What have you watched recently: Electric Boogaloo

Sleepy

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

I was genuinely bamboozled how a talented, knowledgeable director could happily just work away on producing silly stoner comedies. Hopefully the fact he has two films more in-line quality wise with his early stuff will mean that he's back on form, or at least capable of balancing his smaller projects with the larger ones. The latter, after all, could well be directly supporting the former.

I remember a good interview with Colin Farrell which touched on this subject. While he's probably more known for middle-of-the-road stuff now, he has in his time turned out some genuinely brilliant performances (Phone Booth, Tigerland) alongside some downright turds (Miami Vice etc.).

When asked about it he gave a very honest, and fair answer (paraphrased):

"I grew up in Dublin in the 80's. My da would kill me if I turned down 10 million dollars because I didn't think the movie would be a masterpiece".

The sad reality is that, with a few notable exceptions, it's the workmanlike stuff which makes the big money. Like you say though, the hope is that having made massive money on that kind of thing, the talent will be financially comfortable enough to take on passion projects for little or no financial reward.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

^ I read something similar from John Cusack once where he said that the arty heartfelt personal projects don't pay the bills. Doing the mediocre well payed jobs allows you to be able to take a few months out and do something different that probably won't make you any money.

Not sure that excuse explains most of John Cusack's career now though.

Mokuba

Just saw The Spectacular Now. In my top 5 of the year. The acting is incredible, the tone of the movie is pretty great. It's the most authentic teen based movie I've seen in a very long time. It's natural, it's real, it honestly took me completely by surprise.

Shailene Woodley gave one of the performances of the year for me. Can't say enough positive things about this.

Da Shins Kelly

Just finished watching ET just now. It's been one of my favourite movies since I was a kid. It just never loses it's magic. Such a classic.

Watched something called Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale last night. It's a Finnish fantasy-horror about the real mystery behind Santa Claus, and it's not a very pleasant one. I'm suspecting the story may be based on Scandinavian folklore about Santa Claus or something, but I haven't looked it up. It's very creepy anyway.

MJ23

World War Z - I wasnt expecting much, but it turned out to be very good.

Sad Professor

Da Shins Kelly wrote: »

Watched something called Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale last night. It's a Finnish fantasy-horror about the real mystery behind Santa Claus, and it's not a very pleasant one. I'm suspecting the story may be based on Scandinavian folklore about Santa Claus or something, but I haven't looked it up. It's very creepy anyway.

Yeah, very unique take on Santa Claus. Shame about the anticlimactic third act.

Da Shins Kelly

Sad Professor wrote: »

Yeah, very unique take on Santa Claus. Shame about the anticlimactic third act.

Yeah, I think it could have ended a bit earlier, but I still really enjoyed it.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

last night Mystery Science Theater 3000: terror from the year 5000

this morning MST3k: This island earth

watched the rifftrax of starship troopers this afternoon, just finished Eastern Promise (dad wasn't terribly impressed) and now that he's buggered off to bed I'm treating myself to a pre-sleep viewing of MST3K : Manos the Hands of Fate

mike65

A Muppet Christmas Carol, so heart-warming

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

mike65 wrote: »

A Muppet Christmas Carol, so heart-warming

i hope for your sake the version without "that song"

MilanPan!c

Da Shins Kelly wrote: »

Yeah, I think it could have ended a bit earlier, but I still really enjoyed it.

If you haven't seen Troll Hunter, do it now

DazMarz

To celebrate the endless insomnia that will surely arrive thanks to my new Nespresso machine that I got, my endless waking hours last night were spent watching one of the greatest film series ever: Star Wars. Only the originals, mind. A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi. I cannot think of a better way to spend a few hours on Christmas night.

From that unforgettable opening shot of the massive Imperial Star Destroyer looming large on the screen to the final closing shot of the redeemed Anakin Skywalker standing alongside Yoda and Obi-Wan, this is quite simply one of the most brilliant and groundbreaking series of films ever made.

The basic premise of the films is simplicity itself; good versus evil. The heroic Rebels and the Light Side of the Force squaring off against the evil, despotic Galactic Empire and the Dark Side of the Force. It is an example of a story that has been told since time immemorial. And it is for this reason that it resonates so deeply with so many people. The simplicity of the plot was not to its detriment, but it was a massive bonus. People could identify with the heroes and could so easily detest the villains.

One of the biggest strengths was also the strength of the characters. Nobody will ever forget the central heroic trio of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia. Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi is the perfect example of the mentor to the hero (and is of course played superbly by Sir Alec Guinness; despite starring in dozens of classic films, it is this role for which he will most be remembered for and identified with, which is not something he was entirely pleased with). R2-D2 and C-3PO were the comic relief, but they were never useless or ridiculous humour (unlike some things that would come along later).

The villains were equally strong. The central villain is, of course, Darth Vader. The biggest, baddest bad-ass from that Galaxy Far, Far Away. From the moment he appeared on our screens in A New Hope, emerging like an Angel Of Death from the smoke and with that sinister swell in the musical score, we knew exactly how bad he was. Troops snapped to attention in fear at him. He towered over all else. The black armour and mask only made him even more intimidating. And the most famous and most recognisable part of his make up; the breathing. That sinister, mechanical, never ending breathing. So unsettling and so pervasive. In Darth Vader, we were presented with arguably the greatest cinematic villain ever. He was brilliant because not only did he command the forces of the Empire, it was not beneath him to get into the thick of it with his troops and combat the Rebels head-on. Brilliant, powerful and just so evil.

Even minor characters were memorable in many cases (Admiral Motti ["Don't try to frighten us with your sorceror's ways, Lord Vader"], Grand Moff Tarkin, Admiral Ozzel, General Veers, Captain-then-Admiral Piett, Admiral Ackbar ["It's a trap!!!"], Wedge Antilles, Captain Needa ["I will apologise to Lord Vader"; that went well]). This strength in the characters is what made the Original Trilogy so memorable. The heroes weren't straight up good guys; they had conflict and much learning to do, or they were scoundrels and more anti-heroes. The villains also had conflicts in their make-ups; Vader was obviously a conflicted, contradictory character, most of the Imperial Officers in the film always gave off this air that they were back-stabbing and Machiavellian and even Jabba the Hutt was only a villain because he crossed swords with 'our' heroes.

People forget this, can forget simply how good the films are (I had to an extent, until I watched them all again... I had tears in my eyes several times!!!) and people can also forget that more than any other film in history, Star Wars definitively changed almost everything about films and film-making. The technology, special effects, the studio system... everything.

It was ground-breaking and yeah, everyone goes on about "Oh, Lucas just stole a load of ideas and mashed them together". And so what? He did it so bloody well, so seamlessly and the Original Trilogy was just absolutely brilliant. It had everything a goodies v. baddies story should have and it had more.

I will say this much, I do not hate or even dislike the Prequels. Far from it, I enjoy them and think they are decent enough craic and are easy on the grey matter. Very little of the plot makes clear sense (trade disputes, convoluted evil schemes that are fairly illogical, etc.) but at the back of it, there are some fine set-pieces, some good action and so on.

But there is no real soul. Practically everything in the prequels is done in front of a blue-screen. There are no sets as such; just areas wrapped in green fabric. There were no clone trooper costumes made in the films; they were all CGI.

In the originals, everything was 'there'. You could walk up to and touch the X-Wings and TIE Fighters (even if they were only models in some cases!), the stormtroopers were blokes in uniforms, the Star Destroyer interiors and so on all existed in real life in front of the cameras. It felt 'real'. There was nothing real in the prequels. Everything has that artificial, computer-y, plastic-y sheen to it.

The Originals captured the imagination like nothing else. Their plots were not complicated in any way, but they sucked you in and you could not help but be enthralled. It was pure genius in its simplicity.

For me, I grew up on the Star Wars films. From the time I was about 5 years old, when I first saw the films, until now... I cannot think of another series of films that I could love so much. The nostalgia I feel when watching these films gets to me a lot.

So many iconic moments that have influenced films and TV shows for decades. Often imitated but never, ever bettered. They seriously do not make films that have that little touch of magic any more. Say what you will about George Lucas, with the Original Star Wars films, he created something truly brilliant, unique and wonderful, that can be enjoyed and loved by people of all ages.

The Force Will Be With You. Always.

Judgement Day

Child-free until today so I thought I would try and get into the Christmas spirit and kicked off on Christmas Eve with "The Damned" (1969) on YouTube - a riveting but depressing movie which documents the decline into madness of a aristocratic German family in the 1930s. Set against the rise of Hitler's Nazi party the movie has all the usual ingredients but also throws in a dose of murder, paedophilia and incest. As I said, riveting but not quite what I wanted on Christmas Eve. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064118/ 8/10

By way of light relief on Christmas Day I watched a couple of episodes of Hancock's Half Hour - "The Radio Ham" and "The Blood Donor" (1961) - if you haven't heard them you haven't lived! I say heard, as despite the TV versions being excellent - the audio is even better. 10+/10



Christmas Day night I tried to find something in the Sci Fi genre but ended up watching another WW.II. movie - "To End All Wars" (2001) on YouTube - another depressing take on the building of the notorious Burma Road Railway aka the "Railway of Death" by Allied POWs. A strong cast including Ciarán McMenamin and Kiefer Sutherland bring the movie to life but it's still depressing stuff and there's little humanity on show. 9/10 but still not Christmas viewing.

Finally, tonight a feel good movie as the kids are home - "Despicable Me 2" (2013) - on DVD. An inferior offering compared to the original but still entertaining and a

happy

ending. 8/10

TheMollusc

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

This film. I just love this film so much.

I had already seen it once, quite a while back, and loved it but tonight I decided to revisit it after getting the blu ray and it's better than I even remembered.

The great performances by the superb cast, most notably Casey Affleck and Brad Pitt. The magnificent cinematography by Roger Deakins. The achingly beautiful and haunting score that accompanies and enhances the intoxicating, magnetic atmosphere. It all comes together to form such a great film, one that I adore.

I'm so happy I watched this again. Truly a staggeringly brilliant and beautiful character study. A great piece of cinema.

crazygeryy

No one lives (2013)
Normally when i see the letters wwf before a movie imo it doesn't turn out to be good. not in this case
This movie isn't bad at all and not what you'd expect in the story line. Lots of gore but its a well acted and a well told movie.

Tipsy McSwagger

Iron Man 3 on Sky HD. Loved the first one, didn't like the sequel and the third is even worse. It's too long, boring and a bit of a mess.

MilanPan!c

Randomly saw The Last Stand (2013) directed by Kim Jee-Woon, who most famouly directed The Good, the Bad, the Weird.

NOT bad, but also not great... say about a 5/10 for a movie, but a 7/10 for mindless entertainment.

so...

...worth a watch at 2AM.

Birneybau

3 films watched today, all infuriating in their own ways, but good with it.

1st was "The Comedy". Bunch of hispster 30-somethings just fcuking about, being obnoxious pr!cks in Wiliamsburg, Brooklyn. A somewhat provocative film, hard to watch but interesting none the less. Wouldn't really recommend it unless it sounds good to you.

2nd was "Blackfish" which I'm sure a lot here have seen. My blood was boiling at the end.

3rd, "The Queen of Versailles". Interesting documentary, starts off chronicling a timeshare mogul's building of the largest private home in Florida...and then the crash hits. His wife, a far way from the life she was born into, doesn't seem to understand what exactly is going on. Her idea of budgeting is loading only 4 trolleys full of toys for Christmas. Yet, a slight sympathy creeps in.

spank_inferno

Troll hunter.

Film 4

Amazing!

sky88

Die hard 5

Never have i seen a movie sequel just lose the entire esscence what made the films and character great

MilanPan!c

sky88 wrote: »

Die hard 5

Never have i seen a movie sequel just lose the entire esscence what made the films and character great

Truly, truly, abysmal...

gerrybbadd

Just watched Pacific Rim. Great action /Sci Fi movie. Special effects are amazing. Good for a brainless few hours!

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Watched a few Harry Potter's over Christmas. They're on everywhere!

I hadn't seen either of The Deathly Hallows before. Really enjoyed Part 1. Felt like a real adventure film, great performances from the 3 leads and some lovely shots in there too. I remember people complaining about no Hogwarts and all that but I thought the break from the rigid school year structure was refreshing. Part 2 was less impressive, I thought. Like they knew there was way to much to squeeze it into one film but had to pad out the 2nd one a bit before the climax, which in fairness, after 7 years (in their timeline) was a tad anticlimactic. I wouldn't have bothered with the 19 years later bit either. Cringe.

Gamayun

Night on Earth (1991)
Jim Jarmusch film made up of five segments each set in a different city, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Rome and Helsinki, all revolving around a cab driver and their fare. Each segment has a different tone, from comedic (Rome) to somber (Helsinki) but these changes of mood aren't jarring at all. Enjoyable.

Before the Rain (1994)
Macedonian film set during the Yugoslav war, divided into three sections with an interesting non-linear structure. Beautifully shot and acted. For me the second section didn't quite resonate as much others but I really enjoyed this overall.

Marty McFly

sky88 wrote: »

Die hard 5

Never have i seen a movie sequel just lose the entire esscence what made the films and character great

Ya know I watched that expecting the worst although still not on a par with the first 3 I was pleasantly suprised, and found the Die Hard 5 a much better film than 4 and more in tone with the other Die Hard films.

Also saw Iron Man 3 was looking forward to seeing this one but my god complete and utter rubbish I like Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark but when I watch an Iron Man film I want to see Iron Man not most of the film Tony Stark avoiding bullets or a drone Iron Man suit that falls apart soon as someone taps it.

hefferboi

Just watched Rush. Movie of the year for me.

McChubbin

Just watched Desolation of Smaug. Though it verred from the original source material in places, I enjoyed it... even if I was rooting for the dragon in the end...

MilanPan!c

Marty McFly wrote: »

Ya know I watched that expecting the worst although still not on a par with the first 3 I was pleasantly suprised, and found the Die Hard 5 a much better film than 4 and more in tone with the other Die Hard films.

Via IMDB:

Die Hard 1 - 8.3
Die Hard 2 - 7.1
Die Hard 3 - 7.5
Die Hard 4 - 7.3
Die Hard 5 - 5.3

I'd rate 2 and 5 lower (I'd give 5 about a 3) and 3 higher.

5 is one of the worst movies of the year.

A great quote from the New Yorker review:

"As McClane, now in a chunky white Mercedes, accelerates out of a hovering helicopter and swings around on a chain, you feel that you’re watching the illegal download of a tie-in video game. All trace of character development has been stripped away, and the film stalls in a mire of its own nonsense, leaving nothing but a strange, sticky residue of political nostalgia."

Bullseye1

Watched a couple of Edward Burns movies The Fitzpatrick Christmas and The Newlyweds. Nice little movies worth a watch.

ManOnFire

watched Kids recently as had heard plenty about it and wanted to see more of Harmony Korines work ,although only as a writer in this case. Full of thoroughly unlikable characters it follows a day in the life of a group of teens in New York City. Not a film I could rewatch often but I enjoyed it.