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

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

19 hours ago, Loert said:

Frenzy by Alfred Hitchcock.

Did not expect that ending!

Yeah. It's a deceptive (and rather cheeky) little film, isn't it?

[A24 4,326]

I didn't know this year is the 20th anniversary of Almost Famous. What are the odds that I suddenly decided I should watch it again? 

 

 

Kate Hudson hasn't aged a day!

[bruce marshall 1,314]

On 9/28/2020 at 4:02 AM, Quintus said:

I miss those sorts of dumb unPC Hollywood comedies. Kingpin was another, very silly and very amusing. The Farrelly Brothers were never really succeeded by anyone else were they.

KINGPIN is one of the FUNNIEST films of all-time.

In fact, I can't think of anything that comes close since it came out-😅

On 9/30/2020 at 5:42 AM, Naïve Old Fart said:

Yeah. It's a deceptive (and rather cheeky) little film, isn't it?

My favorite Hitchcock film.

That's right, over PSYCHO...VERTIGO...NNW!

On 9/28/2020 at 3:46 AM, Sweeping Strings said:

Dumb And Dumber - there are doubtless people who would not laugh at a blind kid being sold a decapitated parakeet with its head sellotaped back on. I, however, am not one of those people  .

Classic!

 

[Muad'Dib 1,800]

 

Wonderful script, wonderful perfomances and a wonderful score. Wonderful all around, super recomended.

[Faleel 5,333]

@Disco Stu

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Heh, I am indeed a big fan of Nobody’s Fool, both the film and score (aka proto Shire)

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

Agreed with @Disco Stu, @Muad'Dib, and @Spider-Fal.

It's a lovely little film.

[Edmilson 7,384]

Motherless Brooklyn

 

Interesting Chinatown-esque detective thriller with a great central performance by Edward Norton as a protagonist with Tourette syndrome. Daniel Pemberton's score is a mix of experimental jazz and works great in the movie. I wasn't a fan of him before, but this score and Enola Holmes impressed me.

[Sweeping Strings 2,344]

Murder On The Orient Express (2017) - Kenneth Branagh directs himself (as Hercule Poirot) and a star-studded cast in an elegant adaptation of Agatha Christie's classic murder mystery. I look forward to his Death On The Nile, due in cinemas the week before Christmas (but who knows right now, eh?).

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

Isn't it a bit annoying when he says action at the start of all the scenes where he's included?

[Romão 2,274]

 

First time watching this. And having a passing knowledge of the formula, tone and structure of its numerous sequels, I must say I was surprised how good this actually was. Wonderfully character driven, naturalistic performances, great sense of place and period, much grimier than I expected. This was considered schmaltzy in 1976 (and it is). But this is far richer and tasteful schmaltz than what we got in the subsequent decades. And Stallone's integrity and respect for the audience (that always comes through even in his most dismal roles and performances) is given the perfect vehicle for expression. Spot on, tone perfect performance.

 

This movie won the Best Picture Oscar in one of the best pic nominees line ups I can remember:

 

Rocky

All the President's Men

Network

Bound for Glory

Taxi Driver

 

so that might have helped to drag its reputation down, as the movie that prevented superior works from being fully acknowledged, but this truly is a 70's version of a feel good movie. It's a movie I had always thought I had seen without actually seeing it. Than I knew already all the plot beats. But story remains much more important than plot.

 

Much, much better than I was expecting.

 

 

[crocodile 7,983]

I watched the two new 4K releases last weekend: The Fifth Element and Beetlejuice. I've not seen latter before and it was actually pretty good. Much better in fact than many later Tim Burton films.

 

Karol

[Jay 37,281]

How was the picture quality of the 4K Fifth Element, and how well do remember the picture quality of the previous Blu Rays to compare it against?

[crocodile 7,983]

48 minutes ago, Jay said:

How was the picture quality of the 4K Fifth Element, and how well do remember the picture quality of the previous Blu Rays to compare it against?

I think it looked really good indeed although it is not the same transfer as the US one. It's a brand new restoration done by Studio Canal in Europe. The US release is apparently very good but the new one has a more natural "filmic" look. On the other hand, the new release has absolutely no extras whereas the US release has quite a few old featurettes included. 

 

It's a very fun film and holds up very well.

 

Karol

[A24 4,326]

51 minutes ago, Jay said:

How was the picture quality of the 4K Fifth Element, and how well do remember the picture quality of the previous Blu Rays to compare it against?

 

Everything looks good an a laptop.

[Jay 37,281]

4 minutes ago, crocodile said:

I think it looked really good indeed although it is not the same transfer as the US one. It's a brand new restoration done by Studio Canal in Europe. The US release is apparently very good but the new one has a more natural "filmic" look. On the other hand, the new release has absolutely no extras whereas the US release has quite a few old featurettes included. 

 

It's a very fun film and holds up very well.

 

Karol

 

Hmm I'll have to see about importing the European 4K then if I ever get a 4K player

[crocodile 7,983]

Oh and I've never watched this film on Blu-ray. In fact it has been almost 20 years since the last time. The new set has Dolby Vision HDR as well so that's a plus.

 

@Jay Take a look at this website that does some comparisons.

 

Karol

[Jay 37,281]

Thanks, I think I looked at that website earlier when the 4K release first came up on this forum, but today I was just interested in your personal experience

[publicist 4,643]

 

A thriller/disaster hybrid from the genre's most fertile (and feared) period - directed by Richard Lester. Which means it doesn't derive its wry humour by watching a bunch of over-the-hill stars overacting, but because it's a genuine chuckler. A blackmailer with ingenious specialist knowledge has hidden several explosive charges on a passenger ship. Richard Harris and David Hemmings are the guys flown in to take on the seemingly hopeless race against time. It's a masterpiece of staging, a dense thriller with a a high degree of tension and off-beat humour (Lester's sly style sure suits this kind of overripe crap, it makes it bearable).

[bruce marshall 1,314]

11 hours ago, AC1 said:

 

Everything looks good an a laptop.

Yeah.

You only get the ' benefit" of 4k - allegedly four times sharper than hd- is if you have a wall sized screen.

 

On 9/29/2020 at 10:08 AM, Naïve Old Fart said:

How does a DVD get worn out?

Putting it on a turntable?

15 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Isn't it a bit annoying when he says action at the start of all the scenes where he's included?

Clint would never do that!

 

( seriously, when I was a wee lad, I couldn't understand how you could act and direct at the same time. I thought you had to be BEHIND the camera to say ACTION. What a moron I was. 😆)

13 hours ago, Romão said:

 

First time watching this. And having a passing knowledge of the formula, tone and structure of its numerous sequels, I must say I was surprised how good this actually was. Wonderfully character driven, naturalistic performances, great sense of place and period, much grimier than I expected. This was considered schmaltzy in 1976 (and it is). But this is far richer and tasteful schmaltz than what we got in the subsequent decades. And Stallone's integrity and respect for the audience (that always comes through even in his most dismal roles and performances) is given the perfect vehicle for expression. Spot on, tone perfect performance.

 

This movie won the Best Picture Oscar in one of the best pic nominees line ups I can remember:

 

Rocky

All the President's Men

Network

Bound for Glory

Taxi Driver

 

so that might have helped to drag its reputation down, as the movie that prevented superior works from being fully acknowledged, but this truly is a 70's version of a feel good movie. It's a movie I had always thought I had seen without actually seeing it. Than I knew already all the plot beats. But story remains much more important than plot.

 

Much, much better than I was expecting.

 

 

People who watched the latter films first, should be shocked at how good it is. It's sincere and realistic.

Stallone did the exact same thing with the RAMBO franchise. The first film is relatively serious and downbeat. Subsequently, he turned him into a flag waving superhero- like Rock Balboa😒

[Nick Parker 3,040]

3 hours ago, bruce marshall said:

Yeah.

You only get the ' benefit" of 4k - allegedly four times sharper than hd- is if you have a wall sized screen.

 

Putting it on a turntable?

Clint would never do that!

 

( seriously, when I was a wee lad, I couldn't understand how you could act and direct at the same time. I thought you had to be BEHIND the camera to say ACTION. What a moron I was. 😆)

People who watched the latter films first, should be shocked at how good it is. It's sincere and realistic.

Stallone did the exact same thing with the RAMBO franchise. The first film is relatively serious and downbeat. Subsequently, he turned him into a flag waving superhero- like Rock Balboa😒

 

I feel like the Creed movies went a long way in restoring the character to his earthy roots.

[bruce marshall 1,314]

20 minutes ago, Nick Parker said:

 

I feel like the Creed movies went a long way in restoring the character to his earthy roots.

Too late.

I actually never watched any of the sequels start to finish ish ( i did see part of the one in Russia).

The whole point of the original is not that he lost the match, it was his effort. His growth as a man .

II was a virtual remake except he WINS the title.  Total betrayal of the character!😰

T

 

 

[Sweeping Strings 2,344]

Retreat - couple Cillian Murphy and Thandie Newton retreat to a cottage on a remote island after a tragedy, only for soldier Jamie Bell to wash up on the island telling tales of an airborne pandemic with a 100% fatality rate spreading rapidly through the outside world ... is he telling the truth, and if not why not?

Decent enough 'viper in the nest' thriller, with a little sci-fi twist.

Blue Thunder - 'Nam vet and LA helicopter patrolman Roy Scheider is assigned to test the titular hi-tech 'copter, supposedly ahead of it being used for security at the upcoming Olympics. However, he uncovers a conspiracy involving a subversive group (including Scheider's old military nemesis, Malcolm McDowell) who intend Blue Thunder to be a disorder-quelling military weapon and they are eliminating political opponents to ensure this.

Very enjoyable actioner ... the fact that it pre-dates CGI just makes the 'copter stunt action all the more thrilling.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

Catch you, later.

 

BLUE THUNDER has a really nifty score, by Arthur Rubenstein.

[crocodile 7,983]

Just came back from the cinema. Watched Akira for the first time. It was amazing but my head is spinning.

 

Karol 

[bollemanneke 3,337]

Casino.

 

Didn’t really like Robert de Niro. Couldn’t care about his character at all either, only wanted him to suffer. Joe Pesci was a pleasant surprise, however: I just couldn’t wait to see the lead Wet Bandit in another movie. His way of speaking somehow reminded me of Donald Trump, but he obviously did not disappoint and (his first scene with) Sharon Stone was fantastic. That was actually the moment I finally started to enjoy the movie, for want of a better word, after 75 minutes. For a moment, I thought Pasquale Cajano was Christopher Lloyd. And James Woods, urgh. I’ve also heard enough incessant voice-overs for two years. What is it with Scorsese, voice-overs and movies about money? Then Stone and Pesci’s relationship suddenly degenerated in two seconds at a moment I was losing interest again because I had to keep taking De Niro’s word for Pesci’s incompetence, even though I never saw any of it. Ooh, now we’re ramming cars! Now that’s something to put on my bucket list!

And now that I’ve just started listening to Bach’s entire works, I seem to have decided to watch a movie that opens with a fantastic Bach piece. Nice! Most of the other music was good, but Bach remained unrivalled most of the time, although Gimme Shelter came close. In the end, though, I feel like I’ve just watched a documentary that barely made any attempt to engage me (that only happened during the last five minutes) and that ended in a lot of totally unnecessary violence committed against the wrong person. Fuck me, you motherfuckers. Fuck my mother, you jack-offs, you miserable sons of bitches.

 

[bruce marshall 1,314]

GET OUT

 

Terrific!

I've just discovered Jordan Peele: first through the quality reboot of THE TWILIGHT ZONE.

Major talent.( im sure the racists hate him!)

 

 

[Quintus 5,399]

What a pity you felt it necessary to add the part in brackets. Hmm.

[Sweeping Strings 2,344]

Get Out is indeed terrific ... creepy, unsettling and satirical. Not much else in horror like it. 

I'm admittedly less enthused about Peele's Twilight Zone revival - I only outright liked 3 of the stories in the first season (the ones about the stand-up comic who gains the ability to wipe people from existence by mentioning them in his act, the kid who becomes US President (hmm, I wonder who they could have been satirising there? lol) and the spacecraft crew who turn on each other en route to Mars. 

Still, the second season recently began airing in the UK and I will probably give it a go.   

[A24 4,326]

1 minute ago, Sweeping Strings said:

Get Out is indeed terrific ... creepy, unsettling and satirical. Not much else in horror like it. 
 

 

[Sweeping Strings 2,344]

I said 'not MUCH else', not nothing else. It's not as if Get Out is (for example) a 'masked slasher' flick. 

No interest in Midsommar. I didn't like Hereditary much. 

[A24 4,326]

12 minutes ago, Sweeping Strings said:

 I didn't like Hereditary much. 

 

Then you definitely need to give Midsommar a chance. Hereditary is more about drama (which I know you don't care about) while Midsommar is creepy, unsettling and satirical. I know I wasn't a fan, but I did like Hereditary.

[Brundlefly 2,385]

2 hours ago, Sweeping Strings said:

No interest in Midsommar. I didn't like Hereditary much. 

Midsommar is not what it is said or what it was intended to be. No satire at all and unintentionally funny, because its execution is bloated as fuck, but lacks any intellectual content.

[Edmilson 7,384]

I wasn't a fan of Hereditary, but Midsommar was pretty good. 

[Koray Savas 2,251]

14 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

I wasn't a fan of Hereditary, but Midsommar was pretty good. 

Agreed. 

[crocodile 7,983]

I think people misrepresent both by calling them horror films. it's not what they are. These are dramas with horror elements. The scariest elements in those films have nothing to do with horror genre. It's more about existential horror. A twisted Bergman, almost. But that doesn't really describe it accurately either. Think this is exactly why I like both. But Midsommar is easily better.

 

Karol

[A24 4,326]

 

16 minutes ago, crocodile said:

These are dramas with horror elements.

 

Hereditary, yes, but Midsommar is almost more a kind of dark comedy with horror elements, just like Jordan Peele's Us.

[KK 3,307]

2 hours ago, AC1 said:

 

 

 Midsommar is almost more a kind of dark comedy with horror elements, just like Jordan Peele's Us.

 

Those two films couldn't be more different.

 

[A24 4,326]

Depends in what way.  I expected both movies to be full-blooded horror movies but they both surprised me with their comedy/satire aspects. It could be even said that both are Folk Horror movies. (a term I haven't heard before since these two movies came along)

 

It's actually Hereditary and Midsommar that are very opposite movies.

 

 

[crocodile 7,983]

48 minutes ago, AC1 said:

It's actually Hereditary and Midsommar that ware very opposite movies.

Tonally, sure. Thematically they are linked. But I'm sure this wasn't intentional.

 

Karol

[bruce marshall 1,314]

7 hours ago, Sweeping Strings said:

Get Out is indeed terrific ... creepy, unsettling and satirical. Not much else in horror like it. 

I'm admittedly less enthused about Peele's Twilight Zone revival - I only outright liked 3 of the stories in the first season (the ones about the stand-up comic who gains the ability to wipe people from existence by mentioning them in his act, the kid who becomes US President (hmm, I wonder who they could have been satirising there? lol) and the spacecraft crew who turn on each other en route to Mars. 

Still, the second season recently began airing in the UK and I will probably give it a go.   

You didn't like " Replay"? One of the best episodes EVER! Serling would be proud.

4 hours ago, crocodile said:

I think people misrepresent both by calling them horror films. it's not what they are. These are dramas with horror elements. The scariest elements in those films have nothing to do with horror genre. It's more about existential horror. A twisted Bergman, almost. But that doesn't really describe it accurately either. Think this is exactly why I like both. But Midsommar is easily better.

 

Karol

GET OUT is a comedy with horror elements😊

[crocodile 7,983]

I have yet to see Get Out. I have seen Us. It was odd. I didn't hate it but didn't like it either. It had a decent score though.

 

Karol

[bruce marshall 1,314]

Just now, crocodile said:

I have yet to see Get Out. 

 

Karol

I've yet to see US.

on my reserve list

[A24 4,326]

4 minutes ago, bruce marshall said:

GET OUT is a comedy with horror elements😊

 

Jordan Peele's movies start off good but always seem get out of control or zany towards the end. Kinda like Parasite. To be honest, I only remember one thing about Get Out. It's unbelievably simple yet extremely effective:

 

Spoiler

The big dude standing outside the house who suddenly runs towards the main character/camera.

 

I think my heart stopped beating for a few seconds there. 

 

I'm curious for his TV series.

 

 

[Brundlefly 2,385]

6 hours ago, crocodile said:

The scariest elements in those films have nothing to do with horror genre. It's more about existential horror.

I think you underestimate the broadness of the horror genre. It cannot be reduced to blood and guts. In fact, more films supposed to be dramas are horro films, than the other way round.

[Chen G. 3,943]

 Genre is a very elusive term alltogether.

 

All films are to some extent on a sliding scale between AT LEAST two genres, if not more.

[bruce marshall 1,314]

Slasher is NOT horror!

[crocodile 7,983]

Just watched the 1998 Godzilla for the first time. Given its awful reputation, I was expecting a complete turkey. Well, I was disappointed to find it wasn't quite that bad. I mean...it was "bad" and very very daft but also quite entertaining in a very cheesy 1990's kind of way. Almost none of it makes any sense and I'm not sure it has to do with the Godzilla series but it really brightened my mood.

 

Karol

[Chen G. 3,943]

5 minutes ago, crocodile said:

it was "bad" and very very daft but also quite entertaining in a very cheesy 1990's kind of way.

 

They have a name for that.

 

I believe its called Roland Emmerich.

[bruce marshall 1,314]

4 minutes ago, crocodile said:

also quite entertaining in a

"Very cheesy 1990's kind of way."

 

Karol

 

 

" v

 

"

What does that mean?😗