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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2017 0:59:40 GMT
Please tell us what classics you saw last week. Modern films are welcome, as well.
(friendofmilhouse should hopefully return in two weeks).
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Post by manfromplanetx on May 1, 2017 1:05:56 GMT
The Christian Licorice Store (1971) USA, Directed by James Frawley
An early70s American curio ... about an aspiring professional tennis champion Franklin Cane ( Beau Bridges) who falls in with the Hollywood crowd and finds himself being seduced & corrupted by the life in the fast lane.
Gilbert Roland plays his coach, Swedish beauty Maud Adams plays photographer and love interest Cynthia. Director Monte Hellman plays a director and there is a cameo from Jean Renoir along with his wife at their home.
My main interest was for the appearance of singer songwriter Tim Buckley who has a brief but wonderful couple of minutes in Cynthia's studio with his 12 string guitar, singing a rare acoustic, shortened version of Pleasant Street, from which the title is derived.
Posted a live link to the song on "Favourite Songs in Classic Film" thread...
Adéla jeste nevecerela , Dinner for Adele (1978) Czechoslovakia, Directed by Oldrich Lipský
A comedy detective film created in the style of a melodrama from the silent movie era, the setting is the turn of the nineteenth to the twentieth centuries. New Yorker Nick Carter is the detective character, Carter first appeared as a fictional dime novel private detective in 1886 and has appeared in a variety of formats over more than a century, this would have to be the most unique and original characterization.
..The famous detective is hired to find a missing person? when he arrives in Czechoslovakia the Countess reveals that it is her dog that is missing.... Adele is the name of a carnivorous plant! that the dastardly villain Baron has developed... get the picture
A standout cast and beautiful Prague setting combine with the eccentricity to make this a wonderfully entertaining cinematic experience
Hilarious, creative and surreal an excellent film .... Highly Recommended
Karakkaze yarô , Man of the Biting Wind (1960) Japan, Directed by Yasuzô Masumura
Another exceptional and stunning melodrama from Masumura, starring Japanese writer Yukio Mishima and beautiful Ayako Wakao.
A tense drama that revolves around Takeo (Mishima) and Yoshie (Wakao), Takeo is a young yakuza man who has just been released from prison, old debts and revenge are not forgotten, his past threatens & hovers over him . Interwoven throughout the multi layered story are themes that elevate this, at times brutal film, well beyond the conventional yakuza crime drama.
Totally engaging, from start to finish an excellent & stylish film which is ... Highly Recommended.
Äppelkriget , The Apple War (1971) Sweden, Directed by Tage Danielsson
A German business man, comes to the beautiful rural setting of Österlen in the south of Sweden. He has grand plans to build Deutschneyland, a gigantic amusement park for German tourists, it will turn vast areas into parking lots and air fields, it will. degrade historical architecture, and forever destroy the tranquillity and environs of the scenic area.
Local council and members of parliament are all in favour ," jobs & growth" , although not everyone is happy with the plans.
A universal theme of development over environment is a never ending dilemma, here it is tackled in a riotous film, the absurdist humour is hilarious and at times surreal as magic spells are cast to ward of the developers
Wonderfully acted and highly entertaining, a marvellous gem from Classic Swedish cinema..
Compartiment tueurs , The Sleeping Car Murders (1965) France, Directed by Costa-Gavras, his debut feature film.
A complex & compelling murder mystery unfolds at fast pace after the body of a young woman is found in a compartment that six travellers have shared overnight, once they have disembarked in Paris. The police are puzzled and start piecing together the few clues available, top priority tracking down the other sleeping car occupants, but one by one they become victims. An outstanding cast are bound together in this twisting tale that will keep you guessing until the last few minutes.
A clever, engaging and creative debut thriller from the director ... Highly Recommended
'Ctyri vrazdy stací, drahousku' , Four Murders Are Enough, Darling (1971) Czechoslovakia, Directed by Oldrich Lipský
Zany Czech comedy tells the tale of two criminal gangs who are ruthlessly fighting for a 1-million dollar check. Purely by chance the check has found it's way into the home of shy & awkward high school teacher George Camel.
A parody of American detective movies the criminal gangs are from "Michigo" and "San Bonigo" , bodies start piling up and are credited to poor George, but he seems to be empowered with his now manly status and infamous reputation.
The film opens and credits roll with some extraordinary comic artwork from Kaja Saudek, these drawings feature throughout, and there are some colourful Batman TV type, sock and pows thrown in.
An ingenious script , an extremely creative and stylish film as always from Lipský ... Highly Recommended
Akutô , A Scoundrel (1965) Japan, Directed by Kaneto Shindô
A fascinating period drama set in the war ravaged times of the 14th century. An opening narration gives some background to the chaotic era and to the lords who preside over their domains. Top cast and setting... An outstanding film with only 36 votes at IMDB ...Highly Recommended
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2017 1:06:18 GMT
The Godfather (1972)
There is a completeness about 'The Godfather' that makes watching it extremely satisfying, it invokes a period atmosphere to perfection, takes the time to give the characters room to develop but never boring, the action is in all the right places to always bump it up to the next level (beyond 10?)
When organized-crime family patriarch Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge in this Oscar-winning epic.
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
Continues onward, telling two parallel tales of Micheal and Vito Corleon, handled expertly, this type of cross-editing could of been a confusing mess, instead there are two complete and engrossing tales. And it never seems to pander for sympathy for Micheal's decision to head the family and grab from more power, just lets it all play out before your eyes realistically, the power of a hungry Pacino and the Deniro together must of been a director's dream come-true.
The Corleone family roots are explored, tracing Don Vito's journey from Sicily to a life of organized crime in New York. In a parallel story, his grown son Michael extends operations to Cuba and contends with more betrayal and murder.
Battle of the Bulge (1965)
We have basically cardboard cut-out G.I. stereotypes walking around waiting for the big Tank Battle which is the only real reason your watching this mediocre war film. Very few re-enacted large-scale Tank battles with this many actual tanks. Watch Tanks-Raise eyebrows at mediocre script- Watch more Tanks (7/8 where else you gonna go for your WWII Tank fixation? although the German King Tiger tanks in this movie are actually American M47 Patton tanks and there is a noteworthy lack of snow).
In December 1944, Nazi forces launch a well-planned counteroffensive against Allied troops in Belgium. The brilliant strategist behind the attack is German Col. Hessler (Robert Shaw), whose campaign may be thwarted by American intelligence officer Lt. Col. Kiley (Henry Fonda). Robert Ryan, Telly Savalas and Charles Bronson co-star in this gripping retelling of one of the crucial battles of World War II.
Ronin (1998) Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgård, Sean Bean.
O.K. by the numbers, mercenaries chasing objective, mysterious brief case, asks a little too much sympathy for the devils as their body count rises above about 100 but holy crap! The car chase scenes are first rate, especially the long one that goes completely against on-coming traffic. (good caste, solid acting, great chase scenes/solid night's entertainment 8)
When a briefcase with undisclosed contents being sought by both Irish terrorists and the Russian mob makes its way into criminals' hands, a squad of mercenaries is assembled to recover the case.
Silverado (1985) Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, Danny Glover, Jeff Goldblum, John Cleese, Brian Dennehy.
The Indiana Jones of Westerns credited with bringing back the Western genre after a 10 year slump, this movie almost never let's up from the first frame to the ending, probably the most continuous paced action in a Western filmed? or pretty close, just skirts the edge of over-the-top. Brian Dennehy's character of the corrupt sheriff should of been a deeper focus of this film rather than the crazed cattlemen, it would be far more dramatically satisfying, ("Today my jurisdiction will end with an adventurous 8")
Director Lawrence Kasdan's fast-paced Western follows a quartet of unlikely allies -- two brothers, a butcher and a man left to die in the desert by outlaws -- who take on the crooked sheriff of a dusty frontier town.
Sicario (2015) Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt
Ouch, gritty and realistic, appreciated this but why couldn't we just have made Benicio Del Toro's character the focus of this film? This movie is pretty much owned by him anyways, every scene that he is not in, starts to plummet, just partner Benicio Del Toro and Emily Blunt, remove the rest of the generic yahoo's, would of been taken to the next level. (As it remains- good production values/totally forgot this films message? oddly nothing sticks for such a brutal exposure of the chaos and horrors caused by a Mexican drug trade out of control. 7/8ish?)
Recruited to assist in an undercover operation targeting a Mexican drug lord, federal agent Kate Macy finds her moral standards put to the test when she's plunged into the middle of a plan that goes beyond the boundaries of the law.
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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on May 1, 2017 1:31:13 GMT
Excuse me, but what happened to 24 April to 30 April 2017?
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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on May 1, 2017 1:41:50 GMT
I'll assume this thread covers 24 April to 30 April 2017, and not 1 May to 7 May 2017 as currently stated.
I watched 53 short films, ranging from 1895 to 1978. I also watched 6 TV episodes, ranging from 1959 to 1977.
Films linked to are uploaded by the copyright holder.
The reason I didn't watch any 1980s or 1990s shorts is because I couldn't find any. At all. Nada. Zilch.
It seems that I'm the only person on planet Earth who watches short films.
Film:
Elizabethan Express (1954, UK, 20 minutes) - 7.5/10. A documentary showing a train trip. It was controversial at the time of release for its use of rhyming narration. However, it proved popular with viewers, and had a wide theatrical release. From the DVD release "British Transport Films: Collection One: A Future on Rail".
SX-70 (1972, USA, 11 minutes) - 8/10. Great look into the Polaroid SX-70 camera. From the DVD release "The Films of Charles & Ray Eames: Volume 4".
Half a Pint of Milk (1952, Australia, 17 minutes) - 7/10. A classroom film (remember those?) abour dairy farming in the state of Tasmania. This should not be confused with "A Pint of Milk", a 1949 short by the same director (Malcolm Otton), although both were classroom films. The difference is that "A Pint of Milk" was meant to be seen nationally across Australia, while "Half a Pint of Milk" was only meant to be seen in Tasmania. This particular short isn't particularly notable, although it isn't terrible either, though the lack of background music is a problem.
Everybody Work, Everybody Help (1952, Australia, 14 minutes) - 7/10. Produced the same crew and company as the above, but I don't think this is a classroom film. It seems to have been aimed at adults, to assure them that a newly built school would benefit their children.
Rough Sea at Dover (1896, UK, Under 20 Seconds) - 7/10, Footage of a stormy sea. Nothing more, nothing less. From the DVD release "RW Paul: The Collected Films 1895-1908".
The Arrest of a Bookmaker (1895, UK, under 30 seconds) - 7/10. A very very very early attempt at a crime drama. From the DVD release "RW Paul: The Collected Films 1895-1908".
Making Tracks (1956, UK, 16 minutes) - 7/10. Documentary about laying down railroad tracks. From the DVD release "British Transport Films: Collection One: A Future on Rail".
Henry Shoobridge: Hop grower (1952, Australia, 14 minutes) - 7/10. A documentary about hop farming in Tasmania. This was produced by the "Tasmanian Education Department", and once again Malcolm Otton is the director (presumably he had nothing better to do than make educational films for the Tasmanian government? I've so far seen 5 shorts directed by him. That means I've seen 1 more film by him than I have by Steven Spielberg. Geez, I make strange choices as to which films I watch). Well, OK, I've now watched four of these Tasmanian-produced non-fiction films. None of them have proved to be classics (can a 1950s educational film ever be a classic? Ever? At all?), but I appreciate them. I never knew Tasmania did anything involving celluloid during the 1950s/1960s. I don't think they did any dramas, although the state did produce a 30-minute TV-movie in 1963 called "Happy Journey" which was an adaptation of a play by American writer Thornton Wilder?! Gee, I really need to study the film/TV output of this state some more!!
The Derby (1896, UK, about 30 seconds) - 7/10. Footage from a horse race. Historically interesting. From the DVD release "RW Paul: The Collected Films 1895-1908".
Hyde Park Bicycling Scene (1896, UK, under 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. It's fascinating seeing a scene from real-life from so long ago. Seeing real Victorian people riding their bicycles is incredible. From the DVD release "RW Paul: The Collected Films 1895-1908".
Up the River (1896, UK, under 1 minute) - 6/10. A rather poorly filmed drama. From the DVD release "RW Paul: The Collected Films 1895-1908".
Cable Ship (1933, UK, 12 minutes) - 7.5/10. A documentary about repairing underwater telephone wires. From the DVD release "The GPO Film Unit Collection: Volume One".
Postage Due (1924, USA, 22 minutes) - 7/10. Decent silent comedy short. Not great by any means (it drags at times, and there's an unfortunate racial stereotype), but it's watchable and has some interesting gags. From the DVD release "The Stan Laurel Collection (Slapstick Symposium)".
A Day at the Beach (1956, Australia, 10 minutes) - 7/10. Beautiful colour film stock....otherwise an instantly forgettable classroom film aimed at children between the ages of 6 and 8. Malcolm Otton is director, this time doing the film for New South Wales instead of Tasmania.
Farmer Moving South (1952, UK, 16 minutes) - 8/10. An excellent documentary, about a farmer from Yorkshire moving everything (livestock, equipment, personal belongings) to Sussex. Beautifully filmed in black-and-white. From the DVD release "British Transport Films: Collection One: A Future on Rail".
Hold It (1938, USA, 7 minutes) - 7.5/10. Funny cartoon short with an amusing gimmick. From the DVD release "Somewhere in Dreamland".
Wires Over the Border (1974, UK, 18 minutes) - 7/10, but why is it that 1970s always seems more dated than earlier decades? All of the "new" things in this film already looked grimy and and worn-out. It doesn't help that the 1970s film stock is much uglier than the glorious Technicolor of the 1950s. From the DVD release "British Transport Films: Collection One: A Future on Rail". Useless fact of the day: this won a "best sponsored film" award. That shocks me.
Blacktop: A Story of the Washing of a School Play Yard (1952, USA, 11 minutes) - 8/10. IMDb describes this as "A visually elegant study of water on a schoolyard playground", which is a good description. It takes a rather ordinary event and makes it interesting. It manages to be experimental without being pretentious. From the DVD release "The Films of Charles & Ray Eames, Volume 2".
Plane Dumb (1932, USA, 7 minutes) - 2/10. Terrible cartoon short. They should have dumped this into upper New York bay instead of Ernie Kovacs....I've seen mouthwash commercials that had more merit than this!
Coal Face (1935, UK, 11 minutes) - 7.5/10. Interesting (though rather pretentious) documentary about coal mining. From the DVD release "The GPO Film Unit Collection: Volume One".
Snubbed by a Snob (1940, USA, 7 minutes) - 7/10. A cartoon in Technicolor. Nothing outstanding, but entertaining. From the DVD release "Somewhere in Dreamland".
Royal Train (1896, UK, under 30 seconds) - 7/10. Footage of a train going by. I love these 19th century actuality shorts. From the DVD release "RW Paul: The Collected Films 1895-1908".
Look at Life: Money in the Slot (1964, UK, 9 minutes) - 8/10. The "Look at Life" series was widely shown in British cinemas from 1959 to 1969. It consisted of short documentaries, often breezy, about a wide range of topics. Wikipedia lists television as killing off the series, but to be honest I think it would have ended anyway, I can't imagine this kind of lightweight documentary being popular in the gritty 1970s. But anyway, this edition was enjoyable to watch. It shows the increasingly popular vending machines of the period, offering coffee, pies, eggs (?), and other things with just the push of a button. What isn't stated is the poor quality of a lot of the food/drink offered by these machines (which was rightly mocked by 1970s sitcoms). From the DVD release "Look at Life Volume 7 - Business and Industry".
Rail 150 (1975, UK, 13 minutes) - 7.5/10. Simple but entertaining documentary, showing various steam trains from over the years, appearing as part of a 150th anniversary celebration. From the DVD release "British Transport Films: Collection One: A Future on Rail".
The King's Stamp (1935, UK, 20 minutes) - 7.5/10. This short includes documentary sequences of the (then) present day, as well as period drama and comedy set in the Victorian era. It's an odd mix, but it works. The film also includes a mix of B&W sequences and colour sequences. If you are interested in stamps, this is pretty fun to watch. From the DVD release "The GPO Film Unit Collection: Volume One".
A Colour Box (1935, UK, 3 minutes) - 8/10. I'm certain you've heard of the technique of painting animation directly onto film. This is an example of that, and is quite enjoyable. It no doubt must have seemed ultra-modern at the time. From the DVD release "The GPO Film Unit Collection: Volume One".
Look at Life: Crowning Glory (1963, UK, 9 minutes) - 7.5/10. A rather silly and light-hearted look into hair and wigs. Some rather odd hairstyles are shown with "funny" narration. Wig making is also shown, and there are scenes of various hair salons. From the DVD release "Look at Life Volume 7 - Business and Industry".
The Kleptomaniac (1905, USA, 11 minutes) - 5/10. A failed attempt at drama, but has some historical interest. From the DVD release "Edison: The Invention of the Movies".
The Seven Ages (1905, USA, 5 minutes) - 7.5/10. A simple film. A couple is in scenes ranging from childhood to elderly years. Finally, there's a spinster who never married and has a cat. From the DVD release "Edison: The Invention of the Movies".
Dough and Dynamite (1914, USA, 29 minutes) - 8/10. I hate to admit it, but I rather enjoyed this rough little comedy. It is one of many that Charlie Chaplin did at Keystone. It probably helped that I ate a big bag of potato chips while I watched this. I find that junk foods always improves slapstick silent comedy. From the DVD release "Chaplin at Keystone".
Look at Life: Keeping Tabs on Space (1967, UK, 9 minutes) - 8/10. Another edition of this breezy documentary series. In this episode, two satellites are shown being tested, while the narrator explains what tests are being done, as well as the purpose of the satellites. For the record, the two satellites shown are Ariel 3 (referred to as "UK3"), and ESRO 2. From the DVD release "Look at Life Volume 3 - Science".
Brief City (1952, UK, 19 minutes) - 7.5/10. In this documentary, we are shown the London Festival Exhibition of 1951. It's strange though, this film is supposed to document "modernism", yet everything about it seems so dated. The narration is dreadful, showing how pretentious architects can be. But the footage itself is excellent, particularly the night scenes. From the DVD release "The COI Collection - Volume Two: Design for Today".
Look at Life: Silver's New Shine (1964, UK, 9 minutes) - 7.5/10. Less breezy than the other editions I've watched, but still a fast-paced look into the various uses of silver. It's strange to think this was once a widely seen documentary, these days this kind of thing would only be seen on obscure YouTube channels. From the DVD release "Look at Life Volume 7 - Business and Industry".
Any Man's Kingdom (1956, UK, 20 minutes) - 7.5/10. A travelogue showing Northumberland. From the DVD release "British Transport Films: Collection One: A Future on Rail", although this has nothing to do with trains, although various other vehicles can be glimpsed.
Gentlemen of Nerve (1914, USA, 15 minutes) - 7.5/10. Another enjoyable rough comedy by Charlie Chaplin for the Keystone company. It's also interesting to see a car race of the period. From the DVD release "Chaplin at Keystone".
Look at Life: By Bread Alone (1964, UK, 9 minutes) - 8/10. Another enjoyable mini-documentary. In this case, we are shown how bread is made in the ultra-modern 1960s. Once again, the whole thing is breezy, perhaps too breezy. From the DVD release "Look at Life Volume 3 - Science".
Daily Miracle (1963, Australia, 14 minutes) - 7/10. This documentary about how a newspaper is put together. In particular, it shows the physical putting together of a newspaper: how photographs are put into a format that can be printed, the teletype machine, the printing press, stuff like that. This short was put together for Tasmanian newspaper "The Mercury", and I am curious as to how it was distributed (theatrical? non-theatrical? television? well?).
Appointment in Launceston (1960, Australia, 10 minutes) - 7.5/10. Low-budget but charming little travelogue, made by the Tasmanian Government Film Unit. I didn't even know Tasmania had its own film unit.
His Musical Career (1914, USA, 13 minute) - 7/10. Amusing comedy short with Charlie Chaplin. Interesting to see the traffic on the road during 1914. From the DVD release "Chaplin at Keystone". Useless fact of the day: This was shown on the BBC a number of times from 1952 to 1960, which surprised me as silent films were virtually never shown on TV back then. When shown, it appears as part of the "children's television" segment....its 1960 broadcast was part of a session for deaf children.
Look at Life: Ups and Downs (1964, UK, 9 minutes) - 5/10. I'm trying to decide which is more badly dated, this or "Plane Dumb". Here is a cheerful little documentary in which beautiful historic buildings are torn down to make way for ugly new office buildings and tower blocks. This is the side of the 1960s that everyone seems to have forgotten. Mind you, this short is well-filmed and edited. From the DVD release "Look at Life Volume 7 - Business and Industry".
Comic Costume Race (1896, UK, under 1 minute) - 7/10. Amusing bit of nonsense, a race where the first to put on a silly costume wins. It's nice seeing Victorian people having FUN, unlike all the gloomy depictions of the era you see in modern films. From the DVD release "RW Paul: The Collected Films 1895-1908".
The Twins' Tea Party (1896, UK, about 30 seconds) - 7/10. To quote a popular cartoon made about a 100 years later: "Well ain't that cute...BUT IT'S WRONG!!". Amusing nevertheless. From the DVD release "RW Paul: The Collected Films 1895-1908".
Blackfriars Bridge (1896, UK, about 30 seconds) - 9/10. Why the high rating? Because I love seeing scenes of everyday life from the Victorian era. The horse-drawn carriages, the women in their dresses, the child with the newspaper...it's fascinating. From the DVD release "RW Paul: The Collected Films 1895-1908".
On Westminster Bridge (1896, UK, under 30 seconds) - 7/10. The original film prints are lost, but this film was also issued as a flip-book (remember those? You flipped the pages and the images moved). The flip-book survives, and has been turned into a video for DVD release. It's brief and low quality, but again, seeing real-life Victorian people moving is fascinating. From the DVD release "RW Paul: The Collected Films 1895-1908".
You Can't Shoe a Horse Fly (1940, USA, 7 minutes) - 7.5/10. Amusing little cartoon from the long-forgotten "Hunky and Spunky" series. I know this may seem like a strange thing to say, but I rather like the use of the colour yellow in this short. You don't see many cartoons which have yellow as their main colour. From the DVD release "Somewhere in Dreamland".
Vignettes for Polavision: The Chase (1978, USA, 3 minutes) - 7.5/10. If this tiny little short seems more like a well-produced home movie than a film, that's because it was created by Charles Eames & Ray Eames to demonstrate the "Polavision" home movie system. Other directors also used Polavision to create short films. But it was a doomed product for a number of reasons, and proved to be a major commercial failure. The film itself is charmingly simple, depicting a child stealing a teenager's diary, and the resulting chase that ensues. It's nothing spectacular, but it's fun. From the DVD release "The Films of Charles and Ray Eames: Volume 2".
The Fresh Vegetable Mystery (1939, USA, 7 minutes) - 7/10. A fairly WTF-worthy cartoon. I like those. From the DVD release "Somewhere in Dreamland".
Look at Life: Fings Are Getting Smaller (1964, UK, 9 minutes) - 7.5/10. A very dated little documentary, but isn't that what makes the "Look at Life" series so interesting? In this case, we are shown a vintage to-scale miniature house, before moving along to small things like a transistor radio, low-income housing, and various other things 1960s people took pride in. From the DVD release "Look at Life - Volume 3: Science".
The Glorious Sixth of June (1934, UK, 10 minutes) - 5/10. This is truly a WTF-worthy film. I can't even begin to describe it. It defies explanation. I assume it was meant as a spoof, but of what? I am shocked that this film exists. From the DVD release "The GPO Film Unit Collection: Volume One".
Blue Pullman (1960, UK, 23 minutes) - 8/10. Excellent documentary, without narration, showing a train making its first run. I particularly enjoyed the well-photographed scenes showing the train going through the countryside. From the DVD release "British Transport Films: Collection One: A Future on Rail".
Look at Life: The Key of the Door (1963, UK, 9 minutes) - 7.5/10. Less breezy than usual. Students are shown learning for a career in various scientific fields. From the DVD release "Look at Life - Volume 3: Science".
Glasgow Belongs to Me (1966, UK, 16 minutes) - 7.5/10. A look into the city of Glasgow. From the DVD release "British Transport Films: Collection One: A Future on Rail".
Look at Life: Tulip Town (1961, UK, 9 minutes) - 7/10. A look into tulip farming in Spalding, Lincolnshire, and the annual Flower Parade (which stopped being held in 2013). From the DVD release "Look at Life Volume 7 - Business and Industry".
Television:
"Parkin's Patch” - Episode titled “Lock Stock and...” (telecast 26 September 1969, UK, 25 minutes) - 7.5/10. Crime drama series. In this episode, a cigarette shop has everything stolen from it. The director of this episode, Michael Apted, is still working, which surprised me as very few 1960s TV directors are still working (can anyone name any others?).
"This Week in Britain" - Episode titled "The National Theatre" (telecast 1970, UK, 5 minutes) - 7/10. This brief TV series aired from 1959 to 1980, and although produced by the UK, was not shown there. It was intended to be shown in countries like Australia and such, to present a positive view of Britain. It shows a model of the "National Theatre", and interviews the architect. Despite this being a fairly upbeat mini-documentay, modern viewers will probably agree the design is typically bad 1960s/1970s architecture, soulless and aggressive. Nevertheless I'd like to see the building keep standing, as 21st century architecture is even worse!! From the DVD release "The COI Collection - Volume Two: Design for Today".
"Mary Mungo & Midge" - Episode titled "The Fair" (telecast 2 December 1969, UK, 14 minutes) - 7/10. Simple little children's show from the BBC. This episode is entertaining, but isn't among the better episodes.
Morning in the Streets (telecast 25 March 1959, UK, 35 minutes) - 8/10. This is the kind of thing you don't see anymore these days, a documentary about ordinary people living in poverty, and their opinions on their lives. It's rather depressing actually. From the DVD release "Visions of Change, Volume 1: BBC 1951-1967".
"The Fosters" - Episode titled "Home and Away" (telecast 11 June 1977, UK, 25 minutes) - 7.5/10. A good episode of Britain's first black sitcom. One thing I do find strange (and which is typical of the period), is that the indoor scenes were shot on video-tape, while the outdoor scenes were shot on film.
"Spring and Autumn" - Episode titled "Pilot: Spring and Autumn" (telecast 23 October 1972, UK, 25 minutes) - 7.5/10. Pilot episode for a Thames sitcom about an elderly man who befriends a child.
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Post by howardschumann on May 1, 2017 1:51:46 GMT
THE LOST CITY OF Z
Directed by James Gray, U.K., (2016), 140 minutes
Searching for the sublime, we are all explorers in our own way, seeking relief from “tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeping in this petty pace from day to day.” The quest for such a magical land is what drove British military officer, archaeologist, and explorer Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam, “Crimson Peak”) to search the Amazon jungle looking for a golden city rumored to have predated modern man. Based on David Grann’s non-fiction bestseller of the same name, James Gray’s (“The Immigrant”) epic The Lost City of Z dramatizes Fawcett’s explorations and how chasing his dream led to his disappearance in the jungle in the 1920s, one that remains a mystery to this day.
The film opens as George Goldie (Ian McDiarmid, “Utopia”, TV series) and Sir John Scott Keltie (Clive Francis, “Mr. Turner”), members of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS), ask Fawcett to travel to South America to survey the border between Brazil and Bolivia. Referring to Fawcett as being “unfortunate with his choice of ancestors,” he is told by Goldie that it will be a chance for him to redeem his family name from the disrepute brought on by his alcoholic father. Describing himself as being “impatient with lost years,” Fawcett accepts the assignment even though it means being away from his wife Nina (Sienna Miller, “American Sniper”) who tells him that when he returns, his young children will not know who he is.
The film follows Fawcett and his traveling companions Henry Costin (Robert Pattinson, “Life”) and Arthur Manley (Edward Ashley, “In the Heart of the Sea”) on three expeditions into the Amazon between 1906 and 1925. In his first journey, Fawcett is shown as treating the Amazon tribes with respect and affection, although he has been described by biographers as being racist. Fawcett’s role as a representative of colonial forces is downplayed since he was not personally involved in the exploitation of the natives by Europeans but he is reminded of this sad legacy when he comes across a grand opera house in the jungle designed to bring culture to the savages.
It is on his second expedition that his Indian guide tells him about a lost city of Z or Zed, “You will see,” the guide says, “many people lived here once, in a city of gold and maize. White men never discovered it.” Fawcett’s determination to find this city becomes more real when he discovers ancient pottery and cutlery, faces carved into trees, and other artifacts implying the existence of a lost civilization buried deep in the jungle. Attempting to find the source of the Amazon River, the Fawcett party is forced to fight off attacks by Indian tribes and is a witness to cannibalism. Unfortunately, Biologist James Murray (Angus Macfadyen, “Macbeth Unhinged”), one of the traveling companions, is forced to leave the party after putting the lives of Fawcett’s two other associates in danger and, at a subsequent meeting of the RGS, proclaims, “I refuse this madness.”
“What — savages in Westminster Abbey?” asks one of Fawcett’s colleagues as he presents his findings to the Royal Geographical Society. “Are you insisting on mythical kingdoms of gold?” Fawcett, however, resolves to find his own financing and undertakes another mission, even though his long absences from home causes arguments with his wife and an angry outburst from his son Jack (Tom Holland). The father-son relationship becomes a prominent theme in the latter part of the film and, when wounded in the First World War as an artillery officer, Jack’s visit to see his dad in the hospital is one of the most deeply moving scenes in the film. Jack’s strong need to bind with his father culminates in his accompanying Fawcett on his next journey, but it will be their last.
The Lost City of Z has the look and feel of an old-fashioned epic in the mold of Werner Herzog’s “Fitzcarraldo,” and the film has some moments of physical beauty and compelling action, yet Gray does not take any cinematic risks and the film often borders on the sluggish. As the legendary Fawcett, Hunnam’s performance lacks the charisma and the manic quality of someone who is truly obsessed even though Fawcett himself comes off as a kind and decent man. Though he was met with laughter and ridicule by his peers at the thought of buried cities in the jungle, conventional wisdom has been shattered by new discoveries in the Amazon.
Among the recent finds is that of constructed geometrical earthworks consisting of over 450 circles and squares which have been brought to light by the recent deforestation of the area. No one knows the purpose of these structures, but it is evident that a large scale effort by an unknown civilization was required for their construction. As these finds in the Amazon reveal, Fawcett may be having the last laugh.
GRADE: B
REPEAT VIEWING PATERSON
Directed by Jim Jarmusch, U.S., (2016), 113 minutes
Performed by a brilliantly authentic Adam Driver (“Midnight Special”), Paterson is not only the name of the city in New Jersey, but is also his name. He is a poet whose Haiku-like verses are reminiscent of the city’s own poet William Carlos Williams. He writes a new poem every day (or finishes an old one) on the #23 bus he drives before and during his trip.
Though his loving, energetic, somewhat scattered wife Laura (Golshifteh Farahani, “Finding Altamira”) keeps asking him to make copies of them, he resists the idea, preferring to keep them in his secret notebook. Paterson is a man who is not looking for life to give him satisfaction but who brings satisfaction to it, a man who comes to appreciate that poetry is not extraneous to life but that life itself is poetry.
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2017 2:34:53 GMT
Excuse me, but what happened to 24 April to 30 April 2017? LOL- I was reminded about that and corrected it. (I still like myself in spite of it) A very impressive post btw Wolf-Swordsman.
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Post by wmcclain on May 1, 2017 2:34:55 GMT
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Post by OldAussie on May 1, 2017 2:51:52 GMT
1st views (my television was hijacked by my son) -
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) 1/10 Perhaps the worst movie ever made. Friday the 13th Part III (1982) 2/10 Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) 4/10 Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI (1986) 5/10 Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) 3/10 Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) 2/10 Halloween: Resurrection (2002) 5/10 Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) 3/10
Revisits -
Battle of Britain (1969) 7/10 Turned up on ANZAC Day and it was considerably better than I remembered. Journey to Shiloh (1968) 6/10 A bunch of naive young Texans ride off to a great adventure called "The Civil War". Naturally things turn out differently to what they expected.
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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on May 1, 2017 3:41:57 GMT
Excuse me, but what happened to 24 April to 30 April 2017? LOL- I was reminded about that and corrected it. (I still like myself in spite of it) A very impressive post btw Wolf-Swordsman. I was hoping to watch at least one short film from each decade of the 20th century, but as I said, 1980s and 1990s shorts are hard to find. I've got a few from the 80s and 90s on DVD, but I was hoping to find some I hadn't seen before. Even 1970s ones are hard to find.
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Post by mikef6 on May 1, 2017 4:05:12 GMT
CLASSIC TV
77 Sunset Strip: Family Skeleton. Season 2, Episode 36. June 10, 1960. 77 Sunset Strip: The Antwerp Caper. Season 3, Episode 12. December 2, 1960
The Wild Wild West: The Night Of The Assassin. Season 3, Episode 3. September 22, 1967.
Batman: Black Widow Strikes Again and Caught In The Spider’s Den. Season 2, Episodes 55 and 56. March 15 & 16, 1967. Tallulah Bankhead as The Black Widow. Grady Sutton and George Raft in cameos. Batman: Pop Goes The Joker and Flop Goes The Joker. Season 2, Episodes 57 and 58. March 22 & 23, 1967. Cesar Romero as The Joker. Reginald Gardiner and Fritz Feld in cameos.
FILMS
The Three Musketeers / Richard Lester (1973). Young D'Artagnan (Michael York), armed with a letter from his father to the commander of the Queen’s Musketeers in Paris, leaves home with confidence in his swordsmanship but seemingly unaware of his lack of worldly knowledge nor of his Inspector Clouseau levels of clumsiness. Inadvertently falling in and out of trouble, he is finally taken under the care of the title trio, Athos (Oliver Reed), Porthos (Frank Finlay), and Aramis (Richard Chamberlain). The four chums have to team up to protect the Queen who is under attack by the scheming Cardinal Richelieu (an excellent Charlton Heston in a rare villainous role) who is aided by the evil Milady (Faye Dunaway) and her lover Rochefort (Christopher Lee). Rousing fun all around. Thrills and laughs all wrapped up together.
The Dressmaker / Jocelyn Moorhouse (2015). When Tilly Dunnage (Kate Winslet) was six years old, she was sent away from her home in a small rural Australian town to foster care. Now, she is an adult and has returned bringing with her a sewing machine and a head full of new skills. When the bus drops her off on an empty street at night, she stands in the middle of the road and whispers, “I’m back, you bastards.” Her mother Molly (a movie stealing Judy Davis), rarely leaves her house and has been in an alcoholic depression for years, but Tilly forces her way into her mother’s life and sets herself up in business as a dressmaker and fashion consultant. The members of the town know that she is up to something – and she is. My only problem with this movie is that it is so filled to the brim with drama, comedy, plotting, successes, reverses, mysteries and just about every other thing the writers and director could think of that it starts to become wearing on the viewer. There is actually too much good stuff. This is also my feeling about a popular film of a couple of years ago that lands on a lot of people’s Best of the Year list, “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” It was so relentlessly whimsical that I finally lost all patience. In addition to Winslet and Davis, this film boasts a good supporting cast that features Liam Hemsworth, Hugo Weaving as the cross-dressing police officer, Kerry Fox as the evil school teacher, and Sarah Snook as an ugly duckling who gets transformed by Tilly. NOTE: Winslet’s Tilly is supposed to be contemporary with of Hemsworth and Snook. However, in Real Life, Winslet is 40, Hemsworth (who Winslet romances) is 25 and Sarah Snook is 28. That is just for those of you who are offended by the traditional casting of middle-aged male actors with much younger female actors. Turnabout is fair play.
The Accountant / Gavin O’Connor (2016). This is going to start out sounding kinda silly, but…this is an action film about an autistic adult male with an enormous mathematical ability who has been trained by his military father as an expert in firearms and martial arts. Hey, it’s just a movie, OK! On the other hand, much the same premise was used successfully in the excellent 2008 Thai film “Chocolate” (directed by Prachya Pinkaew). Another plus is the seriousness in the way the story is told, how it unfolds. It kept me engaged all the way through. First, we meet Christian Woolf (Ben Affleck), the title accountant who is capable of auditing businesses and finding thefts no matter how well hidden. We follow his story via a “present time” job to untangle the accounts of an emerging tech company to find out if someone has been stealing millions. Secondly, we see strategically placed flashbacks to his childhood and Christian’s relationship with his controlling father, a retired Army officer. Last, there is an investigation by two U.S. Treasury Department agents (J.K. Simmons and Cynthia Addai-Robinson) of a mysterious man who is used by drug cartels and organized crime around the world to keep their financial records honest. The Treasury not only wants to know who he is, but how – knowing so much of the inner works of Big Crime – he manages to stay alive. “The Accountant” received almost totally negative reviews upon its release in the Fall of 2016. Reading them now, I get that old feeling of “Did we see the same movie?” “The Accountant” is worth attention. John Lithgow co-stars as the founder of the tech company that Woolf is auditing and Anna Kendrick plays the young bookkeeper who found irregularities in the firm’s books and her life in danger because of it. Jason Bourne / Paul Greengrass (2016). “Bourne is Back” as the tagline trumpets. Bourne (Matt Damon) has been living underground as a bare knuckle fighter since his disappearance at the end of “The Bourne Legacy” (2012). In this fourth movie of the trilogy, he is recalled to life by his ally in the CIA, Nicky Parsons (Julia Stein). Nicky passes him some secret information about his former life and how he was recruited by the CIA. Hot on his trail is the CIA Director Robert Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones) and his rising star, Heather Lee (Alicia Vikander). Also pursuing Bourne for personal reasons, is a killer known only as The Asset (Vincent Cassel). Some exciting action scenes, imaginatively directed and edited, ensue – except for the last one. Director Paul Greengrass got some criticism for the final chase scene in “The Bourne Supremacy” (2004) in which Bourne and a killer race down a Moscow freeway cracking up dozens of cars of people who get in their way. Greengrass doubles down in the new movie with Bourne in pursuit of The Asset who has stolen a SWAT truck and motors the wrong way down the Las Vegas strip sending private vehicles flying and crashing. If any nod at all had been made to the human and property costs of this destruction, it might be forgiven, but all it does is make an appeal to the “blowin’ stuff up” action movie crowd and is therefore reprehensible. Besson’s “Lucy” (2014) has a similar kind of car pile-up which I commented on in my review of that film, as well. A sour ending to an otherwise pretty good summertime diversion.
American Honey / Andrea Arnold (2016). A teenage girl named Star (Sasha Lane), living practically on her own with her young brother and sister, gets a chance to break away when she meets a van full of traveling kids lead by Jake (Shia LaBeouf). They travel from place to place selling magazine subscriptions door-to-door. They consider their companions to be family, but when Sasha meet the big boss, Krystal (Riley Keough), they don’t hit it off. Sasha is going to have to earn her place on the team. This film – shot is a semi-dogme style – has several powerful scenes, mainly in the encounters Sasha has in the homes where she tries to sell subscriptions and in her face-to-face meetings with Krystal. Also effective is when we see the team partying hard at night after work, their fun seeming forced and desperately over-the-top. But it is all too repetitive at 2 hours and 40 minutes, plus Sasha remains pretty much a cypher: we never know for sure what she is really thinking and feeling. At the very end, it looks like she has made some kind of decision, but we don’t learn what it is. It is a little frustrating, but I think the film is worth a watch. Lane is a promising new actress.
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Post by jeffersoncody on May 1, 2017 5:31:53 GMT
1st views (my television was hijacked by my son) - Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) 1/10 Perhaps the worst movie ever made. Friday the 13th Part III (1982) 2/10 Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) 4/10 Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI (1986) 5/10 Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) 3/10 Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) 2/10 Halloween: Resurrection (2002) 5/10 Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) 3/10 Journey to Shiloh (1968) 6/10 A bunch of naive young Texans ride off to a great adventure called "The Civil War". Naturally things turn out differently to what they expected. OUCH! Dude, you must have a lot of time on your hands. Either that or you are a textbook masochist. Doesn't your son have a girlfriend he could be spending time with? I sure hope your kid made you a massive joint before the two of you launched into your marathon of mediocrity. Surely no one could sit through that many crappy horror movies without being totally blazed? On second thoughts, you shouldn't be wasting a good buzz on shitty movies. Presumably a lot of alcohol was consumed as these movies played out in front of you. What does your wife do while the two of you are knee-deep in second-rate horror movies?. As for the so so western JOURNEY TO SHILOH. It was bad enough sitting through it once. I can't imagine watching it a second time. Sorry to be so blunt (pun intended), but I am curious as to why a grown man would inflict so much punishment on himself? Is suffering considered noble among champions of the working class? Is pleasure taboo?
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Post by jeffersoncody on May 1, 2017 6:05:09 GMT
CLASSIC TV 77 Sunset Strip: Family Skeleton. Season 2, Episode 36. June 10, 1960. 77 Sunset Strip: The Antwerp Caper. Season 3, Episode 12. December 2, 1960 The Wild Wild West: The Night Of The Assassin. Season 3, Episode 3. September 22, 1967. Batman: Black Widow Strikes Again and Caught In The Spider’s Den. Season 2, Episodes 55 and 56. March 15 & 16, 1967. Tallulah Bankhead as The Black Widow. Grady Sutton and George Raft in cameos. Batman: Pop Goes The Joker and Flop Goes The Joker. Season 2, Episodes 57 and 58. March 22 & 23, 1967. Cesar Romero as The Joker. Reginald Gardiner and Fritz Feld in cameos. FILMS The Three Musketeers / Richard Lester (1973). Young D'Artagnan (Michael York), armed with a letter from his father to the commander of the Queen’s Musketeers in Paris, leaves home with confidence in his swordsmanship but seemingly unaware of his lack of worldly knowledge nor of his Inspector Clouseau levels of clumsiness. Inadvertently falling in and out of trouble, he is finally taken under the care of the title trio, Athos (Oliver Reed), Porthos (Frank Finlay), and Aramis (Richard Chamberlain). The four chums have to team up to protect the Queen who is under attack by the scheming Cardinal Richelieu (an excellent Charlton Heston in a rare villainous role) who is aided by the evil Milady (Faye Dunaway) and her lover Rochefort (Christopher Lee). Rousing fun all around. Thrills and laughs all wrapped up together. The Dressmaker / Jocelyn Moorhouse (2015). When Tilly Dunnage (Kate Winslet) was six years old, she was sent away from her home in a small rural Australian town to foster care. Now, she is an adult and has returned bringing with her a sewing machine and a head full of new skills. When the bus drops her off on an empty street at night, she stands in the middle of the road and whispers, “I’m back, you bastards.” Her mother Molly (a movie stealing Judy Davis), rarely leaves her house and has been in an alcoholic depression for years, but Tilly forces her way into her mother’s life and sets herself up in business as a dressmaker and fashion consultant. The members of the town know that she is up to something – and she is. My only problem with this movie is that it is so filled to the brim with drama, comedy, plotting, successes, reverses, mysteries and just about every other thing the writers and director could think of that it starts to become wearing on the viewer. There is actually too much good stuff. This is also my feeling about a popular film of a couple of years ago that lands on a lot of people’s Best of the Year list, “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” It was so relentlessly whimsical that I finally lost all patience. In addition to Winslet and Davis, this film boasts a good supporting cast that features Liam Hemsworth, Hugo Weaving as the cross-dressing police officer, Kerry Fox as the evil school teacher, and Sarah Snook as an ugly duckling who gets transformed by Tilly. NOTE: Winslet’s Tilly is supposed to be contemporary with of Hemsworth and Snook. However, in Real Life, Winslet is 40, Hemsworth (who Winslet romances) is 25 and Sarah Snook is 28. That is just for those of you who are offended by the traditional casting of middle-aged male actors with much younger female actors. Turnabout is fair play. The Accountant / Gavin O’Connor (2016). This is going to start out sounding kinda silly, but…this is an action film about an autistic adult male with an enormous mathematical ability who has been trained by his military father as an expert in firearms and martial arts. Hey, it’s just a movie, OK! On the other hand, much the same premise was used successfully in the excellent 2008 Thai film “Chocolate” (directed by Prachya Pinkaew). Another plus is the seriousness in the way the story is told, how it unfolds. It kept me engaged all the way through. First, we meet Christian Woolf (Ben Affleck), the title accountant who is capable of auditing businesses and finding thefts no matter how well hidden. We follow his story via a “present time” job to untangle the accounts of an emerging tech company to find out if someone has been stealing millions. Secondly, we see strategically placed flashbacks to his childhood and Christian’s relationship with his controlling father, a retired Army officer. Last, there is an investigation by two U.S. Treasury Department agents (J.K. Simmons and Cynthia Addai-Robinson) of a mysterious man who is used by drug cartels and organized crime around the world to keep their financial records honest. The Treasury not only wants to know who he is, but how – knowing so much of the inner works of Big Crime – he manages to stay alive. “The Accountant” received almost totally negative reviews upon its release in the Fall of 2016. Reading them now, I get that old feeling of “Did we see the same movie?” “The Accountant” is worth attention. John Lithgow co-stars as the founder of the tech company that Woolf is auditing and Anna Kendrick plays the young bookkeeper who found irregularities in the firm’s books and her life in danger because of it. Jason Bourne / Paul Greengrass (2016). “Bourne is Back” as the tagline trumpets. Bourne (Matt Damon) has been living underground as a bare knuckle fighter since his disappearance at the end of “The Bourne Legacy” (2012). In this fourth movie of the trilogy, he is recalled to life by his ally in the CIA, Nicky Parsons (Julia Stein). Nicky passes him some secret information about his former life and how he was recruited by the CIA. Hot on his trail is the CIA Director Robert Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones) and his rising star, Heather Lee (Alicia Vikander). Also pursuing Bourne for personal reasons, is a killer known only as The Asset (Vincent Cassel). Some exciting action scenes, imaginatively directed and edited, ensue – except for the last one. Director Paul Greengrass got some criticism for the final chase scene in “The Bourne Supremacy” (2004) in which Bourne and a killer race down a Moscow freeway cracking up dozens of cars of people who get in their way. Greengrass doubles down in the new movie with Bourne in pursuit of The Asset who has stolen a SWAT truck and motors the wrong way down the Las Vegas strip sending private vehicles flying and crashing. If any nod at all had been made to the human and property costs of this destruction, it might be forgiven, but all it does is make an appeal to the “blowin’ stuff up” action movie crowd and is therefore reprehensible. Besson’s “Lucy” (2014) has a similar kind of car pile-up which I commented on in my review of that film, as well. A sour ending to an otherwise pretty good summertime diversion. American Honey / Andrea Arnold (2016). A teenage girl named Star (Sasha Lane), living practically on her own with her young brother and sister, gets a chance to break away when she meets a van full of traveling kids lead by Jake (Shia LaBeouf). They travel from place to place selling magazine subscriptions door-to-door. They consider their companions to be family, but when Sasha meet the big boss, Krystal (Riley Keough), they don’t hit it off. Sasha is going to have to earn her place on the team. This film – shot is a semi-dogme style – has several powerful scenes, mainly in the encounters Sasha has in the homes where she tries to sell subscriptions and in her face-to-face meetings with Krystal. Also effective is when we see the team partying hard at night after work, their fun seeming forced and desperately over-the-top. But it is all too repetitive at 2 hours and 40 minutes, plus Sasha remains pretty much a cypher: we never know for sure what she is really thinking and feeling. At the very end, it looks like she has made some kind of decision, but we don’t learn what it is. It is a little frustrating, but I think the film is worth a watch. Lane is a promising new actress. Interesting bunch of pictures you watched this week mike. What's not to love about Ben Affleck as a maths savant with combat skills Jason Bourne would kill for? THE ACCOUNTANT was a pretty cool flick in my book too. It's Ben's BOURNE movie, and while the stuck up critics might not have enjoyed it, the film had a relatively low budget and managed to rake in about $155 million worldwide, so it didn't lose any money. AMERICAN HONEY is, as you say, a wee bit long, but I rather liked it. Shia LaBeouf might well be batshit crazy, but he is a fine and fearless actor. Sasha Lane got the critic's attention, but for me the most interesting actress on display is Riley - grandaughter of Elvis Presley - Keough (man does she rock a spray tan and an all-American bikini). I ain't never seen her play a nice girl, but this lady is bound for stardom - to see just how good an actress she is check out her Golden Globe-nominated performance in Steven Soderbergh's uncompromising and fascinating 13-part cable TV series THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE. For me, the best, most beautiful sequence in AMERICAN HONEY is the one where Ms Arnold pays loving homage to the unforgettable TINY DANCER scene in Cameron Crowe's ALMOST FAMOUS. Here it is. www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4q6XiQthfk The morality of the scene in JASON BOURNE which you mention didn't bother me at all. I actually think this is one of the better BOURNE flicks. Winslett (and a game supporting cast - except for Hemsworth who's handsome, but always comes across as a souless cypher) is wonderful in THE DRESSMAKER, but the flick wasn't quite as good as I hoped it would be. Still, THE DRESSMAKER is well worth a watch. I liked THE THREE MUSKETEERS when I saw it at the old Savoy cinema back in 1973.
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Post by OldAussie on May 1, 2017 9:14:13 GMT
jeffersoncody - I've had 2 bad weeks of movie watching and the odd thing is my son agrees these "horrors" are horrible. But I've put my foot down and said enough is enough. Hopefully I'll have some more positive viewings for next week's thread. Also the tv broadcast of Journey to Shiloh was an old pan and scan so it had even less going for it.
morpheus - great week's viewing. Ronin is one of my favourites of the 90s. Battle of the Bulge is one of the more underwhelming war epics but it does have some good moments and the DVD looks even better than the film did in the 60s. Silverado is fun and I agree about Sicario - it really came to life when Benicio was front and centre. And what can I add about the first two Godfather films? Masterpieces!
mikef6 - The Three Musketeers / Richard Lester is my favourite version of the story. Did you see The Four Musketeers? My wife got a copy of The Dressmaker about a year ago - I'll have to watch it soon.
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Post by vegalyra on May 1, 2017 17:23:57 GMT
Went with an old favorite this weekend, Ben-Hur (1959). What a wonderful film. Everything about it is just perfect. 10/10.
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Post by mikef6 on May 2, 2017 0:56:25 GMT
Interesting bunch of pictures you watched this week mike. What's not to love about Ben Affleck as a maths savant with combat skills Jason Bourne would kill for? THE ACCOUNTANT was a pretty cool flick in my book too. It's Ben's BOURNE movie, and while the stuck up critics might not have enjoyed it, the film had a relatively low budget and managed to rake in about $155 million worldwide, so it didn't lose any money. AMERICAN HONEY is, as you say, a wee bit long, but I rather liked it. Shia LaBeouf might well be batshit crazy, but he is a fine and fearless actor. Sasha Lane got the critic's attention, but for me the most interesting actress on display is Riley - grandaughter of Elvis Presley - Keough (man does she rock a spray tan and an all-American bikini). I ain't never seen her play a nice girl, but this lady is bound for stardom - to see just how good an actress she is check out her Golden Globe-nominated performance in Steven Soderbergh's uncompromising and fascinating 13-part cable TV series THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE. For me, the best, most beautiful sequence in AMERICAN HONEY is the one where Ms Arnold pays loving homage to the unforgettable TINY DANCER scene in Cameron Crowe's ALMOST FAMOUS. Here it is. www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4q6XiQthfk The morality of the scene in JASON BOURNE which you mention didn't bother me at all. I actually think this is one of the better BOURNE flicks. Winslett (and a game supporting cast - except for Hemsworth who's handsome, but always comes across as a souless cypher) is wonderful in THE DRESSMAKER, but the flick wasn't quite as good as I hoped it would be. Still, THE DRESSMAKER is well worth a watch. I liked THE THREE MUSKETEERS when I saw it at the old Savoy cinema back in 1973. “What's not to love about Ben Affleck as a maths savant with combat skills Jason Bourne would kill for?” Well said. I am glad to learn that it was a money winner. “The morality of the scene in JASON BOURNE which you mention didn't bother me at all.” Maybe I should follow my own advice that I gave in my review of “The Accountant”, viz. hey, it’s only a movie, OK? “the most interesting actress on display is Riley - grandaughter of Elvis Presley - Keough (man does she rock a spray tan and an all-American bikini)” “American Honey” was my first acquaintance with Riley Keough. I, too, was very impressed and wished there had been more of her character in the movie. Back when Bush the Lesser was pushing a Desecration of the Flag Constitutional Amendment, all I could think was: if that happens, no more American flag bikinis. Luckily, it never happened.
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Post by mikef6 on May 2, 2017 1:05:39 GMT
jeffersoncody - I've had 2 bad weeks of movie watching and the odd thing is my son agrees these "horrors" are horrible. But I've put my foot down and said enough is enough. Hopefully I'll have some more positive viewings for next week's thread. Also the tv broadcast of Journey to Shiloh was an old pan and scan so it had even less going for it. morpheus - great week's viewing. Ronin is one of my favourites of the 90s. Battle of the Bulge is one of the more underwhelming war epics but it does have some good moments and the DVD looks even better than the film did in the 60s. Silverado is fun and I agree about Sicario - it really came to life when Benicio was front and centre. And what can I add about the first two Godfather films? Masterpieces! mikef6 - The Three Musketeers / Richard Lester is my favourite version of the story. Did you see The Four Musketeers? My wife got a copy of The Dressmaker about a year ago - I'll have to watch it soon. I haven't seen "The Four Musketeers" since a broadcast TV showing back in the '70s. I remember it being more serious - darker, even - than the first film. I hope to get to it soon. BTW, I forgot to mention in my review that the movie taught me what "Musketeer" means. I had never thought about it before, but when D'Artagnan is made a full Musketeer, he is given a musket. Musket-eer. Get it! Maybe the reason it took me so long to catch on is because in all the 3 Musketeer movies, TV shows, and comic books I have read about them, no musket (that I ever noticed) ever made an appearance. Oh, well. If you live long enough, you get around to knowing everything.
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2017 1:51:02 GMT
“The Accountant” is worth attention. John Lithgow co-stars as the founder of the tech company that Woolf is auditing and Anna Kendrick plays the young bookkeeper who found irregularities in the firm’s books and her life in danger because of it. mikef6, really interesting that you mention "The Accountant" was this close to watching it after seeing the previews but then the critics put me off of it. I will watch it here soon and come back and give my thoughts on it. Honestly, I really do like Ben Affleck as an actor, was just watching Dogma (1999) the other day, when Kevin Smith was still completely on his game, always thought that his films were going to mature out and continue up and up? from that point. ZAP!? Ben Affleck was great with his dead-pan takes. In the way of Classic Television, I picked with the Complete First Season of 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' 39 episodes starring Richard Greene 1955, was hesitant to buy it because I had mistakenly thought it might of been slanted towards kids but I have found that it is a most excellent portrayal of Robin Hood and his merry-band, first rate actors like Leo McKern guest star and the production values and sets are first rate and the every story is good to excellent so far, Maid Marian, Bernadette O'Farrell is also perfect for the part and very attractive. It follows the History of the 12th Century, during the reign of King Richard, fairly accurately while weaving the myth of Robin Hood in between time-lines, which is another surprise. The Mill Creek transfer- averages out from fair to good, the original film stock could not of been that great to begin with, just some minor contrast problems, and you get some nifty old Wildroot Hair Tonic introductions. If you like the tale of Robin Hood, then I doubt you will be disappointed.
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Post by Lebowskidoo 🦞 on May 2, 2017 20:03:35 GMT
I had a sci-fi classics kind of week:
It Came From Outer Space (1953) Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1959) Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961) Fantastic Voyage (1966) The Time Machine (1960)
All were enjoyable, especially Journey to the Centre of the Earth, fairly certain now that this is where Lucas/Spielberg got the idea for the rolling ball sequence in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
I also saw Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), I had heard some bad things about it so I put it off till now. Turns out, I really liked it. Trevor Howard steals it from Brando, whose English accent starts off distracting, but by the three hour mark, I was used to it.
Newer Movies I saw were:
A Dry White Season (1989), very well-told tale of apartheid, some sketchy South Africa accents in there, but otherwise quite good.
Split (2016), an unpredictable thriller from M. Night Shyamalan, with a fun twist that really made me sit up!
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