What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[TimeWarpWife]

My friend and I went to see War Room. The theater was packed and we all cheered, clapped, laughed, and cried. I've never had an experience like this at a movie before. It's a Christ-centered movie about the power of prayer, which might not be some people's cup of tea, but this believer not only thoroughly enjoyed it, it's changing my life.

 

[ChiTownScion]

I followed the real-life Bulger saga for decades in the Boston Globe -- I don't know if any movie can really do justice to the twisted depths of the tale. I do hope, though, that they replicate what was for a very long time the Globe's stock photo of Whitey --

One hopes that, when he first decided to go on the lam, his first purchase was a Yankees cap.

 

[AmateisGal]

My friend and I went to see War Room. The theater was packed and we all cheered, clapped, laughed, and cried. I've never had an experience like this at a movie before. It's a Christ-centered movie about the power of prayer, which might not be some people's cup of tea, but this believer not only thoroughly enjoyed it, it's changing my life.

My mom went to see this and really liked it, too.

 

[AmateisGal]

The Flying Leathernecks.

 

[1mach1]

Blade Runner

 

[DanielJones]

Mrs. Miniver (1942). It was an evening of William Wyler.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Bushman]

Public Enemy on TNT. Great hat movie!

 

[ChiTownScion]

The 1944 documentary version of Memphis Belle on TMC. Great primary resource on A-2 and B-3 jackets.

 

[AmateisGal]

Mrs. Miniver (1942). It was an evening of William Wyler.

Cheers!

Dan

Such a great movie.

 

[Fading Fast]

Mrs. Miniver (1942). It was an evening of William Wyler.

Cheers!

Dan

Is it propaganda - yes; manipulative - yes; too sweet - yes; plot resolutions too easy - yes...but who cares, it is an outstanding movie that doesn't have a bad scene and I can watch it every time it comes on. When those boats go out and then come back, battered physically but stronger in spirit, from Dunkirk, I am ready to enlist to fight for Mother England (of which I have no relationship to at all, but I am clearly susceptible to a powerful emotional appeal).

 

[DanielJones]

Is it propaganda - yes; manipulative - yes; too sweet - yes; plot resolutions too easy - yes...but who cares, it is an outstanding movie that doesn't have a bad scene and I can watch it every time it comes on. When those boats go out and then come back, battered physically but stronger in spirit, from Dunkirk, I am ready to enlist to fight for Mother England (of which I have no relationship to at all, but I am clearly susceptible to a powerful emotional appeal).

Yeah, William Wyler did admit that after enlisting & making his training films for the war effort over in England, he discovered a lot of shortcomings to Mrs. Miniver. One of them being the fact that he had a middle class family in too large of a house. It was very Hollywood. In contrast, The Best Years of or Lives (1946) was more grounded in reality based on what he experienced during the war.
Still Mrs. Miniver still to this day knows how to tug at your emotions. It was well put together for a screenplay written by four writers and based on a newspaper column.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Wally_Hood]

Betrayed (1944), originally entitled When Strangers Marry, with Robert Mitchum, Kim Hunter, and Dean Jagger. Directed by none other than William Castle. A noir, but with occasional offbeat camera set-ups and some odd visual effects. Couple marries in a whirlwind, salesman husband seems to be mixed up in foul play, former beau shows up and offers to help, but no one seems to be who they appear to be.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Just finished pre-screening "Phoenix." An excellent psychological thriller set in postwar Germany. I figured out the ending a mile away, but the performances were universally good.

 

[Worf]

"Gabriel Over the White House" - An odd early 30's mish mash that presents us with a President who is an out an out scoundrel. He's totally corrupt, his cabinet is packed with party cronies and thieves, he even keeps his mistress/girlfriend as his personal secretary. After driving the Presidential limo into a ditch (he was doing about 95 mph) he lay in a coma for a few days. When he awakes he's a completely changed man. He goes on a tear that would make F.D.R. blush! He gives work to the homeless and jobless via a W.P.A. like project, he fires his entire cabinet, walks out on Congress because they won't help the nation (too busy fighting for power... sound familiar?). He even goes so far as to declare Martial Law. He uses the Army to fight organized crime and tries them in Military Courts (Drumhead Trials) rather than civilian courts. He spends a lot of time ranting about the Constitution then trashes it when the need arises. In the end he even tackles foreign relations forcing most of the world to sign "The Treaty of Washington" in an effort to get the nations of the world to stop spending millions on new weapons for the NEXT World War while their citizens starve. The movie got a lot wrong but it got a lot of things right to:

1. It Correctly predicted a larger, deadlier second World War.
2. It predicted the rise and deadliness of Air Power and the end of Sea Power as the key.
3. The Japanese were prominently featured as parties to a second World War.
4. The Atomic bomb was hinted at as was the destruction of cities and the killing of millions of Civilians.

Not bad for a film made in 1933.

Worf

 

[Doctor Strange]

I've seen that film: it's a scary example of the Depression thinking that a really strong leader - essentially an uncontrolled despot - could fix all the problems of the time when freed from the strictures of government and law. Apart from its heavenly intervention aspect, this story is right in line with what was going on then in places like Germany and Italy. And this was right at the same time that Sinclair Lewis was working on "It Can't Happen Here" (published in 1935) to show how easily America could fall prey to a charismatic, homegrown fascist leader.

I agree that some of its predictions - as in the 1936 "Things To Come" - are surprisingly accurate. But unlike the H.G. Wells-scripted utopian optimism of that film, this one leaves a bad taste.

See the Wiki page for more about this bizarre film: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Over_the_White_House

 

[Fading Fast]

Just put "Gabriel Over The White House" in my to see list - sounds awesome. Regardless of ones political persuasion, while the idea of getting ones way with a leader who will "power over" the Constitution, Congress, etc. and just get things done has it's appeal (and the left accused George W. of doing that with the equal ferocity that the right now accuses Barack Obama of doing it), the scary thought is that the next despot doesn't share your political proclivities.

I can't think of the name (and I checked though my post but Fedora Lounge's history stops about a month and half back), but I saw a 1930s movie that I posted about that has some similar themes - 1930s, the forward thinkers see a war coming, despots have and appeal - it's not "Gabriel Over the White House," but has some similarity - however, my small brain can't remember its name. Clearly a theme that was in play at the time. If my three remaining brains cells can power up and I remember the name, I'll post it later.

 

[Bushman]

Amistad. One of Spielberg's best! In fact, I can see where Spielberg took from it when he made Lincoln. The way the movie is put together is very similar.

 

[1mach1]

The Sting

 

[AmateisGal]

Watched Insurgent with my daughter, based on the Veronica Roth books. Pretty good.

 

[Stearmen]

Thunderbolt (1947) Great color film, made during the war about P-47 Thunderbolt squadrons on Corsica. I did not know, the French liberated Corsica, and operated P-47s alongside the Americans! The film was suppose to be released during the war, but, William Wyler was filming some filler footage stateside, and when he got out of the plane, he lost his balance and was totally deaf. They thought it was temporary, but it was not. [video=youtube;DGKaKHyL7YM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGKaKHyL7YM[/video]