TV/Movies Megathread

[HVC]

Fed in the pretension of critics? BW is artistic and what not.

[celedhring]

Fed in the pretension of critics? BW is artistic and what not.

Not in 1960. It was still commonly used in Hollywood. Movies didn't fully transition to color until TV did.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

Finally watched The Hunt For Red October. 

It's a good film.

[grumbler]

Finally watched The Hunt For Red October. 

It's a good film.

HFRO was a good movie and the best Clancy adaptation.  It played up the silliness of Clancy's books, which the others did not.

[Syt]

I was assuming the "banned" was because I hadn't watched it yet, since it used to be somewhat oft quoted (well, by CdM, at least, IIRC) on this forum.

Also, not having read any Clancy books (not really into spy thrillers and such) - how much of the silliness was intentional?

[Josquius]

I've always found interesting that the same year Psycho made so much bank while Peeping Tom destroyed Powell's career. Hitchcock struck the right balance (for the time) between titillation and creepiness. Possibly cultural differences between the UK and the US, too, regarding this kind of material (I'm speculating here).

Yeah I think the reaction to Peeping Tom cause Hitchcock to cancel press screenings which may also be part of it. Psycho became a hit and was then reviewed, Peeping Tom was destroyed by the critics before anyone had a chance to see it (and often on very morally outraged grounds).

Although I do find them very different. I'm talking myself into a re-watch but from memory I found Peeping Tom vastly more creepy and unsettling - and I'm not sure why. It's definitely helped by not having the last ten minutes of Psycho where the analyst explains it all, but I think even through the film it puts you more on edge.

Color vs B/W - I think if Psycho had been a color film it would have gone over much like Peeping Tom. Also I recall Peeping Tom (I'm speaking a bit from memory here, it's been a while) using more grotesque imagery, plus the use of PoV.

IIRC does not Psycho wait until pretty deep in the film before there's a killing, there's a long slow build up to it, whilst Peeping Tom opens up with one?
I do think this could be a factor.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

I was assuming the "banned" was because I hadn't watched it yet, since it used to be somewhat oft quoted (well, by CdM, at least, IIRC) on this forum.

Bingo.  It's probably my favorite movie of all time.

[Barrister]

So, I'm watching Mrs Davies - and enjoying it - but there's this episode where they supposedly travel to Rome. The episode is shot in Barcelona, which very much can't pass as Rome if you have any sense of Rome as a city, and one of the key plotpoints is that the protagonist has to acquire what they call a "King's cake" in a local bakery - which is revealed to be a Spanish roscón de reyes, very much NOT an Italian thing.

I hate when yank shows do this kind of thing -- "I don't know... it's Europe! Look... European stuff!·" 

Just as a flip side - I remember watching the movie Angels & Demons, staring Tom Hanks and based on the Dan Brown book.

It is not a very good movie.

But it was set in Rome, filmed in Rome, and its very Roman-ness just shone through, so it was enjoyable in a travelogue sort of way.

[viper37]

Finally watched The Hunt For Red October. 

It's a good film.

HFRO was a good movie and the best Clancy adaptation.  It played up the silliness of Clancy's books, which the others did not.

Sillyness? What sillyness?  Everything was so realistic!
Up to the ending of having a submarine sail in a bay like no one would be watching.  

[The Minsky Moment]

Finally watched The Hunt For Red October. 

It's a good film.

HFRO was a good movie and the best Clancy adaptation. 

Detailed and realistic cinematic treatment that had tragic consequences in real life, as a panicked Soviet high command dismissed all Scotsmen from the Soviet Navy.

[crazy canuck]

I saw it in the movie theater on release.  It was very enjoyable.  All you sticklers for realism can go join the debate about how many candles should appear in fantasy shows. 

[Josquius]

I saw it in the movie theater on release.  It was very enjoyable.  All you sticklers for realism can go join the debate about how many candles should appear in fantasy shows. 

Who did you go with?
FDR and King George IV?

[crazy canuck]

I saw it in the movie theater on release.  It was very enjoyable.  All you sticklers for realism can go join the debate about how many candles should appear in fantasy shows. 

Who did you go with?
FDR and King George IV?

 

I went with the future Mrs. CC.  She also enjoyed the movie, which was an early Green Flag that it was meant to be.   

[Maladict]

So, I'm watching Mrs Davies - and enjoying it - but there's this episode where they supposedly travel to Rome. The episode is shot in Barcelona, which very much can't pass as Rome if you have any sense of Rome as a city, and one of the key plotpoints is that the protagonist has to acquire what they call a "King's cake" in a local bakery - which is revealed to be a Spanish roscón de reyes, very much NOT an Italian thing.

I hate when yank shows do this kind of thing -- "I don't know... it's Europe! Look... European stuff!·" 

Just as a flip side - I remember watching the movie Angels & Demons, staring Tom Hanks and based on the Dan Brown book.

It is not a very good movie.

But it was set in Rome, filmed in Rome, and its very Roman-ness just shone through, so it was enjoyable in a travelogue sort of way.

Terrible movie, terrible book. Watch The Great Beauty if you're looking for an ode to Rome.

[Barrister]

So, I'm watching Mrs Davies - and enjoying it - but there's this episode where they supposedly travel to Rome. The episode is shot in Barcelona, which very much can't pass as Rome if you have any sense of Rome as a city, and one of the key plotpoints is that the protagonist has to acquire what they call a "King's cake" in a local bakery - which is revealed to be a Spanish roscón de reyes, very much NOT an Italian thing.

I hate when yank shows do this kind of thing -- "I don't know... it's Europe! Look... European stuff!·" 

Just as a flip side - I remember watching the movie Angels & Demons, staring Tom Hanks and based on the Dan Brown book.

It is not a very good movie.

But it was set in Rome, filmed in Rome, and its very Roman-ness just shone through, so it was enjoyable in a travelogue sort of way.

Terrible movie, terrible book. Watch The Great Beauty if you're looking for an ode to Rome.

So I literally said "It is not a very good movie".

But it is still a Ron Howard movie starring Tom Hanks.  It's very competently made, and Hanks is always watchable.  But yes the story is stupid.  Enjoy it for being a movie all about Rome and it's history.