What Movie Are You Watching Or Watched Today?

[philipchevron]

The Ides of March (George Clooney, 2011)

Farragut North, a 2008 off-Broadway play by former Howard Dean staffer Beau Willimon did not, as expected, transfer to Broadway - investors probably felt that America had had a bellyful of election politics by then - but it did get picked up by George Clooney and has perhaps found its best possible afterlife, in a stylish political thriller, a 1950s genre that Clooney does extremely well. It doesn't have the dark corners of a Manchurian Candidate, but it has the next best thing, which is an utterly credible storyline of lofty idealism crashing to the ground in the face of hard-bitten professional electioneers and it subtly enquires just how solid those ideals were in the first place. Its coup de grace is that it does this in the context of an only-just fictional Democratic Party primary campaign, widely presumed to be based, in part, on "ultra-liberal" (I use the quote marks advisedly) Howard Dean's own 2004 campaign. Republican or "conservative independent" (again, the quote marks are not optional) barbs that this is one of those pieces of Hollywood Commie Liberal propaganda are simply not going to stick, something Clooney knows very well.

The director appears himself as the candidate, and Ryan Gosling, Evan Rachel Wood, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Marisa Tomei are also mixed up in this. Bring popcorn.

[Low D]

Alice Cooper's 1975 "The Nightmare" made-for-TV special (hey, it's Halloween). This was the era of the variety show. Let's just say... it hasn't aged well. But the dancer spiders were hilarious. And the cyclops was almost something i could have put together for Halloween. And people woulda thought it was goofy.

[philipchevron]

The Good Wife Season 2 (CBS box)

Guilty pleasure or modern classic? A bit of both, if the truth be known. What is most interesting about The Good Wife is that it co-opts the novelistic format pioneered by The Wire but it does so on Network TV, not Cable. At first sight, an opportunistic stew of law procedural and political thriller, what elevates the show above the generic is the way it engages so intelligently with current real-life issues and events and subverts liberal-conservative tropes. Not the least of its casting joys (though it's definitely Julianne Margulies' show) is the parade of idiosyncratic recurring judges: the writers have figured out a seemingly infinite number of ways to have the bench interject its "sustained" and "overruled" and suchlike. But actually, all the characters, however minor, are given lives of depth and nuance, mystery even. Finally, there is no show on television that has quite so many Broadway regulars in its special guest rolodex. The last things on Network TV this classy were Lou Grant and The West Wing.

[PureIrishPunk]

"Lemmy"... A documentary about one of rock 'n roll's coolest dudes ever.

[Mike from Boston]

Alice Cooper's 1975 "The Nightmare" made-for-TV special (hey, it's Halloween). This was the era of the variety show. Let's just say... it hasn't aged well. But the dancer spiders were hilarious. And the cyclops was almost something i could have put together for Halloween. And people woulda thought it was goofy.

Do you remember who showed this? I would love to see this, maybe it is still On-Demand or something..

[Frances]

"Lemmy"... A documentary about one of rock 'n roll's coolest dudes ever.

I was at a festival party, back in the day, when Mr. Kilmister walked by and I. was. like. Hell yeah!
I've only seen Motorhead live once, opening for Alice Cooper. Good times.

When I was complaining about the line to get in to see the Pogues at Stubb's in Austin, they said that Motorhead had 'em lined up around the block too.

Anyways...

[PureIrishPunk]

^he seems so legitimately cool. like nothing EVER irks him. he just sits around at the rainbow in hollywood playing the video trivia game, smoking reds and drinking jack and coke. then he goes on tour and plays some of the most uniquely awesome rock 'n roll you've ever heard.

[Frances]

^he seems so legitimately cool. like nothing EVER irks him. he just sits around at the rainbow in hollywood playing the video trivia game, smoking reds and drinking jack and coke. then he goes on tour and plays some of the most uniquely awesome rock 'n roll you've ever heard.

I always favored El Compadre for getting seriously shitfaced, the only thing I really recall about the Rainbow is Micky Dolenz's name carved in the table.

[BelfastsLittlesHobo]

^he seems so legitimately cool. like nothing EVER irks him. he just sits around at the rainbow in hollywood playing the video trivia game, smoking reds and drinking jack and coke. then he goes on tour and plays some of the most uniquely awesome rock 'n roll you've ever heard.

Must admit I knew noting about Lemmy until I seen the documentary, which was brilliant. I love when he rocks his Nazi fatigues riding around in the tank. The personification of cool indeed!

[BelfastsLittlesHobo]

Lost Highway (1997)

As much as I love much of David Lynch's work he is somewhat of an acquired taste and has produced some stinkers. Lost Highway came highly recommended by a friend who has a similar taste in movies as myself, but I have to say I was really disappointed with this one. Like a lot of Lynch's other films the plot of Lost Highway is open to interpretation and heres the plot as I saw it: Bill Pullman's character is pretty much insane and whilst on death row for the brutal murder of his wife invents a whole new persona as a young man- free and messing with a gangsters girl. Sounds confusing- it is! Throw in a demonic Robert Blake with supernatural powers and a wheelchair bound Richard Pryor and things become even more perplexing.

All in all I found the film as contrived and pretentious as Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. It's hard to see how this has such a cult following, but each to their own I suppose.

[Low D]

A Kid For Two Farthings, 1955 - book & screenplay by Wolf Mankowitz.

What is it with children's movies from before 1970 with animals that the animals must always die? Did movie houses think kids born post-WWII needed to learn hard lessons? So my goat-loving daughter went to bed crying, after we picked up a movie that looked fun 'cause it was about a 1-horned goat mistook by a poor kid for a Unicorn, to give him hope in this cruel world. Hah, stop hoping kid, dreams die, just like runt one-horned goats.

[philipchevron]

Imagine: Simon and Garfunkel: the Harmony Game (BBC1, 2011)

Ostensibly a film about the making of the Bridge Over Troubled Water album, it turns out to be much more than that. It is as revealing about the America in which the album was made as it is of the duo's working relationship and a depth of friendship and love, even though they are not interviewed together, which has survived several professional rifts. It's on the BBC Player for the next 7 days. It's also on the 40th anniversary (41st actually) box set.

[Low D]

Alice Cooper's 1975 "The Nightmare" made-for-TV special (hey, it's Halloween). This was the era of the variety show. Let's just say... it hasn't aged well. But the dancer spiders were hilarious. And the cyclops was almost something i could have put together for Halloween. And people woulda thought it was goofy.

Do you remember who showed this? I would love to see this, maybe it is still On-Demand or something..

Wiki tells me it was ABC.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Cooper:_The_Nightmare

I downloaded it from a pirate bay i think.

[BelfastsLittlesHobo]

Drive 2011

Having seen the trailer I expected a very different film from the one I saw. If you have watched the trailer, like myself you will be expecting a heist movie with lots of elaborate car chases. Dont be disappointed to learn however that the film is an unorthodox love story that does indeed center on a getaway driver who falls for his neighbour (complete with child) and who's love is requited-the catch being her husband has just been released from the slammer bringing a whole lot of trouble upon the family, in step the driver.

Nicolas Winding Refn direction is superb here. He creates a camp chic palette reminiscent of 80's B-movies. He is able to treat the love scenes tenderly and with sensitivity and counters them expertly with some very brutal violence. An electro pop score at first seems a little off-beat but compliments the movie really well and at times lends a really surreal quality to the picture.

Ryan Gosling's Driver is super cool (think Steve McQueen in Bullitt) he doesnt talk much but this only adds to his mystique. Albert Brooks also deserves special mention as he is brilliant as the cold calculating gangster, with the rest of the cast doing a top notch job.

This is one of best films I have seen this year 10/10

MUST SEE!!

[BelfastsLittlesHobo]

Johnny English Reborn 2011

Avoid at all cost!

2/10