WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[MikeBSG]

Today I watched "The Bridge at Remagen" (1969) directed by John Guillermain.

"Film Comment" had a spotlight feature on Guillermain in the most recent issue, and that prompted me to watch "Remagen."

The movie left me with mixed emotions. On the one had, the battle scenes were absolutely terrific, some of the best I've seen. On the other hand, the drama scenes were really annoying. The longer the movie went on, the more annoying (if not ludicrous) they became.

Oddly I began asking myself what this movie would have been like if John Huston had directed it. This is a deeply ironic movie, if you see Robert Vaughn's character as the protagonist. He is given command of the bridge with secret orders not to destroy it too soon. He finds he has to try to destroy it, fails to destroy it, and is executed. This could be an interesting story, but the movie doesn't really know what to do with it.

And I couldn't buy George Segal as a hard-bitten GI.

This was a movie that might work better if the dialogue were looped out and all that remained were the sound effects and music.

[Lomm]

It's a bit off from the theme of this site (like my last movie, the Lego movie), but I watched the very violent but very satisfying Django Unchained over the weekend. Being a Quentin Tarantino film, it's got a lot of blood flying and some disturbing scenes, but the performances are excellent and the story is, as I said, oh so satisfying.

[CineMaven]

I enjoyed "DJANGO UNCHAINED" very much.

[Mr. Arkadin]

Sorry Quentin, I'll take the original:

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[CineMaven]

Did Quentin do a remake of the Italian film?

[Mr. Arkadin]

Did Quentin do a remake of the Italian film?

Tarantino doesn't really remake films as much as take parts from different movies to create something that is an homage to the different genres he enjoys. I think he is a great ambassador for genre film and a gateway to the offbeat wonders that have lain undiscovered for all these years--especially by American audiences, but I can't say I find anything mindblowing or profound in his work. If people enjoy his films, they would do well to find where the references come from and seek out those original films.

[CineMaven]

I hear you. He has blown my mind with a few of his films. "Pulp Fiction." "Kill Bill." I believe he pays homage...and blows the genre to smithereens.

Then puts it back together again nicely, skewed a bit, because he also loves classic films as we do.

[Lomm]

I hear you. He has blown my mind with a few of his films. "Pulp Fiction." "Kill Bill." I believe he pays homage...and blows the genre to smithereens.

Then puts it back together again nicely, skewed a bit, because he also loves classic films as we do.

Agree about Pulp Fiction. I never got around to Kill Bill. To me, a good example of what Mr Arkadin is talking about are the Grindhouse pictures, which are so deep into homage that they are practically parody. Look to the original 60s/70s movies if you really want to get into that sort of thing.

That said, Tarantino is a gifted creator, and I seldom (Kill BIll aside) miss seeing any of his work. Really like Reservoir Dogs, Inglorious Basterds, and Pulp Fiction. I'll add Django to that list too.

[CineMaven]

Lomm, I think Tarantino has great command of the language. ( I forgot to mention the films you listed as well. )

See "Kill Bill."

[Mr. Arkadin]

I don't mean to insinuate that he is a hack. In fact, I own and enjoy Reservoir Dogs and Jackie Brown, which are my personal favorites. I think his real gift is dialogue (although a lot of Jackie Brown is straight from Rum Punch) and how he puts his pictures together, creating threads that tie the homages together. I just prefer the original films and I think that is the reason he makes movies--to turn younger audiences on to the films he loves.

[Rita Hayworth]

NORTH BY NORTHWEST - Is one heck of a train ride with all twists and turns of an adventure involving a Roger O. Thornhill - or R.O.T. by choice is one of the great Hitchcock films and I haven't seen this movie in years and I happen to really enjoyed this time around. Excellent Cast and I just love the all the action that goes with it. I know most of you have seen it; but I haven't seen it for a very long time and I was greatly entertained by all this. Cary Grant, James Mason, and Eva Marie Saint and host of great character actors as in Jessie Royce Landis, Leo G. Carroll, and Martin Landau were fantastic and complimentary actors as well. I just loved all the suspense and drama that came with it.

Great Movie and I give it two thumbs up!

[Lomm]

North By Northwest is one of my favorites of all time. I watch it about once a year. Finally got it in HD this time around and just watched it a few months ago on Blu Ray.

[MikeBSG]

Yesterday I watched "The Royal Tenenbaums" (2001) directed by Wes Anderson.

I didn't see this film when it first came out, and that's probably for the best. I had a real problem with this movie, which is essentially about a father who skips out on his family when the children are small and then re-inserts himself into their lives when they are in their 30s.

I have to say that Gene Hackman did a great job as the dad. There were so many ways he could have gone wrong with the performance, but he avoided them all. Also, Ben Stiller was very good as the oldest son. I think the movie wasted Angelica Huston (as the mom) and Gwyneth Paltrow (as the daughter), but overall, the movie never became too annoying. (And the deck was heavily stacked against it in my book once I realized the plot was more about the father than the three siblings.)

I really liked "Moonrise Kingdom." I couldn't stand "Rushmore" and turned it off about 20 minutes in. (A rare move for me.) "The Royal Tenenbaums" landed in between the two.

Funny thing. I do have these intensely personal reactions to Wes Anderson's films that I don't usually have with other directors. I mean, I was wildly enthusiastic about "Wolf of Wall Street," but that didn't really speak to my experience. Yet in these three films, Anderson comes really close to the bone for me. I probably ought to read more about him.

And I am looking forward to "Hotel Budapest" or whatever it is called.