What have you watched recently: Electric Boogaloo

Fysh

I caught a screening of "A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night" yesterday and liked it a lot. It has a very nice, distinctive style in terms of visuals, alongside one of the most diverse soundtracks I've ever heard in a film. A fair few moments of welcome humour, too - I found the scene with

transvestite Dracula on a comedown dancing with a balloon in the morning sun

hilarious, for example.

If I had one criticism it would be that the film's pacing was a bit slow and ponderous for me.

Schadenfreudia

Two nights ago I watched a film on UPC - I can neither remember the name of it nor who was in it - it was a about aliens in Area 51 and was shot with "Blair Witch" type camera-work.

It is definitely in the running for the worst film I've ever seen.

fin12

Tony EH wrote: »

While I don't think Leo is a great (or terrible) actor, he was dreadfully out of his depth in 'J.Edgar'. Although, the material didn't help.

ya i agree that was definitely one of the worst films he was in.

johnny_ultimate

Stray Dogs - Finally! Tsai Ming-liang's film has been celebrated by critics for the guts of two years now, but only now received a DVD release. It doesn't disappoint. Presented in very long takes (some stretching upwards of ten minutes), Stray Dogs follows a family in disarray. Traditional chronology is non-existent here, in a film that increasingly drifts into dreamy alternate dimensions and mystery. Many moments here are extraordinarily powerful, with the director and actors equally comfortable with understatement and explosions of emotions. The visuals are stunning (ranging from prolonged close-ups to long shots set in surreally decaying properties). It's not an easy film, especially if you're seeking clear answers (many of the key elements of the narrative - or lack thereof - remain determinedly, definitively ambiguous). Yet give Stray Dogs your attention (which will be tested), and start picking away at those mysteries, and there's a film of uncommon brilliance waiting.

Patriotism / Funeral Parade of Roses - Two very different films that show the creative depths Japanese cinema offered in the late 1960s. The former is the only film from author Yukio Mishima. Only thirty minutes long, it depicts a couple's ritual suicide in evocative, shocking detail. With no words spoken and shot (almost) entirely on a Noh theatre stage, it's a hypnotic piece of work, horrifying and tragic yet weirdly beautiful (the images are exquisite, if occasionally disturbing), with the acts of self-violence contrasted sharply with the starkly sensual sequence that precedes them. Of course the whole text is complicated by the fact that Mishima himself infamously committed seppuku several years after making the film - adding a morbid, even disturbing meta-layer to the film while also enhancing the emotional rawness of Patriotism itself. There's honestly nothing like it.

Same can be said of Funeral Parade of Roses, as deliriously pulpy as avant-garde cinema gets. Experimental and melodramatic in equal measure, frankly it would still be a shock to the system if freshly released today. Occupies its own place within the Japanese New Wave, and director Toshio Matsumoto's engagement with the transvestite and gay communities of Tokyo stands out in a national cinema reluctant to engage with such subcultures so intimately. It embraces a bizarre mix of documentary realism and madcap surrealism, mixing everything with a heavy dash of cross-dressing Oedipus Rex. Filmed with manic intensity (experimental tangents often cut in for good measure) it, suffice to say, is a trip.

Night & Fog - About 1/20th of the running of Shoah, but cinema's other 'great' Holocaust documentary packs just as much of a punch, albeit with a radically different approach. As the narrator observes at one point, "there's nothing left to say" - and yes the film and the images presented within speaks for itself in so many respects. Delivered with poetic yet chillingly neutral voiceover (Chris Marker's name in the credits is no surprise), Alain Resnais' Night & Fog is a film fully aware that it cannot pretend to capture the depths or scale of the horror of the Final Solution. The filmmakers concede they can only give us a glimpse, and that they do, devastatingly. A brief but essential reminder of a dark, dark chapter in history.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Watched Byzantium there on Film 4. It's a slightlt different take on a vampire film but there's maybe a bit too much going on and not enough time spent on the relationship of the two central characters.

Was fun to spot the UCD science block being used for the hospital scenes though.

SarahBM

Despicable Me 2. So funny. But then again I'm a big child.
The minions are gas.

The Black Oil

The Pledge

Slow burn drama about Jack Nicholson who is about to retire from a small town police force. He's got a detective nose that's sharper than some of his colleagues. There's an unsettling murder of a child and things unfold from there. He still retires, though there's some patient police work that follows. Not an easy film to watch at times. Good performance from Nicholson.

Fruitvale Station

Like a lot of these situations (police involved shootings), we only learn about it through phone footage, which is how the film opens. Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) has no halo over his head. He's an unreliable employee, has a stash of drugs, has spent time inside, lies and is prone to a wondering eye. On the positive side, he does his best to try and help people and he has a very loving relationship with his young daughter. Much of the film is spent with his family, though it struck me that he didn't have a father figure. I may be overanalysing, but I felt there was loss here beyond beyond what happened. Lost economic opportunity lurking being one. The police come into the picture about 25 minutes from the end. They are immediately hostile, confrontational and unfortunately fall into panic stations. I never really felt much of a sense of dread despite knowing what was coming. Oscar's mother is perhaps the calmest amongst all in the hospital. Worth watching, if unremarkable.

GAAman

Big Game, easily one of the worst films I have ever seen and I've seen some howlers.

I saw a bus with an ad on the side of it for this, and it had four and five stars. Wonder how much they paid for each star :pac:

Sugarlumps

Whiplash - After hearing so much about this film I was hugely disappointed. I kept thinking, when does it get good.

D'Agger

Watched Chappie and may have suffered from lowered expectations based on other accounts of it, but I really, really enjoyed this film.

I thought it was lacking in certain parts/aspects but overall I thought it was well worth a watch, the soundtrack was fantastic and the overall story kept my interest throughout. Would recommend - 7/10

Looper007

Sugarlumps wrote: »

Whiplash - After hearing so much about this film I was hugely disappointed. I kept thinking, when does it get good.

Really?? the film was great from the start and the last 20 minutes is a thing of beauty. Along with Ex Machina and Mad Max Fury Road, my favourite film so far this year.

Sugarlumps

Looper007 wrote: »

Really?? the film was great from the start and the last 20 minutes is a thing of beauty. Along with Ex Machina and Mad Max Fury Road, my favourite film so far this year.

The profuse sweating and bleeding towards the end by Teller was ridiculous. A highly unlikable character. The whole premise of the film was idiotic, slapping/berating.

shazzerman

Sugarlumps wrote: »

The profuse sweating and bleeding towards the end by Teller was ridiculous. A highly unlikable character. The whole premise of the film was idiotic, slapping/berating.

It did seem to suggest that best drummer=fastest/hardest-hitting drummer, which is complete nonsense. As a piece of cinema, though, it is excellent. The one "mistake" it made for me was

the car crash and the aftermath (ludicrous - I thought for a moment it was a dream sequence)

.

Sugarlumps

shazzerman wrote: »

It did seem to suggest that best drummer=fastest/hardest-hitting drummer, which is complete nonsense. As a piece of cinema, though, it is excellent. The one "mistake" it made for me was

the car crash and the aftermath (ludicrous - I thought for a moment it was a dream sequence)

.

That was a pretty far fetched scene, I'm glad people enjoyed the film. Just not for me.

Sad Professor

I thought Whiplash’s frequent descents from naturalism into surrealism were the whole point. It’s Full Metal Jacket with drums. It’s all about getting you inside the head of that character.

Barna77

The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas

I had seen it before, but Jesus it's a tough one to watch.

Stevo1983

Gun Fight at the OK Corral

Not a bad western, Kirk Douglas was very good as Doc Holiday.

SarahBM

Pitch Perfect 2 - Brilliant! So funny.

in truth it was ..... ACCA-AWESOME!

The Black Oil

Taken 2

This is a very compact film and not in the best sense of that word. It starts off fairly alright. You expect Neeson's one man army and a relatively thin bad guy whose main link is with the first one. Istanbul serves as a backdrop more than a character. Even after the car chase and embassy nonsense

I'd forgotten the wife was still in trouble.

Some of the visuals of up close and personal hand to hand fighting are like watching a demented chef trying chase and onion around the kitchen. Also, Maggie Grace has legs, yep.

Other assassin films are available.

ButtersSuki

Haven't posted in a while as I'm ploughing through 5 Seasons of Friday Night Lights, but more on that when I finish it.

The only movies I've watched lately are:
Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. , recorded from Film 4 ages ago and only got around to watching it last weekend. A truly bizarre documentary about a engineer who through a combination of chance and being in the right place at the right time becomes the leading authority on the various machines used to deliver the death penalty in the US. His 'fame" and credibility subsequently become shattered when he ill-advisedly becomes involved in a Nazi-apologist trial in Canada. It's uncomfortable viewing on a number of levels; yet what disturbed me most was how the various pro-Jewish groups rounded on this man to effectively destroy his life and career. Well worth a look. 8/10.

Rize David LaChappelle directed documentary about the growth of two forms of street dance in South Central LA. I'm a huge fan of LaChappelle's kitsch photographic style, but this feels like it was shot on an iphone at times and is all the better for it. It's an interesting snapshot of a poor community with little prospects to better one's self legally, and the emotion, passion and energy in the documentary are inspiring. The dancing is crazy and fascinating to watch and ultimately the positivity in the film will infect even the most negative (me!). 7/10

Taken 2 for the laugh, and laugh I did! Knew I had it on DVD somewhere so when I saw it on the RTE listings for last night I dug it out. What a crock of shoyte. The continuity errors alone make it hilarious - esp. the yellow Mercedes taxi which despite crashing into many police cars, walls, food stands etc. remains scratch free throughout the chase. It even has its rear window shot through but then magically it fixes itself before they land in the embassy! As if that wasn't enough the Mercedes itself changes from one type of Merc to another mid scene and back again! Incredible! :rolleyes::rolleyes::eek: Not to mention the wife having her throat cut and a badly beaten and scarred face - then 3 weeks later she's perfect! The hand to hand combat scenes look like a Fair City re-enactment of The Bourne Identity. My dad (just out of hospital after a heart attack, triple bypass and kidney failure) in his current condition would stand a good chance fighting Neeson based on the fight scenes. The dialogue is a cringe fest of cliches and soundbytes and had me laughing out loud in places. The only positive I can see in this movie will be that it will be a college drinking game for a whole generation of students in years to come. I'm going to give it 2/10 for comedic value - it is a comedy, right?

fin12

The Black Oil wrote: »

Taken 2

This is a very compact film and not in the best sense of that word. It starts off fairly alright. You expect Neeson's one man army and a relatively thin bad guy whose main link is with the first one. Istanbul serves as a backdrop more than a character. Even after the car chase and embassy nonsense

I'd forgotten the wife was still in trouble.

Some of the visuals of up close and personal hand to hand fighting are like watching a demented chef trying chase and onion around the kitchen. Also, Maggie Grace has legs, yep.

Other assassin films are available.

I love all the taken films obviously the first one is the best.!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FloatingVoter

She's Funny That Way...Peter Bogdanovich directing. An emsemble cast in a tribute to old school screwball comedies. I enjoyed it - it gets in and out of town fast. It has absolutely no messages about the deeper meaning of life but is a classy way to waste an hour and a half. And Jennifer Aniston playing the worst shrink in film history nicks the show - between Life of Crime, Cake and this - she's had a good run lately.

captainfrost

Lord of the rings 1-3.(VCD)
I can not believe i watched the hobbits(1-3) before TLOD. No wonder i was a little bit confused with the names, i think i might have to rewatch the hobbits again.

SarahBM

captainfrost wrote: »

Lord of the rings 1-3.(VCD)
I can not believe i watched the hobbits(1-3) before TLOD. No wonder i was a little bit confused with the names, i think i might have to rewatch the hobbits again.

I loved the Lord of the Rings and I can only watch the extended editions. the theatrical ones don't make sense to me anymore. I was so disappointed with the hobbit films. I don't think I'll bother getting them.

I watched the Replacements last night for the first time in ages. It's such a great movie. so funny. I wish it had gotten the recognition I think it deserves.

Heckler

Kajaki

True story of a bunch of british paratroopers caught in a minefield. I didn't recognise any of the actors but they all did a great job. No jingoism, no discussions on the rights and wrongs of the British being in Afghanistan, not even a musical score. A slightly cliched start gave way to a story of a bunch of friends coping in a horrendous situation.

A refreshing change from American flag waving war stories.

Recommended. 8/10

bodhi085

Currently watching a clint eastwood movie every Sunday morning and this week I watched two.. Two mules for sister Sara & the beguiled. All on gloriously remastered blu Ray.
Watched a more recent one last night called the homesman starring Hilary swank and Tommy lee Jones. Have to say a great well acted film.

shazzerman

I watched a Clint triple bill on Sunday: Tightrope, White Hunter Black Heart, and A Perfect World. All have their own problems (particularly a habit in Tightrope of "shock" moments involving the sudden intrusion of something offscreen entering the frame - it was tacky), but they provided a decent afternoon's viewing. Richard Tuggle is listed as the director of Tightrope, but the rumour went around that Clint took over once Tuggle proved a very slow worker. And I think A Perfect World contains Kevin Costner's best acting of his career. Speaking of acting, after sitting through the opening scenes of White Hunter Black Heart I really thought Clint must be having us on with his broad, forced acting style - he was nothing like the John Huston I know from interviews and performances - but he got better as the film went on. A good film, with an excellent ending - but Marisa Berenson as Katharine Hepburn..?

Stevo1983

Chappie

Avoid at all costs.

Harry Palmr

The Boston Strangler (1968) Dir Richard Fleischer.

The tracking down and interrogation of the man who its believed killed 13 women by strangulation in Boston during late 1963 is told in an almost pseudo documentary style, I'll say no more about the story. The films main strengths are the evocation of time and place and the acting esp Tony Curtis who doesn't appear until the second half but comes to dominate as by the end Fleischer starts to exclude all other elements. Curtis should have been awarded an Oscar for the last 10 minutes, his performance of a man who realises his true nature is superbly well judged. No histrionics, just proper screen acting where the smallest detail conveys the dawning horror.

The other point of particular note is the nature of the discussions about the crime scenes and Alberto De Salvos behaviour, bearing in mind the last vestiges of the "Hays Code" still existed when this was made (it was one of the last films released before the MMPA rating system started). Possibly a point was being made in the same way the gloriously bloody climax of Bonnie and Clyde did.

Looking back at the contemporary reviews, its fair to say history has been kind the Boston Strangler as the years put distance between the viewer and the reality (or that we just are just less squeamish!) Fleischer already had form having made the loose Leopold & Loeb thriller Compulsion in 1959 and he'd revisit the territory again with the crimes of John Christie in 10 Rillington Place three years later.

Arghus

The Homesman – I really enjoyed The Three Burials, with it's evocative neo-Western setting and gritty but compassionate view of life, in and around the US-Mexico border. On the whole, I'm a little bit tired of Tommy Lee Jones and his shtick lately, at least in the majority of his onscreen roles. You know what you're going to get-grumpy and curmudgeonly, verging on the edge of phoning it in territory, at times. But I wouldn't be turning my nose up at whatever he promised next as a director. His previous work had shown he had what it took.

So The Homesman- A grandly mounted traditionalist Western, mixed with a harsh and modern sensibility and the director's impressive CV: it was going to be a matter of obligation. I have to say, first off and unsurprisingly, that it reminds me a great deal of Three Burials. Like that The Homesman resists easy analysis and categorisation. It prefers weird eddies, instead of the straight path. Emotional complexity is the order of the day here. Sometimes, this may lead to narrative befuddlement. Or bizarre unheralded shifts in tone. But, for all those inconsistencies, there is also some undeniable flashes of greatness in the film. All of which makes me think that, even if Jones is largely continuing to repeat himself on screen nowadays, on the other side of the camera he still has new things that he wants to say.

The film is gorgeous to look at. Big wide desolation and unspoilt wilderness, which manages to convey the unsullied beauty of that particular time and place, but not without making you think about how mind numbingly tough it must have been to bring some semblance of “civilization” to those untamed lands. As awesome as the scenery is there's an unmistakeable element of terror in it. It's an awful big and empty presence. The film conveys the loneliness and sparseness of people in such an environment, which is a fact of history that's often over looked in recreations of life in the frontier, except for perhaps something like The Searchers.

What press has come the films way has mainly focused on it's credentials as a “feminist” Western. I don't know if it fully qualifies, but it does concern itself with the poor pitiful lives of many a woman back then, in those far flung corners of nowhere. Truth be told - It wasn't great to be anyone in particular in the movies setting - man, woman, or child. It sympathy lies primarily with the wretched, but to a certain extent everyone in the movie, paragons of righteousness or not, are bogged down by having the misfortune to be caught simply existing out in The West. So it's broadly speaking a compassionate film, but also a non-gratiously brutal and matter of fact experience, in which life is filled with random chance, quick moving danger and sudden unexpected turns.

Now I don't know if anyone is reading this that has actually watched the movie, but if they have, they'll know what I'm talking about when it comes to unexpected turns in the film. One in particular. All I can safely say is - I did not see that one coming.. There seems to be no firm consensous on how to respond to the major turning point in the film. When it initally happened, I was so stunned that I felt a bit cheated. It felt like I'd been hoodwinked. Surely for a lot of viewers it's when the story jumps the shark and there's no coming back. But, now I think it's the place where the films semi-greatness is most pronounced. It's a cruel, seemingly random development in the story, but I love it -after reflection- because it's so uncompromising , so totally out of the blue and, to me, that's really brave filmaking. Up until that point the film is gritty, serious but, to a certain extent, in posession of a clear line of where it's headed. After the pivotal moment in the story the film takes on greater complexity and becomes less a tale of The West, than a reflection about how our autonomy is fleeting, and its trappings may be only a mixed blessing to begin with. And I think if a film has merit on the level of craftmanship- as The Homesman does – and manages to say something, even if not always with coherence, about the business of being alive – and to do so in in it's own peculiar, tin-pot way, well then I have to say that it has as good a claim to greatness as any film I've seen in recent times.