# Movies you've seen recently (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [September 29, 2014, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906 "2014-09-29T21:53:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 390
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/7799 "2023-11-03T16:28:13Z")
Absolutely. And most assuredly, it’s one of the “numerous things to like.” ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/7800 "2023-11-03T16:28:30Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > **The Shining**. My son recently finished King’s novel and wanted to see the movie. So sure, of course. I’m always up for some Kubrick, and the scene where Jack stalks Wendy around that big room talking nastily about what to do with Danny is, in my opinion, one of the most criminally underrated scenes in the history of cinema. I mean, I dunno. Maybe that’s just me, but still. And “Danny’s not here, Mrs. Torrance” is just purely bone-chilling. To anyone who hasn’t seen _The Shining_: **see it!!!** BTW, there’s a convoluted story about the aspect ratio of this movie. It was shot in a 4:3 format but with the expectation that it would be shown in theaters in a cropped 16:9 format (1.85:1). Just one of Kubrick’s idiosyncrasies, but early releases were only available in the 4:3 format which is a big drawback on a widescreen HD TV. So when buying this movie on Blu-ray or downloading, make sure it’s the anamorphic widescreen version. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/7801 "2023-11-03T16:30:53Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > BTW, there’s a convoluted story about the aspect ratio of this movie. It was shot in a 4:3 format but with the expectation that it would be shown in theaters in a cropped 16:9 format (1.85:1). Just one of Kubrick’s idiosyncrasies, but early releases were only available in the 4:3 format which is a big drawback on a widescreen HD TV. So when buying this movie on Blu-ray or downloading, make sure it’s the anamorphic widescreen version. I thought Kubrick’s movies were intended to be viewed 4:3 usually. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/7802 "2023-11-03T16:43:01Z")
My understanding (and someone please feel free to correct me if I don’t have it right) is that when home video became a thing, he composed and shot his movies to be projected in 16:9 (or whatever aspect ratio) in a theater, but he was mindful of what the results would be if shown on a 4:3 television and adjusted accordingly, if need be. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/7803 "2023-11-03T17:42:10Z")
I’m glad he read the book! ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/7804 "2023-11-03T21:50:43Z")
Oh, he’s more of a book reader than a movie watcher. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/7805 "2023-11-03T23:43:38Z")
> [@Raza](#): > > We’re Elsa Lanchester fans, so **Bride** we will watch this weekend (already recorded from TCM). Me, too. I especially liked her in _Bell, Book, and Candle._ She was also a true Bohemian in 1920s London. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/7806 "2023-11-04T03:15:08Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > My understanding (and someone please feel free to correct me if I don’t have it right) is that when home video became a thing, he composed and shot his movies to be projected in 16:9 (or whatever aspect ratio) in a theater, but he was mindful of what the results would be if shown on a 4:3 television and adjusted accordingly, if need be. Now that you mention it, I remember reading this somewhere. In any case, I’ve seen both versions, and when watching _The Shining_ on a modern 16x9 HD TV, the anamorphic widescreen version is definitely the way to go – you certainly don’t lose anything from the cropping, which was Kubrick’s intent. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/7807 "2023-11-04T14:59:45Z")
**Vertigo** (1958). Continuing my Hitchcock adventures with another masterpiece I had not seen before. Starring Kim Novak and James Stewart in what is arguably the most psychological of the Hitchcock films I’ve seen so far, perhaps with the exception of _Rebecca_. A wealthy shipping magnate believes his wife is possessed by the spirit of her late great-grandmother. Co-stars Barbara Bel Geddes, a name that I recognized from what is probably the best single episode of _Alfred Hitchcock Presents_ ever made, “The Foghorn”. Raymond Bailey appears in a minor scene as a psychiatrist, and also appears in a number of Hitchcock’s TV episodes, which I always find a bit distracting because to me, Bailey will always be Milburn Drysdale, Jed Clampett’s banker in \*The Beverly Hillbillies". 😀 ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/7808 "2023-11-04T16:48:04Z")
I forgot to mention that at #9 in **[the American Film Institute rankings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI%27s_100_Years...100_Movies_(10th_Anniversary_Edition))** of the greatest films ever made, _Vertigo_ is the only Hitchcock film with such a high honour, widely regarded as his best film. Next on the AFI list is _Rear Window_ at #48 (I posted about this one earlier) and _North by Northwest_ at #55 (next one I plan to watch). Those are the only Hitchcock films in the top 100. I’d have expected more than three Hitchcock films in the list. I must add that I don’t agree with some of the AFI ratings; some of their high-rated films I wouldn’t have on the list at all, and _The Silence of the Lambs_ surely deserves better than #74 – it’s possibly the most intense film I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/7809 "2023-11-04T16:59:13Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > #9 in **[the American Film Institute rankings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI%27s_100_Years...100_Movies_(10th_Anniversary_Edition))** of the greatest films ever made And it was the #1 film in the 2012 Sight and Sound Critics poll: > **[The 100 Greatest Films of All Time](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/polls/greatest-films-all-time-2012)** > > In our biggest ever poll in 2012, 846 critics, programmers and curators nominated ten best movies ever made – and the results gave us a new top film, ending the 50-year reign of Citizen Kane. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/7810 "2023-11-04T19:12:24Z")
_Notorious_ is my personal favorite Hitchcock film, with _Vertigo_ and _The 39 Steps_ pretty much tied for second. All excellent films, though. As for Kubrick, _2001: A Space Odyssey_ is hands-down my favorite, but it’s very slow and obviously not for everybody. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/7811 "2023-11-04T23:26:10Z")
Psycho is #14. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/7812 "2023-11-04T23:48:08Z")
Thanks, don’t know how I could have missed that! So, four Hitchcock films in the AFI top 100. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2023, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/7813 "2023-11-05T05:29:10Z")
Went to Killers of the Flower Moon. 3 and a half hours, for fucks sake. Coulda shaved off and hour and a half and not affected the story in the least. Good story, important. Watch it again? NO. Fuck no. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2023, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/7814 "2023-11-05T10:03:26Z")
**North by Northwest** (1959). Another Hitchcock masterpiece with Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason. The story line is practically the opposite of _Vertigo_, which spun a fascinating story based on a simple premise; this one is more along the lines of constant plot twists, wheels within wheels where no one is who they seem, yet masterfully accomplished with the same level of excellence. Alfred Hitchcock was a freaking genius! And topped off with a deliciously suspenseful ending. It’s the kind of movie that tempts one to think “they don’t make 'em like that any more!” It was mentioned before that Hitchcock liked to have little cameos in his own movies, and I usually miss them. This one was impossible to miss – there he was in all his rotund glory as a man trying to catch a bus, only to have the door shut in his face and drive off! It’s completely irrelevant to the plot, just a whimsical bit of fun. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2023, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/7815 "2023-11-05T10:45:44Z")
Too late to edit, but I wanted to add that since I rarely watch movies of an era that would feature Cary Grant, I was struck by his rather unusual accent. Turns out this is definitely a thing, once known as the **[Mid-Atlantic or Transatlantic accent](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_accent)** and is a consciously learned prestige accent that is a blend of American and British accents that was once fashionable among the American elite. It starting falling out of fashion after World War II. Also, came across this pic of the three major stars of _North by Northwest_ on location at Mount Rushmore, which features in the suspenseful climatic ending. All three put in outstanding performances, with James Mason playing the extremely suave bad guy with consummate skill: [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/North_by_Northwest_stars_pose_at_Rushmore.jpg/800px-North_by_Northwest_stars_pose_at_Rushmore.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/North_by_Northwest_stars_pose_at_Rushmore.jpg/800px-North_by_Northwest_stars_pose_at_Rushmore.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2023, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/7816 "2023-11-05T14:04:24Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Mid-Atlantic or Transatlantic accent The weird thing is that Cary Grant didn’t acquire the transatlantic accent as most of the people who used it. The transatlantic accent didn’t mostly come from people spending part of their life from being in the U.S. and part of their life in the U.K. It was mostly an accent taught to people: > **[Mid-Atlantic accent](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_accent)** > > The Mid-Atlantic accent, or Transatlantic accent, is a consciously learned accent of English, fashionably used by the late 19th-century and early 20th-century American upper class and entertainment industry, which blended together features regarded as the most prestigious from both American and British English (specifically Received Pronunciation). It is not a native or regional accent; rather, according to voice and drama professor Dudley Knight, "its earliest advocates bragged that it In the 1... It started as something taught to students (or acquired consciously by them) at prestigious prep schools in the northeastern U.S. as an attempt to speak something different from most of the people living in that area. It put some features from upper-class British English (what is usually called Received Pronunciation) into American English. It then got taught to people in the American entertainment industry to characterize them as upper-class. But Grant didn’t learn the accent from being taught. He grew up in a lower-class family in Bristol. He spoke an accent that was typical of that area and social class. This was not Cockney. Cockney is lower-class London speech, and it sounds different from lower-class Bristol speech. He then got into theatrical work. He lived mostly in the U.S. from the age of 16. Without taking any classes in speech, he began speaking the transatlantic accent. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2023, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/7817 "2023-11-05T14:13:19Z")
With all the current misery in the world, we were looking for something light and amusing to watch on a Saturday night and came across **The Haunted Mansion** on Disney+. The performances were good, including some notable cameos, the special effects were delightful, and it would have made a pleasant 90 minutes. Unfortunately, it clocked in at 2 hours, far too long to hold up the rather slight plot. My wife’s assessment: “Well that’s not destined to become a Disney classic.” Kids might like it, though there are some really downbeat parts, people dying and such. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2023, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906/7818 "2023-11-05T15:22:48Z")
**Quiz Lady** (Hulu) Two estranged sisters – one a repressed nerd, one a ditzy flake – reconnect and leverage the nerd’s prowess at a TV quiz show for…reasons. With Sandra Oh and Awkwafina. And casting against type: Oh is the ditz, Awkwafina is the nerd. Delightful and funny. I’ve loved everything Sandra Oh has been in, and she has a real flair for comedy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906.md?page=389) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-1/699906.md?page=391)