Last Movie You Watched.

trevanian wrote:

Perilagu Khan wrote:

I should see Signs, devotee of supernatural horror I am, or at least used to be until The VVitch put me right off.

Devotee, huh? Any thoughts on THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE? Although Blatty and Friedkin have offered strong competition with the odd-numbered EXORCIST films, HELL HOUSE is still my favorite horror movie of all time. Even though I saw it when I was 11 or 12, I don't still see it with those eyes (though that IS the case with THE OMEGA MAN -- I see Heston saying 'they're vermin' and I am a kid again looking up at That Jaw), I seem to experience it differently every few years.

Have you seen this thread, Trev?

https://bondandbeyond.forumotion.com/t3437-supernatural-horror-films

Not sure if I reviewed TLoHH, but I may have done.

Salomé wrote:

I think Signs is when he started to frustrate me a bit.
There are still clear moments of his obvious talent, like the night time corn field scene.
Whereas that climax is cringe-worthy.

The Village had its moments too ... then came the clunkers.

I thought Lady In The Water was beautiful, absurd but beautiful

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Salomé wrote:

I think Signs is when he started to frustrate me a bit.
There are still clear moments of his obvious talent, like the night time corn field scene.
Whereas that climax is cringe-worthy.

The Village had its moments too ... then came the clunkers.

I think I liked the Village more when I re-watched it a few years ago than I did when I saw it in theaters originally.
Still not what I would consider a grand cru Shyamalan, but as you say, it has its moments.

Well chaps, I had my Christmas Day Saturday just gone. What Hilly? Has he finally done himself a mischief? No. I wish I had. My brothers (and their respective others) are, for the first time I can recall, going to their respective...well, you know come the 25th so (what with 2020 being a balls up), we all gathered this weekend...

...anyway, after all is said and done the discussion is a movie. Queerly, my middle brother pushes for a certain film...

Love Actually

I can only recall seeing this once but this time I squirmed. Richard Curtis lays it on thick let's be honest. Like Moonraker (or whatever) there is something to enjoy and in this case it's Bill Nighy and Alan Rickman chiefly. (Around 2008, a friend and I were walking up Mayfair and I saw Nighy on the other side heading away...my friend wanted to go after him but I dissuaded ​her. I mean let's be real!)

It's a queer film as we have some solid actors here. I love Laura Linney at the best of times but I recall the first time when she gets a little starkers...Hilly you pig!

We have Neeson et al but it's a weird film. It's full on schmaltz. In the opening Grant is saying that on Sep11, 2001, those on the planes etc so I guess it's a byproduct of the age.

A thumbs up is God Only Knows. I don't care who you are but this is a bitchin' tune

At the time I liked Grant's PM sticking it to the president but what good would it do now?

Curtis can do one.

Regarding holiday viewings ... my wife permits me to rewatch the first TREK movie in its leisurely entirety every Thanksgiving, as my birthday always fall on that week and sometimes the very day -- which actually somewhat justified my being called 'turkey' during junior high. I can't tell if it is maturity encroaching as I hit 61 or just franchise fatigue, but I actually passed on watching it this year. Instead I just played the soundtrack for a few days.

Then again, as a confirmed Daltonite (or is that 'an old Daltonian'?) maybe I should conclude this is 'accidie' developing from too many decades of devotion to the original series and Deep Space 9.

Watched the first 45minutes of JACKIE BROWN on HBOMAX's TCM feed last night, and really enjoyed it, even though I'm not sure if Michael Keaton is playing the same guy he was in another Leonard, OUT OF SIGHT (I think they have the same first name.) Not quite understanding how I managed to avoid ever seeing it for so long, especially since I remember renting the laserdisc and duping to VHS (must have erased prior to viewing.) If this holds up when I watch the rest, maybe I'll give RESERVOIR DOGS another go (have failed to watch it through twice, but it has been 15 years since the last attempt.) I absolutely love KILL BILL 1, PULP FICTION, ONCE UPON A TIME and INGLORIOUS BASTERDS, but barely got through DJANGO and gave up after just a few minutes on HATEFUL EIGHT, so I'm very unsure as to what makes a QT flick work for me (and especially what makes one not work for me.)

I like to think that in my preferred timeline -- the one where NASA's budget increased during the 70s and we were building moonbases and taking manned Mars trips by the time Orwell//Reagan/1984 came round -- that QT got to make CR his way. Of course, I'm probably playing Bond in that version of history, with Miguel Ferrer as Felix Leiter, while George Clooney is working at Goodwill and having to moonlight as a journalist. Difference is that I would have stayed married to Talia Balsam.

Tradition in the Khan's yurt is Plains, Trains and Automobiles on Thanksgiving, and The Princess Bride on Christmas.

Sarai wrote:

what makes Shyamalan such a great director is you can tell he genuinely loves making movies and that comes across on screen
I still think many of his movies the general audience mock or rag on went over their heads.  he's much smarter than given credit for and has the intellect of a brilliant adult but a child's heart

Sarai wrote:

I thought Lady In The Water was beautiful, absurd but beautiful

I like your take on Shyamalan. Following Signs I gave Lady In the Water a watch the other night. His sentiment is far more consistent than I’d previously realized, thinking back also on Sixth Sense and forward to The Happening.

Btw your take on The Happening from a couple pages ago is great. Agree 100%.

Salomé wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Salomé wrote:

I think Signs is when he started to frustrate me a bit.
There are still clear moments of his obvious talent, like the night time corn field scene.
Whereas that climax is cringe-worthy.

The Village had its moments too ... then came the clunkers.

I think I liked the Village more when I re-watched it a few years ago than I did when I saw it in theaters originally.
Still not what I would consider a grand cru Shyamalan, but as you say, it has its moments.

I am curious to rewatch The Village soon with an eye towards this newly emerging picture of who he might be as a director. In the past I’ve kind of regarded him simply, that is as a horror guy who did twist endings.

Can anyone speak to his recent work? I’m curious about The Visit and Old. I might’ve seen Split but if so it was on in the background and none of it registered.

Hilly wrote:

Well chaps, I had my Christmas Day Saturday just gone. What Hilly? Has he finally done himself a mischief? No. I wish I had. My brothers (and their respective others) are, for the first time I can recall, going to their respective...well, you know come the 25th so (what with 2020 being a balls up), we all gathered this weekend...

...anyway, after all is said and done the discussion is a movie. Queerly, my middle brother pushes for a certain film...

Love Actually

I can only recall seeing this once but this time I squirmed. Richard Curtis lays it on thick let's be honest. Like Moonraker (or whatever) there is something to enjoy and in this case it's Bill Nighy and Alan Rickman chiefly. (Around 2008, a friend and I were walking up Mayfair and I saw Nighy on the other side heading away...my friend wanted to go after him but I dissuaded ​her. I mean let's be real!)

It's a queer film as we have some solid actors here. I love Laura Linney at the best of times but I recall the first time when she gets a little starkers...Hilly you pig!

We have Neeson et al but it's a weird film. It's full on schmaltz. In the opening Grant is saying that on Sep11, 2001, those on the planes etc so I guess it's a byproduct of the age.

A thumbs up is God Only Knows. I don't care who you are but this is a bitchin' tune

At the time I liked Grant's PM sticking it to the president but what good would it do now?

Curtis can do one.

Last Curtis film I saw was Yesterday. (Er, that’s not a when but a what.)

Perfectly harmless, as you’d expect. Lily James is charming and a pleasure to spend a couple hours with.

At the same time I’m looking at the slew of recent rock music flicks and thinking rock must really be dead (if there was any doubt remaining). Just in the last few years we’ve had the Elton John biopic, the Queen/Freddie Mercury biopic, that film about the Bruce Springsteen songs, Yesterday...I’m probably missing some.

Anyway, it seems to have really become a curiosity of the past.

Traditions at chez moi is the first 2 Die Hards and OHMSS, naturally. And Elf if I can remember where i put the DVD after watching it this time last year.

I found The Visit to be charming, funny and absolutely terrifying. If watched from a kids POV it's packed full of fear but also plays on the fear of getting old. just a great all around picture imo once again more empathizing fears, emotion and the experience itself over logic

Somerset wrote:

Sarai wrote:

what makes Shyamalan such a great director is you can tell he genuinely loves making movies and that comes across on screen
I still think many of his movies the general audience mock or rag on went over their heads.  he's much smarter than given credit for and has the intellect of a brilliant adult but a child's heart

Sarai wrote:

I thought Lady In The Water was beautiful, absurd but beautiful

I like your take on Shyamalan. Following Signs I gave Lady In the Water a watch the other night. His sentiment is far more consistent than I’d previously realized, thinking back also on Sixth Sense and forward to The Happening.

Btw your take on The Happening from a couple pages ago is great. Agree 100%.

Salomé wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Salomé wrote:

I think Signs is when he started to frustrate me a bit.
There are still clear moments of his obvious talent, like the night time corn field scene.
Whereas that climax is cringe-worthy.

The Village had its moments too ... then came the clunkers.

I think I liked the Village more when I re-watched it a few years ago than I did when I saw it in theaters originally.
Still not what I would consider a grand cru Shyamalan, but as you say, it has its moments.

I am curious to rewatch The Village soon with an eye towards this newly emerging picture of who he might be as a director. In the past I’ve kind of regarded him simply, that is as a horror guy who did twist endings.

Can anyone speak to his recent work? I’m curious about The Visit and Old. I might’ve seen Split but if so it was on in the background and none of it registered.

Hilly wrote:

Well chaps, I had my Christmas Day Saturday just gone. What Hilly? Has he finally done himself a mischief? No. I wish I had. My brothers (and their respective others) are, for the first time I can recall, going to their respective...well, you know come the 25th so (what with 2020 being a balls up), we all gathered this weekend...

...anyway, after all is said and done the discussion is a movie. Queerly, my middle brother pushes for a certain film...

Love Actually

I can only recall seeing this once but this time I squirmed. Richard Curtis lays it on thick let's be honest. Like Moonraker (or whatever) there is something to enjoy and in this case it's Bill Nighy and Alan Rickman chiefly. (Around 2008, a friend and I were walking up Mayfair and I saw Nighy on the other side heading away...my friend wanted to go after him but I dissuaded ​her. I mean let's be real!)

It's a queer film as we have some solid actors here. I love Laura Linney at the best of times but I recall the first time when she gets a little starkers...Hilly you pig!

We have Neeson et al but it's a weird film. It's full on schmaltz. In the opening Grant is saying that on Sep11, 2001, those on the planes etc so I guess it's a byproduct of the age.

A thumbs up is God Only Knows. I don't care who you are but this is a bitchin' tune

At the time I liked Grant's PM sticking it to the president but what good would it do now?

Curtis can do one.

Last Curtis film I saw was Yesterday. (Er, that’s not a when but a what.)

Perfectly harmless, as you’d expect. Lily James is charming and a pleasure to spend a couple hours with.

At the same time I’m looking at the slew of recent rock music flicks and thinking rock must really be dead (if there was any doubt remaining). Just in the last few years we’ve had the Elton John biopic, the Queen/Freddie Mercury biopic, that film about the Bruce Springsteen songs, Yesterday...I’m probably missing some.

Anyway, it seems to have really become a curiosity of the past.

I suppose The Doors came out too long ago to fit in with your theory, but I do like the theory all the same. Pop music in general has been dead to me since 1992.

Hilly wrote:

Love Actually

I can only recall seeing this once but this time I squirmed. Richard Curtis lays it on thick let's be honest. Like Moonraker (or whatever) there is something to enjoy and in this case it's Bill Nighy and Alan Rickman chiefly. (Around 2008, a friend and I were walking up Mayfair and I saw Nighy on the other side heading away...my friend wanted to go after him but I dissuaded ​her. I mean let's be real!)

It's a queer film as we have some solid actors here. I love Laura Linney at the best of times but I recall the first time when she gets a little starkers...Hilly you pig!

We have Neeson et al but it's a weird film. It's full on schmaltz. In the opening Grant is saying that on Sep11, 2001, those on the planes etc so I guess it's a byproduct of the age.

A thumbs up is God Only Knows. I don't care who you are but this is a bitchin' tune

At the time I liked Grant's PM sticking it to the president but what good would it do now?

Curtis can do one.

You Scrooge.  Love Actually is requisite holiday viewing for me, with OHMSS, Die Hard, It’s a Wonderful Life, Holiday Inn, The Holiday and Bad Santa.

Trev wrote:

Watched the first 45minutes of JACKIE BROWN on HBOMAX's TCM feed last night, and really enjoyed it, even though I'm not sure if Michael Keaton is playing the same guy he was in another Leonard, OUT OF SIGHT (I think they have the same first name.) Not quite understanding how I managed to avoid ever seeing it for so long, especially since I remember renting the laserdisc and duping to VHS (must have erased prior to viewing.) If this holds up when I watch the rest, maybe I'll give RESERVOIR DOGS another go (have failed to watch it through twice, but it has been 15 years since the last attempt.) I absolutely love KILL BILL 1, PULP FICTION, ONCE UPON A TIME and INGLORIOUS BASTERDS, but barely got through DJANGO and gave up after just a few minutes on HATEFUL EIGHT, so I'm very unsure as to what makes a QT flick work for me (and especially what makes one not work for me.)

Jackie Brown is top 3 Tarantino for me. I recently rewatched it and it held up for me. Far superior to Pulp Fiction which I find a little overrated. I also love IB and OUATIH. I’ve seen Hateful Eight only once but I really enjoyed that. Django needed to be about 40 minutes shorter.

Regarding Reservoir Dogs, I’ve also seen it twice (once recently to give it another try). It’s a struggle. I can’t connect with it in any way. Easily at the bottom of a Tarantino ranking for me.

Raiders Of The Lost Ark - granted it's more a movie that's on telly at Christmas a lot rather than an actual Christmas movie (religious McGuffin-centric story notwithstanding), but ... 'tis the season for classic favourites, no?

And 40 years on, this very much still is ... one of the finest action-adventures (outside of Bond) ever made, no less. The action (and score) still stir the blood, the gags still land, the amount of gore gotten away with in a PG-rated movie still surprises.

Die Hard/Die Hard 2 - annual festive rewatch. Yippee-ki-ay, present-wrappers!

Perilagu Khan wrote:

I suppose The Doors came out too long ago to fit in with your theory, but I do like the theory all the same. Pop music in general has been dead to me since 1992.

I haven’t seen The Doors but I think part of the recent phenomenon (if there is one) is also about having the rock songs embedded into the film to act as the songs in a musical would.

Why ‘92 in specific?

Somerset wrote:

Perilagu Khan wrote:

I suppose The Doors came out too long ago to fit in with your theory, but I do like the theory all the same. Pop music in general has been dead to me since 1992.

I haven’t seen The Doors but I think part of the recent phenomenon (if there is one) is also about having the rock songs embedded into the film to act as the songs in a musical would.

Why ‘92 in specific?

It was in '92 that I could no longer find any contemporary pop music that interested me enough that I would actually buy it on CD. Pop music became dull, then offensive, then unlistenable.

yep, it's been nothing but downhill since dion and the belmonts and the dave clark five

I remember a few catchy tunes into the early 80s (wasn't Garry Numan's CARS from that decade?), but 60s and 70s are pretty much it for me pop-wise (starting with Apache), except for some early rocknroll standards predating me. I really like the ambitious sound of a lot of mid-to-late 70s rock (Edgar Winter Group's Frankenstein leaps to mind), especially where you have a minute-long instrumental run-up before the voice inevitably intrudes. I still have a hard time watching the Enterprise from the movies leave its orbital dock without imagining Kansas' Borne on Wings of Steel playing, as I heard that at a laser light planetarium show shortly before the first TREK movie came out. When I read that the ENTERPRISE series would use a vocal, that was the only thing coming to mind that should fit, though after seeing how bad that series was, maybe it deserved its dismal theme tune, which I deliberately misremember as 'I've got faith that I'll fart.'

For film soundtracks, the love affair went on a bit longer, well into the late 90s, but it also mostly starts in the 60s: Goldsmith mainly, plus Williams and Bernstein and sometimes Mancini (and despite the fact that I think Horner should have been sued to debtor's prison for thievery, some of his stuff also.) Then it seemed like a certain volume of sound replaced melody with the turn of the century.

Not saying it is all blue Mondays, as I liked a lot of INTERSTELLAR, but for me there's little differentiation in most stuff now. I literally could not right now hum a single theme from any Marvel film. Then again, I also notice that MCU stuff is kind of like popcorn, tasty when you eat it, but soon thereafter you've forgotten that you ate and wonder why you have a sick stomach following the devouring of a full meal. So maybe the MCU is not good for our moviegoing health?

Finished watching JACKIE BROWN and did really enjoy it, largely for Robert Forster, who we always found to be a criminally underused resource in the business. Thought it was weird his character's driver's license indicated he was born in 1948 though -- the guy looked young for his age, but not that young (and then the license is contradicted by him saying he was in his late 50s, so once again the devil is in the details ... didn't somebody say that Blofeld's birth info is off in NTTD?

Hot Fuzz - the second of Pegg, Frost and Wright's 'Cornetto Trilogy' remains a glorious parody of/homage to action movies (along with many other things), particularly those of the 'mismatched cop duo' variety.

Sarai wrote:

yep, it's been nothing but downhill since dion and the belmonts and the dave clark five

Heh. I sense my post didn't exactly make you "glad all over."

trevanian wrote:

Not saying it is all blue Mondays, as I liked a lot of INTERSTELLAR, but for me there's little differentiation in most stuff now. I literally could not right now hum a single theme from any Marvel film.

The ability to compose a melody, or even a hook, has all but vanished. As intelligence declines, so do the manifestations of intelligence.

Is it ability or willingness? It's like some folks are now considering the use of thematic material corny, the same way I guess that I often don't think much of scores that sound just like classical music without a 'movie' feel (I'd cite BATTLE OF BRITAIN as an example - love the movie, but the music just seems to be coming in from another concert hall rather than being for the film itself.)

I hasten to add that I don't know anything about music except what I like and love and hate, so I have no idea if all the good arrangement of notes into themes have been used up, but I have to think that isn't the case, because, you know, mathematics and infinite possible combinations.

Musical permutations are literally endless. So, there is all sorts of good music to be written. But musical genius, like all other forms of genius, is becoming increasingly scarce. Not only do we not produce Beethovens anymore, we don't produce Dmitri Tiomkins either.

nm

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Sarai wrote:

yep, it's been nothing but downhill since dion and the belmonts and the dave clark five

Heh. I sense my post didn't exactly make you "glad all over."

No, just a joke that didn't really land in text.

Rock music has always been about pretending to be rebellious and against the establishment while really just another propaganda arm of govt.
the band called Rage Against the Machine wearing an "I am with her" Hillary Clinton T says it all.
but it was the same even in the 60's with their Marxist bs......all pretty lame really