What was the last movie you saw?

[Cathbad]

Terror is a Man (1959)

I saw that one jus a few years ago. I can't say it was well-acted, but I did enjoy the story.

 

[dask]

Watched this tonight:

Go get 'em Greta as seductive double agent in WW1 Paris. Much ballyhooed exotic dance okay but execution scene at the beginning unusually realistic, at least to one who has never witnessed one. 1931 MGM classic. Never heard of Ramon Novarro, is this his only movie? Good actor.

 

[mosaix]

The Hidden Figures.

The little known story of three black women's contribution to the success of the American space program when NASA was still riddled with segregation. Although some of the 'reconstructions' are a little unbelievable the story, non-the-less, needed to be told.

 

[Vince W]

Thor: Ragnarok. Entertaining and funny in places. Some of the jokes felt forced, but still worth watching at least once. Still, the Marvel franchise is much better than anything on offer from DC.

 

[scififan]

Monty Python's the Meaning of Life. It was outrageously funny. A nice way to unwind after a hard week at work.

 

[Parson]

The Hidden Figures.

The little known story of three black women's contribution to the success of the American space program when NASA was still riddled with segregation. Although some of the 'reconstructions' are a little unbelievable the story, non-the-less, needed to be told.

Have not seen the movie, but the book is utterly believable.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Frightmare (1974)

Not to be confused with the 1983 film of the same name. This one is also known as Cover Up, which makes it sound like a film noir. Anyway, the details of the plot don't become clear until about halfway through, so suffice to say it's a gore-filled exploitation film, but one which has an absolutely outstanding performance from the woman who plays the lead role.

Spoiler

She killed six people and ate part of their brains -- shades of zombie movies! -- years ago, went to an asylum with her husband, was pronounced cured, but has gone back to her old ways. Her stepdaughter tries to keep her under control by secretly bringing her raw animal brains to eat, but her biological daughter has inherited her homicidal ways.

 

[Cathbad]

The Veil (2016)

This horror/thriller actually has a great premise. Unfortunately, in the final 20% of the film, they take it way too far.

Actress Jessica Alba tries to prove she can act without exposing most of her skin - and, more or less, succeeds. The lead male channels way too much Jim Jones for the part.

I was engrossed with the movie until, as I said, it went too far. My suspension of disbelief lagged, then failed all together. I wouldn't mind seeing a remake leaving out the more ridiculous aspects.

 

[mosaix]

Have not seen the movie, but the book is utterly believable.

There's a bit in the film where John Glenn, at the top of the launch tower and about to enter the Friendship 7 spacecraft, talks on the 'phone to one of the girl's supervisors to get reassurance that it's her who has checked the re-entry co-ordinates.

 

[Randy M.]

Watched this tonight:

Go get 'em Greta as seductive double agent in WW1 Paris. Much ballyhooed exotic dance okay but execution scene at the beginning unusually realistic, at least to one who has never witnessed one. 1931 MGM classic. Never heard of Ramon Novarro, is this his only movie? Good actor.

Haven't seen Novarro in a movie that I recall, but I believe in the silent era he he was a major star. ... Ha! Thank you IMDB which confirmed my memory that Novarro was Ben-Hur in the first film version (1925).


Randy M.

 

[BAYLOR]

Noah's Ark, a hybrid of silent & sound. Heard that many were injured during production. They just don't make 'em like that, any more. Starts off during WWI with sound, then, apparently in a dream sequence, the ark, etc., returns to the WWI time.

There was a Crooked Man (1970); one of those fun westerns, with more than a few big names in the cast. Kirk Douglas is a robber who stashes big bucks in a hole filled with rattlesnakes; goes to prison, breaks out, and goes to retrieve the $$$. But--

There Was a Crooked Man A great film with wonderfully memorable ending.

 

[awesomesauce]

The Dark Knight (2008) - I watched this for my film club recently. Not a huge superhero movie fan, but I thought Heath Ledger's nihilist Joker was fantastic. I couldn't shake off American Psycho while watching Christian Bale play a millionaire playboy though, which made it more surreal than it might have been otherwise.

 

[BAYLOR]

Watched this tonight:
View attachment 44186
Go get 'em Greta as seductive double agent in WW1 Paris. Much ballyhooed exotic dance okay but execution scene at the beginning unusually realistic, at least to one who has never witnessed one. 1931 MGM classic. Never heard of Ramon Novarro, is this his only movie? Good actor.

Ramon Navarro did number of silent films. He played Ben Hur in the 1925 silent version. He was a popular actor in the silent era.

 

[Parson]

There's a bit in the film where John Glenn, at the top of the launch tower and about to enter the Friendship 7 spacecraft, talks on the 'phone to one of the girl's supervisors to get reassurance that it's her who has checked the re-entry co-ordinates.

Didn't happen in the book. But John Glenn did demand that the girl (her name escapes me now) do the calculations and confirm to him that it was her that did the calcs.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Necromancy (1972)

Slow-moving, low-budget supernatural shocker from writer-director Bert I. Gordon, best known to me for his big bug/big people movies. (The Amazing Colossal Man, Empire of the Ants, etc.) Pamela Franklin stars as a young woman whose husband gets a job offer from a toymaker (Orson Welles) in the ominously named town of Lilith. Spooky stuff happens. Franklin, who appears to have some kind of psychic powers, has a lot of visions, many of which completely give away the movie's plot. It's made clear very quickly that Welles rules over the town, and that everybody in it is a witch. Ever since the death of his young son, he has forbidden anyone to have children. Franklin is part of his plan to practice the dark art of NECROMANCY and raise his son from the dead. A lot of odd things happen that are hard to explain rationally, which may add to the film's mood. Some very bad visual effects, a trademark of Bert I. Gordon, lessen the mood. Overall, it's a fair-to-middling scare flick. Take out one curse word and a tiny bit of mild nudity and you'd have a made-for-TV movie of the time. (Apparently this movie was heavily edited and had extensive nude scenes added and re-released as The Witching.) The last ten minutes or so are pretty good, and the final twist ending manages to be both corny and effective.

 

[Jeffbert]

Watched this tonight:
View attachment 44186
Go get 'em Greta as seductive double agent in WW1 Paris. Much ballyhooed exotic dance okay but execution scene at the beginning unusually realistic, at least to one who has never witnessed one. 1931 MGM classic. Never heard of Ramon Novarro, is this his only movie? Good actor.

This may have been the 1st film that used a guy with a clunking gait to heighten tension. Or did he drag the one foot? Sorry, I cannot be certain; anyway, the henchman with the peg-leg, lift on one shoe, or who drags one foot. is or was featured in more than a few films. including one Dick Tracy movie.

I am not much on WWI history, but I doubt they would accommodate MH's desire

Spoiler

that the soldier she loved did not know of her fate

Lionel Barrymore played a French officer

Spoiler

who was a German spy

; I cannot recall other cast members, though.

I just loved THEY SAVED HITLER'S BRAIN!

The Wild Bunch (1969) TCM was or is running William Holden films this month, this was on last week. still holds up as mega-violent, even given the nearly 50 years that have passed since it was made. Violence aside, the story is good. Set during the late 19th, or early 20th century, a group of bank/train robbers are contemplating the end of their careers, as civilization, etc., encroach upon the untamed areas. They put all their collective resources into one last bank robbery, but one of their associates, Robert Ryan's character, had been captured, & was working with the authorities trying to catch TWB. Thus, some of their tactics, etc., have been revealed. So, they rob the bank, but the train detectives/security guys were lying in wait, & between the two forces, nearly destroy the town as TWB escape.

Spoiler

So, they are about to split up the loot, but there is none! Instead of gold coins, the bags are filled with washers! Now, they need another robbery before they can retire, & that is the bulk of the film.

William Holden is the leader, Ernest Borgnine is #2, & the cast is chock full of Western-genre actors, on both sides. Great movie, if you can handle the bloodshed.

 

[clovis-man]

Have not seen the movie, but the book is utterly believable.

Having lived through that time, I can also vouch for its reality.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Deadly Strangers (1975)

Former squeaky-clean child star Hayley Mills offers a grown-up performance in this psychological horror film, smoking a lot and even providing the film's requisite nudity.

We begin with an (unseen) homicidal maniac escaping a mental hospital. Cut to Mills in a pub somewhere, trying to catch a train but unable to drive herself there because her car is in the shop. A truck driver gives her a lift, but quickly tries to assault her. Mills barely escapes, and is nearly run over by a young man (Simon Ward) who gives her a lift. He lies about her having missed the last train, so he continues to drive her to her destination. Along the way we have confrontations with cops, motorcycle riders, and, stealing the picture, Sterling Hayden as an eccentric, eloquent, wealthy older man with a nifty antique car. Oh, people get killed, too, one by the (still unseen) maniac and one when Ward runs one of the motorcycle riders off the road after blocking his way. (The motorcycle explodes into a fireball, the way vehicles usually do in movies, so I assume the rider was killed, but we're not told this for sure.)

The setup is almost like a road movie/romantic comedy, without the comedy or romance, and with murders. The relationship between Mills and Ward changes a lot, and they both have flashback sequences revealing their psychological traumas. You'll probably be able to predict the film's shocking twist ending, but it's worth the ride.

 

[Hugh]

I went to see the Akram Khan choreographed Giselle last night. It’s just been released. Maybe twenty people in the audience.

Truly incredible. Remarkable. Mindblowing music. Fantastic choreography. Truly intense.

The trailer below is from the second half where Giselle, who has died broken-hearted, is recruited by the Wilis, the vengeful forest-dwelling spirits of betrayed women.

 

[2DaveWixon]

This may have been the 1st film that used a guy with a clunking gait to heighten tension. Or did he drag the one foot? Sorry, I cannot be certain; anyway, the henchman with the peg-leg, lift on one shoe, or who drags one foot. is or was featured in more than a few films. including one Dick Tracy movie.

I am not much on WWI history, but I doubt they would accommodate MH's desire

Spoiler

that the soldier she loved did not know of her fate

Lionel Barrymore played a French officer

Spoiler

who was a German spy

; I cannot recall other cast members, though.

I just loved THEY SAVED HITLER'S BRAIN!

The Wild Bunch (1969) TCM was or is running William Holden films this month, this was on last week. still holds up as mega-violent, even given the nearly 50 years that have passed since it was made. Violence aside, the story is good. Set during the late 19th, or early 20th century, a group of bank/train robbers are contemplating the end of their careers, as civilization, etc., encroach upon the untamed areas. They put all their collective resources into one last bank robbery, but one of their associates, Robert Ryan's character, had been captured, & was working with the authorities trying to catch TWB. Thus, some of their tactics, etc., have been revealed. So, they rob the bank, but the train detectives/security guys were lying in wait, & between the two forces, nearly destroy the town as TWB escape.

Spoiler

So, they are about to split up the loot, but there is none! Instead of gold coins, the bags are filled with washers! Now, they need another robbery before they can retire, & that is the bulk of the film.

William Holden is the leader, Ernest Borgnine is #2, & the cast is chock full of Western-genre actors, on both sides. Great movie, if you can handle the bloodshed.

Absolutely my favorite Western!