What Movie Are You Watching Or Watched Today?

[O'Blivion]

I was in a G.W. Pabst mood...last night I watched Abwege(aka The Devious Path) (1928) and started Pandora's Box (1929). Louise Brooks is superb as Lulu in the latter. And both films display a naturalistic style of acting which strikes me as hyper-modern in relation to the sort of overacting usually found in silent films.




Brigitte Helm, star of Fritz Lang's Metropolis, is outstanding in Abwege,
a film which features a delirious trip to a Weimar Republic nightspot
where vice of all sorts is on display.

[philipchevron]

Rome - Season One (HBO, 2005)

I missed chunks of this while it was being broadcast, so it was a treat to just watch the whole thing at once. The attention to historical detail lifts it above the usual sword 'n' sandals epics and the fact that the main characters are a Centurion, Lucius Vorenus, and his buddy, Legionnaire Titus Pullo [apparently the only two soldiers Julius Caesar mentioned by name in his writings] gives it a perfectly-judged axis: all military, social, political and domestic power relationships, both above and below the soldier class, are viewed against what we know of Rome from the story of the two men as they negotiate their way through the Late Republic, before the Roman Empire. Behind all this, the story of the conflict between Pompey and Caesar and the implications it has for the lives and careers of Brutus, Cassius, Cicero and the rest, seems all the more deeply rooted in a code of ethics and morality which owed nothing to the Judeo-Christian values we take for granted but was nevertheless probably a more superstitious society than we've ever seen since.

The DVD set has a brilliant feature in which, in place of subtitles (which are also an option), historical fact banners prepared by the series' historical consultant periodically pop up on screen, enormously interesting and helpful in explaining some of the more arcane Roman practices. Succint and brief, they never get in the way of the show itself.

I've started Season Two (2007) but four episodes in, I am findiing it less of an unalloyed joy. Though Vorenus and Pullo are still at the forefront, they are messier, less focussed characters, Vorenus becoming a sort of proto Mafia don and Pullo a happily married man. But I really miss Caesar (Ciaran Hinds, mown down in the Senate at the end of the last series) and, as Pompey checked out halfway through Season One, the more prominent Marc Antony (James Purefoy) has less to work against. The seeds have been laid down of later conflicts with Cleopatra, a now adult Octavian, and Brutus, but at the moment, Antony's biggest challenge comes from his mistress Atia (mother of Octavian) and Caesar's ex mistress Servilla (mother of Brutus), and these fall somewhat short of the standard set in the first series for reclaiming Rome's powerful women from the margins of the Republic's history.

[firehazard]

Rome - Season One (HBO, 2005)

... I really miss Caesar (Ciaran Hinds, mown down in the Senate at the end of the last series) ...

I loved Rome when it was shown on TV. It's worth sticking with to the end, even though it never hits the heights of Season One. But I did find myself sort of wishing that they'd tweaked historical accuracy so that we could keep Ciaran Hinds in the second series...

That "historical banner" feature of the DVD set is making it sound highly tempting...

[philipchevron]

Rome - Season One (HBO, 2005)

... I really miss Caesar (Ciaran Hinds, mown down in the Senate at the end of the last series) ...

I loved Rome when it was shown on TV. It's worth sticking with to the end, even though it never hits the heights of Season One. But I did find myself sort of wishing that they'd tweaked historical accuracy so that we could keep Ciaran Hinds in the second series...

That "historical banner" feature of the DVD set is making it sound highly tempting...

It's exceptionally well designed - discreet but legible. The additional materials, mainly by the garrulous historical consultant, gives some fascinating real life insight into Roman culture and history. I think I learned more about Rome from this DVD set than from 13 years of history and Latin with the Christian Brothers.

I have found another cause for complaint in Season Two. The fascinating young actor Max Pirkis, who seemingly went back to college after Season One - he seems to have done the first season in his gap year - is replaced as Octavian (later the Emperor Augustus) by an only slightly older but much dimmer model, Simon Woods. What I liked about the first series Octavian is that even as a 16-year old, the character seems almost scarily bright and shrewd. Perhaps he never recovered from being deflowered by his own sister Octavia (Kerry Condon) near the end of season one. In any event, all that keen intelligence seems to just vanish in Season Two.

[firehazard]

I have found another cause for complaint in Season Two. The fascinating young actor Max Pirkis, who seemingly went back to college after Season One - he seems to have done the first season in his gap year - is replaced as Octavian (later the Emperor Augustus) by an only slightly older but much dimmer model, Simon Woods. What I liked about the first series Octavian is that even as a 16-year old, the character seems almost scarily bright and shrewd. Perhaps he never recovered from being deflowered by his own sister Octavia (Kerry Condon) near the end of season one. In any event, all that keen intelligence seems to just vanish in Season Two.

Yes, original Octavian was a sad loss. It took a while before we consistently remembered who the new one was meant to be.

[RoddyRuddy]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/chec ... =1&bbram=1

Doctor Who - The Greatest Show In the Galaxy
[R.I.P. ;T.P. Mckenna (81) actor]

[Clash Cadillac]

In Bruges again, as we are planning to spend a couple of nights there in June. Great movie by the way even enjoyed the second viewing.

[Clash Cadillac]

Edvard Munch (1974)

Wish I had watched this film before my visit to the Munch museum in Olso many years ago. Enjoyed the film although I wish they had spent more time discussing his paintings.

[firehazard]

Went to see the Coen brothers' True Grit at the weekend. Very enjoyable film. Strong performances from Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon, but the 14-year-old Hailee Steinfeld entirely steals the show. Her and the landscape.

[Low D]

Big Night (1996).

How great is this movie? About as great as the meal served during the big party at the end, i think. How amazing are Tony Shalhoub and Stanley Tucci as the brothers, struggling to present real, good, Italian food in their American restaurant? As amazing as the "timpani" they prepare at the end. How a movie with such a serious story can be so bloody funny... that's a work of art.

And Marc Anthony is always good. I told my son i'm going to start calling him This Fucking Guy, affectionately.

[RICHB]

Last night 'Young Fronkensteen (Young Frankenstein ha ha) 1973. Very funny

[Villajohn]

Shipping News,great film ,great cast.Saw it for the first time since Pete Postlethwaite passed away,one of the few films about Newfoundland,great soundtrack too.My favourite movie is[still] The Third Man.

[soulfinger]

Brighton Rock. I love the book, love the original film and, having seen the reviews, expected to be disappointed. I wasn't at all. I liked the transfer to a 60's mod era setting. Helen Mirren was fabulous as ever and I thought the lad from Control was pretty good as Pinkie. Andy Serkis will forever be Ian Dury in my head so I struggled a bit with him as Mr Colleoni

[RoddyRuddy]

http://video.uk.msn.com/watch/video/sta ... /12gmmevpt

Doctor Who - State Of Decay
Watched back to back episodes asking myself is that Siouxsie Sioux playing the part of Camilla
[one of the 3] ? It was in fact Rachel Davies.

The Prestige (film)
Watched this film asking is that David Bowie as Nikola Tesla.It was.
http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/fi ... ion=review

[Low D]

Just watched the season 3 finale of Sons of Anarchy, and it may be shallow of me to say it, but that was very sastisfying indeed!