What was the last movie you saw?

TASTE OF DEATH 1968 - Murderous cattle thieves stop in a small Colorado town and the sheriff reluctantly agrees to let them stay a couple of nights. John Ireland is an old friend of the sheriff--in fact, he's the father (presumed dead) of the sheriff's adopted son. Why Ireland is with the bad guys isn't really explained--but it gives him a reason to switch sides and help out the town people after the sheriff is sadistically murdered. The leader of the bandits is unusually creepy-reminded me of Count Orlock, cold and cruel with a dead-sounding voice as he throws around his authority and abuse of the people. It gets so bad that the villagers turn the tables while Ireland teaches his son (who doesn't know who he is) to shoot. The tension peters out to a conclusion which is ok but kind of underwhelming. Good part for Ireland though, and some interesting cinematography. It does not look like a standard spaghetti western given the snowy forest locations.
 
Suspiria (2018)
I think this is only the second time I've seen this new version. From what I recall, the first viewing left me somewhat confused. There's a lot going on here. Whereas the original (still one of my favourites) was visually striking with a fantastic soundtrack, this new version has a much more subdued pallette. The score is (I'd say) more thoughtful than Goblin's original frightfest of music but it sits well with this new version (I hesitate to use the word 'remake' because it is so much more than that).

Argento's Suspiria was a beautiful visual feast but pretty straightforward horror movie. It ticked a lot of boxes but didn't have a lot under the surface. what it lacked there it more than made up for in the audiovisual department. The 2018 version, on the other hand, is packed with underlying themes - probably too many for its own good. The drab political landscape and activism of West Berliners in 1977 (for instance) doesn't really go anywhere in terms of plot advancement. It sets an interesting scene with references to the Red Army Faction (aka the Baader Meinhoff Gang) but that's about all it does. Themes of motherhood and power work much better and help produce an interesting and intelligent horror movie that still manages to pack in a fair bit of gore.

On the whole, I think I enjoyed this movie more the second time around. But how does it stand against the Argento version? Pretty well I'd say. I like both of them and I'm happy to add this new version of Suspiria to my collection where it can sit proudly next to the original. :)
 
Starting tonight, & continuing Fridays for 8 more weeks, TCM will show films featuring political themes.

Turner Classic Movies - TCM.com

Not only the films, but certain celebrities to discuss them.

Included films Reds, Fail Safe, DR. Strangelove, All the King’s Men, The Great Dictator, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Three Days of the Condor, I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, Wag the Dog, The Birth of a Nation, All the President’s Men, & The Manchurian Candidate. These, and many more over a nine, count 'em, 9 week period. From the silent films up to the current century. Many I have seen, & a few I never heard of, until now.
 
Yolanda and the Thief (1945) Johnny Parkson Riggs (Fred Astaire) & Victor Budlow Trout (Frank Morgan) are on a train that is also carrying a very wealthy young lady, Yolanda (Lucille Bremer) who has spent nearly her entire life in a Convent, isolated from the wickedness outside it. She has just come of age, & is on her way to her family's estate, to take control of the business. However, she is childlike in her naiveté, etc. Riggs overhears her praying to her Gaudian Angel, & pretends to be the human version of him, in order to con her out of her money.

Yet, this is a color MGM musical romance film, so it must have a happy ending!

I could rate it 8/10, but the dance scenes bored me to sleep. 7/10
 
George Stevens D-Day to Berlin (198x) Among the films shown Memorial Day weekend, was this. Stevens & several other Hollywood guys, cameramen, directors, etc., were sent to Europe along with the troops to film the events in monochrome. Yet, Stevens brought a 16mm color camera also, to get film for himself. Here are clips from his collection.

My highest recommendation!
 
Alien: Romulus (2024)

Some rebellious youths, desperate to escape a grim colony, end up on an abandoned space station where the Company has been researching the Alien, with bloody consequences.

This was much, much better than it could have been. I was bracing myself for "Alien vs The Kidz", with the Alien chasing teenagers around like Freddy Kruger (at least it can't wink to the camera). However, Romulus is a decent film in its own right, with some interesting stuff about androids, as well as a sort of "best-of" of the other Alien films. There are tons of nods to the earlier movies, down to the design of the heroine's boots and a little plastic bird nodding away in the background. That means that it fits well into the setting, but some of the "spot the reference" elements can be a bit distracting. The writers also know what to leave out, so we avoid the Von Daniken nonsense of Prometheus and Covenant. Perhaps it's slightly overlong.

Performances are generally good, especially the two leads. The sexual imagery of the Alien feels much more blatant in this film, and there is a genuinely gross surprise towards the end (which strained my credibility - how quickly can these things grow?). One returning character (sort of) is done with computer effects, like Leia and Tarkin in Rogue One. This isn't terribly effective, but I didn't mind much because the character,
a damaged android very similar to Ian Holm's Ash, is meant to be a creepy denizen of the Uncanny Valley,
which is certainly the case here.

Quite early on, I felt a sense of vague discomfort watching this film. It wasn't as downright frightening as the original Alien or as thrilling as Aliens, but there was a sense of real unease to it. I was worried that the Alien would be reduced to "spooky fun", which isn't the case here. It's probably not essential viewing, but it is a good film and well worth a look.
 
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Day of the Jackal (1973). There's something about good films of this period that distinguishes them from even good movies nowadays. That they're skilful but not slick, which makes them feel more real? Less intrusive soundtracks, ditto? Not sure. This one keeps you on the edge of your seat even when there's nothing obviously tense going on. Nothing in the faults column but nitpicks.
 
HareBrain said:
Day of the Jackal (1973). There's something about good films of this period that distinguishes them from even good movies nowadays. That they're skilful but not slick, which makes them feel more real? Less intrusive soundtracks, ditto? Not sure. This one keeps you on the edge of your seat even when there's nothing obviously tense going on. Nothing in the faults column but nitpicks.
Click to expand...

Brilliant movie from start to end. No messing around with back stories or romantic interludes, just great story telling.
 
The Great Dictator (1940) Charlie Chaplin in dual roles, as a parody of Adolf Hitler & humble Jewish Barber. Both funny and tragic, sometimes unsure which. :unsure:

Adenoid Hynkel (Charlie Chaplin; though the on-screen credits used 'Charles') in as I understand it, his 1st talking role. Humor from both the old-time physical comedy and, among other things, the names of Hynkel's subordinates.

While uttering gibberish, during a rally, Hynkel also said "cheese & crackers", 'Katzenjammer', 'banana,' "Weiner schnitzel," & 'sauerkraut.'

9/10
 
Toby Frost said:
Alien: Romulus (2024)

Some rebellious youths, desperate to escape a grim colony, end up on an abandoned space station where the Company has been researching the Alien, with bloody consequences.

This was much, much better than it could have been. I was bracing myself for "Alien vs The Kidz", with the Alien chasing teenagers around like Freddy Kruger (at least it can't wink to the camera). However, Romulus is a decent film in its own right, with some interesting stuff about androids, as well as a sort of "best-of" of the other Alien films. There are tons of nods to the earlier movies, down to the design of the heroine's boots and a little plastic bird nodding away in the background. That means that it fits well into the setting, but some of the "spot the reference" elements can be a bit distracting. The writers also know what to leave out, so we avoid the Von Daniken nonsense of Prometheus and Covenant. Perhaps it's slightly overlong.

Performances are generally good, especially the two leads. The sexual imagery of the Alien feels much more blatant in this film, and there is a genuinely gross surprise towards the end (which strained my credibility - how quickly can these things grow?). One returning character (sort of) is done with computer effects, like Leia and Tarkin in Rogue One. This isn't terribly effective, but I didn't mind much because the character,
a damaged android very similar to Ian Holm's Ash, is meant to be a creepy denizen of the Uncanny Valley,
which is certainly the case here.

Quite early on, I felt a sense of vague discomfort watching this film. It wasn't as downright frightening as the original Alien or as thrilling as Aliens, but there was a sense of real unease to it. I was worried that the Alien would be reduced to "spooky fun", which isn't the case here. It's probably not essential viewing, but it is a good film and well worth a look.
Click to expand...
My brother saw this, & liked it.
 
PHASE IV - 1974 - The ants! The ants! Lots of close ups of ants. I watched a version with the original WTF ending included. Released 50 years ago yesterday or thereabouts.
 
HANG 'EM HIGH! 1968 - Alan Hale Jr seems out of place in this. When he is found by Clint Eastwood, he has an open mouth expression that looks like Gilligan just did something crazy.
 
Scars of Dracula 1970
Why, what are these scars ? I guess they had pretty much run out of ideas by this point. Anyway, this wacky rubber bat spits blood on Drac and brings him back to life one more time. Don't know why. We have the usual superstitious villagers, and a young couple searching the countryside for the young guy's brother, whom Drac has already dispatched. Drac manages to scar the girl up a bit but, in the end, the young guy hurls a spear at Dracula, which cause no damage but then, from a clear blue sky - lightning strikes the spear, Drac catches on fire, falls screaming from the castle, and it's the end. o_O
 
Patton (1970). A Great War movie (pun intended).

The Apartment (1960). Perfect, perfect movie. A masterpiece. Highly recommended.

Son of Saul (2015). A Hungarian Jew tries to give a proper Jewish burial to the body of a teenager in a concentration camp in WW2.

The direction of this movie puts the camera always in a close-up to the protagonist. This, along with the sound direction, makes it a very immersive experience.

I like the subject of War, and I learned something new with this movie. The Nazis had Jews do all the killing and scavenging for them, using units called Sondernkommandos.

Favorite quote: “He’s forsaken the living for the dead”.
 
Ginger Snaps (2000). Two brooding teenage sisters struggle with a werewolf killing dogs in the neighborhood (and, mainly, with their adolescence).

The werewolf thing being a metaphor for the phases of the moon and menstruation is a theme that was also addressed in a story published in PseudoPod, and in Neil Marshall’s Dog soldiers (2002), that skirts around that idea as well. Ginger Snaps reminded me of It Follows (2014) because the condition is also sexually transmissible. King’s Carrie also does this, but with magical powers.

When I look into movies about classic monsters and other overused tropes, I always look for some innovation. In Ginger Snaps, the infected slowly turn into werewolves 24/7. They don’t just get a full-on transformation on a full moon and transform back the next day. It's actually kinda silly, specially the tail that grows out of their behinds, but at least they trying adding something to the lore.

It’s a Canadian movie, and I learned a word of Canadian slang: “I can see your gaunch”.
 
alexvss said:
Ginger Snaps (2000). Two brooding teenage sisters struggle with a werewolf killing dogs in the neighborhood (and, mainly, with their adolescence).
Click to expand...
The government-funding restrictions in Canada is why they can only kill dogs. Since 1985, no film made in Canada that receives funding (which is pretty much every film made in Canada) can show acts that violate the criminal code of Canada, and animal abuse is not covered in the criminal code (at least not up to the early 2000s). This is why so few Canadian films after 1985 show any kind of homicide and even theft can't be depicted.

BTW-Ginger Snaps won an award in Canada for comedy screenplay writing. I have seen it described as a horror film but when you have the cultural restrictions that Canada has, no surprise a "rubber room kind of laugh at anything" mentality would prosper.
 
Mayday (2019)

A flight from Los Angeles to London quickly turns into a terror-filled experience as passengers mysteriously start to disappear without a trace.

Reminded me of The Langoliers but with really bad acting and dialogue. Awful
 
Finished the series by watching Mockingjay Part 2, which came out in 2015. Hard to believe it's been almost a decade. Overall I think these movies were good adaptations of the books, and my family and I enjoyed them. I think Suzanne Collins was a part of the adaptations, so I'm sure that helped.
 
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