What was the last film you watched?

[Mel O'Drama]

Desolation (2017)

Fairly well acted. Some nice scenery. A promising premise. But it wasn't as suspenseful, creepy or scary as it promised. And the backstory with the death of the husband/father did little other than highlight how thin the present time plot was.

In a nutshell, it's The Blair Witch Project with more likeable protagonists and a sillier, less threatening baddie.

But it was a reasonable way to pass an hour or so.​

 

[Seaviewer]

I was always intrigued with the greatness of Edward G. Robinson @Mel O'Drama. Such a terrific actor!! The guy could do anything. Drama, comedy, it didn’t matter.

It's a shame that so many of the stars of that era have been reduced to caricatures. It's easy to forget that they were real talents in their time.

 

[Angela Channing]

Joan of Arc (1948)

More cheese in this film that a high street delicatessen. A film of it's time but once you look past that it still has a lot going for it. Visually, it's stunning and the performances are great and it's an interesting story of self sacrifice and devotion to faith. Also noticeable for a surprise appearance of a young Alan Napier who also played Alfred in the 1960s TV series.

 

[thomaswak]

Are they still allowed to call it that?

Coming late on this, sorry.

As one of the subject of the movie is the Black slavery, I think it is. Anyway, the movie is not great or perfect but I really, really enjoyed it.

 

[Angela Channing]

My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)

From the second when the titles first appear on the screen this film appears dated and low budget but don't be put off by that as it's a good story told in an engaging way that at times is funny and always is intelligent. It successfully captures the vibe of 1980s Britain, covering the racial tensions, views on homosexuality and generational and class differences that existed at the times and many ways still exist today.

 

[Grant Jennings]

The Fortune Cookie (1966)
​

Jack Lemmon is a television cameraman who is knocked to the ground by a quarterback during a telecast of a Cleveland Browns football game. Walter Matthau is Lemmon's brother in law, an ambulance chaser who wants to milk the situation for all it's worth. It's the first time Lemmon and Matthau worked together and It's obvious why they were paired several more times, they play off each other very well. I found it interesting that the other two main roles (the quarterback and Lemmon's wife) were played by actors I didn't recognize yet almost every other role is played by actors whose names may not be recognizable but whose faces are very familiar. The movie is funny but also has poignant moments - especially the final scene. I highly recommend it.​

 

[Angela Channing]

Blithe Spirit (1945)

When I recently watched the 2020 film version of Blithe Spirit I didn't realise that an earlier version of the film existed until @Mel O'Drama mentioned it. As I didn't really like the new version I was curious to see if the original cinematic adaptation of the play was any better. Thankfully it was. Seeing Rex Harrison and Margaret Rutherford in 2 of the main roles it's easy to see how Dan Stevens and Judi Dench were so badly miscast in the remake. In the original film, the actors seem so at ease with the story it could have been written for them. Considering this version was made three quarters of a century earlier, I found the way the presented Elvira as a ghost was more convincing. The film is not a classic, and I doubt I would watch it a second time, but if you want to see a film of this play, the 1945 version is by far the better one to watch.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)

From the second when the titles first appear on the screen this film appears dated and low budget but don't be put off by that as it's a good story told in an engaging way that is at times is funny and always intelligent. It successfully captures the vibe of 1980's Britain, covering the racial tensions, views on homosexuality, generational and class differences that existed at the times and many ways still exist today.

This has been on my viewing bucket list for some time. It looks like a fascinating film for all the reasons you mention.

When I recently watched the 2020 film version of Blithe Spirit I didn't realise that an earlier version of the film existed until @Mel O'Drama mentioned it. As I didn't really like the new version I was curious to see if the original cinematic adaptation of the play was any better. Thankfully it was.

Oh whew. I'm glad you liked it.

 

[Angela Channing]

Oh whew. I'm glad you liked it.

Anything with Margaret Rutherford is watchable. She had such a great screen presence and energy that you can't take your eyes off her.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Shazam! (2019)

(AKA the original Captain Marvel)

I kept expectations low for this one, but really enjoyed it. Surprisingly, the best thing about it was the teenage actors playing the kids. I really liked the whole foster family setup and the school scenes. Zachary Levi as Captain Marvel was funny enough, but he also got a bit wearing at times, playing it broadly like an American sitcom. The villain wasn't particularly interesting and I thought the actor had little screen presence. An hour after watching I struggle to remember a single thing he said or did.

The foster theme made it kind of like a superheroic Home and Away. Combined with the body switch of Freaky Friday or Big.


​

Anything with Margaret Rutherford is watchable. She had such a great screen presence and energy that you can't take your eyes off her.

Yes, she's brilliant. I'm overdue a rewatch of her four Marple films. And I also stumbled upon a film about her life story on Prime which I'm hoping to watch soon.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Aquaman (2018)

Despite my comics reading childhood, Aquaman was a character who - other than some regular appearances in the JLA - mostly passed me by. He just never interested me in the way that many of his peers did. I really wasn't sure I wanted to watch a two and a half hour film about the character.

There was lots I really enjoyed. I found the origin and backstory interesting enough and I mostly liked the world created. And Willem Dafoe is in it, so there's that.

I wasn't so keen on the abundance of CGI which made it feel far too much like a video game at times. Then there were the roaring sharks! And the Atlanteans all having broad American accents (the actor playing the brother who looked like Draco Malfoy had teen drama delivery. Mera's accent was not only off-puttingly rhotic, it was accompanied by Kardashian vocal fry. Not at all how I'd long imagined this regal princess would sound).

Oh, and when I paused the film for a pee break the cast names came up on screen, and I realised the woman playing Mera was Amber "No-one is going to believe that" Heard. Which made it difficult to fully enjoy the rest of the film.​

 

[9unfold]

Sully. Miracle On The Hudson.

Tom Hanks continues to offer outstanding performances. The whole movie was really enjoyable.

 

[Angela Channing]

Sully. Miracle On The Hudson.

Tom Hanks continues to offer outstanding performances. The whole movie was really enjoyable.

This is a wonderful film, I really liked it and an incredible story of a true hero.

 

[Angela Channing]

The Jolson Story (1046)

This is a superior biopic. It's a sanitised version of the life of Al Jolson so it doesn't address the controversy of wearing blackface, his falling out with his brother is ignored by not including the character in the film and his multiple divorces are not mentioned and all his wives are rolled into a single character. However, all that aside, the essence of his life story is intact and it's a very enjoyable film and Larry Parks is outstanding as Jolson even though he looks nothing like him but his performance is so good you completely overlook that.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

The Ones Below (2015)

This was a spontaneous watch, which is often the best kind. I had no idea what this would be going in, but thought I might end up whiling away an hour and a half with a few jump scares. I was pleasantly surprised to be gripped by a film full of humanity and psychological tension.

It helped that I didn't recognise any of the cast as I watched, though I've since realised that one of the actors was One Summer's Billy Rizley (unrecognisable in this role). And it's brilliantly acted.

Here's one of James's favourite reviewers talking about his experience with the film, which is not unlike my own:

Sully. Miracle On The Hudson.

This is a wonderful film, I really liked it and an incredible story of a true hero.

It was on TV last week when I was channel surfing. Midway through, unfortunately. I only saw half a scene but made a mental note to watch it in full sometime.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Quartet (2012)

Brilliant film with a terrific cast. Warm and funny in all the right places. And directed by one Dustin Hoffman.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Number 13 (2006)

A short adaption by the BBC of the M. R. James ghost story.​

 

[Willie Oleson]

Like Maleficent, it turns the super villain's non-story into a heart-wrenching victim story with the obligatory soapy sub-plot.
But, unlike Maleficent, the JOKER trailer is the real thing. In fact, the movie is an extended director's cut of that trailer.

In MALEFICENT, it was the premise that worked against the movie, in JOKER it's the title character itself that takes the sting out of it.
It's very well done and it looks very convincing (and how could it not with such a paper-thin plot) but the fact that he is the famous Joker kinda keeps me at arm's length.
It's not a character's story, it's the story of a character.
The dampy/gritty seventies style is wonderfully recreated although I'm not sure if it's supposed to represent the 1970s period. It's hard to tell with all those big American cars.

The movie has its moments and I think it's succeeded in what it wanted to be. But I wouldn't recommend it to someone else.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Whistle & I'll Come To You (2010)

As with Number 13, this is another BBC adaption of an M.R. James ghost story. In fact this was the next in the series, airing the Christmas after Number 13.

I'm not familiar with the original, but reading reviews after watching it appears this is nothing like the original. Many don't seem to like this adaption, but it really worked for me.

It was damned creepy in places, and there was one big jump for me. But the real strength was the vein of foreboding running through it. Dementia, old peoples' homes and being alone are three things that I find terrifying, so the entire setup felt uncomfortable and off-kilter before any hint of ghostly doings.

The entire (small) cast is wonderful. Lots of inscrutable half smiles on faces that could be read as friendly, but could also be masking something quite sinister. And John Hurt is as marvellous as you'd expect in response to the half smiling women with whom he interacts occasionally.​

 

[Willie Oleson]

Whistle & I'll Come To You

If you can.