What have you watched recently?

Bassboxxx

The lives of others.....

Great movie...I had took a look at a clip of it ages ago and was put off by the drab /grey look to some of it, and the subtitles (which I have to be in the mood for). These things were quickly forgotten though once it got going. I'd defo recommend it...:)

Mickeroo

Just watched Hobo With A Shotgun. Was an enjoyable enough B-movie homage, it had a much more low budget feel than the other Grindhouse spin off Machete, probably because the budget was way lower. At first I thought it seemed terrible but once you get into it there's some pretty funny lines and the humour is quite subversive, the totally fake looking cartoonishly extreme violence is a gas. Better than I thought it would be.

krudler

Jimdagym wrote: »

After hearing eternal references, I finally saw the princess bride the weekend.


Oh. My. God.

I cannot remember the last time I enjoyed a film that much.
I still cant understand why it was so good. It should have been a giant block of chedder, and it is a bit I suppose, but it has such great charm its impossible not to love it. Great comedy, great cast, just so good.

one of those movies I adore, I honestly never get tired of seeing it, its my sick day movie along with The Goonies. so many brilliant lines and quotes and scenes, Cary Elwes is brilliant in it "you mean...you'll put down your rock and I'll put down my sword and we'll try and kill each other like civilised people?" and Billy Crystals fantastic cameo as Miracle Max. **** it, I'm watching it Saturday morning

MiloYossarian

krudler wrote: »

one of those movies I adore, I honestly never get tired of seeing it, its my sick day movie along with The Goonies. so many brilliant lines and quotes and scenes, Cary Elwes is brilliant in it "you mean...you'll put down your rock and I'll put down my sword and we'll try and kill each other like civilised people?" and Billy Crystals fantastic cameo as Miracle Max. **** it, I'm watching it Saturday morning

Ya, It's one of my favorite films too. It's just so enchanting (unlike that film Enchanted)

I keep toying with the idea of reading the book, but I love the film so much I fear it will ruin it.

dr.bollocko

William Goldman who wrote the Princess Bride actually wrote a few books on his adventures in the screen trade.
Some good stories. Would recommend.

Ruu_Old

House on Haunted Hill (1959), good chiller! Next up, Last Man on Earth.

krudler

Primer (again) my brain still hurts...

The Recliner

dr.bollocko wrote: »

William Goldman who wrote the Princess Bride actually wrote a few books on his adventures in the screen trade.
Some good stories. Would recommend.

And Brian Cox's performance in Adaptation is based on him

ReacherCreature

The Switch. Enjoyable rom-com but Sebastian (Robinson) is a fantastic child actor. He's very funny and talented. Bateman and Aniston had sufficient chemistry. A nice way to pass away an hour and half.

Off the Black. Indie-type film with Nick Nolte. He builds up a relationship a young lad from the area and becomes the son he never really had. It's a marvelous film in my view. Worth checking out.

MiloYossarian

The Recliner wrote: »

And Brian Cox's performance in Adaptation is based on him

No, that's Robert Mckee, a different screenwriter. William Goldman is a nice man, well respected. I get the feeling that Mckee isn't. He is portrayed as having funny ideas about writing a screenplay, as if it's just adding 1+2.

The Recliner

MiloYossarian wrote: »

No, that's Robert Mckee, a different screenwriter. William Goldman is a nice man, well respected. I get the feeling that Mckee isn't. He is portrayed as having funny ideas about writing a screenplay, as if it's just adding 1+2.

You are of course correct, not sure why I mixed him up with Goldman

grohlisagod

The Big Lebowski.
Quality film. It's really very funny and the dynamic between Bridges, Goodman and Buscemi is brilliant. Jeff Bridges is excellent as always. One of the Coens' best.

tunguska

The Long Goodbye

What a film. I saw it for the first time about 10 years ago after hearing glowing reviews and I wasn't exactly blown away by it. I thought Elliot gould was great, liked the photography but as I said I just couldnt get why it had recieved such good word of mouth. But I watched it again the other night and I have to say it is a magnificent film. Think maybe I was too young(and stupid) to fully get all that was great about this film. The Dialogue is razor sharp, it doesnt put a word wrong. Even though I enjoyed Elliot Goulds performance first time out I realise now, having seen so many dodgy performances(and films)lately, just how good he was. Its a crime that an entire generation only knows him as Ross' father on friends, he was so cool in this film. Great ending aswell.
Its kind of depressing watching something this good, it just makes realise how much of a step backwards film making has taken since the 70s.

SVG

tunguska wrote: »

The Long Goodbye

What a film.

Love this film! One of my favourite endings.

SarahBM

Captain America - Really enjoyed it

The Blide Side - Excellent, cant believe it took me so long to get it.

The A -Team - as a big fan of the TV show, I was a bit wary, but thought it was great. very funny in parts, and Bradley Cooper - wow!

Jako8

Kiki's Delivery Service (Subtitled) - I enjoyed it a lot. It's just a really enjoyable story about a young witch getting on in life. Nothing mind blowing, just really simple and well executed. 8/10

MiloYossarian

The Recliner wrote: »

You are of course correct, not sure why I mixed him up with Goldman

No it's cool. I didn't point it out out of badness or anything, we're probably of the same generation and it's easy to get the two mixed up. I've probably done it. It's just they're the two most prominent of a certain time, due to the fact that they both had major books out. I just happened to be at college at the time.

I haven't read any of Mckee's books, but if you're interested in that sort of thing I would highly recommend Goldman's book. It's very good.

13spanner

I saw ''The Gaurd'' with Brendan Gleeson. Really enjoyed that. Suited my sense of humour perfectly For some of the dialogue I was in tears laughing while no-one else even noticed the subtle comedy. Would definately reccomend that one.

indough

robert mckee is incredibly well respected in the industry. you should try reading the book if you get the chance. he doesn't claim to have invented any crazy formula, he just promotes technique and theory that has always worked. common sense really but i suppose what he brings to the table is a bit of insight and the ability to get the point across.

jester77

Watched Guillermo del Toro's remake of Don't be afraid of the dark last night.

One of the better horror films I've seen in a while but I also found it a little frustrating at times. Nicely shot but after the opening scene in the basement you were left expecting a bit more. There were scenes from there on where you wish there was someone like Takashi Miike at the helm, just to give it that little extra, e.g.

when the gardener was attacked, it was a bit tame, would liked to have seen the achilles getting snipped or all those scenes where the creatures were sticking a needle out, why not take have taken an eye or eardrum.

I enjoyed it though, if you haven't watched the trailer already then I would say to avoid it.

They show you the creature under the sheet in the trailer, but up until that point in the movie you never get to see what the creature looks like, so it took a lot away from that scene knowing what was going to happen.

BopNiblets

tunguska wrote: »

The Long Goodbye

Did you guys spot Arnie in it? :pac:

johnny_ultimate

indough wrote: »

robert mckee is incredibly well respected in the industry. you should try reading the book if you get the chance. he doesn't claim to have invented any crazy formula, he just promotes technique and theory that has always worked. common sense really but i suppose what he brings to the table is a bit of insight and the ability to get the point across.

I read a bit of McKee's Story for an essay in college, and TBH while his formula may get a screenplay made he comes across as more of a promoter of film as a business formula than an artistic medium: individuality doesn't matter, and should be actively weeded out. His strict rules would definitely win favour in the 'industry'. Charlie Kaufman is very clever in the way he uses him as a character in Adaptation though: due to McKee's and Donald's influence, the film purposefully takes far more formulaic, exaggerated turns in the third act. It's a clever critique of McKee's writing and how Kaufman's style is pretty much the antithesis of it.

indough

he deals with the full spectrum of plot types very early on in the book (chapter 2 in fact). i think the point that people are missing is that there are rules to writing a narrative. indeed there are many great films which break those rules to great effect, but just as in any other discipline you should know how to apply them first otherwise you are left trying to reinvent the wheel.

willmunny1990

eraserhead is a major mind**** of a film anything directed by david lynch is i suppose.there all interesting to watch though

MiloYossarian

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

I read a bit of McKee's Story for an essay in college, and TBH while his formula may get a screenplay made he comes across as more of a promoter of film as a business formula than an artistic medium: individuality doesn't matter, and should be actively weeded out. His strict rules would definitely win favour in the 'industry'. Charlie Kaufman is very clever in the way he uses him as a character in Adaptation though: due to McKee's and Donald's influence, the film purposefully takes far more formulaic, exaggerated turns in the third act. It's a clever critique of McKee's writing and how Kaufman's style is pretty much the antithesis of it.

Ya, that's the point I was trying to make. He comes at a script like he's putting together Ikea furniture.

And before anybody points it out, I already know that scriptwriting is marrying of art AND craft.

johnny_ultimate

indough wrote: »

he deals with the full spectrum of plot types very early on in the book (chapter 2 in fact). i think the point that people are missing is that there are rules to writing a narrative. indeed there are many great films which break those rules to great effect, but just as in any other discipline you should know how to apply them first otherwise you are left trying to reinvent the wheel.

There's definitely a benefit to the book in breaking down narrative tropes to their most common, basic formula. But TBH I find it hard to imagine anyone could write anything more than an 'alright' script if they obeyed McKee's rules. They are, as you mentioned, there to be broken. It's pretty telling that the most brilliant contemporary scriptwriter in Hollywood literally dismantled the rules in one of his films!

But yes, still an interesting read, and there's no denying there's something to learn from it. I do think one's first goal after examining it, though, is to see how much you can **** with them.

MiloYossarian

Everything Must Go

It's okay. Will Ferrell is an alcoholic that loses everything in the space of a day. First his job, and upon returning home he finds all his stuff outside on the lawn and his wife gone. He decides to live there, but because of the law he is not aloud. One of his friends gets him a permit for a yard sale which lasts five days. So he starts selling his stuff and learning about himself.

The ultimate irony is that none of his problems turn out to be his fault.

Might watch it again in a few years time.

6/10

Andre80Johnson

The Last Circus (2010).

An enjoyable film with some good moments in it. Yay for violent clowns

craftypaddy

not what i was expecting, decent enough film with a good ending, reviews are very harsh only 5.7 on imdb id give it 7 or 8

Mickeroo

MiloYossarian wrote: »

Everything Must Go

It's okay. Will Ferrell is an alcoholic that loses everything in the space of a day. First his job, and upon returning home he finds all his stuff outside on the lawn and his wife gone. He decides to live there, but because of the law he is not aloud. One of his friends gets him a permit for a yard sale which lasts five days. So he starts selling his stuff and learning about himself.

The ultimate irony is that none of his problems turn out to be his fault.

Might watch it again in a few years time.

6/10

How you see that if you don't mind me asking? Thought it wasn't out for ages yet.