Good films I watched this weekend (Vol 2)
Discussion
BrownBottle said:
My memory is telling me Pitch Black was a bit pants, has it improved with age or something?
I did enjoy it last night.Riddick is an interesting character and I can understand why they wanted to explore him further rather than kill him off at the end. There's also a few areas looking at the futility of religion and mortality which I wasn't expecting. Each of the characters had a bit more depth than expected.
I really liked the grading of the desert shots and the eclipse bit had a real sense of scale to it. Cool nasties and my favourite scene of the whole movie was when the old dude was about to peg it and he spat alcohol onto his lighter - that was awesome!
Only let down was the valley and the bones bit looked like it was made of polystyrene.
I'd give it a healthy 7-7.5/10
grumbledoak said:
Pitch Black was pretty good. Far better than most SciFi manages.
Hell, The Chronicles of Riddick was better than average for the genre.
I like the setting and visuals of these films, but 2 things always bug me.Hell, The Chronicles of Riddick was better than average for the genre.
1. The indestructible hero, you always feel like he's going to win, the only tension is for the other characters, I'd rather he was a bit more vulnerable. (to be fair this bugs me in a lot of action films)
2. The planets populated entirely by dangerous predators, what do they eat when there are no stranded humans? Where are the herds of space wildebeest?
chris watton said:
grumbledoak said:
Pitch Black was pretty good. Far better than most SciFi manages.
Hell, The Chronicles of Riddick was better than average for the genre.
I have The Chronicles of Riddick on Blu Ray, and it is gorgeous to look at - one of my guilty pleasures..Hell, The Chronicles of Riddick was better than average for the genre.
But they keep putting it on sky when nothing else was on. Just having it on in the background I ended up changing my mind. I've watched it a few times now. Yes it has annoying story but as you say looks good and has some great scenes
irocfan said:
qube_TA said:
Sci-Fi and 'blockbuster' don't really go hand in hand, of all the great sci-fi films that have been made, very few have done well at the box office.
It's why they make fantasy movies instead like The Matrix or 2012 that get bums on seats but they're generally awful.
errrmmmmm can I say Star Wars? (though I'll agree that it could be viewed as fantasy, it has rockets & lasers therefore it's scifi)It's why they make fantasy movies instead like The Matrix or 2012 that get bums on seats but they're generally awful.
I wouldn't include Star Trek either.
Leviathan
Russian film, just come onto blu-ray/dvd after being nominated for best foreign language film at the Oscars.
It's about a small family in a rural Russian coastal town. People work in the fish gutting factory, fix cars, get by, drink copious amounts of vodka and shoot guns for fun, all the while kowtowing to institutionally corrupt public servants.
The story starts with the family appealing a legal decision that their house should be bought at a pittance in a government purchase at the behest of the corrupt Mayor. The father's old friend, a lawyer from Moscow arrives and helps them fight the system.
It's 2 hours and 20 minutes. Exciting it is not (well apart from a couple of places).
What it is is an almost a first hand insight to a very real way of living for millions of people, very well acted, perfectly believable, with what is a very large and beautiful landscape that his seldom filmed, beautifully shot.
I will say that if you are looking for an action film, you will not sit though it. However, if you liked and appreciated the style and qualities of "The Great Beauty" for example then this is for you. 8/10.
Russian film, just come onto blu-ray/dvd after being nominated for best foreign language film at the Oscars.
It's about a small family in a rural Russian coastal town. People work in the fish gutting factory, fix cars, get by, drink copious amounts of vodka and shoot guns for fun, all the while kowtowing to institutionally corrupt public servants.
The story starts with the family appealing a legal decision that their house should be bought at a pittance in a government purchase at the behest of the corrupt Mayor. The father's old friend, a lawyer from Moscow arrives and helps them fight the system.
It's 2 hours and 20 minutes. Exciting it is not (well apart from a couple of places).
What it is is an almost a first hand insight to a very real way of living for millions of people, very well acted, perfectly believable, with what is a very large and beautiful landscape that his seldom filmed, beautifully shot.
I will say that if you are looking for an action film, you will not sit though it. However, if you liked and appreciated the style and qualities of "The Great Beauty" for example then this is for you. 8/10.
BrownBottle said:
It sounds as though I may have misjudged Pitch Black at the time then, it's possible I suppose as occassionaly I watch a film I remember enjoying years ago and it turns out to be dire, maybe it can work the other way!
After a re-watch recently, having not seen it for years, it's decent, nothing more. 6/10Shaun the sheep the movie - expected more from that team. Couple of funny references though, especially Gannibal the cat ))) 6/10
Cinderella - again, expected more. What's the fuzz is all about? Pile of s
t covered with honey. 4/10
Edge of Tomorrow (again) - no other word but excellent. 8/10.
Cinderella - again, expected more. What's the fuzz is all about? Pile of s
t covered with honey. 4/10Edge of Tomorrow (again) - no other word but excellent. 8/10.
Crook said:
What We do in the shadows
Fantastic film. Cannot recommend highly enough. Flight of the conchords make a vampire mocumentary.
I believe Hammer would award it 10 bullets.
I enjoyed this one too. I really thought it was going to be rubbish but it got me hooked all the way to the end. Very well done.Fantastic film. Cannot recommend highly enough. Flight of the conchords make a vampire mocumentary.
I believe Hammer would award it 10 bullets.
If you like that one, try The Little Death, also from the southern hemisphere.
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