What have you watched recently: Electric Boogaloo

Fysh

On a whim I watched Blindness by Fernando Meirelles (of City Of God fame) yesterday. It's certainly visually impressive - there are some very nice visual flourishes that draw you into the story. Unfortunately, a combination of an overly-wide group of protagonists and at-best-mediocre scripting means that it loses steam and runs out of energy about 2/3 of the way through. It also has one particular scene that felt very lingering and gratuitous (

essentially, a group rape scene where a number of women are forced to have sex with a bunch of gangsters in order to get food

) and at-odds with the narrative approach for the rest of the film. For such an interesting concept, the ending is pretty weak, too and again feels at odds with the tone of the rest of the film. Overall it was similar, but inferior to, The Divide.

It's a flawed film, for definite, and felt like it could do with a good bit of tightening up - I reckon it could probably have about 30 mins ripped out without being diminished, and the improvement to the pace would be a net benefit.

It's on some Netflix regions and worth a look if you like science-fiction that focuses more on concepts than action, but it's far from a great film and frankly a bit disappointing given the quality of City Of God.

ButtersSuki

CITIZENFOUR Documentary about Edward Snowden and the journalists that brought his story to the masses. Very interesting and thought-provoking in its subject matter, but it does seem a bit drawn out and overly long at times. It does however make a good companion piece to The Internet's Own Boy, which I also watched recently. I'd give it a 7/10. Now I'm off to destroy my iphone, macbookpro, iPad and credit card…...

Cartel Mike

Revolver (Ch5)

Yea. am it's just I mean
Ray Liotta in tight shorts ..really?
It's like the thing the am conman thing with the hair in that yea
Good.
What?
Chess I think maybe
Some wig your man was wearing though
Checkmates with maybe big ego's? ..huge ego's
Mr Gold was there too(or was he ,difficult to say with
extreme confidence)

This film is the new black

Deal with it

7.5/10.4

Schadenfreudia

Dick Dickman P.I. (2008) - On RTE, a comedy that isn't remotely funny. Half way through I realised it was a children's film though the blurb failed to point that out.

If you're over the age of eight than this is a zero/10. Actually, a zero on any scale!

Del.Monte

Three more turkeys.

"Meet the Firm: Revenge in Rio" (2014) Crime drama about English football hooligans, drugs and Brazilian drugs gangs. Last night on Netflix. I foolishly let it run for 13 minutes before abandoning it. Indescribably bad acting, script and camerawork. Utter rubbish avoid. 0/10

"The Parallax View" (1974) on Netflix. Conspiracy thriller starring Warren Beatty. Intriguing, puzzling and ultimately unsatisfying. I've watched this one before, years ago, and still can't really fathom it. 5/10 solely for Warren Beatty's presence.

"Spies of Warsaw" (2013) on Netflix. David Tennant (Dr.Who) stars as a French military attache in Poland prior to the outbreak of WW.2. who tries to warn his superiors about Hitler's plan for the invasion of France. A lame effort - avoid. 3/10

FaulknersFav

The Hours (2002).

Very impressed with it. Pulled of the Mrs. Dalloway theme brilliantly I felt and the performances were great. Loved Ed Harris and Nicole Kidman especially.

Watched Pollock (2000) after this, needed more Ed Harris as an artist. Had seen it a while ago, loved it again. Fantastic portrayal or the anguish and suffering the man went through as a result of mental illness, and the negative effect this had on people around him. He seemed to really only exist fully when he was creating art.

Turtyturd

22 Jump St: More of the same, which thinks it's smarter than it actually is by repeatedly saying that it's more of the same.

Next...

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

I watched Pride the other night. Released late last year it went fairly unnoticed. Based on the true story of a group of gay activists in the 80's who decided to raise money to support the miners on strike at the time. It's quite a serious story but they don't lay it on too thick and there's plenty of humour. It's an incredible story and one I'm surprised isn't better known. It's a feel good film on many ways but there's plenty to get you thinking too.

IanOBo

Dazed and Confused.Quality.

Howard the Duck

A walk among the tombstones.

Really liked this, just threw it on today to watch as i was playing a computer game and really got into it, was expecting something brainless like taken but was surprised by it. No big twists or anything but a solid detective movie with great atmosphere.

7.5/10

FloatingVoter

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I watched Pride the other night. Released late last year it went fairly unnoticed. Based on the true story of a group of gay activists in the 80's who decided to raise money to support the miners on strike at the time. It's quite a serious story but they don't lay it on too thick and there's plenty of humour. It's an incredible story and one I'm surprised isn't better known. It's a feel good film on many ways but there's plenty to get you thinking too.

I'm just giving this a quote for emphasis. It's a movie like The Full Monty that will live on ever after in the TV schedules. It combines a message (gay people are not aliens) with a bit of nostalgia for us old people. Watch it if only for Dominic West combining lethal levels of drinking with a table dancing routine that'd make the girls from Mamma Mia wince.

Birneybau

Cartel Mike wrote: »

Revolver (Ch5)

Yea. am it's just I mean
Ray Liotta in tight shorts ..really?
It's like the thing the am conman thing with the hair in that yea
Good.
What?
Chess I think maybe
Some wig your man was wearing though
Checkmates with maybe big ego's? ..huge ego's
Mr Gold was there too(or was he ,difficult to say with
extreme confidence)

This film is the new black

Deal with it

7.5/10.4

OldCinemaSoz?

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

FloatingVoter wrote: »

I'm just giving this a quote for emphasis. It's a movie like The Full Monty that will live on ever after in the TV schedules. It combines a message (gay people are not aliens) with a bit of nostalgia for us old people. Watch it if only for Dominic West combining lethal levels of drinking with a table dancing routine that'd make the girls from Mamma Mia wince.

I would have said that the message was about realising your cause is not the only cause. It's not the most important cause. You have more in common with your fellow man than appearances would lead you to believe and the only way anything worthwhile will ever get done is by putting aside labels and prejudices and working together.

Looper007

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I watched Pride the other night. Released late last year it went fairly unnoticed. Based on the true story of a group of gay activists in the 80's who decided to raise money to support the miners on strike at the time. It's quite a serious story but they don't lay it on too thick and there's plenty of humour. It's an incredible story and one I'm surprised isn't better known. It's a feel good film on many ways but there's plenty to get you thinking too.

Got it on DVD this week, I feel it was underrated by many on here including myself at the end of the year on best of lists. I loved it when I first saw it, great performances from Ben Schnetzer, Bill Nighy and others, special praise should go to Andrew Scott too. It did seem to get a great run in the cinemas (it lasted a few weeks which is good these days) but it does seem to have gone unnoticed, although Mark Kermode had it in his top 5 end of year list. It did win a Bafta for best British film, deserving too.

SarahBM

Watched The Fighter last night with Mam and Dad. It's very good. Dad hadn't seen it before. Christian Bale I'd great in it!

the_monkey

Nightcrawler - great film but didn't like the end of it

as the sociopathic little **** got away with it all and will continue

Tipsy McSwagger

the_monkey wrote: »

Nightcrawler - great film but didn't like the end of it

as the sociopathic little **** got away with it all and will continue

Just like Gone Girl

e_e

Looper007 wrote: »

Got it on DVD this week, I feel it was underrated by many on here including myself at the end of the year on best of lists. I loved it when I first saw it, great performances from Ben Schnetzer, Bill Nighy and others, special praise should go to Andrew Scott too. It did seem to get a great run in the cinemas (it lasted a few weeks which is good these days) but it does seem to have gone unnoticed, although Mark Kermode had it in his top 5 end of year list. It did win a Bafta for best British film, deserving too.

I loved it too but 2014 was such an embarrassment of riches in terms of great movies for me that it only made my top 40.

the_monkey

Birdman

Good film, but best picture and best director ?

Nah .. not that good.

Pierce_1991

the_monkey wrote: »

Birdman

Good film, but best picture and best director ?

Nah .. not that good.

I'd agree...Whiplash should have won!

Schadenfreudia

War of the Buttons (1994)

Based on a French novel and set in County Cork. Very good; 7/10.

Del.Monte

"The Friends of Eddie Coyle" (1973) on Netflix.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WtR-mi6VtU

Robert Mitchum cuts a sad figure as a small time crook facing a prison sentence who tries to play both sides of the fence. Making money by selling small arms to other gangsters while informing on them at the same time in an attempt to stay out of jail. Superb, as you would expect with anything involving Robert Mitchum. 10/10

Bowlardo

Schadenfreudia wrote: »

War of the Buttons (1994)

Based on a French novel and set in County Cork. Very good; 7/10.

It is a wonderful film.Takes me back to the days of playing war! "YOU CAN'T SHOT A RUNNING MAN!"

saw 1971 and thought it was an excellent film. very well shot and some good acting in it to boot.

It Follows is a great horror too.

Someone mentioned Pride which really should have got more advertising when it was release. very funny and seriously pulls on the heart strings

Schadenfreudia

Bowlardo wrote: »

It is a wonderful film.Takes me back to the days of playing war! "YOU CAN'T SHOT A RUNNING MAN!"

Agree, the acting by the kids was especially brilliant.

ButtersSuki

FOCUS (not my choice!). I went to it admittedly with very low expectations (it is a Will Smith movie after all) and I still felt cheated. Where do I start? The Ocean's 11 style soundtrack which blares at you at every opportunity and wasn't helped by the poor acoustics in the cinema which resulted in the music being so loud at times (even though it was intended as background music) that you could barely hear the dialogue (imagine trying to listen to a movie on a 5.1 or a 7.1 system with a broken centre speaker and you'll get the idea). The plot thinks it's very clever but in reality was probably written by a transition year English student who reads a lot of crappy thrillers......and the Irish Sun. If you've ever watched a Derren Brown magic/illusion show a lot of the suggestion and slight of hand etc used in the film will be very familiar to you. Margot Robbie (hot on the trail of The Wolf of Wall Street I suspect as she's blonde in this and in every pic I've seen of her since last year's Oscars she's had dark hair) is there to be looked at and offers precious little other than that. Will Smith has been working out hard in the gym and is keen to show this off at every opportunity, be that shirtless or in very tight fitting t shirts etc. and delivers what I can best describe as "a Will Smith type performance". There's lots of pretty things and scenery to look at but that's about it. The ending is very silly, obvious and just comes at you instantly - I honestly expected at least another 10 - 15 mins before the thing ended. "Ali" remains the only Michael Mann film I haven't watched, after this it's going to take me another while yet to work up the stomach to watch it after this dose of Mr. Smith. I don't actually hate Smith before anyone says anything. I'm old enough to have loved The Fresh Prince of Bel Air when it came out first, but I just find him completely out of his depth in movies. Overall, if you can imagine a black Ocean's 11 x Derren Brown x BBC's Hustle written by the scriptwriters of Fair City then you can save yourself €12. For those reasons Focus for me gets a bad 3/10.

ButtersSuki

ButtersSuki wrote: »

FOCUS (not my choice!). I went to it admittedly with very low expectations (it is a Will Smith movie after all) and I still felt cheated. Where do I start? The Ocean's 11 style soundtrack which blares at you at every opportunity and wasn't helped by the poor acoustics in the cinema which resulted in the music being so loud at times (even though it was intended as background music) that you could barely hear the dialogue (imagine trying to listen to a movie on a 5.1 or a 7.1 system with a broken centre speaker and you'll get the idea). The plot thinks it's very clever but in reality was probably written by a transition year English student who reads a lot of crappy thrillers......and the Irish Sun. If you've ever watched a Derren Brown magic/illusion show a lot of the suggestion and slight of hand etc used in the film will be very familiar to you. Margot Robbie (hot on the trail of The Wolf of Wall Street I suspect as she's blonde in this and in every pic I've seen of her since last year's Oscars she's had dark hair) is there to be looked at and offers precious little other than that. Will Smith has been working out hard in the gym and is keen to show this off at every opportunity, be that shirtless or in very tight fitting t shirts etc. and delivers what I can best describe as "a Will Smith type performance". There's lots of pretty things and scenery to look at but that's about it. The ending is very silly, obvious and just comes at you instantly - I honestly expected at least another 10 - 15 mins before the thing ended. "Ali" remains the only Michael Mann film I haven't watched, after this it's going to take me another while yet to work up the stomach to watch it after this dose of Mr. Smith. I don't actually hate Smith before anyone says anything. I'm old enough to have loved The Fresh Prince of Bel Air when it came out first, but I just find him completely out of his depth in movies. Overall, if you can imagine a black Ocean's 11 x Derren Brown x BBC's Hustle written by the scriptwriters of Fair City then you can save yourself €12. For those reasons Focus for me gets a bad 3/10.

Fairly scathing review, I enjoyed it myself, but then I like to gamble, I think most gamblers would enjoy this. Funnily enough I had the same sound problem on my copy .

charlie_says

Fury

Big WW2 war tank fest. Push into Germany post D-Day with a battle hardened tank crew who are given a very green and young replacement.

A shining example of how to ruin a film in the final act. Such a car crash of an ending.

Otherwise a down and dirty visceral military combat film that's quite a gripping spectacle. The few stand out scenes are really quite excellent and glued together without losing too much momentum.

That is until the end where the whole thing jumps the shark big time. Really detracts from a decent WW2 movie. Such a shame.

FaulknersFav

charlie_says wrote: »

Fury

Big WW2 war tank fest. Push into Germany post D-Day with a battle hardened tank crew who are given a very green and young replacement.

A shining example of how to ruin a film in the final act. Such a car crash of an ending.

Otherwise a down and dirty visceral military combat film that's quite a gripping spectacle. The few stand out scenes are really quite excellent and glued together without losing too much momentum.

That is until the end where the whole thing jumps the shark big time. Really detracts from a decent WW2 movie. Such a shame.

Loved the visuals in this movie. Really gritty feel to it. Found Shia LeBouf a bit too much and, like you, was annoyed with ending. Went from enjoying it to thinking "Ah ffs"

Sam Mac

Rosewater (2014)

A very well-made film with excellent performances all-round. 4****

Decuc500

Prisoners

I thought this was a gripping movie. The cinematography was beautiful and gave it an ominous feel and the performances were intense. It wasn’t afraid to go to some dark places.
Reminded me of David Fincher’s Zodiac or Gone Girl.