MovieMusic.com Message Boards: What Have You Seen In AUGUST?

Message Boards

Just Movies!

What Have You Seen In AUGUST?

Archive of old forum. No more postings.

Please visit our new forum, The MovieMusic Lobby, to post new topics.

Author	Topic: What Have You Seen In AUGUST?

Graham Watt Standard Userer	I won't be seeing anything in August, or even listening to any music. August is when I purge my system with some extremely severe fasting, standing naked on one leg on a deserted island for a month. But don't let that stop YOU from having a good time!
posted 07-31-2002 02:35 PM PT (US)

joan hue Standard Userer	LOL, Graham. Please send all of us pictures of you naked, standing on one leg. Could be the thrill of a lifetime.
posted 07-31-2002 04:12 PM PT (US)

Kevin Standard Userer	Maybe for you, mommy. But not for most of us.
posted 07-31-2002 04:17 PM PT (US)

Gae Standard Userer	Graham, You mean you haven't got any Film Music Desert Island Discs to take with you? Gae NP Interview with the Vampire
posted 08-01-2002 03:11 PM PT (US)

David Maxx Standard Userer	I will be seeing THE MASTER OF DISGUISE tonight because it looks like a fun movie. I do have a feeling it might be one of those comedies that's a little too silly to be funny. However, I am willing to take a chance. Besides the trailer, although sometimes misleading, did not look too bad.
posted 08-02-2002 08:11 AM PT (US)

joan hue Standard Userer	Hey Kevin, you may have devastated Graham into never posting again.
posted 08-02-2002 09:29 AM PT (US)

Lou Goldberg Standard Userer	Watched Kurosawa's 1950 Scandal with Toshiro Mifune. One of the early Kurosawa films that was trying to inspire the Japanese in their hard post-war period. The story of two celebrities who sue a corrupt publisher who then bribes their lawyer doesn't seem like much, but in Kurosawa's hands, it becomes a hymn to an honesty and integrity that the Japanese shouldn't lose sight of. Also, the film looked great with one great composition after another. And, it solved the problem Kurosawa tried to solve in an earlier film, of getting the audience to respond and interact with the film, with a kind of sing-along sequence in a bar. Also caught A Fistful of Dynamite at the end of July. Absolutely great although slowly-paced. Like Lawrence of Arabia and other films with a first half up second half down structure, this goes from light fun to one of the most broodingly dark visions of political action I've seen. That shot of Coburn in the rain watching the traitor in the truck is just perfect. Actually the whole sequence is amazing. It's a very cold downbeat view of humanity where personally one loses everything even if politically one is winning. The great score by Morricone, one of my all time favorites, seems a bit out of place, as if it were trying to lighten things up or be nostalgic. I'm not sure what EM had in mind when he came up with it for use in this film.
posted 08-03-2002 09:40 PM PT (US)

Lou Goldberg Standard Userer	Caught The Last Valley. Very interesting film. Maltin only gives it 2 stars but I felt it was better than that. It's not so much a war film as it is a chess game between a number of people of power. And at that level, it's a rare glimpse into how real management and politics works.
posted 08-05-2002 01:09 AM PT (US)

joan hue Standard Userer	Lou, I too was watching A Fisttul of Dynamite the other day. I've always liked the score, but I agree that it doesn't really seem to fit the visuals "like a glove." To me some themes seemed too light-hearted for the tragedy and death on screen. I've heard Morricone often composes music before he sees the film. (Just based on the script.)I don't think a few of his themes fit well, but it is still an enjoyable stand alone cd. I also watched the last half of The Last Valley on cable. I thought the movie was very poor, but the lovely theme from Barry hooked me into watching it. [Message edited by joan hue on 08-05-2002]
posted 08-05-2002 12:46 PM PT (US)

Lou Goldberg Standard Userer	Joan--You're not alone in your opinion about The Last Valley, but I was impressed by it. I loved the whole valley "set" and all the interactions between the soldiers and the village leader and the priest and between the Captain and Vogel, how everyone seems to use logic and second-guess the other people's moves to create an equilibrium that can shift depending on events. I thought it was a microcosm of how societies and governments functioned that showed great depth and insight. But, not every plan on paper works as art. And what seems interesting in the plan can fail in the practice. So the things I like about the film could be the things which make it dull and pointless to another. We're both agreed it has a great score though. Caught Man of the West with Gary Cooper. TCM showed it letterboxed (the official vhs is pan and scan) and I recorded it. The situation is enough to keep you interested--will they escape alive? But ultimately, like many westerns, this comes down to exterminating bad guys, no great shakes. Just the same, the style, the look, the compositions, the way people and sets are situated in the frame--I could have watched this film go on for hours for one great shot after another. They could have had no story, no dialogue, and just moved around the screen the whole time and I still would have loved it. The film isn't deliberately out to be style over substance, it isn't arty in any way really, but the way of it does overshadow the what of it. Rather than that being a bad thing though, that's where the film's true aesthetic pleasure lies.
posted 08-05-2002 08:50 PM PT (US)

Kevin Standard Userer	Watched "LOTR: Fellowship..." 3 times since I got it yesterday. That's more times than i've seen "Phantom Menace" and "AOTC" together (2,0).
posted 08-07-2002 11:42 PM PT (US)

Timmer Standard Userer	Lou, I've always felt that The Last Valley was an underated film, I believe Michael Caine too, was disappointed that it didn't do better, he seems to have a real soft spot for this film. How many producers nowadays would be willing to put up money for a story set in 17th century Europe during the 30 years war? Mom, if you don't have it you really should try to pick up Silva's re-recording of the score, it is excellent! Failing that give me an e-mail, I'd be more than willing to burn you a copy! (and even MORE willing to burn the original which itself is a boot anyway!)
posted 08-08-2002 06:42 PM PT (US)

joan hue Standard Userer	You're a sweetie, Timmer. I do need to order that score via Silva and will get on it.
posted 08-08-2002 07:56 PM PT (US)

Kevin Standard Userer	The extras on disc 2 of the Wrath of Kahn: Special Edition.
posted 08-09-2002 08:56 PM PT (US)

Lou Goldberg Standard Userer	Saw Frankenheimer's Grand Prix. What a bloated mess but not without its merits. It tries to be this big epic about racing but it's just a muddled soap opera. Some of those scenes do work and a lot of the Saul Bass stuff works too (except that crazy superimposition of Eva Marie Saint's face over the racing), but they really couldn't integrate the racing, the love stories, and the philosophy. Plus, it's a downer take on racing which is a surprise considering how much talent went into the racing scenes. Jarre's score is wonderful though which helped.
posted 08-15-2002 04:01 AM PT (US)

joan hue Standard Userer	Blood Work: directed by and staring Clint Eastwood. I think the novel was great, but Eastwood�s direction changed a fine novel into a dull movie. It is a rather slow movie, and he is miscast, especially when this 71 year old man romances a lady in her late 30�s. Please, Clint, find a leading lady near your own age. Jeff Daniels was the only character who acted naturally. I couldn�t believe how badly most of the actors delivered their lines. ..forced and awkward without any smooth, natural transitions. Save your money and rent it on video or DVD. K-19 Widowmaker staring Harrison Ford. True story of a Russian nuclear submarine whose nuclear core ruptures while out to sea. I thought the first half was rather slow, but the second half was mesmerizing. The second half was fast paced and heartfelt in its rendering of human suffering and the agony of carrying the burden of leadership.
posted 08-15-2002 01:21 PM PT (US)

justin boggan Standard Userer	Men In Black 2- It was good. I thought it would be bad just because it is a sequel, but i was wrong. It was funny very funny in some places. Ther were 2 or 3 scenes i thought were a step back and didn't work and the ending left me feeling empty. I read that the original ending had to be rewritten cause it took place on top of the one of the 2 Towers. Maybe they even filmed some, who knows. The ending could have been better. Bad part- the mvoie as a hole. It felt more lie an episode than a movie. Worth your money? Yeah, but just one time. And Danny Elfman's score was beeter than the first. Except the Main title. I left early, so i have no idea if there was score for the end credits. Austin Powers 3: Goldmember- Halarious! Way better than the second. A person on tv put it best when describing 2, "There is really only 30 minutes of good solid laughs. Ones that really make you laugh. Then the rest is bad. It mimics the first movie poorly." Or something to that effect. The new villam Goldmember was good. Problems: the movie wasn' the same as the first 2 as in that the first 2 were like reality, as in, they had there own sence of reality and made it ssem like they were in their own world. But the 3rd trailed off there. Especially the beginning of the movie. It just kept lingerring and lingerring. Even poor Speilberg was caught in it. But then again, he got caight up in A.I. The only highlight was seeing Quincy Jones on the piano. If it weren't for him we wouldn't have that opening theme. I wonder if Clinton ever recorded a version of his own that was rejected. The movie has some interesting turns, which i will not say so i don't spoil it for others. Dr. Evil son has some good development, leaving it open for a 4th movie. "Test preparations A-G have failed. But this one was successful- i shall call it- (Music builds up) Preparation H!..... What?" SIGNS- It wasn't as good as Unbreakable. Though it had it moments. It is worth your money. And how nicly the things tie up at the end. Though some of the plot left me feeling empty. And that little girl stole the show from Mel Gibson. I could write a movie that would score people.
posted 08-16-2002 02:17 AM PT (US)

joan hue Standard Userer	Do you all suppose that Graham is still standing naked on one leg on an island? We haven't heard from him in a while. Hope he took the sun block.
posted 08-17-2002 10:38 PM PT (US)

Lou Goldberg Standard Userer	Just as an entire festival of Jacques Becker films is set to kick off in Boston, I did my own Becker fest in the privacy of my own living room: TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI (1953) With Jean Gabin, Jeanne Moreau, and Lino Ventura. An aging gangster tries to protect his loot from a robbery against other gangsters who know he has it. But the plot doesn't matter, it's just an excuse. It's Gabin acting cool and in control that's the real joy of this film. The way he maneouvers his way through thugs and women, the lifestyle he leads (a new suit for every day, a fridge stocked with nothing but champagne), he is the aristocrat of crime. This wonderful film was copied by just about every French gangster movie to follow it and it's available on video--I highly recommend you pick up a copy and see it.
posted 08-18-2002 02:13 AM PT (US)

Timmer Standard Userer	quote: Originally posted by joan hue: Do you all suppose that Graham is still standing naked on one leg on an island? We haven't heard from him in a while. Hope he took the sun block. Scary thought Mom....and you HAD to remind me!
posted 08-18-2002 05:09 PM PT (US)

Lou Goldberg Standard Userer	Caught LES ORGUEILLEUX, THE MAN FROM LARAMIE, and CRY HAVOC. The first is a 1953 French film set in Mexico, good but heavy stuff involving a deadly epidemic, drunken guilt, and some very nasty locals. It was shot on-location and looks and sounds like a hell hole. LARAMIE (1955) is like a few other Anthony Mann westerns in that it deals with the idea of the bad seed. Stewart is the good brother trying to complete a mission. Nicol and Kennedy are bad brothers who compete and corrupt each other. The bad seed must be exterminated so that the better seed can mate. For some reason there is a widespread notion that this makes the next generation less evil but in real life it doesn't seem to work that way. But films go on promoting the idea because it makes for a good story. HAVOC is enjoyable even if it's insulting of women by today's standards. They're nurses aides on Bataan under seige by the Japanese but act like a bunch of sororiety pledges, picking at each other at first but becoming all bonded and buddies by the end. Still, Margaret Sullivan, Ann Southern, and Joan Blondell are powerhouses.
posted 08-21-2002 03:03 AM PT (US)

JJH Standard Userer	had the last two days off: [n]A Knight's Tale[/b] annoying rock music aside, this was actually a perfectly enjoyable movie. Very surprised by it, because I simply wrote it off after that laughable trailer a couple years ago. Burwell's score is fun, too, and much more steeped in the musical language of the times than I would have given him credit for. Film would have been much better without the rock music; that was just a bad experiment and keeps the film from being better; but at least it never takes itself too seriously. In the Bedroom Slow moving drama about an older couple dealing with tragic loss. Very well made and extremely well-acted, but these kinds of movies are not my cup of tea. Score is merely serviceable (there is no out-standing theme to latch onto), but it didn't really have much of a role anyway. Something Thomas Newman probably took to pay for his next few tanks of gas. My only problem with the movie is that it just sort of drops Marisa Tomei's character after awhile. Super Troopers horrible movie made by some comedy troupe calling themselves "Broken Lizard." a couple laughs in there.
posted 08-21-2002 05:28 AM PT (US)

Kevin Standard Userer	This week I've seen... Clockstoppers - 2.5/5 - As long as you don't think too much about the plot, it's a nice joy ride for a while. And Paula Garces isn't hard on the eyes either. Showtime - 1.5/5 - Boring. Nothing else to be said, except maybe that it was a waste of 3 good actors (Murphy, Russo, Deniro). Behind Enemy Lines - 3/5 - A nice premise, but kinda weak and formulaic in spots. Some good effects, but I took issue with camerawork. Too many jump cuts, freezes, and loud music. Animal House - 4/5 - What can I say? Toga! Toga!
posted 08-23-2002 02:32 PM PT (US)

Old Infopop Software by UBB