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

[Koray Savas 2,251]

How'd it ger burrrned? How'd it ger burnnnneeeed? How'dddd itt gettt burrrrrrnnnneed???

[Wojo 2,453]

Is this one of those films that you can only really understand if you are English?

So you're an expert then?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I will be!

[filmmusic 1,826]

What do you mean you don't understand it? the plot?

I didn't see anything non-understandable about it.

It's perfectly clear.

What I meant is I've never really understood the film's appeal and cult.

Wasn't it something different and new for films of that era?

So, there's your answer.

Plus that it's well crafted.

I was a bit terrified too near the end...

[Matt C 452]

Beautiful Creatures

It's not a bad film. While it failed to copy the enormous success that that other YA novel adaptation enjoyed -- it has a key ingredient that Twilight lacks: chemistry. You want to see Alden Ehrenreich and Alice Englert get together and furthermore, they can emote (even though the former really overdoes the Southern accent). But screenwriter-director Richard LaGravenese has a problem balancing the story goals. Should he have been more faithful to the novel to please fans, or should he have structured it as a potential one-off? It tries to satisfy everybody, and it just sits there.

And needless to say the big actors like Emma Thompson, Viola Davis and Jeremy Irons are wasted in here. Thompson goes in full scenery chewing mode, which is fun for a bit but wears down quickly. But the film's eminently watchable, and both Phillippe Rousselot and Thenewno2's contributions are certainly very good.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Moonrise Kingdom

Not much to add from what I originally said after seeing the film in theaters. Wonderful movie.

Ruby Sparks

I saw the trailer for this one when it came out and thought it looked fantastic. It has this great Charlie Kauffman vibe, but something about the final act didn't sit well with me. I've only just finished it so maybe my thoughts will change once it really sinks in. I wasn't aware that the actress who plays Ruby also wrote the script and is in an actual relationship with Paul Dano. I thought that was an interesting dynamic that isn't seen in film production. Essentially two couples carried the entire film from conception to final cut, and how the film tosses around ideas about relationships and love benefited from that. The whole cast was great though, with the highlight actually being Chris Messina. He's starting to get a little bigger but the first film I saw him in was Away We Go. Always liked him, good actor. Can't forget Elliot Gould, who's always a pleasure on screen. I was also surprised by the nice little score by Nick Urata. Never heard of him but I thought it was wonderfully quirky and lyrical.

[Matt C 452]

Addams Family Values

After seeing it numerous times, I can still recite many of the lines by heart. Unlike the Men in Black series, Barry Sonnenfeld's second Addams entry is a big improvement on the first. The sharp script by Paul Rudnick allows Joan Cusack, Christina Ricci, and especially Christopher Lloyd to go for broke, and the zingers and double-entendres fly.

Many of the scenes don't have huge laughs, but there are numerous one-liners and minor scenes that add up to a very funny movie. It's doubly shameful that this movie didn't do as well as the first, plus Raul Julia's untimely passing... I would've loved to see what Sonenfeld and co. would've done with a third outing.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Yeah it's a really fun movie. Love Raul Julia and Angelica Huston here.

[Matt C 452]

I also really enjoyed Shaiman's score too. It's very Elfman-esque, but it has Shaiman's marks all over it. The music playing over Gomez and Morticia's dance at the restaurant is superb.

[filmmusic 1,826]

Dracula (1931)

It was a bit painful to watch without any musical score!

I wish they had added one back then.

(i was humming in my mind frequently the Kilar score to help )

just watching now some extracts in youtube with the Glass score, but it's too loud..

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Painful? Why?

[filmmusic 1,826]

Have you seen it?

well, I'm not used to films without any music score and this needed it desperately..

Watching films like this (where there is no musical score whatsoever) you understand the power of film music.

[Muad'Dib 1,802]

Didn't Lugosi's version used Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake?

[filmmusic 1,826]

Only a couple of minutes in the main titles.

The rest of the film hasn't got any music at all, except for a couple of minutes again with source music in the concert hall.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,513]

Isn't the Kilar score wonderful, filmmusic???!!!!!

Maybe Todd Browning intended for "Dracula" to have no score..?

If you don't like films without a score, then you won't like "The China Syndrome".

[filmmusic 1,826]

Isn't the Kilar score wonderful, filmmusic???!!!!!

Maybe Todd Browning intended for "Dracula" to have no score..?

If you don't like films without a score, then you won't like "The China Syndrome".

1) The Kilar score is a masterpiece, and as a matter of fact, it's the first soundtrack I ever heard isolated from the movie, and the reason i learned that soundtrack albums exist!

2) I think someone mentioned that it was like this. He didn't want people to be dragged out of the film with the score. Well, in me it had the opposite effect. It dragged me out with the absence of score.

3) Well, i think i could handle it in more contemporary films. I may have seen others that didn't have a score. But to a 1931 movie, which had very few to none sound effects, and you saw long scenes without dialogue, just plain mute, it wasn't good.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,513]

Isn't the Kilar score wonderful, filmmusic???!!!!!

Maybe Todd Browning intended for "Dracula" to have no score..?

If you don't like films without a score, then you won't like "The China Syndrome".

1) The Kilar score is a masterpiece, and as a matter of fact, it's the first soundtrack I ever heard isolated from the movie, and the reason i learned that soundtrack albums exist!

2) I think someone mentioned that it was like this. He didn't want people to be dragged out of the film with the score. Well, in me it had the opposite effect. It dragged me out with the absence of score.

3) Well, i think i could handle it in more contemporary films. I may have seen others that didn't have a score. But to a 1931 movie, which had very few to none sound effects, and you saw long scenes without dialogue, just plain mute, it wasn't good.

Agreed, but it would seem that Todd Browning wanted to emphasise your point number 2.

I say enjoy it, for what it is even wiith no score. So many films from all decades have Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much music in them. It makes a refreshing change to watch one with no score, which is why "TCS" works so well: it draws you in to the action without relying on score, and that can only be celebrated.

[filmmusic 1,826]

Well, I would suggest you to see the specific film (or have you seen it? I haven't understood), and then maybe you'd change your mind!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,513]

Perhaps I would. I'll watch again (yes, I have seen "Dracula" - 1931, many times), asap.

[Matt C 452]

Scream

It's not as funny as I originally thought it was, but the "whodunnit" aspect still works pretty well. The meta aspect is pretty funny and ingenious at times, even if the killer's identity is a bit far-fetched (a problem that Scream 4 had too). Not one of the greatest horror films made, but very entertaining.

Scream 4

Having only seen portions of Scream 2 and Scream 3, I think it's still almost as entertaining as the first one. Some of the violence goes pretty out there, even more so than the original, but I think it's even funnier in spots. And some of the scarier scenes show that Wes Craven can still 'bring it' as a horror director. And Neve Campbell looks even better here than in the original... but Courtney Cox-- yikes!

[crocodile 8,000]

I had a blast watching the fourth one. It was always a parody of sorts and more of a satire than anything else. And as such, very entertaining.

Karol

[Uni 306]

If you don't like films without a score, then you won't like "The China Syndrome".

The China Syndrome had a score, but it wasn't needed much in the film . . . both because the movie did, in fact, work very well without it, and because Michael Small's ersatz, synthetic underpinning sucked rocks (they may have dialed much of it out of the final cut for that reason--I honestly don't know).

- Uni

[Naïve Old Fart 9,513]

Thanks, Uni. I have never heard the score, but the only piece of music that exists in the film is a song by Stephen Bishop called "Somewhere In between" which is heard on a car radio at the beginning. Personally, I think that "TCS" works very well without a score.

[crocodile 8,000]

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas . For the first time ever. There was a time when Burton had heart.

Karol

[Jay 37,346]

After stumbling upon it late night and being intrigued by the synopsis I decided to give Safety Not Guaranteed a whirl. The quirky romance movie is not something I'd normally go in for, but this offbeat melding of Wes Anderson meets Spike Jonze love story was rather charming and I have to admit I quite enjoyed it. One wouldn't have thought that time travel could be a basis for a burgeoning romance between two oddballs, but it just works, and the delightful little surprise at the end even managed to pull off a sense of the romance epic on an indie scale, a crowd pleasing finale which was as wonderfully romantic as it was silly. 3.5/5

Also, I have to mention the girl, who was really lovely. You know when you're watching a newcomer and at first you're like meh, but as the movie goes on you feel yourself crushing on her more and more? The seriously cute Aubrey Plaza deserves success.

You never heard of Audrey Plaza before seeing this film? She's great! She's one of the main characters of Parks and Recreation, which is a great comedy on TV right now (just get past the mostly cliched 6 episode first season for the brilliant seasons 2-4). She was also in Judd Apatow's Funny People and Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. She also starred in a film this summer that I haven't seen but looked pretty good:

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

I couldn't get into Parks and Rec. The first season was a total abomination, and while the second season has improved to watchable levels, I still gave up on it midway through for other shows on my to watch list. At some point I'll probably skip ahead to season 3 and see how it goes though.

[Jay 37,346]

Yup - the 6 episode first season of Parks and Rec was pretty bad, it was basically a "The Office" clone, with them making Leslie Knope too dumb, etc.

The second season was a huge improvement, with them beginning to spend more time on the supporting cast, but the BIG improvement came at the very end of that season, when they dumped the Paul Schneider character and introduced Rob Lowe and Adam Scott, who have been permanent members of the cast ever since. Seasons 3 and 4 were true gems. Season 5 was pretty hit or miss, with Greg Daniels going back to The Office for it's final season instead of show-running P&R. I haven't started season 6 yet.

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

To be fair I never cared for the US Office either, though the original Gervais show is one of the best TV comedies ever. But back to the topic.

[filmmusic 1,826]

Just watched "The Uninvited" (1944)

Great ghost film and I was especially impressed by the special effects for its time.

Another thing that caught my attention:

Listen to a 1 minute preview of the 3rd track here (squirrel chase)

http://ie.7digital.com/artist/william-stromberg/release/young-the-uninvited-gullivers-travels

(it's for a scene where a dog chases a squirrel)

Does it remind you of something? (especially the piano wanderings)

I wonder if Williams has seen this film and was influenced by this scene.

[A24 4,331]

Man Of Steel: When everything is said and done, I can't give it more than a 6/10. I wasn't bored at all, and even though I like the general presentation, the film is just too occupied with telling the basic Superman story ... and action, action, action. Except for maybe Jor-El (Russell Crowe), there is no time to connect to any of the characters (goodies or baddies) or the environments of Krypton (the dark side of Avatar?), Metropolis and Smallville. The flashbacks don't help either, which is a shame because Kostner could've been as good as Glenn Ford. Also, after a while I noticed I was waiting for a bit of comic relief, something to counterbalance the drama. The big and long finale? I've seen it before ... in The Matrix Revolutions.

Zack Snyder really needs to make a movie with Russel Crowe playing the lead character. And then he should make one with Michael Fassbender.

Alex

[Richard Penna 3,683]

I recently watched MoS as well, and I'd give it about 6/10 too. This is the third Zack Snyder movie I've seen, and I only liked one of them (Legend of the Guardians: zzzzz. Sucker Punch: good)

I was bored for the first half hour - the squabbling between Shannon/Crowe/<Wife's name> felt almost pantomime-ish. Even once the story got started there was very little sense that Snyder was doing much new. I admire his attempts to show the world's reaction to seeing aliens, and the issue of accepting Clark for what he is, but there were so many cliches and few moments that rose above generic.

I enjoyed Superman Returns vastly more than this.

The music also got a bit annoying for me during some of the action sequences. It works on album when I'm in the mood, but in the film, there's only so much *BRRRRRRUUMMMMMMMMMM<!?£$%$@~>* one can take while watching a building crash down. And even during the flying sequence early on, I really wanted some of Zimmer's layers to disappear and give us more of a flighty and more airy feel. I really think his orchestration lets him down.

[mrbellamy 6,278]

12 Years a Slave

Hard to write up proper thoughts at the moment, so for now I'll steal a quote from a review by Wesley Morris that sums it up rather nicely for me: "When the film ended I just sat in my seat. I didn't know where to go. I didn't want to go anywhere. This isn't a post-screening lobby film. You don't quite mill about after. What could anybody possibly say? In part, that sense of speechlessness is a response to the film's muted artistry. In part, it's a response to the movie's transparency. The power of McQueen's movie is in its declaratory style: This happened. That is all, and that is everything."

I will say that this is easily Hans Zimmer's best work in years. The standard emotional chord progression he uses in the film is maybe a little underdeveloped but it works like gangbusters, and there's some grinding and truly terrifying percussive pieces that are texturally unlike anything I've heard him do before, yet still never quite overwhelm the film. Horribly effective music, I thought.

[filmmusic 1,826]

Does it gets closer to his Thin Red Line score?

That score is my favourite..

[Koray Savas 2,251]

12 Years a Slave

Hard to write up proper thoughts at the moment, so for now I'll steal a quote from a review by Wesley Morris that sums it up rather nicely for me: "When the film ended I just sat in my seat. I didn't know where to go. I didn't want to go anywhere. This isn't a post-screening lobby film. You don't quite mill about after. What could anybody possibly say? In part, that sense of speechlessness is a response to the film's muted artistry. In part, it's a response to the movie's transparency. The power of McQueen's movie is in its declaratory style: This happened. That is all, and that is everything."

I will say that this is easily Hans Zimmer's best work in years. The standard emotional chord progression he uses in the film is maybe a little underdeveloped but it works like gangbusters, and there's some grinding and truly terrifying percussive pieces that are texturally unlike anything I've heard him do before, yet still never quite overwhelm the film. Horribly effective music, I thought.

I'm seeing this either today or tomorrow. McQueen is one of the best filmmakers working today.

[Quintus 5,399]

in the film, there's only so much *BRRRRRRUUMMMMMMMMMM<!?£$%$@~>*.

Yeah I love those parts. They're badass!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The Exorcist (The Version You've Never Seen Before)

Remains one of the most unsettling movies ever made. Not merely because of the (famous) scenes involving demonic posession, which are all well done and still shocking to this day. But it's the scenes around that aspect that really give the film it's classic status.

Much of the film considts of subtle but unrelenting psychological terror of a single mother who's daughter begins to exhibit unusual behaviour. Nothing serious at first. some pills are perscribed and "let's wait and see what happens" and slowly the mother, and her daughter go through countless procedures with doctors, then shrinks untill there seems to be only one logical avenue remaining

Medical science, and the science of psychology is shown as ignorant, and useless in this film. The child Regan is subjected to invasive and frightening medical procedures, strapped in while huge scanners circle around her (looking at it today, 1970's hospoitals and medical equipment looks ugly, noise, scary and inefficient.. Mreanwhile in the background of the a police investigation into the death of a friend of the family slowly lets the mother, played to perfection by Ellen Burstyn that is CANNOT be just a braintumor or psychological condition.

Interwoven in this is the story of Fathert Damien Karras, a priest/psychiatrist who though his work, and the horrible conditions of his mothers passing has slowly begon to lose his faith.

The films has a great cast Ellen Burstyn is pitch perfect ar a mother slowly driven to insanity. There is a great scene between her and Lee J. Cobb in which he seems to get ever nearer to the mark. (Cobb gretly resembling Columbo in this role). She tries to be polite and helpfull while coming to the realiztion that her daughter killed one of her friends and doesnt want the policemen to start susecting this)

Jason Miller brings an edgy believability to his role as a Catholic priest who's lost faith. This film features several priests and paint them as for thoughtful and dimensional then the doctors and scientists.

Linda Blair became famous after this film. Starting out as a sweet and atrictive young girl, and ending up ravaged, much like would happen latter in her life.

The film opens with a series of scenes set in Iraq featuring an elder priest played by Max Von Sydov. While the excat meaning of this prologue is never exactly explained in the film. It sets up the eventual arrival of Sydows character late in the film tro perform the actual exorsism.

That scene is basically a battle between elaborate special effects versus words of scripture. The genius of casting Von Sydow in this relativeloy minror role means that the words from the Bible gets spoken with absolute authority.

The 9 minute scene could have been a ridiculous display of cheesy effects versus cheesy hocus-pocus.

William Friedkin directs the film with a merciless eye for pacing. The film is actually rather slow. And the scenes of demonic terror are few and far between. But this help shroud the film in a blanket of dread. The camerawork by Owenb Roizman gives the film a great (though very 1970's look). The mirky fould streets of 70's NY, the more posh look of Georgetown, hospilatls with a clinical and off putting look and finally the iconic shot of Von Sydow's Father Merrin arriving at the house.

Music is very sparse in this film. Even Tubular Bells is only briefly used.

The film is ending might be quite puzzling for a first time viewer. For such a slowly paced film it's conclusion does come rather sudden.

Also, throughout most of the film Ellen Burstyn's character is front and centre. After Father Merrin arrives she all but dissapears (not so much a complaint as an observation.)

Background reading (and the ill-fated sequel) reveal that Regan did not actually get possessed by satan, but instead by a demon named Pazuzu. This is not apparent in the film at all, unless you know of the book, or reconize the statue in the beginning of the film..

This 2000 cut has some extra scenes that flesh out the story a bit. I'm not sure the "spider-crawl" and the few CGI inclusions of the demonic face really add anything to the film though. The spider-crawl seems to come pretty much out of no where.

This are minor quibles though, in a movie that is still as gripping and unsettling as it was when I saw it some 20 years ago.

**** out of ****

[filmmusic 1,826]

I don't remember the music much, but if this film didn't have the unfitted Tubular bells and had a score a la Omen, I think it would be even better!

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

Remains one of the most unsettling movies ever made.

As far as I remember, I didn't find it unsettling at all, which is why I never understood its significant appeal.

The 9 minute scene could have been a ridiculous display of cheesy effects versus cheesy hocus-pocus.

I believe it rather did seem like that to me. I haven't seen it in a long time, but I think what it lacked for me was a convincing setup of the premise. I may misremember, but I think the movie took too many of its assumptions as given, while for me the whole premise of possession and exorcism is absolutely ridiculous. That doesn't mean you can't make a convincing movie out of it, but you have to convince me first.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

No, I think it would have been more conventional. (like The Omen is)

Tubular Bells is in it for 30 seconds maybe, much of the music that is used is classical music.

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

I don't remember the music much, but if this film didn't have the unfitted Tubular bells and had a score a la Omen, I think it would be even better!

I'd like to hear the Schifrin score someday.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I believe it rather did seem like that to me. I haven't seen it in a long time, but I think what it lacked for me was a convincing setup of the premise. I may misremember, but I think the movie took too many of its assumptions as given, while for me the whole premise of possession and exorcism is absolutely ridiculous. That doesn't mean you can't make a convincing movie out of it, but you have to convince me first.

Actually that's what the film did for me. It's scenes pointless medical procedures and doctors suggestion things like depression, or tissue scarring in the brain as possible solutions, while the mother knew something deeper was the cause.

It's the juxtaposition between these very realistic, character driven scenes and the "head turning & pea soup vomit" stuff that seems to divide viewers on this film. It's not as obviously nonsensical at The Omen or Poltergeist are. Nor is it low key in it's depiction of the super natural that it would allow for viewers to come to any reasonably scientific conclusion for the condition of the girl.

I may misremember, but I think the movie took too many of its assumptions as given, while for me the whole premise of possession and exorcism is absolutely ridiculous.

I think you do misremember. The idea of an exorcism is suggested by the doctors as a possible placebo. It might work because the patient things it will work. Father Damien Karras actually dismisses the notion, saying that for an exorcism they would have to go back to the 16th century. It is only father Merrin that takes the possession as fact!

[Bespin 8,480]

Halloween I & II... The original ones. And tomorrow, Hallowen H20.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Halloween II, despite is being obviously inferior felt like the only one in the franchise actually connected to the Carpenter classic.

[publicist 4,643]

Interestingly, Friedkin mentions in his biography how he started to believe in demonic possession while shooting in Iraq for a few months. Strange things happened when they shot the whole Pazuzu stuff and he said the whole aura of the place was somewhat suspect. After that he believed in the whole exorcism concept himself, so the movie is rather soft on that.

[filmmusic 1,826]

Oh, I'm JUST about to see Halloween 2 too!

(are the other ones worth it? 3, 4, 5, 6?)

[Quintus 5,399]

Mark Kermode's favorite film, The Exorcist is a great.

[Bespin 8,480]

Oh, I'm JUST about to see Halloween 2 too!

(are the other ones worth it? 3, 4, 5, 6?)

I only consider the Laurie Strode Trilogy, so the I, II and H20.

They are the only three with Jamie Lee Curtis.

Viewing them in sequence offers a very good experience, because they really follows one each other.

You'll see the begining and the end of Michael Myers.

Well I think H20 is the end... Did he really die?

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

It's a pathetic shockfest. Typical that Kermode would rate it.

[Quintus 5,399]

Are you trying to be Koray Savas MkII? The Koray Savas' reboot?

Because you're right on track

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Who?