rate the last movie you saw

[AndyDursin]

Paul, was it worth driving to Buffalo for the Star Trek teaser??

It was worth it to to the friend I saw it with!

Was it the first 9 minutes of the movie?

[Paul MacLean]

Was it the first 9 minutes of the movie?

Yeah, they showed it in between the trailers and the film.

It's hard to say based on just a few minutes, but I think it looks better than the last one.

I don't think I want to see it in 3-D though.

[Paul MacLean]

I recently acquired the new Bond Blu-ray set, and have set about revisiting the films. So far I've screened...


Doctor No

This is one of the few Connery films I've seen on the big screen (albeit an old print). Though it lacks the dash and production value of the later films, it holds-up extremely well. Connery settles confidently into the role and joseph Wiseman makes an excellent villain. Monty Norman's score is for the most part not very good, highly melodramatic like a B-grade score from the early 50s. It is a testament to the inherent dramatic power of John Barry's work that, despite copious replays, the Bond theme consistently adds a potent weight and excitement to every scene in which it's used.


From Russia With Love

Very well-made with some resourceful use of locations. Probably the most "serious" of the Bond films, but with one of the most awkward narratives. The gypsy camp sequence is interesting, but at the same time an odd tangent that doesn't really fit-in with the overall story. Robert Shaw however is a superlative villain -- truculent and ruthless. Barry's score adds tremendously to the movie, and the difference between his dramatic sensibilities and those of Monty Norman is like night and day. One cue in particular really struck me -- that for the Gypsy girl fight. Without the score it would be little more than a trite "T&A show", but Barry's music transforms it into what it really is at heart -- an archaic and genuinely disturbing ritual in which two young women are literally trying to claw each other to death.


Goldfinger

I wasn't sure if I would find this film as enjoyable, having seen it on the big screen (as well as several times on the old ABC broadcasts) but it is easy to see why Goldfinger is regarded as the best of the Connery Bonds. This is where the series really hit its stride. It opens with one of the best teasers of the series, and delivers some of the best action sequences as well (and they hold-up extremely well even today). Gert Frobe is one of the best villains and Harold Sakata one of the best henchmen (in a Bond or any other type of film). Goldfinger is also a delicious relic of the pre-PC age, and you can't help love the sight of Bond turning lesbian Pussy Galore into straight woman! I'd also say Guy Hamilton is a better action director than Terrence Young. John Barry tops his work on From Russia With Love, delivering the best title song of the series, as well as a dynamic score that harkens back to the jazzier sound of his work on Dr. No, which finally defines the "Bond sound".


Thunderball

I had doubts I'd enjoy revisiting this one, having remembered it as good but not especially great. But again I'd only seen it on ABC and HBO as a kid, and one time on VHS in college. The widescreen presentation is a revelation, and the considerably higher production value of this film results in some fabulous sequences. The teaser is one of the best of the entire series (at least until Bond takes-off in the jet-pack! ).

Maurice Binder's use of naked women in silhouette (and not quite silhouette!) was the start of a new direction for the Bond title sequences, and I know I'm in the monority, but Thunderball's title song is my favorite of all the films. Yes, it is modeled on Goldfinger, but Tom Jones's gutsy vocal was the only time a Bond song brought-out the ruthless masculinity of 007, which none of the female singers (much less the later pansy boy bands) were capable of. Overall Barry outdoes his previous scores in this film, with a much-more expansive (and thematically varied) score, though I was disappointed that the Blu-ray version ends with the Bond theme from Dr, No, rather than Barry's original end title (which I felt concluded the film more effectively).

I think it is also important to remember how innovative Thunderball was -- no one had ever attempted to shoot underwater action sequences of this complexity before, and it is a testament to underwater director Ricou Browning and editor Peter Hunt (and John Barry) that the submerged action not only makes sense, but moves with propulsive excitement (that said, I do think the underwater flight at the climax lasts a little too long). There are a lot more gadgets in this film but they are plausibly used (except for that silly jet pack!). The relationship of Bond and Domino is also far-more romantic than those in the previous films (in part because he rescues her from an abusive man).

Is it as good as Goldfinger? Hard to say, but it was much better than I remembered it, and quite a thrill!


These early Bond films are certainly a fascinating record of the 60s zeitgeist -- that brief era between reactionary 50s prudishness and the the rise of feminism (which imposed its own brand of prudishness) -- an era when red meat was good for you, smoking was sophisticated, and men and had a slightly more patronizing (but also more protective) regard for women. Western economies were booming but true optimism was tempered by the possibility of a nuclear war, no doubt giving rise to an "enjoy life and live for now" attitude. Is it any wonder the Bond stories were so popular in that climate?

Action films have certainly changed since the early Bond films, but I can't say they have uniformly improved. Cameras have become more mobile (and editing styles faster) since the early 60s, and Lucas, Spielberg and George Miller certainly were important catalysts in the evolution of action flicks.

But these early Bonds have that elusive "something" that makes them unique, and timeless. They are their own genre. It is mostly due to the character of Bond (Connery's interpretation in particular), a juxtaposition of genteel Oxbridge alumnus and ruthless killer, equipped with modern gadgets but "old school" at heart. Bond was elegant, and he was also British -- and the British epitomized cool in the 60s (which is partly why none of his Hollywood imitators -- Matt Helm, Derek Flint, Napoleon Solo -- ever pulled it off).

Off to Japan next...

[mkaroly]

I too recently watched FRWL, Goldfinger, and Thunderball. They look outstanding on Blu-Ray and all three are at the top of my favorite Bond films list. Although Thunderball is long compared to Goldfinger and FRWL, I still find it to be a compelling movie. It takes its time and breathes; it showed you a bit of everything. I also really loved Fiona as a villainness...she was sort of Bond's mirror gender opposite, though perhaps a bit colder. There is something dynamic and exciting about a ruthless female antagonist that can match up with Bond. The tension build-up in the chase sequence climaxing in her death at the Kiss Kiss club is one of the best of the series.

The three film arc of FRWL, Goldfinger, and Thunderball is very strong in the series; the Moore years and the Brosnan years didn't have three films in a row that were as satisfactory in my opinion.

The one thing that really annoys me with these films is the overdubbing, but it is a minor complaint. You made some great observations Paul.

[Paul MacLean]

The tension build-up in the chase sequence climaxing in her death at the Kiss Kiss club is one of the best of the series.

That is a phenomenal scene, beautifully edited and scored, and has one of Richard Maibaum's best lines, "Mind if my friend sits this one out? She's just dead!" (a line which was later ripped-off in Commando).

The one thing that really annoys me with these films is the overdubbing, but it is a minor complaint. You made some great observations Paul.

I never noticed that in the grainy old ABC broadcasts, but it is often painfully obvious in HD!

I also chuckled a bit when Goldfinger -- disguised as an Army colonel -- starts barking orders to the American soldiers, and none of them seem to notice he has a German accent!

[Jedbu]

Looking forward to the Bond set-got it during Amazon's $100 Saturday earlier this month...

Saw the following-

THE GATHERING 8/10

Still one of the best holiday TV movies, and only marred by a score that seems to have just been put on a continuous loop in the second half, this story of a dying man and his attempt to reunite his estranged family for one last Christmas is a very moving tale. Ed Asner is brilliant as a contractor who, after getting a death sentence from his doctor, decides to contact the wife from whom he separated (Maureen Stapleton, whom I wish would have had one scene in which she dominates) and with her, gather his sons and daughter for one last family get-together.

Interesting to see a much younger Bruce Davison, Laurence Pressman, Gregory Harrison and Stephanie Zimbalist along with old pros like John Randolph and James Kaaren, all directed by Randall Kleiser, who supposedly got the GREASE directing gig because of this (How Allan Carr was able to determine that Kleiser could direct a musical after this is beyond me...). I had not seen this film since it originally aired in 1977, and Warner Archive has brought this out with the sequel THE GATHERING II-which as I recall is not that great-in a remastered edition that looks like it was shot yesterday (the only thing that ages it is the 1:33 aspect ratio). The ending does not solve all problems, and there is no great reconciliation scene with Asner and Stapleton (although the last scene is very sweet), but it is such a satisfying film that I can see why this film has gotten the rep it has.

HOLIDAY AFFAIR 8/10

Robert Mitchum in a Christmas movie? Yup, and with a young Janet Leigh (sigh!) in a story about a widowed mother who works as a secret shopper and meets Mitchum working in a department store toy department (!). The complication is, she is being wooed by MacDonald Carey-and he is actually a very nice guy-so when Mitchum's rolling stone (he is saving money to buy into a boat building business in SoCal) comes into both her and her son's life, it really complicates things.

It was nice to watch one of these triangular love stories where ALL sides are likeable, to the point where you feel that even if Leigh would not end up with Mitchum at the end (which is where you know it will go), a life with Carey would not be like being put in the stocks in the public square like some films with plots like this go. The ending seems a bit hurried, but the onscreen chemistry between Leigh and Mitchum is strong and when it is over, you have a good feeling about the results.

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA 10/10

Got the deluxe box set on Blu-Ray for Christmas, and even though I have always thought the film a masterpiece, watching it again in this format on a big screen monitor with a good sound system was just astounding. The clarity of the picture just blew me away, and I keep forgetting how wonderful ALL the performances are, from O'Toole on downward. Plus, Sharif's intro is still one of the greatest entrances in movie history, the dolly shot to Wadi Rhum is mind-blowing and for a film 3+ hours long with no love interest, it just zooms. My pick for the best Blu-Ray of the year.

[AndyDursin]

FRANKENWEENIE
6.5/10

Though “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” marked the launch of Tim Burton’s feature career, the animator/filmmaker’s first foray into live-action came with 1984's “Frankenweenie.” Produced for Disney but shelved when the studio couldn’t figure out what to do with the whimsical yet offbeat half-hour short, “Frankenweenie” became something of a cult favorite among the director’s devotees, existing as a special feature on various releases of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” for many years. Still dear to his heart, Burton obviously had the best of intentions in mind when he opted to turn FRANKENWEENIE into a full-blown stop-motion feature in 2012 – yet this animated expansion of his earlier work is a disappointing affair, lovingly designed yet so charmless and flat that it’s no surprise that it failed to generate much of an audience last fall.

Writer John August’s script expands upon Burton’s 1984 short while basically incorporating every narrative element from its predecessor (including identical camera angles and dialogue): a young boy who loses his best friend – a canine named Sparky – gets an idea to reanimate his deceased dog from his school science teacher. Victor Frankenstein (get it?) is able to bring Sparky back through electricity generated in a wild thunderstorm, but problems lie ahead once some of his classmates decide to follow in Victor’s footsteps and reanimate other undead pets in order to win their school’s science fair.

The latter subplot – added to the film by director Burton and August – pads the movie’s running time out to 87 minutes, but “Frankenweenie” ultimately doesn’t gain anything from the feature treatment, with too much of the storytelling feeling arbitrary and without a payoff. The movie adds a possible sidekick to Victor – a young girl voiced by Winona Ryder who lives with her stuffy uncle nextdoor – but doesn’t go anywhere with her character, while much of the film just fizzles out. Homages to genre hallmarks like “Frankenstein,” “The Mummy” (one of Victor’s fellow students looks and talks like Boris Karloff), and Golden Age monsters are fleeting at best, and while the movie certainly tries hard, “Frankenweenie” generates seldom more than a mild chuckle here and there, while simultaneously being far too strange (and disturbing) for the young audience Disney was hoping to attract.

Tellingly, the movie’s most effective moments – including its emotional finale – are all reprises from the live-action short as well. Included here in HD in Disney’s Blu-Ray package, the original short manages to be more entertaining and emotional, with a score by Michael Convertino and David Newman that likewise eclipses Danny Elfman’s serviceable work for the 2012 stop-motion version. Performances by a cast that include Barrett Oliver, Shelley Duvall and Daniel Stern also play well with the director’s offbeat visual sensibilities; perhaps part of the problem with “Frankenweenie” the stop-motion movie is that it lacks a human component, with the story being more exaggerated in the context of a full-on animated affair. Burton fans will still want to give “Frankenweenie” a spin, but it’s unfortunately another of the director’s recent disappointments – even the more harshly maligned “Dark Shadows,” a film I liked in spite of its shortcomings, is more appealing.

[mkaroly]

SLITHER - 2/10. I think this was a remake of NIGHT OF THE CREEPS (at least that's what my friend told me). I know they were poking fun at the genre and stereotypes, and the humor was dark, but I just don't get into these movies anymore. The acting was okay, the dialogue bad (but I think it was meant to be), and the music was unmemorable. I gave it a 2/10 because it did have a few funny moments.

[AndyDursin]

SLITHER - 2/10. I think this was a remake of NIGHT OF THE CREEPS (at least that's what my friend told me). I know they were poking fun at the genre and stereotypes, and the humor was dark, but I just don't get into these movies anymore. The acting was okay, the dialogue bad (but I think it was meant to be), and the music was unmemorable. I gave it a 2/10 because it did have a few funny moments.

Oh goodness no, it's NOT a remake of my beloved Night of the Creeps. That movie is actually good!

[Monterey Jack]

I thought Slither was a hoot. Disgusting to be sure, but loaded with laughs and impressive gore effects. Plus, Elizabeth Banks!

[mkaroly]

I thought Slither was a hoot. Disgusting to be sure, but loaded with laughs and impressive gore effects. Plus, Elizabeth Banks!

My friend loves the movie - it's one of her favorites. But it's just not my type of movie. Fifteen to twenty years ago I may have been singing a different tune, but those types of films now are not worth much even though I understand (in a way) what they're going for.

I don't know who Elizabeth Banks was, but I thought all the acting was pretty sub-par. Then again, the movie wasn't trying to win any Oscars for best acting...lol...

Andy...lol...she told me she thought it was a remake of NIGHT OF THE CREEPS...I have no idea one way or the other! Her favorite movie is the original FRIGHT NIGHT which, I guess hypocritically for me, I do find entertaining and humorous for the goofy 80s film it is.

[AndyDursin]

I love FRIGHT NIGHT! If you're in the mood for a fun, goofy '80s genre flick, NIGHT OF THE CREEPS is tremendously entertaining. Funny, sharply written at times -- and the Blu-Ray's ending dumps the crappy last shot from the theatrical release which was like throwing cold water all over the film. Definitely worth checking out if you're up for it.

I didn't like SLITHER even though it had plenty of actresses I happen to like in there (including Banks and Jenna Fischer). Just too over the top for my tastes in the gore department. CREEPS isn't nearly as graphic and is a lot more fun.

[Jedbu]

THE CABIN IN THE WOODS 7/10

Not a bad pastiche of such films as EVIL DEAD and its ilk, this Joss Whedon produced thriller takes a tired cliche and does some very interesting things with it, making that bumper sticker that says "They ARE watching you" seem quite real. Interesting to see actors like Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford in a genre piece like this, and seeing as this was completed in 2009, I know I heard why it was delayed but can someone refresh my memory on this...Also liked that the ending was not upbeat but not mean spirited like DRAG ME TO HELL or THE MIST.

BRAVE 8/10

Not one of my favorite Disney/Pixar films, but certainly better than either of the CARS entries. And not your typical Disney "princess" film, where the independent minded main character finds true love at the end-nice variation on that towards the finale. The animation on this was quite lovely, with some of the landscapes and Merida's Pre-Raphelite hair just gorgeous. I also enjoyed Patrick Doyle's score, and the song over some scenes is very nice and will probably get one of the song Oscar nods this Thursday. I don't think this will win another Feature Oscar-I think that will either go to WRECK-IT RALPH or PARA NORMAN.

[AndyDursin]

I know I heard why it was delayed but can someone refresh my memory on this...Also liked that the ending was not upbeat but not mean spirited like DRAG ME TO HELL or THE MIST.

MGM was going through their latest bankruptcy/restructuring (or whatever you want to call it) so that's why it sat on the shelf. Like RED DAWN they ended up selling it off to another studio (in this case to Lionsgate) instead of releasing it themselves, even though they produced it.

[Paul MacLean]

Continuing with the Bond movies...

You Only Live Twice

Entertaining, but weaker than any of the previous 007 pictures. The Japanese setting is very alluring, but at the end of the day it is mostly window dressing. I'd have liked to have seen more of Tiger Tanaka's ninja school, and more of Bond undergoing its rigorous training -- he comes-off as a little lame in the climax, running around with a pistol while Tanaka's men look infinitely more cool dispatching SPECTRE guards with katanas and throwing stars.

The gadgets in this film are mostly just throwaway gimmicks (and the "Little Nell" scene is silly and pointless). The overall story line concerning the hijacking of American and Russian space capsules is good however (and actually more believable than Fleming's original premise of Blofeld's suicide cult and garden of man-eating plants). You have to admire the production value, particularly Ken Adam's full-size SPECTRE hideaway in the volcano (with a full-scale rocket that actually lifts-off!). Aki is also one of the most appealing Bond girls, as is Kissy (both of whom are not only beautiful, but brave as well). Connery's performance however is not one of his best, and it is clear that he was tiring of the role. A sometimes-silly but entertaining and nice-looking film, though less satisfying than its predecessors.


On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Still the best of the Bond films, partly for its return to a less-fanciful, gadget-ridden approach, but mostly for taking the character in a new direction. Many have lamented that this would have been the crowning glory of the Bond pictures had Connery remained in the role (and it must have been a bitter pill for hard-core Bond fans in the 60s to watch this "stranger" clean-out Bond's desk and reminisce about Sean Connery's adventures). Perhaps if Eon Productions had made this film earlier it might have been Connery's defining moment in the part. But he was so burned-out on Bond that even with Richard Maibaum's outstanding script, I wonder if he could have done a great job by this point.

In any case, I am a big fan of George Lazenby. He fit perfectly into the role, and was requisitely suave and elegant -- and more than adequately tough and vital. I never doubted for a moment that he was 007. The transition was also helped by the regular supporting cast (Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewellan) as well as John Barry, all of whom preserved the the feel of the Bond milieu.

But the film's primary allure was see new sides of the character. Bond is introduced to a woman for whom he is willing to do the unthinkable -- abandon his dangerous profession (to say nothing of his promiscuous lifestyle) to be a husband. We also see Bond's usual confidence implode in the Swiss village scene, as he realizes there is no escape from the SPECTRE thugs and he sits down to wait for the inevitable -- when none other than Tracy comes to his rescue. It is an extraordinary moment, one of the most emotionally-charged in any 007 film. The film is rife with touching moments, most especially near the end when he locks eyes with a tearful Miss Moneypenny and tosses his hat to her.

But for all its appeal as a love story, OHMSS has some of the best action sequences of the series. The escape from Piz Gloria is spectacular (if you can forgive the occasional obvious process shot!) as is the later ski scene where Bond and Tracy make a run for it. The attack on Piz Gloria is also a winner, with Bond sliding down the icy curling sheet firing a machine gun.

American Telly Savalas doesn't have the foreign accent of previous Blofelds, but he is totally convincing as a bully and megalomaniacal thug -- which is all Blofeld really is after all (and this lends credibility to his irrational desire to be recognized as the respectable Count Balthazar de Bleauchamp). It's also great to see Blofeld out there on the ski slopes pursuing Bond alongside his henchmen, and you can't help respect the character a little for this.

John Barry's score is one of his best (for a Bond or any other film) with a propulsive, stalwart title theme, as well as his most beautiful romantic melody of the series.

It's a pity Lazenby did not continue as Bond in more films. And I'm not afraid to say it -- he was a better Bond than Moore, Dalton or Brosnan. I think he would have gone on to become a very memorable interpreter of the role, and also would have helped prevent the films from getting as foolish as they did after Roger Moore took over the part.


Diamonds Are Forever

I can imagine the elation of Bond fans at the time, when they heard the news Sean Connery would be coming back to play Bond in Diamonds Are Forever. However, watching this film in historic context, even with Connery in the role, Diamonds Are Forever is a colossal lead balloon in the wake of OHMSS. This is the most un-Bond-like Bond film of all the early pictures. Despite Connery's absence from OHMSS, that film still felt more like the original Connery pictures than anything Diamonds Are Forever. For starters, DAF is much more silly than any previous Bond movie. In fact I submit it was DAF -- not Live And Let Die -- which marked the beginning of the "slapstick Bond" which marred so many of the the Roger Moore adventures.

Also, this film is much more "American" than any previous Bond film. I suppose I understand the producers' desire to appeal to American audiences, and I know Fleming's original story is set in Las Vegas, but Vegas is such a sleazy, low-class, un-Bond-like setting. It lacks the elegance and mistique of Monte Carlo or Monengro, where a spiffy gent like Bond is more at home. In previous films, Bond drove Bentleys and Aston Martins. In DaF he drives -- ugh -- a Ford Mustang. A Mustang is a car for rednecks and paunchy middle-aged men trying (and failing) to look cool -- not "the gentlemen agent with a licence to kill".

This film also has one of the worst teasers of the series. As much as the original Bond fans were miffed at the sight of George Lazenby cleaning-out Sean Connery's desk, I find it more difficult to accept Connery avenging the death of Lazenby's wife. Connery is so cool and detached -- he's not believable as a man avenging the death of his wife (further evidence he might not have been that stellar in OHMSS). And that horrible dubbing of the guy saying "Cairo!" doesn't even match-up with his mouth!

Nor does Connery's performance even seem much like the role he helped create. This Bond is certainly charming and funny, but gone is his lethal edge of the early films. Beyond that, Connery did nothing to get in shape for DaF. He is rather more overweight than he was in YOLT (maybe a Mustang was the appropriate car for him after-all! ), and overall doesn't seem too committed to the part. Tiffany Case is the also one of the worst Bond girls of the entire series, a whiny, unsympathetic airhead (which is really quite a step backwards considering the strength and intelligence of the girls in OHMSS and YOLT).

Taken on its own, Diamonds Are Forever is sufficiently entertaining. Bruce Glover and Putter Smith are funny as Kidd & Wint, Charles Grey's Blofeld is charming and droll (yet still dislikable), and there are some very entertaining moments -- the moon buggy chase, Q testing his gadget on slot machines, and the final comeuppance of Kidd & Wint. I also think this film has one of John Barry's best scores for the series, and its lengthy and well-developed cues make for a very enjoyable standalone recording (and expanded CD -- thanks again Lukas!). But for me this is the least enjoyable Bond picture up to that point.

On to the Moore era...