TV & Film Movie Lounge
- Thread starter Rosie1
- Start date
I was just at one of the websites where fans were posting opinions on the new "Star Wars" movies. Talk about heated discussions... people aren't disrespecting each other usually, which is good, but lots of them say that Disney (and, by extension, George Lucas- since he sold the rights) ruined the whole Star Wars universe.
I haven't seen it yet, but I plan to this week. Rian Johnson ruined The Last Jedi, IMHO, so I'm not sure how J.J. Abrams rectified things. I will find out, haha. Lucas ruined it when he did the wretched prequels. I've yet to watch two of the three because The Phantom Menace was so god-awful. Lucas lost his writing touch in that one. I keep being told to at least watch Revenge of the Sith, but I still haven't done it. Also, when Lucas rereleased the original trilogy, he added a bunch of useless scenes that (rightfully so) got cut. Everybody needs an editor!
Watched the new Scorsese/De Niro movie "The Irishman" on Netflix.
Not too bad, but ... there are some realities ... when De Niro was 30, he could easily play a figure at different ages, and he does it again in that movie.
However, now that he is 70, the character he depicts as 30-year-old looks like a 50-year-old with make up. So the movie does not work completely. Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa was great.
Not too bad, but ... there are some realities ... when De Niro was 30, he could easily play a figure at different ages, and he does it again in that movie.
However, now that he is 70, the character he depicts as 30-year-old looks like a 50-year-old with make up. So the movie does not work completely. Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa was great.
More on the CGI De-aging that was preformed on De Niro and Pacino in the movie:
Something else that came to my mind: The organized crime angle of US unions.
I am aware that there was heavy organized crime activity in US unions, but I am wondering what are the main reasons for that.
Is it that in America, even Union leaders can not do anything but buy into the "get rich" motto and greed permeating everything, so that to them, success does not mean good conditions for their members, but mainly their own financial success? My understanding is that this is not the same in most other countries, but maybe I do have an idolized view of unions.
Or is that sentiment one of the results of decades of American mainstream media vilifying unions to the point that they are - since Reagan - virtually powerless nowadays to fight for workers and keep capital owners in check? One may wonder.
When I watched the movie, my knowledge was still that Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance was one of the great unsolved riddles of the last century (with everybody agreeing that likely it had been a mob hit).
I was not even aware, and have since learned, that in 2003, the real-life Frank Sheeran (depicted in "The Irishman") supposedly confessed on his deathbed to Charles Brandt, who later wrought the book that is the basis of "The Irishman", that he had murdered him .
I was not even aware, and have since learned, that in 2003, the real-life Frank Sheeran (depicted in "The Irishman") supposedly confessed on his deathbed to Charles Brandt, who later wrought the book that is the basis of "The Irishman", that he had murdered him .
Something else that came to my mind: The organized crime angle of US unions.
I am aware that there was heavy organized crime activity in US unions, but I am wondering what are the main reasons for that.
Is it that in America, even Union leaders can not do anything but buy into the "get rich" motto and greed permeating everything, so that to them, success does not mean good conditions for their members, but mainly their own financial success? My understanding is that this is not the same in most other countries, but maybe I do have an idolized view of unions.
Or is that sentiment one of the results of decades of American mainstream media vilifying unions to the point that they are - since Reagan - virtually powerless nowadays to fight for workers and keep capital owners in check? One may wonder.
Last edited:
Chryssie
Internet Junkie
Hey everyone! I haven't posted in a while even though I have continued to check DVD's out from the library. Tonight I have to share this outstanding movie I just finished watching. War Horse which was released in 2011 and is a Steven Spielberg film is a great movie. It was nominated for several awards. I don't know how I missed watching this movie; probably because it is a war story (WWI), which I tend to avoid. But I got this after seeing a trailer on another DVD I had checked out. I love horses so I thought I would like it. It is a long movie over 2 hours but I didn't even realize that until I looked it up after I watched it. It is that good. But have the tissues ready as it is a huge tear-jerker! I cried through a good bit of the movie! I recommend it though!
One of Hitchcock's best masterpieces. Ingrid Bergman is absolutely gorgeous in this film.
(emphasis mine) I felt pretty much the same way about the "Star Trek" movies. I had always loved "Trek" on television (although there were a few episodes I had a problem with- such as the one when McCoy got accidentally sent back to Depression-era United States, and Spock and Kirk allowed an idealistic social worker to die rather than let McCoy save her). But the first movie prevented me from seeing another one in the theater for at least a decade.
I saw the first two prequels, but although I also hear that "Sith" is the best of them, I haven't seen it.
Tom, have you seen the 3 new StarTrek movies, also by JJ Abrams?
I think those were pretty good.
I think those were pretty good.
Chryssie
Internet Junkie
I have another movie to recommend. It is called Boy Erased and was released in 2018. It is about conversion therapy and based on a memoir by a young man who also stars in the movie. It was outstanding! Nicole Kidman and Russel Crowe star as the very religious (Dad is a lay preacher) parents of a teenage boy who is gay. Taking place in a small town in Arkansas, you can imagine what happens. Here is the real guy.
I agree that the Star Trek movies were hit and miss, though I did like a few of them. The reboot movie series has been pretty cool, though. I loved the first one the best, but two that followed were enjoyable as well. I hope there will be more.
Oh, and I finally saw The Rise of Skywalker, and I liked it tons better than the disaster that was The Last Jedi. The original trilogy will always be my favorite, but this extension was worth it, IMHO. I do wish some things would have been done differently, but for the most part, the movies were fun. I actually enjoyed the stand-alone movies in between the final three episodes as much, if not more, than the final episodes. They were better edited and flowed more crisply. I remember during The Last Jedi actually checking the time and wondering when it would be over. That had never happened during a Star Wars movie. The last one also needed an editor, but it wasn't as bloated with nonsense as the previous movie was.
Last edited:
I saw the first one (on my TV/DVD- I borrowed it), but I haven't seen the next two (yet). I liked it, but I think I was most impressed by Zachary Quinto's portrayal of Spock, even though I'd always liked Leonard Nimoy's take on the character. The only thing I definitely didn't like about the first reboot movie was the theme... too tragic-sounding.
Chryssie
Internet Junkie
Just finished another Academy Award and Golden Globe best picture of 2016 that I never heard of! How do I miss these movies? 
Moonlight is a deeply moving film about a young black man growing up in Miami. It explores many sensitive subjects such as sexuality and drugs and bullying. It was low key and beautiful. It won several awards.
Moonlight is a deeply moving film about a young black man growing up in Miami. It explores many sensitive subjects such as sexuality and drugs and bullying. It was low key and beautiful. It won several awards.
A good thriller with a gripping end. Alec Baldwin is so attractive in this film. I'd forgotten how he has changed. Demi Moore
is as usual ; inexpressive and dull.
That was a good movie. Hmm, I wonder whether I could get that at the library. I agree on Demi Moore. It's amazing the career she's had given that I don't think she's all that talented. I actually tolerated her in "A Few Good Men" along with Tom Cruise. Jack Nicholson stole that movie, IMHO.
Similar threads
