The "I'm watching/just watched *movie title* thread....

[21st Century Man]

Continuing with the real estate theme for some reason, I watched The Big Short. It went on for far too long. They could have edited out half the movie. I realize they needed to describe to the audience what certain things were, but it was annoying when they kept breaking the fourth wall. Christian Bale's eye bullshit was bothering me too. Just a wooden performance with nothing but him trying to cross his eyes. I know he was basing his character on someone with only one eye, but still, we get it. Was the guy also borderline retarded, because Bale was barely there. Just blank throughout the movie. the soundtrack was annoying as well. The only thing I enjoyed about the movie was Steve Carell's performance. Entirely overrated.
Here's the movie in a nut shell-
"The banks are screwing us. That's bad."
"We should get them. Describe to me what they are doing so the audience can follow"
"The banks are screwing us. That's bad."
"Damn the banks. Let's get them. Describe it some more."
"here are some new characters who can explain it"
"hey guys, the banks are screwing us"
etc etc.. for two hours. Pause for shitty song and fourth wall retardation.

Thanks for the review.  Now I really have no desire to see it anytime soon.

[albrecht]

Thanks for the review.  Now I really have no desire to see it anytime soon.

"The Big Short", watched it the other night. Didn't like. Liked the subject, like anytime people take contrary to popular opinion and make money- but as previous poster mentioned could be edited and the acting was suspect. I also didn't like the juvenile manner they would break the 4th wall to explain some things to us. I guess, true, that many in the general public don't understand some of the MBS, CDO, CDS, regulatory changes etc, and certainly I am no financial expert, but didn't like how they did it. Obviously it can be hard to make financial "stuff" into a movie, instead of a class or documentary but blah. Read some books or articles on it is better time spent.

[analog kid]

Rhymes for Young Ghouls. Pretty interesting, with a weird, apocalyptic style.

...a 2013 Canadian drama film and the feature film debut of writer-director Jeff Barnaby. It is set in 1976 on an Indian reserve in the context of the residential school system. Although it tells the fictional story of a teenager named Aila and her plot for revenge, it is based on the history of abuse of the First Nations people by government agents, including a large number of reported cases of the mental and physical abuse of residential school children.

[littlechris]

Based on a true story.

[21st Century Man]

Based on a true story.

Ellen Barkin? I thought she went out with the 80's.  I haven't seen her in anything since Sea of Love.

[littlechris]

Ellen Barkin? I thought she went out with the 80's.  I haven't seen her in anything since Sea of Love.

Yup, she's in it. Pretty awesome. Plays a thug bitch.

[The King of Kings]

Continuing with the real estate theme for some reason, I watched The Big Short. It went on for far too long. They could have edited out half the movie. I realize they needed to describe to the audience what certain things were, but it was annoying when they kept breaking the fourth wall. Christian Bale's eye bullshit was bothering me too. Just a wooden performance with nothing but him trying to cross his eyes. I know he was basing his character on someone with only one eye, but still, we get it. Was the guy also borderline retarded, because Bale was barely there. Just blank throughout the movie.

Yeah, the fourth wall breaking was unnecessary and distracting.

As for Bale's performance, I did some minor "research" on who the guy was based on and the acting seemed to capture him correctly.  High IQ with Aspergers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Burry

[albrecht]

"The Enfield Haunting" (2015,) which really is a mini-series on Sky but I watched like a movie (all episodes back to back.) I enjoyed it. Wasn't great but good performances by the young actresses and much connections with C2C and paranormal shows over the years so figured worth a watch. Not great and some will debate/criticize the 'old man' and haunting vs poltergeist and whether it should've been a longer movie (like I watched it) rather than episodic. Sets were good, some good acting, some scares, and ambiguous- like the "real," or not famous case.

[littlechris]

Good stuff.

[coaster]

All Is Lost. Robert Redford struggling on a sinking yacht for two hours.  While I usually enjoy these types of films, I actually fell asleep part way through. Woke up to find that I had not missed anything important. It was actually my second attempt at watching the movie. I like Robert Redford so I decided on giving this one another chance, but it was still a long and tedious movie.

[21st Century Man]

All Is Lost. Robert Redford struggling on a sinking yacht for two hours.  While I usually enjoy these types of films, I actually fell asleep part way through. Woke up to find that I had not missed anything important. It was actually my second attempt at watching the movie. I like Robert Redford so I decided on giving this one another chance, but it was still a long and tedious movie.

I saw that one a while back.  It held my interest.  I've never been a big fan of Redford but I've liked some of the things he has done recently.  I wouldn't say it is a great film but it is pretty good.   I might have reviewed it on here but I can't remember.  I think it falls into the 3-3.5 range.

[21st Century Man]

Good stuff.

I saw that at Fathom events at the theater with my wife.  I was particularly intrigued with the work of David Rohl and I've since read several books by him.  He is not a man of faith and that makes this film all the more compelling.

[coaster]

I saw that one a while back.  It held my interest.  I've never been a big fan of Redford but I've liked some of the things he has done recently.  I wouldn't say it is a great film but it is pretty good.   I might have reviewed it on here but I can't remember.  I think it falls into the 3-3.5 range.

I've liked Redford ever since the first time I watched Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Became a big fan of Paul Newman's too. I still think one of the greatest films ever made was "Hud". The definition of a character study. Not to mention Patricia Neal. Great performance from her and she is so easy to look at. I may have to re-watch that one tonight.

[21st Century Man]

       The Big Lebowski - 1998 -  I went into this film thinking it was just another stoner flick.  That is the main reason why I  have not seen it up until now.  I detest drugs for personal reasons.  Despite the Dude being a stoner, it was not much of a stoner flick.  The average Cheech and Chong film has a  whole lot more drug references than this film.  So I was more than relieved that it did not focus on drug humor for the most part.  I even liked the Dude who I was prepared to detest. The film really captured me from the start with the prologue by the film archivist.  That would be a dream job for me.  I would hope to find some great long lost film like London After Midnight and restore it, frame by frame.

     And then the Sons of the Pioneers start singing Tumblin' Tumbleweeds.  Ok, the film is starting to capture my heart.  It employs a Hitchcockian McGuffin, the rug, to get the film going.  Goodman and Bridges are hilarious, Tara Reid is fetching as the slut trophy wife and I particularly loved Sam Elliott as the Stranger.  It was also nice to see Steve Buscemi though I wish his character was a bit more developed.  Turturro was also funny in his brief bit as rival bowler, Jesus. Throw in an homage to Busby Berkeley and then this becomes my favorite Coen Brothers film.

      This is a film where the parts are greater than the sum but the parts are classic film-making at its best.  Another example would be where Bridges is thrown out of the cab by a black driver who is an Eagles fan.  The only flaw in the film was the basic story-line was a bit tenuous but that doesn't really matter.  That is also a criticism that I have with Hail, Caesar but the latter film has characters that are not nearly as likable. A Coen Brothers Masterpiece. 4.75 out of 5 stars.

I'll followup that one with another Jeff Bridges flick from the dawn of his career, The Last Picture Show from 1971.  A slice of life drama about early 50's dustbowl Texas that focuses on the underbelly of a town beset by scandal.   Drawn from Larry McMurtry's semi-autobiographical book of the same name, the performances in this film, including Bridges are Oscar caliber.  Timothy Bottoms is the lead character, a boy of 17-18 going through the usual problems that a boy of that age grows through.  He loses his girlfiriend, gets himself involved in a very heated affair with the closet, gay basketball coach's wife, Cloris Leachman, and then marries the town hottie played by Cybil Shepherd in her debut.  Ellen Burstyn, Eileen Brennan and Sam Bottoms also give great performances but at the heart of the film is Sam the Lion, played brilliantly by the great John Ford veteran, Ben Johnson. 

     His acting had come a long way from his initially rather wooden performances in the late 40's.  Johnson had never intended to ever become an actor.  He was a cowboy roped into the profession by Ford.  He had worked as a stuntman on the Outlaw but spent most of his time wrangling and breaking horses for the movie business.  Ford hired him  for stunt-work on Fort Apache and Ben had small parts in 3 Godfathers and She Wore A Yellow Ribbon.  Like I said, he was a bit wooden in these small roles.  However, he did manage to get larger roles in films such as Mighty Joe Young, Wagonmaster and Rio Grande.  His performances were getting much better and much more natural.  He had a falling out with Ford and they would not reconcile until the 60's.

     Ben's roles got larger and larger and he had established himself as a solid supporting character actor when Bogdonavich insisted that he wanted Johnson to play Sam The Lion in his film.  Ben said no numerous times but Bogdanovich was just as stubborn.  He went to the old man, Jack Ford himself, and wanted Ford to tell Ben to take the role.  Ford did so but Ben was still hesitant and then Bogdanovich told Ben that he would win an Academy Award.  This got Ben's attention but he still had problems with the dirty words that the character was required to say.  Bodganovich replaced them and it was a go.  Ben Johnson is absolutely marvelous in this film and Bogdanovich was true to his word.  Ben won the Academy Award.

    The film is a bit long but the acting is really outstanding and the film true-to-life plus you get to see Cybil's boobs. I give it a 4.5 out of 5.

[coaster]

I have seen The Big Lebowski so any times I nearly know the script by heart. I think the reason why we didn't see very much character development with Donny (Buscemi) was because we saw all we needed to see. We knew everything about him the moment Walter first tells him to "shut the f up". He's an amiable, unassuming sidekick of Walter's. We know he's usually not very attentive as he changes the subject when Walter and The Dude are having a conversation. We probably know as much about him as the characters in the movie do. He's just that guy who hangs out with Walter. I actually think any more character development would actually ruin it. I look at The Big Lebowski as a modern film noir. And it's a movie you can watch a dozen times and still find something new. Every scene is a masterpiece in film making in my opinion. But that is the Coens.
The Last Picture Show was a great movie as well. Early Jeff Bridges is fun to watch. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is another good one, though not nearly as classic as The Last Picture Show.

[21st Century Man]

I've liked Redford ever since the first time I watched Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Became a big fan of Paul Newman's too. I still think one of the greatest films ever made was "Hud". The definition of a character study. Not to mention Patricia Neal. Great performance from her and she is so easy to look at. I may have to re-watch that one tonight.

I haven't seen Hud all of the way through but I was impressed by what I have seen.  I am not a big fan of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid but I love The Sting.

[onan]

I have seen The Big Lebowski so any times I nearly know the script by heart. I think the reason why we didn't see very much character development with Donny (Buscemi) was because we saw all we needed to see. We knew everything about him the moment Walter first tells him to "shut the f up". He's an amiable, unassuming sidekick of Walter's. We know he's usually not very attentive as he changes the subject when Walter and The Dude are having a conversation. We probably know as much about him as the characters in the movie do. He's just that guy who hangs out with Walter. I actually think any more character development would actually ruin it. I look at The Big Lebowski as a modern film noir. And it's a movie you can watch a dozen times and still find something new. Every scene is a masterpiece in film making in my opinion. But that is the Coens.
The Last Picture Show was a great movie as well. Early Jeff Bridges is fun to watch. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is another good one, though not nearly as classic as The Last Picture Show.

The Big Lebowski, as stated by the Cohen brothers is a film where the plot is secondary to the story. The film followed their acclaimed movie Fargo, which won two academy awards. The reference to "shut the fuck up, Donny." is a nod to Fargo, in which Buscemi's character didn't know when to stop talking.

The Big Lebowski wasn't well received when first released. It only made 5 million over total budget. It wasn't until a few years later, becoming a cult favorite that it became a cash cow.

There are several interpretations for the meaning of the film, including a belief that the Dude, is a current day Jesus Christ. And some believe it has a connection to 9/11.

What I liked about the movie is it's presentation of the absurd in almost every aspect of the day to day.

[GravitySucks]

The Big Lebowski, as stated by the Cohen brothers is a film where the plot is secondary to the story. The film followed their acclaimed move Fargo, which won two academy awards. The reference to "shut the fuck up, Donny." is a nod to Fargo, in which Buscemi's character didn't know when to stop talking.

The big Lebowskiwasn't well received when first released. It only made 5 million over total budget. It wasn't until a few years later, becoming a cult favorite that it became a cash cow.

There are several interpretations for the meaning of the film, including a belief that the Dude, is a current day Jesus Christ. And some believe it has a connection to 9/11.

What I liked about the movie is it's presentation of the absurd in almost every aspect of the day to day.

That's a film you either love or hate. Everybody I know will watch it over and over. I can't make it all the way through.

[starrmtn001]

Has anyone been following House Of Cards on Netflix?  Season 4 has just been released.  That series just keeps getting better and better!

[akwilly]

I tried to watch Cooties over the weekend. Do not waste your time it is a pile of crap!

[coaster]

The reference to "shut the fuck up, Donny." is a nod to Fargo, in which Buscemi's character didn't know when to stop talking.[/b]

That makes sense. Wonder why I never put those two together.

[analog kid]

I tried to watch Cooties over the weekend. Do not waste your time it is a pile of crap!

I made it through about ten minutes and quit. I like campy, comedy horror, but that isn't it - it's just bad.

[albrecht]

Has anyone been following House Of Cards on Netflix?  Season 4 has just been released.  That series just keeps getting better and better!

How does it compare? I havent watched but hear good. The original I liked but thought was getting weaker by 'Final  Cut.' But that is normally the case as shows go on.

Watching "And Then There Were None" the 2015 version of oft-adapted and famed Christie book. I like so far, great setting and actors.

Big Leibowski, as with most Coen Bros films was great.

[zeebo]

       The Big Lebowski - 1998 -  ... Goodman and Bridges are hilarious ...

My fave is Goodman's "You see what happens, Larry!"

[coaster]

House of Cards was one of those shows I gave up on after the first episode. Not because of the politics, but I just found it dull. I'll probably give it another chance down the line.

[akwilly]

A movie I dare anyone to see is titled The million dollar hotel. It stars Mel Gibson. It is perhaps the worst movie of all time.

[albrecht]

House of Cards was one of those shows I gave up on after the first episode. Not because of the politics, but I just found it dull. I'll probably give it another chance down the line.

The remake or the old one? I havent watched the remake and curious how it compares and whether to 'invest' in watching.

[coaster]

The remake or the old one? I havent watched the remake and curious how it compares and whether to 'invest' in watching.

The new one. I like Kevin Spacey, but even he was snore-inducing. I haven't seen the original. Had no idea there even was an original.

[albrecht]

The new one. I like Kevin Spacey, but even he was snore-inducing. I haven't seen the original. Had no idea there even was an original.

Yeah BBC version was good though I thought toward end went down hill a bit. Didnt like 'Final Cut' much. I never read the novels n also would be curious how compares to both. I havent seem US remake, mainly cause no HBO n waiting investment in a show. Like new one, apparently, a hit piece of sorts on Consevatives but I don't care about politics in shows (though recognize the power and intent and that is expected in Hollywood or BBC productions.) But liked n good plots amd actors.

[akwilly]

A great doc is titled The most insane amusement park ever. It is awesome. It shows archival footage and interviews people that used to go to the park. It was Action Park in New Jersey. Oddly I hear they are going to reopen Action Park very soon. As far as Documentaries go I rate this very high. You tube has clips worth checking out.