What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[Zombie_61]

Straight Outta Compton (2015). I don't consider myself a fan of rap music, and I've read the movie plays "fast and loose" with the facts. But I really enjoyed it.

 

[Worf]

"Goke - The Body Snatcher" - Weird 60's Japanese Sci-Fi picture. Aliens, plane full of varied personages crash land on a desert island (or perhaps not) The plane contains a corrupt politician, corrupt businessman, hired killer, bomb throwing anarchist, a professor, a doctor and co-pilot and hot stewardess. On top of that throw in a blood sucking alien/human with a gigantic split down his forehead. Very strange and VERY anti-war. Aliens come to earth to end our blood thirsty ways... how? By killing every living human... Could've been quite effective if the "moral" hadn't been telegraphed by a 100 foot tall flashing neon light. Special effects from hunger but I kinda liked it.

Worf

 

[1mach1]

Star Trek : Beyond

 

[1mach1]

Jaws on TCM. It really is a well done and entertaining movie.

One of my favorites.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Gods of Egypt - Jaime Lannister and King Leonidis destroy Egyptian mythology in a CGI-overkill crapfest. Utter dreck, just barely watchable in a so-bad-it's-entertaining way.

 

[Fading Fast]

My wife has become something of a Cary Grant fan of late...

Then it's official, every woman on earth - ever - is now a fan of Cary Grant.

Kidding aside, there is a reason he's an icon: handsome, timeless, elegant, can truly act, in so many iconic movies, in so many movies that are incredible that you don't hear about, the dimpled chin, the voice, the singular accent, wears a suit like a second skin, ageless - yup, there's a reason.

 

[Fading Fast]

I'm half way through a Worf recommendation (he mentioned it many, many months ago and I have been waiting for TCM to run it) "Gabriel Over the White House." I'll save a full viewing for a better review, but holy cow, this is a pre-code movie that is to politics what pre-code movies usual are to sex. No rules, norms, social niceties or usual restraints apply -the gloves are off in this one.

The President - after an car accident changes his character from a corrupt party hack to reformer - in the depths of the depression, fires his fat-cat cabinet, then basically declares congress null and void as it won't follow his policy wants, assumes a dictatorship and goes on to rule by decree, implement marshall law and uses show trials (rule-of-law is gone by this point) to convict criminals.

So far, the preceding is presented in an - overall - favorable light as the president-dictator uses his powers to create gov't jobs to employ the massive number of unemployed by spending without congressional approval or budgetary restraint, end prohibition without a constitutional amendment (okay, he definitely got that one right), fight racketeering without legal restrictions and singularly conduct foreign policy to get WWI foreign debts repaid and, basically, bully other countries into submission but with an aim toward ending military spending and wars.

I cannot wait to see how this well-outside-the-norm movie ends (just waiting for girlfriend to get back from meeting up with a friend and we're going to watch the rest of it). As noted, this is a rare pre-code where the freedom from censure is used for politics not sex (although, the president, before being reformed, is sleeping with his assistant).

 

[Doctor Strange]

Fascinating film, showing the attraction of fascist strongman tactics in the depths of the Depression even in the USA (see also Sinclair Lewis' It Can't Happen Here). That the president's actions also have a religious angle driving them is even scarier, in a separation of church and state sense.

Fascist blowhards are always with us, apparently - just look at REDACTED DUE TO POLITICS BAN!

 

[Touchofevil]

The Great Escape on RETRO

 

[MisterCairo]

As part of our expanding Hallowe'en collection, I bought and we watched John Carpenter's The Fog on blu-ray last night. I hadn't seen it since about 1983.

Adrienne Barbeau.

Sigh...

 

[greatestescaper]

As part of our expanding Hallowe'en collection, I bought and we watched John Carpenter's The Fog on blu-ray last night. I hadn't seen it since about 1983.

Adrienne Barbeau.

Sigh...

The Fog is one of my favorites. Though really, so much of Carpenter's work is excellent. Carpenter really has a talent for establishing wonderfully eerie atmosphere in his films!
My wife had the day off today (partially to get some online certification done) and so this afternoon over lunch and house chores we watched The She-Wolf of London. A film which I've had on dvd for over a decade as part of a Wolfman boxed set that I've never watched before. What a keen film! Then, this evening prepping dinner and then after dinner, on the screen was the 1932 classic, The Mummy, followed by Bela Lugosi in his most infamous role in Dracula.

 

[Zombie_61]

Father of the Bride (1950). Another one of those movies that I've somehow missed through the years. I liked it, but I can't say I enjoyed it because...well, Stanley T. Banks (Spencer Tracy) sums it up in a single word: "Chaos." That's one of those things about making the arrangements for a wedding ceremony that this movie definitely gets right in my opinion--the multitude of little (and ultimately insignificant) decisions that must be made, and the tension and anxiety that creates among the people involved. Chaos. Most men, I think, are completely baffled by the importance most women place on every little detail of the wedding ceremony. We just don't "get it", but we're willing to deal with it because it seems to make our beautiful brides, or daughters, happy (for the most part, anyway). And Mr. Tracy's performance helps to sell that notion--as long as his daughter Kay (Elizabeth Taylor) is happy, that's all that matters, so he's willing to put up with all of this nonsense to achieve that goal.

And then there's that wonderful moment during the ceremony when he's finally able to just sit and not be a participant, and he has the sudden realization (through voiceover) that he's losing "his little girl". The slight change of expression on his face to pain and sadness is just perfect for the moment. Maybe that's why I hadn't seen this movie until today--if I'd seen it when I was a younger man I probably wouldn't have appreciated that little moment as much, or may have completely missed it.

 

[AmateisGal]

My wife has become something of a Cary Grant fan of late, and has been wanting to watch more Hitchcock as well. As such we recently watch To Catch a Thief and North By Northwest.

Two utterly superb films.

 

[1mach1]

Cool Hand Luke

 

[Workhorse]

The Royal Wedding starring Fred Astaire and Jane Powell, with Peter Lawford. I have been drawn to Fred Astaire movies of late. He is such an amazing performer, and I can't take my eyes off of his feet.

Good stuff!

 

[Fading Fast]

I'm half way through a Worf recommendation (he mentioned it many, many months ago and I have been waiting for TCM to run it) "Gabriel Over the White House." I'll save a full viewing for a better review, but holy cow, this is a pre-code movie that is to politics what pre-code movies usual are to sex. No rules, norms, social niceties or usual restraints apply -the gloves are off in this one.

The President - after an car accident changes his character from a corrupt party hack to reformer - in the depths of the depression, fires his fat-cat cabinet, then basically declares congress null and void as it won't follow his policy wants, assumes a dictatorship and goes on to rule by decree, implement marshall law and uses show trials (rule-of-law is gone by this point) to convict criminals.

So far, the preceding is presented in an - overall - favorable light as the president-dictator uses his powers to create gov't jobs to employ the massive number of unemployed by spending without congressional approval or budgetary restraint, end prohibition without a constitutional amendment (okay, he definitely got that one right), fight racketeering without legal restrictions and singularly conduct foreign policy to get WWI foreign debts repaid and, basically, bully other countries into submission but with an aim toward ending military spending and wars.

I cannot wait to see how this well-outside-the-norm movie ends (just waiting for girlfriend to get back from meeting up with a friend and we're going to watch the rest of it). As noted, this is a rare pre-code where the freedom from censure is used for politics not sex (although, the president, before being reformed, is sleeping with his assistant).

Watched the end of "Gabriel Over the White House" and have little to add to my above comments as the movie ends with favorable commentary on what the President did - he effectively became a benevolent dictator who tore up the Constitution and abrogated the rule of law - because they liked what he accomplished. It is an incredibly honest "the ends justify the means" argument / movie and while I absolutely disagree for many reasons - I just mention one: what happens when the next dictator isn't benevolent? - I do respect that it wasn't wishy washy. This movie is not getting made once the code is enforced.

 

[Zombie_61]

Cool Hand Luke

He's a natural-born world-shaker.

 

[1mach1]

He's a natural-born world-shaker.

[emoji14]

 

[Stearmen]

The Station Agent (2003) Not at all what I was expecting!

 

[Worf]

As part of our expanding Hallowe'en collection, I bought and we watched John Carpenter's The Fog on blu-ray last night. I hadn't seen it since about 1983.

Adrienne Barbeau.

Sigh...

Just watched this one on DVD a few months ago. Good flick if a bit dated.

Worf