Movie Thread

[movingtarget]

Rewatched Murder on the Orient Express (1974) again, I was in the mood for trains and some snow. Each time I pick up something new, this time it was watching Ingrid Bergman's facial expressions while she was being interviewed by Albert Finney. They were practically cheek to cheek, I nearly burst out laughing at the way Bergman was looking and staring at Finney as though she was studying his bushy eyebrows and other facial features. How Finney didn't lose it is beyond me.

Incredible cast but I have to admit the movie underwhelmed me a little but I was never a big Agatha Christie fan. The remake with Kenneth Branagh didn't work for me. I had to turn it off before the finish.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

I liked Moneyball... as did my son who liked the nerdy guy of course... but he didn't like the ending.
The way I remember it the editing was pretty good, no over-emotional lingering which is so often the case with sport movies, the tempo seemed original and served the purpose to tell this specific story, and gave it the slightly ironic touch which in my eyes puts it above most "similar" stories.

One film I recently watched and liked a lot: Our souls at night. Wow, Robert Redford. So far I always liked him best (I mean, I actually always liked him...) in the Electric Rider, but this one may beat it. (Funnily the Electric Rider was the last film before he made with Jane Fonda.) Here he just quietly captured every nuance. Jane Fonda was also great.
Well, the story of two lonely old people connecting and proceeding their lives might not sound too exciting and there are some clichés in the plot, but the way it's told, with dialogues and camera easy and spot on, and getting alive through its actors, it never bothered me but instead felt genuine and touching.
But it's probably not for everyone...

Have you seen The Natural (1984) with Robert Redford? I watched it recently for the first time... initially I thought they were trying to pass Robert Redford off as some talented youngster ballplayer even though Redford himself was nearly 50 by then, thankfully I continued watching cause I was about to throw in the towel before the movie even really got going.

I thought it was a nice movie, nothing overly deep, a bit like Field of Dreams (1989).

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Rudy (1993) - Let me just preface this by saying I am not a fan of Notre Dame football, I'm guessing probably a good percentage of people who just love this movie are. Having said that I did appreciate the general message Rudy was trying to convey, and I admire Rudy's tenacity. But I would have enjoyed it a lot more if Rudy hadn't come across as a completely raging lunatic! That and all the cheese and drawn-out fluff... overall I did not like this movie.

 

[BlueRoads]

Have you seen The Natural (1984) with Robert Redford? I watched it recently for the first time... initially I thought they were trying to pass Robert Redford off as some talented youngster ballplayer even though Redford himself was nearly 50 by then, thankfully I continued watching cause I was about to throw in the towel before the movie even really got going.

I thought it was a nice movie, nothing overly deep, a bit like Field of Dreams (1989).

Haven't seen it!

 

[Koronin]

Have you seen The Natural (1984) with Robert Redford? I watched it recently for the first time... initially I thought they were trying to pass Robert Redford off as some talented youngster ballplayer even though Redford himself was nearly 50 by then, thankfully I continued watching cause I was about to throw in the towel before the movie even really got going.

I thought it was a nice movie, nothing overly deep, a bit like Field of Dreams (1989).

I've tried to watch that one a couple of times. Never managed to get through it.

 

[Unchained]

A sports movie you will get through..We are Marshall..it's not Brian's Song..but you will feel it..another movie that has sports but has nothing to do with sports..The World According to Garp..I recently saw part of a documentary about Robin Williams..I found him fascinating and have re-watched some of his movies discovering previous unnoticed details.
There is a series on Netflix titled Untold..so far it's about athletes..I think it's great..first female boxer story..even if you know it,it's still great..then about basketball teams destruction..and after a guy beats everyone in sight,has a reputation as a social time bomb,changes his name to World Peace..and the last I saw about a tennis player trying to balance competition and craziness..spoiler he does it to a degree.
If you need a movie reset..by all means watch The Voyeurs..it's like Hitchcock 's Rear Window..mixed with teenage boy fantasies..mixed with 3or 4 too many plot twists..
What Lies Below will also set the movie bar so low that almost everything is good..it's Swamp Thing mashed w Magic Mike..ultra handsome alien dude..has some kind of a sucker fish development lab in the basement..because nobody knows science,he is so good looking,nobody questions anything..until a student comes home for break and terror ensues..

 

[Koronin]

We Are Marshall is a great movie. A couple my husband knows from the Air Force are from Hunting, W VA and were in high school or that general age when the plane crash happened and they remember it. They said were happy with how the movie portrayed what they remember.

My very favorite sports movie is Miracle. That is the story of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team that won the gold medal at Lake Placid.

 

[SafeBet]

There is a series on Netflix titled Untold..so far it's about athletes..I think it's great..first female boxer story..even if you know it,it's still great..then about basketball teams destruction..and after a guy beats everyone in sight,has a reputation as a social time bomb,changes his name to World Peace..and the last I saw about a tennis player trying to balance competition and craziness..spoiler he does it to a degree.

Best of the series thus far is the one on the hockey team.
That's some all-american batsh*t crazy stuff.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Incredible cast but I have to admit the movie underwhelmed me a little but I was never a big Agatha Christie fan. The remake with Kenneth Branagh didn't work for me. I had to turn it off before the finish.

I tried watching the Branagh version recently, I lasted 30 minutes. I love, love, love the original 1974 version, and even though it's a bit more drab and less luxurious I like the David Suchet version as well. But the Branagh hackjob that was trying to be quirky for the sake of quirkiness just didn't work for me, it didn't resemble an Agatha Christie novel at all. (I used to love reading Agatha Christie when I was a kid.)

Speaking of Kenneth Branagh, the only time I truly liked him was in Conspiracy (2001). Granted, I haven't seen all his work, but I didn't like him as Wallander, and I didn't like him as Poirot either. I think I'm supposed to appreciate Kenneth Branagh, but I just don't.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

We Are Marshall is a great movie. A couple my husband knows from the Air Force are from Hunting, W VA and were in high school or that general age when the plane crash happened and they remember it. They said were happy with how the movie portrayed what they remember.

My very favorite sports movie is Miracle. That is the story of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team that won the gold medal at Lake Placid.

I watched We Are Marshall upon your recommendation, I liked it. As far as fave sports movie I'd have to give it some thought, I've seen so many and many are forgettable because they are so cheesy and overly sentimental.

On that note I did like Blades of Glory (2007) because it's so stupid and silly, but it knows that it's stupid and silly and it's not trying to be anything else. It definitely helps if the viewer is familiar with figure skating because then you get a lot of the humor... I might actually have to rewatch it now. The cast is great and works together well.

 

[movingtarget]

I tried watching the Branagh version recently, I lasted 30 minutes. I love, love, love the original 1974 version, and even though it's a bit more drab and less luxurious I like the David Suchet version as well. But the Branagh hackjob that was trying to be quirky for the sake of quirkiness just didn't work for me, it didn't resemble an Agatha Christie novel at all. (I used to love reading Agatha Christie when I was a kid.)

Speaking of Kenneth Branagh, the only time I truly liked him was in Conspiracy (2001). Granted, I haven't seen all his work, but I didn't like him as Wallander, and I didn't like him as Poirot either. I think I'm supposed to appreciate Kenneth Branagh, but I just don't.

I didn't mind him as Wallander. Actually all three versions of Wallander were good but I have only seen one season each of the earlier Scandinavian versions so far. I thought the weakness of the Branagh version was with some of the supporting characters who I thought were simply miscast but the series was pretty faithful to the books. Interestingly the earlier versions cut out Wallanders father and added his daughter who didn't appear until much later in the Branagh series as a police woman which also happened in the books. I thought the daughter's character worked better in the Branagh version. Tragically the actress that played the daughter in the original series took her own life after the series finished.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Seeing as we've been sort of discussing sports movies/biodramas lately I thought I'd make a list of all the ones I've seen, but it's just really overwhelming because there are so many. I mean, just thinking of all the Rocky sequels and all the different sports (cycling, football, American football, basketball, baseball, golf, boxing, car racing, hockey, running, etc.), it becomes a monumental task. So, given that (and being this is a cycling forum) I just made a list of the cycling movies I at least remember having seen - most of them are actually documentaries, and of those unfortunately most are about Lance Armstrong.

Pantani (2014)
Breaking Away (1979)
The Flying Scotsman (2006)
Tour de Pharmacy (2017)
Ride the Divide (2010)
The Road Uphill (2011)
Icarus (2017)
The Program (2015)
The Armstrong Lie (2013)
Stop at Nothing (2014)

I liked Pantani, Breaking Away, and The Flying Scotsman, Ride the Divide was interesting, and Lance Armstrong was, well, Lance Armstrong. Are there any good ones I have missed out on?

Also, if anyone wants to start a list about a different sport you're more than welcome, best of luck if you want to list all the baseball and American football movies out there, though. As deep as I dig I just lack the sheer will.

 

[Koronin]

If you're looking for a sports comedy Caddyshack is typically going to be mentioned first. For me another one I like is Slap Shot. Hockey comedy movie. It's crazy. My favorite sports comedy is Major League.

My list of favorite sports movies:

Miracle
We Are Marshall
Rush
Major League
Hoosiers
League of Their Own

 

[Tricycle Rider]

If you're looking for a sports comedy Caddyshack is typically going to be mentioned first. For me another one I like is Slap Shot. Hockey comedy movie. It's crazy. My favorite sports comedy is Major League.

My list of favorite sports movies:

Miracle
We Are Marshall
Rush
Major League
Hoosiers
League of Their Own

I have seen all of these except for League of Their Own, and that's only because I have a strong dislike of Madonna. I think she was okay as a pop music person, and I actually like a lot of her songs from way back when. But as an actress...

How much screen time does she get in League of Their Own?

 

[Koronin]

I have seen all of these except for League of Their Own, and that's only because I have a strong dislike of Madonna. I think she was okay as a pop music person, and I actually like a lot of her songs from way back when. But as an actress...

How much screen time does she get in League of Their Own?

Her role is a supporting player on the team the two main female starts are on. It's been awhile since I've seen it, but my memory is saying it's enough you know she's part of the team, but not really a lot if that makes sense.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Her role is a supporting player on the team the two main female starts are on. It's been awhile since I've seen it, but my memory is saying it's enough you know she's part of the team, but not really a lot if that makes sense.

Okay, I'll give it a shot. (I feel a strong Bon Jovi song coming along right about now, but I must resist.)

 

[Unchained]

Henry Poole is Here..Luke Wilson plays a guy who is just in a generally foul funk..moves into a house..some woman discovers a water stain in his backyard..divine intervention ensues..
The movie piles it on,every kind of human suffering is overcome by coming in contact with his light blue blessed stucco..I was surprised at how effected I was by an old story line and sapp and corniness everywhere..
I recommend the movie if you are or are not a person of faith..

 

[SafeBet]

Sports movies I really enjoyed

Moneyball (Baseball)
Raging bull (Boxing)
Hoop dreams (Basketball)
Rush (F1)
I, Tonya (Ice skating)
Point break (Surfing)
White men can't jump (Basketball)
Warrior (Martial arts)
Veloce come il vento (Motors)

Some of these are not strictly about sports.
My favorite movie about cycling is probably animated: The Triplets of Belleville.

 

[movingtarget]

A Sunday In Hell
Downhill Racer
Requiem For A Heavyweight
The Hustler
The Set-Up
Ghislain Lambert's Bicycle

 

[BlueRoads]

Sports movies I really enjoyed

Moneyball (Baseball)
Raging bull (Boxing)
Hoop dreams (Basketball)
Rush (F1)
I, Tonya (Ice skating)
Point break (Surfing)
White men can't jump (Basketball)
Warrior (Martial arts)
Veloce come il vento (Motors)

Some of these are not strictly about sports.
My favorite movie about cycling is probably animated: The Triplets of Belleville.

Wait! Stop! Put your wedding on hold. Here I am!

 

[movingtarget]

Van Helsing (2004) loud, dumb and silly but some horror/action fans won't mind. Only the explosions kept me awake...........

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Sports movies I really enjoyed

Moneyball (Baseball)
Raging bull (Boxing)
Hoop dreams (Basketball)
Rush (F1)
I, Tonya (Ice skating)
Point break (Surfing)
White men can't jump (Basketball)
Warrior (Martial arts)
Veloce come il vento (Motors)

Some of these are not strictly about sports.
My favorite movie about cycling is probably animated: The Triplets of Belleville.

You've got some good ones on your list. I'll have to see if I can get a hold of The Triplets of Belleville, haven't even heard of it.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

A Sunday In Hell
Downhill Racer
Requiem For A Heavyweight
The Hustler
The Set-Up
Ghislain Lambert's Bicycle

I love, love, love Downhill Racer! I really need to see A Sunday in Hell, I think youtube has blessed me with a free version of it.

For anyone else interested:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxBTVU9JDrA&ab_channel=MrFixie

 

[djpbaltimore]

I tried watching the Branagh version recently, I lasted 30 minutes. I love, love, love the original 1974 version, and even though it's a bit more drab and less luxurious I like the David Suchet version as well. But the Branagh hackjob that was trying to be quirky for the sake of quirkiness just didn't work for me, it didn't resemble an Agatha Christie novel at all. (I used to love reading Agatha Christie when I was a kid.)

Speaking of Kenneth Branagh, the only time I truly liked him was in Conspiracy (2001). Granted, I haven't seen all his work, but I didn't like him as Wallander, and I didn't like him as Poirot either. I think I'm supposed to appreciate Kenneth Branagh, but I just don't.

I thought he was pretty terrible in Tenet, playing a <spins wheel> Russian oligarch.

Sports movies I really enjoyed

I, Tonya (Ice skating)

Also, one of my favorites. A sports movie with a Fargo vibe. What is not to love?

 

[BlueRoads]

Regarding Branagh: He's very much in love with himself and that ruins his acting and is even worse when he directs a movie. That Agatha Christie film is terrible, especially the ending is incredibly over the top, unfortunately, because it does have a bunch of great actors and I also loved the books when I was young. Lol, they are terribly written and her morality is questionable at times, but she just came up with some great trap-situations and also sometimes some really good psychology and a few very memorable characters. I also enjoyed some of the movies with that splendid old fashioned (adventure) setting, like hose playing in Egypt or Iraq or at the Côte d'Azur... Oh childhood memories...

Do you know that film "Agatha" with Redgrave and Hoffman? It's nothing special and I wouldn't recommend it despite Redgrave's good performance, but I always liked the fact that Agatha Christie was not just a serial crime-writer, but a woman with quite an interesting life herself and a passion for many things. There's also this novel or story from her about a woman sitting somewhere in the Near East at a train station, not knowing in which direction to go with her life; one of the few actual personal stories she wrote. I found that one touching at the time, but I can't remember the title...