What have you watched recently: Electric Boogaloo

Turtyturd

Big Hero Six: Really enjoyed this and while it falls short of 'The Incredibles' it's still a good superhero movie. Fairly full on in some parts for the kids, or so I thought but they were quoting the funny lines since they got out so it didn't affect them too much. The visuals are stunning, particularly the city and the use of the microbots.

Also enjoyed the nods to the comics...Fred's dad looking like Stan Lee and the villain having a resemblance to Sunfire.

deaddonkey15

No Country for Old Men

Watched it shortly after finishing the book which is also good - although different in parts. Hardly a groundbreaking plot, the excellent characters make it a good watch. Also unlike many movies, this one isn't as predictable.

deaddonkey15

No Country For Old Men

Watched it shortly after finishing the book which is also good - although different in parts. Hardly a groundbreaking plot, the excellent characters make it a good watch. Also unlike many movies, this one isn't as predictable.

Looper007

13 Assassins (2010)

Takashi Miike's fantastic remake of the 1963 film based on historical events. This is one of those moments when Mikke shows you that when he's on form he's better then anyone around (Audition and Ichi the Killer are others that are amazing). This has his dark humour along with his OTT Violence, a brilliant performance from Kôji Yakusho as Shinzaemon Shimada who leads a team of assassins in 19th-century Japan to eliminate the ruthless Lord Naritsugu Matsudaira (Goro Inagaki, who in barely half the running time does enough to show his evil side), who is wreaking havoc against his own people

Cutting the tongue and arms/legs off of a poor innocent woman after he killed her husband and killing a whole family tying them up and shooting arrows at them. Just the type of Violence Miike does best

.The last 40 minutes with the battle is as intense as you get (aside from the worst CGI bulls on fore I ever seen :pac:). 8.5/10

Red Wolf

Tinkerbell & The Neverbeast. Young persons choice, actually not bad.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

How To Train Your Dragon 2

Not as good as the first one, takes quite a while to get going but still quite enjoyable.

Arkaron

Looper007 wrote: »

13 Assassins (2010)

Takashi Miike's fantastic remake of the 1963 film based on historical events. This is one of those moments when Mikke shows you that when he's on form he's better then anyone around (Audition and Ichi the Killer are others that are amazing). This has his dark humour along with his OTT Violence, a brilliant performance from Kôji Yakusho as Shinzaemon Shimada who leads a team of assassins in 19th-century Japan to eliminate the ruthless Lord Naritsugu Matsudaira (Goro Inagaki, who in barely half the running time does enough to show his evil side), who is wreaking havoc against his own people

Cutting the tongue and arms/legs off of a poor innocent woman after he killed her husband and killing a whole family tying them up and shooting arrows at them. Just the type of Violence Miike does best

.The last 40 minutes with the battle is as intense as you get (aside from the worst CGI bulls on fore I ever seen :pac:). 8.5/10

Yes, such a brilliant film. One has to bow down to Miike's ability to build up a story devoid of action for two-thirds of the film, before getting bloody serious in the final act. And what an act! I don't think I've seen a better fighting sequence that extends for so long since then. I've also seen Shield of Straw among his recent films. Totally different genre, but I thought it was very good, too.

Last week, I had to sit through the latest Ninja Turtles movie. What a drag. The only thing I can clearly remember is how bad the rat CGI looked. Other than that, I doubt there was a worse film in 2014. Glad I didn't go to the cinema for this.

Decuc500

The Canyons

Paul Schrader/Brett Easton Ellis film set in LA about a group of people in the movie industry.
The usual Easton Ellis ideas of jaded young people engaged in self destructive behaviour but it’s made with a keen sense of style by Schrader.
The reviews have been largely awful but I quite liked it.

Ageyev

Been meaning to watch 13 Assassins for sometime so I must get on it...

Taking of Pelham 123 was viewed last night. Look, it is a Tony Scott film with Denzel in the lead and has all the usual stuff - saturated metropolitan areas, swishy shakey cameras, rapid fire editing, an illogical plot, (mostly) all male cast talking serious business.

It is fine but Travolta is horribly miscast and is the weakest link.

Irish Aris

Ageyev wrote: »

Been meaning to watch 13 Assassins for sometime so I must get on it...

Taking of Pelham 123 was viewed last night. Look, it is a Tony Scott film with Denzel in the lead and has all the usual stuff - saturated metropolitan areas, swishy shakey cameras, rapid fire editing, an illogical plot, (mostly) all male cast talking serious business.

It is fine but Travolta is horribly miscast and is the weakest link.

I saw the original Taking of Pelham 123 the other night.
Haven't seen the remake, I found the original quite laid back and enjoyable.

Harry Palmr

Pelham 1974 is a mini classic of urban crime, the remake is flipping travesty. Everything that is wrong with modern cinema in that film.

the_monkey

Sunshine (2007) Just got the BluRay of this and really like it, the BD transfer is great and it's just beautiful to look at.

It's a great sci fi but let down by the last twist - you'll know if you've seen it.

7/10 ..

anyone read the book by Alex Garland ?

The Strawman Argument

Rob the Mob
It was a weird and wonderful moment when I got a bit giddy realising Michael Pitt AND Ray Romano were both gonna be in this, no clue when they became two of my favourite actors but there y'go. Much like the other Raymond De Felitta films I've seen, it didn't work but there were some very charming characters and performances (and if you want to see what loads of guys from smaller roles in the Sopranos look like now, he always seems to cast a few). Basically everything with the two leads (Michael Pitt and Nina Arianda) is great, more than enough to justify watching it imo, and the stuff with Andy Garcia doesn't work at all.

Moonlighting
Jeremy Irons plays the foreman of a bunch of Polish immigrant workers who have been brought into England to work on a house. It mostly follows his attempts to keep the workers motivated and to save money as much as possible on the job (e.g. scamming the local supermarket). There's a fair bit of political stuff going on directly and in the subtext but it's a pretty light watch and was quite a lot of fun. Bit of a forgotten gem.

C.O.G.
Based on something or another by David Sedaris, who I'm neither a big fan of nor particularly dislike, but adapting his stuff seems like a bit of a pointless endeavour (it's mostly his prose rather than the actual story that matters, right?). Okay but quite a disappointing follow-up to Easier With Practice for Kyle Patrick Alvarez.

Umberto D
Did I already mention this one? It's been on my mind a lot since I watched it either way; I really shat over it initially by heading in with an inaccurate idea of what it was, think it might be my favourite neo-realist movie now. I read somewhere that the director (same guy who directed bicycle thieves) had the idea for a good while and was waiting to stumble into a regular person he felt could play the role, he absolutely struck the goldmine with the guy he found, his face is damn near the whole movie.

Turtyturd

The Interview: I find Rogan, Franco et al to be a bit hit and miss, and this is definitely a miss. All their movies are self indulgent, disposable fair but when it works (pineapple express, this is the end) they are enjoyable with some good laughs, this has little more than a few chuckles here and there. The most annoying thing is that there is a premise for a good satire/comedy film buried in there beneath the crass jokes and obligatory drug/party montage.

Looper007

The Strawman Argument wrote: »

Moonlighting
Jeremy Irons plays the foreman of a bunch of Polish immigrant workers who have been brought into England to work on a house. It mostly follows his attempts to keep the workers motivated and to save money as much as possible on the job (e.g. scamming the local supermarket). There's a fair bit of political stuff going on directly and in the subtext but it's a pretty light watch and was quite a lot of fun. Bit of a forgotten gem.

Its great film with a stunning performance from Jeremy Irons ( along with William Hurt, Irons was on top form throughout the 80's). Its such a bleak watch and the ending doesn't exactly fill you with hope but the film wouldn't work if Irons wasn't such a awesome actor. This is one of those films like Bronson with Tom Hardy and Shame with Michael Fassbender that will only work if the central performance is excellent. Pity Irons has tailed off in the last twenty years or so.

Looper007

The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984)


A bit of a lost gem that's got a bit of a cult following when Quentin Tarantino name checked it a few times through out the years. It's not without its faults (horrible 80's soundtrack and Daryl Hannah) but I would call it the Mean Streets of the 80's not quite as epic as Scorsese classic but still a film that deserves more a light shined on it. Directed by Stuart Rosenberg (who directed the awesome Cool Hand Luke), it has two great performances from Mickey Rourke doing his best De Niro impression and love it or hate it OTT performance from Eric Roberts (I'm in the love it camp) with horrible perm haircut, he steals the film from Rourke. Along with Star 60, Roberts was a legit talent and if it wasn't for his demons he could have been a top actor. Cousins Paulie (Eric Roberts) and Charlie (Mickey Rourke) plan to rob a merchant in the New York City neighborhood that's home to the restaurant where they work. When their scheme results in the death of a police officer and draws the ire of the Mafia-linked businessman who was ripped off, Charlie's… More girlfriend (Daryl Hannah) bolts, and mob henchmen exact a brutal price from Paulie. With the mob threatening to kill them, the thieves must think fast if they intend to survive.

The film got a Oscar nod for Geraldine Page's brilliant 10 minute role as the Murder cop's mother. Also throw in nice turns from Burt Young as Mob boss and Kenneth Mcmillan (from Dune and Runaway Train) as the old timer helping the cousins with the robbery. It's not a classic by any means but its a very good Gangster/Buddy drama comedy. 8/10

j.s. pill II

Two 'forrin' films today:


El Secreto de Sus Ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes) - 2010

First, from Argentina, we have El Secreto de Sus Ojos. A somewhat conventional huntin' for a killer plot with a bit of revenge, romance and historical backdroppings thrown in for good measure. I can't help but suspect that the critical acclaim for this one wouldn't have been quite so gushing if the film had been English language and set in America. For me, the setting did little do disguise the unnecessary mawkishness. Still, it is beautifully shot and well paced which sets it apart from the crowd. Worth a watch.

Un Prophete (A Prophet) - 2010

Next, from France, Un Prophete. I really enjoyed this one. A prison/gangster film that traces an young Arab man's Scarface like ascent through the criminal ranks but avoids the aforementioned film's excesses. Vastly superior to Starred Up and thankfully, not the slightest whiff of Shawshank.

Red Wolf

Un Prophete (A Prophet) - 2010

Next, from France, Un Prophete. I really enjoyed this one. A prison/gangster film that traces an young Arab man's Scarface like ascent through the criminal ranks but avoids the aforementioned film's excesses. Vastly superior to Starred Up and thankfully, not the slightest whiff of Shawshank.[/QUOTE]

Great film. If you haven't seen it already I recommend Mesrine

Birneybau

the_monkey wrote: »

Sunshine (2007) Just got the BluRay of this and really like it, the BD transfer is great and it's just beautiful to look at.

It's a great sci fi but let down by the last twist - you'll know if you've seen it.

7/10 ..

anyone read the book by Alex Garland ?

Don't think there was a book? Just a script.

ButtersSuki

Red Wolf wrote: »

Un Prophete (A Prophet) - 2010

Next, from France, Un Prophete. I really enjoyed this one. A prison/gangster film that traces an young Arab man's Scarface like ascent through the criminal ranks but avoids the aforementioned film's excesses. Vastly superior to Starred Up and thankfully, not the slightest whiff of Shawshank.

Great film. If you haven't seen it already I recommend Mesrine[/QUOTE]

Mesrine 1 + 2 for me are both significantly better than A Prophet, but all 3 are definitely worth a look.

eviltwin

Whiplash

Its been a great year for films and so many of them I've seen have been excellent but this is up there as the best I've seen in recent years. Its the story of a young jazz drummer and his psychotic band leader and the pressure musicians can be under to be the best.

You don't have to like jazz or drums or even music to enjoy this, its amazing. JK Simmons, wow he scared the hell out of me, his voice, his mannerisms...just a look from him was enough to chill the blood and Miles Teller who plays the student is also great, fantastic young actor to watch in the future. You really get a sense of the physically effort involved in drumming, something I must admit I had been ignorant of. Yes drummers are more than just the people at the back providing a beat, I have a much greater appreciation for them now.

I just cannot praise this enough, the dialogue, the excellent music, the incredible drum solo at the end of the film...I just wanna go out and buy a drum kit and bash the hell out it.

I'd never heard of writer/director Damien Chazelle before but will be checking out his other work now.

Go see it if you haven't already, its great.

Ageyev

j.s. pill II wrote: »

Two 'forrin' films today:


El Secreto de Sus Ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes) - 2010

First, from Argentina, we have El Secreto de Sus Ojos. A somewhat conventional huntin' for a killer plot with a bit of revenge, romance and historical backdroppings thrown in for good measure. I can't help but suspect that the critical acclaim for this one wouldn't have been quite so gushing if the film had been English language and set in America. For me, the setting did little do disguise the unnecessary mawkishness. Still, it is beautifully shot and well paced which sets it apart from the crowd. Worth a watch.

Un Prophete (A Prophet) - 2010

Next, from France, Un Prophete. I really enjoyed this one. A prison/gangster film that traces an young Arab man's Scarface like ascent through the criminal ranks but avoids the aforementioned film's excesses. Vastly superior to Starred Up and thankfully, not the slightest whiff of Shawshank.

Another Argentine film I saw many moons ago was Nine Queens about two small time con artists. I recall it being very very good. It got a bit of buzz when it was released on DVD as the format was taking off and stuff like this gained a wider audience.

Watched the 1974 The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. I won't argue that Scott's film is better on any level other than it being a Denzel/Scott film (and I have a soft spot for those lately). Robert Shaw was a much better baddie here, way more intense, he conveys a level of genuine danger. I wasn't really feeling Matthau's lieutenant however, but this was really good, gritty dirty 70s New York urban crime flick as mentioned.

The Strawman Argument

Mother of George
Hardly anything in this film completely works, but it was fascinating! It's a melodrama about African immigrants in New York and some culture clash stuff but the plot's quite irrelevant. Stuffed with interesting choices by the director (he used to be a photographer and that really shows) and the cinematographer (Bradford Young, who has got to be one of the best around at this stage, f*cking everything I've seen by him looks amazing), and great performances across the board. Don't get how this didn't ride a bigger wave of hype on release asides from possibly the idea of a film about immigrants putting people off.

Joe
Casting that tramp as Tye Sheridan's dad was one hell of a move, the guy was genuinely despicable and terrifying at points with that raspy roar and general demeanour. Cage is great and I'm a sucker for these David Gordon Green films, so yeah, good good; definitely wasn't his best, mind.

A Most Violent Year
Takes aaaaaaaaaaaages to get going, really pushes it. This worked for me but I can't help but feel if I went in wide awake I'd've been more critical of the film's pacing than of my tiredness (if that makes any sense). There were a few bits that didn't seem to go anywhere and the way the ending was reached was anti-climatic but I really liked it overall.

Ageyev

Killing Them Softly

A short low-fi crime drama with not much in the way of plot - two guys hold up a card game for mobsters and Brad Pitt is drafted in to find who did it and deal with them. He hired James Gandolfini to assist. It is set against the backdrop of the 2008 finance crisis and US election that year and plays out as a sort of 'death of a mobster' for this new post- crisis era. Everything felt quite austere. I'd go a generous *** out of *****


Birdman

I wasn't feeling this one at all. It felt like it was retreading stuff I had seen plenty of times before. I only say that because it seems to be showered with praise as something new, hip and edgy. Wasn't into the single-shot gimmick nor Keaton's 'washed-up actor delivers performance if a lifetime' hook.

Virtanen

Watched Kingsman: The Secret Service last night

A great action romp, with as much action and insanity as I was hoping for. I didn't realise until last night that it was produced by Marv, so it should have been a given, really

Turtyturd

Ageyev wrote: »

Killing Them Softly

A short low-fi crime drama with not much in the way of plot - two guys hold up a card game for mobsters and Brad Pitt is drafted in to find who did it and deal with them. He hired James Gandolfini to assist. It is set against the backdrop of the 2008 finance crisis and US election that year and plays out as a sort of 'death of a mobster' for this new post- crisis era. Everything felt quite austere. I'd go a generous *** out of *****

Just watched this myself tonight having unwittingly seen the final scene and opening ten minutes (in that order) over Christmas. I liked the back drop of the election and how the speeches mirrored the stuff on screen but the story was a little underwhelming, and just felt incomplete.

And Johnny Sac has really let himself go.

Ageyev

Fair Game The Naomi Watts and Sean Penn one not the Cindy Crawford and a Baldwin one.

An amazing true story of corruption in the White House around the Iraq war but a bit of a dull film about a rocky marriage. Watts is outed as a CIA agent and Penn as her husband gets angry and goes on TV talk shows. Doug Liman who did the first Bourne film directed it, great supporting cast flesh out the usual shady CIA types.

ButtersSuki

Not a film, but binge watched series one of The Following on DVD over the last 2 days. Has an interesting premise and a score of 7.6 on the imdb so thought it would be worth a look and owed herself a selection of her choice - she's got a thing for Kevin Bacon so we ended up with this. My God it's just awful. Where do I start? The unbelievably incompetent cops? The equally (at times) incompetent "baddies"? The awful acting? The cringe-inducing dialogue? Kevin Bacon (and others) inability to shoot someone accurately from 3 feet? James Purefoy's use of the English language (clearly written by a yank who thinks all British people talk like the Queen)? The ridiculous situations the cops repeatedly find themselves in? I want to give up after about 3 episodes but I had promised herself I'd stick with it. The only way I could stick it was to watch for all of the mistakes, crazy scenarios, basic errors in police methodology etc. You could make a great drinking game out of the stupidity of this series. I'd give it a 2/10. It was just awful.

Watched Boyhood then on Blu ray this morning. It's "grand" - I think that's actually probably the best way to describe it. Wouldn't say it deserves the hype its gotten but it's not the worst thing you'll ever see. Certainly not one for the adrenalin junkies, it's slow and methodical at times, but has its moments. 6/10.

brianregan09

The Hours

Watched this last night basiclly its Paul Walker in one of his last roles and one of the best i've seen him in , its based around the time of Hurricane Katrina and he's new born daughter is on a respirator and the power goes and its about him trying to keep her alive long enough for the power to come back on , I really enjoyed this one 7.10

Dave147

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Not a film, but binge watched series one of The Following on DVD over the last 2 days. Has an interesting premise and a score of 7.6 on the imdb so thought it would be worth a look and owed herself a selection of her choice - she's got a thing for Kevin Bacon so we ended up with this. My God it's just awful. Where do I start? The unbelievably incompetent cops? The equally (at times) incompetent "baddies"? The awful acting? The cringe-inducing dialogue? Kevin Bacon (and others) inability to shoot someone accurately from 3 feet? James Purefoy's use of the English language (clearly written by a yank who thinks all British people talk like the Queen)? The ridiculous situations the cops repeatedly find themselves in? I want to give up after about 3 episodes but I had promised herself I'd stick with it. The only way I could stick it was to watch for all of the mistakes, crazy scenarios, basic errors in police methodology etc. You could make a great drinking game out of the stupidity of this series. I'd give it a 2/10. It was just awful.

Watched Boyhood then on Blu ray this morning. It's "grand" - I think that's actually probably the best way to describe it. Wouldn't say it deserves the hype its gotten but it's not the worst thing you'll ever see. Certainly not one for the adrenalin junkies, it's slow and methodical at times, but has its moments. 6/10.

The way you feel about The Following is how I feel about The Blacklist, I just can't understand why anyone is watching it..

I started The Shield recently, despite being 13 years old am really enjoying it.

Film wise, Taken 3 is just awful, I would encourage everyone to avoid it, John Wick was good, but not as good as I was hoping it would be. Not quite on the same level the original Taken was at. Watching Dumb and Dumber To tonight with herself and might give Nightcrawler a go after that.