Lat film seen for me was Alien Vs Predator yesterday. A great film!
And 4 days ago I took my girlfriend to see "Exorcist: The Beginning". Not as good as the original, but still rather decent.
I watched the original Manchurian Candidate yesterday and loved it. Angela Lansbury is absolutely chilling as the scheming mother as is Lawrence Harvey as Raymond Shaw. My only objections are that the ending was rather predictable and that Janet Leigh's character didn't seem very necessary to the film's plot.
Nevertheless, I will never think about solitaire the same way.
Flattery will get you nowhere, but don't stop trying.
I liked it a lot. I thought Martin Sheen was very good and for what Marlon Brando was in, he was chilling as Walter Kurtz.
I've tried to watch that movie twice, with no luck. The first time I borrowed it from the library, and the tape was in terrible condition. The second time, I tried to watch it on television, and the power went out. It's still on my list.
I watched the original Manchurian Candidate yesterday and loved it. Angela Lansbury is absolutely chilling as the scheming mother as is Lawrence Harvey as Raymond Shaw.
I love the scenes where the brainwashed perception of the ladies' tea switches with the reality of the Communist dignitaries.
That bit was rather funny at first, especially when the soldiers keep addressing the Communist speaker as "ma'am."
I happened to also like how the Senator came up with the number of communists in the defense department by looking at the Heinz ketchup label.
I watched Shrek 2 for the second time yesterday, and I've got to say that it's even better than the first one. It really is one of those films that can be enjoyed by just about every age group. The animation is absolutely amazing, needless to say.
Flattery will get you nowhere, but don't stop trying.
Watched Hard Times (1975) ... aka The Streetfighter, (UK)
A five star perfection as far as movies go. Bronson plays a drifter circa depression era New Orleans who makes money the only way he knows how, with his fists in pick up fights. Coburn plays his manager, Strother Martin the doctor, Bond veterans Bruce Glover (Mr. Wint) and Frank McRae (Sharky) are there, and the editor was TND's director Roger Spottiswoode.
Chuck was 52 when he made this and he is solid muscle. Coburn and Martin are dynamite as usual. One of Bronson's best films...
Van Helsing, with Hugh Jackman! What a cool film! My wife and kids really loved it too!
I also watched the old silent classic, Nosferatu with Max Shrek! Man, that film is creepy!
Not bad, but it couldn't get around the fact that the star Geoffrey Rush was at least two decades too old to play the born-again swinging bachelor of the Sixties.
It's odd to see an ageing Rush wooing Britt Eckland, I mean it was a bit creepy in real life with Sellers in his 30s and Eckland only 18 or something, but this is ridiculous... more like Sid James and Barbara Windsor.
However, ignoring that, the supporting cast is very good, with John Lithgrow excellent as director Blake Edwards, and fine turns from Emily Watson, Miriam Margolyles, Peter Vaughan, Stephen Fry, Mackenzie Crook and Stanley Tucci always catch the eye and liven things up.
For Bond fans, a very funny couple of scenes based on the filming of Casino Royale, with Sellers in his Aston Martin DB5, flicking a few switches on the dashboard, while another car is in pursuit.
Still, for most of the film, which is set in the Sixties, you're waiting for Sellers to catch up with the actor's age. Maybe Steve Coogan would have been better.
Quoting Napoleon Plural:
The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers.
Not bad, but it couldn't get around the fact that the star Geoffrey Rush was at least two decades too old to play the born-again swinging bachelor of the Sixties.
It's odd to see an ageing Rush wooing Britt Eckland, I mean it was a bit creepy in real life with Sellers in his 30s and Eckland only 18 or something, but this is ridiculous... more like Sid James and Barbara Windsor.
However, ignoring that, the supporting cast is very good, with John Lithgrow excellent as director Blake Edwards, and fine turns from Emily Watson, Miriam Margolyles, Peter Vaughan, Stephen Fry, Mackenzie Crook and Stanley Tucci always catch the eye and liven things up.
For Bond fans, a very funny couple of scenes based on the filming of Casino Royale, with Sellers in his Aston Martin DB5, flicking a few switches on the dashboard, while another car is in pursuit.
Still, for most of the film, which is set in the Sixties, you're waiting for Sellers to catch up with the actor's age. Maybe Steve Coogan would have been better.
Coincidently NP, I'm currently in the middle of Mr. Strangelove A biography of Peter Sellers- by Sid Nikov. A cracking good read....!
I'd like to see the film about Peter Sellers . . . I think it was screened not at the theatre, but on cable television.
In a similar vein, I caught the bio-pic "Chaplin" yesterday. It's okay, but not great. I don't know if a two-plus hour film can do justice to the life of a person, but Robert Downey, Jr. does do a pretty good job of portraying the comedy great. The sets and costumes were impressive, and the filmmakers actually built a full-scale replica of the "Hollywood" sign (then "Hollywoodland" sign) for a brief scene.
"Ice Station Zebra" was on the other day, but I didn't have time to watch it, again. I keep missing that one, but its so difficult for me to have time to watch a nearly three-hour movie.
The Sandpiper w/Liz Taylor , just average
Period of adjustment , ditto average
The Fearless Vampire Killers ...ugh
I found Apocalypse over-rated , The Deer Hunter was so much more fun , imho.
BestBondSeanA Bavarian in CornwallPosts: 108MI6 Agent
watched two very diverse movies yesterday, both brilliant in their field.
Schindler's List
has it's minor flaws, overall masterful, haven't seen any better cinematography than Janusz Kaminski's.
The Party
Next to the original Pink Panther Blake Edwards best film and i dare say one of the best comedies of all time.
And the PC brigade wanting it marked racist in recent times deserves to be slapped.
Seen it many times, and it's a Western with a real kick - definitely my favourite of any of the Westerns I have seen before. A pretty good cast (including Gabriele Ferzetti) and a SUPERB score by Morricone - can't really fault this film. Go see it!
Lethal Weapon 4
Usually the more films you make in a series, the crapper they get. This film entertained me from start to finish, even with the empty-headed Mel Gibson in it. Danny Glover saved me from having to turn the channel and I am glad I didn't. Makes me realise that my DVD collection needs to expand by four films....
From what I've seen in the ads on HBO,The Life and Death of Peter Sellers will debut on Home Box Office on December 9,2004.
The last film I saw was My Name is Modesty.It's based on Peter O'Donnell's internationally famous Modesty Blaise comic strip (and MB novels).
My Name is Modesty faithfully recounts the character's origin story.This film had a small budget but was filmed in the Czech Republic so it looks quite expensive.Happily it isn't a bit campy like the 1960s Modesty Blaise movie but instead takes itself seriously--making it the only film version of the "female James Bond" to actually do the Modesty Blaise character justice.
One of the DVD's many extras is a long interview with O'Donnell on the creation of his popular comic strip.A detailed history of the MB comic strip is another extra feature.
Credit where credit is due, I erroneously named the author of Mr. Strangleove as Sid Nikov, arrk! My apologies sir, the writer's correct name is Ed Sikov. He also has a thoroughly good book circulating out there on director Billy Wilder.
Life is full of coincidences, when I started this book on Sellers I had no idea a made for cable movie on his life was in the works, looking forward to seeing it and comparing while the read is still fresh in my head. I'd like to see how they portray Sellers and the rest of the Goons. A daunting task to say the least.
And to get back on course here: the last movie I watched was Daughters Of Darkness aka La rouge aux levres which despite the gothic title has got to be the most avant garde, stylistic and simply tasteful vampire flick I've ever seen besides Langella and Olivier's 1979 version. In this film, Delphine Seyrig plays Countess Bathory as a modern day diva languidly holding her cigarette holder and drinking from a clear blue wine glass. German model Andrea Rau has perfect chemistry as the goth accomplice. Do yourself a favor and watch this, it's good for your date too, this is not a bad movie.
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,749Chief of Staff
edited November 2004
Saw Shrek 2 last night - great romp, better than the first - and that takes some doing !
Quoting Alex:
And to get back on course here: the last movie I watched was Daughters Of Darkness aka La rouge aux levres which despite the gothic title has got to be the most avant garde, stylistic and simply tasteful vampire flick I've ever seen besides Langella and Olivier's 1979 version. In this film, Delphine Seyrig plays Countess Bathory as a modern day diva languidly holding her cigarette holder and drinking from a clear blue wine glass. German model Andrea Rau has perfect chemistry as the goth accomplice. Do yourself a favor and watch this, it's good for your date too, this is not a bad movie.
Agreed.The dreamlike Daughters of Darkness is a unique motion picture and an excellent updated version of the Bloody Countess' legend.It's an artistic and intelligent horror film in which the vampires are not the primary source of the film's terror--of which there's plenty.The cooly elegant Delphine Seyrig is unforgettable.And the extraordinarily cute Andrea Rau(with her Louise Brooks hairstyle)is one of the most memorable vamps ever to light up the screen.Not a bad movie at all and well worth seeking out...
I finally saw the remake of The Stepford Wives the other day and wasn't particularly impressed. Certainly the look of the film is impeccable-the sets, the costumes, the lighting were all done quite stylishly, with a sort of updated 50's flair. The attempt at getting any serious message across about gender completely floundered; the film was more of a cariacture about gender relations than anything else, a weak, slightly-off-the-target satire. If you're going to watch this film, look out Bette Milder, Roger Bart (who I kept expecting to burst into "Springtime For Hitler" at any moment; he's Roger deBris on the original "Producers" soundtrack), and Glenn Close. Nicole Kidman is adequate but not outstanding, as with Matthew Broderick and Christopher Walken.
Flattery will get you nowhere, but don't stop trying.
Agreed.The dreamlike Daughters of Darkness is a unique motion picture and an excellent updated version of the Bloody Countess' legend.It's an artistic and intelligent horror film in which the vampires are not the primary source of the film's terror--of which there's plenty.The cooly elegant Delphine Seyrig is unforgettable.And the extraordinarily cute Andrea Rau(with her Louise Brooks hairstyle)is one of the most memorable vamps ever to light up the screen.Not a bad movie at all and well worth seeking out...
Just an addition Willie, if you get a chance to see the DVD from Blue Underground, there's a 15 minute interview with the lovely Andrea. (All in German with subtitles) She talks about Delphine and how she was taught not to blink in her death scene. And she also makes a joke about how she still has the same hairstyle today. A very intelligent and beautiful woman.
scaramanga1The English RivieraPosts: 845Chief of Staff
The Grudge (At the Cinema)
Dark Water (DVD)
The Duel (DVD) (Great Martial arts romp with some slight nods at 007 with International Agent Dragon Number 9)
Quoting BestBondSean: The Party
Next to the original Pink Panther Blake Edwards best film and i dare say one of the best comedies of all time.
And the PC brigade wanting it marked racist in recent times deserves to be slapped.
Yeah, that's a great film. I love "Birdie Num Nums", and when Hrundi presses a button, causing the statue of the boy urinating to squirt this long stream several yards. Hysterical!
Comments
And 4 days ago I took my girlfriend to see "Exorcist: The Beginning". Not as good as the original, but still rather decent.
1 - Moore, 2 - Dalton, 3 - Craig, 4 - Connery, 5 - Brosnan, 6 - Lazenby
Nevertheless, I will never think about solitaire the same way.
I've tried to watch that movie twice, with no luck. The first time I borrowed it from the library, and the tape was in terrible condition. The second time, I tried to watch it on television, and the power went out. It's still on my list.
I love the scenes where the brainwashed perception of the ladies' tea switches with the reality of the Communist dignitaries.
I happened to also like how the Senator came up with the number of communists in the defense department by looking at the Heinz ketchup label.
I watched Shrek 2 for the second time yesterday, and I've got to say that it's even better than the first one. It really is one of those films that can be enjoyed by just about every age group. The animation is absolutely amazing, needless to say.
A five star perfection as far as movies go. Bronson plays a drifter circa depression era New Orleans who makes money the only way he knows how, with his fists in pick up fights. Coburn plays his manager, Strother Martin the doctor, Bond veterans Bruce Glover (Mr. Wint) and Frank McRae (Sharky) are there, and the editor was TND's director Roger Spottiswoode.
Chuck was 52 when he made this and he is solid muscle. Coburn and Martin are dynamite as usual. One of Bronson's best films...
I also watched the old silent classic, Nosferatu with Max Shrek! Man, that film is creepy!
Not bad, but it couldn't get around the fact that the star Geoffrey Rush was at least two decades too old to play the born-again swinging bachelor of the Sixties.
It's odd to see an ageing Rush wooing Britt Eckland, I mean it was a bit creepy in real life with Sellers in his 30s and Eckland only 18 or something, but this is ridiculous... more like Sid James and Barbara Windsor.
However, ignoring that, the supporting cast is very good, with John Lithgrow excellent as director Blake Edwards, and fine turns from Emily Watson, Miriam Margolyles, Peter Vaughan, Stephen Fry, Mackenzie Crook and Stanley Tucci always catch the eye and liven things up.
For Bond fans, a very funny couple of scenes based on the filming of Casino Royale, with Sellers in his Aston Martin DB5, flicking a few switches on the dashboard, while another car is in pursuit.
Still, for most of the film, which is set in the Sixties, you're waiting for Sellers to catch up with the actor's age. Maybe Steve Coogan would have been better.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
In a similar vein, I caught the bio-pic "Chaplin" yesterday. It's okay, but not great. I don't know if a two-plus hour film can do justice to the life of a person, but Robert Downey, Jr. does do a pretty good job of portraying the comedy great. The sets and costumes were impressive, and the filmmakers actually built a full-scale replica of the "Hollywood" sign (then "Hollywoodland" sign) for a brief scene.
"Ice Station Zebra" was on the other day, but I didn't have time to watch it, again. I keep missing that one, but its so difficult for me to have time to watch a nearly three-hour movie.
The Fearless Vampire Killers ...ugh
Period of adjustment , ditto average
The Fearless Vampire Killers ...ugh
I found Apocalypse over-rated , The Deer Hunter was so much more fun , imho.
Schindler's List
has it's minor flaws, overall masterful, haven't seen any better cinematography than Janusz Kaminski's.
The Party
Next to the original Pink Panther Blake Edwards best film and i dare say one of the best comedies of all time.
And the PC brigade wanting it marked racist in recent times deserves to be slapped.
Seen it many times, and it's a Western with a real kick - definitely my favourite of any of the Westerns I have seen before. A pretty good cast (including Gabriele Ferzetti) and a SUPERB score by Morricone - can't really fault this film. Go see it!
Lethal Weapon 4
Usually the more films you make in a series, the crapper they get. This film entertained me from start to finish, even with the empty-headed Mel Gibson in it. Danny Glover saved me from having to turn the channel and I am glad I didn't. Makes me realise that my DVD collection needs to expand by four films....
Saw it years ago and now I know why its been years.
The last film I saw was My Name is Modesty.It's based on Peter O'Donnell's internationally famous Modesty Blaise comic strip (and MB novels).
My Name is Modesty faithfully recounts the character's origin story.This film had a small budget but was filmed in the Czech Republic so it looks quite expensive.Happily it isn't a bit campy like the 1960s Modesty Blaise movie but instead takes itself seriously--making it the only film version of the "female James Bond" to actually do the Modesty Blaise character justice.
One of the DVD's many extras is a long interview with O'Donnell on the creation of his popular comic strip.A detailed history of the MB comic strip is another extra feature.
Certainly worth a glance.
Life is full of coincidences, when I started this book on Sellers I had no idea a made for cable movie on his life was in the works, looking forward to seeing it and comparing while the read is still fresh in my head. I'd like to see how they portray Sellers and the rest of the Goons. A daunting task to say the least.
And to get back on course here: the last movie I watched was Daughters Of Darkness aka La rouge aux levres which despite the gothic title has got to be the most avant garde, stylistic and simply tasteful vampire flick I've ever seen besides Langella and Olivier's 1979 version. In this film, Delphine Seyrig plays Countess Bathory as a modern day diva languidly holding her cigarette holder and drinking from a clear blue wine glass. German model Andrea Rau has perfect chemistry as the goth accomplice. Do yourself a favor and watch this, it's good for your date too, this is not a bad movie.
Agreed.The dreamlike Daughters of Darkness is a unique motion picture and an excellent updated version of the Bloody Countess' legend.It's an artistic and intelligent horror film in which the vampires are not the primary source of the film's terror--of which there's plenty.The cooly elegant Delphine Seyrig is unforgettable.And the extraordinarily cute Andrea Rau(with her Louise Brooks hairstyle)is one of the most memorable vamps ever to light up the screen.Not a bad movie at all and well worth seeking out...
Dark Water (DVD)
The Duel (DVD) (Great Martial arts romp with some slight nods at 007 with International Agent Dragon Number 9)
Yeah, that's a great film. I love "Birdie Num Nums", and when Hrundi presses a button, causing the statue of the boy urinating to squirt this long stream several yards. Hysterical!
I've just sat through 3 seasons of Coupling. What an amazing show.
Kate Isitt must be one the most competent actresses in contemporary UK.
---
jfm
"An ass-beach?" -- Steve
>
> I've just sat through 3 seasons of Coupling.
> What an amazing show.
And now I've also seen series 4. Except for a few odd scenes here and there, it was rather a disappointment. Pity.
---
jfm
"i've been going to bed early" -- noodles