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

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

The Purge

 

Sort of a veiled reworking of Assault on Precinct 13, but makes you think twice about your family, friends, neighbours about what they'd really be like if they weren't inhibited by the law.

[Quintus 5,399]

Haven't seen it but I think the sequel is supposed to be really good.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Swept Under

 

Midday movie type thriller about a really hot cleaning lady who's hired by the police to mop up gory crime scenes. She's befriended by the cop who's investigating the murders she's committing! But she actually has a heart of gold and is murdering these people for a good reason, ie. they're bad men who kidnapped and raped her and she wants revenge.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

The Matrix

 

I haven't watched this for a long time. It holds up, of course. I've always enjoyed it. I want to give a shout out to the awkward 90s computer animation. Always a pleasure. It's interesting. I haven't seen this film many times in my life, yet I could remember a lot of the dialogue. I guess it's just loaded with memorable quotes.

 

Another thing. I've been thinking about this since I saw the sequels, which I didn't like. Trinity is hot in the first movie. In the sequels, something is suddenly really off. It's still her, but she appears to have aged rapidly or just looks kind of haggard compared to how she looked in the first movie. It's like going from Laura Dern in Jurassic Park to Laura Dern in Jurassic Park III.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Women age very fast. Get 'em while they're young because their hotness clock is ticking.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Houseboat

 

US diplomat Cary Grant hires Sophia Loren (farrrrk!) as his maid to fill in for his dead wife to look after the kids. Only thing is she's pretty useless, can't cook scrambled eggs or even a cup of instant coffee! Charming little romantic comedy, with some nice views of Loren's beautiful big jugs and narrow waist.

[publicist 4,643]

Now on to 'It Started in Naples'!

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Innerspace

 

Fun and funny.  Martin Short is so great in this.  The special effects hold up really well, I bet the CGI if it were made today wouldn't look as good.  Not one of his Jerry's best scores but it's good enough.  As per usual with Joe Dante, it's packed to the gills with distinctive character actors.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

 

Well, some of it. It's so obvious that something went wrong during the making of this. However, you get what they were going for. The pieces are there, they just don't come together. I just think it's cool to see Sean Connery shooting and punching people with a bunch of weirdos. He's cool in the role. The Captain Nemo guy is awesome. It's totally out of left field to have a 20-something Tom Sawyer as a government agent murdering people. I like it. Had the state of funny book movies been different at the time, there's a good chance this would have turned out amazing. Instead, it feels a lot like typical crap produced in the era, such as Van Helsing and The Brothers Grimm, only better because it has Sean Connery.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

The vampire chick was hot.

[publicist 4,643]

4 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

Innerspace

 

Fun and funny.  Martin Short is so great in this.  The special effects hold up really well, I bet the CGI if it were made today wouldn't look as good.  Not one of his Jerry's best scores but it's good enough.  As per usual with Joe Dante, it's packed to the gills with distinctive character actors.

 

For the life of me i cannot understand why this flopped. A big Martin & Lewis sci-fi comedy with cool effects and Robert Picardo - but 'Dirty Dancing' became a hit? The Goldsmith actually is quite a nifty, varied affair but the demands of the movie are such that he mostly uses small motivic cells which are as far removed from prototypical 80's tunes as you can get.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

10 minutes ago, publicist said:

 

For the life of me i cannot understand why this flopped. 

 

Space is a flop.

[Quintus 5,399]

I think I'll put that on for the kids next. 

[publicist 4,643]

1 minute ago, Sally Spectra said:

Space is a flop.

 

But INNARDspace? Who wouldn't want to be in Martin Short's tickly vessels for 110 minutes!

[Holko 9,529]

CE3K for the first time.

It must have been groundbreaking in '77 , but I feel it hasn't aged too well. It's obviously all supposed to be a slow, gradual buildup for the big finale, but it was more of a drag for me, and it didn't always fill the time with the right stuff. For example, when Roy builds the mashed potato mountain and lays in the shower, I thought the family all crying and the wife flipping out on him was unwarranted, we haven't seen enough of his madness for it to be believable.

The two standout pieces where I actually thought the tension and slowness were well done were Barry's abduction and the finale from the pair reaching the airstrip all the way to the end of the jamming session.  These are such masterpieces that I actually would slog through the movie again just to witness them properly in context once more. Other bits that stand out are Roy's first encounter in the car and the design of the tall alien we first see. It was so weird and uncommon that I was pretty disappointed by the little girls in rubber masks and gloves and the stiff animatronic puppet after them. 

The music didn't do much for me, it works really well with the pictures, but I wouldn't listen to most of it on its own - that is, except for the end duet. It's a wonderful feat of scoring, it gives personality to the aliens, and it's an entire bit of dialogue you can follow and understand all through two instruments communicating and interplaying, like how the aliens get upset when  the guy just repeats the message over and over, and they virtually slam their fist on the table by finishing the last two notes on full volume, shattering glass, then they calm down and try to educate us. The slow build towards harmony between the two voices is truly a masterful piece of musical storytelling.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

I agree about the family scenes. Roy's wife was really annoying, even if she did have a nice body and hair and made a shitload of really killer looking mashed potatoes. I don't blame him for boarding the starship. Fuck that shit. Jesus H. Christ, as Quint would say. God damn women today can't handle nothin'.

[bollemanneke 3,349]

This Is Where I Leave You.

 

So this is the second film I've watched in two days, right, and I kinda thought, you know, it'd be sort of okay, 'cause, well, I like watching movies during the evenings and all that, but, get this, it's really not good at all! Oh my God, the stupid small talk just didn't end and I totally turned it off after, like, 30 minutes and even Michael Giacchino's nice score couldn't even make this thing any better! Can you believe it? Like, what the hell?
 

[Quintus 5,399]

I always feel the domestic scenes are one of CE3K's strongest elements.

[Romão 2,274]

I agree

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

I appreciate that the interiors are incredibly realistic and look like they just filmed in someone's house as opposed to sterile sets of post-90s Spielberg films that look like they were clearly put together by set decorators (most obvious example for the nerds, see the pictures in Indy's house in Crystal Head) and horribly filmed by Janosz Poha, with a blinding white light outside the windows. The performances also feel very real, of course. This is Spielberg in his prime. However, they are lacking compared to other Spielberg family/household scenes in E.T. and Jaws. I think I find the family too annoying. What I always took from it was that Roy's home life (and indeed, his entire mundane existence) sucked and he was happy to abandon it. Spielberg, of course, regrets the ending these days. Too late, Steven.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

1 hour ago, Quintus said:

I always feel the domestic scenes are one of CE3K's strongest elements.

You seem to single that out as the films best part. But it has a hell of a lot more going for it. It's a masterpiece actually. And a film that works best on a big screen.

But yet, Spielberg in that part of his career really nailed the family scenes. E.T. has them too and they are dynamic and very true to live.

The family scenes in Bridge Of Spies were a letdown in comparison.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Spielberg had this way with domestic scenes in his earlier films where all he needed to do was cut to an interior scene with a family and it was like you already knew these people. You'd been in this house before. You could trust it. It was real.

Bridge of Spies was a letdown in every way but exhibits the same flaws of all modern Spielberg domestic scenes. These are actors giving performances on a movie set. And cut.

[A24 4,339]

8 hours ago, Evil-Lyn said:

Spielberg had this way with domestic scenes in his earlier films where all he needed to do was cut to an interior scene with a family and it was like you already knew these people. You'd been in this house before. You could trust it. It was real.

Bridge of Spies was a letdown in every way but exhibits the same flaws of all modern Spielberg domestic scenes. These are actors giving performances on a movie set. And cut.

I always thought Spielberg had a gift for creating spontaneous family scenes, but ever since Jurassic Park (those kids!) and War Of The Worlds, I think it was somebody else who directed those scenes in Jaws, E.T. or Close Encounters.

[publicist 4,643]

A mogul on a soundstage?

[Fancyarcher 350]

I actually thought the family scenes in WOTW were quite effective. 

[A24 4,339]

Take, for instance, the brother leaving ... I saw the scene but I never felt it. Now that I think about it, nothing in WOTW felt genuine. It was all there but it never took wings. The script never came alive. That to me is something Spielberg has lost ...

[Quintus 5,399]

32 minutes ago, Fancyarcher said:

I actually thought the family scenes in WOTW were quite effective. 

I hate that film, largely for the family scenes. The dialogue there is unbearable.

[Fancyarcher 350]

33 minutes ago, Quintus said:

I hate that film, largely for the family scenes. The dialogue there is unbearable.

Fanning's performance was annoying yes, but I did like Cruise's Ray character, and the atmosphere. In general I enjoy the movie though, probably more then many do. There's some great imagery, especially during the fire train scene, and The Tripod's first appearance is a good example of the type of intense filmmaking that Spielberg is great at. When I saw that scene with my dad in the theater in 2005, I was in awe & terror, especially helped by that POV shot. 

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

A film like WOTW2005 set in July 1996 in the ID4 universe about a family running and hiding from the Harvesters would have been more interesting. No idea why they never milked that one sooner.

[A24 4,339]

23 minutes ago, Fancyarcher said:

 When I saw that scene with my dad in the theater in 2005, I was in awe & terror, especially helped by that POV shot. 

 

I suppose it different when you saw the movie as a toddler.

[Fancyarcher 350]

10 minutes ago, Alexcremers said:

 

I suppose it different when you saw the movie as a toddler.

I was actually 12 years old when that film came out. No way would my dad have decided to take me to that film as say a three year old, I didn't have those kinds of parents, even with PG-13 films, pfft.

14 minutes ago, Sally Spectra said:

A film like WOTW2005 set in July 1996 in the ID4 universe about a family running and hiding from the Harvesters would have been more interesting. No idea why they never milked that one sooner.

Intriguing idea, but they did decide to wait nearly twenty years before they made an ID4 sequel anyway, so doing a 1D4 film soon enough, were on the mind of the producers. 

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Just now, Fancyarcher said:

Intriguing idea, but they did decide to wait nearly twenty years before they made an ID4 sequel anyway, so doing a ID4 film soon enough, clearly wasn't on there mind. 

 

The big problem with the sequel was it was a beat for beat retread of the first film that they seemed to be hellbent on making for 20 years, which gave them a severe case of tunnel vision while there were many other potential stories to explore from a film that was the top grosser of '96.

[Fancyarcher 350]

13 minutes ago, Sally Spectra said:

 

The big problem with the sequel was it was a beat for beat retread of the first film that they seemed to be hellbent on making for 20 years, which gave them a severe case of tunnel vision while there were many other potential stories to explore from a film that was the top grosser of '96.

That and replacing Smith with bland Liam Hemsworth was a "big mistake", the actor who played his son was just as bad too. In general the film struck me as being desperate and a bit tired. Plus I'm amazed the special effects of a film from 2016, look worse then its predecessor from 1996. 

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Just now, Fancyarcher said:

That and replacing Smith with bland Liam Hemsworth was a "big mistake", the actor who played his son was just as bad too. In general the film struck me as being desperate and a bit tired. Plus I'm amazed the special effects of a film from 2016, look worse then its predecessor from 1996. 

The focus on the younger cast is very much a cynical ploy to pander to those who liked The Hunger Games, Divergent and Maze Runner movies. Emmerich even strongly hinted this in an interview in 2015.

There are some breathtaking shots in IDR such as the Queen's Harvester approaching the moon, the chilling shot of the ship settled over the Atlantic, and some shots of the final battle in the desert. But so much of it is ruined by the fake looking environments that the actors are occupying. The amount of green-screening is mindboggling, especially when they were able to simply do it on real sets and exteriors in the first film. The sequel simply lacks visual authenticity in that area.

[Fancyarcher 350]

12 minutes ago, Sally Spectra said:

The focus on the younger cast is very much a cynical ploy to pander to those who liked The Hunger Games, Divergent and Maze Runner movies. Emmerich even strongly hinted this in an interview in 2015.

There are some breathtaking shots in IDR such as the Queen's Harvester approaching the moon, the chilling shot of the ship settled over the Atlantic, and some shots of the final battle in the desert. But so much of it is ruined by the fake looking environments that the actors are occupying. The amount of green-screening is mindboggling, especially when they were able to simply do it on real sets and exteriors in the first film. The sequel simply lacks visual authenticity in that area.

The amount of one-liners was non-stop too, they basically tried to up the original, which drove me crazy. 

In general it struck me as a desperate attempt to have another "hit", with no thought, feeling, or even fun put into it. I've actually enjoyed some Emmerich films, like the original ID, but IDR is literally one of the most unenthusiastic / apathetic summer films I've ever seen.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

5 minutes ago, Fancyarcher said:

The amount of one-liners was non-stop too, they basically tried to up the original, which drove me crazy. 

In general it struck me as a desperate attempt to have another "hit", with no thought, feeling, or even fun put into it. I've enjoyed some Emmerich films, like the original ID, but IDR is literally one of the most unenthusiastic / apathetic summer films I've ever seen.

"Lethargic" is another apt description.

Hopefully one day it might be revived, perhaps by retconning the sequel and exploring other ideas. If Fox can make 3,750 Alien, Predator, POTA and X-Men sequels, surely there's more life in the ID4 franchise to exploit.

[Fancyarcher 350]

11 minutes ago, Sally Spectra said:

"Lethargic" is another apt description.

Hopefully one day it might be revived, perhaps by retconning the sequel and exploring other ideas. If Fox can make 3,750 Alien, Predator, POTA and X-Men sequels, surely there's more life in the ID4 franchise to exploit.

With a potentially more interesting different director too. There is potential, since the actual alien concepts in ID4 are solid.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

3 minutes ago, Fancyarcher said:

With a potentially more interesting different director too. There is potential, since the actual alien concepts in ID4 are solid.

That's the problem to get by, Emmerich himself. I have nothing to verify it but I suspect a little that Centropolis has a significant financial stake in the IP of ID4, as he would have learned his lesson from Stargate. Therefore if that's true we might not see anything further from the franchise unless Emmerich directs or produces one himself, or sells his stake of the IP to Fox.

[Fancyarcher 350]

6 minutes ago, Sally Spectra said:

That's the problem to get by, Emmerich himself. I have nothing to verify it but I suspect a little that Centropolis has a significant financial stake in the IP of ID4, as he would have learned his lesson from Stargate. Therefore if that's true we might not see anything further from the franchise unless Emmerich directs or produces one himself, or sells his stake of the IP to Fox.

From what I read, that's very likely. I'm sure Emmerich & Devlin own a lot of the current rights to ID4, and another film can't be made without their permission at least or something. 

If they do decide to revisit the ID4 brand, which I'm sure they will eventually, then they probably should wait several years at least.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

ID4: The Web-series.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

3 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

ID4: The Web-series.

Reminds me of the ID4 web game that Centropolis released in about 1999-2000. That was back when they were a news site running with a data feed from IMDb.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,544]

6 hours ago, Quintus said:

I hate that film, largely for the family scenes.

Is that why you always act like such a dick?

 

I think that the family scenes are the best part of the movie. "There he is. Do I get a hello? Confusing handshake? Kick in the teeth?"

The way that the dysfunctional family is set up - in less than 10 minutes ("that's my refrigerator")! - is genius. The family is the core of the film, and Robbie's departure is symbolic of what every parent hates, but what every parent knows is inevitable: their child flying the nest.

Cruise's arc, from loser to father, is poignant, and moving. He goes from completely uninterested, to someone who murders to keep his daughter from harm.

WOTW is a Spielberg film that has grown, in my estimation, over the years, and it's his only post-millenium film that I revisit, regularly.

 

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Close Encounters is back in the cinema, but people would rather talk about WOTW and ID4; Resurgence.

Only on JWFan!

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Stefan, we still remember that you saw CE3K in Hollywood with Lurker, which you've bragged about numerous times on the internet. No need to keep reminding us.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I didnt brag, I mentioned it. Don't you post on Facebook every time you visit the Haunted Mansion?

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

No.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Everything went wrong on ID Resurgence. That's why it's fun to talk about.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Spielberg films of the 70s and 80s and ID4, which took inspiration from those, are important to many people here. This is why Spielberg's modern output and an ultimately pointless horribly made sequel to ID4 frequently get bashed. Speaking for myself, I'm astounded at how bad this stuff turned out. ID:R is exactly how not to make a sequel to a beloved hit.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Always was the last great Spielberg film!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,544]

Now yer gettin' nasty 

 

 

1 hour ago, Stefancos said:

Close Encounters is back in the cinema, but people would rather talk about WOTW and ID4; Resurgence.

Only on JWFan!

I'll be buying my ticket, soon, to watch it on Sept. 18th.