What is the Last Film You Watched? - Part II

[Red 75]

I don't know if Verhoven loves violence, but it's apparent the man has a pension for it.

[Delorean90 42]

I got a membership at a local video store that has every single movie I could ever possibly want to watch. I don't know where to start, so for now, I've used my potential company for the movies as a guideline. So far, I've seen One Two Three, Bird, Kiki's Delivery Service and Duck Soup. And I rented, in addition, Rashomon, The Grand Illusion, Double Indemnity, and Say Anything (I haven't seen any of them before).

How'd you like Duck Soup? Have you seen any other Marx Bros.? From the ones I've seen, I think the best intros to them would be either that or Monkey Business--or if you're going for the later pictures, A Night at the Opera.

[Marian Schedenig 8,207]

I recently saw Duck Soup at an open air theatre. Only the second time I'd seen it. Hilarious.

I am saying that people refer to it as a brilliant twist on what Verhoven ususally does. It's not. It's what Verhoven usually does, with a delicious twist that makes it worthwhile.

I think that Verhoven's love of violence comes through in the film, and the satire is not loud enough to eclipse the fact that Verhoven likes what he seeing, without the subtext.

Hm, I don't know. He certainly gets more "enjoyment" out of it at times than, say, Cronenberg. But in Hollow Man (not a very good movie, though I sometimes enjoy it a bit more and sometimes a lot less), the violence does come over as "appropriately" disgusting.

And I think the combination of these two very contradicting elements makes ST good. Yes, the action and violence does work on a pure enjoyment level. But the obvious layer of the story is very much dumbed down even for that kind of genre. It ends up making me enjoy the action, and at the same time making me feel guilty for it.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Actually I do not think Verhoeven enjoys violence at all, which is why he portrays is as a painfull, disgusting looking act, instead as something cool like most directors do.

Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines.

Let's light up a bit, is what the new writers and the new director must have thought.

After James Cameron's decidedly grim action spectacles, Jonathon Mostow obviously thougfht that wat was needed now, was a bit of light entertainment. The world may be coming to an end in this film, but we don't want the audience to be too concerned about it....

The biggest problem this film has is that the tone is completely different from the previous two. Mostow's film takes place mostly in broad daylight, while the previous 2 made splendid use of the night. Mostow's film has a lot of clever comedy interludes were they are winking to the audience "Look at us paying tribute to the first 2 films" While the comedy in the first 2 films was kept to a minimun, and grew more naturally out of the circumstances, or the characters.

Nick Stahl is John Conner, and while anyone who's seen Carnivalé knows that he's a good actor, he wrong for the role. I just did not believe he was gonna be the leader of the world resistance against Skynet.

Claire Danes has the Linda Hamilton role in this film, again...a very good sctress, but her work here is nothing above standard.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's last leading role before becoming Govenator of California.

Again, no one else could have done this part, since he's so identified with the role. But in his third outing he doesn't really bring anything new or interesting to the table. Excdept possible the worsty parts of the film were he's used for comic relief.

Kristanna Loken leeches of Robert Patrick's performance in the previous film, but unlike him, she really does not come across as an unstoppable threat.

At the most she resembles a pouting supermodel. Supposedly Famke Janssen turned down the role. It would have been interesting to see what she'd do with it.

Actually the whole concept of the TX is done very badly. The T-1000 from Terminator 2 as rellentless as he was, has limitations which made it believable that the obsolete Schwarzenegger-model stood a chance against it. The TX has ray guns and flame trowers to wield. (yet for some reason she uses a normal gun throughout most of the film.....hmmmmm)

Jonathan Mostow knows his way around an action scene, so they are very well put together. But he misses the mark in the scenes dealing with characters. It's not really that they are bad...they are just...well, like the color beige, or cooked chicken.

This film just doesn't have the depth and texture of The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day.

This brings us to the films final scenes were Judgment day begins and the Atom boms begin to shower the planet. I've read that because of 9/11 the film makers did not want anything to graphic or violent. This may be a noble reason, but it totally screws up the films ending.

Sarah Conner's dream sequence in T2 was such a strong, vivid and violent image of nuclear destruction, that the few CGI mushroom clouds in this film just look like a gentle fireworks display. They don't add up, they cannot compare.

Like the entire movie can't.

Marco Beltrami takes over from Brad Fiedel and writes a score that actually made me appriciate much more what Fiedel did for the first 2 with only synth and acoustic effects. Beltrami has a whole orchestra and cooks up a score that's just...bland.

Fiedel at least had one good theme, Beltrami has none.

I suppose if one had never seen the previous films they might rather like it as a well made, summer blockbuster.

So on it's own I'd give it **/12 ot of ****

As part 3 of a series of films I'd have to settle for * out of **** though.

[Morlock 11]

How'd you like Duck Soup? Have you seen any other Marx Bros.? From the ones I've seen, I think the best intros to them would be either that or Monkey Business--or if you're going for the later pictures, A Night at the Opera.

I recently saw Duck Soup at an open air theatre. Only the second time I'd seen it. Hilarious.

I was actually pretty dissapointed with it. I'd seen Night at the Opera, and loved it (aside from the gooey romantic stuff). This one....I don't know. The hat tricks were not funny. The scissors bit was not funny. A lot of it was not funny. I HATED the musical bits. There were still a bunch of great one-liners, and the mirror scene is brilliant, one of the best comic scenes I've ever seen....but, overall, this one was dissapointing.

As for the rest (of what I've seen so far):

I'm a big Billy Wilder fan, even though until a couple of days ago I'd only seen six of his films, four of them (Some Like it Hot, the Apartment, Stalag 17 and Sunset Blvd.) were among my favorite films. Now that I hit the mother load of video stores, Wilder was high on my list of directors to rent. So, sure enough, two of his most loved films were rented:

One, Two, Three. Okay, it takes a bit getting used to, if you're used to the perfectly timed, perfectly spaced out, inspired comedy of his previous films. But once you adjust, it's absolutely hillarious. I starts off slow, with too many of the jokes being topical and current ones of it's era, and seeming incredibley lame today (especailly Cagney's wife). But it gradually picks up momentum, until it gets one of the most frenzied extended comedy seqeunces I've ever seen.

Cagney is great. I don't think I've ever seen him in a film before, but I've instantly taken a liking to him. Horst Buckholtz's annoying presence is welcome here, since, well, I'm not sure it would be acceptible if this communist idealist was actually an intelligent, earnest man. The three Russian Commissars are directly taken from Wilder's Ninotchka script, but they are very good.

A very funny movie that starts off slow, but by the end of it, you're screaming for air. Several classic Wilder lines in there:

Otto: I will not have my son grow up to be a capitalist.

Scarlet: When he's 18 he can make his mind up whether he wants to be a capitalist or a rich communist.

MacNamara: You've defected?

Peripetchikoff: Is old Russian proverb: "go west young man."

Otto Ludwig Piffl: Is everybody in this world corrupt?

Peripetchikoff: I don't know everybody.

A second tier Wilder movie. ***1/2/****.

And today I saw Double Indemnity. I knew it was going to be great. I mean- a lifelong cynic (albeit in a heartwarming way) taking on an inherently melodramatic genre? Perfect! and so it is. It works. From begining to end. Effin' fantastic noir. Fred McMurrey's role of a lifetime. I love how he is both as sleazy as it gets, yet totally likable. Barbara Stanwyck is...wow. There are not many female performers of the era that wow me. She was great. Edward G. Robminson also gives a gangbuster performance. Totally enthralling delivering insanely long monologues about the insurance business. As good a Femme Fatale as I've ever seen. Rozsa's score, terrific. Never too melodramatic (well, except for a solo violin in one of the death scenes, maybe).

And the ending is classic Wilder. Wilder is always great at finishing his film with an 'I love you', but one that never, ever comes off as fake or saccharine. The 'I love you' between Robinson and McMurrey is spot-on (one of them is implied, the other is said outright, with a cynical tone that belies the truth in the saying).

****/****.

Unfortunately, after Wilder, I found miyself on shakier ground.

Bird. Clint Eastwood's biopic of Charlie Parker. Total loss in my book. The film was unbearably long and plodding, and was far too much your typical musical biopic, with your drugs, booze, marriage, adultery, dissapointed friends, children the guy doesn't know.......I couldn't even make it to the end. Although, some of the musical sequences were good, and Whitacker was convincing. No star rating for a movie I didn't complete.

Kiki's Delivery Service. Only my second Miyazaki film, after Spirited Away (which I've seen a number of times). The ending, I felt, was a bit weak. Didn't carry the punch I was hoping for. But the film was enchanting from the get-go. Within a few minutes I was sucked into it (with the excellent dubbing job done). Vibrant colors, lively characters (even though it got a bit creepy with everyone being so nice all the time). The city (apparantly comprised of a number fo different European cities) looked wonderful. Score was excellent, although I could have done without the songs.

An enchanting fairy tale that is missing a bit in the ending, but, still wonderful. Next up, My Neigbor Totorro and Princess Mononoke.

***/****.

And, seeing as I would be swamped with so many movies in the video store, I decided that I better watch some of the other classics I've had waiting on my shelf, or I'd never get to them. So I popped in Robert Altman's Nashville. I cannot possibly talk about the movie without gushing senselessly, so, suffice it to say, it was an amazing experience, and one of the only films I would instantly call a work of art. ****/****.

Morlock- who is aware that he often comes off as too gushing, and tries to tone it down, but when faced with the possibility of watching all of the greatest movies ever made, cannot contain himself. This is what film-going is all about.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I had the pleasure of watching Blades of Glory yesterday, a completely stupid but hilarious film. I enjoyed it so much.

On the flip side, I went to see Halloween by Rob Zombie, it was quite possible the worst film I've seen in years.

Once again filmmakers of his ilk believe that the audience must have everything explained to us, that we are not capable of making the leaps of faith necessary to "understand" a horror movie, and the mythos behind a character. While I figure the younger people, who seemed to think it was the greatest thing since sliced bread, like that, I did not.

The film was unecessarily long, and the opening part about Michael Myer's childhood, added nothing, repeat NOTHING, that John Carpenter was able to show in about 6 min.

Funny thing was I went with my friend David, who hates these kind of films and he didn't Hate it as much as I did, though he didn't like it. it was not a complete waste of time as there was much of John's Halloween score used and that did sound nice, even if the movie was terrible

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

I don't know if Verhoven loves violence, but it's apparent the man has a pension for it.

Didn't he exclaim "I love violence!" in the RoboCop commentary?

Of course, I've only been told this and don't know the context. He might as well have been entirely sarcastic...

[Red 75]

I wouldn't know, because I've never heard it.

Princess Mononoke is Miyazaki's best film.

[A24 4,345]

Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines.

Let's light up a bit, is what the new writers and the new director must have thought.

After James Cameron's decidedly grim action spectacles, Jonathon Mostow obviously thougfht that wat was needed now, was a bit of light entertainment. The world may be coming to an end in this film, but we don't want the audience to be too concerned about it....

And thereby neglecting millions of strong devotees of the previous installments? Hmmm ... I think the movie fell into the wrong hands. There were just too many producers. Plus, Cameron didn't write it.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Plus, Cameron didn't write it.

Must be the only time that a film not being written by Cameron is bad thing....

[A24 4,345]

I think that's because he and he alone understands the deeper insides of the Terminator. Every one has a talent, Stefancos. For a while Cameron thought his talents were diverse. He thought he understood the deeper insides of a Necronomicon. He thought wrong. Then he thought he should make Close Encounters Underwater. Again, he thought wrong. Then James thought he knew what made James Bond tick. Another mistake. Then he thought his talents would cover ships and icebergs. Man, was he wrong.

Let's hope James will come to his senses soon.

Alex

[Neimoidian 14]

Jaws is the earliest memory I have in life.

Was it like this?

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

I was scared to death of E.T. as a kid, only ever having seen the more frightening parts of the film on TV. Apparently, this was common for people my age, although some haven't ever come out of it.

Ray Barnsbury

I watched the whole movie... but then, for weeks, I was afraid E.T. might be standing in the corner behind my bed.

Same here

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I think that's because he and he alone understands the deeper insides of the Terminator. Every one has a talent, Stefancos. For a while Cameron thought his talents were diverse. He thought he understood the deeper insides of a Necronomicon. He thought wrong. Then he thought he should make Close Encounters Underwater. Again, he thought wrong. Then James thought he knew what made James Bond tick. Another mistake. Then he thought his talents would cover ships and icebergs. Man, was he wrong.

But was he?

The shortcomings of Aliens have really only revealed itself fairly recently, after the yuppie era, and the age of the Vietnam film ended. And what we are left with is still a very effective action film.

And ofcourse Titanic completely swept the world away in such a manner that no film in the near future will rival what it brought in. It must have had a quality to be so successfull. If it were just a meaningless hype, it would have made 200 to 300 million in it's opening weeks, and barely show a profit.

Let's hope James will come to his senses soon.

I think he's still laughing his way to the bank.......

[Elmo Lewis 6]

And ofcourse Titanic completely swept the world away in such a manner that no film in the near future will rival what it brought in. It must have had a quality to be so successfull. If it were just a meaningless hype, it would have made 200 to 300 million in it's opening weeks, and barely show a profit.

Yeah, thank God for those meaningful albeit pretty shots of Leo at sunset. They brought the hormoned 13 year-old girls back into the cinema over and over again next week. And over again the following week.

And over again and over again.

[Morlock 11]

At least it stopped them from reading books and got them to the movie theater, where they belong.

[A24 4,345]

I think he's still laughing his way to the bank.......

You are referring to popular success. Popularity is not a metric for the quality of art.

Alex

[Morlock 11]

Some would argue that neither are Alexcremers, Stefancos, or Morlock (I can't imagine who, though).

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

Hulk(2003) was on television and and I saw it for the first time ...with great expectations of course...Ang Lee..Elfman ... blaa blaa

What a piece of crap...that green "thing" looked so fake... Lee tried some split screen technique... it doesnt't work in 24 , why

should it work in a forced marvel comic flick. They made even Jennifer looked bad...

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

"It doesn't work in 24"?

And Connely is always hot!

[Marian Schedenig 8,207]

It's not really well-used in 24 (which isn't to say that it cannot work - just watch some De Palma), but it certainly works.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Once again, Hulk was one of the more interesting comic book films I've seen.

It doesn't completely work, but it really, truly....genuinly tries to do something a bit different.

Respect, Ang....RESPECT!

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

I really respect Ang... he really tried to do it differently ... but it didn't work!!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

And yet I was more interested in this film then in stuff like Superman Returns, or that one Ben Affleck did, were he was blind or something.

I should rent Hellboy one of these days. Del Toro and Perlman seems like an pretty special combination.

[Red 75]

It's one of the better comic book movies. Oh, and the Ben Affleck thing was Dare Devil, which did in fact suck.

Over the weekend, I finally got around to seeing 300 and Transformers. Both underwhelmed somewhat, but surprisingly less so with Transformers. 300 became something of a sensory overload, with any attempts at drama falling flat because of it. At times I thought I was watching sword porn. But overall, I found some enjoyment in it, and I thought the ending was very well done.

Transformers didn't disappoint me as much as I thought it would, but it still did. I got more or less what I expected, and that basically boiled down to robots and explosions. Michael Bay's "cool" style got in the way a lot, as does most things that suck in a film. But on the other hand, Shia LeBeouf was pretty good, and ILM really out-did themselves.

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

I've decided not to see the transformers ever , my michael bay's hate gone too far.

Somehow like to 300 , expectations not so high though...

[A24 4,345]

I should rent Hellboy one of these days. Del Toro and Perlman seems like an pretty special combination.

You never seen it?

[QMM 4]

Sunshine

First third or so was really good, then it sort of went downhill and I got pretty depressed afterwards. Ah well.

[Morlock 11]

First act was terrific, second act was not bad, but didn't seem to bode well for the third act, which revealed itself to be remarkably bad, negating the great mood the film had earlier.

[Romão 2,274]

Once again, Hulk was one of the more interesting comic book films I've seen.

It doesn't completely work, but it really, truly....genuinly tries to do something a bit different.

Respect, Ang....RESPECT!

Very true. It still is a fascinating hybrid and I think the years will be kind to this movie.

[Kendal_Ozzel 36]

Mission: Impossible. Had never seen it before. Didn't think it was all that great. I'm generally not one of those people who tries to figure out how the plot will unfold unless I'm really bored. And I don't always think predictability is a bad thing, if the film still makes the unsurprising twist entertaining. But come on; it's Jon freaking Voight. I'm supposed not see that coming?

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Once again, Hulk was one of the more interesting comic book films I've seen.

It doesn't completely work, but it really, truly....genuinly tries to do something a bit different.

Respect, Ang....RESPECT!

for what, he made a piece of shit film in the Hulk so bad they are remaking it, not a sequel but a full remake. and then he makes the most overhyped "Gay" mainstream film that rings as hollow as a Lindsey Lohan apology.

he should stick to bad chop suey movies.

[A24 4,345]

United 93. What's so great about it? I thought it was not much better than one of those dramatized documentaries. I certainly don't feel the need to watch it ever again.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It will be a long while before any big studio will dare to take risks with a 9/11 film.

Till that time we will have to settle for the pedestrian.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

United 93. What's so great about it? I thought it was not much better than one of those dramatized documentaries. I certainly don't feel the need to watch it ever again.

OMG, alex and joe agreeing,

but it could have been worse

Michael Bay's World Trade Center starring Josh Hartnett, Ben Affleck, and some generic blonde actress with big melons, and a bad Faith Hill song, with a stolen line from Titanic, I'll never let go Jack, and then she does and its 110 stories straight down. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, but somehow through love he survives.

[Morlock 11]

United 93. What's so great about it? I thought it was not much better than one of those dramatized documentaries. I certainly don't feel the need to watch it ever again.

It is better than those dramatizations, and certainly better than the made-for-TV movie about the same topic. Unlike those, it is almost entirely lacking melodrama. And, it does a good job of bringing 9/11 down from a pantheon and as an excuse and pretense for anything and everything, and reminding people (well, me, at least), of the actual events that took place, not the geopolitical consequences.

After listening to the score again, skimmed Michael Collins. Certainly not a great movie, and it's got a pacing problem and a Julia Roberts problem, but some of the sequences in the film are breathtaking. Towering, charismatic, performance by Liam Neeson, and a solid supporting cast (Stephen Rea is good as usual). Julia Roberts is annoying, but then her character is just 'the love interest'. Some of the setpieces are thrilling, with highly believable production design, good cinematography and a fine score.

It's not always good, but when it's good, it's pretty damn good. ***/****.

Jerry Maguire. Charming movie, with good performances, and a very nice script. Cruise is probably best here of all the roles in which he plays Tom Cruise. Rene Zelwegger, before she got annoying, is good. Cuba Gooding Jr. is very, very funny, as is the actress who plays his wife.

The movie is sure footed throughout....until the end. I never believed that Cruise really loved her.

Still, highly watchable movie. ***/****.

Say Anything.... Cameron Crowe again. Meh. I don't get the big deal, why people love this film so much. It's a charming teen comedy that's a bit wiser and a bit less crude than most. But I lost interest with the father plot-developtment. Still, John Cusack is consistantly watchable, and Ione Skye is not bad. **1/2/****.

Rashomon. I can't say I liked the film itself so much. The performances caused me to be distanced from the film, and I frankly didn't like the situtation we relive four times. But the film does give one pause, and does inspire thought about truth, storytelling, and cinema in general.

And I listened to Stephen Soderberg and Tony Gilroy's commentary on The Third Man. I love these kinds of commentaries, where filmmakers talk about the film, and especially when it's a favorite of mine, and of theirs.

It's been a while since I've seen a new film in the theaters....nothing new is coming out here, for some reason. It's quite annoying. end of summer, several films I'm waiting for- and nothing.

[A24 4,345]

United 93. What's so great about it? I thought it was not much better than one of those dramatized documentaries. I certainly don't feel the need to watch it ever again.

It is better than those dramatizations, and certainly better than the made-for-TV movie about the same topic. Unlike those, it is almost entirely lacking melodrama. And, it does a good job of bringing 9/11 down from a pantheon and as an excuse and pretense for anything and everything, and reminding people (well, me, at least), of the actualy events that took place, not the geopolitical consequences.

I really don't see much difference. The style actually reminded me of these documentaries. I saw one from the perspective of the terrorists, devoid of melodrama, and it shocked me much more. And that reminds me, before I saw the movie Apollo 13, I saw the exact same story with simple production values on one of those documentary channels, and again, I was at the edge of my seat for the whole time. Months later, I watched Richie Cunningham's film and I was put off with the amount of melodrama he served his version with.

It may have to do something with 'expectations'. The surprise is bigger if you expects nothing and who expect anything from a docudrama?

Alex

[Morlock 11]

That is certainly possible. Although I do like Apollo 13 a lot, I never felt any of the awe of space. I saw this documentry a few months ago In the Shadow of The Moon, which I expected to be a cute anecdotal tale of a few astronauts, but absolutely awed me with the concept of space, and travel to the moon. I was really amazed by the majesy it projected, and not the majesty it was trying to cram down my throat with shots of 'wow- look how amazing it looks! Look! Look!! LOOK!!!!!!!'.

And, ignoring my terpidations of watching too many great movies (I hope) in a short time-span, I succumbed to temptation and rented A Man for All Season (a favorite of mine), Ace in the Hole, and Gates of Heaven (haven't seen either yet).

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

That is certainly possible. Although I do like Apollo 13 a lot, I never felt any of the awe of space.

It's not that kind of movie. It focuses on the human drama.

[A24 4,345]

Nah, it was just another Hanks movie.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

So was Saving Private Ryan.....

[Morlock 11]

That is certainly possible. Although I do like Apollo 13 a lot, I never felt any of the awe of space.

It's not that kind of movie. It focuses on the human drama.

I know, that's what I like about it. But I did feel like Howard was trying to get you to be enamored with the idea of space and the moon, and it didn't work for me.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I know, that's what I like about it. But I did feel like Howard was trying to get you to be enamored with the idea of space and the moon,

He didn't. Since it was obvious the mission was doomed anyway. He was trying to show how Jim Lovell was enamored with the idea of space and the moon.

[Morlock 11]

All I'm saying is, it's not like this is a character study of 3 guys in a room and the guys trying to help them...it's not just setting or coincidence that this is space. Space and the moon are a big element in the picture. And the fact that the mission was doomed is only supposed to be amplified by how majestic the concept of going to the moon is.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It's set in space because that's were it took place in real life!

Your arguments are rubbish.....

[Morlock 11]

It's set in space because that's were it took place in real life!

Exactly! And because it's set in space, it's got the whole 'miracle of NASA' vibe to it!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

But that's by default.....

[Morlock 11]

I fail to see how that counters what I said.

[A24 4,345]

So was Saving Private Ryan.....

Way more less Hanks. Apollo 13 felt like a star vehicle (no pun intended).

[Morlock 11]

Way more less Hanks.

I am not certain this sentence makes sense.

Apollo 13 felt like a star vehicle (no pun intended).

Maybe it was. All I know is, Ed Harris is great. Don't particularly like or dislike Hanks in the film.