Good films I watched this weekend
Discussion
SystemParanoia said:
PeXy said:
Horrible bosses. Very funny, I need a boss like Jennifer Anderson!!!
YES! THIS!flat-planedCrank said:
Man On Fire
7.7 on iMDB and heard some positive comments about it being a great 'revenge' film...
So was disappointed to find it fairly average - just couldn't get on with the heavy handed 'old MTV music video' style. Some decent acting though.
5/10
It's your typical Tony Scott afair; personally I like his style but horses for courses. I had a choice of Man on Fire or another TS fil, Domino, this weekend; went with Domino and loved it. You do have to suspend your belief a bit though to fully enjoy it.7.7 on iMDB and heard some positive comments about it being a great 'revenge' film...
So was disappointed to find it fairly average - just couldn't get on with the heavy handed 'old MTV music video' style. Some decent acting though.
5/10
Targets. Peter Bogdanovich's first film, one of Boris Karloff's last and an obtuse study of cinema, the death of old horror, the birth of the new and an unsettling realisation that heavy prosthetics and gloomy castles no longer match for suspense and thrills, a clean cut San Fernando kid with macabre intent.
After the opening stills, the film quickly forks into two, ultimately converging paths. From the Reseda drive-throughs, to the beguiling* focus on 'The Criminal Code', everything harks back to a Hollywood of a bygone age. The young protaganist at the heart of the suspense, at face value, gives us a fictional take on the lone murderous sniper (read Whitman), but subthematically foretells a country that post-Vietnam, post-MLK & RFK assassinations, post-COINTELPRO, will become more paranoid, foreboding and disjointed from the American Dream that was the life from the late '50s.
A hidden gem, one that should not be buried away only for buffs, and an excellent, excellent film.
*What is it that makes watching an old b&w classic through the lens of a later film, a far more satisfying and fascinating subject?
Point Blank. A fabulous film, where the power in the visual delivery is less derived from the physical violence, more the montage of carefully framed angled shots that figurely densely in the first third. My favourite scene: Lee Marvin, standing on a grassy verge, as a shimmering line of LA traffic threads its way across the horizon. I still believe 'Prime Cut' to be the better film: a more focussed Marvin, and a true actor counterpoint in Gene Hackman.
A Sound of Thunder. Rubbish.
Attack of the Clones. Rubbish and awful.
After the opening stills, the film quickly forks into two, ultimately converging paths. From the Reseda drive-throughs, to the beguiling* focus on 'The Criminal Code', everything harks back to a Hollywood of a bygone age. The young protaganist at the heart of the suspense, at face value, gives us a fictional take on the lone murderous sniper (read Whitman), but subthematically foretells a country that post-Vietnam, post-MLK & RFK assassinations, post-COINTELPRO, will become more paranoid, foreboding and disjointed from the American Dream that was the life from the late '50s.
A hidden gem, one that should not be buried away only for buffs, and an excellent, excellent film.
*What is it that makes watching an old b&w classic through the lens of a later film, a far more satisfying and fascinating subject?
Point Blank. A fabulous film, where the power in the visual delivery is less derived from the physical violence, more the montage of carefully framed angled shots that figurely densely in the first third. My favourite scene: Lee Marvin, standing on a grassy verge, as a shimmering line of LA traffic threads its way across the horizon. I still believe 'Prime Cut' to be the better film: a more focussed Marvin, and a true actor counterpoint in Gene Hackman.
A Sound of Thunder. Rubbish.
Attack of the Clones. Rubbish and awful.
Rocky Balboa.
I recall loving this film back in the cinema. I was mildly surprised at the acting chops Sly exhibited. I know Copland gets referenced, but for me he didn't show much in that. I felt he stretched himself more in this, especially the scene where Paulie realises he has pushed him too hard about his 'stuff in the basement'.
I know I like it because in the dénouement I get into the whole fight 'who will win/hope he stays the distance' type thing.
I recall loving this film back in the cinema. I was mildly surprised at the acting chops Sly exhibited. I know Copland gets referenced, but for me he didn't show much in that. I felt he stretched himself more in this, especially the scene where Paulie realises he has pushed him too hard about his 'stuff in the basement'.
I know I like it because in the dénouement I get into the whole fight 'who will win/hope he stays the distance' type thing.
Bit late to the party here but...
Drive
A marmite film indeed, and the a misleading title for any petrolheads expecting high-octane action...but I loved it. Loved the cinematography, loved the 80s synth soundtrack, loved the moodiness and atmosphere.
The violence was shocking and caught me unawares. Ron Perlman was pretty fecking awful though.
8.5/10
Drive
A marmite film indeed, and the a misleading title for any petrolheads expecting high-octane action...but I loved it. Loved the cinematography, loved the 80s synth soundtrack, loved the moodiness and atmosphere.
The violence was shocking and caught me unawares. Ron Perlman was pretty fecking awful though.
8.5/10
well my other half is in love with tom hardy and i like a bit of fighting so i thought i'd get some brownie points and watch Warrior
found the stuff with the dad a little too slow, and thought it a little far fetched that two brothers would end up in the final of this massive tournament, but enjoyed it. Hardy is a beast and very believable as a nutter
found the stuff with the dad a little too slow, and thought it a little far fetched that two brothers would end up in the final of this massive tournament, but enjoyed it. Hardy is a beast and very believable as a nutter
The Thing (2011) - A prequel to John Carpenter's 1981 film of the same name. It focuses on the previous events at the Norwegian Antartica station.
As a big fan of JC's version I looked forward to seeing this and can recommend it. IMO it really captured the feel of the original and was also accurate in tallying with the earlier film. I rarely view DVD extras but I would have left in a couple of the deleted scenes.
As a big fan of JC's version I looked forward to seeing this and can recommend it. IMO it really captured the feel of the original and was also accurate in tallying with the earlier film. I rarely view DVD extras but I would have left in a couple of the deleted scenes.
PlayersNo6 said:
The Thing (2011) - A prequel to John Carpenter's 1981 film of the same name. It focuses on the previous events at the Norwegian Antartica station.
As a big fan of JC's version I looked forward to seeing this and can recommend it. IMO it really captured the feel of the original and was also accurate in tallying with the earlier film. I rarely view DVD extras but I would have left in a couple of the deleted scenes.
For balance, I loved the original one (maybe because I was a teenager?) but I thought the new one was awful.As a big fan of JC's version I looked forward to seeing this and can recommend it. IMO it really captured the feel of the original and was also accurate in tallying with the earlier film. I rarely view DVD extras but I would have left in a couple of the deleted scenes.
You know one of those films where you end up shouting at the screen "Don't f
king do that. You know you will die if you go in there you idiot".It was like that from start to finish, with ridiculous premises all the way through.
Silly monter with terrible effects.
Oh and teh "twist" at the end was simply the worst twist I have ever seen in any film ever.
Every scene was majorly flawed in plot, it was embarrassing. 3/10 tops for me
CurvaParabolica said:
flat-planedCrank said:
Man On Fire
7.7 on iMDB and heard some positive comments about it being a great 'revenge' film...
So was disappointed to find it fairly average - just couldn't get on with the heavy handed 'old MTV music video' style. Some decent acting though.
5/10
It's your typical Tony Scott afair; personally I like his style but horses for courses. I had a choice of Man on Fire or another TS fil, Domino, this weekend; went with Domino and loved it. You do have to suspend your belief a bit though to fully enjoy it.7.7 on iMDB and heard some positive comments about it being a great 'revenge' film...
So was disappointed to find it fairly average - just couldn't get on with the heavy handed 'old MTV music video' style. Some decent acting though.
5/10
Legend83 said:
Bit late to the party here but...
Drive
A marmite film indeed, and the a misleading title for any petrolheads expecting high-octane action...but I loved it. Loved the cinematography, loved the 80s synth soundtrack, loved the moodiness and atmosphere.
The violence was shocking and caught me unawares. Ron Perlman was pretty fecking awful though.
8.5/10
Funny one this because I'd pretty much agree with everything you say, but would only give it a 6/10.Drive
A marmite film indeed, and the a misleading title for any petrolheads expecting high-octane action...but I loved it. Loved the cinematography, loved the 80s synth soundtrack, loved the moodiness and atmosphere.
The violence was shocking and caught me unawares. Ron Perlman was pretty fecking awful though.
8.5/10
Very arty/moody in tone but I personally found the characters very one dimensional and didn't buy into the relationship at all. I also thought the way it ended was pretty lame.
Fantastic soundtrack though, and just how bad was Ron? Makes me cringe just thinking about it.
Pesty said:
Dick Dastardly said:
Watched The Other Guys last night. I didn't realise beforehand that it was from the guy who did Anchorman, so wasn't expecting much, but it had me in stitches. A good spoof cop film with some genuinely funny scenes. 8/10.
Funniest film I've seen in years, I have had many repeat watches now and there is so much going on that I missed in the first viewing.9/10 for me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4wykeJBHdE&fea...
SWoll said:
Funny one this because I'd pretty much agree with everything you say, but would only give it a 6/10.
Very arty/moody in tone but I personally found the characters very one dimensional and didn't buy into the relationship at all. I also thought the way it ended was pretty lame.
Fantastic soundtrack though, and just how bad was Ron? Makes me cringe just thinking about it.
Yeah, the 'helping out with the car then suddenly putting her kid to bed every night' was pretty lame, but I guess you have to suspend a bit of belief in any film. Mulligan's character didn't strike me as a woman who needed a bit of excitement in her life - quite the opposite in fact.Very arty/moody in tone but I personally found the characters very one dimensional and didn't buy into the relationship at all. I also thought the way it ended was pretty lame.
Fantastic soundtrack though, and just how bad was Ron? Makes me cringe just thinking about it.
But as a package, I enjoyed it and can overlook the faults.
Halb said:
I still need to see the Thing prequel/remake.
Forgot about it on pics, then again on sky BO.
Don't bother. Its rubbish.Forgot about it on pics, then again on sky BO.
Whats surprising is not that the remake was crap, but that the original stands up completely, inlcuding the effects. How many films can you say that about from that long ago?
Its a sad comment on the modern film industry that the effects from the early 80s version completely trump the pants CGI in the modern one.
Legend83 said:
SWoll said:
Funny one this because I'd pretty much agree with everything you say, but would only give it a 6/10.
Very arty/moody in tone but I personally found the characters very one dimensional and didn't buy into the relationship at all. I also thought the way it ended was pretty lame.
Fantastic soundtrack though, and just how bad was Ron? Makes me cringe just thinking about it.
Yeah, the 'helping out with the car then suddenly putting her kid to bed every night' was pretty lame, but I guess you have to suspend a bit of belief in any film.Very arty/moody in tone but I personally found the characters very one dimensional and didn't buy into the relationship at all. I also thought the way it ended was pretty lame.
Fantastic soundtrack though, and just how bad was Ron? Makes me cringe just thinking about it.
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