Last movie seen — Page 204

SilverWook said:

Mrebo said:

Jack the Giant Slayer

It was great fun. A healthy number of scenes obviously made with 3-D in mind (I saw it in 2-D). All the characters were the flattest of archetypes but it didn't matter. The Princess Bride came to mind in terms of story-telling, superficially the framing, and obvious silly tone (though it didn't have the quality of characters and wit). There were definitely laugh-worthy moments. The CGI was decent, it worked for the movie. The end of the movie felt a touch too contrived but could set things up for a contrived sequel ;0 All in all I would highly recommend it. Just old-fashioned fun.

I also got around to seeing Seven Samurai. It was entertaining. Some of you have recommended it as a model for a Star Wars movie, but I'm afraid I'm lacking in imagination. However, Kikuchiyo reminded me of Anakin - with occasional flare-ups of Jar-Jar.

The Star Wars/Kurosawa connection is more obvious in some of his other samurai films like The Hidden Fortress. My favorite storyline in the old Marvel comic is unabashedly a Seven Samurai homage...

Did Ewan have any lines in JTGS that would be of use in fan edits?

If you think more bad jokes might be needed there are a couple ("barking up the wrong beanstalk"). I think there are a couple that could work for more serious intentions, but he didn't have too many lines.

Octopussy

On letterbox LD: good to great picture, proper color timing!!, good transfer of the original soundmix.

A flawed movie yes, but still an enjoyable romp. The problem stems from the initial writing by George MacDonald Frasier, which makes portions of the film seem like an adventure novel/cheesy serial. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the problem was that the way it was done was already dated.

The other issue is that the film suffers from major Raiders-itis, as did virtually every action/adventure film of the time period. It wants to show that it can do things just as well as Indiana Jones, so all of the rough and tumble aspects in India are cranked up.

And why must there be a minimum of three plots??? Why? Why must we pay attention to the villains who are cardboard and ineffective when there's Steven Berkoff aping Buck Turgidson as the mad General Orlov?? There's a constant unbelievably hard tug back and forth between the serious and the comic, so much so that it disorients the viewer and makes the quieter passages stick out.

One of my fondest college memories is trying to explain the plot of Octopussy to my roommates. They never got it. I died laughing. I used to try and figure out all the plot holes as a 6 year old. It still doesn't all make sense.

However, when compared to the mess that is NSNA, Octopussy is Shakespeare. Even with the Tarzan yell, Bollywood cliches, clown disguise and atrocious combover mounded hairpiece thing that is considered 007's hairstyle from 1981-1985.

3.5 balls out of 4..."little Octopussies". ;)

Okay, so NSNA isn't really all that bad. But it's such a wasted opportunity and a complete mess that you can't ignore the fact that it had no real reason for ever being made. When you stack the two against each other, it's the quality craftsmanship across the board that Cubby Broccoli so vividly maintained that makes Octopussy work. NSNA was doomed from the start, and it was only because of the tireless cast/crew efforts that anything was ever salvaged. Whenever I re-watch OP, its flaws aren't enough of a problem to detract from a refined older series making a rough and tumble adventure movie.

Whenever I watch NSNA, when I'm not cringing/wincing/facepalming like a madman, I stare at the screen and desperately hope for anything to work or not fizzle out. Sean still has it, and has a fresh direction to go on (all he ever needs in a role to be honest) but otherwise THERE IS NOTHING, save for an empty void most personified by the vapid Kim Basinger. Then I finish the film and feel that I've reached a new low by wasting another two hours and seeing NSNA again for about the 50th time.

Star Wars SE  - First time in many years, and Wow! What a travesty, could not make it passed Han getting all blurry as he is punched out and moved over Jabba's tail. Garbage!

SilverWook said:

Which version? There are three of them now. ;)

It was the DVD that came with GOUT. I still feel as if I should go get a shot of penicillin after being exposed...

In a Lonely Place

"I was born when she kissed me. I died when she left me. I lived a few weeks while she loved me."

Bogart's best ever performance. It doesn't matter how many noirs you've seen in your time, this film always hits you like a load of bricks. It's quite possibly the most romantic film ever made and absolute agony to sit through. Beautiful agony. What makes it all the more interesting is that the script goes way off the source novel and becomes instead a partial criticism of the entire Hollywood/L.A. machine. Then there are numerous parallels between the volatile bitter Dixon Steele and Bogie himself. Nicholas Ray knew exactly how to make audiences squirm but in a good way. Gloria Grahame is stunning despite knowing what happened off-set during the making of the film.

A true classic, a great film for all times complete with one of those gut punching endings. Ultimate balls.

The Enforcer

An oddly constructed little movie in Bogie's later career that is little more than a B picture procedural. Bogie is the DA trying to nail a gang leader whose racket is the performance of murder by commission. The film becomes several long extended flashbacks after the opening where the sole witness is terrorized and accidentally dies. We see how the case is pieced together and that's about it. It's a surprisingly good little movie for what it is and some scenes were supposedly directed by Raoul Walsh. The current transfer is from VHS/LD with tons of video noise. Olive Films are prepping a BD for the near future.

2.5 balls out of 4.