Last movie you saw?

Started by tmw89, December 27, 2012, 03:03:47 AM

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Ben

Quote from: Mithrandylan on January 02, 2013, 11:11:05 PM
I've actually watched a lot of movies lately.

Today the wife and I saw the Hobbit.

Last night we watched (in order) Sling Blade, Dr. Strangelove and The Thin Red Line.  All Blu Rays I'd had for a while and hadn't gotten around to watching.  Three of my favorite movies, in fact.  The Thin Red Line Blu Ray was the Criterion Collection edition.  I look forward to exploring it some more.

Also watched recently The Road (blu ray) and Gangs of New York (blu ray)

That was a major let down. I think it was after that movie Scorcese said he would only make documentaries.

tmw89

Intriguing, Ben - I quite liked Gangs.  Thought it captured the "alien" feel of the past much better than most period films.
Quote from: Bishop WilliamsonThe "promise to respect" as Church law the New Code of Canon Law is to respect a number of supposed laws directly contrary to Church doctrine.

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http://tradblogs.blogspot.com

NOW OPEN:  A new Trad forum featuring Catholic books, information, and discussion!

Mithrandylan

Quote from: tmw89 on January 03, 2013, 06:32:13 PM
Intriguing, Ben - I quite liked Gangs.  Thought it captured the "alien" feel of the past much better than most period films.

I agree.  I'm going to provide some minor spoilers, followed by some major ones.  Read at your own risk.

That said, Gangs isn't without it's problems.  There was definitely some Catholic inaccuracy... like CITH in those catacombs, with a completely fabricated communion prayer (though it was pretty cool pre-battle, nonetheless) "May God put the steel of the Holy Spirit [SPIRIT?!?] in your spine and the love of the Blessed Virgin in your heart"  Sounds pretty good when pronounced with a nice Irish lilt, though. 

It appears, though from some angles this could be disputed, that the priest in the catacombs was offering mass (or at least the elevation) versus populum... then there's the issue of the movie opening with Liam Neeson saying the St Michael prayer... in 1846 (think about that one for a second).

As far as the scene where it appears characters are receiving CITH, it is odd because there is a later scene where the main Irish characters are quite reverently receiving communion on the tongue.

Then there's the ridiculously campy line of Liam Neeson (in response to DDL's "may the Christian God guide my hand against your roman popery!) of "PREPARE TO RECEIVE THE TRUE LORD!" and then pulls his sword and charges into battle... ugh

Leo's character was not well developed.  He throws his bible into the river when he leaves Hellgate.  Now, one could say that he did this because Hellgate was obviously a protestant boarding school and it reasons they gave him a protestant bible (this does logically follow) and a self respecting Irish Catholic wouldn't be caught dead with a prot bible, but he was only like seven years old when he went to Hellgate, which raises the question of how he could, for sixteen years, maintain any Catholic sentiment and even KNOW that there were different "versions" of scripture... plus, he sincerely hugs the Reverend when he leaves... and then RIGHT after he throws the bible in the river, he's seen praying the St Michael prayer... I mean, c'mon this is not well thought out.

Then Leo talks about "Always hating the harbor after dark..." how?  You've been in a boarding school since you were 7.  Were you looting many ferry boats at this age?  Or his narrative about all the different kinds of criminals in the five points.  We're getting a narrative from someone who DIDN'T grow up in the five points... while he could easily come across this information from the crew he's now running with, this gangster lifestyle-- whatever his propensity could have been to it due to his early childhood and fiery Irish personality-- is largely alien to him.  His gangster savvy seems out of place for someone who spent his entire practical life in a protestant boarding school.

And the ending sucks.  It leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  The movie does it's best to build up tension between the natives and the Irish, between Catholics and masons/prots/politicians and completely abandons it at the last second for some "unified American" bullsh. 

How does the final scene climax?  With your two main characters fighting it to the death?  NO.  They try to, but the canon fire from the navy interrupts, one of them gets shrapeneled and the other finishes him off.  THEN Leo is narrating at the end about how many dead there were, and that it didn't matter whether they were rabbits, natives, whatever... it didn't matter?  Then what did I just spend the first two hours watching?  Then close with U2's "these are the hands that built America..."  No thanks. 

I LIKE the movie.  But some things in it were just wrong. 
Ps 135

Quia in humilitáte nostra memor fuit nostri: * quóniam in ætérnum misericórdia eius.
Et redémit nos ab inimícis nostris: * quóniam in ætérnum misericórdia eius.
Qui dat escam omni carni: * quóniam in ætérnum misericórdia eius.
Confitémini Deo cæli: * quóniam in ætérnum misericórdia eius.
Confitémini Dómino dominórum: * quóniam in ætérnum misericórdia eius.

For he was mindful of us in our affliction: * for his mercy endureth for ever.
And he redeemed us from our enemies: * for his mercy endureth for ever.
Who giveth food to all flesh: * for his mercy endureth for ever.
Give glory to the God of heaven: * for his mercy endureth for ever.
Give glory to the Lord of lords: * for his mercy endureth for ever.

-I retract any and all statements I have made that are incongruent with the True Faith, and apologize for ever having made them-

Mithrandylan

Actually, the worst part of the movie was Cameron Diaz.  You could have completely removed her from the movie and not only would you have had to do next to zero re-writing, it would have been significantly better.
Ps 135

Quia in humilitáte nostra memor fuit nostri: * quóniam in ætérnum misericórdia eius.
Et redémit nos ab inimícis nostris: * quóniam in ætérnum misericórdia eius.
Qui dat escam omni carni: * quóniam in ætérnum misericórdia eius.
Confitémini Deo cæli: * quóniam in ætérnum misericórdia eius.
Confitémini Dómino dominórum: * quóniam in ætérnum misericórdia eius.

For he was mindful of us in our affliction: * for his mercy endureth for ever.
And he redeemed us from our enemies: * for his mercy endureth for ever.
Who giveth food to all flesh: * for his mercy endureth for ever.
Give glory to the God of heaven: * for his mercy endureth for ever.
Give glory to the Lord of lords: * for his mercy endureth for ever.

-I retract any and all statements I have made that are incongruent with the True Faith, and apologize for ever having made them-

tmw89

Dylan, although it has been a while since I watched my Blu-ray of Gangs I generally agree with your criticisms.  Didn't remember the CITH!  In fact, upon further reflection, I think the movie is good almost in spite of itself.  But given the plot holes you mention... yes, I maintain it is a success in conveying the aforementioned "alien" FEEL of that time, especially compared to our own.  Scorsese and other "film school era" film-makers generally succeed in getting the "feel" of their movies right, if leaving a plot that serves only to develop and navigate the "feel."
Quote from: Bishop WilliamsonThe "promise to respect" as Church law the New Code of Canon Law is to respect a number of supposed laws directly contrary to Church doctrine.

---

http://tradblogs.blogspot.com

NOW OPEN:  A new Trad forum featuring Catholic books, information, and discussion!

Mithrandylan

Tommydubsmachine,

That is a very good way of putting it.  The movie is good in spite of itself.

Our internet has been woefully slow and have not been able to use youtube for about two weeks.  Here is the opening scene from Gangs, and it should have the instance I'm talking about, though I don't know at what part since I can't watch it-- I'd imagine about halfway through the clip.  Look for Liam Neeson and John C Reilly to take communion in the hand-- though it is not the way you might see it in NO churches, they kind of yank the Host (which seems to be leavened).  It all happens very fast.  Perhaps it wasnt' communion at all, but considering that it comes immediately after what appears to be a celebration of Holy Mass (also, tell me if it looks to you like the mass in this scene is versus populum) then it would seem to be Holy Communion.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zo6iOotaJA[/yt]
Ps 135

Quia in humilitáte nostra memor fuit nostri: * quóniam in ætérnum misericórdia eius.
Et redémit nos ab inimícis nostris: * quóniam in ætérnum misericórdia eius.
Qui dat escam omni carni: * quóniam in ætérnum misericórdia eius.
Confitémini Deo cæli: * quóniam in ætérnum misericórdia eius.
Confitémini Dómino dominórum: * quóniam in ætérnum misericórdia eius.

For he was mindful of us in our affliction: * for his mercy endureth for ever.
And he redeemed us from our enemies: * for his mercy endureth for ever.
Who giveth food to all flesh: * for his mercy endureth for ever.
Give glory to the God of heaven: * for his mercy endureth for ever.
Give glory to the Lord of lords: * for his mercy endureth for ever.

-I retract any and all statements I have made that are incongruent with the True Faith, and apologize for ever having made them-

Bonaventure

Put not your trust in princes, in sons of men in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs he returns to his earth; on that very day his plans perish.

totiusque

The Odd Life of Timothy Green .... Oddly not as entertaining as I thought it would be.
"Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent."
—St John of the Cross

Lyubov

I'm not sure if it counts as a movie, but I'm currently re-watching I, Claudius. It's kind of sad when you can still remember all the lines in a 13-hour miniseries.
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Ben

Quote from: Lyubov on January 04, 2013, 03:41:47 AM
I'm not sure if it counts as a movie, but I'm currently re-watching I, Claudius. It's kind of sad when you can still remember all the lines in a 13-hour miniseries.

Brian Blessed's in that. Whenever I see him I think of A. L. Rowse's contemptuous characterization of C.S. Lewis as a "big, beefy, beery man."

Ben

Quote from: tmw89 on January 03, 2013, 06:32:13 PM
Intriguing, Ben - I quite liked Gangs.  Thought it captured the "alien" feel of the past much better than most period films.

I disliked it for some of the reasons Mithrandylan mentioned, but it was also just poor all around. It looked stagey and I wasn't impressed with the sets. Add all of these up and I was trying not to fall asleep.

Lyubov

Quote from: Ben on January 04, 2013, 11:20:49 AM
Quote from: Lyubov on January 04, 2013, 03:41:47 AM
I'm not sure if it counts as a movie, but I'm currently re-watching I, Claudius. It's kind of sad when you can still remember all the lines in a 13-hour miniseries.

Brian Blessed's in that. Whenever I see him I think of A. L. Rowse's contemptuous characterization of C.S. Lewis as a "big, beefy, beery man."

I love Brian Blessed. The person I was watching with questioned his acting skills. :(

In one of my university classes, we watched a documentary about Napoleon's invasion of Russia that was narrated by Brian Blessed. :)
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Ben

Quote from: Lyubov on January 04, 2013, 11:24:47 AM
Quote from: Ben on January 04, 2013, 11:20:49 AM
Quote from: Lyubov on January 04, 2013, 03:41:47 AM
I'm not sure if it counts as a movie, but I'm currently re-watching I, Claudius. It's kind of sad when you can still remember all the lines in a 13-hour miniseries.

Brian Blessed's in that. Whenever I see him I think of A. L. Rowse's contemptuous characterization of C.S. Lewis as a "big, beefy, beery man."

I love Brian Blessed. The person I was watching with questioned his acting skills. :(

In one of my university classes, we watched a documentary about Napoleon's invasion of Russia that was narrated by Brian Blessed. :)

I do too! The hammier the actor the more I like them. He could have a career just doing voice-over work.

Hat And Beard

In honor of Django Reinhardt as this is the month of his birthday(Djangoary, as some folks call it):

Bonaventure

Put not your trust in princes, in sons of men in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs he returns to his earth; on that very day his plans perish.