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

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The gentle, yet forceful rendition of that love theme on strings which starts at around 2:33 is one of my single favorite string peaces of all time.

Simply perfect!

[Incanus 5,713]

I personally detest the fluttering flute effect in that piece, which Horner re-used e.g. in Avatar. It sounds so awkward even though I am sure it is supposed to depict the hesitant almost bashful mood of the scene. It is almost akin to a stutter and simply breaks the lyricism of the piece for me. Rest of it is gorgeous. Horner did a fantastic job with this score and actually all the scores he did that year.

[filmmusic 1,822]

Mel Gibson is a GREAT director!

I also adore the Passion of Christ!

i don't know exactly what has happened with him and all the fuss in Hollywood, but i wish he would make more films!

[publicist 4,643]

Horner did a fantastic job with this score and actually all the scores he did that year.

Though if i'm honest, the all-too-obvious Irish Moss moments with those damn pipes seem now even more dangerously close to parody than they did in 1995. As does the syrupy children's chorus in APOLLO 13.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I personally detest the fluttering flute effect in that piece, which Horner re-used e.g. in Avatar. It sounds so awkward even though I am sure it is supposed to depict the hesitant almost bashful mood of the scene. It is almost akin to a stutter and simply breaks the lyricism of the piece for me. Rest of it is gorgeous. Horner did a fantastic job with this score and actually all the scores he did that year.

Detest?

You are a weird one, Finnish boy!

[Incanus 5,713]

I personally detest the fluttering flute effect in that piece, which Horner re-used e.g. in Avatar. It sounds so awkward even though I am sure it is supposed to depict the hesitant almost bashful mood of the scene. It is almost akin to a stutter and simply breaks the lyricism of the piece for me. Rest of it is gorgeous. Horner did a fantastic job with this score and actually all the scores he did that year.

Detest?

You are a weird one, Finnish boy!

Yes. Is it too strong a word for you Dutch laddie? It means that I can't stand stuttering fluttering flute work because it sounds awful to my ears.

Horner did a fantastic job with this score and actually all the scores he did that year.

Though if i'm honest, the all-too-obvious Irish Moss moments with those damn pipes seem now even more dangerously close to parody than they did in 1995. As does the syrupy children's chorus in APOLLO 13.

Horner wrote some good syrup back in the day. He is just repackaging it these days.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

I LOVE Braveheart!!! (I've got the steelbook Bluray)

And the music, so much!!!

(especially that counterpoint dialogue between strings and oboe in the "Secret Wedding")

Ahhhh... Good old film music.... (sigh)

(at. 3.59'')

I hadn't seen the film in years and was surprised how prominent the music was in the film.

Isn't that a rip-off of Holst's Jupiter ('I Vow to Thee, My Country')?

[Koray Savas 2,251]

It was a good film. I liked it. The Descendents was better.

I was disappointed with The Descendants so I hope Nebraska will be better. Is it another bittersweet drama from Payne?

I thought it was better than The Descendants, but yes, the ending is bittersweet.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

For me, Payne's last good film was SIDEWAYS. After that they became far too cynical and solipsistic.

[Quintus 5,399]

It's the only one ive seen. Lovely little movie.

[A24 4,326]

It was a good film. I liked it. The Descendents was better.

I was disappointed with The Descendants so I hope Nebraska will be better. Is it another bittersweet drama from Payne?

I thought it was better than The Descendants, but yes, the ending is bittersweet.

About bittersweet, in an interview, Alexander Payne says: 'Truth' is what makes good movies.

He meant that, in life, comedy and drama "occur in close proximity" and it's what you'll find in his movies. He also makes the movies he wants to see.

Looking forward to Nebraska.

Alex

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Out of respect for Alain.

I've seen it so many times that people say that he or she is not their cup of tea and still write a note of condolence (R.I.P.).

Sure, but you need a bit more than a generic 'RIP' to offset your remark exposing your distaste for his oeuvre. That said, I think something's been lost in translation.

[A24 4,326]

I agree, I was a bit short. I don't dislike him, I respect any director who tries to take film to a different or 'higher' plane, but his style is simply not for me. I don't connect to every great painter that has ever lived either.

[Sir Hilary Bray 235]

watched The Four Musketeers. Forget the BBC reinvention, this is where it's at as far as my Muskeeter-fandom is concerned. Seen these many times since childhood but this time round truly appreciated Reed's acting, chiefly when with Dunaway but also early on when talking about milady.

Failing that, Raquel Welch. Doesn't do much, doesn't have to.

[Jay 37,271]

Damnit! I watched a ton of movies in 2013 - way more than I mentioned here, and I promised myself I would write about all the movies I see this year. Well here we are in March and I haven't discussed a single one yet! Oh well.

I'll go back and cover the 11 movies I watched in January and February at some point, but the first movie I watched in March was:

The Lego Movie

I thought it was fun, and funny, and entertaining..... but not the life-changing "best animated movie in years!" event that many are making it out to be.

The plot is pretty basic stuff: an evil mastermind, Lord Business (Will Ferrell), has a superweapon called The Kragle that he intends to restore order to the world in his vision, and the wizard Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) tries to stop him from using it. He is unsuccessful, but speaks of a Prophecy where someone called "The Special" will one day find the "Piece of Resistance" and stop Business and the Kragle. 8 1/2 years later, we meet our "ordinary" hero - Emmit (Chris Pratt), a construction worker who one day after work sees a women he's instantly attracted to, Wild Style (Elizabeth Banks) about to find The Piece of Resistance near his construction site. They end up on an adventure together that involves joining up with Batman (Will Arnett), the My Little Pony Princess Unikitty (Alison Brie), the pirate Metal Beard (Nick Offerman), a 1980's astronaut (Charlie Day), Superman (Channing Tatum), Green Lantern (Jonah Hill), Wonder Woman (Cobie Smulders), and a bunch of other surprises. They fight against not only Lord Business but also his henchman Bad Cop (played delightfully by Liam Neeson).

This story is told in a unique way - all in the world of Legos, seemingly all done with CGI but made to look as often as possible like they just took real Legos and stop-motioned photographed the whole thing. In fact I am not sure how many Lego pieces in the film are made up and how many exist, I would guess most exist. The fact that everything is Legos gives basically every scene a comic feel to it, but there are admittedly some moments of sheer beauty where you marvel at the effects on screen. The biggest problem with the film is the ADHD editing style - sometimes so much is happening on screen, it's hard to take in all the details of what is happening! And because it's a PG movie aimed at children, some elements of the plot are repeated out loud by the characters a few times so everyone remembers what is going on and what the stakes are.

There is a plot twist about 2/3rds of the way through that some will hate, but I personally loved. However, I wish they had gone further with the twist. SPOILER WARNING

I would have preferred if Emmit didn't retain consciousness and couldn't will himself to move around off the table in the "real world". I wish the filmmakes had fully committed and made the ENTIRE story completely in the kid's head. Oh well.

Overall a very fun movie that is easy to recommend because it's completely harmless, and full of comedy and fun action adventure sequences. And I'm sure it's probably better than most animated movies aimed at children that come out these days (I can't say, because I don't see most of them). I have read that they are working on sequels, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. One the one hand, this tells a pretty self-contained story, but on the other hand, there truly are infinite possibilities for more stories based on how everything worked out with this one. I'll probably check the next one out too.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,490]

It was a good film. I liked it. The Descendents was better.

I was disappointed with The Descendants so I hope Nebraska will be better. Is it another bittersweet drama from Payne?

Yes, it is, but it is also very funny, at times. Besides...any chance to watch Bruce Dern should be taken.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Killer's Kiss

Another 60-minute 50s flick from Kubrick. This time around though he really moves things swiftly, making it feel a lot more diverse and longer than it actually is. New York is the best character in this film. Kubrick shoots is beautifully. These past few days are the first time I've seen his black-and-white films, and honestly, I wish he did another one later in his career. His eye for lighting and contrast is amazing here, particularly towards the end with the foot chase on the rooftops.

[A24 4,326]

It was a good film. I liked it. The Descendents was better.

I was disappointed with The Descendants so I hope Nebraska will be better. Is it another bittersweet drama from Payne?

Yes, it is, but it is also very funny, at times.

Yes, that's what I presumed. See my previous Payne post.

[Jay 37,271]

Anybody else here seen the Lego Movie?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Haven't seen it yet, planning on seeing it soon.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Nope, sounds like a rental too me.

Is it as good as Transformers: The Movie?

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Is it as good as Transformers: The Movie?

About a million times better.

[Jay 37,271]

Are you asking about the 1986 animated movie actually titled "Transformers: The Movie", or the 2007 Michael Bay movie that's just titled "Transformers"?

If the former, I haven't seen it since I was a kid, don't really remember it.

If you're asking about Michael Bay's movie, that was the only film in the last 10 years I almost walked out of the theater, I hated the film so much. It was god awful. I never saw 2 or 3.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

I want a Playmobil movie!

[Quintus 5,399]

I liked the first Transformers movie. It had a bit of charm and wit and knew it was a big load of daft. The final action sequence was a visually indecipherable mess, but that's what happens when metal punches bits of other metal I suppose. Mick Bay hasn't a clue how to tell a story with action.

Didn't see the sequels, heard they were terrible.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The 1987 feature length cartoon you idiot!

[Jay 37,271]

1986

[Quintus 5,399]

The 1987 feature length cartoon you idiot!

I didn't see the cartoon movie.

[crocodile 7,979]

Are you asking about the 1986 animated movie actually titled "Transformers: The Movie", or the 2007 Michael Bay movie that's just titled "Transformers"?

If the former, I haven't seen it since I was a kid, don't really remember it.

If you're asking about Michael Bay's movie, that was the only film in the last 10 years I almost walked out of the theater, I hated the film so much. It was god awful. I never saw 2 or 3.

The only one I've seen was the second one. Very similar experience. In fact, it was reported to be even worse.

Karol

[Quintus 5,399]

Even my mate who'll watch any old shit said it was crap, so that was it for me.

[Jay 37,271]

LOL

In Germany, Pompeii debuts below a crowd-funded adaptation of The Office

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

A German The Office would be very boring! Everyone works in the most effective and efficient way possible and generally leave their privates lives at home.

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

"I am Herr Scott, und you vill perform your duties without hijinks, ja?"

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Les Choristes
 
Forgot how enjoyable this film is. Such a nice little gem!
The kids here all do a great job both at singing and acting (especially the guy playing Mondain. He's quite creepy!).
One aspect I like is the fact that the ending is bittersweet rather than truly happy. It's what makes distinct the other films in the same "genre" . It also helps the film avoiding some of the clichés of the genre (even though Rachin's character often borders on cliché villain).
Not sure the bookend scenes are really needed. They don't bring much to the overall story. The film would have been perfectly fine without them, methinks.
Bloody love Coulais' score, especially the Caresse sur l'Océan and Vois Sur Ton Chemin "themes" (so to speak). A shame it's pretty short.
 
7/10

 

 

 

 

[KK 3,307]

I still have to watch that film (heard a lot about it)! Love the score though. Beautiful, heartwarming stuff.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I saw it 14 months ago, really a lovely film. Great atmosphere, good acting.

The ending, instead of going all Hollywood over-the-top is quite restraint, and therefore far more moving.

[Matt C 452]

I'm Not There.

Just a fascinating avant-garde experience... even if the Richard Gere and Marcus Carl Franklin segments didn't work for me. I did like how the several actors represented several different aspects of Bob Dylan's persona -- especially Cate Blanchett's Jude and Heath Ledger's Robbie. I can see why some people would call it "irritating hipster bullshit", but I find just fascinating on a visual and metaphoric level. It loses some of its power from the big screen to the small screen, but this is the kind of film no major studio would back -- and that alone makes it worth a look.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

One of my favorites, that one. Hoping for a blu-ray release at some point. I'm not sure how it works for non Dylan enthusiasts, but for fans of his work its a tremendous experience.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,490]

Save your money, and watch "Dont Look Back", and/or "No Direction Home".

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Save your money, and watch "Dont Look Back", and/or "No Direction Home".

This.

I'M NOT THERE doesn't elucidate, it obfuscates. Dylan the myth, not Dylan the man. No more insights. Pop idolatry.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

The Wind Rises

I was checking up to see when The Grand Budapest Hotel opens in my area and noticed this was playing. They offered the English dub as well as the Japanese original with subtitles. Went for the latter. I'm not an expert on Studio Ghibli or Hayao Miyazaki, but I do like the ones I've seen. This one started off rather brilliantly. but serious pacing issues really hurt it, and it seemed to go on forever. Once Jiro meets Nahoko again, it all goes downhill. What was a really well written and executed character study quickly turned into an illogical mess. I'm sure the sociopolitical undertones are present in Mayazaki's other films, but of the three I've seen, I can't remember them. At any rate, I liked their inclusion here and thought it worked naturally with the story and the characters. Hishaisi's score was pretty great, used sparingly.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,490]

Save your money, and watch "Dont Look Back", and/or "No Direction Home".

This.

I'M NOT THERE doesn't elucidate, it obfuscates. Dylan the myth, not Dylan the man. No more insights. Pop idolatry.

Agreed.

Whatever you do, dear JWfaners, do NOT watch "Hearts Of Fire"!

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Save your money, and watch "Dont Look Back", and/or "No Direction Home".

This.

I'M NOT THERE doesn't elucidate, it obfuscates. Dylan the myth, not Dylan the man. No more insights. Pop idolatry.

Considering Dylan approved it himself, I'd definitely say it's about the man.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Yeah right!

[publicist 4,643]

This.

I'M NOT THERE doesn't elucidate, it obfuscates. Dylan the myth, not Dylan the man. No more insights. Pop idolatry.

Considering Dylan approved it himself, I'd definitely say it's about the man.

Yeah, like James Cameron would approve a piece called THE KING OF THE WORLD. Lack of modesty and self-aggrandizement are not exactly unknowns in the world of entertainment.

[crocodile 7,979]

I went to see that The Lego Movie thing. It's actually quite... pedestrian. A great movie for kids, but can't see adults getting anything out of it. Underwhelming.

Karol

[Jay 37,271]

I was underwhelmed too. The two hosts of a film review podcast I lsiten to both raved about it and being unbelievably good. it was fine, but nothing mind-blowing.

[crocodile 7,979]

The problem is that after seeing the trailer there's not much in the actual film to surprise you.

But, as you say, there is nothing wrong with it. It's just nothing special or witty.

Karol

[Jay 37,271]

I actually didn't even remember the trailer's that much, just that Batman would be in it.

I just thought it was very predictable:

As soon as they showed the bandaid, I knew there would eventually be live-action, with the entire story we'd been watching being the imagination of some live action character.

And as soon as they did the "dad thinks of them as collectibles, the kid just wants to play" thing, I knew he would break down by the end of the movie and play with them with his kid.

etc.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Sounds hokey.