Last Movie You Watched

[Calm]

I have a problem with movies when it is an American or Westerner has to save the day among of horde of highly trained warriors….

 

Like Avatar, suddenly it is the total stranger that is best at handling the native beasts and all that so he becomes the hero…yeah, tell them about the weaknesses of the enemy and let the ones who have a lifelong experience show their skills, much more believable and much less distasteful for me….

 

I don't know if the Last Samurai does that, I just assumed that it was one of those and ignored it.

 

the clip is a great action moment that is beautiful, but he is suddenly an expert and taking on four people who have had how much training in their lifetime while he's had a couple of months probably….that kind of stuff just annoys me.

Edited July 8, 2014 by calmoriah

[Garden Girl]

I have a problem with movies when it is an American or Westerner has to save the day among of horde of highly trained warriors….

 

Like Avatar, suddenly it is the total stranger that is best at handling the native beasts and all that so he becomes the hero…yeah, tell them about the weaknesses of the enemy and let the ones who have a lifelong experience show their skills, much more believable and much less distasteful for me….

 

I don't know if the Last Samurai does that, I just assumed that it was one of those and ignored it.

 

the clip is a great action moment that is beautiful, but he is suddenly an expert and taking on four people who have had how much training in their lifetime while he's had a couple of months probably….that kind of stuff just annoys me.

Good morning, Cal...

In the movie... Tom Cruise who is a soldier, is taken captive by the Samurai and taken back to their village.  There he is slowly and painfully taught the art of fighting, enduring many blows and knockdowns during the process, until finally he becomes a warrior in the Samurai tradition.  It changes his life...

 

GG

[Damien the Leper]

"We're the Millers"...amazing.

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

 

I don't know if the Last Samurai does that, I just assumed that it was one of those and ignored it.

This was a pretty good movie and not what you would expect.

[strappinglad]

I recall the mini-series " Shogun" . It gave a reasonably accurate picture of life in Japan at about the time when Europeans were just starting to be an influence there. It was the reason I bought my first VCR.

[Calm]

I liked that one, he was still always an alien and wasn't able to step in and save the day even though he was there for decades iirc...made a great pawn.

[Wants2know]

I broke down and saw the new Transformers movie. I was hesitant because of some of the reviews but I really enjoyed it. It helped to have a likeable cast. The nearly 3 hours went very quickly.

I saw that this past weekend as well.  I adore these movies!  Wasn't . Sure I would like wahlberg in it... but he was great!!!  The next one will be X-Men... I hope that one lives up to my expectations!!!  

[Guest]

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

How was it?

[thesometimesaint]

Watched "Frozen" last night, typical Disney. Suitable for people of all ages. My 6 year old Granddaughter enjoyed it.

[Tacenda]

Took my grandsons to the movie "Echo".  My grandson loved it.  It wasn't too bad.  The format was a little different, but very entertaining.

[seriously honestly]

Papa, it was really good! Kind of makes you want to take a spontaneous trip, or do something out of the ordinary.  There was one scene (during on of Mitty's daydreams) that had me laughing to tears, too.

[Guest]

Papa, it was really good! Kind of makes you want to take a spontaneous trip, or do something out of the ordinary.  There was one scene (during on of Mitty's daydreams) that had me laughing to tears, too.

Ben Stiller is very funny and a workaholic...his parents also. Jerry and Anne Stiller (she goes by maidan name, via stage name).

[Deborah]

Saw the new Planet of the Apes. Awesome effects. Good story about irrational hatred by one or two can destroy the peace of all. Very pertinent to what is going on today.

[Stargazer]

I have a problem with movies when it is an American or Westerner has to save the day among of horde of highly trained warriors….

 

Like Avatar, suddenly it is the total stranger that is best at handling the native beasts and all that so he becomes the hero…yeah, tell them about the weaknesses of the enemy and let the ones who have a lifelong experience show their skills, much more believable and much less distasteful for me….

 

I don't know if the Last Samurai does that, I just assumed that it was one of those and ignored it.

 

the clip is a great action moment that is beautiful, but he is suddenly an expert and taking on four people who have had how much training in their lifetime while he's had a couple of months probably….that kind of stuff just annoys me.

 

It's not as though he was some guy off the street who comes in and suddenly becomes an expert fighter.  In the movie, Cruise portrays a professional soldier who is highly skilled with all weapons, including the western cavalry saber.  When he is captured by the rebel samurai, wounded and disarmed of his western weapons, he manages to hold off several samurai warriors for a time while wielding only a spear with a flag attached to it.

 

 

Later, he learns by painful experience to bring his skills to a whole new level; sorry for the tired phraseology.  And Algren was with the samurai of Lord Katsumoto for the better part of a year, not just a few months, and he didn't have anything better to do than learn fighting skills.

 

He is not portrayed as superior in skills to those samurai who have been training all their lives, but to have reached a place where he is occasionally able to equal them.

 

The following scene is Algren fighting with Ujio, a master, with Kendo (wooden) swords, and shows how he is finally able to get a draw match, after he applies the advice of Lord Katsumoto's son, who counseled him to not overthink his moves.  Sorry, no English subtitles on this one, but you don't need them.  The byplay is some of the onlookers making bets about who will win and in how many strokes.

 

Edited July 17, 2014 by Stargazer

[Stargazer]

Watched "Enders Game" last night. Found the CGI fantastic, but overall it was rather dystopic. Worth the watch just for psychology manipulations it presents.

 

The aliens have come to our solar system once or twice and almost defeated the human race, and as a result the entire planet is geared towards war and defense.  And desparately seeking a way out of a likely defeat the NEXT time the aliens come.  How could it NOT be dystopic?  

[Guest]

Last "x- movie...love it.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Pa Pa

[thesometimesaint]

Watched "Gravity" last night. Special Efforts are fantastic, and I've always loved Sandra Bullock as a actor.

[Garden Girl]

I love Saturdays... start out by watching a BYU sports event on BYU-TV (today was Women's Soccer playing Pepperdine... our ladies won with  1 -  0)

Next, on Turner Classic Movies I'm in for a real treat... 3 super oldies but goodies... Just watched "The Winning Way"(?) with Ronald Reagan/Doris Day in a bio about Grover Cleveland Alexander of baseball fame.  Now is "The Nun's Story" starring Audry Hepburn... and after that will be "King Solomon's Mines" starring Deborah Kerr and Stewart Granger.

Now to make some popcorn and snuggle down...

 

Oh, the other day I rented "Non Stop" starring Liam Neeson... It was good, but not great...

 

GG

[Deborah]

King Solomon's Mine was always one of my favorites. And I love Stewart Granger. They made a mini-series of KSM with Patrick Swayze which I liked too.

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

Last "x- movie...love it.

X men? I went to it Friday. I really liked it. It totally negates the 3rd X-men, which was a debacle by my standards. Thought it was one of the better movies in recent years.

[3DOP]

King Solomon's Mine was always one of my favorites. And I love Stewart Granger. They made a mini-series of KSM with Patrick Swayze which I liked too.

 

I love Stewart Granger too!

 

We watched Rio Grande tonight. What more could you want, John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, the Sons of the Pioneers, Victor McLaglen as Sgt. Quincannon? So many stories in a story. The Colonel, a captain at the time in the Union Army, for sake of duty, orders the burning of his wife's family's plantation and they are separated for fifteen years. Brought together again in the American West when their only son is assigned to serve in His father's calvary regiment. O'Hara as Mrs. Col. Wayne and Mom is beautiful as ever, and unforgettingly bitter, come to take their boy back home. I just can't capsulize everything. There is too much. John Ford is so great. Favorite scenes are so many. What about Quincannon genuflecting in the Church before he gets away from the Indians with the little girl? One of dozens of subtle such touches. But my favorite is at the end when the regiment musicians play Dixie and Maureen is twirling her parasol, with her first really happy, full smile...finally...a portent of things to come, and family problems finally put right.

 

They just don't make 'em like that anymore. Manhood, and womanhood, and honor, and duty in America. And lasting love and devotion. I am a big sentimentalist and it makes me proud to be an American.

Edited July 30, 2014 by 3DOP

[ERayR]

Transcendence - Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall

 

It was good movie but a little slow in some places.

[Garden Girl]

Today on TV they showed "Million Dollar Baby" starring Clint Eastwood and Hillary Swank.  What a story... I forget if she won the Oscar for her performance...  

I love the way Morgan Freeman narrates a film... he was wonderful in this one, and also in Shawshank Redemption... and a couple of others.

Anyway, I'd forgotten just what a good movie MDB was/is...

 

GG

[VideoGameJunkie]

She won the Oscar, GG for best lead actress.

[Stargazer]

Has anyone seen Guardians of the Galaxy?  I haven't yet.  Michael Medved, amazingly enough, gave it three out of four stars.  He said it was an enjoyable and fun film.  I expected him to pan it, since he hates raccoons, and one of the characters is an anthropomorphic raccoon.