What Was the Last Movie You Watched?

Backstabbing for Beginners on Netflix

A recent Brown University graduate, Michael Soussan was elated when he landed a position as a program coordinator for the United Nations’ Iraq Program. Little did he know that he would end up a whistleblower in what PBS NewsHour described as the “largest financial scandal in UN history.”

Breaking a conspiracy of silence that had prevailed for years, Soussan sparked an unprecedented corruption probe into the Oil-for-Food program that exposed a worldwide system of bribes, kickbacks, and blackmail involving ruthless power-players from around the globe.

At the crossroads of pressing humanitarian concerns, crisis diplomacy, and multibillion-dollar business interests, Soussan’s story highlights core flaws of our international system and exposes the frightening, corrupting power of the black elixir that fuels our world’s economy.
 

I may have missed "B for B". Thanks for the tip, RT!
JustDave said:
I sent for a 1956 film, Trapeze, staring starring Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis and Gina Lollobrigida. I thought I remembered liking it, but it turned out not to be the film I was thinking of. It had a good premise, but the acting and the scripts from back then sometimes lacked, and this one did too. I enjoyed the watching the stunts. It turns out Burt Lancaster did much of the trapeze stunts himself, and apparently was part of the circus before he got into films.

Gina Lollobrigida flounced around being seductive, devious, and manipulative, I guess the way men wanted women to be back then, so I could write it off as maybe historical trivia.... or something. I always liked Tony Curtis for some reason.
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I really enjoyed it in the theater when it came out. There were several circus type films during that era, e.g. The Big Circus (1959).

Yeah Curtis was very popular and watchable, and had a wide acting range. As you know he and Lancaster were together again in the great and innovative noir, Sweet Smell of Success (1957). The public was surprised that Curtis played a sleazy yes man, but he --and the film-- was great. Interesting note: Burt Lancaster said that Curtis should have won an Oscar for his portrayal of Sidney Falco. I agree.
 
RambleTamble said:
Backstabbing for Beginners on Netflix

A recent Brown University graduate, Michael Soussan was elated when he landed a position as a program coordinator for the United Nations’ Iraq Program. Little did he know that he would end up a whistleblower in what PBS NewsHour described as the “largest financial scandal in UN history.”

Breaking a conspiracy of silence that had prevailed for years, Soussan sparked an unprecedented corruption probe into the Oil-for-Food program that exposed a worldwide system of bribes, kickbacks, and blackmail involving ruthless power-players from around the globe.

At the crossroads of pressing humanitarian concerns, crisis diplomacy, and multibillion-dollar business interests, Soussan’s story highlights core flaws of our international system and exposes the frightening, corrupting power of the black elixir that fuels our world’s economy.
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I watched this good movie last night. Turns out I had seen it back in 2018, but I didn't recall much of it, so it was a great re-watch.

It was a quality production: screenwriting, directing, photography, etc. The phenomenal acting of Ben Kingsley shows why he is one of the greatest actors of the past 50 years.

The tension and the twists hold one's interest throughout, leading to a gratifying ending.

8/10 for me. Available on Netflix, etc.
 
I watched Cast Away last night for the second time. The first time was 15 or 20 years ago, so it was almost like watching it again for the first time, although I remembered the ending. Good movie! It's on Netflix.
 
Watched the third of the Hunger Games films last night on BBC1. This one was called MockingJay part 1.

Not a bad set of films so far, but I keep expecting something to go wrong and find out that the whole thing was a powerplay all along by Snow. However, the fourth one in the series is on tonight on the BBC, so as it's our son's birthday today and we'll be out for a meal, I'll record the film so that we can watch it when we're at home.
 
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Unless I've been hallucinating, OneEyedDiva asked me for my opinion of the SciFi film Extinction (2018), but I couldn't find her post. Nevertheless.....

TBH I was just about to bail after 20 minutes or so because the story seemed trite, the acting mediocre, and the dialogue semi-silly. But just about then the big twist/reveal happened, and it hooked me.

Yes, it's a "B" picture with second tier actors, but the film could have probably gotten into "A" territory with more imaginative writing and dialogue. I've always felt Michael Pena was a slightly wooden actor (in the way that Lizabeth Scott was), so here his demeanor fit the part. Likewise Lizzy Caplan was a good choice for Pena's wife.

Another demerit was that, although an action film can be expected to have some melodrama, what was presented here seemed phony-- more so than many of the situations could bear. Sentiments were thrown back and forth that simply didn't fit.

It was a clever concept, and could have been a more absorbing picture with more engaging writing. Doc's rating: 5/10
 
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I own the DVD. Its not the first time I've watched it, but given enough time between viewings, it can feel like its the first time.

"My God, you ARE a character"

There are so many layers to Sam Spade and to the story. And they reveal themselves over the course of the film.

Is this the best script ever?

I once watched it with my son and his statement was that it was the best movie he'd ever seen.

When you own both this and Casablanca, you're glad to be alive.
 
What should I watch first, Sinners, or Weapons? Both on Max. Both approximately same length. Both horror genre. No spoilers please just roll the dice.
 
OldFeller said:
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I own the DVD. Its not the first time I've watched it, but given enough time between viewings, it can feel like its the first time.

"My God, you ARE a character"

There are so many layers to Sam Spade and to the story. And they reveal themselves over the course of the film.

Is this the best script ever?

I once watched it with my son and his statement was that it was the best movie he'd ever seen.

When you own both this and Casablanca, you're glad to be alive.
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I agree! Perfect casting, acting, directing and editing. Some commentary:



The Maltese Falcon is one of the great films and also one of the very first noirs. There were a couple of noir films in 1940 --The Letter, and They Drive by Night, but Falcon seems to be the picture that splashed Hollywood into the start of the noir movement.

This seems to me a transition film for Bogart from tough guy roles to more varied portrayals, of which he knocked out of the park in Casablanca, and later in The Big Sleep. Bogart’s Sam Spade seemed to forever serve as the template for the no nonsense, slightly amoral, looking-out-for-himself shamus that would be used by writers in so many films afterward.

Sydney Greenstreet's film debut was brilliant. At aged 61 he had been a highly accomplished stage actor, which shows. Peter Lorre was getting on a roll then, and played the perfect weasel. Mary Astor was gutsy taking the role of Brigid O'Shaughnessy: a scheming, immoral woman. Astor had a ton of experience since her beginnings in silent films, and she pulled out all the stops here. And one of my favorites, Elisha Cook, Jr., shone as Greenstreet's hapless gun totin' henchman.

In John Huston's premiere feature film, he followed the book closely, and finished shooting under budget. It was one of the best received films of 1941, and remains today as one of our great classics.
 
Lewkat said:
Witness For The Prosecution with Tyrone Power who was a real dreamboat.
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Oh, man! What a beautiful film that is. I could watch Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester in anything-- and I guess I have...:) Laughton was one of the greatest actors of the 20th Century, and he was cooking on all 4 burners in this one. It's not my favorite Tyrone Power performance, but I did like Marlene Dietrich in her role. I've probably watched that picture a half dozen times.
 

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