What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[Lord Brett]

Saw that in the cinema. Very, very disappointing. Problem was I took it as face value, as the advertising promised. Second time round I approached is as a deliberately-rubbish B-movie and it was very entertaining. Sadly, I don't think the people making it realised it was cliche-laden satire... Could still have been better without Will Smith. He really grates on me in 99.9% of what I've seen him do, though to be fair I liked him in I, Legend.

Funnily enough, I was at a live event where composer David Arnold was talking about the making of Independence Day, which was his first really big movie commission He told the audience that the filmmakers were fully aware that it was cliche-ridden satire, which everyone seemed to miss at the time. Independence Day is basically European moviemakers having fun making the most over-the-top patriotic American movie possible, and getting away with it.

 

[AmateisGal]

Funnily enough, I was at a live event where composer David Arnold was talking about the making of Independence Day, which was his first really big movie commission He told the audience that the filmmakers were fully aware that it was cliche-ridden satire, which everyone seemed to miss at the time. Independence Day is basically European moviemakers having fun making the most over-the-top patriotic American movie possible, and getting away with it.

I can see that. I was joking with my husband last night that it's funny how the Americans always come up with the solution to catastrophic problems facing the entire world. lol As a sampling, there's not only Independence Day, but Armageddon and Deep Impact, to name a few.

 

[gigagirl]

James Bond - A View To A Kill. Naturally there was a James Bond marathon on TV this weekend and hubby was tuned in, so I sat and watched this one...again!

At the movie theater is was "Secretariat" which I loved.

 

[Edward]

Funnily enough, I was at a live event where composer David Arnold was talking about the making of Independence Day, which was his first really big movie commission He told the audience that the filmmakers were fully aware that it was cliche-ridden satire, which everyone seemed to miss at the time. Independence Day is basically European moviemakers having fun making the most over-the-top patriotic American movie possible, and getting away with it.

Interesting! I did not know that. Maybe it was the marketing that missed it... Certainly, looking at it that way totally revolutionised it for me.

 

[Wally_Hood]

True Grit (1969) with Duke, Glen Campbell, and promising newcomer Kim Darby. I almost never say this, but the remake was a more enjoyable film. The Missus commented that had she never seen the Coen brothers' film, she would have enjoyed the original more.

Also, somewhere in there, Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat (1944) and Black Magic (1944), aka Meeting at Midnight. Monogram releases with Sidney Toler. The series was losing steam at this point, in production values and performances.

Thanks to the techno-marvel of dvd I was able to do something that I had thought about for decades: when the plot is advanced through zooms into a newspaper headline and article, what do those articles which cluster around the main one actually say? Pausing the disc, I saw that in one case the first paragraph talked about the murder with which Lt. Chan was involved and the second dealt with a train disaster. In another newspaper montage, the article about fraud in a divorce case was repeated after appearing on a front page months earlier.

 

[DavidJones]

After seeing Prometheus in the theater, I came home and watched Lawrence of Arabia. I had forgotten how great of a movie that was.

 

[Lord Brett]

Interesting! I did not know that. Maybe it was the marketing that missed it... Certainly, looking at it that way totally revolutionised it for me.

David Arnold is well worth seeing if you get the chance. It's just like watching one of your film-buff mates talk, then you remember they happen to be an incredibly talented film composer.

 

[DesertDan]

Saw "Prometheus" this weekend - what a disappointment.

Rented some DVD's:

Sherlock Holmes 1 & 2 - Enjoyed them, very well done. Robert Downey Jr. & Jude Law make a great team.
Thor - Meh, but I wanted to see all the "Superhero" movies before I see "The Avengers".
A Scanner Darkly - Not bad. The acting was very good, especially Robert Downey Jr. (not surprisingly)
Minority Report - I will be watching this tonight.

 

[Miss Moonlight]

Souls at Sea, 1937. Starring Gary Cooper. Olympia Bradna is in it, which was wonderful. What a heart-rending film! So sad. So good.

Possible spoiler:
I'm surprised they showed a child you'd gotten to know basically killed (there was an explosion) after Hitchcock's 1936 film, Sabotage, garnered so much ire showed a known child killed in an explosion. Maybe this was already made but not out when the 36 film was out.

What an incredible and not well enough known film.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029593/

 

[Stearmen]

True Grit (1969) with Duke, Glen Campbell, and promising newcomer Kim Darby. I almost never say this, but the remake was a more enjoyable film. The Missus commented that had she never seen the Coen brothers' film, she would have enjoyed the original more.

I wonder what people would be saying today about the original True Grit if they had managed to get the costar the director and producers originally wanted? That of course was one, Elvis Aaron Presley!

 

[Miss Golightly]

The Wicker Man (1973)

 

[Worf]

"Moonrise Kingdom" - Interesting movie. Not as groundbreaking as my teenaged boy seems to think but I was entertained. Whimsical is the word I'd use for it. It's set in 1965 so the cultural references are pretty funny and spot on. Great acting by the two young leads who are well supported by a cast of legendaries. You could do worse with an hour and 45, particularly if the theatre's well air-conditioned.

Worf

 

[jamespowers]

I wonder what people would be saying today about the original True Grit if they had managed to get the costar the director and producers originally wanted? That of course was one, Elvis Aaron Presley!

They would say: "Thank you very much."

 

[DanielJones]

This evening, "Stigmata". It's been a while.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[ButteMT61]

On The Waterfront, 1954.

 

[Edward]

Re-watched Zombieland and Watchmen a few days ago. Both wonderful.

 

[Wally_Hood]

I wonder what people would be saying today about the original True Grit if they had managed to get the costar the director and producers originally wanted? That of course was one, Elvis Aaron Presley!

The King, not the Duke?

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

Hemingway's Garden of Eden, via Netflix, just now.

 

[seabass]

John Steinbeck's
Tortilla Flat (1942), & Cannery Row (1982)

 

[jamespowers]

The King, not the Duke?

No, he said Co-star so The Duke and The King.