What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[HanauMan]

Watched Rambo: First Blood (1982) again, the only Rambo film actually worth watching if one is frank.

Sylvester Stallone is a sympathetic character in this film as a Vietnam SF vet and Brian Dennehy does a good job as the Sheriff just doing his job. It basically is a modern day twist to the old Western plots and is reminiscent of any number of 1940s / 50s B-movies in context and feel.

It is a film that I tend to watch maybe once every 2 - 3 years and it was the first film that I ever watched on a bootleg video way back in 1983.

 

[Fading Fast]

Great TCM afternoon double header.

1. "King Kong"... The 8th Wonder of the World! Can't get enough this film.

2. "Things to Come" - Menzies and Korda team up to present H.G. Wells story of our possible future. Filmed in 1937 it correctly predicts then Second World War. But this war doesn't end in 1945... no... it lasts until the mid-sixties. The war eventually fizzles out due to pestilence and loss of scientific and industrial capabilities. Man slips back into the middle ages only to be saved by the "brotherhood of science". "Wings over the World" through the use of the "gas of peace" they end the petty warlords and set out to remake the world... but some things NEVER change. Another major difference between the fictional second war and the real one is the continued use of poison gas by the adversaries. All the other inventions from WW1, planes, bombers, submarines, tanks and machineguns were used in WWII but not poison gas. I guess some things were too terrible for even man to continue to use against his fellow man.

Worf

^^^ Watched these same movies. Ya gots good taste.

The aesthetic of Things to Come reminded me a lot of Logan's Run. At least in the 2036 scenes, but maybe that's just me.

Watched "Things to Come" yesterday and was very impressed. A bit clunky here and there, but certainly ambitious.

Mae, I could not agree more - I'd bet that the set designers of "Logan's Run" were heavily and directly influenced by "Things to Come."

The movie also reminded me a bit of "The Fountainhead" in that several of the characters were archetypes spouting philosophical viewpoints. Another parallel to "The Fountainhead" is that the philosophy espoused was an odd mixed of collectivism and Rand's individual / man's achievement creed.

To wit, when the "Brotherhood of Science" is the supreme power, the society seems to be a utopian socialism with a fracture over whether the government should attempt a (literal) moon shot (firing a space capsule from a giant gun - awesome!) or not risk the lives of the astronauts as the society is mainly devoted to the safety and happiness of its people.

In a very Randian speech, the leader (played by the always outstanding Raymond Massey - who also had a major role in "The Fountainhead") gives a stirring defense of man taking risks to increase his knowledge and achievements - arguing that exploration and advancing science is part of what gives life meaning and purpose and only a dispirited and cowardly people would give that up for physical security. It's fun, if a bit jarring, to see the ruler of a futurist collective advocating Randian ideas.

There is a lot more here in both story telling and philosophy, but well worth watching for everything it tries to do even if only some of it works.

Two quick last points. While it got a lot of guesses about future science wrong, the flat panel TV was spot on (and well done for a movie with uneven special effects) and Ann Todd - who pops up now and again on TCM - is strikingly young and pretty in one of her strongest and earliest roles. I would have predicted a bigger future career for her back in '36.

 

[Fading Fast]

"The Old Dark House" form 1932 with the insanely impressive cast of Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Charles Laughton, Lillian Bond and Raymond Massey.

I'm not a horror / scary movie hardcore fan, but will watch one now and then. Hence, I don't know how this early effort fits into the overall genre's history, but it felt to me like it probably helped establish some pretty common horror movie norms.

Unfortunately, with so many more mature efforts having come later - and with its very limited budget - it feels a bit clunky and uneven to us today. However, at times, the dark mood and talented (and early in their careers) actors draw you in even if the story is, overall, unfulfilling.

Many years from now, on another Halloween (when we watched it this time), we'll watch it again for its early horror vibe and talented cast.

 

[LizzieMaine]

For a long time you could only see that one in muddy, dupey prints until Universal pulled out all the stops on a first-class restoration a couple years back. I didn't care much for it the first time I saw it, but it's a much better picture when you can actually see what's going on. It's actually got quite a bit of subtle comedy in it if you watch close -- James Whale's tongue was very much in cheek when he made the film.

 

[Fading Fast]

For a long time you could only see that one in muddy, dupey prints until Universal pulled out all the stops on a first-class restoration a couple years back. I didn't care much for it the first time I saw it, but it's a much better picture when you can actually see what's going on. It's actually got quite a bit of subtle comedy in it if you watch close -- James Whale's tongue was very much in cheek when he made the film.

Funny, I picked up on that and almost wrote that it felt a bit "campy," but then thought some of that impression might be owing to so much of what felt fresh then feels campy to us today since we've seen elements from it in so many subsequent movies. But, yes, Whale definitely wasn't treating the material all that seriously - he let you know that he was in on the joke.

What did you think of "Things to Come?"

 

[LizzieMaine]

"Shape" was one of those old British pictures that our local PBS channel used to run over and over again off a raggedy 16mm print, so I used to see it a lot in the 70s. I haven't seen the recent restorations, but I had the impression that it was a very good-looking film in spite of the damage. I couldn't make much sense of the ideology, but when I finally got around to reading Wells' original book that it was based on, I could see that the film was a really garbled version of what he'd originally postulated -- a sort of high-tech Dictatorship of the Scienceariat that seemed to have a pretty clear base in the Soviet Experiment. No doubt it had to be minced up to suit the political censorship of the time.

 

[Worf]

Watched "Things to Come" yesterday and was very impressed. A bit clunky here and there, but certainly ambitious.

Mae, I could not agree more - I'd bet that the set designers of "Logan's Run" were heavily and directly influenced by "Things to Come."

The movie also reminded me a bit of "The Fountainhead" in that several of the characters were archetypes spouting philosophical viewpoints. Another parallel to "The Fountainhead" is that the philosophy espoused was an odd mixed of collectivism and Rand's individual / man's achievement creed.

To wit, when the "Brotherhood of Science" is the supreme power, the society seems to be a utopian socialism with a fracture over whether the government should attempt a (literal) moon shot (firing a space capsule from a giant gun - awesome!) or not risk the lives of the astronauts as the society is mainly devoted to the safety and happiness of its people.

In a very Randian speech, the leader (played by the always outstanding Raymond Massey - who also had a major role in "The Fountainhead") gives a stirring defense of man taking risks to increase his knowledge and achievements - arguing that exploration and advancing science is part of what gives life meaning and purpose and only a dispirited and cowardly people would give that up for physical security. It's fun, if a bit jarring, to see the ruler of a futurist collective advocating Randian ideas.

There is a lot more here in both story telling and philosophy, but well worth watching for everything it tries to do even if only some of it works.

Two quick last points. While it got a lot of guesses about future science wrong, the flat panel TV was spot on (and well done for a movie with uneven special effects) and Ann Todd - who pops up now and again on TCM - is strikingly young and pretty in one of her strongest and earliest roles. I would have predicted a bigger future career for her back in '36.

I'm not overly familiar with Randian thinking... I think I know enough to understand why libertarians love her work so. You're correct though, there is this push and pull between doing what's best "for humanity" all the while preserving individual "free will". It's one of those questions that may never be answered... No they got a lot wrong about how we'd dress, live and work in the future but they got an awful lot right too. First time I saw this film it blew my mind. The bombing of Everytown was particularly horrific and the flying dreadnaughts of Wings Over the World fried my young imagination. Incredible given it's time.

Worf

 

[Fading Fast]

I'm not overly familiar with Randian thinking... I think I know enough to understand why libertarians love her work so. You're correct though, there is this push and pull between doing what's best "for humanity" all the while preserving individual "free will". It's one of those questions that may never be answered... No they got a lot wrong about how we'd dress, live and work in the future but they got an awful lot right too. First time I saw this film it blew my mind. The bombing of Everytown was particularly horrific and the flying dreadnaughts of Wings Over the World fried my young imagination. Incredible given it's time.

Worf

At some point, you might want to give "The Fountainhead" a read to get a better sense of what she and her philosophy are about. And not to convert you - I'm not a convert and am not interested in converting anyone to anything, anymore - but for the reason that it's a reasonably important and, definitely, different book that (if you will) is part of the discussion to this day. I think you'd enjoy it from that perspective.

 

[Julian Shellhammer]

Incredibles 2 (note the missing article "The") with the grandkids. The first film and this are far and away a couple of my favorites, CGI or not. The characterizations, the voice acting, the puns, the superbly recognized alt-future of about 1962 (Outer Limits clip notwithstanding), all add up to exceptional storytelling.
I've raved somewhere else here that Michael Giacchino wrote a Goldfinger score for the films.

 

[Doctor Strange]

The Old Dark House - As Lizzie said, director James Whale put a lot of his subtle, twisted (and gay) humor into this film, the kind that's familiar from his later films The Invisible Man and Bride of Frankenstein. And it runs in a direct line to camp, and ultimately as a major inspiration to Rocky Horror. (Not up on the fascinating James Whale? Check out Ian McKellen's masterful performance as Whale in Gods and Monsters.) The film is actually more important for its influence than for itself.

Things To Come - Not Randian philosophy, Wellsian. I don't think anybody's mentioned that H.G. Wells personally worked on the screenplay, adapting his "Shape" novel and his familiar ideas about class and progress: the schematic divisions of humanity of The Time Machine are there again in the pro- and anti-science/progress factions. Wells was much more interested in future political theory than character, and Things is far more about futurism than about its puppets spouting the dialog. I always found the film vastly more impressive for its outstanding effects work than the actual story and ideas... though that image of a mushroom cloud with "1945" superimposed over it is some freaky future forecasting. Anyway, it's ideal for a double feature with Metropolis, another visually spectacular and influential SF film... that's also essentially a dated class struggle political-science tract.

 

[Touchofevil]

Easing into the day with a cup of coffee and The Sniper on TCM. Nice visuals of life circa 1952. The story is entertaining enough as well.

 

[Fading Fast]

2017 "Murder on the Orient Express"

I haven't read the book, but found the story, as portrayed in both the '74 and '17 movie versions, too constructed and too far -fetched. When the mystery is resolved at the end - in classic brilliant-detective-gathers-all-the-suspects-together fashion - I was irritated as (the first time I saw the '74 version) I felt deceived / unfairly toyed with. Knowing the story, reduced my irritation this time, but again, I found the plot unbelievable and off-putting.

That said, I still enjoyed the movie. Despite too much obvious CGI, it is visual gorgeous. I've been on two reasonably long train trips - from Portland Maine to Boston and Boston to NYC - in the snow, and the experience is wonderful: the landscape moves by slowly enough that you can see it change as the snow blankets the land and buildings giving it all a timeless and, almost, otherworldly appeal. Equally enjoyable, the train takes on a warm, comfortable and - I'll just say it - cozy feel appealingly contrasting with the beautiful but cold and somewhat forbidding looking outside.

Watching 2017's MOTOE gave me that same train-as-oasis-in-a-storm feel. The sweeping shots - as noted, clearly CGI - are still impressive and, at times, breathtaking, which is matched by the passionate and beautiful attention to small details in the clothes (I want the doctor's really warm looking sweater), cars, architecture and overall settings (with a bit too much brand placement - Godiva must have paid a pretty penny for its prominent position).

Like the plot, most of the acting felt constructed - actors playing characters, despite the cast being one impressive name after another. I'm guessing director Kenneth Branagh did this intentionally to give the movie a period or "classic" detective-story atmosphere, but it came across as stilted and, for me anyway, contributed to the forced feel of the story.

Last thought: as noted, I haven't read the book (so maybe it's how he's written by Christie), but Poirot as action hero - he uses a combination of wit and physical energy to stop several suspects from escaping - felt inauthentically grafted on to an otherwise physically neurotic man. Despite that and the convoluted plot and tiresome acting, I'll watch it again for the incredible period visuals.

 

[belfastboy]

Watched a Spanish production on Netflix...."Gun City". A wonderfully filmed period piece (1921). Costumes are great, cinematography stellar, acting good, plot okay. .......BUT is was an incredibly good Hat Movie. A bunch of great hats in a very European styling unseen in US movies.

 

[HanauMan]

I first saw the film Things to Come in the late 1980s and did like the special effects (the fleet of huge airships, for example, always reminded me of the old Flash Gordon serials) though the film's message was a bit airy - fairy for me. But on every reviewing of the film since I am always disappointed that, at the end, Klaus Nomi doesn't appear and sing Simple Man!

 

[Fading Fast]

"Susan Slept Here" 1954 with Dick Powell, Debbie Reynolds and Anne Francis

• Powell is fifteen years too old for the role of the older man

• A big reason '50s B&W movies / many '60s movies have a cool vibe is 'cause so many '50s movies are Technicolor awful

• Okay, back to Powell, how did he get the lead opposite Reynolds and Francis; were there no male actors in their 30s like William Holden available - not one? Heck, Sinatra made movies like this in his sleep

• Silly-beyond-belief "battle of the sexes movies" can work if they are:
  • Cute - this one is
  • The dialogue and story isn't cringe worthy all the time - it isn't
  • There's a chemistry - a magic - between the actors, especially the leads - yes to the cast / no to the leads 'cause of Powell, he's too old and plays it too cranky / I like Powell, but this was a terrible casting choice

 

[Seb Lucas]

The Other Side of the Wind - the infamous and unfinished Orson Welles film that has finally been edited and released (40 years after shooting) on Netflix last month. I've been curious about this film since the mid 1980's. I am a huge fan of Orson Welles. Interesting to see John Huston in the lead. The film didn't engage me so I'm about to watch Touch of Evil again to reacquaint me with Welles' genius.

 

[green papaya]

COMMANDO (1985)

I went to see it at the theater, back then it was very popular , after watching it again , it really looks outdated & cheesy now

 

[3fingers]

The Other Side of the Wind - the infamous and unfinished Orson Welles film that has finally been edited and released (40 years after shooting) on Netflix last month. I've been curious about this film since the mid 1980's. I am a huge fan of Orson Welles. Interesting to see John Huston in the lead. The film didn't engage me so I'm about to watch Touch of Evil again to reacquaint me with Welles' genius.

I also started into this one over the weekend. I also found it unengaging and turned it off. I wrote it off to just not being in the mood for it. I might go back to it, but maybe not.

 

[Julian Shellhammer]

"Susan Slept Here" 1954 with Dick Powell, Debbie Reynolds and Anne Francis

• Powell is fifteen years too old for the role of the older man

• A big reason '50s B&W movies / many '60s movies have a cool vibe is 'cause so many '50s movies are Technicolor awful

• Okay, back to Powell, how did he get the lead opposite Reynolds and Francis; were there no male actors in their 30s like William Holden available - not one? Heck, Sinatra made movies like this in his sleep

• Silly-beyond-belief "battle of the sexes movies" can work if they are:
  • Cute - this one is
  • The dialogue and story isn't cringe worthy all the time - it isn't
  • There's a chemistry - a magic - between the actors, especially the leads - yes to the cast / no to the leads 'cause of Powell, he's too old and plays it too cranky / I like Powell, but this was a terrible casting choice

FF, I watched this a while back. Honestly, felt a little uncomfortable with the Powell - Reynolds set up and a little put off by the way the movie tries to be clean and upright and inside the Production Code as well as risqué and daring and edgy for 1954.
Technicolor and Powell's topnotch acting chops, as well as the solid supporting cast can't IMHO raise it to the level of genuinely entertaining storytelling.
Did you notice that the movie opens on Christmas Eve with colorfully wrapped presents under the tree, and remain unopened as the story unfolds? Who were they for?

 

[Zombie_61]

COMMANDO (1985)

I went to see it at the theater, back then it was very popular , after watching it again , it really looks outdated & cheesy now

That's funny, I thought it looked outdated & cheesy when I saw it in 1985.