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FilmNight: Movies you watched recently

Rushmoras

By Rushmoras
in Everything Else About Movies

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EtheltoTillie

EtheltoTillie

1 minute ago, andromeda331 said:

 

He was? I had no idea. My family loved him for all his work with the USO. It meant so much to soldiers stationed in Vietnam and other places. That's devastating.

That makes him one of the many celebs for which we have conflicting feelings.  He was also a horndog.  If he were alive in the modern era, he'd probably be caught up in a me-too scandal. 

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Scarlett45
Scarlett45

I’m watching Enchanted for the first time in years. James Marsden is the shining star, he’s having so much fun in this role. 

andromeda331
andromeda331

The Addams Family 1991 and Addams Family Values. Those movies are still so funny and so much fun. Morticia is just so awesome. She loves and suppose Gomez. When he's depressed over Fester she talks to

kiddo82
kiddo82

Chicago (2002) on HBO Max.  (although I do have the DVD somewhere.)  I can't believe this movie is 20 years old.  And it still holds up.  Stage to screen adaptations can be tricky but this has to be o

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Bastet

Bastet

(edited)
10 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

OH, so glad you liked this.  I totally thought this was up your alley.  I liked all the things you mentioned--you could see the good along with the bad--it wasn't simplistic.  Also, what an ass Bob Hope was. 

Another thing I loved and inexplicably forgot to note -- how many women were involved in making this film, in positions of power, not just hair and make-up.  Written and directed by women, most of the producers were women (including at the executive producer level), it was edited by a woman, cast by a woman, etc.  Seeing a list of credits in this vein is like finding a unicorn, and, surprise, when we do somehow find it, it's when the director/executive producer is a woman (Ava DuVernay is vocal on this issue, and as far as I can tell the best at walking the talk in the mainstream, but there are others).

Edited by Bastet
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Babalu06

Babalu06

(edited)

I’ve had good luck choosing a few really spectacular movies lately.

Wit - a 2001 film based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning play with a bravura performance from Emma Thompson, one of my very favorite actresses. She plays a professor, specializing in the works of John Donne, who has been diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. Probably 80-90% of the movie is her, sometimes interacting with supporting actors but often in monologue. Streaming on MAX.

Inherit the Wind - wow. I’d heard of this classic based on the Scopes trial, of course, but it hadn’t really been on my radar to watch until a friend recommended it. Spencer Tracy is magnificent, and the theme is very resonant in our current science vs. conservative Christianity climate. Streaming on Tubi and Pluto.

The Gardener - documentary about Frank Cabot and the gardens he designed at his family estate in Quebec. Just gorgeous physically and spiritually. Streaming on Prime.

 

Edited by Babalu06
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Spartan Girl

Spartan Girl

Edward Scissorhands has been on a bunch of times lately, so out of curiosity I looked up the original screenplay on the internet and was amazed to discover that Edward originally had way more lines. Cutting them was probably for the best because this was definitely a case where less was more. The timid reticence was what made that performance work.

The climax in the script was more ridiculously melodramatic than it turned out in the movie and even Peg turns on Edward because she’s upset that no one comes to the stupid Christmas party. Again, Burton was smart to change this to that sad scene in the movie where she reflects that taking Edward in without thinking about how it would affect him as well as the family.

Anyway, I still have a soft spot for this movie despite…reasons. Not to mention the fact that, as @Wiendish Fitch and I stated in another thread, Kim actually sucks and the so-called romance is too rushed to be believable. You could argue the same for Nightmare Before Christmas, but no, even that Burton movie romance was more believable because it was implied that Jack cared for Sally, he was just oblivious to how deep they ran until the end.

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EtheltoTillie

EtheltoTillie

On 10/18/2024 at 7:22 PM, Bastet said:

Breaking News in Yuba County.  WTF even is this movie?  I kept watching just to see if it got better, but it only got worse.  Not since Tammy have I seen a film so thoroughly squander a fantastic cast.

What indeed ?  I hadn’t heard of this, so I just checked it out on IMDB.  Yikes.   How did it even come across your radar?  Anyway, it reminded me of another awful Allison Janney movie I saw a couple of years ago. Lazy Susan.  Then there’s the awful Palm Royale.  Why is Janney choosing these awful projects?  

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Bastet

Bastet

(edited)
On 10/19/2024 at 10:38 PM, EtheltoTillie said:

What indeed ?  I hadn’t heard of this, so I just checked it out on IMDB.  Yikes.   How did it even come across your radar?

An old interview between Ellen DeGeneres and Wanda Sykes (which occurred at the time the film was released) popped up as a recommendation on YouTube last week.  Listening to Wanda talk about the cast, dark comedy, etc. I figured I was onto a hidden gem.   But, no, it's crap.

Edited by Bastet
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Spartan Girl

Spartan Girl

Woman of the Hour: Holy shit, the story of the Dating Game killer was unbelievable. This was so horrifying to watch, and not just the murder sequences (which I had to fast forward through), but the fact that he was able to get cast in that game show without anyone picking up on all the red flags. That contestant was the luckiest woman alive to have gotten away from him unscathed. Even luckier was the victim that managed to convince him to take her home and was able to call the cops. I cheered at the end when he was arrested...only to scream in fury when the postscript revealed that he was released then killed more people before he finally was imprisoned for good.

I really felt for the victim's friend who tried to warn the studio and nobody believed her. At least her boyfriend did come through in the end and drove her to the cops, but unfortunately they were no help back then.

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Shannon L.

Shannon L.

23 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Woman of the Hour: Holy shit, the story of the Dating Game killer was unbelievable. This was so horrifying to watch, and not just the murder sequences (which I had to fast forward through), but the fact that he was able to get cast in that game show without anyone picking up on all the red flags. That contestant was the luckiest woman alive to have gotten away from him unscathed. Even luckier was the victim that managed to convince him to take her home and was able to call the cops. I cheered at the end when he was arrested...only to scream in fury when the postscript revealed that he was released then killed more people before he finally was imprisoned for good.

I really felt for the victim's friend who tried to warn the studio and nobody believed her. At least her boyfriend did come through in the end and drove her to the cops, but unfortunately they were no help back then.

I watched this last night and agree with everything you said.  There wasn't anything complex about the movie, yet Anna managed to make it terrifying.  I had to cover my eyes twice:  during the parking lot scene and when he asked the girl to turn her face up to the sun.  I thought the actor who played the killer was good, too.  The way he was able to turn the charm into anger with just a facial expression? Creepy.  

I was a little distracted during the scene where the police visited him, so I'm not sure if I missed something.  He was going to take pictures of the young man that worked there, but the guy started getting freaked out when he saw the picture of the young girl and even more so when the cops came, so he canceled the shoot.  Is that all there was to it?  It looked to me like the killer would have killed him if he went through with it.  

I looked up the real details of what happened and the woman who recognized him was an amalgam representing all the of times that people tried to get the cops to look further into him but were ignored.  I thought that was great idea for a character.

Overall, I'd say it was a strong directorial debut for Anna Kendrick.

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SoMuchTV

SoMuchTV

(edited)
2 hours ago, Bastet said:

I haven't decided if I want to watch it, but, FYI, there is a thread for Woman of the Hour.

 

1 hour ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I’ve been afraid to watch it. Probably won’t. 

So as not to derail the dedicated thread for it, I’ll comment here. I just watched it earlier today. I’m not sure what your hesitations are, but I can say that it’s not really violent or gory or jump-scare-y. It’s about a serial killer but it’s also about what women go through to be safe and to be believed. In that vein it’s very aggravating so I understand that could be triggering in its own way. I’ll say I’m not sorry I watched. 

And the posters above who said they had to fast forward or look away - I’m pretty sure that’s not because of what you see on the screen, but what you know will/could happen. Which is a whole different kind of scary. 

Edited by SoMuchTV
Adding one more thought
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proserpina65

proserpina65

In honor of Halloween being this week, my best friend and I watched Dog Soldiers on Saturday night.  Damn, I love that movie!  Sure, it's pretty gory, especially as it gets closer to the end, but some of it is so damned funny.  I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a contemporary werewolf movie.  With the caveat that it gets pretty gory and the language is, well, appropriate for a bunch of men in the army.

I have to say, whatever his flaws as a director, Neil Marshall really knows how to put together a scary and eerie action film.

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Rushmoras

Rushmoras

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Well, it's been quite a while since my last post here. Finally had the time, the mood and the patience to watch a movie, and decided to continue with Akira Kurosawa. This time, I watched his 1949 movie called "Stray Dog", about a rookie homicide officer that got his service pistol stolen en route to work. In this movie, the main character is plagued by heavy conscience for crimes committed with his gun. All in all, I guess this was a pretty decent Kurosawa movie (thinking that he finally got his groove with countless of so-so movies that were back then IIRC a subject of censorship), however, as with most Kurosawa films, to me it was simply too long; I mean, there is a scene, in which a policeman is calling someone, and it takes them like a minute to decide whether to answer or not. And these kinds of scenes that serve no purpose are all over the place...

7/10.

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Raja

Raja

The Three Musketeers – Part I: D'Artagnan  and  The Three Musketeers – Part II: Milady. Like the 1973/4 The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers. 

I missed the  humor, although I normally prefer more serious versus more comedic stories, of the earlier two movies not counting the Captain D'Artagan movie years. And the modern quick cuts and night scenes for the fights also seem sub par compared to my favorite production of the story.

While nobody can match Raquel Welch and the slapstick turn she had to do Lyna Khoudri as Constance was lovely. I had to do a double take when he appeared, I think that Éric Ruf can play Charlton Heston

Spartan Girl

Spartan Girl

19 hours ago, AgathaC said:

Hubby and I watched Dave last night for the first time in a while. Such a funny, poignant, hopeful movie — especially now. I absolutely love Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver in it. And then all the “real people” cameos…

Just so satisfying to see a nice, normal guy stepping up to help people and the good guys winning.

Ooh I love that movie! Always got a soft spot for Kevin Kline because of it.

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AgathaC

AgathaC

2 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

You guys BETTER not be forgetting Soapdish!

”They LOVE me in Canada!”

Oh my — I LOVE that movie!’ Kevin Kline trying to read the teleprompter without his glasses never fails to slay me. And he does it with such dignity.

Then Whoopi’s rant about having to write for a character who’s been decapitated and Sally’s trips to New Jersey.

It’s a gold mine.

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GHScorpiosRule

GHScorpiosRule

2 hours ago, AgathaC said:

Then Whoopi’s rant about having to write for a character who’s been decapitated and Sally’s trips to New Jersey.

 

4 minutes ago, Shannon L. said:

I think my favorite moment is when RDJ says something like "They found the head. They put it on ice, and sewed it back on during an unprecedented 3 day operation. Will you use your imagination?" 

No, it was “they froze his head.” Wait, watch for yourself!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

 

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Bastet

Bastet

Kevin Kline is great as a good guy, a bad guy, and everything in between.  I have seen Soapdish and A Fish Called Wanda numerous times, and re-watched In & Out, The Big Chill, and Grand Canyon.  I saw Dave when it first came out as a rental, and remember I liked it, but haven't seen it since and don't remember anything about it beyond the premise.  I'll have to give it another look.

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GHScorpiosRule

GHScorpiosRule

4 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

Right!  They froze it.  I haven't seen Soapdish in a while, but this is one of my favorite scenes. 

After posting the clip, I went in and watched it! Still stands up! Interestingly enough, of all the real life soap actors that made cameos and were credited, Finola Hughes didn't get credited! Which is odd, because her "soap" character entered a submission for an award at the beginning and we saw the cheesy-oh-so-soapy clip, and her character biting her lip as Stephen Nichols announced the winner.

If there is one criticism, it's that Elizabeth Shue was the weak link here. I just wanted to swat her away.

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Cobalt Stargazer

Cobalt Stargazer

6 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

If there is one criticism, it's that Elizabeth Shue was the weak link here. I just wanted to swat her away.

'Course, her presence does give us this:

"I'm Lori Craven, and I'm an actress."

"An actress! Really! How nice for you. I'm Betsy Faye Sharon, and I'm a bitch. Now get out of here."

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andromeda331

andromeda331

On 11/3/2024 at 8:36 AM, AgathaC said:

Hubby and I watched Dave last night for the first time in a while. Such a funny, poignant, hopeful movie — especially now. I absolutely love Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver in it. And then all the “real people” cameos…

Just so satisfying to see a nice, normal guy stepping up to help people and the good guys winning.

I love that movie. Dave is such a good guy and so funny. I love Sigourney Weaver she's just so incredible. 

My favorite cameo is Oliver Stone convinced Dave isn't the real Dave because of his ears. For once he's right and he'll never know it.

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Bastet

Bastet

(edited)
11 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

If there is one criticism, it's that Elizabeth Shue was the weak link here.

Well, that and the transphobia.  But, yeah, she's a weak link among this stellar cast, when I generally like her even when the cast as a whole isn't all that good (she made utterly stupid films like Adventures in Babysitting and Cocktail watchable).

Edited by Bastet
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Trini

Trini

I've been checking out foreign films on Tubi, and I came across The Royal Tailor (Sanguiwon). It's a gorgeous and compelling Korean historical drama with a plot centered on fashion/dressmaking. There's also palace intrigue, professional rivalries, and a tiny bit of romance.

Would recommend. Knowing more about Korean history and clothes would probably fill out the context more; but it's not really necessary to follow along, IMO. The story is pretty straightforward.

Anduin

Anduin

Lucy, written and directed by Luc Besson, starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman. Basically, she gets kidnapped by some drug dealers looking to move their product overseas. A package is put in her stomach. But it breaks and supercharges her brain. Freeman is some flavour of evolutionary or brain scientist repeating the 'you only use ten percent of your brain' myth.

We use different parts of the whole brain at different times! If we didn't use 90 percent, I bet it and our skulls would shrink!

Anyway, action scenes and pseudoscience ensue. There's a fun multi-car pileup that looks practical. No shame in that department.

Also, we get to see Lucy the Australopithecus. Some nice makeup, probably the highlight of the movie. Anyway, if you ever watch it, consider it a stealth comedy and don't take it seriously.

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Spartan Girl

Spartan Girl

Flashdance was on TV. The fact that Alex was 18 and the love interest was way older, and her boss to boot, has not aged well.

And yeah, now you can totally tell it’s a body double doing the dancing.

The soundtrack still kicks ass. I saw the stage musical at my theater a long time ago, and honestly, I think it worked better than the actual movie.

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proserpina65

proserpina65

(edited)

My best friend and I watched Monty Python's Life of Brian on Saturday.  There were things which were probably funnier at the time and haven't aged well, but some of it was still hysterical and very topical.  The whole bit with the two different crowds of people blindly following Brian and acting on his every random word EXCEPT when he tells them to think for themselves seems extremely relevant today.

And you can't really go wrong with a crucifixion musical number to round out the film.

Edited by proserpina65
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Spartan Girl

Spartan Girl

I really, REALLY regret watching The Good Son for the first time after repeat Home Alone viewings.

Spoiler

Yeah Henry was beyond redemption and the mom did what she had to do, but that will still haunt her forever and no amount of therapy will ever make it okay.

Glad to see Macaulay is doing well these days though. With his messed-up parents, it’s a miracle he survived the child star curse.

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Spartan Girl

Spartan Girl

4 hours ago, Trini said:

Sorry, but also LOL! Now imagine the same scenario, but you're a kid the same-ish age as Culkin. (Me; talking about me.)

You poor thing.

I had to rewatch the dumb Richie Rich movie just to shake away the trauma. It doesn’t escape me that in today’s “eat the rich” mentality, reviews today would probably say “screw that kid,” while missing the point that he and his family used their wealth to actually help people and were very well liked because of it.

I still miss Edward Hermann. His reaction to Van Dough demanding why they didn’t have any gold in their treasure vault was priceless: “It’s in BANKS. Where else?” 😂😂😂😂😂😂

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Shannon L.

Shannon L.

(edited)

I watched Twisters last night and it's so much better than the first one.  It's not a great movie, but the acting, dialog and story are much better--no matter how unrealistic most of it is.  The storyline isn't much different, except that it was more about the science than the trauma.  There were also a few moments that, of course, referenced the first one (ex. "I'm not back").

I'll admit that the first half was starting to annoy me, but then everything balanced out in the second half, and I felt much better about where the characters and the story was going. 

Overall, I put it on the list of some of the better summer movies that have come out over the years. 

Edited by Shannon L.
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