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

[Romão 2,274]

I had never heard or seen Phoebe Waller-Bridge before she was cast in Indiana Jones, so after watching the movie, I've been checking some of Fleabag, and found her really quite funny. I must see the whole series one of these days.

 

I also liked her portrayal in DOD and character. Her sidekick, on other hand, really felt unecessary and a retread of previous characters 

[Tallguy 3,401]

1 hour ago, JTW said:

What sort of videos do you actively avoid? The ones where people say that Helena is an insufferable feminist and explain why? If you're not interested in their opinion and explanation, why should I explain the same thing to you?

 

There's the hope that you could do it more concisely and convincingly?

 

Having seen the film I can tell you she is NOT an insufferable feminist. I've known a few and she wasn't that. Like @Marian Schedenig said, maybe the actress is? Odds are fair. This was just another "fly by the seat of (her) pants" adventurer who grew up around Indy and who happened to be a woman.

 

If you're going to point to a PW-B role in a Lucasfilm project that was insufferable look to Solo. And intentional or not the "insufferable" part wound up being played entirely for laughs. Or it landed that way anyhow.

[filmmusic 1,838]

 

I love Lundgren , but this was meh...

I slept in the last half hour. Maybe I should watch it to fully evaluate the film? We'll see..

[Naïve Old Fart 9,551]

The fact that you slept through the final thirty minutes, suggests that you have already fully evaluated it 

[Sweeping Strings 2,363]

Honestly feel that both the Lundgren and Ray Stevenson (R.I.P) Punisher flicks are more enjoyable in a pulpy, ultraviolent way than the Thomas Jane one, which I found to mostly be a plodding borefest. 

[Sweeping Strings 2,363]

Mission : Impossible 3 - Hunt and the team try to prevent arms dealer Owen Davian selling a bioweapon to the highest bidder in this third instalment. Philip Seymour Hoffman gives good villain ... there's SOMETHING about him; a quality that suggests that in real life as well he may not necessarily have been a very nice guy.

Best action sequence is probably the mid-point bridge attack.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,551]

Yeah, I like M:I 3, as well.

It's safe to say that Philip Seymour Hoffman is the best thing about it, but that doesn't mean to say that the rest of it is bad.

Shame that Jonathan Rhys Meyers wasn't in M:I THE ONE WITH THE TALL BUILDING.

I just wish I could have prevented PSH going into that bathroom with a syringe, all those years ago 

[Edmilson 7,468]

PSH is by far the best villain of the M: I movies. Dude gives such a good, terrifying performance, you really feel how much of a threat he is to Cruise.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,551]

Even when it's Cruise disguised as PSH, in the bathroom, when he can't yet speak, PSH does so much with just his eyes.

A truly monumental talent.

[PokeDocMatt 57]

I watched the Criterion 4k edition of The Piano last night. With the mute main character, the amount of silence in the film and the slow pacing was even more reliant on the score by Michael Nyman. It’s lovely music but it is bizarrely anachronistic. If they would have developed the “traumatized musical genius” as an explanation for the way Ada plays the piano, maybe I would have understood it. But it was just distracting from an otherwise gorgeous and aesthetically consistent film. 
 

Maybe the more modern piano music with unusual tonal shifts and chord progressions was intentional. That’s probably the case. But assuming it was an unintentional decision and not specifically artistic, I wonder if it was Nyman  or Campion who just didn’t know better. 

[Marian Schedenig 8,207]

32 minutes ago, PokeDocMatt said:

Maybe the more modern piano music with unusual tonal shifts and chord progressions was intentional. That’s probably the case. But assuming it was an unintentional decision and not specifically artistic, I wonder if it was Nyman  or Campion who just didn’t know better. 

 

Nyman studied baroque music, published new editions of works by Purcell and Händel, and frequently uses chord progressions by Purcell and Mozart in his own modern compositions. Also, some of the music in The Piano is based on traditional songs and melodies. I'm sure he was aware of what he was doing.

[JTN 2,036]

One of the greatest performances of all time. 

[filmmusic 1,838]

 

I love the first 2 because they are held in my favorite time of year - Christmas, but this was very fun too!

I won't bother with the rest of the films because I heard they are bad..

[iamleyeti 114]

Frankly Die Hard 4 is pretty standard, with a couple of impressive set pieces. The fifth one is a fucking nightmare.

[Tom Guernsey 2,286]

Our local nanoplex (not sure if that's the opposite of multiplex... I mean, it is multi, but each plex is very small) is celebrating its 30th birthday with free screenings of films from 1993 which was a perfect reason to watch Jurassic Park again at the cinema. Even if it wasn't quite a "with a live orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall" level experience, it was still great fun seeing it for the something something something'th time and a reminder why Journey to the Island is (pretty much) the reason I starting collecting film music.

 

I still can't fathom writing a piece of music that is so well structured that it fits the various cuts between the internal and external shots of the helicopter, sliding between epic Hawaiian scenery with talky character intro passages, but still makes musical sense while developing the thematic material in a meaningful way. Talking of which, what great thematic material; gotta love a JW theme based on perfect fifths, but even the more connective sections, the first minute and a half before the big theme kicks in as well as the jaunty jeep ride music are both fucking brilliant (as I often say, JW's secondary themes are as good as most film composer's A game thematic material). To say nothing of the appropriately OTT first encounter with the dinosaurs (again, so well written that it required little more than an opening and a coda to turn it into the concert version). Then there's the action music, furiously exciting and almost certainly some of the most hideously difficult music JW ever wrote (and that's saying something).

 

Back to the film... the set pieces still deliver, even after all these years and yet the dinosaurs broadly act like something approximating real animals rather than movie monsters (even more so than the shark in Jaws). The effects, as is so often said, hold up remarkably well, although the CGI is perhaps relatively easy to spot when you've seen it enough times and the CGI in broad daylight is a little less convincing, but that's with the benefit of having seen the making of and the film so many times. The first shot of the T-Rex walking between to the two cars is still one of my favourite VFX shots of all time. It's not flashy or complicated, but is utterly convincing and conveys the scale and mass of the animal.

 

Main disappointment? The dilophosaurus spat in Wayne Knight's face rather than just saying "Hello Newman" in a pissy tone of voice. Yes, I'm watching Seinfeld for the first time.

 

 

[Edmilson 7,468]

3 hours ago, filmmusic said:

I won't bother with the rest of the films because I heard they are bad..

14-year-old me really enjoyed Die Hard 4.0 (a much better title than the American one: Live Free or Die Hard). It's a stupid movie, but with some terrific action scenes.

 

DH5 is just pure crap though.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,551]

Agreed. DH 4.0 is perfect Summer popcorn fun, and Timothy Oliphant is always great to watch. Don't believe me? Check out DEADWOOD.

[Sweeping Strings 2,363]

Amuses me that by the fifth instalment (which I admittedly haven't seen) the Die Hard franchise had 'watered down' its content to the extent where the hero isn't allowed to say his catchphrase any more.  

[Tom Guernsey 2,286]

29 minutes ago, Sweeping Strings said:

Amuses me that by the fifth instalment (which I admittedly haven't seen) the Die Hard franchise had 'watered down' its content to the extent where the hero isn't allowed to say his catchphrase any more.  

"Gosh blimey I'm going to get you, you bad person". It should star Hugh Grant.

[Sweeping Strings 2,363]

Every fight would be like the one between him and Colin Firth in Bridget Jones' Diary, lol. 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,551]

DIE HARD, a Merchant Ivory production.

 

"I say, old boy, do you mind awfully in falling down dead, when I shoot you? That would be absolutely spiffing, what?"

 

"Yippee kay-a, mummy intercourser".

[A24 4,345]

5 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

DIE HARD, a Merchant Ivory production.

 

"I say, old boy, do you mind awfully in falling down dead, when I shoot you? That would be absolutely spiffing, what?"

 

 

James Fox is John McClane.

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,551]

I'd pay serious money, to see that.

[Schilkeman 964]

On 07/07/2023 at 12:46 PM, JTW said:

What sort of videos do you actively avoid? The ones where people say that Helena is an insufferable feminist and explain why? If you're not interested in their opinion and explanation, why should I explain the same thing to you?

The ignore feature is becoming one of my favorite parts of this site.

[JTN 2,036]

A very intelligent and touching film.

[Schilkeman 964]

On 9/7/2023 at 3:50 PM, Edmilson said:

14-year-old me really enjoyed Die Hard 4.0 (a much better title than the American one: Live Free or Die Hard). It's a stupid movie, but with some terrific action scenes.

 

DH5 is just pure crap though.

“14-year-old me.” Christ I’m old. He crashes a car into a helicopter, which is just good tv. I really only like the first one, though tbh.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,551]

DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE is good, mainly due to Jeremy Irons, and Sam Jackson

 

"He said 'Jesus'".

"'Jesus'?! Do I look Puertorican, to you?!

He didn't say: 'Jesus', he said: 'Hey, Zeus', as in father of Apollo. 'Don't fuck with me, or I'll stick a lightning bolt up your ass'!!!".

 

Priceless.

[Sweeping Strings 2,363]

Mission Impossible : Ghost Protocol - maybe not QUITE as enjoyable as the third, this nonetheless does have a fun 'breaking into the Kremlin' sequence, truly dizzying stuntwork on the Burj Khalifa and a finale in a high-tech platformed car park that reminded me of certain video games. Oh, and there's a fight between Paula Patton and Lea Seydoux that I found most ... stimulating.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,551]

58 minutes ago, Sweeping Strings said:

Oh, and there's a fight between Paula Patton and Lea Seydoux that I found most ... stimulating.

 

You mean it gave you wood.

Come on, don't be shy 

[JTN 2,036]

Excellent film.

[Edmilson 7,468]

Great film indeed. The cinema of our neighbouring country Argentina has a lot of good stuff.

[A24 4,345]

That title! No way this is a good movie! 

[Bespin 8,484]

I fell for this beauty on Amazon. #StarTrek.

 

[Edmilson 7,468]

"The Motionless Picture"

[Naïve Old Fart 9,551]

Bes, don't listen to the big, bad Edmilson.

TMP is a stunning film, visually, and will always be my favourite Star Trek film.

I won't even mention the score...

[A24 4,345]

8 hours ago, Edmilson said:

"The Motionless Picture"

 

You mean it's static?

[Sweeping Strings 2,363]

22 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

 

You mean it gave you wood.

Come on, don't be shy 

Hehehe, not quite. The Seydoux movie in which she tussles with a female co-star in a, erm, different way (Blue Is The Warmest Colour) definitely did, though. Sweet Lord. 

Mission Impossible : Rogue Nation - this series entry boasts the addition of Rebecca Ferguson's sexy-as-hell British agent Ilsa Faust and Sean Harris' rodent-like ex-British agent (not sexy-as-hell) villain Solomon Lane, along with the usual array of how-the-hell-did-they-do-THAT? stunts/action sequences.

A Quiet Place Part 2 - effective survival-horror/sci-fi sequel, which sees Cillian Murphy join the cast. it pulls off a decent amount of suspense and jump-scares.

 

[JTN 2,036]

2 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

TMP is a stunning film, visually, and will always be my favourite Star Trek film.

Mine too. Actually it’s the only ST film I like. And the score is one of the greatest achievements in film music history.

 

 

Jake Gyllenhaal literally scared the s…t out of me in this film with his crazy eyes and acting. He sometimes looks like Joaquin Phoenix in the JOKER. Incredible performance. And James

Newton Howard’s score is very effective.

[Sweeping Strings 2,363]

Great film, Gyllenhaal is brilliant in it. As you've alluded to, there's a discernible lack of anything resembling humanity behind his eyes which is chilling. 

[Bespin 8,484]

7 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Bes, don't listen to the big, bad Edmilson.

TMP is a stunning film, visually, and will always be my favourite Star Trek film.

I won't even mention the score...

 

I saw that movie many times, but it's the first time I truly enjoyed it.

 

Hey, I'm now 48 yo, that's why! And that's the director's cut, some effects are probably better (I think?)

 

It's Captain Kirk against ChatGPT!

 

Ahead of it's time like usual!

[Tallguy 3,401]

1 hour ago, Sweeping Strings said:

with the usual array of how-the-hell-did-they-do-THAT? stunts/action sequences.

 

Opinions or memories may differ but Rogue Nation was really the first movie where THAT became the movie's stock and trade. Obviously Cruise hung off of the World's Tallest Building in Ghost Protocol which got our attention. But this is when they said "Huh. How do we top THAT? Hey Tom! Can you hang on to the side of a flying jet liner?" This was when "And it's really Tom Cruise!" became a definite brand.

 

And it's so far and away the best film so far. By a goodly margin. (I'll see the latest this weekend, I hope.)

[Marian Schedenig 8,207]

1 hour ago, Sweeping Strings said:

Mission Impossible : Rogue Nation - this series entry boasts the addition of Rebecca Ferguson's sexy-as-hell British agent Ilsa Faust and Sean Harris' rodent-like ex-British agent (not sexy-as-hell) villain Solomon Lane, along with the usual array of how-the-hell-did-they-do-THAT? stunts/action sequences.

 

In a way, I'm sad that Paula Patton didn't return after Ghost Protocol. But I guess that's how we got Ferguson. I think Rogue Nation was the first thing I saw her in, and I've been a fan since.

 

12 minutes ago, Tallguy said:

Opinions or memories may differ but Rogue Nation was really the first movie where THAT became the movie's stock and trade. Obviously Cruise hung off of the World's Tallest Building in Ghost Protocol which got our attention. But this is when they said "Huh. How do we top THAT? Hey Tom! Can you hang on to the side of a flying jet liner?" This was when "And it's really Tom Cruise!" became a definite brand.

 

Rewatching the bulk of the series over the past few days, I agree. I stated earlier that Ghost Protocol was the beginning of the modern M:I formula, and that's true to an extent, but the McQuarrie-style action is another aspect that only fully came into play when he joined the team.

 

The thing about these stunts is that because Cruise mostly does them himself and they want to emphasise that, they go for a style of shooting that really shows as much as possible how "real" it all is (and I'm sure there's far more trickery involved than is apparent). With most modern-style action sequences and thanks to CGI that by now pretty much allows you to do everything without having to worry about how to do it, most action sequences typically turn out in a way that's too artificial - not because it was made artificially (i.e. the CGI itself is not to blame, generally), but because it doesn't try to feel real. That's why I find the M:I series so refreshing and gripping: Because you get a feeling for the setting and the stakes, and because you can still admiringly wonder how they did it.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,551]

1 hour ago, Bespin said:

It's the first time I watch this movie and I truly enjoy it.

 

You've never seen TMP, before? That is, frankly, hard to believe, but what do I know; I've never seen RAGING BULL. Oops 

 

 

1 hour ago, Bespin said:

It's Captain Kirk against ChatGPT!

 

That's about right 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, JTW said:

 

 

This is the coldest film I've seen in donkey's years, and among the very best.

Gyllenhaal is, quite simply, phenomenal, in this. 

[Edmilson 7,468]

Believe me or not, I did see TMP a few years ago and it wasn't that bad... Still, I maintain my opinion that Goldsmith's score is the only thing really stellar from it. In fact, it's my favorite JG score ever!

[Bespin 8,484]

I already saw ST TMP many times, but it's the first time I've enjoyed it.

[Schilkeman 964]

TMP and First Contact are the most “Gene” of all the films (maybe toss IV in there), and the ones I find myself preferring as I get older. II-IV makes a pretty strong trilogy, though, but I agree with Roddenberry about the military overtones in Khan and UC.

 

Ultimately, I think Star Trek is a fundamentally (episodic) TV franchise, and is best in that format.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,551]

47 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

it's my favorite JG score ever!

 

For me, it's second, being just pipped to the post, by THE FINAL CONFLICT.

[Tallguy 3,401]

31 minutes ago, Schilkeman said:

the most “Gene” of all the films (maybe toss IV in there)

 

Roddenberry didn't like jokes.

[Schilkeman 964]

8 minutes ago, Tallguy said:

 

Roddenberry didn't like jokes.

I don’t know if that’s true or not, but the idea of that film feels like an episode of TOS with a budget.

[Tallguy 3,401]

19 minutes ago, Schilkeman said:

I don’t know if that’s true or not, but the idea of that film feels like an episode of TOS with a budget.

 

Trust me, it's true. He wasn't as involved with season 2 of TOS as Gene Coon was. When he came back he put his foot down and said "Star Trek is not a comedy!" It feels like TOS with a budget, but it feels like Gene Coon TOS. (Which is great.)

 

4 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

most action sequences typically turn out in a way that's too artificial - not because it was made artificially (i.e. the CGI itself is not to blame, generally), but because it doesn't try to feel real.

 

Ding! CG is not bad. Bad CG is bad. There's a lot of CG in Mad Max Fury Road. But it's all underpinned with real things. Rogue One SHOULD have put to rest "Models are always better than CG".

 

For the life of me I can't figure out how Marvel can do a whole movie with CG Sam Jackson but Indy and the Dial can't pull off a flashback!

 

I did read something when Fallout came out that they almost had to remember how to shoot an actor to really show it was him and not a double or CG. The way they frame the shots and hold on them is different. And like like you said, it feels much more of a piece with the movie which just by itself feels more real.