What recent films have you seen?

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rerun
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Re: What recent films have you seen?

Post by rerun »

I so enjoyed Mildred Pierce. Actually the only film I have liked Joan Crawford in. But I finally bought it!
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Re: What recent films have you seen?

Post by movieman1957 »

Watched "Philomena" starring Judi Dench. Based on a true story it is about an Irish woman who 50 years after her child was "sold" to an adoptive American family goes to find him. Heartbreaking at the core of it there is quite a bit of humor in it as Judi tries to fill a hole in her life and an author (Steve Coogan) tries to find a book in the process. But there is also a journey for the two characters as they find each other as friends and something about people. And some of that is not always pleasant.

Fine performances are given by the two stars and the subject is handled with a gentle wit and shows the hurt and anger found along the way. All to a very interesting end.

Watch it.
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Re: What recent films have you seen?

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I enjoyed "Philomena." It was interesting, and the story is true!
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Re: What recent films have you seen?

Post by stuart.uk »

Spoiler

Tommy's Honour

A smashing film about the famous 19th Century Scottish father/son golfers Old Tom and young Tommy Morris. It was film on location in St. Andrews in Fife (Chariots of Fire shot on location there, but that was supposed to pass for Kent), where the two Tommy's actually lived. Young Tommy was one of the first touring golf professionals, who was ambitious for both himself and his older, even more working class, wife. But it all ended in tragedy, she died in childbirth and he let himself go and followed not long after at 24

The Greatest Game Ever Played, which more or less concentrated on the U.S Golf Open of 1913, where unknown 20-year old amateur Frances Ouimet, assisted by his brilliant 10-year-old caddie Eddie , who saw of the challenge of probably the two best golfers in the World, at that point, from the UK Harry Vardon and Ted Ray.

Both films tackled the class issues that were around at the time, between the pro working, though famous, working class golfers and the rich business men that tried to control them
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Re: What recent films have you seen?

Post by movieman1957 »

How is this for pulling up an old thread?

The Foreigner.

This is really a Jackie Chan movie that is only partly a Jackie Chan movie. Jackie is a little older now and while he still has some moves they are in keeping with a man his age and the character he plays.

The plot centers on his finding out who killed his daughter in a London bombing. Suspicion quickly centers on the IRA. Pierce Brosnan plays the leader of that group who is bothered by Chan’s persistence and his knowledge that he didn’t have anything to do with it. Brosnan soon begins his own quest to find out who did it and consequently save his own skin.

It is mostly a political thriller and, I thought, a quite good one. Brosnan is terrific in his role as leader of the organization and one who wants to get Chan off of his back. Chan is a special forces vet that uses his unique skills to track down those who killed his daughter.

It is not your typical Chan film and that it is tougher and more dramatic and deeper even that most of his regular fare. That is not a bad thing.

It has some violence and language but not bad for most modern films of its type.
Chris

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Re: What recent films have you seen?

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There is no place dedicated to documentaries but here I will talk a little about "They Shall Not Grow Old." A documentary, mostly, about the British soldier in World War 1. It is a marvel of modern technology brought to the static century old film that is only known about the war.

Taken from countless hours of film provided by the Imperial War Museum and the BBC, director Peter Jackson takes the film and transforms it into a realistic (as realistic as one might imagine) and begins his diary. (No historians or commentators are present.)

The film begins in its original state in that it is what we expect as it tells the story of British men and boys as they go to sign up for the fight. Their time in training and how they are anxious but excited for the challenge ahead. It is a job to do and do it they will.

Then they come to France and that is when it all changes. The film is now in color and its speed is corrected and sound effects and "dialogue" is added and now it becomes something totally different to any WWI film one would have seen. It now becomes the thing of their preparation of everything from getting equipment to the front to using the "bathroom" to going to town on the short time off. And with what things young soldiers do when they go to town.

When the battles come the thoughts shared by survivors (mostly recorded in the early 60's) run the gamut from matter of reporting of horrible sights to the basic "just trying to get through it" necessity of surviving. (Some of this is used over magazine drawings of the day as actual close battle footage is virtually nonexistent.) When the war comes to an end and the survivors come home they are struck as though having lost a job and shabby treatment by the people they risked their lives for. There is no glory in their return just the real life day to day things to get on.

The marvel of it all comes in the sight and sound of it all. The colorization and speed correction bring a life to the film you would never know from anything else seen from the time. Random comments come from soldiers that were studied by lip readers that bring simple moments to life. Shelling and explosions are now part of that time. Even the falling of shingles from a roof are given meticulous effect in their sound.

Some reviewers have wondered how the change ca alter our perspective of the war because it is not real to what was documented at the time. Well, there is plenty enough of that to go around. Whatever the good or bad of it from that point is very effective in its final form. I think it is a different process and done with different intent than you would find in the decades old argument about colorizing old film. The effect here is deeper and more honest in its use.

Peter Jackson dedicated it to his grandfather who fought in the war and other family members who died in it.

Having seen numerous traditional documentaries on WW1 this is quite moving and, if anyone has an interest in the subject, certainly to be seen.
Chris

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Re: What recent films have you seen?

Post by movieman1957 »

One thing I can't get any fun out of is Super Hero/DC Comic films. Watched "Wonder Woman" (2017?) last weekend. I thought it had a bit of a twist when it shows we are dealing in a WW1 setting. Before a plane crash about 15 minutes in we have no idea when it is set. Somehow there is an island of Amazon women that no one knows about and likewise the women have no idea of an outside world. Yet, somehow they get in a boat and go back to civilization. We then have some cute moments of the "fish out of water" dilemma for our heroine. Then as her powers become more apparent to the outside world the more extravagant they become. All the while mixing in WW1 battles and espionage is included. It doesn't get too much until the end. At last she finds who she is looking for and then it gets to be too much for me. It goes well out there. All the while we get some moralizing along the way.

A fine cast carries the story until the computer graphics people take over at the end. I can see why this would be wildly popular. There is no shortage of action, likeable characters, and some deep thinking with strongly held righteous feelings are all bound to make you like it. A good deal of it I found entertaining. Then came the apocolypse. I guess I am too old and set in my movie ways.
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Re: What recent films have you seen?

Post by TikiSoo »

I'm going to use this thread as the successor to TCM's popular "I JUST WATCHED" thread & hope it catches on. Although I do think a thread dedicated to ANYTHING "just watched" whether new or old is appropriate.

Last night we watched the new NETFLIX offering TROLL. I am a big fan of Norwegian TROLL HUNTER (2011) and I thought this may be an "update" with even better effects. Not so lucky.

The new Netflix TROLL was kind of like taking the great ideas of rather the small Norwegian production TROLL HUNTER and using it to make an "American" movie. One Troll, lots of guns, rockets & bombs and long scenes of people looking at each other in between. This movie had every stupid sci-fi trope like the scientist trustfully greeting the enemy & getting violently killed in front of everyone. This movie just struck me as a Norwegian King Kong. This viewing received several bathroom breaks and even the more insulting FF through unnecessary scenes.
I will say, the CGI of a mountain emerging as a moss covered crumbling rock creature was very impressive-loved that!

Now another viewing of TROLL HUNTER is in order. Although it employed the "found footage" schtick, everything else was unique & fun. They encountered several different types of Trolls, the story of the kids discovering the Hunter was after Trolls, (not bears) was a great plot element-as we discover what THEY discover as the story unfolds. And I recall being impressed with the Trolls themselves, imaginative & awesome.

It just goes to show more money, more special effects is no match for a well thought out, well told story.
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Re: What recent films have you seen?

Post by movieman1957 »

Hi TikiSoo:

There is a thread called "I Just Watched..." over in "Movies and Features on TCM." Wasn't sure if you were looking for something similar or content to go on here. Either is fine.
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Re: What recent films have you seen?

Post by laffite »

xxxxxxx
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Re: What recent films have you seen?

Post by HoldenIsHere »

laffite wrote: January 8th, 2023, 7:04 pm
movieman1957 wrote: December 5th, 2022, 3:53 pm Hi TikiSoo:

There is a thread called "I Just Watched..." over in "Movies and Features on TCM." Wasn't sure if you were looking for something similar or content to go on here. Either is fine.
I JUST WATCHED is redundant and a Vanity Thread.

laffite, a lot of people from the old TCM boards have a deep affection for the "I Just Watched" thread and don't see it as a Vanity thread.
I'm presuming by "Vanity thread," you are referring to the kind of threads that one of the more self-promoting posters on the TCM site would flood the message board with. That poster would often change the titles of his threads so that, for example, a thread that was created as one bashing TCM suddenly, via a sneaky title change, became one that praised TCM.

The "I Just Watched" thread was never that kind of a thread.
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Re: What recent films have you seen?

Post by EP Millstone »

HoldenIsHere wrote: January 9th, 2023, 12:16 am laffite, a lot of people from the old TCM boards have a deep affection for the "I Just Watched" thread and don't see it as a Vanity thread . . .
Here is a rare case when I entirely agree with laffite.

:smiley_snoopy: Bring the smelling salts. The old boy has fainted.

As I and laffite pointed out, the SSO already had forums that were equivalent to the "I Just Watched" thread. But some members are so "addicted" to The TCM Message Boards that they want to recreate it on the SSO (NoNoNo! The forum HAS to be called . . . ! That exact and sacred phrase MUST be used to preserve continuity and prevent nervous breakdowns!).

And some creators of TCM Message Board forums are so vainglorious re their creations that they feel consecrated to preserve, transfer, and spread them and also protect and secure their legacy ("Here lies . . Creator of the . . . Forum. Hallowed Be His/Her Name).
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Re: What recent films have you seen?

Post by HoldenIsHere »

EP Millstone wrote: January 9th, 2023, 2:03 am
HoldenIsHere wrote: January 9th, 2023, 12:16 am laffite, a lot of people from the old TCM boards have a deep affection for the "I Just Watched" thread and don't see it as a Vanity thread . . .
Here is a rare case when I entirely agree with laffite.

:smiley_snoopy: Bring the smelling salts. The old boy has fainted.

As I and laffite pointed out, the SSO already had forums that were equivalent to the "I Just Watched" thread. But some members are so "addicted" to The TCM Message Boards that they want to recreate it on the SSO (NoNoNo! The forum HAS to be called . . . ! That exact and sacred phrase MUST be used to preserve continuity and prevent nervous breakdowns!).

And some creators of TCM Message Board forums are so vainglorious of their creations that they feel consecrated to preserve, transfer, and spread them and also protect and secure their legacy ("Here lies . . Creator of the . . . Forum. Hallowed Be His/Her Name).
But, Mr. Millstone, this particular thread was created to discuss modern films.
The Original Post states: "This is the place to talk about modern films you have seen!"
I see that laffite's most recent contribution was a post about a movie from 1930 . . .

PS. Your comment about the smelling salts did make me chuckle.
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Re: What recent films have you seen?

Post by EP Millstone »

HoldenIsHere wrote: January 9th, 2023, 2:01 pm But, Mr. Millstone, this particular thread was created to discuss modern films.
The Original Post states: "This is the place to talk about modern films you have seen!"
I see that laffite's most recent contribution was a post about a movie from 1930 . . .

PS. Your comment about the smelling salts did make me chuckle.
Check and mate, Mr. IsHere (since we're being so formal)! You win (this time)!

Besides the What recent films have you seen? forum, there is also What Films Have You Seen Lately?, which some folks reject because the discussion is limited to watching films . . .

. . . instead of also including watching television shows (and probably live theatre, pantomime and circus acts, the gal next door undressing, my cousin Herbie eating a corn beef on rye, etc.).

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Re: What recent films have you seen?

Post by laffite »

As so. I took the thread title to mean, in effect, as "What films have you seen recently." I concede the point but there is something vaguely ambiguous about the wording. If you know beforehand that it's parent category is 'Talk about Modern Movies," then one is mentally set to make a correct reading of the thread. If one is confronted with the title thread out of the blue as I was, then that increases the chance of the mind making an incorrect assumption. I'm not wiggling out of it though. But it is a point the say instead, "What Recently Made Films Have You Seen?" Yea!

Is there a difference between the thread E.P. Millstone cites, "What films have you seen lately?" and "I Just Watched ... " I say no. There are the same, any difference one might assume, is minute.

But am I glad to be now so informed of the meaning of this thread.

I would say "what-evah" but since I am in a poetic mood, let's make it "What e'er."

:smiley_snoopy: And how are the smelling salts coming along?

Good. I always put them in my coffee anyway.
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