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What Is The Last Film You Watched? (Older Films)


Mr. Breathmask

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Speaking of...

 

The Search for Spock

 

It's OK, a bit of a mixed bag. Has genuine moments of awe or fun, as well as some cheap or TV-ey pperformances, sets and direction. Likeable character moments but not much real growth and I think Lloyd really doesn't fit in here, especially right after Montalbán. Some effects are great, the Bird of Prey is a beauty, some are not. Score has great highlights, but I feel at times too understated or just not utilised often enough - the finale going into the B part of the TV  opening is just straight up overly cheesy! Will have to look into it more before getting it.

 

 

The Voyage Home

 

How do you follow that up? Copy the setup from TMP, skimp on the probe design, save on sets by going in the backyard and down the block, go for a fish-out-of-water (or mammal) element with many many plot conveniences, throw in incredibly heavyhanded environmentalism... And it's still pretty entertaining throughout, be it intentionally amusing or not. That score though... Horner already moved away from Goldsmith's soundscape but into its own distinct and fitting thing, now we get this... whatever, a mixture of nondescript tension stingers and stuff that evokes Don Bluth cartoons more than scifi adventure? At least it's barely in it. Bleh. Skip!

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15 hours ago, Alexcremers said:

The lesson here is: You've said all there is to say. Enough is enough! 

 

Not that this isn't true, but there's also another lesson here.

 

For all the difficulting of the first film in a trilogy (which has to get the thing off of the ground without getting bogged down) or the middle chapter, the concluding piece is by far the most challenging. Making the climax of a film strong enough to form a satisfying wrap-up is hard enough, but by the time the climax of the third film comes around, it has to wrap up not only what had transpired in the running time immediately preceding it, but throughout the entire trilogy or cycle.

 

That's well near impossible to get right.

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7 hours ago, Chen G. said:

 

Not that this isn't true, but there's also another lesson here.

 

For all the difficulting of the first film in a trilogy (which has to get the thing off of the ground without getting bogged down) or the middle chapter, the concluding piece is by far the most challenging. Making the climax of a film strong enough to form a satisfying wrap-up is hard enough, but by the time the climax of the third film comes around, it has to wrap up not only what had transpired in the running time immediately preceding it, but throughout the entire trilogy or cycle.

 

That's well near impossible to get right.

 

I agree, wrapping things up in a satisfying climax is difficult to pull off, not only for a trilogy, but for every movie. That's why the final act is often the weakest part of a movie. Of course, not every third movie is meant to be a climax or intended to wrap things up. 

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15 hours ago, SteveMc said:

It seems to me that the movie was intended to be a more "serious."  I feel that the filmmakers merely checked some boxes to go in this direction.  There is a revenge plot, a woman we barely know is run over, Bond kicks a car off a cliff,  that sort of thing.  But this feels contrived and clashes with the half-hearted humor, most notably all the nonsense with Bibi.  If they would successfully accomplish this goal of a more straightforward Bond movie, they would have given matters a little more thought, have better integrated the intention with the themes and plot. 

The pre-credits sequences captures my issues in a nutshell.  Bond is at Tracy's grave.  The priest is dramatically making the sign of the cross.  Blofeld is there.  He wants revenge.  So does Bond.  So far, so good.  But then it derails.  The music turns kitschy.  Blofeld whines like a baby as a smiling Moore pats him on the head and dispenses of him as if he is a minor annoyance rather than than the fiend who took away his only chance at happiness.  And all this after he had just visited Tracy's grave?  I think not, and the fimmakers should have had the sense to have thought not too.  The whole movie follows this pattern for me.  A pity, because I wanted to like it for what it is, and the stunt team really is on top form.  And the title song would have made for a very good love theme, had the connection between Bond and Havelock been more than just obligatory. 

     

 

 

I think you're overthinking 70's and 80's Bond a bit. And if you need all that kinda stuff to be different for you to enjoy a film, perhaps these are not for you?

 

9 hours ago, Holko said:

throw in incredibly heavyhanded environmentalism

 

The "save the whale" message really isnt that heavy handed, because The Voyage Home is essentially a comedy. And a rather endearing one. 

It's tight, moves along at a good pace, everyone gets something to do.

 

Good movie.

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It's about life on Earth literally being destroyed because we killed the whales. I did say it was thoroughly entertaining - its many comedic elements succeed perfectly, and even when it tries to be more serious it becomes unintentionally funny at times, like a big bad whaler ship already aiming for George and Gracie about 10 seconds after they were released.

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Just now, Holko said:

It's about life on Earth literally being destroyed because we killed the whales

 

Why is that heavy handed? It's the tone a story is told in that makes it heavy handed (or not), not the story itself.

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7 hours ago, Stefancos said:

I think you're overthinking 70's and 80's Bond a bit. And if you need all that kinda stuff to be different for you to enjoy a film, perhaps these are not for you?

Not so much overthinking as articulating my admittedly overactive gut feelings.  In truth, I am not big on the Moore Bonds, with the exception of The Spy Who Loved Me, which is a bloody good film indeed in my book.

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STV - The Final Frontier

 

Stupid but watchable. Cinematic, but goes a bit in-your-face "look, I can move the camera!" a lot. I'm convinced the main reason the Klingon sideplot was thrown in (apart from artificial tension and maybe foreshadowing the peace in VI if we're stretching it) was for Goldsmith to be able to reprise his motif - speaking of, the score's functional, certainly has its moments, but I'm not at all interested to look into it or get it.

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3 hours ago, Holko said:

speaking of, the score's functional, certainly has its moments, but I'm not at all interested to look into it or get it.

 

You really sound more and more beyond salvation the further you get in the series. In its complete form, the score is second only to STTMP.

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4 minutes ago, Kasey Kockroach said:

The only thing I remember about Final Frontier's score are the bits that sound like Mulan. Or, I guess, more accurately, that bits in Mulan sound like Final Frontier.

 

It's alright, he borrowed from the future. 

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Mulan borrowed from Final Frontier and First Contact.

2 hours ago, Holko said:

STV - The Final Frontier

 

 the score's functional, certainly has its moments, but I'm not at all interested to look into it or get it.

Get out. ;)

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Indeed.

 

The Green Book

 

I rarely watch recent movies but this happened to be on. I've only seen Vigo in three other movies. Psycho, which was great, LOTR 1, which I fell asleep during and of course Ghostbusters II. He is great in this one. It's a fun enough road movies with memorable characters. I just thought Vigo was excellent.

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Is it that impossible I just didn't notice many cues I'd want to listen to on their own? That it just isn't my thing?

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Then this surely was the best way to enlighten me! What's so transcendentally, unimaginably perfect about it that this is what I become a pariah over? I did think it worked perfectly fine in the film, unlike 4, but maybe "functional" alone wasn't the right way to say that.

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@Holko Those were only what I could find on youtube, if I could, I would have linked to the two cues that were dialed out of the opening sequence.

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3 minutes ago, Holko said:

Fuck you.

What? No Small-talk? No chit-chat?

You see, that's the problem, these days; no-one takes the time to do a decent insult.

You're barely 22 years-old, Holk. Go back to your frat party, and leave the film music discussions to the grown-ups.

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1 hour ago, Holko said:

That was not worth any better.

What's a frat?

A College fraternity, a group of people sharing a common profession or interest.

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Orphan (2009)

 

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Nonsense but entertaining enough to sit through till the end. 5/10 

 

A reason for Drax to give this one a go:

 

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Orphan was good!

 

Hey I like tasteful nuddies in films. I just get a shock whenever they flash someone's actual genitals in TV shows. Don't these actors know that once it's seen, it cannot be unseen?

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East Of Eden

Engrossing.  Very well defined characters and conflicts.  Some smashing camerawork.  Feels very fresh indeed.  So invigorating to watch a film where every thematic element is present, but not necessarily spelled out for the viewer.  It is like reading a novel, but instead of having all the inner stuff and symbolism there in the text, Kazan somehow makes all that palpable visually.  And Dean is a revelation, alive.  Really something that all that tension, complexity and energy was captured on film.

4/4

 

Special Bulletin (1983)

Above-average tv film about nuclear terrorism.  The fimmakers strove for a kind of naturalism here, with the whole movie being made to look like a series of breaking news reports, and the cast acting and speaking as if on the cuff.  Some actions and actors veer off into the obviously dramatic, though, which clashes with the intent.  And some situations presented on broadcast would never have been shown live then or now.  Nevertheless, an intriguing concept and a rather satisfying execution.  

3/4

 

Chernobyl: The Final Warning (1991)

A tad sloppy made for tv piece starring Jon Voight, and Emperor Palpatine.  Decent performance from English actress Sammi Davis, as the pregnant wife of a doomed firefighter.  A bit heavy handed on its message.  They got the Soviet cars right, which I appreciate, until, passing a Gaz Chaika, we see a 1980s Chrysler minivan in Moscow!  To my knowledge, a big gaffe.  Also, a microphone boom can be clearly seen in one scene.  

2/4

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image.jpeg

A BRIDGE TOO FAR 

A Bridge Too Far is a three hour snapshot at the terribly risky Operation Market Garden, whose objective was to secure three bridges in the Netherlands and drive the Nazi forces back into Germany, just as Generals Monty and Patton where plowing through in France, to the south. I’ll try to analyze this without going into too much detail about the actual strategy of the attack and the the events of the film. 

 

To begin, this film has an incredible cast. Directed by Richard Attenborough, starring Sean Connery, Dirk Bogarde, James Caan, Michael Caine, Robert Redford, Gene Hackman, Edward Fox and Elliot Gould, among others. Heck, even Denholm Elliot has a minute-long appearance. The performances carry the viewer along through the action and events to near perfection. Some darn fine acting. 

 

A Bridge Too Far is a large-scale film. It’s all practical too, making the project an even more interesting achievement. They basically reenacted the entire operation, and they did it in a way that is cinematically fitting.  

 

The execution of particular scenes, such as the first attempt at the Arnhem Bridge (pictured), are near perfect. Splendidly captured and expertly covered, they really make for a captivating image of the historical foundation for this film. Additionally, there are some small details and facts tied in quite nicely, such as a certain Harry, who always carries an umbrella into battle to prove he is British.  

 

A couple of scenes stand out as ridiculously good (not good, because it’s still about war, but you know what I mean). At one-point, General Urquhart is separated from his division and takes refuge from the Nazi patrols in a small local household. As he communicates with the surprised citizens, a Nazi soldier walks past the window, and Urquhart shoots him almost immediately, breaking the glass and terrifying the quaint Dutch family around him. It’s a sudden shock, because it’s built by very little action. Perhaps one of the most famous scenes is the fording of the Rhine. Allied troops row for their lives as they are spotted by German troops. Artillery fires, men scream, bodies fly, but over all this the most precedent audio is the commander’s frantic prayer, repeating again and again as his troops are picked off. The air drop is another amazing accomplishment. So many planes and parachutes. Wow.  

 

There are too many great directive moments to mention, but the point is that this is nothing short of a fine film. Attenborough really pushes the terror and tragedy of war, often bringing the focus on the Dutch families whose homes have been occupied by the respective forces. One scene shows blood dripping from a soldier’s wound onto a child’s toys in a home that has been turned to a battlefront hospital. Absolutely stunning symbolism and great imagery are portrayed throughout.  

 

On a closing note, John Addison, who was a part of the real Market Garden (thanks @Richard for sharing that tidbit), scored this film. The main theme is essentially a militaristic march, but it's mostly played in a joyous note rather than a reflective and mournful one. 

 

RATING: ***** out of ***** 

CONSENSUAL STATEMENT: “Perfectly executed. A stunning look at Operation Market Garden.” -Jerry 

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4 hours ago, dougie said:

Orphan was good!

 

Hey I like tasteful nuddies in films. I just get a shock whenever they flash someone's actual genitals in TV shows. Don't these actors know that once it's seen, it cannot be unseen?

 

 

Oh come on, part of the appeal of shows like "Game of Thrones" is the gratuitous sex and nudity. It's not like the actors aren't made aware about the nude scenes before they sign on.

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