What Movie Did You Just Watch?: The Just-Us League (Vol. 11)

[TheSequelOfDisney]

I've watched so many films since I last posted on here--and I certainly don't remember them all--but here's a partial list:

The Seventh Seal
Throne of Blood
Rashomon
Breathless
The Lady Vanishes
The 39 Steps
Notorious
Cabaret
Funny Girl
Wild Strawberries
The Kid with a Bike
Diabolique
The Devil's Backbone
The Great Dictator
Modern Times
A Night to Remember
The Little Mermaid
Skyfall
Dr. No
8 1/2
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Pride and Prejudice (2005)
Life of Pi
M
The Thin Red Line
Casablanca
Rushmore
The Royal Tenenbaums
Charade
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Albert Nobbs
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Little Miss Sunshine
Cloud Atlas
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Seven Samurai
10 Things I Hate About You
Safety Last!
The Lion King
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

[DVDBuff1]

Man Of Steel (Zack Snyder)

I was skeptical of liking this movie before I saw it, mainly because I’m a fan of Superman that loves the character but really dislikes his movies. But OH MAN, I LOVED this movie! It is The Superman movie I always wanted. Everything about this movie I thought couldn't work DOES WORK. I understand if the violence & destruction may be a little intense for some people, but it didn't bother me at all because it SO works for this film. You know that guy who makes enthusiastic noise over good moments when everyone else is quiet during an event? I was that guy laughing & cheering for the film, that’s how much I LOVED this movie. Amy Adams is officially now my FAVORITE depiction of Lois Lane. Zod is a serious force to be reckoned with, not the joke that pop-culture has satirized him as. The parents in this movie are very touching. The supporting cast is superb. While I have great respect for the late Christopher Reeve, Henry Cavill (IMHO) is by far my favorite Superman. The John Williams theme is iconic, yes, but Hans Zimmer’s score (“Flight” particularly) is my FAVORITE Superman Theme. I HIGHLY recommend you go see this film. You will believe that a man can fly, and he’ll give you hope.

[TheValentineBros]

The Producers (2005).

[dvdjunkie]

The Wacky World of Mother Goose (1964)

Turner Classic Movies showed this film early this morning and it brought back a lot of memories of when Rankin/Bass were the wannabe kings of 2-D hand-drawn animation.

This wacky, funny film featured the voice of Margaret Rutherford as Mother Goose and is highlighted by appearances of Jack & Jill, Simple Simon, Peter Piper and many, many other famous Mother Goose characters.

While the story was very simple, and the film barely runs 80 minutes, it is definitely not boring. My five-year-old grand daughter, Tymber, was wide-eyed and laughing at this wonderful film

Would like to see it released on some sort of video. It is very good for family viewing and is a very entertaining watch.

[TheSequelOfDisney]

I've watched a few more films:

Sunday Bloody Sunday
Lonesome
The Ice Storm

I was considering blind-buying Criterion's versions of these films, but I wanted to make fully sure that I liked them. I have to say, though, that I wasn't too impressed with any of them. I was really looking forward to Lonesome, especially, but was left disappointed; I'm really not a fan of part-talkies, and I think the film would've been much better if it was fully a silent film (although, according to the director, Paul Fejös, he thought the part-talkie was a great medium). I certainly preferred the silent parts of the film. The other two films just dragged on and on and not too much actually happened. In SBS, Bob Elkin ultimately just left and his two lovers were sad (I didn't feel any emotional impact, though). More, I guess you could say, happened in TIS, and it was a bit more captivating than SBS, but I just didn't feel it. I might still pick up Lonesome from Criterion, but I won't bother with the other two.

[TheSequelOfDisney]

Repulsion
12 Angry Men
Pina
Paris, Texas
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

[Dr Frankenollie]

Hitchcock's The Wrong Man (http://onethousandandonemovienights.blo ... eview.html).

[Dr Frankenollie]

We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011): A wholly depressing and simultaneously terrifying film, with an utterly gruesome idea at its heart: the lack of any love between parent and child. However, I think it's a more complex matter than the flashbacks of the anti-heroine Eva (Tilda Swinton) seem to suggest. Monsters aren't real. (http://onethousandandonemovienights.blo ... ed-to.html)

[TheSequelOfDisney]

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)
Black Narcissus
Beasts of the Southern Wild

I highly enjoyed all three of them!

[Dr Frankenollie]

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)

How does it compare to the 1956 remake with Doris Day and James Stewart? I've only watched that version, and found it quite entertaining, with a superb suspense set-piece in the Royal Albert Hall at the end.

I've watched The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Before watching, I had uncertain expectations. On the one hand, it appeared somewhat to be a film of pseudo-intellectual, liberal corniness. On the other, Ezra Miller was in it, and I couldn't help but be a little intrigued. I expected it to be moderately good at best. It was more than that. I bloody cried. It's a film that works on two levels: it offers guidance, inspiration and hope to lonely, introverted teenagers; while it's also nostalgia-inducing. And as I am at a point where I no longer have just "started" the worst of school and have gone through some of the worst of it, yet I'm still somewhat in the middle of it, still in the period of awkward and uncertain self-discovery, Perks manages to operate on both those levels for me. I remember being Charlie, whilst he is still someone to learn from. Aside from that, the soundtrack is absolutely wonderful, (Bowie is extremely important in making the tunnel scenes have the impact they do). Although the crucial line in the first of those sequences is quite simple, it's heart-breaking and uplifting simultaneously. It makes me think of mortality, and exuberant joy in experience, and living through others, and it also gives me something more indescribable. A pain at the back of the eyes and wetness at their front. A lump in the throat and an ache in the stomach. Inspiration to actually do something in life and live, and find people.

It's a film which is, from an objective viewpoint, generally mediocre fare. Yet from a subjective perspective, the perfect assembly of certain effective elements - great music, certain themes, the celebration of queerness and diversity (exemplified by the Rocky Horror scenes) and little things like the fact that Charlie doesn't push Patrick away when he kisses him and instead hugs him - makes it a film that I found utterly beautiful.

[TheSequelOfDisney]

How does it compare to the 1956 remake with Doris Day and James Stewart? I've only watched that version, and found it quite entertaining, with a superb suspense set-piece in the Royal Albert Hall at the end.

I've yet to watch Hitch's remake, so I have no idea how it compares. I do mean to watch it soon, though. I've heard that the ending is changed quite a bit (and a few other random tidbits from the commentary on Criterion's release of the original film). I'll certainly let you know my thoughts once I've seen the film!

[TheValentineBros]

Monsters University.

[Maerj]

Man Of Steel (Zack Snyder)

I was skeptical of liking this movie before I saw it, mainly because I’m a fan of Superman that loves the character but really dislikes his movies. But OH MAN, I LOVED this movie! It is The Superman movie I always wanted. Everything about this movie I thought couldn't work DOES WORK. I understand if the violence & destruction may be a little intense for some people, but it didn't bother me at all because it SO works for this film. You know that guy who makes enthusiastic noise over good moments when everyone else is quiet during an event? I was that guy laughing & cheering for the film, that’s how much I LOVED this movie. Amy Adams is officially now my FAVORITE depiction of Lois Lane. Zod is a serious force to be reckoned with, not the joke that pop-culture has satirized him as. The parents in this movie are very touching. The supporting cast is superb. While I have great respect for the late Christopher Reeve, Henry Cavill (IMHO) is by far my favorite Superman. The John Williams theme is iconic, yes, but Hans Zimmer’s score (“Flight” particularly) is my FAVORITE Superman Theme. I HIGHLY recommend you go see this film. You will believe that a man can fly, and he’ll give you hope.

Agreed!

[TheSequelOfDisney]

Repulsion (with commentary)
The Man Who Knew Too Much (with commentary)
Much Ado About Nothing (2012)
The Help
Looper

[disneyboy20022]

101 Dalmatians (The animated one)

My girlfriend had never seen it until today

[PeterPanfan]

I saw The Bling Ring last night and pretty much loved it. I was expecting to enjoy it before my viewing, and I'm slightly biased since I'm a fan of Emma Watson and Sofia Coppola, but it was still very good!

[TheSequelOfDisney]

Band of Outsiders
To Catch a Thief
The Tree of Life
The Last Temptation of Christ
Rosemary’s Baby
Repo Man
Fish Tank
The Virgin Spring
My Life as a Dog
Antichrist

[TheSequelOfDisney]

Spellbound
Saboteur
Tiny Furniture
Creative Nonfiction
Beauty and the Beast (1946)
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Cronos
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
Eating Raoul
Dial M for Murder
The Phantom Carriage
Blow Out
Autumn Sonata
Tangled
Cul-De-Sac
Dr. Jack
Vivre sa Vie

To Dr. Frankenollie
As for the 1956 version of The Man Who Knew Too Much, I think that it is rather good, though I prefer the original 30s version better. Doris Day is actually quite great in the role, but, for some reason, James Stewart seemed out of place; I kind of wanted Cary Grant in the role (I prefer Grant over Stewart, to be honest) instead of Stewart. The 50s version seemed a tad bloated, and not just because there is an additional 45 minutes of content. The '34 version is very streamlined and doesn't involve any extra fluff--it gets right down to it--whereas the '56 version adds a lot of "set up." I feel like there was some sort of need to visually show Morocco, and so there was quite a bit of unnecessary parts of the film illustrating how close the McKenna family is to one another; in the original version, we get a few nice moments in the Swiss Alps and there isn't any need to watch street performers or peruse the outdoor marketplace (which occurs in the '56 version). The story seems much more focused in the '34 version, even though it could be considered that it is less elaborate (but being elaborate doesn't necessarily mean it's a good movie; I mean, hey, look at Dumbo!). Peter Lorre also really shines in the original film; again, while I really enjoyed Doris Day's performance, both acting and singing (Que Sera, Sera is certainly still in my head), I much rather prefer the '34 cast. The climaxes of the two films are also different, though both great; while there is an old-fashioned shootout in the '34 film, which is great fun, it is still effective when Dr. McKenna goes and finds his son while Jo Conway/McKenna is distracting the residents through song. I don't know if any of that made any sense, but both films do have some good points, I just prefer the original film.

[TheSequelOfDisney]

Weekend (1967)
My Own Private Idaho
The Godfather
Mulholland Drive

[TheSequelOfDisney]

Stoker - I had no idea what this film was about before I saw it. I knew that it had some actors that I truly love (Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, and Nicole Kidman), and so I knew I needed to see it. I was kind of blown away, actually. The sound was amazing (which is should be considering that India and Charlie can hear things others cannot), and the cinematography was pretty cool, too. The performances were great, as well; there wasn't a single actor who I thought performed poorly. I might need to get this on Blu-ray sometime in the future.

Gomorrah - I decided to watch Gomorrah because Criterion released it. I knew that it was about an Italian mafia/mob, and so I had a little insight when I started watching it (especially since I recently watched The Godfather). The film was pretty decent; unlike The Godfather, I felt like this film took away the "glamor" of being in a mob and actually portrayed the cut-throat and dangerous activities of a mob in a more disturbing and authentic light. It's certainly a less polished and more gritty (and, to me, interesting) depiction of what the mob/mafia can and will do. I have to say that I prefer this film over The Godfather (just my opinion).

Foreign Correspondent - Another Hitchcock film ! This was part of Criterion's 101 Days of Summer on Hulu a few days ago, and I knew I needed to watch it. What a thrilling ride! The action sequences are fantastic, as always, and I absolutely loved how Hitch did the plane crash. Another steller Hitchcock film, and certainly a must see. This came out the same year as Rebecca, and even though it's been awhile since I've seen that film, I, right now, prefer Foreign Correspondent.

The Gold Rush (1925) - This is the third Chaplin film I've seen, and it's my favorite (narrowly beating out Modern Times); it's just classic Chaplin: wonderful slapstick comedy and a satisfying ending. The effects weren't too shabby, too, considering that the film was released in 1925. I've yet to see the reworked '40s version (which takes out the inter-titles, adds narration, and removes/switches around scenes), but it'll be interesting to see what the changes are. It's a perfectly fun Chaplin film.