What was the last film you watched?

[Willie Oleson]

HARRY POTTER meets X-MEN, and it does everything you'd expect this kind of movie to do.
I know it's a luxury problem, but with so many other visually stunning fantasy movies to watch this one doesn't stand out from the rest.
And I feel it should. It should be a very special experience remembered by generations to come. I just don't think it's going to happen.
Oh, and look at the thousands of credits, it's almost like a military operation.

 

[darkshadows38]

that one i loved i really doubt it will get a sequel but i want one even if Tim Burton doesn't direct it

 

[Willie Oleson]

I chose this film based on the many "take no prisoners" kind of reviews, hoping it would be so-bad-it's-good. Disappointingly, it wasn't.
It's basically about a somewhat unsuitable person being a diehard fan of a somewhat unsuitable celebrity and then they bring out the worst in each other.
It's not a typical good vs. bad scenario and this seems to put off many of the people who have rated THE FANATIC. But why should a story be the way we expect it to be?
As for the unintentionally funny parts, it looked like intentional dark comedy to me but since I don't know what it was meant to be I could be totally wrong.

It's not a spectacular or very original film by any means, it's a storyline that could have happened (and kinda did ) in Penn Badgley's YOU.
Perhaps the Big Name is its major hindrance - without John Travolta in it it may have been considered a nice indie flick.

I thought the hustler part of night time Hollywood (those who'll never make it big doing crappy performances for tourists) was captured rather nicely, and I absolutely love the main soundtrack theme which, unfortunately, is not on youtube.
Speaking of music....

Is it really shameless self-promotion, as most reviewers think it is?
It looks SO extremely obvious that I refuse to believe that Fred Durst thought he could sneak it in and then think he'd totally get away with it. I refuse to believe that anyone would be that ignorant.
I prefer the theory that this was nothing but intentionally-cheekily trolling the audience and in that case the joke is on those who swallowed the bait.

At the risk of stating the obvious, some people are offended by the incorrect perception (!!!) of the mentally disabled.
Perhaps all aspiring artists should receive an extensive manual of all the DOs and DONTs?
Freedom of speech but no freedom of art? Oh the hypocrisy of it all.

If you're looking for an intriguing stalker movie that offers something completely new then don't bother to put it on top of your to-watch-list.
If you want to watch John "former sex-on-dancing-legs" Travolta in a most unflattering role then this might be your cup of tea.

 

[Willie Oleson]

I think I'm going to re-read the entire thread

Done.

And this is the best-of-the-best list of all the films I plan to watch (excluding titles I want to re-watch):

2001: A Space Odyssey

A Month In The Country

All The President's Men

Badlands

Barry Lyndon

Blade Runner

Cul-De-Sac

Days Of Heaven

Good Time

Ideal Home

Johnny Guitar

K-Pax

Mass

Niagara

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Phantom Of The Paradise

Puzzle Of A Downfall Child

Reflections In A Golden Eye

Remember

Rogue

Seconds

Shoot The Moon

The Collector

The Endless

The Eyes Of Tammy Faye

The Goob

The Ipcress File

The Lighthouse

The Long, Long Trailer

The Lost Daughter

The Nice Guys

The Past

The Trial Of The Chicago 7

Thank you all for your contributions. You have done well.

Some of these titles are available from Prime, free or rental, and maybe I'll find other titles on youtube.
I probably won't find the stuff that was shown on that iPlayer thing.

There are more movie threads with excellent suggestions so I expect the list to grow. But this is a good starting point.

 

[Crimson]

I know it's a luxury problem, but with so many other visually stunning fantasy movies to watch this one doesn't stand out from the rest.

The books were better, although I couldn't pinpoint where the movie went wrong. The changes from page to screen were capricious but inconsequential. The movie was just ... indifferent. I'm hard pressed to think of the last time Tim Burton made a truly good film.

 

[Crimson]

I seldom watch horror movies, except in October; and then I watch pretty much nothing but horror films.

I started the month with THE LOST BOYS (1987). I tend to prefer horror of the horror-comedy ilk, and this is one of the best. It's probably my favorite vampire film, as well.

THE FOG (1980) I always forget how disappointing this one is! It's half creepy-atmospheric and half cheesy-gruesome; the two sides rather cancel each other out. Plus Adrienne Barbeau, one of my favorite actresses of the era, is wasted and isolated.

THE OMEN (1976) I don't say this often, but I like the remake (2006) better. This one's kind of stodgy and not even remotely scary or eerie. The remake is a bit more lurid, and the casting of Mia Farrow as the nanny to the Anti-Christ was a stroke of genius.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Oh, I forget about THE LOST BOYS (1987). That actually was a good one.

 

[Willie Oleson]

I'm hard pressed to think of the last time Tim Burton made a truly good film.

His style has been copied a lot so it's become harder for him to deliver something unique.

Adrienne Barbeau

Painfully missing in FALCON CREST.

THE OMEN (1976) I don't say this often, but I like the remake (2006) better.

the casting of Mia Farrow as the nanny to the Anti-Christ was a stroke of genius

Oh sure, it's a nice Easter egg, but also kinda slick.

I'm currently taking a mini-break from watching THE CONJURING 2. It appears to be everything but the kitchen sink horror. Fun (I think).

 

[Crimson]

I'm currently taking a mini-break from watching THE CONJURING 2. It appears to be everything but the kitchen sink horror. Fun (I think).

I'm a big fan of the first two CONJURING films. (The third is so forgettable I just had to ponder whether I had even watched it.) I think they deftly blend modern (sometimes cheap) frights with old-style atmosphere and creepiness. Plus they build on relatable characters plausibly stuck in their situation. Most haunted house stories fail because the solution is simple: leave. I once moved because of an over-flowed toilet; I can't imagine staying in a haunted house.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Most haunted house stories fail because the solution is simple: leave.

But the haunting manifests itself through daughter Janet and that also happens when they're staying with the family across the street.
I thought that was weird.




It's the tried and tested formula of the misfit "parents" but that doesn't change the fact that it is a very funny movie.
Yes, it could have been made in 1998 but not exactly this version.
This movie will make you feel very gay.
I'm sure Kevin Costner never expected to be discussed in this particular setting.

 

[Angela Channing]

View attachment 41148
A crime/gore/thriller with some surprisingly funny moments and comments, and a narrative that is in sync with the poker game itself.
Not that I know anything about the rules of poker but I'm sure everybody's familiar with the mood of it.
Since POKER NIGHT mimicks the tough-talk stories that are being told within the story I felt the ending was a little straightforward and therefore doesn't quite pack a punch.
Overall, an original film that kinda bluffs, bedazzles and confuses in a way the poker player is supposed to do (I think).

View attachment 41150
I didn't know this was based on/inspired by real people and true events and that's why it looked like a "David Lynch" for kids - and that's right up my cul de sac.
So, when I discovered that it was a semi-biopic it felt a tiny bit disappointed, but only for a few moments.
Because I know what most biopics look like, and this is definitely not of them.

A special mention for Tom Hank's scene in "let's have a minute of silence" - he was looking straight into the camera for what seemed like minutes and I didn't know if or what was going to happen. I pushed my chair backwards and I think it's rather unique to have such a physical experience.
I also loved the puppets and toy imagery.

I loved this film and for a while afterwards I became totally fascinated by the real Mr Rogers and watched lots of YouTube videos of him and read quite a bit about his life. I thought the film did a really good job in how they told his story.

 

[Angela Channing]

Blonde (2022)

I know this film has come in for a lot of criticism including how it portrays Marilyn as being little more than a victim and how it exploits her memory. To some extent those criticisms are justified but it still is an engrossing and fascinating piece of film making. It's not a biopic, it's a fictional account of her life with a few true facts thrown in. The cinematography is stunning, Ana de Armas's performance is one of the best I've seen by a female actor this year and the script is masterful. I was captivated throughout and that's not always easy for a film that is almost 3 hours long.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

It's the tried and tested formula of the misfit "parents" but that doesn't change the fact that it is a very funny movie.
Yes, it could have been made in 1998 but not exactly this version.
This movie will make you feel very gay.

Ha ha. I watched this one for the first time last year and had this to say about it:

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.

I'm sure Kevin Costner never expected to be discussed in this particular setting.

I can remember the scene, but not the exact dialogue. Apart from Dances With Wooooooooooolves?!!?

 

[KillerBob]

Halloween Ends.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Perfectly zany, perfectly brilliant.
It's funny that John Malkovich doesn't really play himself.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Everything that could have happened in this story....doesn't. It's basically a one-man show and although it's a good show it's not a very funny or intriguing one.
The roles for Dakota Fanning and Theo James are mostly passive and I think that's a shame.
I can't say I hate this movie but I wish I had watched something else instead.


The way this story escalates reminds me of CABIN IN THE WOODS.
I don't think I had ever seen a film starring Scarlett Johansson before.
And then there's Morgan Freeman giving a lecture on the human brain which I found kinda tranquilizing but in a very pleasant way.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

I watched Bedknobs and Broomsticks last night.

Angela Lansbury was brilliant in it.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I don't think I had ever seen a film starring Scarlett Johansson before.

I watched this a couple of years ago and I think it was my introduction to Scarlett as well...

Best of all was that I knew absolutely nothing about the film going in. So every turn surprised me. And I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

 

[Angela Channing]

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

After watching the film Blonde (2022) recently, I felt inspired to watch a couple of Marilyn Monroe films that I hadn't seen before. My first choice was this one and although it feels very dated, it's a lot of fun and very entertaining. Marilyn plays a money digger who is after a man who can fund the lavish lifestyle that she desires and Jane Russell plays who friend who is after a man she finds physically attractive. That's basically all the plot which is held together by a series of musical numbers. The chemistry between the 2 leads is strong and they both play the comedy and musical numbers brilliantly. Although it's a frivolous musical comedy, It's also an empowering tale of 2 women using their wile and friendship to succeed in a world of men.

 

[Angela Channing]

Niagara (1953)

This film was far darker than I expected. Marilyn plays an unfaithful wife who plots to kill her husband but things don't go according to her plan. The film makes good use of the location although some shots were clearly created in a studio. Marilyn is a clever casting choice as she creates a softer and sympathetic character than would some of her contemporaries such as Kim Novak, Eva Marie Saint or the afore mentioned Jane Russell so although she is the villain, you can still sympathise with her plight. It's a good film and Marilyn proves was an accomplished dramatic actress.