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Thread: Omnibus movies Q&A thread including trivia

  1. #451
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    Quote Originally posted by Jizzelbin View post
    ... it was kind of just a lush "eh, screw it, let's do a movie and invite our friends to be in it," so, that's what I liked about it. Also, not dark like *The Player,* which was shit. It could be a nice bookend piece to the other recent tribute/fun one -- the one that got some awards, black and white silent movie, something something, blah blah.
    The Artist, maybe?: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Artist_(film)

    More movies I recently saw at the film festival:

    My Internship in Canada
    Pretty good political satire about a low-profile Canadian MP whose vote becomes enormously important when the country is considering going to war and he's the tie-breaker in Parliament.

    Demimonde
    Hungarian costume drama about an aging Budapest courtesan just before World War I and her manipulations of her lovers - a wealthy architect and a moony young poet - and her two servants, one of whom knows too many of her secrets.

    God Knows Where I Am
    Excellent, very powerful documentary about a mentally-ill woman who spends a winter in an abandoned New Hampshire farmhouse, keeping a journal as she slowly starves to death. There are interviews with friends and family, but the script is otherwise almost entirely drawn from her sad, eerie journal.

    The Lovers and the Despot
    So-so documentary about Kim Jong-Il's minions' kidnapping of a South Korean director and his actress wife to help revivify the North's film industry. A bizarre incident but not all that great a movie.

    Anthropocene
    Pop science documentary about how humanity is changing the world around us through pollution, agriculture, urban sprawl, etc. Almost always interesting, and not as gloomy in its long-term outlook as you might expect.

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    Yes, it was *The Artist*. Thank you for reminding me. Even, apparently, an ardent fan has a poor substitute for a fan base.

    Last movie seen, two days ago: *The Spy Who Loved Me*. Prior to that, I'd seen in rapid succession the Connery flicks. This was the only one I thought was as "good" as the novels. In other words, not at all, but....

    I don't know.

    I'm having second thoughts about the Bond franchise -- and, no, I'm not naive, I had seen most of these before.

    Eh, whatever, the Roger Moore one might be the last movie I'll ever see. Sweet car-machine, anyway. I don't know how much more magic movies can have for me after *Jaws*, *Gone in 60 Seconds*, and so forth.

    We've seen the best.

    What is Sofia Coppola doing? Some crypto-lesbian hipster stuff?

    Documentaries are where it's at, but distribution seems, in a layman's opinion/observation, extremely problematic. You wouldn't think so, but it seems to be the case.

    Oh well, a new generation of liberal arts assholes will graduate from St. John's and write some more shit in the sand about some black bluesman they wouldn't spit on if it didn't pay.

    Whatever.

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    I was watching the Madness of King George last night. I saw it when new at the movies, last night it put me to sleep successfully though. I haven't watched many movies lately, odd for me.

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    *The Madness of King George* was excellent "company" while I was doing my once-per-five-years cleaning of my toilet today. Actually, I watched a bit more of it afterwards, and it's kind of amusing. I remember hearing about it when it came out, but that was my first year at college, so it's not a surprise I didn't go out and see it.

    Actually, it is possible for porcelain to become stained, such that scrubbing with your hands and a scrubber-brush-thing and bleach doesn't really do much.

    Just thought that should be mentioned.

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    Saw Stonehearst Asylum today, it was quite good for a movie I never heard of at all. Stars Ben Kingsley, Jim Sturgess, Kate Beckinsale who barely ages, David Thewlis and a small part by Michael Caine. Well made movie, maybe a little slow but well written. Apparently based on a Poe story.

    Last night I watched the 1967 film Countdown directed by Robert Altman (of MASH fame) and starring James Caan and Robert Duvall (most famous for The Godfather of course). It was an OK movie, not bad, not great. The 2 stars were outstanding and a nice supporting role by Ted Knight of all people.

    I also watched Houdini starring Adrien Brody & Kristen Connolly. This was a 2014 mini-series. It was quite good though again a little slow. Brody was great as the Great Houdini.

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    Quote Originally posted by Jizzelbin View post
    ...Last movie seen, two days ago: *The Spy Who Loved Me*. Prior to that, I'd seen in rapid succession the Connery flicks. This was the only one I thought was as "good" as the novels. In other words, not at all, but....

    Eh, whatever, the Roger Moore one might be the last movie I'll ever see. Sweet car-machine, anyway....
    One of the better Moore 007 movies, I'd say, and I always loved the car-that-became-a-sub.

    Quote Originally posted by What Exit? View post
    I was watching the Madness of King George last night. I saw it when new at the movies, last night it put me to sleep successfully though. I haven't watched many movies lately, odd for me.
    A pretty good historical drama. My favorite scene was when the courtiers meet in a church; one arrives late and the others immediately try to speak to him. He snaps, "Can't you see I'm praying, goddammit?"

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    WTF is the deal with *Shutter Island*? I remember it when it came out, but it seems pretty stupid to me. Is Scorsese just a twisted old fruit, or did he have a stroke, or something? Brain damage from an infection caused by a deviated septum from cocaine?

    I can't write this up now, but speaking of Hitchcock/Truffaut -- no, I haven't found the documentary, but I'm very familiar with the book. So, I found the original radio interviews. "Detroit...la ville américain....destroits...voilà.."

    I think this is hilarious -- you can really see this lady interpreter's wheels turning in her head. It's a very good lesson in how to interpret in real time from French-English and back. She's good, I just find it amusing.

    Like I said, I'll have to come back to it and explain it to you people.

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    Quote Originally posted by What Exit? View post
    Robert Duvall (most famous for The Godfather of course). It was an OK movie, not bad, not great. The 2 stars were outstanding and a nice supporting role by Ted Knight of all people.
    Oh, you mean Bob Duvall from *Apocalypse Now* and *The Apostle*. Yeah, I know his work.

    I've probably mentioned this before, but if you actually really try hard enough you can see Ted Knight in an uncredited rôle at the end of *Psycho*. Kind of looks the same. I don't know who originally "discovered" this piece of trivia -- I know some boob said it on that other board -- but I don't know who found it out originally.

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    Quote Originally posted by Jizzelbin View post
    ...speaking of Hitchcock/Truffaut -- no, I haven't found the documentary....
    Here you go: http://www.amazon.com/Hitchcock-Truf...hcock+Truffaut

    My last five from the film festival:

    Rabin In His Own Words
    Good documentary about the Israeli leader in his evolution from soldier to politician to peacemaker to martyr.

    Lace Crater
    Strange indie film about a woman who has a one-night stand with a... ghost, maybe? Things don't go too well for her after that.

    Embers
    Very well-done sf drama about the collapse of society after a pandemic leaves everyone unable to form long-term memories. Kind of like Memento gone global.

    Lo & Behold, Reveries of the Connected World
    Fascinating but uneven Werner Herzog documentary about artificial intelligence, the Internet and both the promise and perils of high tech.

    Little Gangster
    Dutch comedy about a bullied kid who tries to get some respect at school by spreading the rumor that his very meek dad is actually a Mafia kingpin.

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    "If you deliberatly sabotaging my band, I will fuck you like a pig."
    "You are a worthless, friendless, faggot-lipped piece of shit whose mommy left daddy when she found out he wasn't Eugene O'Neill."

    Saw *Whiplash* again. It's very rare for me to find something that's about the one thing I'm good at in life. Trying. Never mind about succeeding, fuck all that. Just keep trying every second, and don't stop until you're dead. Now you have my whole philosophy of life. Try. Fail. Try again. Fail harder. But don't ever stop or you lose the big one. Yeah I know, deep fucking thoughts, but whatever.

    What's more, it's visually striking. I bet the director and photographer have great fucking things ahead of them.

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    well lookie cookie -- "Leland Palmer" is the name of an actress in *All That Jazz*, was watching a bit last night again.

    David Lynch, I've got your number!

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    "Bronson: There are bars on the windows and FBI at the door.
    Remick: How do you know they're FBI?
    Bronson: How do I know a bear from a yak?"
    --Telefon

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    Geez. *Nashville* was...well, whatever it was, it was some piece of work. It brought out some emotions in me. Not really good ones, necessarily. In fact, it kind of made me feel a little empty inside.

    Maybe that was the point.

    Well, shoot, a fella could have a good time in Dallas with all that.

  14. #464
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    Captain America: Civil War - seen it, really enjoyed it...go do the same.
    In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.

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    Great contribution, CIaSp

    I also keel Gene Hacknamng because he make a movie about my ..
    Last edited by Jizzelbin; 06 May 2016 at 09:52 PM.

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    Quote Originally posted by Elendil's Heir View post
    Quote Originally posted by Jizzelbin View post
    ...speaking of Hitchcock/Truffaut -- no, I haven't found the documentary....
    Here you go: http://www.amazon.com/Hitchcock-Truf...hcock+Truffaut
    Terrific documentary. A real labor of love. I actually got a little bit misty-eyed at the very end. Not sure why. Maybe that means it was good, or something. I didn't know Truffaut died so young -- that wasn't why I was mancrying, although it's a bit of a shame it wasn't the other way around, between him and Godard (I don't know why the two are associated so often -- I think they were friends and about the same age, but so were lots of people) -- too bad.

    He was great in *Close Encounters*!

    Finally got around to seeing Huston's *Freud: The Secret Passion* -- meh, OK, whatever. Suzannah York was pretty compelling. I guess that was post-accident Monty Clift -- he did a good job, too, although pretty intense. I'll blame Huston for that -- what did Sarris file him under, "Less Than Meets the Eye"? Maybe.

    ETA oh yeah, the real gem among "finally getting around to watching": *Double life of Veronica*. Not finished yet with it, but I find it extremely moving so far.

    EETA OK, after a few times having seen it, I think the hammer must fall down on Welles's *The Stranger*. Pretty much a bad, boring movie.
    Last edited by Jizzelbin; 09 May 2016 at 11:30 PM.

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    Last year's *Fantastic Four* -- I liked the earlier two, but this was great. I think I've finally found a superhero/comic movie I actually liked quite a bit, rather than was merely amused by.

    Probably doesn't hurt that I'm a big fan of the movie *Whiplash* (the kid in it is the stretchy guy, and according to Esquire magazine [which means probably false, and/or idiotic, but I don't care] he's kind of a prick IRL, so I like him), and HUGE FAN SUPERFAN NOMNOMNOMNOMNOM of Kate Mara. I didn't know any of the backstory either, just that they talked about the Fantastic Four in *Reservoir Dogs*, and that there was a car called "The Thing" and the other movies.

    OK fine, maybe they should just do a sequel of the kid and Kate Mara making a porno and I'd be satisfied, but I liked it, and that's the way the news goes.

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    Quote Originally posted by CatInASuit View post
    Captain America: Civil War - seen it, really enjoyed it...go do the same.
    Hmmm...how are you doing "really," here?

    I thought it was cute, and I liked the idea.

    Not two and a half hours cute, though -- I reserve that level of engagement for a Transformers movie, where you have time to drink a case of beer and start throwing cans across the room at a basketball hoop.

    OTOH, finally got around to seeing *Saving Private Ryan* (well, in three parts, and the last half-hour I'll see when I feel like it). I only remember being in some hipster "cocktail lounge" sometime in the late 1990s and the ueber hip bartender was talking to somebody, "yeah, I took some acid and watched *Private Ryan*" and then he said something else.

    Pretty damned good war picture -- I'd put it up there with *The Steel Helmet* and *The Big Red One* and *The Longest Day*. 2 hours 48 minutes, IIRC, so, yes, I could see taking some acid and just kind of getting into it. At the time I was thinking "ZOMG what is this guy mad? I like to write poetry or walk through the woods!" Well, the perks of getting older is, yes, you can get more out of some stuff when you're ready.

    *******

    Oh yeah, that was a good get, above, the one about the pedophile priests. Engaging movie. I wouldn't have bothered or even known about it. Good movie. Finally puts degenerates like political clergy and journalists on the same field. I liked it, anyway, would see again, if there were some good reason to.

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    In other news, *It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World* is pretty goddamned fucking funny. Long son of a bitch, too. After 1.5 viewings, still not sure if Ethel Merman or Jim Backus is funnier. Probably Merman -- more screen-time, but then again she kind of reminds "you" (general you) of someone you know, am I right? Well, I'm not wrong. Jimbo gets his end in, though.

    Finally saw *The Last Metro* for the first time. For once a Nazi movie that is literate. It's like if *Inglourious Basterds* wasn't differently-abled, in a good way, and was crossed with *All That Jazz* and the good *A Star is Born*.

    Also finally knuckled down and choked down *Fail Safe*. Well, it had Matthau in it, and Col. Thursday was tolerable for what seemed IMHO a low point in his career. It's no *Dr. Strangelove,* but Kubrick was a moron anyway, so that latter has an upper limit on how many times it should be watched.

  20. #470
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    *It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World* is pretty great, one of the few super-sized all-star casts to ever really work.

    I liked Fail Safe but it is basically a watch once movie, like On the Beach.

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    Quote Originally posted by What Exit? View post
    *It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World* is pretty great, one of the few super-sized all-star casts to ever really work.
    I know, right? I've really honestly tried to get into Todd's *Around the World in 80 Days* and some others I'm sure I can't recall, but mostly just a big hassle. (Says the guy sitting with his feet up at home wearing his undershorts and drinking beer while watching movies). Then again, they did drink a lot of martinis in those days -- maybe that helped. Plus necking.

    ETA *Wonder Boys* is actually a pretty terrific little movie. Not a big Michael Douglas or Tobey Maguire fan, but I have to admit, they occasionally are in some very interesting flicks. The Bob Dylan song, "Things Have Changed," quoted in the quote thread by EH, is one hell of a song, too. The music video sucks, but the lyrics are pretty moving.
    Last edited by Jizzelbin; 22 May 2016 at 11:23 AM.

  22. #472
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    It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World is indeed a very funny movie; saw it again a few years ago and loved it all over again. Did you catch the Three Stooges' cameo?

    Fail Safe is quite good - I would love to have voted for Henry Fonda for President if I'd ever had the chance. The book is even better, and the President in that is pretty clearly (although not mentioned by name) John F. Kennedy. Did you know that George Clooney did a live TV all-star-cast remake of the movie in 2000?: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fail_Safe_(2000_film)

    Saving Private Ryan is schmaltzy but powerful; one of my favorite war movies. The Omaha Beach opening is harrowing, and the scene with Gen. Marshall reading Lincoln's letter to Mrs. Bixby always gets me.

    I was underwhelmed by Wonder Boys on screen, although I'd liked the book a lot. Just didn't work as well as the book did for me. I do like Dylan's Oscar-winning song in it, "Things Have Changed." He even built a sly joke into it - the song ends exactly a minute after he sings "The next sixty seconds could be like an eternity."

    Haven't seen Captain America: Civil War yet, but I definitely will - and soon, I hope.

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    I'm kind of surprised the book *Wonder Boys* had much of an audience -- I haven't gotten anywhere close to reading it, but I can imagine it being something I would not like at all. I don't know, just something about books about writers doesn't sound good -- Saul Bellow had a few, and Malcolm Lowry had one....I don't know, there are others, but novelists are fucking assholes anyway, until they're dead and the obits have yellowed into dust.

    Carpenter's *Assault on Precinct 13* has to be up there in one of the best dozen or so remakes (this case, *Rio Bravo*, more or less -- not exactly, but you know, same idea). However, *The Fog* and *Vampires* are not good movies at all.

    Although in that last one, James Woods seems to be a good actor, I guess. I don't understand his appeal at all -- he's supposed to be a raging asshole IRL, and is in loads of shitty movies.

    I missed a bunch of the cameos in *Madx4 World*, I'm sure. I'm still cracking up at the odd line I recall here and there, like Ethel Merman, "Where'd you get that funny accent? Are you from Harvard?" I didn't even recognize Jack Benny in the car until I read the wikipedia page, and Jack Benny's drawn on one of my 40th 39th birthday cards.
    Last edited by Jizzelbin; 23 May 2016 at 08:17 PM.

  24. #474
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    The Stooges are the firemen at the airport, silently and grimly holding a hose, axe and other equipment. A very elderly Buster Keaton also has a cameo as the guy who waves a car into a garage during a chase scene (I forget which one). There are lots of others: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s...eo_appearances

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    Recently seen:

    Zootopia
    Charming, eye-candy-filled Disney film about a city of anthropomorphic animals, and the spunky female rabbit who wants to be the first bunny in the police department. Good but not great.

    Calvary
    I rewatched this dark comedy, about an Irish village priest whose life is threatened in the confessional by one of his flock - but which one? A powerful, sometimes-harrowing meditation on love, sin, redemption and forgiveness. Brendan Gleeson should've gotten an Oscar.

    Ice Station Zebra
    Hadn't seen this Cold War submarine drama/Arctic adventure in many years. Some WTF plot moments, but not bad for what it is.

    Believeland
    Documentary about the trials and tribulations of Cleveland, Ohio's pro sports teams, and how some fans 'waaaaay over-identify with "their" teams.

    Doubt
    Drama about a prissy nun (Meryl Streep) in the Bronx in 1964 who comes to suspect that a charming priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) may be sexually abusing a schoolboy. Amy Adams is also excellent as a naïve young nun.

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    Found that Mystery Science Theater 3000 has *Manos Hands of Fate* up on Youtube -- one presumes legally, since to my knowledge the Youtube people are pretty picky about copyrighted works, as they should be. I don't think I've heard the commentary before on it, although I remember seeing some of the movie somewhere, although I don't remember finishing the movie, for some reason. It does make *The Room* look like the "Citizen Kane of bad movies" by comparison. That Torgo guy is killing it. Looks like a hipster from current era. Too bad he shot himself in the head with a shotgun on purpose to death before the "movie" was released. That's kind of too bad.

    On a related note, seems like Terry-Thomas didn't have a good final few years of his life, according to Wikipedia. Hard to say if that's too bad, or just whatever, but he was funny as hell in *Madx4 World*. "I should say rather not, but we should press on with the greatest dispatch," or something.

    Oh, finally saw some of the first *X-Men* movie. Yeah, that is not so good. There are some problems with that movie. At least I know where all that "Cerebro" "Magneto" stuff all the kids are talking about comes from, though. Yeah, something something battle, whatever.

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    I just saw *The Witch* from last year, on a recommendation from a friend, last night/this morning. It really aroused my interest and admiration of Satanic rites, which I haven't thought of since I was twelve or so. Hard to believe the main actress, the daughter Thomassina (I think) was nineteen or so when this was shot -- she believably played a girl who was like twelve or something. Maybe she just has one of those faces. No, I was not aroused -- the opposite, I just wanted to knife her in the eyes. Because they were too prominently photographed, with like fill lighting or whatever it's called, and it was gross-looking to me, as a non-fan of prominent human eyeballs.

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    OK, so the news is that the two sequels to the X-Men movie were terrifying and confusing to me. And the new X-Men Apocalypse one was just confusing, but that's a different subject.

    Related, though, is that *Master and Commander* was also confusing and pointless to me. I know, somebody will say the book was better, and for once, I believe that probably is true -- because how could it *not* be? I also don't understand Russell Crowe's appeal. Not quite as little do I understand his success as that of James Woods, but he certainly had his day as....what, a kind of short, brawny guy who kind of looks like a girl?

    Conclusion? The 2000s were not a great decade for blockbuster movies.

    Of course, I wasn't really paying attention to any of these -- I heard every word, though -- but even reading the Wikipedia plot summaries after/during confused me.

    In other news, *The Star Wars Holiday* special is still the best kid's movie I've ever seen. The hallucinogenic little CGI people dancing a alone is worth the price of admission.

    And, also, of true Z-movies, *Touch of Satan* isn't bad.

    And I'll head this off at the pass -- no, I don't just sit around watching movies. I often have one on "in the background" while at my desk. Not great for productivity, but it's like old people/shut-ins who listen to the radio/have the TV on "for company." It drowns out the noises in my head. And, yes, I am kidding about that. My frontal-lobe repair operations have been wildly successful. Neural pathways have been created, neurogenesis has occurred, and all that.
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    Update: I spent a lot of time quite a while ago finding a copy of the remake of one of my favorite movies, *The Wages of Fear*, and watched it again last night. I didn't understand one thing about that movie. Except that the soundtrack was some horrible late-seventies prog-rock (hey, I've put in my time with the standard albums, out of obligation to Tony Banks, Rick Wakeman, and so on -- I don't have to like everything ever made, you know).

    How in the hell did they get Roy Scheider to do the movie? Must have been some contract thing, I guess.

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    I saw Manos: Hands of Fate awhile back and it is really, really bad. Delightfully so! But once was enough.

    I saw Master and Commander and liked it. I've only read one of the Patrick O'Brian books from that series, HMS Surprise, which I also liked, but not so much that I wanted to rush out and read the whole series (as a high school buddy of mine has done).

    I've seen all of the X-Men movies except the current one, and have enjoyed each to varying degrees. None of them was an absolute clunker, I'd say. I'm sure I'll see this one too.

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    Well, the last one, this current one, seemed the best of the bunch. The funny thing was the feeling of déjà-vu after some of the original trilogy -- I know I'd seen some of those on TV. They are not good movies, but they seemed to have made enough an impression on me that I vaguely recall something about them.

    The new one's pretty good, though -- if you have the brainpower to manfully make sense of it, though, I'd question your motives.

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    In other news, *Blue Thunder* is about the stupidest movie I've ever seen.

    And, to come full circle, unless you want your eyeballs to melt, do yourself a big favor and don't watch it back-to-back with *The French Connection*.

    Final answer. That is some stupid-ass bullshit.

  33. #483
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    BTW, this can be construed as part of the "Q&A" part of the thread title. Recently, Indian filmmaker Shyam Benegal's film committee recommended an "Adult with Caution" (A/C) rating as a way of self-monitoring on the part of the vast film industry. Here's an interview from a few months ago with another prominent filmmaker which gives some general context.

    I find it extremely interesting to take note of this evolving process, and to compare it, just at a glance, with similar notions in the United States/Hollywood.

    That sounds pretty orientalist/paternalistic/condescending, but it is not intended to be, since, after all, when it is a question of culture and tradition, Hollywood, say, is by far the younger and brasher of the upstarts.

    Anyway, for fans of politics (aka "culture") and also of movies and the arts in general, this is a pretty good time to be scanning the newspapers and see for yourselves.

  34. #484
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    Thanks. I always do.

    Recently seen:

    Another Dawn
    A 1943 Mexican noir film about a guy trying to get his hands on incriminating documents that will help him bring down a corrupt politician. Nice atmosphere but meh dialogue and acting.

    A River Runs Through It
    Robert Redford-directed and -narrated drama about two very different brothers who bond over fly-fishing in the 1920s. Plenty of Montana-frontier scenery porn.

    Captain America: Civil War
    Probably in the top third of superhero movies I've seen, with great action sequences and a timely plot about vigilantism and the rule of law. A bit overstuffed with characters, though.

    Love & Friendship
    Clever, funny, well-acted, beautifully-shot Jane Austen adaptation. Kate Beckinsale ought to get an Oscar for her star turn as the scheming, self-absorbed anti-heroine, and Tom Bennett is hilarious as a nincompoop nobleman.

    Dallas Buyers Club
    Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto definitely earned their Oscars for this one, as a redneck homophobe who takes on the FDA in the early days of the AIDS epidemic and his trans friend who broadens his horizons a bit.

  35. #485
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    And the latest batch:

    Safety Last!
    A great Harold Lloyd silent comedy, with that famous scene where he dangles from a clock high above the city streets. Lloyd wasn't just a skilled physical comedian, he could really act - his expressions in scenes with his overbearing boss and his sweetly naïve girlfriend were just perfect.

    Road House
    Having heard about this so-bad-it's-good Patrick Swayze martial arts film for many years, I finally watched it. Now I never have to again, and that's just as well (despite some laughs at the terrible dialogue).

    Murder on the Orient Express
    David Suchet is quite good as the French (non, Belgian!) detective Hercule Poirot in this 2010 adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel. Even knowing the plot and how it all turns out, I enjoyed it.

    Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
    I'd never seen the whole thing before. This Frank Capra political spoof is cynical and idealistic by turns. Deservedly a classic, although I found Jimmy Stewart's titular character a bit annoying at times.

    Babette's Feast
    A French chef makes a fabulous meal to thank the Danish spinster sisters who welcomed her into their home years before when no one else would. A touching tale of love, sacrifice and gourmet dining, it won the Oscar for best foreign language film in 1987.

  36. #486
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    *Laserblast* is one of the funnier C-Movies (I need a new grade between Z movies, like *Birdemic* or *Julie and Jack* or *Manos*, *The Room*, or *Planet 9 from Outer Space*, or whatever it's called, and B-movies, like *Battlefield Earth*, *Roadhouse*, and the like).

    Also, Transformers 2 is unwatchable.

    OTOH, *The Human Centipede* is one of the better "shocker" movies I've seen. Finally got around to it. I kind of like the mad doctor -- he's like a role model for me. Hey, he's better than Hitler, so I win.

  37. #487
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    Needed a laff th other day, so saw *Safety Last*. Don't remember when I'd seen it before, but I do remember that Harold Lloyd is about my favorite of the silent athlete/actors.

    I'm pretty sure he must have been out of his fucking mind.

    But his persona was just such an appealing everyman character.

    But yeah, he was fucking nuts. Surprised he didn't get his balls cut off or himslf blown up.

    I still don't "get" why Buster Keaton gets all the publicity, and the romanticized narrative. Nothing against him. Just that I've always laughed more at Harold Lloyd.

  38. #488
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    Great song, great movie.

  39. #489
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    Quote Originally posted by Jizzelbin View post
    Needed a laff th other day, so saw *Safety Last*. Don't remember when I'd seen it before, but I do remember that Harold Lloyd is about my favorite of the silent athlete/actors.

    I'm pretty sure he must have been out of his fucking mind.

    But his persona was just such an appealing everyman character.

    But yeah, he was fucking nuts. Surprised he didn't get his balls cut off or himslf blown up.

    I still don't "get" why Buster Keaton gets all the publicity, and the romanticized narrative. Nothing against him. Just that I've always laughed more at Harold Lloyd.
    I agree, Harold Lloyd was the best of the big 3. I laugh least at Chaplin of them. It is interesting how little success Lloyd had once talkies came in, I know I saw one of them and it fell pretty flat and it was one of his successes.

  40. #490
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    My most recent flicks:

    El Cid
    Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren star in this Sixties biopic about an early Spanish hero. Epic battle scenes but otherwise overblown and sometimes even a little silly.

    Sophie Scholl: The Final Days
    Well-crafted German film about one of the White Rose student opponents of Nazism. A tribute to quiet courage and an unshakeable commitment to humanity.

    Finding Dory
    If you liked Finding Nemo, you'll like this - a worthy Pixar sequel. Ed O'Neill is especially good as an octopus with a bad attitude.

    Jaws
    Having seen bits and pieces over the years, I finally saw the whole movie, and liked it. The shark sfx are a little crude but it still holds up well.

    Free State of Jones
    Matthew McConaughey is fine in the lead role, as a man fighting the Confederacy on the home front in Mississippi, but the movie is overlong and sometimes even a bit boring. A worthy topic but not that good a movie.

  41. #491
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    Free State of Jones had really horrible commercials. Sounds like they did not misrepresent the movie.

  42. #492
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    Finally got around to *Stoneheart Asylum*. Kind of boring and stupid. But it appears that Beckinsale has grown out of her awkward ugly-duckling stage and into a pretty good actress, between this and the recent Jane Austen one.

    Oh yeah, no one needs to see *Future Force* or *Future Zone*, both starring David Carradine from 1989 and 1990. Those are not good movies.

    But Rifftrax has up their commentary for the new *Star Wars* for sale (commentary provided, you supply the movie, is the deal) -- I like it a lot more than the one time I barely stayed awake through it once, and I liked it then too. I just like it more now, is all.

    ETA *Jaws* first time? Tut-tut. Tut-tut. Died at the age of a hundred-and-three. But Mary Lee kept her virginity for fifteen years. The RiffTrax for *Jaws* is highly amusing, as well. I'm not a shill for them, I swear, but I find non-rifftraxed movies inferior to the rifftraxed ones.
    Last edited by Jizzelbin; 08 Jul 2016 at 03:55 PM.

  43. #493
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    Jaws was awesome and has held up well despite the mechanical shark known as Bruce.

    Stoneheart Asylum was good but not great or exciting.

    Finding Dory was good to watch but not memorable. Not a classic Pixar film but entertaining enough.

    Just saw Rock the Kasbah. This Bill Murray vehicle was panned pretty much but I found it entertaining if uneven.

  44. #494
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    Quote Originally posted by What Exit? View post
    Jaws was awesome and has held up well despite the mechanical shark known as Bruce.
    I always thought the shark was a little light in the loafers.

    Yes, it's true that *Stoneheart* was a good film, if boring and stupid. It sure LOOKED good, at any rate. I'm just not into "what a twist!" movies, and it kind of saddened me to see how ragged Michael Caine was looking, and not just his makeup/character. And I'm tired of Ben Kingsley, sorry to say. Just tired of looking at his mug.
    Last edited by Jizzelbin; 10 Jul 2016 at 03:37 PM.

  45. #495
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    *The Deer Hunter* -- abandoned buildings porn. De Niro's style of playing pool -- perfect, exactly what decent shot-makers do IRL, hit hard, no control.

    I don't know how Cimino did it, but he really got something there -- verisimilitude. He may not know how to make a good movie, but it's like....one of those paintings, or something. It's like if you gave a movie to a twenty-something kid (in mind at least -- no idea of Cimino's biography except he did that and *Heaven's Gate*, which I still haven't been able to sit through), and said "paint an impressionistic movie of a time and place, and put some plot in it to get the people to come see it."

    Practically a fucking advertisement for fucking Rolling Rock, though. Remember that, when people used to drink Rolling Rock and Genenssee and Labbatt's Blue and shit like that?

    John Terry, *Hawk the Slayer* I knew I recognized him from *Full Metal Jacket*. Whatever.

    *Trumbo* -- got through it after turning it off after one attempt at the five minute mark. Still, a little rah-rah go Communism, but they simmered it down a bit. I recommend the 1977 biography of Trumbo for a more balanced view -- just another very prolific hack. I didn't know he wrote *This Gun for Hire*, but I don't think they mentioned it in the movie, for all of its influence on gangster movies from the 1940s through the 1970s. It's a cute little movie -- could have been a nice "inside's view" of that era in Hollywood, but they didn't want to, so I guess they made the movie they wanted. I didn't finance the picture, so who am I to complain?

  46. #496
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    Just a guy who's fully entitled to his opinions.

    My latest five:

    Selma
    Powerful historical drama about MLK and the Civil Rights Movement, with a great cast and excellent cinematography.

    Trainwreck
    Mostly-funny, very raunchy romantic comedy about a slutty, borderline-alcoholic party girl and the buttoned-down surgeon who catches her eye.

    Last Man on the Moon
    Pretty good documentary about Gene Cernan, the last (for now) astronaut to walk on the Moon, telling his life story from his childhood to his Navy jet-pilot days, to NASA and space, and since. Worth a look for any space junkie like me.

    Dogma
    Religiously-themed comedy with an all-star cast (including George Carlin as a Roman Catholic cardinal). Having heard a lot about it over the years, I have to say, it didn't have nearly as many laughs as I expected. It wants to be funnier than it actually is.

    Star Trek Beyond
    Pretty good ST sequel, with some nice character scenes, exciting action sequences (despite too many gimme-a-break implausibilities), excellent sfx and a very interesting new supporting character. A key shortcoming: I never quite bought the villain's backstory.

  47. #497
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    Love Dogma, but it is 20 years old now and has probably aged a bit.

    I really enjoyed Star Trek Beyond, I think it is the best Star Trek since IV probably.

  48. #498
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    Good tip about the new *Star Trek* -- my mind is still reeling at the thought that I might "get to" eventually not only the new *Ghostbusters* but a remake of *The Magnificent Seven*, which I hadn't heard about. That one is at least some fresh meat that probably doesn't suck.

    If they're going to be "rebooting" for, apparently, until all the millennials perish and all of their spawn, they should remake something funny and iconic. Like *The Dukes of Hazzard*....wait....*Miami Vice*......and *The A-Team* have -- here's the common thread -- an action starring role in a remake of *Deliverance*.

    Starring actual pigs.

    *Carnival of Souls* still got it.

    Can you believe the main actress is still around and killing it? I always thought she had a nice figure.

    ETA I had to double-take to make sure you people were talking about the same movie *Dogma* I was thinking of. I guess so. Meh, I was either too young or too old to enjoy that particular piece of the American cultural film puzzle. Not really tempted to see it again to see if it's any good -- it used to be on like VH-1 or one of those all the time.

    EETA *Last Man on the Moon* sounds cool. I confess I would order my past-times as Rewatching *The Right Stuff* > Beating up Space Nerds > Self-applying the term space nerd, but it's pretty good math and the jocks who rode the planes were pretty cool.

    And Ray Jardine, god among hikers, was an aerospace engineer.

    And the planes themselves, generally...well, there are some good ones, and some others let's just say.

    A lot of good telescopes, though -- someone should do a fun biopic costume drama about Caroline Herschel. Maybe have that Daisy Ridley or whatever do her.
    Last edited by Jizzelbin; 22 Aug 2016 at 07:15 PM.

  49. #499
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    My latest five:

    The Seven Percent Solution
    Enjoyable, entertaining Sherlock Holmes film in which the great detective is treated by Sigmund Freud for his cocaine addiction, and confronts a dark and long-suppressed secret from his own childhood. An all-star cast and an interesting plot - mostly serious but with some good laughs.

    Up
    Heartwarming Pixar movie about a grumpy old man, an overeager young Scout, an adorably dumb dog and their adventures in the wilds of South America.

    All The Way
    Bryan Cranston is terrific as LBJ in this political/historical movie about all the wheeling and dealing, maneuvering and backstabbing it took to get the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed.

    X-Men: Apocalypse
    Pretty good but overlong superhero flick. A highlight, just as in the previous film: the scenes of Quicksilver zipping around, saving the day (or clowning around) while everyone around him practically stands still.

    Raiders of the Lost Ark
    One of my all-time favorite movies; just as great as ever. Saw it this time with the full score performed live by the Cleveland Orchestra - added quite a bit to the experience.

  50. #500
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    Funny, I saw *Raiders of the Lost Ark* yet again with the Rifftrax not too long ago. Yes, that is what I would call an extremely entertaining movie. "Sit down before you fall down, Mr. Jones."

    Unfortunately, *Blues Brothers* isn't, IMHO, all that amusing a movie after all, except for the bits with Aretha and Ray. I suspect Akroyd and Belushi might have been pretty long in the ego department, but maybe it was just the director's fault for indulging in extreme closeups of their ridiculous mugs.

    The new Star Trek is sort of cute, I guess. I don't know. Kind of confusing, and too much stuff happening in it. Maybe the director, editor, and screenwriters should have followed my expert pharmacological advice and taken about a lot of Valium for the duration, calm down a bit. Just my opinion.

    *The Seven-Per-Cent Solution* sounds awesome. Robert Duvall as Watson? How could it not be awesome!
    Last edited by Jizzelbin; 17 Sep 2016 at 11:53 AM.

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