What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[Black Dahlia]

I watched 'Jaws' yet again - classic!
X
BD

 

[Gregg Axley]

Pushover with Fred McMurray.

 

[Worf]

"The Butler" - Solid B - I heard the reviews were mixed, I went in expecting the worst, but the story, even if half true, was so amazing and well told that I totally bought in. I lived through those times, and the film had the ring of truth. I'm sure "Presidential Historians" will pick it to pieces, but I enjoyed it as entertainment, not "history". Whitaker was amazing, Oprah was far better than I thought she would be. The whole ensemble, which I heard did the film for lunch money, did a fine job. I did NOT recognize Mariah Carey, nor "Lafayette" from True Blood at all. Not "amazing" but damn good, as far as I'm concerned. The little ole ladies and I applauded at the end.

Worf

 

[Fading Fast]

I just watched "Emperor" last night. I completely missed this one when it came out last year - didn't hear a thing about it - and only stumbled on it by accident on Netflix. Being a fan of WWII movies and the Golden Era in general, I assumed it must have been a terrible movie or I wouldn't have missed it, but I gave it a shot anyway and was pleasantly surprised.

It is a good, not great, movie that tells the story - with some poetic license, based on my limited knowledge of this particular piece of history (let me emphasize, I am no expert), but not egregiously inaccurate - of General Douglas MacArthur's decision, at the beginning of the American occupation of Japan, whether or not to put the Emperor of Japan on trial for war crimes.

MacArthur assigns the investigation into the Emperor's involvement in Japan's decision to go to war to a general on his staff who had a pre-War relationship with a Japanese women - who had attended college in America. While this love story could have been hokey (and I have no idea how accurate it is), it is reasonably well done and helps to advance the story and expose some of the nuances and dimensions of Japan's thinking throughout the period. And on this point, the movie shines as it does not portray the events and decisions in black and white - Japan bad / America good - nor does it bend the other way to one of extreme moral equivocation where no judgements are made.

Books have been and will continue to be written on this moral teeter and no movie will have enough time to cover it in detail, but this one does a good job of setting a three-dimensional tone without shying away from making some firm judgement calls. It did what a good movie will do: it encouraged me to look to find something to read on this specific event.

The movie also shines in its cinematography, period sets and clothes. Let me acknowledge upfront that many on this board, who are meaningfully more knowledgable than I, will know how accurate or not all the details are, but as a lay fan of the era, the film is beautiful to watch and has that time-travel feel that allows you to loose yourself for a hour and a half in another era. And the building that houses the American Occupation offices is a stunning combination of Art Deco and Imperialist scale (that could have come right out of nazi Germany).

My last favorable point is that the movie tells a story through dialogue not explosions, builds characters not cardboard heroes and shows nuance and open-mindedness which, for today, is an achievement in itself. Not a great movie, but a good solid one worth watching if the period and topic interest you at all.

 

[CaramelSmoothie]

Watching a movie called "Splendor in the Grass" now on TCM. This is like the third 1960s movie I have seen that put very little effort into re-creating the 1920s era. Natalie Wood has a 1960s hairstyle and some women are wearing 1950s hats. The storyline is good though.

 

[2jakes]

Watching a movie called "Splendor in the Grass" now on TCM. This is like the third 1960s movie I have seen that put very little effort into re-creating the 1920s era. Natalie Wood has a 1960s hairstyle and some women are wearing 1950s hats. The storyline is good though.

From personal experience , it was very difficult at times to recreate the period look when the
"star" of the film had the final say so. This was not the case when the studio made the decisions.

 

[Gregg Axley]

Blonde Ice (1948).
Really a good movie, with an interesting Femme Fatal twist.

 

[jamespowers]

and

 

[Two Types]

Bit of a lazy day yesterday:

'The Secret of the Loch'
'The Impassive Footman'
'The Beloved Vagabond'

All three are British films from the 1930s which have been released for the first time on DVD. The Beloved Vagabond features a very young Margaret Lockwood as the accordion player in a troupe of travelling musicians.

The total running time was under three and a half hours.

 

[Doctor Strange]

The current Woody Allen release, Blue Jasmine.

It's definitely his best drama since Match Point, and Cate Blanchett's riveting, fearless performance is a lock for an Oscar nomination. For a change, the Woodman manages to avoid the cheap-shot coincidences and sloppy storytelling that has marred his recent work - this is a nearly perfect film. But make no mistake, it's a very dark story, with just a few amusing moments - essentially, a contemporary variation on A Streetcar Named Desire - and all the performances are great, especially Sally Hawkins as Blanchett's sister, Alec Baldwin (in flashbacks) as her husband, and Bobby Cannavale as the Stanley Kowalski figure. For a change, there is no clear Woody surrogate spouting his halting, neurotic dialog.

The best thing I can say about it is that if you didn't know that Woody directed it, you might not guess. While it includes a few of his familiar tropes (sisters in conflict, super-rich New Yorkers, highbrow vs. lowbrow observations, 20s/30s pop score), it really manages to totally avoid his usual schtick. This is a tremendous return to form after last year's awful To Rome With Love - a serious contender for his worst film.

 

[DavidJones]

'Death in Brunswick"

 

[Lady Day]

Chronicle

3 teenagers find a mysterious orb and emerge with telekinetic powers. It was rather good. Not original, mind you, but I really liked the 3 main characters. I liked watching their friendship grow but that part of the movie was too short (as is the movie). I could have used about an hour or so of more character development. Alas, the hand cam look really hurt the movie. I wish that were cut in with some real feature shots, especially to give us a since of scope of the area, though, the 'floating camera' was a nice way to cheat that.

I was reading some one said this was more an origins of a super villain than of a super hero, and I can totally see that. But I don't buy it when the 'evil' guy says his friends were not there for him. I also liked the way they represented the powers, and the 'marionette' type of feel they had to them. Plus the concept that all three of them are connected and they can since each other when their powers hit their peak, that was cool!

Plus, I am a sucker for a good reveal, and there were some good ones in this movie.

 

[Worf]

Comanche Station - Nothing like a classic shoot-em-up with Randolph Scott. Who, until Wayne mellowed a bit in later years, I preferred Scott to 3 to 1.

Worf

 

[reynoso16]

A Touch of Venus (1948) with Ava Gardner..Cute film=)

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Comanche Station - Nothing like a classic shoot-em-up with Randolph Scott. Who, until Wayne mellowed a bit in later years, I preferred Scott to 3 to 1.

Worf

Randolph Scott was my favorite. Had a true cowboy persona. Also had a beautiful chocolate stallion with white mane and tail + white stockings.
HD

 

[jamespowers]

 

[Worf]

Randolph Scott was my favorite. Had a true cowboy persona. Also had a beautiful chocolate stallion with white mane and tail + white stockings.
HD

Yeah I noticed that horse yesterday... Beautiful. I just find his world weary face soooo expressive. His "stoic stone face" shows more in stillness that some actors can chewing up the entire frame. Great underated actor! As they said in "Blazing Saddles".......

"You'd do it for Randolph Scott!"

Worf

 

[jamespowers]

 

[Worf]

"Gone with the Wind" - Why I don't know....

Worf

Gable I guess.... Man's man!

 

[VintageBee]

George Washington Lived Here
Something light to iron the clothes by