Amazon Prime Video, what gems have you found? (NO SPOILERS)

[Pistom]

Dr Jekyll said:

MarkJS said:

We watched this last night and really enjoyed it. Hard to explain, but it had a feel of an American 'Layer Cake' about it at certain points to me. Very funny in parts too.

Good point. Very stylish, someone who thinks they aren't really a criminal in the gangster sense finds gangsters don't draw a distinction.

and of course, the ending

I read somewhere that it has had some low ratings as the subject matter is so disturbing. I could understand that.

On the one hand, authorities are taking more and more control of our lives "for our own good". Of what we can and can't do with our own assets. Whilst this film takes that to the extremes, it is often extensions of reality which make for the most disturbing films.

Thanks for the recommendation. If found it gripping and entertaining. An 8/10 from me.

[K12beano]

Pistom said:

Dr Jekyll said:

MarkJS said:

We watched this last night and really enjoyed it. Hard to explain, but it had a feel of an American 'Layer Cake' about it at certain points to me. Very funny in parts too.

Good point. Very stylish, someone who thinks they aren't really a criminal in the gangster sense finds gangsters don't draw a distinction.

and of course, the ending

I read somewhere that it has had some low ratings as the subject matter is so disturbing. I could understand that.

On the one hand, authorities are taking more and more control of our lives "for our own good". Of what we can and can't do with our own assets. Whilst this film takes that to the extremes, it is often extensions of reality which make for the most disturbing films.

Thanks for the recommendation. If found it gripping and entertaining. An 8/10 from me.

I'm struggling to to find much similarity to "Layer Cake" at lots of levels [pun intentional]....but I suppose the "American version" has something to it in that the subtleties of many British films just won't work once you Hollywoodise them. (Look at the abortion of "Girl With A Dragon Tattoo" given the US treatment! )

I think the fundamental difference is that Layer Cake set out to have you on [Unnamed]'s side from the off. You couldn't say anyone tried to get you sympathetic to the protagonist in this way - if anything it would be for Dinklage's character....

I gave it 3/10 on another thread as I found it most unsatisfactory..... but I was being generous in that it had *some* entertainment value.....

[TTmonkey]

Dr Jekyll said:

MarkJS said:

We watched this last night and really enjoyed it. Hard to explain, but it had a feel of an American 'Layer Cake' about it at certain points to me. Very funny in parts too.

Good point. Very stylish, someone who thinks they aren't really a criminal in the gangster sense finds gangsters don't draw a distinction.

and of course, the ending

I almost binned this off in the last five minutes because I really didn’t like the way it was wrapping up.

Very glad I watched right up until the end. Total relief.

[smn159]

Bohemian Rhapsody

I went to the cinema to see this at the time with the kids but my Mrs couldn't make it so we watched it last night on Prime.

I can confirm that it's the same steaming pile of poorly written, cliched blandness that it was when I first saw it.

5/10, and only that high because of the Live Aid sequence at the end.

[mattyn1]

Gutted that Bates Motel ended on Prime as I completed only season 01, imagine my delight now to find it all on IPlayer!!

Mint!

[SpeckledJim]

K12beano said:

Pistom said:

Dr Jekyll said:

MarkJS said:

We watched this last night and really enjoyed it. Hard to explain, but it had a feel of an American 'Layer Cake' about it at certain points to me. Very funny in parts too.

Good point. Very stylish, someone who thinks they aren't really a criminal in the gangster sense finds gangsters don't draw a distinction.

and of course, the ending

I read somewhere that it has had some low ratings as the subject matter is so disturbing. I could understand that.

On the one hand, authorities are taking more and more control of our lives "for our own good". Of what we can and can't do with our own assets. Whilst this film takes that to the extremes, it is often extensions of reality which make for the most disturbing films.

Thanks for the recommendation. If found it gripping and entertaining. An 8/10 from me.

I'm struggling to to find much similarity to "Layer Cake" at lots of levels [pun intentional]....but I suppose the "American version" has something to it in that the subtleties of many British films just won't work once you Hollywoodise them. (Look at the abortion of "Girl With A Dragon Tattoo" given the US treatment! )

I think the fundamental difference is that Layer Cake set out to have you on [Unnamed]'s side from the off. You couldn't say anyone tried to get you sympathetic to the protagonist in this way - if anything it would be for Dinklage's character....

I gave it 3/10 on another thread as I found it most unsatisfactory..... but I was being generous in that it had *some* entertainment value.....

Some good performances, but I thought it quite inconsistent that a white-collar fraudster like her would react the way she did to being faced-down by murderous gangsters of that kind of seriousness.

And the 15 second transition from drug-induced complete unconsciousness to escaping the sinking car and being very, very cross about it was, umm, unlikely!

5/10. Mrs Jim liked it more than I did. Honourable mention to Peter Dinklage's eyebrows. They put in a proper shift.

[louiebaby]

I see that Coming To America is on, but seems to be lined up for a release in March of a sequel, Coming 2 America.

I realised I hadn't seen the original, so made a start last night whilst the missus was on her weekly night out. (To the supermarket.)

[Pistom]

SpeckledJim said:

Some good performances, but I thought it quite inconsistent that a white-collar fraudster like her would react the way she did to being faced-down by murderous gangsters of that kind of seriousness.

And the 15 second transition from drug-induced complete unconsciousness to escaping the sinking car and being very, very cross about it was, umm, unlikely!

5/10. Mrs Jim liked it more than I did. Honourable mention to Peter Dinklage's eyebrows. They put in a proper shift.

As mentioned before, I really enjoyed it but no matter how "hard as nails" the woman made herself out to be, she was completely unconvincing. In fact, they pretty much all were. I still enjoyed the story though.

[Smollet]

Just started watching Wayne. A teenager in search of his late father’s Firebird accompanied by streetwise girl from a totally dysfunctional family. Her twin brothers antics are worth the watch alone.

[andburg]

Smollet said:

Just started watching Wayne. A teenager in search of his late father’s Firebird accompanied by streetwise girl from a totally dysfunctional family. Her twin brothers antics are worth the watch alone.

Agreed, it’s pretty good but contains my pet peeve

[soapbox]
Why do producers feel the need to hire completely age inappropriate actors and actresses? The lead characters are 14/15 but at time of filming/release we’re both in their 20’s

There is no shortage of young actors/actresses who would have played the roles
[/soapbox]

[Pistom]

I watched Escape From Pretoria last night. It had its nail biting moments but overall, I wasn't that impressed. 6/10 for me. I found it a bit slow. Wife walked out partway through.

[Smollet]

Pistom said:

I watched Escape From Pretoria last night. It had its nail biting moments but overall, I wasn't that impressed. 6/10 for me. I found it a bit slow. Wife walked out partway through.

I think Radcliffe was poorly cast. I can’t take him seriously in a serious role. Slow 5/10

[RC1807]

I watched "13 Hours : The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi" today.
4/7

[pquinn]

Beefmeister said:

Watched Cell last night, Samuel L Jackson and John Cusack zombie movie. Now with those two I’d have expected at least a semi decent budget but some of the effects were sub-Sharknado. Staggeringly bad.

And I really didn’t get the ending, maybe I’d lost interest and wasn’t paying attention but...



So what the hell happened at the end? Cusack imagined he blew it up? The zombie thing got in his head to make him think that? I thought it was all a Bobby Ewing style dream, but the food truck was still in the middle when he was walking.

The ending was changed compared to the book - I guess they wanted something a bit darker. The original is a bit more open ended & hopeful, more like The Mist originally had, and I suppose they tried (unsuccessfully) to do something similar to what the film of that did.


Basic concept of the end isnt too bad but look at all at the detail & it falls apart completely. Would have worked better if done more Jacobs Ladder style back to the start.


It's not the strongest of the Stephen King stories anyway and fairly generic but the film was not a good one.

[SpeckledJim]

Smollet said:

Pistom said:

I watched Escape From Pretoria last night. It had its nail biting moments but overall, I wasn't that impressed. 6/10 for me. I found it a bit slow. Wife walked out partway through.

I think Radcliffe was poorly cast. I can’t take him seriously in a serious role. Slow 5/10

He's the luckiest man in England. Fabulous riches. Everyone's pleased to see him. No discernible talent.

[Its Just Adz]

louiebaby said:

I see that Coming To America is on, but seems to be lined up for a release in March of a sequel, Coming 2 America.

I realised I hadn't seen the original, so made a start last night whilst the missus was on her weekly night out. (To the supermarket.)

Did you finish it?

It's a great film.

[louiebaby]

Its Just Adz said:

Did you finish it?

It's a great film.

I did, it was great to see the Duke brothers finally have some decent luck.

[SpudLink]

louiebaby said:

I did, it was great to see the Duke brothers finally have some decent luck.

I can imagine in December 2019 they would have bought shares in a company making substandard PPE, then sold out before the defects were discovered. Enjoying their ‘legitimate’ profit.
(You might guess, but I’m not overwhelmed with sympathy for them.)

[louiebaby]

SpudLink said:

I can imagine in December 2019 they would have bought shares in a company making substandard PPE, then sold out before the defects were discovered. Enjoying their ‘legitimate’ profit.
(You might guess, but I’m not overwhelmed with sympathy for them.)

I have a Duke and Duke Commodity Brokers t-shirt somewhere, which a few people recognise.

Trading Places is a favourite of mine, mainly because I like early Eddie Murphy films, but prefer the ones that aren't The Eddie Murphy Show, IYSWIM.

[rider73]

louiebaby said:

SpudLink said:

I can imagine in December 2019 they would have bought shares in a company making substandard PPE, then sold out before the defects were discovered. Enjoying their ‘legitimate’ profit.
(You might guess, but I’m not overwhelmed with sympathy for them.)

I have a Duke and Duke Commodity Brokers t-shirt somewhere, which a few people recognise.

Trading Places is a favourite of mine, mainly because I like early Eddie Murphy films, but prefer the ones that aren't The Eddie Murphy Show, IYSWIM.

agreed on this.

the trailer for CTA 2 seems like eddie playing eddie murphy- i'm hoping not.