Last Movie You Watched.

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

Not among the best Marvel movies, few of those have come out in later years, but it does have a couple of good scenes. I watched this primarily to see how they introduced Namor into this universe, and I guess they did a reasonably good job with that. Not completely horrible, but not something I want to see again, either.

TRUE ROMANCE. I hate the levels of smoke in the film, but that is probably my only complaint, as I've always found it to be both fun and consistently engaging. In general I don't consider myself all that impressed with Tony Scott, but have to admit that THE LAST BOY SCOUT, CRIMSON TIDE and TR are tremendously rewatchable. ROMANCE is the only one of these three that I didn't see in the theatre -- saw the other pair two or three times apiece -- but when I got to the Hopper monolog, I knew this was something special. Actually I probably felt like during the Gary Oldman part, even earlier, and I often imagine him using that voice as Vlad, just to give myself a chuckle. This was I guess part of a Slaterthon (Christian, not Jack), since we watched BROKEN ARROW right before. Score really propels it.

trevanian, I did see TR in the cinema, and remember that I loved it. Will have to watch it again someday.

KAMPEN OM NARVIK

This was pretty good, and it focuses on the human side of things and what motivates people. Crazy that the freedom people fought for back then is so readily given away today.

OLSEN-BANDEN OG DYNAMITT-HARRY GÅR AMOK (The Olsen Gang and Dynamite Harry run amuck)
The 4th film was the first I saw at the age of seven. I can still remember what an impression some scenes made on my young self. I can also reflect on how the police used to just look a little weird back then, as opposed to now when they just look like maniacs.

OLSENBANDENS SISTE BEDRIFTER (The Olsen Gangs last escapade)

Several memorable moments in each of these films. This is no exception. In retrospect it is funny what sticks with you as a kid. This 6th film from the mid 70s was maybe the best since the first.

Wild Mountain Thyme - one of those movies about which you can't quite believe that the cast read the script and still agreed to do it, this gloriously terrible Irish romantic drama features Emily Blunt, Jamie Dornan, Jon Hamm and Christopher Walken making (as we say in Ireland) terrible eejits of themselves. Allegedly set nowadays but (apart from the car designs) you'd be forgiven for thinking it was 60 years ago, 'paddywhackery' cliches abound and atrocious dialogue is delivered in, erm ... let's say wandering accents. Absolutely (albeit unintentionally) hilarious.

RED DRAGON (2002)



This one was good, but I do not think so good as Mann's original Manhunter, which maybe had the advantage of existing before Silence of the Lambs. That was not so influenced by Manhunter as Red Dragon appears to have been influenced by Silence.

Fear Is The Key - early 70s action-thriller based on an Alastair Maclean novel in which Barry Newman contrives to infiltrate the organisation that killed his wife, son and brother (by shooting down a plane they were on) because they were after its cargo of diamonds. Not bad ... moves along at a fair old lick and it was the screen debut of Ben Kingsley, no less.

original FRENCH CONNECTION. Had only seen the second one in the theater and for decades preferred it to the original (mainly for the final chase and the heroin addiction sequences), but I've finally come round on this original and see a lot more than just a great car chase. This is probably the fourth or fifth time I've seen it, but I'm really seeing a lot of what Friedkin talked about in various books I have. Always of two minds about the guy (still PO'd he walked away from the Harlan Ellison version of THE SPIRIT, which would have been pure Will Eisner, and ashamed for him for taking credit on MINSKY'S given it was almost totally reworked in post w/o any input from him), but when he was 'on' he was really 'on.'

THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS
I was disappointed by this. It looks great, but is obviously meant to be a comedy, and as such it ought to be funny. It is not, in the slightest. Interesting seeing Polanski himself in one of the main roles.

Angel Has Fallen - the third in the ' ... Has Fallen' franchise, this sees Gerard Butler's Secret Service agent Mike Banning framed for an assassination attempt on Morgan Freeman's President Trumbull and him going on the run to clear his name and to take out those really behind the plot. Nothing Earth-shattering, but perfectly acceptable Saturday-night-with-beer action entertainment. Also starring Danny Huston, Jada Pinkett-Smith and (in a hoot of a turn) Nick Nolte as Banning's 'off-grid' Dad.

X - in the summer of '79, a group of aspiring porno film-makers rent a guest-house on a Texan farm intending to use it to shoot a movie. However, when the elderly farm owners discover what they're up to they're none too happy ...

This take on slasher flicks contains the expected splattery gore and nods to other horrors whilst also working in themes like the elderly being jealous of youth having their whole lives in front of them (and of youth being freaked out by the old providing a unwelcome glimpse of their potential future). Pretty good stuff.

Entrapment

I've caught decent swathes of this movie on TV over the last 20 years, but not sure I've ever watched from start to finish until now. Definitely recall enjoying previous viewings, but my memories must be deceiving, because it was kinda disappointing.

Mediocre writing and a threadbare plot is how I would characterise it. The 'heists,' few and far between as they are, are pulled off effortlessly with little to no suspense.

I think the reason I remembered this as a good movie is 10% James Bond is in it, 90% CZJ being a smokeshow.

CJB wrote:

Entrapment

I've caught decent swathes of this movie on TV over the last 20 years, but not sure I've ever watched from start to finish until now. Definitely recall enjoying previous viewings, but my memories must be deceiving, because it was kinda disappointing.

Mediocre writing and a threadbare plot is how I would characterise it. The 'heists,' few and far between as they are, are pulled off effortlessly with little to no suspense.

I think the reason I remembered this as a good movie is 10% James Bond is in it, 90% CZJ being a smokeshow.

I know I have seen this, but I remember nothing from it.

Don't think I've ever caught the entire thing myself, CJB. Doubt it'd get made today ... the age difference between Zeta-Jones and Connery would mean he was some sort of creepy misogynistic predator blah blah blah.

Phantom Commander wrote:

I know I have seen this, but I remember nothing from it.

It is largely forgettable. As mentioned, there are only really two heists and Connery/CZJ seem to get away with pretty minimal effort.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Don't think I've ever caught the entire thing myself, CJB. Doubt it'd get made today ... the age difference between Zeta-Jones and Connery would mean he was some sort of creepy misogynistic predator blah blah blah.

Indeed, not to mention Connery's character menaces CZJ a couple times and she still goes gaga for him. Didn't buy the chemistry between them anyway, but that's more a product of the writing than the age gap.

Tolkien - decent and ultimately quite moving biopic of the LOTR creator's formative years, with Nicholas Hoult and Colm Meaney.

CJB wrote:

Phantom Commander wrote:

I know I have seen this, but I remember nothing from it.

It is largely forgettable. As mentioned, there are only really two heists and Connery/CZJ seem to get away with pretty minimal effort.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Don't think I've ever caught the entire thing myself, CJB. Doubt it'd get made today ... the age difference between Zeta-Jones and Connery would mean he was some sort of creepy misogynistic predator blah blah blah.

Indeed, not to mention Connery's character menaces CZJ a couple times and she still goes gaga for him. Didn't buy the chemistry between them anyway, but that's more a product of the writing than the age gap.

IMO, CZJ was clearly gaga for Connery for real, though maybe not to the level Honor Blackman seems to have been. I've watched ENTRAPMENT several times (usually the same weekends I rewatch Broz' THOMAS CROWN) and always enjoy it, but it does run a little long. And Will Patton with the black moustache makes me think maybe they were hoping for Hector Elizondo. But the miniature VFX of the tower is utterly superb, and I actually buy the emotion in the story.

Incidentally, is the age dif between CZJ and Sean all that much more than the dif between, say, Craig and the De Armas woman in the last Bond movie?

Back on topic ... saw TIME BANDITS DVD for first re-view in ages, still fun, but also still very sluggish in the early going.

Then on to BRAZIL on Blu-Ray ... man, what a gorgeous movie, from ingenious art direction to ... well, just about everything else! Some of the most beautiful miniature flying effects ever (if this guy had been on DAD, maybe somebody would have tried a practical solution for the parasurfing instead of the CG awfulness), and the film just works for me. I have often thought my first view opinion of it would have been higher if I hadn't just seen HIGHLANDER in another theater, which totally blew me away.

Guess I'll dig out the DVD of MUNCHAUSEN next, though I know that has some slow stuff as well. But Gilliam's so-called trilogy has got some awesome imagery, that should help overcome the drag.

The Hit (1984), directed by Stephen Frears and starring Tim Roth, John Hurt and Terence Stamp. The film is about a contract killing of a bloke who informed on his fellow gangsters. But it's not your everyday gangland flick. Oh no. There is very real and genuine human drama here, as well as an extremely interesting philosophical spin. And it is very nearly a perfect film. Among British films, it ranks up very near the top along with the likes of Don't Look Now and OHMSS.

Had a double-bill (via the ITVX streaming service) of 'how the hell did I not end up renting these on VHS back in the day?' last night - Days Of Thunder and Weekend At Bernie's.

The former was clearly an attempt by Simpson and Bruckheimer, Tony Scott and Cruise to replicate the success of Top Gun with stock cars in place of fighter jets. It's well-paced and the plentiful race action is thrillingly staged. With Robert Duvall, Nicole Kidman, Michael Rooker, Randy Quaid and John C. Reilly.

The latter is a knockabout black-comedy farce, with 2 employees of an accountancy firm (Johnathan Silverman and Andrew McCarthy) invited to their boss' Hamptons home for the weekend only for him to be murdered just before they arrive and they have to pretend that he's still very much alive. Probably not a classic, but there were enough gleefully bad-taste gags in it to keep me chuckling.

BI, I saw both of those in the cinema back in the day. I cannot remember much from either, but think I enjoyed both reasonably well at the time.

Yeah, found it a good double-bill for a weekend night.

Eat Locals - cheap 'n' cheerful Brit comedy horror, in which the UK's vampires gather for their every-50-years meeting only to find themselves under attack from the military.

Conan The Barbarian (1982) - a slackly-paced fantasy adventure that also takes itself far too seriously, sporadically enlivened by tits (not Arnie's) and giant snakes (one for the Freudians there, maybe).

Some cracker writing in Conan and an outstanding soundtrack to boot.

The China Syndrome (1979)--Regardless of how one feels about nuclear power and the alleged heroism of the media, this is one helluva film. The great Jack Lemmon gives a performance for the ages. Was released 12 days before the near meltdown at Three Mile Island. One of the characters in the film, in describing "the China syndrome" states that, if it were to happen, an area the size of Pennsylvania would be rendered uninhabitable. I'm not sure I believe in coincidences--a double coincidence, really--this remote.

Incidentally, this film bears a striking resemblance to my favorite film of all time, Fail Safe (1964), which starred Henry Fonda. Daughter Jane had one of the leads in The China Syndrome.