What films have you watched recently?

swiller

Ive tried oppenheimer 4 times now and agree.^^
After my amazement at interstellar, thought id give another supposed sci fi modern masterpiece a go with...
Arrival. 7/10.
Has some interesting themes, with aliens visiting 12 sites across the globe.  Like interstellar, explores time as a physical dimension. But more like a good  episode of the x files than a sci masterpiece. A bit slow, boring at times and ending can be a bit blunt/non descript/already concluded.

Timcito

I watched The Godfather for the first time ever a few days ago (yes, really!). I thought it was pretty good, on the whole, but was a little bewildered by Brando's characterization of Don Corleone as that rasping, huge-jawed, slow-moving grandsire only able to peer through half-closed eyes. Did no one really have the courage to say, 'Erm, Marlon, how about you try it this way?'

DrCornelius

Timcito said:

I watched The Godfather for the first time ever a few days ago (yes, really!). I thought it was pretty good, on the whole, but was a little bewildered by Brando's characterization of Don Corleone as that rasping, huge-jawed, slow-moving grandsire only able to peer through half-closed eyes. Did no one really have the courage to say, 'Erm, Marlon, how about you try it this way?'

Blimey , that might just be the most polarising post ever on the Fretboard - that’s Bigsby on a Tele level of outrage right there ! 

goldtop

Timcito said:

I watched The Godfather for the first time ever a few days ago (yes, really!). I thought it was pretty good, on the whole, but was a little bewildered by Brando's characterization of Don Corleone as that rasping, huge-jawed, slow-moving grandsire only able to peer through half-closed eyes. Did no one really have the courage to say, 'Erm, Marlon, how about you try it this way?'

Back then, I think Brando carried such sway that directors just went with whatever he did. Always thought he was over-rated. 

DrCornelius

Maybe I’m in the minority then as I thought it was a superb performance rather than the deranged mafia by numbers style that seems to have followed 

Philly_Q

DrCornelius said:

Timcito said:

I watched The Godfather for the first time ever a few days ago (yes, really!). I thought it was pretty good, on the whole, but was a little bewildered by Brando's characterization of Don Corleone as that rasping, huge-jawed, slow-moving grandsire only able to peer through half-closed eyes. Did no one really have the courage to say, 'Erm, Marlon, how about you try it this way?'

Blimey , that might just be the most polarising post ever on the Fretboard - that’s Bigsby on a Tele level of outrage right there ! 

I'm no fan of Brando in his later years, but it's decades since I've seen any of the Godfather films - they were practically new the last time I watched them - so I can't honestly comment on his performance.

RichAC

I watched a modern western last night, called Hell or High Water. Two brothers (one of them Chris Pine) robbing banks and being tracked by two Texas Rangers (one of them Jeff Bridges). 

It was really good - darkly funny and often moving. It presents a view of post credit-crunch rural America that we don’t often see.

Timcito

DrCornelius said:

Maybe I’m in the minority then as I thought it was a superb performance rather than the deranged mafia by numbers style that seems to have followed 

Fair enough. I did find it very odd, though, I have to say. It seemed to me almost like a caricature of something, although of what I'm not really sure. I've certainly never seen a real human being move, look, and sound like that!   

ICBM

Philly_Q said:

I'm no fan of Brando in his later years, but it's decades since I've seen any of the Godfather films - they were practically new the last time I watched them - so I can't honestly comment on his performance.

He’s amazing in Apocalypse Now! - although a considerable amount of that is the way he’s directed and lighted. I don’t like him quite as much in the Godfather but he’s still great - it’s almost more about what he doesn’t do as what he does. (Which I think is DrCornelius’ point too.)

Philly_Q

ICBM said:

Philly_Q said:

I'm no fan of Brando in his later years, but it's decades since I've seen any of the Godfather films - they were practically new the last time I watched them - so I can't honestly comment on his performance.

He’s amazing in Apocalypse Now! - although a considerable amount of that is the way he’s directed and lighted. I don’t like him quite as much in the Godfather but he’s still great - it’s almost more about what he doesn’t do as what he does. (Which I think is DrCornelius’ point too.)

I know I'm not supposed to say this, but Apocalypse Now leaves me entirely unmoved... (I read Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad too, and found it mindbogglingly boring).  Maybe I just haven't tried hard enough to appreciate them.

Offset

DrCornelius said:

Maybe I’m in the minority then as I thought it was a superb performance rather than the deranged mafia by numbers style that seems to have followed 

It's one of the greatest films ever made.  I've also watched GF1 and GF2 re-edited in chronological order and it was very enjoyable.

goldtop

Movie watching in a digital world #97

Watching a movie in a web browser means I have less patience. I automatically reach for the [forward 5 seconds] button to FFWD through cliches. This mainly means that I skip long drawn-out fight scenes, which seem designed to keep young-uns happy. Same with car chase stuff. Occasionally the cinematography will be good enough to keep me glued. But rarely. 

The days of just sitting back and watching a movie as the director shot and edited it are gone. At least for many modern mainstream films. Not sure if it's down to the direction or my old-bloke grumpiness. I should try to rewatch The Godfather to see if I skip through it, or if it's all good solid story-telling.

pt22

The Producers - 1967

I'm a huge fan of Mel Brooks, but as this was his first full-length film this wasn't one of his best. Still has plenty of funny bits, off the wall "action", and some classic sardonic lines and facial expressions. It just took a while to move the plot, then seemed to skip forward in time past some events I'd like to have seen older Mel Brooks put onscreen. The payoff of the musical opening of "Springtime for Hitler" onstage was worth it though. lol 

I'm glad I watched it, as Gene Wilder is captivating with his unique style, and who can't enjoy a little silly "Benny Hill" style titillation, but all in all his later works are much better movies on the whole. 

Timcito

Against all natural impulses to do what is right and proper and in contempt of most agreed standards of human decency, I idly re-watched a good chunk of Braveheart on Youtube the other night! Beautiful, right-thinking, 'what-women-want' minority heroes pitched against beastly, sexually inadequate, and tyrannical oppressors, plus a wrinkly and grizzled 40-something guy as the young gallant in dewy-eyed love with a woman who looked young enough to be his daughter - this gem really has it all!

One of those sights which appeals to many of our worse instincts but one which is difficult to look away from! 

Pjon

ICBM said:

Philly_Q said:

I'm no fan of Brando in his later years, but it's decades since I've seen any of the Godfather films - they were practically new the last time I watched them - so I can't honestly comment on his performance.

He’s amazing in Apocalypse Now! - although a considerable amount of that is the way he’s directed and lighted. I don’t like him quite as much in the Godfather but he’s still great - it’s almost more about what he doesn’t do as what he does. (Which I think is DrCornelius’ point too.)

I've always thought that AN gets too self-indulgent and even a little boring once Hopper and Brando get on screen. (I'm saying that in the context that it's a drawn out and self-indulgent film anyway.) I caught the first 40 minutes or so last week, until after the surfing scene, and it's a glorious film.

Timcito

I thought Apocalypse Now was interesting from an allegorical standpoint. It suggested to me a death knell to the summer of love, the hippie movement, and turn on, tune in, etc. ending in a kind of horrific Altamont Speedway/ Charles Manson/ Jim Jones/ Bobbie Kennedy-MLK image of slaughter. Kurtz was the brilliant idealist (hippie?)who went insane, turning into a ritualistic killer waiting to be killed. All sorts of interesting parallels.

I think filmmakers often work out the demons of their respective generations in their films. There were quite a few directors at the time of Apocalypse Now that had lived through the 60s as teenagers and young men, and they had their tale tell of that era. This was an especially imaginative and fine example, in my view. 

rze99

pt22 said:

The Producers - 1967

I'm a huge fan of Mel Brooks, but as this was his first full-length film this wasn't one of his best. Still has plenty of funny bits, off the wall "action", and some classic sardonic lines and facial expressions. It just took a while to move the plot, then seemed to skip forward in time past some events I'd like to have seen older Mel Brooks put onscreen. The payoff of the musical opening of "Springtime for Hitler" onstage was worth it though. lol 

I'm glad I watched it, as Gene Wilder is captivating with his unique style, and who can't enjoy a little silly "Benny Hill" style titillation, but all in all his later works are much better movies on the whole. 

Haven't seen it for years, but remember loving it

Offset

I now have a burning urge to re-watch Young Frankenstein.

Abbie Normal.  Brilliant!

rze99

PSA

There are a few classic and decent on iPlayer I've seen... plus no adverts! I HATE adverts

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Power of the Dog
The Two Faces of January 
ITonya
Apocolypse Now
On the Waterfront
The Mule
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane
Sicario
The Keeper
Black Box
Whisky Galore
Mr Jones
My Summer of Love
Persian Lessons
Twelve Monkeys
The Wonder Boys
A Simple Plan
Bringing Up Baby
Citizen Kane

Grangousier

The Producers is one of my favourite films of all time, and I've seen it so many times that at one point I could recite the first act (the conversation between Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder) off by heart.