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

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Another Star Wars actor that can survive the direction of George Lucas is Ian McDiarmid. Why nobody thinks of putting him in The Game Of Thrones series or Predators 3 is beyond me.

Alex

Christopher Lee was also fine. Another actor who can survive a bad film on his charisma alone.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

I'll agree that Ian McDiarmid was pretty good before his, uh, coming out. I mean, he was seriously a breath of fresh air in those movies when most of the actors are so wooden and devoid of any humanity. That said, I still think it was a big disappointment when he turned into "The Emperor", which was a silly caricature of the true badass he was in Return of the Jedi. George just couldn't resist. He of course had to give him a lightsaber and have him spinning around the air in a CGI catastrophe. I reviewed the climactic scenes from Jedi last night and, hell, they made we want to watch the whole trilogy. It's all that great. What's also great is I can still imagine in my mind what could have been for the backstory and just ignore the prequels.

Christopher Lee was more boring than algebra.

[Incanus 5,713]

I'll agree that Ian McDiarmid was pretty good before his, uh, coming out. I mean, he was seriously a breath of fresh air in those movies when most of the actors are so wooden and devoid of any humanity. That said, I still think it was a big disappointment when he turned into "The Emperor", which was a silly caricature of the true badass he was in Return of the Jedi. George just couldn't resist. He of course had to give him a lightsaber and have him spinning around the air in a CGI catastrophe. I reviewed the climactic scenes from Jedi last night and, hell, they made we want to watch the whole trilogy. It's all that great. What's also great is I can still imagine in my mind what could have been for the backstory and just ignore the prequels.

Yeah McDiarmid was excellent in the Prequels until the last section of RotS after his transformation, when he became as you say a CGI catastrophe and cackling madman devoid of gravitas. The Emperor in RotJ is miles ahead of that weird creature.

[A24 4,326]

Jimmy Smits ... it's like Lucas has no effect on him.

[Quintus 5,399]

Yeah, it's like he was never even in it.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Jimmy who?

[A24 4,326]

Yes, he only had a small part, but he was not stiff and stilted, like 99% of the Prequel cast. He has beaten the toughest test any actor can endure. The road to Predators 4 lies open for him. He's ready.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Oh yeah, NYPD Blue guy. What was he even doing in those movies? Lucas wrote in a tiny role for Bail Organa like an afterthought. He was supposed to be a pivotal character, of course. Ben served him in the Clone Wars and entrusted him with raising Leia. So he's barely in the movies, awkward whenever he is and then announces in the last 10 minutes he wants to adopt a baby girl. Don't get me started on Uncle Owen being related to Anakin now and not even knowing these characters. None of it makes sense. The original Star Wars is no longer canon.

[Taikomochi 1,136]

Argo

It was a very well made film, and I enjoyed it greatly. Not sure about Best Picture hype, though. Not feeling that.

Lincoln

However, I am feeling it here. What a spectacular film! I don't need to get into the acting, superb, but what really shined is the script. I felt so drawn into the character of Lincoln, his flaws and all, and drawn into American politics, dry and all. It's unlike any biopic I've seen. While I haven't seen many best picture contenders, pending their release, I doubt I will like any as much as this film. A high mark for Spielberg, to be sure.

John's score was strangely in the background. A success in restraint. It worked well.

Sort of spoiler:

I will say that the assassination felt very tacked on. If only they had ended it just a few moments earlier, the film would have been utterly flawless.

[indy4 155]

I saw Life of Pi. I thought it was pretty good. Haven't read the book.

[indy4 155]

I'll agree that Ian McDiarmid was pretty good before his, uh, coming out. I mean, he was seriously a breath of fresh air in those movies when most of the actors are so wooden and devoid of any humanity. That said, I still think it was a big disappointment when he turned into "The Emperor", which was a silly caricature of the true badass he was in Return of the Jedi. George just couldn't resist. He of course had to give him a lightsaber and have him spinning around the air in a CGI catastrophe. I reviewed the climactic scenes from Jedi last night and, hell, they made we want to watch the whole trilogy. It's all that great. What's also great is I can still imagine in my mind what could have been for the backstory and just ignore the prequels.

Yeah McDiarmid was excellent in the Prequels until the last section of RotS after his transformation, when he became as you say a CGI catastrophe and cackling madman devoid of gravitas. The Emperor in RotJ is miles ahead of that weird creature.

I disagree, the "safe and secure society" scene is definitely one of the best of the entire saga (partially due to McDiarmid, partially JW, partially George Lucas).

[mrbellamy 6,272]

Lincoln

However, I am feeling it here. What a spectacular film! I don't need to get into the acting, superb, but what really shined is the script. I felt so drawn into the character of Lincoln, his flaws and all, and drawn into American politics, dry and all. It's unlike any biopic I've seen. While I haven't seen many best picture contenders, pending their release, I doubt I will like any as much as this film. A high mark for Spielberg, to be sure.

John's score was strangely in the background. A success in restraint. It worked well.

Sort of spoiler:

I will say that the assassination felt very tacked on. If only they had ended it just a few moments earlier, the film would have been utterly flawless.

All the way with you here, including the spoiler.

I think the perfect ending would have been Lincoln walking down the hall, on his way to Ford's Theater. I loved everything about that moment, the way he slips out of frame as he's walking down the stairs, plus his final line earlier in his office ("I wish I could stay longer") did everything to satisfyingly suggest the assassination without needing to actually portray it. Even Johnny's music seemed to want it to end there.

I guess I give them credit for breaking the news at the theater Tad was at, rather than actually showing it happen, but I don't think the assassination had any real business being in the story they decided to tell. And it was all handled in such an abrupt and perfunctory way: the weird dissolve from Tad screaming to Lincoln's deathbed, and then that hokey candle-flame transition into the second inaugural speech. Spielberg and Kahn are better than that.

[Taikomochi 1,136]

Lincoln

However, I am feeling it here. What a spectacular film! I don't need to get into the acting, superb, but what really shined is the script. I felt so drawn into the character of Lincoln, his flaws and all, and drawn into American politics, dry and all. It's unlike any biopic I've seen. While I haven't seen many best picture contenders, pending their release, I doubt I will like any as much as this film. A high mark for Spielberg, to be sure.

John's score was strangely in the background. A success in restraint. It worked well.

Sort of spoiler:

I will say that the assassination felt very tacked on. If only they had ended it just a few moments earlier, the film would have been utterly flawless.

All the way with you here, including the spoiler.

I think the perfect ending would have been Lincoln walking down the hall, on his way to Ford's Theater. I loved everything about that moment, the way he slips out of frame as he's walking down the stairs, plus his final line earlier in his office ("I wish I could stay longer") did everything to satisfyingly suggest the assassination without needing to actually portray it. Even Johnny's music seemed to want it to end there.

I guess I give them credit for breaking the news at the theater Tad was at, rather than actually showing it happen, but I don't think the assassination had any real business being in the story they decided to tell. And it was all handled in such an abrupt and perfunctory way: the weird dissolve from Tad screaming to Lincoln's deathbed, and then that hokey candle-flame transition into the second inaugural speech. Spielberg and Kahn are better than that.

The walking out of frame was such a perfect ending that I have to wonder if the assassination was added after the film was more or less completed just to give dumber audiences what they want. I am reminded of Marie Antoinette, which stops short of her assassination, which many, I understand, were disappointed with. It seems an action of restraint not just to show that, but it great benefited the film not to show it. I guess I can accept the ending in the concept of that walking out of frame. It still has poignancy when I think that for that servant, this is the last time he will see Lincoln alive. It says to me, even though he died, he will still be remembered that way. The film would have been better without it, but I can live with it.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Spielberg couldn't resist having a long scene of closeups on guy smiling as Lincoln walks away.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

Enough with the spoilers, already!!! The U.K doesn't get the film until January 25th.

[indy4 155]

Just don't fuck with JW's "With Malice Towards None" and I'll be fine

[Jay 37,281]

Enough with the spoilers, already!!! The U.K doesn't get the film until January 25th.

I'm confused... are you complaining about the spoiler tags or were the posts edited since your post?

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

I'm complaining that I read the spoilers, and that they will ruin the movie!!!!

[Taikomochi 1,136]

Spielberg couldn't resist having a long scene of closeups on guy smiling as Lincoln walks away.

Yes, because it is very effective, and, in the context, is very appropriate and works very well. Just because something is typical of Spielberg doesn't mean doesn't work. On the contrary, it worked excellently, being the moment when I realized it was more than just a good Spielberg film.

[A24 4,326]

Oh yeah, NYPD Blue guy. What was he even doing in those movies? Lucas wrote in a tiny role for Bail Organa like an afterthought. He was supposed to be a pivotal character, of course. Ben served him in the Clone Wars and entrusted him with raising Leia. So he's barely in the movies, awkward whenever he is and then announces in the last 10 minutes he wants to adopt a baby girl. Don't get me started on Uncle Owen being related to Anakin now and not even knowing these characters. None of it makes sense. The original Star Wars is no longer canon.

Can't you focus on the topic of discussion? This has nothing to do with the art of 'acting'.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

I try master!

[filmmusic 1,823]

Enemy Mine in Bluray! (yesterday)

I had never seen this and i love 80s sci fi.

I enjoyed it a lot and it was worth my blind buy!

I also liked the Maurice Jarre score very much (the orchestral parts), and this release benefits from an isolated score track too..

(the Film i saw before that was The Rains of Ranchipur, also a Twilight Time BLuray release, and also worthy of my blind buy!

I was especially impressed by the (Oscar nominated) optical effects of the era..

Something that I can't say for recent films. I'm not impressed at all by CGI anymore..

[crocodile 7,982]

Die Hard 4.0 AKA. Live Free or Die Hard

Not as bad as Quint says. It barely feels like it belongs to the series, though. Just not this filmmaking era.

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It feels like a proper Die Hard film to me

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I think I'm the only one here that found it quite good. My only issue is with the PG-13 rating.

EDIT - Ah, guess Steef thinks so too.

[crocodile 7,982]

It's entertaining, I'll give it that. And that's the only thing that I could ever want from it. The villain is kid of weak, though. That Asian chick is much more memorable.

And Bruce has still got it!

It feels like a proper Die Hard film to me

Yeah, I guess it does. But those films always belonged to a different time to me. It's kind of strange to watch it on the 00's., if you know what I mean.

One more thing: I like Marco Beltrami's score. Not anything of the Kamen's caliber, of course. But he honours the man here.

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Yes i appreciated that he tried to follow the Kamen style

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

Beltrami did as good a job on "DH4" as he did on "The Omen". He even quoted some of the themes.

[Quintus 5,399]

DH4 is another decade-too-late sequel which plays out as a gushing homage to itself but ends up as very cringy parody. Also commits the cardinal sin of having big fake cg shots, making it completely detached from the rawness of the action in the earlier movies. It's like Disney bought the licence...

Some people don't think Indy 4 is all that bad either, which makes sense since DH4 is remarkably similar.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Nonsense, the first two films have some very obvious and fake special effect shots, they just weren't CGI

[Quintus 5,399]

The one ridiculous shot I can remember is the ejector seat explosion, which became pretty iconic at the time

Nobody remembers the stupid cg stunt truck from DH4. Because it's boring.

If With a Vengeance was made today, the central park taxi scene would be all cg. Swooping Peter Jackson style camera shots spinning around the taxi (imagine how YELLOW it would be), with enormous numbers of civilians diving for cover like ants, as powered by MASSIVE™.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Did you see the Die Hard 5 trailer?

[Quintus 5,399]

Nah, I try to avoid movie trailers these days. Like to go in blind like I did with Skyfall. I'm not expecting much from the new Die Hard, but if word of mouth is good I'll be there.

Hey, do they have fucking annoying 'red carpet' scenes in your country prior to the movie (after the trailers) which show loads of clips from the very film you're just about to watch? WTF are they doing with that shit? I've actually started anticipating it and looking away.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

No, thank god they dont

[Quintus 5,399]

Lucky you. The most stupid promotion practice I've ever known. I even instruct people I'm with to look away during it, it winds me up that badly!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Why would they do that? Thats like showing the trailer of the film your about to see?

[Quintus 5,399]

Selfish movie spoiling sponsorship. It's almost as annoying as seeing phones lighting up around the auditorium during the movie, the blue borders of Facebook shining on the twat's face.

I go to the cinema less and less for a reason.

[crocodile 7,982]

Well, Quint, I can't convince you you're wrong on Die Hard 4 (even though you are ), but it has one thing that Indy 4 doesn't - Bruce Willis is still believable as an action star.

Karol

[BloodBoal 7,538]

It's almost as annoying as seeing phones lighting up around the auditorium during the movie, the blue borders of Facebook shining on the twat's face.

Hahahaha! How true this is!

[crocodile 7,982]

Truer words never were spoken (posted) on this forum.

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Selfish movie spoiling sponsorship. It's almost as annoying as seeing phones lighting up around the auditorium during the movie, the blue borders of Facebook shining on the twat's face.

I go to the cinema less and less for a reason.

Checking a phone is fine during the commercials and trailers. But when the actual movie starts that shit has to be put on silent and pocketed!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

I think phones (as well as food, drinks and ugly people) should be prohibited in cinemas

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I disagree

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Of course you do. You always need your M&M's and Diet Coke when watching a film!

You simply cannot spend two hours without having something in your mouth...

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I'd rather have some kind of chips and an ice tea.

[Brónach 1,301]

I don't know if I should go see Skyfall tonight, or Life of Pi next week, or instead save the money for other films. Decisions, decisions...

[Quintus 5,399]

Just posted a large multi paragraph post about my abandonment of films at the cinema and it vanished into thin air after submitting it.

Shite forum.

Long story short: the distributors don't want people to switch off their phones during movies anymore because it pays to have people talk about your movie on FB - even if it's in the theatre. The realisation came to me just as Skyfall was about to begin when the customary "please turn off your phone" message was amended to "please make your phone silent."

"Fuck the patrons, they've already paid. Tell your Internet friends all about the movie. Cheers."

The Hobbit movies will be the last movies I see at the cinema. Home comfort and no disruptions is everything where movies are concerned.

[crocodile 7,982]

I don't know if I should go see Skyfall tonight, or Life of Pi next week, or instead save the money for other films. Decisions, decisions...

Save your money for LLL/Intrada releases.

Karol

[Brónach 1,301]

AAARGH

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The Hobbit movies will be the last movies I see at the cinema. Home comfort and no disruptions is everything where movies are concerned.

I only go to the cinema for films I'm really interested in anyway. Though that might be different in my city had an actual cinema of its own....