Films I watched this week (NO SPOILERS) (Vol 3)
Discussion
Rewatched The Martian on Netflix the other night. I watched it when it first came out, and thought it was okay if largely forgettable. I then recalled how it was categorised as a comedy at the awards when I watched it again, and that made the rewatch a bit weird..
It really feels like a film that didn't intend to be a comedy, but it wanted to have some comedic moments to lighten the mood a little. But going back into it, it was really hard to take any of the film seriously, it almost watches like accidental satire and you're not sure whether you're meant to be laughing with the film or at it, and I don't think that was their intention
5 Mars-grown potatoes out of 10.
It really feels like a film that didn't intend to be a comedy, but it wanted to have some comedic moments to lighten the mood a little. But going back into it, it was really hard to take any of the film seriously, it almost watches like accidental satire and you're not sure whether you're meant to be laughing with the film or at it, and I don't think that was their intention
5 Mars-grown potatoes out of 10.
Brother D said:
Ghostbusters Frozen Empire
The family have moved out of Oklahoma and are now living and working as Ghostbusters in the original firehouse..
Ackroyd has quite a decent part, but there are tons of cameos of the original bit-part actors which was cool to see.
After the previous Ghostbusters which I thought was great, this one tried a little too hard, and obviously had to have a "modern" love sub plot and was a bit cringe.
Still worth seeing, but this is like Ghostbusters 1 vs Ghostbusters
6.5/10
Watched it yesterday and loved it, great family fun, with some great references to the original. Bit of a mish mash of other movies such as Ghost, Gremlins, The Fly, Ghostbusters 1, but that's not a bad thing, overall good fun. 8/10The family have moved out of Oklahoma and are now living and working as Ghostbusters in the original firehouse..
Ackroyd has quite a decent part, but there are tons of cameos of the original bit-part actors which was cool to see.
After the previous Ghostbusters which I thought was great, this one tried a little too hard, and obviously had to have a "modern" love sub plot and was a bit cringe.
Still worth seeing, but this is like Ghostbusters 1 vs Ghostbusters
6.5/10
Legend83 said:
The wife and I watched this Friday and enjoyed it very much - good old silly fun, helped by the good chemistry between the leads and I'd watch Sam Rockwell in anything really.
Just what we needed after a long week thanks!
Exactly why I love it. Just purchased it (and an extended M3GAN) for £5ea from HMV in Bluewater.Just what we needed after a long week thanks!
Genuinely pleased I've raised awareness and this thread is so useful for so many films.
A couple for me over the last few days....
The Abyss 4k
You may be aware Cameron recently released a few films on 4k that had never been available before, to differing receptions if you're into that sort of thing (Aliens, True Lies and The Abyss). Abyss had never been available on anything other than DVD in terms of quality so it was the one most were looking forward to it's fair to say. It's one of my GFs favourite films so she was very excited when he announced it well over a year ago. However, due to issues with the ratings board (they wanted one scene slightly edited, Cameron refused) it was denied a UK certificate meaning it wouldn't be released here. So she did what any normal film fan would do, she paid a silly amount of money to import a copy
I'll split my review into two parts, firstly the presentation of the film. Aside from literally one or two shots, you could watch this film having never seen it before and be blown away it was released in 1989. I certainly was as I knew it was early but had no idea it was an 80s film. Due to Cameron's instance on practical effects and doing things for real, it looks amazing. The technology for it's time was mind blowing but it still holds up today, there's nothing in it you watch and think "how quaint" which I guess is also a reflection on how far underwater exploration hasn't really moved on. There were some scenes where I'm genuinely uncertain how they filmed it. Of the three releases, this one seems to be the best received and certainly watching it I was amazed by how it looked and sounded, it really is a brilliant release.
Of the film itself, the release comes packed the special features as well as both the theatrical and extended cuts of the film. We watched the extended cut which is 2hr 40mins long and I have to say I think the theatrical is probably better. I can't remember the differences over the original (there's about 20mins extra footage) but there were certainly some scenes where you felt they could trim it down easily just to make the whole thing feel tighter. It's never been one of my favourite sci-fi films but it certainly is very good. For me they spent a little too long on the set up and didn't quite land the ending. It's interesting in hindsight seeing all the themes Cameron took forward in his other films, this was certainly the blueprint for many of his other works.
As I said, you can only get this on import and that won't change due to the scene that needs cutting so in terms of recommending the film, if you've never seen it I wouldn't say it's worth the cost. Try and find a DVD of it, or it does appear to be on streaming in other countries. If you are a fan, it's worth paying for I'd say. Even without all the extras it's a brilliant presentation.
Film - 7/10
4k release - 10/10
Late night with the Devil
I was surprised to see this on at my local cinema so went along to catch it as I'd heard a lot about it (before the AI thing). Small indie film starring the excellent David Dastmalchian as a 70s talk show host, it's a horror films presented like a found footage type documentary. I was also pleased there were quite a few other people in the showing as well however it was only on once per day which may explain it.
The film was technically very good, with sections shot as the footage from the show itself which then cuts to behind-the-scenes footage. It flips from 4:3 to widescreen, black and white to colour etc and really draws you into it. Think 70s/80s horror.
Unfortunately, and this is very much a me problem, I just didn't love it. I've seen a few horror films recently and none of them have really done anything for me. It follows, Talk to me, this one. None of them I've found particularly creepy, scary or that enjoyable. I'm not sure why, perhaps it's just the current approach to horror that's not grabbing me.
Don't get me wrong, Dastmalchin is brilliant in this and I'd recommend seeing it if you enjoy his performances. The rest of the film is also very well done and if you like any of those films I mentioned then I'd recommend catching it at some point. For me though it just missed the mark.
6/10
The Abyss 4k
You may be aware Cameron recently released a few films on 4k that had never been available before, to differing receptions if you're into that sort of thing (Aliens, True Lies and The Abyss). Abyss had never been available on anything other than DVD in terms of quality so it was the one most were looking forward to it's fair to say. It's one of my GFs favourite films so she was very excited when he announced it well over a year ago. However, due to issues with the ratings board (they wanted one scene slightly edited, Cameron refused) it was denied a UK certificate meaning it wouldn't be released here. So she did what any normal film fan would do, she paid a silly amount of money to import a copy
I'll split my review into two parts, firstly the presentation of the film. Aside from literally one or two shots, you could watch this film having never seen it before and be blown away it was released in 1989. I certainly was as I knew it was early but had no idea it was an 80s film. Due to Cameron's instance on practical effects and doing things for real, it looks amazing. The technology for it's time was mind blowing but it still holds up today, there's nothing in it you watch and think "how quaint" which I guess is also a reflection on how far underwater exploration hasn't really moved on. There were some scenes where I'm genuinely uncertain how they filmed it. Of the three releases, this one seems to be the best received and certainly watching it I was amazed by how it looked and sounded, it really is a brilliant release.
Of the film itself, the release comes packed the special features as well as both the theatrical and extended cuts of the film. We watched the extended cut which is 2hr 40mins long and I have to say I think the theatrical is probably better. I can't remember the differences over the original (there's about 20mins extra footage) but there were certainly some scenes where you felt they could trim it down easily just to make the whole thing feel tighter. It's never been one of my favourite sci-fi films but it certainly is very good. For me they spent a little too long on the set up and didn't quite land the ending. It's interesting in hindsight seeing all the themes Cameron took forward in his other films, this was certainly the blueprint for many of his other works.
As I said, you can only get this on import and that won't change due to the scene that needs cutting so in terms of recommending the film, if you've never seen it I wouldn't say it's worth the cost. Try and find a DVD of it, or it does appear to be on streaming in other countries. If you are a fan, it's worth paying for I'd say. Even without all the extras it's a brilliant presentation.
Film - 7/10
4k release - 10/10
Late night with the Devil
I was surprised to see this on at my local cinema so went along to catch it as I'd heard a lot about it (before the AI thing). Small indie film starring the excellent David Dastmalchian as a 70s talk show host, it's a horror films presented like a found footage type documentary. I was also pleased there were quite a few other people in the showing as well however it was only on once per day which may explain it.
The film was technically very good, with sections shot as the footage from the show itself which then cuts to behind-the-scenes footage. It flips from 4:3 to widescreen, black and white to colour etc and really draws you into it. Think 70s/80s horror.
Unfortunately, and this is very much a me problem, I just didn't love it. I've seen a few horror films recently and none of them have really done anything for me. It follows, Talk to me, this one. None of them I've found particularly creepy, scary or that enjoyable. I'm not sure why, perhaps it's just the current approach to horror that's not grabbing me.
Don't get me wrong, Dastmalchin is brilliant in this and I'd recommend seeing it if you enjoy his performances. The rest of the film is also very well done and if you like any of those films I mentioned then I'd recommend catching it at some point. For me though it just missed the mark.
6/10
The man with the screaming brain is a film I've thought about watching for some time being a bit of a Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead franchise, anything by Sam Raimi, Bubba Ho Tep, etc.) fan. Having spotted it for free on Prime I thought I'd scratch that itch and get it off the to-do list.
Its written, produced and more importantly directed by Bruce so its about as 'Bruce' a thing as you can get. It was clearly shot on a £2.50 budget in an ex. Russian tax haven but that makes it even more appealing to me.
In short, Bruce, playing Bruce in corporate slimeball mode, and his wife (basically playing Bruce with boobs) go to this city to do a deal. The city is also home to Russian gangsters and mad scientists. Kinda, sorta, hilarity ensues resulting in Bruce having 1/2 a brain of a Russian taxi driver which inevitably leads to the classic Bruce situation of Bruce fighting against Bruce. Its entirely fan service so if you're not a fan I guarantee you'll hate it
It wasn't as great as I was hoping but it was solid Bruce Campbell stuff. Accept it for what it is and you'll have a ball.
7 slaps to the head by the right hand out of 10 slaps to the head by the left hand.
Its written, produced and more importantly directed by Bruce so its about as 'Bruce' a thing as you can get. It was clearly shot on a £2.50 budget in an ex. Russian tax haven but that makes it even more appealing to me.
In short, Bruce, playing Bruce in corporate slimeball mode, and his wife (basically playing Bruce with boobs) go to this city to do a deal. The city is also home to Russian gangsters and mad scientists. Kinda, sorta, hilarity ensues resulting in Bruce having 1/2 a brain of a Russian taxi driver which inevitably leads to the classic Bruce situation of Bruce fighting against Bruce. Its entirely fan service so if you're not a fan I guarantee you'll hate it
It wasn't as great as I was hoping but it was solid Bruce Campbell stuff. Accept it for what it is and you'll have a ball.
7 slaps to the head by the right hand out of 10 slaps to the head by the left hand.
C5_Steve said:
Late night with the Devil
For me though it just missed the mark.
That's a shame. I've been seeing some positive reviews of this so watched the trailer yesterday. I'll probably still give it a go, just lower my expectations a little. I've heard 'Immaculate' is pretty good too.For me though it just missed the mark.
C5_Steve said:
A couple for me over the last few days....
The Abyss 4k
I'll split my review into two parts, firstly the presentation of the film. Aside from literally one or two shots, you could watch this film having never seen it before and be blown away it was released in 1989. I certainly was as I knew it was early but had no idea it was an 80s film. Due to Cameron's instance on practical effects and doing things for real, it looks amazing. The technology for it's time was mind blowing but it still holds up today, there's nothing in it you watch and think "how quaint" which I guess is also a reflection on how far underwater exploration hasn't really moved on. There were some scenes where I'm genuinely uncertain how they filmed it.
Hmm, I always thought the bit where the alien ship comes up out of the water at the end with all the navy ships tottering on top of it looked very poorly done. Underwater the ship looks amazing, but once it breaks the surface it looks very theme park-ish.The Abyss 4k
I'll split my review into two parts, firstly the presentation of the film. Aside from literally one or two shots, you could watch this film having never seen it before and be blown away it was released in 1989. I certainly was as I knew it was early but had no idea it was an 80s film. Due to Cameron's instance on practical effects and doing things for real, it looks amazing. The technology for it's time was mind blowing but it still holds up today, there's nothing in it you watch and think "how quaint" which I guess is also a reflection on how far underwater exploration hasn't really moved on. There were some scenes where I'm genuinely uncertain how they filmed it.
fatbutt said:
That's a shame. I've been seeing some positive reviews of this so watched the trailer yesterday. I'll probably still give it a go, just lower my expectations a little. I've heard 'Immaculate' is pretty good too.
I'd strongly suggest you do, as I said there was nothing wrong with it's approach or execution at all it just didn't really grab me and I was also a bit disappointed I didn't enjoy it more but that wasn't the films fault. It may just be that I'm not that big a fan of these types of films maybe?I'm trying to think of something similar, Barbarian I thought was about as good but just lacked in the final third. Us again I thought had a good premise but missed the mark slightly and was nowhere near as good as Get Out.
I enjoyed it much more than Talk to Me or It Follows, so if you enjoyed those I'd say you'll like this more than I did.
goth.casual said:
Watched Gran Turismo last night.
It’s not good. The script feels like it’s written by ai, it’s got all the tropes you’d expect of this type of movie but no one seems to know why they’re there.
Having watched Ford v Ferrari and Need For Speed recently, this is significantly worse than the first and still worse than the latter.
Genuinely don’t understand what Neil Blomkamp was thinking.
It’s not good. The script feels like it’s written by ai, it’s got all the tropes you’d expect of this type of movie but no one seems to know why they’re there.
Having watched Ford v Ferrari and Need For Speed recently, this is significantly worse than the first and still worse than the latter.
Genuinely don’t understand what Neil Blomkamp was thinking.
Antony Moxey said:
Hmm, I always thought the bit where the alien ship comes up out of the water at the end with all the navy ships tottering on top of it looked very poorly done. Underwater the ship looks amazing, but once it breaks the surface it looks very theme park-ish.
Yeah that's one of the shots where you can tell they used a model because the scene is in broad daylight. There's actually a few extra shots of it on the extended edition. It looks great for what it is tbh, think Batman with the Batplane shots. bloomen said:
Same as football, motorsport is a graveyard for narrative film apart from a handful of exceptions.
Who knows why. Must be a PhD in there somewhere.
If you think they're bad - try the Video Game Adaptation. Slimmest pickings of any sub genre I can think of. Who knows why. Must be a PhD in there somewhere.
Final Fantasy was good, and last 10 minutes of Doom were awesome, but other than that....in fact I'd probably say Gran Turismo is the best film I've seen based on a game considering the alternatives....
We actually ended up watching GT again on Saturday night as the wife hadn't seen it and I was intrigued if it was any less entertaining when not stuck on an A350 with no room - not ashamed to admit I still enjoyed it, even if some of the dialogue was a bit hackneyed.
Not Oscar worthy, but confirmed to me the IMDB rating of around 7 out of 10 was about right.
bodhi said:
If you think they're bad - try the Video Game Adaptation. Slimmest pickings of any sub genre I can think of.
I think they'll eventually get there with that. There's too much iconic content to ignore and at some point much of it will end up in the hands of people with a vague idea of how to use it well.
The earlier days will be there to forever serve as a warning.
bloomen said:
bodhi said:
If you think they're bad - try the Video Game Adaptation. Slimmest pickings of any sub genre I can think of.
I think they'll eventually get there with that. There's too much iconic content to ignore and at some point much of it will end up in the hands of people with a vague idea of how to use it well.
The earlier days will be there to forever serve as a warning.
Worst one for me was Wing Commander - a terrible film which was especially disappointing as the cut scenes in Wing Commander 3 and 4 genuinely added massively to the game (with Mark Hamill and the porn star) , same director tried making the movie and it was unadulterated bilge.
bodhi said:
Plenty of warning out there to be needed
Worst one for me was Wing Commander - a terrible film which was especially disappointing as the cut scenes in Wing Commander 3 and 4 genuinely added massively to the game (with Mark Hamill and the porn star) , same director tried making the movie and it was unadulterated bilge.
Chris Roberts - currently wallowing in a swimming pool full of money generated by the Worst one for me was Wing Commander - a terrible film which was especially disappointing as the cut scenes in Wing Commander 3 and 4 genuinely added massively to the game (with Mark Hamill and the porn star) , same director tried making the movie and it was unadulterated bilge.
Can’t remember if I’ve ever done this before, but went for a 2nd viewing of Dune 2 at the cinema.
Just as epic as the 1st viewing… cinematography, score, casting, acting, pace… simply sublime in every area.
Looking forward yo watching it in 4K/HDR on my OLED when it hits the small screen… such a beautiful film.
Just as epic as the 1st viewing… cinematography, score, casting, acting, pace… simply sublime in every area.
Looking forward yo watching it in 4K/HDR on my OLED when it hits the small screen… such a beautiful film.
C5_Steve said:
As I said, you can only get this on import and that won't change due to the scene that needs cutting so in terms of recommending the film, if you've never seen it I wouldn't say it's worth the cost. Try and find a DVD of it
The Abyss is one of my favourite films and Ive had multiple copies of it since the early 90s either as VHS and DVD, theatrical releases, special edition extended and ex rental copies etc. I'm really struggling to think which scenes in it would be too controversial that it wouldnt get a new uk cert without editing for the 4k edition. Do you know what parts required cutting?Gassing Station | TV, Film, Video Streaming & Radio | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff