What Is The Last Film You Watched?

[Wojo 2,453]

Hmm, yes, let's bring back all of our favorite action stars when they're 70. Indiana Jones, Rambo, John MacClane, and Pierce Bond. Great idea.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

George Lucas is the man who gave each Bith member of the Modal Nodes band their own name and back story, just so he could sell a different action figure and book revolved around each character. If that isn't a merchandise monster, I don't know what is.

Actually, wasn't that coined by an EU writer in TALES FROM THE MOS EISLEY CANTINA? I think people have this impression of George, Steve Sansweet and Lucasfilm marketing's VP sitting in a room saying "The bat-alien in the cantina... we'll call him Kabe, make up stories about him and then sell trillions of action figures!" "Hey George, what if we say the white alien who scratches himself after Han shoots Greedo is the bat-alien's friend, and then we can sell it in a two-pack, exclusively to the fan club, then sell a whole lot more decades later when we 'mysteriously' find a rogue case in the warehouse?" It's a little strange and obsessive, especially when GL admits he doesn't get involved in the whole EU deal and leaves it all to other people.

Also, I don't find people bringing Roddenberry or Berman's name up when half of the world's landfills are crammed full of decorated Franklin Mint plates based on "Spock's Brain" and the episode where Picard turned into a little kid.

[Wojo 2,453]

Everything in the EU needed GL's approval to be OK. So it may not have come from his mind, per se', but it received his blessing.

And you're right, there is a ton of Star Trek merchandising, also. I visited a toy shop in a big mall two weeks ago, and could not believe the sheer amount of Buffy, Angel, and BSG toys and other junk in addition to your typical SW and Star Trek fare. In addition to a huge section of Rudolph toys. In addition to an entire section devoted to zombie movies. It would be interesting to sort through landfills in 10,000 years' time and see how much junk from this commercial culture has survived. Perhaps there will be entire industries devoted to scavenging landfills for resources. Based on that alone, let's throw everything we can away, and give the people of tomorrow's tomorrow jobs!

[King Mark 3,631]

Last films viewed at the theater (post summer):

Babylon A.D. :crap

Clone Wars: not as bad as expected

Death Race:entertaining

Burn After Reading:Hilarious

Righteous Kill:Terrible ending

Lakeview Terrace:ok

Eagle Eye:Pretty good

Max Payne:painful

Body of Lies: Very good

Pride and Glory:hmmm

W:fun to watch

Zac and Miri:I didn;t like it

Twilight:

Quantum of Solace:Camera to shaky,confusing plot

Australia:I loved it!

K.M.

[paleo 63]

I'm watching Conan the Barbarian. The post "battle of the voices" inspired me...

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Last films viewed at the theater (post summer):

Babylon A.D. :crap

Clone Wars: not as bad as expected

Death Race:entertaining

Burn After Reading:Hilarious

Righteous Kill:Terrible ending

Lakeview Terrace:ok

Eagle Eye:Pretty good

Max Payne:painful

Body of Lies: Very good

Pride and Glory:hmmm

W:fun to watch

Zac and Miri:I didn;t like it

Twilight:

Quantum of Solace:Camera to shaky,confusing plot

Australia:I loved it!

K.M.

Wow you saw a lot of crappy movies. I agree about Death Race, Burn After Reading, Body Of Lies, and I guess with QoS. I walked out of W., so I can personally say that it was not fun to watch.

As for Australia, please enlighten to me as to why you loved it. It got crappy reviews, and my brother explained to me how it's one of the worst movies ever made. I may end up seeing it just to satisfy curiosity, but I'd rather see Milk and Slumdog Millionaire first.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

I watched "Duel" with my Grammy. I have seen parts of it before, but this is the first time I have seen it completely. I can now agee with the widely-held notion that it is the spiritual predecessor of "Jaws". In fact, I was expecting Roy Scheider when the main character ( whose name escapes me) is first shown. The score by Billy Goldberg was alright, though one can easily tell that it was made in the 1970's. This film is the only one that I can recall seeing that contains "spoken thoughts", which I kind of liked after I got used to it. However, I did feel that the end was a little anticlimatic ( and hilarious with the "roar" that the truck made), and I could not think of anything else at the end except for: "How he is going to get home?"

[Bryant Burnette 658]

To dig Bond is beneficial for the male chauvinism. It's almost as if a guy is morally obligated to like the Bond films. I don't need him to feel manly nor do I feel that I betray the male race by not liking Bond. I do notice how in macho circles Bond is as close to discussing 'film' as one can get . And boy, are their Bond story retellings boring or what?!

Alex

I'm quite puzzled as to where the idea behind this post came from.

It really was apropos of nothing. And offensive. And pretentious.

I've got no problem with people not liking Bond movies, but in some people, it seems to bring out a need to insult those who do. I don't understand that.

I watched "Duel" with my Grammy. I have seen parts of it before, but this is the first time I have seen it completely. I can now agee with the widely-held notion that it is the spiritual predecessor of "Jaws". In fact, I was expecting Roy Scheider when the main character ( whose name escapes me) is first shown. The score by Billy Goldberg was alright, though one can easily tell that it was made in the 1970's. This film is the only one that I can recall seeing that contains "spoken thoughts", which I kind of liked after I got used to it. However, I did feel that the end was a little anticlimatic ( and hilarious with the "roar" that the truck made), and I could not think of anything else at the end except for: "How he is going to get home?"

It's a good movie. Not the masterpiece it's sometimes made out to be, but very solid, suspenseful stuff, and it indicates two things to me: (1) that even this early in his career, Spielberg was a fullly-formed filmmaker and (2) that he'd been watching -- and learning from -- Hitchcock's movies when he made Duel.

[indy4 155]

I caught the last half of it on TV once, and I quite liked it. Though the chase scenes were a little long.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

It's a good movie. Not the masterpiece it's sometimes made out to be, but very solid, suspenseful stuff, and it indicates two things to me: (1) that even this early in his career, Spielberg was a fullly-formed filmmaker and (2) that he'd been watching -- and learning from -- Hitchcock's movies when he made Duel.

Agreed.

[Delorean90 42]

Am I the only one here who's never watched a single Bond movie cover to cover? Or just the only one who doesn't mind?

I haven't either.

[indy4 155]

I've seen a grand total of 4.

[nightscape94 965]

My yearly cinema list thus far.

Iron Man

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

The Incredible Hulk

In Bruges

Hancock

The Dark Knight

The X-Files: I Want to Believe

Burn After Reading

The Pineapple Express

Body of Lies

W.

Australia

I'm hoping to pick this up a bit now that it's "award" season. There's a bunch of flicks I'm eager to see such as Frost/Nixon, Milk, Let The Right One In, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Spirit, Synecdoche, New York, Doubt...

Tim

Tim

[indy4 155]

These are the last films I saw in theatres:

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

The Dark Knight

The Happening

Wall E

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Mamma Mia!

Eagle Eye

Quantum of Solace

The only ones that I really want to see are W. and Benjamin Button, and maybe Valkryie.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

See Benjamin Button, and leave the other 2 alone unless you can see them for free. I've seen too many movies this year to list, I'll make one at the end of the year and list my top 5.

[John Crichton 4]

I've only seen Cloverfield, Indy 4, and The Dark Knight, and enjoyed all three. Valkrye...maybe. If only it wasn't Cruise...

I probably won't end up in a theater again until Star Trek next year.

[Delorean90 42]

Movies I saw this year so far:

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

The Dark Knight

Eagle Eye

Fireproof

Hopefully I'll be able to see Benjamin Button.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I've only seen Cloverfield, Indy 4, and The Dark Knight, and enjoyed all three. Valkrye...maybe. If only it wasn't Cruise...

I probably won't end up in a theater again until Star Trek next year.

Cruise is a fantastic actor, but yeah he shouldn't be playing a German general trying to assassinate Hitler. Nor should any of the other Germans be British. Ugh, why Bryan Singer? Why?

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

This year, I've seen:

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

The X-Files: I Want to Believe

Quantum of Solace

If there was anything else, I can't remember.

[Bryant Burnette 658]

Oh, good lord, who cares if British people -- or American people -- are playing Germans? By that standard, movies like Ben-Hur and The Ten Commandments (amongst many others) wouldn't exist.

All I care about is whether or not the movie is good; I couldn't care less about the language issue. And this one looks good to me.

[John Crichton 4]

I'm fine with the Brits. They cast a lot of good character actors and I prefer British actors anyway. It's just Cruise.

[indy4 155]

It's just Cruise.

Cruise is a great actor. Not a great person by any means, but a great actor.

[King Mark 3,631]

I don't have a big DVD collection, but I seem to see more films in theater than most people here

As for Australia, please enlighten to me as to why you loved it. It got crappy reviews, and my brother explained to me how it's one of the worst movies ever made. I may end up seeing it just to satisfy curiosity, but I'd rather see Milk and Slumdog Millionaire first.

It's one of these huge epics like you don't see anymore. It's 3 hours long and I was never bored. Read Ebert's review i agree with it.And the score is good too.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

It's just Cruise.

Cruise is a great actor. Not a great person by any means, but a great actor.

He's a great movie star, but he is not a great actor. At least, not anymore.

[indy4 155]

Last film I saw him in was WotW, which he was great in, so I wouldn't really know about him having lost his touch after 2005. But at least up until then, he's been a very good actor IMO.

[A24 4,369]

To dig Bond is beneficial for the male chauvinism. It's almost as if a guy is morally obligated to like the Bond films. I don't need him to feel manly nor do I feel that I betray the male race by not liking Bond. I do notice how in macho circles Bond is as close to discussing 'film' as one can get . And boy, are their Bond story retellings boring or what?!

I'm quite puzzled as to where the idea behind this post came from.

It really was apropos of nothing. And offensive. And pretentious.

Can a man no longer speak out of personal experience?

The Thing: Now here's a much better Carpenter than The Fog! Thanks to the theme of paranoia - the only aspect that sets this film apart from Alien - it's still very watchable today. And for a monster film, it's has a great ending.

Alex

[Morlock 11]

Quint's post a few days back sent me to my Sweeney Todd soundtrack (movie), which sent me to the DVD. I also checked out the filmed 1982 performance of it with Lansbery and George Hearn. I think they're very interesting to compare. The 1982 is longer, of course. It is also a far more colorful in tone, and far wilder. I'm really not sure how much of that would have benefited the film. There's a vitality the stage version has that the film lacks, but the film feels more theatrical (dramatically speaking) and focused. Of course, it's not really fair to compare a movie and a filmed play, but different tones is something very interesting. I think the thing I miss most (in retrospect, of course, not being familiar with the music before seeing the film), is the complete 'God, that's good'. Most of the other things I like I'm not at all sure would have worked on the screen. The Ballad is one of them (I am curious in knowing what part the three narrators would have had in the film). The rambunctiousness of Lansbery is another. I think that having a little kid as Toby instead of a man-child is entirely better- the sincere innocence is much welcome in the film (another sick joke would have been quite unnecessary). I do think that the film would have benfited from Sweeney's moments of levity, however. A laugh here and there would have been welcome, although 'By The Sea' is a wonderful comic set-piece.

A marvelous film, two excellent soundtracks, one great musical.

Louis Malle's Atlantic City, 1981 nominee for best picture, a modest piece of great filmmaking. The tale of Lou (Burt Lancaster), an aging former mobster in Atlantic City trying to fool others, not to mention himself, into believing that he had a glorious career in organized crime. There's a precision to the movie that is quite wonderful to watch. Most of it's scenes feel like trifles, yet they all work in their own small way and add up to something quite heartwarming, without an ounce of schmaltz. The longing on Lancaster's face as he watches Susan Sarandon washing herself with lemons is priceless. I think that the ending of the film is a bit fanciful, but it has the realiztion that reality is going to creep very fast into these people's lives...it's an interesting balance between two conflicting sensibilities.

Jonathan Demme's Jimmy Carter Man from Plains. Can't really get into it due to it's political nature...but it certainly was a very interesting portrait of the man. Unfortunately, the film left me a bit confliced about Demme, a filmmaker I've generally liked. In hopes of getting past that, I rented to other Demme non-fiction films (although there is a great deal of staging in the film in question), Swimming to Cambodia and The Agronomist. Either way, I am very much looking forward to Rachel at The Wedding.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The Thing: Now here's a much better Carpenter than The Fog! Thanks to the theme of paranoia - the only aspect that sets this film apart from Alien - it's still very watchable today. And for a monster film, it's has a great ending.

Alex

Yes it's a genuinly tense and unnerving film. Effective score by Morricone and Carpenter too.

[Red 75]

The Thing: Now here's a much better Carpenter than The Fog! Thanks to the theme of paranoia - the only aspect that sets this film apart from Alien - it's still very watchable today. And for a monster film, it's has a great ending.

Alex

Yes it's a genuinly tense and unnerving film. Effective score by Morricone and Carpenter too.

I would say it's Carpenter's best.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Hmmm...Halloween might edge it.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I think HALLOWEEN takes it, but THE THING is incredible.

My favourite is still THE FOG.

[Red 75]

Halloween is definitely a classic. Maybe the best slasher flick of all time.

[Trent B 337]

I've been on a Star Trek kick lately, this past week I've been watching the Star Trek movies and just finished up Star Trek V. Despite the horrible part with the great barrier it's still a good film.

I can only imagine too how these movies will look in high def.

[Bryant Burnette 658]

I wouldn't go so far as to say that The Final Frontier is a "good" movie, but it's enjoyable enough -- not nearly as bad as its reputation.

One thing Shatner got right is the chemistry between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy; in fact, it's one of the stronger movies as regards that particular element.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

It's just Cruise.

Cruise is a great actor. Not a great person by any means, but a great actor.

He's a great movie star, but he is not a great actor. At least, not anymore.

He's more than just a great actor. I would say he's one of my favorites overall. He really knows how to pack a punch. I couldn't care less about his personal life, as long as he continues to do what he does. Either way, Tropic Thunder redeemed himself in my book.

[Trent B 337]

One thing Shatner got right is the chemistry between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy; in fact, it's one of the stronger movies as regards that particular element.

Agreed.

[Ollie 1,069]

Hmm, yes, let's bring back all of our favorite action stars when they're 70. Indiana Jones, Rambo, John MacClane, and Pierce Bond. Great idea.

Hasn't Stallone already done that with Rocky and Rambo?

[Bryant Burnette 658]

It's just Cruise.

Cruise is a great actor. Not a great person by any means, but a great actor.

He's a great movie star, but he is not a great actor. At least, not anymore.

He's more than just a great actor. I would say he's one of my favorites overall. He really knows how to pack a punch. I couldn't care less about his personal life, as long as he continues to do what he does. Either way, Tropic Thunder redeemed himself in my book.

I agree 100%. I've never seen a Tom Cruise movie that I thought he was bad in; and most of them, I thought he was terrific, and enjoyed the movie overall as well. Never bothered with a few of them; maybe Cocktail and Days of Thunder drag the oeuvre down, I dunno.

He's a loony, but he's a loony I hope gets to keep acting for a long time to come.

Say, what ever happened to that movie he and Ben Stiller were going to make in which they played the Hardy Boys all growed up...? That one had hilarious written all over it. Probably one of the many victims of the strike.

[Ollie 1,069]

As someone who had the entire collection of the Hardy Boys books in their elementary school days, I would definately pay to see that one.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I remember that as well and was looking forward to it. It's not even listed on IMDb anymore, so it must have been scrapped.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

I watched the first quarter or so of "Family Plot" with my Grammy last night. I would have stayed up to see the whole thing with her, but it was 11:44, so.... yeah.

What little of the film I did see was excellent. The acting was excellent: Bruce Dern sure knows how to play a villain (although I have only seen him in "The Cowboys"), and that one lady was not bad either (what was her name, Barbara Harris?). What surprised me the most was the score: I had no idea that John Williams scored the film until I checked Wikipedia.org after I had to leave, and I will definitely purchase the album assuming it is still in print and/or reasonably priced.

Oh, and I saw 30 minutes of "JFK" before I got bored and changed the channel to find "Family Plot". I discovered that I do not like Oliver Stone too much....

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Family Plot has never had a score release. The only commercially available music is the End Credits that can be found on multiple compilation albums.

[indy4 155]

I watched the first quarter or so of "Family Plot" with my Grammy last night. I would have stayed up to see the whole thing with her, but it was 11:44, so.... yeah.

What little of the film I did see was excellent. The acting was excellent: Bruce Dern sure knows how to play a villain (although I have only seen him in "The Cowboys"), and that one lady was not bad either (what was her name, Barbara Harris?). What surprised me the most was the score: I had no idea that John Williams scored the film until I checked Wikipedia.org after I had to leave, and I will definitely purchase the album assuming it is still in print and/or reasonably priced.

I thought that FP was an okay film, but the score is magnificent. It was tied with ToD for me as the JW score most in need of an official release. Now it is the ultimate Holy Grail of unreleased film scores.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I'd rather have Black Sunday or The Sugarland Express released. I'm sure Family Plot and Black Sunday are nearing possible score releases. They are probably the best choices for unreleased Williams music. Hopefully Intrada or FSM will get them out within the next couple years. I have enough of Jazzy Johnny at the moment.

[indy4 155]

I'm sure Family Plot and Black Sunday are nearing possible score releases.

Why? I'm not trying to argue this, I'd just like to know if I should get my hopes up.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

We've gotten a lot of new Williams music in the past couple years. Monsignor, Images, Cinderella Liberty, The Accidental Tourist, and now How To Steal A Million and Bachelor Flat.

I don't know anything, and I'm sure no one does, but I have a hunch. There really isn't that much unreleased JW music anymore. Mainly just his early comedy and jazz music. Black Sunday and Family Plot are the main ones from his "golden age."

[Nick Parker 3,040]

Oh....Ah well. I have a feeling it will released sometime in the near future. Now, what is this "Black Sunday"? And is it a film worth watching?

[indy4 155]

We've gotten a lot of new Williams music in the past couple years. Monsignor, Images, Cinderella Liberty, The Accidental Tourist, and now How To Steal A Million and Bachelor Flat.

Yes, but all of those except for the latter release were already available on LP or CD.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Bachelor Flat wasn't! The Accidental Tourist was the only one previously available on CD. It doesn't matter whether it was previously available in some form or not though, look at what Williams music is left to be released. It's not like Intrada or FSM is never gonna release another Williams score. Family Plot and Black Sunday are top choices the way I see it.

I doubt any of the Varese JW scores will get rereleased any time soon, especially the club releases. They're limited for a reason. So the way I see it, we'll probably get one or two jazzy comedies first, maybe a re-release of an oop score, but we're definitely getting Family Plot and Black Sunday in the somewhat near future. Hell, I'm only 18, so I've got my whole life to look forward to them

[Bryant Burnette 658]

No Direction Home: Bob Dylan

I felt inspired to revisit this after watching I'm Not There. It's just as good as I remember it being, too. No surprise, since it's a Scorsese movie.