What did you watch today? v 31.0

[The Professor]

Welcome to version 31.0

 

The first post in this thread will be # 12,935. 

 

The ghost of Richard Nixon reminds you to link your films, and have all suspicious moles excised.

 

[Snorii]

El Laberinto Griego (The Greek Labyrinth) (1991) - Didn't find this to be all that interesting. 

 

A young Penelope Cruz is part of the ensemble featured in The Greek Labyrinth, a Spanish thriller co-written and directed by Rafael Alcazar. A woman's ex-lover is reported missing, and a detective in Barcelona has been put on the case. But the hunter becomes the hunted when the ex-lover is found dead and the detective becomes the prime suspect. Also stars Omero Antonutti and Aitana Sanchez-Gijon.

 

The A-Team (2010) - I enjoyed it enough for what it is - over the top action flick.

 

This updated feature-film take on the hit 1980s television show follows a group of Iraq War veterans on the run from U.S. military forces while they try to clear their names after being framed for a crime they didn't commit. Along the way, Col. Hannibal Smith, Capt. H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock , Sgt. Bosco "B.A." Baracus and Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck help out various people they encounter. Joe Carnahan directs this high-octane actioner.

 

 

 Voskhozhdeniye (The Ascent) (1977) - This was great - I thought about it for quite a long time after seeing it.  Great contrast between the two soldiers, physical and philosophical.   What are you willing to compromise for survival?   I definitely recommend this one.

 

Acclaimed Soviet film director Larisa Shepitko offers the rigorous and surprisingly spiritual story of two Russian World War II partisans isolated from their comrades deep in the woods, trying desperately to avoid capture by Nazi forces. The tense drama also explores the landscape of the human soul and its capacity for loyalty and betrayal, themes masterfully culminated in the film's final scenes. Boris Plotnikov and Vladimir Gostyukhin star.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despicable Me (2010) - I think I've read that some people on here didn't like this one, but I found it to be an enjoyable family movie.

 

Piranha (2010) - If you like the old 70s-80s 'B' horror movies, I'd guess you would also really like this one.   Completely over the top and silly fun.

 

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010) - I thought it looked great visually, but there didn't seem to be much substance for me.  Don't really recommend it, unless you want to look closely at the animation.

 

The Other Guys (2010) - I thought this was ok, but there is a scene near the beginning involving Samuel L. Jackson and The Rock that had me rolling with laughter.  

 

While an elite pair of New York City cops (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson) nabs headlines for their amazing heroics, fellow boys in blue Allen (Will Ferrell) and Terry (Mark Wahlberg) toil in obscurity as lowly desk jockeys, until a big break finally gives them a chance to tackle real police work. Rob Riggle, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton and Steve Coogan co-star in this action-packed comedy directed by Adam McKay.

 

Pit Pony (1997) - This is a tv movie about a Nova Scotia family having its share of hardships.  It was ok.

 

After his older brother John (Andrew Keilty) has a terrible accident, 10-year-old Willie (Ben Rose-Davis) quits school to work in the local coal mine. As the difficult job takes a toll on him, Willie forms a strong bond with a wild horse trained to work in the coal pits. Set on the island of Nova Scotia, this heartwarming drama also stars Richard Donat, Jennie Raymond, Denny Doherty and a young Ellen Page.

 

[Mr. Bad]

Before she was killed in a car accident, Ascent director Larissa Shepitko was married to Elem Klimov, who directed Come and See.

[Sevorin]

Come and See - Now there's a ray of sunshine.

[Knaldskalle]

Earth. A very poetic (and deeply unrealistic) look at Soviet agricultural life in the early Stalin days. It was part of an attempt to persuade privater farmers to join the big Soviet collective farms, but the movie transcends its propaganda purpose and becomes something more, something beautiful and life affirming, despite being about death. Really good.

Career Girls. I tried to get into this movie, but I just couldn't. It has great acting and fine directing, but the story itself just didn't captivate me and I found myself distracted at times, just waiting for the funny or poignant moments. I'd call it uneven if I thought that was the problem, but I don't. It's more like the whole idea of the movie is ill-conceived and no amount of good work from everyone involved can lift it above mildly interesting.

Son of Rambow. "Made by the people behind Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy". Well, I saw that movie and it was remarkable unfunny (which was quite a feat given the source material), so I didn't really know what to expect from this one. Fortunately it's better than HGTTG, but it still has some unfunny "funny" moments and I didn't really feel drawn into the movie the way I usually get.

Road to Morocco. I guess Bob Hope just isn't my kind of humor. I like some of the witty banter, but the slapstick isn't funny, the plot isn't interesting and some of those jokes and pranks you just see coming a mile away. It's mildly entertaining at best, nothing special. At least I got to see a young Anthony Quinn as the baddie.

True Heart Susie/Hoodoo Ann. More D.W. Griffith. I must confess, I'm beginning to think that his movies are a chore more than an enjoyment. Other than Intolerance none of his movies have done much for me (okay, Birth of a Nation did something for me, but that was mostly disgust with the racism portrayed in it). I just don't think his preachy, moralistic, sentimental "home on the range" stuff is worth it. Hoodoo Ann is meh, with a little unintentional humor in the second half. True Heart Susie is better. Still sentimental sappy shit, but it's filmed (and acted) in a way that makes it bearable, even if you know how it's going to end right from the beginning. Lillian Gish doesn't get that much screen time, but she's good as always.

[Sevorin]

The Road to Morocco - The Hope-Crosby "road" movies have not worn well -- if they ever did.

 

However, I managed to laugh myself into a psychotic fit over parts of The Road to Zanzibar.

[David]

I enjoyed parts of his Paleface, western spoofs too.

[don]

The Lady Vanishes

3.5 stars

This Hitchcock mystery/Espionage thriller is nicely laced with typical British witty humor. The characters are well developed which makes the mystery more enjoyable.

[Evil Herbivore]

The Lady from Shanghai

A lesser seen Orson Welles film  - I like it a lot, despite critical review.

As a review said I read: "After all, you do not go to an Orson Welles movie to see a nice simple little plot and a burnishing of the image of a happy-ever-after star…

You go to see theatrically heightened characters locked in conflict against colorful and unusual settings, lighted and scored imaginatively, photographed bravely, and the whole thing peppered with unexpected details of surprise that a wiser and duller director would either avoid or not think of in the first place"

 

[Knaldskalle]

I really like this one too.
I want you to kill me!

[Sevorin]

I like it, too.

 

But the plot is stupid and, except for a great scene in the sultry Mexican twilight where Welles talks about sharks, he's ridiculous as an Irish sailor.

[Mr. Bad]

The Town I read the book this is based on and the screenplay does an excellent job of stripping away tons on unnecessary plot to give a competent barebones action/thriller version of the story. Since the disc has no extras, I recommend watching it on WI when it comes around.

[The Professor]

I dug the film as well, but as I posted elsewhere and took a beating for, I think Jeremy Renner is a weak point, and that there are plenty of Hollywood actors who could have played the "crazy little guy" part in a more interesting way.