Last Movie You Watched? 6.0

De Palmathon...

Hi, Mom! (1970)

Really enjoyed it. The seduction scene was great, I thought. And the "Be Black, Baby" sequence is really something else.

The Big Wheel (1949)

A historically accurate film about open-wheel racing in the US in the late 40s. Mickey Rooney, Spring Byington and Thomas Mitchell give excellent performances, but if you're not interested in this somewhat obscure topic, the film may not interest you. I very much am, however, and thus found TBW to be an utterly fascinating historical document. Racing in those days was parsecs away from the antiseptic, safety-at-all cost competition we see today in Indy, NASCAR and F1.

Hilly wrote:

Poseidon

long held off watching it but then if I watched Beyond the Poseidon Adventure three times I can this. Until I check out his other early work for Wolfgang Petersen it'll always be Das Boot. Poseidon is passable nonsense whose only highlight is in the capsizing and sinking sequences. Oh and Kurt Russell because it's Kurt Russell fulfilling the Gene Hackman role, sort of. Half expected with the death of the woman late on a reprise of Shelley Winters' death, "Why this woman! Why God!"
Heck, would've been alright to have Hackman as the captain and on the bridge. The film had some admittedly teneous links to the original in terms of Josh Lucas jogging around like Red Buttons and the swimming underwater/subsequent death scene...etc...
Compounding it is the kid who until this film I had only ever seen wail: "My name is James Tiberius Kirk!"


"Petersen!!!!!!!"

Original Poseidon Adventure I thought was a great suspense thriller. A '70s big-screen adventure epic, in the tradition of Towering Inferno and Earthquake, but better than either of those films, which I am pretty sure followed The Poseidon Adventure.

The re-make was interesting, but IMO couldn't come close to matching the tension of the original.

tiffanywint wrote:

Hilly wrote:

Poseidon

long held off watching it but then if I watched Beyond the Poseidon Adventure three times I can this. Until I check out his other early work for Wolfgang Petersen it'll always be Das Boot. Poseidon is passable nonsense whose only highlight is in the capsizing and sinking sequences. Oh and Kurt Russell because it's Kurt Russell fulfilling the Gene Hackman role, sort of. Half expected with the death of the woman late on a reprise of Shelley Winters' death, "Why this woman! Why God!"
Heck, would've been alright to have Hackman as the captain and on the bridge. The film had some admittedly teneous links to the original in terms of Josh Lucas jogging around like Red Buttons and the swimming underwater/subsequent death scene...etc...
Compounding it is the kid who until this film I had only ever seen wail: "My name is James Tiberius Kirk!"


"Petersen!!!!!!!"

Original Poseidon Adventure I thought was a great suspense thriller. A '70s big-screen adventure epic, in the tradition of Towering Inferno and Earthquake, but better than either of those films, which I am pretty sure followed The Poseidon Adventure.

The re-make was interesting, but IMO couldn't come close to matching the tension of the original.

yep they followed Poseidon Adventure. Sort of itself followed on Airport which started this disaster craze. Poseidon just...wasn't anything much. Then again probably better than the Hallmark Poseidon Adventure with Rutger Hauer and Steve Guttenberg which I saw bits of. Worth a giggle. Ship capsizes because of a bomb going off.

I saw The Poseidon Adventure on TV as a wee nipper in the early 70s and it gave me nightmares.

It is surprisingly scary compared to other Irving Allen disaster flicks. John Williams's score is also fairly unsettling.

It did scare when I first saw it as a kid, the chief image I remember is when they go through the galley and there's the burnt man just staring up. The loss of Roddy McDowell for one. The tidal wave scene is something else. Just that image of it coming in, the whooping of boat stations and then that's all.

Think it was Mark Kermode when he did some programme about both this and Towering Inferno that said the film is people coming up from hell (the bowels of the ship) and reaching heaven (rescue). Meh, something like that.

Williams' pre-Star Wars/Jaws stuff is something else. The sound for one. Towering Inferno/Poseidon/Earthquake/Paper Chase etc

THE TOWERING INFERNO is my #1 70's disaster film. AIRPORT is probably second. POSEIDON ADVENTURE might be up there, but it didn't do nearly as much for me as the utterly complete 70's entertainment that is TOWERING INFERNO.

Magnificent Obsession (1954)

My first Sirk movie. I admired a story well told, but I also found that story amusingly ludicrus. I also find it funny that, while the whole "magnificent obsession" strikes me as basically Christian charity without being called such, Hudson goes through most of the film lying to a blind woman!

The film tickled me, though mostly in the first half. The second half got less and less interesting until I was kinda glad it was over. I guess little old ladies took this seriously in 1954, but I laughed my ass off at some of the big twists. Like Jane Wyman stepping out of a car and then getting hit by another car and going blind.

Match Point

funnily the first Allen movie I ever saw and apart from Rhys Meyer it's a film I quite like, feels fairly solid -not without faults but good. Like the London locations such as those around my old campus -didn't realise until recently that a lecture hall was used for the film but A) not my class campus and B) only in the film for 3 seconds so what does it matter. Scarlet is a most distracting presence and infinitely better than Emily Mortimer who irritates but likely is meant to.

THE TOWERING INFERNO bores me to tears. Plus it doesn't have Gene Hackman.

Largo's Shark wrote:

THE TOWERING INFERNO bores me to tears. Plus it doesn't have Gene Hackman.

Certainly would've been a plus. Hackman in Newman's role and throw in George Kennedy...as Petroni/fireman chief.

De Palmathon...

Get to Know Your Rabbit (1972)

For me, it falls flat on it's face. But it's oddly intriguing for the talent involved and the subject matter. An odd film that just doesn't work.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Magnificent Obsession (1954)

My first Sirk movie. I admired a story well told, but I also found that story amusingly ludicrus. I also find it funny that, while the whole "magnificent obsession" strikes me as basically Christian charity without being called such, Hudson goes through most of the film lying to a blind woman!

The film tickled me, though mostly in the first half. The second half got less and less interesting until I was kinda glad it was over. I guess little old ladies took this seriously in 1954, but I laughed my ass off at some of the big twists. Like Jane Wyman stepping out of a car and then getting hit by another car and going blind.

One of my favourite films, even if it lacks the depth of Sirk's other films. I love watching it. Beautifully shot, easy to watch, and wonderfully over-the-top: Rock Hudson learns brain surgery to fix her eyesight ffs. Love the scene at the beach where it is revealed, very late, that Hudson has been watching Wyman the entire time. Such a perfect moment. Lacks the substance of ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS, WRITTEN ON THE WIND, THERE'S ALWAYS TOMORROW, and IMITATION OF LIFE, but still a great piece of cinema. Was going to give it another spin the other day, but I was all melodrama'd out from Fassbinder and Minnelli, speaking of which:

ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL and FOX AND HIS FRIENDS

Two very good films. Emotional and powerful condemnations of Fassbinder's contemporary German society. Excellent mastery of film, clearly inspired by Fassbinder. Too man flaccid penises in FOX AND HIS FRIENDS for my tastes, but the performances, particularly Fassbinder himself and Carl Boehm. ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL (better titled ANGST ESSEN SEELE AUF) was even better, and Brigitte Mira was almost impossible not to sympathise with. Very impressed.

THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE

Lesser Minnelli. Don't agree with the criticism of Ford not looking Latin enough. I've never seen the original so it wasn't much of a problem for me. It starts strong with a dramatic domestic drama, in which a cousin has joined the Nazi party, but it then falls into a rather dull romance and tale of French resistence. Well shot like all Minnelli, but it doesn't make up for the turgid plot (which lasts two and a half hours).

THE BELLY OF AN ARCHITECT

Greenaway is becoming a favourite. This, like THE COOK THE THIEF is anchored by a phenomenal lead performance - not terrifying like Gambon's, instead highly sympathetic. Beautiful architectural images. I also love the coarseness and crassness of Greenaway's black humour - less present here than in A ZED AND TWO NOUGHTS, but it adds to the experience.

CAT PEOPLE

Again, like THE FOUR HORSEMEN, I've never seen the original so I have nothing to compare it to. I loved it though, especially the Moroder score.

SECONDS (1966, dir. John Frankenheimer)

The most terrifying film I've ever seen. Rock Hudson's best performance by far.

HJackson wrote:

Love the scene at the beach where it is revealed, very late, that Hudson has been watching Wyman the entire time. Such a perfect moment.

Yeah, I loved that reveal.

Largo's Shark wrote:

SECONDS (1966, dir. John Frankenheimer)

The most terrifying film I've ever seen. Rock Hudson's best performance by far.

Love SECONDS. I have a DVDrip of it, and I was annoyed that I couldn't get the commentary too (sucker goes for 40 bucks or something used). Love to listen to Frankenheimer.

Quote :

ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL and FOX AND HIS FRIENDS

Two very good films. Emotional and powerful condemnations of Fassbinder's contemporary German society. Excellent mastery of film, clearly inspired by Fassbinder. Too man flaccid penises in FOX AND HIS FRIENDS for my tastes, but the performances, particularly Fassbinder himself and Carl Boehm. ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL (better titled ANGST ESSEN SEELE AUF) was even better, and Brigitte Mira was almost impossible not to sympathise with. Very impressed.

You should watch THE MARRIAGE OF MARIA BRAUN as well. Another great Fassbinder flick

bondfan06 wrote:

Quote :

ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL and FOX AND HIS FRIENDS

Two very good films. Emotional and powerful condemnations of Fassbinder's contemporary German society. Excellent mastery of film, clearly inspired by Fassbinder. Too man flaccid penises in FOX AND HIS FRIENDS for my tastes, but the performances, particularly Fassbinder himself and Carl Boehm. ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL (better titled ANGST ESSEN SEELE AUF) was even better, and Brigitte Mira was almost impossible not to sympathise with. Very impressed.

You should watch THE MARRIAGE OF MARIA BRAUN as well. Another great Fassbinder flick

Yeah I've got 15 more of his films to get through. I'll be watching a lot of his work this summer.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Largo's Shark wrote:

SECONDS (1966, dir. John Frankenheimer)

The most terrifying film I've ever seen. Rock Hudson's best performance by far.

Love SECONDS. I have a DVDrip of it, and I was annoyed that I couldn't get the commentary too (sucker goes for 40 bucks or something used). Love to listen to Frankenheimer.

When I first saw it, the ending haunted me for days. Still does to be honest.

"Pass me the surgical drill..."

:x

The Tenant

Great Polanski film, and now on the bigger screen of the TV I enjoyed it even more (better pic qual etc.).
As enjoyable as THE NINTH GATE is, the direct comparison clearly shows that Polanski of his 60s/70s heyday is far, far superior.
I am still not completely sure what to make of all the clues as to Trelkovsky's supposed persecution mania.
The way the story is written and put on screen is pretty impressive. Polanski scintillates as an actor, too.

MOONRISE KINGDOM (2012, dir. Wes Anderson)

I'm not going to go as far as to claim that it's Anderson's finest hour--THE LIFE AQUATIC is still his masterpiece--but it is nevertheless pretty terrific.

The Omen (1976)

I found it entertaining but it didn't bowl me over. It's certainly no ROSEMARY'S BABY, or even THE EXORCIST. Donner is merely a "fair" filmmaker. This thing needed someone like... maybe Nicholas Roeg would have been good for it, based what I've seen of DON'T LOOK NOW.

David Warner gets one hell of a death.

Of course Goldsmith's score is terrific.

Funny how Donner went from the Antichrist in diapers to Christ in tights.

There's something shitty about THE OMEN, but I still enjoy it.

3 movies over the past couple of days, 2 in theaters and one at home.

TED

It's hard to gage comedies in theaters because jokes usually become funnier when they are shared. I vividly remember seeing BRUCE ALMIGHTY bring the house down during it's cinema run. That said, TED was decent. It has the trademark Seth MacFarlane humor complete with cutaway gags, but here the gags actually make sense in context. It takes a backseat as the movie runs along. The only off segment is at the very end where the narrator gets distracted and rants about how bad SUPERMAN RETURNS is. It's crass, witty, and you get to see Marky Mark absolutely mangle All Time High in front of 1,000 people.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

For all it's good points, I can't bring myself to recommend it. All the main actors are better than their predecessors and several of the moments it shared with Raimi's original were handled better here. However, everything else about THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN felt bland. The photography was pedestrian, I didn't care much for Horner's score, and the film's climax was horrible. Even though it's a part of the Spider-Man comics, I hate how every Spider-Man film has a sympathetic villain. We get Goblin (who had roid rage issues), Doc Ock (who was controlled by his tentacles), Sandman (who didn't want to hurt anyone), and now The Lizard (who just wants a right arm). It always seems to me that every Spider-Man film has the villain turn good when the chips are down and it's getting ridiculous.

Summer-athon:

1. PROMETHEUS
2. MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS
3. TED
4. ABRAHAM LINCOLN VAMPIRE HUNTER
5. MEN IN BLACK 3
6. THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
7. BATTLESHIP

ARMY OF DARKNESS

ARMY OF DARKNESS is one of those movies that I enjoy, but it's hard to quantify why. It's kinda like Cheetos in a way. A cinema snack that tastes awesome at the time, but afterwards you have an urge to wash your hands of it. Even though it's a part of the Evil Dead trilogy, it's probably closer to a parody than an actual sequel. Seek out the Director's Cut, as it's miles better than the theatrical version (which is effectively a Cliff Notes version).

Smile (1975)

Did you ever see something from a movie on TV when you were a kid that stuck in your head and you spent YEEEEEEEEARS wondering what movie it was from? I saw the last shot of SMILE on TV at least 20 years ago, and for years it stuck there. Probably because it's a shot of a polaroid of a naked woman. That can leave an impression on a 10 year-old. The movie was probably on HBO when I flipped by. I learned what movie it was from some years ago, but only today did I actually watch the movie.

I'd also watched the trailer covered on the wonderful site Trailers From Hell:



It's from the director from PRIME CUT and it's nearly as weird. Jesus, any movie starring such an offbeat pair as Bruce Dern and Barbara Feldon. It's a total satire, like a Chris Guest movie without the interviews, and it has a weird sympathy for these characters. It's also got an utterly perfect young Annette O'Toole, as well as Melanie Griffth... who doesn't get as naked as she does in NIGHT MOVES.

I had a blast watching this movie. I heartily recommend it. It's on Netflix Instant.

THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU (2004, dir. Wes Anderson)

Inspired by my viewing of MOONRISE KINGDOM to revisit this, my favorite of Wes Anderson's movies. I've seen this film probably seven or eight times now, and I still find new things to love.