Last Movie you Watched?

Jack Wade wrote:

SKYLINE

I remember watching the trailer thinking this looked like an OK sci-fi actioner.

Instead, it's essentially a TV movie with no real story. It's not particularly offensive ... then the ending happens, which is an utterly laughable one.

Awful.

This is one of the most pointless godawful films ever made. I seriously almost asked for a refund. It wasn't offensive at all, although I don't care about being offended by cinema. It just wasn't anything. It's one of the least interesting, deadly dull, utterly pointless movies ever made. The ending was laughable but it became clear the movie was going nowhere in a hurry fast anyway.Battle LA, which came out not too long after is almost as bad. It's better acted, better cast, but really is just as pointless and just as uninteresting. Both films tried to set themselves up for sequels, that I'm pretty sure won't be happening.I guess Hollywood had to give the full-out, Pearl Harbour, alien surprise-attack scenario a whirl, and see if there was a quick buck to grab. They got some sucker bucks but I think that's about all they will get.

Mr. Brown wrote:

What's your take on it?

That it's a bunch of boring indecency masquerading as a piss-poor political metaphor. It really has no insight to bear on Fascism or evil, really, because it's so terribly exaggerated that it can't possibly shine light on the origins or nature of evil (in fact, it appears entirely uninterested with the origins of Fascism, when really, isn't that the most important piece of the puzzle?). It's tenuously connected to Nazism, but none of those connections make sense since nothing we see in the film can really be applied to Nazism in any meaningful way. In fact, the autocratic state of SALO, with its emphasis on sexual degradation, is painted in such a way that it has no real relevance to any state or society past or present.

And, even worse, the film is boring. It's just badly made, with little that is compelling about the direction or writing. It's just a parade of degradation that hopes the degradation is enough to make things compelling. And it ain't. It barely elicits a yawn.

If ever a film has received undeserved acclaim, then SALO has. It's films like SALO that give art cinema a bad name. Piss-poor, pretentious, empty rubbish.

Mr. Brown wrote:

SALO (1975)

It's astounding that many denounce this as a repulsive, pointless film, but will watch Eli Roth bash a Nazi's skull in with a baseball bat for no reason.

Haven't seen Salo and don't have intentions to, but the fanboy hymns of praise on BASTERDS need some subtle animadversions. :)


DRACULA

Quite enjoyable, and indeed better than the Hamer version in several respects (which also has its merits, but ain't great). The atmosphere is good, as is Lugosi's charisma.
The Dracula tale isn't my favourite yarn, but the main problem is I've seen too many takes on it. Coppola's vehicle is just awful. (Though it has some tits). I think for variety's sake I'm gonna watch this in the English version with Glass' new score some day.

I dig the Hammer version, largely for its terrific climax, but I've never quite understood why HORROR OF DRACULA is so lauded in certain circles.

Green for Danger

entertaining enough slog with a bit of bounce. Trevor Howard and Alistair Sim my particular favourites. Could've been shorter I'd wager but it did what it could as it could.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

00Twelve wrote:

Can't believe I've gone almost 30 years not seeing this, but finally had the lovely privilege of seeing



Dude. That was an amazing scifi horror experience, and hovers not far below ALIEN for me in that genre. Really got into the paranoid implications of what it might mean for one's close friend to either be their friend, or a thing that's going to eat them when their back is turned. Also, Diabetus-fightin', Quaker Oats-eatin', insurance-sellin' Wilford Brimley is just a badass in this movie. I hate that I never saw it earlier; it's gonna be a near-future Bluray purchase, guaranteed.

Love it. Some great lines, too. Creepiest main ever theme to me.

Have you seen the 1978 remake of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS? If you like ALIEN and THE THING, see that one too.

Yes, did see the '78 Invasion, and only just this year as well. Miraculously, I also managed to never have the ending spoiled for me, ever. These stories all do form a kind of kinship, and I daresay I love the alien impostor threat much, much more than anything the zombie, vampire, or robot sub-genres have managed to achieve (the exception being the first Terminator). It also gave the first Matrix a form of tension that was lost on the second two. The potential of any un-woken person to be taken over by an agent was a compelling angle and I think they exploited and neutered its threat a little early. Compared to the threats they chose to replace that with, anyway.

Harmsway wrote:

I've never quite understood why HORROR OF DRACULA is so lauded in certain circles.

"The reader must remind himself as the author has constantly to do, of how much in England is embraced by the term culture. It includes all the characteristic activities and interests of a people: Derby Day, Henley Regatta, Cowes, the twelfth of August, a cup final, the dog races, the pin table, the dart board, Wensleydale cheese, boiled cabbage cut into sections, beetroot in vinegar, 19th century Gothic churches and the music of Elgar."

[quote="Gravity's Silhouette"]

Erica Ambler wrote:

Say what you will of her character (I think Jinx was neither the best nor the worst of the lot, but probably a Top 10 Bond Girl), but getting Berry was a great coup for the series at the time, and it also represented about 125-130 million dollars more in box office receipts for DAD than the average of Brosnan's previous three Bond films.

dream on, it's only 60% of that (less if you allow for inflation) and to attribute that difference purely to Berry's presence is ludicrous
she's never been a "star" in the sense that her presence alone could carry a movie to box office success

I think it was a horrible mistake to sign her up for a Bond film, as it is any time they sign an actress who already has a high profile
IMO It's a distraction and a spell breaker that adds nothing to the movie

the best bond girls are the ones I've never heard of before I see them rise out of the ocean...

Seve wrote:

dream on, it's only 60% of that (less if you allow for inflation) and to attribute that difference purely to Berry's presence is ludicrous
she's never been a "star" in the sense that her presence alone could carry a movie to box office success

I think it was a horrible mistake to sign her up for a Bond film, as it is any time they sign an actress who already has a high profile
IMO It's a distraction and a spell breaker that adds nothing to the movie.

Brosnan's first three Bond films all averaged mid-300 million range. DAD earned $431 million. No one suggested that Berry could carry a film on her name alone (there's not very many actresses that can), but she brought some extra butts to the audience that might not have gone to see a Bond film otherwise. With two big name actors you get twice the publicity (and I guess Madonna added some promotional value as well).

I think signing her up was a great idea; I'd like to see EON hire a name actress or two every now and then to see what they bring to the film. Not all Bond girls need to be mysterious when they rise up out of the ocean.

The Fighter (2010)

Alternated between profoundly irritating and flat-out boring. Just another boxing movie. They should have a law against making any new boxing movies, punishable by being locked in a small room for two hours with a naked Mike Tyson on Red Bull.

The cast was okay. I liked Wahlberg, but he's ten years too old for part. Guy looks 40, and he's supposed to be 30. But I liked him better than Bale. Bale came off as hammy to me at points. Naturally he won an Oscar. Melissa Leo was ok. I liked Amy Adams, and not simply because she makes my pants tighter. I quite liked the Wahlberg/Adams scenes. She looked awesome in the bar, with the tramp stamp. She looked even better in a later scene.

Veteran character actor Jack MeGee rocks. I wish he were in every movie.



I wish he was in the Harry Potter movies, to walk through every 10 minutes and tell the kids to STFU.

2010 Best Picture nominees

1. INCEPTION
2. WINTER'S BONE
3. TRUE GRIT
4. 127 HOURS
5. THE KING'S SPEECH
6. THE FIGHTER

I originally put it over THE KING'S SPEECH, but that one has Geoffrey Rush. They could switch, but I'd rather English and Australian people in a bad movie.

I dub this movie THE SHYTER.

Thank You for Smoking

Good times. One of the better satires Hollywood has made in recent decades. This is also a better Jason Reitman effort than Up in the Air (which copied a bit too much from Smoking). I find Aaron Eckhart to be a hit-or-miss actor, and he's on a roll here. Few modern lead actors seem as easy. The "merchants of death" are eerily hilarious - I don't doubt that these types of gatherings happen in real life in various industries.

Sharky wrote:

WTF!? That made my month.



Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

Better than the first one. Still too much of a Spielberg Lite "family blockbuster" vibe. Even Williams' score, which I understand was mostly handled by another fella, is a bit weak in the knees.

Movie had a nice ending, and I liked the music at the end. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aQEcHwRCmo#t=4m24s

I liked that last shot when we pull out of the hall and get a nice view of the castle. Sorta Disney, but in a good way.

RIP Richard Harris. I look forward to seeing what Michael Gambon will do as Big Gay Dumbledore.

Harrypalooza

1. HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS
2. HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE

As far as I remember the score is practically the same as the first only slightly arranged differently like Ken Thorne's arrangements in SUPERMAN II and III. In fact there's a bunch of cues used from other flicks the most obvious being ATTACK OF THE CLONES.

13 Assassins

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1436045/

5/5

A Japanese Samurai Epic

Yeah the Genosis Arena in ATTACK OF THE CLONES is pretty much note for note the Quidditch sequence in CHAMBER OF SECRETS.

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

Yeah the Genosis Arena in ATTACK OF THE CLONES is pretty much note for note the Quidditch sequence in CHAMBER OF SECRETS.

I think that was the Coruscant chase music used in the Quidditch sequence. It was really off putting when I first watched CHAMBER.

In the Mood for Love

I felt it was a good idea to watch it again after only a short time; it is surprising and irritating to see how much you can miss in a movie if you are tired. So, this time, I was more sucked in by this film, and it is indeed very fine. The delicate and slow development of Li-zhen and Mr. Chow's relationship, the gorgeous cinematography and wonderful music make this an impressive and genuinely romantic film. Wong seems to be a capable artist, as opposed to certain filmmaking imbeciles who are not able to get across anything worthwhile, particularly in terms of romance.
It is sad to see that the main characters' decency and moral concerns make him a haunted man in the end.
It is hard to express just what exactly makes this film work so well, so I'll rather stop here by saying that I'd like to watch it again soon, which I'll probably do.

Makeshift Python wrote:

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

Yeah the Genosis Arena in ATTACK OF THE CLONES is pretty much note for note the Quidditch sequence in CHAMBER OF SECRETS.

I think that was the Coruscant chase music used in the Quidditch sequence. It was really off putting when I first watched CHAMBER.

Which bit?

Sharky wrote:

Makeshift Python wrote:

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

Yeah the Genosis Arena in ATTACK OF THE CLONES is pretty much note for note the Quidditch sequence in CHAMBER OF SECRETS.

I think that was the Coruscant chase music used in the Quidditch sequence. It was really off putting when I first watched CHAMBER.

Which bit?

It sounds like the user slowed it down but anyway it's at 4:58 being the one that stuck out for me.

Here's the CLONES clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx_AVLQMws0#t=9m20s

BLADE RUNNER (Theatrical edition - 1982)

I made a mistake a week ago when I said I watched the Director's Cut; it was The Final Cut that I saw.

This weekend I watched the Theatrical Edition.

I prefer the Final Cut because it dispenses with the distracting narration (Ford doesn't have the talent to do voice-over) and provides a clue as to Deckard's true self by giving us the dream of a unicorn and Gaff's tin-foil unicorn at the very end of the film.

I don't think the narration makes a huge improvement over the film; it was what it was at the time, and because it has such a dreamy, meandering, ethereal-quality to the film, the narration (which is intended to fill in the gaps and explain certain things) feels out of place.

Ford deliberately delivered the narration badly because he loathed it.

Makeshift Python wrote:

Ford deliberately delivered the narration badly because he loathed it.

I suspected that was a possibility. Nonetheless, I also found him to be the least interesting element in the movie. Not awful, but not compelling either. The film was stolen by Hauer, Hannah and Young.

I think he served his purpose, the replicants were supposed to be "more human than human". I like how they're portrayed as overgrown children so they come off more overt.