What is The Last Movie You Watched?

[Stavros]

Serpico (Sidney Lumet, 1973)
I missed this when it was released and have never seen it until now; the factual nature of it gives the film an edge, and the 70s sensibility means it is a tight, moody film with some excellent acting. I don't think it has dated, and that may be due to Lumet's film-making -quite a career, I looked at this filmography to discover I have seen at least 15 of his films dating back to 12 Angry Men.

[Stavros]

I thought it was about those awful shops where you choose from a catalogue and then wait seven hours while the people behind the counter try to get both of their brain cells to rub together.

In terms of drawn-out existential futility it should be right up Stavros' street....

Ho-ho, isn't Scottish humour infectious? I bought my tv in Argos and it took the assistants less than 10 minutes to bring it up from the store. And if you look more closely you will find I am less likely to endorse films of existential futility than of those which, though they use an unconventional narrative discourse, seek to find meaning in life rather than dismiss it. Thus Bergman trumps Antonioni, Bela Tarr trumps Kubrick; and so on. And that is why I prefer Caffe Nero (two-shots for the coffee) to Costa (one-shot); why Waitrose scores over Tesco; and prefer my local independent cd/dvd shop over the HMV which is about to close anyway...but perhaps we are moving into a digital age when shops will not pose existential problems, as they will have ceased to exist. Solves that philosophical conundrum anyway!

[robertlouis]

Ho-ho, isn't Scottish humour infectious? I bought my tv in Argos and it took the assistants less than 10 minutes to bring it up from the store. And if you look more closely you will find I am less likely to endorse films of existential futility than of those which, though they use an unconventional narrative discourse, seek to find meaning in life rather than dismiss it. Thus Bergman trumps Antonioni, Bela Tarr trumps Kubrick; and so on. And that is why I prefer Caffe Nero (two-shots for the coffee) to Costa (one-shot); why Waitrose scores over Tesco; and prefer my local independent cd/dvd shop over the HMV which is about to close anyway...but perhaps we are moving into a digital age when shops will not pose existential problems, as they will have ceased to exist. Solves that philosophical conundrum anyway!

Well, some things in common. Caffe Nero is definitely my chain coffee shop of choice, and Waitrose is by far the best supermarket of them all.

And bear in mind, I've known existential futility all my life. A dour, dreich presbyterian upbringing in Scotland leaves its scars.

[fred41]

The Hedgehog - Le hérisson (2009) - IMDb

not a movie I was looking for on Netflix, but glad I found it. Lots of little things to like about this film.

[GurlyCockLover]

SkyFall........................................... ........................overrated!!!

[Stavros]

13 Assassins (Takashi Miike, 2010)
Miike moves away from contemporary Japan to the 1840s and the declining years of the Shogunate to make another film essay on what it is that unites and divides social groups. This gives it a different dimension from Kurosawa's Seven Samurai although the long 50-minute showdown does echo aspects of the Kurosawa which is on a different level overall. Nevertheless, the fight scenes are extrarodinarily well done although the traps in the village would surely take more than a day to build. The concept of self-less service to a Lord takes a beating in this film and presages the end of the Shogunate and the Samurai culture. A finely balanced film with little music and some subtle variations of sound that moves at a great pace and is worth seeing.

[be2378]

Supertroopers

[Jimmy W]

Usually I try to offer an opinion on movies in theaters now but last night I watched Twelve O'Clock High starring Gregory Peck and if ever there was a film that should be required viewing for anyone in a position of leadership this is the film. The bikini martini crowd in NYC love to quote Glengarry Glenn Ross as a model for how to motivate - and I do love that film - but as dated as this film might seem on the surface (black & white) there is no actor who commands respect like Gregory Peck.

[Prospero]

"Killing Them Softly" Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta and James Gandolfini. A very cynical but smart film. I enjoyed it despite some horrible brutality.

"Searching For Sugarman" the British made Oscar winning documentary about the singer Rodriguez. I admit i found it dull - and his music very average.

[broncofan]

Beyond the Law w/ Charlie Sheen. Couldn't get into it....

I'm watching this right now on amazon and am about fifty minutes in and thought to myself, "didn't someone on hungangels say they saw this and couldn't get into it".

It has good reviews on amazon. But the acting is bad and the dialogue just as bad. Of course, I'm going to finish it. Why couldn't I think of Serpico^^^, a Sidney Lumet movie that's well reviewed everywhere (not just on amazon) that I have yet to see!!