Last Movie You Watched? 7.0

Seve wrote:

The Mark Of Zorro
in which Douglas Fairbanks invents parkour
the level of sword fighting is technicaly childlike, but the athleticism more than compensates

I always prefered the Powers/Rathbone movie.

THE DESCENDANTS. Alexander Payne's first directorial effort since 2004's superb SIDEWAYS is a big disappointment and not much more than unconvincing and predictable soap opera fluff (that for some reason also manages to make Hawaii look about as drab and joyless as a rundown British seaside resort on a wet weekend). George Clooney is good, as ever, and there are some decent scenes, but overall this flick is a real letdown.

Shane

one of the best films I've seen this year I think. Can't quite put my finger on it but it is. Curiosity was piqued with Rich Hall's programme on Westerns and since then I've been looking out for it. Nicely casted, Alan Ladd, Van Heflin (who I'm shamed to say I don't think I've seen outside of Airport) and Jack Palance. Palance...from the first time you see him, a face that screams "psycho". Ladd seems to do so much without saying much and I'm not talking about the fistfight with ol' Ryker's boys. Though that fistfight does have a line that provoked a chuckle by Heflin as he reaches for a two by four: "What Ryker's got coming to him ain't fit for no woman to see!"
Beside the end (despite knowing how it goes, Come back...come back Shane!) one moment that moved was Torrey's death. Something so sudden, so dark about it all more so than any other Western.
It looks good, the scenary, the camera work (e.g., close up on Heflin as he comes at someone with his two by four).
Yesiree.

As for Shane himself...well...as a wise man once said, slumped don't mean dead.

Loomis wrote:

THE DESCENDANTS. Alexander Payne's first directorial effort since 2004's superb SIDEWAYS is a big disappointment and not much more than unconvincing and predictable soap opera fluff (that for some reason also manages to make Hawaii look about as drab and joyless as a rundown British seaside resort on a wet weekend). George Clooney is good, as ever, and there are some decent scenes, but overall this flick is a real letdown.

Outside of some nice performances, it was just nuthin'.

Thing is, from what I remember of Hawaii when I used to visit there a lot in the 70s, it always was overcast ... but you could always see a ray of sun shining down on another part of the island, so it was a question of do you drive over to where the sun is now or wait to see if it peeks through a cloud right here? In that sense, it was an accurate portrayal.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Seve wrote:

The Mark Of Zorro
in which Douglas Fairbanks invents parkour
the level of sword fighting is technicaly childlike, but the athleticism more than compensates

I've tried to watch it a couple times.

Would you recommend DON Q, SON OF ZORRO?

My stepdad swears by THE EROTIC ADVENTURES OF ZORRO, in which he exhibits a tendency to carve Z's in people's backsides.

Christ, the Erotic Adventures of Zorro.

Sounds like a movie you swear AT, not by.

My stepdad also claims to have 8mm film copies (tenth generation copies, going by the football-sized grain) of Barbra Streisand and Adrienne Barbeau pornos, so you have to consider the source. Not too reliable. In the former you can see a large nose bobbing into view, but I wouldn't bet the farm it was anybody famous.

Oh, rewatched DEEP COVER this morning. If I ever start a blog about forgotten movies and movies you didn't even bother seeing so you didn't get a chance to forget about it, it'll probably be my first entry.

I love this movie. I love the cinematography, which includes unobtrusive 360s that follow characters through windows outside into rooms and then around the whole room, as well as some beautifully placed red lights to let you know that some violence is coming. The writing is by Michael Tolkin and Henry Bean which right there should be enough to intrigue (THE BELIEVER and THE RAPTURE are two winners in my book), the performances are good (especially Goldblum and Clarence Williams III), and it just works works works.

EDIT ADDON: just saw a few more stills from SKYFALL, and the saturation levels on color also recall DEEP COVER's imagery. Think CRIMSON TIDE without all that obnoxious and inappropriate smoke.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Seve wrote:

The Mark Of Zorro
in which Douglas Fairbanks invents parkour
the level of sword fighting is technicaly childlike, but the athleticism more than compensates

I've tried to watch it a couple times.

Would you recommend DON Q, SON OF ZORRO?

I haven't seen it to comment, but Don Q may be a bridge too far for me

I'm going to work my way through them, The Three Musketeers is next on my list and then Robin Hood and The Black Pirate
If I'm still enthusiastic after that I may try Don Q
I think you need to be in the right mood to appreciate a silent movie (which admittedly isn't every day)

so far I've seen Zorro and the Thief of Bagdad, Doug had some great moves, up there with Circus Burt Lancaster and Jackie Chan

Best Three Musketeers is Lester's two films, no doubt.

Police Python 357 (1976, dir. Alain Corneau)

Pretty tough and slightly crazy film, certainly very watchable. European films are underrated, at least not well known enough. If I see what US stuff gets rave reviews for decades and compare it to this, I don't know what to say. Some scenes stood out as impressive, but apart from the one in which the main character searches an empty apartment for stuff I already don't remember which ones that were - a couple of days have already passed. I'd certainly like to watch it again.

Piazza delle cinque lune (2003, dir. Renzo Martinelli)

Missed the first 20 minutes, because I wanted to finish PYTHON (on TV). A really complicated conspiracy thriller I enjoyed. I couldn't get a real connection to the characters, but I liked the lack of the Hollywood shenanigans. Another film with a surprising role for Giancarlo Giannini. He's fine here. The film doesn't bring anything new to the genre, but I found it well written and quite enjoyable.

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (2009, dir. Werner Herzog)

Took some time to realize it wasn't meant seriously. It was still disappointing, and I was glad when it was over. Even as a cop film satire, it doesn't really convince. Neither here nor there.


The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943, dir. Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger)

Really fine film. Had to watch the original version with subs. It's not easy to listen, read and look at actors and general picture at the same time. I still enjoyed it. Pretty good war/romance mixture with a lot of humour and admirable cinematography. Part one from a Powell/Pressburger DVD double bill. It was a very good bargain, and I can't wait for the next Pow/Press film, and others will follow soon, they just have to be ordered.

Mesrine

not too bad, the second half of the film (Public Enemy No.1) is probably the better half. Either way Cassel is quite something, making Mesrine almost likeable in some aspects but utterly detestable in others. Good scenery (and I suppose we'll include Ludivine Sagnier)...even if they could seemingly afford to go to Arizona but fail totally with their London setting.
Ah, and Gerard Depardieu-et-nose was there for the ride too.

trevanian wrote:

My stepdad also claims to have 8mm film copies (tenth generation copies, going by the football-sized grain) of Barbra Streisand and Adrienne Barbeau pornos, so you have to consider the source. Not too reliable. In the former you can see a large nose bobbing into view, but I wouldn't bet the farm it was anybody famous.

Streisand? Ew.

LOOPER

for me it was a misfire (just like most of the shots fired in the movie, which kind of undercuts the smarts by making you think John Woo), but it definitely had some interesting aspects.

The kid in the movie is like Haley Joel Osment possessed -- and then some, he is terrfiic. Can understand some of the raves, but am astonished at how uncritical the praise is.

Maybe this is the way a lot of you folks see Nolan movies ...

trevanian wrote:

My stepdad also claims to have 8mm film copies (tenth generation copies, going by the football-sized grain) of Barbra Streisand and Adrienne Barbeau pornos, so you have to consider the source. Not too reliable. In the former you can see a large nose bobbing into view, but I wouldn't bet the farm it was anybody famous.

It was probably my dad.

trevanian wrote:

LOOPER

for me it was a misfire (just like most of the shots fired in the movie, which kind of undercuts the smarts by making you think John Woo), but it definitely had some interesting aspects.

The kid in the movie is like Haley Joel Osment possessed -- and then some, he is terrfiic. Can understand some of the raves, but am astonished at how uncritical the praise is.

Maybe this is the way a lot of you folks see Nolan movies ...

Do you think there's a chance that Rian Johnson is another Chris Nolan? I too am surprised by the lack of criticism for Looper ever since it premiered at Toronto. I'm keen to see it this weekend, but the trailers don't scream "sci-fi classic" to me.

trevanian wrote:

LOOPER

for me it was a misfire (just like most of the shots fired in the movie, which kind of undercuts the smarts by making you think John Woo), but it definitely had some interesting aspects.

The kid in the movie is like Haley Joel Osment possessed -- and then some, he is terrfiic. Can understand some of the raves, but am astonished at how uncritical the praise is.

Maybe this is the way a lot of you folks see Nolan movies ...

You'll have to get a lot more critical, and maybe burst a blood vessel in the process.

GeneralGogol wrote:

trevanian wrote:

LOOPER

for me it was a misfire (just like most of the shots fired in the movie, which kind of undercuts the smarts by making you think John Woo), but it definitely had some interesting aspects.

The kid in the movie is like Haley Joel Osment possessed -- and then some, he is terrfiic. Can understand some of the raves, but am astonished at how uncritical the praise is.

Maybe this is the way a lot of you folks see Nolan movies ...

Do you think there's a chance that Rian Johnson is another Chris Nolan? I too am surprised by the lack of criticism for Looper ever since it premiered at Toronto. I'm keen to see it this weekend, but the trailers don't scream "sci-fi classic" to me.

Well, I'm one of those who actually like all of Nolan's movies, so that's why I said 'a lot of you folks.'

I'd say based on BRICK and this that Johnson might fall more in the Duncan Whatsisname category. Despite fine miniature work, I slept through much of MOON in the cinema ... and only managed to endure SOURCE CODE on DVD.

I haven't seen LOOPER yet, but have read reviews that make it sound like the Second Coming or something, with such hyperboles as "years from now we'll all remember when we first saw this movie" and so on.

Judging from the trailers it looks like a neat sci-fi B movie concept, nothing more.

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

Best Three Musketeers is Lester's two films, no doubt.

you may well be right, I'll let you know after I've watched this one

Hilly wrote:

Mesrine

not too bad, the second half of the film (Public Enemy No.1) is probably the better half. Either way Cassel is quite something, making Mesrine almost likeable in some aspects but utterly detestable in others. Good scenery (and I suppose we'll include Ludivine Sagnier)...even if they could seemingly afford to go to Arizona but fail totally with their London setting.
Ah, and Gerard Depardieu-et-nose was there for the ride too.

yes, he's more amusing after he discovers the pleasure of publicity and manipulates his image to become a folk anti hero
that is until he brutally and sadisticly executes that journo and shatters the illusion once and for all...

great performance from Cassel
:pirat:

Seve wrote:

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

Best Three Musketeers is Lester's two films, no doubt.

you may well be right, I'll let you know after I've watched this one

Re the Lester films. This is just fact. Michael York is d'Artagnan. Oliver Reed, Frank Finlay, Richard Chamberlain. Brilliant work. And then there's Raquel Welch and Dunaway, plus Christopher Lee, Heston...

I suddenly have a hankering to revisit both of these films.

tiffanywint wrote:

Seve wrote:

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

Best Three Musketeers is Lester's two films, no doubt.

you may well be right, I'll let you know after I've watched this one

Re the Lester films. This is just fact. Michael York is d'Artagnan. Oliver Reed, Frank Finlay, Richard Chamberlain. Brilliant work. And then there's Raquel Welch and Dunaway, plus Christopher Lee, Heston...

I suddenly have a hankering to revisit both of these films.

like I said, you may well be right, but it's far from being "fact"
particularly if you haven't seen all the other versions

it's the best version I've seen to date, but I still get great enjoyment from Gene Kelly's version
Kelly is a far superior athlete to Michael York, Van Heflin can match Oliver Reed and Lana Turner surpasses Faye Dunaway
I've always had a sft spot for Gig Young but June Allyson not so much
all a matter of opinion

I'd like to see a good French version, after all it's their story
;)

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

I haven't seen LOOPER yet, but have read reviews that make it sound like the Second Coming or something, with such hyperboles as "years from now we'll all remember when we first saw this movie" and so on.

Judging from the trailers it looks like a neat sci-fi B movie concept, nothing more.

I want to see it, but I wish I could put out of my head that 'Looper' was a slang term for a mentally unbalanced person when I was a kid.