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. 

[Ando]

quite. Can you believe that I watched all ten episodes back to back over a couple of days (during one of my vacations)? Hard to find that kind of time now.

[Ando]

In retrospect, I don't suppose the thing would have gone off without the incredible performance of Yevgeny Mironov as Prince Myshkin. Totally believable from start to finish - and that character's no cakewalk. I hear he gives a deft performance as Gregor Samsa in Kafka'sMetamorphosis. Apparently, he plays him as a man who believes he's a cockroach as opposed to an actual 6 foot insect trapped in a boarding house room, which had always been my impression of the story. Of course, I was 16 when I last read it.

[Sevorin]

I will never read The Metamorphosis again. I had been led to believe that it was a "comic" novella before I read it. And the first few pages seem to support that view.

Then . . . it was -- for me, at least -- blacker than the ace of spades. I don't agree with the notion of him merely believing  he's a cockroach. Though it's told from his point of view, the essence of the tragedy is how others regard him.

I agree that Mironov is wonderful as Myshkin. But everyone is good -- and Rogozhin's part is no cakewalk either.

And yes . . . Lidiyah Velezheva is a stunning beauty.

[macroman]

Most of these I rated 4-5 stars

Documentary:

Seabiscuit:  American Experience (2003.  PBS)=One of my favorite short documentaries.

  Seabiscuit was probably America's most beloved racehorse, because he was the longshot who made it.  His story and also of the three three men, who also came from hard luck backgrounds, that entered his life and transformed him into a champion is tremendously inspiring.

  The appearance of jockey Red Pollard's daughter and Seabiscuit biographer Laura Hillibrand adds immensely to the enjoyment of this film.

  5 stars.  60 minutes long

Films:

(1)  The Artist (2011)=A highly successful effort to recreate a silent film its Golden Era.  Best Picture Winner this year.

  The look is authentic and the acting is uniformly very good down to the bit parts, including a great dog that plays the lead actor's pet.  I cannot think of many films where music plays such an essential role in elevating the quality of the film.

  There are many 4-5 star ratings at NF and also quite a few 1-2 stars.  People seem to either love it or hate it.

  I gave it 4.5 stars.

(2)  Gloomy Sunday (Hungary. 1999)=a rewatch of a great WWII romantic drama filmed in beautiful Budapest.

  4.5 stars.

(3)  Latter Days (2004)=This is considered one of the better gay-themed films available.  The relationship between a conservative Mormon missionary and a party frat boy is a real attraction of opposites.

  The film is comprehensively strong in all areas, although not excellent in any one category.  Very good acting. 

  Strong supporting roles by veteran actresses Jacqueline Bisset and Mary Kay Place help this film a lot.

  4-4.5 stars.

4 stars or less:

(1)  Out of Sight (1998)=a good romantic thriller featuring good on-screen chemistry between George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez. 

  3.5-4 stars.

(2) Game of Thrones: Season 1: Disc 1 (HBO series. 2011)=  3.5 stars.

Coming Next:

(1) Catch-22=haven't seen it for a long time but I'm ready to watch it again.

(2) A Donna Summer concert DVD.

[rfelix]

I watched  Jet Li's Fearless. As expected, it had great fight scenes and not a ton of story. It was beautifully shot, though. I didn't regret watching it, but I don't think I'd watch it again.

[David]

The Petrified Forest--Bogart as the bad guy in this play to film adaptation.  Bettie Davis is the adventure seeking daughter of the store owner.  I normally don't find her that interesting, but I did in this one.  A good cast that work well together.

[Sevorin]

Too theatrical for my taste, and I'm more theatrically-minded than most.

 

The characters are stock types, the Flavor of The Forlorn is near miasmic, and Bogart himself should have shucked his own stage performance and acted for the movies. That stiff-elbowed simian demeanor is fucking ridiculous, even in that age.

[eviltimes]

Llik Your Idols  IMDb   2007   NC-17   75 min   SD

Well made, if short documentary of the "No Wave" 80's NYC film and music movement. Altho the blurb sez 1984 -1991, it was more like 1975 to 2004. "The Cinema of Transgression", ie: the talentless ingest mass quantities of drugs and film it all using super 8mm film cameras. Lydia Lunch, Richard Kern and Nick Zedd dominate the film; where the joyless attempt to atone for their crimes (the films and music - Except for Zedd they all seem genuinely ashamed). This is the reason I left NY in 1979 - these people and their self important asshole friends - constantly complaining about "the Man" and "the boot of Reagan's Machine". Just not smart enough to stay out of the boot's way! The world is a better place without them (at least a cleaner, happier place).

But, like I said, this documentary is rather well done by a Frenchwoman, so 5/10.

Heaps of Lydia Lunch for Micro. I'd be amazed if he didn't report it "missing".

Three extras - A 20 minute interview with the director Angelique Bosio in FR w/ENG subs. (She thinks the various films and music are nasty!) Two short films from Nick Zedd: Police State (18m), and War is Menstrual Envy (14m). No normal human should waste their time with this, tho.

[Mr. Bad]

We Were Here

Documentary about the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco. I was living there at the time, and I remember reading the paper one morning in about 1979 along a room mate with a medical background. After reading a story about a "gay cancer" that might be sexually transmitted he said, "Oh, fuck..." This documentary goes from there. One of the people interviewed is a friend of mine, so I'm hardly very objective, but the critical raves this documentary got coheres with my gut feeling that it's really good, although very difficult to watch. One question asked at the end made me weep, "How would the world have been different if all these people had lived?" My answer is that it would be immeasurably more fun, down to earth, creative, and hilarious. I miss those guys.

[Nerves]

Abraham Lincoln (1930)

4/5 Stars

One of the best films of 1930 and my favorite Griffith film. A moving depiction one of the greatest men of all time oddly enough made by a man whose father was a colonel in the Confederate Army. I thought perhaps he was atoning for "Birth of a Nation" with this film but there's a short interview with Griffith and Walter Huston on the Kino DVD in which Griffith states that the KKK was a necessity immediately after the war so apparently he still stood behind the film as late as 1930. 

The Struggle (1931)

2/5 Stars

Perhaps one of the worst films Griffith made and his final film. This sermon on the evils of drink isn't very entertaining and isn't particularly well made. If I hadn't known who directed the film I don't think I could've guessed by watching it.

[Nerves]

Best thing about "The Struggle" was:

Zita Johann

[Sevorin]

She looks better in Egyptian princess garb.

 

. . . and better still out of it . . .