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"Holmes & Watson" wasn't a hit with critics or audiences. The film received a "D+" CinemaScore from opening day crowds, signaling a steady decline in attendance. The film grossed just shy of $20 million after six days in release. To put that into perspective, previous comedies headlined by Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly saw "Step Brothers" open with $30.9 million ahead of a $100 million domestic run and "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" opened with $47 million before ending its domestic run just shy of $150 million. Ultimately, the $42 million-budgeted "Holmes & Watson" grossed only $31 million in the U.S.
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Thanks Bob. So it wasnt just me then? 
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Posted: |
Sep 8, 2019 - 12:40 PM
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By: |
Xebec
(Member)
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Is there anything new in this you hadn't heard of before? I thought this story had been thoroughly explored.
Perhaps 40 years ago I had digested an account of Dan O'Bannon's formative creative endeavours, his early intersection with Jadowrosky and Giger, and the bumpy gestation of what would become the Alien we all know and revere, but it ain't the early 80's anymore and that data was likely deleted from my cache a long time ago.
The factual and anecdotal material was welcome for review, but the TED talky, post-hoc dissection—and, christ, that self-indulgent prologue—left me cold.
Ah, thanks, will probably give it a miss. I've seen atuff about that in various alien extras and the Jodorowsky Dune documentary.
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Posted: |
Sep 8, 2019 - 3:49 PM
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By: |
Grecchus
(Member)
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A TALE OF TWO CITIES
1958
Not seen this since i was a boy and I remembered only one scene - when the coach rides over the peasant boy and the evil aristocrat tosses a paltry coin out the window. Ably directed by Ralph Thomas, but what a phenomenally rich cast, a proper whos who of english talent...Dirk Bogarde, Cecil Parker, Donald Pleasance, Christopher Lee, Dorithy Tutin, Alfie Bass, Leo McKern, Ian Bannen, Ernest Clark, Sam Kydd.
"It is a far, far better thing i do, than i have ever done. It is a far, far better rest i go to, than i have ever known..."
7.4 out of 10.
It's my fav Dickens, Bill. I've got access to this version and the Ronald Coleman one. It's one of those instances where I don't mind which one to pick up and watch - they're both film classics.
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A TALE OF TWO CITIES
1958
It's my fav Dickens, Bill. I've got access to this version and the Ronald Coleman one. It's one of those instances where I don't mind which one to pick up and watch - they're both film classics.
I will keep an eye out for the Coleman version. Not seen that. He is always nothing less than impeccable.
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Posted: |
Sep 9, 2019 - 12:32 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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MOONRAKER (1979) - 7/10
I first saw this film on broadcast TV, and in all the years since, I couldn't remember if I had ever seen it on the big screen, so when the opportunity came around last week, I took it. This was Roger Moore’s fourth outing as James Bond, and I think, one of his lesser efforts. Perhaps that is because it came between the two best Moore Bonds--THE SPY WHO LOVED ME and FOR YOUR EYES ONLY.
Of course MOONRAKER has something neither of those two films did--a John Barry score. And whenever "Jaws" (Richard Kiel) turns up in the film, the fun quotient increases commensurately. Although this one is just a tad on the silly side, it was great to see it in a sparkling 4K rendering. When it comes to sheer spectacle, that space station set rivals the hollowed out volcano in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE or the submarine pen in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME.
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Posted: |
Sep 9, 2019 - 7:47 AM
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By: |
Solium
(Member)
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MOONRAKER (1979) - 7/10
I first saw this film on broadcast TV, and in all the years since, I couldn't remember if I had ever seen it on the big screen, so when the opportunity came around last week, I took it. This was Roger Moore’s fourth outing as James Bond, and I think, one of his lesser efforts. Perhaps that is because it came between the two best Moore Bonds--THE SPY WHO LOVED ME and FOR YOUR EYES ONLY.
Of course MOONRAKER has something neither of those two films did--a John Barry score. And whenever "Jaws" (Richard Kiel) turns up in the film, the fun quotient increases commensurately. Although this one is just a tad on the silly side, it was great to see it in a sparkling 4K rendering. When it comes to sheer spectacle, that space station set rivals the hollowed out volcano in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE or the submarine pen in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME.
Love this film! Its got everything but the kitchen sink in it. Immensely entertaining. The effects and model work were amazing for its time. Enjoyed all the action sequences. One of my favorite Barry scores. Jaws had the hottest nerd girlfriend ever. It helps I'm not a "Bond fan". Meaning I have no particular love for the film series, just a casual viewer. This one tickles my fancy.
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THE RED BARON
2008
No, not the John Philip Law version but one with Matthias Schweighöfer. Also featured Lena Headey as a french nurse doing the worst french accent since Peter Sellers said "minkey" and "sol-ved". Somewhat disjointed and unengaging, like a bad tv movie - the script and the performances were phoned-in but the line was busy.
Score was utterly forgettable. I missed hearing Hugo.
6 out of 10.
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MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL (2019) - 8/10
A straight-forward biography of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, with plenty of performance footage and musical excerpts included. The film goes into detail on his recording contracts with Prestige and Columbia, his multi-year affair with French actress and singer Juliette Gréco, his marriage to dancer Frances Taylor, his struggles with alcohol and drugs, and the contrast between the acceptance he received in Europe and the racism he suffered at home.
As far as talking heads go, most of the ones in the film are Davis' (still-living) contemporaries, including both of the women (Taylor died shortly after her sequences were shot). The look-backs and re-appraisals from modern voices are limited. There is nothing new in documentary storytelling technique to be had here, but if you are a jazz aficionado, you should find Davis' life story a compelling one.
The film made me want to go out and get some Miles Davis CDs, since the only one I have is his soundtrack for the Louis Malle film ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS (Ascenseur pour l'échafaud, 1958), which is discussed in the documentary.
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Posted: |
Sep 12, 2019 - 12:00 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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IT CHAPTER TWO (2019) - 7/10
If you want more of IT, you'll get it in this film. But compared to the 2017 original, this film seems to put less story into a longer (by 14 minutes) film. And even with that, you get less of Pennywise the clown (Bill Skarsgård). He's only onscreen for about 10 of the film's 169 minutes, and any new scares that the film has to offer don't come from him. On the plus side, the new adult cast (Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, et al) are good. And for flashback scenes, the child cast from the original film returns, in some cases digitally de-aged to better resemble the way they looked two years ago (these kids grow up so fast!). While I found the first film to be a superior horror film, this one doesn't reach those heights. But it's still a step above some of the horror stuff I've seen in the past year (HELL FEST and TRUTH OR DARE, I'm looking at you.)
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