What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[ChiTownScion]

Watched a little bit of "Sons Of The Desert," probably Laurel and Hardy's funniest feature, which is always worth a glance when it turns up. Tuned in just in time for the lodge convention scene, featuring "Honolulu Baby," the most delightfully stupid musical number in the history of low-budget film. The Roach studio had a real gift for this kind of sincere dopeyness, and it fits the mood of the picture perfectly. And Mae Busch is perfect in a role I wouldn't mind playing myself.

For some reason that feature is a lot funnier to me since I became a member of a fraternal (lodge) organization. Granted, the Sons are a take off on the Shriners, and these days members of Shriners International (they're no longer the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine) are more likely to take their grey wives along to an Imperial Session: they're a lot older now, so the antics are more subdued. (Heck, their "marching bands" now ride, seated, on floats. They're usually in bed by ten PM.)

But getting clearance from wives to attend the annual Grand Lodge Communication is still a dynamic that unfolds in many of my lodge brothers' homes.

 

[EngProf]

Watched a little bit of "Sons Of The Desert," probably Laurel and Hardy's funniest feature, which is always worth a glance when it turns up. Tuned in just in time for the lodge convention scene, featuring "Honolulu Baby," the most delightfully stupid musical number in the history of low-budget film. The Roach studio had a real gift for this kind of sincere dopeyness, and it fits the mood of the picture perfectly. And Mae Busch is perfect in a role I wouldn't mind playing myself.

Usually I don't care a hoot about being in a lodge of the "Sons of the Desert" type, but if they would appoint me as their "Exhausted Ruler" I'd join up in a heartbeat.

 

[HanauMan]

Agreed, but even better than TC, more like Travolta's understated dance genius in "Pulp Fiction."

I'll have to look that up. One problem, however, is that I hate Quentin Tarantino and therefore tend to avoid watching his films.

 

[AmateisGal]

Deep Valley with Ida Lupino and Dane Cook.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I'll have to look that up. One problem, however, is that I hate Quentin Tarantino and therefore tend to avoid watching his films.

Fair enough - the swaggering, violent hipster glibness and smartarsery, too-cool-for-schoolness does irritate although I liked Pulp Fiction - the others I've seen, which is most, not so much. What's you're issue with his films?

 

[HanauMan]

Fair enough - the swaggering, violent hipster glibness and smartarsery, too-cool-for-schoolness does irritate although I liked Pulp Fiction - the others I've seen, which is most, not so much. What's you're issue with his films?

Oh, I have watched his films as I'm a fan of the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta and Uma Thurman. I just don't 'get' his enfant terrible persona that he puts across in interviews and making films for the sake of violence isn't what I'm looking for, though it is a popular genre I admit. I get the feeling like he is trying to be some kind of Werner Herzog director but all he does, really, is recycle every 'cool' movie genre he ever watched as a kid. Good for him, I suppose, but not what I personally am looking for anymore.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Re Tarantino, if you comb back through this thread, you'll see that I've said virtually the same thing about a half-dozen times over the years.

I think Tarantino is a VERY talented writer of dialog... but he has squandered his entire career making "homages" to genre junk that was crap in the first place. I watch his films and am always very impressed with his writing, staging, and directing of actors, but he's never made a film that I actually liked or thought was a worthwhile use of his talent.

That's the part that bothers me even more than his whole hipper-than-thou, this-campy-trash-is-brilliant stance: he is clearly capable of making great, original, important films... but he's not interested in trying.

 

[Fading Fast]

Woman Against Woman from 1938 staring Herbert Marshall, Mary Astor and Virginia Bruce.

A few movies during the (enforced) code period managed to cover some real topics - in this case, divorce and child custody - with some level of honesty. While this one is not complex, at sixty-minutes, it moves quickly and keeps you engaged: Mary Astor is a mean and manipulative wife; Marshall divorces her and marries a very nice Virginia Bruce; Astor tries to keep Bruce socially ostracized in their small, upper-class community while using her and Marshall's little girl as a constant point of leverage to keep Marshall in her orbit and to irritate Bruce.

A better version of this movie's theme can be found in 1939's In Name Only where Cary Grant tries to divorce a mean and manipulative Kay Francis to marry a very nice Carol Lombard. The characters, story and relationships are more complex and interesting than in Woman Against Woman. That said, Woman Against Woman is fine for its brief effort - and it has some wonderful period details - but catch In Name Only to see the story given a more thoughtful presentation. While not code shattering, it is enjoyable to see that a few movies were made during the period that at least circled around real-life family problems.

 

[belfastboy]

For some reason that feature is a lot funnier to me since I became a member of a fraternal (lodge) organization. Granted, the Sons are a take off on the Shriners, and these days members of Shriners International (they're no longer the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine) are more likely to take their grey wives along to an Imperial Session: they're a lot older now, so the antics are more subdued. (Heck, their "marching bands" now ride, seated, on floats. They're usually in bed by ten PM.)

But getting clearance from wives to attend the annual Grand Lodge Communication is still a dynamic that unfolds in many of my lodge brothers' homes.

My wife joined an Ulster Accordian Marching Band. She was close to retirement age and was welcomed with open arms because even at her advanced age she lowered the average age of the band. The second season heralded the dawn of a terrible decision....they abandoned the marching aspect and had a "float" built on the deck of a truck. The Ulster Marching Band became a non marching, marching band. It was either that or disband as most of them struggled to walk. They still played a mean accordion though.

 

[Zombie_61]

...The second season heralded the dawn of a terrible decision....they abandoned the marching aspect and had a "float" built on the deck of a truck. The Ulster Marching Band became a non marching, marching band. It was either that or disband as most of them struggled to walk...

I suppose that's marginally better than renaming themselves "The Ulster Walker-Bound Band".

 

[Bushman]

BlackkKlansman, from Spike Lee and Starring John D. Washington and Adam Driver as Ron Stallworth (yes, you read that right). As an admirer of Spike Lee's activist film style, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Full of tension broken by bouts of comedy simply out of the ridiculousness of the fact that a black undercover police officer somehow successfully infiltrated a chapter of the Klu Klux Klan and successfully brought down several of its members.

Afterwards I watched Disney's Ratatouille for something fun and lighthearted. Because this movie always makes me hungry, I found myself at 2am with a bowl of french onion soup, some pickles, and a slice of buttered bread.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Roma on Netflix.

It's a remarkable, unique film... but it's also clearly what we used to call an art film. I found it at times to be reminiscent of the Fellini/Bergman/Kurosawa/etc. films of the fifties and sixties (which is among the highest praise I can offer). Netflix can promote it as much as they want, and it can clean up at all the awards... but it will never be a popular success.

It's in b/w and subtitled, and has a very slow beginning, it takes forever for the story to draw you in and get moving. It takes patience and commitment... qualities which most of today's viewers don't have in the insanely oversaturated media landscape. Many folks who start will quickly be bored and switch if off. I myself watched the first 50 minutes and gave up, impressed with the film's technique but not feeling the story, then came back a few days later for the rest.

But it's an amazing film. The story, though specific to one family in Mexico in 1970, is universal. The film's technique, while in some ways an extension of the remarkable long take methods Alfonso Cuaron has used before in Children of Men and Gravity, is absolutely incredible. The complex choreography of action/acting and camera movement - sometimes in huge locales with hundreds of extras - is unprecedented. As the widescreen camera pans and roves, there are typically multiple actions occurring in the foreground and background that frequently comment on one another. Every shot is a work of art. The digital b/w is like traditional b/w film, but allows for effects that couldn't be achieved with the lighting limitations of chemical photography. From a purely technical perspective, there are things that had me sitting jaw-dropped wondering how the heck they achieved these effects. The never-before-acted woman in the lead role is outstanding. And when the story reaches its dramatic climaxes, the sequences are transfixing, terrifying, and very moving.

The Oscar nominations haven't been announced yet, but I'd assume Cuaron will be nominated for directing, cinematography (he was also the DP, not his usual genius collaborator Chivo), and original screenplay as well as foreign language film. He deserves to win them all, but the one I don't see how he can lose is cinematography: this is the most astonishingly photographed film I've seen in a long time.

Highly recommended... but realize it's an art film, not a typical movie: you have to be prepared to let it wash over you slowly and gradually draw you in.

 

[AmateisGal]

Now, Voyager. Twice. It's such a beautiful film that watching it twice in a row thanks to TCM's Watch TCM Live page is not a burden whatsoever. I read the book it's based on last year and it's just as beautiful.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Re Tarantino, if you comb back through this thread, you'll see that I've said virtually the same thing about a half-dozen times over the years.

I think Tarantino is a VERY talented writer of dialog... but he has squandered his entire career making "homages" to genre junk that was crap in the first place. I watch his films and am always very impressed with his writing, staging, and directing of actors, but he's never made a film that I actually liked or thought was a worthwhile use of his talent.

That's the part that bothers me even more than his whole hipper-than-thou, this-campy-trash-is-brilliant stance: he is clearly capable of making great, original, important films... but he's not interested in trying.

That's a very keen and interesting critique. I wonder however if Tarantino is capable of being clever outside of a soft-core postmodern kitschiness. I think it's what gives his art - such as it is - vitality. If you gave Tarantino a straight drama I think he'd totally lose his way. And let's face it, there's enough fans who think he's doing just fine in almost everything he touches.

 

[AmateisGal]

The Proud Rebel with Alan Ladd and Olivia de Havilland. A beautiful film. First time I've watched it and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

[Worf]

Now, Voyager. Twice. It's such a beautiful film that watching it twice in a row thanks to TCM's Watch TCM Live page is not a burden whatsoever. I read the book it's based on last year and it's just as beautiful.

Hey! Hey! HEY!!!!! Good to see you back! We missed you!!!!!

Worf

 

[rocketeer]

The Boat that Rocked.
A comedy based upon the lives of disc jockeys aboard the pirate radio ships anchored in the North Sea off the English coast during the 1960s when comercial radio was unlawful in the UK.
Not a bad film but rather overlong. What it does make up for is possibly one of the best 1960s soundtracks ever. Yes all the top numbers are there, 60 in all I believe, some obviously set pieces to parts of the film. A few ridiculous scenarios but then it is a fictitious comedy.
Not well received during it's initial run though that was mainly due to being 2 1/4 hrs long, I do think 1 3/4 may have been enough.
Either way I enjoyed it

 

[Doctor Strange]

Solo: A Star Wars Story on Netflix.

Ersatz Star Wars flick with some exciting moments, but its invented backstory for Han Solo doesn't really add much that we especially needed to know. There's some fun in seeing how Han met Chewbacca and Lando, and how he got his hands on the Millennium Falcon. There are some details that explain where some of the expertise he displays in the set-later films comes from (he'd been an Imperial pilot and infantry soldier and thus knows Imperial military procedures; his father had worked at the Corellian shipyards where Falcon-class ships were built and Han became intimately familiar with every aspect of them). Less successful are his exploits with a childhood girlfriend turned criminal operative (Emilia Clarke, minus Khaleesi's blonde wig), and a gang of thieves led by Woody Harrelson and Thandie Newton that plays like outtakes from Firefly. (There's even a spaceship-run train robbery!)

As Han, Alden Ehrenreich is good - there are times when he really nails Harrison Ford's expressions and line delivery - but he looks to be about a foot shorter than Ford.

It's a typically professional Lucasfilm production, but was this trip really necessary? (Audiences thought not: this is the first-ever SW film to have "underperformed" at the box office.) Anyway, it's enjoyable enough in a Star Wars-lite way if you keep your expectations low.

 

[AmateisGal]

Hey! Hey! HEY!!!!! Good to see you back! We missed you!!!!!

Worf

Awww, thanks so much, Worf!!!

 

[AmateisGal]

Gilda which is never a chore to watch. One of these days I'm going to try to get my hair to look like Rita's in this film...

Now watching Lured with Lucille Ball and George Sanders. I've watched it a few times before - it's such a fun movie. And Sir Cedric Hardwicke is the bad guy!