What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[AmateisGal]

Previewing "Deep Waters" (1948) for a screening next week. Typical postwar Fox hokum, but it was filmed in this area -- mostly on one of the islands off the coast, but a few scenes right here in town. Dana Andrews is all glowery as a leather-jacket wearing lobsterman, and Jean Peters is his welfare-worker girlfriend. The story is a lot of bunk about an orphan boy learning the ways of the sea, but the show is stolen by Cesar Romero as Andrews' "Portuguese" sternman. Yeah right, we used to have an Iberian population here, but he moved away.

I love Dana Andrews. He's one of my all-time favorite Golden Era stars.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Movies should do this more today. There is nothing wrong with the classically handsome lead actor or classically beautiful lead actress, but there is something also powerful about a not-out-of-central-casting male or female lead. As serg (many more letters) says, it demands a real actor who can command the role, but when he or she does, it is a treat. Maybe the studio system allowed for that to happen occasionally (you can take a shot now and then when you are making hundreds of movies a year); whereas, today, nobody will take that risk.

Television was once willing to do this -- see Edward Asner in Lou Grant, and you could say Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad too, so maybe some channels still are.

 

[1mach1]

Interstellar. It was very good.

 

[LizzieMaine]

You'll find a lot of this kind of casting in B pictures from the thirties -- these were often a field day for the kind of character actors who only got supporting parts in A pictures. The ultimate example has to be the "Hildegarde Withers" mystery series at RKO, which starred Edna May Oliver and James Gleason -- a lead actress who looked like an aggrieved ostrich paired with a lead actor who looked like an angry turkey.

Not all this sort of thing went on in B pictures, though. The most popular box office draw for a couple of years in the early thirties was Marie Dressler, in big-budget MGM features where she was often paired with Wallace Beery. You can't get much further from "traditional" leads than that.

 

[AmateisGal]

"Ant-Man." Absolutely fantastic! Really enjoyed it.

 

[Fading Fast]

You'll find a lot of this kind of casting in B pictures from the thirties -- these were often a field day for the kind of character actors who only got supporting parts in A pictures. The ultimate example has to be the "Hildegarde Withers" mystery series at RKO, which starred Edna May Oliver and James Gleason -- a lead actress who looked like an aggrieved ostrich paired with a lead actor who looked like an angry turkey.

Not all this sort of thing went on in B pictures, though. The most popular box office draw for a couple of years in the early thirties was Marie Dressler, in big-budget MGM features where she was often paired with Wallace Beery. You can't get much further from "traditional" leads than that.

And many (not all) of those are quite enjoyable movies. She was a talent. And Benzadmiral makes a good point, maybe some of that non-traditional casting is now done in TV land.

 

[Feraud]

Finally watched Birdman last night. That was one boooooring film..

 

[Big J]

Interstellar. It was very good.

Yeah, I really liked that (although a lot of people moaned about it). I liked MM in True Detective also.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Finally watched Birdman last night. That was one boooooring film..

People don't often act hostile on their way out of the theatre, but they were after that one.

 

[Feraud]

I can understand why!

 

[Worf]

Finally watched Birdman last night. That was one boooooring film..

I didn't find it booooooring,.. but I sure as hell found it weird!!!!! Remember t's not polite dis Oscar Winning films! LOL!

Worf

 

[AmateisGal]

It Had To Be You with Ginger Rogers and Cornel Wilde. Loved it! My daughter normally doesn't like my classic films, but she really liked this one!

 

[Fading Fast]

It Had To Be You with Ginger Rogers and Cornel Wilde. Loved it! My daughter normally doesn't like my classic films, but she really liked this one!

I DVR'd it and plan to watch it today / tomorrow whenever times permits. Now I'm even more excited as I've never seen it and I find I am having a bit of a harder time finding old movies that I haven't seen and want to watch.

 

[AmateisGal]

I DVR'd it and plan to watch it today / tomorrow whenever times permits. Now I'm even more excited as I've never seen it and I find I am having a bit of a harder time finding old movies that I haven't seen and want to watch.

It's a lot of fun. Stretches credibility in places, but still good.

 

[Touchofevil]

Zodiac on IFC. A very strong cast from the lead actors to the bit. Well done and scary.

 

[Zombie_61]

Zodiac on IFC. A very strong cast from the lead actors to the bit. Well done and scary.

It's a very good movie, as long as you remember it's only a movie with regards to naming the killer. Zodiac was based on a book of the same name written by Robert Graysmith, and both professional and amateur investigators have discounted his theories about who the Zodiac killer is/was. Investigators gather facts and evidence and let them indicate who the suspect/suspects is/are (in a perfect world, anyway), but Graysmith decided who he thought Zodiac was and "massaged" facts and evidence to make them fit his theory.

 

[Touchofevil]

It's a very good movie, as long as you remember it's only a movie with regards to naming the killer. Zodiac was based on a book of the same name written by Robert Graysmith, and both professional and amateur investigators have discounted his theories about who the Zodiac killer is/was. Investigators gather facts and evidence and let them indicate who the suspect/suspects is/are (in a perfect world, anyway), but Graysmith decided who he thought Zodiac was and "massaged" facts and evidence to make them fit his theory.

All too often, this is how it goes. Graysmith had to have something to show for his obsessive behavior and in the end he did, a very well done movie. Although I have seen it a few times, I am still impressed with the sheer number of talented actors involved in the making of this story.

 

[Gregg Axley]

No one could do menace, rage or pathos like Robinson. Say what you will.... he was an actor! Matinee Idol? Never! But a man who's art I respect and love? Always... Would give an arm to have dinner with him in the next world.

Worf

+1 :eusa_clap

 

[Zombie_61]

...Although I have seen it a few times, I am still impressed with the sheer number of talented actors involved in the making of this story.

I agree. A movie like Zodiac could easily have had a "movie of the week" feel to it in the hands of less competent people.

 

[dh66]

'Trail of the Pink Panther' (1982) This is the one done after Peter Sellers death, and consisted of spliced together clips and outtakes from the previous films loosely woven together around a plot about Inspector Clouseau's disappearance. Sort of a "best of" montage of hilarity from the previous films.
I found the DVD at the thrift store for a buck, so no bad investment, plus I figured that my kids needed to see the real deal.......