Last Movie You Watched.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

2001 : A Space Odyssey. On a 50th anniversary re-release screening.

I'd never actually seen it before ... my mind was suitably blown, it's an extraordinary piece of work.  

I've only seen orts and bits. My impression is that is an excellent albeit very depressing film.

Is there a more pointless endeavor than remaking "Suspiria"?
Best case scenario, you end up with a poor copy of the original.

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Perilagu Khan wrote:

FieldsMan wrote:

Crimson Peak.

Good I suppose. It's not my genre. A friend had given it to me a while back and was never that interested in popping it in. 

Excellent set design and the actors are all very capable. I don't care much for ghost stories.

I feel the ending heavily alluded to The Shining, which might not work in its favour. I found myself wanting to watch that instead.

This one is on my To Buy List of supernatural horror films.

So you don't like ghost story films, or scary pictures in general, FM?  

Horrors in general. But I do like some of them, i.e. The Shining and What Ever Happened To Baby Jane, for example. Might check out Hereditary when it comes out, too.

Dan Perri (TAXI DRIVER, DAYS OF HEAVEN, STAR WARS, AFTER HOURS, THE EXORCIST) is responsible for the interesting title design.

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

2001 : A Space Odyssey. On a 50th anniversary re-release screening.

I'd never actually seen it before ... my mind was suitably blown, it's an extraordinary piece of work.  

I've only seen orts and bits. My impression is that is an excellent albeit very depressing film.

I wouldn't say depressing ... there's certainly thought-provoking stuff about the likes of the potentially disastrous consequences of malfunctioning artificial intelligence (a commonplace sci-fi trope nowadays, but I'd reckon less so in the late 60s), the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life and mankind's place in the Universe in there.

From a technical standpoint, it's absolutely stunning ... 9 years before Star Wars and a good 20-30 before CGI, here are spaceships in graceful flight with nary a hint of back-projection, models on wires hanging in front of a black sheet with pinholes in it with light shone through for the stars etc.

Hehehe, Ambler ... there were stories of extremely drunk women at Fifty Shades Of Grey screenings losing control of their bodily functions (mmm, CLASSY). At least you had the excuse of infancy on your side.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

2001 : A Space Odyssey. On a 50th anniversary re-release screening.

I'd never actually seen it before ... my mind was suitably blown, it's an extraordinary piece of work.  

I've only seen orts and bits. My impression is that is an excellent albeit very depressing film.

I wouldn't say depressing ... there's certainly thought-provoking stuff about the likes of the potentially disastrous consequences of malfunctioning artificial intelligence (a commonplace sci-fi trope nowadays, but I'd reckon less so in the late 60s), the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life and mankind's place in the Universe in there.

From a technical standpoint, it's absolutely stunning ... 9 years before Star Wars and a good 20-30 before CGI, here are spaceships in graceful flight with nary a hint of back-projection, models on wires hanging in front of a black sheet with pinholes in it with light shone through for the stars etc.

Hehehe, Ambler ... there were stories of extremely drunk women at Fifty Shades Of Grey screenings losing control of their bodily functions (mmm, CLASSY). At least you had the excuse of infancy on your side.    

Good point about the special effects. It was certainly a landmark picture in that category. I wonder if it had a massive budget?

Hatari!


As the trailer says boisterously, Hatari means danger in Swahili! Well, danger aside it is on the second viewing like the first, an oddly fun and enjoyable movie. Not much happens and yet everything happens. It's said it had a lose script with Hawks using the relationship between characters to carry much of the action and you can see that. Indeed, the actors rarely had doubles doing the hairy chasing of wild animals and that lends it an air of realism you'd find lacking today.


Long as it is, it doesn't feel 2hrs 30, easy to slip into the vistas that the film laps up. Hardy Kruger owned the land they filmed on and it benefits from the on location filming.
The cast is by and large superb -Red Buttons join the Duke, old Bert Saxby himself Bruce Cabot, Hardy Kruger and Valentin de Vargas also. The one weak link might be Gerard Blain. Nice chap I'm sure he was but he looks as if he's dropped out of a French New Wave film and doesn't quite fit in with the others.


In this age of Ocean's 8, there are but two women along for the ride. "Brandy" who is the daughter of a friend of Wayne's killed on a hunt years ago, played by the tragic Michele Girardon (who committed suicide in 1975 aged 36) and the late Elsa Martanelli as newcomer Dallas, who causes all sorts of problems right down to 'mothering' orphaned elephants and indeed, prompts Henry Macini's famous "Baby Elephant Walk" music.

On the quiet I've become a fan of Hawks' work, he seemed to get some of the best from the Duke like John Ford. Can't' help but think though that a film like Hatari couldn't work now. Who'd sit through a long film about guys chasing animals in the Kenyan landscape?

Jurassic World : Fallen Kingdom - for the most part, a thumpingly fun action-adventure. I can imagine the late Doug McClure looking on from somewhere and smiling.

The Fourth Protocol (thanks CJB!)

Been aching to watch this for some time. From the game of spies featuring a great cast, the classical score to Phil Meheux's beautiful cinematography, it encompasses what I enjoy in Cold War spy thrillers. 

I can see why Brosnan is in it - it's the Bond film he should have been, just playing on the enemy side. It got me thinking about whether Brosnan would have worked in TLD. Of course he would have. And I think he'd have had more chemistry with Maryam d'Abo. 

I felt the directing of the performances was a little stilted in parts, but Brosnan and Caine are skilled enough to make it work for them. Good to see Julian Glover in it too, but it was a rather stiff performance. 

I was a little let down by the ending - it seemed like a sell out. I was hoping for SPOILERS some kind of exchange after Valeri learns he was to be killed, i.e. Valeri can provide intelligence on his mission and the KGB, in exchange for clemency.

Overall, I enjoyed it.

Glad you liked it, Fields.

*SPOILERS* Broz's character was a dead-eyed, fanatical killing machine. I think it was to be expected that even when he discovered he was disposable to the KGB he wouldn't surrender. That much was clear after he executed his root/colleague.

x

You're probably right CJB, especially considering his reaction to killing the gay civilian for walking in on the drop. Brosnan humanised this killing machine, is all. Hell, if Jaws could be turned...

Great rack indeed... Love a bit of side boob.  

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

The one featuring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and Benedict Cumberbatch.

I stumbled upon it when buying cat foot and that find made my day. It was a discount. Watched it the same night and remembered that I still have that on my "spy novels you have to read" list. (Makes me reminiscent of the good all days when I had "Read Fleming" on my bucket list).

I liked it a lot. The ending, featuring "La Mer", is really disturbing due to the contrast of a happy French chanson with the lethal outcome of the love-story between Haydon and the agent whose family name I can't recall at the moment. I was waiting for the love-story all along, but hadn't realised before that this love story is the backbone of the whole plot. As is the betrayal that comes with it - at least it is in the film. Now I must read the many spy books (and hard boiled novels, well) I own and then go hunting for a TTSS copy.

News that RAMBO 5 is actually back on track stirred my loins and I popped a new First Blood blu-ray into the player.

I have a soft spot for anti-hero / vigilante types....

Also adore the theme...

Kath wrote:

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

The one featuring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and Benedict Cumberbatch.

I stumbled upon it when buying cat foot and that find made my day. It was a discount. Watched it the same night and remembered that I still have that on my "spy novels you have to read" list. (Makes me reminiscent of the good all days when I had "Read Fleming" on my bucket list).

I liked it a lot. The ending, featuring "La Mer", is really disturbing due to the contrast of a happy French chanson with the lethal outcome of the love-story between Haydon and the agent whose family name I can't recall at the moment. I was waiting for the love-story all along, but hadn't realised before that this love story is the backbone of the whole plot. As is the betrayal that comes with it - at least it is in the film. Now I must read the many spy books (and hard boiled novels, well) I own and then go hunting for a TTSS copy.

Great film. I'm probably due to give it a rewatch soon. 

In continuing the classic spy story discussion, I recently and finally watched The Ipcress File. Great film, but John Barry's music is the real standout here. Brilliant score - probably better than some of his later Bond work, such as TMWTGG and OP. And good to see Count Lippe in an expanded role. Quite a few of the Bond family here... I think Saltzman really wanted to explore brainwashing around that time, considering OHMSS was supposed to have been made in '65.

The Life of Pi

Totally blown away by this one. From a cinematographic standpoint, it's probably as beautiful as any picture I've ever seen. The film certainly makes one appreciate the beauty--and arguably the souls--of animals, which is doubtless part of its intent.

It's a hard movie to watch in many ways, too, because the emotional whipsaw is so violent, and one sees animals, including the tiger who is the film's costar, suffer. Oddly enough, I can view human suffering in films and not feel prodigious anguish, but animal suffering rips my guts out. TLoP will hit you in that soft spot, if you possess it.

The movie also explores the well worn conflict between scientific rationalism and religion. Arguably, the latter emerges victorious here, although the conclusion is ambiguous enough that one could argue the toss.

At any rate, TLoP is a magnificent cinematic achievement that will be lauded passionately as long as people make and watch movies.

Perilagu Khan wrote:

The Life of Pi

Totally blown away by this one. From a cinematographic standpoint, it's probably as beautiful as any picture I've ever seen. The film certainly makes one appreciate the beauty--and arguably the souls--of animals, which is doubtless part of its intent.

It's a hard movie to watch in many ways, too, because the emotional whipsaw is so violent, and one sees animals, including the tiger who is the film's costar, suffer. Oddly enough, I can view human suffering in films and not feel prodigious anguish, but animal suffering rips my guts out. TLoP will hit you in that soft spot, if you possess it.

The movie also explores the well worn conflict between scientific rationalism and religion. Arguably, the latter emerges victorious here, although the conclusion is ambiguous enough that one could argue the toss.

At any rate, TLoP is a magnificent cinematic achievement that will be lauded passionately as long as people make and watch movies.

Have you read the novel? The film is a very truthful adaption, IMO, but the novel has even more depth, still.

[And, if you want my opinion, don't watch Crimson Creek. It's no horror at all but just kitschy instead of scary. Well. Ghosts can be SO romantic, you know? ]

Kath wrote:

Perilagu Khan wrote:

The Life of Pi

Totally blown away by this one. From a cinematographic standpoint, it's probably as beautiful as any picture I've ever seen. The film certainly makes one appreciate the beauty--and arguably the souls--of animals, which is doubtless part of its intent.

It's a hard movie to watch in many ways, too, because the emotional whipsaw is so violent, and one sees animals, including the tiger who is the film's costar, suffer. Oddly enough, I can view human suffering in films and not feel prodigious anguish, but animal suffering rips my guts out. TLoP will hit you in that soft spot, if you possess it.

The movie also explores the well worn conflict between scientific rationalism and religion. Arguably, the latter emerges victorious here, although the conclusion is ambiguous enough that one could argue the toss.

At any rate, TLoP is a magnificent cinematic achievement that will be lauded passionately as long as people make and watch movies.

Have you read the novel? The film is a very truthful adaption, IMO, but the novel has even more depth, still.

[And, if you want my opinion, don't watch Crimson Creek. It's no horror at all but just kitschy instead of scary. Well. Ghosts can be SO romantic, you know? ]

I have not read the novel, but will duly put it on my list.

Thanks for the advice on Crimson Peak. I'll take it under advisement.

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Kath wrote:

Perilagu Khan wrote:

The Life of Pi

Totally blown away by this one. From a cinematographic standpoint, it's probably as beautiful as any picture I've ever seen. The film certainly makes one appreciate the beauty--and arguably the souls--of animals, which is doubtless part of its intent.

It's a hard movie to watch in many ways, too, because the emotional whipsaw is so violent, and one sees animals, including the tiger who is the film's costar, suffer. Oddly enough, I can view human suffering in films and not feel prodigious anguish, but animal suffering rips my guts out. TLoP will hit you in that soft spot, if you possess it.

The movie also explores the well worn conflict between scientific rationalism and religion. Arguably, the latter emerges victorious here, although the conclusion is ambiguous enough that one could argue the toss.

At any rate, TLoP is a magnificent cinematic achievement that will be lauded passionately as long as people make and watch movies.

Have you read the novel? The film is a very truthful adaption, IMO, but the novel has even more depth, still.

[And, if you want my opinion, don't watch Crimson Creek. It's no horror at all but just kitschy instead of scary. Well. Ghosts can be SO romantic, you know? ]

I have not read the novel, but will duly put it on my list.

Thanks for the advice on Crimson Peak. I'll take it under advisement.

Well, the novel is…LONG. But still worth reading.

Hereditary - this horror's probably been over-praised, but there's still enough in there to give you a decent dose of the heebie-jeebies.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Hereditary - this horror's probably been over-praised, but there's still enough in there to give you a decent dose of the heebie-jeebies.

This sounds like my kind of flick.

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Hereditary - this horror's probably been over-praised, but there's still enough in there to give you a decent dose of the heebie-jeebies.

This sounds like my kind of flick.

Have you watched The Conjuring yet?

Kath wrote:

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Hereditary - this horror's probably been over-praised, but there's still enough in there to give you a decent dose of the heebie-jeebies.

This sounds like my kind of flick.

Have you watched The Conjuring yet?

Oh yeah. VERY scary.

I've got a friend--and he's nobody's sissy, mark you--who watched the first 15 minutes or so and then had to shut it off because it shook him so badly.

If you haven't checked out the thread on Supernatural Horror Films, you might want to give it a look.