Watch, Watched, Watching: Give Me All The Bacon & Eggs You Have!

[Myrddin]

Binge watching Hannibal now. I'm about halfway through season 2. Dancy and Mikkelsen are both outstanding.

 

 

In regards to Bond, my list is the same as Nictarion, though Connery and Craig are pretty close. Connery edges out more for nostalgia, I think.

 

Brosnan was a good Bond, but by and large the stories he was put in were poor. I still want to do a edit of World Is Not Enough to remove Christmas Jones. Without her character, I think it'd be a much better film.

 

And Elektra king is my fav Bond girl, because, duh, Sophie Marceau! Now that Monica Bellucci is a Bond girl too, I won't be able to chose a favorite. :D

[Fiddler]

I've never been able to get into the Bond movies.  They should be something that I love because I love that type of movie, but other than For your eyes only (and Goldeneye I guess, but that was more the game than the movie), I haven't really cared for any of them.

[drawkcabi]

Starting the TV series "Chuck". I only vaguely know what it's about but I've heard good things about it from people here.

 

 

 

My favorite Bonds:

Craig>Dalton>Moore>Brosnan>Connery>Lazenby

 

I know, sacrilege, but I've never seen a Connery Bond movie completely only bits and parts of a few and also like HowdyPhillip Moore was the Bond I grew up with.

 

I remember when Octopussy came on HBO, I was like 9 and I had never seen a Bond movie before. I was like "What's this?" and then "Cool!"

[RedEyedGhost]

Starting the TV series "Chuck". I only vaguely know what it's about but I've heard good things about it from people here.

You lucky guy! The pilot is one of my favorite opening episodes ever, and just reading those two sentences makes me want to go back and watch it. But if I do, I know I would then rewatch the entire series :lol:

[Raja]

Aw man, season 1 chuck was the best. 

[Howdyphillip]

Starting the TV series "Chuck". I only vaguely know what it's about but I've heard good things about it from people here.

 

 

 

My favorite Bonds:

Craig>Dalton>Moore>Brosnan>Connery>Lazenby

 

I know, sacrilege, but I've never seen a Connery Bond movie completely only bits and parts of a few and also like HowdyPhillip Moore was the Bond I grew up with.

 

I remember when Octopussy came on HBO, I was like 9 and I had never seen a Bond movie before. I was like "What's this?" and then "Cool!"

I absolutely loved that show... You are in for a treat. I think that I may just start another watch as well. Maybe we could find a thread to discuss it...

[3CityApache]

I've just binge watched the second season of Silicon Valley. Enjoyed it quite a bit, probably more than the first. Of course they had to bring a catastrophe on their heads in the finale this time. But maybe a new CEO of Hooli will help? ;)

[GallowKnight]

I decided to get my Freddy on tonight and watched Nightmare on Elm Strees 3: Dream Warriors. It was really good, not as good as the original but at least on a par with New Nightmare.

[Theda Baratheon]

lmao even discussion about James Bond movies doesn't interest me. 

 

Watched Zero Theorem and quite liked it. Ending was rushed and the characters were shallow but it looked like Blade Runner spliced together with Lazy Town which was interesting to say the least. Really enjoyed the bob kid and Bainsley's asking him to leave with her was poignant. 

[drawkcabi]

I decided to get my Freddy on tonight and watched Nightmare on Elm Strees 3: Dream Warriors. It was really good, not as good as the original but at least on a par with New Nightmare.

 First "Nightmare" movie I ever saw. I think it remains my favorite due to that thought I like the original almost as much.

[Knight of Ashes]

The Hollow Crown: Henry IV
Knowing nothing about the actor (Simon Russell Beale) who plays Ferdinand Lyle on Penny Dreadful, I was mildly surprised to see him playing Falstaff , and that he's considered one of the greatest stage actors around.

(how does Penny Dreadful get all these high-calibre actors?)

[Veltigar]

I saw Raging Bull for the first time the other night. It's undoubtedly a great film, but I can't say that it entirely clicked with me. So much superlatives are thrown at this film and pretty much every single one of those are true. The directing is indeed great, the cinematography and editing superb and those fights have to be the most brutal boxing matches ever put to film.

 

All the acting in this film is top-notch. De Niro is at the height of his powers (though I preferred him in Taxi Driver). Cathy Moriarty's performance is impressive, even more so since it was her first role and she was still so young. I think her Vicky counts as one of the few strong women in Scorsese's filmography. My favourite was Joe Pesci though. I read that he was about to quit acting before this film, but then De Niro recommended him for the role and he changed his mind. For that feat alone we should all love this film and De Niro. Pesci's Joey gives this movie some much needed levity imo. Pretty much everyone in this film is a piece of shit, but at least Pesci's character is likeable at the same time.

 

Storywise though, I felt the film was rather limited. I have often read people describing this film, not as a boxing movie (like say one of the Rocky films) but as a character study. That's only partially true imo. It's definitely not a traditional boxing film and their is definitely no clear plot, but I wouldn't call it a character study. For that it would need a character that is or at the very least feels more complex. I just didn't get that from Jake La Motta. All nuance was drowned out by the character's larger than life Madonna–whore complex. It made him so unrelatable and unlikeable that I felt a bit checked out through-out the film. Especially during the later boxing scenes. They are still trilling visually, but I found it hard to care about La Motta's self-inflicted punishment in the ring, because I didn't really care about him.

 

The film is still a testament to the skill of all involved of course, but it's one of those great-movies-you-watch-once-and-then-you-move-on kind of deals. I don't usually rewatch films (except for say excellent comedies), but with most great films I feel like I wouldn't mind it if I had to sit through it again. Raging Bull though, I think I would have to be in a really peculiar state of mind to rewatch it. I definitely prefer Taxi Driver and GoodFellas.

[Mark Antony]

Nice post Veltigar and I agree. I see the greatness of Raging Bull but it's not my favorite Scorsese and I've never had the urge to rewatch it.
Just watched The Drop. What a good little movie. Tom Hardy makes me more and more a fan of his every time I see him. One of my favorite showings of his for sure. Watching him and Gandolfini on screen together made me so happy and sad at the same time. It was a fitting last role for him though and he knocked it out of the park.

[Veltigar]

Just finished In Cold Blood. I figured I had to see this after how excellent Capote was and it didn't disappoint me. The film takes a while to get going, but when it hits its stride it's really compelling. The scene with the murders is absolutely chilling, despite the fact that there is no gore at all. Just a great piece of atmosphere building.

 

It's also uncanny how much the actors resembled the real life killers physically. Especially Robert Blake and Perry Smith, holy crap they could be brothers. It's even more spooky after you start reading about Blake's life. Both his later brushes with the law and his miserable childhood, he must have really been able to relate to Perry Smith. That makes me kind of sad, in particular because In Cold Blood references The Treasure of the Sierra Madre two times (Perry Smith's favourite film apparently. The man was a murderer but he did have taste.) and Blake played the paperboy in that as a child. Those two lives were linked almost from the get-go.

 

Aside from the murder scene, I found the prison and execution scenes the highlight of the film. The way this film closes is pretty harrowing. And about ten minutes before the end, there is one of the greatest images I have ever seen in the film. A really simple one to. Just [spoiler]Perry Smith, standing in front of a window in his cell, telling one of the saddest stories I have ever heard on screen. The rain falling on the window makes it seem like he's crying. Just great stuff.[/spoiler]

 

It wasn't flawless though. Like I said before, it takes a while to really kick-off. Plus, as Ebert remarked in his review, the music at times can be a bit distracting. Ebert's other criticisms aren't as valid though. The visual flourishes didn't bother me and the anti-capital punishment message wasn't laid on to thick. It would have been better if they had just called the Capote stand-in who delivered said message Capote, but the fact that the Capote stand-in spoke the truth about the inanity of the death sentence didn't hamper the film for me. Perhaps it wasn't as subtle as it could be, but I guess back in 1967 people needed to hear the message spoken out loud.

 

I must say, if I had to choose between this and Capote I'm not sure which one I prefer. They both have their strengths and weaknesses. Both Robert Blake and Clifton Collins Jr. are incredible in the Perry Smith role. Scott Wilson and Mark Pellegrino are both superbly dislikeable (alhough Pellegrino is less important in Capote). The murder scene is depicted much better in In Cold Blood, but Capote has that incredible Philip Seymour Hoffman performance. In the end the great ambiguity of Capote's character would probably edge out, but it's really close for me.

 

One final thing that needs to be said is that both films do a great job at portraying the waste of it all. You really walk away with the impression that not only that poor Clutter family got murdered, but the killers as well. Those two didn't have to turn out like they did. A double feature of Capote and In Cold Blood should be held whenever politicians have to take a vote on the budget for Child Protective Service, because if you have a system that does it job, murders like the one depicted here could be largely avoided.

 

 

For A Few Dollars More:

 

[spoiler] 

 

This was great. Better than AFoD, and despite certain plot points it was really lighter in tone. I enjoyed the inclusion of the second Bounty Killer. 

 

I liked that the villain was a bit more distinct, although really it doesn't rely on overly nuanced characters. Still, that and the above prevented it from being a rehash of the first film. 

 

Again, soundtrack was also good (think I preferred AFoD on that front though, more whistle-able). 

 

[/spoiler]

I went to a concert a few months ago were the choir and musicians did a great rendition of Sixty seconds to what? (the music during the final duel). As you might imagine, I was pleasantly surprised :D I also agree that [spoiler]El Indio is a great villain. I personally prefer him to the Bad in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. There is something about Gian Maria Volonté's eyes that is really disturbing. He's just so intense.

[/spoiler]

 

 

 

Nice post Veltigar

Thanks :)

 

 

Just watched The Drop. What a good little movie. Tom Hardy makes me more and more a fan of his every time I see him. One of my favorite showings of his for sure. Watching him and Gandolfini on screen together made me so happy and sad at the same time. It was a fitting last role for him though and he knocked it out of the park.

I was a bit disappointed by The Drop. The performances were good and I recall the directing to be more than solid, but I felt like there was a lot of talent wasted on a pretty bad script. After Rundskop (or Bullhead as you Americans would call it) I had expected a bit more from Roskam. Especially seeing how he had such a stellar cast.

[Mark Antony]

[spoiler]El Indio is a great villain. I personally prefer him to the Bad in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. There is something about Gian Maria Volonté eyes that makes really disturbing. He's just so intense.
[/spoiler]

So much agree.
 

I was a bit disappointed by The Drop. The performances were good and I recall the directing to be more than solid, but I felt like there was a lot of talent wasted on a pretty bad script. After Rundskop (or Bullhead as you Americans would call it) I had expected a bit more from Roskam. Especially seeing how he had such a stellar cast.

Hmmmm it was certainly the performances that made the movie but I wouldn't call the script bad. It wasn't remarkable by any means but I thought it was well done. I'm a fan of most of Lehanes work and this is definitely some of his weaker stuff I've seen but still [spoiler] I really liked the reveal that Tom Hardys character was more than he seemed, it was obvious of course but still awesome. that whole bar scene at the end was a major fist pump moment for me. I also thought it was an interesting final scene with the girl. Having to decide whether Tom Hardys chatacter was worth seeing again must have been a crazy choice to make. [/spoiler]
Between that and Locke, Hardy really put out some top performances last year. I want to keep going through his filmography. I can't decide between Bronson, Lawless, or Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy to watch next.

[Veltigar]

Between that and Locke, Hardy really put out some top performances last year. I want to keep going through his filmography. I can't decide between Bronson, Lawless, or Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy to watch next.

Locke was awesome :) I feel like Hardy should have been nominated for a major acting award for Locke.

 

As to the film's you mentioned, I vote for Bronson. I haven't seen it yet, but Bronson is the role that put Tom Hardy on the map. On top of that, Bronson was directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. At the very least you'll get a visually arresting film. I did see TTSS and while it is a good film, Tom Hardy's role is pretty small. Gary Oldman is really the focus of that film. Lawless I also haven't seen yet, but I think it's clearly a lesser film (although Hardy will probably be the highlight in it). I remember one somewhat glowing review of Lawless, where the reviewer praised the actor's cardigan's and that was pretty much it XD

 

EDIT: Perhaps I'll watch Bronson tomorrow as well. Better to discuss it when the memory is still fresh :)

 

 

 [spoiler] I really liked the reveal that Tom Hardys character was more than he seemed, it was obvious of course but still awesome. that whole bar scene at the end was a major fist pump moment for me. I also thought it was an interesting final scene with the girl. Having to decide whether Tom Hardys chatacter was worth seeing again must have been a crazy choice to make. [/spoiler]
 

Hmm, I had some more issues with the script, but for the life of me I can't really recall what they were. I remember [spoiler]the Tom Hardy reveal[/spoiler] but that's about it. To me, it was a pretty forgetful film all things considered.

 

EDIT: [spoiler]I think one of the things that bothered me was the cop. He had a file on Schoenaerts's character or something and... No, I forgot, but something was wrong there. [/spoiler]

[Mark Antony]

Yeah I've heard mixed things about Lawless but the director did The Proposition which was awesome and The Road which was pretty damn good so I'll probably give it a shot down the line.
I think I'll watch Bronson this weekend then.

[Ramsay B.]

I thought Lawless was pretty forgettable and I do love The Proposition and The Road also. My vote would also be for Bronson. That was my first taste of Hardy and one of his best performances still. It's been a while so I'll watch it too. I've yet to see TTSS but it's always been on my must watch one day list.

[polishgenius]

Yeah, TTSS is a better film but if it's Tom Hardy you're after, Bronson has waaaaaaaay more of him.

[Veltigar]

Finished The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Liked it. Felt a bit long at times, think I preferred For a Few Dollars More overall.

Ha, now there are like three of us right? We should start some sort of club :P

 

[spoiler]

You can really see why The Man With No Name is something of a cultural icon. He was much less central in this film however, and of the trilogy this is the film where he least deserves the title ''The Good'' (although I'd be the first to admit this works really well for the film).

[/spoiler]

[spoiler]The Man With No Name has never exactly been a moral paragon ;) That's something I like about the reverse chronology theory (with tG, tB and tU having the youngest version of the Man With No Name and AFoD having the oldest). He might be more on the Good side in the first two instalments, but his methods were more questionable and the character felt more cynical to me. In tG, tB and tU he's perhaps not as clearly on the good side of the spectrum, but his methods are a little better. [/spoiler]

 

 

[spoiler] 

 

I thought The Bad was a great part of this film, but it did feel like a reboot of the character shown in FaFDM who was much more sympathetic. 

[/spoiler]

You have to admit, Angel Eyes is a pretty badass name :)

 

 

[spoiler] 

 

The Ugly was great :D Not as good (or the same) as Jason Robard's character in OuaTitW, but increasingly amusing and fun to watch. The escape from the train in particular was a great sequence, in a film full of great sequences.

 

[/spoiler]

Yeah, Tuco was awesome. If I had to pick a favourite character from the Dollar trilogy it's between him and El Indio for me.

 

 

Anyway, I really enjoyed the trilogy. Super glad that I've finally been able to sit down and watch them. Will probably try to get my  hands on the Magnificent Seven films next, the first one is an old favourite of mine.

There is more than one? I have never been a big fan of the version with Yul Brynner. I saw Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, which The Magnificent Seven totally ripped off, before I saw the Magnificent Seven and there is just no comparison between the two. Seven Samurai is just in a totally different ballpark imo. It's so much better. If you have the heart to face the runtime (a whopping 207 minutes), it's well worth your time.

 

EDIT: Just searched for the Magnificent Seven on IMDB. Apparently there is a new remake in the works, coming out in 2017. And get this, it's directed by the guy who did Training Day and King Arthur, with a cast that includes amongst others Chris Pratt, Denzel Washington, Peter Sarsgaard, Ethan Hawke and Vincent D'Onofrio. And it is written by TD's Pizzolato (who can plagiarize from both Seven Samurai and the first Magnificent Seven, so he'll probably deliver the goods :P )

 

 

Yeah I've heard mixed things about Lawless but the director did The Proposition which was awesome and The Road which was pretty damn good so I'll probably give it a shot down the line.
I think I'll watch Bronson this weekend then.

 

I thought Lawless was pretty forgettable and I do love The Proposition and The Road also. My vote would also be for Bronson. That was my first taste of Hardy and one of his best performances still. It's been a while so I'll watch it too. I've yet to see TTSS but it's always been on my must watch one day list.

Yeah, Bronson viewing party :)