What movies have you seen recently?

[GAMEC0CK2002]

Re: What movies have you seen recently? Part 1

Gave Fast and Furious another shot. Didn't really care for it in the theater but could be because the theater itself sucked ($2 admission so you get what you pay for, i know)

Enjoyed it much more this time around. Guess I'll have the first 3 on HD-DVD and this one on blu ray.

[Blzer]

Re: What movies have you seen recently? Part 1

Gave Fast and Furious another shot. Didn't really care for it in the theater but could be because the theater itself sucked ($2 admission so you get what you pay for, i know)

Enjoyed it much more this time around. Guess I'll have the first 3 on HD-DVD and this one on blu ray.

Definitely didn't like Fast & Furious, and I don't think giving it another shot will help it (like I tried with Eagle Eye, National Treasure 2, uh... and I tried with Transformers 2 on YouTube but shut it off after about eight minutes).

[SPTO]

Re: What movies have you seen recently? Part 1

A couple nights ago I watched a movie i'd never heard of starring my favorite Classic Hollywood actor Humphrey Bogart. (i'm sure you've seen when i've used him as my avvy) As my old man would say this movie is a champion!

Black Legion (1937)

Frank Taylor is an average hard-working Joe in a machine shop with ambitions to become foreman. When the job opens, it is given to Joe Dombrowski, a Polish-American immigrant who spends his free time reading technical books on the workings of a drill press rather than socializing with other workers. Frank becomes disgruntled and is easily recruited by a co-worker to join the Black Legion, a secretive hate group similar to the Ku Klux Klan, which appeals to the xenophobic fears of its members and uses violence to intimidate foreign-born Americans. When Frank and other black-hooded Legionaires burn out Dombrowski's chicken farm, the frightened family leaves town, opening up the foreman's job again. When Legion business begins to occupy more and more of Frank's time and energy both in the factory and at night, it soon costs him his job and ultimately his marriage as it leads him toward tragedy

(one of the better summaries i've seen and no real spoiler either!)

Anyways as noted Taylor (Bogart) gets pretty miffed when he's passed over for the foreman's job. He had pinned all his hopes on it by planning to buy a fancy car and giving his wife a vacuum and son a louisville slugger bat. This also brings up an aspect of the film that interested me. The first part of the movie shows Bogart in domestic bliss with his wife and kid. It's the side of Bogie i'd never seen on the big screen. He actually pulls off the devoted father schtick quite well to be honest.

The whole Black Legion vs foreigners and anyone who is "un-American" is pretty damn chilling if you ask me. The movie is actually based on a real Black Legion who were partnered up in the KKK during that time. The organization in the movie (and I assume in real life) was modeled a lot after its brother organization in the KKK but there was also the hint of a quasi-Nazism to it as well. The scene where Bogart goes through the initiation and gives the oath is downright disturbing about how he gives an oath to God and the Devil and all that crazy stuff. I have a feeling that scene must've caused some consternation back in the day.

There's also a character in the movie named Ed Jackson (Dick Foran) who is Taylor's friend and he sees the way Frank has become consumed by his actions in the Legion. Jackson tries to help his friend and when he finally finds out everything he threatens to tell the cops which leads to Frank panicking and calling up his legion buddies to try and scare Ed off...In the end however, Frank pulls the trigger on his friend as he tries to escape.

The last third of the movie is quite tense actually as you can see the fear of Bogie trying to stay clear of the cops and then when he's thrown in jail he's given an ultimatum by the Legion to lie in court in order to save himself and the legion as well. The courtroom scene at just about the end of the movie is quite moving and tense with an ending that comes out of left field for some.

This movie gets my full recommendation. I've seen some on IMDB call this the best movie of the '30s for Bogie. I wouldn't go that far as I think his breakout performance in The Petrified Forest (1936) is a far superior film but "Legion" is probably his best STARRING role of the '30s.

5 out of 5 stars. Seek this out if you like classic cinema.

[Gibbz]

Re: What movies have you seen recently? Part 1

Inglorious Basterds is amazing...

[The Chef]

Re: What movies have you seen recently? Part 1

Observe and Report- Average movie with a few humorous parts but in the end it was a little too close to Paul Blart and I hated that movie. For some reason Im a sucker for Seth Rogan so I gave it a shot, wont be buying it or watching it again however.

[NYG_Meth]

Re: What movies have you seen recently? Part 1

Inglorious Basterds is amazing...

Seconded

I saw it last night. I went with surprisingly low expectations. The previews looked funny, but I was somewhat indifferent. The movie itself was absolutely fantastic.

[Stormyhog]

Re: What movies have you seen recently? Part 1

Some of the movies I have seen recently are Eddie & the Cruisers 1&2, Planet Of The Apes blu-ray box set, Spring Break and Friday the 13th Parts 1-3 on blu-ray.

[Buckeyes_Doc]

Re: What movies have you seen recently? Part 1

Saw Final Destination friday, and it was the worse one of the series. The best part of the series is the initial scene where all the people die, but this one was horrible. It was very unrealistic, with cars flying into the stands on fire they looked like comets. I just waited for the next person to die in this one that was about it. I also liked how when someone died it had no effect on the people at all, one day the girl's boyfriend is dead the next she is at the mall shopping and seeing a movie? Dont get it. Oh well the 3d was kinda cool.


I also saw The Day the Earth Stood Still off of On Demand. Pretty interesting flick although I couldnt stand that kid. Didnt watch it with high expectations but overall it was cool.

I saw Michael Clayton this week also and I was completely confused from the start. Had no idea what was going on until about the last 20 mins of the movie.

[GAMEC0CK2002]

Re: What movies have you seen recently? Part 1

Rented State of Play from a redbox kiosk. Got bored to tears and turned it off halfway through.

[Chef Matt]

Re: What movies have you seen recently? Part 1

I saw the Day earth stood still also last night. Kinda cool but yeah the kid was a pain. Nothin I'll watch again but it had my attention through the whole movie. I didn't doze off once. LOL

[SPTO]

Re: What movies have you seen recently? Part 1

Rented State of Play from a redbox kiosk. Got bored to tears and turned it off halfway through.

Well I haven't seen it yet (plan to this week i'll give my thoughts) but from what i've heard it harkens back to the '70s political corruption films. I have a feeling from everything i've heard about it that it's in the vein of All the President's Men and stuff that Allan J. Pakula has done.

You just have to be in a certain frame of mind to watch those kinda movies.

[GAMEC0CK2002]

Re: What movies have you seen recently? Part 1

Well I haven't seen it yet (plan to this week i'll give my thoughts) but from what i've heard it harkens back to the '70s political corruption films. I have a feeling from everything i've heard about it that it's in the vein of All the President's Men and stuff that Allan J. Pakula has done.

You just have to be in a certain frame of mind to watch those kinda movies.

True. I was too tired for it to hold my interest.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: What movies have you seen recently? Part 1

Is The Day the Earth Stood Still worth buying on blu? The only thing that has me intrigued is that it includes the original version. Or should I pick up the original on blu-ray separately instead?

[Chef Matt]

Re: What movies have you seen recently? Part 1

Is The Day the Earth Stood Still worth buying on blu? The only thing that has me intrigued is that it includes the original version. Or should I pick up the original on blu-ray separately instead?

Hmmmmm....

I guess it would be worth it to a collector, with the orig movie packed in, but for the casual movie guy (like me) I would say no.

[jmood88]

Re: What movies have you seen recently? Part 1

Is The Day the Earth Stood Still worth buying on blu? The only thing that has me intrigued is that it includes the original version. Or should I pick up the original on blu-ray separately instead?

I would never waste money on that ****ty movie.