Last Movie You Watched

[bluebell]

Godzilla: In terms of dramatic action spectacle, it's great. But there's almost no real character or personality or levity, and that hurts it overall for me. The big guy is awesome, though.

Without saying too much, I would say that Brian Cranston was under-utilized. And *all* of the characters, top to bottom, were very nondescript and utilitarian. And inasmuch as you want cool action stuff and giant monsters, then that's fine, I suppose. I liked it, no doubt, and some parts are amazing, but I got a sense of how much better it might have been with some more colorful writing and characters. When I think of summer blockbusters like Jurassic Park and the Avengers, sure they had great action scenes, but the writing was also very sharp. Here there's *nothing* at all memorable about the script or characters. Nothing. Well, inasmuch as Godzilla is the titular character, sure, he's cool. But he has very little screen time and only one word of dialogue ("Blaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!").

 

This is one of my biggest pet peeves about a lot of the movies right now.  

 

Spend 80 billion on CG special effects and 12 dollars on the script.  How many huge movies need to tank before the movie execs figure it out??  

[Grudunza]

Well, I don't think this will tank. It succeeds in a basic way of providing giant monster thrills. It's just disappointing for me to feel like with just a little bit of better character development and sharper writing, it could have really been something amazing.

I am also tired of all the superhero movies, though grateful to have them as compared to how few there were when I was growing up, and they're pretty solid for the most part. Take any of the Marvel movies and compare to Godzilla and they're just so much better written in terms of character and dialogue... and they also have the cool action movie stuff.

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

  The last remake was so horrible that when i heard they were doing it again, i had no hope for it.

I was waiting for song and dance to break out at any moment.

 

But this new one does look promising. I also want to see the new X men movie. The last one was really good.

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

This is one of my biggest pet peeves about a lot of the movies right now.  

 

Spend 80 billion on CG special effects and 12 dollars on the script.  How many huge movies need to tank before the movie execs figure it out??  

The problem BB is that a lot of these movies actually make money. If people would not go to them I think they would change. But why change the wheel when it still gets you to were you need to go even though it is not the best wheel? I go to about 5-6 movies a year because most movies these days are a joke and a waste of time.

[Ron Beron]

I saw the original Godzilla when I was 5 and for weeks I kept look for a giant monster to appear out of my window.  The original movie is available without the US additions and is very good with a strong post-war message of anti nukes.  The American distributor ruined it with American actors.

[Garden Girl]

Tonight the original "The Haunting" will be on... starring Julie Harris, Claire Bloom... this one sent chills through me...

The remake starring Liam Neeson (one of my favorite actors) was disappointing in its ho-humness... I never had the intense nervousness or suspense in the remake that I had in the original.  I'm looking forward to watching it...  

 

GG

[Ron Beron]

Tonight the original "The Haunting" will be on... starring Julie Harris, Claire Bloom... this one sent chills through me...

The remake starring Liam Neeson (one of my favorite actors) was disappointing in its ho-humness... I never had the intense nervousness or suspense in the remake that I had in the original.  I'm looking forward to watching it...  

 

GG

How funny... we really are cousins!  I was just thinking of The Haunting as being among the scariest films in the world.  Add to this...

The Others

Psycho

The Birds

The Shining

Blair Witch

Carrie (old one)

Silence of the Lambs

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (old one)

Alien or Aliens

Godzilla (first one)

[Garden Girl]

How funny... we really are cousins!  I was just thinking of The Haunting as being among the scariest films in the world.  Add to this...

 

Hello Ron...

I checked the listing and today at 5:00 PM PDT, The Haunting will be shown on Turner Classic Movies channel... for those of you who like a scary movie... this will do it...

 

I don't know if I told you, Ron, but there is a plan to erect a statue of Resanov and Concepcion on the Presidio grounds near where the Arguello adobe is... my nephew (an artist) entered the competition calling for designs... haven't heard yet how he fared, or when the work will be done.  I'll be interested to see the results.  I don't think his design was chosen or he would have told me.

BTW... I like knowing that we are cousins... and share such a rich heritage of early California. 

 

from the beach on a beautiful afternoon here on the Oregon coast... GG

[Ron Beron]

Hello Ron...

I checked the listing and today at 5:00 PM PDT, The Haunting will be shown on Turner Classic Movies channel... for those of you who like a scary movie... this will do it...

 

I don't know if I told you, Ron, but there is a plan to erect a statue of Resanov and Concepcion on the Presidio grounds near where the Arguello adobe is... my nephew (an artist) entered the competition calling for designs... haven't heard yet how he fared, or when the work will be done.  I'll be interested to see the results.  I don't think his design was chosen or he would have told me.

BTW... I like knowing that we are cousins... and share such a rich heritage of early California. 

 

from the beach on a beautiful afternoon here on the Oregon coast... GG

Great news about Concepcion.  I found out from some Russians that the story is incredible popular in that country with movies and plays written about them.  I always thought she was rather youngish teenage girl bored with colonial Spain and he a dashing distraction.  In any case an interesting story.

Re: The Haunting...I have always enjoyed Julie Harris esp., her role in East of Eden.

Ya'know someday we will have compare genealogies.

[Garden Girl]

Great news about Concepcion.  I found out from some Russians that the story is incredible popular in that country with movies and plays written about them.  I always thought she was rather youngish teenage girl bored with colonial Spain and he a dashing distraction.  In any case an interesting story.

Re: The Haunting...I have always enjoyed Julie Harris esp., her role in East of Eden.

Ya'know someday we will have compare genealogies.

 

I think it started out much this way... and I think Resanov was drawn not only by Concepcion's beauty (she was after all considered to be the most beautiful senorita in Nuevo Calif) but the family's influence and saw an opportunity to develop a political relationship between Calif and Russia... as Resanov enjoyed the Arguello's hospitality at the Presidio while waiting for Jose Dario to return from Monterey, where he was also Commandant of the Presidio there, Resanov would talk of his life in Russia, and Concha dreamed of the glamor and excitement of St. Petersberg and a life at court vs the Calif frontier... but soon they both genuinely fell in love and it became a true love story... that is why she waited all those years for him to return, turning aside all suitors from the region's finest families... and when she finally learned of his death she became a nun and spent the rest of her days serving the people, particularly the indigenous... she was beloved for her care and concern and was called by the people  "the Little Angel." 

We both have our genealogies rooted in Jose Dario... my direct line is from his son Santiago... and I'm assuming yours is from one of Jose Dario's other sons...  My grandmother was Rosalima (Rose) Claire del Pilar Arguello... daughter of Jose Maria Arguello, who was son of Jose Francisco, son of Santiago, son of Jose Dario Arguello.  Grandma shocked the family by marrying an Englishman... they had nine children, my mom being one...

 

GG

[juliann]

I watched Heaven is Real or whatever it's called because a group of ladies from the ward wanted to go. I made it halfway through the book and couldn't go a page further so I went out of obligation. It was ridiculous...even with the cutest kid in the world.  Imagine Hollywood trying to make a straight up movie about religion...it would make sure the church goers didn't want to hear about heaven, never used scripture unless they were picking up the Bible as a prop, and a minister that had a faith crisis because...gasp, was there really a heaven? They stripped all religion out of it and turned a kid talking about Jesus (never Christ) into an existential crisis.  After he accepts there could be a heaven, he writes down the meaningful phrase "God is love" and triumphantly informs his congregation..who run to him for a big group hug.

 

Everyone else liked it.  

[thesometimesaint]

Watched the new Superman last night.  Great CGI, better character development. Far darker than either the George Reeves or Christopher Reeve's versions.

[altersteve]

I disagree on the character development. There was hardly any of it in any of the supporting characters, and very little in Superman either.

[thesometimesaint]

I disagree on the character development. There was hardly any of it in any of the supporting characters, and very little in Superman either.

 

The originals never dealt with the internal conflicts that nearly all men go through growing up.

[altersteve]

Internal conflict doesn't necessarily mean character development. Superman doesn't really develop a whole lot throughout the movie. It's a good film, but I found the character development to be lacking a little. And I agree that the original films don't have much of it either.

 

Speaking of Superman, I just watched Superman Returns from 2006. Unlike most, I like this movie.

Edited May 19, 2014 by altersteve

[followerofemmanuel]

I just watched Heaven is for Real.  I am not sure what to think of it really but it has got me thinking  

 

https://movies.yahoo.com/video/heaven-real-trailer-232136678.html

[seriously honestly]

Garden Girl--

 

It was cute!  I really like it; found it humorous, and the songs were catchy.  However, as my sister put it, it is one of those movies that could have been over in 5 minutes.  There's a scene that sets up the rest of the story, and after the dialogue you're just like "hey wait a second! Why didn't x,y,z? That would have fixed everything...."  But if you forgive that moment, then it's a really cute movie.

[thesometimesaint]

Internal conflict doesn't necessarily mean character development. Superman doesn't really develop a whole lot throughout the movie. It's a good film, but I found the character development to be lacking a little. And I agree that the original films don't have much of it either.

 

Speaking of Superman, I just watched Superman Returns from 2006. Unlike most, I like this movie.

Agreed.

 

That was one I missed.

[Guest]

Cinderella Man

[Garden Girl]

This morning as I turned on the TV,  I was browsing the directory and there was one of my favorite movies... "Good Morning, Miss Dove" starring Jennifer Jones, Robert Stack, Chuck Connors... Miss Dove is the geography teacher for an elementary school ("The terrible Miss Dove") and has taught several generations... when she was a young woman looking forward to a marriage and family, upon the sudden death of her father she found out he had embezzled money from his company.  So she pled with the company not to let there be a scandal and that she would pay back every dime he had stolen.  So instead of proceeding with her own life plans, she dedicated herself to teaching and paying back the money.  She was very prim, proper, strict. and no nonsense.  She guided her students through many years, watching them grow and finally go out on their own. 

Finally she becomes ill and is hospitalized, needing a very delicate surgery... as she awaits surgery she reflects on her life and her students... with the story doing flashbacks... the whole town holds its collective breath waiting to see if Miss Dove will recover... each with their own memories of her.  It is a touching not overly sentimental mushy story.  What a story!  One of my favorites...

 

from the beach on a lovely spring morning... sun is shining, slight breeze....it will be 65-70 today...

 

GG-

[altersteve]

The sequel to Man of Steel is officially titled Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

 

http://screenrant.com/batman-vs-superman-dawn-justice-title/

 

I didn't like it at first, but I think it flows off the tongue well. Man of Steel was a bit of a letdown, but I'm really hoping this movie doesn't disappoint me too. Seeing Superman and Batman on screen together for the first time in a live-action movie will be a historic moment.

[DarkScythe]

Godzilla i did see

[Garden Girl]

Godzilla i did see

 

What did you think of it?  Worth the price of a ticket?  I realize some people will like it... others won't.  But generally, was it well made and with a logical story?

 

GG

[DarkScythe]

To GG, it is a good monster movie.  It is reasonable dark and it does treat Godzilla and the other monsters as forces of nature than just good or evil. The Monsters can't be truly described as animals because they come across as smart and yes they have the size and strength to a credible threat to all contenders. Godzilla's overall design is a call back to the original Godzilla movies. 

[Guest]

Lone Survivor...cried like a girl.