Actually, Ben Hur has a number of effective moments, mostly in the first half before it looses focus with the whole leper subplot. Stephen Boyd and Charlton Heston’s “relationship” is quite fun in this more knowing age and it certainly delivers with the chariot race (not directed by Wyler I know, but by Andrew Merton). If you want to see poor Classical-set epics, look no further than Henry Koster’s The Robe and Robert Wise’s Helen of Troy, both of which I had the misfortune to sit through, the former out of an obligation to see the first film released in widescreen and the other because it was directed by Wise (neither of which are good enough reasons for films as substandard as they).
The naval battle and the chariot race a great, and there are a few sparse effective scenes, otherwise Ben Hur is pure Hollywood hokum.
Depends on how much freedom a second unit director has. Does he work on his own, or does he only do what the director wants him to do?
I also read somewhere that parts of the chase were adapted shot by shot from MGM’s silent version.
[quote=“Stanton, post:12244, topic:1923”]Depends on how much freedom a second unit director has. Does he work on his own, or does he only do what the director wants him to do?
I also read somewhere that parts of the chase were adapted shot by shot from MGM’s silent version.[/quote]
And Sergio Leone pretended that he had a big hand in it as well.
I’ve never seen the silent version, btw. Maybe it’s available somewhere, I’d like to see the chariot race of that version
Have you tried Youtube?
Watched Bob le Flambeur last night. Even better than I remembered. Great movie! Anyone that hasnt seen it should definitely check it out 
[size=12pt]3 Days to Kill - (2014) McG[/size]
This Kevin Costner vehicle may be full of clichés looking nothing special, and yes it’s all that, in any case I did had a good time watching it. Above middle age actors are all following Liam Neeson getting this action packed parts, well it’s a fine example for me also got to keep in good shape.
What a like the film mostly was the Beeson touch, visible in the dialogues and in the stylized slow pace of the film. Costner character is quite likeable, yes he’s a bad ass, but he isn’t always running or fighting like if he was in is twenties, also the humour, almost of the dark type, fits the story and actor well. The action scenes aren’t bad either, and I liked all the character actors Haillee Steinfield the girl in True Grit seem to have the potential to became a very good actress, it’s also a very visual film, with some fantastic views from Paris.
Yes nothing remarkable, it’s a walking cliché, but one that entertained for 90m couldn’t ask for more.
[quote=“El Topo, post:12248, topic:1923”][size=12pt]3 Days to Kill - (2014) McG[/size]
This Kevin Costner vehicle may be full of clichés looking nothing special, and yes it’s all that, in any case I did had a good time watching it. Above middle age actors are all following Liam Neeson getting this action packed parts, well it’s a fine example for me also got to keep in good shape.
What a like the film mostly was the Beeson touch, visible in the dialogues and in the stylized slow pace of the film. Costner character is quite likeable, yes he’s a bad ass, but he isn’t always running or fighting like if he was in is twenties, also the humour, almost of the dark type, fits the story and actor well. The action scenes aren’t bad either, and I liked all the character actors Haillee Steinfield the girl in True Grit seem to have the potential to became a very good actress, it’s also a very visual film, with some fantastic views from Paris.
Yes nothing remarkable, it’s a walking cliché, but one that entertained for 90m couldn’t ask for more.[/quote]
I have avoided it so far, but might give it a chance after your positive notes on it
Galaxina
-Sci-fi comedy from early 80’s. Just awful and unfunny film, maybe the target audience was 12 year old kids.
Ghost World
-Comic book based film about misfit teen girl and his relationship with older geeky record collector. Good one.
Citizen Kane
-Orson Welles masterpiece, not really the best film out there but one of the most influential.
[size=12pt]ZOMERHITTE (Summer Heat - 2008, Monique van de Ven)[/size]
A Dutch erotic would-be thriller, notable for being Van de Ven’s directional debut. Van de Ven was the young actress who burned the screen in the 1973 Verhoeven movie Turks Fruit (Turkish Delight). That movie was based on a novel by Jan Wolkers, one of Dutch best belletrists from the post WWII era, and yes, Summer Heat is based on a (short) Wolkers novel as well, in this case his swan song from 2005 (he died in 2007).
The novalla was a relatively light-weight love story with thriller influences, for her movie adaptation, Van de Ven intensified the thriller elements and made some odd (but lucrative) decisions on casting level: the novella tells the story of an middle aged photographer who falls for a young model (who turns out to be a student, examining the shady sides of life)), in the movie both characters are played by younger actors, who are a couple in real life, which adds a voyeuristic element to the (of course) rather daring erotic scenes. The actress, Sophie Hilbrand, is also a popular TV-host, known for her good looks and provocative behavior. The movie was pulvarized by critics but a major box-office success. Everybody wanted to see Hilbrand in the nude.
I had missed the movie upon its theatrical release (what the hell, if they all say it’s bad …), and finally watched it because somebody asked me to review it for a Dutch film site. To my surprise it was a lot better than its maligned reputation would suggest. It’s not great, the thriller elements are a bit simplistic, with too many inconsistencies coming in, but Hilbrand (good-looking in her birthday suit) and her husband act well together and the movie is well-shot on the island Texel (where wolkers lived and the novella is set).
Laurence Anyways - Xavier Dolan, 2012
It started fascinating, but I still needed some time to get into the movie, but later it sucked me in. 9/10
Hmm, perhaps I should give Dolan another try. 
I hated the movie by Dolan I saw a year ago or so.
I have seen before only Heartbeats (Les Amours imaginaires), his previous film. It was strange too, but I couldn’t connect with it. Laurence Anyways tells the story of a man who wants to live as a woman, and the love he feels for his girl friend, and her way to deal with the situation progressively. Over 10 years they can’t let go and can’t live together. As in all great films it is less interesting what happens, then how that what happens is told. Intensive stuff and a visual delight. And a great last scene.
Good chances to become a 10er on a second watch.
Les Amours imaginaires (Heartbeats) is the only film by Dolan I have seen, and I had the same experience: no connection whatsoever to what was happening on screen, I couldn’t relate to any of the characters.
I havent seen any film from Dolan, I’ve read the reviews of Mamã or Mommy and became curious, anyway Les Amours imaginaires seems like a title of a Rohmer film
@ Sherp:
I always feel a twinge when you review Dutch movies as sadly they never make it into English cinemas or even get DVD releases (though Summer Heat isn’t even listed on the Dutch Amazon!). It’s a shame a whole national cinema is virtually impossible and ignored.
‘SUSPIRIA’
My second viewing of this Dario Argento classic…this time with the Blu-ray audio commentary by Kim Newman and Alan Jones…blimmin’ marvellous!
I recently watched Argento’s ‘Tenebrae’, which I absolutely love! According to the audio commentary for this, the Giuliano Gemma role is dubbed by no other than Britain’s own, David Graham,…who is most famous for providing the voices of ‘Parker’; ‘Brains’; and ‘Gordon’, in ‘Thunderbirds’!
Andy and Lana Wachowski-Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Not that good, but not bad either. Some cool action scenes in this and visually i thought this movie was pretty fantastic, especially the World building that was done to create this complete with unique ships and architecture. Definitely a fun popcorn movie for any weekend.
Glenn Ficana and John Requa-Focus (2015)
What garbage!..Will Smith with that stupid smirk/look on his face in a movie that more or less glorifies common theft in a manner that practically left a bad taste in my mouth. The only good thing in this is Margot Robbie, she is absolutely gorgeous.
David Robert Mitchell-It Follows(2014)
While some people liked this supposedly Horror movie, I didn’t. It moved at a snail’s pace with nothing new to offer, or exciting, or original for that matter. So for me, it’s basically Halloween with a lame thing that can change identities.
Kristian Leuring-The Salvation (2014)
Solid effort from Mads Mikkelson in a rather standard revenge western with the immigrant spin on the storyline. Nothing special!
Yves Allegret-Nez de Cuir/Leathernose (1952)
I’ve finally seen this superbly scripted French classic with Jean Marais. Loved it.
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (2010, Lisa Cholodenko)
According to The Who (who?) the Kids were alright, according to this movie the kids are all right.
It’s a lovely comedy drama (dramedy if you wish) about a lesbian couple (Annette Bening and Julianna Moore) who both have given birth to a child, using the same sperm donor (a man they’ve never met). Bening is the more responsible type of the two, the one who brings in the money, while Moore is the type who never knew what to do with herself. Today Moore’s in landscape gardening and things aren’t really flourishing business wise, while Bening (she’s an obstetrician) is often more busy with her patients than with Moore. But the two still love each other and overall things are okay. This all changes when the two children, 15 and 18, decide it’s time to get acquainted with their biological father. Of course in no time things are topsy-turvy in the Moore-Bening house …
Often funny, the film also scores with a couple of insightful and dramatic moments, such as the rather painful scene with Bening absorbed in thought at the dinner table, minutes after she has discovered that Moore has been unfaithful. The couple in the movie is gay, but it’s not really a story about gay rights or the difficulties gay couples are confronted with in daily life, but rather an illustration of what ‘family’ means in a person’s life. So what seems very daring at first (and some sex scenes most certainly are daring) may sound rather conventional in the end. It also may sound a bit more important than it really is, but never mind, this is very pleasant movie, one with a heart and a soul, and it features several truly magnificent performances; in fact all actors are fine but kudos go to Annette Bening and Mark Ruffalo (as the sperm donor, a self-indulgent, but good-natured guy who doesn’t know what to do with his life either and therefore would like to be part of the 'family’).
[size=12pt]Automata - 2014 - Gabe Ibanez[/size]
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Decent enough sci-fi thriller about a dystopian society where 99.7 of earth population as died due to sun storms. So one corporation creates a type of robot that couldn’t harm humans, yeah I know. When one of the robots is shot in what appears to be a case of self-defence Banderas an insurance investigator is assigned with the job of findig out what happened. So even with only less of 1% of the population on earth I’m glad that those few still need insurance companies.
Yes Asimov, and Blade Runner immediately came to mind, but Automata is a bit far that grandness. A Spanish US Bulgarian produced film (Bulgaria seems to be the new European Studio), made with few resources, they made the best out of the small budget, but still lacks something. In my opinion the main weakness is the lack of substance in the plot, the film starts well, the story has some potential even if even not that original, but then the director search for that originality, in the wrong way with a contemplative plot about the meaning of life, or at the least he tried to but missed, there’s only contemplation.
That’s a pity Banderas is actually quite good in his part and there’s some nice photography work. In the end not a bad film especially if sci-fi dystopian stuff is your thing, but even if not bad, it’s also far from being good, it’s not easy to make something like Automata and not being lost while trying to get away from Blade Runner trap.