last movie you watched

[MikeFromHolland]

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Great postings last week, great to read and view them this Sunday morning. Thanks for the share!!

Besides The Virgin Suicides, with the lovely Kirsten Duns in one of her earliest roles, I haven't watched any movies last week. But much to my surprise I discovered the Tv-series Mr. Mercedes yesterday on "Videoland", another streamingservice we have a familymembership to.

A few years ago I read the trilogy of Stephen King books that kicked off with Mr. Mercedes, so it was a big pleasure to see them now as a series. I only watched episode 1 (the pilot) thus far, but it looks very promising, with a fantastic cast. I also saw that there are two seasons already, so maybe the other two books find their place in this series as well...

If I remember well, the book Mr. Mercedes came out before the series of attacks around the world started with cars driving into groups of innocent people. I always wondered if the book inspired those lunaticks...

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[goldbelt]

Since there are a few members that enjoy Bronson movies, what do you make of this new movie, Death Kiss (2018), out first digitally in October it seems and on DVD in December, starring an actor with more than a slight resemblance to Charlie.

Be interested in your comments.


Death Kiss (2018)

More info and a trailer --> https://www.slashfilm.com/death-kiss-trailer/

[goldbelt]

Since there are a few members that enjoy Bronson movies, what do you make of this new movie, Death Kiss (2018), out first digitally in October it seems and on DVD in December, starring an actor with more than a slight resemblance to Charlie.

Be interested in your comments.


Death Kiss (2018)

More info and a trailer --> https://www.slashfilm.com/death-kiss-trailer/

It does look like a bit of an oddity and seems more like a homage than a pastiche or lampooning Bronson, Death Wish and films of the era. The trailer is certainly well-paced and put together.

Despite this film's apparent low budget, there seems to be enough in the trailer to make the film somewhat intriguing.

[MikeFromHolland]

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Watched the amazingly funny and beautifully made French movie from 2009 "Mic Mac's á Tire-Larigot" and what a pleasantly surprise this movie was. Very original, fantastic colors and full of innovative findings. Despite all the funny stuff the plot has a very serious undertone that makes you think twice again about the absurdity of the weapon industry as a whole, and the influence it has around the globe. I would rate this movie an 8 out of 10.


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Avid movie-watcher and video store clerk Bazil has had his life all but ruined by weapons of war. His father was killed by a landmine in Morocco and one fateful night a stray bullet from a nearby shootout embeds itself in his skull, leaving him on the verge of instantaneous death. Losing his job and his home, Bazil wanders the streets until he meets Slammer, a pardoned convict who introduces him to a band of eccentric junkyard dealers including Calculator, a math expert and statistician, Buster, a record-holder in human cannonball feats, Tiny Pete, an artistic craftsman of automatons, and Elastic Girl, a sassy contortionist. When chance reveals to Bazil the two weapons manufacturers responsible for building the instruments of his destruction, he constructs a complex scheme for revenge that his newfound family is all too happy to help set in motion.

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[MikeFromHolland]

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Watched the German movie "Unter Dir Die Stadt" (The City Below) from 2010 last night, and though the review on IMDB is negative, I really enjoyed this movie with its very intruiging characters. They're underacting, it's subtility is what I like, uncluding the absurdity of the erotic relationship which develops between the young Svenja and the older top banker Roland who is a master in manipulation.

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Steve recently moved to Frankfurt for work. His wife is a stranger in the new city, bored and vulnerable. She meets her husband's boss who is going through some big events in his life as well. They start to have an affair...

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[jetblack]

I can't wait to see 'A Star Is Born'.

Thanks for the excellent review Hugh.



Andy

[r&b]

Not a movie but I caught on cable last night an Alfred Hitchcock episode from Feb 1962, The Woman Who Wanted To Live. I bring this up because it starred Charles Bronson and Lola Albright who of course starred in Kid Galahad also in 1962. I did not realize they had worked together apart from the Elvis film in the same year. I have always liked Lola from her late 50's Peter Gunn days. I feel she doesnt get mentioned enough when talking about Elvis co-stars. A beautiful, sexy woman, who was perfect for film noir type roles.

[r&b]

Not a movie but I caught on cable last night an Alfred Hitchcock episode from Feb 1962, The Woman Who Wanted To Live. I bring this up because it starred Charles Bronson and Lola Albright who of course starred in Kid Galahad also in 1962. I did not realize they had worked together apart from the Elvis film in the same year. I have always liked Lola from her late 50's Peter Gunn days. I feel she doesnt get mentioned enough when talking about Elvis co-stars. A beautiful, sexy woman, who was perfect for film noir type roles.

I'm very fond of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, r&b. And Lola Albright was certainly a good actress. Elvis worked with a lot of talented people over the years.

Me too and have the seasons that are available on DVD. I think this was season 7 which they did not put out. Its certainly interesting they way they play off each other. In the back of my mind, I'm thinking Kid Galahad lol. Anwway, if you get a chance to see it, I think you will be entertained. A plot twist in the ending as usual.

[Mister Mike]

Just came back from A STAR IS BORN and I was blown away. Great performances by both Bradley Cooper and, of course, Lady Gaga. It takes a few minutes to get around that you're watching Lady Gaga, but she soon manages to make you forget by pulling you into her on-screen character. Those were $10 well spent, I must say. It'll be in my collection when released on blu-ray.

[MikeFromHolland]

I saw Venom and A Star is Born at the cinema today. The former is the latest film from Marvel studios, although it isn't linked to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which could happen in future ventures for this character.

Directed by Ruben Fleischer and starring Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, Michelle Williams as his love interest and Riz Ahmed as Carlton Drake, an unscrupulous scientist with unlimited resources. Venom is essentially an origins story. Beginning with a spacecraft crashing back to earth and unleashing a symbiotic alien creature into the world.

The mission, funded by Carlton, was intended to bring alien samples back to earth. Two of which survived. But his intentions aren't wholesome, despite his image. And this is something Brock, an investigative reporter, gets wind of through hacking into his fiance’s computer. Williams’ character being employed by a company that works for Carlton.

On paper, and with some consideration, Hardy doesn't seem to be the right fit for Brock or this film in many ways. Although working with Williams and Ahmed was always going to be promising. But Venom never really finds the right tone or pacing -- not just in the direction and writing, but the performances. Which simply aren't engaging. Although Williams is saddled with an underwritten part and Ahmed’s role is two dimensional at best. And if Riz isn't quite risible, he brings very little to his character.

Hardy, however, is clearly trying to do something interesting here, and his performance is full of ticks and nervous qualities, making Brock seem strung out in a sense when he's infected by the symbiote, Venom. It calls itself Venom, incidentally. And is cognizant of who and what it is. Which lands with a thud.

In some respects, Venom is very much akin to The Mask, although its irreverent sense of humour and broader tone stems from the success of Deadpool. But it isn't nearly as sharp, witty or funny. On the contrary, the comedy is badly misjudged.

Unusually, there's also a Cronenbergian body horror element here, which could have been mined even further in a more focused film. Which isn't to say that certain elements of Venom don't work. I liked the design of Venom, itself, and using San Francisco works well as a setting. But there's simply too much askew here -- from a narrative that lacks a better story at its core, to the clunky repartee between Brock and Venom, plus a banal climax that incorporates intergalactic politics and Venom finding a change of heart that doesn't ring true whatsoever.

Directed and produced by Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born certainly became a passion project for him, taking ownership from Clint Eastwood, who couldn't get beyond casting issues in the film's development. Cooper was attached to Clint’s film and the story struck a chord with him, encouraging a move to producer and director, with Clint’s blessing. Along with playing the male lead, Jackson Maine.

A Star is Born would certainly have been a different film in Clint’s hands, which is stating the obvious, of course, but from a musical perspective, it would have been something else entirely. And whilst the casting would have played a major part in that, here, Cooper found a co-star and a creative partner in Lady Gaga, that encouraged new qualities from them both.

What's immediately striking in A Star is Born is the sound mixing. The film begins with Jackson Maine on stage, Cooper wholly immersed in the role and performance, but the sound is magnificent. Loud and to the fore. Cooper opting for a documentary style in his direction. Taking the camera and the audience on stage with him. It's a captivating opening scene.

By contrast, we're first introduced to Lady Gaga’s Ally, breaking up with her boyfriend on the phone, doing so in the privacy of a toilet cubicle. She emerges. Looks at herself in the mirror. Screams that she hates men and then proceeds to her day job.

Ally, in comparison to Judy Garland’s Vicki Lester or Barbra Streisand’s Esther Hoffman, isn't a wallflower or an ingenue. She's had tough luck. Knows the breaks. But she's a fighter. And she's a performer, with her audience being drag queens in a club that Maine stumbles into post-concert when he's desperate for a drink.

It's here that we see how much Lady Gaga’s own personality and musical persona informs Ally. Which works, with her performance of La Vie En Rose captivating Maine, who is invited backstage. Cooper, playing bewildered, drunk, but on a charm offensive, has real chemistry with Gaga. Who fits her role like a glove.

Cooper, on the other hand, creates something new. Channeling Sam Elliott, who plays his brother, Jackson Maine is revealed to be a warm, affectionate, curious and talented man. And it's easy to get on his side. And through his eyes we see the possibilities Ally has.

The story of A Star is Born is very familiar, of course, although I won't reveal any spoilers for the sake of anyone who hasn't seen the previous films. But there's new beats here, with original music from a deep pool of talent, including Lukas Nelson and Jason Isbell, not to mention Gaga, herself. And Cooper, who sings and is compelling in doing so.

Maine and Ally are superbly realised, well-written characters whose stories intersect through chance, creating a star on the rise and another about to fall. But it’s their meeting and the development of a relationship built on the same love of music that creates a solid foundation here. Because much of the film is familiar. Using Streisand’s 1976 version as the template, but reaching in other ways. Some of which are foreshadowed early on.

The music is superb, I might add, and the immediacy in Cooper’s documentary-style approach works brilliantly throughout. And when Gaga sings, it's electric. Doing so without pretence or trying to conceal her talent for the sake of a character. She knows what she has. So does the audience. And it's thrilling to see. However, the character of Ally is always front and centre and is never lost or mistaken for the actor playing her.

The film's second act moves in ways that require an ascension on Ally’s part to move to the forefront of the narrative. Which does feel functional in some ways, as she goes from a guest spot on stage with Maine to appearing regularly on stage, courting the interest of a weaselly manager and cutting her first record.

Fame ensues, of course. With her proud father, whom Ally takes care of in almost a reversal of roles, boasting about YouTube views whilst keeping a running joke about him being a better singer than Frank Sinatra going throughout the film. Although a Grammy tribute to Roy Orbison, which Maine is a part of, seems quite obscure in its inclusion.

Ultimately, A Star is Born is a solid directorial debut from Cooper, who rarely sets a foot wrong. Gaga is splendid in a breakthrough performance that finds her able from a dramatic perspective, which she bolsters with her musicality. Although Cooper does misjudge the film's final scene, using flashbacks, which break the spell and undermine a performance that should say all it has to. Put this down to a lack of confidence on his part. But kudos to him and Lady Gaga for what's surely the best dramatic musical film since El Cantante in 2006.

It will be interesting to see what Gaga does next - her album with Tony Bennett appreciated - but Cooper has shown real promise as a director here. Whilst delivering a richly layered, nuanced performance that shows another facet of his talents. A Star is Born is a fine film.

Superb review, thanks! Will watch both in the cinema as well. Venom with my son, despite of your somewhat dissapointed experience, and A Star Is Born with my wife and daughter. Looking forward...

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[Mister Mike]

Went to see FIRST MAN yesterday. Enjoyed it a lot. You know a movie is well made when, although you know the story and how it ends, you still find yourself immersed in the story presented on screen. Ryan Gosling is excellent in the role of Neil Armstrong. The movie is as much about his journey to the moon as it is about how his struggles to cope with the death of his daughter affected both his professional and personal lives. My only complaint would be the ending of the movie which kinda leaves you thinking «what? That's it? That's how it end?» I would have liked if they would have at least added some text telling us what happened beyond the movie. But that's just me.

[ForeverElvis]

My Saturday night at the movies goes way back, I watched “The Dawn Patrol” (1938) starring Errol Flynn, David Niven and Basil Rathbone.

Story of WW1 pilots and their commanders. Flynn delivers one of his finest performances and Niven is fun to watch.

Story is straightforward - commanding officer Rathbone sinks deeper into despair, with every mission he orders his men to their deaths. The replacements get younger and younger with less and less flying hours they are certain to die first, something Flynn holds against Rathbone.

Eventually Flynn takes on the burden of command and begins to fully realize what Rathbone was going thru.

For its time, good aerial sequences particularly the final bombing run in the climax with the explosion debris coming up at the camera.

As with all older films the acting style is often very theatrical (Rathbone) but it’s something you accept when watching older films. Flynn is charismatic.

Many of the flying sequences are lifted from the 1930 original “Dawn Patrol”.



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[Walter Hale 4]

Of late i been searching, and finding, the american made-for-television films that were happening throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Especially loved this one. Anyone here seen this

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[Walter Hale 4]

Another high drama 70s gem here -

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[Walter Hale 4]

and this -

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[Mister Mike]

Rented SKYSCRAPER Friday. It's pretty much DIE HARD 2.0. Typical action movie that is enjoyed if you turn off your brain and don't ask too many questions about the plot. Personally, I'll enjoy any movie with Neve Campbell...

[Elvis2000]

Just watched it... and... it was solid from start to finish.

There is one main issue (for me), mainly in the middle of the film, time jumps around in a weird way. For instance, who knew Queen played in Rio in 1976 with Fat Bottomed Girls in their set? Or recorded We Will Rock You in 1980? No one? Well... they didn't. But once you see the film you'll understand, sort of, why the Rio scene was done.
I think the main focus was on the beginning of the band and all of the things leading up to their Live Aid performance. And it focused very well on what it needed to focus on (Beginnings and Live Aid).

[ForeverElvis]

Rented SKYSCRAPER Friday. It's pretty much DIE HARD 2.0. Typical action movie that is enjoyed if you turn off your brain and don't ask too many questions about the plot. Personally, I'll enjoy any movie with Neve Campbell...

Saw this on the theatre this past Summer. I was born in Vancouver, the city it was filmed in. I must say I preferred Johnson’s other 2018 pic “Rampage” more than this, 2017’s “San Andreas” was the best of the three.

Skyscraper was average at best. I checked my brain at the door ( I was even given a claim check tag) and yet I still couldn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted. There was just way too many sequences and shots where you say to yourself “absolutely no one could survive that jump, fall, accident etc.

Also, the fire sequences inside - where was the smoke? With the intensity and largess of some of the flames, a human would be a briscuit from the heat. Way too much CGI Fire and not enough CGI smoke.

Performances and effects were ok, the story setup excellent, but the payoff sputtered.

And even worse I lost my claim check and couldn’t get my brain back - I got lost going home!


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[MikeFromHolland]

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It's always a pleasure to read your insightful reviews, Greystoke. I may not have time to contribute coming months, but it's a joy to keep up to date thanks to you.



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[Mister Mike]

Loved it (and I don't feel the need to question my masculinity, damn it! ) Just an all-around feel good movie that has you smiling long after it ends and humming ABBA songs for even longer. Probably better than the first one, but I love 'em both.

[jurasic1968]

A Star is Born (2018). Bradley Cooper was very good in the role, maybe better than Kris Kristofferson. But Lady Gaga was far away from Barbra Streissand in acting. So to me, the 1976 movie was far better.

[goldbelt]

Not a movie but I caught on cable last night an Alfred Hitchcock episode from Feb 1962, The Woman Who Wanted To Live. I bring this up because it starred Charles Bronson and Lola Albright who of course starred in Kid Galahad also in 1962. I did not realize they had worked together apart from the Elvis film in the same year. I have always liked Lola from her late 50's Peter Gunn days. I feel she doesnt get mentioned enough when talking about Elvis co-stars. A beautiful, sexy woman, who was perfect for film noir type roles.

I'm very fond of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, r&b. And Lola Albright was certainly a good actress. Elvis worked with a lot of talented people over the years.

Me too and have the seasons that are available on DVD. I think this was season 7 which they did not put out. Its certainly interesting they way they play off each other. In the back of my mind, I'm thinking Kid Galahad lol. Anwway, if you get a chance to see it, I think you will be entertained. A plot twist in the ending as usual.

I've seen it, r&b. It's a good episode. I have the DVDs, too. And The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

I have been checking out a number of Bronson's earlier roles, including the tv work. Not really a fan of AH Presents, but that episode with Lola Albright was very good, other than the predictable finale that was telegraphed from early on into the show. It was much more interesting than Bronson's other roles in two of the 50's episodes of the show, which were well acted but not very good episodes at all story wise.

Other Bronson tv appearances I have checked out recently include episodes of Yancy Derringer - pretty good episode, even though again he's in a bad guy type role, The Big Valley - ok but Bronson underused in that one, and an episode of The Twilight Zone called 'Two' staring just Charlie and Elizabeth Montgomery which was also interesting enough, not really a big fan of Twilight Zone either.

Then there was the movie Machine Gun Kelly, and whilst Charlie was good in it, I don't rate the film very highly, and much prefer Bronson getting rid of the bad guys than playing one anyway.

Bronson.jpg

The Twilight Zone

[Rob]

Went to the Drive-in last weekend and saw A Star Is Born (2018) and Halloween (2018).

The first one made me cry and the second one made me hide under the blanket.

[Scarre]

Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets. Production costs almost 200 million euros...and yet, it sucked. Luc Besson is not what he has been.

[jurasic1968]

Greystoke, I understand your point of view. Barbra was not a naive young singer in 1976. far from it. And maybe you're right that the 1954 version was the best of all. How great was Judy Garland in the role. Absolutely fantastic. But I still wonder for the 100'th time how Elvis could be in the role in 1976 instead of Kris. I think he could act better than Kris and maybe the script could be different. I liked a lot Bradley Cooper in the 2018 movie. To me he was more convincing than Kris.