Last Movie You Watched

[SimonNZ]

In a documentary film festival currently on saw The Other Side by former BBC correspondent Sean Langan. A rare look at life in occupied east Ukraine and interviews with civilians and pro-Putin forces, gauging how much their views overlap with the Moscow propaganda. He put himself in quite a bit of danger making it.

https://www.journeyman.tv/film/8609/the-other-side

[AnotherSpin]

Again, Hayao Miyazaki's 'Spirited Away'

[relm1]

Edge of Tomorrow (2014) is a fantastic sci-fi action film.  Excellent script and directing and a film I think is much better than Spielberg's War of the Worlds (2005).  Spoilers: The general concept is a military novice/coward is forced to join the front line of a war against vastly superior alien invaders and is quickly killed only to restart the day over again.  It turns out the alien invaders are able to manipulate time and foresee what the humans will do before they do it but through a strange twist of fate, Cruise inherits that ability from the blood of one of the aliens.  I love his characters transformation and how the story thickens and deepens each time it is rebooted.  They must have had to shoot the same scenes dozens of times, but the film had very rich characters (Emily Blunt is great too as the badass commander) and a very satisfying ending.  This is sci-fi action done right.  Not just spectacle and action, but a rich, complex story with a tight script, surprises, and a very terrifying foe.

[SonicMan46]

The African Queen (1951) - cast below and story in the link; about half the film shot in Africa (Uganda & the Congo) and the rest in studio near London, including the water scenes. On the AFI list of 100 best films, this one is #17 (personally I'd put it higher, one of my favorites); up for 4 Oscars (likely fewer because of its late release in December), winner of Best Actor for Bogart. Highly recommended.  Dave 

The African Queen is a 1951 adventure film adapted from the 1935 novel of the same name by C. S. Forester. The film was directed by John Huston and produced by Sam Spiegel and John Woolf. The screenplay was adapted by James Agee, John Huston, et al. It was photographed in Technicolor by Jack Cardiff and has a music score by Allan Gray. The film stars Humphrey Bogart (who won the Academy Award for Best Actor, his only Oscar) and Katharine Hepburn with Robert Morley, Peter Bull, Walter Gotell, Richard Marner and Theodore Bikel. (Source)

 

[Karl Henning]

The Exorcist. 

[NumberSix]

So, just got home from MaXXXine, and I liked it very much. I don't wanna talk about it in much detail, though, until at least Friday night.

I will say that I meant to see "X" before watching this one, but I never got around to it. Would having seen it have helped? Probably here and there. But the only thing you really need to know is that she was the final girl, and that those events took place about six years before.

Also, Mia Goth *sigh* *love*

And good heavens, Liz Debicki's legs go all the way up, don't they?

[AnotherSpin]

So, just got home from MaXXXine, and I liked it very much. I don't wanna talk about it in much detail, though, until at least Friday night.

I will say that I meant to see "X" before watching this one, but I never got around to it. Would having seen it have helped? Probably here and there. But the only thing you really need to know is that she was the final girl, and that those events took place about six years before.

Also, Mia Goth *sigh* *love*

And good heavens, Liz Debicki's legs go all the way up, don't they?

It's hard to say if you should watch X and Pearl before MaXXXine. I've only watched the first two and there is a connection between them. I found Pearl more interesting from two. Mia Goth is something. Did you watch Infinity Pool?

[NumberSix]

It's hard to say if you should watch X and Pearl before MaXXXine. I've only watched the first two and there is a connection between them. I found Pearl more interesting from two. Mia Goth is something. Did you watch Infinity Pool?

I'm think this is the first thing I've seen from her. She's got a pretty unique look, so pretty sure I would remember.

Doing some reading about the previous two films this evening, it looks like it might've actually benefited me more in some ways having not seen the first one.

[SonicMan46]

Red Dust (1932) - only had this on a lousy DVD-R but Apple claimed to be selling an HD version so took a chance - the detail is excellent (some artifacts) so likely rescanned to high definition - synopsis and cast below; takes place in French Indochina on a rubber plantation - filmed nearly completely on MGM backlots (some used in the Tarzan films of the era).

Mogambo (1953) - remake with Gable + a new cast of ladies - story changed to Africa and directed by John Ford with filming done on location in various parts of the Dark Continent - Dave

Red Dust is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic drama film directed by Victor Fleming, and starring Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, and Mary Astor. Red Dust is the second of six movies Gable and Harlow made together. More than 20 years later, Gable starred in a remake, Mogambo (1953), with Ava Gardner starring in a variation on the role Harlow played and Grace Kelly playing a part similar to one portrayed by Astor in Red Dust. (Source)

   

[DavidW]

So, just got home from MaXXXine, and I liked it very much. I don't wanna talk about it in much detail, though, until at least Friday night.

I was looking forward to that, good to know it is out and is good!  I will go and watch it.  Just not today, I don't like driving on holidays.  I'm going to hunker down.

[DavidW]

It's hard to say if you should watch X and Pearl before MaXXXine. I've only watched the first two and there is a connection between them. I found Pearl more interesting from two. Mia Goth is something. Did you watch Infinity Pool?

I loved Pearl.  Also Infinity Pool.  X was good, but I don't think as good as those two.

[NumberSix]

Re Mogambo:

I am strongly of the opinion that Grace Kelly is the most beautiful woman ever ever come out of Hollywood. However, in this one movie I have to say that Clark Gable is an idiot for chasing her when he has Ava Gardner right there. Ava's earthy raw sexuality is so powerful here. It makes Grace Kelly's character look like a useless milksop.

[Karl Henning]

Wm Friedkin's commentary upon the extended director's cut of The Exorcist. Which is really only a few minutes longer than the theatrical release.

[SonicMan46]

The Devil's Disciple (1959) - our 'revolutionary' film for the July 4th celebration (usually watch 1776 but were sated on that film, only for the moment) - Olivier as 'Gentleman Johnny' Burgoyne just before the battle of Saratoga - check the link for more of the plot.

China Seas (1935) - cast below; story at link - Gable & Harlow made 6 films together (from 1932-1937, the last Saratoga released posthumously - Harlow died in 1936 at 26 years of age); according to the IMDB ratings, Red Dust (7.2/10) and China Seas (6.9/10) are at the top.  Dave

The Devil's Disciple is a 1959 British-American film adaptation of the 1897 George Bernard Shaw play The Devil's Disciple. The Anglo-American film was directed by Guy Hamilton, who replaced Alexander Mackendrick, and starred Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier. Mary Grant designed the film's costumes. (Source)

China Seas is a 1935 American adventure film starring Clark Gable as a brave sea captain, Jean Harlow as his brassy paramour, and Wallace Beery as a suspect character. The oceangoing epic also features Rosalind Russell, Lewis Stone, Akim Tamiroff, and Hattie McDaniel, while humorist Robert Benchley portrays a character reeling drunk. The lavish MGM epic was written by James Kevin McGuinness and Jules Furthman from the 1930 book by Crosbie Garstin, and directed by Tay Garnett. This is one of only four sound films with Beery in which he did not receive top billing. (Source)

 

[NumberSix]

Fly Me to the Moon (2024)
8/10
As a rom-com, this movie gave me everything I wanted:
Two stunningly gorgeous charismatic leads surrounded by fun supporting cast. Plenty of jokes and even some tears. Meet cutes and drama. Beautiful period clothes and visuals.

ScarJo still can do no wrong. And Jim "This Better Not Awaken Anything in Me" Wise continues to be outstanding comic relief.

[NumberSix]

MaXXXine (2024)
8/10

Second viewing earlier today. I'd have given it a 7 after first viewing. The ending is nutty. But it works in the "80s cheap video horror" mode. And it helps to realize this is a giallo, not a slasher.

Love the cast. Love the visuals. Love the soundtrack.

[Karl Henning]

Blue Jasmine. Some time has elapsed since I first watched this 'un, and I didn't remember how sombre the main plot is. Great writing and a fine cast. Alec Baldwin's character is one hell of a heel.

[NumberSix]

Daddio (2024)
9/10

What a film. It's just about perfect. (I have a rule: no movie gets a perfect score on first viewing, no matter how much I liked it ) Two people sitting in a taxi for 90 minutes talking about life. It should be boring, but I was mesmerized and kept worrying they were getting too close to her apartment.

Sean Penn should be up for another Oscar. Dakota kept up, and IMO she's never looked more beautiful.

[Cato]

Yesterday, we saw the new Western Horizon, which apparently will be a tetralogy.

It is marvelous with one caveat: the story-lines need to be - at times - separated better.  Mrs. Cato found herself wondering which story was suddenly appearing.

"Horizon" is the name of thousands of acres being sold (fraudulently) in the West: it is obvious that all the stories will eventually converge somehow on that area.

There are brilliant scenes showing the horror of massacres on both sides of the Native Americans-Settlers divide.

Other scenes of great tenderness are equally memorable, e.g. a young girl saying good-bye to frontier cavalry soldiers who are on their way into The Civil War in 1863.

Despite its length (3 hours), most of the audience never left their seats!

[NumberSix]

Yesterday, we saw the new Western Horizon, which apparently will be a tetralogy.

It is marvelous with one caveat: the story-lines need to be - at times - separated better.  Mrs. Cato found herself wondering which story was suddenly appearing.

"Horizon" is the name of thousands of acres being sold (fraudulently) in the West: it is obvious that all the stories will eventually converge somehow on that area.

There are brilliant scenes showing the horror of massacres on both sides of the Native Americans-Settlers divide.

Other scenes of great tenderness are equally memorable, e.g. a young girl saying good-bye to frontier cavalry soldiers who are on their way into The Civil War in 1863.

Despite its length (3 hours), most of the audience never left their seats!

I really need to give it another try. I didn't care for it. But enough people have liked it and pointed out things that they enjoyed, that I may have a better perspective on a second visit.