Amph What was the last movie you saw? (Ver. 2)

There can be only one Jennifer*



*per space-time continuum. Some exceptions may apply

 

That goes along with the old idea of how using the Black Arts weakens one's life force, like Prince Koura in "Golden Voyage of Sinbad".

 

You can keep either Jennifer you choose. Just let me have Marty's mom

 

That was done beautifully in Golden Voyage... too. My fave Harryhausen movie too.

 

In Excalibur, too.

 

The Changeling

Outside of The Others this is probably my favorite haunted house film. The atmosphere is gloriously gloomy and George C. Scott as usual absolutely nails his role as a grieving widower. For horror fans who enjoy more "subtle" ghost flicks, I would definitely check it out.

 

That sounds good! I've never seen it. George C. Scott is a great actor.

And thanks for reminding me, gonna rewatch The Others again soon; that movie is so good and gets even better on multiple viewings. Nicole Kidman is awesome.

 

The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Brand

A young Kurt Russell is in the movie as one of the children.

 

Joan of Arc (1999)
This miniseries has its problems, but the story of Joan is so moving that even a flawed telling is still powerful. An all-star cast with Peter O'Toole, Shirley Maclaine, Jacqueline Bisset, Olympia Dukakis, and Robert Loggia are all worth watching even when their material isn't great.

 

Here Come The Huggetts (1948) starring Jack Warner, Diana Dors, Kathleen Harrison, Petula Clark cherrypicked from middling sized role. Directed by Ken Annakin. Yes, this is the Annakin about whom various stories revolve regarding Lucas' naming his character, Anakin Skywalker, after due to friendship or possibly mentoring. I do not know the answer regarding the naming, but I do know that this movie entertained with its view of 1948's post-war family, the Huggetts, dwelling in a "semi" (semi-detached home, which means "duplex" to me with two separate living spaces sharing one wall) as they deal with life. Dad is a steady sort, supervising the workers in a sweets factory; Mum is a harried homemaker doing her best to wait through lines to get food each marketing day; and their three daughters' characters are named handily after their RL names: Pet(ula), Susan (Shaw) and Jane (Hylton). This is part of a series, of which I've only seen this entry.

Petula sparkles here [at age 16, playing 12], singing a sprightly song about walking backwards and being cheery because of that. Her parents' marriage is shaky, she fears, because Cousin Diana (Dors) [age 17, playing 30] ankles in to stay with the family because she "can't live on her own" while her mum is in hospital. Dad Jack Warner's jaw drops because "she's grown a lot since I last saw her!!" and he agrees to shelter her, get her a job and put up with her sexpot ways. "Luscious" is the word that sprang to mind upon seeing her for the first time; I'd not watched any of her other films. She was great! Knew the part, played the part, and lived the part for all I know. She was awfully cute and even though she played the field in the movie, she "wasn't really bad"although not the angel that her released-from-hospital mum stresses at film's end. There's more to the plot about Mum getting "under the table" goodies to eat that the store's meager shelves don't hold, "almost black market" according to idealistic Pet. There's also Jane's upcoming marriage to a young airman returning from service. Jane can't quite recall what he looks like but she's determined to be married to "someone I've known since age six", only ... she keeps locking herself in the bathroom as the wedding day draws near.

Speaking of Dors doors, the clip below shows a bit of the home's ultra-compact layout, but why are the doorknobs chest high? Moving beyond that, the royal wedding of Elizabeth and Philip plays a large part in the story, as does the installation of a phone in the home. Mum Kathleen Harrison despairs of using it properly because "I'm afraid it might go off!" and sure enough, the first time it rings she heads into a most amusing tizzy. Her remark reminded me of the multitude of unexploded bombs yet to be disposed of in 1948 ... A last detail is the family car, a 1938 Ford Prefect tourer, another marvel of compact design. All in all, a charming slice of life film exquisitely portraying time and place. I'd watch another in the series.

 

This was common in houses back then, I'm not sure why .

Midway .
2019

er - yeah , it's Roland Emmerich so it's pretty awful. All the dialogue is cliches , and the acting even worse , I'd say the characters are the usual stereotypes but they're not even that interesting.
We get lines like : "That's the bravest thing I ever saw! What's your name son?" We get a Maverick type hot-shot, we get aircraft carriers that can steer out of the way of a falling bomb .
And all the time I'm thinking , I've seen this movie before , in fact I'm sure Emmerich has made it 3 times before. .

 

I've just now thought of a reason, probably not the one the home's designers conceived, but still : it's excellent babyproofing! A toddler couldn't reach the doorknob and by the time the child grew to appropriate height to operate it, there is way more reasonable behavior. One would hope.

 

Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019)
Pika pika.

 

But are the explosions pretty?

 

Probably not since it wasn't directed by Michael Bay.

 

Yi Yi. This Taiwanese film is about a family . . . and, well, that’s kinda it. A lot happens over the course of three hours, but it’s not really about any plotline . . . it’s very slice-of-life. It’s a beautiful movie, very well composed and keenly observed. The characters are about as grounded, human, and relatable as you’ll find anywhere in film. There’s an adorable little boy who’s not only well acted — he’s well written, probably the best, most natural portrayal of young childhood I’ve seen on the screen, not all precociously Hollywooded up, yet still capable of holding down his own potent scenes. What kept coming to mind throughout the movie was Hemingway and his idea of writing being “true” — of having the quality of real life and being honest and direct, having this sort of pure connection between the author, the subject, the emotion, the experience, the reader. This is one of the truest films I’ve seen. It’s a tremendous work, and I will have to keep an eye out for more of Edward Yang’s work.

 

Pete's Dragon (1977)

 

Excalibur (1981)
It's still my favorite film version of the Arthur/Camelot story. I tend to notice the background characters more on repeat viewings, Sir Kay stood out this time, he makes a relatable good brother/regular guy kind of character. I like Percival better every time I see him. Liam Neeson seems to be playing Sir Gawain as half-drunk. Patrick Stewart looks like he has a blast running around in plate armor, riding horses, and wacking people with a battle axe. I wish Merlin would tone down the histrionics just a little.

 

It's mine, as well. I admired the shiny outward look of everything. The real darkness came from betrayal of Arthur by his queen and son; there's no way around that in the story. Merlin felt otherworldly and yeah, demonic in the actor's portrayal. I had to watch the film more than once to notice the music, so carried along I was!

 

The Gentlemen 2020

This is a Guy Ritchie film and this one is full of his favorite tropes , Cockney gangsters, posh boys , monologues , swearing , farcical plots . The story is told in flashbacks mostly by a rather camp and sleazy journo played well by Hugh Grant (I'm pretty sure he was channeling some of the hacks he encountered duting the "Hacked-Off" saga, and then of course we get bits of story told by others , with lots of talk about tailoring and movie culture etc.

Guy Ritchie has quite a bit in common with Tarantino , but I think Tarantino has grown more as a filmmaker and has a bit more to say .

 

Chronicles of Riddick on in the background while painting 40k models

 

The Magic Sword (1962)
Gary Lockwood is laughable as St George; he was much better in 2001. Estelle Winwood is pure camp as a silly sorceress. Basil Rathbone goes big as the evil mastermind. All in all, it's all that you'd expect from an old school Saturday afternoon matinee movie. I probably would have quit watching if they hadn't brought in some luscious young princesses in form-fitting gowns.

 

I loved this film. Yang takes his time but the film is never boring. His work with children is terrific and he gets laughs and pathos without resorting to saccharine. Its hard to believe this film is already 20 years old and unfortunately its Yang's final film. I wish more of Edward Wang's films were available. TCM has played A Brighter Summer Day but I've had difficulty finding more of his work.

Excalibur is also my favorite Arthur film (Monty Python doesn't count). I recommend the director commentary, you get to find out that the film is really punching above its weight in terms of budget. However the acting and visuals more than make up for it. I remember back when it was released and it helped usher in a wave of sword & sorcery films in the early 80s.

 

You should watch the MSTed version.