Last Movie you Watched?

I'm gonna throw out that I prefer the '98 TOUCH OF EVIL. Feels like a richer, more coherent picture in general. As for the opening, I lean on the side of the '98 cut again. Much more consistent with the way music is used throughout much of the rest of the film, and the titles in the '58 are hideously designed.

Watched Preminger's FALLEN ANGEL and WHIRLPOOL. Don't think either were as strong as WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS, but I dug both. Especially WHIRLPOOL, which was pretty whacky plotwise but well executed and unashamed, and thus immensly satisfying (much like Sirk's goofiest melodramas, like MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION).

j7wild wrote:

did Noomie get religious?

She plays a gypsy. She didn't strike me as very religious. As for real life, who knows?

Dirty Harry (1971)

I like it more than ever. It's a great film. I gotta seek out more Siegel stuff.

The sequels are just action movies cashing in on the first film, at least from what I recall. I've not seen the sequels since 2006. This one has actual subtext stuff going on, and it reminds me of what Nolan is doing with THE DARK KNIGHT. I do like that film in terms of it harkening back to gritty 70's crime thrillers in a way. At least to me.

There didn't need to be a follow up considering Harry throws his star away. I seem to remember MAGNUM FORCE being about Harry himself going after vigilantes. Well, it's up next.

Rogue cops: What's the difference between you and us?

Harry: I'm not wearing hockey pads.

Love the score. Need to get at least the first two scores from Schifrin.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Need to get at least the first two scores from Schifrin.

:study:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

M I : Ghost Protocol for a second time, with a 'better behaved' audience ... still seemed to be something not quite 'there' about it.

5x for me...

HJackson wrote:

Watched Preminger's FALLEN ANGEL and WHIRLPOOL. Don't think either were as strong as WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS, but I dug both. Especially WHIRLPOOL, which was pretty whacky plotwise but well executed and unashamed, and thus immensly satisfying (much like Sirk's goofiest melodramas, like MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION).

Whirlpool works because Jose Ferrer is awesome. That's pretty much it.

I didn't much care for Fallen Angel, though.

HJackson wrote:

I'm gonna throw out that I prefer the '98 TOUCH OF EVIL. Feels like a richer, more coherent picture in general. As for the opening, I lean on the side of the '98 cut again. Much more consistent with the way music is used throughout much of the rest of the film, and the titles in the '58 are hideously designed.

Cheers.

Walter Murch TOUCH OF EVIL > Studio Hack Job TOUCH OF EVIL.

Sharky > You.

Magnum Force (1973)

A solid movie, but already a step down from the first film. Gone is the ambiguity. Gone is Siegel's touch and sensibilites. Ted Post is just a studio hack.

It's a good idea to set up a group of cops that go further than Harry did in the first film.

Spoiler:

So it's a good movie. A straight forward movie. None of the atmosphere and thrill of the first, but it tells a good story pretty well.

1. DIRTY HARRY
2. MAGNUM FORCE

From 2006 my ranking was:

1. DIRTY HARRY
2. MAGNUM FORCE
3. SUDDEN IMPACT
4. THE DEAD POOL
5. CALLAHAN & LACEY

I don't understand all the hatred for The Enforcer. It's far better than either of the films than followed it. And arguably the one that preceded it.

That on-foot chase sequence is really the jewel of the Harry sequels.

And Bruce McGill in drag is entertaining.

The Andromeda Strain (Dir. Robert Wise)

This film fluctuates between boring and interesting. The best scene, without a doubt, is the final suspense sequence. Well done.

I like the look of sci-fi flicks from the 60's and 70's. Everything's pretty dreary and somewhat industrial in this film.

FourDot wrote:

I don't understand all the hatred for The Enforcer. It's far better than either of the films than followed it. And arguably the one that preceded it.

That on-foot chase sequence is really the jewel of the Harry sequels.

And Bruce McGill in drag is entertaining.

The Enforcer (1976)

Better than MAGNUM FORCE? Wah? That one was a step down from DIRTY HARRY, and this one was a further flight of stars down.

I mean, it's an enjoyable piece of 70's entertainment, and I really love 70's entertainment. It feels more like a 70's cop show than a DIRTY HARRY movie. A 70's cop show with a budget, cursing, some tits, and ramped up violence. But it's pretty shoddy to me. The script isn't that strong, and neither is the direction. The baddies are laughable. The Symbionese Liberation Army meets the gang from Scooby Doo. They're not much of a threat, and they're not much of a presense in the film. Apparently they have enough explosives to send San Francisco to the moon. But that's barely touched upon. The film just goes nowhere. And not nowhere fast, it goes nowhere at a pretty leisurely pace.

The score is alright. The track I like, "Rooftop Chase". It's fun, but feel very out of place. Makes the sequence almost comedic.

There's not much for Harry to do in this film. The villains are weak. There is no urgency in catching them. Tyne Daly is good, though. They could have focused a little more on her and Harry, and her coming into her own.

This film is just weak. Entertaining because I enjoy watching Clint Eastwood kill people in the 70's. But weak.

1. DIRTY HARRY
2. MAGNUM FORCE
3. THE ENFORCER

The Inbetweeners Movie

Lulz.

The Name of the Rose, still a nice moody piece, weird and creepy then fun and engaging by turn and then theres the hot Gypsy sex scene......I actually wish Brother William and Adso had made it to another film. 7/10

The Other Bolyen Girl, I had been told bad things about this but Natalie Portman is always worth a look imo so I was pleasently surprised, it may not be historically accurate but the schemeing and plotting was done in a way that seemed appropriate and the atmopshere was suitably racy. 7/10

FourDot wrote:

I don't understand all the hatred for The Enforcer. It's far better than either of the films than followed it. And arguably the one that preceded it.

That will take a hell of a lot of arguing, considering MAGNUM FORCE has got a sharp John Milius script, the awesomeness that is Hal Holbrook and a badass Lalo Schifrin score. It also looks great too.

Sharky wrote:

FourDot wrote:

I don't understand all the hatred for The Enforcer. It's far better than either of the films than followed it. And arguably the one that preceded it.

That will take a hell of a lot of arguing, considering MAGNUM FORCE has got a sharp John Milius script, the awesomeness that is Hal Holbrook and a badass Lalo Schifrin score. It also looks great too.

THE ENFORCER would probably look about the same in fullscreen, and look even more like a generic 70's cop show on steroids. Even if MAGNUM had Hutch.

In other news, love this bit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-XEgSrtGfw#t=31s

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Sharky wrote:

FourDot wrote:

I don't understand all the hatred for The Enforcer. It's far better than either of the films than followed it. And arguably the one that preceded it.

That will take a hell of a lot of arguing, considering MAGNUM FORCE has got a sharp John Milius script, the awesomeness that is Hal Holbrook and a badass Lalo Schifrin score. It also looks great too.

THE ENFORCER would probably look about the same in fullscreen, and look even more like a generic 70's cop show on steroids. Even if MAGNUM had Hutch.

I don't get what you mean, Tux. MAGNUM FORCE looks a hell of a lot better than THE ENFORCER.

Sharky wrote:

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Sharky wrote:

FourDot wrote:

I don't understand all the hatred for The Enforcer. It's far better than either of the films than followed it. And arguably the one that preceded it.

That will take a hell of a lot of arguing, considering MAGNUM FORCE has got a sharp John Milius script, the awesomeness that is Hal Holbrook and a badass Lalo Schifrin score. It also looks great too.

THE ENFORCER would probably look about the same in fullscreen, and look even more like a generic 70's cop show on steroids. Even if MAGNUM had Hutch.

I don't get what you mean, Tux. MAGNUM FORCE looks a hell of a lot better than THE ENFORCER.

I was just saying because MAGNUM had Hutch. MAGNUM looks good. THE ENFORCER is visually flat to me.

Sudden Impact (1983)

I wish this film had three things.

1. A better actress than Sondra Locke.
2. A sharper script.
3. A different director.

In that order. I think a stronger actress would have elevated this film immediately. I do like Locke. That's probably an unpopular position, but I thought she was pretty good in THE GAUNLET, and she's not bad to look at. But conveying the depth of hurt and rage needed for this part, she seems not up to it.

Then there needed to be a sharper script. Ditch the farting dog. Albert Popwell's (the big black guy who was in the first four of these movies) serves no purpose at all really, except to drive Harry into his own rage at the end.

And a different director. Eastwood, in my opinion, is only as good as his material. Seemingly without exception. He can understand a script, and that's more than a lot of directors working out there, but he can't really bring much to a script. He can just film it well. So a stronger script would seem to me to stand a better chance at making a better film if he's directing.

I think the last reel or two of the film is really pretty good. The first act is bordering on parody. I almost want to a pen a script for a science-fiction film called DIRTY HARRY RISES where it's explained that he is in fact a special kind of gravitational mass that bends the space-time continuum and draws scumbags, murderers, and bank robbers into his immediate vicinity 24 hours fucking hours a day. Seriously, this guy can't take a piss without gunshots arrupting. It's almost comedic. If he kills a dozen people a day, and it's been seven years since the last movie. Allowing for vacation time, and I really shouldn't as this film takes place ON HIS VACATION, he's blown away about 30,000 people since THE ENFORCER.

Anyway, it's getting ridiculous in the early reels. DIRTY HARRY had just enough violence and gunplay to show us who this man is and what he's capable of without being a total fantasy. Now it's just crazy. And that's unfortunate, because I think there's an interesting story with the whole rape avenger. I understand the need to show how Harry goes beyond what he's supposed to do, and that it mirrors Locke's actions. But having it be the Looney Tunes takes away from that a lot. And it hurts the film, because I think there are interesting things going on.

1. DIRTY HARRY
2. MAGNUM FORCE
3. SUDDEN IMPACT
4. THE ENFORCER

I rate this one higher than THE ENFORCER. It feels like a Dirty Harry movie, not a movie with Dirty Harry in it. That's what THE ENFORCER was to me. And THE ENFORCER was unfocused. It had weakass villains with no discernible plan, a man/woman buddy cop subplot that doesn't have enough mileage to it, and Harry isn't the focus. There's no dilemma for Harry concerning justice, but SUDDEN IMPACT at least reintroduces that. It's just not as successful, in my opinion, as it could have been with a straighter treatment and without the comedy.

Liked Pat Hingle being there, before he played Grandpa Gordon.

Sudden Impact is a good film that should be a great film. The premise is let down by the stuff around it.

I'd rate Magnum Force above Dirty Harry, otherwise you're list is spot on. Never bothered to see The Dead Pool. I think Harry harpoons someone while Guns N Roses plays.

Tubes wrote:

Sudden Impact is a good film that should be a great film. The premise is let down by the stuff around it.

I'd rate Magnum Force above Dirty Harry, otherwise you're list is spot on. Never bothered to see The Dead Pool. I think Harry harpoons someone while Guns N Roses plays.

I was thinking the same thing, SUDDEN IMPACT is good, could have been great. If anything, I think it's the only true sequel to DIRTY HARRY and MAGNUM FORCE. It actually deals with themes of justice, if not with the greatest of depth.

MAGNUM over DIRTY? I think DIRTY HARRY is a genuinely great film. A great crime thriller with a solid subtext going on with Harry riding the line as he does. MAGNUM is smart to pit him against cops even worse than he is, and it's the perfect follow up thematically. It's just that Ted Post is no where close to being Don Siegel. The script was there, but it's more of a solid 70's cop action movie than the great film that the first one was. All just my opinion. I think SUDDEN IMPACT is the real Part III. Should have been done in the 70's, since they wanted to address feminism in THE ENFORCER and did it kinda stupidly.

The Dead Pool (1988)

Tubes, I'd say check it out. It's on Netflix Instant if you have that. I like it better than THE ENFORCER at least. Sorry FourDot.

1. DIRTY HARRY
2. MAGNUM FORCE
3. SUDDEN IMPACT
4. THE DEAD POOL
5. THE ENFORCER

And the rankings stay the same as in 2006, though my eyes are little more sophisticated now. Not that these are works of art or anything, but I could watch Eastwood movies all day. Ya know, a couple days ago I tried to watch RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and I got bored half way through and switched it off. No longer really entertains me. I guess I'm more hooked into a maverick cop gunning down scum than Indy gunning down Nazis and Indians and Godless Commie flilth and seeking divine treasure or little crystal men. I was gonna watch the original films before CRYSTAL SKULL, but I've still got that comong tomorrow from Netflix.

Digression over. THE DEAD POOL is basically on the level of a made-for-TV movie, but I find it just interesting enough to put it over THE ENFORCER. Nice supporting cast. Future Grumpy Old Fart Who Sadistically Guns Down Scum Liam Neeson. Patricia Clarkson is most welcome. A fine actress, one of my favorites, and I think a very appealling woman. Projects smarts, not a bimbo. Just love her. And we get to see a young Jim Carrey die horribly. The movie gets bonus points just for that in my book. Would have gotten more if it were Harry who killed him.

All in all, it's a lukewarm finale to the Dirty Harry saga. Dabbles in the media's relation to violence, but not to any meaningful extent. It's basically CSI: DIRTY HARRY, and with it's 1.85 aspect ratio it's about on the level of impressiveness of a standard TV episode nowadays. It's just plain not cinematic.

I still say the remote control car chase is inspired.

I hated The Dead Pool!

I think they rushed that out just to say they made another Dirty Harry film!!

j7wild wrote:

I hated The Dead Pool!

I think they rushed that out just to say they made another Dirty Harry film!!

Perhaps. It feels cheap, but I think it's decent enough.

Fucking Netflix, I was gonna add all the Dirty Harry flicks on my instant q but only three are available: The original, The Enforcer and The Dead Pool. Oh well. I have the original on DVD, but Netflix has it on HD, might as well go there. Still, weird they don't have all five films.

Makeshift Python wrote:

Fucking Netflix, I was gonna add all the Dirty Harry flicks on my instant q but only three are available: The original, The Enforcer and The Dead Pool. Oh well. I have the original on DVD, but Netflix has it on HD, might as well go there. Still, weird they don't have all five films.

Only THE DEAD POOL is in it the correct aspect ratio on Instant. I tried 'em. :) The first four are 2.35. TDP is 1.85.