What was the last movie you saw?

[Hilarious Joke]

Argh! Theremin! They sound so bad!

Last film I saw was the Simpsons movie, which was disappointing. Much like the new episodes, there were some hilarious moments/lines, but the plot was dumb and the characters' have lost consistency and that innocent feel which I used to love.

[littlemissattitude]

Originally Posted by gully_foyle

Quatermass and the Pit

Ah, yes. One of my favorites. Of course I first met it as Five Million Years to Earth, actually as the second feature the first time I saw the original Planet of the Apes, when I was about 12 years old. Ah, the memories.

And, Hilarious Joke...theremins may sound cheesy sometimes, but I got the opportunity to play with one once (in a hands-on science exhibit at a museum in San Diego...oddly enough at about the same age as when I first saw Five Million Years to Earth), and it was a real kick to experiment with.

And, as far as last film seen...probably Saved the other night on cable. Funny, funny movie which deals with misfits in a Christian high school. Has Macauly Culkin in it, and Patrick Fugit, who was in Almost Famous, which is also a good movie. I didn't really think I would like it, but had heard good reviews...and I've watched it three or four times since I first discovered it a year or so ago.

[ravenus]

Saw this pretty enjoyable if not always consistent Werewolf film called Ginger Snaps. My detailed review here

[j. d. worthington]

Originally Posted by littlemissattitude

And, Hilarious Joke...theremins may sound cheesy sometimes, but I got the opportunity to play with one once (in a hands-on science exhibit at a museum in San Diego...oddly enough at about the same age as when I first saw Five Million Years to Earth), and it was a real kick to experiment with.

On the theremin... yes, they're often very badly used, and end up sounding ridiculous. There's even a certain touch of that with the main theme to The Day the Earth Stood Still, though the "otherworldly" sound of the theremin, coupled with such simple touches as the piano, work quite well even in the theme. As for the other uses of it in the film, such as when Helen Benson (Patricia Neal) is taken inside the ship by Gort -- those are absolutely perfect, as they are muted and produce a feeling of unease and uncertainty absolutely suited to the scene... no other instrument would have done nearly so well. Hermann was a master when it came to choosing the right instrument to attain particular emotional effects, and this even applies to his use here of the theremin (just as it does to his use of the serpent in Journey to the Center of the Earth, or the wood blocks in The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad).

As for Quatermass and the Pit... are you referring to the original television broadcast, or the Hammer Film? I've seen both and, while the Hammer production is a wonderful little film, I must admit to a preference for the original television production, as it had more room to breathe, and to create a truly eerie atmosphere....

[Hilarious Joke]

I must admit that my lasting memory of the theremin is one of someone playing a popular song on it, which was truly awful. For ambient music I imagine there's a chance it might possibly work okay...

[TK-421]

Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix: Best movie of the series so far despite the fact they left out quite a bit from the book (but I guess you can't put everything in or else it would be way too long). It moved very fast. I saw the Imax version with awesome sound, a 8-storey tall screen, digital projection and 20 minutes including the Hall of Prophecies and fight with the Deatheaters and Voldemort in 3-D. Really cool.

[j. d. worthington]

Originally Posted by Hilarious Joke

I must admit that my lasting memory of the theremin is one of someone playing a popular song on it, which was truly awful. For ambient music I imagine there's a chance it might possibly work okay...

Ouch! Yes, that would explain it. I can think of darned few popular songs that could be adapted to the theremin without sounding like a chorus of the damned with a really, really bad tummyache.....

[TK-421]

The Black Dahlia: Somewhat disappointing. It's based on fictional events and characters that hover around the true, famous yet-unsolved murder of the Black Dahlia in Hollywood in 1947. Too much cramed in the plot despite names like Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johanssen, Hillary Swank and Aaron Eckhart. The murder itself seems like more of a sideshow.

[Locksmith]

I remember being quite disappointed with The Black Dahlia too, TK. I just felt no real connection with the characters. I can still picture some of the scenes, so I guess it was quite visually impressive, but I don't recall feeling terribly involved with the story.

[littlemissattitude]

Originally Posted by j. d. worthington

As for Quatermass and the Pit... are you referring to the original television broadcast, or the Hammer Film? I've seen both and, while the Hammer production is a wonderful little film, I must admit to a preference for the original television production, as it had more room to breathe, and to create a truly eerie atmosphere....

It was the Hammer film. I haven't had the chance to see the television version. Perhaps someday...I'd like to have the opportunity to compare the two.

[Rosemary]

I watched Frances the other night. Frances was a real person, an actress with what most people thought was a mental problem. The mental health system was absolutely barbaric back then. Really, I'm the last person who should be watching something like that!

[Quokka]

12 Angry Men I watched this again last night as my wife had never seen it. Great movie, I guess one of the last black and white ones before everything became colour. In some ways it's aged more than Bridge on the River Kwai (which was released the same year) but the issues raised remain every bit as relevant and a good script is a good script, plus what a cast!

I wonder if it was a play first? Not just because of the use of the one setting but alot of the direction seemed like it was for a live stage. Either way I'd enjoy watching a live version of this.... if done properly .

[HardScienceFan]

of course it was a play first Quok!!!

[j. d. worthington]

Originally Posted by Quokka

12 Angry Men I watched this again last night as my wife had never seen it. Great movie, I guess one of the last black and white ones before everything became colour. In some ways it's aged more than Bridge on the River Kwai (which was released the same year) but the issues raised remain every bit as relevant and a good script is a good script, plus what a cast!

I wonder if it was a play first? Not just because of the use of the one setting but alot of the direction seemed like it was for a live stage. Either way I'd enjoy watching a live version of this.... if done properly .

Yes, it was originally a stage play (as was Inherit the Wind, made into a film in 1960) and has been staged many times since. And yes, it is a great film... superb cast, wonderful performances, and excellent direction.

Incidentally, many films continued to be made in black and white long after this point (1957). Judgment at Nurembeg, for instance, was 1961; To Kill a Mockingbird, 1962; The Elephant Man in 1980; and so on. (And let's not forget the granddaddy of all slasher films, Psycho, 1960.) It largely depended on what the director thought worked best for the film, as low-cost color stock made that available even to the really small independent filmmakers since at least the 1960s.

Here's a partial list of black-and-white films for the past 4 decades:

List of recent films in black-and-white - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[HoopyFrood]

Watched a couple of films this week, seems I've been a-rambling with friends. Watched Hot Fuzz again last Saturday, such an awesome film.
Then when we reached my friend's house, she'd been promising that we could watch Evil Dead (woop!) because she'd bought it. Turns out she'd actually bought Night of the Living Dead (which is still a cool film, of course!). Her reasoning for this? "Well, they're zombies and they're evil so I thought it was the Evil Dead film!" Zombie newbs...there's no helping them!