zen Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 (edited) A topic on movies that surprised you either in a good or a bad way (watched recently in the last 6 months or so) ... Say you ran out of options on what to watch and casually clicked on a title to be blown away by the film ... Or you remembered a film to be great but did not hold up to your expectations I will start with Pierrot le Fou (1965, French) ... I may have watched it a long time ago (can't recall much) but it was on my watch/re-watch list for a long time. Finally, decided to watch it last night and boy what a gem! ... It is directed by Jean-Luc Godard and a part of the French new wave ... A different type of film (or "haatke", a term many use in Bollywood for their films but this one actually is): Edited February 23, 2021 by zen Mariyam 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen Posted March 4, 2021 Author Share Posted March 4, 2021 Yojimbo (Japanese, 1961, Directed by Kurosawa) Yojimbo (The Bodyguard) used to be among my favorites but had not watched it in a long long time. Kurosawa is be one of the directors whose films have great repeat value. I decided to check it out again to see how it holds up. I was particularly interested in it because I rewatched A Fistful of Dollars, the first "man with no name" western based on Yojimbo, not a long time ago and found it good but not shining as bright as it once had (or maybe I was not in the right mood for it). I was surprised to see that Yojimbo has still not lost its edge. The simplicity of the film probably gives it a relatively more timeless feel. Mifune's performance remains iconic. Next will re-watch its 2nd part Sanjuro (1962). I do not recall much of it now so it should be fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen Posted March 23, 2021 Author Share Posted March 23, 2021 (edited) Django (1966) Westerns can be a mixed bag at times esp. if you are not in the right mood for them. Django is a classic. I had not seen it in a long time so decided to check it out again. I remembered its key sequences well but was still unsure how it would hold up overall today, considering the production values of its time. As the opening sequence w/ Django dragging the coffin and the theme song playing in the background rolled, my attention was captured straightway, making me feel how could I not enjoy it. And boy, I did enjoy it! It is an uncomplicated film that moves from point A to point B w/o much fuss, which probably makes it age well too. The treacherous nature of the bad guys including them holding zero value for life is communicated effectively. There is a scene where Django has a bullet left to kill the bad guy but instead chooses to let the bad guy go, suggesting that holding even a bullet gives him an unfair advantage. He asks the bad guy, how many men he has left. The bad guy says 48. Django tells him to round them up and came back! This assures audiences that Django can't be defeated by such evil too. I watched the restored version by Arrow, which is expected to release it in the actual 4K format w/ HDR too in May, so that helped as well (old prints can make such good films appear dated). Edited March 23, 2021 by zen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velu Posted March 24, 2021 Share Posted March 24, 2021 5 hours ago, zen said: There is a scene where Django has a bullet left to kill the bad guy but instead chooses to let the bad guy go, suggesting that holding even a bullet gives him an unfair advantage. classic one liner but if django kills the bad guy ( major jackson or someone ) , his men will end up killing django Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen Posted March 24, 2021 Author Share Posted March 24, 2021 10 hours ago, velu said: classic one liner but if django kills the bad guy ( major jackson or someone ) , his men will end up killing django Django wanted to kill the men but keep Jackson alive as he thought he could be useful later on Btw, since you like westerns, check out Yojimbo (a Samurai film) too. I forget to tag you on that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velu Posted March 24, 2021 Share Posted March 24, 2021 Just now, zen said: Django wanted to kill the men but keep Jackson alive as he thought he could be useful later on Btw, since you like westerns, check out Yojimbo (a Samurai film) too. I forget to tag you on that yet to see that , let me try .. i liked magnificent seven more than seven samurai thought .. me not racist , cant imagine mongoloids in western style movies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen Posted March 24, 2021 Author Share Posted March 24, 2021 (edited) 24 minutes ago, velu said: yet to see that , let me try .. i liked magnificent seven more than seven samurai thought .. me not racist , cant imagine mongoloids in western style movies Yojimbo can be enjoyed just for Mifune's performance, other good things in it are a bonus ... Kurosawa has made the film visually striking too Edited March 24, 2021 by zen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen Posted April 13, 2021 Author Share Posted April 13, 2021 May have watched it decades ago to remember it as an arty slow burn film (when I was probably more into masala films to dismiss such films easily) but now with my taste developed as a fine wine, STALKER (Russian, 1979, Directed by Tarkovsky) is a knockout punch, one of the best films of AT ... It is metaphysical, Sci-Fi, a bit of horror, and so on ... extremely rewarding: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forward Defence Posted April 18, 2021 Share Posted April 18, 2021 If you liked Yojimbo then you must also give Sanjuro a try. Mifune is great there as well. vayuu1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vayuu1 Posted April 18, 2021 Share Posted April 18, 2021 Banglore days C/O of kancharapelam Uyire Ratsasan Varathan Paglait 96, Super deluxe Ishq (nithin wali) Ankit_sharma03 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen Posted April 25, 2021 Author Share Posted April 25, 2021 (edited) The Quiet Man (1952) ... Romance-Comedy-Drama ... Directed by John Ford (won the Oscar for best director for it) and starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Based on my previous viewing, I expected to like it but ended up loving it. First of all, it is not a typical John Wayne western but a romance-comedy-drama set in 1920s Ireland (so it reflects certain nuances/customs of that time). To make this film, John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara & John Ford had to first make a western (Rio Grande) for the studio. The film appears to be John Ford's love letter to Ireland. Visually striking, shot in the "expensive" technicolor. For a 1950s film, technically, it feels relatively modern too (the studio may have worked on its transfer for the 60th anniversary in 2012). It would be difficult to make a film like this today esp. one that captures the spirit of those times: Edited April 25, 2021 by zen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravishingravi Posted April 25, 2021 Share Posted April 25, 2021 I am not as much of film buff these days. I need to get back. but I was stunned by “to live and die in LA” Bad Timing :- A classic bold tale of a relationship spiraling out of control. Typical Roeg. Edgy. Arjun Reddy. I am late in this one. I know some people hated it. I didn’t. I loved the fact that it was unhinged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravishingravi Posted April 25, 2021 Share Posted April 25, 2021 On 4/13/2021 at 9:19 PM, zen said: May have watched it decades ago to remember it as an arty slow burn film (when I was probably more into masala films to dismiss such films easily) but now with my taste developed as a fine wine, STALKER (Russian, 1979, Directed by Tarkovsky) is a knockout punch, one of the best films of AT ... It is metaphysical, Sci-Fi, a bit of horror, and so on ... extremely rewarding: Termbis masterpiece overused. This is one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khota Posted April 25, 2021 Share Posted April 25, 2021 The Vanished. Netflix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen Posted April 25, 2021 Author Share Posted April 25, 2021 (edited) Ppl need to write something about the film, why was it picked to watch, what surprised them (what were the expectations, how did the film turn out), and so on Edited April 25, 2021 by zen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen Posted May 24, 2021 Author Share Posted May 24, 2021 Duel in the Sun (1946) starring Joseph Cotten, Gregory Peck & Jennifer Jones. Basically a film on which Feroz Khan's Janbaaz is based on. Cotten (Feroz) and Peck (Anil) are two brothers seeking out Jennifer Jones (Dimple), who comes to live with them, for different reasons. Cotten has issues with his dad (Amrish Puri) too and his asked to move out. Cotten finds love in a new town. Peck makes Jones his girl, however refuses to marry her. Jones find a suitable husband, who is killed by Peck and is on the run spoilers What surprised me about the film is to see Peck's in negative role. And also the end where Jennifer Jones has had enough of him so she shoot him. Peck shoots her too. While dying both confess their love for each other. It is an unique finale: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khota Posted May 25, 2021 Share Posted May 25, 2021 @zen since you are quarantined might as well as watch movie Contaigon. velu and zen 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G_B_ Posted May 25, 2021 Share Posted May 25, 2021 I watched sallu bhai movies with low expectations. But i was surprised they were much worse than what I expected Mariyam, maniac and BacktoCricaddict 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mariyam Posted May 29, 2021 Share Posted May 29, 2021 On 5/25/2021 at 1:47 PM, G_B_ said: I watched sallu bhai movies with low expectations. But i was surprised they were much worse than what I expected Haha. What did you watch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G_B_ Posted May 29, 2021 Share Posted May 29, 2021 A while back Prem ratan dhan payo or something. speedheat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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