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

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I vote for Invasion of Astro Monster. The characters must choose between sending Godzilla and Rodan to Planet X to fight Ghidorah or let the alien planet be destroyed. But it's a false choice because the aliens merely want control of all monsters.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

A View to a Kill

In short....Anemic.

After starring in two relatively good ones Moore closes his tenure as 007 with a rather poor one.

He had been coming along in age for a while now, but the difference between Octopussy and this one is rather shocking. Moore also seems more self-continuous then usual. The script hardly helps him. Almost every line in the first half is either a too obvious double en tendre, charming quip or funny aside. There doesnt seem to be a lot of conviction or interest in Moore's delivery either. Like he knew he did one too many while making it.

Age is actually a problem in this film. Not just with Moore though. Right after the fantastic and contemporary theme song the plot opens with a collection of old men, Moore being the youngest at near 60, talking about microchips.

The 80's was the decade of the action film. Directors like James Cameron, John McTiernan and Richard Donner. And young actors full of vigor like Stallone, Willis, Arnie and Mel Gibson. Compared to this A View To A Kill must have looked like a stuffy old throw back even in 1985!

The plot is essentially a reworking of Goldfinger. A rich industrialist using a bomb to increase the value of his stock. The baddie Zorin could have been interesting. Played by Christopher Walken, his first of many villain roles, and some characteristics that might have contributed to the film if they had actually been explored (Zorin being a Nazi experiment) Walken does an OK job, but is rather underused. As is Grace Jones, who looks impressively bizarre, and does little else.

Tanya Roberts is the main Bond girl in this one, and she truly looks stunning. But her acting is quite poor, and she has no chemistry what so ever with a Moore who was famously older then her own mother. She must have the destiction of shouting the name "James" more then any other Bond girl though.

Fiona Fullerton shows up for 5 minutes in a weird subplot involving a KGB agent (they really dragged in the Russians in this movie, you could cut them out and nothing would change), and there's a very small role for Allison Doody (Elsa from TLC)

This film has the requisite number of amaaaazing stunts, and they are all skillfully executed. But the ski scene would have been a lot more interesting without a Beach Boys song and there are more shots then usual where one can detect that it's a stunt person doing all the hard work and not Moore.

John Barry once again does a more then decent job with the score, though it never really feels very distinctive. Apart from his new action theme and the impressive brass rendition of the title song, as 007 goes down a fireman's ladder, it all sounds like it could be taken from any 70's or 80's Bond film.

It's not that this film is bad. It's just boring. Too much like the films they made in the 70's, but everyone has gotten a little bit too old.

*1/2 out of ****

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Despite everything that's bad about AVTAK, this one seemed to click with me for some reason. I like Moore's interaction and antagonism with Walken. I also like the overall tone and atmosphere.

My only complaint is that Bond's age should have been addressed at some point, so that it lets the audience know that the movie's at least a little bit self aware. I guess they just wrote it like any generic Bomd adventure.

[Wojo 2,453]

Interstellar is not about choices, since there are none.

I chose to not see Interstellar.

[A24 4,346]

Hey, there are posts missing!

(Or did I post Mr. Nobody in the new movie thread?)

Edit: Yep! Damn you, KM! Damn you!

[Jay 37,373]

OK, moved the Mr. Nobody discussion here for you.

[A24 4,346]

Thanks, Jay!

[Jay 37,373]

I had never ever heard of that movie before, BTW. How'd you get turned on to it?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Why did Jay move your post? I don't understand. I thought it was decided that the oldness of a film was left to the poster's judgment!

I want 2 separate threads, just use your judgement as to what is new and what is old

Agreed.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I was wondering the same thing. Perhaps Jason's OCD played up.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Turned on to it?

[Jay 37,373]

Don't start.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

I'm not starting, I'm finishing.

[A24 4,346]

I had never ever heard of that movie before, BTW. How'd you get turned on to it?

I saw the trailer a few years ago (probably posted it in the future movie thread) and I remembered it was a Belgian director. It's on Netflix so I thought I'd check it out. Netflix voters gave it a high rating.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

We are entitled to ponder, Jason.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

There needs to be a What Is The Last Silent Film You Watched thread. We need to distinguish discussions between the silent era and the 1930s onwards, because it gets confusing in the existing threads.

I'm seriously considering lobbying for separate threads for black and white and colour films too.

[Jay 37,373]

Alright enough.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Also, a separate forum for Aussie cinema.

[A24 4,346]

They only made 3:

The Road Warrior

Mad Max 2

Mad Max 3

[Jay 37,373]

I've never seen any Mad Max film before. Should I?

[Wojo 2,453]

I was wondering the same thing. Perhaps Jason's OCD played up.

Weren't you paying attention? Jay moved it because Alex complained. It had nothing to do with OCD.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It's a good film. Rough around the edges, but very solid. Try to watch the original version though, not the one with the dubbed dialogue mix for the US market.

I was wondering the same thing. Perhaps Jason's OCD played up.

Weren't you paying attention? Jay moved it because Alex complained. It had nothing to do with OCD.

I have attention Deficit Disorder! Don't you dare mock me!

[Wojo 2,453]

I never knew you had a medically diagnosed disorder. I just thought it was because you never look back. Oh dear, I feel so sorry for you.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I never said I was officially diagnosed. I just Googled it.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

They only made 3:

The Road Warrior

Mad Max 2

Mad Max 3

And Les Patterson Saves The World.

[Jay 37,373]

Did they actually change the words said in the US version of the original Mad Max, or did they just say the same things without Australian accents?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

From IMDB

The version released in the U.S. was re-dubbed with American accents. It has been widely claimed that the distributor, American International Pictures (AIP), feared that American audiences would have had problems understanding the thick Australian accents spoken by the actors. However, now that the original track has surfaced Stateside, it is revealed to be poorly mixed, with the music score often overwhelming dialogue (the very important conversation between two doctors that Max overhears is almost entirely drowned out). AIP's releases were predominantly seen in drive-in theaters (where in fact most of this picture's US box office revenue was earned) and where at this time the audio came through little speakers hanging on the car windows. This would definitely have made the audio problems worse and is the probable motivation for the alternate audio track (AIP having mostly American voice actors available to them).

The dubbed American release changed some bits of dialog from Australian slang and phrases into American ones. Hense, "windscreen" became "windshield", "See looks!" became "Look see!", and "Very toey!" became "Super hot!".

[Jay 37,373]

Haha, interesting.

Yea, I'll seek out the original mix

You know, I've never been to a Drive-In before either.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Do they still exist?

I doubt we ever had any here.

[Jay 37,373]

Yes I drive by one in a nearby town all the time

[crocodile 8,019]

I'm not starting, I'm finishing.

You started this. You will forgive me, if I finish it.

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I seem to have the faintest memory of watching a film in the cinema while sitting in a car, how that you mention it. Either my imagination, or a memory of my 2 month visit to California in 1987.

[Jay 37,373]

What part of California?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Mostly Oakland California, where my aunts lives. But we traveled around a bit. Went to (i think) Reno, and to Disney Land. I remember watching Captain EO in 3D, and Moonwalker on TV.

And Cocoon!

[Wojo 2,453]

When I watched Mad Max on Netflix, I used the captions because the accents were hard to understand and I wanted to make sure I caught everything. Cranking the volume didn't help. I'm pretty sure they used words I am not accustomed to hearing, and I don't think it was dubbed.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I'm pretty sure they used words I am not accustomed to hearing,

You know...they speak English in Australia...

[Wojo 2,453]

You know... They may have used slang words that I wasn't used to hearing in the context. I don't remember, ADD boy.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Man, not boy. I'm 37

[Sweeping Strings 2,363]

The Muppets (2011) - light and breezy fun that made me chuckle and gave me a warm nostalgic glow.

[Wojo 2,453]

Trollhunter

Clever. Even though the special effects are crude and low budget, I was drawn in by the story, of how basically every disaster or disappearance in Norway can be attributed to these massive mammals that nobody ever sees.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Disney Land. I remember watching Captain EO in 3D, and Moonwalker on TV.

Awesome!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I was quite the Michael Jackson fan at that age. I only wish I'd know at the time that i was his type....

[Wojo 2,453]

I was quite the Michael Jackson fan at that age. I only wish I'd know at the time that i was his type....

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Maybe in your state, bud!

[Wojo 2,453]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Netherlands Ranch, you mean!

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

I'm still upset they removed Captain EO from Disneyland after bringing it back.

Good Horner score!

[Muad'Dib 1,802]

Just watched this beautiful movie; from the description alone I knew I would like it, but what I got was not entirely what I was expecting. In some ways, it was better, not so much in others. For example, I wish they would have went all in with the language, instead of making them talk in English with accents, and the mispronunciation of the main character's (Drefyuss) was quite distracting for me in particular. Still, apart from that and some script plot holes, this is a magnificent movie with a stellar performance by our good ol' Hooper. The photography, the direction, the music, it all comes to together in quite a lot of places and it left me breathless. It never went for tasteless low punches as these kind of movies often go to. It was quite solemn, almost dream-like, entrancing, like the jungle itself. It could have been much better, the potencial for an absolute masterpiece is there, but as it is, it is still very good.

8/10

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Nice Aussie cover.