What was the last film you watched?

[Seaviewer]

Romy and Michele's High School Reunion starring Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow

Not as funny as it thinks it is but entertaining in its way. Also notable for early appearances by some stars who would become much better known, including Camryn Manheim (The Practice, Ghost Whisperer) and Alan Cumming (The Good Wife, Instinct).

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Also notable for early appearances by some stars who would become much better known, including Camryn Manheim (The Practice, Ghost Whisperer) and Alan Cumming (The Good Wife, Instinct).

Probably dating myself here, but I can't get past thinking of Cumming's American career as something new and novel. Even his earlier stuff.

To me, he'll always be that guy from The High Life.

 

[James from London]

To me, he'll always be that guy from The High Life.

Or even that guy from Take the High Road.

In this afternoon's episode, Jim tries to pay for a pint of milk but Isobel willnae hear of it:

 

[Mel O'Drama]

In this afternoon's episode, Jim tries to pay for a pint of milk but Isobel willnae hear of it

And if the rest of that video is anything to go by, that free milk certainly gave him a lotta bottle.

 

[Payton Cross]

Star Wars - The Force Awakens

Great movie, so nice to see some old faces again.

 

[Seaviewer]

You Again, starring Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver and Betty White.

Three generations of divas in a timely treatise on bullying, plus a surprise appearance from...

 

[Payton Cross]

Viva Las Vegas - (1964)

This is just a great feel good movie with the one and only Elvis Presley.

 

[Jessie]

The Meg

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

I watched Rex Harrison and Gene Tierney in The Ghost and Mrs Muir

Probably dating myself here, but I can't get past thinking of Cumming's American career as something new and novel. Even his earlier stuff.

To me, he'll always be that guy from The High Life.

Before that, Alan Cumming was the guy from The Airzone Solution to me. Which had starred Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Peter Davison, Jon Pertwee, Nicola Bryant, Michael Wisher and Nicholas Briggs. Those names seem vaguely familiar to me but I can’t quite place them.

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

The Big Money
Starring Ian Carmichael, Belinda Lee (who was killed in a car accident at the age of 25), Leslie Phillips, James Hayter, Ferdy Mayne and Jill Ireland

 

[Seaviewer]

Lovelace starring Amanda Seyfried

Unusual non-linear narrative revealing the tragic story of the artist formerly known as Linda Lovelace.

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

Desert Mice. With Alfred Marks, Patricia Bredin, Sidney James, Dora Bryan, Dick Bentley, Reginald Beckwith, Irene Handl, Liz Fraser, Anthony Bushell and John Le Mesurier

The Wicked Lady. Starring Margaret Lockwood, Griffith Jones,
James Mason, Michael Ronnie and Sir Felix Aylmer

The Delavine Affair. Starring Peter Reynolds, Honor Blackman and Gordon Jackson

The Mark of Zorro. 1940. Starring Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone.

And The Same To You. 1959. Starring Brian Rex, Leo Franklyn, Tommy Cooper, Vera Day, William Hartnell, Miles Malleson, Shirley Anne Field, Arthur Mullard and Terry Scott. “With a guest star appearance of Sidney James”. With additional script material by John Junkin and Terry Nation.

All Night Long. Starring Patrick McGoohan, Keith Michell and Richard Attenborough. With Bernard Braden, Dave Brubeck, Johnny Dankworth and Charles Mingus

Dry Rot. 1956. Starring Ronald Shiner, Brian Rex, Peggy Mount, Lee Patterson, Sidney James and Joan Sims

The Big Job. 1965. Starring Sidney James, Sylvia Syms, Dick Emery, Joan Sims, Lance Percival, Jim Dale, Edina Ronay, Deryck Guyler, Reginald Beckwith, Brian Rawlinson, Wanda Ventham and Frank Thornton. Screenplay by Talbot Rothwell, Music by Eric Rogers, produced by Peter Rogers and directed by Gerald Thomas.

Too Many Crooks. 1959. Starring Terry-Thomas, George Cole, Brenda De Banzie, Bernard Bresslaw. With Sidney James, Vera Day, Delphi Lawrence, John Le Mesurier, Sydney Tafler, Nicholas Parsons and Terry Scott.

Life At The Top. 1965. Starring Laurence Harvey, Jean Dimmons, Honor Blackman and Michael Craig

 

[Payton Cross]

IT - [part 1] (2017)

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

Oops! Did I really put Jean Dimmons instead of Jean Simmons? Oh dear.

Saw Aileen Marson starring in The Way of Youth. Sadly, she died just five years later at the age of 27, while giving birth to twins.

Watched Thunderstorm with Charles Korvin (later star of ITC’s Interpol Calling) plotting against Carlos Thompson (ITC’s The Sentimental Agent from ITC’s Man of the World and ITC’s The Sentimental Agent).

Build My Gallows High

They Cam’t Hang Me. Starring Terence Morgan

The House Across The Lake. 1954. Starring Alex Nicol, Hilary Brooke, Sidney James, Susan Stephen, Paul Carpenter, Alan Wheatley, Peter Illing and Joan Hickson. Paul Carpenter was found dead in his theatre dressing room in his early 40s, having played lead roles in several films and also provided the voice of the Invisible Man in a few episodes of ITC’s H. G. Wells’ Invisible Man.

Watched Hy Hazell in The Lady Craved Excitement. With Michael Medwin and Sidney James. Remember that Hy Hazell passed away when she choked to death on her steak.

Watched The Iron Maiden. 1962. A Peter Rogers production, starring Michael Craig (by arrangement with Columbia Pictures Corporation), Anne Helm, Jeff Donnell, Alan Hale, Noel Purcell, Cecil Parker, Roland Culver, Joan Sims, John Standing, Brian Oulton, Sam Kyff, Judith Furse, Richard Thorp and Jim Dale. With Anton Rodgers and “The Duke of Bedford as Himself”. With music by Eric Rogers and directed by Gerald Thomas.

 

[Willie Oleson]

It was on YouTube, and I had never seen the full movie. It was more fun than I thought it would be - and I think it's time for a sequel.

 

[Seaviewer]

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)

Updated from the nuclear fears of the the cold war era original to the eco concerns of today. A little heavy handed but well made.

 

[Swami]

Skyfall.

Swami

 

[Willie Oleson]

They killed Rodney! You bastards!

 

[Mel O'Drama]

They killed Rodney! You bastards!

Ha.

Have you seen it before, Willie?

 

[Willie Oleson]

Have you seen it before, Willie?

No, this was the first time. I had read the novels decades ago so I didn't recognize many of the storylines.
And since I love the tv series so much I wasn't very eager to watch the movie, but now it was on YouTube so there was no excuse not to watch it.

Some random thoughts:

-The class had a president and vice-president, and I thought "how typically American!"

-Michael Rossi has a funny voice, kinda like a puppeteer's puppet.

-Allison was my least favourite character and I found her narration insufferable.

-I had completely forgotten that the novel was a pre-WWII story, and I still had no idea until they mentioned Pearl Harbor.

-the acting is a mixed bag, sometimes good and sometimes wooden and overtly melodramatic, but at least it gets the point across.

-the score is outrageously over the top sometimes, for example: when Lucas chases Selena in the forest (I actually had a jump scare).

-the murder scene was perfectly staged.
Selena manages to push Lucas away, runs towards the door to grab the log that she would use as a weapon, but just before that she sort of smashes against the wall.

Which is perfectly normal, considering the panic and chaos - and yet there was something blooper-ish about it. Funnily enough that made it look even more realistic.

It was an ejoyable movie but it doesn't go very deep, partially due to its limited duration, I suppose.

rating: