Last Movie You Watched

[Karl Henning]

Many thanks to the party or parties who recommended The Straight Story, thoroughly wonderful. Lovely score, which is part tender Mediterranean, part gentle Newgrass.

[Karl Henning]

Little Murders. The first time I tried watching this, the scene at Patsy's family's apartment wore me out, and I had no patience to try sticking with it.

So, I've checked it out again from the library, and watched out to the end. All in all, glad I did, but ... I wish I liked it better than I do.

That said, the wedding is a fine set-piece; and Alan Arkin's scene is both a brilliant performance on his part, but excellently dexterous camera work.

[aligreto]

The Pledge....





A solidly based story line which ultimately descends into incredulity which is a pity because it was a good one to start with.

[LKB]

2001: A Space Odyssey.

Open the pod bay doors,

LKB

[James]

The Hallow
2015 ‧ Horror ‧ 1h 37m

A family who move into a remote milllhouse in Ireland find themselves in a fight for survival with demonic creatures living in the woods.

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[TheGSMoeller]

Many thanks to the party or parties who recommended The Straight Story, thoroughly wonderful. Lovely score, which is part tender Mediterranean, part gentle Newgrass.

Great to hear, Karl!

[aligreto]

Money....





Low budget film [in the sense that there are only 6 actors and basically 1 location] but with a good story line and an interesting dynamic between the main characters. Worth a watch.

[Karl Henning]

Last night I watched The Shawshank Redemption with director Frank Darabant's commentary.

[SonicMan46]

Amazon has recently made these 'adventure' films available for streaming - both on my list to watch: 

Wonder Woman (2017) w/ Gal Gadot & Chris Pine - reviews: 7.6, IMDB; 92%, Rotten Tomatoes; 4.3/5, Amazon - yet another super hero movie w/ some comedy, potential romance, and demonstration of 'super powers' w/ a LOT of ending CGI - not a bad film for its genre and one of the better 'super hero' films - Gadot looking good in her role - I'd probably do 3 1/2* on Amazon - do not plan to buy or even re-watch.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) w/ Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, et al - reviews: 7.8, IMDB; 82%, Rotten Tomatoes; 4.3/5, Amazon - now a group of galaxy heroes - same characters as the first one, which I enjoyed more; twist w/ Kurt Russell as the 'immortal god' and father of Peter Quill - disorganized at times and way TOO MUCH CGI, IMO - for me, a 3* Amazon rating - no plan to re-watch this one - guess that these Marvel and others' 'super hero' films just are not my 'bag' as I've gotten older - still prefer the old Sci-Fi films from my younger years (despite their absence of CGI) -   Dave

 

[mc ukrneal]

Amazon has recently made these 'adventure' films available for streaming - both on my list to watch: 

Wonder Woman (2017) w/ Gal Gadot & Chris Pine - reviews: 7.6, IMDB; 92%, Rotten Tomatoes; 4.3/5, Amazon - yet another super hero movie w/ some comedy, potential romance, and demonstration of 'super powers' w/ a LOT of ending CGI - not a bad film for its genre and one of the better 'super hero' films - Gadot looking good in her role - I'd probably do 3 1/2* on Amazon - do not plan to buy or even re-watch.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) w/ Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, et al - reviews: 7.8, IMDB; 82%, Rotten Tomatoes; 4.3/5, Amazon - now a group of galaxy heroes - same characters as the first one, which I enjoyed more; twist w/ Kurt Russell as the 'immortal god' and father of Peter Quill - disorganized at times and way TOO MUCH CGI, IMO - for me, a 3* Amazon rating - no plan to re-watch this one - guess that these Marvel and others' 'super hero' films just are not my 'bag' as I've gotten older - still prefer the old Sci-Fi films from my younger years (despite their absence of CGI) -   Dave

 

I thought the acting here (Gadot and Pine's chemistry was good) was much better for a super hero movie than we usually get.  I agree with pretty much everything you wrote, though I think Id give it a 4.

But I think you were too nice to GOTG2, which I found majorly disappointing (even with my low expectations). The only story line I thought worked was the one with the sisters. I think I'd give that a 2.

[SonicMan46]

I thought the acting here (Gadot and Pine's chemistry was good) was much better for a super hero movie than we usually get.  I agree with pretty much everything you wrote, though I think Id give it a 4.

But I think you were too nice to GOTG2, which I found majorly disappointing (even with my low expectations). The only story line I thought worked was the one with the sisters. I think I'd give that a 2.

Hi Neal - well, in all honesty, I was about to 'turn off' GOTG2 - CGI just so overdone w/ terrible music - I'd easily could go down to 2 1/2 on Amazon - Dave

[James]

The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue
1974 ‧ Science Fiction/Horror ‧ 1h 35m

Two traveling companions, George and Edna, come across a small town infested with the "living dead" that are satisfying their cannibalistic hunger on anyone they come across. Discovering that an agricultural machine using radiation waves is at the root of all the havoc, George and Edna fight for survival and their innocence as they are pursued by a relentless detective who is convinced they are responsible for the ghoulish acts of violence plaguing the countryside. Also known as LET SLEEPING CORPSES LIE and DON'T OPEN THE WINDOW, this carefully constructed and beautifully photographed tale of the undead roaming the English countryside comes from acclaimed Spanish director Jorge Grau.

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[Karl Henning]

Just landed ... haven't watched yet, of course.

[André]

A masterpiece IMHO, and one of his 3 best films. Welles is terrifying in the role.

[Karl Henning]

Cheers, André!  It will be entirely fresh to my eyes, thus I was keen to snap it up at the first reduced-price opportunity.

[TheGSMoeller]

Song to Song
Terrance Malick's most recent film. A tale of love with the Austin, TX music scene in the background. Typical Malick presentation, told in a dream-like manner, with gorgeous and flowing imagery, and voice-over.

My review is this...if you're a fan of recent-Malick and enjoyed To The Wonder, and Knight of Cups, then you'll enjoy StS. If you're not a fan, then you'll hate this. As for me, I could watch these films on repeat. I'm a fan.

[James]

Re-Animator
1985 ‧ Fantasy/Horror ‧ 1h 44m

When medical student Dean Cain advertises for a roommate, he soon finds one in the form of Dr. Herbert West. Initially a little eccentric, it soon becomes clear that West entertains some seriously outlandish theories – specifically, the possibility of re-animating the dead. It's not long before Dean finds himself under West's influence, and embroiled in a series of ghoulish experiments which threaten to go wildly out of control. Based on H.P. Lovecraft's classic terror tale 'Herbert West – Re-animator' and featuring a standout performance from Jeffrey Combs as the deliciously deranged West, Re-Animator remains the ground-zero of '80s splatter mayhem and one of the Horror genre's finest hours.

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[Karl Henning]

I re-watched Edward Scissorhands earlier this week.  Whether this is a change to, or simply a refinement of, my earlier sentiments, I am not sure;  but here goes:

At its best, good-but-not-great (call that my opinion);  at its least good, embarrassingly amateurish.

The core problem with the movie is, it's not really for children (for starters, the not-infrequent profanity, and the one lady's forcing herself sexually upon Edward), but it's too saccharine for adults.  Though in a world of pumpkin spice everything, perhaps we must say too saccharine for many adults.

On top of this cracked foundation, all the other problems rest unstably.  If any other director in cinema has used a trowel heavier than Burton, I don't know of him.  Frank Capra is a master of understatement, in comparison.  So much of it is so flat, that to describe it as 'cartoonish' is a disservice to cartoons.  In this environment, Winona Ryder appears . . . natural, but she is never in danger of being mistaken for an actress.

But enough carping.  The score is of course very fine, the sound and performance luscious;  compositionally, (again) good-but-not great – but good here is performing fully.  Johnny Depp is not asked to be much more than rather a wooden character in a dazzlingly odd costume;  but here and there his understated emotional reaction shots (which are the most human points in the story, see Trowel, above) rank with the best acting the cast provides.  Vincent Price is touching in his cameo;  it's not his fault that when he turns to a book of poetry, it's doggerel, whose purpose was to cajole a smile out of his creation-in-progress.  I love Alan Arkin, even when his role here is the dark side of an emotionally stunted Sheldon Kornpett.

Another point very much in E. Sc.'s favor, as I recall my dissatisfaction with Batman:  the pace and scale are very well gauged.  While I have quarrels here and there, E. Sc. is nevertheless mostly watchable   

(And, yes, I like Capra . . . though I might say that I have not consumed a large diet of his work.)

[Tulse]

There are some strong films coming out of Argentina at the moment. Today I watched 'The future perfect', the debut of Nele Wohlatz.



The main themes are of alienation in a new country and subsequent empowerment as a new role is acted out.

This AFI Fest winning film features a first time director and amateur actors. The lead is performing her life story, or something close to it, with beautiful restraint.

[SimonNZ]

Into The Abyss (Werner Herzog, dir. 2011)