Movie Thread

[Tricycle Rider]

Don't remember much about Split Second. Hauer made some good movies but most of his best work was in European movies. Blade Runner was the stand out Hollywood movie for him, Blind Fury was okay as was Nighthawks, he made a few dogs as well. He made a version of Dracula which was supposed to be pretty bad. One of his later movies was Hobo With A Shotgun, not exactly an inspiring title, but I heard that it was entertaining trash ! Apart from Blade Runner, his best starring roles that I saw were in The Hitcher,The Osterman Weekend and Ladyhawke. He made a lot of movies post Blade Runner but mainly in smaller roles. Escape From Sobibor was a pretty good TV movie. Wanted : Dead or Alive and The Blood of Heroes were entertaining B Graders. Flesh and Blood was also supposed to be good but I heard it was very violent, set in the middle ages. That is one I will chase up eventually. Didn't really see much of the National Lampoon movies, just bits and pieces. Some of the old Bill Murray movies were stupid but funny.

Not sure if there are any zone restrictions where you live, but you can catch Flesh and Blood (1985) on Tubi right now for free. I'm going to do that later today being we're still on lockdown in my area and I have nothing better to do. https://tubitv.com/movies/303008/flesh_blood?utm_source=google-feed&tracking=google-feed

Also, funny you should mention The Osterman Weekend (1983), that's another one on my immediate play list that's being streamed for free right now on Tubi. I want to catch it ASAP before it disappears, looks like it's going to be Rutger Hauer night at my place.

On a side note - sadly I was not able to find a free stream of that disastrous The Island Dr. Moreau, maybe one of these days it'll pop up. Well, judging by its reputation probably not.

 

[movingtarget]

Watched Take Shelter a low budget movie from 2011. Kind of a psychological thriller. One of those movies that kept me guessing. Very good central performance by Michael Shannon. A man starts having vivid dreams and hallucinations and starts to obsess about them. I liked it.

 

[movingtarget]

Watched Antichrist (2009) the Lars Von Trier movie. Typical Von Trier, some great visuals and acting, lots of bare skin and a few scenes of violence that might make you squirm ! A bit bonkers but watchable if you like odd European arthouse movies.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Watched Antichrist (2009) the Lars Von Trier movie. Typical Von Trier, some great visuals and acting, lots of bare skin and a few scenes of violence that might make you squirm ! A bit bonkers but watchable if you like odd European arthouse movies.

Lars von Trier seems to have a controversial reputation, evidently Bjork had some issues of the sexual harassment variety working with him. Can't say I'm too familiar with his work, haven't even seen Dancer in the Dark. Is it worth a looky?

On my end I went on an older spy thriller binge this week, some of the movies were better than others.

The Osterman Weekend (1984) - It's a bit messy, but still suspenseful and fun to watch with the likes of John Hurt, Rutger Hauer, Burt Lancaster, Dennis Hopper, etc. Every single female character exposes her boobs, so if you guys are into that this is the flick for you.

The Ipcress File (1965) - The brainwashing of scientists plot was a bit hokey, but again, this spy thriller was fun and the scenery was appropriately cold and ominous. Michael Caine playing the anti-James Bond was refreshing.

The Quiller Memorandum (1966) - This was my fave of the bunch in that it was very believable, glad I still understand German because a third of the time the spies spoke German. (The story is set in post-Nazi era West Berlin where this movie was filmed.) The copy I watched didn't come with English subtitles, so, yeah. Glad my degree in German was at last put to use.

On a side note - I tried watching Flesh&Blood, but after about 45 minutes I decided I didn't like any of the characters, didn't care if the princess got saved, so I gave up and have no regrets.

 

[movingtarget]

Lars von Trier seems to have a controversial reputation, evidently Bjork had some issues of the sexual harassment variety working with him. Can't say I'm too familiar with his work, haven't even seen Dancer in the Dark. Is it worth a looky?

On my end I went on an older spy thriller binge this week, some of the movies were better than others.

The Osterman Weekend (1984) - It's a bit messy, but still suspenseful and fun to watch with the likes of John Hurt, Rutger Hauer, Burt Lancaster, Dennis Hopper, etc. Every single female character exposes her boobs, so if you guys are into that this is the flick for you.

The Ipcress File (1965) - The brainwashing of scientists plot was a bit hokey, but again, this spy thriller was fun and the scenery was appropriately cold and ominous. Michael Caine playing the anti-James Bond was refreshing.

The Quiller Memorandum (1966) - This was my fave of the bunch in that it was very believable, glad I still understand German because a third of the time the spies spoke German. (The story is set in post-Nazi era West Berlin where this movie was filmed.) The copy I watched didn't come with English subtitles, so, yeah. Glad my degree in German was at last put to use.

On a side note - I tried watching Flesh&Blood, but after about 45 minutes I decided I didn't like any of the characters, didn't care if the princess got saved, so I gave up and have no regrets.

I liked the Michael Caine Cold War spy movies all three of them. Good stuff. The Quiller Memorandum was also good. George Segal made some interesting movies and the entire cast was good in that one. Dancer In The Dark was a musical, it didn't grab me, I didn't watch it all. Other actresses defended Von Trier and said they never had similar experiences to Bjork but Nicole Kidman said he was tough and asked a lot of the actors including the men. Osterman Weekend was convoluted but I liked it. That link didn't work for me so I couldn't watch Flesh and Blood. One for another time. Von Trier seems to be loved or loathed by most people. I am in the middle.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

I liked the Michael Caine Cold War spy movies all three of them. Good stuff. The Quiller Memorandum was also good. George Segal made some interesting movies and the entire cast was good in that one. Dancer In The Dark was a musical, it didn't grab me, I didn't watch it all. Other actresses defended Von Trier and said they never had similar experiences to Bjork but Nicole Kidman said he was tough and asked a lot of the actors including the men. Osterman Weekend was convoluted but I liked it. That link didn't work for me so I couldn't watch Flesh and Blood. One for another time. Von Trier seems to be loved or loathed by most people. I am in the middle.

Apparently Dancer in the Dark is kinda depressing... a depressing musical? Think I can hold off on that for a while.

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965) is on my watch list next, I'm sure it'll deliver.

 

[movingtarget]

Apparently Dancer in the Dark is kinda depressing... a depressing musical? Think I can hold off on that for a while.

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965) is on my watch list next, I'm sure it'll deliver.

Yes Dancer In the Dark was odd and not very good. The Spy Who Came In From The Cold was another good one. Nice performance by Richard Burton.

 

[movingtarget]

Watched Apocalypto (2006) directed by Mel Gibson. A very very loose take on what is known of the Mayan culture. Some South American historians were scathing in their criticism when the film was released. Gibson claimed it wasn't meant to be factual which is fair enough. Visuals looked great, performances were mostly adequate and it had plenty of action but I got bored fairly quickly. Not one of his better directorial efforts but it seems that many critics disagreed with me ! The majority of the scenes in the movie had no basis in reality and I found the story and script to be very basic. Violence on screen never worries me much but this was cartoonish and without really having any substance behind the motivations.

 

[BlueRoads]

I liked

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V1Lov1U9mU
but I have not seen Dancer in the Dark.

Dogville is one of my favourite movies, though, well at least in my memory, it's been some time. I just loved the cast and although at first the theatrical approach with the lines on the floor seemed to hipster to me, it worked really well after a few minutes.

 

[movingtarget]

but I have not seen Dancer in the Dark.

Dogville is one of my favourite movies, though, well at least in my memory, it's been some time. I just loved the cast and although at first the theatrical approach with the lines on the floor seemed to hipster to me, it worked really well after a few minutes.

I was the opposite, the films he made from that period, Dancer In the Dark, Dogville and Manderlay were probably my least favourite Von Trier movies. I have to catch up with some of his most recent movies.

 

[movingtarget]

Watched Still Alice (2014) about a middle aged woman and her battle with early onset Alzheimer's disease. Julianne Moore's performance anchored the movie. One of those cases where the main performance was better than the overall film. It was a good film just not a great one.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Watched Still Alice (2014) about a middle aged woman and her battle with early onset Alzheimer's disease. Julianne Moore's performance anchored the movie. One of those cases where the main performance was better than the overall film. It was a good film just not a great one.

I saw it a few years ago being I've worked with Alzheimer's patients in the past and my own dad now has a form of dementia, it's okay. It depicts the progression of the disease relatively well, but each afflicted person is unique. For those completely unfamiliar with dementia the movie paints an adequate enough picture.

On my end I watched Dancer in the Dark (2000) - Right off the bat I was turned off because I just loathe the shaky, handheld camera technique. What that was supposed to add I'm not sure. And then, because Bjork's character was supposed to be from the former Czechoslovakia (where I hail from), I was wondering if she would speak Czech, I never found out because about 40 minutes into the movie I fell asleep.

I briefly woke up about an hour later, watched for a bit, and then promptly fell back asleep again. I know I missed some crucial plot points, but, whatever.

I did wake up in time for the last ten minutes (this was like watching an NFL game - watch the first quarter, fall asleep, wake up in time for the last quarter), the last part was incredibly powerful. I might have even had some salty wet stuff coming out of my eyes, can't remember the last time a movie had made me shed a tear.

As far as the production itself goes Bjork and von Trier just despised each other, evidently Bjork had just disappeared for three days and no one knew where she was. So production had to be halted until she reappeared, I thought this was incredibly unprofessional of her. In retaliation though von Trier then proceeded to halt production himself for a few days - crikes, what an atmosphere that must have been.

So anyway, that is about as much as I got out of the movie, if I ever tackle it again I 'll just skip through the musical numbers, I'm not the biggest fan of Bjork's music.

And now I'll merrily go back to watching spy movies, I've had my ration of heavy movie viewing for the next ten years.

 

[jmdirt]

Not sure if there are any zone restrictions where you live, but you can catch Flesh and Blood (1985) on Tubi right now for free. I'm going to do that later today being we're still on lockdown in my area and I have nothing better to do. https://tubitv.com/movies/303008/flesh_blood?utm_source=google-feed&tracking=google-feed

Also, funny you should mention The Osterman Weekend (1983), that's another one on my immediate play list that's being streamed for free right now on Tubi. I want to catch it ASAP before it disappears, looks like it's going to be Rutger Hauer night at my place.

On a side note - sadly I was not able to find a free stream of that disastrous The Island Dr. Moreau, maybe one of these days it'll pop up. Well, judging by its reputation probably not.

Don't pay for Dr. Moreau...OK, maybe $.99.

 

[jmdirt]

Watched Apocalypto (2006) directed by Mel Gibson. A very very loose take on what is known of the Mayan culture. Some South American historians were scathing in their criticism when the film was released. Gibson claimed it wasn't meant to be factual which is fair enough. Visuals looked great, performances were mostly adequate and it had plenty of action but I got bored fairly quickly. Not one of his better directorial efforts but it seems that many critics disagreed with me ! The majority of the scenes in the movie had no basis in reality and I found the story and script to be very basic. Violence on screen never worries me much but this was cartoonish and without really having any substance behind the motivations.

I forgot about this one.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Don't pay for Dr. Moreau...OK, maybe $.99.

Magnificent news! I was able to unearth a free stream of the infamous Dr. Moreau, so I watched it and didn't even have to pay 99¢ for it.

Honestly I didn't think it was all that bad, I've seen worse. Once they killed off fat Brando and eye candy Kilmer I wasn't sure where the movie would go, but thankfully it ended not long after. Not sure I could have handled much more animalistic shrieking and explosions (Michael Bay would be proud of the latter), but really, it wasn't as awful as I had expected. I actually laughed a few times, am not sure I was supposed to.

 

[movingtarget]

Magnificent news! I was able to unearth a free stream of the infamous Dr. Moreau, so I watched it and didn't even have to pay 99¢ for it.

Honestly I didn't think it was all that bad, I've seen worse. Once they killed off fat Brando and eye candy Kilmer I wasn't sure where the movie would go, but thankfully it ended not long after. Not sure I could have handled much more animalistic shrieking and explosions (Michael Bay would be proud of the latter), but really, it wasn't as awful as I had expected. I actually laughed a few times, am not sure I was supposed to.

You have more stamina for foolishness than me ! Of course some good bad movies are very entertaining if you are in the right mood.............

 

[movingtarget]

Watched The Devil's Backbone (2001) a ghost story/drama set during the Spanish Civil War directed by Guillermo del Toro. My favourite movie of his so far. Nice visuals, atmospheric and well acted. Something a bit different.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Watched The Devil's Backbone (2001) a ghost story/drama set during the Spanish Civil War directed by Guillermo del Toro. My favourite movie of his so far. Nice visuals, atmospheric and well acted. Something a bit different.

What did you think of Pan's Labyrinth? I haven't seen The Devil's Backbone, but just loved Pan. If The Devil's Backbone is anything like it I'll put it on my watch list.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

You have more stamina for foolishness than me ! Of course some good bad movies are very entertaining if you are in the right mood.............

After Dancer in the Dark virtually any movie would have been a sigh of relief, so you're probably right. I was in the right mood for Dr. Moreau.

 

[movingtarget]

What did you think of Pan's Labyrinth? I haven't seen The Devil's Backbone, but just loved Pan. If The Devil's Backbone is anything like it I'll put it on my watch list.

I am working my way through the del Toro movies from oldest to newest. Pan's Labyrinth is next on the list. A friend of mine said it was very good.

 

[BlueRoads]

I watched "Take me" yesterday and enjoyed it. Also I watched "Edge of Seventeen" recently which I liked apart from the ending. Both are certainly not about great camerawork or anything, but they feature nice, weird characters.

 

[movingtarget]

Watched The Big Short (2015), with its cast of stars about the mortgage market crash of 2007/08 and world economic crisis which followed. Entertaining with good performances and by the end I had a sour taste in my mouth knowing the sorts of practices banks and mortgage brokers get up to. The injection of some humor made it all the more bearable even if like me, you didn't fully understand the number crunching and illogical economics behind it all.

 

[movingtarget]

Watched Pet Sematary(1989) directed by Mary Lambert. Another mediocre Stephen King adaptation. Some pretty ordinary performances except for Fred Gynne from The Munsters TV series ! One or two creepy moments but not a good version of one of King's best novels. I haven't seen the 2019 remake. A missed opportunity considering the source material.

Also watched House Of 1000 Corpses(2003), Rob Zombie's attempt to recreate 70s exploitation movies and B movies. Pretty dire. Makes The Texas Chainsaw Massacre look like a work of genius. Too over the top to care about any of the characters and I got bored pretty quickly. The storyline basically is people go missing and get brutalized by a bunch of psycho hillbillies. The end.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Watched a couple of very good movies yesterday:

Schindler's List (1993) - It's been a while since I've seen it, but this movie really holds up. Aside from some initial cutesy Spielberg moments the movie gets down to the nitty and gritty, in some ways it hit me harder than when I was younger and first saw it. It's not for the faint of heart, I think it depicts the horrors of the Holocaust well.

On a side note - I had visited Dachau when I was about ten (dad thought this would be a good idea for a Sunday family activity with the kids), I still remember the meathooks, the pictures of the human experiments, the ovens, and especially the gas chambers. I was just terrified someone would close the door and I would get gassed, a similar scene and feeling was depicted in Schindler's List. (On a lighter note I still have to chuckle when Seinfeld's mom was just appalled that Seinfeld was making out at the theater during Schindler's List - "You were making out during Schindler's List? How could you make out during Schindler's List?!!")

Frost/Nixon (2008) - It's very hard not to get political, so all I'm going to say is history has a way of repeating itself. It's not as good as All the President's Men (one of my all time faves), but it's an entertaining David v Goliath story.

Frank Langella did a good job playing Nixon, and I enjoy Michael Sheen in pretty much every movie I've seen him in. He's been in some good ones.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Watched Pet Sematary(1989) directed by Mary Lambert. Another mediocre Stephen King adaptation. Some pretty ordinary performances except for Fred Gynne from The Munsters TV series ! One or two creepy moments but not a good version of one of King's best novels. I haven't seen the 2019 remake. A missed opportunity considering the source material.

Also watched House Of 1000 Corpses(2003), Rob Zombie's attempt to recreate 70s exploitation movies and B movies. Pretty dire. Makes The Texas Chainsaw Massacre look like a work of genius. Too over the top to care about any of the characters and I got bored pretty quickly. The storyline basically is people go missing and get brutalized by a bunch of psycho hillbillies. The end.

I've seen both the original Pet Sematary and Rob Zombie's flick, can't remember a thing of the latter and I did not like Pet Sematary. I'm not a fan of Stephen King to begin with, except for The Shining I didn't really care for any of his movies. Just not into that supernatural horror stuff.