Last Movie You Watched

[James]

The 4th season Walking Dead episode titled The Grove was a compelling bit of morbid drama.

Curious about this one .. I don't know anything about it other than the fact that it is based on the comic book and is about zombies.
It is hard to imagine that it has been going on for what seems like forever .. I will have to check it out at some point.

I'm currently watching Season 3 of The Wire .. 

[Brian]

Susan & I went out to a movie this afternoon at our downtown independent theater:

Love & Mercy (2014) w/ Paul Dano (younger Wilson), John Cusack (middle-aged Wilson), Paul Giamatti, and Elizabeth Banks - short synopsis below from IMDB - a 7.9/10 rating there; 88% Rotten Tomatoes - an excellent portrayal centering on Brian Wilson and his mental disorder(s) - I remember the Beach Boys from the '60s but have none of their recordings - tonight at dinner and after, I listened to 2 hours of their music on Spotify and was astounded by the quality, vocals, and innovations for the time - reading Wilson's Wiki bio further enhanced that impression.  Highly recommended and you may be as surprised as me (or not?) - Dave

Dave - I watched this movie at the exact same time you did! Agree with you entirely; very good if often very sad movie, and the contrasting choice of two episodes from Wilson's life did an excellent job telling his story in a satisfying way.

The worst thing about the film, for me, was that everyone else in my theatre was age 65+ and they had all been dropped on the head as infants, so they kept whispering to each other things like "He's hearing voices!" and "They're playing 'Good Vibrations'!" and "That doctor is not nice!"

[Karl Henning]

Sort of a Rocky Horror for our time, wot?

[lisa needs braces]

Curious about this one .. I don't know anything about it other than the fact that it is based on the comic book and is about zombies.
It is hard to imagine that it has been going on for what seems like forever .. I will have to check it out at some point.

I'm currently watching Season 3 of The Wire .. 

It's worth giving a shot -- I've been aware of the series since its premiere in 2010 and avoided it due to zombie saturation in pop culture, but I've been pleasantly surprised by its quality since I started watching it a few weeks ago (four seasons are available to stream through Netflix.) It's as much about zombies as it is about using the Zombie Apocalypse as a setting for drama, and the best moments are more human vs human rather than humans vs zombies. It's well shot and well-acted, and I especially liked the performance of venerable actor Scott Wilson who joins the series in the second season. On the whole it's pure entertainment that's concerned with suspense/thrills etc -- and it delivers.

[NikF]

We've seen some of 'The Walking Dead'. One aspect that struck me is that it's shot on film (must be the last almost the last big show to use that format?) and how the film stock brings something to the practical effects. It's not a huge difference between that and using digital elements, but all these things add up in a positive way.

[George]

So good!

[lisa needs braces]

^A huge cinephile friend of mine from high school was a personal assistant to Woody Harrelson during the shooting of the that film!

[Bogey]

The  Busby Berkeley numbers are tops here and let the world see the song and dance talents of Jimmy Cagney.  Classic!

[listener]

took me two nights because I was tired, not bored
René Clair's THE ITALIAN STRAW HAT   restored and probably complete version, much much better in all respects than the shorter VHS one previously available.   Music track was a little tiresome, but it might have been my mood also, it was very much in the pastiche style of accompanied silent films (Nicolai, Offenbach and such.)   I know nothing about English Country Dances so can't comment on the Sir Roger de Coverley shown here.  An ear trumpet adds a recurring period detail.

[Karl Henning]

So good!

Good to know!  I remember liking the trailer, though I've let this drop off my radar . . . .

Thread Duty:

Strange to say, last night I watched for the first time:  Twelve Angry Men

Something of a misnomer, as the narrative hinges on the fact that the architect on the jury keeps his head, and insists on focusing on the actual facts (rather than what most of the others are happy to take for "facts") and pressing for the consideration of reasonable doubt.

I think Jack Klugman's and E.G. Marshall's jurors, too, fail to become actually angry;  but Nine Angry Men wouldn't quite do for a title, would it?

[Ken B]

Good to know!  I remember liking the trailer, though I've let this drop off my radar . . . .

Thread Duty:

Strange to say, last night I watched for the first time:  Twelve Angry Men

Something of a misnomer, as the narrative hinges on the fact that the architect on the jury keeps his head, and insists on focusing on the actual facts (rather than what most of the others are happy to take for "facts") and pressing for the consideration of reasonable doubt.

I think Jack Klugman's and E.G. Marshall's jurors, too, fail to become actually angry;  but Nine Angry Men wouldn't quite do for a title, would it?

I ahve seen local productions of a re-write to be "gender neutral". They called it "Twelve Angry Jurors". That just so, so, so destroys the title. People not jurors would preserve the sense of the title tolerably well.

[Karl Henning]

I've heard of that modification, as well.

[Cato]

Clifton Webb received an Academy Award nomination for his role of genius-at-large Lynn Belvedere:

Sitting Pretty



Great lines, and the plot has more to do with the idea of a gossipy, willing-to-believe-the-worst suburban neighborhood than with genius vs. children skits.  At times it was a melancholy experience watching this: quite a different world c. 70 years ago, even given that the movie is obviously not a documentary!    

[Drasko]

.[asin]B002JTMNZA[/asin]

[Karl Henning]

Clifton Webb received an Academy Award nomination for his role of genius-at-large Lynn Belvedere:

Sitting Pretty

Sort of the sunny twin to his Waldo Lydecker in Laura 

[Cato]

Sort of the sunny twin to his Waldo Lydecker in Laura 

Yes, much sunnier!    Mrs. Cato wants to watch it again later this week, a real rarity when that happens!

[Bogey]

Good to know!  I remember liking the trailer, though I've let this drop off my radar . . . .

Thread Duty:

Strange to say, last night I watched for the first time:  Twelve Angry Men

Something of a misnomer, as the narrative hinges on the fact that the architect on the jury keeps his head, and insists on focusing on the actual facts (rather than what most of the others are happy to take for "facts") and pressing for the consideration of reasonable doubt.

I think Jack Klugman's and E.G. Marshall's jurors, too, fail to become actually angry;  but Nine Angry Men wouldn't quite do for a title, would it?

Love this one.  The acting is first rate all around and the concept is genius.  Ethan enjoyed this one as well, Karl.

[Karl Henning]

Love this one.  The acting is first rate all around and the concept is genius.  Ethan enjoyed this one as well, Karl.

Splendid!

No idea why it took me so long.  Like Titanic, one knows both where the story begins, and what the ending will be;  unlike T., I knew to expect excellent writing and engaging drama throughout 

One benefit from my only seeing it now is, recognizing a few of the cast from their work on The Twilight Zone, e.g.

[Cato]

We caught this yesterday at the "dollar movies" (actually a dollar and a half each):



The plot is stolen from a Twilight Zone episode (Long Live Walter Jameson from Season I with Kevin McCarthy), except in this movie it is a woman who is deathless.  Mrs. Cato disliked the ironically disinterested voice-over narration with a pseudo-scientific explanation for the main character's condition.*  She also found the romantic lead unpersuasive and unattractive.   The plot depends on two big coincidences, the  last coincidence predictable and contrived.

Harrison Ford, however, steals the movie in the last third, aided by Kathy Baker.

*A critic (I no longer recall the name) had a rule against voice-over narration in movies, calling it a crutch for a weakness in cinematic technique.

[rockerreds]

Life Is Sweet,with director commentary.