What Did You Watch Today?

[Thrilla]

Blasting through season three of Boardwalk Empire and holy crap what an ending to the penultimate episode. Another great season.

[Jimmy]

Argo. Now that's a fine fine movie. Everyone should watch that. Affleck is now 3 for 3. What a good lad.

How do you think it compares to his other two? For me it goes The Town > Gone Baby Gone > Argo. I think the Hollywood bits in Argo are a shit load of fun, but the stuff in Iran kind of fell flat for me. I think it's a good film, but I can't wrap my head around it being one of the front runners for best picture. Maybe I got my hopes too high with all the critical praise it'd got and the fact I really dug Affleck's other two films. I'd agree on three for three, though.

Watched Eraserhead the other day. Thought it was incredible. I agree with whoever said you have to approach it like a piece of art, (I think Skummy) but having seen a handful of Lynch films I knew what I was getting myself in for. Some beautiful imagery and the some amazing surrealist set pieces, all of which made me very, very uncomfortable at times. Just a film I think I'd taken something different from any time. I'll get round to the Elephant Man soon, which completes all the Lynch films I'm desperate to see. I'll get round to Inland Empire one day, and probably Straight Story, but I think Dune will have to wait.

[LL!]

I like Argo a lot, though, I'd probably still rate Gone Baby Gone over it. That puts The Town at third, which is not a bad thing at all. The Town had a few inconsistencies that make me rank it lower than the other two, but all three are great fun. And Argo excels in that even though I know what happens, it still had me on edge.

[Jimmy]

See, I think that was the difference with me. I just don't think it ultimately managed to keep me on the edge.

Towards the end of the film,

maybe. And I did feel a sense of joy when they all escaped, but I just don't think it was as much as it could have been. Maybe I'm just not great when I know the end to a film, like I didn't love 127 Hours, either. Argo's definitely one I'd like to see again, anyway.

[Herr Matzat]

I watched all six episodes of "Sherlock" in the past week. Very good show. I love the english just for the fact that they activly use the word "telly". You guys are so cute. But seriusly, awsome show. It´s like house meets CSI in England but without the 20+ episodes per year overkill. Gimmy more.

Up next will be "Roots" and "Roots - The next gennerations". I saw this show on tv when i was little, noticed i ever saw it growen up when i was seeing Django a cupple of days ago.

[MalaCloudy Black]

A post LL made on Facebook just reminded me, the other day I watched Last Days Here on Netflix. It's a documentary about Bobby Liebling, the vocalist for the band Pentagram - a band that was around the same time as Black Sabbath, and heralded as forefathers of the doom metal genre. At the start of the documentary, Liebling's living in his parents' "sub-basement", addicted to drugs and wasting away in squalor, before Pentagram's music is rediscovered and Liebling tries to turn his life around. It's really a fascinating, heartfelt documentary that reminded me a bit of Anvil! The Story of Anvil.

[Jimmy]

Amour was utterly heartbreaking. A bleak and, at times, beautiful film about an old married couple. Haneke's direction is incredible and his use of long takes is just gut-wrenching to watch. It's a very slow film and it's quite painful to watch at times. It's definitely not entertaining, but I really recommend it.

[Jimmy]

Watched two documentaries this evening; one nominated for a BAFTA, the other an Oscar.

The Impostor - Wanted to catch this in the cinema, but never got the chance. It's a wonderful documentary that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout which doesn't veer into territory of telling you what to think. The story about a man who convinces a family he is their son who went missing three years ago is something you can't quite believe before, during or after the film - but it somehow keeps you on the edge of your seat. Some excellent cinematography as well; and while I was skeptical about the use of recreations at the start, they work really well in constructing narrative.

The Invisible War - It's been a cheerful day watching this documentary after seeing Amour earlier which details and looks at rape in the US Army. A harrowing experience and the sheer number of men and women who've suffered sexual assault at the hands of Army officials, who have then gone unpunished is disgusting. It's not a documentary with two sides, but it's hard to see how anyone could argue the other side. It's an eye opening film, I'd recommend it.

[SRN]

A post LL made on Facebook just reminded me, the other day I watched Last Days Here on Netflix. It's a documentary about Bobby Liebling, the vocalist for the band Pentagram - a band that was around the same time as Black Sabbath, and heralded as forefathers of the doom metal genre. At the start of the documentary, Liebling's living in his parents' "sub-basement", addicted to drugs and wasting away in squalor, before Pentagram's music is rediscovered and Liebling tries to turn his life around. It's really a fascinating, heartfelt documentary that reminded me a bit of Anvil! The Story of Anvil.

Thing about Bobby Liebling is; he looks fucking scary. Those fucking eyes, man, those fucking eyes. That is all I know about Bobby Liebling and Pentagram.

[Walker]

The Impostor - Wanted to catch this in the cinema, but never got the chance. It's a wonderful documentary that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout which doesn't veer into territory of telling you what to think. The story about a man who convinces a family he is their son who went missing three years ago is something you can't quite believe before, during or after the film - but it somehow keeps you on the edge of your seat. Some excellent cinematography as well; and while I was skeptical about the use of recreations at the start, they work really well in constructing narrative.

I think what I liked best about The Impostor is when they insert Bourdin's cocky face every time someone else contradicts one of his claims. As if he was laughing at you for taking in one of his lies.

Les Mis - Sorry, but that went over my head. I admire the effort and the ambition of the idea, but it felt like the gimmick wore thin after half an hour. This is exactly what I said about The Artist last year.

Also, Russell Crowe cannot sing.

[Toe]

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein may be one of the funniest movies I have ever seen!

[Jimmy]

I thought Russell Crowe was one of the best things about Les Mis, his character was great. I thought the whole thing was good and Jackman & Hathaway were brilliant, but I just didn't care about Marius and Cosette's romance. It had no real substance, and thus, anytime they were on screen my interest kind of waned. It was good and very well done and all that, but it just didn't click for me all throughout. Some outstanding moments, though.

[LittleDaniel]

The Impostor - Wanted to catch this in the cinema, but never got the chance. It's a wonderful documentary that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout which doesn't veer into territory of telling you what to think. The story about a man who convinces a family he is their son who went missing three years ago is something you can't quite believe before, during or after the film - but it somehow keeps you on the edge of your seat. Some excellent cinematography as well; and while I was skeptical about the use of recreations at the start, they work really well in constructing narrative.

I think what I liked best about The Impostor is when they insert Bourdin's cocky face every time someone else contradicts one of his claims. As if he was laughing at you for taking in one of his lies.

Les Mis - Sorry, but that went over my head. I admire the effort and the ambition of the idea, but it felt like the gimmick wore thin after half an hour. This is exactly what I said about The Artist last year.

Also, Russell Crowe cannot sing.

The...gimmick? Does being a musical count as a gimmick?

I thought Russell Crowe was one of the best things about Les Mis, his character was great. I thought the whole thing was good and Jackman & Hathaway were brilliant, but I just didn't care about Marius and Cosette's romance. It had no real substance, and thus, anytime they were on screen my interest kind of waned. It was good and very well done and all that, but it just didn't click for me all throughout. Some outstanding moments, though.

Yeah, Javert is great. But, like, watch it with a better singer and he's much, much better. Because Crowe cannot sing at all. Neither can Helena Bonham Carter, but at least they made her parts all breathy and quiet so it wasn't as obvious.

[Jimmy]

I actually liked it. I thought he could sing well enough, and I quite enjoyed that it wasn't always perfect. It seemed to fit his character. I just thought Crowe was really good; and I'm not that big a fan of his usually. Maybe it was the character he was playing that I found so compelling, but I genuinely didn't have any issue with his singing.

[LittleDaniel]

I can't comment on Crowe as a whole, this is the first time I've ever seen him in a movie.

His acting for the role was fine. The only problem I had with him in that regard was whoever's decision it was to make him constantly just pace back and forth during his solo numbers.

But seriously. Holy shit his voice. He sounds like me trying to sing.

[LL!]

I can't comment on Crowe as a whole, this is the first time I've ever seen him in a movie.

[LittleDaniel]

Just double-checked. That is correct. The only movie he's been in that I had any interest in seeing is A Beautiful Mind, and I just never got around to watching it. Though apparently he's going to be in the next Superman movie, so I might end up seeing him in that.

[LL!]

But Gladiator and LA Confidential!

[LittleDaniel]

I had no interest in Gladiator and I'd never heard of LA Confidential until I looked up Crowe on Wikipedia to make sure I'd hadn't seen any of his movies!

I really don't watch many movies.

[LL!]

You're a monster.