What is The Last Movie You Watched?

[Stavros]

I thought the earlier film about Ginsberg, Howl (2010) was wonderful -James Franco didn't really look like the young Ginsberg but it didn't matter. Taking on the Faulkner reference which I also don't get, Franco has been in As I Lay Dying (2013) and is currently filming The Sound and the Fury for which he has co-wrote the screenplay -I think this is probably a mistake, like trying to film Conrad or Virginia Woolf, but who knows. Have no real idea who Ratcliffe is, Harry Potter has passed me by.

[Prospero]

I agree. The look is in most respects very unimportant and, sadly, i didn't see Howl. It is Radcliffe, not Ratcliffe... and, Stavros, while i would not for a minute think you'd want to read or view Harry potter, I am astonished that the phenomenon and the young actor who starred in all the movies would not register on your radar.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0705356/

[Stavros]

I know the name, I know he is in the Potter films with a red-headed boy with freckles and a young girl and a cast of sturdy English/Irish/Scottish actors, that is about it. I made a sincere effort with the first Potter book but it was so bad I lost interest although I can imagine the films are superior to the books -witches, magic, vampires are of no interest to me so why would I know more about the lad? Didn't the lad who played Frodo in the Lord of the Rings have a similar image problem and fail to go on to anything more mature? Other than Christian Bale how many child stars of recent years have developed relatively trouble-free careers? McCauley Caulkin? The weird boy in A.I.?

[Prospero]

recent years... well maybe she doesn't count, but Tatum O'Neill certainly went on to become a respected adult actress after "Paper Moon" but i guess that might not count as recently. Otherwise, you're right... few make the leap.

I think Radcliffe has a bigger problem than most - for the immense success of the Potter films (love them or hate them) means that he is always going to b associated with them to the wide general public. A little film about Allen Ginsburg won't shift that.

Oh and i agree - I gave up after the first Potter book. But in filmic terms the Lord of The Rings series were much worse than the Potter film. They lacked any humour to ameliorate their po-facedness. But I know i out on a limb here.

[broncofan]

Other than Christian Bale how many child stars of recent years have developed relatively trouble-free careers? McCauley Caulkin? The weird boy in A.I.?

Not sure how young they have to be but Natalie Portman was 12 or so when she was in The Professional. She's had a decent if not spectacular adult career.

[Stavros]

True -Mickey Rooney I suppose must be the one with the longest career.

I watched the redux version of Apocalypse Now this evening, it is even worse than I recall. The script in particular is poor, as is the music over which Coppola seemed to spend so much time and effort -he wanted ethereal electronic music to take over when the boat heads past the bridge towards Kurtz, but it sounds like cheap sci-fi music from 1960s tv shows. The overall theme, if there is one, that the conduct of war undermines its strategic purpose and drives soldiers mad, is not original; the anarchic scenes at the Kurtz compound are quite well done -mostly using the Ifugao in the northern Philippines who sacrifice a Carabao - but the pseudo-anthropology in the script is desperately poor and the 'poet warrior' Kurtz just uninteresting as a character even though the entire films builds up the the confrontation with him. In Conrad Kurtz is a trader, in this film a soldier; in Conrad capitalism is a key factor in the narrative, but not in this one. Civilisation features in both, but where it is scrutinised in an elliptical, ambiguous way by Conrad, it is condemned as a sham in this film. The editing also suggests Coppola didn't know what he wanted at the time or after. One minute Willard is talking to Kurtz, then he is locked in a cage; Chef has his head cut off but the radio connection -which in an earlier version is the means whereby the compound is destroyed in an air strike- is not touched and anyway Willard in the Redux version just sails away. Some people like the anarchy of the film, but the whole experience is unsatisfactory. The acting is also unimpressive, except maybe for Denis Hopper but there seems to be a feeling he wasn't acting...hmmm.

[bluesoul]

i rather enjoyed this. a simple made-for-tv drama about the lee oswald's killing of kennedy. the guy that played lee really did a good job with the sometimes minimal script, and the babe that played his wife was smoking. rob lowe and the honey playing jackie o were both kinda awkward. you'd think they'd have made them look better than the oswald's.

[fred41]

Not sure how young they have to be but Natalie Portman was 12 or so when she was in The Professional. She's had a decent if not spectacular adult career.

Yeah...off the top of my head I would also say Joseph Gordon-Levitt is turning out to be impressive.

[broncofan]

Yeah...off the top of my head I would also say Joseph Gordon-Levitt is turning out to be impressive.

I think one of the reasons successful child actors are hard to think of is that to be successful they have to completely re-invent themselves. Once they do you forgot they were child actors. The ones who don't fail because you remember they were child actors.

Joseph Gordon Levitt is no longer the skinny goofy kid he was on third rock. He was still kind of that kid in transition when he did Ten Things I Hate About You but no longer.

I think Dakota Fanning will probably have a career as an adult actress. She was in Man on Fire as a kid, and I just recently saw her in The Motel Life. The Motel Life was a touching film, even if the story was a little under-developed. Not a big role for her but I think she'll develop into a pretty good adult actress.

[fred41]

I think one of the reasons successful child actors are hard to think of is that to be successful they have to completely re-invent themselves. Once they do you forgot they were child actors. The ones who don't fail because you remember they were child actors.

Joseph Gordon Levitt is no longer the skinny goofy kid he was on third rock. He was still kind of that kid in transition when he did Ten Things I Hate About You but no longer.

I think Dakota Fanning will probably have a career as an adult actress. She was in Man on Fire as a kid, and I just recently saw her in The Motel Life. The Motel Life was a touching film, even if the story was a little under-developed. Not a big role for her but I think she'll develop into a pretty good adult actress.

I agree...but sometimes they grow up kinda weird looking like Haley Joel Osmond...

I agree Dakota Fanning will continue her career, as will, most likely - Chloe Moretz...perhaps with differing degrees of success.

I hope Stewie from "Family Guy" grows up okay (fingers crossed) if cartoon drugs don't do him in first.