What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[Fading Fast]

And back to "Casablanca" for a moment as I noticed something in my recent viewing (probably about the 800th one) that stood out.

In the final scene, when Rick is about to send Laszlo off with Ilsa, he forcefully tells Laszlo that Ilsa came to him the night before and, in her attempt to get the letters of transit, she tried to convince him that she was still in love with him. And Rick informs Laszlo "I let her pretend" (or something close to that). Rick, with intensity, also tells Laszlo that he might want to know this.

What!? Basically, Rick - just as Laszlo is about to get on the "last plane out of Dodge" with his wife - effectively fires out an, "oh, by the way, I slept with your wife last night - hey, hope you two have a good life together."

Laszlo, either as clueless as a man could ever be or unconcerned that his wife basically whored herself out for the letters of transit replies with an "I understand" and even gives a pumped up "welcome back to the fight" kudos to Rick.

What the heck!? "Hey I banged your wife" / "I understand, we needed those letters of transit - thanks buddy."

Talk about wanting to get out of Casablanca!

 

[ChiTownScion]

Denzell Washington and Viola Davis in Fences. Worth seeing.

 

[Formeruser012523]

Stardust........it came out in 1974, and no I don't mean Stardust (2007). This is a hard one to see let alone get. It stars David Essex as Don MacLaine who with his band the Stray Cats climb the ladder to fame and fortune. It tells a loose history of the Mersey Beat Generation. It's like watching a documentary on the Beatles and Rolling Stones with a little Dave Clark 5 thrown in. It even has a scene depicting a Tommy like Rock Opera. It's got a few rockers from the past like Adam Faith, Dave Edmunds and Keith Moon. It also stars Bad Guy Larry Hagman as a ruthless agent and Edd "Kooky" Byrns as a TV interviewer.
You might also want to catch That'll be the Day (1973) which also stars David Essex and depicts Don Maclaine's life prior success. This one stars Ringo Starr and Keith Moon.
I'd would put both these films in the must watch column if you get the chance.

Holy cats! Where did you see these, if I might ask?

 

[basbol13]

Holy cats! Where did you see these, if I might ask?

I saw Stardust at the movie theater when it first debuted. It took me about 10 years but I tracked down a copy which I converted to a DVD.
As for That'll be the day, I happened on the VCR tape at a garage sale a few years back which I also converted to DVD. I occasionally watch both when I get nostalgic for a fix of Mersey.

 

[basbol13]

I saw Stardust at the movie theater when it first debuted. It took me about 10 years but I tracked down a copy which I converted to a DVD.
As for That'll be the day, I happened on the VCR tape at a garage sale a few years back which I also converted to DVD. I occasionally watch both when I get nostalgic for a fix of Mersey.

If you like Punk, you might want to get a copy of The Fabulous Stains. If you haven't seen this one it's about a girls trio who also climb to the top of Punkdom wearing hair dyed like skunk fur. The groupies dye their hair like the girls and call themselves Skunks. It's not a comedy or a light flick and the girls don't want to be treated like objects which they strongly portray. It's a little ahead of its time.

 

[Formeruser012523]

I saw Stardust at the movie theater when it first debuted. It took me about 10 years but I tracked down a copy which I converted to a DVD.
As for That'll be the day, I happened on the VCR tape at a garage sale a few years back which I also converted to DVD. I occasionally watch both when I get nostalgic for a fix of Mersey.

If you like Punk, you might want to get a copy of The Fabulous Stains. If you haven't seen this one it's about a girls trio who also climb to the top of Punkdom wearing hair dyed like skunk fur. The groupies dye their hair like the girls and call themselves Skunks. It's not a comedy or a light flick and the girls don't want to be treated like objects which they strongly portray. It's a little ahead of its time.

Can't say I'm really into Punk anymore, but I saw the names of Keith Moon and Larry Hagman. Plus any halfway interesting music movie/doc is impossible to find in this day of streaming. Things are disappearing at an alarming rate.

I most definitely miss the days of analog tv. Smart of you to copy onto DVD. I did that with some of my silent & classic films. (& some classic Doctor Who, no I'm not ashamed).

Nice to have when there's nothing on, which is getting to be more often.

 

[belfastboy]

Denzell Washington and Viola Davis in Fences. Worth seeing.

That was one of my choices but opted for "Moonlight" instead. A very good movie. I really appreciate that they had the courage to give it such languid pacing. Worth $10 and two hours of my life.

 

[apba1166]

Swingtime via DVD on Christmas Eve, followed by La La Land in the theater Christmas Day. Had not seen Swingtime in maybe 30 years. Same old story done so beautifully. Which I can also say about La La Land.

 

[2jakes]

And back to "Casablanca" for a moment as I noticed something in my recent viewing (probably about the 800th one) that stood out.

What the heck!? "Hey I banged your wife" / "I understand, we needed those letters of transit - thanks buddy."

Talk about wanting to get out of Casablanca!

 

[MisterCairo]

It's a Wonderful Life with the girls who really enjoyed it.

We got the blu-ray, which we have NOT told the girls also has the "colourized" version! They're getting into black and white...

 

[Fading Fast]

...we have NOT told the girls also has the "colourized" version! They're getting into black and white...

Good man, excellent parenting.

 

[Julian Shellhammer]

In the theatre, Rogue One, which we all really liked. Director Gareth Edwards' visual style makes everything look as though it was filmed on location. Without letting a spoiler slip by, Governor Tarkin is a must-see.
At home, You Can't Take it with You. The Missus had never seen it and it was about 40 years since I last saw it. James Stewart was 30 at the time, but looks (and acts) like a sophomore at State U. Edward Arnold and Lionel Barrymore on screen at the same time can be overwhelming.

 

[Giftmacher]

Holiday Inn of course.

 

[Fading Fast]

New Years Eve is TCM night for us, so we watched (from the DVR)

"When Ladies Meet" the 1933 version with Robert Montgomery, Myrna Loy, Ann Harding and Frank Morgan.
- Solid pre-code that's vey "talky" but reflects a sophistication with a modern morality that makes pre-codes so special
--- Myrna Loy would rather pursue her career than marry
--- Ann Harding knows her husband is a cheat, but is willing to put up with it to keep the family together (might sound like she's weak, but in truth, she's presented as a strong woman who knows she's made a mistake and is just trying to make the best of something bad)
--- Robert Montgomery is seen by the two female leads as a good guy but lacking their depth of understanding of life - this is a women-are-smarter-than-men world.

But where the move really shines is in its in-depth analysis of an affair, on how it impacts the wife of the man that is cheating and how the mistress feels toward the wife and breaking up a family with children involved. What happens is less important than the nuanced and opposing views presented thoughtfully and passionately. This is never done once the code was enforced and male-female roles clearly defined with the institution of marriage the goal and ideal for all.

It is incredibly refreshing to see that, in 1933, society had all the same challenges we have today and frustrating to know that just one year later, with the enforcement of the code, movies like this wouldn't be made. Adding to the modern feel, nothing is wrapped-up nicely - it starts, stays and ends messy - much like real life.

Despite being made when the country was deep in the depression, everyone in this movie is wealthy - yacht parties, NYC townhouses, big beautiful cars, country houses, staff, etc. Clearly - as the studios wanted to make money - the public embraced escapism at the movies versus being angry at seeing a world that was far out of its reach.

Our second movie of the night was

"The Man Who Came to Dinner" There is no doubt this is Monty Woolley's movie - and he embraces it with gusto, but his overbearing bravado needs a foil and grounding and finds the perfect offset in steadfast Bettie Davis' character. Davis is an actress - full stop. Her play-it-straight, dry wit centers and controls a movie that could have blundered into camp (with an appearance by Jimmy Durante horribly upping the camp factor).

From one perspective, this movie is really Davis' character's story as she grows from being the competent, leaning-toward-spinsterhood secretary to an in-love and going-to-get-her man, but in a competent way, woman. A lot of hoopla and high jinx happen along the way, but Davis playing off Woolley is the core.

As an aside, Ann Sheridan shows up clearly and aggressively not wearing a bra and the camera makes sure you don't miss it - very pre-code attire in a code-era movie. Also, like all but Davis, Sheridan plays this one a little bit in the camp mode, but the movie still works. And from a time travel perspective, the name dropping - Schiaparelli, Disney, H.G. Wells and more - is fun as these weren't historical but contemporary news-making names at the time.

A big mess of a movie, but still a ton of fun saved by Wolley's full-on delivery and Davis' steading influence.

 

[Touchofevil]

A day of Hitchcock on TCM
Family Plot
Psycho
Marnie
The Birds
Vertigo
Rear Window
Shadow of a Doubt
The Man Who Knew Too Much
and
The Trouble with Harry
A funny/curious way to bring in the New Year by TCM.

 

[Doctor Strange]

The Immigrant, a recent indie flick with Marion Cotillard as a Polish woman who comes to NYC in 1921. Nice looking, but it doesn't amount to much. And it all felt like it took place in the backgrounds of the Ellis Island and Little Italy flashbacks of The Godfather, Part II.

 

[basbol13]

Can't say I'm really into Punk anymore, but I saw the names of Keith Moon and Larry Hagman. Plus any halfway interesting music movie/doc is impossible to find in this day of streaming. Things are disappearing at an alarming rate.

I most definitely miss the days of analog tv. Smart of you to copy onto DVD. I did that with some of my silent & classic films. (& some classic Doctor Who, no I'm not ashamed).

Nice to have when there's nothing on, which is getting to be more often.

I have looked forever to find a released copy on DVD, but have so far not found one. The copy I made I did a pretty good job on as I figured this was going to be a cult film if they ever got around to streaming it , but I won't hold my breath. I occasionally watch it just to see the old guys when they were young. I wish the younger generation had a chance to see this flick just to see how it was for bands like the Rolling Stones, The Who and the Beatles started and where they originated from.
As for the the early Dr. Who, what an experience. I love to watch the FX of early Cinema and TV. I remember Flash Gordon (Buster Crabb) on early Sunday morning TV, Dark Shadows when I got home from school, simplicity, a time when imagination came from within and not without.

 

[Vera Godfrey]

A day of Hitchcock on TCM
Family Plot
Psycho
Marnie
The Birds
Vertigo
Rear Window
Shadow of a Doubt
The Man Who Knew Too Much
and
The Trouble with Harry
A funny/curious way to bring in the New Year by TCM.

That's what I'm watching Currently up is Psycho. Debating if I'm going to stay up to watch Shadow of a Doubt (my favorite!)

 

[Touchofevil]

That's what I'm watching Currently up is Psycho. Debating if I'm going to stay up to watch Shadow of a Doubt (my favorite!)

We watched that as well. Currently watching Marnie. Don't know if I/we will watch the rest of the lineup as we/I have seen all them rather recently. Rear Window is possibly my favorite Hitchcock, but I have put the Lady of the House through this one way too many times.

 

[Vera Godfrey]

We watched that as well. Currently watching Marnie. Don't know if I/we will watch the rest of the lineup as we/I have seen all them rather recently. Rear Window is possibly my favorite Hitchcock, but I have put the Lady of the House through this one way too many times.

Watching Marnie now, too Don't know that I'll watch The Birds, but I'll probably make it through Vertigo and Rear Window!