Recently viewed movie thread - Rental, Streaming, Theater etc (5 Viewers)

[KarmaPolice]

Just turned 45.

Gotcha.  I am 41, and it just feels like your recent appreciation for some older movies is similar to what happened with me.  Just hit a certain age or had a certain level of love for movies that they stuck with me more.  Just happened over the last several years and I think the one non-Hitchcock movie that did it for me was Casablanca.  It's one of those movies that's on damn near every list of greatest movies that I just assumed would be a bore to watch, and I ended up loving the hell out of it. 

 

[On The Rocks]

Passengers

I didn't like it at all.  In fact, I'd be hard pressed to even recommend it for a rental.  It's definitely not a movie I would bother to watch a second time when it hits the HBO/Showtime circuit. Although there are a couple scenes where Jennifer Lawrence make me  feel happy.  Other than that, Michael Sheen is the only redeeming quality in this movie.

Fences

I didn't know anything about it before I saw it so I didn't know it was a play adaptation.  However from the pacing and dialogue within the first minute I felt like I was watching a play. There are few plays that I've liked that were adapted to the screen.  Certainly there are a handful, but they tend to lack a level of quality to me.  Probably more just a lack of personal preference.   The story itself isn't bad.  The acting is very well done.  If this movie had been made with less quality actors or lesser known actors, I probably wouldn't have liked it at all.  Parts of this movie I liked, parts of it I didn't like.  I can see how someone would watch it an love it, and I can see how some would just hate it.  Over all I'd give it a middle of the road "meh".

 

[On The Rocks]

I saw White Heat and The Public Enemy. I liked the latter more but both are good. The thing I like about Cagney movies is knowing how much people admired the man's kindness in real life.

I watch some of these a couple of times a year.  I love the Hollywood royalty from this era.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXxZCrM04uI

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

Took in Sunset Boulevard on the big screen at the local playhouse. Simply fantastic. 11/10

The Drop.  Great flick. Tom Hardy is the best. Man do I miss Gandolfini.  9/10

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Took in Sunset Boulevard on the big screen at the local playhouse. Simply fantastic. 11/10

That would be awesome.

Another thought I had about that movie - I like that it shines a light on the May-December relationships that seem to pervade Hollywood. But isn't it interesting how much more creepy we find it when it's the woman who is older?

 

[Ilov80s]

That would be awesome.

Another thought I had about that movie - I like that it shines a light on the May-December relationships that seem to pervade Hollywood. But isn't it interesting how much more creepy we find it when it's the woman who is older?

Montgomery Clift was originally cast as the lead, but bowed out as he was dating a wealthy middle aged actress and was worried about the negative  press it might bring the couple.

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

Montgomery Clift was originally cast as the lead, but bowed out as he was dating a wealthy middle aged actress and was worried about the negative  press it might bring the couple.

Yep.

The house that was used was originally owned by the former wife of J. Paul Getty.  Only the exterior shots were used for the film.  The pool was fake, built only for the film. Interiors were all done on a sound stage. The house was razed and there is a gas station on that site today.

Also, in the scene where she goes to meet with C.B. DeMille, DeMille was actually shooting a scene from the flm Samson and Delilah.

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

Also caught Steve McQueen: The Man and LeMans (7/10), a doc about McQueen's life and what all went into making that film.  McQueen is one of my favorite actors and was a very complex individual. Making that film was quite the turning point in his life.  During filming, the Tate murders took place and he had found out he was on the Manson hitlist at the time. Shook him up quite a bit. He also never raced again after that film.

 

[Ilov80s]

Watching Citizen Kane for the first time in years. My opinion hasn't really changed, beautiful looking movie, interesting concept but it drags a bit. Just not all that compelling. 

 

[saintfool]

Watching Citizen Kane for the first time in years. My opinion hasn't really changed, beautiful looking movie, interesting concept but it drags a bit. Just not all that compelling. 

shut your whore mouth!

 

[Ilov80s]

shut your whore mouth!

Movie looks amazing and is always visually interesting. Easily one of the best filmed movies I've seen. I just don't connect with or care about any characters. Give me Casablanca over this every single time.

 

[El Floppo]

Took the kids to see Sing. They loved it, with their high standards and all. Was too long and discombulated for me, and not enough humour. Felt like commercials and previews had all the best bits.

 

[Mr. Mojo]

Movie looks amazing and is always visually interesting. Easily one of the best filmed movies I've seen. I just don't connect with or care about any characters. Give me Casablanca over this every single time.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

The Heights theater in Minneapolis is a really cool, one screen, classic theater built in 1926.

Their upcoming lineup  is awesome.

http://www.heightstheater.com/

Leave Her To Heaven

Desert Fury

Niagara

Chinatown

Rear Window

 

[saintfool]

Movie looks amazing and is always visually interesting. Easily one of the best filmed movies I've seen. I just don't connect with or care about any characters. Give me Casablanca over this every single time.




 

Well, they *are* fundamentally different movies. Casablanca is arguably a perfect movie in its way. I mean, really, I love it too. That said, I love "Kane" more because it's a more ambitious film. It's full of ideas and moments of greatness. There is nothing wrong with preferring one over the other because they're both awesome.

 

[Yankee23Fan]

Hail Caesar!

I tried.  I did.  I wanted to like this movie because of the cast and the apparent absurdity of the whole thing.  But the only scene that was mildly entertaining was all the religious leaders in the room together arguing over Christ in the beginning.  I had to turn it off at some point because it was just so not entertaining at all.

 

[wikkidpissah]

Well, they *are* fundamentally different movies. Casablanca is arguably a perfect movie in its way. I mean, really, I love it too. That said, I love "Kane" more because it's a more ambitious film. It's full of ideas and moments of greatness. There is nothing wrong with preferring one over the other because they're both awesome.

And one simply cant enjoy Citizen Kane fully without the context of its making. Welles was a whirlwind - unlike anything seen before or since - theatrical presence before going to Hollywood to make Kane at age 25. He had staged an all-black MacBeth, Julius Caesar as a modern-dress warning about Hitler/Mussolini in '37, had a musical, an opera & Caesar going on Broadway simultaneously, shocked the world with War of the Worlds and did so much radio that he went from gig to gig in ambulances rather than taxis to save time. Then he goes west and makes his own American Collossus story, making fun of the biggest media mogul of the time and his own genius, while creating a revolution in staging, lighting & shooting (putting the incredible Greg Toland last in the credits instead of himself)  which changed moviemaking forever. Like Shakespeare, Kane without the context is pastrami on Wonder Bread.

 

[Payne]

Took the kids to see Sing. They loved it, with their high standards and all. Was too long and discombulated for me, and not enough humour. Felt like commercials and previews had all the best bits.

Going to see this tomorrow and what you stated is what I was fearing.

 

[saintfool]

And one simply cant enjoy Citizen Kane fully without the context of its making. Welles was a whirlwind - unlike anything seen before or since - theatrical presence before going to Hollywood to make Kane at age 25. He had staged an all-black MacBeth, Julius Caesar as a modern-dress warning about Hitler/Mussolini in '37, had a musical, an opera & Caesar going on Broadway simultaneously, shocked the world with War of the Worlds and did so much radio that he went from gig to gig in ambulances rather than taxis to save time. Then he goes west and makes his own American Collossus story, making fun of the biggest media mogul of the time and his own genius, while creating a revolution in staging, lighting & shooting (putting the incredible Greg Toland last in the credits instead of himself)  which changed moviemaking forever. Like Shakespeare, Kane without the context is pastrami on Wonder Bread.




 

I don't entirely disagree. Welles is as much a part of the story as "Kane" itself. That said, I think it stands on its own as a great bit of storytelling. "Magnificent Ambersons" is points to his outrageous talent as a storyteller without the baggage of "Kane". Most of his later films hold up remarkably well, too, and are standouts. I think "Casablanca" has its own baggage and that does play a part in its celebrity. A more apt comparison for my money between Welles' work and "Casablanca" might be "Touch of Evil" but even that is a stretch.

 

[Ilov80s]

Well, they *are* fundamentally different movies. Casablanca is arguably a perfect movie in its way. I mean, really, I love it too. That said, I love "Kane" more because it's a more ambitious film. It's full of ideas and moments of greatness. There is nothing wrong with preferring one over the other because they're both awesome.

Certainly different. I only compared them because they are so often cited as the best movie ever made. Casablanca is certainly an easier sell as it it's a love triangle in WW2 and has a very charismatic lovable cast where as Kane is a semi-biographical biopic of a mostly unlikeable person told through all kinds of flashbacks. 

And one simply cant enjoy Citizen Kane fully without the context of its making. Welles was a whirlwind - unlike anything seen before or since - theatrical presence before going to Hollywood to make Kane at age 25. He had staged an all-black MacBeth, Julius Caesar as a modern-dress warning about Hitler/Mussolini in '37, had a musical, an opera & Caesar going on Broadway simultaneously, shocked the world with War of the Worlds and did so much radio that he went from gig to gig in ambulances rather than taxis to save time. Then he goes west and makes his own American Collossus story, making fun of the biggest media mogul of the time and his own genius, while creating a revolution in staging, lighting & shooting (putting the incredible Greg Toland last in the credits instead of himself)  which changed moviemaking forever. Like Shakespeare, Kane without the context is pastrami on Wonder Bread.

I understand the context and am a fan of Welles. I don't discount the genius or importance of the film. It's just not a movie I find myself wanting to go back to. It's like Ulysses or Wagner's Ring Cycle. I can appreciate the influence and genius, but if I am going to read, it's more likely to be Raymond Chandler or John O'Hara. If am going to listen to music, I'll take Brahms over Wagner every time. 

I don't entirely disagree. Welles is as much a part of the story as "Kane" itself. That said, I think it stands on its own as a great bit of storytelling. "Magnificent Ambersons" is points to his outrageous talent as a storyteller without the baggage of "Kane". Most of his later films hold up remarkably well, too, and are standouts. I think "Casablanca" has its own baggage and that does play a part in its celebrity. A more apt comparison for my money between Welles' work and "Casablanca" might be "Touch of Evil" but even that is a stretch.

"Touch of Evil" gets to the other problem with so many of the movies of Welles: The studios messed with them so much that we may have lost some of the true vision of the artist. I'm partial to Lady from Shanghai but putting Rita in a movie is cheating. 

 

[saintfool]

"Kane" never gets old for me and I still go back to it regularly. 

 

[wikkidpissah]

"Touch of Evil" gets to the other problem with so many of the movies of Welles: The studios messed with them so much that we may have lost some of the true vision of the artist. I'm partial to Lady from Shanghai but putting Rita in a movie is cheating. 

My favorite post-Kane Welles movie is 1965's "Chimes at Midnight" which pulls all the Falstaff stuff out of Shakespeare's history plays to put it into one story, but its uneveness betrays Welles' other problem, funding his projects once Hollywood was done with him.

Alas, perhaps the best Welles film would be one made about him. One of the first scripts i tried to write was based on his escapades in South America on the government dime after Ambersons, where i honestly believe (as i've described in these pages before) he saw the face of God at a rural Brazilian funeral and tried to recreate it on film (here, 18:00 mark) which, unsuccessful, spoiled his moviemaking course. Double alas, i was not up to the task and may never be.

 

[lakerstan]

we all saw Moana yesterday. Disney sure knows how to do the empowered princess movie. not breaking any new ground here, but the lin-manuel miranda music was nice and it looked absolutely fantastic. would definitely recommend for those with kids. also a nice little germane clement "cameo".

Saw this last night and was surprised how much I liked it.  Much better than the ads would lead you to believe.  The digital animation may be the best I've ever seen from Disney.  Beautiful, funny movie - and I don't even have kids.  Would highly recommend, and likely better in the theaters, if you can still catch it....

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I haven't seen a lot of Wells' movies but I really liked The Stranger.

 

[El Floppo]

Saw this last night and was surprised how much I liked it.  Much better than the ads would lead you to believe.  The digital animation may be the best I've ever seen from Disney.  Beautiful, funny movie - and I don't even have kids.  Would highly recommend, and likely better in the theaters, if you can still catch it....

Was just thinking about Moana in comparison to Sing. No comparison, really. My wife pointed out today how much better the music was in Moana... and Sing could have used any and all pop songs out there... Which it did, but just not so successfully.

 

[IC FBGCav]

watched Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals at TIFF today.   Incredible.  The film was visually stunning but also very intense with engaging plot lines.  Perhaps my only complaint would be that they could have been a bit more subtle about telling the audience that it is a revenge movie.  The movie just continuously pounds that thought over the audience's head and so by the end it becomes a bit predictable.

I really enjoyed this, thought it was much better than Nightcrawler.   Seen it twice and it is just really well done all the way around.  9/10. 

 

[IC FBGCav]

Passengers

I didn't like it at all.  In fact, I'd be hard pressed to even recommend it for a rental.  It's definitely not a movie I would bother to watch a second time when it hits the HBO/Showtime circuit. Although there are a couple scenes where Jennifer Lawrence make me  feel happy.  Other than that, Michael Sheen is the only redeeming quality in this movie.

Fences

I didn't know anything about it before I saw it so I didn't know it was a play adaptation.  However from the pacing and dialogue within the first minute I felt like I was watching a play. There are few plays that I've liked that were adapted to the screen.  Certainly there are a handful, but they tend to lack a level of quality to me.  Probably more just a lack of personal preference.   The story itself isn't bad.  The acting is very well done.  If this movie had been made with less quality actors or lesser known actors, I probably wouldn't have liked it at all.  Parts of this movie I liked, parts of it I didn't like.  I can see how someone would watch it an love it, and I can see how some would just hate it.  Over all I'd give it a middle of the road "meh".

This is crushing, I had high hopes for both of these.  

 

[BigSteelThrill]

Ugh sorry for the dupe post...

why not just hit the options>delete button?  (i dont care if you delete it or not, just trying to help out)

 

[IC FBGCav]

Yeah, struggled to put meat on the story.

I'm sure actors love working with Clint Eastwood, but, I don't find him that good a director for putting together a narrative. Just seems like choppy scenes strung together sometimes. 

It is hard to add "meat" to a true story.   I think it gave good insight to the pilots and to the incident itself.   As someone who didn't follow the story that closely I was entertained.   Above average flick IMO.  7/10

 

[joffer]

I kind of liked Passengers, but I can definitely see why it got bad reviews.  Writing and acting aren't much, but it's an interesting story and visually stunning.  And Jennifer Lawrence is gorgeous.

 

[Ilov80s]

I haven't seen a lot of Wells' movies but I really liked The Stranger.

I'd start with Touch of Evil. Since you liked Mildred Pierce and Double Indemnity so much, ToE is noir and should be right in your wheelhouse.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I'd start with Touch of Evil. Since you liked Mildred Pierce and Double Indemnity so much, ToE is noir and should be right in your wheelhouse.

Actually, I saw it and thought it was just okay. One time only watch for me.

 

[saintfool]

I'd start with Touch of Evil. Since you liked Mildred Pierce and Double Indemnity so much, ToE is noir and should be right in your wheelhouse.

One of the best Welles movies isn't one that he actually directed. "The Third Man" is lights out fantastic. Terrific cast, solid writing and some of the best B/W cinematography ever. Welles is underestimated as an actual actor but you see his deftness in this alongside the ever-reliable Joseph Cotten. It feels like a Welles film but Carol Reed did it (under budget and on time). It's one of my top 10 films ever. It's a rich film full of great moments. 

I'll add that there is another film of that period that I adore and it's "Night and the City". Richard Widmark - who in some ways is a poor man's Kirk Douglas - just owns the movie and Dassin (who gets mentions for his other films mostly) does some great work as director in this post-war noir. Gene Tierney, like Aida Vali in "Third Man", is great. She's also gorgeous too. But Widmark is the movie and just nails the character of Harry Fabian. 

 

[Ilov80s]

Third Man is one of the better movies ever made, also on the shortlist for perfect movies.

Gene Tierney was one of the most beautiful women Hollywood ever put on the screen. I'm a fan of almost anything she is in. She is so hot that you get why Dana Andrews fell in love with a picture of her in Laura. Not too many actresses had an image so striking that it could make that plot work.

 

[lakerstan]

why not just hit the options>delete button?  (i dont care if you delete it or not, just trying to help out)

Didn't know you could do that...thanks!

 

[jdoggydogg]

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

[Yeah, yeah, new movie. Don't care.]

Liked this movie a lot. Comparisons to earlier iterations are inevitable, so: a mile better than Eps. 1,2,3, probably as good as Eps. 4,5,6. Very entertaining movie. Loved all the new characters. Plenty of silly, implausible McGuffins abound, but I don't care about that. Highly recommended. And man, I saw this the day Carrie Fisher died, and since I'm not smart enough to find spoiler tags here, let's just say the ending choked me up big time.

 

[PlayaHata]

The Accountant - Saw it with the wife and we both really enjoyed it.  The movie turned out very different that what I was expecting going in after watching the trailers.  The plott is extremely far-fetched, but the action was fun and the interaction between Affleck and Kendrick was awesome.  3.5/5

Concussion - Enjoyed this one as well.  Not much to say other than I am curious as to how close the movie was to how things really happened.  3.5/5

 

[saintfool]

"Matilda" with my almost 7 year old son. It's kind of fun for little kids. A bit of wish fulfillment that you would expect with any Doahl adaptation.

 

[jdoggydogg]

The Accountant - Saw it with the wife and we both really enjoyed it.  The movie turned out very different that what I was expecting going in after watching the trailers.  The plott is extremely far-fetched, but the action was fun and the interaction between Affleck and Kendrick was awesome.  3.5/5

This movie got destroyed by critics, but I mostly enjoyed it. A lot of fun. Underrated, for sure.

 

[Ilov80s]

On vacation this week but have 2 brief TCM picks for the week. It's pretty amazing I can sit on the beach in a foreign country and tell my DVR to record ####. What a time to be alive. 

Tuesday at 10:15 AM, Brute Force:. Classic prison break flick with Burt Lancaster who like Mitchum always has an intimidating screen presence 

 

[shadrap]

Magnificent Seven, the new one w/ Denzel Washington.

Pretty fun ride.  Little over the top but expected.  Lot's of action & pretty good characters.

7/10 just don't expect a deep thought provoking movie.

 

[saintfool]

On vacation this week but have 2 brief TCM picks for the week. It's pretty amazing I can sit on the beach in a foreign country and tell my DVR to record ####. What a time to be alive. 

Tuesday at 10:15 AM, Brute Force:. Classic prison break flick with Burt Lancaster who like Mitchum always has an intimidating screen presence 




 

i don't know about that. i never felt like Burt had even the ounce of menace that was required with playing the heavy. that's what makes his turn in "Atlantic City" so interesting. i love Burt and think he's a bit underestimated as an actor. his physicality and charisma overwhelms audiences.

 

[On The Rocks]

My top three favorite films of 2016:

1. Manchester by the Sea

2. Hell or High Water

3. Sing Street

I couldn't even tell you a 4th favorite because these three stand out so much above anything else I saw.  

Everything else was just a blur of somewhat entertaining popcorn movies or just "blah-blah average suckinesss". 

 

[jamny]

Watched Hell or High Water last night...loved it! The dialogue between Jeff Bridges and his partner was fantastic  but the old lady waitress at the TBone stole the show! 4/5

 

[snogger]

Magnificent Seven, the new one w/ Denzel Washington.

Pretty fun ride.  Little over the top but expected.  Lot's of action & pretty good characters.

7/10 just don't expect a deep thought provoking movie.

 I saw this in the theater when it was released and enjoyed it... Re-watched it the other day and think it holds up well.. Plenty of action and quite a few laughs.

IMO, a Very good movie.

 

[mr fancypants]

 I saw this in the theater when it was released and enjoyed it... Re-watched it the other day and think it holds up well.. Plenty of action and quite a few laughs.

IMO, a Very good movie.

Seriously, I don't know what you two were looking at but Magnificent 7 blew every way conceivable. Absolute garbage remake.

 

[snogger]

 I saw this in the theater when it was released and enjoyed it... Re-watched it the other day and think it holds up well.. Plenty of action and quite a few laughs.

IMO, a Very good movie.

Seriously, I don't know what you two were looking at but Magnificent 7 blew every way conceivable. Absolute garbage remake.

funny how people can have different opinions on movies.

Seriously.. I wondered if my first thoughts on the movie were jaded from seeing it in the theater. But on a re-watch I still found it very enjoyable and know I will re-watch it again sometime in the future.
 

 

[mr fancypants]

funny how people can have different opinions on movies.

Seriously.. I wondered if my first thoughts on the movie were jaded from seeing it in the theater. But on a re-watch I still found it very enjoyable and know I will re-watch it again sometime in the future.
 

No Problem Amigo.As they say, Different stokes for Different Folks !!!

 

[snogger]

funny how people can have different opinions on movies.

Seriously.. I wondered if my first thoughts on the movie were jaded from seeing it in the theater. But on a re-watch I still found it very enjoyable and know I will re-watch it again sometime in the future.
 

No Problem Amigo.As they say, Different stokes for Different Folks !!!

I sometimes feel I need to start a "Average Joe Movie Review" blog/site.. I tend to only see 6 to 10 new movies a year and I'd say 90% of them many would consider "popcorn movies" ..

Most times when I watch a movie I'm looking for an escape for 2+ hours from "the real world" and action movies fill that bill...

I have no problems when channel surfing at home stopping and watching movies like Armageddon, 2012 among others..

Saying that, I don't just give passes to a movie because it is a action movie.
I enjoyed the first Transformer movie, and felt the 2nd one was "OK", but the last couple transformer movies are a good example of action movies that failed miserably..

 

[snogger]

With the nice long holiday weekends I was able to sit down and catch-up/watch a few movies.

Joy - with Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro

Normally a movie about a woman who invented the self wringing Mop wouldn't even come close to something I'd want to watch. But the cast was enough to peak my interest so my wife, daughter and I sat down to watch it.
Have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Kept my interest throughout as you watch her struggle through the "another woman with an idea " mentality. Not to mention the messed up life... Mom who wants to do nothing but watch her soap opera, ex-husband living in the basement, Father who could go "MOP" at any time and a half-sister who was just looking for reasons to be a *itch towards her..
No plans to re-watch it ever again, but glad I did take the time .. 3.5 out of 5.

Nocturnal Animals - with Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal

Not really sure what the heck it was I just watched, how I felt afterwards.. Basically you have 3 "time lines".. Amy Adams Present day, Amy Adams past and Amy Adams as a character in her Ex-Husbands book.. Had they spent more time "in the book" and away from her "real life" I'd probably had enjoyed it more.. As it was I really didn't care what happened to her in "real life"and I think that last part was the point..  2 out of 5.

Guardians of the Galaxy

Man, I feel this should have been right up my alley as it has most of what I look for in a movie( action, comedy, fun) and yet.. I have to give it a "incomplete" right now..
Maybe it was the mood I was in or something else but I found myself looking at my phone and drifting off while watching this. Just didn't grab my attention like I thought it would.. Will try to find time to re-watch it again in a week or two to see if it was just a mood I was in..

and with it being Christmas time there was no way I wouldn't watch Christmas vacation with Chevy Chase .. still holds up well after all these years 5 out of 5!!