Last Movie you Watched?

Phone Booth remains one of the tensest thrillers I've ever seen. I thought Colin Farrell was terrific.

lachesis wrote:

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

After a glut of recent films turned massive dissapointment here at last was a nugget of gold, slow burning yet always enthralling, stylish and tense. Hopefully 'Smileys People' is being planned. 8/10

Indeed. I love low-key thrillers. This was better than any recent Bond or Bourne movie I've seen, and a spy flick to rank with some of the best in cinema.

After I finish my current read, I'm tackling le Carre's Smiley trilogy. I hope a sequel is being planned, as well.

Harmsway wrote:

Loomis wrote:

Reading bits and bobs about it as I am now, I'm rather surprised that I haven't seen this flick already, but then I guess there are always fascinating films that slip through one's net.

It was an oddball film back in '07, and a lot of the critical attention that year went to NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and THERE WILL BE BLOOD instead. ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES did receive some praise--enough to garner it a few Oscar nominations--but not too many people were really passionate about the film. Most folks, and a good portion of the critics, found it boring.

You can add me to that list. I found it insufferably dull and pretentious.

I loved it.

The Collector

I was pleasantly surprised how good this movie turned out to be. It is a very convincing, slow study of two characters and in the kidnapper it has one of the most interesting and unique main characters I've seen in that genre. Fine acting and direction throughout. I am happy with almost every bit of it, including the very ending which is very telling of the main character. It's surprising and a pretty strong ending.
I think I found it even a bit more enthralling and emotionally stirring than PEEPING TOM. Considering these two films, one cannot help but realize how trashy The Silence of the Lambs actually is (let alone 7e7e7, the kids' wet dream).
A superb old-school thriller drama I highly recommend.

SUPERMAN RETURNS. Not as good as I'd remembered. It's watchable enough up to a point, but ultimately does little but remind the viewer of Richard Donner's original, without coming anywhere near matching it in charm or sense of wonder. Marred by strangely ugly cinematography and special effects that lack any real "wow" factor, Bryan Singer's film is hampered further by a sluggish pace and a storyline that's as predictable as it's uninvolving. At more than 150 minutes, it's absurdly overlong.

Sharky wrote:

Harmsway wrote:

Loomis wrote:

Reading bits and bobs about it as I am now, I'm rather surprised that I haven't seen this flick already, but then I guess there are always fascinating films that slip through one's net.

It was an oddball film back in '07, and a lot of the critical attention that year went to NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and THERE WILL BE BLOOD instead. ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES did receive some praise--enough to garner it a few Oscar nominations--but not too many people were really passionate about the film. Most folks, and a good portion of the critics, found it boring.

You can add me to that list. I found it insufferably dull and pretentious.

So did I, on first viewing. But then I found it stayed with me long afterward, and I felt myself longing to revisit it. So came a second viewing. Then a third. It's a film I can't quite shake.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

trevanian wrote:

The White Tuxedo wrote:

I'll post this again.

Play this, but mute it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPnyJObOncw

Play this music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W249YKlU4N4#t=4s

wow, thank you. I had forgotten this show even existed, but as soon as I heard a bit and saw Stack's name, I realized that I watched it religiously (probably because of the girl, who was a real staple of 70s tv and was in THE BEGUILED.)

Jo Ann Harris. Made quite an impression in THE BEGUILED when I saw it. Elizabeth Hartman moreso for me.

I remembered her principally for a GREAT daylight nude half over the shoulder photo in one of those PLAYBOY SEX IN THE CINEMA issues, and when she was trying to steal Julie's job on THE LOVE BOAT (too bad she didn't get it, I'd've watched the series a lot more than I did.)

Makeshift Python wrote:

Schumacher was always a hack.

FALLING DOWN being the exception that proves the rule. I still can't believe he had that in him, and it wasn't just a matter of riding a good script either - he really delivered that film in an appropriate manner, one that lets you appreciate how nuanced the arc is that takes you from sympathizing with Douglas to empathizing with Duvall.

Manhunter wrote:

The Collector

I was pleasantly surprised how good this movie turned out to be. It is a very convincing, slow study of two characters and in the kidnapper it has one of the most interesting and unique main characters I've seen in that genre. Fine acting and direction throughout. I am happy with almost every bit of it, including the very ending which is very telling of the main character. It's surprising and a pretty strong ending.
I think I found it even a bit more enthralling and emotionally stirring than PEEPING TOM. Considering these two films, one cannot help but realize how trashy The Silence of the Lambs actually is (let alone 7e7e7, the kids' wet dream).
A superb old-school thriller drama I highly recommend.

I love THE COLLECTOR too, though apparently the US dvd is missing a minute or two.

Then again, I think LAMBS is just as good, and Se7en dusts just about everything before or since, (except maybe PATHS OF GLORY and 2001.)

THINNER (1996)

I think this is a severely underrated King adaptation.

I am watching the Steven Spielberg movie War Horse.

The British thought that the Cavalry was still going to be the weapon that won decisive victories when they entered World War 1,

were they mistaken!!

It's kind of idiotic for the British to charge on horses with swords drawn against machine guns and artillery across yards of open muddy fields that are not even fit to ride horses on.

Over 2 million horses were used in World War 1 on both sides, Allied and German, about 750,000 of them died.

At end of the war, the British Army could only care for about 25,000 of them.

So the rest, the fit ones were sold back to the farmers and the civilians;

the ones that were not fit, about 86,000 of them, were killed and made into food to feed the poor and the German POWs!!

War Horse (2011)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1568911/

War Horse is a Steven Spielberg's film adaptation of a Children book published in 1982 by an English Author.

It tells the story of a Albert, a Boy and a horse that he raised since it was a fawn who are caught up in the horror of World War I.

There is a scene set in No Man's Land between the British and German trenches where 2 soldiers of each opposing army come together to help the horse, the main character of this emotionally charged and moving story.

This is not a War movie, this is a movie about how in the midst of one of the most horrific Wars Man ever waged on each other in its history, a horse can bring out the best compassion and tolerance in every one it touches.

From the brothers who are reluctant to fight in the German Army to the Grandfather and Granddaughter caught up in events they can't control to the Boy who lies about his age to join the British Army so he can find his horse:

every character in this film will touch your heart.

The photography is stunning, the scenes are beautifully set and all the actors and actresses in this film shine in their performances.

This is the film that should had won Best Picture of 2011; not that black and white silent French film.

If you don't shed a few tears during several of the moving scenes in this film; you are either emotionally dead or a sociopath.

My rating: 5/5

Harmsway wrote:

Sharky wrote:

Harmsway wrote:

Loomis wrote:

Reading bits and bobs about it as I am now, I'm rather surprised that I haven't seen this flick already, but then I guess there are always fascinating films that slip through one's net.

It was an oddball film back in '07, and a lot of the critical attention that year went to NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and THERE WILL BE BLOOD instead. ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES did receive some praise--enough to garner it a few Oscar nominations--but not too many people were really passionate about the film. Most folks, and a good portion of the critics, found it boring.

You can add me to that list. I found it insufferably dull and pretentious.

So did I, on first viewing. But then I found it stayed with me long afterward, and I felt myself longing to revisit it. So came a second viewing. Then a third. It's a film I can't quite shake.

At the risk of sounding like an arthouse snob, many of my favourite films would be perceived by most folks as boring.

HAYWIRE (2011, dir. Steven Soderbergh)

Better than DRIVE.

Not much an achievement.

The Cowboys

the classic boys to men story. The John Williams soundtrack, Bruce Dern's "vermin covered son of a bitch", John Wayne and his relationship with the boys and Roscoe Lee Browne sell it.
It's still a little surprising when Wayne is shot dead by Dern after trying his best to smack ten bells out of Dern. Revenge all the more sweeter when the boys take the herd back.

"Above all, forgive me for the men I've killed in anger ...and those I am about to."

Roscoe could sell anything. He was in one of the very best BARNEY MILLER eps too, a guy who has spent his whole life breaking out of escape proof prisons. He finally confides in Barney he has nothing new to prove and is happy to serve the rest of his sentence ... but when they come to take him back, they explain they have a new prison just for him ... he looks at Barney and you KNOW he's going to revert to type.

Sharky wrote:

Not much an achievement.

No, and HAYWIRE ain't the most ambitious bit of work ever. But it's unpretentious, entertaining, and stylish, and has a pretty groovy score from David Holmes.

Lately? Point Blank and Bullitt. I've always found BULLITT a bit dry.

Inglourious Basterds

not seen it since the cinema and needless to say feel differently than before. Never mind. Curiously I still kind of like Aldo Raine, I know the Basterds themselves aren't liked but there we go.Mike Myers' bit's just weird and on top of it there's Rod Taylor sitting in a corner.
Needs more Waltz. In general.

Silver Streak (1976)

4/5

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075223/

I remember seeing this movie in the theater in Italy when I was about 11 years old and loving it.

It's a fun movie and Jill Clayburgh (R.I.P.) is a simple, wholesome, down to earth beautiful woman.

Strange that Clifton James plays a Hilly Billy Sheriff in here too and Richard Kiel plays a Tall Bully Bodyguard with Metal Teeth, 7 months before The Spy Who Loved Me was released.

Caught Hour of the Wolf on telly. Pretty dark, frightening and strong pictures. Requires a second viewing (at least), but I can already say this is the third Bergman film in a row that I liked (though not quite as much as my first two; as for now).

Dorian Gray

Bloody awful film. I was all for turning it off, but then Colin Firth turned up, and he was the only thing watchable in the whole film. Helped by the fact that the only original Wilde lines were those of Lord Henry. Well, you can't improve on Wilde, let's face it.

The rest of the film was pathetic though. Took all the creeping, unnerving terror out of it and just turned it into a schlock gore horror story, with excessive amounts of sex thrown in purely for shock value. Pathetic.



Red Dawn

Still makes no sense, 30 years later.