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DVDs and Films You Have Watched Recently 3 - The Final Insult


Devon Malcolm

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I still haven't seen either of the Wall Streets. But I can definitely second the qualities of The China Syndrome. The Star Chamber is one of his best films as well, not one that has been seen by many though.

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On 11/19/2017 at 7:46 PM, King Pitcos said:

Anyone on here watched Ingrid Goes West, and if so, would you recommend it?

Just seen it, it was excellent. Ending was predictable but otherwise really good.

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Recently had to learn lists for quizzing purposes, including Golden Globe Best Drama Winners, Golden Globe Comedy/Musical Winners, and AFI's 100 Years 100 Laughs. A big part of why it was a challenge at all to memorise was because I hadn't seen a lot of them (and I'm not some Owen-esque non-watcher, I've seen a fair load), so I'm looking to remedy that, starting with the 100 Years 100 Laughs list.

I found they had The Apartment (Jack Lemmon, Shirley Maclaine) in the Sky Cinema section of Catch-Up, so I watched it last night. As enjoyable as I'd imagine it to be, very humorous, but also very sad throughout - Lemmon is great at eliciting sympathy, playing this put-upon employee who finds himself having to go along with his higher-ups demands, and taking the blame for their mis-deeds even when it costs him in his personal life. Think I need to do some swatting up on the old Production Code, because I was under the impression the Code prohibited all portrayals of adultery, and The Apartment seems like it was made during that era.

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It was officially repealed in 1968 but it had started to have less and less impact from about the mid to late 1950s to the point where it had been all but ignored by the time it was officially torn up.

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24 minutes ago, Carbomb said:

Recently had to learn lists for quizzing purposes, including Golden Globe Best Drama Winners, Golden Globe Comedy/Musical Winners, and AFI's 100 Years 100 Laughs. A big part of why it was a challenge at all to memorise was because I hadn't seen a lot of them (and I'm not some Owen-esque non-watcher, I've seen a fair load), so I'm looking to remedy that, starting with the 100 Years 100 Laughs list.

I found they had The Apartment (Jack Lemmon, Shirley Maclaine) in the Sky Cinema section of Catch-Up, so I watched it last night. As enjoyable as I'd imagine it to be, very humorous, but also very sad throughout - Lemmon is great at eliciting sympathy, playing this put-upon employee who finds himself having to go along with his higher-ups demands, and taking the blame for their mis-deeds even when it costs him in his personal life. Think I need to do some swatting up on the old Production Code, because I was under the impression the Code prohibited all portrayals of adultery, and The Apartment seems like it was made during that era.

Jack Lemmon was so good at comedy that it's easy to forget just how good an actor he was. He should have got an Oscar for Glengarry Glen Ross but I think the studios pushed for Pacino's performance, chewing up the scenery instead

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Apart from the Hoo-Ha bits, Pacino's performance was excellent with his insidious salesman pseudo-existentialist patter (I still love the two monologues he gives to Pryce in the Chinese restaurant), but you're right: Lemmon should've got that Oscar. He was brilliant. Great film all round, excellent performances from everyone.

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Jack Lemmon (and Walter Matthau obv) in The Odd Couple is some of the best comedy acting you will ever see. One of those actors who never, ever dropped his level below greatness.

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2 hours ago, Devon Malcolm said:

It was officially repealed in 1968 but it had started to have less and less impact from about the mid to late 1950s to the point where it had been all but ignored by the time it was officially torn up.

I missed this post. Thanks for that explanation.

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Sometimes it's amazing the things you can miss in terms of culture. I was memorising the Golden Globes Comedy/Musical winners list (again for trivia purposes), and I came across the listing for the 2004 winner, Sideways. I have never heard of this film until today. It's won so many awards, including several Oscars, and was a big hit during a year that I should easily remember, but for some reason it's completely evaded me. Well, I now have a mission to watch it. 

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45 minutes ago, Carbomb said:

Sometimes it's amazing the things you can miss in terms of culture. I was memorising the Golden Globes Comedy/Musical winners list (again for trivia purposes), and I came across the listing for the 2004 winner, Sideways. I have never heard of this film until today. It's won so many awards, including several Oscars, and was a big hit during a year that I should easily remember, but for some reason it's completely evaded me. Well, I now have a mission to watch it. 

I've seen Sideways (great Paul Giamatti performance, Christina from Grey's Anatomy is in it, there's that one line about "fucking Merlot" and that's all I can recall) but there's loads of films like that for me, where they got nominated for a shedload of awards and just disappear afterwards. Even this year, most of the awards-y films haven't really lived long in the cultural memory.

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I was reading up about it (obviously avoided the plot synopsis for spoiler purposes), and in one of the later sections, it seems that California's association of vineyards/winemakers claim that Sideways cost Merlot growers over the next decade something in the realms of $400m, and bumped up sales of Pinot Noir. Insane.

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