Rate The Last Movie You Saw

[dave jenkins]

Mountains May Depart (2015) - 6/10
The Hedonists (2016) - 8/10

Two from Zhangke Jia, a feature and a short, respectively. The first is set in three different periods: 1999, 2014, 2025. The story begins as a love triangle, which then collapses, sending each member of the triangle off on their individual paths. The short seems like it was originally intended as part of the feature (it includes one of the characters from MMD), but was edited out for time and other considerations. It has a lighter tone than MMD.

[T.H.]

The Last of Sheila (1973) - The rare movie where the second act stalls, but then completely recovers and rewards the viewer for sticking with it. Admittedly, I'm not the biggest fan of 'whodunits' since they all tend to be overlong, shallow and showy -- but this one is really good. It has a great cast with peak Raquel Welch, and this is probably much more rewarding on a re-watch than the typical 'whodunit', which generally lacks substance and halfway intriguing characters. B

Harper (1966) - While the twist at the end doesn't make a lick of sense, this is a good PI movie. What makes that statement even stranger is that the tone is off. It can be relatively dark at times, and then pretty damn campy at other points. There's this studio fake hip psychedelic element to some of the scenes in a couple clubs, but it's sort of charming. But compared to the authentic club scene in Point Blank from just a year later, this movie aged quickly. But that doesn't make it bad, it just doesn't make it The Long Goodbye. While Harper would have been better had it been made a few years earlier, or a few years later, its colorful 60's panavision technicolor look certainly has its appeal. As does a young Pamela Tiffin. The score on the other hand, does not.. B

[cigar joe]

L'a?n? des Faucheux literally "Old Man Faucheux" aka ( Magnet of Doom) (1963) Written and Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, and based on Georges Simenon's novel.

Jean-Pierre Melville made this between his more famous films Bob le Flambeur, Two Men in Manhattan, Le Doulos, and Le Deuxi?me Souffle, Le Samoura?, Army of Shadows, Le Cercle Rouge, and Un Flic. The Cinematography was by Henri Deca? and the Music was by Georges Delerue.

The film stars Jean-Paul Belmondo as Michel Maudet, Charles Vanel as Dieudonn? Ferchaux, Mich?le Mercier as Lou, the dancer, Malvina Silberberg as Lina, the Parisian, Stefania Sandrelli as Angie, the hitchhiker, Andrex as M. Andr?i, and Andr? Certes as ?mile Ferchaux.

Melville and Henri Deca? lovingly film noir touchstones, the neighborhoods under the Paris elevated Metro line 6, Manhattan's Broadway and Times Square, rundown tenements (Hoboken), roadside gas stations, lunch counters, bars, motels, New Orleans and Bourbon Street, strip joints. The interiors were most probably Studios Jenner Paris as were the Bayou house and Jeff's Bar. Some of roadside scenery is a bit to arid looking for the Eastern USA,  those were shot in Massif de l'Esterel, Provence, France  filling in for the US.

The film is a curiosity, it's a bit uneven, not one of the greats, but very watchable with some what is now gorgeous archival footage of places probably long gone. 6.5-7/10.

[titoli]

L'a?n? des Faucheux literally "Old Man Faucheux"

No, literally it means "the eldest of the Ferchaux". ()not Faucheaux, which, btw, means harvestman) Saw it in the '80's". Agree with the rating.

[cigar joe]

No, literally it means "the eldest of the Ferchaux". ()not Faucheaux, which, btw, means harvestman) Saw it in the '80's". Agree with the rating.

True but not how we would translate it into Americanese.

[titoli]

True but not how we would translate it into Americanese.

True is enough.

[dave jenkins]

The Last of Sheila (1973) - The rare movie where the second act stalls, but then completely recovers and rewards the viewer for sticking with it. Admittedly, I'm not the biggest fan of 'whodunits' since they all tend to be overlong, shallow and showy -- but this one is really good. It has a great cast with peak Raquel Welch, and this is probably much more rewarding on a re-watch than the typical 'whodunit', which generally lacks substance and halfway intriguing characters. B

This suffers from what all such films suffer from: the most interesting character is the first one killed. Thereafter there is a large hole in the story. The solution to the whodunit is not sufficient compensation for that.

Harper (1966) - While the twist at the end doesn't make a lick of sense, this is a good PI movie. What makes that statement even stranger is that the tone is off. It can be relatively dark at times, and then pretty damn campy at other points. There's this studio fake hip psychedelic element to some of the scenes in a couple clubs, but it's sort of charming. But compared to the authentic club scene in Point Blank from just a year later, this movie aged quickly. But that doesn't make it bad, it just doesn't make it The Long Goodbye. While Harper would have been better had it been made a few years earlier, or a few years later, its colorful 60's panavision technicolor look with high key lighting certainly has its appeal. As does a young Pamela Tiffin. The score on the other hand, does not.. B

The Drowning Pool is better.

[dave jenkins]

A Touch of Sin (2013) 7/10
I've been trying to see this one for years and finally caught it on Amazon Prime. Very good social western/thriller that gives you a great outlook at 2013 China. It's funny how class issues have been sneaking into (maybe it isn't the right word, let's say "flooding") international films over the past decade. I remove one point for the terrible dialogues (and no, it isn't a translation related issue, it's just poor and outdated writing).

A Touch of Sin (2013) - 5/10. Second viewing. Four discrete tales with Kieslowskian overlap, all ending in violence. I don't like any of the stories--it's like they were written by a very talented 14-year old--but as anthropological documents they are interesting. My favorite gag: the film is shot in 2.35:1, and at the midway point there's a shot of a really long snake slithering across the road. Ha! Not so much a touch of sin; rather, a touch of Lang.

[T.H.]

This suffers from what all such films suffer from: the most interesting character is the first one killed. Thereafter there is a large hole in the story. The solution to the whodunit is not sufficient compensation for that.

While you're not wrong, this is the rare whodunnit where I actually like all the characters. Or like them enough. I thought the last half hour was incredibly creative and more captivating than any reveal in something like The Hateful 8.

[Cusser]

No Time to Die 2021.  "Final" James Bond film, rate 7/10.

Somewhat too long - needed more precise editing to my untrained little mind.  I liked that some music was drawn from both Dr. No and On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

[dave jenkins]

Caliber 9 (1972) - 7/10. This film's got Frank Wolff, Luigi Pistilli, Mario Adorf (chewing scenery like nobody's business), Lionel Stander, and a huge block of wood called Gastone Moschin. It's also got a very stupid story (but with a good premise) and a cast of characters that do one stupid thing after another. However, it also has the most beautiful woman who has ever lived on this planet, Barbara Bouchet, and the dance routine she does at the 38-minute mark is what makes this film worth seeing. I hear there's a 2020 remake/sequel that also stars Barbara. I'm not sure I'm ready to see what she looks like after 50 years.

[T.H.]

I absolutely love Caliber 9, but it's been a while since I've last seen it. I still need to watch the second Di Leo set and re-watch the four in the first set.


Van Nuys Blvd. (1979) - One of those rush job 'written in one week and shot in two' kind of movies, and when factoring that in, this is sort of impressive in spite of all its flaws. While it doesn't take place in one night, this movie is basically the American Graffiti formula meets porky's 4 level of writing. But for an objectively not-good movie, there is certainly value. This is shockingly well directed. Director William Sachs knows how to shot in standard widescreen. There is a lot of reliance on low angle shots and just good framing in general. Then there's the time capsule element (a theme park, a disco, a Mel's drive-in type place), which gives this a bump. If you have a fondness for late 70's LA, then this will hold some value. Judging this for what it is, I like it, but I certainly don't recommend it to anyone here....unless Arizona Colt is lurking and reads this. But he's probably seen it. C-

[dave jenkins]

Columbus (2017) - 8/10. A lot like Jem Cohen's Museum Hours, but with architecture in place of paintings. Wide shots and conversation, with a locked-down camera. Beautiful compositions. With music by Hammock. The entirety of the film was shot in Columbus, Indiana, which I now realize is a pretty interesting place.

[dave jenkins]

Nebraska (2013) 5/10. This film has gorgeous b&w photography . . . and nothing else. The script doesn't rise to the level of an After School Special; the performances are all one-note (clearly, by design). The humor isn't funny. It's as if Alexander Payne decided to drop his usual approach and adopt the aesthetic of a Jarmusch or a Kaurismaki wannabe. Leave that to the experts, Mr. Payne.

After a re-watch (on amazon Prime for free) I'll have to disagree with Mr. Jenkins here. I found it hella funny. Yeah, it's kind of on the Jarmusch/Kaurismaki side of the spectrum. And maybe the ending is a little too precious and movie-like. But Bruce Dern is really good, as are all the supporting players. Most of the dialog is spot on. And the photography could not be any better. Don't know why I didn't enjoy this more nine years ago, but I guess I'm more receptive of this kind of humor now. 8/10.

[T.H.]

The Drowning Pool (1975) - An objectively better plot than Harper, or at the very least, a much more thought out conclusion to said plot. While part of me prefers the colorful mid 60's poppy charm of Harper, this is the better movie, and that water sequence is pretty damn clever when graded on a curve of all the 'James Bond's in danger, how does he escape' sequences. Great cast all around, Murray Hamilton is great as usual. B

Night Shift (1982) - A comedy without a lot of laughs (outside of Michael Keaton's character), but this is a charming movie. Shelley Long as a prostitute is a big stretch, but she does rather well for being so absurdly miscast. There's not much plot here, or logic, or great jokes, but it moves at a relatively fast pace and the characters are all likable. But it's also one of those movies you won't remember anything about in a year. D+

Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957) - For the budget, this is very effective: it's lean, mean and brief. For the time and money, or lack thereof, that went into the making of this movie, the special effects are impressive. The monsters could look a lot worse. I like Roger Corman more than the next person, I just wish his framing would have been a little more inspired, but that sort of goes against the Corman ethos. He didn't have time for that shit. C-