What have you watched recently: Electric Boogaloo

Ageyev

Lucy. I really like this even with all its absurd flaws - the cutaways to animals, 10% brain capacity myth. Don't understand why it is so polarising, maybe because the idea role is a woman? Why did this film get placed under the scientific microscope so much? Interstellar's daft

it's your daddy behind the book shelf

wasn't as ridiculed as Lucy. Fine film, unique feel, decent action. Worth a look imo.

Taken 3. It's no better than the previous two installments. The action scenes aren't as fun and the twist in the final reel is telegraphed the moment you see one of the supporting actors appear.

The Rover Highly recommend this one if you like films that have an atmosphere of despair and lonliness. Set in Australia 10 years after some unexplained catasrophe (likely an economic crash) where US dollars are the only valuable currency, there is sparse law enforcement and you can buy guns and ammo in a petrol station, three armed robbers steal Guy Pearce's car and he is hell bent on getting it back. Pearce is great in this.

Dempsey

Deleted User wrote: »

Or someone who enjoys cinema. Look by all means go and steal the films but you're lieing to yourself if you think it's representative of the film as its director intended.

Directors must hate the idea of DVD's then! :rolleyes:

I dont need a cinema sized screen & 7.1 sound to appreciate a film.

Dempsey

Dempsey wrote: »

Directors must hate the idea of DVD's then! :rolleyes:

I dont need a cinema sized screen & 7.1 sound to appreciate a film.

Sure you could always just watch a VHS rip on your phone, sure experiencing Interstellar that way is the same as a Blu-Ray or cinema viewing.

Anyways mods said not to let this go off track again so best to leave it.

Dair76

They Came Together - a spoof/parody of your typical generic romcom. Given the stellar comedic cast, I was expecting far far better. When it hits, it does raise a few laughs, but unfortunately it misses most of the time. The tone is all over the place as well. One to avoid.

Mizu_Ger

Mystery Road
Australian thriller following an aboriginal detective investigating a girl's murder. It takes it's time and has plenty of atmosphere. drama focuses as much on the detective's race and how he's treated by all corners of the community as much as the investigation itself. It does this effectively, but the investigation aspect can be a bit patchy. Some plot lines that don't seem to go anywhere and Hugo Weaving's character

goes from being a prime candidate bad guy to the saviour of the day

. The ending wraps things up a bit too neatly. It's worth a watch, but I don't think it'll get a second viewing.
On a side note: after this, The Babadook and The Rover I need to watch something more lighthearted from Australia. Any recommendations? Preferably something recent...

The Raid
Finally got round to watching this. The setting was nice and claustrophobic and the action sequences were as intense as I expected them to be, but I was starting to tune out towards the end. The fight scenes began to feel repetitive and with the thumping soundtrack of punches and kicks I was hoping things would speed up a bit (ironically). The actual story wasn't strong enough to hold my interest. I'll give Raid 2 a go soon, but at 2.5 hours I'm not hopeful.

Prisoners
An involving thriller about the disappearance of two girls and on one hand the detective (Gyllenhal) investigating and the distraught parents (Jackman) going to any lengths to find them. The performances were very good all round (does Paul Dano ever play normal characters?). Haven't seem Jackman acting properly for a while! The atmosphere is suitably oppressive and the outcome is never sure. I was gripped all the way to the end.

One criticism is that the ending did feel a bit too neat and tidy. Everyone is eventually found, even Jackman. The twist of making the Auntie the villain felt a bit like movieland, but I was able to go along with it

.

FloatingVoter

Deleted User wrote: »

Sure you could always just watch a VHS rip on your phone, sure experiencing Interstellar that way is the same as a Blu-Ray or cinema viewing.

Anyways mods said not to let this go off track again so best to leave it.

If you must know, the bluray rip of Interstellar hasn't dropped yet. The less interesting movies usually leak last. Even pirates have standards.

Harry Palmr

The Wind and the Lion (1975) Directed and written by John Milius.

Its a strange and unexpected state of affairs when one of the great raw red meat eaters of Hollywood (the man behind Magnum Force, Conan, Red Dawn) delivers one of the most sympathetic portraits of an African culture (Berber) to have come out of Hollywood. Based loosely on the a true event in 1904, an American woman and her children are kidnapped for ransom by Mulai Ahmed er Raisuli and US president Theo Roosevelt reacts. Its a beautifully mounted production with lovely set detail and photography by Billy Willams (who has a cameo in the opening scene). That same scene and the climatic downhill Berber charge against the German held coastal fort attracted criticism for the supposed abuse of horses in the stunts. The scenes in question are hair-raising but stunt director Terry Leonard was basically accused without proof.

The observations made about the geo-political views of the US president are certainly very pertinent when viewed now and as mentioned most intriguing coming from an self admitted rightwing writer/director.

the_monkey

Cloud Atlas - a bit of a mess really ..

pixelburp

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

I didn't really think much of the previous 2011 film, and to be honest I always considered the concept a pretty hard one to swallow, or buy into. I watched the sequel largely disinterested because of that, not really figuring to get much out of it. On the contrary, it was arguably one of 2014's stronger blockbusters: at once tense, emotional, heartbreaking, and just really well structured (barring a few niggling inconsistencies that only those on the internet would quibble over). A genuine gem in an otherwise mediocre year and proof that sequels don't have to be the cause of groans and resignation that things will be by-the-numbers (I'm looking at you, Marvel)

Truly though it's biggest strength was in the FX department, and some of the CGI for the apes had to be seen to be believed; it's not often I stop 'thinking' that something on-screen is merely an effect, but on more than one occasion I just accepted that these apes, the orang-utan in particular, existed and interacting with the human cast. Of course by now it's fairly typical to doff ones cap to Andy Serkis, who provides a range and subtly to the motion-captured performance of Caesar that no computer can properly simulate - the man truly is the king of motion-capture and his performance as Caesar must surely sit alongside his turn as Gollum. There were moments where I could see Serkis behind the CGI fur and if the man never wins an Academy Award for his work it'll be an outrage. Poorer actors have gone home with a gong for doing less work. That said, credit must also go to Toby Kebbell, who injected his own amount of craft and range into the role of Koba, an archetype straight out of 'Warring Tribes Narrative' 101, but no less brilliantly played for it.

The Signal (2014)

Watched on the back of some mild recommendations about a mysterious, low budget sci-fi flick.
There's a thin line between a narrative being enigmatic and just plain withholding from the audience, and I wasn't quite sure where something like The Signal fell to be honest. As it stood, it started as a simple, down-to-earth road movie about three students taking a detour to locate a rogue hacker that had been plaguing their college. Things then took a turn for the weird and conspiratorial, and to say anymore would spoil too much; if nothing else it's definitely a film worth diving into as ignorant as possible. And while it never made any bones about ensuring the audience were in the dark 'til the last minute (and even then there was little really to go on beyond your own speculation) there were also moments where the film felt like it was being deliberating vague, idiosyncratic and withholding for no other reason than the fact that the writers could. That or there just wasn't the budget or script to develop events, but you can't keep piling mystery upon mystery and not eventually run out of road.

That said, there was a lot to admire all the same; the pacing at the start really matched the plot, with a lazy, languid tone that suited the notion of a roadtrip across the American desert. The three leads felt natural and 'ordinary' in a fashion that's depressingly rare when it comes to Hollywood's representation of teenagers. However, once the the roadtrip ended and the 'fi' became 'sci', the slow-moving pace worked against the film and simply added to my sense of frustration. The film needed a dire injection of pace imo.

Decuc500

Dressed To Kill

I think this is my favourite Brian De Palma film. He combines his style and technical flourishes with the Hitchcock influences and adds loads of sex and violence.
I love the way he tells the story with long scenes with no dialogue, split screen, slow motion, long tracking shots etc.
Dressed To Kill is basically Psycho updated to the 1980’s (but with two shower scenes this time!) and the ending is almost as delirious as Carrie or The Fury.


Special Forces

French action movie about a Special Forces team assigned to rescue two hostages (including Diane Kruger) from the Taliban in the remote tribal area of Pakistan.
It’s a pretty enjoyable men-on-a-mission movie. The location shooting and scenery add to the film and the action scenes are well done. A bit like a French ‘Lone Survivor’.

Harry Palmr

Dressed to Kill was possibly the first X I saw at the kinema (as we called it back then), the back seat fling simply didn't happen - a massive chop as she is bundled into the taxi. Frank Hall must have had some highlights reel for his enjoyment back then

barneysplash

OK no bother

Sad Professor

This isn’t really a recommendation thread, barneysplash, and posting lists is generally frowned upon.

Ageyev

Traitor This is one of those 'which side is the American born Muslim on? Is he a terrorist or spy?' films. Don Cheadle plays the Muslim in question. Guy Pearce plays an FBI agent who is a step ahead of his partner in piecing clues together. It is a tour de force for Cheadle while everyone else is prettt much on auto-pilot. The ending is a tad anti-climatic but there's a decent bit of tension built up throughout its two hour run time. Not a must-see but worth it for Cheadle. ***

Predestination Initial reaction to this was "Wow that was great!". Stands alongside Primer and Looper as one of the best time travel films of the past decade. Ethan Hawke plays a 'timecop' working for a secret agency who sends him back in time to prevent crime. On his final mission he leaps into the 1970s and is working as a bartender when someone walks into his bar with a very intriguing story. Don't want to say much more, avoid spoilers if possible although, I did guess the ending half-way through but that didn't ruin it for me fwiw. Hawke is really good here but then, I am a fan of his. ****

Appros of the two previous, I saw Brooklyn's Finestjust before Xmas. Antoine Fuqua who did Training Day directs this drama thriller about the interconnected stories of various ranks of corrupt cops. I really liked and would recommend if you liked Copland, Training Day etc. ***1/2

Links234

Finally watched Edge of Tomorrow last night, was fantastic

Del.Monte

Just finished the Jack Taylor (2011-13) TV series on Netflix - grand escapist stuff but Ian Glen's 'strange' accent is very hard on the ears.

Synopsis for those who may not have seen it: Hard drinking guard is booted off the force for assaulting a TD and becomes a hard drinking gumshoe, or private dick if you prefer.

For an expensive production there are some woeful lapses in continuity but apart from that I would recommend. 8/10

johnny_ultimate

Deleted the piracy bickering posts. Back on topic please.

Please note the section in the charter concerning piracy discussion. If you want to boast about how you have illegally downloaded films, I'm sure there are plenty of other forums that will welcome it. This isn't one of them.

johnny_ultimate

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans - A genuine, no question, timeless great of cinema. Audaciously melodramatic, this is a simple story but with an epic scope. The film starts off dark, before swooping into a middle act that features a parade of scenes among the most delightful and hilarious in cinema history, before bringing it all together for a finale that is both viscerally bleak and giddily triumphant. The ever-masterful F.W. Murnau transitions between moods and registers with peerless precision - it's a film featuring both a gothic-style attempted murder and a pig getting drunk - and the rich, vibrant cinematography and production design still pack one hell of a wallop the guts of a century later.

The Strawman Argument

It's ridiculously good, isn't it‽ Not at all hard to see why it's always the example people bring up when they mourn the lost potential of the silent era.

Baffles me a bit that there's even any consideration to films other than Murnau's 4 Devils as being the ultimate lost film too. It's the movie he made directly after this one, for chrissake!

Ageyev

I tried to watch Upstream Color but couldn't make heads nor tail of it so I gave up. I may return to it some other time. Love Primer and was able to follow that easy enough.

The Strawman Argument

You're mostly just meant to let Upstream Color wash over you, it's not extremely hard to follow overall (way easier than Primer imo), but how it's told is the important part. Really needs a suitable viewing environment.

johnny_ultimate

Ageyev wrote: »

I tried to watch Upstream Color but couldn't make heads nor tail of it so I gave up. I may return to it some other time. Love Primer and was able to follow that easy enough.

The first viewing it's probably best to just let the film speak for itself, don't try too hard to make perfect sense of it. Even if you don't pick up on everything - and I certainly did not - you'll hopefully start recognising subtle links and themes and the likes.

Second time watching - with a read of a proper plot synopsis in between, and it really is much more straightforward than Primer - and IMO anyway it turns into a revelation. You can really start appreciating how Carruth tells his story in such a non-traditional way, using editing, visuals and sound to communicate everything. There's very little else like it, and uses the tools of cinema in an incredibly articulate way. I like Primer and all, but in terms of sheer artistry, Upstream Colour is on another level. I actually don't think most of us are tuned in to watching films with the kind of cinematic language Carruth uses in it, and it really is a beautiful thing to figure out and get to grips with if you're willing to give it a viewing or two.

Ageyev

Thanks for the advice Johnny. I'll watch it again (and again) with your post in mind.

Could you link me to a decent synopsis or would whatever on Wiki/IMDB suffice?

johnny_ultimate

In terms of pure synopsis, this is a good one: http://thefilmstage.com/features/untangling-and-understanding-the-narrative-of-upstream-color/

Obviously plenty of good articles online that explore the themes and meanings in more depth too, but the above is a very good 'literal' breakdown of what happens.

e_e

Such a fascinating film. I became so obsessed with it last year that I even bought Walden. :pac:

Bipolar Joe

I loved it, and JU is right, it's got a far "simpler" plot than Primer. I feel like you gotta watch it a few times to appreciate that element, but it's so beautiful, you really don't mind.

kearneybobs

Saw Selma last night. Was ridiculously good. Great performances all round and bound to pull at your heart strings at times. Captivating throughout.

SarahBM

Just watched 2012.

in a word - ridiculous!

The Strawman Argument

Looking for Mr Goodbar
Seemingly forgotten 70s film starring Diane Keaton, Richard Gere, Tom Berenger. A bit of a total mess with enough going on within it that you could write a book about 70s feminism which revolves around it. I gather the book it's based on was a bit of a deal with the mainstream feminism movement at the time which has dated poorly, and that the film's made some changes which muddle whatever feminist message there may have been somewhat.
The whole thing has this weirdly torn attitude to it of some prudish old dude (a 65 year-old Richard Brooks, to be precise) trying to be risque and modern that leaves a hell of a lot of it veering dangerously close to softcore porn territory (NOT helped by the disco soundtrack!), pretty much all of the dialogue feels like it was directly transcribed from a crappy novel too and then there's this sudden outburst of Gaspar Noe levels of intensity that's quite well done but totally uncalled for.
Keaton somehow manages to turn in a really strong performance regardless that almost holds it together ..but ultimately doesn't. Not sure what on earth it was aiming for at all and the only question I find myself asking afterwards is "I wonder how awkward it must've been to have seen that

ending

in the cinema?"


This would legitimately be the worst date movie ever, by the way.

Ipso

Ageyev wrote: »

Traitor This is one of those 'which side is the American born Muslim on? Is he a terrorist or spy?' films. Don Cheadle plays the Muslim in question. Guy Pearce plays an FBI agent who is a step ahead of his partner in piecing clues together. It is a tour de force for Cheadle while everyone else is prettt much on auto-pilot. The ending is a tad anti-climatic but there's a decent bit of tension built up throughout its two hour run time. Not a must-see but worth it for Cheadle. ***

Predestination Initial reaction to this was "Wow that was great!". Stands alongside Primer and Looper as one of the best time travel films of the past decade. Ethan Hawke plays a 'timecop' working for a secret agency who sends him back in time to prevent crime. On his final mission he leaps into the 1970s and is working as a bartender when someone walks into his bar with a very intriguing story. Don't want to say much more, avoid spoilers if possible although, I did guess the ending half-way through but that didn't ruin it for me fwiw. Hawke is really good here but then, I am a fan of his. ****

Appros of the two previous, I saw Brooklyn's Finestjust before Xmas. Antoine Fuqua who did Training Day directs this drama thriller about the interconnected stories of various ranks of corrupt cops. I really liked and would recommend if you liked Copland, Training Day etc. ***1/2

Wasn't Traitor written by Steve Martin?