Recently viewed movie thread - Rental Edition

[Ilov80s 31,155]

Wtaching Guys and Dolls which was an intersting choice for Brando day on TCM since he is so far out of his element here. I like the movie but it would have been 100x better with Gene Kelly instead of Marlon. 

[wikkidpissah 19,250]

18 minutes ago, Ilov80s said:

Wtaching Guys and Dolls which was an intersting choice for Brando day on TCM since he is so far out of his element here. I like the movie but it would have been 100x better with Gene Kelly instead of Marlon. 

Think i've told this before, but the movie musical my director cousin most wanted to follow his Chicago with was a remake of Guys & Dolls. Even with all of Hollywood saying yes to the reigning director of the Best Picture, NObody would back him in this because it's such an anachronism. He only mentioned this to me after he'd accepted Memoirs of a Geisha as his next project. Being a poker boss at the time, i suggested updating it to the present day, changing Nathan Detroit's focus from a floating crap game to the WSOP (this was right after Chris Moneymaker's victory had launched the tournament's popularity into the stratosphere) and replacing the Times Sq opening scene with one under the digital canopy of the Fremont Street Experience. He was instantly fascinated and i wasted months trying to update his vision without ultimate result, but it caused me to have to watch Brando sing & dance like a cat thrown into a swimming pool about 40 times over 6 months.

Edited August 6, 2019 by wikkidpissah

[Ilov80s 31,155]

1 minute ago, wikkidpissah said:

Think i've told this before, but the movie musical my director cousin most wanted to follow his Chicago with was a remake of Guys & Dolls. Even with all of Hollywood saying yes to the reigning director of the Best Picture, NObody would back him in this because it's such an anachronism. He only mentioned this to me after he'd accepted Memoirs of a Geisha as his next project. Being a poker boss at the time, i suggested updating it to the present day, changing Nathan Detroit's focus from a floating crap game to WSOP (this was right after Chirs Moneymaker's victory had launched poker's popularity into the stratosphere) and replacing the Times Sq opening scene with one under the digital canopy of the Fremont Street Experience. He was instantly fascinated and i wasted months trying to update his vision without ultimate result, but it caused me to have to watch Brando sing & dance like a cat thrown into a swimming pool about 40 times over 6 months.

The laughing is only at the Brando singing part. Pretty quickly from starting this I thought it should be done again in the vein of a Chicago. The Texas Hold'em Part in Vegas makes a ton of sense. That could have worked really well IMO- probably still could with some updated music. LaLa Land, Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, Greatest Showman have shown their is still a big market for well done musicals. 

[wikkidpissah 19,250]

7 minutes ago, Ilov80s said:

The laughing is only at the Brando singing part. Pretty quickly from starting this I thought it should be done again in the vein of a Chicago. The Texas Hold'em Part in Vegas makes a ton of sense. That could have worked really well IMO- probably still could with some updated music. LaLa Land, Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, Greatest Showman have shown their is still a big market for well done musicals. 

Rob didn't want to lose the Adelaide angle & songs - that was the biggest hangup. My major interest was forming all the slang i'd heard from poker players after 20 yrs in the business into a meta-language for the Rounders-heads to adopt. Woulda been cool

ETA: He's doing corporate musicals - Mary Poppins Returns, now the live action Little Mermaid - for Disney now. At up to $20mil a picture, cant blame a fella for foregoing some of his old sensibilities.

EETA: Oh and even 40 color palettes dont make 3 songs a musical. FYP -

Edited August 6, 2019 by wikkidpissah

[Ilov80s 31,155]

2 minutes ago, wikkidpissah said:

Rob didn't want to lose the Adelaide angle & songs - that was the biggest hangup. My major interest was forming all the slang i'd heard from poker players after 20 yrs in the business into a meta-language for the Rounders-heads to adopt. Woulda been cool

Yeah, would be tough since the slang is so built into it: guys and dolls and all that. Still, the right people could get it right IMO. Maybe Hugh Jackson or Zac Efron as Sky Masterson, not sure who would play Nathan Detroit- hard to replace Sinatra. The hardest part would which songs to keep, which to cut and which new ones to add, 

[Mr. Mojo 1,349]

13 hours ago, Ilov80s said:

The music? It was Bach and Purcell and Schubert and Schumann. Couldn’t disagree more on the quality of the music!

Sometimes it's not the music itself as much as does it flow into the story. 

In this case, I thought it didn't fit well and in some places was a negative distraction.

[Ilov80s 31,155]

41 minutes ago, Mr. Mojo said:

Sometimes it's not the music itself as much as does it flow into the story. 

In this case, I thought it didn't fit well and in some places was a negative distraction.

Fair- I liked it. It stood out but I think that was the point and I liked the pieces so it was fine with me. I can't even put my finger on what I didn't like. I liked all the characters, actors, it was funny, etc. Just something about it had me checking the time a lot. 

[Don Quixote 4,866]

17 hours ago, Ilov80s said:

Watched The Favourite which is now on HBO. It’s funny and looks amazing but I was a little disappointed since I had such high hopes as it was right in my wheelhouse. Holy cow did it remind me of The Draughtsman’s Contract. Also this is the 2nd Yorgos movie that disappointed me. I did like this better than The Lobster tho.

I liked The Favourite, but it seems pretty divisive. My wife hated it.

I haven’t seen The Draughtsman’s Contract. I got some All About Eve vibes from it.

[Don Quixote 4,866]

Major League was on TV. I watched it a lot when I was younger, but it has been awhile. I don’t think I previously appreciated how creepy AF Jake Taylor is. I feel like following someone home and letting themselves into their house TWICE, after that person gives them a fake number, deserves some kind of restraining order.

[Ilov80s 31,155]

Watching the Netflix release of The Other Side of the Wind. I had very low expectations but it is pretty good. It looks gorgeous and is a wild Euo new wave meets Robert Altman (tho I think this predates him).

[Andy Dufresne 13,024]

Apocalypse Now is in theaters next Thursday for one night only.

It's a new cut of the film, with remastered audio and video, and I've read a few articles that all say it's absolutely fantastic.

[whoknew 9,005]

Got a tour last night of the projection room at the Paramount theater in Austin. They have a summer classic film series where all the movies are on 35mm or 70mm. The projectors are from the 50s. At least according to the projectionist.

It was pretty fascinating listening to him describe his job, how the two indicators (cigarette burns, for you Tyler Durden fans) work, what he physically has to do at reel change, etc.

I had never been up there and it was cool to see.

[whoknew 9,005]

A Vigilante - Just watched this on Prime. Its terrific. Olivia Wilde gives a fantastic performance. I've always like Olivia Wilde and this is easily her best performance that I've seen. Highly recommend.

[Don Quixote 4,866]

Watching A Sign of the Cross -- Cecil B. DeMille epic from 1932, starring Charles Laughton as Emperor Nero, Claudette Colbert, and Frederic March, among others.  I feel like the movie could use a bit more Laughton and Colbert; movie drags a lot when neither are on the screen.  Some pretty standard extravagance that you expect from DeMille.  He may be at the top of his game with outfits (or lack thereof).  For any fellow fans of Claudette Colbert, worth running a Google for the “milk bath” scene.

[Don Quixote 4,866]

Humphrey Bogart day on TCM today.  Passage to Marseille on now — not bad, not great.

Schedule from 2:00-midnight is fire:  The Big Sleep, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, In a Lonely Place, The African Queen, and the Caine Mutiny. 

ETA: And during the night, debating whether to record Dark Passage, They Drive By Night, and High Sierra.  I haven’t seen those.  

Edited August 11, 2019 by Don Quixote

[wikkidpissah 19,250]

58 minutes ago, Don Quixote said:

Humphrey Bogart day on TCM today.  Passage to Marseille on now — not bad, not great.

Schedule from 2:00-midnight is fire:  The Big Sleep, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, In a Lonely Place, The African Queen, and the Caine Mutiny. 

ETA: And during the night, debating whether to record Dark Passage, They Drive By Night, and High Sierra.  I haven’t seen those.  

They Drive By Night is hilarious. I wont tell you why. Dark Passage uses first person for part, which is both interesting & lame. High Sierra is boilerplate Hays Code gangsta, but it's adapted by JHuston from a book by the same guy who wrote Li'l Caesar & Scarface and might redeem the very talented Ida Lupino for you off her performance in They Drive By Night

[KarmaPolice 18,300]

On 8/9/2019 at 8:30 AM, Andy Dufresne said:

Apocalypse Now is in theaters next Thursday for one night only.

It's a new cut of the film, with remastered audio and video, and I've read a few articles that all say it's absolutely fantastic.

My son said he would help watch the little one so I could go. 

[KarmaPolice 18,300]

Not sure - did @Ilov80s finish his list of movies everybody should see?   Thank to him and @wikkidpissah, I have another library pile accumulating at home:

Grapes of Wrath

Dr. Strangelove [it's been awhile, and I would currently have it as my least favorite Kubrick movie (you know me and comedy), but I've wanted to try to give it another go ]

The Best Years of Our Lives

Malcolm X

 

I also have the next 2 movies for the movie club coming in, along with extra credit that ties into those two movies.   Now, if I can lay off the weed so I don't turn the TV on and watch Fast and the Furious and Alien vs. Predator instead. 

 

[KarmaPolice 18,300]

Got tix to Apocalypse Now for next Thursday.   This should be cool despite the theater.   I will have to look at the rest of the TCM schedule as well - right now I just remember Shawshank and Alien.  

[Ilov80s 31,155]

40 minutes ago, KarmaPolice said:

Not sure - did @Ilov80s finish his list of movies everybody should see?   Thank to him and @wikkidpissah, I have another library pile accumulating at home:

Grapes of Wrath

Dr. Strangelove [it's been awhile, and I would currently have it as my least favorite Kubrick movie (you know me and comedy), but I've wanted to try to give it another go ]

The Best Years of Our Lives

Malcolm X

 

I also have the next 2 movies for the movie club coming in, along with extra credit that ties into those two movies.   Now, if I can lay off the weed so I don't turn the TV on and watch Fast and the Furious and Alien vs. Predator instead. 

 

Nope, today might be good one to do it as it looks like rain here. 

26 minutes ago, KarmaPolice said:

Got tix to Apocalypse Now for next Thursday.   This should be cool despite the theater.   I will have to look at the rest of the TCM schedule as well - right now I just remember Shawshank and Alien.  

I am still debating if I want to do this and if I can convince anyone to come with me. It's at a theater that is kind of out of the way. TCM also has Godfather 2 and Lawrence of Arabia in the theaters this year. LoA is next month. 

[wikkidpissah 19,250]

15 minutes ago, Ilov80s said:

Nope, today might be good one to do it as it looks like rain here. 

I am still debating if I want to do this and if I can convince anyone to come with me. It's at a theater that is kind of out of the way. TCM also has Godfather 2 and Lawrence of Arabia in the theaters this year. LoA is next month. 

Of those 3, G2 is the only one i'd have no urgency about seeing on the big screen. The other two are musts - the scale is essential to the drama. LoA was the first epic to have a big restoration revival and i was very happy to have another crack at it in theaters.

[El Floppo 29,111]

On 7/22/2019 at 1:23 PM, Andy Dufresne said:

Hmm. Reading more on Janet & Neil it appears I'm being too hard on her and not enough on him.

I'll have to watch it again.

Just watched it last night and remembered your criticism for some reason.

Hope you rewatched...seemed way off base. Thought the movie portrayed them as a (based on my mom's description of the 50s) typical 50s couple with the stoic non-communicative husband and the wife left to guess or interpret everything. Did that very well and Janet never came across as holding him back, even if they both came across as grimly suffering in silence...which had both of them pretty pouty.

I liked the narrative structure of this, which pushed the story forward in much the same way... through quiet, anguished action more than elaborate conversation.beautifully filmed too.

[Ilov80s 31,155]

Started Five Came Back on Netflix. It’s a documentary series on the five great Hollywood directors (Ford, Capra, Wyler, Stevens and Huston) who joined the military during WW2 to film the war. It’s quite good so far.

[wikkidpissah 19,250]

Delicious opportunity for cinema fans tomorrow - 22 hours of Buster Keaton movies on TCM Monday, starting @ 6am, surrounding a 2 hour special on the great master by Peter Bogdanovich @ 8pm with Keaton's best film, The General following @ 10pm.

Edited August 19, 2019 by wikkidpissah

[Ilov80s 31,155]

10 hours ago, wikkidpissah said:

Delicious opportunity for cinema fans tomorrow - 22 hours of Buster Keaton movies on TCM Monday, starting @ 6am, surrounding a 2 hour special on the great master by Peter Bogdanovich @ 8pm with Keaton's best film, The General following @ 10pm.

I’m excited to get to see 2 BK movies I’ve been waiting awhile to see: The Navigator and Sherlock Jr

[Don Quixote 4,866]

I think I set more to record on TCM today than I have for any other day this month.

[El Floppo 29,111]

TCM blah blah blah.

 

I watched Aquaman this weekend with 8yo floppinho. that was a thing.

[wikkidpissah 19,250]

1 hour ago, El Floppo said:

TCM blah blah blah.

 

I watched Aquaman this weekend with 8yo floppinho. that was a thing.

Buster Keaton fell in a puddle once. FunNEE!!

[jdoggydogg 2,057]

On 8/13/2019 at 6:35 AM, KarmaPolice said:

Got tix to Apocalypse Now for next Thursday.   This should be cool despite the theater.   I will have to look at the rest of the TCM schedule as well - right now I just remember Shawshank and Alien.  

:JEALOUS: 

[Ilov80s 31,155]

The Buster Keaton doc done by the psychologist from the Sopranos is wonderful. 

[Don Quixote 4,866]

“Sullivan’s Travels” on TCM at 8. Source of the Coen Brothers’ “O Brother, Where Art Thou.”

[Don Quixote 4,866]

On 8/19/2019 at 11:03 PM, Ilov80s said:

The Buster Keaton doc done by the psychologist from the Sopranos is wonderful. 

I was watching this last night.  I had not seen the footage of Buster Keaton on Candid Camera before.  That had me rolling.

[wikkidpissah 19,250]

24 minutes ago, Don Quixote said:

I was watching this last night.  I had not seen the footage of Buster Keaton on Candid Camera before.  That had me rolling.

That's where my love of him must have started - cuz i NEVER missed an ep - but i'd forgotten that until i saw it again.

Dance the day away today on TCM - Fred Astaire is Star of the Day.

[KarmaPolice 18,300]

Updated my streaming queues.  I realized how far behind I am in the last couple years so I was going to get to some new stuff soon.   Anybody have a strong opinion on any of these movies?  (I just glanced at a couple of best of year lists, mainly the AV Club since I seem to agree with a lot of their ratings):

Burning, Support the Girls, Cold War, First Reformed, You Were Never Really Here, If Beale Street Could Talk, Leave No Trace, Lean on Pete, Shoplifters, Private Life, Shirkers

(I also have Buster Scruggs and Roma added, but remember a bit of talk in her about them.  At home I have First Man and Blackkklansman that I grabbed at the library).  

 

[KarmaPolice 18,300]

On 8/19/2019 at 1:58 PM, jdoggydogg said:

:JEALOUS: 

Ended up with a sick kid and not able to go. 

[whoknew 9,005]

2 hours ago, KarmaPolice said:

Updated my streaming queues.  I realized how far behind I am in the last couple years so I was going to get to some new stuff soon.   Anybody have a strong opinion on any of these movies?  (I just glanced at a couple of best of year lists, mainly the AV Club since I seem to agree with a lot of their ratings):

Burning, Support the Girls, Cold War, First Reformed, You Were Never Really Here, If Beale Street Could Talk, Leave No Trace, Lean on Pete, Shoplifters, Private Life, Shirkers

(I also have Buster Scruggs and Roma added, but remember a bit of talk in her about them.  At home I have First Man and Blackkklansman that I grabbed at the library).  

 

 

First Reformed and You Were Never Really Here are both really good and really dark. Not exactly cheer you up movies, but both excellent.

[KarmaPolice 18,300]

46 minutes ago, whoknew said:

 

First Reformed and You Were Never Really Here are both really good and really dark. Not exactly cheer you up movies, but both excellent.

That's what I naturally gravitate to anyway.  Thanks.  

[jdoggydogg 2,057]

Seeing Coppola's new cut of one of my favorite movies Apocalypse Now on a very large movie screen this week. So psyched.

 

[jdoggydogg 2,057]

On 8/24/2019 at 8:23 AM, KarmaPolice said:

Ended up with a sick kid and not able to go. 

Awwww. I'm especially happy the local theater is playing the new Apocalypse cut on the biggest screen. 

[KarmaPolice 18,300]

9 minutes ago, jdoggydogg said:

Awwww. I'm especially happy the local theater is playing the new Apocalypse cut on the biggest screen. 

Enjoy! I wasnt too upset.  It would have been cool, but it was only $5.  At least I purchased a ticket to support movies like that in the theater and it counts for the numbers.

[El Floppo 29,111]

just remembered I saw a director's cut of Apocalypse Now  in the theaters when it was re-released. cripes- can't remember what decade, but I'd say 80s or early 90s? have no memory of what was different than the original... maybe longer. 

[Andy Dufresne 13,024]

There are now three cuts of Apocalypse Now. The Theatrical, Redux, and now this new "final" cut.

https://www.indiewire.com/2019/04/apocalypse-now-final-cut-5-things-to-know-francis-for-coppola-new-version-1202129340/

1979, Coppola had taken on so much personal debt making “Apocalypse Now” that he was worried the full version of his film would be “too weird” for a non-arthouse crowd. Since he needed the film to play as far and wide as possible to save himself from financial ruin, he made major cuts to film for its original two hour and 33 minute theatrical runtime.

In 2001, for “Apocalypse Now: Redux,” Coppola put 49 minutes of previously cut footage back in. The idea was for people to see the whole scope of his original vision, regardless of how weird it may have played. However, Coppola has said that he doesn’t believe this fully restored version was the best version of the film, as it played too long and was uneven at times.

For his “Final Cut,” Coppola said he has found a version he can stand behind. By studying old cuts of the film preserved on Betamax, Coppola said he felt he discovered where he went wrong in editing the film (due to financial and distribution pressure) and removed 20 minutes of the new material from “Redux” in this new final cut. The new running time is three hours and two minutes.

[wikkidpissah 19,250]

Plz.....everyone......because this thread is so huge and there are so many formats for viewing cinema entertainment these days - IMAX, streaming, home theaters - could we just keep this for movie rentals, and recently viewed at that (not one of those lying under your couch and making Blockbuster mad at you) and then other people can start threads for the 3D and the watching on the phone and such. Much tidier, don't you think?

[El Floppo 29,111]

thanks andy (btw- just caught the last half of Shawshank again over the weekend)

wow... 2001. I feel like I saw this much earlier than that.

could coppola have had a limited release locally (I think he lives in the same or neighboring county from where I lived) between original and redux? I swear I saw this in the 80s or early/mid 90s (in Mill Valley, CA). 

I had already met my wife by 2001- and no way in hell was she seeing this. 

[El Floppo 29,111]

26 minutes ago, wikkidpissah said:

Plz.....everyone......because this thread is so huge and there are so many formats for viewing cinema entertainment these days - IMAX, streaming, home theaters - could we just keep this for movie rentals, and recently viewed at that (not one of those lying under your couch and making Blockbuster mad at you) and then other people can start threads for the 3D and the watching on the phone and such. Much tidier, don't you think?

nope.

[jdoggydogg 2,057]

Apocalypse Now: The Final Cut

Probably my all-time favorite movie. Rather than long, rambling effusive paragraphs, I'll just simplify with bullets:

• Robert Duvall...what can I say? A one of a kind performance - could be my favorite thing. Anywhere. Of any genre. 
• Sheen: I love the way this character is written and acted. Right on the edge of cold and manic. 
• The music is so similar to Blade Runner, I wondered if Vangelis composed it. But no, it's Coppola. 
• The final cut includes the scenes at the French plantation. They aren't terrible, but the music in those scenes is bad. 

[badmojo1006 6,164]

 Instant Family A-.   Was really surprised how good it was. It was sappy, and cliched, but it touched. Both Wahlberg and Byrne w ere very good.

but bring a tissue. It might get.

[El Floppo 29,111]

I saw a mission impossible movie. There were chases.

[Mr. Mojo 1,349]

1 hour ago, El Floppo said:

I saw a mission impossible movie. There were chases.

and gadgets?

[Andy Dufresne 13,024]

On 8/29/2019 at 11:10 AM, jdoggydogg said:

Apocalypse Now: The Final Cut

Probably my all-time favorite movie. Rather than long, rambling effusive paragraphs, I'll just simplify with bullets:

• Robert Duvall...what can I say? A one of a kind performance - could be my favorite thing. Anywhere. Of any genre. 
• Sheen: I love the way this character is written and acted. Right on the edge of cold and manic. 
• The music is so similar to Blade Runner, I wondered if Vangelis composed it. But no, it's Coppola. 
• The final cut includes the scenes at the French plantation. They aren't terrible, but the music in those scenes is bad. 

Just finished viewing the 4k of the Final Cut. What an amazing job they've done with the remastered video AND audio. Stellar.

One "click" I realized upon this viewing - when Willard is in his hotel at the beginning, he shares  the screen with an image of Buddha but with Willard separated and upside down - i.e. completely out of tune.

However after killing Kurtz he throws down his weapon, grabs Lance (in a savior type move - something he couldn't do for Chef) and then DOESNT call in the air strike. It is then that Willard is shown, not just upright but juxtaposed with the Buddha image. Thus, amidst all the chaos, does Willard overcome his circumstances and actually become a peacemaker.

Apocalypse Now is then, essentially, not really an anti-war movie but really a pro-humanity movie.