What Have You Watched Recently?

[mattingly]

Since it was released this week in 1988...

 

And I hear it might have some vague relation to our election process...

 

 

[Bazza]

Yep. Lots of people are following it to the letter. Independent thought escapes them. 

[Dr. MID-Nite]

Ultraman R/B and the R/B movie. As a tokusatsu fan, the chance to see all the Ultra shows in the States in subtitled format is very exciting.

[Pariah]

BBC America is showing a Sean Connery James Bond Marathon tonight. I caught the last few minutes of Dr. No, followed by From Russia with Love. They just started Goldfinger.

[DShomshak]

NOVA recently showed a two-parter on the history of writing: part one on the origin of writing in general and the alphabet in particular, and part two on the history of writing methods, leading to movable type. Good stuff for people who like world-building in depth. Like, how the available writing materials affect general literacy: Ancient Rome had libraries because papyrus from Egypt was cheap and easy to write upon quickly; but Medieval Europe was limited to parchment, which is far more resource-intensive to produce and can't be written on as quickly, so a book could take a year to copy and cost as much as a house. On such apparently little things can the whole shape of a society depend.

 

Dean Shomshak

[mattingly]

There's a blog called Shady Characters that delves into the history of punctuation.

They wrote a book about the history of the book. Good stuff.

 

[mattingly]

 

[Bazza]

Bill & Ted 2, & 3. 

[death tribble]

Vuelta a Espana highlights A shortened programme for the Spanish Grand Tour which was supposed to start in the Netherlands. Three days were shaved off making it 18 days instead of 21 and starting on a Tuesday. Some of the competitors of the Tour de France ended up here as well particularly Primoz Roglic who narrowly lost that race. Roglic was the defending Vuelta champion. Chris Froome was racing his final series for Ineos and was riding for Richard Carapaz who had also tried the Tour this year. Roglic ended up winning beating Carapaz by 24 seconds. But it was close all the way though in Autumnal rather than late Summer weather.

 

Seven Psychopaths Colin Farrell is a struggling writer whose friends have a dog napping business. This turns bad when they steal gangster Woody Harrelson's dog. This is fun. A bit odd but fun.

 

Paris When it Sizzles Audrey Hepburn and William Holden try to write a screenplay in two days which Holden has already been paid for and which the producer is due to collect. The film is littered with film in-jokes and terminology. Tony Curtis makes a guest appearance as does Noel Coward. I had never seen nor heard of this film before. Nice.

 

Hit ! Another film I had never heard of. Billy Dee Williams goes after a drug cartel in France after his daughter dies of an overdose. He recruits a myriad group to assassinate members of the cartel while someone tries to stop him by force. Williams character is CIA. Also stars Richard Pryor. This is worth a look.

 

Murders in the Rue Morgue This is a very loose adaptation of the Poe story with Herbert Lom playing a character closer to the Phantom of the Opera who kills people with acid. He killed his ex-partner's wife's mother some years ago and then committed suicide so how has he come back. I was absorbed by it but the the partner's wife was not that good. Jason Robards was the partner, Adolfo Celi was a French police inspector and Peter Arne was another detective while Michael Dunn was assisting Lom.

 

Murder on the Orient Express This is the latest version with Kenneth Brannagh directing and starring. I think the Albert Finney version is better.

[L. Marcus]

My Neighbour Totoro, and then Ponyo.

 

To cleanse the palate, they were followed up with Black Lagoon.

[death tribble]

I seem to be missing quite a few things from this year

 

Alien Covenant After sustaining damage a spaceship finds a signal from a planet and investigates with bad results for all involved. The latest in the Alien series. Michael Fassbinder plays two roles. The growth rate of the aliens is a bit iffy and the questionable decision making of the crew is also a bit of a problem.

 

Assassin's Creed This is the film version of the video game. It is not bad. There are good people in the cast but overall it is not involving.

 

The Brood This is an Oliver Reed horror film that I recall seeing trailers from on VHS videos but never saw the whole thing. A doctor's treatment causes a woman to birth monstrous children who kill anyone who upsets the woman. This causes problems for her family especially her husband and child. It was a simple but effective horror film.

 

Name of the Rose TV series. John Tuturro is William of Baskerville and Rupert Everett is Bernard Gui. The story is lengthened but otherwise is the same. It is very good and worth seeing.

 

Captain Scarlett A man returns to his home country to find it being oppressed by a noble. He fights back. It is alright although it has been criticised for anachronisms.

 

Don't Breathe Three friends break into a blind man's house and find a horrifying secret an then have to play cat and mouse with the man who can hear them very well. Worth seeing

[death tribble]

Dangerous Cargo A gang try to corrupt an airport employee so that they can get into the airport and steal bullion. The police arrange an ambush for them.

 

Dateline Diamonds A flimsy smuggling plot is attached to a film showing various pop acts performing. It is fun.

 

Fall of the House of Usher This is the 1950 version of the film and is ok. It is black and white.

 

Last Holiday An unassuming salesman is given a diagnosis that he has a terminal disease. He goes off to a posh hotel and acquires a suite of clothes that a deceased Lord had. He is mistaken for someone of some importance and helps other people in the hotel. It turns out he was misdiagnosed but is tragically killed going back to the hotel. It is an enjoyable film

 

Notorious This is the Hitchcock film with Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains. American agents are trying to infiltrate German emigres linked to the chemical giant IG Faben. Bergman's character's father was arrested for treachery to the US and thus she is tainted. This makes her ideal for the CIA as an ex love is one of the people they want to investigate. This is rewatchable.

 

One of our Aircraft is Missing After a bomber is damaged on a mission the crew evacuate only for the bomber to suddenly resume flying and crash land back in Britain. The crew are reunited on the ground and are aided by the local Dutch against the Germans. This is very good.

[death tribble]

Night Boat to Dublin British intelligence agents pursue leads after a German spy is executed. The trail leads to Ireland and back again. Robert Newton stars.

 

On the Fiddle This is an early Sean Connery film where he plays second fiddle to Alfred Lynch. Lynch is a schemer who ends up in the RAF rather than prison. He tries to enact all sorts of schemes with his sidekick Connery which end up backfiring when he comes up against an American schemer. The latter gets Lynch sent into the front line where despite himself, he and Connery distinguish themselves. Worth one look at least.

 

The Rogues TV series. This lasted only one season of 30 episodes and starred David Niven, Charles Boyer and Gig Young as related con-men who go after unscrupulous wealthy marks. Niven and Boyer were owners of the TV station and made the series and starred in it so that people bought it. it is not bad and you can see various people making guest appearances, Gig Young appears in most episodes as Niven and Boyer were still in demand.

 

Rotten to the Core Three crooks recently released from prison go to find their colleague who had been holding their money only to find he has died. Except he has not and is planning another larger robbery with many well known faces. The police also try to find and foil the gang. This is a comedy and involves Charlotte Rampling and Ian Bannen in early roles.

 

Scarlet Thread This is a robbery goes wrong film with Laurence Harvey as one of the crooks. After the robbery goes wrong the crooks take refuge in university grounds until they can make a getaway in the evening. And yes it goes wrong.

 

Small Hotel A waiter in a hotel finds his lifestyle under threat when the regional manager tries to replace him with a more efficient waitress. Naturally he turns the table on them. A period piece. 

[death tribble]

Slipknot: Unmasked All Out Life The band perform and are interviewed by the BBC. It covered all their albums with a track off each. Very good if you like the band.

 

Star Trek Discovery Season 1. This is the latest Star Trek series and benefits from Michelle Yeoh as a guest star. I am not so sure about how the Klingons look. But I have seen worse.

 

Stargate It took me until this year to see this film with Spader and Russell creating the roles that were later adapted into the TV series. It is good and I will watch it again.

 

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri This is the Oscar winning film which has a widow post adverts on billboards after the police fail to find her daughter's killer. The sheriff who is dying of cancer finds it amusing and so lets it go but other people in the town and a deputy try to take action. Just see it. Brilliant.

 

The Toughest Horserace in the world: The Pailo This is a documentary about the horse race which is run twice a year in the Italian city of Siena. There are 17 districts in the city and only ten can compete in the race. Those who miss the first Pailo compete in the second plus three others who are voted on. It looks at the tactics of a race that lasts only 90 seconds around the centre of the city and one jockey who is trying to break the record for the most wins. And the rivalry of former participants. It is fascinating. 

 

You're Next A family gathering goes South as masked assailants attack the house and start killing the family. What the attackers do not know is that one of the guests has survival training. A cat and mouse game then develops. This is a horror worth seeing. 

[Spence]

While I can come nowhere near death tribble in the consumption of movies and TV, I did watch some K-Drama.

 

Kill it – veterinarian by day, assassin otherwise. Series

Cold Eyes – a police special investigation/surveillance team that identifies and locates criminals.  Movie

Search – Korean military on the South/North Korea DMZ are pulled into a deadly situation that is not what they expect. Series

 

The shows are pretty good and I would recommend them.

[death tribble]

The Magic Christian This is a cult film with Peter Sellers as an eccentric billionaire who adopts Ringo Starr. They do various things to outrage and upset their social equals using bribery. There are a good few guest stars like Yul Brynner, Laurence Harvey, Raquel Welch and Christopher Lee. This is a film that will confuse people and it is not for everyone. But it is worth a look.

 

A Most Violent Year This is about the owner of a company that transports oil. The trucks are being attacked and hijacked. The owner is also trying to buy a fuel oil terminal and needs the money for it. He also finds himself under investigation by the District Attorney's Office. The film is set in New York in 1981. Again well worth a look.

 

Nomads This is a Pierce Brosnan film where he plays an anthropologist who studies nomad culture. However he dies in hospital and the doctor who is attending him, Lesley Anne Down, begins experiencing his memories. And the nomads he is investigating are decidedly odd. See once as a curiosity. Whether you want to see it again is dependent on what you think of it,

 

Operation Bullshine During the war an artillery officer suddenly finds his wife has been assigned to the same formation. This is contrary to regulations. There are quite a few women in the formation who fancy said officer and husband and wife do not let on at first that they are married. A bit dated

 

Our Girl Friday Joan Collins and Kenneth More star in a film about survivors of a shipwreck who end up on a desert island. The three men try to form a protocol with regards to the only woman present which naturally breaks down. Again dated.

 

Sea Devils Rock Hudson plays a smuggler who becomes involved with a spy trying to find out what Napoleon is doing. Yvonne De Carlo plays the woman.

[death tribble]

20 minutes ago, Spence said:

While I can come nowhere near death tribble in the consumption of movies and TV, I did watch some K-Drama.

I was remiss in not posting some of these earlier in the year. I try and get them into batches of black and white and colour before posting. But I keep the diary up to date.

 

King Creole He could sing but who knew Elvis could also act ? There is a good support cast with Walter Matthau, Dean Jagger, Vic Morrow and Carolyn (Morticia Addams) Jones supporting him. well worth seeing.

 

The Spy Who Came in From The Cold Richard Burton plays Alec Leamas who is station head of West Berlin. After his best agent is killed Leamas id recalled to London to be briefed by Control and Smiley about setting up East Germany's spyhunter chief. The East Germans recruit him after he loses his job and is arrested for assault. The film follows the book an is a much more sober affair than any Bon picture. It is also quite bleak. But well worth it.

 

The Square Ring This is about boxers preparing for a night of bouts. One is a former champion attempting a comeback, one is going to throw his fight, one is punch drunk and another is having his first professional fight. It is a tragic-comic drama piece. Worth a look. It is a British rather than American film.

 

Tread Softly Stranger This is a Diana Dors film where two brothers team up to rob one's workplace in order to cover the debts of one and fraud of the other. Predictably things go wrong and someone dies. But will they get away with it ? 

 

What A Whopper Some friends try to fake a picture of the Loch Ness Monster. A comedy.

 

The Yangtze Incident The film version of how HMS Yangtze came under fire in China and then had to get down river to safety. Flag waving but still very good. Richard Todd plays the officer sent into take over the ship after their senior officers are taken out by shell fire.

[death tribble]

When I said I had a backlog of films and TV, I meant it. Here are more of them

 

Appointment with Crime This is a revenge crime drama starring William Hartnell who became the first Dr Who. Hartnell's character is part of a robbery gang who is injured and captured during a botched smash and grab robbery. After serving time he comes out only to be rebuffed by his accomplices so with his rebuilt wrists he goes after the other members of the gang. Dated but worth seeing once.

 

Assignment Redhead This is about a counterfeiter coming to London from Berlin. He has already killed an army officer and taken his place and is forced to kil one of the other passengers on the plane when they reach London as his photo is taken. The redhead is a woman on the flight who is in league with the crooks. Army intelligence is soon on the case and trying to catch the bad guys. See at least once.

 

Be My Guest This is a follow up to the previous musical film Live It Up ! and stars David Hemmings and Steve Marriott (of the Small Faces). Hemmings family moves to the coast and takes over a bed and breakfast hotel. Meanwhile Hemmings still tries to make it in music.

 

Beat Girl This is a drama about an architect's family as the father has remarried and his daughter resents his new French wife. There are quite a few well known names in the cast who would go on to have major careers including Nigel Green, Christopher Lee, Oliver Reed and Shirley Anne Field. Worth one look.

 

The Big Lift This is a film about the Berlin airlift made in 1950 and using contemporary footage of Berlin. Montgomery Clift stars. Mostly for history fans.

 

The Blue Dahlia This is an original screenplay by Raymond Chandler and stars Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. Ladd plays an aviator returning home to a faithless wife whose murder is the main plot of the film. Well worth rewatching.

 

[death tribble]

But wait there is more. Much more. Oh my aching fingers !

 

Auschwitz, The Nazies and The Final Solution This is the BBC series about how the death camp was set up and run and how the Germans went about the 'solution to the Jewish problem'. Chilling as it is shot documentary style.

 

Battle of the Sexes This is the 2017 film about the 1973 tennis match between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King. It also shows what led up to it as women were being paid poorly and so set up the WTA Tour. Riggs was a gambler and that threatened his marriage.. Emma Stone is very good as King. You don't need to be a tennis fan to enjoy this.

 

The Constant Husband Rex Harrison wakes up in a Welsh village with no memory. With a psychologist it transpires he is married. But then it turns out that he has married several times without divorciong which means he ends up in court. This is supposed to be a comedy.

 

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes When I did a write up about 'War...' I mentioned that I had recorded but not watched Dawn yet. And then I did not do a write up. One of the chimpanzees working with Caeser becomes the main villain in this with a climatic fight on a construction sight at the top of a skyscraper. If you like Rise.. or War.. you'll like this. Gary Oldman is a primary human antagonist. Andy Serkis plays Caeser.

 

Double Impact This is the Jean Claude Van Damme film where he plays twins separated in Hong Kong when the parents are murdered. One is brought up in the States and the other on the streets of the city.

Mindless fun.

 

Friends of Eddie Coyle Robert Mitchum plays a down on his luck informer that ATF agent Richard Jordon is leaning on. Peter Boyle plays a fellow crook and friend of Mitchum. Worth a look.

[death tribble]

Catch Us if You Can This is director John Boorman's first film and features The Dave Clark Five. The film is named after one of their hits. It is supposed to be zany but they don't have the charisma of The Beatles.

 

The Creature from The Black Lagoon This was a 1950s 3D horror film. Certain scenes which this was built for look a bit lame today. However the film holds up as evidence of a fishman is uncovered in the Amazon and scientists try to determine the truth but run across a living specimen. The look is iconic. I have seen this more than once and can happily watch it again.

 

The Desperate Hours This is the 1955 film of this name and was one of Bogart's last. A trio of escaped convicts hold up in a suburban home. Tense.

 

Dick Tracy This is the 1945 version and the detective is chasing a serial killer. Short and sweet

 

Dick Tracy vs Cueball This is a sequel to the 1945 film and Cueball was invented for the film. This is much better than the prior film as the villain chases a diamonds.

 

Don't Talk to Strange Men This is an 1962 film and oddly prescient of grooming as a girl waiting for a bus answers the phone in a call box. Can be uncomfortable viewing.

[death tribble]

Duffy This is a comedy where James Fox hires James Coburn to rob his father James Mason. Made in 1968 this has a twist towards the end but it is a tad dated. However as Coburn is in it you can see it again.

 

Fast and Furious 8 or The Fate of the Furious Vin Diesel is forced back into criminality by cyberterrorist Charlize Theron. His team and Hobbs (The Rock) go after both of them with Jason Statham back as well after escaping prison. If you like the franchise, you'll like this.

 

Five Guns West This is a Western where men due to be hanged are offered the chance to live if they go after a traitor and stolen gold. They end up at a homestead fighting and dying over a woman.

 

Funny Face Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn in a musical romantic comedy. Fred is a photographer who convinces his employer that Hepburn will be the coming look and they take her off to Paris. Charming.

 

Geraint Thomas: The Road Will Decide This is about Geraint Thomas trying to win the 2019 Tour de France and follows what happens over a hour long documentary. I t=really liked this.

 

Go to Blazes This is a comedy where thieves try to decide on the ideal escape vehicle that the police would not be able to stop and choose a fire engine. Complications ensue when they have to impersonate firemen and fall in with the employees of a  fashion house which is next to a bank

[death tribble]

What more ? Well I have been slack.

 

Burma Victory This is a documentary film about the end of the war in Burma. This is the British version as agreement about emphasis led to Americans making their own version.

 

Cash on Demand This is a crime thriller where a bogus insurance investigator forces a bank manager to assist him in robbing his own bank. Peter Cushing plays the bank manager. 

 

The Flying Scot This is about a robbery on a train that yet again goes wrong.

 

The Primitives A group of entertainers supplement their income as International Jewel Thieves. Short and sweet.

 

River Beat The police are trying to crack a smuggling operation that uses the Thames while the criminals remove any weak links. This is a 1954 film so relies on tech and methods of the time.

 

Shoulder Arms This is the Charlie Chaplin silent film where he plays a soldier in WW1. Apart from life in camp and in the trenches he goes over the top and even catches the Kaiser until woken from his dream by colleagues.

[mattingly]

A Space Program. Two women go to Mars on a homemade spaceship. Strange and endearing. Reminded me a bit of Dave Made a Maze.

 

Trailer here. Free to watch on Kanopy if you have a library card.

 

[death tribble]

Rudy Rudolph Valentino This is a documentary about the silent film star Valentino and concentrates on his life once he started making films including his return to Italy. Fascinating as he still an icon today.

 

S Is for Stanley This is a documentary about Stanley Kubrick and is seen via his relationship with his chauffeur who was Italian.

 

Viva Max This is the sort of film that could not be made today. Peter Ustinov plays a Mexican general who seizes the Alamo with his men.

 

Wind River An Indian woman is found dead and the police and Federal agents try to find out who was responsible. The film looks at a serious problem that dead Indians and missing Indians are not looked at properly.

 

Widows season 1. A heist on a security van goes wrong and the robbers are killed. Their wives come under pressure to help either the police or crooks moving in on them. They decide to do the job that their husbands were attempting. Only the planner is still alive and planning his next move. This was written by Linda la Plante who also did Prime Suspect. This was a female take on a male dominated world.

 

Wonderful Life This is a Cliff Richard film with the Shadows where they are kicked off a ship and get work on a film. Not as rewatchable as Summer Holiday.

[death tribble]

Sea of Sand This film is about a Long Range Desert Group raid on a German fuel dump prior to the Battle of El-Alamein.

 

The Secret Man A scientist at a research station is recruited to find spies who may be operating in the are and in London.

 

She Played With Fire An insurance investigator looking at a claim finds a woman who he was once romantically involved with is now married to the person making the claim. Jack Hawkins plays the investigator.

 

Station Six-Sahara A couple crash at an oil station in the Sahara desert  As the woman is attractive it inflames passions in the men. See once.

 

Thunder in the East Alan Ladd plays a smuggler caught up with Colonials who are on the verge of leaving when armed resistance threatens them all.

 

The True Glory This is a documentary made as the war finished in Europe introduced by General Eisenhower. Multiple perspectives are used apart from army staff and both men and women feature. One of a number of documentaries about the war on the Talking Pictures channel.