What was the last film you watched?

[Angela Chilling]

A Boy Called Christmas (2021)

As we are edging towards Christmas I thought I would see what new festive films were out at the moment and noticed this one. It's a Santa origin story but nowhere as clever and entertaining as Klaus (2019) which also told a story about how Santa came to be. This film was ok but I think it was more of a Children's film rather than one for the whole family in that everything is told in very simplistic terms: conflict is resolved promptly and impending danger never felt dangerous.

 

[Sea - Boo! - Er]

Heartbreak Ridge (1986) (Not a Bold & The Beautiful spin-off)
I've been an admirer of Clint Eastwood at a distance, you might say, not really having seen many of his films. I think I first saw him in the musical Paint Your Wagon (1969), not very typical of him, as I've since learned, although it is a Western of sorts.
This one seems determined to defy categorisation. If I read the script on paper I'm sure I would take it for a sardonic anti-war comedy like M*A*S*H (the movie) or Catch-22. But Clint, both as actor and director, doggedly imbues it with a gruff deadpan style that runs counter to the humour. Whether that is intentional I have no way of knowing but I found the effect rather unsettling.

 

[Angela Chilling]

Harry & Meghan: Escaping The Palace (2021)

I'm almost embarrassed to admit it but this was the last film I watched. Of course it's part trash and part fluff but it wasn't terrible. It's a serious drama depicting the lives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in the last year or so of their lives leading up to when they stepped back from Royal duties. The film has reasonably good production values for a TV film and is well acted and James Dreyfuss appears in a prominent role as an aide to the Duke and Duchess . It's told very much from the Sussex's point of view and if half of what's in the film is true, it's easy to understand why they chose to leave the toxicity of the Royal Family.

 

[supermanfan]

Elf

 

[Angela Chilling]

Petite Maman (2021)

This was an interesting film. The story of young girl called Nelly who is taken by her parents to her grandmother's house to clear it after she dies. Her mother has to go back suddenly leaving Nelly with her father and while he works on clearing the house Nelly explores the area and meets a young girl who she realises is her mother when she was the same age as she is now. It's a gently and slow moving film but fascinating to watch and the 2 young girls playing the main roles are brilliant.

 

[9unfold]

Ghostbusters 2016.

Damn good romp. Good entertaining movie.

 

[Spells & Karma]

The Maiden Heist (2009)
(AKA The Heist)

Good fun with a nice cast. I'll probably have forgotten ever watching it in three months time but that's fine. It passed ninety minutes most pleasantly.

 

[supermanfan]

Jack frost with Michael keton

 

[Angela Chilling]

Belfast (2021)

A film telling the story of a young boy called Buddy growing up in Belfast during The Troubles. Written and directed by Kenneth Branagh based on his own experiences when he was a boy. Mr Branagh is unquestionably a skilled director and every scene in this film is beautifully shot. The plot is told from Buddy's point of view so we only get snatches of the wider story that is what is going on because that's all that Buddy sees and hears. So we see clashes between Catholics and Protestants but it's never explored in any depth because a 9 year old boy wouldn't necessarily understand the history behind them. We see his parents arguing and we see his grandpa in hospital but these are only brief moments because Buddy wouldn't know the full ins and outs of what was going on. The film works best when he is on screen with his dad, played by Jamie Dornan and their relationship is warm and engaging to watch. An interesting film that looks beautiful on the screen.

 

[Angela Chilling]

Serenade (1956)

World renowned opera singer Mario Lanza plays a vineyard worker who wants to be a successful opera singer. I've heard of the name Mario Lanza but I've never heard any of this music until I saw this film and he is undoubtedly a great singer and not a bad actor either. However this film wasn't good. The story was far fetched and more of a vehicle to move viewers from one song to another. The supporting cast was strong including Vincent Price playing an agent and Joan Fontaine playing a rich socialite who helps Lanza's character's career and becomes his love interest before she cruelly dumps him shortly before an important concert. Even this esteemed cast can't save this film but maybe that wasn't important because this film was more of a showcase for the singing talent of Mario Lanza and on that level it delivers.

 

[Sea - Boo! - Er]

I've heard of the name Mario Lanza but I've never heard any of this music until I saw this film and he is undoubtedly a great singer and not a bad actor either. However this film wasn't good.

My mother was a great fan of Mario Lanza the singer but I think it's true to say that. like Elvis in a later generation, most of his films were not up to the same standard.

 

[supermanfan]

Home Alone:rlol:

 

[Rove]

​

Currently screening on Amazon Prime. Don't waste your time. This is part of the current genre of using established actors like Colin Farrel but of course it's not about him...it's about the teenagers.​

It's kind of like Lord Of The Flies in space.
2/10​

 

[bmasters9]

Home Alone:rlol:

I never did care for the first one-- always have esteemed the second one among all of them.

 

[supermanfan]

Scrooged with Bill Murray

 

[Angela Chilling]

West Side Story (1961)

In preparation for when I watch the new version of this story, I thought I would re-watch the original for the first time in around 30 years. It is a stunning film, even better than I remembered. I normally don't like stage musicals on film if they are not made more cinematic but this film is an exception. On paper, scenes where there are fights between the 2 gangs told though dance would seem really camp and not believable but somehow they manage to pull it off spectacularly. The only negative I have with the film is the use of non latinx actors to portray some of the Puerto Ricans but other than that, it's a near flawless film.

 

[darkshadows38]

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) one of the worst movies i've ever seen in my life 2/10

 

[Spells & Karma]

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

How ironic that the trailer has a spoiler warning but the film itself doesn't. I haven't seen Avengers: Endgame nor, indeed, the vast majority of the MCU (I'm planning on remedying this VERY soon). Fortunately, I'm already aware of how that film ended (and at this point I don't much care anyway).

The interconnectedness of the film is frustrating when watching casually as there are so many little references that seem completely superfluous when watching independently.​

 

[Angela Chilling]

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

How ironic that the trailer has a spoiler warning but the film itself doesn't. I haven't seen Avengers: Endgame nor, indeed, the vast majority of the MCU (I'm planning on remedying this VERY soon). Fortunately, I'm already aware of how that film ended (and at this point I don't much care anyway).

The interconnectedness of the film is frustrating when watching casually as there are so many little references that seem completely superfluous when watching independently.​

The Marvel Comic Universe is really pretentious and the spoiler warning wasn't necessary because the timeline of all the films is vague and fluid and characters die and come back to life all the time.

It is annoying though because things happen in other films of which you are not aware but they are referred to. I've watched all the Avenger films and things happened in other Marvel films between the Avengers films which are relevant to the Avengers' story so I often felt I was missing something. One day I plan to watch them all in order and to make it more confusing, the correct order isn't the order in which the films were released.

 

[darkshadows38]

on how i watch them cause i have them all on 4K but i think 3 or 4. the one you can watch 1st really if you think about it is Captain America (2011) the rest i pretty much watch in Order, yes Captain Marvel takes place in (1995) but there's a scene at the end that take place after Infinity War. Black Widow takes place after Civil war but right before Infinity war but there's a scene at the end where black widow gets the jet that is how Civil war ended so it's confusing the way they were filmed.
for me though on how i watch them i just saw f.. it and watch them in order as they were put out. what's funny is that i saw an article that said something along the lines of the end of the marvel films because the end of the new spider man film doesn't have a scene at the very end even though there are a couple others that do not have a scene at the very end so them doing that article is pretty f... pointless i think.