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

[publicist 4,643]

On 5.5.2016 at 8:30 PM, Sweeping Strings said:

A Fish Called Wanda - still a very funny film; everyone is great but Kevin Kline steals it as the magnificently deluded and obnoxious Otto.

 

Now let me correct you on a couple of things, OK? Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not "Every man for himself." And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked them up.

[Sweeping Strings 2,364]

'Apes don't read philosophy'

'Yes they do Otto, they just don't understand it'. 

[bollemanneke 3,352]

A dangerous method. Fantastic. Keira Nightley was absolutely teriffic and Mortensen was very charismatic. I originally had misgivings about the score because the only Shore material I knew apart from LOTR was Silence of the Lambs and Se7en, neither of which interested me in the slightest, but this one was perfect, every second was effective through and through. I suppose doubting him for a second was incredibly stupid.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Casper (1995)

 

I love that movie!

[Koray Savas 2,251]

1 hour ago, bollemanneke said:

A dangerous method. Fantastic. Keira Nightley was absolutely teriffic and Mortensen was very charismatic. I originally had misgivings about the score because the only Shore material I knew apart from LOTR was Silence of the Lambs and Se7en, neither of which interested me in the slightest, but this one was perfect, every second was effective through and through. I suppose doubting him for a second was incredibly stupid.

Check out his other Cronenberg and Fincher scores. Panic Room, The Game, and Eastern Promises, for starters.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The X-Files: Fight The Future

 

Watched this right after finishing season 5 of the show. So for the first time I'v e actually seen the story that leads up to this.

 

I've seen the film several times of course, and I've always liked it. It works amazingly well considering it has no proper beginning or end.

It actually really is a 2 hour, big budget version of an X-Files mythology episode. So with lots of scenes of men in dark corners, hushed conversations about an impending alien invasion and a waver thin narrative that goes from black oil to bees to Antartica where Mulder (but not Scully) sees a huge alien ship taking off.

All this is fantastically watchable, even though it barely holds together as a cohesive story. (actually having watched all the mythology episodes up to this point doesnt really change that)

 

Interesting though how much of the mythology is not addressed in this film. No alien bounty hunter, no clones, no Samatha or Krychek, the alien rebellion hinted at near the end of season 5. Also interesting that the aliens seen in this film seem savage and predatorial. Different from the more cold and calculated Greys that have been glimpsed so far.

 

No matter though. Duchovny and Anderson look fantastic in this. And having now watched 5 seasons really gives their performances an extra dimension.

The CSM does what he usually does. Turn up unexpectedly and implausibly at exactly the location he needs to be and light a cigarette. That too works though.

The Well-Manicured Man gets more to go, and actually summarizes not only the central plot of this film, but at least parts of the mythology very nicely. Armin Mueller-Stahl and Martin Landau are excellent in supporting roles. Their looks alone making them seem suspicious.

 

Mark Snow's excellent score does what the film does. He takes what he normally does on the TV show. But bigger. The fusion of synth and orchestra is superb (it's fun to watch seasons 4 and 5 and already hear synth stylings he would later use in the film). He really nails the conspiratorial sound midway though the film with heave piano's and etherial synth choirs. And the action music is pretty darn good too.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I'm currently up to Season 2 in the blu-ray box set.

 

The first film is good but it's always had some nagging things that have always pissed me off. Never do Mulder and the CSM meet; it was a conflict in the show that was always fun to watch. And after Scully gets stung by the bee, she disappears for about 15 to 20 minutes and when she does reappear, she's as helpless as a kitten. Thankfully IWTB fixed this by giving the two agents an equal role to play in the climax.

 

I feel that FTF is too ambitious for its own good and suffers from TV-to-Silver-Screen-Syndrome where it feels like it's insecure about itself being from a TV show, so they have to amp up its "bigness" and "epicness" to cringeworthy levels. For some reason, Star Trek was mostly spared of this, but The Simpsons Movie, Sex and the City, and even the Angry Video Game Nerd Movie were apt examples of this phenomenon.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I think the Mythology is vast and epic enough to warrent a 60 million dollar movie.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Yeah, I love X-Files too. I hope you get to see it again.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Mulder pissed all over ID4!

[Marian Schedenig 8,211]

On 5.5.2016 at 8:30 PM, Sweeping Strings said:

A Fish Called Wanda - still a very funny film; everyone is great but Kevin Kline steals it as the magnificently deluded and obnoxious Otto.

And Jamie Lee Curtis was never hotter.  

 

Lovely score by John Du Prez, too (and with John Williams on guitar).

[Matt C 455]

Overboard

 

Wow, this is bad. Goldie Hawn has always been a reliable comedic actress, but even she is defeated by the terrible directing and lazy scripting. Kurt Russell has solid presence in the right movies, but here he's just a slab of beef for Hawn to lust over and verbally spar with. There's nothing wrong with the message the movie's conveying, but it could've been handled more tactfully. And the child actors here are beastly!

 

I have to think Garry Marshall slummed it for the good part of his career, lucked out with Pretty Woman and coasting on Julia Roberts' laurels to get his newer movies made.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Overboard is terrific. Goldie Hawn was fun.

Got Dave to watch the 1954 Them. He enjoyed it and of course I did. The sound effects were terrifying to me as a kid.

 

 

[Matt C 455]

The Great Beauty

 

Once you get past the boring protagonist, his navel gazing and the film's ponderous pacing -- it is a unique travelogue into Italy. Paolo Sorrentino beautifully contrasts the picturesque scenery of Rome with the modern nightlife and seediness of the strip clubs. The floating camerawork by Luca Bigazzi is truly a work of art, and some scenes are stunning. It truly is both a romanticized and less flattering view of the country from a local's point-of-view.

 

I can't help but revisit it. It truly is a visual treat.

[A24 4,346]

I couldn't watch that.

[Not Mr. Big 4,640]

Birdman 

Alejandro "Look at me I'm the director" Innnarutu is the next M. Night Shyamalan.  

[bollemanneke 3,352]

Grease. Ah, I love romantic chord progressions and the thought that people used to think before they wrote songs in the past. This ought to help me endure Eurovision tomorrow.

[Marian Schedenig 8,211]

8 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

Grease. Ah, I love romantic chord progressions

 

Ah yes, chromaticism...

[Bilbo 3,709]

Prometheus. Easily one of the worst things I have ever seen. Unforgivably bad.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I need to watch Carrie again, it's been several years.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

5 hours ago, Not Mr. Big said:

Birdman 

Alejandro "Look at me I'm the director" Innnarutu is the next M. Night Shyamalan.  

Idiot!

[Jay 37,374]

I loved The Revenant but did not like Birdman.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Birdman was a wasted rental with maybe 10 or 12 minutes watched.

[A24 4,346]

Was it that poorly made and acted? And yet he got to make The Revenant with top of the bill actor Leo? BTW, wasn't Birdman one of the favorite movies of highly esteemed member BloodBoal?

 

 

 

Alex

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Who?

[A24 4,346]

The firewall of JWfan, Steef.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Firewall? Explain!

[A24 4,346]

If you don't get that then it's no use. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

So its just another one of your meaningless ideas?

 

 

[Quintus 5,399]

Anyone ever noticed how immaculate the micro edit is when Indiana Jones bends off the Mercedes badge and grabs the radiator bar? 

[A24 4,346]

1 hour ago, Stefancos said:

So its just another one of your meaningless ideas?

 

 

 

No. You just don't get it. That's all.

 

Other than that, I suppose we are all equal ... in every department. 

[Jay 37,374]

BloodBoal loved Birdman, and many others did as well (it sure won lots of awards!). It was certainly well-acted, and well directed for the most part (the gimmick of the entire movie being one long take wears thin after a while). I just didn't like the story at all, nor did I care what happened to any of the characters.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

It's been on TV lately and I've seen enough of it to know I don't like it, and I love Michael Keaton. It's pretentious as fuck. I typically can't stand meta films about actors/filmmaking. There is one exception, which I watched last night:

 

Obviously one of Burton's very best!

[A24 4,346]

Yep, together with Sweeney Todd.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Never saw it. It's from Burton's "He doesn't seem to give a shit anymore and, well, I guess neither do I" phase. It might be an exception, but I don't know.

 

My favorites are Batman Returns, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Batman, Beetlejuice and Ed Wood.

[Jay 37,374]

What's not to like about Mars Attacks!, Justin?

[A24 4,346]

5 minutes ago, Nick Tatopoulos's Beret said:

Never saw it. It's from Burton's "He doesn't seem to give a shit anymore and, well, I guess neither do I" phase. It might be an exception, but I don't know.

 

I really only love those two.  Two weeks ago I found out that it's the favorite Burton movie of the director of the Ghent Film Festival. He had some interesting things to say about it. 

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

5 minutes ago, Jay said:

What's not to like about Mars Attacks!, Justin?

 

I don't dislike it (although various aspects of it such as the teenager and Natalie Portman are actually quite bad), but I would never rank it with those others.

[Romão 2,274]

I'm quite fond of Sleepy Hollow, although it meanders a bit at the end

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Batman Returns is terrible thought cat woman is decent.

Watched Hannibal today for the 2nd time since the first at the theatre. Such a waste of talent. Julianna Moore is badly miscast though most anyone would be.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

7 hours ago, Nick Tatopoulos's Beret said:

 

I don't dislike it (although various aspects of it such as the teenager and Natalie Portman are actually quite bad), but I would never rank it with those others.

 

Who was leading the country at the end there, the First Daughter??

[Sweeping Strings 2,364]

Aliens (Theatrical Cut) - still a fine slice of dark sci-fi action. Hurrah for ye olde practical effects/costumes, especially the stunning Alien Queen.  

[Quintus 5,399]

Fabulous action movie. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

On of the best of the 80's I reckon. Can't go wrong with Cameron and action.

[A24 4,346]

To me it's a dated ride. That's the problem with rides. They always get more spectacular each year.

[Quintus 5,399]

And in this instance his suspense is a match pound for pound. That great extended lift descent into hell towards the end is a marvel of imagery and music to me, it's one of my favorite scenes. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It's to it's advantage that the action doesn't start till pretty much the second half of the film. So it can really build up the tension till it finally does kick off!

[Quintus 5,399]

Yeah, again those grim and eerie scenes as the investigation party slowly and worryingly uncovers the last stand of the terraformers are brilliantly done. The hamsters and the uneaten food, very evocative touches. 

[Sweeping Strings 2,364]

Even 30 years on, it seems staggering that it only cost $18 million.  

[JoeinAR 1,949]

John Carpenter's Vampire. Interesting flawed film.