What have you watched recently? (Please use the hide function for spoilers or plot lines)

[Ray McKigney]

Drive is a wonderful movie. Thought it should have received more Oscar recognition.

[hk47]

If you liked Drive, check out the movie 'Thief' with James Caan.  It was made back when Michael Mann still knew how to direct and tell a story with style.  I think it's Dennis Farina's first acting credit. 

 

I'll add it to the list.

[Rico]

Burned through 7 seasons of the West Wing in roughly 50 days. 

 

Starting up Dollhouse. 

[AngelsAndRamsFan]

I rented "Searching For Sugar Man" from Redbox. I liked it a lot. It's a very interesting documentary. 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searching_for_Sugar_Man

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixto_Rodriguez

[ELEVEN]

Drive was unfortunately layered with style over substance.

The restraint shown in the opening scene worked brilliantly to heighten tension, until the Director decided to turn his film into MTV Eurotrash.

The book by James Sallis was much better.

Recommended reads are The Getaway by Andrew Vachss, and Duane Sweirczynki's brilliant The Wheelman.

[Ray McKigney]

Drive was unfortunately layered with style over substance.

The restraint shown in the opening scene worked brilliantly to heighten tension, until the Director decided to turn his film into MTV Eurotrash.

The book by James Sallis was much better.

Recommended reads are The Getaway by Andrew Vachss, and Duane Sweirczynki's brilliant The Wheelman.

 

 

Automatic disqualification for his last name being too close to Pierzynski.

[Lou]

I rented "Searching For Sugar Man" from Redbox. I liked it a lot. It's a very interesting documentary. 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searching_for_Sugar_Man

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixto_Rodriguez

 

I was just going to ask if anyone had mentioned this movie.  Glad i decided to read the thread first.

 

Has anyone here seen it?

 

 

 

*my $ is on Sam or Rico

[Sam Sanchez]

Haha...smart money. Yeah I've seen it. That and The Imposter were my two favorite documentaries I watched from last year.

 

 

Interesting story, though I've heard some details were left out but don't let that hurt the documentary. The music is great too. Very reminiscent of Dylan, if you dig some Dylan.

[Lou]

Damn, that's what i get for trying to cover my bases by including Rico.  Sorry for having doubting you.

 

I listened to some of his music last week after hearing about the movie and dong some reading about him.  

Looking forward to watching the movie now.

[Sam Sanchez]

Damn, that's what i get for trying to cover my bases by including Rico.  Sorry for having doubting you.

 

I listened to some of his music last week after hearing about the movie and dong some reading about him.  

Looking forward to watching the movie now.

 

 

i don't think reading on him will hurt the movie at all, but there is something to be said going in no nearly nothing about the guy because they do kind of make the movie assuming most people know nothing about him to the point where they kind of make a small little "twist" on something. Nothing major though.

[arch stanton]

Tonight is space travel night. 2001:A Space Odyssey and Silent Running

 

This is the Saturday night life of a field rep thousands of miles from his family.

[Tank]

If you liked Drive, check out the movie 'Thief' with James Caan.  It was made back when Michael Mann still knew how to direct and tell a story with style.  I think it's Dennis Farina's first acting credit. 

What about Duel, which I think was the name of spielbergs ristorante movie? Pretty good tension in that one.

[cysomeawfulpitcher]

Just Redboxed Wreck It Ralph.  On top of being a great movie, as someone born in 1980, it was a nice trip back to games I grew up with.

[Glen]

Oz Great and Powerful.  Not bad, I'll give it a B. That's all I'm gonna say about that.

[Sam Sanchez]

Watched a few random movies:

 

 

Ice Station Zebra - 7/10

Fun 1960s submarine spy film starring Rock Hudson and Ernest Borgnine.

 

 

Machete Maidens Unleashed - 7/10

Interesting documentary about the exploitation films shot in the Phillipines in the 70s. Interviews with Roger Corman, John Landis, Joe Dante, etc... Didn't really learn much, but was still interesting to see from the guys who did Not Quite Hollywood about the Aussie exploitation films.

 

 

Switchblade Sisters - 8.5/10

Fun and cheesy 70s exploitation film about teenage high school gangs. The lead actress is grating and mouse-like but still enjoyable.

[ELEVEN]

Watched a few random movies:

Ice Station Zebra - 7/10

Fun 1960s submarine spy film starring Rock Hudson and Ernest Borgnine.

Machete Maidens Unleashed - 7/10

Interesting documentary about the exploitation films shot in the Phillipines in the 70s. Interviews with Roger Corman, John Landis, Joe Dante, etc... Didn't really learn much, but was still interesting to see from the guys who did Not Quite Hollywood about the Aussie exploitation films.

Switchblade Sisters - 8.5/10

Fun and cheesy 70s exploitation film about teenage high school gangs. The lead actress is grating and mouse-like but still enjoyable.

Haha, I remember seeing Sisters Of The Switchblade with Assault on Precinct 13 when it first came out in theatres. Grindhouse FTW!

[Angels_Make_Me_Drink]

Rewatching the 1st season of The Wire

[Homebrewer]

Watched a crude but humorous Brit sitcom called "The Inbetweeners"

A group of adolescent boys in high school obsessed with getting laid, choking their chickens, trying to buy booze, or get served in pubs, buying old junker cars.

The Brits get away with a lot more obscene jokes and disgustingly funny content than US TV.

1 season (6 or 7 episodes) on Hulu.

Sort of a Wonder Years on crack.

[DowningRules]

Thief is awesome. Drive is pretty much combining Thief and Walter Hill's The Driver from the 70s. Both great movies to check out if you liked Drive.

 

I don't know The Driver. I'll have to see if I can track it down.  I am a fan of 48 Hours.  It changed the cop movie genre and greatly influenced TV, imo.  Hard to believe Walter Hill directed that and Brewster's Millions.

[DowningRules]

What about Duel, which I think was the name of spielbergs ristorante movie? Pretty good tension in that one.

 

Dual scared the hell outta me when I was a kid.  Isn't that a made for tv movie?  Dennis Weaver was also memorable in "Cocaine:  One Man's Obsession."  Another tv movie that influenced me. 

 

I would also like to mention Michael Mann's tv series "Crime Story" with Dennis Farina in the lead.  It was a well made but short run series.  It was expensive to make and had heightened production values. Andrew Dice Clay had a bit part in it too.  It was an odd but entertaining show.

[Homebrewer]

I dug "Crime Story" too. You and I must have been the only ones that did, though. It was gone before people caught on to it.

[Jason]

I just watched all 3 of the Naked Gun movies this weekend. I miss Leslie Nielsen.

[ELEVEN]

Just watched Wild Target. British dark comedy. Laughed throughout the entire thing.

[Jason]

Oz Great and Powerful. Not bad, I'll give it a B. That's all I'm gonna say about that.

The scene going over the waterfall had a realistic feel to it. That was well done.

[Eric]

Tonight's "Sunday Night Classic Movie" is The Greatest Show on Earth by Cecil B Demille, starring Charlton Heston and Jimmy Stewart.

 

While many of the young whipper-snappers might think this a lacking movie, I believe this movie may represent the apex of movie making at the time, stuck between the hocky bad acting of the first half of the century and the spectacle of the 1950's cinema.  It is most definitely a classic movie in the truest sense of the word.  It was a great movie made for the times.  It has the great mix of pure entertainment, as well as a moderate storyline, with at least one moment of "OMG, that was totally vulgar, yet in such a subversive manner as to pass the censors of the time!" and another of "And it took how long before that issue was addressed in the court of public opinion?!?".

 

A solid choice for viewing if you don't take ADD meds and can accept the fact that it was made so long ago that the stunts that were performed were actually performed live for the cameras.

 

The fact that the movie was originally presented as a loving tribute to a by-gone era is only enhanced by the fact that the movie itself is now from a by-gone era.