Miscellaneous Film/TV Discussion

[JeanGreyForever]

I haven't seen Baby Driver yet although I was interested in doing so because Lily James was in it. I might think otherwise now that I've heard her role wasn't particularly unique. In Darkest Hour, to be honest, I thought she'd have a bigger role as the secretary since they introduce her early on but it always felt like she was just there and didn't have much more to do. I hope Rebecca puts her back on the map. And yes, Churchill gets touted as this paragon of brilliance all the time but he's really quite problematic.

Baby Driver's still a fun movie, and the rest of the cast is pretty good (including, unfortunately, Kevin Spacey), but Lily's role isn't the best.

I do agree that her role in Darkest Hour was less substantial than I hoped for, but I thought that she did quite well with her material. I probably would've liked it better if the film was more upfront with Churchill's problematic tendencies, but that doesn't really happen.

I'm glad to hear you praise Amadeus so I should definitely check it out then since you and Duster liked it so much. I agree that sticking too close to historical accuracy can often be at the detriment of a film but sometimes it is a bit disappointing when you like the movie's version of events so much and realize it probably wasn't anything that interesting in real life. I'm interested in Animal House now to see what's so problematic about it.

That's a fair point. I do often believe that fact is more interesting than fiction, but I like a good story and character, even if you twist things. The writing is strong enough in Amadeus that I give it the benefit of the doubt.

As for Animal House

Tom Hulce's character has a subplot where a girl he meets at a party blacks out naked, and he has a literal angel and devil moment where he tries to decide if he should rape her... He doesn't, and drops her off still naked at her father's place. They later meet up and do have sex, only to find out that she's 13... yeah...

I love gothic pictures and gothic romance books in general so it's a surprise I haven't seen Rebecca as of yet. I honestly haven't seen too many Hitchcock films but my personal favorite is Lifeboat. It's a really enjoyable movie and one of the few film credits that Tallulah Bankhead had (she's the inspiration for Cruella De Vil and Bette Davis' Margo Channing in All About Eve).

That's a pretty good one, and I recall her being quite good. That also has one of my favorite Hitchcock cameos, where he appears photographed in the newspaper.

I hope you enjoy The Flower Drum Song. I wish I still had TCM because I haven't been able to watch many old movies ever since our TV service lost it as a channel.

Thanks, it was alright. I wasn't a big fan of the extended dance numbers, nor is it my favorite score by Rodgers and Hammerstein, but I had some fun with it, primarily in the first half.

I haven't written about it yet, but I usually write about what I watch on my letterboxd, if you wanna check it out. I hope to write a little more about it tomorrow.

I forgot Kevin Spacey was in the movie. I shouldn't laugh but his last few social media posts have shown that he's absolutely delusional (amongst other things).

Churchill is one of those people who history likes to paint in only one untarnished look so I can't imagine a mainstream Hollywood film portraying the truth about him anytime soon. We'll see though. I've heard Gandhi is similarly problematic.

Wow, Animal House sounds...definitely dated and problematic to say the least. That wouldn't fly at all today and for good reason. I wonder what Tom Hulce felt about it.

I remember that Hitchcock cameo now as well. I think it was a difficult one because pretty much the only people pictured in that film are the ones in the boat.

I'm not a huge Rodgers and Hammerstein fan myself. Thanks for the link, I'll be sure to check it out!

[Disney's Divinity]

For as gorgeous as I find Lily James, I haven't seen her in much either. Besides Cinderella, I've seen her in Baby Driver and Darkest Hour. I much prefer the former to the latter- Edgar Wright's a lot of fun, and he kept the momentum going epically fast. But I think she was better in the latter. Her role in Baby Driver is kind of thankless, your average two-dimensional love interest for the more developed male lead, while I thought she was actually quite good as Churchill's secretary in Darkest Hour. Frankly, I liked her better than Gary Oldman's Churchill, who I thought was actually more weird than impressive. Churchill also being a massive racist didn't improve my thoughts on the film...

I’ve actually seen her in several things. Darkest Hour was one, Mamma Mia's sequel was another, and Yesterday. Actually, the only time I’ve really liked her in anything so far was her second season of Downton Abbey. I thought she was bland in her first season, but she became more likable as she went along. She seems nice, I just don't find her to be that good of an actress. *shrug*

[Disney Duster]

Oh, Avaitor and JeanGreyForever, I forgot I saw Lily James in Baby Driver! I actually really liked her in that, and while she was good, it's the whole movie that is really, really awesome so I highly recommend it!

I learned from two Youtube videos about how historically accurate Amadeus is. I highly recommend them, they were History Buffs and Nostalgia Critic's. I know many people think badly of Doug Walker, but I do not know if any of it is for true reasons, so I still recommend his stuff. Anyway, Doug Walker even suggests that, since Amadeus is told through Salieri's eyes, and he had dementia and claimed he killed Mozart, maybe that is why the film is not completely true to life.

I want to see Animal House because I heard it was a cult classic. Many films have problems but they are still classics as we discussed about Flower Drum Song before. It's all about historical context.

Thanks for the Rebecca recommendation! Oh, but I have a question:

I also feel that Rodgers and Hammerstein's works never translate as well being directed for the big screen. It feels like their directors could seldom decide between keeping the tightness of stage or going for the scope of screen, and fall in an awkward middle. The Sound of Music probably translates the best imo by going fully cinematic, but it's also not one of their best otherwise imo.

What did you mean by that? That it's not one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's best musicals, or not one of their best movie musicals?

I'm sorry about The Favourite, JeanGreyForever.

It's a really enjoyable movie and one of the few film credits that Tallulah Bankhead had (she's the inspiration for Cruella De Vil and Bette Davis' Margo Channing in All About Eve).

What did you mean? That Tallulah Bankhead was inspiration for Disney's animated Cruella or the original book's character of Cruella?

Happily Ever After (1990): So...I have heard that some movies I like are trash. The Wiz. Cinderella (2015). Whatever. I decided to watch Happily Ever After again, since I had not seen it since I was a very young child, like 2 or 3. I remember my mom took me to see it in the theater. I remember the cool way the magic mirror showed the story of Snow White, and actually with the b&w sketches and music, it really seemed epic. I also remember at the end, when Snow White's tears bring the Prince back to life, that my mother said, "Oh, come on!" And I felt so bad. I fetl embarassed. I felt sad she didn't love what I was seeing that I thought was dramatic and sweet. I rented the movie many times since then in my childhood, probably for the first few months it was out. Fast forward to now, well, a few days ago, I watched it on Youtube, expecting the worst, and then...I loved it. I freaking loved it. Was it trash? Well...kinda. Were the production values terrible? Yes, yes they were. But I liked some of the dark moments in it, I liked Tracy Ullman's singing as Thunderella, I liked Mother Nature, and especially her song and the creativity during it, but what I loved most of all, was Snow White herself. She was the most caring, wonderful version of Snow White. Is she better than Disney's version? I can't say objectively, but to me, yes. First off, I just think she's more beautiful. She has that Aurora thick curls thing going on, that was stolen by Don Bluth and put into a high pony tail on Thumbelina and other characters, that this film stole and made black. But it worked. It looks so lovely. I have always been a fan of that hair style. I even prefer her dress and her face in this version to Disney's Snow White's. But then there's how caring and sweet and kind she was. She cared for the Dwarfelles so much, and cared about the Shadow Man. Finally, there's her voice, by Irene Cara, who I was so surprised to learn was black! I don't know if it makes me racist to be ok with voice actors voicing people who are not their same race, like the Dumbo crows and this movie's Snow White, but here we are. She was such a dear, lovable Snow White. EDIT: Just wanted to talk about the voice more, I just loved her voice, more than Disney's Snow White's, and it was so soft and caring. So, anyway, I really liked this crappy movie. I don't think it's all trash. I like some of the darkness, some of the animation, Mother Nature and Snow White, and even some cleverness in the climax.

[JeanGreyForever]

Oh, Avaitor and JeanGreyForever, I forgot I saw Lily James in Baby Driver! I actually really liked her in that, and while she was good, it's the whole movie that is really, really awesome so I highly recommend it!

I learned from two Youtube videos about how historically accurate Amadeus is. I highly recommend them, they were History Buffs and Nostalgia Critic's. I know many people think badly of Doug Walker, but I do not know if any of it is for true reasons, so I still recommend his stuff. Anyway, Doug Walker even suggests that, since Amadeus is told through Salieri's eyes, and he had dementia and claimed he killed Mozart, maybe that is why the film is not completely true to life.

I'm sorry about The Favourite, JeanGreyForever.

It's a really enjoyable movie and one of the few film credits that Tallulah Bankhead had (she's the inspiration for Cruella De Vil and Bette Davis' Margo Channing in All About Eve).

What did you mean? That Tallulah Bankhead was inspiration for Disney's animated Cruella or the original book's character of Cruella?

Happily Ever After (1990): So...I have heard that some movies I like are trash. The Wiz. Cinderella (2015). Whatever. I decided to watch Happily Ever After again, since I had not seen it since I was a very young child, like 2 or 3. I remember my mom took me to see it in the theater. I remember the cool way the magic mirror showed the story of Snow White, and actually with the b&w sketches and music, it really seemed epic. I also remember at the end, when Snow White's tears bring the Prince back to life, that my mother said, "Oh, come on!" And I felt so bad. I fetl embarassed. I felt sad she didn't love what I was seeing that I thought was dramatic and sweet. I rented the movie many times since then in my childhood, probably for the first few months it was out. Fast forward to now, well, a few days ago, I watched it on Youtube, expecting the worst, and then...I loved it. I freaking loved it. Was it trash? Well...kinda. Were the production values terrible? Yes, yes they were. But I liked some of the dark moments in it, I liked Tracy Ullman's singing as Thunderella, I liked Mother Nature, and especially her song and the creativity during it, but what I loved most of all, was Snow White herself. She was the most caring, wonderful version of Snow White. Is she better than Disney's version? I can't say objectively, but to me, yes. First off, I just think she's more beautiful. She has that Aurora thick curls thing going on, that was stolen by Don Bluth and put into a high pony tail on Thumbelina and other characters, that this film stole and made black. But it worked. It looks so lovely. I have always been a fan of that hair style. I even prefer her dress and her face in this version to Disney's Snow White's. But then there's how caring and sweet and kind she was. She cared for the Dwarfelles so much, and cared about the Shadow Man. Finally, there's her voice, by Irene Cara, who I was so surprised to learn was black! I don't know if it makes me racist to be ok with voice actors voicing people who are not their same race, like the Dumbo crows and this movie's Snow White, but here we are. She was such a dear, lovable Snow White. So, anyway, I really liked this crappy movie. I don't think it's all trash. I like some of the darkness, some of the animation, Mother Nature and Snow White, and even some cleverness in the climax.

I'll definitely need to check out Baby Driver because I remember everyone was raving about it when it came out and I was so confused because the film's title was so bizarre imo. I'm not a fan of cars or driving films (if that's even a thing lol) so it didn't appeal much to me but I should check it out. I'm still very confused what the film is overall about since I know next to nothing about it besides the title and the cast.

I think Doug Walker got criticized for misogyny towards Nostalgia Chick. I don't really watch their videos but a lot of people here do and DisneyFan09 told me about some of the drama. Whenever I do watch Amadeus, I'll be sure to watch one of those videos you suggested so I can compare the history to the film's history (filmstory if you will).

It's silly to be upset that a film doesn't match up with the historical accuracy but I was so caught up into the drama of those three women in The Favourite that I almost felt cheated when I learned that the real story was nothing like this. Oh well, not a big deal really.

Tallulah was an inspiration for the Cruella De Vil character in Disney. I don't know if the original book version was inspired by her or not though. That reminds me that I have yet to read the original book or its sequel. It's a shame Walt passed away because he told Dodie Smith (the author of 101 Dalmatians) that he wanted her to write another book so he could adapt it into another film because he loved collaborating with her. Something tells me he was especially eager to work with her after dealing with P.L. Travers lol.

I used to watch Happily Ever After a lot when I was a kid! I have fond memories of the film even if it was a bit cheap but I haven't seen it in forever. I don't normally get scared by Disney Villains but the villain in this film was a bit freaky to me (I was never afraid of the Disney Villainesses like the Queen, Maleficent, Ursula, and even the non-Disney Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. It was always the creepy old men in these films that used to scare me, maybe because they felt more like they existed in real life. Stromboli, McLeach, the Queen's brother from Happily Ever After whose name I don't remember, and not in animation but the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. They all freaked me out so much!) Him turning people to stone, transforming the Prince into the Shadow Man and separating Snow White from him in the beginning (I forgot if the evil dragon creature was really him in transformed state or a minion of his), and his death when he half turns into a dragon and is fully petrified all used to freak me out so much. His face and voice in general creeped me out honestly. I liked the Dwarfelles though because they were funny and I remember the Mother Nature song. A lot of people say the Snow White in this film was prettier and I do prefer her hair by far because it's long as it should be. I had no idea her voice actress was black. For some reason, I wouldn't have ever guessed that had you not said it so that's a neat tidbit. Personally, I think it's fine if a white Snow White has a black voice actress voicing her.

[Avaitor]

I also feel that Rodgers and Hammerstein's works never translate as well being directed for the big screen. It feels like their directors could seldom decide between keeping the tightness of stage or going for the scope of screen, and fall in an awkward middle. The Sound of Music probably translates the best imo by going fully cinematic, but it's also not one of their best otherwise imo.

What did you mean by that? That it's not one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's best musicals, or not one of their best movie musicals?

I don't think it's one of their best musicals, at least on stage. I think The Sound of Music is a pretty darn good movie, and works better in that regard. I didn't grow up with the film, or many musicals in general, so I only really got around to appreciating Rodgers and Hammerstein as I've gotten older. I really like Carousel, Oklahoma, and South Pacific, at least based on their music, while I only like their movies so-so.

As for Baby Driver, I do quite enjoy it, but it's probably my least favorite of Edgar Wright's movies, which isn't a knock, just an observation. I flip-flop between being disappointed in Scott Pilgrim as an adaptation of the graphic novels, and loving the movie whole-heartedly, and I think the Cornetto Trilogy rocks. I like a lot of Wright's influences and personal favorites, so his movies generally click for me.

As for the title, besides it being the main character's nickname, "Baby Driver" is a Simon & Garfunkel song which comes up in the movie. Music is a big part of the film. I will say that Baby Driver is a more straight-forward action film than Wright's other films, where the Cornetto Trilogy consists of comedic tributes to various genres, and Scott Pilgrim is a grab bag of various influences. It's still pretty funny.

And I think that take on Saliari is quite interesting! I'm not always into fan theories, but that sounds pretty good, and does make sense. While we're at it, I saw a great name for people who pick apart biopics in Escapay's blog, "Wikipedia experts", which I think sounds accurate.

And as for Doug Walker, yeah, I'm not much of a fan anymore. I used to love his videos and watched them regularly, but I got tired of them a little bit before the Change the Channel controversy came up. I can't look at his stuff anymore, now. I do still watch Lindsay Ellis and Todd in the Shadows, both of which cut ties with him a while before that came out.

[JeanGreyForever]

As for the title, besides it being the main character's nickname, "Baby Driver" is a Simon & Garfunkel song which comes up in the movie. Music is a big part of the film. I will say that Baby Driver is a more straight-forward action film than Wright's other films, where the Cornetto Trilogy consists of comedic tributes to various genres, and Scott Pilgrim is a grab bag of various influences. It's still pretty funny.

Thanks for explaining what Baby Driver is supposed to mean. I wasn't aware that it was the main character's nickname (Ansel Elgort's character I'm assuming), let alone that it was an old song.

[Disney Duster]

JeanGreyForever, the plot of Baby Driver is that Baby, the nickname for Ansel Elgert's character, drives for bad guys, who commit crimes to make money, and he's trying to get out of it.

Doug Walker was also accused of stealing money meant for charity...or donations...or basically meant for something he didn't use the money for...I think. Do not quote me on that. And also look into it to know for sure, if any of us even can know for sure. I don't have the energy nor brain ability to do such a search so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.

I would actually suggest watching both videos about Amadeus because I don't feel you get the full story until you see both. But if you choose one, I actually think Doug Walker's is surprsingly more thorough.

Aw, sorry that's how you felt about The Favourite, but you seem to be ok with it now. I wanted it to be real, too, but I knew from an article it was probably mostly not like how it was in the film. But I read that after I watched the film and felt a little let down, lol.

That's cool about Cruella and also Dodie Smith and Walt Disney! Lol yes, he must've wished Travers was more like her!

Aw, I'm so glad you liked Happily Ever After, too! And Snow White's long hair! Lord Malice is the Queen's brother and the weird thing is I don't remember being scared of him as a kid, but now, with my depression, I feel scared when he makes his first transformation into a dragon (those glowing eyes with that scary face!) and when he's being a dragon and also when he half-becomes a dragon in the end! It's all so creepy! I see why he freaked you out!

Avaitor, I must admit I did not really like The Sound of Music that much on stage and it was kinda a disappointment when the movie is so damn good. I only know Carousel from the movie my brother got me for Christmas and I thought that was a really great musical! The movie I thought was good, too, but maybe it's just that the musical itself is so good? I also have Oklahoma! from my brother and will watch it some day. I hate South Pacific. In all forms. I hate it! I only like four songs! Bloody Mary, There is Nothin' Like a Dame, I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair, and Younger Than Springtime. Those songs are the only thing I like about the musical. Only thing! Arghhh!!!

I love Scott Pilgrim vs. The World! I had no idea the Baby Driver director did that, too! I just think Scott Pilgirm's girlfriend is a bit of a cold mismatch. Also Knives Chau was such a nothing character to me, even though I must ashamedly admit I could have been kinda that character myself, or other real life people could. She just seemed like such a tabula rasa that was there to love Scott always and fight for him and finally get over him and that was her character.

I'm glad you like that take on Saliari's narration of the film! Lol I love that, Wikipedia experts!

[blackcauldron85]

We finished watching NiNoKuni on Netflix yesterday. It was SO GOOD!!! The aesthetics were like a Studio Ghibli film. Really neat story, with some twists, and characters I cared about. I don't want to spoil it, but if you like fantasy movies with action and some romance and a whole lotta friendship, you might want to check it out!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9760504/

[Avaitor]

Here's a good place to share this. So a few years ago, Rotten Tomatoes made a list of 200 essential movies- here's the current list, which is updated yearly to add a couple of new films and take a couple out. I like this list, because it's full of a ride range of movies, from vintage classics to contemporary favorites. Putting La Dolce Vita and Bridesmaids together is pretty cool, in my book.

I've been turning this into movie nights with my friends, which we've been doing on an inconsistent basis for almost 3 years now. The one we're following is the 2017 list, while I've added the new additions to the backend. I'm not sure how many care, but I thought I'd share the reaction my group has had to the movies we've watched so far. Keep in mind that the group coming in has been rotating on and off:

1- The Wizard of Oz- Being my inaugural movie night, this had one of the biggest turn-outs. It was pretty cool to have a wide range of viewers here, with a couple who grew up loving the movie and watching it regularly, a couple who've never been that into it, and one who had never seen it before, period. I personally fall into the second camp, but the reactions to the film from those who love it and the person who was just discovering it made this one of my favorite viewings. I even bought cookies from Publix, and lollypops for snacks.

2- Citizen Kane- Now this one was mostly full of people who hadn't seen it. I put it in my favorite film list, but I wouldn't call it an all-timer, although I do think that it's more entertaining than it's given credit for, which the crew who came over agreed with and fully enjoyed it. My girlfriend at the time especially liked it, and asked to watch it with me again in the near future. It never happened, but I liked getting that reaction from her, since this normally isn't her kind of story.

3- The Third Man- More Orson Welles! Although this is one of the few that we ended up not doing. Almost no one who was invited was able to come, and I couldn't reschedule soon enough, so we dropped it. Which is a shame, since I hadn't seen this one in a long time and was hoping for a rewatch.

4- Get Out- This was right around Halloween, and the movie was still pretty fresh, so perfect timing. We have a few horror allergic people in my group, but a couple of people whose allergy isn't quite as bad came over and really enjoyed it. The screening was about half people who had already seen it, and half newbies, and the reaction was strong. I thought that the film held up on a second viewing, although I'm not totally in love with the climax.

5- Mad Max: Fury Road- I think I was the only one who had seen this before, and thankfully the reception was quite strong. I still have strong memories of my first viewing, which was on a hot summer day where somehow the theater's AC was out. They were giving out free soda at least, so I have memories of sweating out with a Cherry Coke and a masterpiece of action. You can't really trade that experience, but getting at least one person who isn't normally into this kind of action movie be completely invested was worth it.

6- All About Eve- I'll admit, I had only seen this one once ages ago. I only remembered the basic elements and a couple of the most iconic scenes, so this was almost as new for me as it was for everyone else. The beginning is admittedly a little slow, but once Eve wedges her way into Margo's world and starts showing her true colors, it really picks up. The second half got some crazy reactions from my crew. One friend is an aspiring actress, so it especially clicked with her.

7- Inside Out- This was a pretty low-attended movie, which makes sense, because the majority of the friends who go to these things are people I met from my Disney club from my campus, who have all seen the film multiple times. It's one of my favorite Pixars, so I didn't mind doing another watch. We had some good conversations while putting this one on.

8- The Godfather- This one went pretty well, which makes sense given how beloved it is. One other person had seen it before, so he and I tried to keep our cool while the newbies went through all the twists and turns. That ending still packs such a punch. We were talking about pushing up Part II and watching it right after, even though it' on the 40's on the list, but that didn't happen. Part of that was because I didn't like the idea of skipping so far ahead, part of that was also because I had some personal stuff going on. We're nearing Part II now though, which I'll get to eventually...

9- Metropolis- Another one we ended up missing. I think being a silent film (a particularly long one at that) turned people off. We have a couple of other ones planned, but I think those will probably go better- Chaplin and Keaton, after all.

10- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial- y'no, I loved this movie as a kid, but I honestly don't think holds up all that well now, nor did the rest of our group. The pacing feels kind of off, and it doesn't really pick up until the end. The first two thirds come feels a bit too quaint, and even when the last act brings bigger stakes, I don't think that all of the emotional moments really land. Elliot's actor is also kind of weird, but we really liked the other two kids.

I'll stop here, and post about the others later.

[blackcauldron85]

IMO, If you're going to watch a silent film, Metropolis is a great option!! ET holds up for me, but I've always kind of saw it as a bit of a horror film!

Other than Citizen Kane, was there a film out of these ones that your friends' reactions were way different than what you expected?

[Disney's Divinity]

Get Out is great. Still, I prefer Us, although I think that's an UO. At least most reviews I read for Us compared it unfavorably to Get Out. *shrug*

[Avaitor]

IMO, If you're going to watch a silent film, Metropolis is a great option!! ET holds up for me, but I've always kind of saw it as a bit of a horror film!

Other than Citizen Kane, was there a film out of these ones that your friends' reactions were way different than what you expected?

Ha, I like the take on E.T. being a horror film. The quarantine parts in particular get kind of creepy, and I wouldn't be surprised if they hit differently now.

And I agree about Metropolis. I think the length + requiring reading turned off people, but we've done a couple of foreign films by now. It'd be especially cool to see how some of my friends pick up on what sci-fi has taken from it since.

Hmm, I'm not sure which of these films had a different reaction than anticipated. I know that I wasn't expecting to feel so meh on E.T. this time around, but a couple of friends had always been ambivalent towards it, and the first-timers weren't very impressed either.

Actually, now that I think about it, I was worried that All About Eve wouldn't excite everyone, especially because I was so fuzzy on the particulars of it. That ended up being a pretty big crowdpleaser though, partly since it wasn't one of the better known films from the earliest we watched. I'll write about movies #11-20 tomorrow, and see if we had any other surprises.

Oh! And I forgot about the best part of All About Eve- noting both Marilyn Monroe, and George Sanders' appearances. The former for obvious reasons, the latter so everyone can see Shere Khan in action.

Get Out is great. Still, I prefer Us, although I think that's an UO. At least most reviews I read for Us compared it unfavorably to Get Out. *shrug*

I'm with you on preferring Us to Get Out! I wasn't sure if Us was really less well-received, but I can kind of see it. Get Out felt like more of a once in a generation fluke, and came out at just the right time, just after Trump's inauguration, so it would be hard to match. But I think Us had slightly better pacing, and a better balance with its humor. It also had stronger character writing, although I don't think Get Out was a slouch there, either.

I saw both in full theaters with terrific audience participation, which was awesome! I'm hoping that I'll get to experience Jordan Peele's next film in the same way.

[JeanGreyForever]

JeanGreyForever, the plot of Baby Driver is that Baby, the nickname for Ansel Elgert's character, drives for bad guys, who commit crimes to make money, and he's trying to get out of it.

Doug Walker was also accused of stealing money meant for charity...or donations...or basically meant for something he didn't use the money for...I think. Do not quote me on that. And also look into it to know for sure, if any of us even can know for sure. I don't have the energy nor brain ability to do such a search so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.

I would actually suggest watching both videos about Amadeus because I don't feel you get the full story until you see both. But if you choose one, I actually think Doug Walker's is surprsingly more thorough.

Aw, sorry that's how you felt about The Favourite, but you seem to be ok with it now. I wanted it to be real, too, but I knew from an article it was probably mostly not like how it was in the film. But I read that after I watched the film and felt a little let down, lol.

That's cool about Cruella and also Dodie Smith and Walt Disney! Lol yes, he must've wished Travers was more like her!

Aw, I'm so glad you liked Happily Ever After, too! And Snow White's long hair! Lord Malice is the Queen's brother and the weird thing is I don't remember being scared of him as a kid, but now, with my depression, I feel scared when he makes his first transformation into a dragon (those glowing eyes with that scary face!) and when he's being a dragon and also when he half-becomes a dragon in the end! It's all so creepy! I see why he freaked you out!

Thanks for explaining some more about what Baby Driver is about and what it means.

Oh, sounds like that Doug Walker is controversial in multiple ways lol. He could be one of Donald Trump's children since that family also has a tendency to steal money from charity.

I will definitely watch both videos you talked about then for Amadeus! Thanks for letting me know that I can only get the full picture from seeing both.

Yeah my reaction was just like yours, I felt a little let down after reading the real story about The Favourite. Like I said, it's all right.

Lord Malice, I remember that was his name now. I'm sorry you feel scared by him now and that makes me wonder if he would still frighten me. His whole castle has a very spooky atmosphere in general and I think the low-budget animation actually makes it more scary lol if that makes sense. Since Maleficent's castle in the Forbidden Mountains can at least be looked at as a work of art.

[JeanGreyForever]

I still haven't seen Citizen Kane or The Godfather and those are two classics I definitely need to watch. Same with Casablanca. It's funny how I've seen some of Humphrey Bogart's lesser famous films which he co-starred with Bette Davis in but never his most famous one.

All About Eve is one of my favorites. The dialogue is truly fantastic and the performances to match. I'm not a fan of Marilyn Monroe although it is interesting to see her before she became truly famous. George Sanders is a hoot though and I can see why he was picked as Shere Khan. I've never been a huge fan of Disney's The Jungle Book but George Sanders helps make the film for me. If you enjoyed the humor and performances in All About Eve, I'd also recommend Another Man's Poison. It's available on Amazon Prime and Bette Davis and Gary Merril are both in this film as well (they were a married couple in real life at the time).

Inside Out is one of my least favorite Pixar films personally. As for E.T., I haven't seen that in ages but I really should rewatch it.

IMO, If you're going to watch a silent film, Metropolis is a great option!! ET holds up for me, but I've always kind of saw it as a bit of a horror film!

Other than Citizen Kane, was there a film out of these ones that your friends' reactions were way different than what you expected?

I need to watch Metropolis one of these days as well. I've never heard anyone describe E.T. as a horror film so I truly loved hearing you say that!

[Disney Duster]

Yeah, your welcome JeanGreyForever. I dunno the truth about Doug Walker lol. I hope you like the Amadeus vids. I don't know if the lower budget makes Lord Malice and his castle more scary but that's an interesting idea.

I need to see Citizen Kane in full. Maybe tomorrow. I own Casablanca and should watch that too. E.T. always scared me as a kid because I found E.T. himself scary looking. There's a reason Drew Barrymore screams when she sees him. I need to watch Metropolis too.

[Farerb]

I'm actually currently watching and rewatching old classic Hollywood films. This is my list so far, but I plan to add more (the ones with x are the ones I have seen):

[x] Casablanca?
[x] Breakfast at Tiffany's?
[ ] Lawrence of Arabia
[ ] West Side Story
[ ] Citizen Kane
[ ] Singin' In The Rain
[ ] Roman Holiday
[ ] All About Eve
[ ] It Happened One Night
[x] It’s a Wonderful Life?
[ ] Vertigo
[ ] 2001: A Space Odyssey
[x] Gone with the Wind +
[x] The Wizard of Oz +
[x] The Sound of Music +
[x] My Fair Lady ?
[ ] Ben-Hur
[x] Sabrina?
[x] A Streetcar Named Desire
[ ] Rear Window
[x] Mary Poppins +

[Avaitor]

Next up, 11-20:

11- It Happened One Night- I had shown this to my girlfriend at the time a while before we started doing this, so it wasn't new to her. The rest of the group we watched it with weren't familiar, though, and it lead to a good reaction. Everyone loved it! This is really a perfect romcom, even if it's more of a proto-screwball comedy than the real thing. It's wild to think that Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert didn't even want to make the movie, since they have perfect chemistry with each other, and are both so evenly matched. This is one of the few straight-forward comedies to win Best Picture, which I'd mostly say was justified, although it also went up against another all-time favorite comedy in The Thin Man.

12- Singin' in the Rain- This is the only one that I didn't stick around for the whole thing, and that's due to bad timing on my part. But it's fine, I've seen this more times than I could count, and I luckily timed things out perfectly so I could bail before "You Were Meant for Me", which is one of my least favorite numbers in the picture (it's definitely above the modern sequence, and probably neck-for-neck with "Beautiful Girl" after that). I don't mind there being a couple of bits that I don't love, as I really do love the rest of the film. The songs chosen were otherwise used perfectly, and the film has an excellent, biting sense of humor that lands as well as anything made today. A couple of friends had seen it before, so we were excited to see the first-timer's reactions to hearing Lina speak for the first time. They did enjoy the film even after I left, but were similarly unsure what to do with the modern sequence. A particular favorite thing about seeing this for the first time is seeing where "Good Morning" comes from, since that used to be played at opening for Magic Kingdom.

13- Casablanca- This one surprised a couple of friends who were expecting this to be a little stuffier than it really is. While there's an undeniable importance to the film, it's true popcorn through and through, with a script so tightly crafted and rimming with lines that still sting after decades of familiarity, that you would never guess how difficult it was to get the screenplay ready for primetime. It's still a pretty much perfect film. The one thing that confused most was the scene at the end where Captain Renault throws away the Vichy Water. I didn't realize it at first, either, but by now I was aware of that region of France's connection to Nazi Germany during WWII, and was able to explain it.

14- Moonlight- This is another one that ended up having to bail on. Partly because I struggled to find a way to watch it- it was streaming at the time, and I erroneously thought that we could Redbox it, when it wasn't available- and partly because that night wasn't working out for most people. Which is a shame, because this is seriously worth checking out. I will admit hat I respected this more than I loved it the one time I saw the film, but it was, and still is, worth another viewing.

15- A Hard Day's Night- This one also had turn-out problems, but unlike Moonlight, I was still able to get enough people to go on with it. It also helped that this was streaming comfortably on FilmStruck (rip), and we hosted it at the place of the friends who had that. I'd call myself more of a casual Beatles fan, but I'm pretty well aware of most of their lore, and I've always enjoyed this one. It's just wild to see arguably the biggest pop stars of all time decide to make their first feature an (relatively) experimental comedy and basically just allowed them to go bananas. Elvis never went this far. The group enjoyed this one, since it's so likable and unlike other pop star vehicles. We initially tried to watch it without subtitles, but after less than a minute of hearing the Beatles speak with their thick Liverpool accents, we knew that wasn't going to work out lol. And I guess that I am more into Beatles lore than I thought, since I could easily tell them apart, but my friends had a harder time.

16- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs- The one that started it all. Another lower-attended night, probably since everyone in our group has seen it dozens of times, we did get a couple of people over anyway. Including a friend who considers Snow White their favorite princess, and receives items from their boyfriend's grandma's Snow collection, and my gf, who as much as she loves the princesses, had always considered Snow her least favorite (she still has a couple of Disneybounds of her anyway). I personally do really like the film, although it's one that I fluctuate with how much I like it until I get to it. There isn't much to say about this one, since we talk about movies like this all the time lol.

17- North by Northwest- Hurray for Hitchcock! We watched this one at my place, and one my roommates hung out for a bit, but left right before my crew screamed when Thornhill grabs the knife that is thrown at Townsend's back. It wasn't the last time they yelled out during the film, either, which just shows how damn exciting it is, 60 years on. All the points still land during the movie, even the awkward symbolism at the end lol.

18- The Maltese Falcon- Casablanca solidified Humphrey Bogart as an icon, but this and High Sierra proved that he could be a true leading man. I wouldn't call this one of my favorite film noirs, if only because it doesn't totally feel like a noir to me- the lighting and framing is more akin to Hollywood at the time than the expressionist detailing that later films would embrace- but you can definitely call it proto-noir. This was another knock-out, as the story's twists and its delightful supporting cast landed. Although I've personally never been a big fan of Mary Astor in the film- I don't think that she pulls off the femme fatale stature very well at all.

19- King Kong- I hadn't seen this one in a while, so I forgot how slow the first act is, and I have to admit that the material with the natives was more racist than I recalled. But when we get introduced to Kong, it really picks up. One thing that really surprised us was how gruesome it could get, particularly when Kong crushes the majority of Jack's crew. It's not R-rated violence, but it definitely showed how much more pre-code films could get away with, since I feel like this would have been tamed down just a couple of years later. We generally enjoyed the second half of the film, and still feel that the special effects land.

20- Sunset Boulevard- This wasn't a mega-favorite of our group, although it was well-received. Maybe I was just slightly disappointed in the reception because Billy Wilder is my favorite director right after Hitchcock, and I think this is one of his greatest. It might have been a little too slow for some, but I think the build-up is terrific throughout, and I love the separation in character between Norma Desmond and Joe. They did like seeing Norma's deteriorating mental health, and the differences in how she was pulling Joe down, and how he was screwing himself over. But I do think that the MVP is agreed to be Max, who is delightfully shady throughout.

[Disney's Divinity]

I liked Moonlight. It's one of those films I'd like to own it someday when I can find it on sale or something. I liked it more when we got to the adult half... I would've liked to have seen more of those actors; their reunion was pretty brief onscreen or it felt that way to me. It ended as soon as it was getting to the good part, imo. I would've liked to have seen more of their interactions.

I watched, Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte the other day. I definitely felt like it was a film that must've happened after WHtBJ? since it felt like Davis was typecast in another overgrown-child-who's-borderline-senile role. And when I looked on Wikipedia, I was right and it was actually the film that Crawford was supposed to be in her with and got fired from, too. I really enjoyed this one, although not as much as my favorites by her. She was definitely the best part about the whole thing, although Moorehead was fun, too. Davis just really sold me on the character, she had me tearing up by the end. Something about the vision when her character's holding the gun really took the whole thing over the top for me. In a way, that scene vaguely reminded me of "Once Upon a December" from Anastasia. I thought it was interesting how Charlotte was on the balcony looking down at Miriam in secret both when Miriam arrives and then again at the finale.

[JeanGreyForever]

I'm actually currently watching and rewatching old classic Hollywood films. This is my list so far, but I plan to add more (the ones with x are the ones I have seen):

[x] Casablanca?
[x] Breakfast at Tiffany's?
[ ] Lawrence of Arabia
[ ] West Side Story
[ ] Citizen Kane
[ ] Singin' In The Rain
[ ] Roman Holiday
[ ] All About Eve
[ ] It Happened One Night
[x] It’s a Wonderful Life?
[ ] Vertigo
[ ] 2001: A Space Odyssey
[x] Gone with the Wind +
[x] The Wizard of Oz +
[x] The Sound of Music +
[x] My Fair Lady ?
[ ] Ben-Hur
[x] Sabrina?
[x] A Streetcar Named Desire
[ ] Rear Window
[x] Mary Poppins +

I'm biased but I highly suggest All About Eve. It's a true classic and if you love witty dialogue, this is the film for you. I can rewatch this film over and over and still catch something I've missed before.

Singin' in the Rain is also a great film which I finally caught about a year or two ago on TCM. I don't know how much of a Leia fan you were in Star Wars but Carrie Fisher's mother Debbie Reynolds is the female star of this film. And while I knew the title song I didn't realize how many famous songs come from this film.

[JeanGreyForever]

@Avaitor
Did they really use to play Good Morning from Singin' in the Rain at the Magic Kingdom? I didn't realize Disney could use the song although I suppose it's old enough that there wouldn't be any copyright issues.

I think Moonlight is available on Netflix or it used to be anyway if that helps you.