What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[Touchofevil]

"Punisher: War Zone" is a great underrated "shoot em up". Right up there with "John Wick" (sequel coming soon I hear). I also like the fact that they dealt with collateral damage and how, sooner or later, an innocent was going to get riddled with all that lead flying around!

Worf

Exactly, all the way around. It and Smokin' Aces were, for the most part, hated by critics, but I have enjoyed them each time I have seen them. Ray Stevenson is a perfect Punisher. The S.A. cast is a lot of fun. Jason Bateman, Chris Pine, and Martin Henderson are a hoot.

 

[Stearmen]

Hail The Conquering Hero (1944)

 

[Touchofevil]

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice
An awkward movie with some entertaining and quality moments. Worth watching, but not as good as
I had wished it to be. Not as bad as I had expected after hearing and reading many negative reviews. Hopefully, DC will figure it out and make better movies from here on.

 

[Zombie_61]

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice
An awkward movie with some entertaining and quality moments. Worth watching, but not as good as
I had wished it to be. Not as bad as I had expected after hearing and reading many negative reviews. Hopefully, DC will figure it out and make better movies from here on.

Funny, I finally saw this today as well. I didn't find it awkward at all. In fact, I really enjoyed it until the big comic book monster showed up, at which point it was, "What, again???" I mean, is it really necessary for every one of these superhero movies to have an overly long climactic battle scene in which they destroy half of the city? At least they didn't create an all new Batmobile, use it in one crucial scene, then destroy it. Oh, wait, yes they did!

 

[Fading Fast]

I finally was able to sit down and watch "The Man From Uncle" for a second time. I enjoyed it at least as much this time as I wasn't worried about staying up with the plot (which, while pretty much a by-the-numbers-1960s-spy plot, the way it was rolled out, took some thought to piece together) and could, then, enjoy all the visual fun and character banter going on.

It is visually such an insanely gorgeous romanticized version of a '60s global spy thriller that one could almost enjoy the movie with the sound off. One could also probably retire comfortable on the clothing budget the film had (I don't know how much those clothes cost, but they don't sell items of that quality in any store I shop in [ever] - and it was the clothes on everyone, from the three leads, to Hugh Grant, to the evil vertiginous blonde).

And they hit a delicately perfect balance of tongue-and-cheekiness versus real spy story so that it avoiding being camp but was a heck of a lot of, not-too-serous, fun. I cared about the characters, enjoyed their interaction, knew it would work out, but still found myself engaged and "concerned" at times.

The scene where Solo watches Illya in the boat in the compound captured everything that works in this movie - comedy, drama, tension, wink-wink and character chemistry - in an insanely well-directed piece (using the truck's radio music instead of the boat engines, guns, etc. for the scene's soundtrack was brilliant).

Each actor took his character to the point of stereotype, to the point of not being real, but pulled back each time, in the nick of time. And kudos to Alicia Vikander as Gaby, to wear the sunglasses she did in the final shot without looking silly took confidence and a presence few will ever have.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Fading Fast, the techniques and elements you point out were the things the original TV series reached for, and often succeeded. That was why I liked the movie, despite it not being "my" Solo and Illya and U.N.C.L.E. The spirit was right.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Finally got around to watching "Carol"....what a disappointment. I lay it at the feet of the director. The emotional tone of the movie was so flat as to be comatose. I realize that was part of the artifice ...the emotional stilted '50s. But this was ridiculous. Also had problems with the character of Carol. She was a predator and even though Therese was of age Carol's behaviour was the classic "grooming and ingratiating" of a pedaphilic mind. We watched it on cable tv as a $1 movie of the week. As my wife stated...."I don't mind the waste of a $1 but I want my two hours back."

That's the one based on Patricia Highsmith's early novel The Price of Salt, right? I've tried and tried to like her work, but her novels slip away from me almost every time. Her late novel (not a crime story) Edith's Diary was gripping all the way through, but others were not. (I've yet to try the Ripley stories, though.) Maybe her stuff translates well to film?

 

[Fading Fast]

That's the one based on Patricia Highsmith's early novel The Price of Salt, right? I've tried and tried to like her work, but her novels slip away from me almost every time. Her late novel (not a crime story) Edith's Diary was gripping all the way through, but others were not. (I've yet to try the Ripley stories, though.) Maybe her stuff translates well to film?

Give the Ripley novels a shot - I've read and enjoyed the first two, but like you, find her work uneven both within each novel and comparing one to the other. I liked "The Two Faces of January" for awhile and then was bored with it. The film version was boring right from the start. That said, "The Talented Mr. Ripley" was a really good movie with a great period vibe. I believe you and I have chatted about her work before and come to similar conclusion - she's very uneven, but clearly talented.

 

[1mach1]

Batman VS Superman

Boy, was that all over the place. I hope they can do better with the Justice League movies.

 

[Bushman]

Batman VS Superman

Boy, was that all over the place. I hope they can do better with the Justice League movies.

The trailer for both Justice League and Wonder Woman look very enticing, especially as both seem to drop the ashy gray and bronzed color timing in favor for the more classically colorful costumes.

 

[Fading Fast]

The trailer for both Justice League and Wonder Woman look very enticing, especially as both seem to drop the ashy gray and bronzed color timing in favor for the more classically colorful costumes.

Just watched the WW trailer - I'm impressed. Hopefully, all the good stuff didn't get used in the trailer.

 

[1mach1]

The trailer for both Justice League and Wonder Woman look very enticing, especially as both seem to drop the ashy gray and bronzed color timing in favor for the more classically colorful costumes.

Hopefully. The DC films just don't have the same amount of fun and continuity as the Marvel films. The best DC flicks have been the Dark Knight Trilogy, the 1989 Batman, and Superman 1 and 2 (1978 and 1980). Other than that, it has been weak.

 

[Bushman]

Just finished watching "Troy" (2004), and as somebody who read "The Iliad" I've gained an appreciation for this film. I've seen many cite disdainful characterization (Brad Pitt as Achilles is a selfish brute who enjoys killing, and Orlando Bloom as Paris is a coward), on top of a 3 and a quarter hour running time, but I've come to appreciate it. Honestly, Achilles had always been selfish, and Paris had always been cowardly (on top of being gullible as well in "The Iliad"). The story of the fall of Troy had always been a long one, too. It was meant to be told as a nightly mini series theatrical production type thing. It wasn't meant to watch in one sitting, and if you want to appreciate the story that is "The Iliad", you're going to have to expect a something a little on the lengthy side. "Troy" truly feels like it belongs in a pantheon of Antiquity Epics, along with "The Ten Commandments," "300," "Cleopatra," "Jason and the Argonauts" and several others.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I've been a big fan of Troy since it first came out and I took my kids to see it theatrically.

Sure, it's FAR from an accurate adaptation of the Iliad, but as an attempt to remove the gods from the story and make a great ancient war flick with recognizable political motivations, it's excellent. It's a feast of (over)acting, with a packed cast of Large Hams (*) trying to out-bellow one another throughout. (Brian Cox wins as Agamemnon!) I mean: Cox, Brendan Gleeson, Brad Pitt, Sean Bean, Rose Byrne, O'Toole, Garret Hedlund, Eric Bana... only Orlando Bloom and Diane Kruger come off as lightweights, leaving a bit of vacuum at the center. Bloom is the film's weakest link: I recall being shocked that he displayed so little charisma as Paris after having been such a great Legolas (and I realized that Peter Jackson is a much better director of actors than I thought.)

Great production design, well-staged fights and battles - Hector vs. Achilles is tremendous - and even a few really moving scenes/performances, notably a masterclass by Peter O'Toole as King Priam asking Achilles for Hector's body. And Pitt is good too, not to mention having worked his physique into really stunning shape, and they cleverly devised a completely unique fighting style for him that believably portrays him as a demigod compared to all the great fighters around him. I agree that Troy belongs with the great antiquity-set films you mentioned... in the modern category alongside Gladiator and 300.

I got the longer director's cut on DVD, which notably adds a few scenes with Sean Bean's Odysseus. Boy, did I want them to make a sequel film of the Odyssey with Bean at the time! Best. Odysseus. Ever.

( * See "Large Ham" and "World of Ham" in the trope list at: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/Troy )

 

[Formeruser012523]

"Punisher: War Zone" is a great underrated "shoot em up". Right up there with "John Wick" (sequel coming soon I hear). I also like the fact that they dealt with collateral damage and how, sooner or later, an innocent was going to get riddled with all that lead flying around!

Worf

Watched John Wick for the first time a couple weeks back. Loved it so much I watched it again the next day. Looked it up on imdb.com. It's going to be a trilogy. You're welcome.

 

[Touchofevil]

Watched John Wick for the first time a couple weeks back. Loved it so much I watched it again the next day. Looked it up on imdb.com. It's going to be a trilogy. You're welcome.

Thank you.

And you and Worf are once again correct.

 

[Stearmen]

Going Wild (1930) Joe E. Brown

 

[HoosierDaddy]

'Bad Grandpa'. I'm waking everyone in the house up..laughing..!! Can't help it....
(Viewer Discretion Advised)

 

[Fading Fast]

"High Fidelity" on HBO. I guess the film was made to "show" how an in-his-early-30s-directionless man - John Cusack - learns the downside of avoiding decisions and commitments while friends and girlfriends move on with, and expand, their lives over time as he stays securely tucked away in the little safe world he's built for himself.

Okay theme, okay acting, okay movie, but a complete underuse of the music / soundtrack possibilities as Cusack's character is a vinyl music aficionado (and store owner) which was, I suppose, to show his deep soul and passion for truth and beauty in a commercialized world, blah, blah, blah.

While many of the the tunes chosen were good - they were not well integrated into the story and didn't create either a I-want-to-buy-it soundtrack or scene or two where the music was so well entwined with the story that you want to see that scene again. The entire movie just moves along being good enough to hold your interest, but not cohesive enough to make you fully engaged.

That said, Cusack's apartment and record store had some great '20s/'30s architectural eye-candy, such as incredible transoms, woodwork and frosted glass. Fun stuff for FL fans.

 

[Bushman]

'Bad Grandpa'. I'm waking everyone in the house up..laughing..!! Can't help it....
(Viewer Discretion Advised)

Johnny Knoxville's humor is very hit and miss for me. I loved the Jackass series and the first movie, but his latest work hasn't been my cup of tea.