What Is The Last Film You Watched?

[Wojo 2,453]

Oh yea? Well...well...well...at least mine is from a really good, if a little unstable, shareware computer game from the early 1990s.

[Quintus 5,399]

The first thing to go needs to be the useless and heavy-handed Jimmy subplot.

Agreed 100%, it was cringeworthy how they handled that.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I saw Inglourious Basterds again. Surprisingly much better on the second viewing, enough to possibly push it over Kill Bill to take the spot of my #2 favorite Tarantino film. The scenes didn't feel as long this time around.

[indy4 155]

The Sugarland Express:

A very good early effort by Spielberg! It was moving, it was funny, it was sad, but more than anything else, it built magnificent tension throughout the entire film. I liked all the foreshadowing of the ending, both the subtle and the obvious. My main interest in this film was for its historical aspect--not due to the non-fictional story, but rather the fact that it was Spielberg's and Williams' first collaboration. The score was good, I wonder why Williams specifically stated he didn't want this score to recieve any sort of release beyond the theme.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Meteor

Watched it out of curiosity.

Made when the disaster-movie genre was on it's last legs. It's a bad film. Directed in a very bland and tepid way by the director of The Poseidon Adventure. With woefull editing, a cheesy script and cliched, uninteresting characters.

Sean Connery, Karl Malden, Martin Landau, Nathalie Wood are given little interesting to do. Henry Fonda's cameo has him do very little then looking concerned. Brian Keith, who speaks russian though the whole filmed seems to be having a blast doing so. He's the best thing in the film.

Ever since 1968, Kubrick showed that is was possible to convincingly create special effe of spaceships.

Meteor turns back the clock to the 1950's with effects that just look...fake. The model of the satelittes and rockets never, for one moment look like anything but models. At one point I think I saw a hex socket on one of the rockets, which should them be the size of my living room.

Laurence Rosenthal replaces John Williams who was originally signed on, and must have smelled trouble.

For most of the film, there is only music for the outerspace scenes, overblown, heroic music for the russian and american rockets, and creepy, textural music, with blasterbeam for the meteor.

Most of the scenes on earth are without score, making those feel slow, and stilted, and the scenes with music feel overdone.

Really bad, but fascinatingly watchable, like a paramedics tending to wounded after a car crash.

* out of ****

[Koray Savas 2,251]

The Burning Plain

Guillermo Arriaga's directorial debut, and a fairly good one at that. The script is solid, aside from a few lines of dialogue that seemed unnatural and awkward, with a touch of predictability. The acting is decent, nothing particularly special. Music is used sparingly, and works when used. Omar Rodriguez Lopez composes something in the vein of Gustavo Santaolalla, except it has structure to it. Maybe that's what Zimmer contributed, because I fail to see what he could have done here aside from some ambience. Overall a good film that's worth checking out, especially if you're a fan of Arriaga and/or Innaritu.

[Delorean90 42]

Speaking of space effects, Steef...

Return of the Jedi (from the group checking out the bunker all the way through the end of the space battle)

The effects in the space battle still blow me away. I look at this and think, "We need to do fully CGI space battles that don't have as much weight to them...why?" Seriously, it's sad that with the advent of CGI, filmmakers have gone into a rut, instead of doing what should have been pursued in the first place: use computer technology to make the model effects that much better and smoother, and use CG for only what you ABSOLUTELY COULD NOT PULL OFF without models. Seriously, barring a few showy composites, the effects are stellar here. I mean, look at the shots and moves they pulled off--look at shots like the Falcon coming back through the tunnel when the reactor crashes. As unrealistic as it may be (but hopefully not), I'd really love to see resurgence of solid model work, but used in harmony with the computer technology. LOTR did a lot of good stuff here, but I think it can go even further.

Oh, and I don't care what got screwed up, the effects and the Luke/Vader/Emperor stuff totally justify this film's existence.

[Morlock 11]

I've heard nothing but bad things about The Burning Plain so far.

Saw The Brothers Bloom (2009) again. I was so dissapointed...I was hoping that this second viewing would smooth over some of the issues I had with it, but no such thing happened. Still lost me towards the end. But I love so much about this film...I really hoped I could somehow make sense of the rest of it. Still, contained within it is some of my favorite film-making from the past couple of years.

Also saw Departures (2008). The most recent winner of the best foreign language film oscar. Its got in it both profound beauty and irritating corniness. But the former takes the cake. When it's good, it's great. Joe Hisaishi provided the score, and it is similar to the film. It can be stunning at times. But there is far, far, far too much of it. I loves me a big score, but this one is just too friggin' loud and present. This film would be far better if more scenes would be allowed to be played out without music.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I've heard nothing but bad things about The Burning Plain so far.

The non-linear storytelling here doesn't really work as well as in his other scripts, but once everything comes together in the end, it allows you to mull over the whole film. I definitely wouldn't call it bad, but definitely not anything exceptional.

Saw The Brothers Bloom (2009) again. I was so dissapointed...I was hoping that this second viewing would smooth over some of the issues I had with it, but no such thing happened. Still lost me towards the end. But I love so much about this film...I really hoped I could somehow make sense of the rest of it. Still, contained within it is some of my favorite film-making from the past couple of years.

Next time I'll see it will probably when I buy it on Blu. Hopefully it won't have the same affect on me the second time. I really liked it in theaters.

[indy4 155]

Twilight Zone: The Movie:

I found the opening to be entertaining, though a little long. The first segment was the worst, I think. The story was just so...obvious. You have a bad guy that is pretty typical, and as soon as the first transportation occurs the rest becomes incredibly predictable and a bit overstretched and tiring. This on top of bad acting makes for a bad segment. I did like the very end, but it was not enough to save it. The best part of the segment was the cinematography and lighting, it was fantastic at portraying the dark, pessimistic, and hate-filled worlds that the main character found himself in. The score was not too memorable.

"Kick the Can" started out fantastically, I thought. The acting, the setup, the dialogue, was all very cheesy, but in a very good way (and Goldsmith's wonderful score is a major contributor to this). It actually felt more like a play than a film. It really felt magical. Once the transformation occurs, I think it became a bit too cheesy for my taste, but once again it ends on a highlight. All the performances here are spot on. Once again the cinematography and lighting was great. Very different than the first segment, but appropriately so. I think the lighting really contributed to the magic.

The third segment had some good elements, but overall it was way too long and drawn out. The best part of this segment was the lighting, SFX, and the acting. There were some neat ideas going on with the cartoons, but the segment didn't really have any effective emotional draw.

The final segment was easily the best, I'd even say it's the only segment of the three remakes in this film that is better than the original TV episode. The main character's performance is absolutely fantastic, Shatner's didn't come close to this level of mastery in "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet." The camera work and the cinematography both worked together to create a very tense and chaotic feel. And even the humor worked. Goldsmith's score for this segment is also the best in the film. It works wonders within the movie itself, but is a very good listening experience by itself as well.

The choice of using Burgess Meredith for the voiceovers as opposed to a Serling impersonator was an interesting one...I felt it belonged more in the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland, and it didn't work as well in the film. Nothing will ever beat Serling's dry, mischevious voice.

[crocodile 7,984]

Seriously, it's sad that with the advent of CGI, filmmakers have gone into a rut, instead of doing what should have been pursued in the first place: use computer technology to make the model effects that much better and smoother, and use CG for only what you ABSOLUTELY COULD NOT PULL OFF without models.

But...there is a lot of model work in the prequels. No one could possibly animate all this. It's just impractical.

Karol

[Trent B 337]

Seriously, it's sad that with the advent of CGI, filmmakers have gone into a rut, instead of doing what should have been pursued in the first place: use computer technology to make the model effects that much better and smoother, and use CG for only what you ABSOLUTELY COULD NOT PULL OFF without models.

But...there is a lot of model work in the prequels. No one could possibly animate all this. It's just impractical.

Karol

Indeed, many here forget there is model work in the Prequels. Grant there is a lot of CG elements but there is still also a lot of physical models (good portions of Mustafar for example). If you watch the behind the scenes and making of documentaries on the second discs of each films you will see there is practical model work. Not everything was done in CG as a lot here like to believe.

[A24 4,326]

Seriously, it's sad that with the advent of CGI, filmmakers have gone into a rut, instead of doing what should have been pursued in the first place: use computer technology to make the model effects that much better and smoother, and use CG for only what you ABSOLUTELY COULD NOT PULL OFF without models.

But...there is a lot of model work in the prequels. No one could possibly animate all this. It's just impractical.

Karol

Indeed, many here forget there is model work in the Prequels. Grant there is a lot of CG elements but there is still also a lot of physical models (good portions of Mustafar for example). If you watch the behind the scenes and making of documentaries on the second discs of each films you will see there is practical model work. Not everything was done in CG as a lot here like to believe.

Then the question is which ones are models and why don't we like it?

Alex

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Lucas raped my childhood memories!

[Charlie Brigden 7]

Joe Dante's MATINEE. A beautiful love letter to monster movies.

[Trent B 337]

Then the question is which ones are models and why don't we like it?

If you don't like it then it is NOT my problem. I for one am fine with the combination of CG and model work in the Prequels.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Joe Dante's MATINEE. A beautiful love letter to monster movies.

I saw the last 30 minutes or so of this on TV the other day. I assumed it was Matinee because of John Goodman. The score was pretty good, I should track it down.

[Jacob 0]

Return of the Jedi (from the group checking out the bunker all the way through the end of the space battle) ...

Oh, and I don't care what got screwed up, the effects and the Luke/Vader/Emperor stuff totally justify this film's existence.

I really need to get Jedi on DVD (as well as the first two, in fact). It was my favorite as a kid (yes, yes, the ewoks) and there's still so much to like about it even now.

[Morlock 11]

Joe Dante's MATINEE. A beautiful love letter to monster movies.

I saw the last 30 minutes or so of this on TV the other day. I assumed it was Matinee because of John Goodman. The score was pretty good, I should track it down.

I was never taken with the score. Should really see the movie.

[Wycket 36]

Saw "Murder by Death" for the first time last night.

Had some pretty good performances, especially from Sellers, David Niven, and Peter Falk. Also, I had never seen Maggie Smith in anything prior to Hook so it was kind of a shock to see her presented in that manner. I could have done without the terrible performance by Truman Capote, however.

[Red 75]

Seriously, it's sad that with the advent of CGI, filmmakers have gone into a rut, instead of doing what should have been pursued in the first place: use computer technology to make the model effects that much better and smoother, and use CG for only what you ABSOLUTELY COULD NOT PULL OFF without models.

But...there is a lot of model work in the prequels. No one could possibly animate all this. It's just impractical.

Karol

Not everything was done in CG as a lot here like to believe.

Too much of it was though. It looked like a cartoon a lot of the time, which also had to do with the digital photography.

[Henry B 50]

All the real stuff seemed to be digitally touched up or glossed over. Made to look fake. Even the human beings.

[indy4 155]

I don't mind the CGI for the space battle, mostly because it looked damn cool (although models probably would've looked better). I just hate the CGI that's used for individual characters--Yoda, Jar Jar, etc. The biggest offender to this are the clones in episode III. There was really no reason to have them be computer animated, when they have a perfectly good actor who looked infinitely more realistic (maybe because he was real).

[Henry B 50]

Yup.

[Wojo 2,453]

I saw District 9 yesterday, because I think it will disappear from our theater before I.B.. It was...interesting, at least. It was very gross at times, but on many occasions, the whole movie theater (all 30 of us) laughed, because the prawns, their antics, and their subtitled language were funny. I'm not sure it deserves a sequel, but I might rent it for a second view when it comes out.

[Trent B 337]

As I said I have no problems with the CG work involved with the Prequels and I stand by that decision. I also think the Clones looked just fine in the Prequels, to me they looked pretty convincing.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

I do agree that the Clones looked well-done, especially in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Had I not been told years ago, I might have thought them to be portrayed by real actors. But I do know, and I cannot help but ask the question (as indy4 did): why did they need to be digital to begin with? Especially when one looks at scenes like the one where Organa is confronted by a few Clone troopers on the landing pad of the Jedi Temple. I suppose this has been discussed ad nauseam for the last four years or so, but I do not remember having ever partaken in a real Prequel debate....

[indy4 155]

I thought the clones looked literally looked like they belonged in a video game at times. Nick, in your example they looked pretty good. But there was another moment, I think it was when Kenobi was discussing with the clones how to attack Utapau, and they don't ahve helmets on, and they look awful.

[A24 4,326]

So which spaceships or objects are models?

Liking the FX of the Prequels doesn't explain why so many of us have a problem with it. Personally I am never truly impressed with the appearance of a Prequel spaceship. It's like my brain is constantly telling me that what I'm seeing is animated. I seem to miss the physical impact of a handmade model. And no, it's not my problem but the problem of the medium. It's the medium's responsibility to convince the viewer's eyes. If the medium fails then you shouldn't point your finger at the audience.

Alex

[Quintus 5,399]

Drag Me To Hell, which lost most of it's novelty Boo! factor on the small screen. Still good fun though, with a cracking good score. 3/5.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Liking the FX of the Prequels doesn't explain why so many of us have a problem with it. Personally I am never truly impressed with the appearance of a Prequel spaceship. It's like my brain is constantly telling me that what I'm seeing is animated. I seem to miss the physical impact of a handmade model.

Yep. Queen Amidala's ship in Episode I looked terrible.

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

i thought the prequels spaceships were some of the best fx in the movies. i liked them a lot.

[Wojo 2,453]

What I disliked about the Prequels is that Padme got a new shiny reflective spaceship in each movie. Even though it was her primary mode of transportation in each film, you never bonded with each ship like you did the Millennium Falcon, which was iconic in Star Wars and was basically her own character in The Empire Strikes Back. In Jedi, its use was almost an afterthought. It's as if Lucas just wanted to show off a shiny reflective reinterpretation of Skunk Works' SR-71 Blackbird in each Prequel, which cheapened each iteration. They looked cool, but really out of place.

[Ollie 1,059]

For someone who was under the constant threat of death she sure loved to travel in something that would draw plenty of attention.

None of the ships had any character to them. The best ship from the prequels was the blockade runner yet technology didn't advance enough in 20 years because his daughter was still stuck with it.

Of course they had 20 years to perfect two Death Stars and couldn't come up with anything there.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

That damn Achilles vent.

[Ollie 1,059]

Yeah, I hate to see the early test runs. Someone flushes a toilet and the whole place goes KABOOM!!!!!

[Charlie Brigden 7]

To be fair, they got to the second Death Star before it was completed, as it wouldn't have had a way in if it had been finished.

[Ollie 1,059]

Correct.

Of course a wise man would have waited until it was finished before bringing it online.

[Richard Penna 3,670]

Eden Lake - little UK horror movie.

Pretty much a cliched cat & mouse film throughout but some stellar performances. The scenes with the youths are portrayed in a way that's both terrifying and angering, and although it all goes on far more than a group of kids would take it, the building blocks are very realistic.

Although every time one of the leads thinks they've found civilisation, there's some unpleasant twist and it gets a whole lot worse for them. Gets a little tiring.

[Henry B 50]

None of the ships had any character to them. The best ship from the prequels was the blockade runner yet technology didn't advance enough in 20 years because his daughter was still stuck with it.

http://www.chefelf.com/starwars/ep3_61-70.php

[Morlock 11]

Jacques Demy's Bay of Angels (1963). Damn good gambing movie. Cinematography not as thrilling as Raoul Coutard's work...but it works. Would make a fine double feature with Altman's California Split.

Nicholas Ray's In a Lonely Place (1950). Wow. I didn't know something this grey could be made. An absolutely astonishing picture, for several reasons. I can't believe Bogart agreed to play a character this human! I assumed all the Nicholas Ray idolatry was just French hyperbole...I guess there's something to it. Must delve further into his filmography.

[Quintus 5,399]

Mamma Mia! for about ten minutes, before I just couldn't take it anymore and left my gf to it, hence why I'm now typing on here. I'm sure its an amazing movie for chicks, but there are just some movies I can't deal with an that is one of them I afraid. Not for me.

Eden Lake - little UK horror movie.

Switched it off about halfway through, thought it was pretty awful actually. The two lead characters were unpleasant and I didn't care to see if they lived or died. In fact the woman got right on my nerves.

[Richard Penna 3,670]

I can see why people wouldn't like it - it's just making a statement and not much more than that. I kept watching mainly in the hope that the little punks would get what was coming to them.

I only switch movies off that are either boring or which I've lost track of what's going on. Always try to see them through at least once.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I can see why people wouldn't like it - it's just making a statement and not much more than that. I kept watching mainly in the hope that the little punks would get what was coming to them.

I only switch movies off that are either boring or which I've lost track of what's going on. Always try to see them through at least once.

Is Eden Lake the one with the chavs?

[A24 4,326]

I'm 4 episodes into The Tudors Season 2 and so far it's a damn fine season! The Blu-ray image looks sharp too. I'm also watching the first season of Big Love (HBO) but somehow I don't get hooked.

Alex

[Maglorfin 196]

After quite some time, I re-watched Star Wars Episodes I and II. I must say I was surprised how well they aged with me, I particularly enjoyed Episode I, which I know many will hate forever (also many members of this forum, if I remember correctly), but I really liked it now, much better than I did all those years ago. (I'me having a SW re-watching "marathon" so Episodes III-VI are still to be re-watched.)

[Quintus 5,399]

I can see why people wouldn't like it - it's just making a statement and not much more than that. I kept watching mainly in the hope that the little punks would get what was coming to them.

I only switch movies off that are either boring or which I've lost track of what's going on. Always try to see them through at least once.

Is Eden Lake the one with the chavs?

That's the one.

Lee - who VERY rarely switches movies off (like, 4 times in my life!) - a measure of my disinterest in Eden Lake.

[Jacob 0]

Correct.Of course a wise man would have waited until it was finished before bringing it online.

Hey, it was all part of Palpy's master plan to trick the rebels.

After quite some time, I re-watched Star Wars Episodes I and II. I must say I was surprised how well they aged with me, I particularly enjoyed Episode I, which I know many will hate forever (also many members of this forum, if I remember correctly), but I really liked it now, much better than I did all those years ago. (I'me having a SW re-watching "marathon" so Episodes III-VI are still to be re-watched.)

[Henry B 50]

I Love You, Man. Enduring the petty concerns of upper middle class real estate agents made my head hurt, but I have to admit, this film was not bad.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Totes magotes.