What is the last movie you saw? and rate it.

I went out on a limb and watched a western called Last Train From Gun Hill (1969). With Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn it should have been better but they can only work with what they are given and this was a cliché ridden film with Marshall K.Douglas trying to arrest the son of an old friend for the murder of Douglas's wife. Anthony Quinn played the friend who was the local Mr Big who with an army of sidekicks was trying to save his son.
Stock characters and situations ( was there ever a western that didn't have a saloon ?) made for what was pretty much a waste of time.
There was some good scenic photography at the start so it gets 4/10.

The Rum Diary - 4/10...I don't know what went wrong, but it was so boring it almost hurt.

Sunset Boulevard - 8/10...It's a tried and true classic. I love how bizarre, creepy, and cheesy these older movies were.

As it rained for most of the day, I decided I was in need of a bit of sunshine and watched Boy on a Dolphin. Directed by Jean Negulesco it had the hallmarks of his direction, i.e. a glamorous and colourful location and an easy story.

Set in Greece, there are some really beautiful shots of the Peloponnese islands and some exceptional photography of Athens. The story concerns the discovery by a peasant woman ( Sophia Loren ) of an ancient Greek statue on the sea bed when she is diving for sponges. She contacts an American archaeologist ( Alan Ladd ), who is working in Athens, and convinces him of the importance of her find. However, having scented that something's afoot, there arrives a collector of ancient artifacts who sells them on to the highest bidder rather than returning them to their natural place of origin which is Ladd's priority.
Played by Clifton Webb at his most urbane, the collector, who has become extremely rich, intercedes and gets the woman to lead the archaeologist away from the spot where the statue is located. Needless to say, all's well that ends well and the statue is eventually returned to the Greek people.
Sophia Loren doesn't convince in her role but she is a very decorative addition to the scenery for those who like women that seperate the men from the boys ( see video comments below ), and though Alan Ladd doesn't exactly strain himself in his part, Clifton Webb is exceptional and makes a likable villain.

7/10


http://youtu.be/d4nc5GXC0Is

Scouting around for a film worth watching I came across an absolute gem called The Man Who Cheated Himself. Made in 1950 it stars Lee J. Cobb in the lead role and he gives a great performance as a San Francisco detective who tries to cover up his girlfriend's murder of her husband. Cobb is assigned to the case with a a junior officer who carefully unpicks Cobb's cover up. But here's the rub: the junior detective is Cobb's own brother who gradually begins to think the unthinkable, that his own brother is involved in the killing.
The ending at the San Francisco bridge is superb film making of a kind rarely seen in films of this genre. Tautly scripted and running at less than 1.5 hours, every scene fits perfectly into a scenario that's totally believable.

http://youtu.be/dUWnbAYXD0c


10/10

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Emil Miller

Scouting around for a film worth watching I came across an absolute gem called The Man Who Cheated Himself. Made in 1950 it stars Lee J. Cobb in the lead role and he gives a great performance as a San Francisco detective who tries to cover up his girlfriend's murder of her husband. Cobb is assigned to the case with a a junior officer who carefully unpicks Cobb's cover up. But here's the rub: the junior detective is Cobb's own brother who gradually begins to think the unthinkable, that his own brother is involved in the killing.
The ending at the San Francisco bridge is superb film making of a kind rarely seen in films of this genre. Tautly scripted and running at less than 1.5 hours, every scene fits perfectly into a scenario that's totally believable.

http://youtu.be/dUWnbAYXD0c


10/10

---

Sounds good. I watched Razor's Edge the other day that was good, great acting and script (made me pick up and start reading Cakes and Ale which got lost amongst my bookcase somehow). There's a great amount of older films available on Youtube which comes in handy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Neely

Sounds good. I watched Razor's Edge the other day that was good, great acting and script (made me pick up and start reading Cakes and Ale which got lost amongst my bookcase somehow). There's a great amount of older films available on Youtube which comes in handy.

---

Despite frequent reference in the media to the film of The Razor's Edge over the years, I was very wary about the ability of Hollywood to film the book minus the usual hype attached to American films and, being aware that the author was indifferent to what happened to the filming of his work once he had been paid, I put off seeing it until recently. There have been many films of famous novels that have fallen flat or been mediocre in their handling of a story but, in this case, the end result was spot on.
Cakes and Ale was reputed to be Maugham's favourite of his novels and it's a good example of his own experience in the literary field.
I agree that the number of films on Youtube is good but it's necessary to be choosy unless you want to spend a couple of hours watching something bland and unsatisfying.

I just went to my brother in laws for a Kung Fu/Alcohol afternoon and watched Drunken Master. It was pretty good 7/10

I watched Die Hard 4.0 the other night. I had seen it before but it stays good entertainment. A lot of action, some humor and a decent entertaining storyline. 8/10

This evening I watched Lola (1960). This film directed By Jacques Remy is a sweetie. Set in the French port of Nantes, it stars Anouk Aimee as a cabaret dancer who for 7 years awaits the return of the father of her son after he disappeared to travel the world. This runs counter to another young man who also wants to travel and was a schoolfriend with a crush on Lola when she was simply Cecile. When they meet by chance, he wants to revive the romance but she has only the thought of her original lover's return. There are a number of other cross-relationships that interweave in a kaleidoscopic fashion brilliantly realised by the director. Wonderful black and white photography of Nantes make the use of colour totally redundant in a film that is both wistfully charming and also sad.

!0/10

I watched American Dreamz last night and enjoyed it. I’ve never seen Dennis Quaid playing such a role before and he was hilarious.
I wish I could share some clip form the movie, but don’t have access to YouTube.

7/10

From the opening tracking shot of Jeanne Moreau walking along the seafront in Nice, La Baie des Anges ( 1963 ) looks like another winner from Jaques Demy, but although it's shot in gleaming black and white photography, this film doesn't come off as expected. The story about an addicted female gambler and the young man who tries to counterbalance her addiction by accompanying her to the gaming tables along the Riviera and betting sensibly as opposed to her rashness, doesn't convince. Whether at Enghien, Monte Carlo or Nice, one casino is much like another and watching the roulette wheel spin for other people isn't nearly as exciting as playing for oneself.

Outstanding photography gets this 7/10

I think the last movie I was was Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade. I thought it was very interesting in how it twisted the Little Red Riding Hood story to make a broader point about how humans are frequently consumed by their pasts, or rather, once you choose to go a certain path there is no escaping the consequences.

That said, it is also considerably lacking in humanity and pathos, like all Mamoru Oshii movies. I'll give it an 8/10, but it's not exactly the most enjoyable movie...

La Peau Douce (1964)

Directed by Francois Truffaut this story of a famous Parisian publisher and literary authority who strikes up a relationship with an air hostess while flying to Lisbon for a lecture on Balzac is convincing in its portrayal of adultery and the terrible consequences that can arise when an intelligent man of substance who is already married becomes obsessed with a young woman.
It is also a treat to see, not just the actors, but also the passers by in the streets looking neat and well dressed. Where did it go wrong?

7/10.


http://youtu.be/DwDle8khMcE

I waited a long time to see The Key until someone loaned me a copy that has recently been released on DVD. With Carol Reed directing and two of my favourite actors, Trevor Howard and William Holden, I was hoping for a great viewing experience but it didn't quite come off. The story concerns the Royal Navy tug boats that brought in stricken merchant ships that had been attacked by enemy submarines during WWII. Sophia Loren matched both leads for acting as the woman who shares her flat with each Captain until he is killed and who passes the key of the flat to the next skipper before going out on a particularly dangerous mission. The action sequences were impressive but there was a curious disjointedness between the sea and shore interludes that slightly irritated. However, the acting was first rate even down to the smallest parts and well worth watching.

8/10

Just saw Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock) for the first time. It being my very first Hitchcock movie, I thought it was very nice, very atmospheric and creepy. I think it's the first time I've been genuinely a little freaked out by a movie in a while. (Due in no small part to the excellent score and flawless performances) I like the whole theme of obsession and how that was executed. Also those camera angles were darn sexy. Overall a very good movie, don't have much else to say about it. 10/10