shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 19, 2015 9:59:47 GMT -5
Godzilla (1954)
I saw it once before but apparently wasn't in the right viewing mindset. Wow. This is so much better than I remember. Slow moving, dull at times, and absolutely lacking in fun, but it's so tastefully and intelligently done. It gets the obligatory destruction and special effects done better than they'd ever been done before and used liberally throughout, but it also provides deep characterizations, expressive cinematography, complex explorations of ethics, tactful deliberation on the complicated relationship Japan had with the United States, a real-world agenda in stopping (or at least slowing) the usage of nuclear weapons, and (best yet) an unexpectedly moving and artistic climactic undersea battle that was completely devoid of explosions and loud noises.
I really respect this one.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2015 15:35:45 GMT -5
Godzilla (1954)I saw it once before but apparently wasn't in the right viewing mindset. Wow. This is so much better than I remember. Slow moving, dull at times, and absolutely lacking in fun, but it's so tastefully and intelligently done. It gets the obligatory destruction and special effects done better than they'd ever been done before and used liberally throughout, but it also provides deep characterizations, expressive cinematography, complex explorations of ethics, tactful deliberation on the complicated relationship Japan had with the United States, a real-world agenda in stopping (or at least slowing) the usage of nuclear weapons, and (best yet) an unexpectedly moving and artistic climactic undersea battle that was completely devoid of explosions and loud noises. I really respect this one. Beautifully Written and I've the same feelings as you. I see this film on annual basis and I have the DVD of this film and it's was an amazing film back then and one of the most iconic monster movies of all time. |
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Post by coke & comics on Aug 20, 2015 0:58:06 GMT -5
And I screwed up. I added three underwater sea monster films to my Netflix queue, but forgot to move them to the top. So now two western movies are on their way. I'm not very good at this. It's really time to switch to digital streaming, Chris ;) So, I'm curious. Suppose you wanted to watch Jaws, It Came from Beneath the Sea and 20,00 Leagues Under the Sea. How would you go about finding these movies to watch? I only recently started Netflix DVDs, as it seemed the most viable way to watch movies. |
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Post by coke & comics on Aug 20, 2015 0:59:46 GMT -5
I watched one of my favorite films ever, Crimson Tide. I took the theme of this month to be about creatures, but it says "undersea terrors". And there is nothing more terrifying than a nuclear submarine with an out-of-control captain.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 20, 2015 5:44:08 GMT -5
It's really time to switch to digital streaming, Chris  So, I'm curious. Suppose you wanted to watch Jaws, It Came from Beneath the Sea and 20,00 Leagues Under the Sea. How would you go about finding these movies to watch? I only recently started Netflix DVDs, as it seemed the most viable way to watch movies. I use a variety of approaches to watch the film I want: 1. Netflix streaming. Easiest way, if they have it (which they usually don't). 2. Youtube (free and easy) 3. Internet Archive (free and easy) 4. Google video search (free, but you must be careful which sites you visit) 5. Some other resources I'd rather not disclose online |
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Post by coke & comics on Aug 20, 2015 21:31:18 GMT -5
So, I'm curious. Suppose you wanted to watch Jaws, It Came from Beneath the Sea and 20,00 Leagues Under the Sea. How would you go about finding these movies to watch? I only recently started Netflix DVDs, as it seemed the most viable way to watch movies. I use a variety of approaches to watch the film I want: 1. Netflix streaming. Easiest way, if they have it (which they usually don't). 2. Youtube (free and easy) 3. Internet Archive (free and easy) 4. Google video search (free, but you must be careful which sites you visit) 5. Some other resources I'd rather not disclose online ;) I use Netflix and Youtube, but they don't usually have what I'm looking for. I'll give the internet archive a try. Netflix DVDs is a cheap and easy way to get an extremely large selection of films. Superior in selection to any particular streaming site I've come across. The other issue with streaming is quality. Netflix is the service I have the best luck with quality-wise, but they don't have very many films. Youtube is hit or miss, as is Amazon. I do subscribe to Amazon Prime, but it has the same selection issues Netflix does, plus worse streaming quality. And renting movies from Amazon or Google is too expensive and too low quality when compared with Netflix DVDs. |
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shaxper
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Posts: 22,872
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Post by shaxper on Aug 20, 2015 22:01:09 GMT -5
King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
You have to understand that I have never before seen any Godzilla film other than the original, so I plunged into this one expecting it to be more light hearted and possibly a bit stupid, but I had no idea what I'd bargained for.
Wow. This film is godawful. I mean, it was still very fun in a juvenile sort of way, but it was just BAD on virtually every level -- especially with how poorly the monsters were done. How they got Akihiko Hirata to come back and do this film is beyond me.
Really, the one quality aspect of the film was Ichirō Arishima turning on the comic charm as the middle manager of a pharmaceutical company attempting to make King Kong into its sponsor. He made me laugh every time.
Honestly, I enjoyed this film, and not even in a Mystery Science Theater 3000 sort of way, but it had no right to be as fun as it was.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2015 20:24:02 GMT -5
King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)Really, the one quality aspect of the film was Ichirō Arishima turning on the comic charm as the middle manager of a pharmaceutical company attempting to make King Kong into its sponsor. He made me laugh every time. I know exactly what you mean here ... One thing that really cracks me up is one of the actors comparing Godzilla's Brain is a size of a Pea and King Kong is extremely large and for a few minutes of the movie they made somewhat a documentary format that kind of amuse me in a big way. I just wanted to share that. |
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shaxper
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Posts: 22,872
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Post by shaxper on Aug 22, 2015 22:36:34 GMT -5
Godzilla vs. Mothra (1964)
Threw this one on a flash drive and brought it for a visit to my in laws this weekend. Unfortunately, their Blu Ray player's codecs were problematic, so we watched without audio or subtitles. Honestly, I'm beginning to wonder if you need either to enjoy a Godzilla film.
This one seemed a lot better done than Godzilla vs King Kong, especially the monsters. I have absolutely no idea what was happening in this story, especially with the two turd monsters that hatched out of the giant egg at the end, but it was a lot if fun to watch anyway.
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Post by DE Sinclair on Aug 26, 2015 16:00:15 GMT -5
Road to Bali (1952) Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, & Dorothy Lamour
Most of the movie is the usual Road movie comedy, but at one point Bob Hope has to put on a diving suit to recover a chest of jewels and ends up wrestling with a giant squid. He miraculously shows up unharmed after he's believed to be killed by the squid, and Bob & Bing have another 4th wall breaking moment where Bing demands to know how Hope survived. I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but it's funny, as is the rest of the film. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2015 0:57:05 GMT -5
The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) Richard Carlson, Julia Adams, Richard Denning.
It's amazing that some 50's black and white "monster" movies can be so bad and some like this one can be so good. Great underwater scenes along with a good story, good characters make it the timeless classic that it is. Then of course Julie Adams in that white bathing suit. The Creature from the Black Lagoon is a classic. While it can't live up to the standards of a modern horror flick, the elements of suspense clearly distinguish this movie from the average 1950's horror flick. Its popularity makes it a must see for anyone who wants to study the horror/sci-fi Genre of film; but only as an academic exercise. One of Jack Arnold's best. I just watched this movie again.
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shaxper
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Posts: 22,872
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Post by shaxper on Aug 29, 2015 10:30:46 GMT -5
Road to Bali (1952) Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, & Dorothy Lamour
Most of the movie is the usual Road movie comedy, but at one point Bob Hope has to put on a diving suit to recover a chest of jewels and ends up wrestling with a giant squid. He miraculously shows up unharmed after he's believed to be killed by the squid, and Bob & Bing have another 4th wall breaking moment where Bing demands to know how Hope survived. I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but it's funny, as is the rest of the film. A Bob Hope film without Gracie Allen? Hard to imagine, but I may have to check it out based upon your recommendation. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Aug 29, 2015 10:49:06 GMT -5
Road to Bali (1952) Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, & Dorothy Lamour
Most of the movie is the usual Road movie comedy, but at one point Bob Hope has to put on a diving suit to recover a chest of jewels and ends up wrestling with a giant squid. He miraculously shows up unharmed after he's believed to be killed by the squid, and Bob & Bing have another 4th wall breaking moment where Bing demands to know how Hope survived. I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but it's funny, as is the rest of the film. Funny you should ad this as my second option when choosing this month's theme was "Road" Movies...perhaps it'll come up another time |
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shaxper
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Posts: 22,872
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Post by shaxper on Aug 29, 2015 10:51:38 GMT -5
Road to Bali (1952) Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, & Dorothy Lamour
Most of the movie is the usual Road movie comedy, but at one point Bob Hope has to put on a diving suit to recover a chest of jewels and ends up wrestling with a giant squid. He miraculously shows up unharmed after he's believed to be killed by the squid, and Bob & Bing have another 4th wall breaking moment where Bing demands to know how Hope survived. I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but it's funny, as is the rest of the film. Funny you should ad this as my second option when choosing this month's theme was "Road" Movies...perhaps it'll come up another time I'd been thinking of doing Road Trip films for months now  |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Aug 29, 2015 11:04:34 GMT -5
Funny you should ad this as my second option when choosing this month's theme was "Road" Movies...perhaps it'll come up another time I'd been thinking of doing Road Trip films for months now It's a pretty wide genre when you think of it; comedies like the Bob Hope "Road to..." Films and Chevy Chase Vacation movies, fantasies like The Wizard of Oz, romantic comedies like it Happened One Night, dramas like Easy Rider and Into the Wild, action flick like Death Race and Mad Max, and just about everything in between. |
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