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

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

8 hours ago, Bespin said:

I watched Singin' in the rain for the first time today.

Beautiful and so funny! 

Well done, you! It's an infectiously joyous, life-affirming film, and fully deserves to be considered among the greatest ever made.

[publicist 4,643]

8 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

It's like saying Titanic praises icebergs or that, I dunno, The Duchess advocates rape and Hook celebrates growing up. The movie literally does nothing but criticise the death penalty.

 

I didn't see the movie but several critics found exactly that to be the case. And like Chaw wrote, that decade was full of shitty message pictures (he cites John Q and I am Sam, which i *have* seen and they sure stunk).

 

More importantly, i urge everyone to see the latest restoration of 'Singin in the Rain', which is (together with 'The Band Wagon') the most joyful thing to do now.

 

 

 

[Sweeping Strings 2,344]

Dr Who And The Daleks/Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. - bought these during lockdown 1 ... am off work this week as well as last, and showery weather here yesterday made me think these adaptations of 2 of the TV stories would put the afternoon in nicely. 

I can see how back in the day, they would've appealed as a way to see the Doctor's adventures in colour and on the big screen ... 50+ years on though, some things definitely jar - 

The theme tune is not in use (copyright stuff, I guess). 

The Doctor is a human scientist/inventor, not an alien time-traveller. His name is definitively 'Doctor Who', something left ambiguous-ish by the show even back then ... yes he is listed as 'Doctor Who' in the closing credits until the change to 'The Doctor' in the 80s, but the latter is pretty much all you heard him get called in the show. 

Barbara, Ian and Susan are all markedly different. Especially odd in the first film was Roy Castle's Ian being a source of physical comedy. 

The Dalek weapons are 'gas guns', as opposed to ray guns/blasters.  

It's not 'THE Tardis' in these, just 'Tardis'. A different interior for both films ... effectively a mad scientist's lab in the first and a far more 'ordered' spaceship-ish one in the second, but neither are remotely like the TV one. The materialising/dematerialising sound effects aren't the same, either.    

The first one's OK ... I much preferred the second, it had a lot more pace and action (and Bernard Cribbins, bless him). But apparently in terms of box-office, audiences felt differently which led to plans for a third being shelved.        

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

54 minutes ago, Sweeping Strings said:

... yes he is listed as 'Doctor Who' in the closing credits until the change to 'The Doctor' in the 80s, but the latter is pretty much all you heard him get called in the show. 

He's referred to as "Doctor Who", in THE WAR MACHINES.

Also, in the Season 2 story, the action takes place in the year 2000 (according to the original trailer).

[Bespin 8,475]

It's already autumn in Québec. I started to remove the last tomatoes from my plants outside.

 

Anyway, it's always a good time for classic horror movies.

 

This year I take it from The House of Frankenstein (1944).

 

[Bespin 8,475]

On 14/08/2022 at 9:36 AM, Bespin said:

Can't wait for september to see the 2022 horror TV programmation, to inspire myself for my 2022 Halloween movies list! BOOOH!!!

• Freeform 31 Nights of Halloween 2022 Schedule
• AMC FearFest 2022 Schedule
• Disney Channel's Monstober 2022 Schedule
• Syfy 31 Days of Halloween 2022 Schedule
• Turner Classic Movies (October Horror) 2022 Schedule

 

The programs are out!!!

[crocodile 7,983]

Watched Star Trek V: The Final Frontier in 4K last night. It is definitely not good - confused and incoherent. And cheesy. But you still cannot hate it completely, there is something very watchable about it despite all its follies. But this is probably mostly due to the charm of Kirk/Spock/McCoy trio to which the film, wisely, dedicates a big chunk of its running time. That, and Goldsmith.

 

Karol

[Marian Schedenig 8,172]

16 minutes ago, crocodile said:

But this is probably mostly due to the charm of Kirk/Spock/McCoy trio to which the film, wisely, dedicates a big chunk of its running time. That, and Goldsmith.

 

The characters (and Goldsmith) are definitely what makes the film - to me not just watchable, but actually dear. Because in that regard (if nothing else) it's one of the best in the series.

[crocodile 7,983]

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The "remastered" 4K release came cheaper with another HMV purchase and I haven't seen this since the cinema release. Not sure what possessed me to get this but, I suppose, 6 years is enough time to give this another watch. So it was my first time watching the extended version. I still don't think it's good but the extra material gives an impression of a more coherent story. It sort of works better if you take into account Snyder's big 5-movie plan. It's a weird movie because the first two hours are really slow but then it launches into this orgy of sound and light that can be really annoying. Snyder's "chavy" take on superhero phenomenon is not, however, without its merits. There's some imagery in this film that is quite memorable and the idea itself isn't necessarily bad. I get it. Sadly, it's only ever really "half there" and never quite hits the mark. It's a weird movie and I was surprised I didn't hate it this time. But then, oddly, I realised Snyder's movies tend to work better on small screen for some reason. 

 

Karol

[Bespin 8,475]

It's about time they tell us the true story about the American civil war.

 

Seriously, the difference between a hit and a miss is sometimes very tiny, it's a very enjoyable movie!

 

[Tallguy 3,361]

12 minutes ago, Bespin said:

It's about time they tell us the true story about the American civil war.

 

Seriously, the difference between a hit and a miss is sometimes very tiny, it's a very enjoyable movie!

 

 

I was shocked at how good this was. My wife LOVES this movie.

 

The Gettysburg scene is actually very moving. (There's probably lots of reasons I should be offended by this.)

 

OTOH, if I died tomorrow I would be the guy who saw Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and never saw Spielberg's Lincoln. I have to fix this!

[Bespin 8,475]

The ancestor of Star Trek.

 

Forbidden Planet (1956).

 

 

 

[publicist 4,643]

On 10/09/2022 at 8:26 PM, crocodile said:

Watched Star Trek V: The Final Frontier in 4K last night. It is definitely not good - confused and incoherent. And cheesy. But you still cannot hate it completely, there is something very watchable about it despite all its follies. But this is probably mostly due to the charm of Kirk/Spock/McCoy trio to which the film, wisely, dedicates a big chunk of its running time. That, and Goldsmith.

 

JG rather publicly called Shatner an idiot (which Doug Fake halfway confirmed by relating to certain tensions from the sessions he attended) and i frankly don't know what delusions of grandeur made Shatner think he could handle a weighty religious topic like that. An early version of the script was even more nuts: god turns out to be the devil in disguise! Even Nick Meyer couldn't have saved this one.

[Sweeping Strings 2,344]

The Last Blockbuster - charming and unsurprisingly nostalgic docu about the sole surviving Blockbuster Video store.

[Jay 37,281]

 

Jaws

 

I saw this in IMAX the other week and found a new appreciation for the movie, as I pretty much do every time I watch it, which is once every 5-10 years or so.  On this viewing I noticed that Quint chose to have his Marines tattoo removed after the USS Indianapolis incident, which makes sense!  Also because of the IMAX screen size, I noticed some background details I had never noticed before, like in the Brody's house you could read the spines of all the books on his desk.

 

This movie is just great, I like how it's 2 movies in with a clear line that separates them, yet it still happens so organically it's not weird in the slightest.  Once the 3 men get out to sea, other than the radio call from Ellen there is no reference to anything from the whole beginning of the movie, none of those running plots matter any more, it's all about them vs the shark, and it's awesome.  Just a great movie, and the score fits it like a glove, and sounds great in the IMAX audio mix.

[bollemanneke 3,337]

The tourist, 2010. 

 

I still like it. Once again, Rotten Tomatoes has no taste. I mean, okay, it’s a bit… far-fetched? No, that’s not a good word, I don’t know what I’m looking for now. Absurd? Anyway, it’s enjoyable. The only scene I reallu didn’t like was the one where Depp just went along with the inspector on the boat. Angelina Jolie also reminded me of Rachel Weisz. Had forgotten Dalton was in it too and I liked how we kept learning more about the characters up until the very end.

The score is fantastic. I love how it effortlessly switches from romance to comedy and action. It’s one of these rare cases when I wish it wasn’t connected to a film and could just last as long as Howard wanted it to.

[Matt C 452]

United 93

 

Revisiting it over 20 years of the 9/11 attacks, Paul Greengrass did an incredible job telling the story of Flight 93. There is a handful of cinematic liberties taken (for obvious reasons) but they're minor in comparison to the emotional truth here. The fact that Greengrass consulted with the victims' families and hired airline employees showed that he wanted to do right and tell the story without sensationalizing it. You know how it ends and yet the last 15-20 minutes remains riveting, nail biting stuff. It still packs a gut punch.

 

And hats off to John Powell for nailing the approach score-wise during spotting. The desperation, sadness and heroic final 20 minutes is almost perfectly scored. 

[Sweeping Strings 2,344]

Jackie Brown - 25th anniversary screening of Tarantino's third flick, an adaptation of Elmore Leonard's Rum Punch. QT dials back his usual schtick a bit (only 4 deaths in a 2-and-a-half hour runtime, none of them particularly bloody or brutal) to deliver a highly entertaining crime caper with a terrific cast (Pam Grier, Samuel L Jackson, Robert De Niro, Robert Forster, Bridget Fonda and Michael Keaton).

[crocodile 7,983]

I actually remember really enjoying this one. It was a bit on the long side but I appreciated th restraint.

 

Karol

[A24 4,326]

It's definitely in my top 3 Tarantino movies. 

[Andy 4,079]

It's good, but if not for Robert Forster, I would rather watch an old Pam Grier flick like Coffy.  Lots of Tarrantino movies are like that for me.  They make me want to revisit the inspiration source material more.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

1 hour ago, Andy said:

It's good, but if not for Robert Forster, I would rather watch an old Pam Grier flick like Coffy...

...or FOXY BROWN, or FORT APACHE THE BRONX, or SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, or "MARS ATTACKS!" 

[A24 4,326]

1 hour ago, Andy said:

It's good, but if not for Robert Forster, I would rather watch an old Pam Grier flick like Coffy.  Lots of Tarrantino movies are like that for me.  They make me want to revisit the inspiration source material more.

 

I only saw a couple of these 70s Pam Grier flicks but the only thing that I remember about them is that she had a big chest. 

[Sweeping Strings 2,344]

Ir's good that there was a couple of things about them that stood out for you  .

[A24 4,326]

Hey, that was pun intended!

[Schilkeman 955]

On 17/09/2022 at 4:59 PM, bollemanneke said:

Once again, Rotten Tomatoes has no taste

On that note, I watched Mortal Engines recently and found it a terrific film. It feels like a movie George Lucas would have produced in his experimental 80's era if the technology had been available. 

[A24 4,326]

Goonies and Rotten Tomatoes don't match!

[Brundlefly 2,385]

22 hours ago, Sweeping Strings said:

Jackie Brown - 25th anniversary screening of Tarantino's third flick, an adaptation of Elmore Leonard's Rum Punch. QT dials back his usual schtick a bit (only 4 deaths in a 2-and-a-half hour runtime, none of them particularly bloody or brutal) to deliver a highly entertaining crime caper with a terrific cast (Pam Grier, Samuel L Jackson, Robert De Niro, Robert Forster, Bridget Fonda and Michael Keaton).

His most beautiful film for sure!

[A24 4,326]

Jackie Brown and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood are his only movies that wouldn't work in a school class full of 14-year-olds. 

[Chen G. 3,943]

There's a funny story about Wes Craven not being able to handle the ear-cutting scene in Reservoir Dogs.

[publicist 4,643]

 

Painfully reminded me how much we miss *good* comedies today (and when taglines were not just empty promises). Chances are people will answer it's Pixar's domain. Be that as it may, this very british assembly of characters, most of them Potter alumni, makes for a sometimes side-splitting experience (Maggie Smith is responsible for a good amount of them).

 

The setting is a small Yorkshire town in 1947, during the worst of the postwar austerity, with rationing of bread and eggs, and all kinds of food shortages. The lordly city fathers (Indy's Denholm Elliott, Potter's Richard Griffiths etc.) plan a patriotic banquet celebrating the nuptials of Princess Elizabeth (RIP) and Prince Philip - which involves a 'forbidden' pig to be obtained on the black market. In needs to be fattened, undetected by the nose of the pitiless food inspector. When the socially ambitious wife (Smith) of hapless chiropodist Mike Palin smells a chance for leveraging the stealing of the pig into a steep climb up the local importance ladder, things spiral out of control. 

 

Rarely haughty pomposity and scheming at the lowest of levels have been combined to better effect (only british filmmakers could have delivered a film like this). The added grace notes like Maggie Smith's befuddled mother, looking serenely out of a window, the pig next to her, are the icing on the cake. 

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

He's got his foot on my bonnet!

Take your foot off my bonnet!

[BB-8 3,461]

The Eiger Sanctions

 

Twice.

[Sweeping Strings 2,344]

6 hours ago, Chen G. said:

There's a funny story about Wes Craven not being able to handle the ear-cutting scene in Reservoir Dogs.

Strange, when you consider that the camera 'looks away' during the worst bit (which it never did during any of Freddy's kills).  

[Chen G. 3,943]

Yeah, it surprised me too: its really not that gnarly! Actually its one of the funniest filmmaking stories I've ever heard: its related by Sir Peter Jackson who was at the Stiges film festival and socialized with Rick Baker:

 

Quote

But there was this really pushy American guy who would tag along with us,’ says Jackson. ‘We’d be literally heading out the door and he would be there: “Do you mind if I come too?”’ [...] We got to the point where we wanted to sneak out of the hotel and not have this guy follow us. I didn’t know who the hell he was.’

Then one afternoon he asked if they were coming to see his film.

‘Oh, you’ve got a film?’ said Jackson, taken aback. ‘You’re not a fan?’

‘Yeah, yeah, yeah,’ he replied, the words rattling out of his mouth like winning coins from a slot machine. ‘I’ve got a film! It’s called Reservoir Dogs.”
Twenty-five years later, Jackson howls with laughter. ‘It was Quentin Tarantino … I remember that when it got to the ear-cutting scene, Wes Craven stood up and walked out because he couldn’t handle it. And Quentin was saying, “This is the greatest thing in the world, Wes Craven walked out of my movie."

 

Hysterical.

[A24 4,326]

On 20/09/2022 at 5:33 AM, Brundlefly said:

His most beautiful film for sure!

 

PTA agrees with you.

 

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/quentin-tarantino-movie-reduced-paul-thomas-anderson-to-tears/

[bollemanneke 3,337]

The devil's own. 

 

Wow, talk about timing, watching this the week I decide to give moving to Dublin a shot (no pun intended). It’s very compelling and intense, but I do think we spent too much time with Ford and his fellow cop. Not saying it wasn’t all interesting, but… I just didn’t need it in this story? I only wanted the plot to focus on Frankie. Also, I seriously underestimated Brad Pitt. Too bad I was introduced to him when he was fucking bullshitting his way through Se7en. He’s really very versatile. Natascha McElhone is fantastic and the way she pronounces ‘the deal’… Oh, delicious.

And what could be more glorious than James Horner going Irish? Oh, I know: James Horner going Irish during every second of this movie. He was criminally underused. The opening cue was so moving and then the director decides to not score half of the film. It’s insane. Why get him to compose your score if you’re going to waste 90% of its potential? He could have done more!
 

[Bespin 8,475]

I need to watch the 1966 movie of the same name.

[publicist 4,643]

7 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

And what could be more glorious than James Horner going Irish? Oh, I know: James Horner going Irish during every second of this movie. He was criminally underused. The opening cue was so moving and then the director decides to not score half of the film. It’s insane. Why get him to compose your score if you’re going to waste 90% of its potential? He could have done more!

 

He did more, but it went unused. Be aware that Devil's Own was one of the numerous 90's movies that turned to shit because stars attached to it changed 10 times and with them the script and its character dynamics. The final movie with Ford and Pitt was a marketer's dream only and from what i remember, the origin story was completely different before they kept adding more Gary Cooper-honest cop stuff for Ford.

[Tallguy 3,361]

I've never seen Devil's Own but I mark that as the point where I didn't have to see every Harrison Ford movie. And I loved Sabrina! 

[bollemanneke 3,337]

Ford is much more interesting outside Star Wars than in it. As is everyone who plays in that franchise, really. I like his character dramas a lot.

[Sweeping Strings 2,344]

Have never seen The Devil's Own, but have read about it. Apparently Pitt's accent is fine for one-word answers, but goes somewhat awry during whole sentences. 

As someone Belfast born and bred, must say I prefer Ford's approach to the IRA in Patriot Games.   

[bollemanneke 3,337]

Hmm, I'm not an expert at all, but really thought Pitt's accent worked.

[A24 4,326]

4 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

Ford is much more interesting outside Star Wars than in it. As is everyone who plays in that franchise, really. I like his character dramas a lot.

 

He was good under the direction of Peter Weir.

 

 

 

I wouldn't have mind if he only worked Weir.

[bollemanneke 3,337]

Collateral. 

 

Annie. Annie! Listen to me all right? This was a rewatch. A re-watch, all right? Now, all I remembered was the jazz sequence and Annie, Annie. I really don’t like Jamie Foxx and the way his character went from cab driver to bitch-ass hero in ten minutes wasn’t really believable either, motherfucker, that and the would-be profound dialogues between him and Cruise, who is great. Why does he need a cab anyway? Just make a movie about Cruise driving an killing people, I don’t need a ‘save the damsel in distress’ ending that includes a ridiculously long action sequence.

 

JNH’s score is extremely varied. It contains everything from piano variations on Bach’s air from his third orchestral suite to electric guitars and even the occasional and annoying wailing man/woman. Glad Vincent didn’t have him on his hitlist. Why do people like this movie so much?

 

[LSH 968]

 

I've seen it before... but wow.

 

I think this is still the best dramatic portrayal of what went on that day. 

 

I'm still a bit speechless (even though I've seen this several times). 

 

Leaves you very cold.

 

Powell's score is awesome in those final moments and quite possibly the best and most appropriate way of doing it.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

5 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

Collateral. 

 

Annie. Annie! Listen to me all right? This was a rewatch. A re-watch, all right? Now, all I remembered was the jazz sequence and Annie, Annie. I really don’t like Jamie Foxx and the way his character went from cab driver to bitch-ass hero in ten minutes wasn’t really believable either, motherfucker, that and the would-be profound dialogues between him and Cruise, who is great. Why does he need a cab anyway? Just make a movie about Cruise driving an killing people, I don’t need a ‘save the damsel in distress’ ending that includes a ridiculously long action sequence.

 

JNH’s score is extremely varied. It contains everything from piano variations on Bach’s air from his third orchestral suite to electric guitars and even the occasional and annoying wailing man/woman. Glad Vincent didn’t have him on his hitlist. Why do people like this movie so much?

 

One of my favorites. It has Tom Cruise as a villain. What’s not to like?

[Andy 4,079]

16 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

Ford is much more interesting outside Star Wars than in it. As is everyone who plays in that franchise, really. I like his character dramas a lot.

I liked him in those archeology films. 

[bollemanneke 3,337]

6 hours ago, Koray Savas said:

One of my favorites. It has Tom Cruise as a villain. What’s not to like?

I like Cruise a lot, Foxx is just entirely unnecessary.

[publicist 4,643]

 

Dug this up on some old hard drive. It's not a great movie, but the medieval subject matter, rarely ever dealt with in the movies but still strangely relevant in key spots, makes up for the deficiencies.

 

'The Last Valley' starts by informing us that the Thirty Years' War began in 1618. It started as a religious war - Catholics against Protestants. But in their relentless pursuit of power, the princes of both religions switched sides as they saw fit - and in the name of religion, unparalleled carnage began in Europe.

 

The story proper starts with Omar Sharif, a drifter (and the movie's token cypher standing in for the modern audience), escaping marauding mercenaries through the harsh, wintry Alps. Accidentally he falls down a slope and finds himself in a village cut off from the outside world and untouched by the bloody conflict.

 

Subsequently, however, Michael Caine and his mercenaries also find their way there. Sharif is able to convince mercurial Caine not to raid the village but instead to stay there during the winter. To maintain order and discipline, the captain has any violations of his rules severely punished. Sharif ensures his own survival by acting as a mediator between the soldiers and the inhabitants.

 

In this microcosm, a whole range of human and religious conflicts arise, very much in the tradition of monumental spectacles popular at the time, complete with didactic aphorisms about the nature of war, the inhumanity of men and religious zealotry, suitably put into the mouth of the matching characters ('God is an excuse that is used too often!'/'You dare to speak to me of just wars? There is no just war. The truth is your leaders are bigots, your generals are bandits; you employ any mercenary you can get and the Pope plays politics! The truth is your war is filth, greed and hypocrisy – and the other side is just as rotten!’).

 

It's a wordy author's screenplay, full of eloquent existentialist speeches, and the eloquence is used to disguise the fact that their targets are rather low-hanging fruit. But what makes the movie stand out is the mythical core idea and the breathtaking vistas. The setting and its photography make the medieval time come alive and of course, the critical eye towards religious hypocrisy is as relevant today as it was in 1970 or 1642.

 

John Barry's choral score lifts the movie now and then, modern critics would hate it for its sheer audacity to musically frame the story, but in the end, when all is said and done and Sharif bids farewell to a dying Michael Caine in a magical lit forest, Barry gives Caine's dark, combative tune a thoughtful closure before 'his' men's chorus is replaced by a female chorus which swells into the sweeping hopeful main theme that majestically closes the movie. You might not even like such approach, but we surely haven't come up with anything better substituting it (see YT link below).