What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[Fading Fast]

"Gargoyles" on Svengoolie - A made for TV flick from '72 that is far scarier and creepier than it's premise or budget would indicate. Probably because the actors played it straight and for keeps. Best scene being Bernie Casey as the lead male gargoyle sniffing and pawing at the young, unconscious female lead in a scene straight out of "King Kong". Don't know how that scene got aired.

Worf

Have not scene "Gargoyles" but I know I've mentioned before how the scene in "King Kong" where Kong runs his fingers all over Fay Wray's limp body and then sniffs his fingers causing his nostrils to flair is one of the most aggressively sexually suggestive scenes ever, let along in 1933. I am amazed it made it to the screen even in the "pre-code" era.

 

[belfastboy]

Just checked it out on IMBD as your comments, plus my love of Maine, plus Wiest is an interesting actress got me interested, but it got a 4.3 rating which might be the lowest rating I've seen for any movie ever on that site.

I applaud the writer/director for her efforts and for what I think she was trying to create but it did not quite get "there". I thought Wiest's performance was good, my wife did not think so but added it may have been more to do with the script and how the character was drawn. I liked her performance even with the uneven material she had to work with.

 

[Worf]

Have not scene "Gargoyles" but I know I've mentioned before how the scene in "King Kong" where Kong runs his fingers all over Fay Wray's limp body and then sniffs his fingers causing his nostrils to flair is one of the most aggressively sexual suggestive scenes ever, let along in 1933. I am amazed it made it to the screen even in the "pre-code" era.

That scene WAS cut from many of the original prints of the film for the reasons you mention as was the village body stomping scenes. They were only added back in the '80's I believe.

Worf

 

[O'Sully]

I recorded it from TCM last weekend and have been trying to make the time to watch it (saw the first ten minutes and it looks good).

What did you think of it?

Decent Noir, I have seen it a few times before
It's worth a look just for Carolyn Jones

 

[Zombie_61]

The best version of the story I've seen was on stage, at the National in 2011. It was filmed for later showings in cinema,s but sadly no DVD release as of yet. Worth seeing if you ever get the chance, though - I saw it dur4ing previews with Cumberbatch as the creature and Johnny Lee Miller as Franknstein (famously, they swapped roles each night, meaning one of them didn't have to go in for four hours of make-up to play the creature *every* night.... plus it meant a lot of people went twice.....). Directed by Danny Boyle, with music by Leftfield. It was fantastic - lovely allusions to the nature / industrial revolution conflict as well.

This sounds interesting. I hope it eventually makes it's way to DVD/Blu-Ray/cable because I'd like to see it.

Have not scene "Gargoyles" but I know I've mentioned before how the scene in "King Kong" where Kong runs his fingers all over Fay Wray's limp body and then sniffs his fingers causing his nostrils to flair is one of the most aggressively sexual suggestive scenes ever, let along in 1933. I am amazed it made it to the screen even in the "pre-code" era.

This scene was even more blatant and ham-fisted in Dino De Laurentiis' 1976 version. For anyone who hasn't seen it, Kong retrieves Dwan (Jessica Lange, in her movie debut) from a pool of mud, holds her under a waterfall to wash the mud off, uses his breath to dry her (literally a "blow dry"), then proceeds to run a finger over her, slowly stripping her of the ceremonial ornamentation she's wearing. This renders her momentarily topless, and the scene is intercut with close-ups of Kong grinning lecherously. Even as a fifteen-year-old I sat in the theater watching this for the first time thinking, "Why would a gorilla have any sexual interest whatsoever in a human female that's not much larger than it's finger?" Dumb, dumb, dumb.

 

[Fading Fast]

...This scene was even more blatant and ham-fisted in Dino De Laurentiis' 1976 version. For anyone who hasn't seen it, Kong retrieves Dwan (Jessica Lange, in her movie debut) from a pool of mud, holds her under a waterfall to wash the mud off, uses his breath to dry her (literally a "blow dry"), then proceeds to run a finger over her, slowly stripping her of the ceremonial ornamentation she's wearing. This renders her momentarily topless, and the scene is intercut with close-ups of Kong grinning lecherously. Even as a fifteen-year-old I sat in the theater watching this for the first time thinking, "Why would a gorilla have any sexual interest whatsoever in a human female that's not much larger than it's finger?" Dumb, dumb, dumb.

I'm still a bit angry at that movie because it is such a poor version versus the original (if you can't do it better, interestingly different or fresh in an energizing way - don't remake a movie and really don't remake a classic), but as a young boy seeing it in the movie theater in '76 nothing about that scene or Jessica Lange didn't burn itself into my 12-year-old brain synapses.

 

[AmateisGal]

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Loved it! I don't think it was as good as the first one, but came close!

 

[Zombie_61]

I'm still a bit angry at that movie because it is such a poor version versus the original (if you can't do it better, interestingly different or fresh in an energizing way - don't remake a movie and really don't remake a classic), but as a young boy seeing it in the movie theater in '76 nothing about that scene or Jessica Lange didn't burn itself into my 12-year-old brain synapses.

I'm almost certain they forgot to tell Jeff Bridges, Jessica Lange, or Rick Baker that it was supposed to be a "light-hearted semi-comical romp" version of the story because they all gave solid performances and every other actor was hamming it up.

 

[Benzadmiral]

A Kind of Murder, based on a Patricia Highsmith novel. It's set in Manhattan in either early 1960 or late in the year, wintertime. So it might be of interest to FL people . . . except that I thought, from my limited knowledge of things of that vintage, that the director and costume people didn't quite get it right. Patrick Wilson's hat and other clothing suggested more the late '40s than it did Mad Men era. Other hats and outfits worked better: Vincent Kartheiser's crewcut and short-brimmed fedora, which looked like it had never been reblocked after several bad rainstorms, looked great, and as far as I know the outfits on the suburban ladies, including Jessica Biel, looked right. But Wilson dressed too casually a good part of the time.

The cars are cool: We see a 1959 Cadillac and some late '50s Chevies, and Kartheiser's character drives an early '50s Chevy. Wilson has the star car, though, a Generation One Corvette in a steel blue color.

On the whole, the setting just didn't convince me that this was a 1960 story. Maybe if they had filmed it in black-and-white . . .

 

[Benzadmiral]

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, J.K. Rowling's adventure set in Harry Potter's magic world, but in 1926 New York. Now this one convinced me more that this was indeed taking place in its era, albeit an alternate universe from ours where magic is part of the fabric of civilization. There's JKR's trademark jack-Latin magical commands and a neatly-concealed mystery, plus lots of creative fun stuff, especially the creatures (most of whom, the Trivia section on IMDb reminds us, have been mentioned in Potter books and movies) and their abilities. One can find gold, in fact loves to do so, and another can "see" the most probable outcome of a series of actions.

Standout star in this one is Sam Waterston's daughter Katherine as Porpentina "Tina" Goldstein, a magical investigator.

 

[Fading Fast]

"Our Little Sister" a 2015 Japanese film

Engaging and beautiful movie about the lives of three Japanese sisters ranging in age from their late teens to late twenties who - owing to a philandering father and abandoning mother - live by themselves in the family's old, rambling house.

There are no gunfights, fistfights or car chases. There is no computer hacking, endless texting or (almost any) yelling. There's just three sisters at a crossroads in their lives when their philandering-and-long-since-left father passes away and they decide to take in their never-before-the-funeral-seen teenage half-sister.

The charm of this movie comes in part from the outwardly low-key nature of Japanese culture. After movie upon movie of yelling, screaming, dysfunctional American families, it's relaxing to see a family move through turmoil - in addition to the father's death and new step sister, the estranged mother shows up for a visit, long-time boyfriends want to commit or not and careers experience upheaval - with outward calm and internal reflection.

The tension, anger, emotional pain is there, but in an odd parallel to the surface calm of American WASP culture, these things manifest themselves in small gestures, quiet comments, oblique references and painful glances - not, as noted, in the full-throttled screaming - throw it all out there raw and on max volume - way so in vogue in America today.

This culture tranquility and reflection leads to a more thoughtful movie that brings out the grey and nuance in most conflicts and decisions: it's more like reading a book with well-drawn characters than a watching a movie flash by on CGI and action.

Enhancing all of it is the director's incredible eye for detail and ability to bring out beauty in what appears to be a normal Japanese suburb near the ocean. It's all attractively imperfect: The house, the girl's wardrobes, the local train and the ocean are not Chanel perfect but visually appealing. Scene after scene captures a simple beauty that echoes the lives of these slightly lost but also resolute young women.

That's it. Yes, there's a story arc to follow - and it will engage you - but the true joy of the movie is the journey, the time spent with these smart, interesting, and very real young women.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I recently watched this too, and loved it. A beautiful little slice-of-life movie with nary a false note.

 

[green papaya]

FLETCH (1985) starring Chevy Chase

I always liked the soundtrack they used in this movie, it's a classic 1980's comedy!

 

[Julian Shellhammer]

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, from Amazon. Very enjoyable, with, as noted above, references to the Potterverse.

 

[daisy2er]

Update~ Mr.Donkey

 

[Fading Fast]

"Golden Arrow" 1936 starring Bette Davis and George Brent

• The full force of the stupid "production code" can be felt as this is another twisted plot about mistaken identities, people appearing to be rich or poor when they aren't and people marrying, not for love, but then falling in love after a bunch of misunderstandings, etc.
  • My God they made a bunch of these, varying the mix-ups, but all silly stories around marriages, mistakes, almost affairs and confused identities. It's hard to take after the real-life and, sometime, quite gritty plots of the "pre-code" era

• That said, this is a decent if not super-exciting version of the same movie they made dozens of times as Davis powers through it lifting the quality of the entire production - even Brent's as-usual sleepy performance

• I've noted this before, this deep-in-the-heart-of-the-depression movie is all about the super rich - yachts, international travel, luxurious vacations, beautiful clothes, cars, restaurants, etc. - which tells me why this country never had a worker's revolution in the '30s. Despite it all, people loved seeing the world of the rich and clearly didn't hate them or they wouldn't have made so many, basically, sympathetic (it only pokes lighthearted fun at the rich) movies like this one because they wouldn't have sold movie tickets

• There's a good amount of very cool Art Deco architecture and neat '30s period details - clothes, cars, sets, etc.

 

[Doctor Strange]

The Earrings of Madame de... A famous French film from the fifties by Max Ophuls that's been on my to-see list for decades. Beautifully filmed, but it was hard to work up any sympathy for the spoiled heroine (Danielle Darrieux) who torpedoes her marriage to a cold general (Charles Boyer) over a baron (Vittorio De Sica).

Were this remade, they'd cast actors half the age of these people. Darrieux was in her thirties, the male leads in their fifties. Between that and the hidebound conventions of circa-1900 French society, I felt no heat coming from the allegedly great passions on display.

 

[Fading Fast]

The Earrings of Madame de... A famous French film from the fifties by Max Ophuls that's been on my to-see list for decades. Beautifully filmed, but it was hard to work up any sympathy for the spoiled heroine (Danielle Darrieux) who torpedoes her marriage to a cold general (Charles Boyer) over a baron (Vittorio De Sica).

Were this remade, they'd cast actors half the age of these people. Darrieux was in her thirties, the male leads in their fifties. Between that and the hidebound conventions of circa-1900 French society, I felt no heat coming from the allegedly great passions on display.

I saw it for the first time in the last five years as, like you, it was on my to-see list as I had heard so many good things about it. Like you, I was underwhelmed.

 

[Edward]

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, J.K. Rowling's adventure set in Harry Potter's magic world, but in 1926 New York. Now this one convinced me more that this was indeed taking place in its era, albeit an alternate universe from ours where magic is part of the fabric of civilization. There's JKR's trademark jack-Latin magical commands and a neatly-concealed mystery, plus lots of creative fun stuff, especially the creatures (most of whom, the Trivia section on IMDb reminds us, have been mentioned in Potter books and movies) and their abilities. One can find gold, in fact loves to do so, and another can "see" the most probable outcome of a series of actions.

Standout star in this one is Sam Waterston's daughter Katherine as Porpentina "Tina" Goldstein, a magical investigator.

I saw it in the cinema last year - it is indeed a lot of fun. I'd say it's the best of the Potter-related films thus far. It's interesting that there is a compete absence of child characters. I wonder was that a clever calculation to appeal to the audience that has grown up with Potter and can now identify with adults more than the children. I also was amused that it's referenced Newt was a Hufflepuff.... if the sequel is as popular as the first, the Hufflepuff merch won't be the sad, last ones in the shop after all the others have sold out any longer...

It's trvel season for me again (three trips in and out of Beijing this month along, and a conference in Portugal and one in Brussels either side of that....), so I'm seeing a lot of films on the plane. The latest batch included "A Monster Calls", an allegorical tale about a boy learning to deal with his mother's impending death. Made me quite sad, as it almost coincided with the anniversary of losing one of my own, dear cats long before what should have been her time. "Hacksaw Ridge" is so much more than just a decent WW2 picture, it's a trruly uplifting story of true courage in a form Atticus Finch would recognise. Well worth seeing. "Founder" is an interesting little picture starring Michael Keaton. Keaton plays the guy who convinced the McDonalds brothers to franchise the fast food system they invented, and created the McDonalds corporate giant we know today. An interestingly nuanced piece; Keaton's character is charming, winning, and yet ultimately there's still the sinking feeling that despite being given enough to see out their lives on, the Macdonalds brothers were cheated by Kroc (Keaton), as they were persuaded to sign the contract without their royalty agreement re the Speedee Service System in writing (Kroc persuaded them to do it on a handshake, then refused to recognise it later). Worse, the brothers had wanted to gift the original restaurant to their founding employees now they were retiring. In a pique that he couldn't have "the original", Kroc opened a Macdonalds nearby. The original - known as "Big M", because the ownership of the name McDonalds had gone in the sale to Kroc - lasted barely three years after that. I'm not sure I feel so keen on Mickey D's knowing that!
Great character-based film, though. And worth it for the cars, clothes, and other period details alone.

 

[Fading Fast]

Just watched TCM's filler between two movies. Even this stuff is better than most main offerings on other networks:

• A fun "Word of Mouth" about Rita Hayworth - she blasted the roof off sex appeal in "Gilda," looks ridiculously gorgeous in the perfectly chosen clips and there was some nice quick comments from the likes of Tab Hunter (flash from the past)

• A quick self-congratulatory chat by Ben Mankiewicz that still felt like it genuinely reflects how much TCM's staff loves what it does

• A long trailer to "Pal Joey" narrated by its star Frank Sinatra which, to be honest, make the movie seem better and more risqué than it is, but it was still fun to see how they marketed a movie back then. And having Kim Novak and Rita Hayworth in one movie is a pretty good head start - and the trailer knew highlighting those two made sense

• Some perfectly chosen clips from upcoming TCM movies

• A highlight of "The Essentials" with Alec Baldwin and David Letterman (sporting an almost Rip Van Winkle beard - hardly recognized him) where they have a great short chat about - with wonderful clips from - both "The Lost Weekend" and "East of Eden"

• A 1914 movie by Keystone "The Great Toe Mystery" which is okay / fun for a 1914 movie, but for me, the real value is in seeing the early development of film making and, as distorted as it is, a window into life in 1914

• "Newsflash for May -" books, specials, etc.

What other network has filler you care about - that was a fun 15 minutes.