Last Movie You Watched

[Bogey]

Probably my favorite boxing movie:

[Ken B]

Probably my favorite boxing movie:

I found what I am watching tonight!

[HIPster]

Much Ado About Nothing (Joss Whedon)
[asin]B00C2A4SX6[/asin]

Streamed from amazon last night.

Excellent! 

[Marc]

Toccata (issued in 1968), short film by Dutch filmmaker Herman van der Horst (1910-1976).
Awarded with a Short Film Technical Grand Prize in Cannes, 1969.

With a.o. organist Feike Asma (1912-1984).

And a cat.

Location: Oude Kerk, Amsterdam.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI2MUsSeNPQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAJRhVc3hUE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imay-VnFRgE

[Bogey]

SPOILER ALERT



Godzilla was one of my favorite "anythings" when I was about 9 years old.  Every week when the TV Guide would come out, I immediately turned to the Friday night section in hopes of seeing his name somewhere on the pages.  When I heard this one was coming out and that the director wanted to make nods to the one of old, I was pumped!

The Good:
I liked the design of Godzilla.  I also thought it was cool that they kept his roar and powers in tact from the original, but with updating them for effect. 

The Bad:
Wooden acting along with characters that served no purpose except for walking around wringing their hands.    I know, I know.  What should I expect from a summer blockbuster. 
Also, you had many scenes where areas were being protected by machine guns....while some of the monsters were eating nukes like peanuts.  The worst moment was when a special ops locked his .38 (?) before making a halo jump near the monster.  At least the later allowed my son and I to share a chuckle.  And the worst part:  Godzilla would be on the cusp of engaging a monster and WHAM-cut to humans doing nothing of import!  Are you kidding me!

The Ugly:
The monsters that Godzilla ended up fighting were poorly designed, IMO.  With all the looks that they could have tapped from the older movies, they chose what I considered one of the most uninteresting looks in monster movie history.

Still glad I caught it in 3D IMAX, but will not be buying this when it comes out.

[EigenUser]

Did the movie actually have the Ligeti Requiem in it? Or was that just the trailer?

[George]

...because my girlfriend wanted to see it. Had some moments, but not nearly as fun as my pick for us later today:

[Bogey]

Did the movie actually have the Ligeti Requiem in it? Or was that just the trailer?

I believe so.  Just do a search with your "find function" for "requiem". 

http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2014/05/03/godzilla-final-credits/

[TheGSMoeller]

Did the movie actually have the Ligeti Requiem in it? Or was that just the trailer?

It's in the movie. During the halo jump scene.

Read a review about the music used in the film and called it 'music from 2001'. So ignorant. 

[Todd]

Monsters.  Godzilla director Gareth Edwards' first film, and the reason he got the Godzilla gig, this is in many ways low-budget done right.  The story involves some aliens who are living in the infected zone, right along the border between Mexico and the US.  A rather too obvious parable for immigration, and a bit critical of American militarism, with nods to many films (including a couple rather obvious ones, and one quite fun, to Apocalypse Now, and one to the 50s War of the Worlds and/or The Abyss), the film is in some ways better than Godzilla, but also shows the same penchant for not so great human characters that the big budget flick also has.  The movie looks and feels good and stylish, though it gets a big old "F" in geography regarding one really terrible scene when the heroes approach the border.  The "monsters" themselves are basically giant, luminescent octopi, and apparently Edwards did all the special effects work himself.  The climax, and the only full glimpse of the creatures, is perfectly anti-climactic - it was definitely not the ending I was expecting, but it works in the context of what the director wanted to do.  One big plus for the movie is Whitney Able, who may not be the best actress ever, but is simply lovely; I couldn't help but watch her.

Given Edwards' career success - he landed Godzilla after this, and he's apparently been tapped to direct the next Star Wars film - I suspect more sort-of DIY sci-fi flicks in the future.

Read a review about the music used in the film and called it 'music from 2001'.

That's not surprising.  Also Sprach Zarathustra is often called the theme to 2001, and the William Tell Overture is the theme to The Lone Ranger.  A successful use of music can establish permanent, broader associations.  Worse fates are possible.

[Brian]

though it gets a big old "F" in geography regarding one really terrible scene when the heroes approach the border.

Did I post here about watching Dhoom: 3, a Bollywood film where the characters get a nice high-rise apartment in Chicago that overlooks the Rocky Mountains, and then get into a police chase down Wacker Drive that ends on the Hoover Dam?

The Good:
[words]

The Bad:
[words]

The Ugly:
[words]

Hey, guess which amazing, amazing Sergio Leone film I saw for the first time this weekend!

[Bogey]

Did I post here about watching Dhoom: 3, a Bollywood film where the characters get a nice high-rise apartment in Chicago that overlooks the Rocky Mountains, and then get into a police chase down Wacker Drive that ends on the Hoover Dam?

Hey, guess which amazing, amazing Sergio Leone film I saw for the first time this weekend!

Two thumbs up!

[Brian]

Two thumbs up!

The final showdown music keeps popping into my head and I keep wanting to re-watch the entire cemetery sequence.

[Todd]

Did I post here about watching Dhoom: 3, a Bollywood film where the characters get a nice high-rise apartment in Chicago that overlooks the Rocky Mountains, and then get into a police chase down Wacker Drive that ends on the Hoover Dam?

I believe so, and Monsters has the same sort of bizarro-world geography, though the artistic intent here is actually rather clear: a ruin from an ancient, collapsed civilization offers a good view of a current civilization with its even more garish, obscene ruin of the future.  (Thank goodness the future ruin does not exist - yet.)

[SonicMan46]

I receive email from them because I bought their cases, so look around on their website and I'm sure you'll find something to sign-up, receive updates etc. .. I found out about the last sale through the Blu ray site .. and the sale was offered through Barnes & Noble.

Thanks - signed up on their website - Dave

[SonicMan46]

SPOILER ALERT



Godzilla was one of my favorite "anythings" when I was about 9 years old.  Every week when the TV Guide would come out, I immediately turned to the Friday night section in hopes of seeing his name somewhere on the pages.  When I heard this one was coming out and that the director wanted to make nods to the one of old, I was pumped!
............................
The Ugly:
The monsters that Godzilla ended up fighting were poorly designed, IMO.  With all the looks that they could have tapped from the older movies, they chose what I considered one of the most uninteresting looks in monster movie history.

Still glad I caught it in 3D IMAX, but will not be buying this when it comes out.

Well, a week ago I tried to talk Susan into going to see Godzilla on 3D IMAX but she refused (instead we went to our local 'independent' theater and saw Le Week-End) - shortly after, our son posts his impressions of the monster flick on Facebook - gave it 2+* only (not sure if out of 4 or 5 but suspect the latter); SO, I'll probably just stream the film to my HDTV when available - won't be the same but seems not to be worth the money to see on the big screen!  Dave

[Jaakko Keskinen]

On page 927 I shortly talked about this but I think it's time to make a bit more detailed analysis of my favorite Spielberg movie:



This movie has one of my favorite villains of all time - René Emile Belloq. While a villain he's far from pure evil. He is sophisticated, is polite and respectful (in interactions with Indy at the same time screwing him over but still) and he has a soft spot for Marion. He is really fun to watch and he's nice contrast for a sociopath like Toht (who likewise is an excellent villain). He also has maybe the greatest not so different-speeches in movie history that actually makes a lot of sense. Paul Freeman is an excellent actor and he really nails this role. Music is of course classic from John Williams's pen even if the main theme is a bit overused. This movie contains some pure comedy gold. I think my favorite funny moment is the encounter between swordsman and Indy, expecting a real epic fight... and Indy just shoots the guy. I heard this was actually an ad-lib by Harrison Ford himself, similar to his changing of Han's I love you too from Empire strikes back to more in-character line "I know". This time the reason was simply because Ford was too exhausted because of the food poisoning to film a long fight. Spielberg loved this ad-lib while Lucas (who seems to hate everything that makes the movie good) disliked it. I wouldn't be surprised if he would actually change the scene so that swordsman would "shoot" first, similar to what he did to Han and Greedo in Star Wars.

[Bogey]

Nice write up.  I love this one, but I found I enjoyed the third installment of the series the most.  Connery as the dad and the relationship and banter with Indy is some of the best.  Case in point:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO1MuJ_ijF8

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Thank you. And I would like to add, that I am one of those persons that actually liked crystal skull. It's not as good as raiders and last crusade imo but better than temple of doom.

[Bogey]

Thank you. And I would like to add, that I am one of those persons that actually liked crystal skull. It's not as good as raiders and last crusade imo but better than temple of doom.

For me, it seems that they get the odd numbered installments correct and then lose their minds a bit on the even numbered ones.  So, there is hope for the 5th....I believe.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1462764/