Last Movie you Watched?

bondjames

Terminator 2 - Judgement Day (1991)


First time revisting this Cameron directed classic in almost 10 years. I had unforgivably missed watching it last year (its 25th anniversary) and felt deeply ashamed to have been guilty of such an oversight. Prior to putting it in the player, I wondered how I would enjoy the film now. Would years of overexposure to now ubiquitous CGI make the film any less impressive in my eyes? I’m happy to report that this isn’t the case at all. From the minute the opening Carolco logo flashes across the screen, followed by ‘Mario Kassar Presents’, I knew I was going to have a good time, and I did.

Ultimately, this is a very well directed film and that’s why it was successful and memorable all those years ago, while its successors failed to resonate. Cameron manages the tension exceptionally well and it is that, rather than the renown CGI (brilliant though it was for 1991), which makes this film indelible. The humour is also nicely incorporated into the proceedings – for example the Terminator’s now famous arrival in the Bar in search of clothes, and the banter between him and kid. The ‘Duel’ style chase with a huge truck chasing the smaller vehicle (in this case the kid on the bike) in the L.A. Sixth Street Viaduct (recently closed due to concerns about structural safety) and Arnie spinning the rifle with one finger to reload while in pursuit is legendary. The Cyberdyne Systems HQ sequence is similarly very well done. The jail encounter still gives me the chills, especially when Conner encounters Arnie’s T800 for the first time in 11 years (film time). It’s creepy & dark. Brad Fiedel’s remarkable score is perfect for the film’s chase sequences, and imbue them with a sense of dread. It was great to hear his now famous sinister synthesizer heavy title track at the end of the film.

Robert Patrick was an inspired choice for the T1000. He has a vicious intensity & stare to him which is just perfect for the more modern incarnation of the ultimate killing machine. Arnie is again superb as the older original T800 brute (this is unquestionably his signature role, and suits his limited range to a ‘T’). Edward Furlong is serviceable as a young John Connor. He’s certainly charismatic, and better than the useless Nick Stahl in T3. The real standout though is Linda Hamilton as a resurgent, battle ready Sarah Connor. She's no longer the innocent from the first film. This time out she’s a warrior ready to go toe to toe with the time travelling liquid metal super killer. The film succeeds because we care about these characters. We know some of them from the first film, but the newly introduced ones (including Joe Morton as the hapless Miles Bennett Dyson) are people we can care about. Heck, I even felt something when Arnie gets lowered into the molten steel, even though I know he’ll be back!

Watching this film now, I realize that today’s version of Cyberdyne is Google Inc. They may proclaim with their motto "Don't be Evil", but they are increasingly controlling our world, and with AI and Machine Learning on the cusp of a major breakthrough, we will have to be careful if we don’t want to become obsolete one day.

FoxRox

Paths of Glory (1957) - one of my all-time favorite films. I think this was my fourth or fifth watch now. Such great stuff.

chrisisall

FoxRox wrote: »

Paths of Glory (1957) - one of my all-time favorite films. I think this was my fourth or fifth watch now. Such great stuff.

Kubrick on all thrusters.

FoxRox

I actually almost cried this latest watch. It hit me particularly hard tonight. It's an incredibly important and also emotional movie to me.

Some_Kind_Of_Hero

Master_Dahark wrote: »

I'm watching Eyes Wide Shut right now--

bondjames wrote: »

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

This was my first viewing of this Stanley Kubrick film (his last) since its release in the theatres. I really enjoyed it at the time, and did so again today. Tom Cruise stars as Dr. Bill Harford & Nicole Kidman (his real wife at the time) stars as his movie wife Alice. They are a well to do upper middle class New York couple and on the surface seem happy. One evening they attend a house party thrown by one of Bill’s immensely wealthy clients. While alone both are individually & independently propositioned by attractive guests (a smooth talking suave Hungarian in the case of Alice and two very sexy models in the case of Bill), but their marriage vows stop them from taking it further.

The experience awakens carnal desires in Alice, and leads her to open up to Bill the next evening about a recurring sexual fantasy she has had about a naval officer she once saw in passing momentarily when the couple were on holiday. The lustful nature of this revelation by Alice (while under the influence of marijuana) shakes Bill’s previously sheltered sensibilities, and leads him on a night of kinky exploration through the underbelly of Manhattan. During his eventful passage through the streets of New York he is approached by several women (including the daughter of a recently deceased patient, a prostitute with a heart of gold & an underage sexually liberated daughter of a costume retailer) and also witnesses a haunting ritualistic masked sexual orgy in a secluded mansion. Most unnervingly, he is confronted with a ‘secret society’ (an early manifestation of the now ubiquitous 1%?) who operate in the shadows and pull the strings of power. The experience proves eye opening & overwhelming for the innocent Dr. Bill (who arguably was previously walking through life with his ‘eyes wide shut’).

All of the above is just window dressing ultimately. The film at its core is about intimacy, monogamy and the fear of losing a loved one. Despite all that he witnesses during his memorable night out, Dr. Bill is most haunted by the recurring image of his wife cavorting in her sexual fantasy with the naval officer she doesn’t even know.

This is quite a memorable film. It’s moody, surreal, atmospheric, and full of erotic symbolism & strange visuals. Tom Cruise’s squeaky clean, almost asexual image makes him quite credible as the naïve Bill Harford, whose world comes crashing down due to his wife’s disclosures. Nicole Kidman owns her scenes - her confession is a highlight of the film, and arguably more disturbing than the much ballyhooed orgy scene. That scene is indeed a classic one however, both in the way it’s filmed, lit and scored. As has been mentioned on this site, it most definitely has inspired scenes in later films, including Depp’s The Ninth Gate & Mendes’s Spectre but none come close to the original. The late Sydney Pollack is superb as Victor Ziegler, Dr. Bill’s wealthy patient who offers him some sage words of advice. Rade Serbedzija, Leelee Sobieski (whatever happened to her?), Vinessa Shaw, Thomas Gibson and Todd Field also have memorable small parts. It offers an interesting allegory on the super rich, sexual desire & power, and intimacy.

DarthDimi wrote: »

EYES WIDE SHUT is IMO a vastly underrated film. It probably doesn't sit well with a more prudish segment of the audience. ;-) And the fact that critics will always hate on Tom Cruise (except in M:I) didn't help the film much either. It's not Kubrick's best by a long shot, but it's a decent thriller nevertheless IMO. When I was younger, I had the same problem with it I also had with Fincher's THE GAME:

I'm promised something dangerous and sinister and then it turns out it's nothing of the kind.

But grown-up me understands that's not at all the point of the film. :D

Just saw this for the first time myself this week. I was fully engaged up until the final 25-30 minutes where Sydney Pollack spells everything out for Cruise's Dr. Bill, effectively deflating the wonderful tension and mystery that had been building up over the past two hours. As I read from someone on here recently, not particularly Kubrick-like, that. The final scene with the family Christmas shopping pulls things back for me a bit and it all finishes on a humorous, though perhaps oversimplifying, line. Not as great as some of Kubrick's others, but a film worth watching and revisiting. I'm sure I will be some point down the road. And of course, wonderful performances from everyone, especially the ever reliable Cruise.

FoxRox

Some_Kind_Of_Hero wrote: »

Master_Dahark wrote: »

I'm watching Eyes Wide Shut right now--

bondjames wrote: »

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

This was my first viewing of this Stanley Kubrick film (his last) since its release in the theatres. I really enjoyed it at the time, and did so again today. Tom Cruise stars as Dr. Bill Harford & Nicole Kidman (his real wife at the time) stars as his movie wife Alice. They are a well to do upper middle class New York couple and on the surface seem happy. One evening they attend a house party thrown by one of Bill’s immensely wealthy clients. While alone both are individually & independently propositioned by attractive guests (a smooth talking suave Hungarian in the case of Alice and two very sexy models in the case of Bill), but their marriage vows stop them from taking it further.

The experience awakens carnal desires in Alice, and leads her to open up to Bill the next evening about a recurring sexual fantasy she has had about a naval officer she once saw in passing momentarily when the couple were on holiday. The lustful nature of this revelation by Alice (while under the influence of marijuana) shakes Bill’s previously sheltered sensibilities, and leads him on a night of kinky exploration through the underbelly of Manhattan. During his eventful passage through the streets of New York he is approached by several women (including the daughter of a recently deceased patient, a prostitute with a heart of gold & an underage sexually liberated daughter of a costume retailer) and also witnesses a haunting ritualistic masked sexual orgy in a secluded mansion. Most unnervingly, he is confronted with a ‘secret society’ (an early manifestation of the now ubiquitous 1%?) who operate in the shadows and pull the strings of power. The experience proves eye opening & overwhelming for the innocent Dr. Bill (who arguably was previously walking through life with his ‘eyes wide shut’).

All of the above is just window dressing ultimately. The film at its core is about intimacy, monogamy and the fear of losing a loved one. Despite all that he witnesses during his memorable night out, Dr. Bill is most haunted by the recurring image of his wife cavorting in her sexual fantasy with the naval officer she doesn’t even know.

This is quite a memorable film. It’s moody, surreal, atmospheric, and full of erotic symbolism & strange visuals. Tom Cruise’s squeaky clean, almost asexual image makes him quite credible as the naïve Bill Harford, whose world comes crashing down due to his wife’s disclosures. Nicole Kidman owns her scenes - her confession is a highlight of the film, and arguably more disturbing than the much ballyhooed orgy scene. That scene is indeed a classic one however, both in the way it’s filmed, lit and scored. As has been mentioned on this site, it most definitely has inspired scenes in later films, including Depp’s The Ninth Gate & Mendes’s Spectre but none come close to the original. The late Sydney Pollack is superb as Victor Ziegler, Dr. Bill’s wealthy patient who offers him some sage words of advice. Rade Serbedzija, Leelee Sobieski (whatever happened to her?), Vinessa Shaw, Thomas Gibson and Todd Field also have memorable small parts. It offers an interesting allegory on the super rich, sexual desire & power, and intimacy.

DarthDimi wrote: »

EYES WIDE SHUT is IMO a vastly underrated film. It probably doesn't sit well with a more prudish segment of the audience. ;-) And the fact that critics will always hate on Tom Cruise (except in M:I) didn't help the film much either. It's not Kubrick's best by a long shot, but it's a decent thriller nevertheless IMO. When I was younger, I had the same problem with it I also had with Fincher's THE GAME:

I'm promised something dangerous and sinister and then it turns out it's nothing of the kind.

But grown-up me understands that's not at all the point of the film. :D

Just saw this for the first time myself this week. I was fully engaged up until the final 25-30 minutes where Sydney Pollack spells everything out for Cruise's Dr. Bill, effectively deflating the wonderful tension and mystery that had been building up over the past two hours. As I read from someone on here recently, not particularly Kubrick-like, that. The final scene with the family Christmas shopping pulls things back for me a bit and it all finishes on a humorous, though perhaps oversimplifying, line. Not as great as some of Kubrick's others, but a film worth watching and revisiting. I'm sure I will be some point down the road. And of course, wonderful performances from everyone, especially the ever reliable Cruise.

I actually really like the long conversation Ziegler and Bill have near the end. There's no way for the audience to know if Ziegler is actually telling the truth, and we also see the mask on Bill's pillow when he returns home. I think the cult was bad news like Bill suspected and Ziegler was just lying to make him disinterested in pursing the matter any further - and maybe even to save him. That's my take on that scene/aspect anyway.

Some_Kind_Of_Hero

FoxRox wrote: »

Some_Kind_Of_Hero wrote: »

Master_Dahark wrote: »

I'm watching Eyes Wide Shut right now--

bondjames wrote: »

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

This was my first viewing of this Stanley Kubrick film (his last) since its release in the theatres. I really enjoyed it at the time, and did so again today. Tom Cruise stars as Dr. Bill Harford & Nicole Kidman (his real wife at the time) stars as his movie wife Alice. They are a well to do upper middle class New York couple and on the surface seem happy. One evening they attend a house party thrown by one of Bill’s immensely wealthy clients. While alone both are individually & independently propositioned by attractive guests (a smooth talking suave Hungarian in the case of Alice and two very sexy models in the case of Bill), but their marriage vows stop them from taking it further.

The experience awakens carnal desires in Alice, and leads her to open up to Bill the next evening about a recurring sexual fantasy she has had about a naval officer she once saw in passing momentarily when the couple were on holiday. The lustful nature of this revelation by Alice (while under the influence of marijuana) shakes Bill’s previously sheltered sensibilities, and leads him on a night of kinky exploration through the underbelly of Manhattan. During his eventful passage through the streets of New York he is approached by several women (including the daughter of a recently deceased patient, a prostitute with a heart of gold & an underage sexually liberated daughter of a costume retailer) and also witnesses a haunting ritualistic masked sexual orgy in a secluded mansion. Most unnervingly, he is confronted with a ‘secret society’ (an early manifestation of the now ubiquitous 1%?) who operate in the shadows and pull the strings of power. The experience proves eye opening & overwhelming for the innocent Dr. Bill (who arguably was previously walking through life with his ‘eyes wide shut’).

All of the above is just window dressing ultimately. The film at its core is about intimacy, monogamy and the fear of losing a loved one. Despite all that he witnesses during his memorable night out, Dr. Bill is most haunted by the recurring image of his wife cavorting in her sexual fantasy with the naval officer she doesn’t even know.

This is quite a memorable film. It’s moody, surreal, atmospheric, and full of erotic symbolism & strange visuals. Tom Cruise’s squeaky clean, almost asexual image makes him quite credible as the naïve Bill Harford, whose world comes crashing down due to his wife’s disclosures. Nicole Kidman owns her scenes - her confession is a highlight of the film, and arguably more disturbing than the much ballyhooed orgy scene. That scene is indeed a classic one however, both in the way it’s filmed, lit and scored. As has been mentioned on this site, it most definitely has inspired scenes in later films, including Depp’s The Ninth Gate & Mendes’s Spectre but none come close to the original. The late Sydney Pollack is superb as Victor Ziegler, Dr. Bill’s wealthy patient who offers him some sage words of advice. Rade Serbedzija, Leelee Sobieski (whatever happened to her?), Vinessa Shaw, Thomas Gibson and Todd Field also have memorable small parts. It offers an interesting allegory on the super rich, sexual desire & power, and intimacy.

DarthDimi wrote: »

EYES WIDE SHUT is IMO a vastly underrated film. It probably doesn't sit well with a more prudish segment of the audience. ;-) And the fact that critics will always hate on Tom Cruise (except in M:I) didn't help the film much either. It's not Kubrick's best by a long shot, but it's a decent thriller nevertheless IMO. When I was younger, I had the same problem with it I also had with Fincher's THE GAME:

I'm promised something dangerous and sinister and then it turns out it's nothing of the kind.

But grown-up me understands that's not at all the point of the film. :D

Just saw this for the first time myself this week. I was fully engaged up until the final 25-30 minutes where Sydney Pollack spells everything out for Cruise's Dr. Bill, effectively deflating the wonderful tension and mystery that had been building up over the past two hours. As I read from someone on here recently, not particularly Kubrick-like, that. The final scene with the family Christmas shopping pulls things back for me a bit and it all finishes on a humorous, though perhaps oversimplifying, line. Not as great as some of Kubrick's others, but a film worth watching and revisiting. I'm sure I will be some point down the road. And of course, wonderful performances from everyone, especially the ever reliable Cruise.

I actually really like the long conversation Ziegler and Bill have near the end. There's no way for the audience to know if Ziegler is actually telling the truth, and we also see the mask on Bill's pillow when he returns home. I think the cult was bad news like Bill suspected and Ziegler was just lying to make him disinterested in pursing the matter any further - and maybe even to save him. That's my take on that scene/aspect anyway.

Oh I absolutely read it that way too. I don't believe Ziegler for one second and I don't think Bill does either. Still it's a lot of explanation and a lot of information fed directly to the protagonist and the audience, even if coming from an unreliable character who confirms our suspicions.

bondjames

Some_Kind_Of_Hero wrote: »

FoxRox wrote: »

Some_Kind_Of_Hero wrote: »

Master_Dahark wrote: »

I'm watching Eyes Wide Shut right now--

bondjames wrote: »

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

This was my first viewing of this Stanley Kubrick film (his last) since its release in the theatres. I really enjoyed it at the time, and did so again today. Tom Cruise stars as Dr. Bill Harford & Nicole Kidman (his real wife at the time) stars as his movie wife Alice. They are a well to do upper middle class New York couple and on the surface seem happy. One evening they attend a house party thrown by one of Bill’s immensely wealthy clients. While alone both are individually & independently propositioned by attractive guests (a smooth talking suave Hungarian in the case of Alice and two very sexy models in the case of Bill), but their marriage vows stop them from taking it further.

The experience awakens carnal desires in Alice, and leads her to open up to Bill the next evening about a recurring sexual fantasy she has had about a naval officer she once saw in passing momentarily when the couple were on holiday. The lustful nature of this revelation by Alice (while under the influence of marijuana) shakes Bill’s previously sheltered sensibilities, and leads him on a night of kinky exploration through the underbelly of Manhattan. During his eventful passage through the streets of New York he is approached by several women (including the daughter of a recently deceased patient, a prostitute with a heart of gold & an underage sexually liberated daughter of a costume retailer) and also witnesses a haunting ritualistic masked sexual orgy in a secluded mansion. Most unnervingly, he is confronted with a ‘secret society’ (an early manifestation of the now ubiquitous 1%?) who operate in the shadows and pull the strings of power. The experience proves eye opening & overwhelming for the innocent Dr. Bill (who arguably was previously walking through life with his ‘eyes wide shut’).

All of the above is just window dressing ultimately. The film at its core is about intimacy, monogamy and the fear of losing a loved one. Despite all that he witnesses during his memorable night out, Dr. Bill is most haunted by the recurring image of his wife cavorting in her sexual fantasy with the naval officer she doesn’t even know.

This is quite a memorable film. It’s moody, surreal, atmospheric, and full of erotic symbolism & strange visuals. Tom Cruise’s squeaky clean, almost asexual image makes him quite credible as the naïve Bill Harford, whose world comes crashing down due to his wife’s disclosures. Nicole Kidman owns her scenes - her confession is a highlight of the film, and arguably more disturbing than the much ballyhooed orgy scene. That scene is indeed a classic one however, both in the way it’s filmed, lit and scored. As has been mentioned on this site, it most definitely has inspired scenes in later films, including Depp’s The Ninth Gate & Mendes’s Spectre but none come close to the original. The late Sydney Pollack is superb as Victor Ziegler, Dr. Bill’s wealthy patient who offers him some sage words of advice. Rade Serbedzija, Leelee Sobieski (whatever happened to her?), Vinessa Shaw, Thomas Gibson and Todd Field also have memorable small parts. It offers an interesting allegory on the super rich, sexual desire & power, and intimacy.

DarthDimi wrote: »

EYES WIDE SHUT is IMO a vastly underrated film. It probably doesn't sit well with a more prudish segment of the audience. ;-) And the fact that critics will always hate on Tom Cruise (except in M:I) didn't help the film much either. It's not Kubrick's best by a long shot, but it's a decent thriller nevertheless IMO. When I was younger, I had the same problem with it I also had with Fincher's THE GAME:

I'm promised something dangerous and sinister and then it turns out it's nothing of the kind.

But grown-up me understands that's not at all the point of the film. :D

Just saw this for the first time myself this week. I was fully engaged up until the final 25-30 minutes where Sydney Pollack spells everything out for Cruise's Dr. Bill, effectively deflating the wonderful tension and mystery that had been building up over the past two hours. As I read from someone on here recently, not particularly Kubrick-like, that. The final scene with the family Christmas shopping pulls things back for me a bit and it all finishes on a humorous, though perhaps oversimplifying, line. Not as great as some of Kubrick's others, but a film worth watching and revisiting. I'm sure I will be some point down the road. And of course, wonderful performances from everyone, especially the ever reliable Cruise.

I actually really like the long conversation Ziegler and Bill have near the end. There's no way for the audience to know if Ziegler is actually telling the truth, and we also see the mask on Bill's pillow when he returns home. I think the cult was bad news like Bill suspected and Ziegler was just lying to make him disinterested in pursing the matter any further - and maybe even to save him. That's my take on that scene/aspect anyway.

Oh I absolutely read it that way too. I don't believe Ziegler for one second and I don't think Bill does either. Still it's a lot of explanation and a lot of information fed directly to the protagonist and the audience, even if coming from an unreliable character who confirms our suspicions.

I too agree that Ziegler was just trying to cover it up and sugar coat it so Bill wouldn't investigate further, for his own sake. It was a bit hurried at the end, as if they wanted to wrap it all up with a neat Christmas bow, but it didn't bother me all that much.

Did you notice the Christmas trees in nearly every scene apart from the ritual orgy? It was a neat touch.

FoxRox

I noticed all the Christmas trees, yes; very cool. For me, one of my favorite Christmas films - so to speak (everyone has their own definition of a Christmas film). I like that the film ends unresolved regarding the cult, and I'm quite sure I wouldn't change it. Honestly it makes it even scarier than knowing for certain whether the cult is really powerful and malicious or not (which I'm sure they are). I sort of wish Ziegler had an extra scene or two, if I could change anything about the film. Very interesting, shady guy.

Some_Kind_Of_Hero

bondjames wrote: »

Some_Kind_Of_Hero wrote: »

FoxRox wrote: »

Some_Kind_Of_Hero wrote: »

Master_Dahark wrote: »

I'm watching Eyes Wide Shut right now--

bondjames wrote: »

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

This was my first viewing of this Stanley Kubrick film (his last) since its release in the theatres. I really enjoyed it at the time, and did so again today. Tom Cruise stars as Dr. Bill Harford & Nicole Kidman (his real wife at the time) stars as his movie wife Alice. They are a well to do upper middle class New York couple and on the surface seem happy. One evening they attend a house party thrown by one of Bill’s immensely wealthy clients. While alone both are individually & independently propositioned by attractive guests (a smooth talking suave Hungarian in the case of Alice and two very sexy models in the case of Bill), but their marriage vows stop them from taking it further.

The experience awakens carnal desires in Alice, and leads her to open up to Bill the next evening about a recurring sexual fantasy she has had about a naval officer she once saw in passing momentarily when the couple were on holiday. The lustful nature of this revelation by Alice (while under the influence of marijuana) shakes Bill’s previously sheltered sensibilities, and leads him on a night of kinky exploration through the underbelly of Manhattan. During his eventful passage through the streets of New York he is approached by several women (including the daughter of a recently deceased patient, a prostitute with a heart of gold & an underage sexually liberated daughter of a costume retailer) and also witnesses a haunting ritualistic masked sexual orgy in a secluded mansion. Most unnervingly, he is confronted with a ‘secret society’ (an early manifestation of the now ubiquitous 1%?) who operate in the shadows and pull the strings of power. The experience proves eye opening & overwhelming for the innocent Dr. Bill (who arguably was previously walking through life with his ‘eyes wide shut’).

All of the above is just window dressing ultimately. The film at its core is about intimacy, monogamy and the fear of losing a loved one. Despite all that he witnesses during his memorable night out, Dr. Bill is most haunted by the recurring image of his wife cavorting in her sexual fantasy with the naval officer she doesn’t even know.

This is quite a memorable film. It’s moody, surreal, atmospheric, and full of erotic symbolism & strange visuals. Tom Cruise’s squeaky clean, almost asexual image makes him quite credible as the naïve Bill Harford, whose world comes crashing down due to his wife’s disclosures. Nicole Kidman owns her scenes - her confession is a highlight of the film, and arguably more disturbing than the much ballyhooed orgy scene. That scene is indeed a classic one however, both in the way it’s filmed, lit and scored. As has been mentioned on this site, it most definitely has inspired scenes in later films, including Depp’s The Ninth Gate & Mendes’s Spectre but none come close to the original. The late Sydney Pollack is superb as Victor Ziegler, Dr. Bill’s wealthy patient who offers him some sage words of advice. Rade Serbedzija, Leelee Sobieski (whatever happened to her?), Vinessa Shaw, Thomas Gibson and Todd Field also have memorable small parts. It offers an interesting allegory on the super rich, sexual desire & power, and intimacy.

DarthDimi wrote: »

EYES WIDE SHUT is IMO a vastly underrated film. It probably doesn't sit well with a more prudish segment of the audience. ;-) And the fact that critics will always hate on Tom Cruise (except in M:I) didn't help the film much either. It's not Kubrick's best by a long shot, but it's a decent thriller nevertheless IMO. When I was younger, I had the same problem with it I also had with Fincher's THE GAME:

I'm promised something dangerous and sinister and then it turns out it's nothing of the kind.

But grown-up me understands that's not at all the point of the film. :D

Just saw this for the first time myself this week. I was fully engaged up until the final 25-30 minutes where Sydney Pollack spells everything out for Cruise's Dr. Bill, effectively deflating the wonderful tension and mystery that had been building up over the past two hours. As I read from someone on here recently, not particularly Kubrick-like, that. The final scene with the family Christmas shopping pulls things back for me a bit and it all finishes on a humorous, though perhaps oversimplifying, line. Not as great as some of Kubrick's others, but a film worth watching and revisiting. I'm sure I will be some point down the road. And of course, wonderful performances from everyone, especially the ever reliable Cruise.

I actually really like the long conversation Ziegler and Bill have near the end. There's no way for the audience to know if Ziegler is actually telling the truth, and we also see the mask on Bill's pillow when he returns home. I think the cult was bad news like Bill suspected and Ziegler was just lying to make him disinterested in pursing the matter any further - and maybe even to save him. That's my take on that scene/aspect anyway.

Oh I absolutely read it that way too. I don't believe Ziegler for one second and I don't think Bill does either. Still it's a lot of explanation and a lot of information fed directly to the protagonist and the audience, even if coming from an unreliable character who confirms our suspicions.

I too agree that Ziegler was just trying to cover it up and sugar coat it so Bill wouldn't investigate further, for his own sake. It was a bit hurried at the end, as if they wanted to wrap it all up with a neat Christmas bow, but it didn't bother me all that much.

Did you notice the Christmas trees in nearly every scene apart from the ritual orgy? It was a neat touch.

I don't know about specifically Christmas trees, but I noticed signs of Christmas all over the film. I was actually thinking to myself this would make a great film to watch around the holidays and may just have to add it to my shortlist of "irregular" Christmas movies.

QsAssistant

Transformers: The Last Knight


This movie has gotten terrible reviews and I'm not really sure why. Then again, so have the rest of them. I think it might just be one of those bandwagon things. It's not spectacular by any means but it's not horrible. I enjoyed myself far more with this one than I did Age of Extinction. I like Wahlberg's character much more this time around. I only had two complaints, there was far too much forced humor (similar to Revenge of the Fallen) and...

they underused Optimus Prime being a bad guy. That was one of the promotional aspects of the movie and he wasn't really a villain to our heroes for long.

Overall I enjoyed it and if you like the other movies, you'll like this one too. It's just a fun popcorn and summer blockbuster flick.

Transformers
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Transformers: The Last Knight
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Age of Extinction


Rogue One: A Star Wars Story


The first time I saw this in theaters I left disappointed. I saw it two more times in theaters and didn't really enjoy myself until the third viewing. Last night I watched it for the forth time (first time on blu-ray/DVD) and I finally enjoyed it overall. It doesn't have that Star Wars feel, which is why it's still in my bottom two but I'm able to accept it for what it is.

The Empire Strikes Back
A New Hope
The Force Awakens
Return of the Jedi
Revenge of the Sith
Attack of the Clones
Rogue One
The Phantom Menace

Thunderfinger

A work of art. Hilarious.

DarthDimi

TREMORS 1-5



Fighting alongside Burt Gummer against graboids and related species, I must say I've had a blast. Quite the marathon to have! We're talking close to eight hours of biting the dust and careless people's assess. This was also my first time seeing the fifth film and I have to admit I'm a fan. Slime, pieces of meat, chunks of bitten off human and a lot of redneck humour, yes sir, there's nothing not to like. So put your brains in the fridge for a while and just enjoy. :)

Some_Kind_Of_Hero

I have never seen any of the Tremors films, @DarthDimi, (nope, not a single one) but from time to time think to myself I should have a marathon. One of these days I'll load the fridge with PBR and make it happen.

DarthDimi

@Some_Kind_Of_Hero
Remember these films do not expect you to think. Get over that simple fact, and you'll have a good time. :-)

Some_Kind_Of_Hero

Oh absolutely, I'm expecting nothing more than some Bacon, some laughs, and some people getting eaten.

DarthDimi

Well, you've got eight hours of that, friend. :)

Some_Kind_Of_Hero

Haha, looking forward!

Torgeirtrap

Last_Rat_Standing wrote: »

Torgeirtrap wrote: »

bondjames wrote: »

It's more difficult to be wowed these days, since we have such a repository of past great hits to watch.

Actually, I don't think I've been to the cinema since Spectre!

I think I've seen two movies in the cinema since. Nothing has been capturing me enough to see.

Find it longer and longer between any interesting titles. Can't really see that there are many interesting upcoming titles either. Bond 25 next time in the cinema, maybe?

Last_Rat_Standing

Torgeirtrap wrote: »

Last_Rat_Standing wrote: »

Torgeirtrap wrote: »

bondjames wrote: »

It's more difficult to be wowed these days, since we have such a repository of past great hits to watch.

Actually, I don't think I've been to the cinema since Spectre!

I think I've seen two movies in the cinema since. Nothing has been capturing me enough to see.

Find it longer and longer between any interesting titles. Can't really see that there are many interesting upcoming titles either. Bond 25 next time in the cinema, maybe?

I think last film I saw in theaters was Inferno and that was back in October. Before that I believe it was Spectre. I've enjoyed the Transformers and Pirates of the Caribbean series but not enough for me to pay 10 bucks to see it. I've just gotten in the habit of redboxing everything

chrisisall

The Driver. Damn... Walter Hill actually got pretty-boy Ryan to be a badass character! 3 very cool chases in the flick. I wish this was available in Blu Ray....
Highly recommended.

FoxRox

The Cable Guy (1996); one of the most underrated comedies ever. So hilarious.

Crazysoul95

Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

A great character study starring very good performances by Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue. Very well directed and accompanied by a great score.

bondjames

The Terminator (1984)


Having finished T2 last night, I decided to revisit the original today. Cameron’s masterpiece holds up surprisingly well. There’s a B-grade nature to the whole thing but that's part of it's charm. Brad Fiedel’s synth score opens things up nicely after the Orion logo flashes across the screen. The composition is so much more immediate and visceral in the first film in comparison to the second. The famous tune itself is one of the best I’ve heard. It has an industrial sound mixed in with a pulsating melody. Truly wonderful stuff.

Aesthetically, the film has a very dated 80’s quality to it, right down to the mullets sported by key cast members, the big bouffant hair, the awful Pat Benatar style pop rock and the grungy pulpiness of it all. Quite a contrast to T2, which has hardly dated at all. The acting isn't fantastic either, if I’m being honest. Linda Hamilton is rather wooden in comparison to her standout performance as Sarah Connor in T2, but shows increasing bravery and resourcefulness as the film progresses. Michael Biehn, while suitably harried by the circumstances, isn’t all that great as Kyle Reese either (but he’s still definitive compared to all that have come since, not least that Aussie block Jai Courtney from Genisys). He is responsible for most of the exposition and emotion in the film, and does a decent enough job. Lance Henriksen & Paul Winfield are pretty memorable as two L.A cops who meet their demise in a killer rampage scene by the Terminator through an LA police station, and Earl Boen is great as Dr. Silberman, like he is in T2. The film belongs to Arnie though. He is a freaking beast of a man here (I can appreciate why he won numerous body building awards in his prime). Relentless, formidable and spooky scary. Incredible Hulk eat your heart out! In fact, while T2 is an action thriller, this film is more action horror & nearly all of that is on account of Arnold’s credibility as a ferocious and persistent cyborg assassin.

Gerard

No movies, but I watched (and loved) the Brel concert at the Olympia. Also watched (and enjoyed tremendously) Not the Messiah (He's a Very Nautghty Boy). So many things to love in that one.

LeonardPine

Torgeirtrap wrote: »

bondjames wrote: »

It's more difficult to be wowed these days, since we have such a repository of past great hits to watch.

This made me think a bit. For the last few years I've found myself watching old classics or movies I've seen before - and enjoyed, instead of checking out new titles. Has anyone been there before?

Actually, I don't think I've been to the cinema since Spectre!

I saw Wonder Woman at the cinema but that's the first time I've been since Spectre.

There's so much just being regurgitated now. Do we really need more sequels to Alien or Blade Runner? Two classic films whose sequels have no hope of being better than.

I've been checking for films I have missed over the last few years and one that really stood out was Anomalisa. A stop motion drama about a depressed customer service advisor. Sounds riveting eh? It was one of the most fascinating and enlightening films I've seen in years. It really got under my skin.

Mabey its my age but big budget CGI fantasy's are starting to bore me (Much as I liked Wonder Woman)

Some_Kind_Of_Hero

LeonardPine wrote: »

I've been checking for films I have missed over the last few years and one that really stood out was Anomalisa. A stop motion drama about a depressed customer service advisor. Sounds riveting eh? It was one of the most fascinating and enlightening films I've seen in years. It really got under my skin.

Just looked it up. It's written by Charlie Kaufman, so it should be good!

I'll be checking it out.

stag

Two. 'The Revenant' and 'The Hatton Garden Job' both piss poor, but the latter too awful for words.

LeonardPine

Some_Kind_Of_Hero wrote: »

LeonardPine wrote: »

I've been checking for films I have missed over the last few years and one that really stood out was Anomalisa. A stop motion drama about a depressed customer service advisor. Sounds riveting eh? It was one of the most fascinating and enlightening films I've seen in years. It really got under my skin.

Just looked it up. It's written by Charlie Kaufman, so it should be good!

I'll be checking it out.

Yep, its a Kaufman. He wrote on of my favourite films. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Next up on my watchlist is another Kaufman, Synecdoche, New York which I also missed.

Some_Kind_Of_Hero

LeonardPine wrote: »

Some_Kind_Of_Hero wrote: »

LeonardPine wrote: »

I've been checking for films I have missed over the last few years and one that really stood out was Anomalisa. A stop motion drama about a depressed customer service advisor. Sounds riveting eh? It was one of the most fascinating and enlightening films I've seen in years. It really got under my skin.

Just looked it up. It's written by Charlie Kaufman, so it should be good!

I'll be checking it out.

Yep, its a Kaufman. He wrote on of my favourite films. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Next up on my watchlist is another Kaufman, Synecdoche, New York which I also missed.

Love Eternal Sunshine.

I'm afraid I was not a fan of Synecdoche. I found it a thoroughly depressing affair. But perhaps you'll have a better experience with it.

Adaptation. is one I've been meaning to watch forever.