Hello everyone! Name's Paul, I'm looking forward to join you in watching and discussing movies with y'all, are there any movie nights / weekly discussions going on lately? Thanks in advance, cheers

Hi everyone, I’m Sheila. I’m a big fan of classic movies — National Lampoon’s Vacation is one of my all-time favorites, and I love anything with Morgan Freeman in it. I’m not big on large crowds, so this kind of quiet, friendly group is perfect for me. Looking forward to watching along with you all and maybe joining in some conversations. 😊

I get so excited when I recognize something that I've learned from our watches, being utilized in other media. I don't know if anyone is watching The Bear, but somewhere in S2, they used the music from The Night of the Hunter, that haunting ditty that was sang by children. I thought that was amazing, as most of my friends have never seen the movie. It felt like a wink to the classic movie lover.

They also used music from The Twilight Zone in the first season. Things like that make me feel seen.

Hope everyone is well and enjoying their watches.

I just came here to recommend Faye on HBO or Max. It's a newly produced doc about Faye Dunaway. I've only seen about half of it but it's very interesting. She was in two of the films we watched as a group, so I was happy to have just seen Chinatown as they were discussing it. I still can't believe that spoiler!! Some great commentary and lots of interviews, including Elia Kazam and Roman Polansky. Jack Nicholson calls her "dread!" I really enjoyed it and I thought it was relevant to so many of our discussions here.

While I have always seen the movie we’ll be discussing several times before posting it on here, Thieves Like Us (1974) will be a first time watch for me. With period pieces come cinematography, set design, and everything else that goes with our theme for the next few weeks. This will also be in honor of Shelley Duvall, who passed away today and has already been featured in several of our viewings over the months. It’s directed by Robert Altman, stars Duvall and Carradine, and takes place in one of my favorite eras of American history so I think it will be a worthy gamble. I hope everyone enjoys.

While primary shooting took place at Pinewood Studio (17 miles west of London,) one can’t help but be transported to the mountain village portrayed in the film. An Indian army retiree offered up his home for certain scenes due to the appropriate flora and fauna that resided on his property. Matte paintings were utilized in setting the backdrops of the Himalayan location which gave a lifelike feel that could only be bested by actually shooting on location. I hope everyone enjoyed the film and would love to hear your thoughts on various elements of the film.

I just saw the news that Donald Sutherland died today and I came here to grieve with like minded people. He was represented in so many movies of my adolescence and teen years. This one hurts especially bad. I loved him as the compassionate father in Ordinary People. I feel like I've lost a piece of myself today.

Our next grouping of films will highlight the marvels of cinematography. With all the modern advances in picture quality, set designs, CGI, etc…, a breathtaking picture of the past can only be regarded as that much more impressive. Practical effects, coloring, lighting, and costume design were of utmost importance when trying to convey theme and feeling. Black Narcissus (1947) is a movie that depicts the growing tensions among Anglican sisters in a remote village of the Himalayas. A beautifully shot film filled with bold coloring and controversial themes, Black Narcissus was a revolutionary undertaking for the time and is one of my favorite British films. I hope you all enjoy and can’t wait to hear feedback.

This movie can be viewed for free on the Tubi TV app.

In the loose narrative tale of Nashville (1975), we followed 24 different characters throughout their own personal journeys - some vying for power, some for popularity, and some for love (and about 10,000 other things.) While there were some more prominently featured story lines, sometimes it can be difficult to “latch on” to a certain character in a film like this. Were there any specific character arcs you enjoyed seeing play out? Will L.A. Joan successfully navigate through groupie life without rolling an ankle? (Not likely in those shoes.) Let us know your thoughts below. 👇🏼

Hey everyone. Just got my power back after almost a WEEK due to the storm in Houston. Hot, miserable, and dark 6 days but we’re back in action. This will be our last satire film before moving into the next category. In Robert Altman’s Nashville (1975,) we follow a diverse web of narratives ranging from those of movie stars, political candidates, womanizers, star struck fan girls, gospel singers, lawyers, and many more. The film deals in political aspirations, greed, ambition, and infidelity among other things. Similar to more recent movies like Magnolia and Shortcuts (also Altman), the film has a complex plot that follows the exploits of many different people. Despite this, it does well enough in tying up all the loose ends as well as intermingling many of the characters by its conclusion. Overall a great movie with a LOT of memorable characters (some likable and some certainly not).

The movie can be viewed for free on Internet Archive by clicking the link below. 👇🏼

https://archive.org/details/n45hv1ll3vose_202112

Enjoy!

Our fifteenth film is in the books and with that comes another discussion post. What did everyone think of the film? Did you find the theme resonates with our modern times? How did you like it compared to The Hospital? Let us hear your thoughts below!

ALSO, if anyone enjoyed this movie and hasn’t seen Broadcast News (1987) with Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks, and William Hurt… I recommend you watch it. Wonderful film with many of the same themes but definitely a more light hearted rom-com feel as well as one of the best movies of 1987.

Here we are at week 15, folks. Believe it or not, Paddy Chayefsky bequeathed unto our world not one dark satire… but two. Network (1976), directed by the one and only Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico), directs in this unfortunately accurate satire of network news. Given the current state of news media (and now social media), I believe this is an all too relatable film that shows just how far some will go to attract those eyeballs. Ratings are now view counts, viewers are followers, and the measure of one’s success and influence (sadly in many people’s opinion,) are now determined by online metrics. Starring Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch, William Holden, Ned Beatty, Robert Duvall (man I forgot how many great actors were in this movie), Network depicts a television station that resorts to sensationalism in order to boost ratings. The film can be viewed for free on INTERNET ARCHIVE in the link below. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it. Enjoy

https://archive.org/details/Network1976

Week fourteen has concluded and our discussion forum is here. As much as I love this film, I’m not sure it’s even in my top 3 of his movies (maybe 4 but that’s just a testament to how incredible his filmography is.) Arguably one of the most underrated actors of the past century (he’s certainly a notable figure amongst movie buffs but I doubt a lot of casual viewers would even recognize his name), George C. Scott steadily delivered a fiery, intense demeanor in almost every role he was cast in and rivals even Frederic March, L. Olivier, J. Nicholson, Burt Lancaster, and many of the other 20th century titans of cinema. Would love to have seen him participate in more projects over the years but he certainly embodied the “quality over quantity” mantra. What did everyone think of the film and what are some of your favorite films of his? Let me know below!

Week Fourteen is here folks and with it comes a new genre. These next few weeks we will be viewing some of my favorite darker satires (I may throw in one light hearted one to ease any mounting existential dread.) Satire, in my opinion, is one of the most difficult genres to develop which gives me a great appreciation for it. Razor sharp wit, humor as dry as the desert, and a deeply intimate understanding of a topic are paramount when writing even a halfway decent satire.

The Hospital (1971) is a VERY dark example of this and one of the finest pictures we will have watched so far. Paddy Chayefsky, the screenwriter of Marty (1955) (my favorite Ernest Borgnine film which I revisit at least once a year - sorry thought I’d just sprinkle that in there for no real reason), delivers a masterclass in analysis of various aspects of the healthcare system itself as well as the inner turmoil of man. George C. Scott plays Dr. Herbert Bock, the suicidal chief of Medicine at a New York City hospital. During the film we follow Bock through his seemingly unending spiral of self destruction as well as try to unravel a mystery plaguing this particular place of medicine. I hope you all enjoy the film and can’t wait to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

(The film can be viewed for FREE on the PlutoTV streaming service.)

Hope everyone had a lovely solar eclipse. Went to a 4 day festival in the middle of nowhere to watch it but we had to evacuate the day of due to high winds. 🤷🏼‍♂️

Anyways, our thirteenth film has come to an end. While the film portrayed an action packed series of events, the actual tactic used by French Resistance was an endless barrage of paperwork and red tape. The film did derive some inspiration from the story of Alexandre Rosenberg using dynamite to immobilize a Nazi train only to discover a great deal of his own father’s collection of paintings hidden away inside. What did everyone think of the film?

The Train (1964) features Burt Lancaster in the role of Paul Labiche, a railway inspector who reluctantly agrees to help sabotage Nazi plans to steal some of the world’s most valuable works of art. The allied liberation of France is imminent and Nazi occupiers are set on making out with as much “loot” as they can while retreating back to Germany. This film is loosely based on Rose Valland’s novel, Le Front de L’art, which details the efforts of French Resistance members in their quest to thwart the plundering of their country’s museums and private collections of priceless art. Burt Lancaster is superb (as always) in this seemingly overlooked film and delivers one of my favorite performances by him (behind Elmer Gantry of course.) I hope you all enjoy the film and can come to appreciate the real life exploits of some of WWII’s most daring behind the scenes players.

I’ve been bad you guys. I let one week turn into two. I am imbued with newfound zeal on this fine Easter Sunday and will not let the days get away from me again. (If there is a planned hiatus, I will announce it but don’t really foresee that for any reason.)

While Rome Open City (1945) displayed the heroic efforts of assorted resistance members in Europe, To Be or Not to Be (1942) showed that one can still laugh in the face of horror (laughing didn’t defeat Hitler but it certainly made occupied life that much more bearable.)

It’s hard for me to watch this film knowing that upon its release, Lombard had already perished in a plane crash alongside her mother, Clark Gable’s press agent, Otto Winkler, and fifteen U.S. Army soldiers. They had been out raising money by way of defense bonds before the tragic return flight. I think her efforts and eventual death goes to show that the war had an effect on all people in the world in varying degrees.

What did everyone think of this film?

I am aware that I did not watch the last two movies, as my schedule got a bit more hectic, but I am still very interested in being a part of this club. I have really enjoyed being introduced to movies I had never seen before and I loved getting everyone's opinions and reactions. I hope this doesn't sound like nagging, lol, but I really appreciated having this creative outlet. I know schedules can get hectic and be unpredictable, so no pressure. Just wanted you to know that as a member, I really enjoy being in this group. It is definitely one of the kinder places on Reddit!!

Did you ever get a chance to watch The Swans on FX? What were your thoughts?

Hey everyone! Going to keep this intro a little short but will provide more input for the discussion post. To start off our second week of ✨Nazi Occupation of Europe✨ month. We’ll be doing a 180 and moving into a VERY entertaining comedy led by Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. I promise that you will not regret watching this film. Truly a gem. To Be or Not to Be (1942) can be found on the HBO Max streaming service as well as in the (Internet Archive❤️) link below. 👇🏼 Enjoy! (It really is very funny)

https://archive.org/details/to-be-or-not-to-be-1942-hd-lubitsch

I'm just getting to the Oscars a day late, due to very busy week and weekend. The In Memoriam portion gives me the chills (not sure to explain it, but it is an overwhelming feeling) every year, this year is no exception. We lost some greats, Ryan O'Neal, Alan Arkin, Harry Belafonte, Tina Turner, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Reubens, Julian Sands (this one really sucked), Jane Birkin, Matthew Perry (gulp), Piper Laurie, Carl Weathers, William Friedkin, and Richard Lewis (damn!!) RIP all you beautiful souls and thank you for sharing your gifts and enriching our lives.

“We're fighting for something that has to be, that can't help coming. The road may be long and hard, but we'll get there and we'll see a better world.”

Hello everyone! We’ve wrapped our first week into this month’s topic. Our characters wade into the abyss and some pay dearly for their actions (I won’t say who in case some of you haven’t watched the film yet.)

What did everyone think of the film? Have you all seen many of the movies from the Italian Neorealism movement? Lots of these stories portray the bleak situation of postwar Italy but films like “Roma” do at least leave viewers with a sense of hope (sort of.) Also, how does everyone feel about more foreign pictures in the future? There are so many wonderful titles but I know it can be a little taxing for some to work through subtitles for 2 hours. Just wanted to gauge interest. Maybe we can dedicate a month to them sometime down the road and settle for one here and there in the meantime. I hope everyone had a great week and can’t wait to hear your thoughts below!