What was the last film you watched?

[Seaviewer]

The Kids Are All Right (2010)
A "slice of life" drama about a two-mom family whose lives are thrown into turmoil when the kids decide to make contact with their "sperm donor" (I don't think he is referred to as their father once).
I can easily imagine this family moving into one of the empty houses on Seaview Circle and seeing this story play out over one of the later seasons of Knots Landing.

 

[Seaviewer]

Snatched (2017)
It takes until about 20 minutes in before this finds its groove, going from a rather unfunny mother-daughter road movie to a sort of parody of action comedies like Romancing the Stone (which are themselves parodies of classics like King Solomon's Mines and The African Queen).
Goldie Hawn buries her daffy ingenue persona to seem surprisingly at home with Amy Schumer's gross-out style.
I even laughed a couple of times.

 

[Jessie]

The Possession of Hannah Grace
Horror flick really creepy

 

[Jessie]

Old

Pretty good movie

 

[Jessie]

The Shallows

 

[Angela Channing]

The Vault (2021)

I superior heist film about a group who attempt to rob the vault in the Bank of Spain, so a similar premise to the Netflix series Money Heist/La Casa de Papel. There are some great moments of tension in the entertaining plot. I've always liked Freddie Highmore but his acting is one note and he plays his character the same way he played Norman in Bates Motel and Shaun in The Good Doctor. I'm not sure he is strong enough to carry a lead role but the pace and intrigue in the film is enough to keep viewers interested

 

[Mel O'Drama]

A double-bill of Brit flicks this evening.

Golden Years (2016)

I had no idea what to expect from this one, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Funny, poignant and very nicely put together. Some nice scenery in a part of the country I happen to love. And a great cast including Virginia McKenna, Una Stubbs and Sue Johnston.

The Cuckoo Patrol (1967)

A slightly bizarre concept: a slapstick musical comedy film centred around a group of dopey boy scouts played by a real-life beat pop group in their late twenties (Freddie and the Dreamers) who get into various scrapes while trying to do good turns. Said scrapes see them entering the wrestling ring and helping criminals blow a safe in the middle of the night, among other things.

Despite the presence of some terrific British character actors such as John Le Mesurier, Kenneth Connor and Victor Maddern it's a bit of a hotch potch and not all that funny. But still an interesting little time capsule.

 

[Angela Channing]

And a great cast including Virginia McKenna, Una Stubbs and Sue Johnston.

I swear, Sue Johnston must have a brilliant agent because she seems to be in almost every British production both film and TV.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I swear, Sue Johnston must have a brilliant agent because she seems to be in almost every British production both film and TV.

I'm probably not watching enough of either as I can't remember the last time I saw her in anything.

Alison Steadman and Celia Imrie often make me think the same thing due to their ubiquitousness. All three are great, watchable actresses though, so that's not a complaint.

 

[Angela Channing]

I'm probably not watching enough of either as I can't remember the last time I saw her in anything.

Alison Steadman and Celia Imrie often make me think the same thing due to their ubiquitousness. All three are great, watchable actresses though, so that's not a complaint.

I've always liked Sue Johnston so I wasn't criticising her being in so many productions. She's a great actress which is why she gets so much work.

 

[Seaviewer]

Deadline - U.S.A. (1952)
A long time ago I made a point of watching all of Humphrey Bogart's films but this is one I missed.
1952 is fairly late in his career, the year after The African Queen.
It's not Casablanca or The Maltese Falcon but he puts in a strong performance as a newspaper editor who is breaking a gangland story while trying to stop the paper from being sold to a rival company who intend to close it down.
Also starring Ethel Barrymore and Kim Hunter, and interesting to see Ed Begley (father of Ed Begley, Jr.) as well as Jim Backus in a bit part.

 

[bmasters9]

The Kissing Booth 3 (just earlier; final film of a remarkable Netflix trilogy)

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Those People Next Door (1953)

A nice little time capsule, allowing a view to a simpler time, but one where the threat of death was a fact of life (it's set in 1941) and social standing affected who you fell in love with.

Manchester-based, there are a lot of Corrie-esque elements to it, with a similarly acerbic quick wit. Regarding a neighbour constantly borrowing sugar, coffee, jam, etc., mother Mary Twigg quips that the Emma's borrowed so much stuff Mary feels more at home in Emma's house than her own.

There's a Romeo & Juliet/Bobby and Pam element when the working class Twigg daughter, Anne, falls for the son of a titled family, with the regal Lady Stevens arriving on the doorstep to make her displeasure known.

The name Patricia Cutts (the actress playing Anne) was familar to me, and after a quick search online I realised it's because I've seen it associated with Corrie. She was the first actress to play Blanche Hunt, but committed suicide after only two episodes. Here's the future Blanche being confronted by her parents:

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Dead Fred (2019)

The premise is very promising indeed. Dirty Den's posh mistress Jan is in it, along with Sandra Dickinson. Sadly the film itself is nowhere near as good as you might expect.

I struggled with the frequent Americanisms in the script (having looked, seems it's written by an American, but performed primarily by older, middle class English ladies so the "fights" and "crazys" and "fish sticks" and "...right?s" and "go f**k yourself"s sounded plain wrong).

Also, most of the younger secondary players were terribly am-dram-ish (especially the daughter, but also her partner and the social worker type who dropped in).

 

[Jessie]

Halloween

 

[Mel O'Drama]

The Glass House (2001)

Apart from this I've only seen Leelee Sobieski in Road Kill (AKA Joy Ride), which was made and released around the same time as this. I've long thought she was really good in it, so it's good to check out some of her other work. She's a very engaging actress, and can cry very effectively at just the right moment without coming across as a victim.

The Glass House apparently has poor reviews, but with expectations fairly low I really enjoyed it.

 

[Biggie]

Pretty Woman.

Julia Roberts was outstanding in her role.

Beginning to end excellent .

 

[Angela Channing]

A Place In The Sun (1951)

I'm currently reading a book about the relationship between Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor and this film was referenced many times so I thought I'd give it a watch. I hadn't previously seen any of Montgomery Clift's films and he is really good in this. He has a great screen presence and brings an intensity and realism to his role in this film. In it he gets his girlfriend pregnant and contemplates killing her because he's started another relationship with the character played by Elizabeth Taylor. It's a really good film and both the leads are superb in it.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Ideal Home (2018)

Unbelievably, I don't think I've ever watched Steve Coogan in anything. I've decided he's hilarious and will be keeping my eyes peeled for more of his stuff.

 

[Angela Channing]

Unbelievably, I don't think I've ever watched Steve Coogan in anything.

He's a surprisingly good actor with far more depth to his performances than you would expect from seeing him as Alan Partridge and Pauline Calf.