizens should be vigil and oversee their government doesn't slip into a totalitarian regime ruled by the rich and powerful elites.  It was a disturbing place to visit.

[SonicMan46]

Our son was visiting and we watched an eclectic mix of old and new films:

Wonka (2023) - stars Timothée Chalamet (who played Bob Dylan and was in the new Dune films) - for all click on the name for a Wiki re-direction, if interested.

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) - my second watch (son's first) - way too long for me (3+ hrs - watched over 2 nights) and mucho CGI! Avatar 3 to be released at the end of this year (and LONG also!).

The Big Trail (1930) - YES, a 95 year-old film and I feel a MUST SEE - John Wayne at 23 y/o and streamed in its 70 mm version - of course, no CGI and many dangerous scenes (7 people died in its filming - check the link for more detail).

Wild River (1960) - about the TVA in the 1930s taming the dangerous Tennessee River - superb acting especially Jo Van Fleet.

The Crimson Pirate (1952) - comedic pirate film with Burt Lancaster and his acrobat buddy Nick Cravat (who was mute - because of his STRONG Brooklyn accent!) - the Flame and the Arrow is another from that era with those two.  Dave

 

   

[Cato]

The Big Trail (1930) - YES, a 95 year-old film and I feel a MUST SEE - John Wayne at 23 y/o and streamed in its 70 mm version - of course, no CGI and many dangerous scenes (7 people died in its filming - check the link for more detail).


 

You must have the restored version, which I also own!  Yes, that is a marvelous movie!

Hear John Wayne's voice before he had ruined it with chain-smoking and whiskey! 

Aside from that, an amazing, experimental movie with a great story: consider that it was made not too many generations after the events, which it depicts.  It has a "gritty," realistic, semi-documentary feel to it.