What have you watched recently: Electric Boogaloo

Tony EH

Tony EH wrote: »

'First Blood' is a perfect example of a good film tarnished by piss-poor sequels and doomed to be forever associated with them.

The original 'Rocky' suffers this from malaise too.

I think that bar part 3, the Rambo sequels aren't bad at all. The last film was even improved by a directors cut that removed some of the violence and introduced more character development.

Rocky Balboa is a damn great film and one that I think is just as good as the original.

tunguska

Sleepy wrote: »

I saw this for the first time a few years back and was utterly stunned by how intelligent a film it was. Had always expected something on a par with Rocky IV but when I finally watched it I was very pleasantly surprised.

I remember seeing this after I had seen Rambo II first and been blown away. Definitely a more worthy, intelligent film and its insane what happened with the subsequent sequels. Having said that I was even more blown away when I read David Morell's book which kind of pisses all over the movie. Truly great book and this is the one movie I actually hope somebody(whos a decent director) remakes and sticks to the source material.

pixelburp

Sleepy wrote: »

I saw this for the first time a few years back and was utterly stunned by how intelligent a film it was. Had always expected something on a par with Rocky IV but when I finally watched it I was very pleasantly surprised.

I imagine First Blood had a greater impact over in America too, where the issue of psychological trauma and treatment by society its of Vietnam vets would have still been a hot topic in 1982. It still is really when you look at the troops returning home from the Middle East.

It's astonishing to think a film as smart and overtly anti-war as First Blood spawned the sequels that it did, particularly the nauseating grindhouse flick that was Rambo IV; and it's a brave film that ends with its 'hero'

suffering a full-on nervous breakdown in the middle of a police station he had just trashed, and having to be talked down from killing a cop by the same officer who broke him in the first place.

Powerful stuff.

Snickers Man

Just watched Philomena last night on UPC on Demand.

Terrific movie. Wonderful script and great performances from both Steve Coogan and Judi Dench.

Really good characterization throughout. Coogan as the self important intellectual (excuse the tautology) and Dench as the simple amiable busybody with huge reserves of integrity and empathy who team up to try and find Dench's long lost son, reluctantly given up for adoption as an infant.

Story is well known so no need for spoilers but what makes this a good movie is the honesty of the storyline and characterizations and the themes it explores of faith and skepticism, guilt and forgiveness and the balance between today's society's indignation at the sins of yesteryear and the more empathetic understanding of those who actually went through it.

How anyone could think the screenplay of the hugely overrated 12 Years a Slave is better than this gem is beyond me. The fact that this got no Oscar is a travesty. Either the Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor or Best Leading Actress award would have been well merited.

Liam McPoyle

jester77 wrote: »

I had the misfortune of watching The Green Inferno, one of the worse movies I've seen in a very long time. Bad cast, bad acting and bad script.

That the Eli Roth movie?

I loved Cabin Fever & Hostel (part one at least, the sequel save for some decent effects work is dung) so Im looking forward to this.

Im not expecting it to be on a par with the likes of Cannibal Holocaust but Im hoping it will be better than most "horror" movies that will get a main stream release this year.

jester77

Coleman Slawski wrote: »

That the Eli Roth movie?

I loved Cabin Fever & Hostel (part one at least, the sequel save for some decent effects work is dung) so Im looking forward to this.

Im not expecting it to be on a par with the likes of Cannibal Holocaust but Im hoping it will be better than most "horror" movies that will get a main stream release this year.

That would be it. I enjoyed his earlier stuff but he just can't seem to get it right at the moment. Another movie I saw recently that he was involved in was The Sacrament. That one just fell flat on its face.

As for The Green Inferno, the acting is so bad, I mean really bad. And it is not helped by the really really poor dialogue. You will just wonder wtf at some of the lines throughout.

The only saving grace are the cannibal tribe. They are really well done and there is plenty of gore. But the bad acting and ridiculous script make it hard to watch.

jester77

Enemy with Jake Gyllenhaal is a fantastic psychological thriller. I really enjoyed this and Gyllenhaal puts in a fantastic performance playing 2 different characters, really like this guy. It is one of those movies where you will need to go back a second time to fully appreciate it. Definitely a must see. I'll be going back again.

Sleepy

The First Time
An enjoyable rom-com about two teenagers falling for each other. Fairly standard story-line but quite nicely handled and a great sound-track. Britt Robertson is cute as a button and Dylan O' Brien is a likeable enough everyman. It's no Before Sunrise but would make a great first date movie or something one for a lazy night in with the other half.

8mv

Watched Goodbye Mr. Chips late last night. Unashamedly sentimental and surprisingly funny in places. Robert Donat and Greer Garson are both excellent. Liked it a lot apart from

Mr. Chippings giving a cheeky miscreant six of the best - that didn't fit with what we expect from this gentle unassuming man. Or maybe it jarred looking back at it from this century.

Recommended.

Birneybau

"Under The Skin".

Really strange movie, enjoyed it a lot. Scarlett Johanson was great. The originality of how it was filmed (hidden cameras, interaction with non-actors) really brought the concept of an alien on Earth to life, walking around seeing us as we see animals.

Also,

how mad was it to have Scarlett Johanson driving a Ford Transit through oncoming Celtic fans!

Decuc500

I enjoyed Jack Reacher. It had a real 70’s crime movie feel. The car chase reminded me of William Freidkin, very realistic and filmed with unusual angles. The plot was relatively convoluted which sets it apart from the usual mindless entertainment and Werner Herzog made an interesting villain. I'd like to see more of this type of 'grown up' thriller being made.

I also watched To The Wonder. The plot was very vague and dialogue almost non existent but the visuals were stunning. It was a captivating film but I was left a little frustrated at the lack of a narrative.

ButtersSuki

Compliance - taped from Film 4 a few weeks back. Surprisingly interesting watch, but that is a relative statement. I had heard about the case on which this is based and while the film goes so far, it backs out of a crucial scene

the oral sex scene

and ends a little abriptly. Suprisingly good performance from Dreama Walker as Becky, considering I'd monly really ever seen her in "Don't Trust the B* in Apartment 23". You're left with the feeling that this truly is one of those "only in America" moments. There was a sense as I was watching it that it wasn't sure what it was, struggling to decide whether it was a documentary or not (it isn't, though it is fact-based). It has a very "Fast Food nation" feel about it at times (hardly surprising I guess on some levels), and possibly deliberate. I'd give it a 7/10 maybe, as it is interesting, but I just felt it could have been so much more.

johnny_ultimate

Touch of Evil - what can be said? Orson Welles' peerless thriller, immaculately composed and brilliantly complex in terms of themes, characterisation and tone. A shouldabeen B-Movie promoted to masterpiece status by sheer artistic force.

Sexy Beast - Watching Under the Skin reminded me I'd never actually seen Glazer's debut. It's a very entertaining watch, albeit one that feels a little slight and familiar about it too. There's some inspired touches, however, such as a beautifully edited scene that nestles a heist setup narrative within a conversation within a story within a conversation (and more layers beside). The set piece scenes are highlights, but there's plenty of attention lavished to developing the characters and a fragile & mundane status quo outside that. The acting is uniformly strong, but it's rare to see a film so absolutely dominated by one actor. That's Ben Kingsley, who swoops into the film like a force of nature as the second act kicks off. His monologue in the airport is magnificent. The film certainly is at its best when Kingsley is on screen.

Shady - There's notes of Audition in this strong debut from director Ryohei Watanabe. Shot for close to nothing, it follows the new relationship between two outcast teenage girls. Initially charming and potentially even romantic, it quickly becomes obvious things are a bit weirder than that. Juxtaposing a harsh, gritty look at being a teenager in modern Japan with heavy thriller and horror elements, it's a peculiar mix that the director embraces with enthusiasm (a purposefully overblown soundtrack, adds a deeply sinister edge to certain scenes). It's rough around the edges - although given a budget barely reaching €10,000, Watanabe fits in as much visual flair as he can - and the climax is too obvious. But there's a strangely gratifying hybrid of thematic subtlety and exaggerated genre thrills here that make this a distinctive and promising first film.

tunguska

Looking for Mr Goodbar.

Blown away by this. Not just because of the ending but the whole thing was so well done, the acting, the dialogue, directing, a proper great 70s movie. But that ending.........thats how to finish a movie and shock the **** out of everybody. Brilliant.

Tindie

Before today, I have never actually seen James bond movie in full
before, I seen parts of some movies.

So I decided for the whole of April 2014, I will watch every single
James bond movies.

So I started of with Dr. No (1962)!

I liked title start of the movie, that tune is still stuck in my head
at the moment.

The movie dose not take long to start at all, the song of 3 old men
walking,(a song singing about which I thought was really clever) but
then turn out not to be , who you think they are!

This movie is not action packed from start to end however it dose have
some great action scenes throughout the movie.

Some decent car chase scenes, one car chase scenes looked a bit out
dated.

I liked there few turns in story, you think the story is going one way
but then take a turn, I really enjoyed this twist and turns in the
movie.

I really enjoyed the last 20 minutes of the movie, I was hoping for
longer fight scenes at end, a little disappointing with that.

The acting was great from whole cast!

As I thought this movie was really good, before I saw it, I did think
whole movie would feel out dated but only one scene actually felt a bit
out dated the rest of the movie was fine, even for today!

I though this movie was really good 7 out of 10

gucci

Royal Tenebaums (2002)

With all the hype around Grand Budapest, I somehow have never managed to see Wes Andersons previous “best” movie. Not really sure where to start or what to describe it as. Visually it is very clever and stimulating (hue colours, blending animations with reality) All the clothing and sets are sharp and defined for each character, which genuinely added to each character portrayal. Also the casting was excellent (Bill Murray is always a winner, Gene Hackman too)
It’s the kind of to over use a phrase “quirky” comedy that I often watch sceptically from between my fingers, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and can see it’s the kind of movie that, while not entirely original in style, has been often unsuccessfully copied by other since. Definitely one to re-watch. 4/5

The Crash Reel (2013)

A documentary based on the upcoming snowboarding star Kevin Pearce, who was all set to battle with snowboarding Galactico Shaun White at the winter Olympics in 2010 in Vancouver before falling on his face in training, and suffering a massive brain trauma. It was my second time to watch the documentary (prompted by watching Louis Theroux doc on a similar subject matter on Sunday night) and it really is a fascinating watch. This guy had it all, good looks, good family, professional athletes money, round the world lifestyle doing what he loved and one heavy blow later his life was stopped and took a very different route. The documentary for me had a good blend of focusing on Kevin and the impact of the injury on his life, while also showing the effect it had on his family’s life.
Also the film touched on the subject of sponsorships and the pressures that these athletes across various extreme and high impact sports are put under, effectively risking their lives in the pursuit of being the best. Sure these guys are fearless, but perhaps they should be protected more (The example of car racing being slower than in the past because of safety concerns etc) It also touches on the effect of multiple concussions and brain traumas.
There is probably enough subject matter there for 2 separate movies, but it is fairly easily blended together, without ever feeling that either subject is half done. The shooting and music of the movie was also very slick, which is something you would kind of expect from a snowboarding based movie, but the editing along with the real life footage from hospitals and his home life was nicely done.
Anyone with a passing interest in sport should watch this, and anyone who hasn’t, just fricking watch it!! 4/5

ButtersSuki

Saturday Night Fever for the first time in over 20 (!) years on Blu Ray (bought it for the OH who had never seen it). Surprisingly good on a re-watch though parts of it (obviously) look quite dated. The attitudes towards women and minorities in particular is not very PC (to put it mildly) by today's standards, but as a snapshot of the time I suppose it's quite realistic. Even though I wouldn't be a fan of the Bee Gees, you do find yourself toe-tapping even against your best efforts and intentions; and overall full the soundtrack has some "proper disco" (i.e. not Bee Gees!) gems. Travolta owns this; and he exudes a cockiness and swagger throughout most of the film. The scenes where he's quieter, more reflective and indeed insecure in the presence of the object of his affections give a more rounded view of the true insecurities of the character; but it's hard not to find yourself more drawn to the nightclub dance scenes than any others. I'd give it a strong 7.5/10 for what it is - and I say this as someone who would have laughed at it and written it off largely as a bit of a gimmick when I was younger.

tunguska

Thor The Dark world

Im not the biggest fan of superhero movies, 99% of them stick to formula, the dialogue is usually awful, and theres the envitable CGI showdown at the end. But the first Thor movie managed to be something different, even though it was fairly formulaic. Maybe that was because of kenneth Branagh but I found myself enjoying it more than I thought I would. There was some nice touches in there like the scene where Thor and the scientist played by stellan Skarsgard go drinking, get locked and end up singing drunk songs. And the chemisty between Helmsworth and natalie portman was great.
But this..........it was ok for a while but then it just seemed to fall flat, and when I found myself playing around with my phone I knew it was game over. There was none of the small touches that I think made the first film different than all the other super hero movies. If they make another one they'd do well to get Ken Branagh back in the directors chair.

Flight

I thought this was great. I know a lot of people criticised the fact that it was so exciting for the first part but then after the crash it became something else. Which it did but thats not necessarily a bad thing. I thought it was a spot on study of somebody in the throws of addiction. The acting was top class from Denzel, but Bruce greenwood and Don Cheadle were rock solid too. Tough to watch in parts but all in all I think this is a classy film.

Birneybau

'Robocop' (1987)

Having not seen it in years, housemate had never seen it, we decided to throw it on last night.

It still stands up, maybe bar ED-209's stop motion animation. I'd go so far as to call it a stone cold classic. Funny, violent, surprisingly touching.

Also, you'll never look at Red Foreman from 'That '70's Show' the same way again.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

Birneybau wrote: »

'Robocop' (1987)

Having not seen it in years, housemate had never seen it, we decided to throw it on last night.

It still stands up, maybe bar ED-209's stop motion animation. I'd go so far as to call it a stone cold classic. Funny, violent, surprisingly touching.

Also, you'll never look at Red Foreman from 'That '70's Show' the same way again.

it would have been so great if red foreman walked into the basement one ep and just said "bitches, leave" to erics friends

Birneybau

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

it would have been so great if red foreman walked into the basement one ep and just said "bitches, leave" to erics friends

There's a moment in the truck after Boddicker's gang's first heist, he's kicking the driver, we just imagined him as Eric - "Dumbass".

Duggy747

It's impossible to watch Robocop without somebody saying the word "Dumbass!" :pac:

Liam McPoyle

Watched it myself last weekend, still as awesome as I remembered.


Anyone here remember watching it on ITV many years ago when it was censored beyond comprehension?

The scene when Morton is looking at Robo during the development stage and in the edited version he says "you're going to be a bad mothercrusher"

Always makes me chuckle when I think of it.

Birneybau

Coleman Slawski wrote: »

Watched it myself last weekend, still as awesome as I remembered.


Anyone here remember watching it on ITV many years ago when it was censored beyond comprehension?

The scene when Morton is looking at Robo during the development stage and in the edited version he says "you're going to be a bad mothercrusher"

Always makes me chuckle when I think of it.

The first guy Robocop deals with, robbing the store.

Real version "Fcuk me, fcuk me!"

ITV version "Why me, Why me!"

http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Robocop-ITV-Family-Friendly-Freakin-Airhead-Version/topic/6014/

Also, a handy tool for censoring a film the ITV way:

http://www.thehob.co.uk/robocop.asp

Tony EH

Coleman Slawski wrote: »

Watched it myself last weekend, still as awesome as I remembered.


Anyone here remember watching it on ITV many years ago when it was censored beyond comprehension?

The scene when Morton is looking at Robo during the development stage and in the edited version he says "you're going to be a bad mothercrusher"

Always makes me chuckle when I think of it.

Those ITV edits were legendary.

They replaced "fuck me" with "forget me" or "why me" or "not me" as well, IIRC.

One of the best ones was "melonfarmer" for "motherfucker" used in 'Die Hard'.

Jesus Christ, what were they thinking?

johnny_ultimate

An Autumn Afternoon - the final film from one of the greatest filmmakers to have ever lived is as elegant, masterly and insightful even by his high standards. Revisiting themes from throughout his career - most obviously re-adapting the plot of his great Late Spring - it is very much Ozu once again refining many of his key themes and concerns. Even if it was never consciously intended as a last film, there is a definitively autumnal vibe off the film that sets it apart. Whereas many of his films focused on a younger generation first and foremost, here it is Ozu's regular collaborator Chishu Ryu definitively front and centre as an aging widower and father of three grown children. He tries to do the best for his family, while also dealing with the various joys and regrets of his own life. Death and the passing of time are major concerns here, but as ever with Ozu there's an empathy and lightness of touch to the drama that ensures the melancholy is never allowed overwhelm.

Impeccably acted - Satsuko Hara is missed, but Shima Iwa****a proves a more than capable substitute. Above all, though, this is one of the most accomplished examples of Ozu's peerless visual style. Every single frame radiates with an improbable harmony and honesty, capturing both the characters and spaces around them with absolute grace. It is never less than beautiful to look at, with the mere framing of scenes enhancing both the emotions and drama in boundless ways.

As one of the masterpieces of one of cinema's truly great directors, I'd hesitate little in calling An Autumn Afternoon one of the greatest films ever made.

Looper007

Blood Ties (2013)

Guillaume Canet's American debut as Director from a script by James Gray with Clive Owen and Billy Crudup as two brother one a criminal and the other a cop and set in the 70's. Nothing special really a bit overlong but good performances from Owen (his accent a little dodgy) and Crudup. Also having Mila Kunis (really wasted in a nothing role) Zoe Saldana (wasted too) and Marion Cotillard (a good performance) helps it. James Caan is great in a small role as the guys father. This has gotten a limited release in America and seems to be getting the same in Ireland. For the cast and talent behind it It was really disappointed with this but it's worth a look 6/10.

The Immigrant (2013)

Like Blood Ties, given a cold reception in Cannes and by other film festival's. Weinstein company seem to be given this a limited release before releasing it on DVD, considering the money and talent behind it that's not great. To be fair the film isn't any great shakes, it's beautiful shot and the set design is wonderful. Joaquin Phoenix is the reason to watch this, he gives such a wonderful performance for a character to hate and love in equal measure. Marion Cotillard gives one of her more laid back performances. Not James Grays best effort (still think Two lovers is his best film) and is sadly let down by it's script and bog standard story but worth it for Phoenix 's wonderful performance. 5/10/

upstairs for coffee

Prisoners

I felt it was a decent attempt at a thriller. Pacing was a little odd at times but the performance from Gyllenhaal was satisfying. Decent Friday night movie.

Blues Brothers tomorrow

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Frozen

I really loved it.

I've said a number of times on this thread that I was never into Disney as a kid. I'm not mad about Toy Story or The Lion King or any of them. Weirdly though.... the ones I see first as a grown up I tend to like.

Frozen continues the new trend of Disney Princess films where the females are strong and independent and although there's still a love interest the story isn't driven by the romance. I don't know if Disney films always had messages in them like this, maybe I missed them as a kid, maybe the kids miss them now too? I don't know. Anyway, here the message is about accepting people for who they are. Elsa, born with the magic ability to freeze things and make it snow, is pretty much shunned by her parents, locked away and told to keep it a secret, people will be afraid of her if they knew. So she grows up in isolation, afraid to let anyone get too close including her sister Anna. In the end it's Anna's unwavering love for her sister, regardless of her abilities, that saves the day and that's not a bad message to be sending out to kids.

Plus, it's a full on musical! I have to say though "Let It Go" is the song that got all the praise and the Oscar and all that but I much preferred "Do You Want To Be a Snowman". It's been in my head for hours now

Tony EH

'Snakes on a Plane'

I'll never forgive myself. End of review.