What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[Doctor Strange]

Mad Max Fury Road - I lasted just over an hour. I found this terribly kitsch and obvious and without a single genuine moment. I was unable to suspend my disbelief and had to move on. Interesting that the critics seemed to love it here. I was surprised by how hammy and contrived it was. Maybe the last hour is genius and makes Orson Welles look like Michael Bay. I'll never know.

Okay, I was never a fan of the earlier Mad Max series even before Mel Gibson catapulted himself to the top of my hate list... but this is a TERRIBLE movie. Sure, it's got nicely shot action sequences, but there's zero characterization and barely any discernable plot. I guess it's okay if you're a fan of "action movies" (not a genre of interest to me personally) and you don't worry about little things like character and plot... but that this is widely considered a four-star masterpiece, "a stunning dystopia with a powerful feminist message" by critics I admire is seriously depressing. It's junk. Admittedly, it's stylishly made junk... but still junk.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Blade Runner, from VHS-cassette, recorded in 2000.

 

[Zombie_61]

Okay, I was never a fan of the earlier Mad Max series even before Mel Gibson catapulted himself to the top of my hate list... but this is a TERRIBLE movie. Sure, it's got nicely shot action sequences, but there's zero characterization and barely any discernable plot. I guess it's okay if you're a fan of "action movies" (not a genre of interest to me personally) and you don't worry about little things like character and plot... but that this is widely considered a four-star masterpiece, "a stunning dystopia with a powerful feminist message" by critics I admire is seriously depressing. It's junk. Admittedly, it's stylishly made junk... but still junk.

I agree. At the urging of a friend my wife (girlfriend at the time) and I went to see Mad Max back in 1979. After 30 minutes we decided we'd had enough and left; one of only two times I've ever walked out on a movie before it ended. We waited until long after it came to cable to watch the sequel The Road Warrior (1981), and enjoyed it for what it was. By the time Beyond Thunderdome came to cable I was watching on my own, and thought it was just as bad as the first movie. I watched Fury Road once, only to see what all the fuss was about; I still have no idea.

 

[Edward]

Skimming Netflix last night I stumbled across the 2015 film dramatisation of The Stanford Prison Experience. Well made, and a good reflection of the reality based on what I've read about the actual events.

 

[Fading Fast]

"The Greatest Game Ever Played" 2005

The Mark Frost book on the 1913 US Open that this movie is based on is a sports book that rises above its genre by becoming a human interest story as Frost brings the major players and their struggles - aging and inured English professionals each looking for one final victory, a too-young-and-poor American challenger with a bitter, unsupportive father - to life in a narrative that reads like a griping novel.

Having read the novel first, I thought it would create a solid movie as it has all the elements of a strong story that could easily be boiled down to an engaging two-hour movie, but instead, Disney Studios turned this complex human drama into, well, a Disney movie that felt pretty close to a Hallmark TV special.

While the major actors did as much as they could with the poorly written screenplay, nothing could save the black-vs-white and unconvincing redemption-and-forgiveness mush that Disney created from a nuanced, emotional and engrossing story. It's a shame as this incredible, historical sports event became just another great sports movie that didn't get made.

That said, the period details are pretty good, if a bit uneven, which makes for some Fedora Lounge fun.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I agree. At the urging of a friend my wife (girlfriend at the time) and I went to see Mad Max back in 1979. After 30 minutes we decided we'd had enough and left; one of only two times I've ever walked out on a movie before it ended. We waited until long after it came to cable to watch the sequel The Road Warrior (1981), and enjoyed it for what it was. By the time Beyond Thunderdome came to cable I was watching on my own, and thought it was just as bad as the first movie. I watched Fury Road once, only to see what all the fuss was about; I still have no idea.

I think the Road Warrior (we know it as Mad Max 2) is one of the best films of the 1980's and was hugely influential on film style and post punk, post Apocalypse aesthetics - it was raw and vital and surprising and still feels real. But I concede it's not for everyone. My problem with the new one is just how empty and contrived and corny it is, which wouldn't worry me so much but it's just been voted the best film made in Australia in 100 years.

 

[Formeruser012523]

Wasn't a big fan of any of the original Mad Max movies, but have seen them all years ago. But, I gotta say, I don't get the dislike I'm seeing here for Fury Road. Is it because it had the "feminist" label slapped on it by whoever critics?

Upon my first viewing I thought it was overblown and didn't catch the subtle story elements that were there. It did have plot points, (and characterization) but they went by in the midst of the silliness of the overall shiny production itself. (Giant amp and guitar guy being one of them, really?)

Maybe it's because of the lack of a script (it was planned out using story boards and minimal dialogue. You know, like a silent film, which it was clearly, heavily influenced by.) Think George Miller even wanted a silent version on the DVD release, but the studio said no. Oh well.

*ducks out before tomatoes start flying at her*

 

[Zombie_61]

Wasn't a big fan of any of the original Mad Max movies, but have seen them all years ago. But, I gotta say, I don't get the dislike I'm seeing here for Fury Road. Is it because it had the "feminist" label slapped on it by whoever critics?

Upon my first viewing I thought it was overblown and didn't catch the subtle story elements that were there. It did have plot points, (and characterization) but they went by in the midst of the silliness of the overall shiny production itself. (Giant amp and guitar guy being one of them, really?)

Maybe it's because of the lack of a script (it was planned out using story boards and minimal dialogue. You know, like a silent film, which it was clearly, heavily influenced by.) Think George Miller even wanted a silent version on the DVD release, but the studio said no. Oh well.

*ducks out before tomatoes start flying at her*

I don't remember the movie having any feminist overtones, undertones, sub-plots, or anything of the sort. I can't speak for anyone else, but I didn't like it because the story (what little there was) didn't make much sense to me and seemed to exist only so they could string together a lot of visually impressive stunts. To me, this made the entire movie rather pointless. I'll readily admit my lack of familiarity with the franchise probably contributed to my opinion, but when it ended my first thought was, "Why did they bother?"

 

[Julian Shellhammer]

From Here to Eternity. Had not watched it as a grown-up: as a youngster, thought it would be a WW2 action movie. Director Fred Zinnemann chose to film in black and white and to avoid the wide screen ratio Hollywood was using to keep the movie-goers in the theaters; the film keeps us tightly focused on the people and the world in which they were living. (I had thought it was to combine documentary footage of the attack on Pearl Harbor without clashing with color film, but IMDB says it was a story-telling choice.)

 

[Fading Fast]

From Here to Eternity. Had not watched it as a grown-up: as a youngster, thought it would be a WW2 action movie. Director Fred Zinnemann chose to film in black and white and to avoid the wide screen ratio Hollywood was using to keep the movie-goers in the theaters; the film keeps us tightly focused on the people and the world in which they were living. (I had thought it was to combine documentary footage of the attack on Pearl Harbor without clashing with color film, but IMDB says it was a story-telling choice.)

Interesting info on the color vs B&W. The movie - like the book - is a big giant soap opera with some noir or - at least - gritty elements that the B&W helps to emphasize (while also keeping it from becoming too "soap-opery," especially if it had been done in the era's full-on Technicolor). But, to be honest, I'll almost always find a reason why B&W was a better choice no matter the movie.

 

[Worf]

"Dunkirk" - Being a bit of a "military historian"... I was underwhelmed by this film. I could see what the director was TRYING to do with the interweaving stories but in reality I was left unmoved. I didn't wind up caring about any of the leads save the father and son sailing team. The arrival of the small craft was thrilling... everything else... meh. It just didn't move me. IIRC the R.A.F. lost over a 100 fighters during the engagement. Except for the night time hours the air should've been full of planes. What did we see... six all total during the entire movie. The score sucked... All in all a waste of time for me.

Worf

 

[MisterCairo]

Wasn't a big fan of any of the original Mad Max movies, but have seen them all years ago. But, I gotta say, I don't get the dislike I'm seeing here for Fury Road. Is it because it had the "feminist" label slapped on it by whoever critics?

Upon my first viewing I thought it was overblown and didn't catch the subtle story elements that were there. It did have plot points, (and characterization) but they went by in the midst of the silliness of the overall shiny production itself. (Giant amp and guitar guy being one of them, really?)

Maybe it's because of the lack of a script (it was planned out using story boards and minimal dialogue. You know, like a silent film, which it was clearly, heavily influenced by.) Think George Miller even wanted a silent version on the DVD release, but the studio said no. Oh well.

*ducks out before tomatoes start flying at her*

No tomatoes from me, I love it and own the Blu-ray and apologise to nemo!

FWIW, guitar and amp guy is my favourite non-lead in the film!

A Canadian female comedy troupe, Baroness von Sketch, did a skit riffing on the all-women collective in the film. It is on youtube as the show readily makes their sketches available post broadcast.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Re From Here To Eternity... I wouldn't make too much of the "decision" to shoot in b/w. In the early fifties, b/w was still the default mode for "serious" dramas. Color stock and processing were more expensive, the Technicolor (still the dominant process for classy films) cameras were more cumbersome, lighting color with subtlety was difficult - color was mostly used for splashy prestige productions and "exotic" effects, not dramas. The two Best Picture winners that followed From Here To Eternity - On the Waterfront and Marty - were also serious dramas made in b/w.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Yep. The Eastmancolor revolution was still a few years away in the early fifties. Technicolor Corporation held a monopoly on quailty color cinematography, and the added expense of its use, and the Corporation's "guidance" on how it was to be used kept color the exception rather than the rule for as long as that monopoly existed. Sure, you could use Cinecolor, but it looked as cheap as it was, so why bother?

On the other hand, Eastmancolor -- or Metrocolor, Deluxe Color, Pathecolor, Warnercolor, or whatever other pseudonym you want to call it -- was sold by Kodak to anyone who wanted it, and could be shot in any camera by anyone. And, it must be said, often looked it.

 

[Formeruser012523]

A Canadian female comedy troupe, Baroness von Sketch, did a skit riffing on the all-women collective in the film. It is on youtube as the show readily makes their sketches available post broadcast.

Have heard of that. Will have to look it up. Thanks for the lack of tomatoes.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Wasn't a big fan of any of the original Mad Max movies, but have seen them all years ago. But, I gotta say, I don't get the dislike I'm seeing here for Fury Road. Is it because it had the "feminist" label slapped on it by whoever critics?

Upon my first viewing I thought it was overblown and didn't catch the subtle story elements that were there. It did have plot points, (and characterization) but they went by in the midst of the silliness of the overall shiny production itself. (Giant amp and guitar guy being one of them, really?)

Maybe it's because of the lack of a script (it was planned out using story boards and minimal dialogue. You know, like a silent film, which it was clearly, heavily influenced by.) Think George Miller even wanted a silent version on the DVD release, but the studio said no. Oh well.

*ducks out before tomatoes start flying at her*

No tomatoes from me. Everyone has an opinion, that's why talking about film, art and books is fun.

I'm not aware of any specific feminist content in the film (but I only got through half of it). I think the reason it was liked was because Miller has a cult following and it was old school film making, with genuine high-risk stunts and practical special effects and is really a piece of elaborate choreography designed to create the impression of total action. I think your comment about the "silliness of the overall production itself" covers my assessment well.

 

[Fading Fast]

"Berlin Express" 1948 staring Robert Ryan, Merle Oberon and Paul Lukas (one of my favorite "not famous" actors from the GE).

I think it's mainly in the directing, but what should be a very good movie is average at best. All the elements are there for a strong movie including post-WWII bombed-out Germany, the four-powers united and divided ruling Germany, a crucial train trip, murder, a peace mission, philosophy about post-WWII Germany's place in the world and some good old-fashion action adventure - but it feels flat and stilted.

The dialogue isn't great, but the actors are professional enough to push through that; however, it's simply too disjointed as a documentary style overlay comes and goes, the transition from scene to scene is awkward and the plot jerks along with unbelievable coincidences and changing moods. Huston or Wilder directing would have stitched it all together seamlessly, solved for the jarring narration and giving you two or three characters to really care about.

Instead, a movie that bit off more than it could chew - trying to figure out the future of the world through the microcosm of a divided Berlin in '48 - lurched along unevenly. Still worth the watch, but it's sad to see the potential of a good (maybe even great movie) left fallow.

 

[Julian Shellhammer]

Re From Here To Eternity... I wouldn't make too much of the "decision" to shoot in b/w. In the early fifties, b/w was still the default mode for "serious" dramas. Color stock and processing were more expensive, the Technicolor (still the dominant process for classy films) cameras were more cumbersome, lighting color with subtlety was difficult - color was mostly used for splashy prestige productions and "exotic" effects, not dramas. The two Best Picture winners that followed From Here To Eternity - On the Waterfront and Marty - were also serious dramas made in b/w.

Excellent points.

 

[Julian Shellhammer]

Last night, Quigley Down Under. The Tom Selleck Mustache ably assisted by a massive soul-patch takes on Young Snapes in mid-1800s (?) Australia.
Today, a hard-for-me-to-really-get-into film called Three Strangers, with Geraldine Fitzgerald, Sidney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre, and a screenplay co-written by John Huston. Greenstreet and Lorre never fail to deliver, and Fitzgerald leads us through several twists and turns.

 

[HanauMan]

Tried to watch Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace TWICE this week. Both times I changed channels when that Jar Jar Bing fellow appeared, though by that time I was already long fed up with Neeson's and McGregor's characters of righteous Jedi knights (I admit, I always supported the Empire in the first three films).

Regarding the review of Berlin Express above, I always liked the beginning set in Frankfurt. We were stationed with the army in an nearby town and the big building featured at the start (called the IG Farben building) was not far from the Frankfurt PX and commissary where we often shopped in, so I saw it for real plenty of times. It is still there, now part of the local university I believe. The paternoster elevators in the building have gone down into army folklore for anyone stationed there and using them! BTW, the special army trains from Frankfurt to Berlin were still going forty years after the movie was made!