Last Movie You Watched

[Karl Henning]

Last night, all the family together: A Nero Wolfe Mystery, "Death of a Doxy";  and It's a Wonderful Life.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Overall I probably like the new Acker/Denisof much ado slightly less, but Nathan Fillion as Dogberry is a total joy.

Some of the worst video quality possible, but...

http://www.youtube.com/v/xx9SaEhhM0w

I know how I'm coming off here, but I'm serious: good as Acker/Denisof is, by far the best Much Ado I know on film is the televised 1972 production from the NY Shakespeare Festival starring Sam Waterston and Kathleen Widdoes, easily available on DVD. I saw it live in Central Park that season and it still remains one of my half-dozen happiest memories of a Shakespearean production. I don't much like the Branagh myself; too much bathing and "the Prince is coming!" in the beginning, Keanu is all wrong, and Branagh mugs far too much for my liking. Indeed, the only one of his Shakespeare films I admire is Henry V, which was just about perfect; I'll try to see him live in Macbeth here in NY next year, but I thought his Hamlet was ghastly. "Overrated" to be sure.

[Sergeant Rock]

I remember my parents taking me to see It's A Mad...... The most vivid memory I have of the film is near the beginning,  when Spencer Tracy kicks the bucket, both literally and figuratively.

We share the same memories (that scene    ....parents taking me to see it). Except it wasn't Tracy (he survives until the end); it was Jimmy Durante (Smiler Grogan) who kicks the bucket.

Another vivid memory: it was the first film I ever saw with an intermission; half way through it's three hour runtime the screen suddenly went black and the theater lights came on. I actually thought the film was over! God, what a dark ending, every couple was in dire straits--trapped in a burning building, etc. 

Sarge

[Bogey]

Too bad Peter Jackson did not hold to his "tone" of the first Hobbit movie and left the whimsical element of this installment out of the movie.  Add to the fact that he still has another movie coming and he has already used 4/5 of the original book.  I am one that likes LOTR for what it is, and the Hobbit for what it is.  Unfortunate he is making them less exclusive of one another.
In short, he seems to to think he needs to turn the Hobbit into The Lord of the Ring, and create a major tapestry that ties his two epics together.  Add to this him making up major subplots that never exited in the story.  A shame.

[Karl Henning]

Aye, making The Hobbit dark is . . . essentially untrue to the author (The Hobbit began existence as a father telling his boy a tale at bedtime.)

[The new erato]

Too bad Peter Jackson did not hold to his "tone" of the first Hobbit movie and left the whimsical element of this installment out of the movie.  Add to the fact that he still has another movie coming and he has already used 4/5 of the original book.  I am one that likes LOTR for what it is, and the Hobbit for what it is.  Unfortunate he is making them less exclusive of one another.
In short, he seems to to think he needs to turn the Hobbit into The Lord of the Ring, and create a major tapestry that ties his two epics together.  Add to this him making up major subplots that never exited in the story.  A shame.

+1 a zillion times !

[TheGSMoeller]

Too bad Peter Jackson did not hold to his "tone" of the first Hobbit movie and left the whimsical element of this installment out of the movie.  Add to the fact that he still has another movie coming and he has already used 4/5 of the original book.  I am one that likes LOTR for what it is, and the Hobbit for what it is.  Unfortunate he is making them less exclusive of one another.
In short, he seems to to think he needs to turn the Hobbit into The Lord of the Ring, and create a major tapestry that ties his two epics together.  Add to this him making up major subplots that never exited in the story.  A shame.

+1 a zillion times !

Off to see The Hobbit, Part 2: Revenge of the Dwarfs.    I shall report my findings....

[Karl Henning]

Off to see The Hobbit, Part 2: Revenge of the Dwarfs.    I shall report my findings....

Just got a text from my brother, who is off to see it, also!

[Sammy]

Watched Lawrence of Arabia last night on TMC - a super movie that I never tire of.

[The new erato]

Book of Mormon - not a movie but a live musical that we saw in Charlotte yesterday - certainly DO not attend if you are indeed a Mormon - 

Well; IMO it's especially Mormons that need to see such a movie. Scam of the century?

[Karl Henning]

Watched Lawrence of Arabia last night on TMC - a super movie that I never tire of.

Just a pleasure to watch, indeed.

[mn dave]

PAIN AND GAIN, based on a true story.

I wouldn't pay for it (like my wife did) but it sort of reminded me of an Elmore Leonard tale.

[Cato]

Just caught a movie from the 1950's that I took my little sister to see: the theater (a Loew's Theater in downtown Dayton) was fairly empty.  I remember the movie being advertised on the backs of comic books.

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Despite the Warner Brothers logo on the box, this was a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer release.  MGM was hoping for a big hit to showcase Russ Tamblyn, but this was not it.

George Pal was the director, famous for stop-action/fantasy/science-fiction movies. 

Somewhat slow, the movie not often enough displays Russ Tamblyn's gymnastic style dancing, which is a delight, and again, not often enough, gives us Terry-Thomas and Peter Sellers as villains.  (The director should have thrown away the script and let them improvise their roles: still, they are fun to watch.)

My kids (c. 30 years ago) thought it was fun, but my wife mentioned a major flaw: Russ Tamblyn is practically never given a close-up and is filmed at a distance.  This is especially bad for some of the dance sequences, as if one is watching from the highest balcony.

Anyway, the kids might still find Tom Thumb of interest.

Yesterday, we splurged and spent $5.00 each on tickets for...



Easily worth $5.00!   

[TheGSMoeller]

Off to see The Hobbit, Part 2: Revenge of the Dwarfs.    I shall report my findings....

Enjoyed. I've always been a sucker for Peter Jackson's world. I realize this may not be Tolkien's world, I haven't read any of the books, but these films are good at what they are, big-budgeted fantasy adventure films. I have fun with these tales.

[Karl Henning]

They are certainly good at what they are.

[The new erato]

Compared to the book, they are like Karajan playing the Brandenburgs.

[Karl Henning]

Most apt.

[mn dave]

I haven't read any of the books...

[TheGSMoeller]

I know. It's bad. I've always been a non-fiction reader. Mostly history, biographies, film and music critique. Although I do always enjoy short stories from Kafka and Proust. Last fiction novel I read was The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

[mn dave]

I know. It's bad. I've always been a non-fiction reader. Mostly history, biographies, film and music critique. Although I do always enjoy short stories from Kafka and Proust. Last fiction novel I read was The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

I'm about fifty/fifty these days. I find most fiction unsatisfying now.