# Movies you've seen recently (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [August 27, 2024, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288 "2024-08-27T05:10:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/161 "2024-09-17T01:15:33Z")
I just finished watching David Allen’s **The Primevals**. I’d seen an adulterated version of this several months ago – I’d hoped to give the film its New England premiere at Arisia 2024, but they yanked it just before the convention. God knows why – it’s the perfect venue, and would have been great advertising. This was a project almost half a century in the making. David Allen is one of the (sadly) lesser-known masters of stop-motion animation. He did a lot of work in commercials (including the Pillsbury dough boy, and a King Kong commercial for Volkswagen), animated the giant monster at the end of **Flesh Gordon** , and did a lot of work for Spielberg in the 1980s ( **batteries not included** , **Young Sherlock Holmes** ). \*\*The Primevals was a project he’d been working on since the 1970s. It got a cover teatment in the magazine _Cinefantastique_ back in 1978, and I’ve been looking for it ever since > **[Cinefantastique Vol. 8 #1 / The Primevals: Mag: Amazon.com: Books](https://www.amazon.com/Cinefantastique-Vol-8-1-Primevals/dp/B003VHU3TW)** > > Cinefantastique Vol. 8 #1 / The Primevals \[Mag\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Cinefantastique Vol. 8 #1 / The Primevals Despite repeated attempts to get it together, Allen never quite succeeded, and died in 1999, his work incomplete. A couple of crowdfunded efforts finally got it made, with help from animators Phil Tippett, Jim Danforth, and Ernie Farino. I have no idea how they filmed and put this together, but there’s footage with Robert Cornthwaite (most famous as the arrogant professor in the original **The Thing** , and who appeared in other science fiction films and pastiches), who died in 2005. The film looks gorgeous, and any blemishes on decades-old footage has been removed. The animation is smooth and strobe-free, and blends almost seamlessly with the backgrounds. The scenery is great, and the musical score is top-notch. The acting and the action scenes could be better, but it’s a helluva lot better than **Planet of Dinosaurs**. It’s worth seeing just to watch the sweep of concepts and images, which is almost a smorgasbord of stop-motion animation subjects. Worth a look even if you’re not a fan of stop-motion. Worth a couple of looks if you are. From Full Moon pictures > [@](#): > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySPyuXToFIk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySPyuXToFIk) > **[The Primevals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Primevals)** > > The Primevals is a 2023 American science fiction fantasy adventure film from Full Moon Entertainment, co-written and directed by David Allen, and starring Juliet Mills. The film was a passion project for stop motion animator Allen and completed posthumously after over 50 years in development. > After a Yeti is killed by a group of Sherpa, a team of university scientists travel to Nepal to find the origins of the creature. Teaming up with a rugged tracker, the group set out from the Sherpa village ... > **[The Primevals (2023) ⭐ 5.5 | Adventure, Sci-Fi](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9352178/)** > > 1h 31m ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/162 "2024-09-17T02:18:45Z")
> [@teelabrown](#): > > Mad Monster Party? The hugely successful _Hotel Transylvania_ franchise owes a lot to this film. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/163 "2024-09-17T13:52:20Z")
> [@XOldiesJock](#): > > Scouting the site for a movie to watch on a Saturday night, we came upon **“Tetris,”** a based-on-true-events tale of all the machinations that went into the international debut of one of the most popular of early computer games. Ok, I watched this and I dismissed this as sort of vaguely based on events, largely not anything like as dramatic, or involved, so not really based on reality. I’d be interested if it really was based on this, because it was just so out there a tale. I can imagine Maxwell and Co were after the rights, but all the later intrigue was almost certainly made up, I reckon. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/164 "2024-09-17T22:53:47Z")
**Battleship Potemkin** ---
**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:** [September 17, 2024, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/165 "2024-09-17T23:19:42Z")
I haven’t seen that since I was in college over 50 years ago, but I can still remember – clearly – many scenes. Same for _Alexander Nevsky._ ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/166 "2024-09-18T12:44:41Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Battleship Potemkin We were watching a movie the other day that featured a baby carriage and steps (it wasn’t The Untouchables, but now I’m drawing a blank on what it was), so we went back and rewatched that scene from Battleship Potemkin. Really ambitious & impressive. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/167 "2024-09-18T12:46:03Z")
Was it Naked Gun… 33 1/3 ? I think it’s that one anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/168 "2024-09-18T12:50:20Z")
I remember now, it was an episode of Murdoch Mysteries. They’re always doing clever stuff like that. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/169 "2024-09-18T12:51:01Z")
We recently watched **El Conde** which is a Chilean horror movie. It turns out Pinochet is a 250 year old vampire living on a ranch since he faked his death. His family has assembled to get him to reveal where he hid all the money he stole. It’s very funny, but I’m sure that a lot of the political satire was lost on me, a non-Chilean. I also watched **The Swimmer** starring Burt Lancaster and I can’t get it out of my head. It’s such a surreal movie for someone like Lancaster to star in. ---
**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:** [September 18, 2024, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/170 "2024-09-18T16:07:29Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > We recently watched **El Conde** which is a Chilean horror movie. It turns out Pinochet is a 250 year old vampire living on a ranch since he faked his death. His family has assembled to get him to reveal where he hid all the money he stole. It’s very funny, but I’m sure that a lot of the political satire was lost on me, a non-Chilean. Wow, would you believe this was listed as my “worst movie of the year” for 2023? Still, glad someone enjoyed it. I thought it was so boring. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/171 "2024-09-18T16:16:02Z")
It helps if you know the history of Chile and the Pinochet family, especially their relationship to the UK. It’s political satire using the horror genre to make its point. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/172 "2024-09-18T19:05:19Z")
I’m a much bigger fan of _Alexander Nevsky_ than _Battleship Potemkin_. It’s just hits a lot of buttons for me. And _Potemkin_ has that old trope of a baby carriage rolling down wide steps. So trite. Even the Simpsons did it. 😉 ---
**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:** [September 18, 2024, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/173 "2024-09-18T19:38:13Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > I’m a much bigger fan of _Alexander Nevsky_ than _Battleship Potemkin_. It’s just hits a lot of buttons for me. It (_Nevsky_) is such a visually arresting movie that I almost forgot it wasn’t a silent movie. Duh! And Prokofiev is one of my favorite composers. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/174 "2024-09-18T21:04:24Z")
**Civil War** on Max. Kirsten Dunst (hubby Jesse Plemons in a bit part). Modern-day USA is in the middle of a civil war. A team of reporters is trying to cover it. Fairly apocalyptical and the worst of human nature. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/175 "2024-09-18T21:37:11Z")
We tried to watch it last night, but my wife only made it ten minutes into the movie, due to the extreme violence. I finished it after she went to bed. (I compare it to _Children of Men_, also brutal urban warfare.) Sequel? I’d like to know what happens next… ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/176 "2024-09-18T22:50:02Z")
Angel (1984). I remember when the movie came out and the poster had two images of Angel with the text: "High School honor student by day - Hollywood hooker by night. Never got to see it in the theater since I was too young even though it was enticing. Just finished watching it and what a sleazy flick. At the same time I did enjoy it. The fact that it had Rory Calhoun, Dick Shawn and John Deihl from Miami Vice made it watchable. And my favorite part of the movie is seeing the old street scenes and old cars from the 80s. Now I want to watch the two follow-ups to the movie. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2024, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/177 "2024-09-19T03:48:43Z")
[_Beyond the Trek_](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teleios) 2017 Found it on FilmRise. Has a nice selection of films with a few commercials. Free and doesn’t require an account. It’s an interesting and thought provoking story. Weird and disturbing. Of course it’s won a bunch of International awards. Critics eat up Artsy films. A crew of genetically altered humans are sent on a salvage mission. They find the ship with its crew dead except for one survivor. He appears unstable and doesn’t talk. The story involves learning what happened. The enhanced humans begin experiencing emotions slowly start changing. It’s thought provoking science fiction. Any entertainment is secondary. One short-coming is the genetically altered humans. They’re supposed to have superior intelligence and education. But the characters walk around like stone faced Vulcans. Otherwise they’re nothing special. I wouldn’t watch it again. C- ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2024, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/178 "2024-09-19T11:08:01Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > And _Potemkin_ has that old trope of a baby carriage rolling down wide steps. So trite. Even the Simpsons did it. 😉 This is hardly fair, Potemkin created that scene, it wasn’t a trope, and the Simpsons scene was a reference to Potemkin. You don’t accuse The Matrix of having just another take the pill to emerge from the computer generated reality trope. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2024, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/179 "2024-09-19T11:24:40Z")
Pssst. I think you’ve been whooshed. It’s like the old lady who goes to see Hamlet for the first time in her life. When asked what she thought of it, she says, “I don’t see what the big deal is. It’s just one cliche after another.” ---
**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:** [September 19, 2024, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288/180 "2024-09-19T13:23:10Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > It’s like the old lady who goes to see Hamlet for the first time in her life. When asked what she thought of it, she says, “I don’t see what the big deal is. It’s just one cliche after another.” I like that, gonna use it. I tried to tell my daughter that Lion King is more or less a form of the Hamlet story…except everyone dies(except Horatio) in the original, so Disney definitely decided to make a few changes. Question: Been awhile since Hamlet for me. Does any major character live aside from Horatio? Would not count Fortinbras, who I remember just shows up at the end and says, “What???” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-youve-seen-recently-part-2/1006288.md?page=10)