The "I'm watching/just watched *movie title* thread....

[ItsOver]

Aha, this would be a good title for a movie thread!  It is how I feel about "Interstellar".  I don't care how many times I hear it's "Brilliant!", "Four stars!", "Epic!", "Stunning!", "Mind-blowing!", etc. - I hate it.  Hate it hate it hate it.  Damn that felt good.

Let it all out, squirrel.  ) I don't want to see you bottle things up and end up falling out of a tree.

[zeebo]

... I doubt I'll hate it as much as NBK but I'm not really looking forward to it either.  Doesn't it feel good to express your feelings?  ..

Let it all out, squirrel.  ) I don't want to see you bottle things up and end up falling out of a tree.

Thanks guys for allowing me this safe space to vent.  I guess I'm still processing through the disappointment.  I was particularly annoyed as I dragged my family to it and made them sit through 3 hrs. of a pointless journey through bewildering plot holes and curious over-acting.  Plus a goofy, boxy robot.

Also, for such an expensive behemoth of a movie, there's something critically wrong with the sound editing - screechingly loud effects and blaring music kept clashing with tinny, mumbling dialogue. 

In any case people still call into talk shows mentioning how brilliant and visionary it was and I just don't get it, if for no other reason than the supposed science behind it was a confused four-dimensional hairball.

(P.S. Sorry 21st, hope in spite of my rant you can still see it fresh, maybe you'll like it, who knows.)

[Rix Gins]

Remember this scene from Full Metal Jacket?


https://youtu.be/a5IWK9sRYTs

Well, there is a documentary on Netflix called Tower that covers the horrific sniper shootings of a bunch of people on the University of Texas campus, back in August 1st of 1966.  It is presented in a most unusual and (to me, anyway) extremely creative way.  The producers utilize some local news camera footage and then they embellish it with the testimonies of people that were directly affected by the shootings.  You get to see everything unfold just as it happened because the people and the campus are digitally reproduced via some sort of animation technique.  Really well done.  After awhile you kind of forget that the people are cartoons.  It is rather shocking to see them morph from their youthful, animated forms into their present day, older selves...and this is done while they are talking to you.  Very powerful.  Very moving.


https://youtu.be/k963PfUVeLQ



 

[ItsOver]

Thanks guys for allowing me this safe space to vent.  I guess I'm still processing through the disappointment.  I was particularly annoyed as I dragged my family to it and made them sit through 3 hrs. of a pointless journey through bewildering plot holes and curious over-acting.  Plus a goofy, boxy robot.

Also, for such an expensive behemoth of a movie, there's something critically wrong with the sound editing - screechingly loud effects and blaring music kept clashing with tinny, mumbling dialogue. 

In any case people still call into talk shows mentioning how brilliant and visionary it was and I just don't get it, if for no other reason than the supposed science behind it was a confused four-dimensional hairball.

(P.S. Sorry 21st, hope in spite of my rant you can still see it fresh, maybe you'll like it, who knows.)

This is good.  I now feel free to vent over another viewing of "Prometheus" I had several weeks ago.  It wasn't any better the second time around.  Some of it for me was just the "blah" actors.  Charlize Theron was completely out of place in the movie.  The best I can say for it, is it served as a warning for the last Alien flick.   

[zeebo]

This is good.  I now feel free to vent over another viewing of "Prometheus" I had several weeks ago.  It wasn't any better the second time around.  Some of it for me was just the "blah" actors.  Charlize Theron was completely out of place in the movie.  The best I can say for it, is it served as a warning for the last Alien flick.   

Hahaha, yes, let the hate out!  I'd say whereas Interstellar was an excruciating experience, Prometheus was merely ridiculous so was still watchable, barely.  You're a good sport to give it another go, though.  Several hilariously bad scenes in that one, including when the "expert astrobiologist" casually puts his hand out towards an unknown lifeform while saying something like "Hi there little guy!" .. and, when just after the female protaganist has a totally traumatic experience, she just waltzes into another room like nothing happened and starts a new random conversation.   :

[Dr. MD MD]

Hahaha, yes, let the hate out!  I'd say whereas Interstellar was an excruciating experience, Prometheus was merely ridiculous so was still watchable, barely.  You're a good sport to give it another go, though.  Several hilariously bad scenes in that one, including when the "expert astrobiologist" casually puts his hand out towards an unknown lifeform while saying something like "Hi there little guy!" .. and, when just after the female protaganist has a totally traumatic experience, she just waltzes into another room like nothing happened and starts a new random conversation.   :

In the movies there are no more stereotypical reserved, stick up the butt scientists anymore. They're all radical surfer dudes as well now. Cowabunga, dude!    :

[albrecht]

The "free" movie channel has been, as usual, showing good stuff (thanks "Its Over" for reminding me about free antenna tv) and rewatched "Save The Tiger." A solid movie and Jack Lemmon, who one an Oscar for the role, was good as always. A very versatile actor and one of my favorites. Can do comedy, slap-stick, and emotional dramas. And not some picture-perfect guy or Hollywood-style guy. Also, spoiler, it struck me the ending (and features in many movies of old) of a guy watching kids play ball couldn't go over as well these days. Firstly, unless highly organized, kids don't play ball (aside from maybe inner-city basketball) and some middle-aged dude watching it at a park would raise 911 calls. Sort of sad commentary on our culture. As another comment the director, Avildsen, recently died, as I posted and he did some great work in many movies, some more "popular" fare, that was great, but also stuff like "Joe," which, apparently caused Peter Boyle to not want to do violence in movies any more (though he did, sorta.)

ps: I really ENJOYED this movie of Avildsen's but, strangely, it is not available anywhere and has gone down the rabbit hole. It was a, as I see, a precursor to the great later films of the genre. But not available. Was shown on tv a few times, as I recall but nothing now. Even on torrents etc from what I can find. Criterion, or somebody, should re-release.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W.W._and_the_Dixie_Dancekings

[21st Century Man]

Just watched Prophecy (1979), one of the more laughably bad horror films of the late 1970's.  A mutant bear, spawned from mercury pollution from a nearby lumber mill, goes crazy and tears people in half with one swipe to the body.  This movie pits Native Americans against the eee-vil lumber industry. Robert Foxworth, a doctor,  and wife, Talia Shire, are sent by the EPA to Maine to investigate some strange goings-on in timber country.  The Indian leader is played by Armand Assante!  :  Yeah, he really looks like an Indian doesn't he?  The Indians still live in teepees and Foxworth's wife just infected the fetus she has been carrying after eating  mutated salmon souffle.  This plot point is virtually ignored in the last part of the film.  To think, this piece of shit was directed by the great John Frankenheimer tops the cake.  This film is one bad joke after another and deserves the MST3K treatment.  The mutant bear is grizzly!  lol

The funniest scene in the film is this.  Never flee from a campground while still zipped up in your sleeping bag.  lol.  This movie cost 2 million more than Alien which was made in the same year.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zLb9UtQhy8


1 star for the movie itself but 4 stars for entertainment value.  I'll give it a 2.5 out of 5 overall.

[21st Century Man]

The new Spider-man is coming out today and I have one problem.  Marisa Tomei as Aunt May?  Really?  May is not supposed to be a MILF or a GILF for that matter.



Tomei


May Parker

They need a little old lady like this gal.

[Dr. MD MD]

The new Spider-man is coming out today and I have one problem.  Marisa Tomei as Aunt May?  Really?  May is not supposed to be a MILF or a GILF for that matter.

I just heard that about a half hour ago and thought the same thing. I don't have a problem with Tomei in general. She just never should've been cast as Aunt May unless they're doing a porn parody where Aunt May not only discovers his secret identity but discovers something else too.   

[21st Century Man]

I saw the new Spiderman movie and it was pretty good.  I still prefer the first 2 films though Michael Keaton was very good as The Vulture. The new kid playing Spider-man was good.  I still think Marisa Tomei was wrong as Aunt May though I do like her.  Another thing that bothered me was the Liz character.  I'm assuming that the character is Liz Allen, a short-term girlfriend of Peter Parker in the early days of the comic books.  She was a half-black and not the blonde she should have been.  Sorry, I don't like the pc/diversity shit that Hollywood is preaching all of the time.  I got the joke the first time in Man of Steel where Perry White was played by Laurence Fishburne.  Ha-ha.  NOT.  3.75 stars.

Speaking of diversity,  I have to add that I watched the oddest show the other day.  I've started watching the old Wagon Train series with Ward Bond.  I'm on the first season, 1958,  still and there was an episode called A Man Called Horse with Ralph Meeker as Horse.  Yes, it is an earlier adaptation of the story that was filmed in 1970 with Richard Harris.  This episode was apparently more faithful to the source story than the later film.  The bizarre thing was that Meeker had this perpetual smile on his face that I had a hard time getting used to.  He has always been a fine actor but this performance was a bit bizarre. Nobody else on IMDB found it odd. 

What I find interesting is this series was Ward Bond's baby.  He was the star and driving force of the show.  From what I've seen so far, the Indians have been treated quite favorably in the shows that I've seen and Bond was notorious for being a far right-wing actor in Hollywood.  Another stereotype of the left shot to hell. 

[21st Century Man]

  I also recently watched Antonioni's first major success, L'avventura (1960).  The last movie of his that I watched was Zabriskie Point and while I loved the scenic shots of Death Valley in it, I hated the film.  I have had to digest L'avventura as initially I was pissed off that they never resolved the mystery of what happened to the missing Anna.  It was also a bit slow.  I also thought it basically portrayed the males as a bunch promiscuous misogynists.  Nevertheless, I have to admit though he made some good points about the nature of men. If presented with an attractive proposition, I'm not sure if I'd be able to refuse even though I love my wife.  I haven't gone out looking for it though. Maybe men weren't meant to be monogamous.  I don't know. Anyway, this movie was sort of an attack on the sad, empty lives of the idle rich.  Antonioni was a communist so of course he has to take jabs at the capitalist pigs.

  I cannot hate this film though.  The first half is beautifully filmed on a barren volcanic island near Sicily.  The second half is also well-done.  I do think this film could have been trimmed a bit.  This is the first time that I've seen Monica Vitti in a film and she is gorgeous as is Dorothy De Poliolo as the high class prostitute. Everybody in the cast does a fine job.  The film stuck with me and it does seem to have something profound to say about human relationships. 4 out of 5 stars.

[ShayP]

Just came home from seeing Dunkirk.  I'm exhausted.  The sound track and effects were incredibly loud to the point where I thought I would have a panic attack.  Nearly everyone leaving the theater voiced the same complaint.  It did enhance some scenes but it was too much.  I've been to Metal concerts where my ears rung less.  Overall it is a good flick, but, wow...I'm glad it was only 1 hour and 47 minutes long.  Any longer would've been torture.  I don't consider this a spoiler, but, pay attention to the timelines.  It is projected from three different perspectives regarding the same event.  If that makes sense.  It's worth a watch.  Just don't listen too hard. 

[chefist]

Just watched "Final Countdown" again after many years. It really is an underated sci-fi movie. It still holds up.


https://youtu.be/uKENPdKLGOM

[albrecht]

Just came home from seeing Dunkirk.  I'm exhausted.  The sound track and effects were incredibly loud to the point where I thought I would have a panic attack.  Nearly everyone leaving the theater voiced the same complaint.  It did enhance some scenes but it was too much.  I've been to Metal concerts where my ears rung less.  Overall it is a good flick, but, wow...I'm glad it was only 1 hour and 47 minutes long.  Any longer would've been torture.  I don't consider this a spoiler, but, pay attention to the timelines.  It is projected from three different perspectives regarding the same event.  If that makes sense.  It's worth a watch.  Just don't listen too hard. 

Saw "Dunkirk" today and was prepared but wasn't as loud as I was expecting. A lot less CGI/Computer scoring and compared to most modern day movies even less explosions. The trailers for yet another awful-looking Superheroes movie was louder than the movie. I wish I would've sprung the extra $5 and saw at the IMAX but didn't want to deal with parking, traffic, and the theater 5 min away has nice chairs etc now and so convenient.

I enjoyed the movie it is not as 'violent' as you get now (in terms of blood and guts) but very intense and claustrophobic moments. And some moral tales. Nolan has his 'style' and it sometimes was a bit off-putting (oh, yeah, this is happening at the same time but to different people) but I enjoyed. I really like the score also (very intense during certain scenes.) Good acting, great story based on true events, and it was awesome seeing those old planes and ships, especially the Spitfires and some of the old vessels, instead of totally CGI rendered stuff one expects today. Good acting and filmography (lots on location.)

[Rix Gins]

  I watched The Range Feud last night.  It's a 1931 western starring John Wayne and Buck Jones.  Or rather Buck Jones and John Wayne, because Jones had top billing.  This was John Wayne's second starring role after The Big Trail and he did a good job of playing a guy who was framed for murder.  His friend the sheriff (Buck Jones) tried to prove his innocence but to no avail.  Wayne was found guilty and sentenced to die but the townsfolk couldn't wait and yanked him out of the hoosegow and took him to Twin Oaks for a little necktie party.  I won't tell you how it ends in case you want to watch it sometime.

  I watched this in kind of a convoluted way.  I bought an unused VHS copy of the movie and converted it to DVD.  It came out great.  The picture was pretty clear and the sound was wonderful., much better then those horrible Mill Creek DVD collections that you can get for $5.00.  There is a half decent copy that can be watched on YouTube, though I'm happy I made the DVD because I'm trying to collect all of the Duke's movies from the 1930s.

  Wayne's love interest in this movie is Susan Fleming and I kept wondering, where have I heard that name before?  And then I remembered.  She was Harpo Marx's wife.


A face in the crowd.  Can you spot the Dukester?  Haha, just kidding.


   

[21st Century Man]

  I watched The Range Feud last night.  It's a 1931 western starring John Wayne and Buck Jones.  Or rather Buck Jones and John Wayne, because Jones had top billing.  This was John Wayne's second starring role after The Big Trail and he did a good job of playing a guy who was framed for murder.  His friend the sheriff (Buck Jones) tried to prove his innocence but to no avail.  Wayne was found guilty and sentenced to die but the townsfolk couldn't wait and yanked him out of the hoosegow and took him to Twin Oaks for a little necktie party.  I won't tell you how it ends in case you want to watch it sometime.

  I watched this in kind of a convoluted way.  I bought an unused VHS copy of the movie and converted it to DVD.  It came out great.  The picture was pretty clear and the sound was wonderful., much better then those horrible Mill Creek DVD collections that you can get for $5.00.  There is a half decent copy that can be watched on YouTube, though I'm happy I made the DVD because I'm trying to collect all of the Duke's movies from the 1930s.

  Wayne's love interest in this movie is Susan Fleming and I kept wondering, where have I heard that name before?  And then I remembered.  She was Harpo Marx's wife.


A face in the crowd.  Can you spot the Dukester?  Haha, just kidding.

Cool.  Nice post, Rix.  I haven't seen that one.  About Mill Creek, yes most of their films are inferior copies but Sony/Columbia has a licensing contract with them and any old Columbia Films you find on the Mill Creek label are beautiful copies.

[Rix Gins]

Cool.  Nice post, Rix.  I haven't seen that one.  About Mill Creek, yes most of their films are inferior copies but Sony/Columbia has a licensing contract with them and any old Columbia Films you find on the Mill Creek label are beautiful copies.

Thanks 21st, I'm glad to know that they made some good DVD conversions.  I will check out some of those titles.  I bought some Wayne and Hopalong Cassidy collections from Mill Creek only to find that the Platinum logo came on at the start of the movies and they were very poor renditions.  I didn't even give them to Goodwill.  I threw the suckers away. 

[21st Century Man]

Thanks 21st, I'm glad to know that they made some good DVD conversions.  I will check out some of those titles.  I bought some Wayne and Hopalong Cassidy collections from Mill Creek only to find that the Platinum logo came on at the start of the movies and they were very poor renditions.  I didn't even give them to Goodwill.  I threw the suckers away.

Anytime, Rix!   My first encounters with Mill Creek were horrible too. Yeah, I came across some various sets on Orson Welles and Marlon Brando at BJ's Warehouse.  4 movies for $5 on each set and some that had not been released on DVD before.  I took a chance and I was pleased. 2 or 3 of the 4 movies were Columbia titles like The Wild One and The Lady From Shanghai.  Anyway, the Columbia prints on these sets were beautiful and I found out they had a licensing agreement with Columbia so I picked up some others over time.

[GravitySucks]

Just came home from seeing Dunkirk.  I'm exhausted.  The sound track and effects were incredibly loud to the point where I thought I would have a panic attack.  Nearly everyone leaving the theater voiced the same complaint.  It did enhance some scenes but it was too much.  I've been to Metal concerts where my ears rung less.  Overall it is a good flick, but, wow...I'm glad it was only 1 hour and 47 minutes long.  Any longer would've been torture.  I don't consider this a spoiler, but, pay attention to the timelines.  It is projected from three different perspectives regarding the same event.  If that makes sense.  It's worth a watch.  Just don't listen too hard. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2017/07/28/how-christopher-nolan-shot-those-amazing-aerial-dunkirk-dogfights/513407001/

[albrecht]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2017/07/28/how-christopher-nolan-shot-those-amazing-aerial-dunkirk-dogfights/513407001/

Now I regret even more not spending the extra $ and hassle to see it at our IMAX! Those Spitfires are beautiful planes and the dogfights were awesome.

I liked the score also in "Dunkirk." The score added a lot to the building tension. It seems to intensify the tension. Upon looking it up apparently the composer used a phenomena called a "Shepard tone" and also synthesized Nolan's wristwatch ticking in the music.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepard_tone

[Zetaspeak]

Wanted to watch a low-key movie and went to see The Beguiled. It's a remake of 1970s Eastwood film. I liked it, it takes place during the Civil War anhd  it's about a wounded Northern Soldier who was taken in from a Southern female boarding school. He betrayed their trust, and then things get pretty heated up.

[albrecht]

Many good things for free on youtubes. Old movies and also, oddly considering stations are still around, those old made-for-tv movies "of the week" (or days of the week.) Which I always liked. There also is an odd phenomena where many actors do these movies, even good or famous ones. And many character actors or tv ones that franchise were over. Tonight I watched "Horror at 57,000 Feet"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068715/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_57
Bizarre plot. Architectural mogul moving some abbey used by druids for human sacrifice on a plane. So not many passengers, due to weight of stones. The "professor" from Gilligan's Island, Chuck Connors, William Shatner, and several others involved in a weird tale of a plane caught, due to a solstice and druid event. Involves drinking (bringing flask on board even- I've done that!,) voodoo like ceremony involving a doll stolen from the sole little girl passenger (Shatner involved in perfecting theory,) lines like- from second chair pilot to pilot "take some more painkillers" and, response, "might as well use them, no use to save them." And making bonfires (on a PLANE) to dissuade druidic demons. And stewardesses in short skirts (one of whom tells the other "don't say that, you know I hate flying.") There are other elements but don't want to give spoilers....

[Lt.Uhura]

After reading a few Sam Shepard bios today following the news of his passing, I was surprised to see the film Resurrection not mentioned. IMO it was one of his best roles.

From 1980, the film co-stars Ellen Burstyn (nominated as Best Acresses for her role) as a women who finds she has abilities as a healer following a near death experience in a car crash. Sam Shepard is frightening as her lover, who insists that she attribute her powers to God/Jesus, which she refuses to do. Shepard's character, Cal, becomes obsessed by his religious beliefs and chillingly goes off the deep end. Highly recommended.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081414/

[Étouffée]

After reading a few Sam Shepard bios today following the news of his passing, I was surprised to see the film Resurrection not mentioned. IMO it was one of his best roles...

I'll check that out.  Thanks for the recommendation.  You know, when I heard of Mr. Shepard's passing, I just wanted to watch The Right Stuff (for about the 16th time).  He was so good in it.

[Lt.Uhura]

I'll check that out.  Thanks for the recommendation.  You know, when I heard of Mr. Shepard's passing, I just wanted to watch The Right Stuff (for about the 16th time).  He was so good in it.

I liked him in a number of roles. He was easy on the eye and brought a level of depth and offbeat intensity to his characters not often seen in Hollywood. I'm less familiar with his work as a playwright, and until today didn't realize he'd won a Pulitzer Prize, in addition to being nominated for a Tony a number of times.

RIP Mr. Shepard.

[Zetaspeak]

Finally  got to watch Arrival  I think this board would like the alien aspect, but probably won't like the obvious pro-globalist agenda.

[Taaroa]

Watched Spiderman: Homecoming yesterday. It was your typical Marvel movie in that it was neither bad nor particularly great. Michael Keaton was absolutely the standout from it all, stealing every single scene he was in and chewing the scenery.
I did like the plot twist about the villain that set up the climax very nicely.


I also finished watching Babylon 5, which in case you're unaware is about a spacestation serving as a meeting point between a variety of different alien races and the various personalities who pass through it. Season 1 is a bit different to the later seasons and more focused on your typical 90s scifi moral of the week standalone episodes, but it does set it up the world and the story arcs of the later seasons. Season 5 is a bit unnecessary, but ties up some storylines and the final episode is fairly satisfying as far as conclusions go.
If you enjoy 80s/90s scifi (à la Star Trek), good writing, and are willing to overlook the poorly aged cgi then I highly recommend watching it.

[paladin1991]

Binging on 'Turn.'  Into season two, now.

[Gd5150]

Sad to see him pass. The Right Stuff was an all time classic. Sam Shepard was excellent as Yeager.