BS: Seen any good movies lately?

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 08 Feb 12 - 08:27 AM

Drive - This turned out to be an absolutely superb movie! Ryan Goslin is a very good actor, and everyone else in the film does their party perfectly too. Talk about a good script! Most "action" films are really stupid...this one is anything but.

Conan - Okay, if you happen to like "sword and sandal" epics...or if you just like the Conan stories...this one is quite good. It's better, in my opinion, than the Schwarzenneger ones were, though they were pretty good too. Definitely a fun way to spend an hour and a half.

The Rite - A film about demonic possession, this is not your standard horror fare, but a serious film with good acting. Anthony Hopkins is excellent, as always, and the subject is treated in a sober, thought-provoking fashion. Really gives some food for thought. There's something going on with these sort of cases, and I'm not sure what it is, but it's serious business.

True Grit - A fabulously good western. Couldn't be better. The scene where the plucky young girl bargains for a better price with the slippery old businessman is worth the price of the entire show.

The Irishman - Tremendously gritty film about the rise and fall of an organized crime boss in Cleveland in the 1970s.

The Ides of March - Great film about ruthlessness and corruption on the political campaign trail in an American election. Should be required viewing for all American voters, I think.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 08 Feb 12 - 08:43 AM

Typo! Should have been "Ryan Gosling". He is one hell of a good actor.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: SINSULL
Date: 08 Feb 12 - 10:07 AM

Just saw "Messengers" for free on line. Decent horror flick with some real "jump out of your seat" moments.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 08 Feb 12 - 03:55 PM

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was very good. I hadn't seen the Alec Guinness series, so can't compare (though comparisons from others have been favorable).

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Feb 12 - 08:00 PM

BTW, for got to mention a free movie and tv show site which I didn't know about until the other day when my son told me about it: www.crackle.com

No sign-up, no email log-in, and it is legal. Apparently they sell content to a lot of other sites such as Netflix. My grandson has been having fun watching Spider Man movies, etc. on there. We've also been watching old Bewitched episodes on Hulu. What a hoot!

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Beer
Date: 21 Aug 12 - 10:13 PM

kat,
Just watched "Get Low". You will love it. On Netflix. Hope you can get it.
Ad.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 21 Aug 12 - 11:24 PM

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, To Rome with Love and Moonrise Kingdom. I liked both. However, most people close to my age that I've talked to liked the first two but not the third. I think it's interesting that they could accept Woody Allen's quirky storytelling style but not Wes Anderson's.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 21 Aug 12 - 11:55 PM

The mrs is on her summer holiday so we've enjoyed a mini film festival
catching up on...

"Frozen River"
"The Road"
"Winter's Bone"
"London To Brighton"
"Harry Brown"

notice the thematic link ???

... Gritty and Despairing........

Just the right mood for a British summer....

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 22 Aug 12 - 05:39 AM

Husband went to see The Expendables 2. Said it was brilliant, lots of action, gripping and never flagged in spite of its length. Sounded like sheer hell to me to sit through all that bang bang stuff, but men like those sort of films. He's a great fan of most of the (rather ageing) stars in it, so he was doubly delighted.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 22 Aug 12 - 02:57 PM

Here in the West of Ireland we are a little starved of good films so we take regular trips to Dublin and pig-out - usually at The Lighthouse and I.F.I.
The last time we fitted in 5 films in 3 days as follows:

The Angel's Share
Even the Rain
A Royal Affair
The Dead
Le Grande Illusion

All glorious, not a glugger among them - would especially recommend the first two
JIm Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: katlaughing
Date: 22 Aug 12 - 04:04 PM

Great! Now I have a bunch more films to look for.

Ad, sorry, I don't know what is wrong with netflix down here, but they do not have that movie, either. Idjits! I'll look for it elsewhere. Thanks, anyway!

We've been watching BBC detective series, Wire in the Blood, Blue Murder, Touching Evil (we both really like Robson Green)and a few others.

Ad, I've been meaning to recommend "King & The Clown" on netflix. You have to read subtitles but it is one of the very best movies I've ever seen.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 22 Aug 12 - 06:28 PM

It's rather unusual, but I have been "watching" quite a few movies lately. Since our recent relocation, we're rather cramped for storage space, and one of the attempts to reduce what needs(?) to be stored was based on the smaller space required to store DVDs rather than VHS tapes, so I've been transferring some of "our" (I claim mostly "her") tapes to disk.

Unfortunately, copying them requires running them in "real time" so for the "interesting" ones I've "sort of watched" while they're running.

The current count is at 281 titles "watched" in this way -- (?) beginning with "Apollo 13" and winding up at "Zulu," with every thing from "Black Adder" and "Avenger" episodes (and of course all 13 of "her" episodes of "Cadfael") through some 3 Stooges shorts, about 3 of the "Road to ..." flicks, and even a poor copy of "Barbarella" mixed in.

I very much doubt that "we" had anything in our VHS stuff that was released since about 1970, though, so recommendations based on our library wouldn't be of much interest to anyone looking for current suggestions.

Of course due to transfer failures, some of them required "watching" 2 or 3 times, and the 2 hour limit on what can be put on a DVD means that some had to be split between a couple of disks.

"Dune" is running now, but will take (at least) three disks, and another that I've defered for later apparently will need four.

We also seem to have around 400 commercial DVD releases, and a handful of them might have been released sometime after 1970, but none that I can think of that likely were produced since about 1980 or so. Season 1 of "Xena" (a gift) and Lin's recently acquired "all six seasons of 'Bones'" would be exceptions.

The question of "where did they all come from" occurs; but the real question is "WHY! WHY! WHY! THE %@$#!^ have we got all this $!#@% SH*T???? (And why are we keeping it?)

But it all fits in a much smaller space now.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: number 6
Date: 22 Aug 12 - 09:42 PM

I agree Ad (Beer) .... "get Low" .... very good movie

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 22 Aug 12 - 10:17 PM

"The Time Traveler's Wife" was on TV tonight.

Sat and watched it with the wife on her insistence.
She's read the book, and seen it at the Cinema.

I thought it was an ok romantic drama with a slight Sci fi twist.

My wife was sobbing her eyes out throughout
and almost looked grief stricken by the time the end credits rolled...

She says it's one of her most favourite films ever.

Eric Bana shows his arse quite a lot.

Funnily enough, he's one of her favourite movie stars.

This may be a strategic DVD to rent for a night in
if for any reason you are in your wife's bad books..

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Beer
Date: 22 Aug 12 - 10:40 PM

Wow!! so many new titles to look for. fantastic.
kat, maybe you can see if "Get low" is on Crackle. your recommendation to watch "King & the Crown" is not available to me. Don't understand this horseshit. Like WHY NOT! I will look when I am finished typing if it is on "Crackle". Thanks for the link. Here is one that is touching that I just finished watching. biLL, if you liked Get Low this one you will enjoy as well. "Second Hand Lions"
Ad.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: katlaughing
Date: 22 Aug 12 - 11:41 PM

Ad, check again, it is "King and the CLOWN.":-)

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 23 Aug 12 - 04:19 AM

Does anybody know if 'Songcatcher' was ever released in Britain - if not, it should have been
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Beer
Date: 23 Aug 12 - 08:47 AM

No luck kat. So I guess you can't get some that I recommend and the same for me. Very strange.
ad.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Becca72
Date: 23 Aug 12 - 11:13 AM

I saw Expendables 2 and loved every second of it. I loved the first one also. Total brain candy but lots of action and lots of laughs.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 23 Aug 12 - 12:12 PM

Becca72, have just got the first Expendables on Blu-ray DVD for hubbie as he hadn't seen it, only number 2 at the cinema. He's watching it at this moment, so I'm confined to the study just now, as it's definitely not my cup of tea!

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Becca72
Date: 23 Aug 12 - 04:04 PM

Good luck, Eliza! For some reason I've alwasy been more attracted to Action/Shoot-em-up movies (AKA dick flicks) than chick flicks.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 04 Nov 12 - 01:17 AM

Just saw a sweet movie on Netflix: "Sweet Land".

Based on the short story ""A Gravestone Made of Wheat," by Will Weaver, it tells the story of a mail-order bride arriving in Minnesota from Germany in 1920, and her difficulty in integrating in the community.

It takes a little bit of suspension of disbelief for minor historical inaccuracies, and the presence of some familiar actors in unfamiliar roles/accents. Also, apparently if you speak German or Norwegian that's kind of a mess.

official website

But, its heart is in the right place. :-)

~ Becky in Long Beach

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 04 Nov 12 - 02:05 AM

Watched Channel 4's documentary about Frankenstein and its film versions. Karloff's must have been one of the greatest series of performances in the whole history of film.

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Beer
Date: 05 Nov 12 - 02:37 PM

Watched this documentary last night on Netflix. "Happy People: A Year in the Taiga". May not be to everyone's liking but I sure did.
Adrien

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Wesley S
Date: 05 Nov 12 - 02:47 PM

We enjoyed Denzel Washington in "Flight". I'm not so sure a heroin addict could get clean as fast as the woman in this movie but I won't quibble about the details.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 05 Nov 12 - 03:24 PM

Husband went alone to cinema to watch Skyfall. Said it was good at first but far too long. He left before the end!

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 05 Nov 12 - 04:57 PM

Here are the films at our local six screen cinema this week:

Skyfall
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted‎
Taken 2
Silent Hill: Revelation 3D
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted 3D
Silent Hill: Revelation
Frankenweenie

That really is a pretty dispiriting collection.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: GUEST,achmelvich
Date: 06 Nov 12 - 08:01 AM

i have been looking for a french film -'jeanne's house' - for about 20 years. anyone any idea where i might find a copy? as far as i know it's not available on dvd.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Becca72
Date: 06 Nov 12 - 08:15 AM

Saw Looper at the Drive In a couple of weeks ago - that was pretty good.


I also watched Mr. Brooks on DVD last night and enjoyed it very much!

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Nov 12 - 12:04 PM

Guest,achmelvich, doesn't look as though it is available according to its listing at IMDB.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 06 Nov 12 - 12:42 PM

Hey! Frankenweenie sounds like an inspired idea to me. What could be more fun than a Dachshund who comes back from the dead?

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 06 Nov 12 - 08:43 PM

I haven't seen Argo yet, but everyone who has tells me it is great. It's about the Americans who sought refuge in the Canadian ambassador's home in Iran and were rescued by a CIA team pretending to be filming a sci-fi film.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Wesley S
Date: 31 Dec 12 - 10:16 AM

Well the Mrs. and I saw Les Misérables yesterday. Overall we enjoyed it a lot but:

The closeup shots were too long and TOO close. I don't need to see that Ann Hathaway's nose is about to run while she's crying. Leave me some mystery please.

I don't really care for hand held camera shots, esp in a period piece like this one.

Sorry - but I don't care for Hugh Jackman's vibrato. I know that vibrato seems standard in musicals - but it's just not pleasing to my ears.

Having said that - there were plot points that became clear in the movie that I missed in the stage presentation. The art direction - the look of the movie - was wonderful. And the quality of Amanda Sayfried's voice was a real surprise. I still think it's worth seeing and recommend it.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: GUEST,CS
Date: 31 Dec 12 - 11:42 AM

I watched Dredd recently, which is the latest attempt to bring 2000AD's premier crime fighting character to the screen. Pretty good too I say, little on the gory side, but Dredd was well played, or at least as well played as a monosyllabic futuristic law enforcer can be. I liked the ett story arc - at least so much as it can be called one - of Judge Anderson too, as well as the gritty underworld of Megacity One, which looks like the grimy underside of 80's Britain (the Judge Dredd strip was born in the late 80's), Brutalist architecture and all, as ugly as can be imagined - with a few futuristic tweaks naturally.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: GUEST,CS
Date: 31 Dec 12 - 11:55 AM

Oh, and a second viewing of Billy Bob Thornton's (writer, director and actor) brilliantly bad taste 'Bad Santa' - if you don't enjoy dark comedy, this flick won't be appreciated..

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 31 Dec 12 - 11:56 AM

Lincoln: gripping, historically astute, puts you there and makes you pay attention. Easily Spielberg's best since "Schindler's List" and every bit as good.

The Hobbit: stuffed, bloated, and formulaic, almost a rip-off of the great "Fellowship of the Ring." Lots of battles in which a dozen dwarves slaughter a million goblins. Score seemingly lifted unchanged from _"LOTR." There are one or two beautiful sequences - if you can stay awake.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 31 Dec 12 - 11:58 AM

The latest James Bond film is quite good of its type. I can't say I give much importance to James Bond movies...but...it is an entertaining couple of hours and Daniel Craig plays the part very convincingly.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: GUEST,CS
Date: 31 Dec 12 - 12:05 PM

"The Hobbit: stuffed, bloated, and formulaic, almost a rip-off of the great "Fellowship of the Ring." Lots of battles in which a dozen dwarves slaughter a million goblins. Score seemingly lifted unchanged from _"LOTR." There are one or two beautiful sequences - if you can stay awake."

We're going to see this in the early new year. I do remember remarking to my partner that a trilogy of (inevitably) three hour films culled from The Hobbit's modestly slim lone volume, sounded like "butter scraped over too much bread" even for Tolkien fanboys (which we both are).

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Wesley S
Date: 31 Dec 12 - 12:52 PM

Considering the book was a little over 300 pages - if the other two movies are as long as the first it will clock in at close to nine hours. Plenty of time to tell the whole story. And then some.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Becca72
Date: 31 Dec 12 - 01:11 PM

I saw The Hobbit a week or so ago. It was OK, but they could have wrapped everything up in 2 hours or less... I got quite restless about 3/4 of the way through.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 31 Dec 12 - 01:53 PM

Premium Rush, an hour of bicycle chase scenes, 30 minutes of plot, surprisingly good.

Moonrise Kingdom, Quirky kid romance, Wes Anderson's best IMHO

Total Recall.. Better effects than the Arnie one, but no Ronnie Cox.

Dark Night Rises. As good as the other two in the trilogy.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World ... Quirky funny, poignant, lusty romance with an odd lesson for desperate times.

Wanderlust   ... Quirky funny, poignant, lusty romance with an odd lesson for desperate times.

Dark Shadows - Tim Burton and Johnny Deep, quirky, silly, funny.

Bernie, Quirky, funny, true story.

Hunger Games was Margaret Atwood meets Die Hard.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 31 Dec 12 - 01:57 PM

"Spielberg's best since "Schindler's List" and every bit as good."
.,,.
Disagree, Leveller. I can't find words to express my hatred & contempt for that vile cop-out from the worst thing that has happened in the entire history of the world*; surpassed only by the Oscar-winning{Christ!) & unspeakable Life Is Beautiful, about the fun & games children had in the Belsen holiday camp.

~M~

*YMMV ~ not trying to drift into a competition for that undesirable title. Just can't think of another such enormity committed with the full knowledge & approval of the entire population of perhaps the most cultured nation in the Western world.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 31 Dec 12 - 01:58 PM

Sorry ~ meant Lighter, not Leveller. Apologies to both.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 31 Dec 12 - 02:56 PM

MtheGM, Surely you are referring to "Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgaden "

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 31 Dec 12 - 03:23 PM

No, Jack ~~ I have made a point of avoiding that one. Twice bitten...

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 31 Dec 12 - 03:25 PM

Anyhow; that one makes a point in its title & pre-pub of demonstrating that it is not meant to be in any way a serious contemplation of the issues raised; whereas the two I animdvert against above...

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 31 Dec 12 - 04:18 PM

I also thoroughly enjoyed "Seeking a Friend at the End of the World", though I saw it on the computer, not at the movies. Like most of the movies Kiera Knightley's been in, it was excellent, and it was a really fresh and new approach to the basic scenario of a story about the end of the world. It didn't take the kind of path they usually do at all. I could very much identify with the lead characters, different as they were from one another. Like the guy in the film, I'd just want to spend the time quietly....no wild parties or orgies, thanks! Just some quiet time either alone or with someone I really care about.

The brief section with the desperate ex-boyfriend was kind of annoying, but I liked the rest of the movie a lot.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 31 Dec 12 - 04:59 PM

M: I stand by my opinion of "Schindler's List," but I agree fully that "Life is Beautiful" is truly "unspeakable."

If you'd like to boost your blood pressure two or three hundred points, check out the gushing all-star reviews at IMDb and Amazon.com. I've done it, and I don't recommend it.

Benigni's own father allegedly survived a Nazi camp. If so, the young genius is even more obtuse than he might appear. (He is quoted as saying, "I hate, I hate, I hate sentimentalism!")

Of course, millions of fans love the message: "Not even crummy bunks and mean old Nazis can beat a guy who thinks positive!"

Thus LIB garnered an award at Cannes, three Oscars, and a special commendation at the Jerusalem Film Festival: "for furthering the understanding of Jewish history."

Sic.

I realize that, statistically, people who are appalled, like me, are the weirdos, and I guess I have to live knowing that. (The chorus of Pod People scolds, "Lighten up, dude! It's just a *movie*! And
>sniff!< Roberto was a *great* father!")

Double feature: follow up a viewing of "Life is Beautiful" with one of "Inglourious Basterds." For a pop evening you'll never forget.

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 31 Dec 12 - 05:17 PM

Yes, I've done it too Lighter. Ugh indeed. Inglourious Basterds I am sort of ambivalent about.

Schindler never seems to me to face up to the majority of times when it wasn't hot water that came out of the nozzles. I find its feelgood tone rebarbative, tho can see why it is admired, unlike the vile LIB. But, as Kubrick remarked, you have a movie about 6 million people meeting particularly nasty ends offscreen while 600 manage to survive on...

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: Seen any good movies lately?
From: Elmore
Date: 31 Dec 12 - 06:54 PM

Enjoyed Les Miserables on Christmas, and this afternoon.