Recently watched movies

[Beowulf]

Saw a reference to this on casebook, another column entirely and looked it up, not knowing how accurate it is, but very well done:

Princes in the Tower

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFv_kcJyhNE

[Magpie]

Almost ashamed to admit that I just finished watching "Screwballs"--a corny sex comedy from the 'eighties. It was surprising enjoyable (I almost said "good", but who would I be kidding). It's got that Porky's vibe going, without the racist undertones.

To pile infamy upon infamy, I'm about to start watching the sequel "Loose Screws" right now. Fortunately for the last vestiges of my reputation, the second sequel "Screwball Hotel", isn't available on video--yet.


It's surprising just how many of these cheesy teen comedies were Canadian--I guess that was because of all the sweet tax-breaks they used to get back in the eighties for producing movies--however bad they might be.

[Magpie]

Well, it's not horror but it's about James Whale, the director of Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. Just watched it for the second time, Of Gods and Monsters.

Ian McKellen is superb. A great actor. At the end I just broke down and cried.

Saw it many years ago. A beautiful movie

[Beowulf]

I find it is best to go by word of mouth on horror and sci fi films,there are exceptions but generally they always get a good kicking in the reviews,then years later they are lauded as 'classics'.
I read a good description of modern horror films recently,that they are populated by a cast of American teenagers with one character trait each.
We do care what happens to fully realised characters,something both Jaws and Zulu achieves,but then again its hard to find the calibre of actors like Robert Shaw,Roy Scheider, Stanley Baker and Nigel Green around these days.
All the best.

Well, it's not horror but it's about James Whale, the director of Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. Just watched it for the second time, Of Gods and Monsters.

Ian McKellen is superb. A great actor. At the end I just broke down and cried.

And I'm thrilled to say they are playing for one night Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein in the movies, and I am going!!!

[martin wilson]

I find it is best to go by word of mouth on horror and sci fi films,there are exceptions but generally they always get a good kicking in the reviews,then years later they are lauded as 'classics'.
I read a good description of modern horror films recently,that they are populated by a cast of American teenagers with one character trait each.
We do care what happens to fully realised characters,something both Jaws and Zulu achieves,but then again its hard to find the calibre of actors like Robert Shaw,Roy Scheider, Stanley Baker and Nigel Green around these days.
All the best.

[Magpie]

I saw "The Raven" last week.

Excellent movie, despite the brutal reviews.

[Magpie]

I watched Zulu last night.

I've probably seen Zulu more times than any other film, and I can still watch it again

[Robert]

There was a line near the end, "Smile you son of a bitch." However I believe the biggest great whites are female.

Yes, poor Shaw has a harrowing end.

[martin wilson]

I saw Jaws at the cinema on it's original release, there has been all this stuff about how fake the shark was, but it drew me in totally, the death of Quint seemed to go on forever and was extremely harrowing.
Then later on discovering the Indianopolis story was essentially true,well,just a brilliant film.
My dad loved Zulu,so I have seen it I don't know how many times, It was on again recently, and I watched it, again.
I liked Nigel Green, the very epitome of a British Seargent Major,and his line to Jack Hawkins "Be quiet now,there's a good gentleman,you are scaring the lads"
That line was used more or less verbatim by Sean Pertwee in the Horror movie Dog Soldiers,as a kind of homage I expect.
Zulu Dawn is by no means a bad film,but it mainly shows how good Zulu was.
Both Jaws and Zulu should be compulsory viewing for the modern crash bang wallop CGI obsessed audience, as an example of how films can create unbearable tension, even when there is nothing happening.
All the best.

[kensei]

And just to keep it on topic, there's a JTR reference in there, too

B.

"Well this was not a boat accident! It wasn't any propeller, it wasn't any coral reef... and it wasn't Jack the Ripper! It was a shark."

[Bailey]

Jaws on Blu-Ray last night. The quality of the image on the restoration is utterly amazing. As many times as I've seen the film, it's always seemed a little dull in its palette, but this is beautiful. The two feature length docos (one was on the previous DVD release) are also fabulous. A wonderful package for an amazing film.

And just to keep it on topic, there's a JTR reference in there, too

B.

As for Zulu... there's a DVD copy I picked up on the cheap that's been sitting on the unwatched movies shelf for close to two years. Maybe today should be the day.

[Wickerman]

Oh boy, ha! .... Zulu, was on again last night.

It's become a bit of an icon with me. I must have been a young teenager when it was first released and I spent my pocket money going to the local picture house to see it every night of the week, my father went bezerk!, spending all my pocket money to see the same film over and over again :-)

Every time it has come on TV I have watched it, as my wife will bear witness, for my entire life! I even have it on video, but, she knows her place when she sees it appear again in the TV guide.
She's in England now at her brother's funeral but she calls it a blessing that she was there, and not here, to sit through another performance.

A really majestic film.

Sorry for that insignificant point of trivia.
Regards, Jon S.

[Sally]

Werewolves Vs Strippers

Just watched this on dvd - a gangster movie with werewolves and strippers instead - great fun, and easily worth more than the 1 or 2 stars it routinely gets in review.

Or is that just me?

[Beowulf]

I've been unearthing some nice little gems on Youtube, were there is a thriving underground of full-length movies. Tonight I watched the 1971 Shaw Bros. classic "The Lady Hermit". A bit draggy in parts, but overall a fine example of the genre:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auSlufGkGtU

I will have to check that out. I've watched the Wolfman, repeatedly on Youtube. Lon Chaney, Claude Rains, Ralph Bellamy. Love that movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRmNOJ8gqnI

[Magpie]

I've been unearthing some nice little gems on Youtube, were there is a thriving underground of full-length movies. Tonight I watched the 1971 Shaw Bros. classic "The Lady Hermit". A bit draggy in parts, but overall a fine example of the genre:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auSlufGkGtU