What have you watched recently: Electric Boogaloo

jcsoulinger

ButtersSuki wrote: »

The logic computes perfectly actually. Whilst Horrible Bosses 2 is clichéd, stupid and possibly very mildly racist in parts (but only if you're insanely politically correct), at least I laughed in parts of it. I gave it a 6/10 for it's genre - namely comedy sequels, which on the whole tend to be awful. It's not awful when compared with that competition. The Interview however ticks all of those boxes and still manages not to raise a laugh. And more people seem to be agreeing - it's down to 7.6 this morning on the imdb. That's a pretty rapid fall from grace in the space of a few days.

Yes of course comedy is subjective. But I'd be willing to bet if you did a re-watch sober you'd not find it as funny. I'm no prude - I listed offensive/goofball/stupid comedies as a real guilty pleasure of mine. Borat, South Park and Team America would all be faves of mine in the genre. I also REALLY liked Movie 43 which if I'm not mistaken I gave an 8/10 to on here. So this should have been right up my street. It just fails so miserably for me.

As for balls? Come on, it's not like shot it in on location in North Korea. It's not a documentary shot in secret! I'm pretty sure Rogen and Franco slept soundly in their suites of the 5 star hotel they were staying at throughout the shoot. It's like saying Pierce Brosnan is brave as part of Die Another Day was set in North Korea.

So that's it..... It all comes down to my drinking.... Your just like all the rest :-)

I also watched it with people which always helps with comedys. I'm interested to know if you watched it alone and if not if they had the same opinion.

You say a film should be judged on its own merits yet a sequel comedy film gets a pass.

The balls I'm referring to is the fact the could go and make a standard comedy that would appeal to the masses but chose not to go the easy route took a risk and produced something allot more original.

Imbd is popular opinion it means nothing, Mrs Browns Boys is very popular but I can't imagine you would have much time for it.

Anyways I'm about ready to tap out so you can have the last word if you can stomach it:-)

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Saw Paddington today. Absolutely loved it. It's charming and funny but also quite sad. If you replace the adorable bear with a person who has just arrived in the UK it's a pretty harsh look at the attitudes of a lot of people towards immigrants. It's not laid on too heavy though so it can just be an enjoyable lovely film if that's what you're after. Definitely worth seeing in the cinema to appreciate the visuals.

david75

The Physician.

Ben Kingsley and Tom Payne.

Great stuff.

ButtersSuki

jcsoulinger wrote: »

So that's it..... It all comes down to my drinking.... Your just like all the rest :-)

I also watched it with people which always helps with comedys. I'm interested to know if you watched it alone and if not if they had the same opinion.

You say a film should be judged on its own merits yet a sequel comedy film gets a pass.

The balls I'm referring to is the fact the could go and make a standard comedy that would appeal to the masses but chose not to go the easy route took a risk and produced something allot more original.

Imbd is popular opinion it means nothing, Mrs Browns Boys is very popular but I can't imagine you would have much time for it.

Anyways I'm about ready to tap out so you can have the last word if you can stomach it:-)

Ok, in no particular order:

I watched The Interview with 3 other people. 1 begged me to turn it off she hated it so much, whilst the other 2 were of the same opinion as me - that it just wasn't funny. I was genuinely tempted myself to turn it off but sat through the entire thing for the sake of being able to judge it fairly. I have never started watching a film without seeing it through to the bitter end, but I was close here. That said, had I turned it off, the OCD in me would have meant coming back to it to see if I had missed anything.

Drinking - I wasn't, the other 3 were.

I clarified the lens through which I was judging the comedy sequel.

IMDB though popular, is not as mainstream as you'd think. You should read the reviews of "Mrs. Browinz Boyiz" on the imdb - they're (I suspect as I haven't seen it*) immeasurably funnier than the film itself. It's currently at a score of 4.1. So as "popular" as it is from a mainstream perspective it doesn't score well there.

They kinda have made a standard comedy. It's a comedy by numbers (hence why the joke is running thin) and there's no real risk in the subject matter.Your average episode of South Park (I'm still a fan and watch every week) takes more risks than this movie does. And the fact that is stars Rogen and Franco almost instantly makes it mainstream. They're not doing Hamlet 2 or Lost in Translation here you know. For those who don't get that reference Hamlet 2 is a not very well known Steve Coogan movie.

You're entitled to your opinion….doctors differ, patients die and all that. But I don't think in 20 years anyone will be looking back at The Interview and calling it a comedy classic.

*No, I don't need to see MBB to have an opinion on it. It's lowest common denominator garbage.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

ButtersSuki wrote: »

They kinda have made a standard comedy. It's a comedy by numbers (hence why the joke is running thin) and there's no real risk in the subject matter.Your average episode of South Park (I'm still a fan and watch every week) takes more risks than this movie does.

30 Rock did a whole season where one of their characters was kidnapped by North Korea and there were constant jokes and references. They had to acknowledge Kim Jong Il's death so that means it was around 2011 they were doing it. I haven't seen The Interview, nor am I likely to, but as far as subject matter it's old hat at this stage.

eviltwin

The Guest (2014)

Dan Stevens from Downton Abbey does a convincing turn as a U.S. soldier who turns up at the home of a deceased friend and soon becomes part of the family but he is not quite what he seems. I'm not a fan of this kind of predictable stuff but this is as much thriller as anything and even though you know from the outset how it's going to end it's still worth a watch. I'm a Downton fan so I wasn't sure how I'd manage seeing Matthew Crawley as a Southern bad guy but Stevens does a great job with what could have been a very one dimensional character. The best part though is the soundtrack, the use of music, especially in the final showdown is great. Well worth a watch.

ButtersSuki

eviltwin wrote: »

The Guest (2014)

Dan Stevens from Downton Abbey does a convincing turn as a U.S. soldier who turns up at the home of a deceased friend and soon becomes part of the family but he is not quite what he seems. I'm not a fan of this kind of predictable stuff but this is as much thriller as anything and even though you know from the outset how it's going to end it's still worth a watch. I'm a Downton fan so I wasn't sure how I'd manage seeing Matthew Crawley as a Southern bad guy but Stevens does a great job with what could have been a very one dimensional character. The best part though is the soundtrack, the use of music, especially in the final showdown is great. Well worth a watch.

Didn't enjoy it as much as you did but yes, completely agree and completely forgot to mention the soundtrack - most interesting and enjoyable musical score I've heard since Drive.

ButtersSuki

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

30 Rock did a whole season where one of their characters was kidnapped by North Korea and there were constant jokes and references. They had to acknowledge Kim Jong Il's death so that means it was around 2011 they were doing it. I haven't seen The Interview, nor am I likely to, but as far as subject matter it's old hat at this stage.

That actually was one of my favourite series, Elizabeth Banks is excellent in her recurring cameo there.

Got the complete 30 Rock for Christmas so will likely do it all again from episode 1 soon.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

ButtersSuki wrote: »

That actually was one of my favourite series, Elizabeth Banks is excellent in her recurring cameo there.

Got the complete 30 Rock for Christmas so will likely do it all again from episode 1 soon.

I remember when Kim Jong Il died the internet was very worried about what would happen to Avery Jessup.

Also, just on the subject of "balls" the most recent season of Homeland was pretty brave TV. I believe Pakistan aren't too happy with them, it obviously hit a little close to home.

the_monkey

The Conjuring

Utter utter bilge ...

OldeCinemaSoz

LEAP YEAR

it's like CROCODILE DUNDEE in CONERMARA for christs' sakes.

with a most magnificent WICKLOW VIEW thrown in.

I liked it.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

OldeCinemaSoz wrote: »

LEAP YEAR

it's like CROCODILE DUNDEE in CONERMARA for christs' sakes.

with a most magnificent WICKLOW VIEW thrown in.

I liked it.

Proof you're not the full shilling.

OldeCinemaSoz

Poof, you half penny.

david75

hes a farthingale..not a poof..we're not allowed say poof anymore..

OldeCinemaSoz

Dare I say?!?!

ButtersSuki

OldeCinemaSoz wrote: »

LEAP YEAR

it's like CROCODILE DUNDEE in CONERMARA for christs' sakes.

with a most magnificent WICKLOW VIEW thrown in.

I liked it.

My favourite part was the (nonexistent in real life) ferry from Wales to………KERRY (as she was trying to get to Dublin!). Yes, that's the most direct route.
I also cannot believe that anyone other than an American would like that movie.

Note: I watched Leap Year on a transatlantic flight after I had exhausted all other options. As I posted recently the OCD in me won't allow me to not finish a movie if I've started it

ButtersSuki

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I remember when Kim Jong Il died the internet was very worried about what would happen to Avery Jessup.

Also, just on the subject of "balls" the most recent season of Homeland was pretty brave TV. I believe Pakistan aren't too happy with them, it obviously hit a little close to home.

Would also make Borat's portrayal of Kazakhstan brave too?

Anyway, Avery was over last night so I asked her was The Interview brave? I filmed her response for boards:




Swoooooooon……….

Turtyturd

The Dark Knight Rises: Probably my first time seeing it since the cinema or shortly after. Still my favourite of the trilogy as I think it has a lot more substance to it than the other two, and tackles more interesting themes. Batman's big return scene still gives me goosebumps and is one of my favourite combinations of music/visuals in any film. It still has it's flaws though, it's very rushed in places, particularly the relationship between Levitt's character and Gordon. Also Bane's voice is still distracting for the first while as it seems like a separate audio track playing alongside the film. The ending also loses some of it's impact when you know the outcome (as with most films).

Now if I could just figure out how Bruce Wayne got from outside the Lazarus pit back to Gotham, and was Alfred dreaming when he seen him?

Guardians of the Galaxy: I just really haven't been grabbed by the Marvel films. I appreciate and applaud what they are trying to do with their crossover universe but the films just leave me cold. Obviously they can never translate the history of the comics into 2hrs of screen time but every film seems to stick to the same formula. Thought this was okay. I had predicted this would be the film too far for Marvel, which obviously it wasn't, but it's nowhere near being the best comic book movie ever that some have described it (even days of future past was better this year.)

For all my apathy towards these films I am interested in seeing Winter Soldier because if they followed Brubaker's story there could be interesting stuff in there.

TMNT: Only half paid attention to this as the kids had it on while I was busy around the house. Seemed to have some decent one liners......and the turtles weren't aliens, so that's something.

firestarter51

guardians of the galaxy
i like marvel films, this was crap and more suited to 8 year olds 3/10
71 decent enough film, jack o'connell seems to be getting very popular 7.5/10
son of a gun
decent aussie film well worth a watch 8/10
the interview
it was whats to be expected from seth rogan films
a few giggles in it 6/10
the equalizer
slow to start but a good film in the end
best one of the xmas so far 8.5/10

jcsoulinger

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Would also make Borat's portrayal of Kazakhstan brave too?

Anyway, Avery was over last night so I asked her was The Interview brave? ….

I already explained that "the balls" I was referring to were little to do with a fear of any threat from NK.

But troll away if that makes you feel better.

ButtersSuki

jcsoulinger wrote: »

I already explained that "the balls" I was referring to were little to do with a fear of any threat from NK.

But troll away if that makes you feel better.

Not trolling at all, I've taken the time to respond to each of your comments. Just because I have a different opinion to you on The Interview doesn't make me a troll. You said you were dropping this yesterday and yet you're back on it again, yet I'm the troll? Interesting logic.

eviltwin

Gone Girl ( 2014)

I had a heads up on the story as I read the book. I know there has been a lot of critique of the story but in fairness you have to blame Gillian Flynn for that, she wrote the book its based on. It kept very close to the book which is a big thumbs up from me. I was very unsure about the casting of Affleck and Pike in the lead roles but they were both great, Pike in particular really surprised me. For such a long film it passed pretty quickly which is always a good sign and I have such a short attention span that I struggle to watch even a 90 min flick. All in all I enjoyed it and think the films failings are more to do with the book than anything else. Its always the hard part of an adaption, books give so much more of an insight into characters that you often can't replicate on film. I think Fincher did a great job though. It will be interesting to see how it does Oscar time.

Harry Palmr

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! 2012 Dir Peter Lord with Jeff Newitt.

Very enjoyable romp but easy to see why it didn't quite catch commercially - too culturally specific, too complex for 10 year olds and not designed to play in Beijing or even Idaho cineplexs. Full of great moments and details, even the CG animation is not offensive and stays within the Aardman tradition.

Schadenfreudia

Netflix must the greatest thing since the sliced pan......

Over Christmas been catching up on famous films I've never seen before, the latest

Fargo (1996)

No point reviewing these as you'll all have seen them, unlike me! This is an 8/10.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

I'd go 9/10 with this one....

Now, I've been toying for months with watching another well-known one, Forest Gump - I think the trailer put me off back in the day (and ever since).

Is it worth a peep?

david75

It is. Watch it once but never again. It can be very cloying on subsequent views.

MagicMarker

Forrest Gump is up there with Shawshank Redemption for me.

ButtersSuki

Foxcatcher

I was completely unaware of the story so went into this blind. Outstanding, career best and possibly performance from Steve Carell in an unlikely casting as John E. Du Pont (of the Du Pont Chemicals family) as the eccentric billionaire philanthropist of the 1988 US Olympic Wrestling Team and his relationship with two of the team, brothers Dave and Mark Schultz. I'm a huge fan of The US Office and Carrel's role in that but to see him in a completely different and serious genre is startling - such is his transformation in this (if you've seen the poster you'll barely recognise Carrel). It's a fascinating and disturbing watch at times, and one which leaves me wanting to know more about the main character. I knew he'd been nominated for a Golden Globe and he'll likely follow this up with an Oscar nod.

Mark Ruffalo is excellent in support and I suspect will receive a Best Supporting Actor nod also. Channing Tatum is surprisingly good too.

Based on real-life events

though they change the timeline significantly and from a quick google trawl underplay the friendship that developed between Dave and John over years

the story itself is slow, dark and uncomfortable viewing at times as we watch the father-son relationship develop and then disintegrate between Carrel and Tatum. There's excess, vulgarity, arrogance, insularity, etc. on display in all its forms as you'd expect from "America's Wealthiest Family"; but despite this you can't help but have a degree of sympathy for Du Pont

to a point

and the Schultzs (for different reasons). There's a lot of guesswork to be done too as many things are implied in the movie but never fully answered.

An excellent first watch and one I will likely return to again. My only regret is I wish they had made it longer and developed more of the themes

and the widely reported demise of Du Pont in the months up to the killing

esp. around Du Pont's "illness". An easy 8/10.

Harry Palmr

Fright Night (1985) Dir Tom Holland who also wrote.

Cracking horror movie which is also about horror movies as suave undead Chris Sarandon moves in next door to an all round suburban teenager of the mid 80s.

All very knowing with plenty of references esp reluctant hero and late night TV horror slot host named "Peter Vincent" played by Roddy McDowell (geddit?). Nice old school visuals supervised by Richard Edlund who did a lot on quite a small budget (its worth reading about the make up effects which were hell for the cast to work covered in)

jcsoulinger

Schadenfreudia wrote: »

Netflix must the greatest thing since the sliced pan......

Over Christmas been catching up on famous films I've never seen before, the latest

Fargo (1996)

No point reviewing these as you'll all have seen them, unlike me! This is an 8/10.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

I'd go 9/10 with this one....

Now, I've been toying for months with watching another well-known one, Forest Gump - I think the trailer put me off back in the day (and ever since).

Is it worth a peep?

I would usually say avoid Forest Gump but considering how much ya liked Shawshank its probably worth a shot.

Tony EH

I'd say avoid, even if you like 'The Shawshank Redemption'.

I've never understood how anyone could like 'Forrest Gump'.