Return Of The Film Corner Thread

[jlhoots]

3 hours ago, medjuck said:

Paterson.   They play almost all of Blue Lester in one scene  and it's very much the tone of the movie.  

Looking forward to that one.

[BillF]

9 hours ago, medjuck said:

Paterson.   They play almost all of Blue Lester in one scene  and it's very much the tone of the movie.  

Yes, the music was nice in that bar. I must visit it. 

[BillF]

Was very taken by this. A late addition to my films-of-the-year list.

[medjuck]

9 hours ago, BillF said:

Yes, the music was nice in that bar. I must visit it. 

Do you live in or near Paterson? Film makes me want to visit. 

[BillF]

Regrettably, I am as distant from Paterson as you are - about 4,000 miles - but in the opposite direction. Perhaps an east coast board member could make the pilgrimage for us. Google Images suggests the place is just as depicted in the movie.

 

 

Edited December 23, 2016 by BillF

[GA Russell]

I watched very few movies this year.  By far, the one that stuck with me was Rififi.

[kinuta]

7 hours ago, BillF said:

Was very taken by this. A late addition to my films-of-the-year list.

It was good. Great screenplay.

[kinuta]

Akira Kurosawa double bill #2

Nora Inu : Stray Dog (1949)

Tokyo looks so utterly unrecognisable. I've really tried to figure out where the locations were but to no avail.

Rashomon (1950)

Masterpiece.

 

 

Edited December 24, 2016 by kinuta

[kinuta]

The Accountant - Gavin O'Connor (2016)

Daft Xmas eve light viewing.

Despite myself I enjoyed it.

The ludicrous plot moved along sharply, the references to other films were fun and I wasn't bored.

[duaneiac]

One of the funniest moves I ever saw (only once, nearly 40 years ago) was finally released on DVD:

It's a self-contained double feature of 1930's genre films with many of the actors playing roles in both films.  First is the boxing pic, Dynamite Hands.  Harry Hamlin made his film debut here as Joey Popchick, a naturally talented young palooka who takes up boxing as a means to pay for his younger sister's necessary eye operation (Art Carney as the eye doctor: "If any part of the human body has a tendency to deteriorate, the eyes have it:.).  George C. Scott stars as Gloves Malloy, the grizzled fight veteran who coaches Joey on his way up the ranks until Joey comes under the sway of a mobster and his showgirl moll.  Joey's mousy librarian girlfriend is afraid he has fallen for the glamorous showgirl (played by the lovely Ann Reinking) to which Joey reassures her, "You crazy monkey!  Don't you know the day I met you, I lost all interest in women?"

The second movie is Baxter's Beauties of 1933, a musical which stars George C. Scott as Broadway producer Spats Baxter, who after having been given just one month to live (by apparently the same doctor, under a different name, played once again by Art Carney) must put on one final hit show to financially provide for his daughter who he sent to live at an orphanage as a young girl after he accidentally killed the girl's mother in a drunken car crash.  Meanwhile, that girl comes to the Big Apple to audition for the show, not knowing that Mr. Baxter is her father.  Also meanwhile, the new accountant for the show (Barry Bostwick) happens to be an aspiring young songwriter who is given his big break when called upon to write an entire musical score overnight.  My favorite line from this movie:  "Gosh!  If all orphans are like you, there ought to be more of 'em".

Both movies are just about as funny as I remembered.  They are lovingly handled spoofs of those old movie genres and the script is very clever.  The actors all play it pretty straight, if a bit over-the-top at times, which is why if works so well.  Director Stanley Donen (of Singin' In The Rain fame) is especially good in the musical section.  The DVD has some interesting interviews with Mr. Hamlin and Mr. Bostwick.  Mr. Hamlin says Dynamite Hands was shot in color for future TV airings of the film, but it had to be lit and filmed in such a way that the color film could also be successfully made into a black & white print for its initial theatrical release.

[BillF]

A second look at this French movie. Explores relationship between elderly man and young woman with supernatural elements. Very well done.

Edited December 25, 2016 by BillF

[jlhoots]

Fences

[duaneiac]

I really liked this movie.  I wasn't expecting too much of it from the description on Netflix, but it is a totally engaging coming-of-age story.  It's a gay movie that even straight audiences can appreciate, I think, because while the central character is coming to terms with his sexual identity throughout the story, that's not the sole focus of the film.  Much of the story centers on family dynamics -- father to sons, mother to sons, husband to wife, brother to brothers.  The main character grew up in the same era I did and although his story takes place in Montreal, I could easily relate to the events (yes, it is possible to feel nostalgic for the 1970's).  Really good acting by the whole cast to create characters that may not be completely likable, but are totally believable and you end up caring about them.  The movie could perhaps have been trimmed down a bit, but I would highly recommend it.

[kinuta]

Steven Spielberg double bill #2

Minority Report (2002)

Munich (2005)

[BillF]

22 hours ago, kinuta said:

Steven Spielberg double bill #2

Minority Report (2002)

 

 

One of my favourite science fiction movies. 

Edited December 27, 2016 by BillF

[jlhoots]

La La Land

[ejp626]

I ended up watching Dr. Strange (just barely) before it left the cinema houses.  I know you aren't supposed to think too much about these movies, but I really was never sold on Cumberbatch as the title character.  He doesn't really look the part, and he certainly isn't grizzled enough.  I realize Strange doesn't normally engage in fisticuffs, but Cumberbatch looks like he'd blow away in a heavy breeze.

Most disappointing to me is how the special effects all were borrowed from Minority Report, Dark City and Inception.  There is a plot twist that was lifted from another recent science fiction movie.  And the main villain looks not that far off from the evil MCP from the original Tron movie:

It's a bad sign when a couple of hours after a movie you are still ruminating about how it disappointed you.  So anyway, not recommended.

Edited December 26, 2016 by ejp626

[kinuta]

Hitchcock/Truffaut - Kent Jones (2015)

 

Great documentary. Didn't tell me much that I didn't already know, but a pleasure to watch.

The directors comments were especially interesting.

I

[JSngry]

ok, call me a vulgarian of the most insignificant order, but i really get a kick out of the two Charlie's Angels movies. Funny as hell, and not accidentally.

[kinuta]

Train To Busan - Sang Ho Yeon (2016)

 I'm not a fan of zombie movies but this was excellent and intensely gripping.

It had me on the edge of my seat for most of the running time.

 

[jlhoots]

Lion

[kinuta]

Mike Leigh double bill #2

High Hopes (1998)

All Or Nothing (2002)

Inverts the cliche of it's grim up north to it's grim down south.

 

[kinuta]

The Wailing - Na Hong-jin (2016)

The best horror film I've seen in quite a while.

Brilliantly directed, intense and scary. Makes most genre horror look cheap and stupid.

I'd give it a must see rating.

[BillF]

Beautifully made French film. A favourite.

[kinuta]

El Club - Pablo Larraín  (2015)

Definitely falls into the more admired than enjoyed category.

Ethel & Ernest - Roger Mainwood (2016)

Moving and delightful.