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

[Naïve Old Fart 9,554]

3 hours ago, Andy said:

I can't NOT love Kong 76.  The marketing with perhaps one of the top 3 movie posters of all time.

 

 

It's by John Berkey, the same man who did the poster for THE TOWERING INFERNO.

[Andy 4,147]

John Berkey is an underrated poster artist.  Very memorable work on Star Wars, Orca, and the Hindenberg. 

[Holko 9,532]

Rewatched Taxi Driver the other night and really loved it.

A stretch to include it here but I also watched Tár and really liked it. Including it here because this is my annual movie watch post and I noticed that it isn't completely dissimilar to Taxi Driver in some way - both building and drawing you into a detailed believable world and featuring a well-drawn character dancing on the edge of a knife who the movie doesn't necessarily pass judgment on itself, just presents them and implicitly invites you to draw your own conclusions, Travis deciding to jump off the edge of the knife but ending up falling off the other side and going right back to dancing on the edge while the public adores him, Lydia in reality having jumped off one side long ago but it's only revealed to the public throughout the runtime, and after being cast out she still proceeds with her job (even if in what she and other elitists might perceive as a lower circle), finally being able to concentrate on it without distractions for the first time.

 

Watched Godfather when the LLL was announced and wasn't a big fan, I was mostly kinda bored but I could only partly pay attention. After getting more familiar with the score I watched it again in the christmas break, and this time, already knowing the plot and characters and able to pay full attention, I liked it a lot more. Then I watched part 2 and... didn't like it much at all. No, fuck you, you suck. OK, we got that out of the way. 1 is about the tragedy of this likeable enough crime family's downfall for following semi-honourable ways and Michael's descent into the cold calculating asshole he needs to be to keep it in control, but 2's just about him becoming even more of a cold calculating asshole and destroying it all in the process. Some of the Vito parts were OK but mostly I thought it was a useless waste - he was too quiet to be much of a character, there's not enough of a perceivable parallel between them, and they barely even show actual beats, transition points of Vito's story, just slices from his life, one scene he kills the local Don, the next scene he's already the Don and well known. Eh.

 

I also watched How the West Was Won - a big eh. Some good acting moments (Debbie Reynolds is energetic, Henry Fonda is likeable, Eli Wallach is having a lot of fun in the 1 scene he's in), but overall just eh. Watched Harmonica's flashback right after and holy shit it's night and day, that has actual style, a whole boatload of it. The only aspect that manages to capture, live up to, hell almost even surpass its ambitions of being a grand mythic generation-spanning story of all the peoples of the country is the score, holy shit the score. Listened to the expansion too afterwards and I adore most of it. Are there any chances of a reexpansion from one of our labels, or is it the most comprehensive release possible from the best source possible? The sound is overall insanely impressive for its now 60 years of age (compare the opening brass notes to scores recorded in the 70s!) but the choir for example is often lower quality.

[Tallguy 3,402]

Heh. That's ok about Godfather. I can't stand Taxi Driver. (I don't like Goodfellas much either.) I don't love Godfather but I appreciate it a lot more. 

 

I couldn't tell in your last paragraph where you were talking about How the West Was Won or Once Upon a Time in the West.

[A24 4,347]

25 minutes ago, Tallguy said:

I couldn't tell in your last paragraph where you were talking about How the West Was Won or Once Upon a Time in the West.

 

Indeed, I didn't know there was also a character named Harmonica in How The West Was Won.

 

What's wrong with Taxi Driver? Poor direction? Bad writing? Robert De Niro is a good actor but only in the Meet The Fockers franchise? What?

 

[Tallguy 3,402]

3 minutes ago, AC1 said:

 

Indeed, I didn't know there was also a character named Harmonica in How The West Was Won.

 

What's wrong with Taxi Driver? Poor direction? Bad writing? Robert De Niro is a good actor but only in the Meet The Fockers franchise? What?

 

 

I don't like the movie. I don't like the story. I find it repellent.

 

Goodfellas is a grayer area. That one just didn't connect with me. I'm also not crazy about Ray Liotta. Paul Sorvino was a legend.

 

I feel like I should like Once Upon a Time in the West better than The Good the Bad and the Ugly but I don't. Maybe I need to see it again. Although I remember being shocked at seeing saguaro cactus in Once Upon a Time. "Wait. Is this actually filmed in THE WEST?"

[Naïve Old Fart 9,554]

1 minute ago, Tallguy said:

I don't like the movie. I don't like the story. I find it repellent.

One can find a film repellent, but still appreciate it.

For example: the main character in NIGHTCRAWLER is a horrible, horrible person, but it's a brilliant performance, from a must-see film.

Not liking a movie and not liking the story shouldn't deter one from admiring it.

[Holko 9,532]

1 hour ago, Tallguy said:

I couldn't tell in your last paragraph where you were talking about How the West Was Won or Once Upon a Time in the West.

 

41 minutes ago, AC1 said:

Indeed, I didn't know there was also a character named Harmonica in How The West Was Won.

 

5 hours ago, Holko said:

but overall just eh. Watched Harmonica's flashback right after and holy shit it's night and day

I don't see what's not understandable there, HTWWW was eh, I watched a scene from another epic western right after for comparison.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I can watch the hell out of How the West Was Won just for its production value (and score), but yeah as a story it doesn't hang together at all.  But man there are some wonderful sequences.

 

I don't really have the desire or time to launch an appropriate defense of the brilliance of The Godfather Part II.  Suffice to say I disagree 

[Tallguy 3,402]

1 hour ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

One can find a film repellent, but still appreciate it.

 

Tough idea to answer to. I totally get where your coming from. And there are movies about terrible things and awful people that I know that I enjoy.

 

Except when I watch Taxi Driver I think "Why am I wasting my time with any of these people?" Very well made movie and there is no denying the talent involved. Harvey Keitel has a stunning performance and I can't say my life is in any way improved for having seen it.

 

There's just levels of yuck that I don't feel like I have to engage in no matter the artistry involved.

[A24 4,347]

27 minutes ago, Tallguy said:

 

 

There's just levels of yuck that I don't feel like I have to engage in no matter the artistry involved.

 

So you're basically saying that you prefer The Goonies? 

[Tallguy 3,402]

35 minutes ago, AC1 said:

 

So you're basically saying that you prefer The Goonies? 

 

Well, I PREFER The Goonies. That doesn't mean I like Goonies either.

 

Hey, aren't we discussing that @Holko doesn't like Godfather II? (Deflect! Deflect!)

[Holko 9,532]

4 hours ago, Tallguy said:

I feel like I should like Once Upon a Time in the West better than The Good the Bad and the Ugly but I don't.

Me neither, something about how the plot goes or how it's depicted doesn't feel whole to me, not a fan of where Jill goes either. I think. GBU's more fun.

[Tallguy 3,402]

20 minutes ago, Holko said:

GBU's more fun.

 

Shhh. We're not supposed to like fun. We're supposed to like Taxi Driver.

[Holko 9,532]

Just now, Tallguy said:

 

Shhh. We're not supposed to like fun. We're supposed to like Taxi Driver.

[Jay 37,374]

 

The Accidental Tourist

 

Huh, this was a weird movie.  I watched it because John Williams scored it and I hadn't seen it yet; I can tell now why it hasn't really remained relevant or discussed much otherwise!

 

The trailer, and promotional images like the one above, make this out to be some kind of comedy, but apart from a few funny bits, I found it to largely be a pretty depressing slog!

 

William Hurt plays a middle-aged travel book author who, when the movie begins, is still dealing with the sudden death of his only child with wife Kathleen Turner.  She soon wants a divorce; he meets Geena Davis who takes an instant liking to him; He breaks his leg and temporarily lives with his middle-aged siblings who have no real goals in life; Bill Pullman is around as Hurt's boss and love interest for the sister....

 

What strikes me most about the film is its depressing tone.  Hurt kind of slides from one event to the next, rarely changing.  He's set up early as someone who specifically writes about how business travelers can feel at home when on the road, and I thought his arc by the end of the movie would include him finally learning to explore the cultures of all the places he gets to travel to, but nope.  As for the love interests, I ended the movie thinking he didn't deserve Turner or Davis, because he treated them both so poorly through the whole movie!

 

The movie never outright says it, but from my perspective its extremely clear that he is (and his entire family are - his siblings all have similar symptoms) suffering from depression.  But this is not a movie where it is figured out and he either finds therapy meds, or both, no, he just bounces back and forth between two love interests and I am not left thinking the one he ends the movie with will even be permanent.

 

Maybe people in the late 80s had a different viewpoint on this film than I did in 2022, but for me I found very little to enjoy here.... other than Williams' score, which is wonderful.  It supports the film well, largely bubbling under the surface except when needing to carry some montages.  Until the end, when we get a big lush string happy ending cue, which I felt was un-earned by the character, but what are you going to do.  The end credits then is even more upbeat, tricking you into thinking you watched a happy ending, when I don't think you did!

 

Anyway, I listened to the score album not long after, and really liked it a lot.  There's a bit of music in the film that isn't on it - plus who knows what unused music could be in the vaults - so I'd welcome a nice specialty label expansion.

 

It's on Kanopy

[Bespin 8,484]

It's a movie inspired by the novel of the same name, it's about ordinary people, about people who are not very good at happiness. The author Anne Tyler was a finalist for the Pulitzer prize for her novel, her compassion for misfits has been greeted.

 

Does it make a strange movie, yes, it does. I never read the book. But I think the music elevates the movie very well, I think John Williams really understood this portrait of ordinary unhappy families.

[Schilkeman 964]

I like Godfather Part III a great deal, and feel that the descent into hell that is Part II really gets paid off in that film. The atonement for sins (it's all very Catholic). I get the whole Terrible People Doing Terrible Things: The Movie is not necessarily compelling, it's what eventually turned me away from Game of Thrones, but I think Part II, being the middle of Michael Corleone's life, is part of a larger story that doesn't end with the death of his brother, but with an old man falling out of a chair, having accomplished nothing of real value.

[Faleel 5,363]

On 09/01/2023 at 2:18 PM, Andy said:

I can't NOT love Kong 76.  The marketing with perhaps one of the top 3 movie posters of all time.

 

Am image so strong, it somehow gets into my young psyche, and permeates the whole affair.

Let me ruin it for you: Kong casts no shadow.

[Holko 9,532]

14 minutes ago, Clockwork Angel said:

Let me ruin it for you: Kong casts no shadow.

we are perfectly exactly between him and the sun, his shadow is cast backwards so he covers it up. And the tower closer to us, uhhh, has giant christmas lights so its shadow is not seen on the other one.

[Romão 2,274]

16 hours ago, Jay said:

 

The Accidental Tourist

 

Huh, this was a weird movie.  I watched it because John Williams scored it and I hadn't seen it yet; I can tell now why it hasn't really remained relevant or discussed much otherwise!

 

The trailer, and promotional images like the one above, make this out to be some kind of comedy, but apart from a few funny bits, I found it to largely be a pretty depressing slog!

 

William Hurt plays a middle-aged travel book author who, when the movie begins, is still dealing with the sudden death of his only child with wife Kathleen Turner.  She soon wants a divorce; he meets Geena Davis who takes an instant liking to him; He breaks his leg and temporarily lives with his middle-aged siblings who have no real goals in life; Bill Pullman is around as Hurt's boss and love interest for the sister....

 

What strikes me most about the film is its depressing tone.  Hurt kind of slides from one event to the next, rarely changing.  He's set up early as someone who specifically writes about how business travelers can feel at home when on the road, and I thought his arc by the end of the movie would include him finally learning to explore the cultures of all the places he gets to travel to, but nope.  As for the love interests, I ended the movie thinking he didn't deserve Turner or Davis, because he treated them both so poorly through the whole movie!

 

The movie never outright says it, but from my perspective its extremely clear that he is (and his entire family are - his siblings all have similar symptoms) suffering from depression.  But this is not a movie where it is figured out and he either finds therapy meds, or both, no, he just bounces back and forth between two love interests and I am not left thinking the one he ends the movie with will even be permanent.

 

Maybe people in the late 80s had a different viewpoint on this film than I did in 2022, but for me I found very little to enjoy here.... other than Williams' score, which is wonderful.  It supports the film well, largely bubbling under the surface except when needing to carry some montages.  Until the end, when we get a big lush string happy ending cue, which I felt was un-earned by the character, but what are you going to do.  The end credits then is even more upbeat, tricking you into thinking you watched a happy ending, when I don't think you did!

 

Anyway, I listened to the score album not long after, and really liked it a lot.  There's a bit of music in the film that isn't on it - plus who knows what unused music could be in the vaults - so I'd welcome a nice specialty label expansion.

 

It's on Kanopy

 

It's a wonderful movie, score and book. And I must say, it's one of the most seamless adaptations of book to screen that I have ever seen, with absolutely pitch perfect casting.

 

It's a story that never fails to touch me. Even more so since becoming a father

[Naïve Old Fart 9,554]

Well done, @Romão.

Now, that's a review.

Although the score gets respect (and love, from a select few), the film doesn't get anywhere near the amount of love that it deserves.

[Tallguy 3,402]

I still have never seen it. I remember it got attention back in the day and I always meant to see it. I can't imagine it would have done much for me at 19 though.

[Jay 37,374]

It didn't do much for me at 43!

 

I'm happy others found more to like in it. I couldn't connect to a character that treats two women like crap and still ends up with one of them, and the other is happy for him to do so

[Disco Stu 15,495]

8 hours ago, Schilkeman said:

I like Godfather Part III a great deal, and feel that the descent into hell that is Part II really gets paid off in that film. The atonement for sins (it's all very Catholic). I get the whole Terrible People Doing Terrible Things: The Movie is not necessarily compelling, it's what eventually turned me away from Game of Thrones, but I think Part II, being the middle of Michael Corleone's life, is part of a larger story that doesn't end with the death of his brother, but with an old man falling out of a chair, having accomplished nothing of real value.

 

I like Part III as well.  It's no masterpiece, but it's far from an embarrassing failure like some make it out to be.

 

The incest thing is weird though.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,554]

"Incest"? Do you mean the romance between the cousins?

[Bespin 8,484]

Let's not incest on that.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

If Richard wants to come out in favor of having sex with first cousins, he's more than welcome to do so!

[A24 4,347]

Don't remember anything about The Accidental Tourist but I love the score and that is all what matters.

[Jay 37,374]

It's a very lovely score!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,554]

2 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

If Richard wants to come out in favor of having sex with first cousins, he's more than welcome to do so!

I'm not in favour of first cousins having sexual relationships, but it's not illegal, in the UK.

 

There are several people's first cousins I'd like to have sex with, but never my own.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Here's a wiki page I never expected to look at:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_marriage_law_in_the_United_States

 

Not illegal here in Virginia either, but.... if you share grandparents with someone..... gross.

[Bespin 8,484]

29 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

Here's a wiki page I never expected to look at:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_marriage_law_in_the_United_States

 

Not illegal here in Virginia either, but.... if you share grandparents with someone..... gross.

 

Clear your browser history.

[filmmusic 1,843]

 

Lots of fun, in  a "theatrical" film.

[Tallguy 3,402]

So sad that Boris Karloff was unavailable for the film. That would have been epic.

[Sweeping Strings 2,365]

Manhunter - both Tom Noonan's and Brian Cox's (as the first Hannibal Lecter) performances here bring to mind what's been said about 'the banality of evil' (especially Cox as a far less 'showy' Lecter than Hopkins, but no less terrifying ... 'How are your dreams, Will?'). Meanwhile, as the brilliant-but-tormented profiler Will Graham, William Petersen sort-of foreshadows his future role in CSI.    

Michael Mann directs with a heavy emphasis on style, but not at the expense of substance. A 'chilly' (and chilling) thriller.      

[Jay 37,374]

 

We're The Millers

 

One of the few big Hollywood comedies of recent years we had never gotten around to seeing.  I dunno why we waited so long, cause its pretty good!  Not much to say about it, it's just funny the whole time.  Sudeikis and Aniston are good leads, and there's nice supporting work from their "kids" (Emma Roberts and Will Poulter) plus the always welcome Kathryn Hahn and Nick Offerman.  There's a decent parade of cameos too - Luis Guzmán, two State members (Tom Lennon and Ken Marino), Ed Helms, Scott Adsit, Sam Richardson

It's on HBO

[filmmusic 1,843]

 

Meh... I love classic sci-fi, but I didn't like this much. The suit of the mutants was awful.

On the other hand, I love the 1986 remake.

4 hours ago, Sweeping Strings said:

Manhunter - both Tom Noonan's and Brian Cox's (as the first Hannibal Lecter) performances here bring to mind what's been said about 'the banality of evil' (especially Cox as a far less 'showy' Lecter than Hopkins, but no less terrifying ... 'How are your dreams, Will?'). Meanwhile, as the brilliant-but-tormented profiler Will Graham, William Petersen sort-of foreshadows his future role in CSI.    

Michael Mann directs with a heavy emphasis on style, but not at the expense of substance. A 'chilly' (and chilling) thriller.      

Which you like better, this or Red Dragon?

[Naïve Old Fart 9,554]

Oh, my giddy aunt! MANHUNTER is the best Hannibal Lecter (or is that Lecktor? ) film!

[Faleel 5,363]

Just now, Naïve Old Fart said:

Oh, my giddy aunt! MANHUNTER is the best Hannibal Lecter (or is that Lecktor? ) film!

007 takes the Lektor

[filmmusic 1,843]

8 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Oh, my giddy aunt! MANHUNTER is the best Hannibal Lecter (or is that Lecktor? ) film!

Hmmm. Disagree. Nothing can top The Silence of the lambs.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,554]

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS is a very well made film, but it seems a little overwrought. It's as if everyone is trying just a little too hard.

HANNIBAL is gory fun, and RED DRAGON is a lost opportunity.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Silence of the Lambs is the only Thomas Harris adaptation I like.  I hate Hannibal (the film).

 

Red Dragon is ok, some good parts, doesn't come together.  Manhunter is seriously overrated, mostly by film nerds because they think it's cooler than Silence because it wasn't as popular.

[Sweeping Strings 2,365]

11 hours ago, filmmusic said:

 

Meh... I love classic sci-fi, but I didn't like this much. The suit of the mutants was awful.

On the other hand, I love the 1986 remake.

Which you like better, this or Red Dragon?

I'd need to see Red Dragon again to compare properly, I guess.   

[A24 4,347]

10 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

HANNIBAL is gory fun

 

Yes, it's all very operatic and tongue-in-cheek. Those who expect a serious horror drama will be disappointed.

[Sweeping Strings 2,365]

11 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

Silence of the Lambs is the only Thomas Harris adaptation I like.  I hate Hannibal (the film).

 

Red Dragon is ok, some good parts, doesn't come together.  Manhunter is seriously overrated, mostly by film nerds because they think it's cooler than Silence because it wasn't as popular.

Film nerd? How DARE you, sir! 

*Remembers the nature of this forum* 

Oh, hang on ...   

 

[Jay 37,374]

 

Avatar

 

I watched the Extended Collector's Edition cut (3 hours long) on blu-ray last night, in anticipation of schlepping out the movie theater to see the sequel this weekend.

 

I had seen this film twice before (in IMAX 3D when it was first in theaters, and then a re-watch of the theatrical cut on the same blu ray some 5 or so years ago), but I honestly wouldn't have been able to recall any character names (outside of Jake Sully and Quarritch) or any plot details out of the basics, so it was a very good refresher.  I actually quite enjoyed the whole movie on this viewing, and I'm sure things will stick with me better now.

 

I have no clue which scenes that I saw in this cue were not in the theatrical cut, but honestly at no point did I feel like I was watching a pointless or filler scene, nor did anything stand out as being something you should cut just to save time.  About the only story thread that seemed a bit off was the background about how Neytiri's sister was murdered when Grace's school was attacked, but that's only because it's only told through scenes with Grace; Jake and Neytiri never discuss it at all in their scenes.  Why wouldn't Cameron have given Saldana a scene to show how it affected her?  Weird.

Speaking of Neytiri, I was actually quite impressed with Zoe Saldana's acting performance, she's great in this movie!  The other hero human characters (Michelle Rodriguez, Joel David Moore, Dileep Rao) were enjoyable too, but I couldn't quite get into Sigourney Weaver's role as much for some reason.  Stephen Lang and Giovanni Ribisi made really excellent villains, they impressed me too!  The various Na'Vi were also nicely unique.  I definitely didn't remember that Neytiri is practically naked the whole movie, showing of tons of sideboob throughout most of the picture until she finally covers up more for the finale (unless that was changed for this cut, I dunno)

 

Despite the fact that the story is so basic and straight-forward, the world-building is so excellent the whole film is really engaging right from the start.  I liked getting an insight into Jake's life on earth before he agrees to board the ship for Pandora, and the way the biosystem of Pandora worlds is slowly unveiled is really good too.  I also liked how every different creature and location introduced throughout the first two acts gets returned to in the big finale, that was very well done.

 

Horner's score was excellent in the movie, I loved it.  It made me miss him all over again, as a few times I felt like what I was hearing wouldn't be done that way by another composer.  My only issue with the music in the movie was that there was many instances where it was mixed too low, which took me out of the movie to notice it. I remember one time there was a big panoramic shot of floating mountains and stuff, and the music was trying to soar to enhance the majesty of what you're seeing, but Cameron mixed it low and had helicopter sounds more prominent in the mix instead, which is baffling.

 

Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing the sequel now!

[filmmusic 1,843]

 

Hadn't seen this before. Very fun movie!

Was there any sequel planned? It seemed that way to me in the end.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,554]

Perhaps. It certainly seems like a sequel was kind of set up, but any possibility of INNERSPACE 2 was quashed, when the film bombed.

It's, deservedly, become a cult film.

 

Ps, it's a nice poster, but I like the "thumb and forefinger" poster. No offence; I just prefer Alvin's work.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,554]

ANGELS AND DEMONS.

Utter gobshite.

I waited for two hours for a single idea to turn up, and all that I got was a lot of running around, some bollocks about a secret society, Ewan McGregor with a really bad Oirish accent, and... oh, yeah, Tom Hanks in a Speedo, and, frankly, nobody needs to see that.

Still, it had Stellan Skarsgård, and any film with Stellan Skarsgård in it is worth seeing... isn't it? 

Avoid.

1/5, and that's just for Stellan Skarsgård, and Armin Mueller-Stahl.