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

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Was there anything you liked about it at all, any merit, or are you just intent on complaining about how it didn't match up with anything you read about it?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

6 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

Apollo 13.

 

I was really looking forward to this one. Fooled by Rotten Tomatoes' 100% rating, I thought this just couldn't be a bad movie. And it certainly wasn't bad, but I'm not sure whether I'd even give it a 70% approval rating. First, I thought we didn't spend enough time with Tom Hanks' family and what this whole trip meant for them, though the regular Marilyn scenes sort of made up for that. But my biggest problem was the endless back-and-forthing. I understand we need that communication with NASA, but in the end, I didn't even understand what they were doing and why anymore. I can't connect to or feel for people when you keep talking about SCS and CMP all the time. I only really felt sorry for them when no one was watching their TV show. And the fact that I had recently read an interview with James Horner in which he sort of gave the ending of the story away didn't help either.

Speaking of James Horner, I had read a tremendous amount of praise about this score and was therefore expecting the impossible. There wasn't enough music in this movie (not his fault, of course), and even though some moments were truly great, especially the finale, the chord progressions during the launch sequence sounded rather weird to me and... I just didn't hear anything that deserved the positive feedback I had read, though I am enjoying the fact that I'm getting better at recognising all his self-referencing.

 

What a stupid review!

[bollemanneke 3,349]

Why, am I supposed to like it because you're meant to? I just didn't like it that much.

[Quintus 5,399]

Tbh I wasn't blown away my Apollo 13 either, but that was more down to the Ron Howard flavouring than anything else.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The film and score are amazing! Shut up!

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

If you didn't like it, that's fine. But that above is such a dopey way to respond to a film, complaining at every point that you were misled about it before you saw it.

[A24 4,345]

17 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

Apollo 13.

 

I was really looking forward to this one. Fooled by Rotten Tomatoes' 100% rating, I thought this just couldn't be a bad movie. And it certainly wasn't bad, but I'm not sure whether I'd even give it a 70% approval rating. First, I thought we didn't spend enough time with Tom Hanks' family and what this whole trip meant for them, though the regular Marilyn scenes sort of made up for that. But my biggest problem was the endless back-and-forthing. I understand we need that communication with NASA, but in the end, I didn't even understand what they were doing and why anymore. I can't connect to or feel for people when you keep talking about SCS and CMP all the time. I only really felt sorry for them when no one was watching their TV show. And the fact that I had recently read an interview with James Horner in which he sort of gave the ending of the story away didn't help either.

Speaking of James Horner, I had read a tremendous amount of praise about this score and was therefore expecting the impossible. There wasn't enough music in this movie (not his fault, of course), and even though some moments were truly great, especially the finale, the chord progressions during the launch sequence sounded rather weird to me and... I just didn't hear anything that deserved the positive feedback I had read, though I am enjoying the fact that I'm getting better at recognising all his self-referencing.

 

I saw a docudrama on TV that basically told the same story (a few month before I watched Apollo 13) and I thought it was endlessly more gripping than the movie. I found that Hanks was really distracting in the movie, as if he was more important than the film itself. Then again, I realize that's the main reason why people love Hanks. He draws all the attention to himself and turns every movie into a Tom Hanks vehicle.

[bollemanneke 3,349]

If you don't like a film, do you write positive things about it then? I clearly mentioned two things that did not have anything to do with expectations.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I prefer just giving my instant impression of a film and avoid mentioning whatever I might have read about it beforehand.

[Trent B 337]

The wife and I watched The Abyss yesterday. She had not seen it.  She thought it was interesting.

[Quintus 5,399]

My wife watched Close Encounters and thought it was "okay". Over the years I've learned that women don't share the same kind of innate wonderment regarding first contact that blokes have. They generally prefer to keep it real, they need to relate.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Yeah why is that? Are women not as imaginative as men?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Men remain boys. Women grow up.

[John 2,032]

19 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

Apollo 13.

 

I was really looking forward to this one. Fooled by Rotten Tomatoes' 100% rating, I thought this just couldn't be a bad movie. And it certainly wasn't bad, but I'm not sure whether I'd even give it a 70% approval rating. 

 

But it doesn’t have a 100% rating, very few movies do. It’s currently sitting at 95%. 

 

And Rotten Tomatoes is a review aggregator, not a review site. They don’t make ratings for films based on the site’s staff’s opinion. 

 

Also, I disagree with your review. It’s a compelling, well-made little drama with plenty of fine performances and a great score. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Yes!

[Trent B 337]

5 hours ago, Quintus said:

My wife watched Close Encounters and thought it was "okay". Over the years I've learned that women don't share the same kind of innate wonderment regarding first contact that blokes have. They generally prefer to keep it real, they need to relate.

My wife likes first contact type movies but she found The Abyss as to much of a "man" thing I guess with Coffee and the rest of the SEALs.  But ya there's a lot of movies I like that she doesn't like very well IE: The Langoliers.

 

BTW I like Jay loved Apollo 13 and my wife likes it too.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

2 minutes ago, Trent B said:

The Langoliers.

 

Mr Toomy! Mr Toomy!

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Watching Them. The greatest giant insect movie of all time. I love this film. I could entertain the idea of a modern version that follows the premise that the first film happened.

[Quintus 5,399]

Will someone ever one day reboot the giant insect genre?

[John 2,032]

1 hour ago, Quintus said:

Will someone ever one day reboot the giant insect genre?

 

Marvel already has. 

 

[Holko 9,529]

Was 8 Legged Freaks not enough?

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

1 minute ago, Holko said:

Was 8 Legged Freaks not enough?

 

But spiders aren't insects.

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

That's just a lame Joe Dante ripoff anyway. John Ottman score is fun though.

[publicist 4,643]

6 hours ago, JoeinAR said:

Watching Them. The greatest giant insect movie of all time. I love this film. I could entertain the idea of a modern version that follows the premise that the first film happened.

 

The puppets are too goofy. 'Tarantula' still takes the reigns in that genre.

[Holko 9,529]

Eh, Biology was the first subject I ever got a 2 in in the final, 12th year. 1-5, 5 being the best is our grading system.

[Jay 37,372]

On 8/3/2018 at 11:32 PM, Wojism said:

 

Because Metallica's cover of a Pink Floyd kicked off their crusade against Napster. 

 

Metallica contributed an original to the MI2 soundtrack - "I Disappear"

 

It was the Foo Fighters who covered a Pink Floyd tune for the soundtrack - "Have A Cigar"

[Wojo 2,453]

[Jay 37,372]

On 8/4/2018 at 5:11 PM, bollemanneke said:

Apollo 13.

 

I was really looking forward to this one. Fooled by Rotten Tomatoes' 100% rating, I thought this just couldn't be a bad movie. And it certainly wasn't bad, but I'm not sure whether I'd even give it a 70% approval rating. First, I thought we didn't spend enough time with Tom Hanks' family and what this whole trip meant for them, though the regular Marilyn scenes sort of made up for that. But my biggest problem was the endless back-and-forthing. I understand we need that communication with NASA, but in the end, I didn't even understand what they were doing and why anymore. I can't connect to or feel for people when you keep talking about SCS and CMP all the time. I only really felt sorry for them when no one was watching their TV show. And the fact that I had recently read an interview with James Horner in which he sort of gave the ending of the story away didn't help either.

 

 

Did you accidentally watch the "IMAX Cut" instead of the original theatrical version?  Because the IMAX cut removes a lot of the family scenes.

[bollemanneke 3,349]

I have no idea, to be honest. The downloaded file didn't specify that. The runing time was 2 hours and 30 minutes without any PAL speed-up. I imagine it was the regular version because the subtitles I downloaded didn't say anything about it being a different version either. The score is growing on me though.

[Nick1Ø66 4,718]

I wasn't as blown away with Apollo 13 as a lot of others either. It was good, but only in a competent, tick the boxes, mediocre Ron Howard kind of way. The movie never takes flight so to speak.  I don't quite get the accolades. It's merely good, but nothing more.

 

The score is aces though.

[Jay 37,372]

No idea how you found a 2 hour 30 minute version.

The normal film should be 2 hours, 20 minutes.  The IMAX cutdown is 1 hour, 46 minutes.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

1 minute ago, Nick1066 said:

I wasn't as blown away with Apollo 13 as a lot of others either. It was good, but only in a competent, tick the boxes, mediocre Ron Howard kind of way. The movie never takes flight so to speak.  I don't quite get the accolades. It's merely good, but nothing more.

 

The score is aces though.

 

Great special effects though. Couldn't see any shots that could be significantly improved today.

[Jurassic Shark 12,082]

4 minutes ago, Nick1066 said:

I wasn't as blown away with Apollo 13 as a lot of others either. It was good, but only in a competent, tick the boxes, mediocre Ron Howard kind of way.

 

Yeah, it's nothing like Solo.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,551]

7 hours ago, Cherry Pie That'll Kill Ya said:

 

But spiders aren't insects.

I believe that they are classified as arachnids.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

1 hour ago, Richard said:

I believe that they are classified as arachnids.

 

Precisely.

[A24 4,345]

1 hour ago, Nick1066 said:

I wasn't as blown away with Apollo 13 as a lot of others either. It was good, but only in a competent, tick the boxes, mediocre Ron Howard kind of way. The movie never takes flight so to speak.  I don't quite get the accolades. It's merely good, but nothing more.

 

The score is aces though.

 

True. Ron Howard is a fine artisan, always colouring between the lines, but he's not what I would call a great director. 

 

Haven't seen Solo though ....

[Jurassic Shark 12,082]

Here it is:

 

 

[A24 4,345]

I thought this was Solo:

 

[JoeinAR 1,949]

9 hours ago, publicist said:

 

The puppets are too goofy. 'Tarantula' still takes the reigns in that genre.

While I enjoy Tarantula its nowhere near the quality of them and then there is the bit about giant insects. Spiders are not bugs or insects

 

[Nick1Ø66 4,718]

3 hours ago, Alexcremers said:

 

True. Ron Howard is a fine artisan, always colouring between the lines, but he's not what I would call a great director. 

 

 

Yes.  As a director, Howard is the king of mediocrities. Competent, technically proficient, reliable and producing work that's utterly uninspiring.  Ron Howard doesn't make bad films. He just doesn't make great ones either.

 

Kind of like later period Spielberg, only without having a couple decades of genius behind him.

[publicist 4,643]

22 minutes ago, JoeinAR said:

While I enjoy Tarantula its nowhere near the quality of them and then there is the bit about giant insects. Spiders are not bugs or insects

 

But at least the tarantula was real. I never could take 'Them' seriously due to these weirdly out-of-control antennas and the rug-like exterior.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

1 minute ago, Nick1066 said:

Kind of like later period Spielberg, without having a couple decades of genius behind him.

 

*bites tongue*

[JoeinAR 1,949]

7 minutes ago, publicist said:

 

But at least the tarantula was real. I never could take 'Them' seriously due to these weirdly out-of-control antennas and the rug-like exterior.

I don't have issues with the effect. Neither should you because the fake tarantula looking in the window was not particularly convincing.

 

[publicist 4,643]

Sure, but in the best moments it looks truly frightening. The ants in 'Them' never do.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

It was the sound that bothered me the most. But I was 8 then and the film was only 14 years old then. 

Do you not like King Kong or Godzilla?

 

9 hours ago, Cherry Pie That'll Kill Ya said:

 

But spiders aren't insects.

Surprisingly it seems few know this.

[publicist 4,643]

No. My first horror movie was 'Jaws' when i was 7 and we only had a portable tv back then, so the effects looked frighteningly real. All the older creature movies mostly looked as papmaché as they were. I embraced them at a much later age.

[John 2,032]

Is Jaws even a horror movie, though? I think it belongs more in the action/thriller genre. 

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

It's a sea faring adventure film!

[SteveMc 2,674]

1 minute ago, John said:

Is Jaws even a horror movie, though? I think it belongs more in the action/thriller genre. 

It does, but it is very often referred to as a horror film.  As a kid reading newspaper TV guides, I almost always saw it referred to as a horror.

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

Actually...