What have you watched recently?

johnny_ultimate

Concluded a post Social Network David Fincher buzz last night by revisiting Zodiac on Blu-Ray, first time since the cinema. A beautifully directed film, and I love the idea and cinematic adaptation of a serial killer with no resolution. Some great scenes too, the commonly cited basement sequence, the surreal murder scenes or an extremely tense and well acted interrogation scene. Overall, though, I do feel it's a little stretched at two and a half hours, and lacks the punch of Fincher's superior efforts (like Se7en, which I watched again a week or two ago). It's a clever film, with plenty of character, and an extremely curious story. But it lacks something (barring a resolution of course!) which is hard to define, and it just holds it back from greatness.

ReacherCreature

Basq wrote: »

Got the Blu-ray in a €5 Lucky Bag from Gamestop.... haven't watched. Don't know if I'll bother!

Give it some measure of a chance. It might look good on Blu-ray but the more I think of it, the more critical I get of it.

Deleted User wrote: »

It was botched by the studio, a good 30 minutes or so was cut leaving it something of a orgy for the eyes and nothing more.

30 minutes? Christ that sort of explains it.

If the designers/producers put as much effort into the script, story rather than the set, backgrounds and ridiculous colors it may be decent. There's far more wrong with this than right. One of the weaker films I've seen in a while.

edolan

I watched 'A Bronx Tale' for the first time earlier, it is truly a magnificent film.

Ciaran_B

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Concluded a post Social Network David Fincher buzz last night by revisiting Zodiac on Blu-Ray, first time since the cinema. A beautifully directed film, and I love the idea and cinematic adaptation of a serial killer with no resolution.

Have you seen Memories of Murder? It's a really good South Korean film (true story I think) based on that concept. It's fantastic.

ReacherCreature

Fifty Dead Men Walking.

Found this good but the production seemed off. It had no subtitles -- I've a preference for them -- and this made the film slightly different to follow. It wasn't helped by poor angles and iffy sound. The director's want for wide shots hurt the film a little. I want the camera on the actors! I'll probably watch it again. It's a good film, I enjoyed it.

johnny_ultimate

Ciaran_B wrote: »

Have you seen Memories of Murder? It's a really good South Korean film (true story I think) based on that concept. It's fantastic.

Yeah it's excellent. You're right it's probably a better example of the no resolution thriller!

Up-n-atom!

A few from the last few days:

Exit Through the Gift Shop: Excellent documentary from Banksy using footage gathered by the subject of the film, an extremely eccentric Frenchman living in LA. I think the less you know about this beforehand, the better, just watch it!

Brothers: A Jim Sheridan film about 2 different brothers. One is a straight-laced family man, the other is just out of prison. Everything changes when the 'good' brother is sent to Afganistan. Nice to see a film that tries to grapple with the wider impact of the war on the families of those involved, but didn't quite hit the nail on the head for me - but it's still very watchable.

Fargo: Hadn't seen this in ages, was great to be reminded of what a terrific film it is - still have to play the 'ya' drinking game.

Capote: First impressions were that it was a stylish, 'grown-up' kind of movie, but mainly it seems to be a vehicle for Philip Seymour Hoffman's acting abilities. He's very good but I also found his voice and mannerisms extremely annoying (but I'm assuming Truman Capote was exactly like this). Overall it didn't really connect with me but at the same time it wasn't a waste of 2 hours.

ReacherCreature

Up-n-atom! wrote: »

Capote: First impressions were that it was a stylish, 'grown-up' kind of movie, but mainly it seems to be a vehicle for Philip Seymour Hoffman's acting abilities. He's very good but I also found his voice and mannerisms extremely annoying (but I'm assuming Truman Capote was exactly like this). Overall it didn't really connect with me but at the same time it wasn't a waste of 2 hours.

Ahh I bought this last week. Haven't watched it. Don't know what I'll make of the film now.

Andre80Johnson

Brick - I liked Brick, I had a hard time following the dialouge and it had no subtitles. Bummer for us Deafies.. Shot for low budget by Rian Johnson. I liked what I saw, Joseph Gordon Levitt has a bright future if he continues getting the right roles. I was satisfied with the conclusion of the film.

Dogtooth I was expecting to dislike the film but it was the opposite, I loved it. Fresh, bold and daring. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and it is a greek film. It's up for best foreign picture in the upcoming Oscars. I would recommend it to anyone because you'll either love it or hate it.

Mysterious Skin I really enjoyed this flick, such a beautiful film that does show affection towards the lead characters. Directed by Gregg Araki, Joseph Gordan Levitt is one of the leads, but I enjoyed Brady Corbet a lot in this.

The Mad Hatter

Sad Professor wrote: »

Alien: Resurrection

I hadn't watch this in a while. It's actually not quite as terrible as is sometimes suggested. The main problem with it is that it was totally unnecessary and shouldn't have been made in the first place.

I'd say that of all of the sequels, to be honest.

Andre80Johnson

Basq wrote: »

Got the Blu-ray in a €5 Lucky Bag from Gamestop.... haven't watched. Don't know if I'll bother!

Watched 'Red' yesterday and one of the first films in a LONG time that I couldn't finish... tired, uninteresting and not even all that entertaining in a switch off your brain type of way. Just terrible!

My girlfriend bought me Rec and Rec2 for Valentine's Day.. true love.. so that and 'Cropsey' are on the cards for tonight.

You must tell me the verdict, nobody I know off has seen this. I liked it very much.

bnt

Found myself at home today, and Channel 4 showed a classic I'd never seen before: Roman Holiday, the film that made a star out of Audrey Hepburn - she raked in all the major awards. Gregory Peck may have had all the romantic charisma of a railway sleeper, but it didn't matter, since Rome itself was the other star of the movie. Not much of a plot, but you could tell Hepburn had quite a career ahead of her: luminous is the word I'd use. :cool:

WesternNight

Watched American Psycho tonight. Really good film.

ricero

just watched neds and what a fantastic film it is so compelling and gritty and asks many social questions. it possibly has one of the strangest endings ever

edolan

The Mad Hatter wrote: »

I'd say that of all of the sequels, to be honest.

In fairness the second one is better than the first.

budgemook

Up-n-atom! wrote: »

A few from the last few days:

Exit Through the Gift Shop: Excellent documentary from Banksy using footage gathered by the subject of the film, an extremely eccentric Frenchman living in LA. I think the less you know about this beforehand, the better, just watch it!

Brothers: A Jim Sheridan film about 2 different brothers. One is a straight-laced family man, the other is just out of prison. Everything changes when the 'good' brother is sent to Afganistan. Nice to see a film that tries to grapple with the wider impact of the war on the families of those involved, but didn't quite hit the nail on the head for me - but it's still very watchable.

Fargo: Hadn't seen this in ages, was great to be reminded of what a terrific film it is - still have to play the 'ya' drinking game.

Capote: First impressions were that it was a stylish, 'grown-up' kind of movie, but mainly it seems to be a vehicle for Philip Seymour Hoffman's acting abilities. He's very good but I also found his voice and mannerisms extremely annoying (but I'm assuming Truman Capote was exactly like this). Overall it didn't really connect with me but at the same time it wasn't a waste of 2 hours.

Exit Through the Gift Shop is indeed excellent and I agree the less you know the better but

have you heard any of the talk of it being a hoax and that the subject was in on the whole thing? Not too sure if I believe it or not. Seems like something Banksy might do. If the film is not a hoax it also seems like something he would do but if it is a hoax that wouldn't surprise me either

Duggy747

Watched Iron Man with the GF last night considering she hadn't seen it. I still think the film is just ok, certainly not a bad film but I didn't find it brilliant. The GF did though she's in love with RD.Jr who does raise the film above your average superhero flick.

Still, found it marginally better than IM2 which was a big fat "MEH!!".

Magic Eight Ball

Duggy747 wrote: »

Still, found it marginally better than IM2 which was a big fat "MEH!!".

Iron Man 2 was nothing more then an extended trailer for The Avengers.

The Mad Hatter

edolan wrote: »

In fairness the second one is better than the first.

I wouldn't put the second in the same league as the first by any stretch.

The first is a science-fiction/horror masterpiece, the second a decent action film. The first is far more creative in the establishment of the alien itself, possibly the most potent, terrifying creation in the history of Hollywood (in no small part thanks to creepy artist H. R. Giger, who was not involved with the second - though imagine how much more awesome and terrifying the alien queen would have been if he was), a villain that takes at least three different forms throughout the film. The first has far more surprises. Think of watching it for the first time:

the massive, foreboding alien skeleton on the planet giving us a hint (though we don't really know it yet) of what's to come, the eerie roomful of eggs, the facehugger, acid blood, the abandoned flesh of the alien, the chestbursting scene, Ash's identity and motives, and the motives of the alien itself

.

I'll grant you that Aliens had a couple of very tense scenes (the turret gun scene is probably my favourite), but the pacing and the control of the release of information in Alien is something I've seen in very few other films I can think of. The lighting, which doesn't show us everything, but hides most of the cast and the alien itself in steely shadows, the superbly eerie soundtrack, and the sound design (think of Brett's capture, scored to almost no music but just the sound of rattling chains) all seem to me to make the first film far better than the second.

ikeano29

Watched "Gummo" there yesterday. Has to be up there as one of the weirdest movies i've ever seen and i've seen some beauts.

Mike Litoris

The Iron Giant - didn't expect it to be as enjoyable as it was. No where near as slick as Pixar stuff but the story was brilliant.

e_e

ikeano29 wrote: »

Watched "Gummo" there yesterday. Has to be up there as one of the weirdest movies i've ever seen and i've seen some beauts.

Have you seen Julien-Donkey Boy? That's no Sunday picnic either.

SarahBM

Mike Litoris wrote: »

The Iron Giant - didn't expect it to be as enjoyable as it was. No where near as slick as Pixar stuff but the story was brilliant.

The Iron Giant is one of my favourite "animated" films. thought I would tend to call it a cartoon. Its just brilliant.

Sad Professor

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

The first time I saw this in the cinema I fell asleep and ended up walking out before the end. It didn't leave a good impression. But I used to be a big Stone fan and decided to give it a second shot - and I was much more impressed. It is as good if not better than the original, which was always far from Stone's best.

Up-n-atom!

Ahh I bought this last week. Haven't watched it. Don't know what I'll make of the film now.

Don't let me put you off! I don't think I've given too much away, just watch it and see what you think - it's a decent enough film overall. I'm dying to read 'In Cold Blood' after watching it, and I wouldn't mind seeing the other Capote-based film that was released around the same time with different actors (can't think of the name but think Sandra Bullock was in it) just to see how it compares.

Nemanja91

Just watched The Fighter and thought it was very good. Any recommendations on a good comedy for later?

JohnK

Finally got around to The Social Network, better that I was expecting.

budgemook

Nemanja91 wrote: »

Just watched The Fighter and thought it was very good. Any recommendations on a good comedy for later?

Black dynamite

MickShamrock

Due Date. Enjoyable. When I saw the trailer I initially thought that they were remaking "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" which wasn't the case, but there are a few similarities.

budgemook

MickShamrock wrote: »

Due Date. Enjoyable. When I saw the trailer I initially thought that they were remaking "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" which wasn't the case, but there are a few similarities.

yeah it's not too bad but basically is the new planes trains and automobiles. Without the trains of course. Sorry for not adding a spoiler tag.