list/discuss/rate - your recently watched movies

Dean wrote: Atavachron wrote: The War of the Worlds  (1953)If you want to see where Spielberg got much of his inspiration for things like Jaws, Close Encounters and E.T., it's in this sci-fi thriller loosely based on the Wells story.   A mix of small town Americana and surprisingly effective action, TWotW moves briskly and wastes no time getting to the plot.   Dated but not dulled, it is a masterpiece of 1950s science fiction.    But it's so loose it's not HG Wells, and neither was Spielberg's abomination adaptation. The book is one of the classics of Science Fiction and as a story it does not need to be loosely based upon. I find it a sad reflection on the film industry in general that the nearest anyone has got to a closely based dramatisation of the novel is Jeff Wayne. ichael Gambon (he's always good value for money in my estimation).

Spielberg's version is unwatchable, George Pal's version is not.   Frankly I'll take the 1938 radio show that scared much of the U.S. East Coast out of their homes--  now that's entertainment.

The Wolf of Wall Street

Martin Scorsese continues his study of the depraved and debauched in American society, expanding on Oliver Stone's vision of the "Greed is good" culture with DiCaprio's character (from Jordan Belfort's memoir) partaking of Bud Fox, Sam Rothstein, Henry Hill and other tragic figures in like-minded movies.   The irrational haze of cash, cocaine, pills, sex, eating, drinking, partying, traveling, talking is all explored by a master filmmaker and yet after a point the film becomes contrived, forced in order to tell the story instead of the story telling itself.   Wolf of Wall Street is not a bad film by any means but you see it coming; every wild scene and crazy character and surprise twist has been done, done better, and done better by Scorsese himself.

Maybe, then again it's all material--  a good story is very hard to find and Belfort's book was probably the best thing on Scorsese's horizon.   It was a good effort, just familiar.  Of course mostly because of his own breakthrough films, he's his own hard act to follow.

Noah

Tremendous telling of the Great Flood myth common in major religions, in this case of the Patriarch and his family, Noah has great production design that postulates advanced industrialism and technology in Biblical times, a well-turned script that doesn't dillydally, and superb cast.   Unless you're a Biblical scholar, you should enjoy it.

^ Plus I've always thought it both intriguing and quite possible advanced tech could've been achieved in the ancient world.   Someone should do a whole film on the idea.

Now you're just makin' fun of me  

The Hunger Games- catching Fire

Catching Fire was quite good indeed. I was glad that, unlike the novel, the arena scene didn't feel like some overly long rehashing of the series opener. Still, the franchise feels a little too much like a Disney TV movie at times -- only slightly more violent. I enjoyed it. I find Connelly quite dull, but I think dull suits the character.   I rather look at it as the story of mostly dull people caught up in a not-quite-so-dull series of events.

I just watched 2009's In the Loop, which was an adaptation of the series The Thick of It. Whereas I mostly loved the series, the film version just didn't work for me nearly as well. I thought the American characters seemed artificially shallow, the English ones too, though the Scots were good. The plot felt forced, lacked bite, and even the copious swearing at times lacked a certain lustrously sh**ty finish to it. Pretty bollocks, I thought, or at least I might have thought had it had actual balls. Still, had some great moments.

Hercules and the Captive Women  (aka Hercules and the Conquest of Atlantis)

A bad one even for Italian pepla with bodybuilder Reg Park continuing in the shoes of Steve Reeves as the Greek hero has Androcles abducting a drowsy Hercules who eventually rescues a princess.   The start of the downturn of sword & sandal flicks.

The Innkeepers (2011) - 3/10 meh
Arena (1989) - 7/10 you can never go wrong with an old Empire Pictures movie
Patton (1970) - 8/10 maybe 9/10
Slaughter High (1986) - 4.5/10 I think the shear ineptitude was more entertaining than the movie itself