Spoilers What Movie Are You Watching?

[xlii]

Movies that made a difference to me:

2001 A Space Odyssey

A Clockwork Orange

The Harder They Come (a Jamaican Movie)

The Tenant (A Roman Polanski film)

Zachariah (County Joe & the James Gang) first and last Rock and roll cowboy movie

Cool Hand Luke (reminds me of the army)

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946 movie about WW2 vets adjusting to civilian life)

Recent stuff I've enjoyed:

Safety Not Guarranteed (really well done on a low budget)

Orphan Black (1st season 10 episodes) Bang bang bang... not a dull moment. Season 2 starts April 19th on BBCA and I can't wait.

 

[Huntn]

Gladiator (2000)- Russel Crowe's greatest role in a movie that deserved Best Picture no matter how fictional of a story it was.

Movies that made a difference to me:

2001 A Space Odyssey

A Clockwork Orange

The Harder They Come (a Jamaican Movie)

The Tenant (A Roman Polanski film)

Zachariah (County Joe & the James Gang) first and last Rock and roll cowboy movie

Cool Hand Luke (reminds me of the army)

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946 movie about WW2 vets adjusting to civilian life)

Recent stuff I've enjoyed:

Safety Not Guarranteed (really well done on a low budget)

Orphan Black (1st season 10 episodes) Bang bang bang... not a dull moment. Season 2 starts April 19th on BBCA and I can't wait.

Interesting list. I saw 2001 (1968) at the theater on it's initial release. Boy was I pissed. Just not what this 15 year old expected. I've come to view it as a work of art and in combination with 2010 an intriguing story including the redemption of Hal.

A Clockwork Orange really impressed me too with it's edge and a moral of sorts.

Cool Hand Luke was good.

Orphan Black is setup to record.

 

[Tsuchiya]

Gladiator (2000)- Russel Crowe's greatest role in a movie that deserved Best Picture no matter how fictional of a story it was.

Image




Interesting list. I saw 2001 (1968) at the theater on it's initial release. Boy was I pissed. Just not what this 15 year old expected. I've come to view it as a work of art and in combination with 2010 an intriguing story including the redemption of Hal.

A Clockwork Orange really impressed me too with it's edge and a moral of sorts.

Cool Hand Luke was good.

Orphan Black is setup to record.

I keep meaning to go back and watch Gladiator again, it's been a while. Also despite him apparently being a bit of a dick, Crowe sure as hell can act.

We saw the Desolation of Smaug again yesterday after buying the bluray. Low expectations coming into it (middle movie, mostly filler according to some), meant that it was a surprising good experience. I didn't realise Benedict Cumberbatch was the voice of Smaug. The role oddly suits him.

 

[xlii]

Gladiator (2000)- Russel Crowe's greatest role in a movie that deserved Best Picture no matter how fictional of a story it was.

Image




Interesting list. I saw 2001 (1968) at the theater on it's initial release. Boy was I pissed. Just not what this 15 year old expected. I've come to view it as a work of art and in combination with 2010 an intriguing story including the redemption of Hal.

A Clockwork Orange really impressed me too with it's edge and a moral of sorts.

Cool Hand Luke was good.

Orphan Black is setup to record.

I turned 15 in 1968 also and saw it then also. We grew up at the dawn of the 'space age'. 2001 tech was how I imagined things would be in 2001. At school they bought TVs just to watch the manned and unmanned space news. The one that impressed me the most was watching Ranger crash into the moon and the movie it was sending back as the moon got closer and closer... and then that final halve frame.

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For those of you with access to Netflix there are so many foreign movies that we have enjoyed. To me they are the hidden gems of Netflix. Yes, you have to turn on subtitles.

It started with Ip Man 1 & 2. So give some of the 4+ star foreign movies a try.
Some of the Chinese, Scandinavian, Korean, Thai (Kingdom of War 1 & 2) are really well done. It's refreshing to watch a movie that wasn't made to please the American audience.

 

[Huntn]

I keep meaning to go back and watch Gladiator again, it's been a while. Also despite him apparently being a bit of a dick, Crowe sure as hell can act.

We saw the Desolation of Smaug again yesterday after buying the bluray. Low expectations coming into it (middle movie, mostly filler according to some), meant that it was a surprising good experience. I didn't realise Benedict Cumberbatch was the voice of Smaug. The role oddly suits him.

Yeah, it's a amazing how famous actor's personal lives bleeding into the public adversely effects their careers. If you going to idolize someone, you don't want them to be a dick, not that I ever idolized any actor.

Peter Jackson's The Hobbit story has been a disappointment to me. The problem there is that I am a TH Book aficionado who takes exception to the LOTRosizing of the story along with numerous liberties taken. Of note, he did not do this with LOTR.

I turned 15 in 1968 also and saw it then also. We grew up at the dawn of the 'space age'. 2001 tech was how I imagined things would be in 2001. At school they bought TVs just to watch the manned and unmanned space news. The one that impressed me the most was watching Ranger crash into the moon and the movie it was sending back as the moon got closer and closer... and then that final halve frame.

I also remembering wow, in 33 years I'd like to go to our moon base!

 

[albertfallickwa]

Saw The Grand Bupadest Hotel this weekend. Loved it. Totally witty and insightful and playful. Wes Anderson at his finest moment.

 

[kazmac]

I finally had the pleasure of watching The Maltese Falcon for the first time, after having read about it so much from members here. I thought it was terrific, from the acting and dialogue to the storytelling and pacing.

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I'm also not a big fan of Joss Whedon or the first Avengers movie, despite all the positive reviews. It was entertaining, but overhyped, in my opinion.

To be honest, I know very little of the Avengers besides what's presented in the movies (I was a much bigger X-Men fan growing up), so I miss many of the connections that others would pick up on. Perhaps thats one of the reasons the Avengers' movies don't 'wow' me.

One thing I would've liked to see in Captain America 2 is more of the backstory of The Winter Soldier. Without going into spoiler territory, I'll say that he was just there, and they didn't really go in depth to explain what happened.

Maltese is pretty terrific. Glad you enjoyed it.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a bunch of tweaks on the comics, I was never into the Avengers myself. And MCU Thor is an utter snore so that was another reason why I don't remember much of that movie. Add Whedon and it's a complete black out.

I was more X-Men too, but I fell in fan woman love with the Winter Soldier as a result of stumbling into that initial story nine years ago. Naturally, I wanted a lot more with him in the film too.

I've since learned the WS film plot is largely based on the Marvel series, Secret Warriors with a pinch of the Winter Soldier (the character and his slightly tweaked origin) so that explains why the WS is peripheral.

 

[twietee]

Can't say that I don't like the fact that in two of the Avengers comics I'm pulling Cap died or was put to sleep. Not that big fan of Cap and his "speeches"

Started to see some (older) horror flics lately. Finished Fulci's House by the Cemetery yesterday and while it's a good piece of Italian horror schlock, which isn't genuinely scary in the first place (imo), I must say the ending really depressed me. Reminds me also a lot to some H.P. Lovecraft stories. Demons by Lamberto Brava was awesome, shot in West-Berlin during the 80s. Starts at the same metro station I took for years when going to school each day.. Also starring Tony the Pimp (Bobby Rhodes) who is probably the coolest .... in town.

Frigth Night was pure boredom. Can't fathom all the glorious praise it receives on imdb, must be nostalgia I guess.

Flesh For Frankenstein (aka Warhol's Frankenstein) is the perfect b-movie for me featuring young Udo Kier, Joe D'allessandro and directed by Paul Morrisey. Highly entertaining but sports some really bloody actions - kind of appropriate considering it's a Frankenstain flic. I prefer Blood for Dracular, which was shot directly afterwards and features almost the very same cast and both have a beautiful score and screenplay. Featuring the then 9yo Nicoletta Elmi who actually played within quite a few seminal horror flics (Profondo Rosso, Demons, this one).

Hallooween I+II, never seen before and not my favorites but not bad as well. Haunting score of course. I like the second movie even slightly better, but they form one piece of work anyway.

Probably forgot some flics but that's it for now. Stay tuned.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I finally had the pleasure of watching The Maltese Falcon for the first time, after having read about it so much from members here. I thought it was terrific, from the acting and dialogue to the storytelling and pacing……..

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What a wonderful treat was in store for you, then. Isn't it a rare and exquisite pleasure to be in a position to sit down and actually watch a piece of such utter cinematic perfection for the first time? I know the first time I saw The Maltese Falcon (over 20 years ago) I was completely bowled over.

This is a movie that is close to flawless; superb cinematography - is there a single sunny scene in the entire movie? A terrific, complex and morally ambiguous story - none of that blunt black-and-white monochromic morality nonsense - so beloved of the less sophisticated US film-makers here; deeply unattractive - but oh, utterly compelling - characters; fabulous actors to inhabit these dark roles (Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre…..)….great direction, outstanding script, all combine to make this an outstanding movie.

And, also, finally, a first on the silver screen, for in this movie, for one of the first times ever, we meet a character that is now so frequently portrayed on our screens that he/she is in danger of becoming a cliché - the morally conflicted investigator.

A modern classic - and a masterclass in how a motion picture can use angle, lighting, script, actors, pace, murky morality, nuance, complexity and conflict into a deeply compelling tale. This is what a movie should be (but so rarely is).

The Maltese Falcon is one o f my favorite films.
…….

One of mine, too. Simply brilliant…..in my opinion.

Just to break my annoying and repetitive pattern, I won't say anything about The Maltese Falcon...except I'm always glad when someone discovers this incredible film.

Well, as you, my good friend, appear to have decided - unaccountably - to take a self-inflicted vow of silence instead of using this opening to further explore one of your own favourite movies, and share your delight at the simple fact that it exists and was able to be made, I thought I would remedy this deficiency, and so I leapt - most happily - at the opportunity to heap yet more lavish praise on The Maltese Falcon in your absence…....

Saw The Grand Bupadest Hotel this weekend. Loved it. Totally witty and insightful and playful. Wes Anderson at his finest moment.

I have heard several excellent reports of this, including from my brother, who recommends it highly. This is on my list of Must-See Movies when next I am home, which is - or should be - shortly.

 

[Huntn]

Catching Fire (2013)- Part 2 of Hunger Games. This was much better than I had anticipated!

Thumbs Up!​

 

[Zendokan]

watched Filth last Monday, a British/Scottish police-crime-comedy-drama (yip, that's a genre) starring James McAvoy (the young Professor X).

It's over the mental breakdown of a scheming, manipulative, misanthropic, Edinburgh Detective Sergeant. Great little movie that gave me a Clockwork Orange vibe.
Supporting actors are Jamie Bell and Eddie Marsan.

Eddie Marsan brings us to also to the 2009 film "The Disappearance of Alice Creed", also a movie that I can recommend.

 

[Huntn]

Read an article in Entertainment Weekly about the 2014 reboot of Godzilla saying (paraphrased), "Godzilla has been done wrong plenty of times including the 1998 version" starring Matthew Broderick.

Huh? I love that movie. The Godzilla in the 2014 version has a decidedly retro man in rubber suit look and I'm not sure if I like that. Will have to see this movie to evaluate.

 

[ritmomundo]

The Maltese Falcon is one o f my favorite films.

Just to break my annoying and repetitive pattern, I won't say anything about The Maltese Falcon...except I'm always glad when someone discovers this incredible film.

Maltese is pretty terrific. Glad you enjoyed it.

What a wonderful treat was in store for you, then. Isn't it a rare and exquisite pleasure to be in a position to sit down and actually watch a piece of such utter cinematic perfection for the first time? I know the first time I saw The Maltese Falcon (over 20 years ago) I was completely bowled over.

This is a movie that is close to flawless; superb cinematography - is there a single sunny scene in the entire movie? A terrific, complex and morally ambiguous story - none of that blunt black-and-white monochromic morality nonsense - so beloved of the less sophisticated US film-makers here; deeply unattractive - but oh, utterly compelling - characters; fabulous actors to inhabit these dark roles (Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre…..)….great direction, outstanding script, all combine to make this an outstanding movie.

And, also, finally, a first on the silver screen, for in this movie, for one of the first times ever, we meet a character that is now so frequently portrayed on our screens that he/she is in danger of becoming a cliché - the morally conflicted investigator.

A modern classic - and a masterclass in how a motion picture can use angle, lighting, script, actors, pace, murky morality, nuance, complexity and conflict into a deeply compelling tale. This is what a movie should be (but so rarely is).

I watched it again last night (with subtitles this time), and it really is an excellent film in almost all aspects. Honestly, if it hadn't been for your high praises for The Maltese Falcon, I may have never seen it, so I'm grateful to you all for that.

In fact, it made me realize just how many fantastic classics I've completely overlooked, which is a shame because there are some real gems out there. There is a post I've bookmarked from a while back, I think written by Shrink, that listed several of these movies. I plan to use it as a starting point to watch those that I've missed out on.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I watched it again last night (with subtitles this time), and it really is an excellent film in almost all aspects. Honestly, if it hadn't been for your high praises for The Maltese Falcon, I may have never seen it, so I'm grateful to you all for that.

In fact, it made me realize just how many fantastic classics I've completely overlooked, which is a shame because there are some real gems out there. There is a post I've bookmarked from a while back, I think written by Shrink, that listed several of these movies. I plan to use it as a starting point to watch those that I've missed out on.

Delighted that you loved it. It is superb, and set a template for anything (and everything) which attempted to explore the world of urban darkness seen through the eyes of a morally conflicted P.I. who stumbles into it.

Two more, then, that are absolute must sees before migrating to the afterlife - and my good friend Shrink will doubtless concur; these are Citizen Kane and The Third Man.

Before launching into a panegyric of praise, I shall make an espresso (or two). Expect a post - in due course - on these two classics. For this post, I will simply observe that you haven't lived - or understood - what cinematic perfection is - until you have seen them both.

 

[impulse462]

Delighted that you loved it. It is superb, and set a template for anything (and everything) which attempted to explore the world of urban darkness seen through the eyes of a morally conflicted P.I. who stumbles into it.

Two more, then, that are absolute must sees before migrating to the afterlife - and my good friend Shrink will doubtless concur; these are Citizen Kane and The Third Man.

Before launching into a panegyric of praise, I shall make an espresso (or two). Expect a post - in due course - on these two classics. For this post, I will simply observe that you haven't lived - or understood - what cinematic perfection is - until you have seen them both.

Citizen Kane was the first film we watched in my "Film and Literature" class my senior year of high school. After my teacher told us about the different film elements and film styles, to see them in use in an actual movie was pretty cool.

 

[Huntn]

Citizen Kane was the first film we watched in my "Film and Literature" class my senior year of high school. After my teacher told us about the different film elements and film styles, to see them in use in an actual movie was pretty cool.

I found Citizen Kane to be ahead of it's time, but it was somewhat depressing, not that it disqualifies it as being an excellent movie, but it's not the type of movie I'd watch over and over like Maltese Falcon.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Citizen Kane was the first film we watched in my "Film and Literature" class my senior year of high school. After my teacher told us about the different film elements and film styles, to see them in use in an actual movie was pretty cool.

I found Citizen Kane to be ahead of it's time, but it was somewhat depressing, not that it disqualifies it as being an excellent movie, but it's not the type of movie I'd watch over and over like Maltese Falcon.

I had read about Citizen Kane long before I ever had an opportunity to actually get to see it, an opportunity which finally came about in the student art house film club in my final undergrad year.

Depressing? Maybe, I didn't even notice, and I'm not one of those who goes to movies to be uplifted (especially if you are the sort of grumpy alienated adolescent that I was).

My worry was that it might not have been as good as I had read - very often, something which you are told in advance will be brilliant turns out to be a huge disappointment, as inflated expectations hardly ever match mundane reality.

However, Citizen Kane blew my mind. The complex storyline, multiple narrators (each with a different character and perspective), cinema angles, brilliant management of time both in narrating the story and crafting the movie, lighting, superb cast, the epic story line (protagonist who gains the world but loses his soul and misplaces his heart,) - even the fake newsreel with which it opens, it was simply utterly brilliant. And, as someone who is fascinated by the play of politics and power, I was utterly absorbed and entranced by it.

 

[mobilehaathi]

Decided to re-watch Dr. Strangelove last night..

 

[Huntn]

Decided to re-watch Dr. Strangelove last night..

YouTube: video

My favorite George C. Scott movie, an unusual genre (comedy) for him. Slim Pickens is great as Major Kong. The subject matter seemed to inspire great performances all around.

 

[S.B.G]

Just put on one of my usual favorites for probably the 50th time.

Snatch

 

[kazmac]

Can't say that I don't like the fact that in two of the Avengers comics I'm pulling Cap died or was put to sleep. Not that big fan of Cap and his "speeches"

Started to see some (older) horror flics lately. Finished Fulci's House by the Cemetery yesterday and while it's a good piece of Italian horror schlock, which isn't genuinely scary in the first place (imo), I must say the ending really depressed me. Reminds me also a lot to some H.P. Lovecraft stories. Demons by Lamberto Brava was awesome, shot in West-Berlin during the 80s. Starts at the same metro station I took for years when going to school each day.. Also starring Tony the Pimp (Bobby Rhodes) who is probably the coolest .... in town.

Frigth Night was pure boredom. Can't fathom all the glorious praise it receives on imdb, must be nostalgia I guess.

Flesh For Frankenstein (aka Warhol's Frankenstein) is the perfect b-movie for me featuring young Udo Kier, Joe D'allessandro and directed by Paul Morrisey. Highly entertaining but sports some really bloody actions - kind of appropriate considering it's a Frankenstain flic. I prefer Blood for Dracular, which was shot directly afterwards and features almost the very same cast and both have a beautiful score and screenplay. Featuring the then 9yo Nicoletta Elmi who actually played within quite a few seminal horror flics (Profondo Rosso, Demons, this one).

Hallooween I+II, never seen before and not my favorites but not bad as well. Haunting score of course. I like the second movie even slightly better, but they form one piece of work anyway.

Probably forgot some flics but that's it for now. Stay tuned.

Is House by the Cemetery your first Fulci? If yes, definitely seek out Zombi, The Beyond, City of the Living Dead and the Argentoesque giallo, A Woman in a Lizard's Skin. City has some of the most disgusting visuals I've ever seen and I still hear one of them from time to time (thanks Lucio!) - but it's also a very weird tangent on the Gates of Hell concept.

I've never seen House because it sounded exactly the way you described LOL.

Demons > I'm glad you liked that. For some reason it still scares me. Not for the FX but I suppose the whole argument of violent movies corrupting people is taken to it's logical extreme. And Michele Soavi's masked man was really damn creepy. Fun that you recognized the metro too.

If I can ever find those Warhols cheap I'll jump.

For me, Doctor Loomis was the most interesting element of Halloween. There was speculation that Michael was possessed by a violent Celtic spirit (I think that was in the novelization of Halloween, I have not read it so...)

Read an article in Entertainment Weekly about the 2014 reboot of Godzilla saying (paraphrased), "Godzilla has been done wrong plenty of times including the 1998 version" starring Matthew Broderick.

Huh? I love that movie. The Godzilla in the 2014 version has a decidedly retro man in rubber suit look and I'm not sure if I like that. Will have to see this movie to evaluate.

I was not a fan of the 1998 I'll admit, that's cool you like it. The 1998 is not loved from what I've seen. I enjoy the man in suit Toho Godzillas and I am very curious about how this one is going to play out. Not sure if I'll see it theatrically though.

Right now, I'm listening to The Ten Commandments. A couple of minutes of dialog between Moses and Ramses reminds me of how great movies can be. I'll always make time for Charleton Heston epics.

Earlier this week I watched Badasssss! Mario Van Peeples homage to his father Melvin's Sweet Sweetback Badasss Song. It was interesting to see the trials Melvin (Mario playing his dad) went through to get that movie made.

Saw Hero again. Yimou Zhang's period martial arts epics are beautiful, cruel and character driven wonders. My favorite remains The Curse of the Golden Flower, but I really appreciate how the color schemes in Hero went in tandem with the characters and plot.

And, yes, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Again. I suspect I'll see this one several more times theatrically, esp. since both the Cap and WS comics stink right now.

 

[Southern Dad]

Frozen... And I've seen it far too many times.

 

[Huntn]

Frozen... And I've seen it far too many times.

Does that indicate kids?

 

[Huntn]

I was not a fan of the 1998 I'll admit, that's cool you like it. The 1998 is not loved from what I've seen. I enjoy the man in suit Toho Godzillas and I am very curious about how this one is going to play out. Not sure if I'll see it theatrically though.

Regarding 1998 Godzilla Movie, don't take this as a debate, just pointing out what I liked about it.

• Intro with nukes in Pacific.
• Worm man in Chernobyl
• First appearance with Japanese fishing vessel
• Tracked across pacific- footprints, ship on beach.
• Outstanding effects, trawlers being pulled under.
• Poor little fisherman.
• First appearance in NYC.
• Characters and relationships. I happen to like Hank Azaria.
• Madison Square Garden.
• Outstanding modeling, CGI, and fidelity with environment.
• Somewhat sympathetic monster.

I did not really buy 100 attack helos flying between buildings, but I was able to over look it.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Decided to re-watch Dr. Strangelove last night..

YouTube: video

One of my favourites; brilliant, classy, hilarious, bleak, black, but wonderful. Love it, absolutely love it.