What movies have you seen recently?

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: What movies have you seen recently? Part 1

Red Cliff - I watched part 1 yesterday and reluctantly had to wait to watch part 2 tonight. I am pretty damn speechless - I am...without speech. Quite possibly the best historical war movie I have ever seen. The battles were not only imaginative and smart, but articulate and had a sense of flow where a lot of times they are disjointed. In the end, it felt more than a simple war **** - it was quite possibly the most culturally knowledgeable film I have ever watched because it really touched on a lot of (what I felt to be) China's strengths and wisdom.

[buckeye02]

Re: What movies have you seen recently? Part 1

Fast Five.

If you go and see it....make sure you stick around after the credits. Pretty shocking to say the least.

Great movie btw.

[thaima1shu]

Re: What movies have you seen recently? Part 1

Red Cliff - I watched part 1 yesterday and reluctantly had to wait to watch part 2 tonight. I am pretty damn speechless - I am...without speech. Quite possibly the best historical war movie I have ever seen. The battles were not only imaginative and smart, but articulate and had a sense of flow where a lot of times they are disjointed. In the end, it felt more than a simple war **** - it was quite possibly the most culturally knowledgeable film I have ever watched because it really touched on a lot of (what I felt to be) China's strengths and wisdom.

Absolutely loved Red Cliff. Pretty much hit the nail on the head.

Watched Road to Perdition for the first time the other day. What an amazing movie.

Also saw Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Really was surprised at how funny I found it to be.

[Aggies7]

Watched The Tourist last night. A little slow and way to predictable.

[SPTO]

Re: What movies have you seen recently?

I've been slacking on my movie watching. It's horrible

So tonight i'm going out of my way to watch some of the horse racing related movies on TCM tonight.

Will give a rundown tomorrow.

[Chip Douglass]

Re: What movies have you seen recently?

The Thin Red Line.

Color me really unimpressed.

[RockinDaMike]

Re: What movies have you seen recently?

Tokyo Drift. Had to watch it after watching fast five.

Han "Oh I have money"

You catch Han snacking though out the movie.

[buckeye02]

Re: What movies have you seen recently?

Tokyo Drift. Had to watch it after watching fast five.

Han "Oh I have money"

You catch Han snacking though out the movie.

I did the exact same thing. In fact i bought the 2 movies i was missing on Bluray.

[SPTO]

Re: What movies have you seen recently?

Horse racing related movie night for me. I'll do quick thoughts for each I saw:


Stablemates (1938)

Starring: Mickey Rooney and Wallace Beery

Full synopsis (read a bit but don't read the whole thing if you plan to actually seek this out): Mickey is a stable boy for Lady Q, a race horse that has the potential to be a champion. When drunken bum Tom Terry brusquely moves into the stable with him, they are constantly at odds. Because Lady Q loses a big race, her owner plans to sell her to the glue factory, but Mickey buys her with his meager savings. Mickey learns from Tom that Lady Q has a tumor on her foot, and discovers that the derelict was once a brilliant veterinarian. Mickey convinces Tom to operate on Lady Q, and despite his alcoholic shakes, the operation is succcessful. The two take the horse on the road, and soon become very close. Because Mickey is an orphan, he suggests that they "legally" adopt each other. Tom is reluctant, but soon agrees and the two plan to enter Lady Q in a big race. To make money for the entrance fee, they stay at a farm owned by five-time widow Beulah Flanders. When they have almost earned the entrance fee, Tom, who is now a sober and devoted father, tells Mickey to go to the track to get an application blank. While there, Mickey runs into detective Barney Donovan, who reveals that Tom is wanted for his part in the death of a horse and jockey in a fixed race. When Mickey returns to the farm, he pretends that he doesn't care for Tom anymore, strikes him, and leaves with the horse. The next day he is able to get the money he needs by impressing Mrs. Shepherd, a stable owner. Lady Q develops a sore hoof, though, and is only saved by Tom, who arrives with a special shoe for her. Mickey finally confesses that it was his fear for Tom that made him act as if he didn't care, and the two realize that they are truly father and son. Tom is supposed to leave right away to avoid capture, but instead watches Mickey win the race. Although he now has enough money to become a veterinarian, like his father, Mickey is heartbroken when Donovan apprehends Tom. The two have an emotional farewell, but Mickey is relieved when Mrs. Shepherd tells him that Tom will serve no more than a year in jail.


My thoughts: This is not a bad movie though it's certainly not one that would be made today or at least not in the same manner. Some of the scenes of Rooney and Beery bonding and becoming almost like father and son have to modern eyes a bit of an uneasy feeling to them. Nonetheless there's quite a bit of heart in this film even though Rooney and Beery are basically playing to their stereotypes here.

I've always liked Beery as he had this rough and gruff exterior but by the end of most movies you saw him in you see a softer and gentler side to him though he was rough in gruff in real life there was little to no "gentler side". The story is basically THE CHAMP (1931) except flipped around so that Beery's character is the one that cheers on his son so to speak.

There's also a great bit part of an old spinster who the guys end up staying with by first going into her barn during a rain storm and she discovers them only to have them work for her. Now you wouldn't realize this if you looked at her but her character was married to SIX GUYS! and had designs on Beery's character LOL! That added a bit of levity to the sometimes overdone melodrama.

** 1/2 stars (mainly for being so familiar)


Glory (1956)

Starring: Margaret O'Brien, Walter Brennan, Charlotte Greenwood, John Upton, Byron Palmer

Overview: A young woman's devotion to her racehorse creates romantic problems among other things.

My Thoughts: First off, Margaret O'Brien was a great child star of the movies about 10-15 years before this movie came out. This movie was to be somewhat of a comeback vehicle for her as she hadn't done a movie in 4 years. Like that movie this one didn't connect with the moviegoing audience at the time. So here she is paired up with two great character actors in Walter Brennan as Ned Ottis a guy who once trained her grandmother's prized horse but things went horribly wrong and they now have a bickering relationship to say the least (that's actually one of the highlights of this flick) O'Brien's character Clarabel lives with her grandmother Agnes Tilbee as they own and race horses but are low on the totem pole in racing circles.

Well to make a long story short their best horse has a baby and they expect it to be a colt but rather it's a filly. Miss Tilbee thinks it'll amount to no good but Clarabel is taken by it right away and fights for that horse from here to kingdom come even having it race much to her gram's disbelief but still supporting her. Most of the time Clarabel lives on the farm estate owned by Chad Chadburn (wow creative name huh?) and she is smitten by him also but it seems he's got a girlfriend but they don't have much in common and really he loves Clarabel but the girlfriend tries to force Clarabel away from him. Anyways things go pear shaped for Clarabel and her grandmother to the point that Clarabel ends up singing for an up and coming bandleader who falls for her and thus creates the somewhat interesting "who will she choose?" part of the story.

I won't go on but needless to say the last act really falls off the rails as they have O'Brien singing and the movie is bogged down by the musical interludes. Nonetheless the rest of the movie is quite charming in a countrified way. You can't go wrong with Walter Brennan being involved in a flick and he does a great job. Hell, this movie was populated by a ton of very familiar character actors mainly to prop O'Brien up. It's a shame she never became a mature movie star as she had some of what it takes but alas it was not meant to be.

*** (this was SOOO close to being a great movie but the last third kills it)


Pride of the Bluegrass (1939)

Starring: Edith Fellows, James McCallion, Gantry the Blind Horse and special mention to Sam McDaniel (i'll get to that)

Plot Summary: The night that Mack Lowman's mare foals, the barn is struck by lightning, killing Mack, but Danny, his seventeen-year-old son escapes with the colt, Gantry the Great. Midge Griner gets Danny a job on the horse farm owned by her father, Colonel Bob Griner. Danny trains and rides Gantry to fame, but the horse goes blind in the Kentucky Derby, as the favorite, and pulls up and loses. Through a misunderstanding Danny is banned for a year. To recoup his and Gantry's honor, he enters the blind horse in the Aintree Grand National Steeplechase in England. (Great summary gives enough details without spoiling anything)


My Thoughts: This was a B feature by WB which is a bit of a shame because the backstory of Danny's father Mack Lowman is pretty interesting and could've made up the first third of the film. Apparently Mack once worked with Midge's father Col. Griner as a jockey but went down to disgrace after winning the Kentucky Derby for fixing it so that he'd lose races and such. Anyways after the tragedy at the barn Danny tries to get away by running off and being a tout at various race tracks only to get caught and nearly thrown in the slammer. Midge finds out about this and uses her father's influence to get Danny out and have custody of him even though they're the same age! That scene is actually kinda funny in a way just for the sheer audacity of seeing palms being greased though you don't hear what caused the judge's change of heart.

So Danny works for the Colonel much to his displeasure and the folks at his estate hate his guts and make him look real bad. The main antagonist is Dave Miller who's one of the horse trainers and he basically has it out for Danny. Nonetheless and here's where I was going with the special mention on the credits Danny and one of the colonels black horse trainers/gofer/servant strike up a friendship and they both train the horse. I have to say that the folks who did this movie were VERY progressive in the portrayal of Domino as he was actually somewhat smart, had a purpose and was a real character unlike the shuck and jive black caricatures in movies at the time. Yes, there were some cringeworthy lines of dialogue by Domino but not to the point that you thought "well that's TOTALLY racist". I was quite shocked really.

Overall the acting in the movie is pretty good and the training of Gantry to become a steeplechaser after he goes blind was pretty neat. I quite enjoyed this movie even though I didn't recognize anyone at all. It's a charming little flick that's unfortunately not available on video/DVD. Maybe you might find it on a private classic movie torrent site though.

*** (wish we got more backstory on Danny's father though)

and finally.....


Sporting Blood (1931)

Starring: Clark Gable, Ernest Torrence, Madge Evans

Plot Summary: Gambler Rid Riddell wins a racehorse, Tommy Boy, on a bet. Rid consistently wins with the horse in both honestly and dishonestly run races. But before long, Tommy Boy wins a race he wasn't supposed to, and the mob is after Rid


My Thoughts: Well that summary kinda doesn't work but i'll live with it. This is a pretty unique movie especially for the year it came out. It's essentially serves as the biography of the horse Tommy Boy. Ernest Torrence plays a horse estate owner Jim Rellence and we open the movie with him talking with a pal of his about all this horses and you get a tour of them all. We then see his prized horse the only one he ever raced who is due to give birth any time now however a big rainstorm occurs and Jim and his hands try to bring all the horses to shelter but his prized horse falls in the mud and dies after giving birth. This was a pretty devastating and sad scene to watch. You really see the love Jim had for that horse as she's put down and they nurse her son Tommy Boy. Unlike the previous movie the black racist stereotypes are played up a bit, not as bad as most movies of the period but they're not fully fleshed out characters but they help with the raising and training of Tommy Boy. Tommy Boy goes through various owners until he's the property of a crooked gambler NOT Rid Riddel played by a young Clark Gable but rather his boss.

The love element between Rid and his boss' girl Miss Ruby is a bit complicated but overall you see that Ruby actually likes the horse but she's been given a bad break in life as well as Tommy as the gamblers hop him up on drugs and such to make him race faster while Miss Ruby loves Rid but is suffering through a bad relationship and has hit the bottle hard. Actually come to think of it, that summary is totally off because what happens is that Rid's boss has the entire gambling world bet on Tommy Boy only for Tommy to lose. This was not planned but the guy tries to lam it but is killed. Ruby decides this is the best time for her to make her life better and decides to go to Jim Rellence along with Tommy Boy together they'll both fix up their lives.

Rid comes by a few times and is astonished at how well she and Tommy are doing. Things are going so well that Tommy Boy is entered into the Kentucky Derby. Meanwhile Rid and the gambling underworld see all the action on Tommy Boy before the race and so they try to fix it so Tommy loses and their bet wins the race (okay this is where the summary is right0 Somehow Rid who cares for Ruby let's one of Jim's men know about this plan and they loosen Tommy's reigns so that the jockey can't pull him back during the race.

Cue happy ending!

The acting is REALLY good for a movie of the period and you can see that Gable had star power in him to be something great. I was actually quite impressed by the acting of Ernest Torrence who i've never seen before but you really got the full range of emotion in him and he had a real grandfatherly feel to him. The story being centered on the horse reminded me of the 1964 movie The Yellow Rolls Royce which was driven (no pun intended) around the lives of three different groups of people who owned the car. Anyways Sporting Blood was quite the interesting and years ahead of its time film in terms of technique and use of actors.

***

[marshallfever]

Re: What movies have you seen recently? Part 1

Red Cliff - I watched part 1 yesterday and reluctantly had to wait to watch part 2 tonight. I am pretty damn speechless - I am...without speech. Quite possibly the best historical war movie I have ever seen. The battles were not only imaginative and smart, but articulate and had a sense of flow where a lot of times they are disjointed. In the end, it felt more than a simple war **** - it was quite possibly the most culturally knowledgeable film I have ever watched because it really touched on a lot of (what I felt to be) China's strengths and wisdom.

This movie is AWESOME, i hope your watching the original Chinese version and not the American one because that one was horrible done by trying to combine both movies. But both parts were amazing

On topic: Fast Five

Just got back from seeing it, pretty good movie. In terms of just pure car orgasm, this one isn't as good as the first or even Tokyo Drift; but as an overall movie it was the best in the series bar none.

Definitely enjoyable. About the after credit, i could careless. I didn't like her character too much anyway.

8.9

[Chip Douglass]

Re: What movies have you seen recently?

Office Space, which bored me to tears.

[Jonesy]

Re: What movies have you seen recently?

Office Space, which bored me to tears.

Surely not?!

That movie is hilarious imo.

Ah well each to his own i suppose.

[Chip Douglass]

Re: What movies have you seen recently?

Surely not?!

That movie is hilarious imo.

Ah well each to his own i suppose.

Meh, maybe it's because I've never worked in a formal office setting and I'm not easy to please when it comes to comedies.

Just couldn't get into it.

[dickey1331]

Just got done watching water for elephants. I enjoyed it. Better than I thought it would be.


Do you really care where I sent this from?

[Buckeyes_Doc]

Re: What movies have you seen recently?

The King's Speech - Slow and boring but I'm glad I finished it because I enjoyed the ending. I thought the acting was terrific.