Seen Any Good Movies...? - Page 199

JoeP · #**4951** 05-24-2021, 10:57 PM

Scream for Me Sarajevo (2017)

Bruce Dickinson plays a concert in Sarajevo shortly after the war, with his post-Iron-Maiden band, and a couple of local acts. Should be a cool rockumentary, I thought.

I was wrong. This is not about the music. And it's not after the war it's during the 4-year siege of Sarajevo. A British UN Major gets the idea that a rock concert would be good for morale and persuades Dickinson to be flown in, without, it seems, fully explaining the situation.

A lot of the film is locals (subtitled) talking about the conditions and about the rumours of a concert - obviously they couldn't advertise it very widely - "you mean Dickinson? Bruce Dickinson?" And about the challenges of getting them in and out safely (or not quite, as they later reveal). And about the very real positive effect on morale that it did have.

I found it extremely well put together and shot. It kind of lives up to its banner "a story of hope in a time of war". 3 awards at the Sarajevo Film Festival. Best Feature Documentary award at the Chicago International Movies & Music Festival.

A lot of the background can be understood from a series of articles Chris Dale, the bassist, wrote, in about 2012: Scream For Me Sarajevo | MetalTalk

JoeP · #**4952** 06-13-2021, 11:00 PM

The Dig (2021) - it's on Netflix - is just gorgeous.

Carey Mulligan is Edith Pretty, landowner of Sutton Hoo who is convinced the mounds on the estate are worth excavating. She hires experienced excavator ("not archaeologist") Basil Brown, played by Ralph Fiennes, to undertake the work, and when he finds evidence that it's not just another Viking site but earlier Anglo-Saxon material, other groups try to take over. Once they find an buried ship and treasure it turns into a battle between the Museum of Ipswich and the British Museum. (Spoiler alert: the British Museum wins.) Lily James is Peggy Piggott, who discovers the treasure and proof of the its age. The characters are wonderful, right down to Archie Barnes as Edith's son Robert.

The whole thing is beautifully told and shot. But death and impending doom pervades it all: obviously it's a burial ship and the treasure grave goods; Edith's husband Frank and Robert's father die some years before; Edith herself suffers worsening health during the film; Basil nearly dies in a collapse of the excavations early in the film; an unnamed airman crashes and drowns in the river; and World War II is a distant threat at the beginning and fully declared by the end. The excavation site is being secured and covered up at the end of the film.

Moar: Digging the dirt: The true story behind The Dig | National Trust

Kamilah Hauptmann · #**4953** 06-14-2021, 04:16 AM

Did the British Museum have to send anything back to Greece to make room?

erimir · #**4954** 06-20-2021, 06:08 AM

Pixar's Luca was super cute. Great animation and visuals, funny, sweet.

Now, Pixar and the director say them fishboys weren't gay, and being a fishboy isn't a metaphor for being gay, per se, but... I dunno, it seems pretty gay. All of the gays on Twitter agree, and many of the critics see the same thing. The NYT referred to it as "Calamari By Your Name".

It won't make you cry as much as Coco, but just as cute, and I liked it the best of their movies since Coco (nb: I haven't see Toy Story 4).

ChuckF · #**4955** 06-20-2021, 11:04 PM

Just watched the trailer. The premise is perplexing but, yeah, those boys like fishsticks.

SharonDee · #**4956** 06-23-2021, 04:52 PM

I recently watched Driveways on Hoopla, courtesy of my county's library system.
It's mostly a day-in-the-life type story and I enjoyed it. It was Brian Dennehy's last film role and IMO, a great farewell to his career.

LarsMac · #**4957** 06-23-2021, 10:08 PM

We found a film on Netfix called Silver Skates.

It is Russian, set in St Petersburg, at the end of 1899.
The filmography was fantastically beautiful. The story is both unique and predictable.
A fantasy of the poor guy and the rich Maiden, with the evil but well-meaning noble officer, and complicated by revolutionary Pickpockets.

JoeP · #**4958** 07-18-2021, 02:55 PM

specious_reasons · #**4959** 07-19-2021, 11:03 PM

I have been obsessing over Phantom of the Paradise recently. This movie has fascinated me since I saw it as a kid. I recently bought the soundtrack and Blu-ray. No one else in the house is at all interested, so I watched it on my own and have listened to the soundtrack three times. I love this film.

lisarea · #**4960** 07-19-2021, 11:53 PM

Oh, man, I barely remember it now, but I might go watch it again. It looks like it's on Internet Archive.

Sock Puppet · #**4961** 07-20-2021, 12:26 AM

I just watched the trailer on imdb, so now I must watch this. They had me at Paul Williams, but there’s so much more… :weirdtv:

vremya · #**4962** 07-20-2021, 12:41 AM

I always confuse Kiss Meets the Phantom and Phantom of the Paradise

specious_reasons · #**4963** 07-20-2021, 01:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vremya

I always confuse Kiss Meets the Phantom and Phantom of the Paradise

Similar premise - a "phantom" haunting someplace, and similar levels of camp, but Phantom of the Paradise is an actual good movie and not a cheap cash grab.

"Kiss Meets the Phantom" also takes up too much rent in my head, being another movie I saw in parts on TV and made an impression on me.

However, "Kiss" doesn't have Jessica Harper and her funky 70s dancing, and a whole song where the band "dismembers" people in the audience to make their new lead singer - Beef!

specious_reasons · #**4964** 09-20-2021, 07:40 AM

I got the 4K discs of Lord of the Rings, and watched the extended cut of "The Fellowship of the Rings" over the last 2 nights.

Man, that's a good movie. Basically, every choice they made to differ from the book improves both the movie and the story. I'm not a huge fan of "reluctant king" Aragorn. I think he should be the stalwart hero who never waivers, but I'll admit it's a more interesting character than in the book.

The 4K looks and sounds good, but I'm not a very picky person when it comes to video fidelity. It's better than the DVD.

fragment · #**4965** 09-20-2021, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by specious_reasons

Basically, every choice they made to differ from the book improves both the movie and the story.

JoeP · #**4966** 10-14-2021, 10:20 PM

JoeP · #**4967** 10-29-2021, 11:08 PM

The spice really tied the universe together.

Crumb · #**4968** 10-30-2021, 10:18 PM

The white Russians must flow!

JoeP · #**4969** 11-05-2021, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeP

specious_reasons · #**4970** 12-29-2021, 06:53 PM

Holiday movie viewing (good edition):
The Nightmare Before Christmas

All time favorite. Still holds up.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

Michael Caine made the right decision to play Scrooge seriously and let the Muppets make the humor. There are some weird choices, like making new muppets for the ghosts, or picking different story elements than the other movies. For example, we never meet Ebenezer's sister, nor do we see Ignorance and Want under the giant's cloak. Most of the songs are second rate, and the movie might actually be better not as a musical. Stiil, it's a pretty good adaptation of "A Christmas Carol."

Home Alone

I haven't seen this a long time - I'm not even sure I saw it when the kids were little. I remember seeing it with the jaundiced eye of a young adult. It's much better than I remember. I forgot how fun this movie is. Yes, it's not at all realistic, but if you allow it to be cartoonish, it's a rewarding experience.

LarsMac · #**4971** 12-29-2021, 07:44 PM

I watched a flic called The King a couple of days ago.
It's twist on the story of Henry V
Timothée Chalamet plays Henry.

It's a take on the machinations of the court of a 15th Century European Monarch.
The Lord Falstaff character added an interesting twist.

vremya · #**4972** 12-30-2021, 12:12 AM

Don't Look Up - I liked it a lot. It's a comedy but it gets super dark at times. (And Timothée Chalamet is in everything these days.)

Limoncello · #**4973** 12-30-2021, 04:34 PM

Yes, I laughed so hard at Don't Look Up - so over the top and quirky.

viscousmemories · #**4974** 12-31-2021, 01:30 AM

I'm a paying subscriber to David Sirota's Daily Poster newsletter and he co-wrote Don't Look Up, so I'm kind of responsible for it being made. I liked it but I thought the funniest parts were in the trailer and I hate that!

I also subscribe to Current Affairs magazine and appreciated this critique of the criticism of Don't Look Up.

specious_reasons · #**4975** 12-31-2021, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by viscousmemories

I'm a paying subscriber to David Sirota's Daily Poster newsletter and he co-wrote Don't Look Up, so I'm kind of responsible for it being made. I liked it but I thought the funniest parts were in the trailer and I hate that!

I also subscribe to Current Affairs magazine and appreciated this critique of the criticism of Don't Look Up.

Apparently, Sirota has been encouraging his followers to bother critics who didn't like the movie, and his followers have been obliging. Many of these same critics are more politically aligned to Sirota than not. It's kind of a dick move, and lessened my interest in the film.