Films I watched this week (Vol 2)
Discussion
MissChief said:
droopsnoot said:
Raise the Titanic, a film from 1980 based on the book by Clive Cussler, which is the main reason I watched it. I've seen it before, remembered it as not being great, but figured I'd give it another go - it's not as if the Christmas TV schedule was packed with anything better.
It's showing its age a bit now, but it's not a bad film for what it is. It's surprising how close they allowed a suspicious Russian ship to be to their salvage operation. I read the book years ago, as one of the first "grown-up" books I read from my Dad's collection, so I can't recall how it varies from the storyline of the book. Probably a lot - and I have a vague idea that it's the reason that the author didn't pursue the film angle for his later books, until "Sahara" many years later.
I believe Cussler didn’t agree with some of the changes and was overruled several times which made him very wary of Hollywood for many years. I also believe that the making of the film ran horrendously over budget and was as good as responsible for bankrupting a studio. https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/raise-the-titanic...It's showing its age a bit now, but it's not a bad film for what it is. It's surprising how close they allowed a suspicious Russian ship to be to their salvage operation. I read the book years ago, as one of the first "grown-up" books I read from my Dad's collection, so I can't recall how it varies from the storyline of the book. Probably a lot - and I have a vague idea that it's the reason that the author didn't pursue the film angle for his later books, until "Sahara" many years later.
Halb said:
MissChief said:
droopsnoot said:
Raise the Titanic, a film from 1980 based on the book by Clive Cussler, which is the main reason I watched it. I've seen it before, remembered it as not being great, but figured I'd give it another go - it's not as if the Christmas TV schedule was packed with anything better.
It's showing its age a bit now, but it's not a bad film for what it is. It's surprising how close they allowed a suspicious Russian ship to be to their salvage operation. I read the book years ago, as one of the first "grown-up" books I read from my Dad's collection, so I can't recall how it varies from the storyline of the book. Probably a lot - and I have a vague idea that it's the reason that the author didn't pursue the film angle for his later books, until "Sahara" many years later.
I believe Cussler didn’t agree with some of the changes and was overruled several times which made him very wary of Hollywood for many years. I also believe that the making of the film ran horrendously over budget and was as good as responsible for bankrupting a studio. https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/raise-the-titanic...It's showing its age a bit now, but it's not a bad film for what it is. It's surprising how close they allowed a suspicious Russian ship to be to their salvage operation. I read the book years ago, as one of the first "grown-up" books I read from my Dad's collection, so I can't recall how it varies from the storyline of the book. Probably a lot - and I have a vague idea that it's the reason that the author didn't pursue the film angle for his later books, until "Sahara" many years later.
I knew there was some issue about the film, but I hadn't read up on it. As he's got quite a range of stories that could be described as a similar style to the Indiana Jones films, I bet he was kicking himself for not persevering with Hollywood when that franchise turned up.
Edited by droopsnoot on Monday 31st December 18:55
it's not Christmas if I don't get to see this
Memoirs of a Geisha
The heart-warming tale of an adult man who takes a liking to 9 year-old girl, and who pulls strings to ensure she grows up into a well-educated woman, so that he can enter into a sexual relationship with her once she is old enough for it to be legal.
Joking aside, it was a visually compelling film, if a little melodramatic, but the subject matter made me feel a little uncomfortable. And the three main actresses being of clearly Chinese descent, despite portraying Japanese characters, felt like a bit of an insult to me - as if the film makers felt that audiences wouldn't know or care.
The heart-warming tale of an adult man who takes a liking to 9 year-old girl, and who pulls strings to ensure she grows up into a well-educated woman, so that he can enter into a sexual relationship with her once she is old enough for it to be legal.
Joking aside, it was a visually compelling film, if a little melodramatic, but the subject matter made me feel a little uncomfortable. And the three main actresses being of clearly Chinese descent, despite portraying Japanese characters, felt like a bit of an insult to me - as if the film makers felt that audiences wouldn't know or care.
Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Tuesday 1st January 18:57
Rampage
You know it’s going to be crap, you know it’s going to be a CGI fest with zero plot, laughable characters and the Rock “acting”.
But I was massively hungover and needed something that had zero test of my brain so I gave it a go.
I now feel slightly dirty and ashamed. The cinematic equivalent of a Big Mac meal.
2/10 - one for each of Rocks shoulder muscles
You know it’s going to be crap, you know it’s going to be a CGI fest with zero plot, laughable characters and the Rock “acting”.
But I was massively hungover and needed something that had zero test of my brain so I gave it a go.
I now feel slightly dirty and ashamed. The cinematic equivalent of a Big Mac meal.
2/10 - one for each of Rocks shoulder muscles
The Favourite
I love Jan/Feb at the cinema, the crowds come out for bonkers stuff like this. I'll enjoy it whilst I can as this year is going to be overrun with blockbusters like no other.
Anyhow, 2hrs of wonderful performances from Colman, Stone and Weisz, at times very funny and at times very odd. I certainly enjoyed it although can imagine some will hate it as per Lobster, Dogtooth and Sacred Deer. I wish more mainstream cinema could take risks like this.
I love Jan/Feb at the cinema, the crowds come out for bonkers stuff like this. I'll enjoy it whilst I can as this year is going to be overrun with blockbusters like no other.
Anyhow, 2hrs of wonderful performances from Colman, Stone and Weisz, at times very funny and at times very odd. I certainly enjoyed it although can imagine some will hate it as per Lobster, Dogtooth and Sacred Deer. I wish more mainstream cinema could take risks like this.
Edited by ukaskew on Tuesday 1st January 23:26
Aquaman
A good film, not for any acting ability but for relentless pace, about the son of an unambitious lighthouse keeper who does bugger all for 20 years.
The film steals from a vast plethora of other films. A nod to Stingray, some Journey to the Centre of the Earth, smidge of Jurassic Park, King Arthur, you name it, it's in there. Still an entertaining film, if generic, though younger viewers won't realise.
7 Tadpoles out of A Box of Frogs.
A good film, not for any acting ability but for relentless pace, about the son of an unambitious lighthouse keeper who does bugger all for 20 years.
The film steals from a vast plethora of other films. A nod to Stingray, some Journey to the Centre of the Earth, smidge of Jurassic Park, King Arthur, you name it, it's in there. Still an entertaining film, if generic, though younger viewers won't realise.
7 Tadpoles out of A Box of Frogs.
Edited by LuS1fer on Wednesday 2nd January 17:01
caught Sully over the xmas period and really enjoyed it despite my utter hatred of flying. Hanks and Eckart nailed it for me.
I would say 3 engines out of four but the plane only had two and they both blobbed so I'll say 150/155 ;-)
couple of harry potters - Goblet and pheonix, goblet I'd give 8/10, pheonix 6/10
last night started watching The Revenant and was really enjoying it but gave up at midnight as I'm at work today but I'll finish it. I expect its a bit marmite but for Di caprio's performance alone its worth a couple of hours of your time I would say.
I would say 3 engines out of four but the plane only had two and they both blobbed so I'll say 150/155 ;-)
couple of harry potters - Goblet and pheonix, goblet I'd give 8/10, pheonix 6/10
last night started watching The Revenant and was really enjoying it but gave up at midnight as I'm at work today but I'll finish it. I expect its a bit marmite but for Di caprio's performance alone its worth a couple of hours of your time I would say.
Allanv said:
I watched Convoy on saturday and what a blast from the past, the pub I was in had the songs on so reminded me of the film.
Hence me streaming it.
I was 10 years old when it came out.
I have 'Convoy' recorded on the VBox thing. I tried to watch it this past week, along with some other gems I've got recorded, like the original True Grit, and Where Eagles Dare, but my wife and kids were refusing to be educated!Hence me streaming it.
I was 10 years old when it came out.
No full films this week for me, but channel-hopping meant I caught the big action sequences from Dambusters, Mosquito Squadron, 633 Squadron, and Where Eagles Dare, while waiting for other shows to begin.
My sons immediately recognised the 50's/60's war film inspiration so evident in the original Star Wars trilogy, even parts of the script barely changed from Dambusters. My eldest reckons this is what modern movies get wrong too. In these old war movies, every cockpit has a named (or at least nicknamed) character with a personality and backstory of some sort, and the whole squadron is fleshed out, including some of the ground crew. In modern film-making the "other fighters" in a named character's squadron are seldom even given a callsign, let alone a robust character or an interior cockpit shot. They just appear on screen as CGI and then promptly explode. To be honest, I'll now be looking for evidence of this in more modern films, where I'd not thought about it like that before...
...even more food-for-thought was the shared footage used in both 633 Squadron and Mosquito Squadron. Lots of re-used explosions and even a crash-landing of a Mosquito. Plus the splicing in of genuine "bouncing bomb" test footage into the Dambusters movie, which would no doubt have been CGI-ed to death if it were remade with modern movie technology.
I tried m hardest to watch Pacific Rim 2 last night, as I love the first movie, a fantastic homage to all of those creaky Japanese monster movies of yesteryear.
I lasted 25 minutes.
As I mentioned before, Hollywood isn't even trying anymore, and it shows.
There has been so much disappointment (Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Westworld etc.) that I am really dreading watching the final series of Game of Thrones.
I lasted 25 minutes.
As I mentioned before, Hollywood isn't even trying anymore, and it shows.
There has been so much disappointment (Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Westworld etc.) that I am really dreading watching the final series of Game of Thrones.
chris watton said:
There has been so much disappointment (Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Westworld etc.) that I am really dreading watching the final series of Game of Thrones.
, ditto. series 7 pushed all the last bit of love I had for it out thr window. I'm still gonna watch S8, but for completion sake, to to see if it helps me figure out where the books are going. I'd also like quite a few characters to die, to give me some satisfaction. 
Black can man said:
I'm taking Mrs BCM to the local odeon to see the Favourite this afternoon
£15.00 a seat
Things have changed since Saturday night Fever !
Makes Odeon Limitless at £17.99 a steal if you're even a semi regular, it's even cheaper if you pay for a year up front. I renewed on December 1st and I'll have easily have covered the annual cost in tickets by February.£15.00 a seat
Things have changed since Saturday night Fever !
Managed 70 films last year, less than £3 a film.
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