What Films did You Watch Last Week (29/10 - 04/11) CLOSED

Welcome back to another week of the BEST & WORST edition of 'what movies did you see last week?' thread. For those who haven't been part of it before, basically your host (me) posts my weekly movies and you can comment on those and list your movie for the same time frame. I will get back to you on yours and you can talk to other users here about their films. It's a great place to talk about film.

FIRST TIME MOVIE VIEWING

The Other Side of the Wind (2018, Orson Welles)
Netflix
Well this is the final unfinished film of the great Orson Welles (Touch of Evil) that he started film in 1970 but did not finish editing before his death as the film negative was caught up in some legal rights issues. It has finally been finished by those who worked on it with him and we get to see how far Orson was a head of the game back then. It follows the last day of a Hollywood director (John Huston) who emerges from semi-exile with plans to complete work on an innovative motion picture.
The film cuts between this gorgeous film the lead character is trying to finish with long slow takes aping Michelangelo Antonioni (The Passenger) who Welles could not stand and the events of the directors last day as show by multiple film sources in a documentary style but much more frenetic. It is quite a mesmerising assault that may take a few watches to fully appreciate and rate fully. It is just wondrous that we have the film and it is worth watching, especially if you like his film F for Fake which was shot in the middle of the making of this film and is the most similar to it.
7.5-8

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018, Bryan Singer)
Cinema
Much was made by this generations fake outrage  society online about the film makers apparently ignoring the singer of Queen's Sexuality and his affliction with the Aids virus. Of course it is no surprise that this was completely unfounded as is sexuality if front and centre as one of the main topics in the film and the Aids issue is thoroughly explored also.  The film itself was very by the numbers for the first half and lacked much emotion or magic, however the second half is much better as the characters have much more conflict to deal with. Rami Malek is great  as Freddy Mercury and if he had better material in the first half of the film I would say he would be a lock for an Oscar nomination, as it is I think he will still be on the board for the Globes. The finale of the film is  the best part and is well handled on all fronts and will send you out the door impressed.. I think a better director could have kept  that level throughout the film.
6.5-7

Bad Times at the El Royale (2018, Drew Goddard)
Cinema
Well this got pegged as a Tarantino rip off and I can see why but it doesn't have his voice at all. It is however a bloated dialogue driven film with blood and a similar set up to a Hateful Eight. I was intrigued for the first 40 minutes and then it got kind of lame but ended up being just fine.
5/10

Murder Party (2007, Jeremy Saulnier)
This was not a very good debut, it never overcomes its micro budget, the writing is bad, I was happy when it was over.. at least it was forgivably short.
3/10

REPEAT MOVIE VIEWING

Midnight Cowboy(1969, John Slesinger)
blu ray
Finally watched the new 4k transfer that Criterion put out of this classic and it was lovely.
8/10

FIRST TIME TV VIEWING

Peaky Blinders (2014, Season 2)
Netflix
Second season was better than the first and the addition of Tom Hardy is always good.
Recommended

100% Fresh: Adam Sandler Comedy Special (2018)
Netflix
Much better than expected and quite heartfelt near the end.
Recommended

FIRST TIME DOCUMENTARY VIEWING

They'll Love Me When I'm Dead (2018, Morgan Neville)
Netflix
Documentary on the original Welles led production of The Other Side of the Wind. Fascinating stuff.
Recommended

A Final cut for Orson: 40 Years in the Making (2018, Ryan Suffern)
Netflix
A shorter documentary on trying to get The Other Side of the Wind finally finished.
Recommended

FIRST TIME SHORT FILM VIEWING

Beaver Get's a Boner (1985, Michael Lehmann)
blu ray
This is the director of Heathers short film he did when starting out. It is well enough made but I did not like it.
Not Recommended 

WEEKLY AWARDS

BEST FILM: Midnight Cowboy
BEST ACTOR: Rami Malek - Bohemian Rhapsody
BEST ACTRESS: Lucy Boynton - Bohemian Rhapsody
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Dustin Hoffman - Midnight Cowboy
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Brenda Vaccaro - MIdnight Cowboy
BEST SCRIPT: Waldo Salt - Midnight Cowboy
BEST SCORE: Michel Legrand - The Other Side of the Wind
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Gary Graver - The Other Side of the Wind
BEST DIRECTOR: John Slessinger - Midnight Cowboy


10/10 - Perfection (or as close to it as possible)
09/10 - An Excellent film
08/10 - A VERY Good film
07/10 - A Good film
06/10 - A Solid film
05/10 - An Average film
04/10 - Below Average film
03/10 - A mostly bad film
02/10 - A mostly terrible film
01/10 - Awful through and through
00/10 - Not only awful but offensive too