Last Movie you Watched?

G section wrote:

Makeshift Python wrote:

Oh yeah, on Gremlins one thing always amazes me: The elaborate puppetry. All done in front of a camera. No CGI. Today a film like this would have them all done in CGI. Although I think Rick Baker's work in Gremlins 2: The New Batch is far more impressive work.

There's rumored to be a third Gremlins film in the works, with Joe Dante involved (not sure if he's at the helm), so it would be interesting to see if CGI really would be used or not. I think Baker's work on An American Werewolf in London is where it's at, but Rob Bottin's special effects work for Dante's The Howling is equally impressive. So if Dante decides not to use CGI, would he use Baker or Bottin? Providing both are available, it's a tough decision.

Yeah, I've heard of that but I don't think it'll happen. Dante believed that there was too much of a gap between the first two flicks so making a third movie 21 years later seems unlikely. However I wouldn't be surprised if the studio decided to do a reboot because that's the craze.

Haven't posted in a while, so I've got some catching up to do...

TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (first viewing)
The classic adventure film. The performances by all three leads are obviously very good, as is the screenplay. The film also looked and felt very authentic to me, which is quite an achievement for a film from this era. In the end, I was hoping for a little more, considering the kind of reputation this film has. But, I still had a lot of fun with it and it's understandable why this flick is considered a classic.
8/10


APOCALYPTO (first viewing)
It's essentially a thinly veiled chase film. Gibson shows off his technical skills here, as the costumes, makeup, sets, and camera work are all very impressive. He's also a master of creating moods and setting a tone. However, I couldn't help but think that Gibson's depiction of Mayan life in the jungle was slightly...modernized. It's as if we're looking at the Mayans through Gibson's rosy-colored glasses, not how they actually behaved or existed historically. I had hard time accepting the antagonist saying "That guy is fucked" or the Mayan jungle people just peacefully sitting around the campfire singing kumbaya. The film's "message" worked well enough for me, even though it wasn't as deep or complex as I would liked to have thought. A fine film, if you can take it at face value.
8/10

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD (first viewing)

I found it to be a lot of fun, despite the protagonist's almost annoyingly reluctant behavior throughout the film. It's stylistically very distinctive, which was refreshing. A lot of great laughs, too. I got a kick out of Wright's comments likening the films fight sequences to a musical, something that I kept thinking while watching them. Oh, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead is hot.
8/10

BLOW OUT (first viewing)
Definitely my favorite DePalma so far. What a slick little film. Travolta is ace in this, so much so that I can't imagine anyone else playing his role. The film moves and flows very nicely. It doesn't let up, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. And boy, what an unforgettable ending! It really helps put the whole thing in perspective, and it truly elevates the film to new heights. It's almost the perfect thriller, if not for the car chase at the end (which felt out of place to me) and some rather stupid writing involving Travolta's character. I can ignore it, though, because the rest of the film is so magnificent.
9/10

Usually following an early morning shift I dont watch a movie due to the immense tiredness involved, however todays finished at only 10am (rather than the usual 3pm or 4pm), and I couldnt get back to sleep, so after hours of boredom I bit the bullet and watched:



Fantastic Voyage (1966) Dir. Richard Fleischer

I admired a lot of the style of it at the start, but once we actually went into the body it became a bit too campy and a bit too slow for my tastes, and I picked the Pleasance twist extremely early. Though we get Arthur Kennedy brandishing a massive laser, which is always good. Its not as good as the awesomeness of his TRIAL performance (which I caught a snippet of on TV today), but he's still got presence.

Have to say though the most fun was had with the banter of Arthur O'Connell (always great) and Edmond O'Brien.

dr. strangelove wrote:

APOCALYPTO (first viewing)
It's essentially a thinly veiled chase film. Gibson shows off his technical skills here, as the costumes, makeup, sets, and camera work are all very impressive. He's also a master of creating moods and setting a tone. However, I couldn't help but think that Gibson's depiction of Mayan life in the jungle was slightly...modernized. It's as if we're looking at the Mayans through Gibson's rosy-colored glasses, not how they actually behaved or existed historically. I had hard time accepting the antagonist saying "That guy is fucked" or the Mayan jungle people just peacefully sitting around the campfire singing kumbaya.

I always thought this was designed as a parallel to the modern decline of the West. Far enough from Sodom and Gomorrah to dodge the secular liberal press, yet still minting a clear similarity to the contemporary world. I don' think it's really to meant to be seen as an authentic representation of historical fact. More of an allegory - built around the framework of a chase movie.

colly wrote:

I admired a lot of the style of it at the start, but once we actually went into the body it became a bit too campy and a bit too slow for my tastes, and I picked the Pleasance twist extremely early. Though we get Arthur Kennedy brandishing a massive laser, which is always good. Its not as good as the awesomeness of his TRIAL performance (which I caught a snippet of on TV today), but he's still got presence.

RE: The body stuff I can manage, mainly thanks to Leonard Rosenman's evocative music. One of my favourite sci-fi scores .Right up there with his REBEL, EAST OF EDEN and LORD OF THE RINGS work, in my book.



It was as a very bold and influential move to have the music start 40 minutes in - rare at the time for a mainstream Hollywood flick. I like the weird musique concrète composed for the main titles, which was apparently all made by the sound fx guys. That Proteus has got to be the most beautiful sub every designed.

It was a family favourite as a kid, mainly appearing on Saturday/Sunday afternoons in the mid to late 90s, here in the UK. It terrified me at first. The sets, artworks, Raquel Welch molested by antibodies, and the underscore - stuck in my memory. I think it formed my love for 20th century classical and film music at a young age.

The Adjustment Bureau

Not really what I expected. It's a decent movie with sympathetic leads, but the supporting cast and the execution of the story I found weak. At times it feels like a smaller-scale alternative to the likes of Inception and The Matrix, but is ultimately underwhelming.

Got about 30 minutes into MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS before pulling the pin. That film is classic MGM at its absolute worst. :x

"Hiya, Sam!"

Callaway Went Thataway (1951) Dir. Melvin Frank and Norman Panama

Terrifically hilarious, sweetly heartwarming and often sizzlingly satirical.

Its 1951, and the American home is being invaded. Not by the Reds, but by television, and especially by Z-grade Westerns - decade-old oaters full of no-names, cliches and all kinds of woeful aspects, but the kids love em. And none more so than the ones starring Smoky Callaway, so in a rather natural step, Smoky's becoming big business in merchanidse, events and all sorts of public relations that will make advertising execs Fred MacMurray and Dorothy McGuire rich. Except for one thing.

They need Smoky. And Smoky disappeared a decade ago in a haze of alcohol. Damn.

A chance letter leads them to Stretch Barnes (played by the terrific Howard Keel), who's writing to them because his simple ranching lifestyle is being disrupted by the fact he's a dead ringer for Smoky. One offer-he-can't-refuse later, Stretch is playing Smoky for the screen, for the billboards, and for life itself - the pic above is when he meets Clark Gable, and with no idea who he is, calls him Sam. He also meets Elizabeth Taylor and Esther Williams, but its the Gable moment thats just side-splitting hilarious.

Or course we can't go on like this - Stretch has doubts (and feelings for McGuire) and even worse, the real Smoky turns up, drunk as a skunk but money hungry. And the whole applecart's in danger again. As someone on IMDB wrote, its kind of a comedic version of A FACE IN THE CROWD, and it's got a really heroic ending that has me wanting to go watch some Westerns.

"you mean I'm in another f*cking western!?"

Tall Man Riding (1955) Dir. Lesley Selander

In the 50s, Dorothy Malone appeared in a hell of a lot of Westerns. An accomplished actress for sure (she won an oscar in '56 for WRITTEN ON THE WIND, which was not a Western), she couldn't escape them - looking from 1955 onwards she appeared in:

FIVE GUNS WEST (1955) - directed by Roger Corman
TALL MAN RIDING (1955)
AT GUNPOINT (1955) - with Fred MacMurray
TENSION AT TABLE ROCK (1956) - with Richard Egan
PILLARS OF THE SKY (1956) - with Jeff Chandler
QUANTEZ (1957) - with Fred MacMurray (again)
WARLOCK (1959) - with Widmark, Fonda and Quinn
THE LAST SUNSET (1961) - with Kirk and Rock

as well as more in the earlier years of the decade. From the ones that I've seen (I've bolded them), its arguably the strongest role she gets beyond being a mere plot diverson.

As rare enough as it is to get one strong heroine in a Western pic, in this one we've got 2, as Peggie Castle also brings the goods as a dancehall girl, they're both connected with mysterious stranger Randolph Scott, who rides into town after 5 years away. The plot that follow's a bit muddled, but there's a nice atmosphere to it and those 3 performances mentioned are solid, so it gets by nicely. :)

Gunga Din (1939)
Dir. George Stevens

"Eight feet away from where I'm sitting, right here, there's enough gold to make me the sole owner and proprietor of a pub as big as the Crystal Palace. Best pub in Hampshire. "

A delight. They really don't make 'em like this anymore. The inspiration for notable films such as Temple Of Doom and The Man Who Would Be King (another Kipling yarn), this is the adventure film at its best. Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Victor McLaglen are our three swashbuckling heroes of Her Majesty The Queen's Royal Engineers, sent to investigate the loss of contact with a British outpost in colonial India. Upon arrival at this ghost town, the trio witness the mysterious Thuggee cult in action - their Guru wonderfully played by Eduardo Ciannelli who gets quite possibly the greatest villain quote ever. Fueled by Grant's passion (greed) for treasure, McLaglen's love of gun battles (and elephants) and Fairbank's sense of adventure, the three embark on a quest that will ultimately end in tragedy and bravery. But who's this tagging along? Gunga Din (Sam Jaffe), a loyal water-bearer, who longs to become a soldier and adventurer and it is his act of bravery that Kipling pays tribute to in his poem. While there's a focus on Grant's comical character more than anyone else, the three leads are all equally superb and share a chemistry that is certainly matched by Caine, Connery and Plummer, 40 years on in aforementioned The Man Who Would Be King. But that's another film. There are so many hilarious moments that it would be impossible to mention them all (the drugging of a bowl of punch showcases Grant's perfect comic timing) and the action is often exciting, unfortunately the final battle scene lacks energy or any real sense of danger, but the score is wonderful and the ending packs a punch. As I said, a delight.

4/5

I loved the mateship involved in GUNGA DIN - I'd agree the ending's a tad of a letdown but the rest is pure adventure. :)

Tonight - an Errol Flynn war double.



Desperate Journey (1942) Dir. Raoul Walsh

We begin with an allied bomber crew - made up of an Australian (Flynn), an American (Ronald Reagan), a Canadian (Arthur Kennedy!), an old bloke who's snuck into the force by dying his hair, and because his son was killed at Dunkirk (Alan Hale), a young Brit (Ronald Sinclair) and the other usual flight crew - who undertake a daring bombing raid on a far East German railway, and are shot down, captured by none other than Raymond Massey (Warners was clearly filling these early capers with allstar casts). What follows is an adventure thats as preposterous and "boys own" as it is enjoyable - the boys break out of Massey's office and steal some crucial secret documents, the only thing now is for them to get home....

The biggest asset this film has is that its directed by Raoul Walsh - the man was one hell of an action director and takes the ever more outlandish plot developments in his stride, staging masterful explosions, raids, gunfights and an absolutely awesome carchase across the Dutch-German border. There's some terrible humour at tthe start (the Australian joke about finding fifth columnists in kangaroo pouches is particularly cringe inducing), and Alan Hale's a drag on it all, but it works mostly as a less heavy version of some of the action romps of later years - films like WHERE EAGLES DARE et al have a similar men-on-a-mission vibe. Plus its got an absolutely amazing final shot. Naturally enough theres a woman thrown in (Nancy Coleman, who is not as boring as some other Warners starlets), but theres no romance and shes an undergrounder. Thank god for that.



Edge Of Darkness (1943) Dir. Lewis Milestone

Wow.

This is truly one of the great war films - and its only ever been available as part of this 5 pack. That said I have bought it for other films (especially OBJECTIVE, BURMA!) too.

We're in Norway, a small fishing village of 800 Norwegians and 100 odd German soldiers. Strongly oppressed, the Norwegians lay in wait for the day the British send arms and they can fight back. A terrific cast of Flynn, Ann Sheridan, Walter Huston, Judith Anderson lead the line (Nancy Coleman and Ruth Gordon arent up to their standard), the townspeople fold in magnificently and what results is a film thats truly courageous, heroic, but also uncompromising and brutal. And for 1943 as well. I spose there was no reason to hide death anymore, no laughs, no gimmicks - just heroism in the face of oppression. People who'll die for freedom. Outstanding.

And may I say the TCM spotlight do terrific restorations - these looked amazing.

The new Star Trek.

I was pleasantly surprised. The lens flares were bloody annoying, mind, and the plot was thin to say the least. But I thought the main characters did a damn fine job mimicking the originals without being a parody. Kirk's breathy 'Spock!' made me giggle at one point.

I know everyone hates it, but I quite enjoyed it.

I liked it too, Rave ... but yeah, that's best kept to yourself around here .

Blunt Instrument wrote:

I liked it too, Rave ... but yeah, that's best kept to yourself around here .

You know me - never backwards in coming forwards. :D

I liked it too but I'm not fussy. I did like that the new actors did a good job of mimicking the originals as well. I'm a fan of the original series but have watched virtually zilch of the spin-offs so its nice to get the old gang back for a fresh re-booted ride.

Deja vu it seems. Last night a friend was commenting on watching Trek XI and really liking it. It seems her driving force for liking it was the fact there was no William Shatner.

What's that tired phrase? To each their own.

:)

GREEN LANTERN (2011)

Might as well have been called "Green Screen." Yet another wholly shallow comic book affair that doesn't even deliver enough cheap thrills to make it a rewarding experience. Far too much exposition makes the film a bore, and when it finally feels like it's taking off, the film's final set piece is seemingly over before it gets going.

Only redeeming qualities were Blake Lively's hotness and Parallax. Other than that, "Green Lantern" is par for the course when it comes to superhero flicks.

1.5/5

I watched BATMAN BEGINS earlier tonight. I was gonna do a double bill with TDK, but I just watched that two weeks ago. I've gone over their flaws. I think the stories, plots, and themes are sound, but they need the touch the a real writer. They need more finesse. And as Sharky says, they're one-note.

But I find them very engaging. I'm extremely interested to see what happens in TDKR, and it how it completes the trilogy. I hope it looks and feels more like the first film. TDK is just a bit too alien for Batman, though I understand the intent.

The Horse Soldiers (1959) Dir. John Ford

Good, but not great, civil war pic that plays as a more expansive, Fordian and Northern version of THE RAID - The Duke's leading a smash and grab raid deep into Rebel territory in order to destroy a crucial railroad town. The Duke's a tough nut who'll push his men every step of the way, but things get complicated when he's saddled with a surgeon (William Holden) and, because she overhears their plans, an annoying Southern belle, played the annoying Constance Towers. The drama between the 3 characters never really hits any great notes and usually just serves to slow the film down. Kinda works, kinda doesnt.

Though I finally found out the name of that ugly bloke who appears in all those Ford films - Jack Pennick.



He's the one next to Ward Bond.

THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER 10/10
Such a haunting film.

A FACE IN THE CROWD 9/10
Andy Griffith is awesome in this film.

TOUCH OF EVIL 10/10
One of the best.

All films from Chris Isaak's guest programmer selection on TCM. He had a damn good line-up.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

But I find them very engaging. I'm extremely interested to see what happens in TDKR, and it how it completes the trilogy. I hope it looks and feels more like the first film. TDK is just a bit too alien for Batman, though I understand the intent.

Agreed. That's one of my biggest issues with "The Dark Knight." I don't really buy some of the reasons for "nuGotham" — Christ, a city doesn't change like that in three years. So much for realism.

I think it's set only one year after.

The city itself I can buy as the same city. It's mostly shot in broad daylight, and the cityscapes are so nebulous to begin with. I just wish they had included the train in some shots.

Colt .45 (1950) Dir. Edwin L. Marin

Its nowhere near as game changing as its similarly named WINCHESTER '73, its a passably enjoyable 75 minutes in which Randolph Scott tracks down slimy villain Zachary Scott who stole his pair of Colt .45s, the best gun in the west. The decent cast throws in Lloyd Bridges as one of Scott's sidekicks, an ageing Alan Hale (in his second last film) as a crooked sheriff and the spunky Ruth Roman's in there as well.

Star Trek : First Contact - easily the best of the Next Gen flicks, and hugely enjoyable. Strange how most of the CGI in this 15 year old movie looks more convincing than some of what I've seen in the Green Lantern trailer .

Northern Pursuit (1943) Dir. Raoul Walsh

Another entertaining Flynn pic that (like DESPERATE JOURNEY) has the virtue of having Raoul Walsh as director - he takes an outlandish situation and makes it thrilling through his sense of action. This one's got Flynn as a Candian mountie up in the uninhabited North - the scene of a covert landing by a group of German soldiers, who are aiming to get to a camp. Their first expedition is thwarted by an avalanche, and their leader (the sublime Helmut Dantine) is captured by Flynn and sent to an internment camp. Set free by fifth columnists, Dantine and some others need to get to that camp. Being a German Born, Flynn's taken the initiative and, by help of the mounties, is set up as a traitor willing to help the Germans. By 1943 the "foolish enemy" stereotype had been banished and the Germans see right through his plot, so they take his girlfriend (the lovely Julie Bishop) hostage in order to ensure his help. I havent explained it that well but it includes a terrific ski chase, some cold blooded Nazi villainy (Dantine shoots a bloke who surrenders to him with his hands up) and an awfully tacked on happy ending.

Hangover II

Its the original in Thailand. Still hilarious if not a tad disturbing in parts. Well, not really disturbing tbh ... just odd.