What did you watch today? v 33.0

[The Professor]

Welcome to version 33, the Egg McMuffin of discussions. 

 

The first post in this thread will be # 14,394. 

 

The ghost of George Sanders reminds you to link your films, and that one should feel free to move on if bored. 

[eviltimes]

The Last Days of the World   IMDb   2011   NR   95 min   IW     JPN w/ENG subs

Japanese teen high school fantasy - God speaks to him and he is released from their highly structured social way of life.  He immediately kills the class bully, kidnaps his girlfriend, steals a car...  Meaningless drivel unless you are locked into a sharply defined lifestyle as the "city" Japanese are.  0/10

[eviltimes]

Classic Albums: The Band   IMDb   1997   NR   60 min   IW

Richard Manuel (86), Levon Helm (12), Rick Danko (99), Robbie Robertson and Garth Hudson ; well the four alive in '97 - explain how they recorded their first two albums "Music from Big Pink"(68) and "The Band"(69) in a delightful visit with old friends - and masters of American music. With lots of clips, live performances (you will not believe Garth playing "Jeruselem"), and comments from Bernie Taupin (who wrote a little tune called "Levon"), Eric Clapton and George Harrison (01), take a loving time trip which should probably be required viewing before The Last Waltz. Created by the BBC, it's thankfully missing any cheese - it's all about a little band from Saugerties, N.Y. 10/10  I shed a tear or so.

[David]

The Defiant Ones--Two escaped convicts -- one black (Sidney Poitier), one white (Tony Curtis) and both shackled in the same pair of handcuffs -- battle the elements and each other as they travel Southern back roads.  Pretty classic film.

The Cowboys--John Wayne vs. bad guy Bruce Dern, and you boys to herd cattle, another classic.

Brides of Dracula--Hammer vampire movie, but done well.  I think it's the sets, costumes, & atmosphere.

[Sevorin]

Lenny Bruce's skit on The Defiant Ones is also a classic, of sorts. 

[Ando]

Speaking of...

[Nerves]

Kelly's Heroes (1970)

3/5 Stars

As an action flick this is pretty good, especially the last 30 minutes or so. The attempts at comedy fall pretty flat. Using 60's pop music in the score was a bad idea for a WWII flick. Sutherland's character seems to be from another movie. Did anyone talk like that in the 40's? And what was he trying to sound like with the accent? A Brooklyn Jew? I can only imagine how painful it must be for Sutherland to watch his performance in this film.

[eviltimes]

I would say you've lost your mind, but then... Do you ever think about where these films come from?  This one is straight from the Hollywood playbook, so it doesn't bother me that for 1970 it's built according to plan.  There's a huge cast, typecast, and it's very funny for what it is and where it's from.  Tanks playing "I've Been Workin' On The Railroad" while they blow away a Nazi train installation?  Hysterical!

How would you have sold tickets to a war movie in the middle of violent street demonstrations against the Vietnam war, social protests for African American civil rights and the "don't trust anyone over 30" (pass me that doober) era?  They tried rolling out John Wayne in '68 and lost their shirts.

In the same year M*A*S*H* and Catch-22 also came out.  But they had different backers - outside the old school Hollywood - so they could get made, make money and stand the test of time - just like Kelly's Heroes did.

[Nerves]

How would you have sold tickets to a war movie in the middle of violent street demonstrations against the Vietnam war, social protests for African American civil rights and the "don't trust anyone over 30" (pass me that doober) era?  They tried rolling out John Wayne in '68 and lost their shirts.

I wouldn't worry about selling tickets. Did Van Gogh worry about selling his paintings? If Hollywood directors had an ounce of integrity they wouldn't let the studios cheapen their work by forcing them appeal to the masses.

[Mr. Bad]

Not the greatest analogy: van Gogh's paintings didn't cost millions of dollars to make and distribute. If a director isn't making a commercially viable product, the film can be taken away from him either during the filming or afterwards.

Here's Sutherland talking about making the film:

[Nerves]

If a director isn't making a commercially viable product, the film can be taken away from him either during the filming or afterwards.

So we end up with a lot of commercial crap. Luckily there have been a few directors in Hollywood who have stood up to the studios or been given free reign. When Altman made MASH he wouldn't let them see his work. I don't think MASH is a great film but at least he made the film he wanted to make. But I think the day is coming when just about anyone can make a film just as today anyone can release their own CD. Maybe Herzog is a better analogy. I don't think he worries about selling tickets - it's a compulsion. Can anyone tell me off the top of their head who directed Kelly's Heroes? Here's a bit of trivia from imdb: "Gave up direction in the mid eighties and became a plumber."

[Mr. Bad]

But I think the day is coming when just about anyone can make a film just as today anyone can release their own CD.

I sincerely hope this happens. How about the cinematic equivalent of community theater? Groups of people with digital equipment, scripts, and green screen sets with canned expensive scenery that can digitally be put in later. Theaters have digital projectors now, so there's no expensive copying costs. The problem is that it's a lot of work to make even a bad movie. People should consider themselves lucky when they wind up with something as interesting as The Room.

[eviltimes]

I don't think MASH is a great film

The defense rests.  *apoplectic dissolve*