What Was the Last Movie You Watched?

I watched Pulse (2001), a Japanese horror/thriller film. It reminded me a bit of The Mist and Part 1 of The Stand (i.e., apocalyptic), only Internet based. I liked it.
 

Rossana said:
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.
Click to expand...
Also enjoyed Mango and Champagne Problems. Cute movies, easy to watch.
 
IrishEyes said:
Not a movie but a series on Paramount called The Beast In Me.
It had me hooked, all kinds of twists and turns and very decent acting.
Click to expand...
This could be posted in the Are You Streaming thread (if you haven't already) . I think somebody already mentioned it there though. :unsure: Anyway, now that I've seen it mentioned more than once, I'm curious and will check it out.
Are you streaming ( or binge watching ) any series on Netflix, or any other service? Tell us about it.
Just went to the thread and I see that @ChiroDoc mentioned you posting about it here.
 

Imagine: John Lennon. I found it enjoyable but very similar to a different documentary that focused on him and Yoko. I'm drawing a blank on the name right now.

I almost couldn't bear to watch the end, even though of course I know there would be footage of the weeping crowds mourning him. :cry:

The interviews with Julian and Sean (so young and adorable in this 1988 film) cracked me up because of their 80s attire and hairstyles. Which makes perfect sense given that the interviews were conducted in the 80s. The nostalgia made me smile.
 
Pepper said:
When I get home I am looking forward to watching A COMPLETE UNKNOWN. Believe on Disney. Know that it’s on something that I have access to.
Click to expand...
I really enjoyed that movie -- not so much because of the depiction of Bob Dylan, but because it took the viewer back to a time and place that I remember fondly. I got totally emersed in that aspect of it.

The early to mid '60s seemed like a much simpler time where people were more decent and we shared values, which made it seem like a more peaceful time, despite the fact that we were getting deeply involved in Vietnam at the time.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
[The Beast In Me] This could be posted in the Are You Streaming thread (if you haven't already) . I think somebody already mentioned it there though. :unsure: Anyway, now that I've seen it mentioned more than once, I'm curious and will check it out.
Are you streaming ( or binge watching ) any series on Netflix, or any other service? Tell us about it.
Just went to the thread and I see that @ChiroDoc mentioned you posting about it here.
Click to expand...
Overall it's a well done production. But you won't like the language.
 
I tried to watch The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but I don't care for the cast and the storyline didn't grab me after watching about half hour of it. I really liked the cast of Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer (2007) and have not seen the original Fantastic Four (2005); I like most of that cast, so I put those on my Watchlist.

 
I finished The Fantastic Four (2015), but it wasn't the one I wanted to see. I had seen it before but just found out it was a remake when I looked up the sequence of the franchise. I thought it was decent but it bombed at the box office and according to the Wikipedia write up "is often considered one of the worst superhero films ever made.

So now I just started watching The Fantastic Four (2005), the one I wanted to see. It could be considered the original since the true original (1994) was never released. It stars Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans, all of whom I like and the late Julian McMahon, who passed this year.

 
Hugo (2011) is a wonderful film that is so visually appealing with interesting sets and excellent photography, and when the story slows down you can immerse yourself in the settings. No special effects, but an interesting story. While I don't particularly like Hollywood movies that self aggrandize Hollywood movies, I don't find this one offensive at all. A large well known cast, each playing a small part of the film work together well. It has elements of of mystery, but not about crime. It's about solving a riddle of the past.

Directed by Martin Scorsese. Produced by Johnny Depp, who plays a small part in the film almost in the background, and has no lines to speak. Too many actors to name them all.
 
1764288294973.jpeg
Blind Spot (1947)

This “B” noir picture from Columbia has an intriguing plot, but it’s lightweight direction by Robert Gordon, lack of “A” actors, and 73 minute runtime, all were designed for the picture to be shown on a double feature bill.

The screenplay was by Martin Goldsmith who was also a novelist. Viewers will recognize him as author of 2 other notable noirs: Detour (1945), and the excellent The Narrow Margin (1952), the screenplay of which received an Oscar nomination. Goldsmith later wrote stories for The Twilight Zone TV series.

The plot itself is a clever “locked room” murder story that starts with an alcoholic artistic novelist Jeffrey Andrews (Chester Morris) who, while drunk, storms past the secretary (Constance Dowling) into his publisher’s office seeking a cash advance from an unfinished 5th novel. Also there was a very successful mystery novelist (Steven Geray) who, despite the publisher’s disrespect toward the aesthetics of the lesser novelist, the mystery writer applauds and admires his fellow author’s style and talent.

Miffed by the publisher’s plea for the Andrews to write popular mystery novels that would sell well, he on the spot disdainfully spins a “locked room” mystery yarn in order to secure an advance. Andrews leaves and hits a local tavern where, while he gets drunker, he relates the mystery story to the bartender. Later the “locked room” murder plays out in real life as the publisher ends up murdered in his office with the doors bolted from the inside.

Many will recognize Chester Morris as the eponymous character of the Boston Blackie film series from earlier in the 1940s. Steven Geray is instantly familiar for his many “A” movies, and especially for his list of famous noirs such as Gilda, In A Lonely Place, and The House on Telegraph Hill. But a noticeable standout is the gorgeous Constance Dowling, whose acting talent is obvious. She and her sister Doris were both notable actresses. In the later 1940s left Hollywood for Italy where she made several popular films. She returned to L.A. for her final film in the early 1950s, where she married producer Ivan Tors, and retired acting for family life.

A poor copy is available on YouTube
 
1764374769874.jpeg
Black Angel (1946)

This “A” noir has a couple of things in common with the following year’s Blind Spot (1947) reviewed earlier. Black Angel, like Blind Spot has a rather “locked room” key element, and, as in the later film, the lovely Constance Dowling is stunning as the character who both initiates, and is the victim, in the story.

Its notable cast includes the formidable Dan Duryea, along with June Vincent, Peter Lorre, Constance Dowling, Broderick Crawford, John Phillips and Wallace Ford. Roy William Neill directs in his final film, based rather loosely on the great Cornell Woolrich’s The Black Angel novel.

While drunk, pianist/composer Marty Blair (Duryea) attempts to placate ex-wife Mavis Marlowe (Dowling) with a ruby brooch on their anniversary, but the apartment building’s doorman has been given instructions by Mavis to bar Blair from entry, but he does accept the brooch to give to Mavis. Rebuffed, Blair mopes away to get drunker. But after leaving he spots another man going to visit Mavis, who asks, and is welcomed by the doorman.

Blair heads to a tavern to continue his bender. Back at the apartment building Kirk Bennett (John Phillips) has entered the apartment building, also to visit Mavis. He too is welcomed. But as he enters the woman’s apartment he finds her dead by strangulation. Suddenly he hears a noise, and discovers that someone has just fled the apartment through another door. We see that the brooch which had been pinned to Mavis’ dress has disappeared. After Bennett flees the building he is spotted and picked up as the murder suspect by police Capt. Flood, who books him into jail. Bennett, although innocent, is tried and sentenced to the gas chamber.

Bennett’s wife (June Vincent) is shocked to learn both of her husband’s love affair and his complicity in Mavis’ murder. She eventually hooks up with Blair to form a singer/pianist duo, where they are hired to sing in a nightclub owned by Peter Lorre’s character. The story develops from there, weaving several elements together providing a twist final act.

Director Neill had been a veteran movie maker since the Silent Era, and was notable for directing most of the “Sherlock Holmes” films of 1939-46. Highly prolific Cornell Woolrich was always disdainful of most film productions of his stories and novels, but reportedly he begrudgingly admitted that this film, although varying widely from his novel, was a good production.

Available on the Internet Archive, YouTube, and others.

Doc’s rating: 8/10
 
We finished Saturday Night Fever this evening. 🤣

It was entertaining. A lot of people don't like John Travolta, but for me, no matter what he's in, he's always interesting to watch. He's kind of an odd character.
 
StarSong said:
I rewatched the enjoyable Sweet Home Alabama last night. Wasn't up for anything heavy so this was just the ticket.
Click to expand...
Loved that movie!

I saw Bring Her Back the other day; it was good but very gruesome in parts. I hate blood and gore, so that kind of put a damper on it for me. But overall I liked it, though it was a bit dark. Bring Her Back - Wikipedia

I watched Good Boy last night, thinking it was a horror/thriller, because that is what it is presented as, and it wasn't. It was sad. And not the cathartic let's-have-a-good-hard-cry sad, like Terms of Endearment or Steel Magnolias. It was depressing-sad. Ugh. I will definitely be looking for something lighter to watch next. I wouldn't recommend this one.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top