What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[Julian Shellhammer]

The People Against O'Hara (1951) with Spencer Tracy as a former defense attorney who left that part of the law and focuses on civil law. Tons of familiar faces, such as Pat O'Brien, Dianna Lynn, John Hodiak, Eduardo Ciannelli, and so on. A combo noir, courtroom drama, whodunnit, and character study, with painful episodes of Tracy's attorney character struggling against a relapse into alcohol abuse. Visually dark, thematically dark, but well directed by John Sturges.

Also finished the last of Satyajit Ray's Apu trilogy, The World of Apu. If you have not seen these, they are deceptively slow paced, but thoroughly human. Ray was a graphic designer before making films, which explains some of his subtle framing and scene compositions. Not to everyone's taste, but I enjoyed them.

 

[MisterCairo]

We Were Soldiers. Vietnam War beginning era film with Mel Gibson et al. Netflix throw back to a film I watched on video back in the day.

 

[Zombie_61]

We Were Soldiers. Vietnam War beginning era film with Mel Gibson et al. Netflix throw back to a film I watched on video back in the day.

 

[Harp]

We Were Soldiers. Vietnam War beginning era film with Mel Gibson et al. Netflix throw back to a film I watched on video back in the day.

I believe NVA general Giap was featured in this film. Overall, film had a very true portrayal of the nobility
of the enemy. Sam Elliot captured the sergeant major character perfectly. When he barks, "AttenSHION!",
inside the hangar, man, that brought back memories.

 

[Julian Shellhammer]

Criminal Court (1946) with Tom Conway and Martha O'Driscoll, dir. Robert Wise. Tom, crusading and admired attorney, and Martha, captivating songstress, are implicated in the murder of Robert Armstrong, notorious mobster. With a runtime of about 60 minutes, the characters talk in clipped rapid-fire bursts, and the plot rushes ahead.

You know, while I'm typing this, the screen keeps jumping up and down to show more and more ads. Is the any hope to go back to how the FL used to operate? I did read all the comments about how it costs money to run a forum, but this is a bit much.

 

[Fading Fast]

Criminal Court (1946) with Tom Conway and Martha O'Driscoll, dir. Robert Wise. Tom, crusading and admired attorney, and Martha, captivating songstress, are implicated in the murder of Robert Armstrong, notorious mobster. With a runtime of about 60 minutes, the characters talk in clipped rapid-fire bursts, and the plot rushes ahead.

You know, while I'm typing this, the screen keeps jumping up and down to show more and more ads. Is the any hope to go back to how the FL used to operate? I did read all the comments about how it costs money to run a forum, but this is a bit much.

I haven't scene "Criminal Court," but will now look for it because of your comments and because director Robert Wise has become one of my favorites. "Executive Suite," "The Day the Earth Stood Still," "I Want to Live," "Run Silent, Run Deep," "Blood on the Moon" (a Western that deserves more notice) and "The Sound of Music" are just some of the insanely good movie Wise has made. I'm impressed that he makes consistently engaging movies in so many different genres.

I'm sorry you are having the ad issue problem. I'm on a Mac and, with Adblock software, I've all but eliminated that problem - if that helps at all. Separately, though, I still find FL, especially in the morning on the East Coast, has issues where it is either very slow or I get "Safari can't find the server" (or something like that) when trying to pull up a page.

 

[Fading Fast]

The Whistle at Eaton Falls from 1951 with Lloyd Bridges, Dorothy Gish, Ernest Borgnine and James Westerfield


"It doesn't take a sales manager to sell to the Navy, you're the low bidder or you're sunk."
- Doubleday Plastics' sales manager explaining to his new boss the brutal competition for government contracts.


This is not your average Hollywood movie about business. While it has plenty of Hollywood hokum and platitudes, and it's uneven as heck, it still has its moments where it takes an honest look at business and unions.

A plastics manufacturing company in a New Hampshire town is losing business and needs to automate (bring in new machines) to reduce costs and compete, but that will also lead to layoffs.

After the owner dies in a plane crash, his widow - in a moment of inspiration or idiocy - puts the head of the union, Lloyd Bridges, in charge of the company, which forces management to see the union's viewpoint and vice versa.

Bridges, after immediately promising not to cut any jobs, very quickly sees that there are no greedy owners living off of fat profits, but instead he's in charge of a company deeply in debt and losing money every day.

If there isn't profit in what the company sells, the payrolls won't be met (union contract or not), the bank loans won't get repaid, the business will fail, all jobs will be eliminated and the owner will be wiped out. Bridges looks at everything to save jobs, but realizes he needs to automate - the plan in place when he took over - or everyone will lose his or her job.

The union itself is split between the pragmatists who believe Bridges and realize that saving some jobs is better than saving none, but there's also a small militant faction who, against the evidence, believes management is lying and obdurately argues for no compromise.

Thrown into the mix is a mendacious former senior manager who is trying to buy the company on the cheap, lay everyone off, strip it of its patents and equipment, while dangling enough money in front of the owner's widow to allow her to maintain her lifestyle.

Not too many punches are held back as a temporary shutdown of the plant quickly reveals the visceral hardship the workers face trying to buy food and make their car and mortgage payments with only unemployment benefits coming in.

Yet, reopening the plant is no easy hurdle. Bridges and his head of sales, trying to do just that, bid below the factory's cost on a government contract in hope they'll find "cost saves" later. They still lose out to even lower bidders.

Hate management all you want, what would you do? Be as anti-union as you want, but most in the union offered to compromise even though, for those who would lose their jobs, it would mean almost certain poverty.

The rest is Hollywood happiness (spoiler alert) as a new patent discovery allows the company to bid lower on a huge contract. With the extra business, it can afford to automate, which reduces workers per shift, but it then hires those workers back as the company adds two more shifts to meet the growing demand.

Despite the fairytale ending, the value in the movie is the real stuff in the middle when both labor and management are forced to see there are no easy answers. It's also refreshing as most of the people in management and the union aren't portrayed as the cardboard evil characters their antagonists aver. For Hollywood, it's a reasonably honest look at business and labor.


N.B. Despite being 1951, the company has a smart female treasurer who, as opposed to today, is respected for her talent without a bunch of brouhaha "celebrating her gender." The same goes for the union where it is a female worker who takes the lead rallying the men to "man up" (paraphrasing, but that was her meaning) when a small faction tries to use force to override the legitimate outcome of a union vote. Nothing was ever as one-way as a post-it-note view of a period often makes it appear.

 

[Edward]

The Gentlemen. Wanted something fairly mindless. Only realised it was a Guy Ritchie about halfway through. I don't normally care for his stuff, but I like Charlie Hunnam. Hugh Grant does a superb turn as a creepy tabloid journalist. Not known for his range normally, but this is right up there with his joyously camp turn as the villain in Paddington 2. Recommend, with the caveat that some of the language is a bit rudey. Some glorious tailoring in it, even if 'modern'.

 

[Fading Fast]

The Gentlemen. Wanted something fairly mindless. Only realised it was a Guy Ritchie about halfway through. I don't normally care for his stuff, but I like Charlie Hunnam. Hugh Grant does a superb turn as a creepy tabloid journalist. Not known for his range normally, but this is right up there with his joyously camp turn as the villain in Paddington 2. Recommend, with the caveat that some of the language is a bit rudey. Some glorious tailoring in it, even if 'modern'.

I agree - I really enjoyed the movie for all the reasons you noted. My comments here #27777.

 

[AmateisGal]

WW84 - Wonder Woman 1984.

I was very hesitant to watch this after a few people on here said it was absolutely terrible. Some said it was as bad or worse than Aquaman which was a REALLY, REALLY bad movie, so I was pretty apprehensive.

I began watching it and waited for it to get bad. And waited. And waited. And it never happened. I watched it again with my daughter. SHE loved it. (and yes, we both went to see the first Wonder Woman in the movie theater and absolutely loved it).

I actually LOVED this movie. Pedro Pascal did an amazing job (he usually does) and made Max Lord a sympathetic villain, which isn't easy to do. And the message was pretty on point: be careful what you wish for.

So, while not a perfect film, and yes, the first Wonder Woman was probably better, I really enjoyed WW84. I'm happy to be the black sheep here. LOL

 

[Harp]

WW84 - Wonder Woman 1984.

I was very hesitant to watch this after a few people on here said it was absolutely terrible. Some said it was as bad or worse than Aquaman which was a REALLY, REALLY bad movie, so I was pretty apprehensive.

I began watching it and waited for it to get bad. And waited. And waited. And it never happened.

...that's cause Gal Godot is pretty wonderful.

My only complaint-just having seen a trailer or two-are the computer graphics. Too much technical overload.
Detracts rather than adds anything. Dunno. Just my two cent chip in to the converse.

 

[MisterCairo]

The Gentlemen. Wanted something fairly mindless. Only realised it was a Guy Ritchie about halfway through. I don't normally care for his stuff, but I like Charlie Hunnam. Hugh Grant does a superb turn as a creepy tabloid journalist. Not known for his range normally, but this is right up there with his joyously camp turn as the villain in Paddington 2. Recommend, with the caveat that some of the language is a bit rudey. Some glorious tailoring in it, even if 'modern'.

Wife and I love this film and will own it. We are big Ritchie fans, Robin Hood the exception for us.

 

[MisterCairo]

WW84 - Wonder Woman 1984.

I was very hesitant to watch this after a few people on here said it was absolutely terrible. Some said it was as bad or worse than Aquaman which was a REALLY, REALLY bad movie, so I was pretty apprehensive.

I began watching it and waited for it to get bad. And waited. And waited. And it never happened. I watched it again with my daughter. SHE loved it. (and yes, we both went to see the first Wonder Woman in the movie theater and absolutely loved it).

I actually LOVED this movie. Pedro Pascal did an amazing job (he usually does) and made Max Lord a sympathetic villain, which isn't easy to do. And the message was pretty on point: be careful what you wish for.

So, while not a perfect film, and yes, the first Wonder Woman was probably better, I really enjoyed WW84. I'm happy to be the black sheep here. LOL

Did you watch the same film I did?!?!?!

To each their own, but safe to say we will never own this!

 

[Trenchfriend]

Das Boot - uncut TV series DVD (282 min. nonstop), german synchro.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Das Boot - uncut TV series DVD (282 min. nonstop)

 

[Worf]

Das Boot - uncut TV series DVD (282 min. nonstop)

Man you must be sprouting gills by now...

Worf

 

[Worf]

"Little Monsters (2019)" - Some YouTube cretin said that this was one of the best movies Hulu has produced and considering the cast I gave it a try. Boy am I glad I did. If you want a sweet, pleasant 90 minute romp you can't ask for a better movie. The premise is simple, spoiled man child loses his girlfriend, moves in with his sister. Takes his nephew to class one day... falls for the teacher. In an attempt to woo her he joins her on a class trip just as a nearby Army research center has a localized Zombie outbreak! Gory and profane but with a heart of purest gold. You could do much worse.

Worf

 

[Fading Fast]

Man you must be sprouting gills by now...

Worf

I believe he's restoring a WWII U-boat and is doing research.

@Trenchfriend, It's all meant in good fun. Believe me, I've watched some movies more times than I care to admit.

 

[Fading Fast]

It Happened Tomorrow from 1944 with Dick Powell, Linda Darnell, Jack Oakie and Edward Brophy

In It Happened Tomorrow, a late-1800s newspaper reporter, Dick Powell, after expressing a desire to see the future, is given a copy of the next day's paper by the publisher's apparition-like "archivist." Yes, the plot foreshadows a couple of future The Twilight Zone episodes.

Instead of immediately going to the race track or a brokerage firm, like any normal greedy person would, Powell uses his knowledge of the future to boost his career by "scooping" the next day's news. He also leverages his new prescience to impress a potential girlfriend, Linda Darnell, who, coincidentally, is part of an uncle-niece psychic act.

But as happens in these types of stories, his plans go awry with only trouble ensuing. Powell loudly announces that he's going to be present at a yet-to-happen theater ticket-booth holdup, which results in, yes a scoop, but also, the police believing he's part of the gang that held up the theater.

Powell then spends a chunk of the movie proving his innocence while trying to convince Darnell and her skeptical uncle that he's not a crook or a nutcase. With that somewhat accomplished, he now decides to use his knowledge of the future to make a bunch of money at the racetrack so that he and Darnell will have a nest egg to start their life together.

However, as before, things don't work out well. First, though, there's the movie's best scene where one of the track's bookmakers, played by the wonderful character actor Edward Brophy, goes from cockily taking Powell's action to, after Powell has several winners in a row, all but pleading with him to take his business to another bookie. There's no gambler ever who hasn't fantasized about having that kind of day at the track.

Again though, no good comes from this as Powell learns from the same newspaper where he's getting all the winning horses, he will die tomorrow. That will take the shine off even a great day at the racetrack (which is hard to do). Later, as would eventually become a stock plot device for these types of stories, his winnings are stolen from him.

All of these ups and downs happen inside a screwball-comedy construct with a lighthearted tone. You can probably see the end coming (it's only a spoiler alert if you've never seen a romcom-with-a-message movie before) as Powell and Darnell learn it's love not money that is really important to achieve happiness.

It's a serviceable movie whose story feels a bit choppy, which probably reflects the seven different writers who worked on the screenplay - too many cooks in the kitchen and all that. There's no reason to seek this one out, but if it happened to be on, there are worse ways to spend an hour and half. Plus, it's fun to see an early version of an idea The Twilight Zone TV show would explore from a few different angles, just a decade and half or so later.

 

[Edward]

"Little Monsters (2019)" - Some YouTube cretin said that this was one of the best movies Hulu has produced and considering the cast I gave it a try. Boy am I glad I did. If you want a sweet, pleasant 90 minute romp you can't ask for a better movie. The premise is simple, spoiled man child loses his girlfriend, moves in with his sister. Takes his nephew to class one day... falls for the teacher. In an attempt to woo her he joins her on a class trip just as a nearby Army research center has a localized Zombie outbreak! Gory and profane but with a heart of purest gold. You could do much worse.

Worf

Oh, now that does sound like fun! Kiddy zombies can be well creepy...

Last night I watched a cute little British indy horror called Ghost Ship. From 2017 - *not* the big budget Gabriel Byrne flick from 2002. Young Englishman in the present day begins seeing apparitions of a local woman who killed herself over 160 years ago. Turns out to be connected to the Victorian sailing ship, an improbably popular local tourist attraction ,on which he works doing a form of 'living history'. A couple of good jump-scares aside, this is very much a classic, British ghost story in the mould of something like The Woman in Black. Perhaps one for those who have enjoyed its European cousins like The Orphanage. A pleasant diversion for around ninety minutes, all the more impressive in that there's little indeed that belies the tiny budget on which it was made.