What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

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andypanda
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by andypanda »

www.sho.com/titles/3470002/hitsville-th ... -of-motown

Hitsville: The Making of Motown

My wife had not seen it, so I put it on last night and watched it for the 3rd time. She stayed up past her bedtime.

"Documentary film that focuses on the period beginning with the birth of Motown in Detroit in 1958 until its relocation to Los Angeles in the early 1970s. The film tracks the unique system that Gordy assembled that enabled Motown to become the most successful record label of all time."

A lot of the film is Mr. Gordy and the stars talking about the good old days and laughing and telling stories. Pre-Motown he produced a record and eventually got a royalty check for $3.10. Somebody told him that if that's all you get you might as well work for yourself. He borrowed $800 from his grandmother's 'family loan fund' and got to work. He had asked for $1000 and didn't get it.

Lots of old pics and what appear to be home movies of the day Little Stevie Wonder came to the studio and stunned everyone playing different instruments, and the Jackson 5 auditioning in 7/68 "in a bare room with a radiator off a Detroit freeway." He was already the star out front singing and dancing at age 9.

Ever wonder who found the house they turned into Motown? Who found the musicians that became The Funk Brothers? Speaking of which, according to wikipedia between '59 and '71 The Funk Brothers played on...

"Some combination of the members played on each of Motown's 100-plus U.S. R&B number one singles[1] and 50-plus U.S. Pop number ones released from 1961 to 1972."

Funny anecdotes such as the one about the young singer who came to Motown and got a job - "in 1961 she was an aspiring young solo vocalist whose dreams seemed about to come true when she was hired by Motown—except that she was hired not as a singer, but as a secretary!" She worked as a secretary for about 2 years and sang a little backup for Marvin Gaye.
One day the musicians were working on tracks, but the union required a singer to be present and they didn't have one. When the union guy popped in they panicked and she volunteered to sing. And very soon Martha Reeves was a star.

Gotta go, my wife is up.
stoptothink
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by stoptothink »

bengal22 wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 12:42 pm
Doc7 wrote: Mon Jun 20, 2022 6:58 pm
LadyGeek wrote: Sun Jun 19, 2022 6:53 am
RubyTuesday wrote: Mon Jun 13, 2022 5:41 am “Hustle” on Netflix with Adam Sandler, Queen Latifa, Juancho Hermangomez (NBA player), Robert Duvall, Ben Foster, Jaleel White

This is Sandler in acting mode, not silly mode.

Travel-weary NBA scout with ambitions of coaching discovers unknown “unicorn” talent in Spain.

Good movie even if you don’t like basketball.

GREAT movie if you love basketball.
Hustle on Netflix, rated R, 2022. It's the basketball version of Rocky with a better plot. This was produced entirely in Philadelphia and features a ton of real NBA players. This is my home town and I'm a long-time Sixers fan. I instantly recognized the players. :beer

A few basketball legends also make an appearance. They also throw in players from other teams.

You can tell this movie was made in 2022 - and it was done before a certain controversial trade was made. :wink:

This film is required viewing for all Sixers fans. It's also not bad if you're a fan from another city. :)
My wife REALLY loved this movie when we watched last night. I thought it was great! Thanks to this thread! Tonight would have been operation Mincemeat from this thread, but spending some time reading and catching up on sleep instead.
Hustle was a very good movie but I actually liked Rise much better. The movie is on disney and it's based on the Giannis A.... and his brothers story. It's true and very uplifting tale about a family that endured much.
Watched "Hustle" yesterday as my wife took the kids to visit her friend. It was decent, predictable and a bit cheesy (guess I expected something a little darker and "real"), but I enjoyed it. Liked seeing a bunch of 76ers that I have met several times; Matisse is a particularly really nice guy.
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heartwood
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by heartwood »

tenkuky wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 10:24 am
OpenMinded1 wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 6:53 am
Tubes wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 5:56 am
doobiedoo wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 4:25 am "Tenet" was very good. It's a Christopher Nolan sci-fi film that was released in 2020 to movie theaters despite the Covid shutdown. Consequently not many people saw or even heard about it.

The premise is that time can flow both ways and entropy can be inverted, e.g. instead of firing a bullet from a gun, an inverted gun "recaptures" the bullet from the target. I know, this is hard to understand in words. You have to watch the movie. And it's not a variation of "Inception", which also manipulated time.

BTW, Christopher Nolan's filmography is very impressive. Memento, Prestige, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet.
It was pretty good. It is a very thick movie that is not easy to understand because of the odd physics. I need to do a rewatch soon.
I have pretty much sworn off movies involving time travel. Too many paradoxes. Except for the Back to the Future movies, but they aren't serious sci fi. :D
Oh come on.
Gotta see Ryan Reynolds in the new Adam Project on Netflix. :twisted:
Mother of all paradoxes.
Thanks, started watching The Adam Project last night. Entertaining and fun watching the actors.
Last edited by heartwood on Sun Jun 26, 2022 5:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Mother Biggles
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by Mother Biggles »

Paul doods deadly lunch break. Starts slow and sad. Ends weird and sweet. I’m very picky as to what I recommend. I’d call it good not great but there are few movies I call great. Blazing saddles. Young Frankenstein. Clint Eastwood man with no name. Arsenic and old lace.
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tennisplyr
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by tennisplyr »

Just saw the movie “Elvis” in the theater, highly recommend it. Fabulous cast with no dead spots…very moving story of his life.
“Those who move forward with a happy spirit will find that things always work out.” -Retired 13 years 😀
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sunny_socal
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by sunny_socal »

Top Gun Maverick - do yourself a favor and go watch it while it's still in the theaters! Excellent sequel, better than the original.

Reminds me of these: Incredible 1st release, even better sequel
- Alien:Aliens
- Terminator:Terminator2
OMYx3
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by OMYx3 »

My son and I went to see "Facing Nolan" Friday night. It was a documentary about Nolan Ryan's life and career. They did a great job with this movie and my son and I both enjoyed it. Always love hearing some of the back stories from former players like George Brett, Rod Carew, Cal Ripken and Pete Rose (and many more). Makes you appreciate the "good ol' days" of baseball!!

One of our local theaters had a one-time showing on Friday evening. I am guessing it will soon be available for streaming, if it isn't already.
Mother Biggles
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by Mother Biggles »

Lots of movies today. As said drood‘s bloody lunch break or something like that. Enjoyable. I just saw Men. Weird and not enjoyable. Seemed pretty anti-men. Everything everywhere with Michelle yeoh was amazing and recommended.
jginseattle
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by jginseattle »

Elvis. Empty razzle-dazzle. Tom Hanks gives a spectacularly bad performance. Austin Butler is good.
tenkuky
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by tenkuky »

The Devil All The Time (2020)
Netflix.
Intensely depressing with frequent flashbacks and forwards that made me initially wish I hadn’t watched.
But it evolved and tied together.
Based on a book about Appalachia and actually narrated by the author. I hear the book and his other works are more intense! :shock:
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ruralavalon
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by ruralavalon »

Marry Me, on Amazon Prime.

Staring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson, this is a completely frivolous romantic comedy with a nonsense plot. Junk food, tasty if that's what you are in the mood for.
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MDfan
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by MDfan »

heartwood wrote: Sun Jun 26, 2022 2:58 pm
tenkuky wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 10:24 am
OpenMinded1 wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 6:53 am
Tubes wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 5:56 am
doobiedoo wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 4:25 am "Tenet" was very good. It's a Christopher Nolan sci-fi film that was released in 2020 to movie theaters despite the Covid shutdown. Consequently not many people saw or even heard about it.

The premise is that time can flow both ways and entropy can be inverted, e.g. instead of firing a bullet from a gun, an inverted gun "recaptures" the bullet from the target. I know, this is hard to understand in words. You have to watch the movie. And it's not a variation of "Inception", which also manipulated time.

BTW, Christopher Nolan's filmography is very impressive. Memento, Prestige, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet.
It was pretty good. It is a very thick movie that is not easy to understand because of the odd physics. I need to do a rewatch soon.
I have pretty much sworn off movies involving time travel. Too many paradoxes. Except for the Back to the Future movies, but they aren't serious sci fi. :D
Oh come on.
Gotta see Ryan Reynolds in the new Adam Project on Netflix. :twisted:
Mother of all paradoxes.
Thanks, started watching The Adam Project last night. Entertaining and fun watching the actors.

It's a fun, easy watch and is perfect role for Ryan Reynolds. Another fun Reynolds movie is Free Guy.
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Elsebet
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by Elsebet »

The Northman on blu-ray from Netflix. Same director as The Witch, a movie we love and watch every year in October. We were not as impressed with this one. As someone who has studied and enjoys reading about the Norse, they did get a lot of the details correct. The costumes are generally pretty accurate as well as some items shown (drop spindle, warp weighted looms, tablet weaving, turf longhouses, etc). The mythology is also good. I'm honestly not sure why I didn't really enjoy it, because it had all the elements that I love, it just never grabbed me.
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gotlost33
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by gotlost33 »

Paterson (2016) nothing flashy but an enjoyable film.

Had been on a string of movies that we didn't mind, but didn't really enjoy either (wouldn't recommend), including
-All the old knives
-No time to die (really hoped for more)
-Power of the dog (well acted but just nothing to really enjoy)
bornloser
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by bornloser »

Did some reviews last pm and came up with Kubricks 1957 Paths of Glory with Kirk Douglas. Was absolutely fantastic, great writing, storyline (historical fiction) and videography. And for the record, I'm not really a war movie genre guy or a big fan of old movies but this checked all the boxes for me. Intentionally shot in black and white and with a well done anti-war theme. Made for a satisfying watch!
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tooluser
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by tooluser »

Magic

1978 Horror/Thriller starring Anthony Hopkins as a not-very-good magician turned very-good ventriloquist, and also as the voice of the ventriloquist's dummy. It also stars Ann-Margaret* and Burgess Meredith. Filmed 13 years before Silence of the Lambs, a much younger Anthony Hopkins is most definitely not Dr. Hannibal Lecter in this film. It drags on a bit but is watchable and has a satisfying ending. Like all movies and TV shows with ventriloquist's dummies, I spent most of the movie watching for the creepy dummy to come alive and move on its own. :shock: Recorded off TCM.

The Eyes Have It

The TCM planners were on the ball and scheduled this Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy comedy short from 1931 right after Magic. A nice bit of recovery therapy.

* - I only now realize that who I always thought of as "Ann Margaret" is actually a one name actress "Ann-Margaret", which is a hyphenated name composed of her first and middle names. In the film, she plays a character named Peggy Ann, which, Peggy being a nickname for Margaret, is her two-part name separated and put in reverse order. Coincidence or not?
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black jack
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by black jack »

Jeremiah Johnson on Kanopy (motivated by seeing that it was leaving Kanopy at the end of this month).

I've seen this movie a half-dozen times or so, though not in several decades; I even read the Vardis Fisher book it was partly based on (or perhaps merely inspired by).
We cannot absolutely prove [that they are wrong who say] that we have seen our best days. But so said all who came before us, and with just as much apparent reason. | -T. B. Macaulay (1800-1859)
tenkuky
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by tenkuky »

Good Morning Vietnam (1987)
On Amazon Prime.
Fantastic performance by Robin Williams as a radio DJ in the early days of the conflict. And a young Forest Whitaker to boot :beer
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JAZZISCOOL
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

black jack wrote: Tue Jun 28, 2022 11:50 pm Jeremiah Johnson on Kanopy (motivated by seeing that it was leaving Kanopy at the end of this month).

I've seen this movie a half-dozen times or so, though not in several decades; I even read the Vardis Fisher book it was partly based on (or perhaps merely inspired by).
Thanks. This is in my queue. How do you find out when Kanopy movies are leaving BTW? :happy
trueson1
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by trueson1 »

Finally took the plunge and went out and saw - Top Gun: Maverick. Pretty exciting and well done. Recommend re-watching the original before watching this one.
wilson08
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by wilson08 »

The Phantom of the Open

Shipyard worker Maurice Flitcroft becomes enamored with the
game of golf and decides to enter the 1976 British Open Qualifying.
He has no experience except hitting golf balls on vacant lots and
open public lands but states on the application he is in the category
of professional.
Fllitcroft goes on to achieve the worse score in Open history. He
tries to pull this same stunt in subsequent years for the Open and
other tournaments using disguises and aliases. Over time he transcends
from being an annoyance to a folk hero. Previews and reviews seem to
bill this only as a silly comedy but there are many bittersweet and
touching moments in this enjoyable film. Based on a real person and
real events.
Recommended
Viewed at a theatre.
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ResearchMed
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by ResearchMed »

wilson08 wrote: Wed Jun 29, 2022 1:09 pm The Phantom of the Open

Shipyard worker Maurice Flitcroft becomes enamored with the
game of golf and decides to enter the 1976 British Open Qualifying.
He has no experience except hitting golf balls on vacant lots and
open public lands but states on the application he is in the category
of professional.
Fllitcroft goes on to achieve the worse score in Open history. He
tries to pull this same stunt in subsequent years for the Open and
other tournaments using disguises and aliases. Over time he transcends
from being an annoyance to a folk hero. Previews and reviews seem to
bill this only as a silly comedy but there are many bittersweet and
touching moments in this enjoyable film. Based on a real person and
real events.
Recommended
Viewed at a theatre.
Thank you.
I hadn't heard anything about this.

With Mark Rylance... I'd go just to see him!
(We were very lucky to see him live in NYC as Olivia in Twelfth Night; he was amazing.)

Phantom of the Open may be coming to Netflix in the near/far future.
Quite an amazing story!

RM
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KFBR392
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by KFBR392 »

RRR on Netflix.

RRR is an exhilarating, action-packed spectacular mythologizing two real-life freedom fighters who helped lead India’s fight for independence from the British Raj, Komaram Bheem (N.T Rama Rao Jr., aka Jr NTR) and Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan). Set in the 1920s, before their fight for India’s independence began, RRR imagines a fictional meeting between the two, set into motion when a young is stolen from her village by British soldiers. With a powerful message, staggeringly choreographed action sequences, and an all-timer of a musical number, RRR is sheer big-screen joy from start to finish.

It's playing in it's original language (Telugu) in some theaters currently but the Netflix version is dubbed in Hindi. It is quite long, over three hours and can only be described as cinema of maximalism. Everything in this movie "goes to 11" to quote Nigel Tufnel. I haven't had this much fun watching a movie in years.
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black jack
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by black jack »

JAZZISCOOL wrote: Wed Jun 29, 2022 8:38 am
black jack wrote: Tue Jun 28, 2022 11:50 pm Jeremiah Johnson on Kanopy (motivated by seeing that it was leaving Kanopy at the end of this month).

I've seen this movie a half-dozen times or so, though not in several decades; I even read the Vardis Fisher book it was partly based on (or perhaps merely inspired by).
Thanks. This is in my queue. How do you find out when Kanopy movies are leaving BTW? :happy
When I go to Kanopy's home page, I see many rows of film title/images. Each row is labeled. Scrolling about halfway down, one label is "Leaving This Month."

PS I have long enjoyed seeing your avatar, JAZZISCOOL; I'm a big fan of black cats ("miniature black panthers" :D ).
We cannot absolutely prove [that they are wrong who say] that we have seen our best days. But so said all who came before us, and with just as much apparent reason. | -T. B. Macaulay (1800-1859)
mhalley
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by mhalley »

RRR was great.
Saw The Black Phone In theater.
Great little horror story, based on Joe Hill (son of Stephen King) story. When a child snatcher called The Grabber kidnaps a child whose sister has inherited psychic powers from their mother, he is able to communicate with previous victims using a disconnected black phone left in his basement prison. Each victim tells him how they were attempting to escape, and he tries to follow up on their attempt. They also give him tips on how to prevent the kidnapper (great performance by Ethan Hawke) from beating him if he does the wrong thing. Will his sisters psychic powers lead the police to him before he is actually molested or becomes the latest victim? Will one of the escape methods work?
Hope they make a sequel.
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Kagord
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by Kagord »

LadyGeek wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 6:23 am
OpenMinded1 wrote: Sun May 08, 2022 8:08 am Coherence , 2013, Hugo Armstrong, Emily Baldoni, Nichlas Brendon. Not rated. Free on demand at Pluto, and probably some other channels. It's a real mind bender with an extremely complex plot involving odd happenings during a close pass by a comet. I enjoyed it, but found it a bit of a chore to watch. Had to pay very close attention and put my thinking cap on to figure out what was going on. :D
Coherence, free on Amazon Prime, not rated, drama / mystery / sci-fi. Strange things happen at a dinner party when a comet passes by. Mind-bender, indeed.This movie is constant dinner chatter and you need to pay attention. It's an indie film on a low budget, but you would never get that impression. When you have a plot that works, there is absolutely no need for special effects.

This movie has a very creative twist to a common sci-fi theme. I don't want to describe it, as that will give some of the plot away. All I'll say is that when they finally figured out what was going on, I started laughing when they tried to explain it. (I have a strong science background.)

The movie is actually more of a mystery / drama with a sci-fi plot and there's lots of suspense. It had my full attention to the very end.

This movie won several awards for a reason. I'm surprised it's not more popular. Recommended.
Thanks, watched over 3 casual 6K rows on the Concept, I thought it was pretty good, liked the cut to the ending song, Galaxies, song link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE1ges9nn6A
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jjunk
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by jjunk »

Lightyear: I actually liked this more than others it seems. As a Toy Story fan, I appreciated the origin story of Buzz. Not as funny as the other Pixar films but Taiki Waititi brought a lot of humor with this character.

The Black Phone: I liked the way this was shot and it had a good creepy factor to it. Worth seeing if you're into creepy movies, Ethan Hawke was excellent as always, as were the kids playing the victims.
rich126
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by rich126 »

The Cardcounter. Consider this, despite the title the main character mostly plays poker in the movie. The main actor does a good job but the movie is bad. I can't say much since it would spoil the movie for others although in this case it would be for the best. Avoid it unless you are trying to get rid of a house guest.
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AnnetteLouisan
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by AnnetteLouisan »

The Best Years of our Lives - a classic film about three US servicemen (one a bomber pilot) returning from combat service in World War Two to their same hometown. One is confronting a serious war wound, another confronts trauma, spousal problems and inability to find a good job, and the third suffers disillusionment with his executive career and civilian life generally. Very realistic and well acted.
JDave
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by JDave »

Just watched "Ronin", with Robert De Niro. It was lousy.
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crinkles2
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by crinkles2 »

JAZZISCOOL wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 7:59 pm
4ransom wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 6:34 pm Old Henery, best western I have seen in years.
Thanks. I added to my Amazon Q. :beer

IMDb 7.2/10

Old Henry, an action western about a widowed farmer and his son who warily take in a mysterious, injured man with a satchel of cash. When a posse of men claiming to be the law come for the money, the farmer must decide who to trust.

Directors Potsy Ponciroli
Starring Tim Blake Nelson, Stephen Dorff, Trace Adkins
Genres Western
We watched "Old Henry" last night on Amazon Prime. It was excellent, definitely recommend if you are into westerns or not! Great movie! watch it!
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crinkles2
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by crinkles2 »

AnnetteLouisan wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 2:04 pm The Best Years of our Lives - a classic film about three US servicemen (one a bomber pilot) returning from combat service in World War Two to their same hometown. One is confronting a serious war wound, another confronts trauma, spousal problems and inability to find a good job, and the third suffers disillusionment with his executive career and civilian life generally. Very realistic and well acted.
I've added this to our watchlist and will be watching on Sunday afternoon; thank you :beer
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AnnetteLouisan
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by AnnetteLouisan »

crinkles2 wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 6:24 pm
AnnetteLouisan wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 2:04 pm The Best Years of our Lives - a classic film about three US servicemen (one a bomber pilot) returning from combat service in World War Two to their same hometown. One is confronting a serious war wound, another confronts trauma, spousal problems and inability to find a good job, and the third suffers disillusionment with his executive career and civilian life generally. Very realistic and well acted.
I've added this to our watchlist and will be watching on Sunday afternoon; thank you :beer
Hope you enjoy it.

Two others in that vein, but about heroism on the WW2 home front are “Since You Went Away,” with Claudette Colbert and “Home Fires,” a series with some of the Downton Abbey cast. Colbert deftly turns away her husband’s amorous friends and leering prospective boarders, while raising her daughters alone and cheerily and graciously dealing with austerity, rationing, needy neighbors and loneliness.

Home Fires features a small town in England trying to overcome internal divisions and social change to unify and meet the exigencies of the war.
Last edited by AnnetteLouisan on Sun Jul 03, 2022 9:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by LadyGeek »

Robot & Frank on Amazon Prime (free), rated PG-13, Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon, 2012, Sci-fi / comedy / drama. In the near future, an ex-jewel thief receives a robot as a gift from his son. The two become companions.

The critics call this indie film "a thoughtful meditation on aging". That's an understatement. It's the story of a person with dementia from their perspective. I have no idea why it's called a comedy. Lighthearted and easy to watch, yes. Funny, absolutely not.

If you have a family member or loved one who is experiencing dementia, please be prepared for an emotional impact. For this reason, watching the film became more difficult as the movie progressed - especially near the end (for me).

The actors make this movie. It's well produced and won several awards. The movie is worth watching, but be aware of the theme.
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

black jack wrote: Wed Jun 29, 2022 10:36 pm
JAZZISCOOL wrote: Wed Jun 29, 2022 8:38 am
black jack wrote: Tue Jun 28, 2022 11:50 pm Jeremiah Johnson on Kanopy (motivated by seeing that it was leaving Kanopy at the end of this month).

I've seen this movie a half-dozen times or so, though not in several decades; I even read the Vardis Fisher book it was partly based on (or perhaps merely inspired by).
Thanks. This is in my queue. How do you find out when Kanopy movies are leaving BTW? :happy
When I go to Kanopy's home page, I see many rows of film title/images. Each row is labeled. Scrolling about halfway down, one label is "Leaving This Month."

PS I have long enjoyed seeing your avatar, JAZZISCOOL; I'm a big fan of black cats ("miniature black panthers" :D ).
black jack:

Thanks! I will check that out. I did catch "Jeramiah Johnson" and enjoyed it more than the first time.

I love cats of all colors but I heard that black cats (and dogs) both have a harder time getting adopted at shelters. And some think black cats are "unlucky" for some reason. :happy
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Artful Dodger
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by Artful Dodger »

AnnetteLouisan wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 8:21 pm
crinkles2 wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 6:24 pm
AnnetteLouisan wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 2:04 pm The Best Years of our Lives - a classic film about three US servicemen (one a bomber pilot) returning from combat service in World War Two to their same hometown. One is confronting a serious war wound, another confronts trauma, spousal problems and inability to find a good job, and the third suffers disillusionment with his executive career and civilian life generally. Very realistic and well acted.
I've added this to our watchlist and will be watching on Sunday afternoon; thank you :beer
Hope you enjoy it.

Two others in that vein, but about heroism on the WW2 home front are “Since You Went Away,” with Claudette Colbert and “Home Fires,” a series with some of the Downton Abbey cast. Colbert deftly turns away her husband’s amorous friends and leering prospective boarders, while raising her daughters alone and cheerily and graciously dealing with austerity, rationing, needy neighbors and loneliness.

Home Fires features a small town in England trying to overcome internal divisions and social change to unify and meet the exigencies of the war.
The Best Years of Our Lives is an incredible film. It was directed by William Wyler, who volunteered early in the war, serving in the Army Air Force, mostly making films for them but often in dangerous situations. Lost hearing in one ear and came out a disabled veteran. The film swept all the major Academy Awards, winning nine.

Since you liked Home Fires, you might take a look at Mrs. Miniver, also directed by Wyler. The film about a housewife in rural England during the war won six Academy Awards in 1942. Wyler made the film in 1941 to support the British cause. It’s filming was supported by the studio even though they weren’t sure of their ability to release it as the Hays office wouldn’t allow anti-Nazi films (which ended when the US entered the war in December 1941).
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southerndoc
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by southerndoc »

We have a 9-year-old daughter. Last night was family movie night. Family Camp was absolutely hilarious!
kiwisun
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by kiwisun »

True mothers (2020), watched on Kanopy - story is very touching, hard to predict what would happen next, highly recommend it.

The interpreter (2018), watched on Kanopy. Enjoyed the movie.

The carer (2016),watched on Kanopy. Enjoyed the movie.
Last edited by kiwisun on Sun Jul 03, 2022 9:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
kiwisun
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by kiwisun »

Not sure if the post also encompasses short movies. If so, the short movie Silent Girl (2020) - Oscar winner and available on YouTube was very touching, highly recommend it.
Paul Basenberg
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by Paul Basenberg »

Train to Busan amongst others. I was tired of mediocre Zombie movies and haven't watched any for years. This is the best zombie movie ever. It is Korean and the voices are dubbed but not a distraction.

Wind River starring Jeremy Renner. Good mystery movie with lots of action and suspense.

Top Gun - Maverick - Good movie, as good as original. The sound in the theater darn near broke my eardrums.
Parkinglotracer
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by Parkinglotracer »

Netflix - operation mincemeat

Great flick about allied deception during ww2

More of a relationship movie than war movie
tenkuky
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by tenkuky »

Paul Basenberg wrote: Sun Jul 03, 2022 10:17 pm Train to Busan amongst others. I was tired of mediocre Zombie movies and haven't watched any for years. This is the best zombie movie ever. It is Korean and the voices are dubbed but not a distraction.
Masterpiece.
The characters are so compelling, the zombies are not the focus. And the wonderful social nuances in the storyline.
I have the heard the sequel isn’t even close, not watched it yet.
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daleddm
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by daleddm »

Lunana - A Yak in the Classroom

... on Netflix. Best Foreign Film nomination this year (Bhutan).

The cute kids (real) at the remote school (real), and then there's the thing with the yak - necessity of burning of yak dung in a place so remote (advice to the new teacher: if you need more dung to be warmer, you feed the yak more).
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by MoonOrb »

Watched OPERATION MINCEMEAT on Netflix. So-so WWII film mostly based on Ben MacIntyre's non-fiction book about the British Intelligence ruse to convince Germany that the 1943 Allied invasion's main force would land in Greece, not Sicily. The book was riveting; the movie was competent but really just okay. Elements that were clearly fictionalized for dramatic purposes came off as forced and weak, I thought.
novicemoney
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by novicemoney »

AnnetteLouisan wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 2:04 pm The Best Years of our Lives - a classic film about three US servicemen (one a bomber pilot) returning from combat service in World War Two to their same hometown. One is confronting a serious war wound, another confronts trauma, spousal problems and inability to find a good job, and the third suffers disillusionment with his executive career and civilian life generally. Very realistic and well acted.
A personal favorite of mine. There are many fine moments and performances, but the scene that stands out to me is the one where the Dana Andrews character ( a decorated B-17 bombadier) walks around an aircraft "boneyard". This is where old airplanes are parked and stripped of all usable equipment. The planes are designated to be broken apart and recycled (an aircraft junkyard). The character is at his lowest point: his wife is divorcing him, he has lost his job, he is broke and a budding romance is nixed. The aircraft boneyard is a literal metaphor for him: he has outlived his usefulness to the war and is surplus "junk". A very moving moment.

Harold Russell played the character who lost his hands in a training accident and plays disabled vet Homer Parrish, won 2 oscars for the role: one was an honarary oscar and the other for "Best Supporting Actor".
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by egri »

61*, about the race between Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle to break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record.
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by rockstar »

I, Robot and Elvis.

The first was a rewatch. The second was good but depressing. You can see the same actor in Shannara.
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AnnetteLouisan
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by AnnetteLouisan »

So true, those are excellent moments. I was astonished by the gentility almost all the women in the film The Best Years of Our Lives showed:

— the understated grace and patience with which Myrna Loy handles her husband who has become (very understandably) grouchy, gruff, unromantic, moody and bordering on self destructive, with the barest mention of austerity they faced at home, beyond letting go of the housekeeper.

— the cheeriness and good manners of their daughter (most of the time) serving up scrambled eggs and coffee to a hungover serviceman, politely not mentioning his screaming nightmare the prior evening, and being schooled by her crush’s much prettier wife on what she might do with her hair to look better…

— the supportiveness, concern and face-saving optimism of Dana Andrews’ poverty-stricken mom despite living in squalor, when breaking bad news to her son about his wife’s whereabouts.

And despite years of war rationing and family separation, none of the women let themselves go, became discouraged or bitter, or toned down the formality of their dress.

Movies used to teach us so much by example. I get that it was idealized. I’d love to know Taylor’s thoughts on whether life was really that way at the time.

Another great post WW2 movie - The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit, starring Gregory Peck.
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by sycamore »

Speaking of Dana Andrews, I watched Woody Allen's Radio Days on Amazon Prime. Very good mostly-comedy/part-drama look back at the pre-TV glory days of radio. Recommended.

Dana Andrews' name happens to come up during some dialog.
novicemoney
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Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Post by novicemoney »

Myrna Loy, Theresa Wright and Cathy O'Donnell were very fine in this movie. Virginia Mayo had the thankless task of being the flighty, shallow wife to the Dana Andrews caracter. She's good in this movie because by the end you really dislike her. The movie is playing on Amazon Prime for free.
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