Captain Fantastic
@g-man posted:Borat: Subsequent Moviefillm.
So it was slow to start, but once they got the Texas, holy shit!
Crude (of course) but surprisingly clever. I liked the twist near the end.
On The Rocks, the reunion of Sofia Coppola and Bill Murray, on the other hand was a limp disappointment.
Topper logline from a modern perspective: A charming, reckless alcoholic, and his enabling wife, attempt to corrupt a staid banker into their wicked waves after their self-inflicted deaths. One of the great screwball comedies it's at the top of the sub-genre of the supernatural screwball comedies what a cast, Cary Grant and Constance Bennett make a wonderful screwball duo; the befuddled, and hen-pecked Topper played by Roland Young with his throwaway delivery style and his amazing scene of being "carried" out drunk; his wife played by Billie Burke who would, three years later, become eternally famous as Glinda the Good Witch of the South three years later; ex-pat English acting stalwart Alan Mowbray as the butler; dependable screwball comedy straight man Eugene Pallette (his best role is in My Man Godfrey); Arthur Lake--the future Blondie--as the besetupon on elevator operator; and future gossip columnist Hedda Hopper who years later would regularly attack Constance Bennett's sister Joan Bennett in the late 40s and into the 50s.
While not the greatest of the screwball comedies it was kind of fun seeing in on TV in the 1950s and 1960s around halloween. And it does have Grant so there's no going wrong.
The Lighthouse--it was only recently I commented on the movie I'm Thinking of Ending Things. I talked about that it was shot in the old Academy ratio of 4:3, which was the standard aspect ratio until the 1950s. So I was quite surprised when, after it being recommended to me, the first thing I noticed about The Lighthouse is that its AR is almost square. Shot at at pre-1920s ratio of 1.19:1, both these movies use their narrow ratios to force their two main characters close together. With The Lighthouse's made-for-the-role Willem Defoe, as an overbearing lighthouse tender and Robert Patterson's, at first accepting, harrareessed assistant, they create scene after scene of wildness that would almost be too much full screen.
Also of note is that it was shot on film (!) using old Kodak Tri-X and then used filters that would strip away red to give the film the look of orthochromatic stock. This was all that was available in the early days of photography and movies. The director said that, surprisingly, he had to fight the studio not on using such a weird AR, but on the releasing of the film in black and white.
There is so much going on in this film and while it's attempting perhaps too much it's almost impossible to simply say "I liked it" because it doesn't convey the range of this film. Great, nutty, too wild, an unforgettable experience, discomfort, silly and wonderful. It's all there. Also one of the best food related lines since Daniel Plainview talked about milkshakes--"Yer fond of me lobster aint' ye? I seen it - yer fond of me lobster! Say it! Say it. Say it!"
@brucehayes posted:The Young Offenders. Two Irish teenage morons decide to hit the road in search of fortune. Funny. Highly recommended.
I watched it based on your recommendation. I needed a translator; I could only understand about half the dialogue.
@Rothko posted:I watched it based on your recommendation. I needed a translator; I could only understand about half the dialogue.
It should have closed captions if it's on Netflix.
@bman posted:On Her Majesty's Secret Service
This film has taken much crap as one of the worst. Lazenby is certainly without charisma, especially following Connery, the ski scenes are too many and not well done, and Telly Savalas is hardly menacing at all. But the story is good. And Diana Rigg.....
Diana Rigg is all the reason to watch the film. Along with Claudine Auger, my "favorite" Bond girl. (From released films. Ana will eclipse them, for me.)
@Rothko posted:I watched it based on your recommendation. I needed a translator; I could only understand about half the dialogue.
I did take me a few minutes to "tune my ear" and even then I did have to rewind a few times. Did you enjoy the parts you could hear?
Flipping through channels I came across the ending of Rocky -- 68pts., and as the 15th round begins there's the great inventor of the Steadicam, Garrett Brown, and an assistant, working their way around near ringside.
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Currently in the middle. I really like it so far, and the girl is doing a great job.
@winetarelli posted:Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Currently in the middle. I really like it so far, and the girl is doing a great job.
Liked the girl also (other than the fertility dance scene). I wish they had let the scenario with Guilanni run a little longer than it did. My wife thought that among all the cringe-worthy scenes, watching him coming onto a girl 1/3 his age, was the worst.
@brucehayes posted:I did take me a few minutes to "tune my ear" and even then I did have to rewind a few times. Did you enjoy the parts you could hear?
I did enjoy it.
God Father -2
The Gentlemen
Meh. Plenty of big names in this Guy Ritchie caper but didn't do much for me. I'll give him credit for getting Hugh Grant to act like not Hugh Grant.
Borat Subsequent Movie Film - hilarious, stupid and incredibly sad - all at the same time.
Also the actress playing his daughter, Maria Bakalova deserves some award nominations at a minimum - being able to stand up and in many cases outshine Sacha Baron Cohen is very impressive
@jcocktosten posted:Also the actress playing his daughter, Maria Bakalova deserves some award nominations at a minimum - being able to stand up and in many cases outshine Sasha Baron Cohen is very impressive
Final comment about movie is how funny it is that Borat's speaking of Kazakh is almost exclusively Hebrew - and in most cases tracks the subtitles precisely
God Father 3
Le chant du loup (The Wolf's Call). A decent submarine movie.
@jcocktosten posted:Also the actress playing his daughter, Maria Bakalova deserves some award nominations at a minimum - being able to stand up and in many cases outshine Sacha Baron Cohen is very impressive
Very much this.
The fact that they were able to find her is incredible.
1991. Gentle, witty and funny. One of the better films I have seen in a while. Highly recommended. On Netflix.
@brucehayes posted:1991. Gentle, witty and funny. One of the better films I have seen in a while. Highly recommended. On Netflix.
Unfortunately not available in America.
The Girl on the Train
Live and Let Die
@The Old Man posted:Unfortunately not available in America.
Too bad.
Peppermint. Bad guys wipe out Jennifer Garner's family. She seeks revenge. Note to self: Never, ever piss off Jennifer Garner.
Prospect--Low budget science fictionized True Grit that manages to create a very believable alien world without big effects or CGI. Co-directors Christopher Caldwell, Zeek Earl, create a perfectly believable alien world in the forests of Washington state without any of the trappings of so much Star Wars, and comic book influenced science fiction movies. All of the equipment, created by an art collective, has a feel of natural authenticity. It also takes into account that the air would probably be unbreathable on any planet but earth. Starring Pedro Pascal (unknown to me but I see that he is the Mandalorian) and a wonderful young actress, Sophie Thatcher, in the Kim Darby type role.
Not a great movie but again proof, which "Hollywood" never seems to get, is science fiction doesn't all have to be epic scale galactic battles with lots of special effects. Worth a watch and then look up how they created the overall feeling of the planet.
Going back through our Alfred Hitchcock collection, starting with Notorious.
@Bytown Rick posted:Going back through our Alfred Hitchcock collection, starting with Notorious.
If you have a large enough collection I'd recommend watching them in chronological order. The similarities, and even the differences, over the decades is very informative and helps for a deeper understanding of this man's talents. If you have them I'd recommend these English pictures first:
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog -- The really one indispensable silent picture of Hitchcock. Key to so many future Hitchcock themes and devices.
The Man Who Knew Too Much -- The first of two versions, this one with an amazing performance by Peter Lorre.
The 39 Steps -- The true Hitchcock formula of the wrong man begins with this movie.
Young and Innocent -- Often overlook seminal work with one of the greatest revealings of the bad guy in all of Hitchcock movies.
The Lady Vanishes -- The most British of Hitchcock thriller films.
I actually recommend watching all of his films in order, but you'd probably have to come over to my house and I'm isolating.
Coincidentally we watched Foreign Correspondent last night. Not a Hitchcock classic.
Watched the documentary Johnny Cash - American Rebel the night before. Decent.
@steve8 posted:Coincidentally we watched Foreign Correspondent last night. Not a Hitchcock classic.
Watched the documentary Johnny Cash - American Rebel the night before. Decent.
Part of the problem with Foreign Correspondent (which I think I like better than you) is that Joel McCrea was not really and Hitchcock leading man. Hitchcock therefore, as he would also in future movies, gave more to George Sanders to do and he almost becomes the second leading man. Also Edmund Gwynn was a Hitchcock favorite all the way back to the silent The Skin Game in 1931 but his role here is rather silly.
Things I love about the movie: The assassination scene, the mysterious desolate area of windmills and the spectacular crash. As explained in Wikipedia, "One of the sequences in the film that continues to have a strong effect on viewers is the mid-ocean crash of the flying boat after it is shot down by a German destroyer. In 1972, in an interview with Dick Cavett, Hitchcock discussed some details of how the scene was created. Footage taken from a stunt aircraft diving over the ocean was rear-projected on rice paper in front of the cockpit set, while behind the rice paper were two chutes connected to large water tanks. The chutes were aimed at the windshield of the cockpit so that water would break through the rice paper at the right moment, simulating the crash of the aircraft into the ocean."
Hitchcock had two Best Picture nominations for 1940 for this and for Rebecca. With the force of producer David O. Selznick Rebecca of course won. There would never be another Best Picture nomination for Hitchcock after this.
@The Old Man posted:If you have a large enough collection I'd recommend watching them in chronological order. The similarities, and even the differences, over the decades is very informative and helps for a deeper understanding of this man's talents. If you have them I'd recommend these English pictures first:
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog -- The really one indispensable silent picture of Hitchcock. Key to so many future Hitchcock themes and devices.
The Man Who Knew Too Much -- The first of two versions, this one with an amazing performance by Peter Lorre.
The 39 Steps -- The true Hitchcock formula of the wrong man begins with this movie.
Young and Innocent -- Often overlook seminal work with one of the greatest revealings of the bad guy in all of Hitchcock movies.
The Lady Vanishes -- The most British of Hitchcock thriller films.
I actually recommend watching all of his films in order, but you'd probably have to come over to my house and I'm isolating.
Thanks TOM. Hoped you might chime in. Thanks for the suggestion on viewing order.
We don't have The Lodger, but do have the rest on your list. As well as earlier things like Blackmail. So we will proceed chronologically as you suggest.
@Bytown Rick posted:Thanks TOM. Hoped you might chime in. Thanks for the suggestion on viewing order.
We don't have The Lodger, but do have the rest on your list. As well as earlier things like Blackmail. So we will proceed chronologically as you suggest.
The Lodger, being in the public domain, is on YouTube--The Lodger 1927, I'm happy to say. It's far from a perfect film, however there are many great scenes among which the pacing floor is at the top. The film has a number of standard Hitchcock devices. To avoid spoiling I will only mention the use neon signs at the beginning. They run through a number of Hitchcock films culminating in the spellbinding green scene in Vertigo. I could truly carry on for days about his films, so I'll leave you to your discovery. However, even the worst Hitchcock movies, and there's a bunch including his last British picture Jamaica Inn, are chock-full of delicious Hitchcock goodness.
(I should mention that the tinting of the film is considered correct. Also, if you're hardcore, Hitchcock's first movie, The Pleasure Garden -- 1925 is also on YouTube.)
The Outpost.
The first two Hitchcock suspense films:
- The Lodger (1927).
- Blackmail (1929). The "talkie" version.
Always fun to try to catch Hitchcock's pop-up cameos. And as TOM suggested, the foreshadowing of his signature techniques.
Enjoyed with a 2017 Chãteau De Fesles La Chapelle Vieilles Vignes Chenin Sec and some brie, paté and fresh-baked bread. All excellent.
Some upcoming things on TCM:
Tonight they are showing Hitchcock's last two movies (in reverse order.) Frenzy in which he outdid his competitors in the slasher genre and his final film Family Plot, which I've always liked except for the very last minute.
On Sunday there's a chance to see the movie where the word "gaslighting " comes from, Gaslight also Sunday is Tarkovsky's challenging, Solaris.
- The Pleasure Garden (1925)
- The Ring (1927)
Dark Waters
Because I was in the polymers business I knew a little about what was going on but not the details of how much Dupont knew and refused to acknowledge. The movie is pretty good.
Planet of the Humans
Like any Michael Moore film (executive producer on this) it's flawed but I thought it was pretty good. I'm sure it has been overly politicized by idiots on both sides but I enjoyed the calling out of pantloads like McKibben, Gore and others. And their conclusion is spot on imo.
Borat #2 (or whatever it is called). It had some funny parts.
@Bytown Rick posted:
- The Pleasure Garden (1925)
- The Ring (1927)
I believe that The Ring is one of the better lesser Hitchcock silent movies.