Good films I watched this weekend (Vol 2)

Good films I watched this weekend (Vol 2)

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JustinP1

13,330 posts

229 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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qube_TA said:
Adam B said:
Agreed, I didn't say there was anything wrong with it - just think people would miss out on a lot of fantastic films if they just watch happy or action movies, which IMHO is a shame for them.

And I don't see gritty/sad/tough and entertaining as being mutually exclusive

i will also watch some films for escapism and find them entertaining too

Edited by Adam B on Sunday 12th April 16:47
Just read the synopsis, looks good will seek it out.
You should. Biutiful is a good film. 8/10 for me.

Yes, it's not a 'happy go lucky' film. But it does have moments that are 'beautiful' as would be suggested. It's well acted and well directed.

Each to his own opinion, and each to his own preference, but if anything, for me, the more challenging films are ones which break from the classical Hollywood narrative and I enjoy those more.

ukaskew

10,642 posts

220 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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The Signal - 5/10

I felt genuinely annoyed by this. It's really quite beautifully shot, the concept is interesting and it has a weird uneasy feel when 'things start happening'.

Sadly, it's staggeringly easy to work out that all is not what it seems, and there are a few moments in the script where they may as well have just hit the viewer over the head with a sledgehammer, add to that a few gaping plot holes and you're left with a really well shot film with a good initial concept, a terrible script and even worse ending where I just wanted to swear at the screen.

vxr8mate

1,654 posts

188 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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A Good Kill

7/10...Well crafted, good script but not sure how close to any sort of truth.

JustinP1

13,330 posts

229 months

Monday 13th April 2015
quotequote all
ukaskew said:
The Signal - 5/10

I felt genuinely annoyed by this. It's really quite beautifully shot, the concept is interesting and it has a weird uneasy feel when 'things start happening'.

Sadly, it's staggeringly easy to work out that all is not what it seems, and there are a few moments in the script where they may as well have just hit the viewer over the head with a sledgehammer, add to that a few gaping plot holes and you're left with a really well shot film with a good initial concept, a terrible script and even worse ending where I just wanted to swear at the screen.
It's being dispatched from Lovefilm for me today - from a recommendation from this thread.

I'll tell you which side of the fence I'm on in the few days...!

Edited by JustinP1 on Monday 13th April 14:29

toon10

6,140 posts

156 months

Monday 13th April 2015
quotequote all
JustinP1 said:
ukaskew said:
The Signal - 5/10

I felt genuinely annoyed by this. It's really quite beautifully shot, the concept is interesting and it has a weird uneasy feel when 'things start happening'.

Sadly, it's staggeringly easy to work out that all is not what it seems, and there are a few moments in the script where they may as well have just hit the viewer over the head with a sledgehammer, add to that a few gaping plot holes and you're left with a really well shot film with a good initial concept, a terrible script and even worse ending where I just wanted to swear at the screen.
It's being dispatched from Lovefilm for me today - from a recommendation from this thread.

I'll tell you which side of the fence I'm on in the few days...!

Edited by JustinP1 on Monday 13th April 14:29
I'm with ukaskew on this one. Interesting concept, badly executed in my opinion.

Nezquick

1,453 posts

125 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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Interstellar - 8/10

I really enjoyed this. The way it's shot is amazing and whilst I think I managed to get my head around what was going on, I still can't work out what the ending is supposed to mean.

Well worth a watch though.

robemcdonald

8,716 posts

195 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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Average films I watched this weekend?

Neither bad enough for the other thread, maybe just good enough for this one.

John Wick

Went into this knowing absolutley nothing about it (which is a bit unusual for me) It started off reasonably, a bit of exposition and then straight into the action. A cahnce encounter that leads to absolute carnage. A couple of time during the movie I wondered if it was concieved as a video game; few minutes of exposition followed by lengthy action set pieces.
This is exactly the sort of film I would have loved as a teenager. in my forties.... not so much.

5/10 (me at 42)
9/10 (me at 18)

Furious 7

What a disapointment. I really wanted to like this film as I have enjoyed the series to date; especially the last couple of instalments. Whilst it would be fair to say that the car side of things has got a bit out of hand in previous films, this takes things to an all new level. Its now more along the lines of a transformers movie where there are so many explosions (each bigger than the last) that when get to the end you feel physically drained. It also commits one of my most hated plot McGuffin where the bad guys for some reason have access to technology beyond that of the well funded govenment agencies they are up against. I spent the entire final act thinking "where did they get that from ?" "how does that work?" I appreciate that it is escapist fantasy and that I am thinking about it far too seriously, but a couple of minor tweaks (which would have probably saved a few quid on production as well) and it would have not been an issue.
In the first couple of films there seemed to be a connection between the characters and the cars. In this every scene they are just driving another set of super/hyper/muscle/custom/ricers etc.. oh and Doms charger which for some reason is un-written off and in the garage again for about the 3rd or 4th time.
Its too long, boring in a lot of places, dialogue from the film cliche year book and there is never any feeling that the ensemble are ever in real jepordy.

Bilge 3/10

On second thoughts this one should have gone in the other thread.

qube_TA

8,402 posts

244 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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Nezquick said:
Interstellar - 8/10

I really enjoyed this. The way it's shot is amazing and whilst I think I managed to get my head around what was going on, I still can't work out what the ending is supposed to mean.
It doesn't mean anything. Just frustrating pseudo-science wrapped up in nice eye-candy.


robemcdonald

8,716 posts

195 months

Monday 13th April 2015
quotequote all
qube_TA said:
Nezquick said:
Interstellar - 8/10

I really enjoyed this. The way it's shot is amazing and whilst I think I managed to get my head around what was going on, I still can't work out what the ending is supposed to mean.
It doesn't mean anything. Just frustrating pseudo-science wrapped up in nice eye-candy.
I quite liked it, but had to spend 30 minutes explaining relivity to my wife and then a further 30 minutes explaining that it couldnt have actually happened as there was a paradox at the centre of the plot.
Whats better Sci-Fi?
1. Totally accurate representation of the science (I suppose Gravity is a close as we will get)
2. Actual science merged with complete fantasy (Interstellar)
3. Complete science fantasy, The ships and technology just progress the plot (Star Wars etc.)

JustinP1

13,330 posts

229 months

Monday 13th April 2015
quotequote all
robemcdonald said:
I quite liked it, but had to spend 30 minutes explaining relivity to my wife and then a further 30 minutes explaining that it couldnt have actually happened as there was a paradox at the centre of the plot.
Whats better Sci-Fi?
1. Totally accurate representation of the science (I suppose Gravity is a close as we will get)
2. Actual science merged with complete fantasy (Interstellar)
3. Complete science fantasy, The ships and technology just progress the plot (Star Wars etc.)
I think the execution is more important IMHO.

One discussion point I have is that 1) and for example Gravity could be argued isn't sci-fi at all and is simply an action film set in the present day that just so happens to be set in space which is not a pre-requesite of 'sci-fi' in my opinion.

Quickmoose

4,482 posts

122 months

Monday 13th April 2015
quotequote all
robemcdonald said:
Whats better Sci-Fi?
1. Totally accurate representation of the science (I suppose Gravity is a close as we will get)
2. Actual science merged with complete fantasy (Interstellar)
3. Complete science fantasy, The ships and technology just progress the plot (Star Wars etc.)
1. Is/should be documentary
2. Is thought provoking entertainment
3. Is brain off.

However Science fiction should only be 2 or 3.
Science fact would be Apollo 13 or similar (Gravity had plot holes/big questions/suspended disbelief), because facts come from things proven, or history.... the future holds unknowns, so currently would be fiction.
Hasn't the odd thing written about in Star Trek and alike slowly come to be fact these days?

robemcdonald

8,716 posts

195 months

Monday 13th April 2015
quotequote all
JustinP1 said:
I think the execution is more important IMHO.

One discussion point I have is that 1) and for example Gravity could be argued isn't sci-fi at all and is simply an action film set in the present day that just so happens to be set in space which is not a pre-requesite of 'sci-fi' in my opinion.
I only used it as I couldnt think of a single science fiction film with accurate science in it. With my little knowledge I thought that gravity came (an adult nappy) close.

robemcdonald

8,716 posts

195 months

Monday 13th April 2015
quotequote all
Quickmoose said:
1. Is/should be documentary
2. Is thought provoking entertainment
3. Is brain off.

However Science fiction should only be 2 or 3.
Science fact would be Apollo 13 or similar (Gravity had plot holes/big questions/suspended disbelief), because facts come from things proven, or history.... the future holds unknowns, so currently would be fiction.
Hasn't the odd thing written about in Star Trek and alike slowly come to be fact these days?
I saw a documentry a couple of years ago where the inventors of things like mobile phones, ipads etc.. actually cited Star Trek as their inspiration.

There must be a scientifically accurate piece of fiction somewhere.

toasty

7,441 posts

219 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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Nightcrawler - Jake Gyllenhall plays creepy bloke making a break into live news camerawork. Downbeat and glum. 6/10

Foxcatcher - Channing Tatum plays Olympic wrestler being trained/groomed by creepy millionaire (Steve Carrell). True story, downbeat and glum. 7/10

Horrible Bosses 2 - Doesn't belong on this thread really. Utter cack but not downbeat or glum. 2/10

JustinP1

13,330 posts

229 months

Monday 13th April 2015
quotequote all
robemcdonald said:
I saw a documentry a couple of years ago where the inventors of things like mobile phones, ipads etc.. actually cited Star Trek as their inspiration.

There must be a scientifically accurate piece of fiction somewhere.
A film which only uses proven scientific principles which are evidenced and can be repeated at the time of its making ceases to be science fiction.

Science fiction is where there is at least an element of speculation on what could or may happen now or in the future.

Or, including a sub-genre of sci-fi, a plot which could happen today or in the future if past events had been different.

robemcdonald

8,716 posts

195 months

Monday 13th April 2015
quotequote all
JustinP1 said:
robemcdonald said:
I saw a documentry a couple of years ago where the inventors of things like mobile phones, ipads etc.. actually cited Star Trek as their inspiration.

There must be a scientifically accurate piece of fiction somewhere.
A film which only uses proven scientific principles which are evidenced and can be repeated at the time of its making ceases to be science fiction.

Science fiction is where there is at least an element of speculation on what could or may happen now or in the future.

Or, including a sub-genre of sci-fi, a plot which could happen today or in the future if past events had been different.
OK thats a fair point. What about saying a film that is accurate to what is theoretically possible, with no hokey science at all. Anyway you get my point.

Lordbenny

8,575 posts

218 months

Monday 13th April 2015
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Whiplash - Fabulous, must be watched on a decent surround sound set up though which I'm lucky enough to have! My neighbours must be cursing me! One of the best ending to any film I've ever seen/heard.....9/10

Brother D

3,698 posts

175 months

Tuesday 14th April 2015
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Azorian - actually a documentary - a secret mission to recover a lost Russian sub by the Americans - free on Amazon Prime and worth a watch.

More info here http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2042455/

(If you like engineering it's v.interesting)

Asterix

24,438 posts

227 months

Tuesday 14th April 2015
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toasty said:
Foxcatcher - Channing Tatum plays Olympic wrestler being trained/groomed by creepy millionaire (Steve Carrell). True story, downbeat and glum. 7/10
I quite liked the film but not having seen any footage of the actual guy, did Channing Tatum mean to play him as if he was retarded?

Quickmoose

4,482 posts

122 months

Tuesday 14th April 2015
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I think CT studied the guy a lot in this case and reflected the quite, over-sensitive, competitve man who had a serious under-bite.... not a good look...
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