"What Movie Did You Watch?" - 2020 Edition

[DieselDaisy]

Sodom and Gomorrah (1962)
Epic starring Stewart Grainger, Stanley Baker and a plethora of Italian beauties. Let’s just say it is a fairly ''loose'' interpretation of the Biblical ''Sodom and Gomorrah'' - 3/5. 

(I’m disappointed there wasn’t the sequel in which Lot shags his two daughters!)

The Ten Commandments (1923)
DeMille's original silent. More concise than the original (it begins with Moses barracking the Pharaoh and casting down pestilence) - 5/5.

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)
I hadn't seen this film by Scorsese in awhile. It is the sort of film you caught your mother watching and saw Scorsese's name, he of Goodfellas and similar gangstry film fame, on the credits, but liked regardless. A charming film really. Ellen Burstyn's outstanding acting. Excellent child actor also - 5/5.  

Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967)
Again, it has been awhile since I last saw this. Scorsese's debut, already possessing most of the tropes of his default brand of cinematic excellence: neorealist (Italio) New York; Catholic guilt (and associated Marian and Jesus imagery); Italio-American characters acting in an Italio-American manner, usually displaced angry young men; rock n' roll soundtracks. It is a bit of an apprentice film that has somewhat been supplanted by the superior Mean Streets, and has moments of self-indulgence and ''studenty'' amateurism, but it still largely holds up - 4/5.

Keitel of course. 

Edited March 3, 2018 by DieselDaisy

[Len Cnut]

1 hour ago, DieselDaisy said:

Sodom and Gomorrah (1962)
Epic starring Stewart Grainger, Stanley Baker and a plethora of Italian beauties. Let’s just say it is a fairly ''loose'' interpretation of the Biblical ''Sodom and Gomorrah'' - 3/5. 

(I’m disappointed there wasn’t the sequel in which Lot shags his two daughters!)

The Ten Commandments (1923)
DeMille's original silent. More concise than the original (it begins with Moses barracking the Pharaoh and casting down pestilence) - 5/5.

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)
I hadn't seen this film by Scorsese in awhile. It is the sort of film you caught your mother watching and saw Scorsese's name, he of Goodfellas and similar gangstry film fame, on the credits, but liked regardless. A charming film really. Ellen Burstyn's outstanding acting. Excellent child actor also - 5/5.  

Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967)
Again, it has been awhile since I last saw this. Scorsese's debut, already possessing most of the tropes of his default brand of cinematic excellence: neorealist (Italio) New York; Catholic guilt (and associated Marian and Jesus imagery); Italio-American characters acting in an Italio-American manner, usually displaced angry young men; rock n' roll soundtracks. It is a bit of an apprentice film that has somewhat been supplanted by the superior Mean Streets, and has moments of self-indulgence and ''studenty'' amateurism, but it still largely holds up - 4/5.

Keitel of course. 

All i remember of that film is Kietel arguing with some bird.  Seen all of Scorseses early work, Boxcar Bertha, Alice Doesnt Live Here Anymore and all the rest, cant remember fuck all about them though.

[marlingrl03]

Waynes World. Had been awhile! 👍😊

[DieselDaisy]

8 hours ago, Len Cnut said:

All i remember of that film is Kietel arguing with some bird.  Seen all of Scorseses early work, Boxcar Bertha, Alice Doesnt Live Here Anymore and all the rest, cant remember fuck all about them though.

A feminist film of sorts, albeit the feminists probably would've found something to complain about as they'd complain about anything.

Boxcar Bertha is creaky as I recall but I haven't seen it in years. As I remember of his earlier and overlooked work I liked King of Comedy but wasn't that keen on New York New York. 

[dontdamnmeuyi2015]

Slumber with Maggie Q

Psycho Lady Killer

[DieselDaisy]

Boxcar Bertha (1972)
It is much better film than I remembered (I last watched it when I was in my teenage years). It is basically a Scorsese exploitation film which is a fairly decent proposition really when you think about it: a ''Scorsese exploitation'', i.e. a ''Tarantino film'' basically but infinitely superior. It even has David Carradine and Bernie Casey (Cleopatra Jones), two well known ''exploitation actors''. 5/5.

I do like Martin when you squash his budget and wrench him away from the mainstream. Economy seems to produce his greatest work.

[James Bond]

Saboteur (1942)

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Both fantastic "early Hollywood" Hitchcock films. The Blu-ray transfers are excellent. Of the two, I might prefer the former by a hair. Sorry Hitch! 

[DieselDaisy]

8 hours ago, James Bond said:

Saboteur (1942)

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Both fantastic "early Hollywood" Hitchcock films. The Blu-ray transfers are excellent. Of the two, I might prefer the former by a hair. Sorry Hitch! 

I love it how the Uncle Charlie is this threat amidst the quintessential tranquility that is ''Apple Pie America''. Hitchcock liked his horrors to invade our safe domesticity. It is probably his first real American film; it is certainly not filled with the usual trans-atlantic aristocrats which Hitchcock liked. One of my favourites.

It has been awhile since I have seen the former. In a manner it reprises the type of films he was making at British Gaumont, wartime espionage/spy type films. There is also Foreign Correspondent. 

[Len Cnut]

11 hours ago, DieselDaisy said:

Boxcar Bertha (1972)
It is much better film than I remembered (I last watched it when I was in my teenage years). It is basically a Scorsese exploitation film which is a fairly decent proposition really when you think about it: a ''Scorsese exploitation'', i.e. a ''Tarantino film'' basically but infinitely superior. It even has David Carradine and Bernie Casey (Cleopatra Jones), two well known ''exploitation actors''. 5/5.

I do like Martin when you squash his budget and wrench him away from the mainstream. Economy seems to produce his greatest work.

After Hours is an odd one, what do you make of it?

[James Bond]

3 hours ago, DieselDaisy said:

I love it how the Uncle Charlie is this threat amidst the quintessential tranquility that is ''Apple Pie America''. Hitchcock liked his horrors to invade our safe domesticity. It is probably his first real American film; it is certainly not filled with the usual trans-atlantic aristocrats which Hitchcock liked. One of my favourites.

It has been awhile since I have seen the former. In a manner it reprises the type of films he was making at British Gaumont, wartime espionage/spy type films. There is also Foreign Correspondent. 

It definitely stands out in the Hitchcock realm and Joseph Cotten is fantastic playing a more against type role than he was accustomed too. Teresa Wright is fantastic and most of my favourite dialogue in the film comes with her.

I do think the whole reason I dug Saboteur so much is that it did indeed recall those early British films.

Sadly I don't yet own Foreign Correspondent - I've been waiting for a price drop on the Criterion set which includes it. 

[DieselDaisy]

2 hours ago, Len Cnut said:

After Hours is an odd one, what do you make of it?

I love it. Kafkaesque. Black comedy. Probably my favourite of his from that decade, Raging Bull besides (which sneaks in there).

[ChineseDemocracy2004]

10 Cloverfield Lane.

I saw Mary Elizabeth Winstead so I carried on watching.

[DieselDaisy]

The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

Stagey and controversial piece by Marty which portrays the very human psychological underpinning of being Jesus of Nazareth. David Bowie's (cockney) Pilate raises a smile; (does best Bowie impression) ''oh rite my son, of god, you'll be going through some ch-ch-ch-ch changes''. 4/5. 

[Len Cnut]

Foxy Brown (1974)

[DieselDaisy]

The Age of Innocence (1993)

I hated this film when I first saw it - ''why is Scorsese directing one of my mother's bonnet dramas?'' - but in maturity it is a well crafted piece (wonderful score by Elmer Bernstein) involving unfulfilled love and personal sacrifice. It has some impeccably nuanced acting performances. 4/5.  

Silence (2016)

I had not seen this until now so I'm now up to date on the Scorsese filmography. It has much in common with The Last Temptation of Christ, faith, the preservation of one's faith, etc etc. 5/5.

[Len Cnut]

5 minutes ago, DieselDaisy said:

The Age of Innocence (1993)

I hated this film when I first saw it - ''why is Scorsese directing one of my mother's bonnet dramas?'' - but in maturity it is a well crafted piece (wonderful score by Elmer Bernstein) involving unfulfilled love and personal sacrifice. It has some impeccably nuanced acting performances. 4/5.  

Silence (2016)

I had not seen this until now so I'm now up to date on the Scorsese filmography. It has much in common with The Last Temptation of Christ, faith, the preservation of one's faith, etc etc. 5/5.

Age of Innocence is fucking fantastic.  Then again I do fancy Winona Ryder.  But nah, its a cracking film, I've always thought so.

[DieselDaisy]

5 minutes ago, Len Cnut said:

Age of Innocence is fucking fantastic.  Then again I do fancy Winona Ryder.  But nah, its a cracking film, I've always thought so.

I last saw it when I was fifteen or so, when films had to have tits and/or guns or Kung Fu. 

Winona Ryder's acting towards the end is very nuanced following her meeting with Countess Olenska, when she relays her information that Olenska is about to depart, and during that scene when she reveals her pregnancy. 

[Free Bird]

Recently I watched Live By Night with Ben Affleck. I liked it a lot.

[James Bond]

The Trouble With Harry (1955) and The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956).

I was originally going to do this box set in order but I decided to jump around a little bit.

The former truly received a stunning Blu-ray transfer. It seems to be one of the lesser talked about Hitchcock films but it really shows his sense of humour. It's not one I'd watch a hundred times but there's a charm to the dark comedy of it.

The latter would be in my top ten Hitchcock films. I adore the original but I really get into the scope of this one. The location work is fantastic, Jimmy Stewart is wonderful, and I fall in love with Doris Day all over again every time I watch it.

[DieselDaisy]

Kundun (1997)

I hadn't seen this since it was released (I distinctly remember renting it out on VHS). I almost feel like docking this a point for inspiring the song ''Chinese Democracy''. Nonetheless it is a very good film, albeit with one or two minor flaws for instance a certain coldness and self-indulgence. 4/5.

[Len Cnut]

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962).

Nothing I can say about this film that I haven’t said already, probably even in this thread, seen it a million times probably watch it a million times more.

[Len Cnut]

Unforgiven (1992)

TELL EM THERE AIN'T NO WHORES GOLD!!!

[appetite4illusions]

Thoroughbreds (2018)

I've been anxious to see this film for awhile. It looked like the sort of dark comedy that was right up my alley. The premise was interesting, the cast was great and the film promised to be something subversive like Heathers.

For a small little indie, it was pretty much a joy to watch, until the final minutes. At which time, the cruelty that had then only been an undertone became a very heavy-handed overtone. I actually was taken physically ill. I recoiled and squirmed, felt dizzy and as uncomfortable as I ever had in a movie theater. Even though I was pretty sure I was going to vomit, I didn't.

Even though it was building to an ending like the one it has, I still feel something else could have been done to save the grace of the film. It gets really serious in a fucking instant. 

[Len Cnut]

One Eyed Jacks (1961) - Marlon Brando, Karl Malden

[DieselDaisy]

The Hustler (1961)

The Color of Money (1986)