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

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Indeed!

[Will 2,215]

On 9/24/2016 at 2:39 AM, Alexcremers said:

 

Before you decline, search your feelings first!

 

Woah, I'm actually really excited for this. (I like history.) In IMAX I'm sure the visuals will be stunning. 

 

Although I may end up not seeing it because my tolerance for blood and gore is pretty low... I'll see what the reviews say. 

 

This comes out the same day as Valerian. So we'll get a new Zimmer action score (and there will likely be some sweeping visuals demanding big epic music) and a new Desplat sci-fi score on the same day. That will be exciting. And of course TGP will be very happy. 

[nightscape94 965]

Ghost in the Shell

 

 

I re-watched the 1995 anime for the first time in a while.  Still gloriously directed and animated with stunning visuals as well as sporting a story of great political intrigue.  This philosophical tale is set in a near-future world with advanced technology and vast global networking that is populated with people who gain access to it though implanted or partial cybernetics.

 

Security officer Major Motoko Kusanagi, an enhanced human, and her team are tracking a hacker named the Puppet Master who can "ghost hack" people and implant false memories, making them do whatever he pleases and for whatever purpose he pleases.  His origins are clouded in secrecy, as are his intentions.  Much of this is revealed in a plot that can be convoluted at times but you feel rewarded at the end of the entire experience.

 

The Major expresses deep and honest questions about Self and what it means to be human in computerized world.  The final meeting involving the two main players is not so much a typical Hollywood confrontation as it is a conversation between two beings wondering what it means to be alive.  Wonderful.

[Jay 37,438]

Never seen it, will have to check it out sometime 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,612]

On 25/09/2016 at 8:25 AM, Alexcremers said:

What if I told you it takes place in 2016 but the army still thinks it's WWII? Will you go see it then, Richard?

 

Yes, but only if you buy the popcorn.

[Sir Hilary Bray 235]

Yesterday went to the British Film Institute (South Bank) to see Seven Days in May which they were showing as part of a Kirk Douglas season. My interest in it stemmed from a while back reading about John Kennedy's reaction to the book and melding an admiration of Lancaster.

 

Heck of a cast really -Martin Balsam, Fredric March, Douglas and of course Lancaster all contributing well. Poor Balsam can't catch a break in some films it seems -somebody seated near me had to ask her husband just who Girard (Balsam) had been in the movie when the death was announced.

Aside, a good film which I found hard believing could be done now if for it being full of dialogue. At the BFI you sense it's respected but can't help but feel most audiences wouldn't appreciate it. Like Tinker Tailor. Plot-wise there's something relevant about a military coup even now.

 

And unmentioned until now, the best till last, Edmond O'Brien. Watching the film I found myself thinking that ideally I'd be a Kirk Douglas or Burt Lancaster but if ever played on screen (and back then), it'd be O'Brien. Drunk and on the lose.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,489]

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants on VHS.

[bollemanneke 3,359]

The back-up plan. Score was great, story was okay-ish.

[nightscape94 965]

Sicario

 

 

I have to say, I have friends that stand firm by this movie; one of them even claimed it was the best film he saw last year.  It received high praise from critics and seems to be endlessly lauded even now.  And yet, although I enjoyed it (to a point), and felt it was a worthy two hours spent, the end result left much to be desired.

 

Some characters aren't developed in a convincing way, some have their arcs are cut short or abandoned, the plotting and story are scattershot.  It actually left me feeling annoyed when the credits rolled.  It started as one movie, ended as another, but didn't earn its transition.

 

Howard Hawks' definition of a good movie was "three great scenes, no bad scenes."  This movie scored 2 and 3.  Enough for me to stay interested, but frustrated that my interest wasn't exactly rewarded with a better movie that started out with a lot of promise.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I agree. Promising, but ultimately a let down.

[A24 4,356]

The convoy scene was holy sh!t but that's about it.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The convoy scene was brilliant. I saw the movie in the cinema and that really blew me away. Brilliant camerawork from Deakins. It promised something the rest of the film couldn't deliver.

 

 

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

RIP BR2....

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Much will depend on the script. But yeah...

[Naïve Old Fart 9,612]

Lest we forget, BR was reviled by critics, and ignored by the public. Now look at it. Give BR2 a chance.

[bollemanneke 3,359]

Dawn of the planet of the apes. Very good story. Score never impressed me, though the end credits are perfect for annoouncing a sequel.

[A24 4,356]

12 hours ago, Richard said:

Lest we forget, BR was reviled by critics, and ignored by the public. Now look at it. Give BR2 a chance.

 

You think lightning will strike twice? First: "This movie sucks!" 5 years later: "Hmm, Hmm, kind of interesting." Today: "A classic milestone! We need a sequel"

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Hopefully, BR3 will be better with George Miller at the helm.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,612]

1 hour ago, Alexcremers said:

 

You think lightning will strike twice? First: "This movie sucks!" 5 years later: "Hmm, Hmm, kind of interesting." Today: "A classic milestone! We need a sequel"

 

No, I don't. The problem is that the world has caught up with BR, so BR2 needs to be a quantum-jump over the original. Frankly, not a snowball's chance, but...that doesn't mean it can't be a good movie. Will you watch it?

[A24 4,356]

47 minutes ago, BloodBoal said:

Hopefully, BR3 will be better with George Miller at the helm.

 

And this time with Fassbender?

 

 

Zack Snyder's Blade Runner 4:

 

 

"So you're a replicant? Impressive! I'm a Deckard."

[Quintus 5,399]

12 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

Dawn of the planet of the apes. Very good story. Score never impressed me, though the end credits are perfect for annoouncing a sequel.

 

First movie was ace; sequel ruined it, they presumed it was something more than popcorn. 

[mrbellamy 6,329]

I liked the bit when they heard music again for the first time. "The Weight" was a nice choice.

[bollemanneke 3,359]

Yes, now that you mention it, Caesar's speaking abilitieswere indeed a bit too advanced

[KK 3,307]

Magnolia

 

Not without its flaws, but still a powerful piece of cinema. Passion and craft are aplenty here. 

[mrbellamy 6,329]

It's a big beautiful fucking overlong neurotic mess of a movie and one of my favorites.

[KK 3,307]

It's excess is part of what I love about it. There's so much love packed in those 3 hours. 

[Faleel 5,384]

Fellowship of the Ring.

[mrbellamy 6,329]

1 hour ago, KK said:

It's excess is part of what I love about it. There's so much love packed in those 3 hours. 

 

It also became much more interesting when I learned that it was written in a brief frenzy shortly after PTA's father died of cancer. Definitely feels like the unfiltered ravings of somebody in mourning, especially a 27-year-old guy. But the heightened filmmaking and performances work on me, even Julianne Moore.

 

And as a side note, I found it interesting that in an interview in the back of the published screenplay, he mentioned that not only was Altman an influence but less obviously, he also said he took a lot from Spielberg and specifically CE3K/ET's depictions of suburbia and bizarre fantasies happening in a commonplace situation. I do think I'd say Magnolia is closer to Spielberg's sensibilities in that area compared to, say, David Lynch. And when I think about it, the frogs scene does have a kind of Spielbergian flair to it -- little bit of Jurassic Park in there with the buildup of the frogs, in a car at night post-rainstorm  -- along with some of his other "setpieces" like the derrick fire in There Will Be Blood. He could probably do a great action movie if he wanted, he's one of the few directors who can pull that stuff off at that level.

 

Also I'm just gonna throw this here because I just enjoyed how self-effacing he is about his movies and he doesn't hesitate to admit that he would cut Magnolia down now if he could  Really cool dude, the whole interview is great, goes through his whole career including Inherent Vice.

 

 

[KK 3,307]

Brilliant interview!

 

There's so much heart to that film, that I wouldn't change a thing. The way Anderson describes it as something that came out of an open wound makes a lot of sense. And totally agree about the Spielbergian suburban aesthetics, alongside the leftover shades of Scorcese from Boogie Nights.

[A24 4,356]

With The Master and Inherent Vice, PTA has gone down a path I cannot follow him.  If his next movie doesn't grab me then I no longer will be keeping an eye on him.

 

 

BTW, did someone just compare Magnolia to Jurassic Park?!  ()

[mrbellamy 6,329]

Haha it's totally there in that John C Reilly scene, you know it's true!

 

 

[Quintus 5,399]

At the time my mate bought the Magnolia dvd and I bought Fight Club. We swapped discs and kept them. 

[KK 3,307]

I thought The Master was fascinating. Challenging, yes, but all the more compelling in how the film's central relationship toys with the audience. Definitely one that you warm up to with repeated viewings. Surprised you weren't a fan Alex.

 

Inherent Vice, I've only seen the one time, and it didn't click with me. First time I felt truly alienated with one of his films. But I'm not familiar with Pynchon either, so that may be part of the problem. I do think it features impressive qualities.

[A24 4,356]

The scope became to narrow from the moment Phoenix stepped on the boat. From then on it was almost always close-ups from actors spewing dialogue. It worked for me in Magnolia but somehow it lost me in The Master. I even couldn't sit out the dialogue/cameos driven Inherent Vice.  A certain side from PTA is getting the upper hand and I have a feeling that I don't like it. Perhaps it's PTA's true inner voice?  I miss the PTA from Punch-Drunk Love! The last time I enjoyed a PTA movie was with Hard Eight on TV, which he clearly made whilst being influenced by his heroes. 

[mrbellamy 6,329]

I'm glad I read Inherent Vice before I saw the movie because I probably would have been at a loss. Had no experience with Pynchon before or since, but I'm curious to read more. It's kind of a brilliant adaptation of that book, one of the best I can think of at approximating an author's voice, but it does ultimately work better on the page. Though I actually love it aesthetically.

 

First time I saw The Master I thought it was brilliant up until around the motorcycle scene and then I wasn't too sure how I felt about it. I've seen it a couple times since then and I still feel more or less the same about the ending, while everything leading up to it has gotten even better for me. Individually I think it might have the most great scenes of any of his films but I would stop short of calling it a great movie. The use of close-ups I think is perfect, and the whole opening with Freddie up until he gets on the boat is up there with my favorite character introductions in movies. That photography scene where he gets in the fight with the customer....such a bizarrely conceived and performed scene but with the most elegant, confident direction.

 

 

[A24 4,356]

Look at how deliciously wide things were still captured during the warehouse scenes! 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,612]

Great stuff. That's 70mm for ya! 

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Loved The Master, hated Inherent Vice. I actually agree with Alex in that the scope of the visuals got too narrow, particularly in Inherent Vice. It felt claustrophobic and not in a good way. I'm not familiar with his work pre-There Will Be Blood but I will probably blind buy Criterion's Punch Drunk Love. Heard many good things over the years. 

[mrbellamy 6,329]

29 minutes ago, Koray Savas said:

I'm not familiar with his work pre-There Will Be Blood

 

That's surprising to me considering you're such a big cinephile. Essential viewing!!

[Quintus 5,399]

Aliens Vs Predator is still his greatest work.  

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Don't forget Event Horizon!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,612]

EVENT HORIZON is a very handy film.

[A24 4,356]

AvP was the beginning of his arthouse period though.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,612]

Geez!!! 

Alex, how on God's green Earth is AvP "arthouse"?   

That was nearly as good as Simon Mayo's confessions, today.

If AvP is  "art house", then ALIEN is positively European.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

10 minutes ago, Richard said:

EVENT HORIZON is a very handy film.

 

Handy for what?

[A24 4,356]

27 minutes ago, Richard said:

Geez!!! 

Alex, how on God's green Earth is AvP "arthouse"?   

That was nearly as good as Simon Mayo's confessions, today.

If AvP is  "art house", then ALIEN is positively European.

 

Well, A L I E N is made in England, Richard. Who cares where the money came from! 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,612]

1 hour ago, Stefancos said:

 

Handy for what?

 

It's an amalgam of every science fiction, and horror, film you've ever seen. To alike to be a homage, and too bad to be a tribute. I watched it with ever-increasing credulity, counting-off the influences one by one, with each passing scene. If you've seen EVENT HORIZON, you've just watched a mix of every space film, you can think of. Of course, I'd rather watch the mix.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Event Horizon starts off as a mediocre cliche and slowly descends into ludicrous shittiness as it goes on.  Waste of time.

[Wojo 2,453]

Nah, I like it.