rpj316
Account Closed
Posts: 12,641
Joined: Dec 2015
|
RE: Last film you watched
Bluebeard(1944)
John Carradine stars as Gaston Morrell,a role that was made for him.Morrell murders his wives in cold blood.Based on La Barbe bleue,a French folktale by Charles Perrault. This particular serial killer was a popular villian in both theatre and film.This version from director Edgar G.Ulmer is well worth seeking out.
7.5/10
|
|
07-11-2016 15:58 |
|
rpj316
Account Closed
Posts: 12,641
Joined: Dec 2015
|
RE: Last film you watched
Father and Son(1936)
Another classic drama from director MacLean Rogers.A man is released from prison and finds himself in a battle to save his son from the man who was responsible for his own conviction.Brilliantly acted by James Mason and Robert Rendell
7.5/10
|
|
08-11-2016 11:11 |
|
greenray
Posting Machine
Posts: 5,701
Joined: Jul 2014
Reputation: 42
|
RE: Last film you watched
I Robot (2004) Its 2035 in Chicago and a robot hating cop played by Will Smith investigates a death which may have been perpetrated by a robot. Despite some good stuff (superbly filmed, well acted, fairly witty, insights into what makes a being sentient), this film partly blows it because Hollywood insists on their leading man doing loads of action scenes , however far fetched some of them are. Apart of Smith, the standout performances are from Alan Tudyk( quite moving as Sonny the main robot) & Bridget Moynahan as the scientist. Also starring James Cromwell, Bruce Greenwood,Adrian Ricard,Chi McBride, Fiona Hogan & Shia LaBeouf. 6.5/10
|
|
10-11-2016 22:28 |
|
rpj316
Account Closed
Posts: 12,641
Joined: Dec 2015
|
RE: Last film you watched
The Long Duel(1967)
Ken Annakin's film stars Yul Brynner,terrfiic as the leader of an Indian tribe who rebels in protest to the oppression of his people at the hands of the tyrannical British.With excellent support from Trevor Howard.
7.5/10
|
|
10-11-2016 22:47 |
|
M-L-L
The Last Straw
Posts: 11,146
Joined: Sep 2013
|
RE: Last film you watched
^ Have to say as a fan of Asimov novels I did not like "I Robot".
I like Will Smith action movies but I just don't think the two things fitted.
As a curmudgeon, I'd say if somebody in the 1970s Hollywood had decided to make a "proper" adaptation of one of these Robot stories in the manner of Michael Crichton "Andromeda Strain" or "Westworld" (topical reference, kids) or even "Logan's Run" then I imagine they'd have made a much better go of it - and I'm talking about a film adaptation of the proper 1950s novels, not the short stories, like "The Caves of Steel" or "The Naked Sky" which were actually proper detective murder mystery novels where the plot hinged on the nature of the Laws of Robotics and how robots could or might be used as murder weapons, plus the whole subplots about the nature of future society (agaraphobic Earthmen living in over-populated artificial totally enclosed mega-beehive-cities; isolationist off-world colonists living in fear of human contact and only comfortable with robots which would be played up as metaphors for today's contemporary society's fears and prejudices. He went a bit off the rails in the 80s with The Robots of Dawn which strayed a bit more into perv territory with robots as sex toys. What was it with the 80s ? Everyone just went bonkers and it was downhill from there...?).
But you couldn't do it now : in the 1970s pre-Star Wars people would accept a "sci-fi" movie could have a lot of dialogue and exposition ( plot even!) and not be action/CGI based.
Maybe, just maybe you could pull it off as an art-house movie done in the style of 2001 or similar 70s films like aargh I forget the name the one with Bruce Dern on the space station Slient Running ? .
"Moon" with Sam Rockwell followed in this sort of tradition very effectively imo, but I don't really see it setting a trend which is a pity. I'd watch more like it but I assume probably not many others would.
I don't understand why Asimov hasn't fared better in film adaptations.
(The Bicentennial Man really overdosed on the sentimentality)
The End of Eternity would make a brilliant film imo.
(Future society that has acquired time travel capabilities watches over Earth's history and routinely goes back in time to "fix" things they see as leading to future results that are not good. Until one of the technicians doing this falls in love with a woman during one of his missions and realises a "Reality Change" he is asked to do will wipe her from existence....)
^ and there's a plot 21st century Dr Who could be "ripping off" right there. It would be a young actor hearthrob playing William Hartnell-as-young-man prequel. It would be the whole reason the Doctor went on the run from Gallifrey in the first place. It would clean up at the box office with the "Titanic" faction of 21st century Who fandom.
There, that will never happen now because they'd be afraid of being sued for idea-theft.
Phew. Saved !
(This post was last modified: 10-11-2016 23:12 by M-L-L.)
|
|
10-11-2016 23:03 |
|