Amph What was the last movie you saw?

A Liar's Autobiography (2012).

Graham Chapman's something of a personal flawed hero - as I'm a Python fan, and as there's something of a dearth of, as he would say, "great raging pouffe[s], but butch one[s], with pipe[s]," in the public eye, it was a bit inevitable. So I rather enjoyed this lukewarmly regarded adaptation of his non-autobiography; the irreconcilable differences in the animated styles go well with the original book's rather hodgepodge construction. There are times where it dips a bit too deeply in its own rebellious attitude - the whole film is a tick too hung up on being confrontational in its sheer queerness, and I can't tell if it wants me to be scandalized (A goal at which it fails utterly). More poignant are the visual depictions of Chapman's struggles with alcohol and tobacco addiction - one sequence in particular apes several Hitchcock scenes to drive the point of the sheer paranoia these dependencies induce home. In any case, it's a more solid watch than imdb reviews would tend to indicate. I suspect most folks went in expecting a more straightforward autobiography, or something more legitimately Pythonesque as opposed to referencing Python routines to make points about mental states. Go in with no such misconceptions, and you'll be fine.

And yes, part of the selection process was due to today's lovely rule change news. Some celebrate with parties, I celebrate with cheap port and a movie about a Python. C'est la vie.

 

The Abominable Snowman 1957.

 

Poltergeist (1982)


First off, skip the remake. Just do yourself a favor and skip it, it’s so unbelievably mediocre and not scary in the slightest. It’s not startling and visually imaginative like the original is. This is the first time I’ve ever seen it, and I think it still holds up remarkably well.

The Fog of War (2003)


Riveting documentary on war throughout the 20th century, and how it has affected our leaders. It’s an intimate interview with Robert S. McNamara who offers his own insight and his struggles. The imagery is very powerful. It’s one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen.

 

I have fuzzy memories of my step sisters watching it on TV, but as it didn't feature space ships or ninjas (and I must not have seen Diane Lane), I wasn't interested. Been spinning the soundtrack the last few days. Especially this. You've gotta love Steinman's lyrics. They're absolutely ridiculous, yet hit the emotional mark with unparalleled precision.

Yeah, there is some really good aerial stuff here. Not quite Top Gun caliber, but better than you would expect from a film made in 1980. I read that they were able to secure full cooperation from the Navy, and that kind of access certainly helped in that regard.

I do think it would be a solid candidate for a remake. If someone were able to crack the how/why the ship ends up back in 1941 in some (movie) logical manner and then put the focus on the drama and tension of the should we/should we not intervene (think Crimson Tide), it could be a pretty exciting flick.

 

it was alright. they just rushed to get the goblin in their in the last 20 minutes , too quickly.


Tomorrowland , last night.

 

The Da Vinci Code

 

Cat People, 1982. Yes, I watched Inglourious Basterds recently and its use of this movie's David Bowie theme song inspired me to want to rewatch this. This is an early '80s HBO/Cinemax memory for me. Movies that might not have been hits would be given big exposure on the cover of the monthly guide. I almost can't believe I was allowed to watch this (maybe I was sent to bed), a moody and lurid Paul Schrader film adapted from a couple of movies from the 1940s. The most significant memory I have of this movie is of the The Empire Strikes Back gum a kid bought from the gift shop in the zoo.

 

Tried to watch Peter Jackson's King Kong for the fourth time in my life. I just can't do it. At least not in a single sitting. I just got through the Trex royal rumble and my brain needs a break from green screen overload. This movie just keeps on going and yet it doesn't really seem to go anywhere. How the heck did people sit through this entire thing in cinemas?

 

i actually saw it twice in the theater, which is super rare for me. i still really love it.

 

Speaking of Peter Jackson, a few days ago I saw The Habit: The Battle of Stretching This Book Into Three Movies. I was able to tolerate the first two and even enjoy some things (e.g., Riddles in the Dark), but man, this one has gotta be his absolute lowest point as a filmmaker. I know he likes playing with his toys. He had to know he didn't have enough for a third movie. He had to. Even with his padded scripts. Action action action action action action. And then by the time the battle finally ended I forgot what it was about. And he Saruman'd Smaug. Why didn't ol' Pete put that in the ****ing second movie-- other than he knew he had almost nothing for this middle-finger-wielding cash grab?

When Bilbo got home was nice, though. Which was, what, 5 minutes of the 2.5-hour film?

 

Have you seen the Extended Cut?

 

There's an extended cut? Isn't the theatrical cut like 3 days long already ?

Species (1995) - Great cast (Ben Kingsley, Michael Madsen, Marge Helgenberger, Forest Whittaker, Alfred Molina and Michelle Williams in an early role), but they're wasted in a movie that starts off with some promise, but keeps getting dumber as it goes. Kinda like me. - 5/10

- I feel the need to give a special shout out to Natasha Henstridge. The movie doesn't require much out of her dramatically, but I don't know if I've ever seen a more stunning woman than she is here. That she spends approx. %50 of the movie in a state of undress certainly doesn't hurt matters, but wow. Just... wow.

 

Interstellar. It was ok.

 

Mad Max: Fury Road 10/10

 

no, i haven't seen it since those two theater viewings and maybe that's why i still love it. i don't know. i definitely felt it was long enough, but i really liked the pacing of it. the long build up to the island, and getting to know ann before the special effects extravaganza begins. i thought her character was pretty well written and remarkably performed by naomi watts. her performance was what really sold the movie for me.

 

I have seen the extended cut. I got the EC because I thought that it would be like the EEs for LOTR, since King Kong was the movie that made PJ want to be a director and that there would be an extra 30 or 40 mins of footage. I think there are maybe an extra ten mins in the film if that. All of the extra material is on a separate bonus disc and not actually in the movie,

 

Yeah, I'm also still a fan. I really, really like Watts in the movie and I think Jack Black is surprisingly good. Plus, it was the first time in a long time I'd seen Kyle Chandler in anything and he's great.

One of my main complaints about the trilogy is Smaug. Basically everything with him sucks. It was just a dumb, dumb decision not to end the second film with his death. It's just obviously the end of the second act. I mean, so, so clearly the end of the second act. Especially when we spent like half an hour running around with the dwarves attempting to kill him and, ultimately, failing. I mean, way to waste my ****** time, Jackson. I was heartened, however, to hear a lot of people in my theater burst into derisive laughter at the "What have we done?" cliffhanger. In short, Jackson has ruined the cliffhanger and everyone in that theater knew it.

 

I also liked Jackson's Kong. I was pretty much dragged to it, but I loved the way it built up the characters slowly.

 

Nightcrawler.

Very good movie. Jake Gylenhall (sp?) was great in it. They left it so they could make a sequel but its one of those movies you wish they'd leave alone and not make any sequels.

 

if you think they were setting it up for a sequel you might not have gotten the movie. also possible that it was i who didn't get it.

 

Nightcrawler 2: Still Crawlin'

 

I'm still surprised there hasn't been a Source Code sequel. Or at least a tv series. Badly disfigured humans in vegetative state go on weekly time-jumping crime-solving adventures.