What was the last film you watched?

[Mel O'Drama]

Fallen (1998)

A film I'd never heard of, much less watched. It... wasn't great.

It just feels like too much of everything. For a start, it's about 40 minutes too long and consequently feels at best quite sluggish (at worst, it was tediously wearing). The main plot is kind of a simplistic urban legend that gets overdone and stretched far too thin over the 2+ hours. The film apparently attempts to mitigate this by giving us Denzel's non-traditional family setup and the Cagney & Lacey style procedural at the New York police station. Both are done well enough, and the former works especially in the film's favour (the latter gets a bit verbose and navel gazey), but the plot turns coming from them aren't anywhere near as impactful as they could be.

There are several big "twists" towards the film's end which, unfortunately, can be seen coming from a great distance. This means there's absolutely nothing to make the investment feel worthwhile.

As for the evil spirit moving from person to person by touch... it looks hokey all the way through (the effects in this film are extremely shonky), and gets overdone in some daft looking, over-choreographed scenes where the extras appear to be an amateur flashmob.

For anyone wanting to watch Denzel pursuing a serial killer in a thriller-cum-procedural, save yourself two hours you'll never get back, and watch the following year's The Bone Collector instead.








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I saw War Games when it first came out but I don't think I've seen it since. Pretty good as I remember it.

I really enjoyed it, and I'd imagine it was probably even better back in 1983 when the tech would have seemed even more impressive.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

The Apartment (1960)

I watched this once some thirty-plus years ago. Funny the tricks the memory plays, since I remembered this as being in vivid colour rather than the black and white in which it was shot.

Back then, I decided I'd ticked the box and had no desire to watch it again. Whatever I'd expected, The Apartment wasn't it (I probably watched it off the back of Some Like It Hot expecting more of the same. I remember finding the drug overdose/stomach pumping particularly depressing).

Watching it last night was a very different experience. It hit all the right notes for me: funny, charming and just touching enough to give it substance. It's reminded me that I haven't seen nearly enough of Jack Lemmon's body of work, and the same goes for Billy Wilder.​

 

[Angela Channing]

WarGames (1983)

I love this film. I first saw it when it was released in the 1980s and most recently watched it about 3 years ago and it didn't seem at all dated considering how much geopolitics and technology has changed in the intervening years.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I first saw it when it was released in the 1980s and most recently watched it about 3 years ago and it didn't seem at all dated considering how much geopolitics and technology has changed in the intervening years.

This was the big surprise for me. The very Eighties red "arcade" font used for the credits was the most dated aspect for me.

Aesthetically, the computers looked very different to those we see today, and I imagine NORAD's equipment isn't so filled with diodes these days, but the story holds up well and remains relevant. The film could probably easily be remade today almost line for line.

The writing, casting and performances were solid, and these three aspects never date.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Cast A Dark Shadow (1955)

Tagline: "No woman could resist his sinister charm!"


A nice little obscure vintage British thriller. Well, it went completely under my radar anyway. I hadn't heard of it until a couple of days ago when it popped up as a suggestion. Perhaps not surprising considering it bombed at the time.

It has a great deal going for it. A combination of play-like sets (belying its origins) and charming, terribly British locations (the quaint little village appears to be Abbots Langley in Hertfordshire).

I also found the behind-the-scenes stuff fascinating. Margaret Lockwood had evidently made some stinkers just prior to this, negatively affecting the film's reputation to the point where her top billing was later rescinded in some publicity material, making her name far smaller and less prominent than Dirk Borgarde's, even though Dirk had hand-picked her and he and the director insisted (many years later) that she was great in it.

I found it interesting to watch Dirk in a sinister role, particularly as it was filmed around the time of the earliest Doctor films. Some of his choices - seeming to enjoy the obstacles that come his way, and smiling at times when someone else gains the upper hand - reminded me of what Larry Hagman would do decades later in Dallas. In film terms, this frequently feels quite Hitchcockian, with echoes of Rope as well as Hitch's earlier British works, as well as having some similar themes to Psycho, still years away at this point.

As things escalated, I found myself genuinely wondering how it would all end. Sadly, the actual outcome was telegraphed, though only by a couple of minutes, as it was a situation that had to be reached through escalating drama, which it did well.

All in all, a nice little film, that would probably make ideal weekend matinee fare.



Incidentally, I prefer this poster but, sadly, can't find a decent-sized image.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Something Wild (1987)

This came up as a suggestion off the back of Desperately Seeking Susan, but I actually have a vague memory of reviews of another Eighties Madonna fil pointing out its uncanny likeness to Something Wild, so I was interested to see it on this level.

As Something Wild began, the similarities between its premise and that of Who's That Girl were glaring*. Even the tone felt very similar at first.

Not knowing much about the film beyond its initial premise, and some written comments about it being Hitchcockian. In executions, Something Wild's turns were still surprising - and at times even shocking. Of course, I knew Jonathan Demme's association with darkness from his history of Columbo episodes and going on to direct The Silence Of The Lambs. Somehow, though, I just didn't pre-empt this quirky film going into that same psychologically unsettling territory, nor having the level of graphically bloody violence it eventually got. Probably the first clue I got to the film's more earthy nature was when Melanie Griffith's tits carried a lengthy scene or two by themselves (a point at which the Victorian in me briefly contemplated bailing). But, of course, Ray Liotta's name should really have clued me in far earlier than this. I'd also previously read some comments on the film which alluded to it being Hitchcockian.

It's an interesting film, if for no other reason that I found all its main characters rather unlikeable in different ways. Jeff Daniels's character probably gets off the lightest in this regard, but (unless I missed something) only fairly late in the film is it revealed that he's not a cheating skank.

Living up to its name, this really is a wild ride, going to some places I really couldn't have envisaged beforehand. That makes it a success, for my money. All the same, it's not an easy or comfortable ride, nor is it enjoyable most of the time. It challenged me in many ways so, while it wasn't a wasted experience, I can say hand on heart that I have no desire to ever watch it again.
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* As a big Madonna fan back then, I did watch Who's That Girl a number of times in the mid-late Eighties. And I actually enjoyed it, (though I had admittedly probably made up my mind to do so ahead of time). These days, my main memory of the film is of Madonna doing that turtle-mouthed thing a lot in an attempt to look comedically screwball. I also vividly remember it was the first time I noticed the American pronunciation of the word "mall" when Madge said "Hey - a maul" and I had no idea what she meant (shopping malls weren't really a "thing" in Britain at the time). Thinking about it, I would have almost certainly have heard the term in this context in Back To The Future before this, but I didn't really pick up on it at the time.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)

I probably last watched this version when I was still at school, so it's been a while. If anything, it's even more horrifying today.

It's a bleakly grey, subjective nightmarish trudge that breaks the viewer's spirit almost as much as that of the characters. It's godawful... in the best possible way, with voyeuristic flashes of things (from broadcast executions to Shirley Stelfox's minge) that one immediately wants to unsee, but can't.

The bleach bypass processing makes it look all at once vintage and contemporary. It could easily pass for a film (or Netflix series) that was made today. The performances are terrific, and it feels that no punches are pulled.

It made me quite giddy with anxiety, and last night I had the weirdest dreams.​

 

[Willie Oleson]

Some of his choices - seeming to enjoy the obstacles that come his way, and smiling at times when someone else gains the upper hand

Good losers are probably the most dangerous ones.

I also found the behind-the-scenes stuff fascinating

I didn't know that streaming services offered the special features.

Ray Liotta

Living up to its name, this really is a wild ride, going to some places I really couldn't have envisaged beforehand.

Looking at the picture I can't decide if it's overselling or underselling itself, and now I'm curious to know how it compares the film.

 

[Seaviewer]

Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
As I wrote recently in the "Katharine Hepburn" thread, I saw this a long time ago on TV and I think I see now why as a kid I had no idea what it was about other than being set in an insane asylum.
I see now that the subtext is buried so deep that I'm sure that it must have been heavily censored compared to the original play.
There is evidently a 1993 remake which I'll have to catch up with to see if they've been more obvious with the homosexual themes they refer to here only obliquely, but I doubt that Maggie Smith can top Hepburn's performance.
Elizabeth Taylor is also very good (oddly,I saw her as teenager just a few weeks ago in Life With Father). In fact Monty Clift as the doctor is often reduced to simply wandering back and forth between the set pieces of the two divas, the denouement being a sort of face off which reminded me of the courtroom climax of The Caine Mutiny - the mental disintegration of the one vindicating the stand of the other.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Good losers are probably the most dangerous ones.

You're not wrong, Willie.

At least with a bad sport you know where you stand.

I didn't know that streaming services offered the special features.

Oh, by "behind-the-scenes stuff", I meant a post-film visit to Wikipedia to find out some background.

Looking at the picture I can't decide if it's overselling or underselling itself, and now I'm curious to know how it compares the film.

Of the two I'd say it probably undersold itself as there's a lot more to it.

On the other hand, I was in the mood for something lighter and fluffier at the time, so I would have preferred to watch the poster.

Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)

I saw this a long time ago on TV and I think I see now why as a kid I had no idea what it was about other than being set in an insane asylum.
I see now that the subtext is buried so deep that I'm sure that it must have been heavily censored compared to the original play.

That explains a lot, as I remember not quite getting it when I watched in my younger days. I must confess I've forgotten most of it now, so perhaps I'll revisit it sometime.

 

[Willie Oleson]

I meant a post-film visit to Wikipedia

Oh, that was you? Please, next time try not to make such a racket.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Throw Momma From The Train (1987)

The brief for last night's film choice was something that didn't require thinking. I thought this seemed to fit the bill perfectly. And it helped that it was a brisk 85 minutes.

This is one of those films that I associate with being shown late at night in the late Eighties or early Nineties: probably after News At Ten or Film '92. The kind of thing that fell outside my usual viewing schedule and that (even though I'd probably noticed it was there) I didn't want to see badly enough to stay up late or set the video recorder.

I do admire that it doesn't attempt to conceal that its story is derivative. Plots from several Hitchcock films are ripped off, but most notably Strangers On A Train. However, instead of pretentiously wrapping it up as a homage or lazily making a spoof, Throw Momma simply acknowledges the films and makes them a plot point. It even uses footage from Strangers... at a key point, and then references it.

The two leads are engaging (halfway through it dawned on me that here are two former sitcom pros, which may explain the great chemistry).

It certainly hit the spot for a bit of daft entertainment and I'd probably watch it again in time.​

 

[Willie Oleson]

and now I'm curious to know how it compares the film.

Running time was lengthier than I thought so I watched it in two installments.
Jeff Daniels looks very nice in his....socks and Ray Liotta wears his clothes like a second skin. I like the way he arrives on the scene with that "move over Matt Dillon" attitude. It's an impressive debut for a survivor of The Lonely Lady.
I like the soundtrack and overall it looks remarkably un-cheesy for an eighties romcom (of sorts). Once Jeff Daniels' character decides not to escape from these horrible people the story loses a lot of its urgency. On the other hand, the fight scenes in the last part are very well done.
I find Melanie Griffith hit-or-miss in this film. She's good in some parts and in other parts she comes across as "my husband produced this film" (figuratively).

 

[Willie Oleson]

Let's throw it out and see if the cat licks it up

Watching it for the first time I think it's an intriguing and very entertaining (melo) drama but seeing how all that clever detective work plays out it's really not that different from being in the courtroom. It's basically Perry Mason played by different people.
The "villains" of the piece conveniently contradicted themselves or behaved disproportionately emotional or uninterested so there was never any doubt that I had to side with Henry Fonda's character.

As a reverse "whodunnit" it's a very good film but I'm not sure if it is masterpiece.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop (2021)

This was listed in my streaming service as having been made in 2023. A bit of a red flag, along with the fact that I struggled to find information about the background of the film (I'd done a quick search just to ensure this wasn't part of an ongoing series that needed to be watched in a certain order).

Anyway, I certainly wasn't expecting art. Which is fortunate, because I never got it.

The opening titles gave the impression of a TV movie (or even an episode of a TV series), and I'm glad about this because it kept my expectations in check.

Despite the detailed "origin" story in the film's opening scenes, I found it difficult to get a handle on the titular character. Her "thing" was being the wealthy lady of the manor and this privileged background had made her so adept in... whatever skills she needs for the occasion, probably. Martial arts. Strategy. Psychology. Advanced driving. I dare say she has feminine intuition on her side as well. She felt rather like a composite of any number of characters, from Emma Peel or Purdey to Harriet Makepeace (it did rather feel that the lead actress was attempting to channel Joanna Lumley and the end result was a bit Glynis Barber). There's probably a dash of Lara Croft and a helping of Jessica Fletcher and Nancy Drew as well. Oh, and having her as a teacher at a university felt a little like an attempt to get a bit of Indiana Jones in there.

However, without anything to make this character stand out, she feels quite generic and derivative, and there's nothing to give this film (and I keep wanting to write "series") a USP. I also didn't buy her as an aristocrat or even upper class, but this was mitigated greatly by her having come to live in this environment after the deaths of her parents, and by her having been raised by her American guardian. It all helped me make sense of things that might otherwise have bothered me.

The tone of the film felt quite Anglo-American. It's quite hard to pinpoint just what it is, but something felt a little "off", as though this is an American view of how Brits live (the kind of portrayal one might expect from Hallmark Movie, which at times I did wonder if this might be). Looking more closely at the writers and producers, it is indeed a combination of people from both sides of the pond (and a couple of other European countries thrown in).

The writing is incredibly simplistic: safe and predictable. There are no clever twists and anyone who's watched a Murder, She Wrote episode or two can see what's coming. The denouement at the end even has a touch of the Scooby Doo to it. Indeed, the biggest suspension of my disbelief was called for at the very end when Willow had to give a Sleuthing For Dummies explanation to the brilliant man who had taught her everything she knows who - and this almost made me scream - had evidently missed most of the clues. And all of this was presumably done because the writers thought the audience might not be intelligent enough to keep up with the thin, recycled plot.

I've been a bit harsh, but it was watchable - and enjoyable - enough. There's certainly a market for twee, formulaic murder mysteries, and in this regard Miss Willoughby does feel like a fond throwback to a time when viewers demanded less of the story and simply enjoyed the scenery and the comfort of familiar character actors. This may be an imperfect example of the genre, but it's not without charm.

Caroline Quentin is great fun (I spent a third of the film convinced she was Lucille Hewitt from Corrie, before my partner recognised Caroline and then I immediately remembered Jennifer Moss had died anyway), and Kelsey Grammer - playing the Steed to Willow's Purdey, or the Giles to her Buffy - is welcome enough. The North Yorkshire scenery - from historic York to the cobbles of Howden and the grandeur of Birdsall House - is very photogenic indeed.

Would I watch a sequel or a series should either appear? Despite my scathing review, I'd certainly be open to it.



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Ray Liotta wears his clothes like a second skin. I like the way he arrives on the scene with that "move over Matt Dillon" attitude.

Definitely. There's a confident, arrogant swagger to him that repels and attracts at the same time.

I like the soundtrack

Since I watched this with Who's That Girl in my mind, this was one area where I felt Madge's film was superior to this one.

it looks remarkably un-cheesy for an eighties romcom (of sorts). Once Jeff Daniels' character decides not to escape from these horrible people the story loses a lot of its urgency. On the other hand, the fight scenes in the last part are very well done.

Agreed on all counts. It gets quite gritty and even raw (in that fight sequence) and was more substantial (and heavy) than I expected.

I find Melanie Griffith hit-or-miss in this film. She's good in some parts and in other parts she comes across as "my husband produced this film" (figuratively).

I had the same experience. I'm trying to think if I've seen her in anything else - and I'm sure I must have - but I can't think of any of her performances. My main association of her is of numerous pictures in Eighties newspapers and glossies of her on Don Johnson's arm. And, of course, for being Tippi Hedren's daughter. I did wonder if the casting was at least partly an attempt to tie this film to that legacy in the same way as Jamie Lee's casting in Halloween. There are certainly similarities to be found between Melanie's character here and Tippi's mischievous, drama-manufacturing character in The Birds.

During this film I found it really difficult to work out her performance. There were times when I couldn't quite decide whether she was a terrible actress or she was being deliberately wooden as part of her screen persona to hide how canny and intelligent she actually was (à la Marilyn Monroe). I'm still none the wiser, but overall I'm leaning towards the former.

All the same, this has reminded me that I've never seen Working Girl (which I remember being huge at the time). And any film with Sigourney Weaver has to be worth a peek.

​

 

[LMLDallas78]

I went to the cinema Wednesday evening to watch Equalizer 3. I became a fan of the films after watching The Equalizer original series as a youngster and having a secret crush on the wonderful Edward Woodward.

Equalizer 3 was a very enjoyable watch with Denzel Washington mesmerising as always.

It was a lot slower pace than the others but it needed to be. I'm not into gory scenes, but they're executed very well and in a believable way. The setting in Italy is lush and the dialogue witty at times and effective telling a good story.

I'd read a few reviews which didn't rate it very good, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Horizon (2019)

I watched this mainly because I'm familiar with the territory (the geographical area, I mean. Not alien invasions). Thankfully I wasn't expecting much.

During the opening scenes, I found myself actually laughing at some of the ham in the OTT reactions, so I have nobody but myself to blame for sitting through another two hours of it.

Perfectly complementing the iffy performances were the dodgy effects. To be fair, I reminded myself this was probably shot on a shoestring budget and I've seen worse in some far more expensive films.

Just as I'd justified this, though, along came Edward Coleridge, a historic figure from the 19th Century, who spoke in contemporary RP (right down to T-dropping and contractions). Worse still was the flashback to Coleridge and his wife entertaining friends at their Clifton townhouse back in 1860 or something, and they ALL spoke this way. Contemporary expressions crept in, and - of course BOTH husbands wore (minimalist silver) wedding rings... something no man would have even considered doing at the time. The laziness around the period detail should have been funny, but ultimately just saddened me.

Somewhere in the last half, I decided that the series felt reminiscent of the kind of the serial that Children's ITV used to show in the 4.45 slot during the Eighties (think Chocky; Moondial and the like) and with that mindset I suddenly began to enjoy it.

It turns out that Horizon genuinely is a serial: it's a web-series originally released over two series in 2015 and 2017. And, for all its faults, it does impress on that level.

Here's the trailer in all its shrieky CGI glory:

 

[Willie Oleson]

Here's the trailer in all its shrieky CGI glory

So....HOLLYOAKS with UFOs? That trailer doesn't look bad at all.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

So....HOLLYOAKS with UFOs?

Oh yes. That probably sums it up perfectly.

That trailer doesn't look bad at all.

After the opening minutes made me giggle, this influenced how I viewed it for a bit.

Finding out it was a web-based serial I'm now of the view that it's better than I'd credited it with. For a low-budget independent project made by a small - and young - team, it's quite hard to knock (even if it's hard to resist sometimes).

 

[Angela Channing]

View attachment 47134


Watching it for the first time I think it's an intriguing and very entertaining (melo) drama but seeing how all that clever detective work plays out it's really not that different from being in the courtroom. It's basically Perry Mason played by different people.
The "villains" of the piece conveniently contradicted themselves or behaved disproportionately emotional or uninterested so there was never any doubt that I had to side with Henry Fonda's character.

As a reverse "whodunnit" it's a very good film but I'm not sure if it is masterpiece.

I love this film but I find some aspects really frustrating. A jury aren't meant to investigate a case but are just there to consider the evidence presented to them during the trial so about 90% of what went on in that jury room shouldn't have been allowed. However, once you get over that major flaw in the premise of the film, it is a superior piece of film making with several knockout performances.