What was the last movie you saw?

The Gathering Storm (2002) - A BBC-HBO television film about Churchill in the years leading up to WWII.

The cast alone is worth seeing: Albert Finney, Vanesa Redgrave, Jim Broadbent, Lena Headey, Ronnie Barker, Tom Wilkinson, Hugh Bonneville and Tom Hiddleston.

The story is human and real (helped a great deal by Finney). Exploring one of the world's most remarkable men and the strong woman beside him. 10/10

Kiss Me Deadly (1955)



Caught this on TCM and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a moody film noir with an interesting premise and a reveal that no one will see coming. The pacing is superb, the performances are good and the ending is really satisfying.

FURY 2015 - Well, well, a tank movie. Tank crew, beginning to end. WW2, behind the lines in Germany near the end of the war. Very graphic, very violent as one may expect. Don't watch it if you don't like machine guns, panzers, blood n' guts, horrible civilian tradgedies, crude soldiers blasting hell out of towns, tanks, people.
There is some plot, a MC who we can identify with and good performances. It builds up into the usual hollywood hero scenario, but the tank battles are wild.

Whiplash. Meh.

I saw Gone Girl on the weekend. It was quite good, but I couldn't help but just think that the book must be much better.

The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)



Early slasher movie loosely based on the real-life 1946 Texarkana Murders. The horror bits in this movie are extremely effective and the masked Phantom Killer is pretty disturbing.

THE FRAME (2015)

Okay, we all know about killing our darlings. Right? But what if a couple of characters didn't know they were creations of a writer's imagination. What if we are all characters of a writer's imagination. I don't know about you but I'd be a tad peeved. This is the conceptually brilliant premise put forward in this movie. To say any more would spoil the movie more than I already have. Writer or not, this is a thought provoking movie, well written, well acted. The pace is a little sluggish for my liking but, in the tradition of good storytelling, I had to see how this clever idea panned out. Recommended.

We watched Maze Runner since it popped up on Netflix. It wasn't great but it did keep me entertained.

Man Made Monster (1941)



Watched this on Svengoolie and loved it. Lon Chaney Jr gives a great performance. It's one of those classic stories about a monster whose not really the bad guy so the ending is always tragic. It plays out pretty formulaic here but it's done well enough that it's definitely worth seeing. The pseudo science is silly fun plus Lon Chaney glows through half the movie what's not to like.

That's one of those nifty old shockers that are so fun to watch on your local Monster Horror Chiller Theater.

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Eagle in a Cage (1972)

Obscure small-scale historical drama, of the kind where famous folks from the past engage in sharp dialogue, much like A Man For All Seasons or The Lion in Winter. Unlike those, however, this began life not as a stage play, but as a television drama in 1965. Don't expect epic scenes; instead enjoy fine actors and lines that sure sound written, but are lovely to hear anyway.

The minimal plot involves Napoleon in exile. There's not much plot until the last third, when John Gielgud shows up as a completely fictional, constantly complaining British statesman and steals the picture. It seems he's there to offer Napoleon the chance to go back to France with the secret support of the British to restore order and attack Prussia. (None of this has anything to do with real history, as far as I know.) The first two-thirds might be called The Private Life of Napoleon Bonaparte on Saint Helena, as we see him deal with the officer in command of his imprisonment (Ralph Richardson, dominating the film until Gielgud shows up), the Irish doctor tending to him, the few aides so loyal to him that they go into exile with him (including, oddly, Moses Gunn playing a character who, in real life, certainly wasn't a black man), the wife of one of these ministers and the teenage girl living on the island, both of whom have affairs with him.

Not for anybody looking for an accurate biography, but quite entertaining. The big flaws are a really lousy soundtrack, with bombastic music at random times, and the fact that it ends extremely suddenly, with Napoleon dying before the fictional plot to return him to power can begin.

Terminator: Genisys. Ugh. What a klunker. Arnold Schwarzenegger does his level best to save this one, but unfortunately even his once mighty thews struggle under the weight of this inept addition to the already weakened franchise.

Bicycle Thieves (1948)



A beautifully compelling and at times depressing film from a fascinating point in history. What De Sica is able to accomplish here with little budget, no studio sets and non-actors is truly remarkable. With World War II over and Mussolini's government fallen there is crushing poverty and people are struggling to find work. When the protagonist finally catches a break and finds a job that requires him to have a bicycle his family pools together pawning their bed sheets so that they can afford one. All the more heart breaking when the bicycle is stolen after only one day. While the situation is very serious there are still lighthearted moments and even a few laughs. The ending is extremely heart felt and emotionally taxing as well as makes an interesting commentary on morality.

Flight Plan.
i distinctly rememember Jodie Foster and Sean Bean being in it.
The protagonist's daughter daughter is missing,but should be aboard the plane.
*stifles yawn*
So how was the movie?
*yawn*
Jodie and Sean could have been the possible saviours of the film,being the talents that they are,but aren't.
Inept directing,silly scenario,audience "misdirection"* which i spotted from a mile off(non-caucasians aboard the plane)
very Near to "avoid at all cost"
*if you have NEVER seen a movie before,you might fall for this "deception

Obsession (1949)



Fantastic film that's well paced with excellent performances from Robert Newton and Phil Brown. (Brown is best known for playing uncle Owen in the original Star Wars.) When a doctor becomes fed up with his unfaithful wife he confronts her and the American man she is cheating with at gunpoint. Later he kidnaps the man and holds him prisoner chained to the wall in an abandoned building as part of his plan to get the perfect revenge.

Watched a few films with the missus this weekend.

National Security and Me, You and Duprees which were both on the TV.
Kingsman and Meet The Millers.

Many people won't, or can't stand, watching movies like this. Do they know what they are missing?

Curse of the Swamp Creature 1966

We see a mad scientist, he says: "Live! Breathe!" as we see a monster's clawed hand sticking out of a vat. Scientist then walks out of his nice country house in the swamp, carrying a body wrapped in sheets. He dumps it into a swimming pool full of crocodiles. Good start.

Gee. Scientist is walking along outside, and a black guy runs up and assumes a position like he is playing basketball, point guard, with hands out. A dubbed voice says: "I'm lookin' for mah bruther... I know he's here. Where is he?"

The guy starts choking the scientist but then an Indian guy runs out and knifes the guy. Scientist cuffs the guy who saved him, tells him to feed the guy to the alligators. Scientist tells him: 'I want no visitors, no one must enter the swamp, if they get past the quicksand I want you to stop them, keep all strangers out of my swamp.' Indian guy nods. Tremendously dramatic music plays.

Credits, set to bongo and hand drums. We are now inside the 'Fly n' Fish', somewhere on the highway in a swamp... 50's twangy guitar music... pinball machines... and Brenda, a barfly gal. She's a bookeeper at the motel. Meanwhile, a young guy is seen sneaking into a hotel room, searching for something.

The young guy finds a briefcase. Now Brenda is talking to a man in the bar... about oil in the swamps. The man returns to his room, catches young guy, knocks him out. Then young guy gets up and knifes him, phones Brenda... "The slob tried to get rough."

Brenda decides to impersonate dead guy's wife... because a geologist is coming to meet the guy. The plan to dispose of the body with a stump-cutter, though all we see is the machine working away on some logs.

The geologist arrives, they are going into the swamp to find oil. There are rumours of someone living in the swamp. 'Some mighty strange things goin' on'.

Off they go in a boat. Now we see... a gal, and a black guy who runs out of a shack and starts playing a drum... a signal, which is past on by another guy hammering on a hollow log.

Swamp footage, eerie music. We see the croc pool back at the house. Shots of big gators. Scientist and a guy come out and feed fish to the gators. Some bad dialogue... the guy, an assistant has 'had enough'. Scientist informs him, 'I'm the one who decides when someone has had enough.' Shots of gators, lizards...

The people from the boat wander into the swamp on foot, scientist informs his wife that intruders are on their way. She's lonely, she is reading a book. Scientist's assistant, who's had enough, is working on gill transplants, yup. They are taking alligators back down the evolutionary chain - changing them back into fish. We see the hand rising from the vat... the scientist orders it to awake- 'Get up! The world awaits you as my first citizen." But there's a problem, the thing isn't getting up. Yet.

The people from the boat camp out and sleep. Brenda can't sleep, 'I think I hear snakes crawling.'

Scientist carries another body out to the pool. He has failed again. He injects his sleeping assistant and puts him into the vat.

Swamp people are getting angry at scientist... a guy's son and others have disappeared. Scientist's wife discovers guy in the vat, screams. Scientists rants, clobbers her.

Meanwhile Tom, in the vat, is now a claw-handed monster of some kind. Scientist feeds him a turtle.

Finally, Brenda and the geologist and 2 guides arrive at the luxury home of the scientist, deep in the swamp, where the scientist is telling Tom: 'You are ready to make your debut in the world of humans, my beautiful indestructible fish-man."

They spend the night in scientist's house - he has the only shower for fifty miles around. He explains his 'Oceana theory of evolution', thusly: "...the evolution of man, from the reptiles. For example, sea creatures, simple land creatures, snake-like reptiles, alligator-like reptiles, the dinosaurs, and somewhere along the line - man."

The drums play, through a lot of this movie. Makes it trance-like, somewhat... zzZZZ. Oh, now we get some dancing in the swamp, as the locals plan something. One guide goes to take a look. Aha, it's 'snake magic' These people worship snakes. Good snake dancing... fire, masks, ritualistic behaviour, wearing t-shirts and sneakers.

Wife commiserates with Tom in the vat. She pulls out some tubes and destroys him but then scientist comes in, locks her in a closet.

The locals are coming for the evil scientist. We see him trying to revive Tom; 'Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe... breathe!" No luck, Tom is dumped in the gator pool.

Next, Brenda is injected and put in the vat. 'I believe you will be an instantaneous... transmutation."

Doc's assistants turn against him. A snake-local is also killed. Next, guide-guy corners a local snake-gal in her room.. ' - be good baby... there's nobody here but us chickens." She runs off, through the swamp - he chases her into the quicksand. "Help me it's quicksand... gurglBluble."

Quick shot of Brenda, now monstrous-looking, green skin, snake-fangs and big eyeballs.

The locals attack, with a rifle. Scientist gets Brenda up. 'There are enemies to be destroyed."

Brenda walks out and the gang of locals watch her as she goes over to the pool. She looks like a goblin with snake-teeth and big slitty eyeballs. Scientist commands her to kill the locals, who look amused. Scientist's wife makes a speech to Brenda; 'You were a beautiful girl, he's destroyed you..."

Brenda finally decides to feed the scientist to the gators and then she joins him.

Everyone else is fine and they go back into the luxury home in the swamp. Then they board a small plane and buzz off. That's it. The drums... are the best part of this movie.

Jupiter Ascending:
Ideal for those wanting overblown action, a good cast wasted on an absolutely pathetic script and a director who could not direct a knife through butter. Dregs is far to flattering for this waste of air.

BUT,BUT..
the trailer looks damn impressive

I've come to totally disregard trailers, as they make you think the movie concerned is a masterpiece of cinematic art.....
which seldom is the case

The reverse can also be true. Lots of TV trailers make things look worse than they are.

and you're referring to????