What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Susan Foreman]

Originally Posted by keirarts

Citizen Kane

Inevitably, when a film gets universally lauded for years as 'the greatest American film ever made', people will come out of the woodwork online to cry 'bulls***'. Partly because seventy five plus years later, many great films have been made. Hell, Vertigo has displaced it on many critics lists. Partly because of the online phenomenon of people being unable to watch the film and taking into account the era it was made in, the films that were being made at the time and its place as a historical artefact. Sure these days, with the advances in screen technology, the improved camera and new techniques developed in the 75+ years since its release, it can even look a little primitive. The rest can be put down to either personal tastes or the small number of movie hipsters who always seem to hate anything well regarded and are fond of the overused 'overrated' one word review.
The fact is, Kane is still a highly entertaining, well paced slice of cinema. It looks modern enough not to have dated too badly. Welles went to town on the picture with his DP Gregg Toland creating a picture that looks well ahead of its time. Herman J. Mankiewicz jigsaw puzzle script that looks at the life of Kane through the perspectives of people who knew him. Going back and forth in time rewards the viewer who pays attention to its details. I first saw this on TV as a kid and I've been a fan ever since. I'm glad to say it still holds up.

No car chases, no gun fights, no robots, no outer space sequences

A very over-rated film!

[keirarts]

The stranger.

A film not well regarded by Welles who directed it and stars in it. Nor seemingly well regarded by Welles scholars. The stranger was a case of the actor/director working as a gun for hire in order to raise funds. It was one of his most constrained films apparently and the end result is basically what the studio asked for.
However its not all that bad. Welles plays a small town guy with a dark secret. He is in fact Franz Kindler. An ex-nazi who ran one of Germany's most notorious concentration camps. His cover appears shattered one day when an old colleague appears in town warning him about a Nazi hunter, Not realising he's lad said Nazi hunter to town. Kindler kills his old friend and bury's him in the woods before the Nazi hunter, played by Edward G Robinson, can identify Kindler. What then follows is a mind game between Robinson's character and the increasingly edgy Kindler. Kindler's wife begins to work out something is going on and becomes a dangerous loose end for Kindler.
The film is a solidly constructed thriller with plenty of Noir elements and some great performances. Its not got the usual show boating from Welles and is somewhat restrained but not to the films overall detrement.

Lady from Shanghai

Another of Welles own pet projects, as usual slashed and altered by the studio against his wishes. Here Welles plays an Irish sailor who gets lured into a game of murder and deceit by a rich lawyers wife. The plot is rather outlandish and probably made more sense in the Welles cut. However its still a solid noir in spite of its troubles with a generally memorable finale in a fun house with a shootout in a hall of mirrors. Worth picking up the indicator blu ray if you get the chance.

[keirarts]

Originally Posted by Susan Foreman

No car chases, no gun fights, no robots, no outer space sequences

A very over-rated film!

Hopefully we'll get the directors cut with all those scenes reinstated

[Justin101]

I started my Clint Eastwood box set with film number one, Where Eagles Dare. A first time watch for me and it's great fun, if not around 30 minutes too long!

By the end of the film all I could think about is how that small backpack had a never ending supply of rigged up dynamite time-bombs I also loved how Burton and Eastwood were allegedly undercover as German military but no-one questioned either the plumy British accent of Burton or the broad American speech of Eastwood!

Kelly's Heroes up next!

[Susan Foreman]

Originally Posted by Justin101

I started my Clint Eastwood box set with film number one, Where Eagles Dare

Iron Maiden payed homage to it

[SilverSurfer]

Originally Posted by Justin101

Kelly's Heroes up next!

Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?

[bleakshaun]

Robinson Crusoe on Mars
A space probe circling Mars is forced to eject its pilots due to almost colliding with an asteroid. The copilot and a monkey survive and have to survive on the harsh planet.
For what this is, it's enjoyable. However especially in the first couple of acts there doesn't seem to be any tension especially with draper finding oxygen, food and water. Despise this, I do recommend this for what it is.
7/10

Sent from my MediaPad T1 8.0 Pro using Tapatalk

[Justin101]

Originally Posted by Susan Foreman

Iron Maiden payed homage to it

Yes, I know

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Justin101

I started my Clint Eastwood box set with film number one, Where Eagles Dare. A first time watch for me and it's great fun, if not around 30 minutes too long!

By the end of the film all I could think about is how that small backpack had a never ending supply of rigged up dynamite time-bombs I also loved how Burton and Eastwood were allegedly undercover as German military but no-one questioned either the plumy British accent of Burton or the broad American speech of Eastwood!

Kelly's Heroes up next!

So you'd have had them dubbed throughout with subtitles for the audience?

Did you also notice the Germans like Anton Diffring and Derren Nesbitt also spoke English?

[Justin101]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

So you'd have had them dubbed throughout with subtitles for the audience?

Did you also notice the Germans like Anton Diffring and Derren Nesbitt also spoke English?

Shush you I just meant I would have expected them to do the accents haha that guy in the Nazi uniform at least give it a go!