What Was the Last Movie You Watched?

I watched Guillermo del Toro's inspired Frankenstein adaptation on Netflix the other night. This is not your mom's Frankenstein. The sets and costumes are magnificent, and the performances are excellent.

Warning: There is violence and some gruesome bloody scenes. Regardless, it's a beautiful, visually stunning, deeply emotional film, a work of art. Guillermo del Toro is a master filmmaker. It's two and a half hours long, and I found it a little slow in places, but overall, I definitely suggest it; I enjoyed it.

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein Poster Netflix
 
'Colossus the Forbidden Project' (1970). About what happens when AI goes nuts. I could not find it in normal channels, found a torrent.

 

The Gorge: I don't think it played at my theaters at all, so I bought the DVD because Anna Taylor Joy played a main character. I've liked everything she's been in, especially the Queen's Gambit series, not to mention she's good looking in a unique way. The film held my attention, which is a major plus, and if you like creeping monsters good enough to actually give you a slight case of the creeps, that pushes into the 8/10 ranks. But it did have pot holes and character behaviors that didn't make sense. I'll just say it was fun.
 
We watched Arlington Road last night on Prime Video staring Jeff Bridges and Tim Robbins. Highly entertaining and well made movie! I'm pretty sure I've seen it before, but I didn't remember any of it other than a few déjà vu moments. One of the benefits of getting old is we can watch movies we've already seen like we're watching them for the first time! 🤣
 
RambleTamble said:
We watched Arlington Road last night on Prime Video staring Jeff Bridges and Tim Robbins. Highly entertaining and well made movie! I'm pretty sure I've seen it before, but I didn't remember any of it other than a few déjà vu moments. One of the benefits of getting old is we can watch movies we've already seen like we're watching them for the first time! 🤣
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Oh, that was a good one! With a surprise ending, if I recall correctly. I should watch that again some time.
 
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Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (2025)​

The long anticipated 3rd film in the Downtown saga recently became available on various streaming platforms. I had intended to see it at the cinema, but in the end, watched it at home. In hindsight after experiencing the 6 season drama on TV, it might have felt a bit peculiar to see it on the big screen. As it was the final film was enjoyably heavy on nostalgia, and although it felt a little thin in its story line, it provided the viewer with a fitting end to the epic story of the Lord Crawley clan and their staff at Downton Abbey.​

The opening scene showing a bustling 1930 London theater district, followed by an impressive long take through a theater’s doors panning down to the actors on stage featuring a Noel Coward (Arty Froushan) play starring Guy Dexter (Dominic West) --introduced in the previous film, and now former Downton butler Thomas Barrow’s gay lover-- feels confusing. We see much of the Crawley clan in the audience, but when do we get to see the familiar Downton Abbey? Later we learn that the opening served as a prelude and introduction to Noel Coward’s visit to Downton.​

The next day Robert and Cora Crawley, along with Lady Mary attend a society ball, where suddenly Lady Mary is asked to leave because it is discovered that she is a divorced woman, and the Queen is slated to attend the gala, who would be shocked if a divorced Lady of peerage would be present.​

Lady Mary’s divorcee status provides a main theme and the basis for several side plots in much of the story. It also develops that Cora’s brother (Paul Giamatti) has unwisely invested part of Cora’s fortune with an unscrupulous financial advisor who turns out to be a crook who has stolen the money. Many developments follow.​

The overarching theme of the film is that the traditional Downtown legacy is about to change along with the culture, while several of the servants are to retire, and the Crawleys themselves are destined to make major changes. Most viewers are familiar with the entire saga and its characters, and are very much seeking to see how it will end. After all, the various Downton productions span from the first series episode in 2015 through this final film in 2025, portraying the Crawleys and clan from the historical period of 1912 to 1930. So the fans’ commitment is there.​

There was a lot to stuff into the final film, so it’s confusing why they jammed it all into a 2 hour film. There was plenty to fill a 2-1/2 or even 3 hour movie. And fans would have loved every minute. As it was, to my taste the direction by Simon Curtis was not as keen as it had been by other directors of the 6 episode series, or even the first film. The final stories strayed too far into a one big happy family approach between the peerage and servant staff, something that would have been unthinkable in that British era. There were also too many “you go girl” type memes which were too much like modern times.​

Still, when it was all said and done the nostalgia and emotional attachment we have for the characters --both present and past-- tugged at our heart strings and made us melancholy that it had all come to an end. There is a scene near the finish when Lady Mary reflects on her past loves and several of the previous notable characters --most especially the great Maggie Smith (the Dowager Countess). Brief clips are shown which make us choke up a little in memory.​

So in the end we were grateful for the ride. It wouldn’t be surprising if writer Julian Fellowes might in future compose a followup which might take place in a later generation of the Crawleys. Let’s hope so.​

Doc’s rating: 6/10​

 
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Bella said:
I watched Guillermo del Toro's inspired Frankenstein adaptation on Netflix the other night. This is not your mom's Frankenstein. The sets and costumes are magnificent, and the performances are excellent.

Warning: There is violence and some gruesome bloody scenes. Regardless, it's a beautiful, visually stunning, deeply emotional film, a work of art. Guillermo del Toro is a master filmmaker. It's two and a half hours long, and I found it a little slow in places, but overall, I definitely suggest it; I enjoyed it.

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein Poster Netflix
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been wondering about this one........
 
CaliS said:
been wondering about this one........
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@CaliS - I'm not a fan of "horror" films per se, but I do enjoy Guillermo del Toro's work. If he made it, I'm in. As far as I'm concerned, the man is a creative genius; he's head and shoulders above some of the crap that passes for filmmaking. Stop wondering and go watch it.
05
You might also like to see Pinocchio, another of his films.

Why Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio should Win the Oscar 2023
 
ChiroDoc said:
View attachment 467197

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (2025)​

The long anticipated 3rd film in the Downtown saga recently became available on various streaming platforms. I had intended to see it at the cinema, but in the end, watched it at home.​

In hindsight after experiencing the 6 season drama on TV, it might have felt a bit peculiar to see it on the big screen. As it was the final film was enjoyably heavy on nostalgia, and although it felt a little thin in its story line, it provided the viewer with a fitting end to the epic story of the Lord Crawley clan and their staff at Downton Abbey.​

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I saw it on the big screen, because I couldn't wait for streaming or the DVD. I will buy the DVD when it comes out, because I want the series and after bumps in my collection. I've watched the series each year since it ended. It's a soap opera with very high production values. It puts "soap opera" in a new light.

OK, it wasn't as good as the series, but it was good enough for those who followed the series. Many times I felt like "This isn't the Downton I remember." It almost seems like if the series had not existed, this film would have been unremarkable.
 
Bella said:
@CaliS - I'm not a fan of "horror" films per se, but I do enjoy Guillermo del Toro's work. If he made it, I'm in. As far as I'm concerned, the man is a creative genius; he's head and shoulders above some of the crap that passes for filmmaking. Stop wondering and go watch it.
05
You might also like to see Pinocchio, another of his films.

Why Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio should Win the Oscar 2023's Pinocchio should Win the Oscar 2023
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Thank you! :ROFLMAO: I will !
 
JustDave said:
I saw it on the big screen, because I couldn't wait for streaming or the DVD. I will buy the DVD when it comes out, because I want the series and after bumps in my collection. I've watched the series each year since it ended. It's a soap opera with very high production values. It puts "soap opera" in a new light.

OK, it wasn't as good as the series, but it was good enough for those who followed the series. Many times I felt like "This isn't the Downton I remember." It almost seems like if the series had not existed, this film would have been unremarkable.
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You make a good point. It was obvious that the producers assumed that anyone watching the movie would be well familiar with all the characters-- even back to 2015. Of course that's one helluva population of viewers!...;)
 
Almost 10pm now so soon to turn off the lights. Just watched a free on YouTube movie, I will recommend as worthwhile. A recent, low budget movie, After The Pandemic. Two young women in Arizona 5 years after the pandemic began, are trying to survive in a small mostly empty of still living humans, desert region city by staying away from other evil desperate survivors and or the government.

A disease has killed 98% of the world's population leaving a few young people that are apparently somewhat immune, to fend for themselves in a dystopian world. Government, military type stalkers in white hazmat suits are driving around with sound detection equipment and tranquilizer darts, shooting any survivors then imprisoning them as lab rats for a genetic cure.

One woman, Quinn, is intelligent, very survivalist savvy, wisely untrusting of all others. The other, woman Elle, is barely skimping by, skill-less, ignorant of what is going on, and hoping Quinn will lead and help her. They have to be very quiet when the stalkers are about. The movie surprisingly lacks stupid dialogue and people doing stupid things that is common in low budget films. Not an action movie, but rather one with moral issues to consider.

There are ways our modern Western societies could easily collapse in chaos. I have occasionally thought about how I might survive such situations. One of the most critical issues would be water and food. My mind is much like Quinn's and given my considerable outdoor experience, could make a go of it. Unlike many other survivalists, I am not a gun person and dislike conflict and violence. Like her, I would tend to do so solo, not trusting others, and tending to hide in remote places as other humans would be the greatest dangers.
 
The Life of Chuck. I enjoyed that one a lot. It's not spectacular by today's standards, but just relaxing and fun. If it was at the local theaters, I missed it, so I bought the DVD, and I'm glad I did. So simple, so quiet, and fun.
 
RambleTamble said:
We watched The Zone of Interest last night on Prime Video. I wasn't at all shocked. Maybe that's one of the problems with getting old; it gets harder and harder to be shocked by what people are capable of.
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I loved that movie. The soundtrack—the screams, the train whistles, the visuals of the plumes of train smoke streaming over the treetops as the family held a birthday party in the backyard—was, in my opinion, brilliant. That the horror was so subtly depicted—only through sound, really—was chilling, I thought.

The atrocities that occurred just a literal stone's throw from the Höss family's house, as they went about their day-to-day lives—were hard to fathom. I mean, it's hard to fathom how someone could live that close to Auschwitz and just . . . live life as though nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

The film actually won an Academy Award for Best Sound.

Sorry; I don't normally get so worked up about a movie!

Interesting fact: The actor who played Rudolf Höss played Fabian in Season 3 of The White Lotus. I think you'd be hard put to find two more different characters.

One of the last movies I saw was 2014's Whiplash, with Miles Teller and J. K. Simmons, about a jazz drummer and his tyrannical instructor, respectively. It's one of my favorites. Whiplash (2014 film) - Wikipedia
 
I watched two light movies that I enjoyed on Netflix: "Mango" and "Champagne Problems".
On Hulu, I watched "Murdaugh: Death in the family". I thought it was well done. Good acting.
Following that, I watched "Murdaugh Family Case Documentary" - CW Network - 3 parts documentary on this on YouTube. It added a few view points from the lawyers and prosecutor as well as the members of the press. It was quite interesting.
 
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