what movie(s) have you watched lately?

[DrJay]

AJ does have a nice butt.

[Daisy]

AJ does have a nice butt.

Dr Jay, Is this true of all 110m hurdlers?

[Cooter Brown]

Last night's obscure pleasure was something that I suspect is very much akin to Hanna, Luc Besson's The Professional, with Jean Réno and a 13-year-old (probably 12 when the movie was actually filmed) Natalie Portman. And must mention another over-the-top performance from Gary Oldman. Fabulous bit of moviemaking.

Did you watch the original French cut that's titled Leon instead of The Professional? It's about 30 minutes longer and so vastly superior to the US cut that it'll make you angry.

[dukehjsteve]

I just got back from seeing " Midnight In Paris" with my wife. I fully expected the worst, thinking it was a "ladies movie", but it was great ! Loved it.

[odelltrclan]

I had one of those days where I just needed to get out of the office so I went to see Three Musketeers with very low expectations since there have been a few versions so what could they improve upon?

Well, I was pleasantly surprised. I little quirky and unbelievable but entertaining and well done. They added enough to change from previous versions enough to make it enjoyable.

[jeremyp]

If you like John Le Carre, there's a Masterpiece contemporary on this week that is well worth watching. It's called "Page Eight" and though not a Le Carre follows his style and plotting. It stars Bill Nighy; Rachel Weisz, Ralph Fiennes, and one of the U.K.'s greatest actors: Michael Gambon. Well written and contemporary.

[lonewolf]

Saw "Tower Heist" Friday nite.. predictable, silly and fun..semi-happy ending

[Marlow]

Saw "Tower Heist" Friday nite.. predictable, silly and fun..semi-happy ending

Ben Stiller's shtick has gotten old (like Adam Sandler's). I sat that one out.

[lonewolf]

Saw "Tower Heist" Friday nite.. predictable, silly and fun..semi-happy ending

Ben Stiller's shtick has gotten old (like Adam Sandler's). I sat that one out.

Well, I am not that jaded and there was no good violent, non-sci fi film/movie showing during my break between soccer games.

[jeremyp]

Saw "Tower Heist" Friday nite.. predictable, silly and fun..semi-happy ending

I saw it too, on Saturday. Now what was it about again???

[gh]

I'm actually watching almost no movies of late. This seems to have been an uncommonly good year for TV series. Or maybe my standards have just fallen way off, given how much pleasure I'm getting out of such evening-soap-opera dreck like Revenge and Ringer.

[gh]

After all these years, finally watched The Grapes Of Wrath last night. A coincidence, but quite timely with all the Occupy activity that's going on.

But socioeconomics aside, a joy to watch, perhaps not so much for the story/acting, but the incredible use of shadow and light by John Ford (and his cinematographer). A compelling watch all in all.

[DrJay]

Just watched "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" for the first time. Help me out here....was it supposed to be funny?

[guru]

Just watched "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" for the first time. Help me out here....was it supposed to be funny?

And now the sequel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhkDdayA4iA

[Conor Dary]

After all these years, finally watched The Grapes Of Wrath last night. A coincidence, but quite timely with all the Occupy activity that's going on.

But socioeconomics aside, a joy to watch, perhaps not so much for the story/acting, but the incredible use of shadow and light by John Ford (and his cinematographer). A compelling watch all in all.

A wonderful movie. When you mentioned the shadow and light I was curious who did the cinematography. And sure enough it was the great Gregg Toland, who also did Citizen Kane and The Best Years of Our Lives.

Toland has a cameo in Citizen Kane playing the radio reporter who interviews Kane as an old man back from Europe in the fake newsreel footage at the beginning of the movie.

[SQUACKEE]

After all these years, finally watched The Grapes Of Wrath last night. A coincidence, but quite timely with all the Occupy activity that's going on.

But socioeconomics aside, a joy to watch, perhaps not so much for the story/acting, but the incredible use of shadow and light by John Ford (and his cinematographer). A compelling watch all in all.

A wonderful movie. When you mentioned the shadow and light I was curious who did the cinematography. And sure enough it was the great Gregg Toland, who also did Citizen Kane and The Best Years of Our Lives.

Toland has a cameo in Citizen Kane playing the radio reporter who interviews Kane as an old man back from Europe in the fake newsreel footage at the beginning of the movie.

Grapes has to be in the top 20 all time best movies. I always lump it together with Of Mice and Men, dont know which i like better!

Just saw Cowboys and Aliens, expected it to be horrible so I liked it. The cowboy stuff was fun, then they started shooting CGI aliens and it wasnt so much fun.

[lonewolf]

[Grapes has to be in the top 20 all time best movies. I always lump it together with Of Mice and Men, dont know which i like better! .

I agree GOW is one of the best movies of all time but I have difficulty viewing it objectively. I remember the drought and depression of the 30s in Oklahoma. Some of my relatives made that westward migration in overloaded jalopies. Some prospered. Some didn't. None came back.

[Friar]

made that westward migration

I just saw Bound for Glory (about 25 years late). It made the Dust Bowl look good (beautifully filmed, golden aura). Melinda Dillon in a casting oddity.

[kuha]

"The Gray". While it has plenty of action, it is an almost unnervingly profound philosophical meditation. In its own way, rather remarkable.

[Marlow]

"The Grey". While it has plenty of action, it is an almost unnervingly profound philosophical meditation. In its own way, rather remarkable.

I did not find it profound at all. It did, however, 'accurately' portray man's inability to make any sense of the universe. Liam Neeson was very good, but the movie was just too bleak.

[kuha]

but the movie was just too bleak.

But, of course, that was exactly and precisely the point: the words "but" and "too" are entirely beside the point.

[Marlow]

But, of course, that was exactly and precisely the point: the words "but" and "too" are entirely beside the point.

But I used them all too decidedly!
I don't mind bleak. Into the Wild springs to mind as a bleak film but not off-puttingly so. And I like 'deep' films too. 2001: A Space Odyssey was that (tho it seems cheesy today).
But . . . The Grey didn't offer me any new insights, nor did the characters actually come to grips to what they were expressing, although the guy who sat down on the log came close. He saw the beauty of the wilderness and decided it trumped anything in his own life, so he was prepared to accept is as his final aesthetic statement. But mostly he was just too beat to continue.

I did like the brief scene after the credits. That gave me some closure, which the Soprano-like ending did not.

[lonewolf]

I've forgotten, how did the Sopranos end?

[Marlow]

I've forgotten, how did the Sopranos end?

Tony then meets his family for dinner at Holsten's, a local diner, arriving first. Carmela arrives second and Tony verifies that Carlo Gervasi (Arthur Nascarella) is going to testify against him and the DiMeo Family. A.J. then arrives and the three Sopranos talk for a while. A man, who has been intermittently staring at Tony as he sits there, gets up from the counter and heads to and enters the restroom. As Meadow enters the restaurant, Tony looks up and the screen smash cuts to black and silence. After ten seconds, the credits roll silently.

[lonewolf]

Thanks, Marlow. I remember that now. . I guess I did not know (or had forgotten) it was the last episode... like the heroine on the train tracks on the Saturday serials.

[KDFINE]

A few weeks ago I caught (missed the first half hour or so) "City of Life and Death" on cable. It is about the Rape of Nanking. I'd remembered reading the review when it came out, which I believe was last year. Now I'm looking to catch it from the beginning. I've known about the Rape of Nanking, but didn't KNOW about it.

[bad hammy]

I just got back from seeing " Midnight In Paris" with my wife. I fully expected the worst, thinking it was a "ladies movie", but it was great ! Loved it.

Watched it last night and loved it, making it the first Woody Allen movie I've ever liked.

[jeremyp]

A few weeks ago I caught (missed the first half hour or so) "City of Life and Death" on cable. It is about the Rape of Nanking. I'd remembered reading the review when it came out, which I believe was last year. Now I'm looking to catch it from the beginning. I've known about the Rape of Nanking, but didn't KNOW about it.

There have been a number of good movies about Nanking in the last 2-3 years. "Nanking" (docu drama including interviews of old Japanese soldiers telling their stories) "John Rabe" (about a good nazi!) What makes City of Life and Death is that it is a Chinese movie that dares to show the Japanese side of things without simply demonizing them.

A bad end came to three of the foreign heros of Nanking. John Rabe died a pauper in Germany after the US "nazified" him, although the chinese sent him and his family food packages to help out. Minnie Vautrin the American school teacher committed suicide in 1940 out of guilt at not being able to save more women, and Surgeon Robert Wilson had a mental collapse. All 3 are revered in China, and poorly known outside of that country.

[kuha]

I'm on a roll: two movies this month so far!!!! Latest was "Safe House." This is a deeply thoughtful character study; mostly talk, very little action.

[lonewolf]

Saw "Contraband" tonite.. good entertaining yarn.. confusing geography/logistics/timeline.

[cullman]

Didn't want to watch the Grammys so I flipped channels over to CBC's Family Sunday and watched the Disney movie Enchanted.

Bit of a shocker because Amy Adams who played Mark Wahlberg's potty mouthed, high jumping track star girlfriend in The Fighter did a letter perfect homage/parody of the Disney princess character. Boy, can she act...and throw a punch too.

cman

[Avante]

So we got...Netflix....I couldn't find one movie I wanted to see

[jeremyp]

Didn't want to watch the Grammys so I flipped channels over to CBC's Family Sunday and watched the Disney movie Enchanted.

Bit of a shocker because Amy Adams who played Mark Wahlberg's potty mouthed, high jumping track star girlfriend in The Fighter did a letter perfect homage/parody of the Disney princess character. Boy, can she act...and throw a punch too.

cman

Amy had to do that "The Fighter" role just to wash the saccharin out. Personally I prefer her potty mouth.

[cullman]

Amy had to do that "The Fighter" role just to wash the saccharin out. Personally I prefer her potty mouth.

Me too. Two thumbs up!

cman

[lonewolf]

Latest was "Safe House." This is a deeply thoughtful character study; mostly talk, very little action.

??? No action? Did we see the same movie? I lost track of the body count and crashed cars.
Character study never entered my mind. I thought it was a good movie if that is one's genre. I guess it must be mine.