FilmNight: Movies you watched recently

[Spartan Girl]

1001 Arabian Nights (1959): Well, blow me down, I never knew that Mister fucking Magoo made his own version of Aladdin--playing Aladdin's bumbling uncle. And oh yeah, this is another movie that Disney probably used for inspiration years later...

Maybe I'm just not a Magoo fan, but I wasn't really feeling this. Aladdin doesn't really do anything other than finding the lamp, it's "Uncle" Magoo that winds up saving in his usual clueless way.

[SoMuchTV]

I watched Elf for the first time in a long time last night, and a question occurred to me during the shower scene (where they’re singing “Baby it’s Cold Outside”). Buddy has no street smarts, never heard of NYC, but they learned that song in Elf School?

[Danny Franks]

I half watched Jurassic World: Dominion last night. It's a terrible movie, and it's a shame that the original cast all came back for it just to do half-baked rehashes of iconic moments from the first movie.

But the most interesting thing is that the special effects seem worse than even the original Jurassic Park. I don't know if it's just because I have such affection for the first movie, and the impact those effects had on me, but even the clear CGI shots in the original seem more detailed and with more attention to detail. How is that possible after thirty years of development in CGI?

[Anduin]

 

But the most interesting thing is that the special effects seem worse than even the original Jurassic Park. I don't know if it's just because I have such affection for the first movie, and the impact those effects had on me, but even the clear CGI shots in the original seem more detailed and with more attention to detail. How is that possible after thirty years of development in CGI?

You can't expect the best results without the best effort. The original was something new and in the hands of a master, who made sure it was all done as good as possible. These days, standards have slipped. You need time, money, and the right people. But if all right is good enough, then you get all right results.

[Trini]

Recently watched Cyrano (2021); didn't feel like resurrecting the topic for my quick thoughts:

Gorgeous to look at! Peter Dinklage was great; the rest of the cast as well. Obviously, the role was tailored to Dinklage, but re-imagining Cyrano as having dwarfism rather than a huge nose worked well.  Was underwhelmed by most of the songs and singing. Dinklage clearly isn't a singer, but he did his best and wasn't terrible.

And I guess I thought I knew the story of Cyrano, but I guess I didn't, because I was surprised

Spoiler

 and saddened that he dies in the end! No happy ending?? wahhh 😭

Anyway, would recommend!

 

----

On 12/23/2024 at 6:04 AM, Danny Franks said:

But the most interesting thing is that the special effects seem worse than even the original Jurassic Park. I don't know if it's just because I have such affection for the first movie, and the impact those effects had on me, but even the clear CGI shots in the original seem more detailed and with more attention to detail. How is that possible after thirty years of development in CGI?

It may also have to do with everything being hi-def these days, as opposed to then. But yeah, the effects in the original hold up remarkably well.

[BlueSkies]

I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998).  This was I think toward the end of JTT's teen heartthrob status.  

 

I definitely remember this film and even watching it a little WOW 25 years ago already.  I had not watched it since and was looking for a Christmas related movie to watch.  

 

Surprisingly didn't find it that bad even if it was a little corny and far fetched.  A solid 7 out of 10 stars from me.

Edited December 26, 2024 by BlueSkies

[andromeda331]

The Holiday-Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet switch houses after Amanda finds out her boyfriend cheated on her and Iris's ex-boyfriend who keeps flirting with her is getting engaged. What a great movie. I liked Iris's story a bit better because of Arthur. I loved his friendship with Iris. Her with him and his friends. The random Hanukkah party, finding him alone and taking him home. Convincing him to go to the Writer's Guild event. I love his reaction when he sees how many people showed up for him. He really thought he was forgotten and no one would show up to the event which was why he kept turning them down. What a really wonderful moment. I'm not sure how I feel about her and Jack Black getting together. Maybe a year later. He just got dumped. I love Iris finally standing up to her ex. I kind wish she'd call his fiancee and let him know what he's been doing so she gets a heads up.

I liked Amanda's difficulties at first with driving on different side of the road and living in a small cottage. The fish out of water was great. Graham was a really good guy and his daughters were adorable. I love how we see him through her eyes at first assuming he was a single guy who dated a lot only to learn he was a widower and the names were his daughters not his dates. I liked that he stayed over when Amanda was too drunk but just to keep an eye on her. 

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

The Holiday

I've never re-watched it, and probably won't, but I liked it far more than I expected to based on the description.  Nice performances and lovely scenery.

(The similarly-named Holiday, with Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, on the other hand, I watch every year on/around New Year's Eve, though -- fabulous film.)

[Browncoat]

4 hours ago, Bastet said:

(The similarly-named Holiday, with Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, on the other hand, I watch every year on/around New Year's Eve, though -- fabulous film.)

I love that movie.   

IMO, Jack Black is the weakest link in the Kate Winslet/Cameron Diaz one.

[Spartan Girl]

I thought Jack Black was fine in The Holiday. One of his better movies. And he and Kate Winslet were so cute together. I don’t have any issues with Miles and Iris  getting together after he found out his girlfriend cheated on him; they had been spending time together before that, and both connected more over the fact that they wound up in toxic relationships. Besides, Amanda just broke up with her boyfriend, and nobody quibbles about her going on the rebound with Graham.

[tearknee]

@Spartan Girl

 

ADGTH

The girl is "Kerry [last name]".

 

I needn't have to say it to folks as the reason is all too known but she's "the Lana Beeson of a live action reference model for the animators". 

[Browncoat]

2 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

I thought Jack Black was fine in The Holiday. One of his better movies.

I admit I'm not a big fan of Jack Black, so I'm biased in my opinion, but I do agree it's one of his better movies.  What ruins it for me is the gesture he gives after he invites himself to England go out with Iris on New Year's Eve.  It's even a relatively subdued fist pump for Jack Black (though it's a very Jack Black kind of gesture), but I don't like it.  I can't articulate exactly what bothers me about it, except that it's completely unnecessary.  Right up until that moment, Jack Black is tolerable.  Even likable, for someone like me who doesn't particularly care for him in the first place.  That one gesture wrecks the rest of his character up until then.

Irrational, I know, but that contributes a lot to why I think he was the weak link.

That said, I thought the video store scene was hilarious.

[Fool to cry]

Adding to the Kevin Kline love on the previous page I liked 1991's Grand Canyon written and directed by frequent collaborator Lawrence Kasdan. I saw a recent video of Kline on the Tonight Show and was his hair gone silver. Same with Mark Harmon on the Rich Eisen Show. Time moves so fast.

[Spartan Girl]

Valmont (1989): Strange that two film adaptations of Dangerous Liaisons were released so close together. And this…wasn’t the good one. I love Colin Firth but this version doesn’t give Valmont the depth the character needs, and I was too distracted by how uncomfortable I was by the CLEARLY teenaged Fairuza Balk being preyed on by older men. Was Uma Thurman that young in Dangerous Liaisons? Anyhoo, in this version Cecile and Tourvel 

Spoiler

Don’t get completely screwed over by the ending, which should work but like everything else in the film somehow doesn’t. I mean the whole point of the story is that nobody, good or evil, gets a happy ending. And their “happy-ish” endings aren’t that empowering like in Cruel Intentions.

Costumes were pretty though.

Edited January 4 by Spartan Girl

[Fool to cry]

23 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Valmont (1989): Strange that two film adaptations of Dangerous Liaisons were released so close together. And this…wasn’t the good one. I love Colin Firth but this version doesn’t give Valmont the depth the character needs, and I was too distracted by how uncomfortable I was by the CLEARLY teenaged Fairuza Balk being preyed on by older men. Was Uma Thurman that young in Dangerous Liaisons? Anyhoo, in this version Cecile and Tourvel 

  Reveal spoiler

Don’t get completely screwed over by the ending, which should work but like everything else in the film somehow doesn’t. I mean the whole point of the story is that nobody, good or evil, gets a happy ending. And their “happy-ish” endings aren’t that empowering like in Cruel Intentions.

Costumes were pretty though.

Meg Tilly was going to play Constanze in Amadeus but she injured her ankle before filming and had to be replaced. I think Milos Foreman cast her here to make it up to her. She met Colin Firth on the movie and dated for years and had a kid together.

Just watched Cactus Flower(1969).  54 year old Ingrid Bergman looks great!

Edited January 5 by Fool to cry

[Spartan Girl]

2 hours ago, Fool to cry said:

Meg Tilly was going to play Constanze in Amadeus but she injured her ankle before filming and had to be replaced

Yes, I know about that, which made it all the more interesting to watch her in this. Meg would have been a great Constanze, but I liked Elizabeth Berridge too.

[Fool to cry]

9 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Yes, I know about that, which made it all the more interesting to watch her in this. Meg would have been a great Constanze, but I liked Elizabeth Berridge too.

Yeah Elizabeth Berridge and Tom Hulce are a cute and more believable couple.  If it was Meg Tilly I'd think "What's she doing with that guy?"

[tearknee]

 Yes, M3gan the movie about the robot toy that uses its own AI to boost its capabilities and decides to turn to murder when humans get in its way. Everyone you know whose name is Megan has been teased about this by now. (The command for the robot to sleep is 'Megan, turn off', and that'll get old if your name is Megan.)

[Spartan Girl]

Mothers’ Instinct: Had it not been for Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain giving their all, this would be just another cheap Lifetime thriller of the week.

[andromeda331]

Land of Saints and Sinners-My love Liam Nesson. A former assassin not cool. Murdering a man who beats kids? Very cool. Okay so he ended up not being on the one who killed Curtis. But he threw him in the car and took him out to kill him. And would have if Robert hadn't shown up to help. I don't mind Robert's death too much. Too bad the other too IRA henchmen didn't just leave. They should have. Curtis was worthless even before it turned out he was abusing Moya. Didn't care at all about the sister. She didn't care about anyone she blew up in the beginning of the movie or would have blown up in the pub. No loss there. The only thing I did like was her assuming Curtis was killed because of the bombing. One of my favorite things in movies and real life is when people are murdered by someone else who has no idea who the person is but murders him/her for a different reason. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

Over the new year, I watched E.T. and it still makes me 😂😂😂😂😂🤣 when E.T. gets drunk on Beer and it affects Elliot; makes me 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 when he dies, and laugh and cry with chills when he comes back to life and happily says “E.T. Phone HOME!!!! E.T.PhoneHomeE.T.PhoneHome!” And Elliot is telling him to shut up and closes the zip to the body bag. And more tears as they say goodbye and tell each other I love you.

 

Edited Thursday at 03:10 AM by GHScorpiosRule

[Anduin]

Waterloo, 1970, starring Rod Steiger and Christopher Plummer. The build-up to and featuring Napoleon's last real battle before his eventual surrender for real this time.

It's an interesting movie. Not my normal thing, but still worth a watch. God I miss the days when you could put 200 people on screen, instead of 20 looped ten times. Yeah, effects are fancier these days, we can cook up any kind of monster we can imagine, but you can't match the feeling of actually watching 200 people.

However, I couldn't follow the tactics. For a movie built on one battle, you'd think a little more attention to detail. Which units are where? What are their numbers and weapons? We see a whole bunch of infantry squares, shooting at circling horsemen. Cut away, cut back, some of the squares look awfully ragged. One has reformed into a triangle. What did the horsemen do in that missing moment? That's what I want to see!

There's a copy on YT with subs. Go watch it if you desire!

[Spartan Girl]

Back in Action (Netflix): Welcome back, Cameron Diaz. This was a fun spy action comedy. It was refreshing that there no marital drama mixed in. She and Jamie’s character were just a fun couple. I don’t care if it was dumb, it was a nice distraction. 

[twoods]

I also thought that movie was a lot of fun, but I wish movies stop depicting teens as assholes. Not every teen treats their parents like crap and lie to them. Why do they show parents being scared of their kids? Okay off my rant box.

Edited Sunday at 03:47 PM by twoods

[andromeda331]

On 1/15/2025 at 7:14 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

Over the new year, I watched E.T. and it still makes me 😂😂😂😂😂🤣 when E.T. gets drunk on Beer and it affects Elliot; makes me 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 when he dies, and laugh and cry with chills when he comes back to life and happily says “E.T. Phone HOME!!!! E.T.PhoneHomeE.T.PhoneHome!” And Elliot is telling him to shut up and closes the zip to the body bag. And more tears as they say goodbye and tell each other I love you.

 

The goodbyes always make me cry.