Last Movie You Watched

[Karl Henning]

The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad. (1958)
I don't mind saying that the Herrmann scores have been a major attraction. 

[André]

Watched with a friend today:

Destiny (1997) by Youssef Chahine. The life and times of a philosopher (Averroès). Eerily relevant for today.

And:
Evil Does Not Exist (2023) by Ryusuke Hamaguchi. A much discussed movie with an enigmatic ending.

[SonicMan46]

The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad. (1958)
I don't mind saying that the Herrmann scores have been a major attraction.

Hi Karl - the Harryhausen Sinbad films x 3 described below - own all but have not watched in a while; Kathryn Grant (Crosby) (1933-2024) just passed away last month - I've probably watched the 'Eye of the Tiger' the most, like the gals (Taryn Power & Jane Seymour) in that one -    Dave

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad is a 1958 American Technicolor heroic fantasy adventure film directed by Nathan H. Juran and starring Kerwin Mathews, Kathryn Grant, et al; distributed by Columbia Pictures and produced by Charles H. Schneer. It was the first of three Sinbad feature films from Columbia, the later two from the 1970s being The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973) and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977). All three Sinbad films were conceptualized by Ray Harryhausen using Dynamation, the full color widescreen stop-motion animation technique that he created. (Source)

[hopefullytrusting]

Super fun series, and Pitch Black is just one of the best horror/sci-fi ever:

[Karl Henning]

Well, and why not? ... Skyfall

[Karl Henning]

Well, and why not? ... Skyfall

Considering how badly Q cocks things up, it's something that he later succeeds in redeeming himself.

[NumberSix]

 Satuday Night
-- the 90 minutes before the first episode of SNL in 1975 --

Saw this one today, and I liked it a lot.

Was Ackroyd really that much of a horndog? (Poor Lorraine Newman.) Chevy is famously an asshole, and this portrayal tracks. (I wonder how he and Danny feel about their impersonations here?)

[relm1]

Satuday Night
-- the 90 minutes before the first episode of SNL in 1975 --

Saw this one today, and I liked it a lot.

Was Ackroyd really that much of a horndog? (Poor Lorraine Newman.) Chevy is famously an asshole, and this portrayal tracks. (I wonder how he and Danny feel about their impersonations here?)

Hmm, sounds more interesting now.  I heard one of the original cast members thought it was spot on but forgot who it was. 

[Madiel]

Your ain't kidding. I've only been there once, for a summer's afternoon during a concert tour. After performing at St. Mark's, we had a quick tour of old Venice. The slime on the walls was uncanny, and the smell was strong at a distance. Cruising down a venetian canal in a gondola dropped down to last on pretty much everyone's list. 

My overriding impression of Venice was that it more or less died in 1797 and that they keep the decaying remains for the tourists.

This was 15 years ago, but even then I tried to stay away from the central crush near St Mark's.

[Karl Henning]

On one hand, it's probably not anyone's favorite Bond film. On t'other, it's before Roger Moore grew complacent in the role: The Man With the Golden Gun. A fun little documentary about the car stunt (the 360-degree roll.) The calculations were made by a Fortran computer. Who on earth remembers Fortran? In the movie, it's a great stunt which is ill-advisedly overshadowed by the cheesy slide-whistle.

[DavidW]

On one hand, it's probably not anyone's favorite Bond film. On t'other, it's before Roger Moore grew complacent in the role: The Man With the Golden Gun. A fun little documentary about the car stunt (the 360-degree roll.) The calculations were made by a Fortran computer. Who on earth remembers Fortran? In the movie, it's a great stunt which is ill-advisedly overshadowed by the cheesy slide-whistle.

Fortran is a programming language. I had the choice in college of taking either Fortran or C for my CS requirement. I chose C. It turns out I made the right choice though both are dinosaurs!

[Karl Henning]

Fortran is a programming language. I had the choice in college of taking either Fortran or C for my CS requirement. I chose C. It turns out I made the right choice though both are dinosaurs!

I should have remembered that it was a language. 

[relm1]

I've enjoyed two different films on the same subject – Mary, Queen of Scots (1971) and Mary Queen of Scots (2018).  Both are strong films but could be better.   Maybe there is an even better adaptation of this story?

1971 film features an outstanding cast (Vanessa Redgrave, Glenda Jackson, Timothy Dalton, Trevor Howard, Patrick McGoohan, Ian Holm, etc.) but the acting style ranges from very theatrical (over the top) to well measured as if its a mixture of theater and contemporary film.  For example, Ian Holms' performance in this film is over the top compared to Alien from 1979 where he was extremely subdued.  I liked Trevor Howard's role in how he tried to explain to Queen Elizabeth how keeping Mary alive is problematic to the people who are struggling to understand to follow the pope or the queen since Mary's grandfather, Henry VIII, left Catholicism over a rift with them not allowing him to divorce.  The score is very fine and mostly subdued from John Barry but I liked every cue.  Only once in an action sequence did it feel like Bond (which isn't a bad thing, just jarring), the rest is mellow and rather understated underscore.  I also very much liked the performance by the always villainous Patrick McGoohan who was excellent as Mary's scheming brother.  Overall, an enjoyable film with a great score and fine performances if you are ok with theatrical style.  The treachery and deceit of the two queens subjugates is well captured in this film and glossed over in the 2018 film.



2018 film stars Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie who are both excellent in their performances but overall, the film is weaker though still good.  Makeup, costume and sets are all very, very good.  The film ends at the moment of Mary's execution.  Interestingly, after both Mary and Elizabeth died, the throne went to Mary's son anyway which is what she fought for since Elizabeth never married and was childless.  Mary's son was King James I who translated the Latin bible into English. 



Neither film shows that Mary was imprisoned by Elizabeth for decades as she decided to abdicate her royalty in favor of her son, James, becoming king which her cousin and Queen, Elizabeth, denied.  Both films make it seem like the imprisonment was brief but it was decades.  I think that's important because this as a sacrifice made to the heir (Mary's son) and while Elizabeth had no heir.  Both also avoid the beheading which had a dramatic twist in the executioner seemed to have loyalties to Mary who he would kill and apparently botched the execution with a blow to the head rather than neck.  Witnesses said Mary reacted to the head strike so wasn't killed.  Basically, it three strikes to behead her.  The execution was very, very messy and neither film addresses this. 

These films were good but I felt the original story was greater.  I'd have a hard time picking a better film of this story but I lean towards the 1971 film because it shows the situation more broadly, not just focused on Queen Elizabeth and Mary but the families and subjugates with divided loyalties.  In short, it's a fuller telling of the story.  The 2018 story is focused more on Mary with Elizabeth maybe in it for 20 minutes.  Those are very good scenes but the character arcs aren't as strong.  Mary always seemed very determined and against Elizabeth but I prefer the story demonstrating how this developed over time because it seems early on, Mary truly felt if she couldn't be Queen, then her son was the rightful heir being that he was a direct descendent of Henry VIII. 

[SonicMan46]

I've enjoyed two different films on the same subject – Mary, Queen of Scots (1971) and Mary Queen of Scots (2018).  Both are strong films but could be better.  Maybe there is an even better adaptation of this story? ...............................
 

From 1936 is Mary of Scotland with Katherine Hepburn and Fredric March - last seen years ago so little memory of the movie - wildly varied ratings on IMDB (1 to 10/10 - see link for audience comments, if interested).

But out of curiosity, I searched and found a discussion of 11 films/TV shows about Mary HERE - only read a few comments but might be of interest?  Dave

[Karl Henning]

Preparing to re-watch Live and Let Die, a 1973 documentary. On reading the script, Roger Moore undertook an exercise regimen to get himself into the requisite physical condition. 

[Karl Henning]

Preparing to re-watch Live and Let Die, a 1973 documentary. On reading the script, Roger Moore undertook an exercise regimen to get himself into the requisite physical condition.

Fun: Geoffrey Holder humming the Ode to Joy while makeup is being applied to his face.

[Madiel]

I just watched Avengers: Infinity War. One of the more coherent Marvel movies, so quite enjoyable.

[SonicMan46]

Broken Lance (1954) - synopsis below w/ cast; Wagner plays the youngest son of four but by Tracy's second wife, a Native American - more a story of a 'dysfunctional family' set in Arizona.  The widescreen color filming and southwestern scenery are beautiful contributing much to the attractiveness of the movie. Tracy looked good on a horse (not his usual role) but I learned that he was an excellent polo player in his youth; nominated for several Oscars and winner for Best Writing.  Ratings on Videohound & Maltin - 3 1/2 bones & 3 1/2 stars (both out of four) - nice mixture of scenery in a western landscape, excellent court sequence with Tracy stealing the show, and some deteriorating family issues -     Dave

Broken Lance is an American Western film directed by Edward Dmytryk and produced by Sol C. Siegel. The film stars Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner, Jean Peters, Richard Widmark and Katy Jurado. Shot in Technicolor and CinemaScope, the film is a remake of House of Strangers, with the Phillip Yordan screenplay (based on the novel, I'll Never Go There Any More, by Jerome Weidman) transplanted out West, featuring Tracy in the original Edward G. Robinson role, this time as a cowboy cattle baron rather than an Italian banker in New York City. It has been widely noted that the story bears a strong resemblance to King Lear. (Source)

 

[DavidW]

Inside Out 2 for me. Now the main character has to deal with more complex emotions. Also, the plot is the same as before... but yeah it is good. And I'm sure the youngins appreciate the message.

[71 dB]

HAPPINESS (Todd Solondz, 1998)

I saw this movie on TV about 20 years ago and I remember it being a strange and bold movie. Now the movie was finally released on Blu-ray by The Criterion Collection and I paid quite a lot for it. Most of the movie was not as good as I remembered. Todd Solondz ideas are nice and they work on paper. They also work pretty well on screen thanks to great acting. The calm camerawork and rare cuts are pleasant for the eye. The problem of this movie for me is the flow, or the lack of it. Even the 140 minutes run time isn't enough for all the parallel storylines. Scenes are abandoned as soon as possible and there is no time for "moody things." Music suffers most: It stops abruptly when scenes end. It isn't given time to fade away or continue into the next scene. The music is apologizing its existence and jumping away for everything else in the movie. Due to this the movie doesn't flow naturally or feel like a coherent piece of art. However, this is pretty much the only problem in the movie. Writing and acting are the strong points. I was also pleased to realise how Air Supply's "All Out Of Love" is used in the movie.

While the movie isn't perfect or as good as I remembered (I'd give it 3.5/5 rating), I am happy to finally have Happiness on Blu-ray after years and years of waiting for the release. This is also my first Criterion Collection Blu-ray*. As expected, the picture quality was really good.

* Criterion Collection doesn't release much the type of movies I'm interested of (film critic favourites, especially older films rarely are to my liking much and also they are very expensive! This was the first time I was happy to pay for the release (because this movie has been haunting in my mind for 20 years!).