What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[Lady Day]

LD, I'm hardly the world's biggest fan of the Alice books, and I generally champion adaptations that rework things to better suit the purposes of film... but that movie is a disaster. Half-baked ideas that are just plain wrong (Alice is now a teenage action heroine!), Burton indulging his worst habits, and a distinct lack of the original's charm. Most annoyingly, the social criticism of the original (which admittedly, is a bit obscure to today's POV) is entirely jettisoned.

I gather that the new Gulliver movie with Jack Black does the same thing - totally ignores the original book's purpose as a societal critique, and handles it as just a special-effects comedy. When you consider that even the earlier kiddie versions of Gulliver - the Fleischer cartoon, Harryhausen film, Halmi miniseries, etc. - made real efforts to keep this stuff, it's a sad commentary on the state of film, and filmgoers, today!

Just like the Brother's Grimm and Sherlock Holmes.
They are of their source material in title only, and to a lot of movie goers who are too lazy to read a book, that's just fine with them.

As far as Burton, I just wish he would stop making blockbusters. Sincerely, they are not his strong suit. I haven't seen a blockbuster film of his that I thought was any good, sans Sleepy Hollow, which on a scale of 1 to 10, I consider a 5.5. Which brakes my heart because he is one of my absolute favorite directors (Edward Scissorhands is one of my top 3), but he's just gotten bogged down in making his movies look as 'Tim Burton' as he can make them. It's like he's a caricature of his own style.

LD

 

[HepKitty]

"Holiday" by George Cukor with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn. Lovely!

You said "Cary Grant" so it should be good lol

 

[Rudie]

Yes, and Katherine Hepburn makes it even better. Really, who cares for Cary Grant when you can have Katherine Hepburn? And Cukor is the cream on top.

 

[rue]

Just like the Brother's Grimm and Sherlock Holmes.
They are of their source material in title only, and to a lot of movie goers who are too lazy to read a book, that's just fine with them.

As far as Burton, I just wish he would stop making blockbusters. Sincerely, they are not his strong suit. I haven't seen a blockbuster film of his that I thought was any good, sans Sleepy Hollow, which on a scale of 1 to 10, I consider a 5.5. Which brakes my heart because he is one of my absolute favorite directors (Edward Scissorhands is one of my top 3), but he's just gotten bogged down in making his movies look as 'Tim Burton' as he can make them. It's like he's a caricature of his own style.

LD

He's one of my favorites too, but I have to agree with you especially in this: "It's like he's a caricature of his own style." What happened to the man that made Vincent?

 

[John in Covina]

There is a temptation for many film makers to put "their stamp" on classic material. There is a difference with subtle nuances versus taking liberties. I can understand in some situations where to be faithful to the book would make the picture 6 hours and that there may be a need to pare down. Lord of the Rings has a number of parts pared down to form the films.

LA Confidential has a lot of stuff removed because it is really complex in the book. So they took out stuff and shift many things around, but the characters are pretty close to their book persona. Elroy in the DVD interview gives his approval and said he though the story could not be adapted to a movie. He was right but he does approve of the film as it is.

I have not read any Harry Potter books but a friend said that some of the movies are vastly different from the book they are supposed to be based on.

 

[Wire9Vintage]

OK. wow... just watched the 1925 silent Wizard of Oz.
So wrong on so many levels.

 

[scotrace]

Similar to the 1903 stage version I appeared in last summer. The version we all know strays wide of the book, which is silly (the book).

I just watched Splice. WOW.

 

[John in Covina]

I just watched Splice. WOW.

I started watching Splice and got too creeped out to finish it last night.

 

[Lady Day]

I just watched Splice. WOW.

WOW as in, oh my goodness this is the most unbelievably tremendously shockingly laughingly worst movie I have ever seen or will see in my entire life?

If its that kind of WOW, then yeah, I'm with you.

LD

 

[Fletch]

The Secret of Dr. Kildare (1939)
There is only ever one reason to watch Dr. Kildare movies and that is Lionel Barrymore, being Lionel Barrymore, playing Dr. Gillespie. Otherwise they are 90min soap operas with occasional one-liner humor. This one even had the old Pretty Girl Going Blind storyline no radio serial could go without.

From the mundane to the mesmerizing with
Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould (2010)
American Masters widens its remit to honor Canada's most singular musician. Whether you know his music or just want to (like me), you will likely be fascinated by this trip into the mind of a man who was as unique and inexplicable as his talent. Friends, lovers and collaborators - and Gould himself, on tape - tell his story.

 

[Wally_Hood]

The Bourne Ultimatium, enjoyable despite the rapid-cutting technique employed by director Greengrass. That finishes up the trilogy.

 

[Bugsy]

Today, I eked out enough time to see The King's Speech. It's a wonderfully done film. Colin Firth is getting a lot of buzz about an Oscar performance which indeed it is. However, Jeffrey Rush steals the film IMHO*.

*In My Humble Opinion

 

[Berlin]

Waterloo Bridge

 

[Miss Golightly]

Waterloo Bridge

LOVE that movie - so sad....

I saw another movie with the beautiful Vivien Leigh this morning - A Streetcar Named Desire

 

[Berlin]

LOVE that movie - so sad....

I saw another movie with the beautiful Vivien Leigh this morning - A Streetcar Named Desire

What a coincidence! My Utorrent just finished that download!

 

[MissMittens]

What a coincidence! My Utorrent just finished that download!

That's a great movie!!

 

[Miss Golightly]

What a coincidence! My Utorrent just finished that download!

Well happy viewing!

I just watched That Touch of Mink (the clothes in that movie *sigh*..........)

 

[martinsantos]

LOVE that movie - so sad....

I saw another movie with the beautiful Vivien Leigh this morning - A Streetcar Named Desire

A great film... From a great play, that touch deeply in the reader.

 

[Berlin]

A great film... From a great play, that touch deeply in the reader.

Not only thát!
The eye wants somethin' too! Namely; Marlon Brando...:redface:

 

[MissMittens]

It's a slow day at work, so I'm about to watch Dark Side of The Rainbow - which is The Wizzard of Oz synchronized with Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon