Aaryk Noctivagus

I watched 'The Changeling' last night ... OK OK I know its not a British movie... great movie though, I wasn't expecting it to be half as good, even though the great George C. Scott is in it.

smudge

It's a little cracker !

Still manages to chill Mrs. Smudge and I, no matter how many times we've seen it...

Smudge

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

Aaryk Noctivagus

It certainly is a cracker... it ought to be at least as renouned as 'The Omen'. Its much more chilling, whilst being a similar style of cinematography and acting.

ChristineCB

Have you ever analyzed why good films still entertain, despite your well-versed knowledge of what happens?

I can't explain why I can rewatch films and they still affect the same or sometimes more intensely, yet other films I will berate for being "predictable" - of all things.

The closest I can come is that, when I venture into rewatching a film, my suspension of beliefs kicks in the same, but perhaps my anticipation of favored scenes adds to them or, if I've forgotten a scene, story-line or character, it's like a whole new discovery for me.

THE CHANGELING is certainly one of those and, like you said, every time we watch it, it's still a chiller. (And I've learned not to let Mr. Smartypants sneak off to the frig for his normal ice-dumping-down-CB's-back routine. Honestly, there's a not a single time I've let him out of the dungeon that I don't regret it! I'm sure Mrs. Smudge knows exactly what I'm talking about.)

Aaryk Noctivagus

Watched 'Hell is a City' and boy am I glad I heard about this movie on this forum. Thanks to whoever it was that mentioned the movie. Brilliant

Steve Crook

A darned good question. I haven't analysed it too much but I've certainly noticed it.

I first started getting into Powell & Pressburger films because I noticed that there were some films that I could happily watch time and time again and either lose myself in them every time and/or see and learn something new every time I watched them. It was only gradually that I realised that a lot of these films all started with that arrow hitting the target. That was the only thing they seemed to have in common, they were quite different in style and subject. It was only after realising about the arrow in the target that I finally recognised the same names at the start "Written, Produced and Directed by Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger".

They aren't the only films that I can watch multiple times, but they're the largest body of work by a single person or team that I never get tired of watching. Whereas with other films, seeing it once is plenty, sometimes even too much

There are films that I've seen once, remember quite well, quite liked, but have no desire to watch again.

Because I've seen them all so often, I can predict almost every line of most of the major P&P films. But I still love to watch them again and again, savouring every line.

The films I like to watch many times to tend to have more depth to them. A story that is easy to understand at first viewing but has layers of complexity. Detail to the design and structure, of the story as well as of the sets, that can be revealed when you give them repeated viewings. And performances full of nuance and subtlety. It's basically just QUALITY, all the way through, in every tiny detail

Steve

Aaryk Noctivagus

Watching 'The Colour Purple' once was one time too often for me. Well made movie, but it bored me silly.

I was quite sensible before watching that... now look at me.

ChristineCB

Steve, I presume that you've seen films for the first time and used the same "predictable" criticism on them.

If this is true, why can you complain about those films' predictability yet enjoy others that you have all but memorized?

I don't have any answer than the one you offered: quality. Some basic goodness. Some appeal, perhaps never to be analyzed or understood, only 'known'.

Steve Crook

That's the problem. How do you identify "quality" in a measurable, quantative way? If that was easy to do then presumably all films could be made to that high quality standard.

When a film is "predictable" it is often just laziness on the part of the writer, and/or director. That's what leads to a lot of the movie cliches.
You just know that they shouldn't split up when they're searching for the bad man in the forest at night - but they do.
You know that the frightened woman alone in the house at night shouldn't answer the phone / open the door - but she does.

A film can survive a few of these cliches, but if it's got too many then it just becomes predictable and therefore not interesting

Steve

ChristineCB

Or when someone demands an explanation and the other person only stammers, never says a clear sentence and allows others to jump to wrong conclusions, which allows the show to spin off for tens of minutes (or entire films) until the single correct sentence is finally spoken.

"Gee - why didn't you say that in the first place?"

"Because the film would've ended in the first 3 minutes!"

And saved all those celluloid trees and my time could have been better spent poking my eyes with sharp sticks.

DB7

Weekend with Lulu

A strange production for Hammer; feels almost like a rejected Rank script that JP Carstairs couldn't get off the ground so turned to his brother Keys. Rather than a vehicle for Scottish squealer Lulu it's actually a comedy of misadventures following a caravan named Lulu and its passengers to France. It's all carried off in amusing rather than side-splitting style, with Irene Handl's battle-axe mother-in-law stealing many of the scenes from Bob Monkhouse, Leslie Phillips and an underused Shirley Eaton.

batman

Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Man's Chest

I was badgered into watching this by Mrs Bat (who normally has very good taste). We both looked at each other after 45 minutes and said ...... 'Bored now'. I cannot speak of the rest of the film but what we saw was a collection of short unfunny sketches linked toegther by overblown CGI 'action'. Dreadful.

So ... we watched ...

Seven Men From Now

The first of the Randolph Scott/Bud Boetticher collaborations. Originally written for John Wayne (who declined), this is a dark revenge western with great characterisations and some very good action. The opening sequence at a rainswept trail camp would grace any film. This sequence is well written and performed, tightly edited and expertly directed. The rest of the film, thankfully, is equal to it. Highly recommended.

Bats.

"Boom boom a baby .... Banham Zoo .... Banana pants! Hahahaha"

Groucho

I watched The Likely Lads last night, but the sound was speeded-up! I have NEVER known this happen to a film on TV before. It was ITV3. Rodney Bewes sounded like Larry Grayson, at times. Does anyone know why this should happen? It was the same on three TVs/Freeview sets in the house.

Aaryk Noctivagus

Following being on a shoot during the day (as Cameraman)... I came home with a friend of mine and watched 'Night of the Demon' followed by 'May' neither of which he had seen before.

clitheroekid

The sound on the Likely Lads was OK here

Maybe you've got fluff in your vertical hold