Last Movie You Watched? 7.0

Harmsway wrote:

STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME (1986, dir. Leonard Nimoy)

Just awful.

It's probably my favourite of the STAR TREK films.

I just find less rewatchable because of the 80's stuff.

I find it more rewatchable because of the humour.

Largo's Shark wrote:

I find it more rewatchable because of the humour.

Yup, and elevated by the characters. It was just what the series needed after two heavy dramatic entries.

Largo's Shark wrote:

It was also one of the worst audiences I've ever been with. Laughing at all the wrong moments, endless trips to the toilet and nattering.

That seems to be par for course at classic film screenings in this country, and that's why I've decided I'm not going to bother unless it's an absolute favourite (or something so obscure that none of the cretins will come). I went to see SPELLBOUND over the summer and the audience I was with actually started giggling when

Spoiler:

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Harmsway wrote:

STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME (1986, dir. Leonard Nimoy)

Just awful.

You've been watching these? What is compelling you to do so?

My wife, actually.

I sat through IV and V yesterday. I'm having nightmares now.

The Train Robbers

just sort of went round in a circle, quite literally. One draw had been Montalban, but it's only the last minute he speaks and rather smugly as a Wells Fargo agent. Yes, yes, it has Ann Margret but no one does much with anything. Meh, bleh, etc.

HARD EIGHT (1997, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson). Anderson's feature debut is drenched in atmosphere, peppered with juicy Tarantino-esque dialogue (and situations), well-acted and exceptionally well-shot (by Robert Elswit), not to mention gripping throughout, yet it manages to fall short of true greatness, chiefly because the characters simply don't feel fresh or engaging enough for the viewer to genuinely care about them. What's more, the plot twist towards the end is rather ho-hum. Still, there are many much worse films out there, and as debuts go this is fairly impressive stuff.

Harmsway wrote:

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Harmsway wrote:

STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME (1986, dir. Leonard Nimoy)

Just awful.

You've been watching these? What is compelling you to do so?

My wife, actually.

I sat through IV and V yesterday. I'm having nightmares now.

Share your pain with me, and gain strength for the sharing

Loomis wrote:

Still, there are many much worse films out there, and as debuts go this is fairly impressive stuff.

More or less my feelings.

I gotta say I'm still not quite sure what to make of THE MASTER. I only saw it once, and I keep wavering back and forth between admiration and disappointment.

Anyway, I spent the evening with:

ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (1969, dir. Peter Hunt)

Enjoyable, as always.

Harmsway wrote:

I gotta say I'm still not quite sure what to make of THE MASTER. I only saw it once, and I keep wavering back and forth between admiration and disappointment.

THE MASTER is one of two films currently on the British theatrical circuit that I'm really looking forward to seeing. The other is ARGO. Otherwise, I think I'm done as far as 2012 goes (not fussed about THE HOBBIT, and something tells me that it won't get the same rave reviews as the LORD OF THE RINGS flicks).

Loomis wrote:

Harmsway wrote:

I gotta say I'm still not quite sure what to make of THE MASTER. I only saw it once, and I keep wavering back and forth between admiration and disappointment.

THE MASTER is one of two films currently on the British theatrical circuit that I'm really looking forward to seeing. The other is ARGO. Otherwise, I think I'm done as far as 2012 goes (not fussed about THE HOBBIT, and something tells me that it won't get the same rave reviews as the LORD OF THE RINGS flicks).

I'm very interested to see what you make of THE MASTER, in no small part because I don't really know what I think of it.

Are you not looking forward to DJANGO UNCHAINED? I'm not very excited about it, but I assumed that you'd be up for another Tarantino flick, given your fondness for hiis work. Or is it technically a 2013 flick for you?

Anyway, I have to confess that 2012 is pretty much done for me too as far as moviegoing is concerned. The films I've been looking forward to (THE GRANDMASTERS, PASSION) have been kicked back to 2013. I may still see LINCOLN, and around Christmas I'll probably be dragged to LES MISERABLES against my will.

Largo's Shark wrote:

Harmsway wrote:

STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME (1986, dir. Leonard Nimoy)

Just awful.

It's probably my favourite of the STAR TREK films.

It's the by far the best of the original film series after WoK.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

^ Got that free with a newspaper a while back (it was a 'full' release version, too ... special features, trailers, the whole shebang). :) Bale is extraordinary in it.

Amazing how someone could voluntarily get that thin. Bale looked like someone rescued from a famine zone, yet he still held it together and delivered a memorable performance. Very odd little movie but it really pays off if you hang with it. Hitchcockian even. There are certainly enough clues planted along the way to solve the mystery, if one is really paying attention.

Harmsway wrote:

Are you not looking forward to DJANGO UNCHAINED? I'm not very excited about it, but I assumed that you'd be up for another Tarantino flick, given your fondness for hiis work. Or is it technically a 2013 flick for you?

I'd forgotten about DJANGO UNCHAINED. Yes, I'm excited about it (somewhat excited, anyway). I don't know whether it's a 2012 or a 2013 release over here.

GATTACA (1997, dir. Andrew Niccol)

Uma Thurman is miscast and the thematic stuff can be a bit on the nose, but GATTACA is, by and large, terrific, stirring stuff.

Antichrist (2009, dir. Lars von Trier)

Mostly an intense and close study of the psychic repercussions in a woman who feels guilty of not having averted her little son's death by accident. The imagery is fresh and quite fascinating for some time, but I am not sure about the final parts. Is the whole cutting off of the labia merely a symbolic act? I'd need to rewatch it to understand it better. I hope von Trier isn't just out for shock effects. I doubt it, though.

Come to think of it, the title of this film should have been used for Die Another Day.

Harmsway wrote:

GATTACA (1997, dir. Andrew Niccol)

Uma Thurman is miscast and the thematic stuff can be a bit on the nose, but GATTACA is, by and large, terrific, stirring stuff.

Nyman's score is wonderful.

I Was Monty's Double

seems listening to the Goons' I Was Monty's Treble the day before affects the viewing, that and a jaunty John Addison score.

The whole story had a Bond type element. The agent, John Mills and his M-like boss, Logan (Cecil Parker). To think in real-life the agent was none other than David Niven (Lt Col.)

I found THE MASTER to be visually striking and stunningly performed (the early processing scene is incredible), but also frustratingly aimless and unfocused. A worthwhile watch, but talk about it being the best film of the year is absolute nonsense when you consider AMOUR or RUST AND BONE (or even something as simple but extraordinarily well executed as ARGO).

I think The Master is streets ahead of your Argo-type fare. But that might just be me.

I haven't seen ARGO, RUST AND BONE, or AMOUR. Despite all the accolades, I struggle to muster much enthusiasm. It might just be a subject matter thing, though it doesn't help that I'm not a big admirer of Affleck or Haneke.

The films I was eagerly anticipating this year have either been delayed or only shown at festivals (FAUST, THE GRANDMASTERS, NIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, PASSION, YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHING YET). Five years from now, I suspect when I think back on 2012, it's going to look like a much stronger year for cinema than it currently appears to be.

Right now, MOONRISE KINGDOM is still the best film I've seen all year.

Harmsway wrote:

I haven't seen ARGO, RUST AND BONE, or AMOUR. Despite all the accolades, I struggle to muster much enthusiasm. It might just be a subject matter thing, though it doesn't help that I'm not a big admirer of Affleck or Haneke.

Same here.

Harmsway wrote:

Right now, MOONRISE KINGDOM is still the best film I've seen all year.

This, probably followed by SKYFALL.

On my brother-in-law's new HDTV and looking better than ever. A timeless way to start the Christmas season.

I noted ARGO because it's pretty mainstream fare. Nowhere near as visionary or original as THE MASTER (which counts against it), but a great deal more satisfying and focused.

I'd very strongly urge you to watch AMOUR if you get the chance, harms and LS. It isn't typical Haneke, and it's the most uncompromising, emotionally devastating, and deeply compassionate film I've seen all year. It's all set inside of an apartment so it probably doesn't require a viewing in the cinema, but it's something I'd recommend prioritising. I put down ARGO and RUST AND BONE because I think they're better than THE MASTER, but they aren't in the same league as AMOUR.

LAURENCE ANYWAYS is the only other film I'm looking forward to this year (opens next Friday). Need to catch up with FAUST, although I've heard the blu-ray is faulty.