What have you watched recently: Electric Boogaloo

SarahBM

Del.Monte wrote: »

I'm having withdrawal symptoms having just finished 86 episodes of "Spooks" - 3 per night - and I can't find anything else to interest me. Loads of DVDs to watch but the DVD player is in pieces awaiting remedial work.

Ah my friend, I know your pain too well. I felt the same "hangover" after my Stargate, TNG and West Wing run throughs.

Alas if you like spy action Strikeback is good. I loved Alias my self.

After watching tonights GOT episode, I am slightly traumatised.
May need to watch a cartoon or something.

Chain Smoker

Everything Will Be OK/I am So Proud of You/It's Such a Beautiful Day
Got to see the three of these on 35mm with a Q&A with Hertzfeldt afterwards there last week
Think the second part was my favourite this time around but I'm not totally sure. Anyways, the important thing is I got to see them on 35mm and ask some questions and stuff so :P
He's just after getting the funding to make a feature length film with a proper animation team and whatnot now. The idea of a digitally animated Hertzfeldt film weirded me out enough, have absolutely no clue what he'd put out with other people!

Timbuktu
Thought this was great, everything pans out as you'd expect really but has just the right amount of stylistic flourishes to avoid being some dry neorealist piece; some f*cking gorgeous shots in it, actually. Does a great job naturally integrating some moments of humour and levity to the whole situation too, no clue how they pulled it off but it managed to both hit pretty hard and absolutely fly by.
Assuming it's still in cinema, I'd say it's damn near a must-see, I think I'll see it again if I have the chance so I can form some proper thoughts on it.

johnny_ultimate

Timbuktu is a beautiful piece of work, such a graceful and sensitive way of portraying a horrible situation. While it is full of outrages, it is directed with nuance and empathy so it doesn't feel like a lecture, and instead a complex critique of Islamic State's toxic philosophy. Given ISIL's actions seem so foreign and almost abstract in the way Western media covers them, the intimacy and matter-of-factness (albeit with an artist's touch) of the film is enlightening and provocative.

Journey to the West - I was sitting there exhausted on Sunday night, wanting to watch something but unsure I could give anything the respect and attention it deserved. A copy of Tsai Ming-Liang's Journey to the West was sitting there, and all I knew was it was about a monk walking very slowly, and was less than an hour long. In a moment of madness, I decided to put it on.

It may have been the lack of sleep talking, but ****ing wow. No illusions here: the film is a series of very long shots of a Buddhist monk walking very, very slowly. There's also a few close-ups of Denis Lavant (who eventually joins in the slow walking). But the experience is beguiling, beautifully serene. The precision of the camera (there's only a handful of shots, but many of them are stunning and surreal) and Lee Kang-sheng's considered steps through Marseilles create this hypnotic rhythm, contrasting sharply with the fact that daily life is continuing at a rapid, relentless pace around them. Some stop and look at the monk (most memorably a fascinated little girl) but for the most part the world spins on, and life in the city with it. And that contrast leads to a film that feels uncommonly tranquil and meditative, that almost forces us to take an hour to stop and appreciate everything - including cinematic form - in a way we rarely do. 99.9% of times saying a film would almost put you to sleep is pejorative, but this is that 0.1% when it's a good thing. Art cinema at its artiest, but also its most potent.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

I watched In a House That Ceased to Be on RTÉ last night. A documentary about Christina Noble and her foundation. While her story is obviously very interesting and the work she does is wonderful I have to say I felt very uncomfortable watching this. They were using her own personal story, or more that of her younger brother and sisters, to frame the work she does now, which is fine. That's obviously why she does what she does. However the entire segment with her family felt a bit off to me. It felt like they planned on having them all tell their story only to realise that none of them wanted to, or maybe they weren't able to, so instead they got lots of footage of Christina Noble on the verge of a breakdown and a horribly awkward family reunion. I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call it exploitative, but it definitely left me feeling a bit uncomfortable.

A quick look through twitter last night seems to tell me I'm the only one who felt that way though.

crybaby

LCD wrote: »

Whiplash - Good, not particularly entertaining but well worth watching. Odd seeing J.K. Simmons in this kind of role

Thought it was brilliant, bit confused by your not entertaining remark though?

Were you expecting something a bit different?

TerrorFirmer

Just watched 'Faster' with The Rock and Billy Bob Thornton. Great movie - wasn't expectly it to be remotely as good as it was or for the characters to be so well developed. Not a dumb action movie.

JaseBelleVie

I saw a clip from a film I'd never seen before over in After Hours last night. It had Ben Kingsley and Robert Redford in it, so I chanced that it couldn't be all bad. A little bit of research and I discovered that the cast also included Sidney Poitier, Dan Aykroyd, River Phoenix, Mary McDonnell, Stephen Tobolowsky, Donal Logue and in a blink-and-you'll-miss-him role, James Earl Jones.

The film was Sneakers (1992).

Robert Redford and his band of merry men are expert hackers and thieves who find themselves up against criminals and government agents all chasing after an ultimate hackers' prize: a black box device that can de-encrypt any computer system in the world. Ben Kingsley is in the mix as the ultimate techno-criminal out to steal all the money in the world, while Redford and Co are used as pawns by rogue government agents and the NSA.

Good, clean fun in a caper guise. Some silly moments, but the action is good and Ben Kingsley steals every scene he is in. Great fun and a good film. Well worth looking up.

run_Forrest_run

It Follows
Heard good things about this. My enjoyment faded as the movie went on. I loved the cinematography and that 80's heavy analog synth soundtrack, yes everyone says 'Halloween' and they are right.
A pretty decent horror but it was getting dangerously close to one of those typical teenage horror flicks

connollys

Spy
Went to this last night or more so was dragged to it. And I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Not a fan of Melissa McCarthy and the trailer made it look god awful but I admit, I did laugh several times.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

Mad Max: Fury Road.

I think my ears are bleeding. And I LOVE IT.

Schadenfreudia

Birdman (2014)

Like the Grand Budapest Hotel it's interesting in an odd way. But of it was a book it wouldn't be a page-turner.

Arghus

Spy - It was mainly down to how much I had enjoyed The Heat, that I found myself halfway interested in Spy. I remember my fairly low-level hangover Sunday expectations been met and, in some cases, surpassed by the comedy beats that were sandwiched in between the fairly perfunctory "story" elements; The Heat was fun, despite it's familiarity, and Melissa McCarthy was hilarious. So I was willing to see what the hive-mind had to say before I took my chances with Spy; at home or in the cinema. Also the promise of Jason Statham sending himself up could prove to hard to resist

I took the bait and chanced seeing it in the dark. Totally okay decision, Spy is a blast. You'll laugh, quite a bit if you're lucky. It's also -and I wasn't expecting this - a surprisingly okay facsimile of an action movie. Now it isn't Fury Road, don't get me wrong, but it is a serious step up from the by the numbers stock-footage filled journeys that The Heat largely filled it's running time with, as it huffed and puffed along to get to the next gag. Spy at least gives some satisfaction, in not just verbally spoofing the world of the on-screen spy but deciding that you've got to walk it like you talk it - throwing in a few passable shoot-outs and chases, as well as a genuinely great hand-to-hand combat scene that manages to be both exciting and funny.

Not to say it's flawless. Funny and all as it is, the whole experience is about as shallow as a puddle. You may remember the moments and parrot back a few of the choice quotes to others who have seen it, but you'll find it hard to remember 70% of what happened, even by the time the credits roll you can sense the amnesia taking over. Plot holes are all around, and instead of always sticking to the time and tested method of survival in these kind of circumstances - which is to just pretend they don't exist - the films tries on a couple of regrettable occasions to get you to pay attention to the totally illogical and then explain it away. I'm nit-picking, I suppose, but the film has a breezy feeling about most of what it does, which makes the dull moments of exposition extravaganza really thud.

But enough of that. I don't want to be too down on it. It brings laughs, and most comedies these days only bring groans. The cast really unpacks it's A game. The chemistry between McCarthy and Rose Bryne is outstanding. Peter Serafinowicz is so good that made me forget that is character is just an out-and-out sexual pest. I loved the sight of his lechery by the end. Miranda Hart can wear fairly thin after a while, but she does have some great gags. And where do I start with Jason Statham? Every time he appeared on screen was a joyous experience. The scene where he and McCarthy go toe-to-toe, with insult after insult, well, they could have just left me there in comedy heaven for a good four to five hours more.

But really it's all about Melissa McCarthy. I don't how there can be any further disputation of her genius. She can do the put upon frump with aplomb, but when she starts letting rip... Melissa, you had me at - "I'm going to play your heart like a f!cking accordion." Yeah, it's expected at this stage, but it's still so good. Long may she reign I say.

So, if your looking for resonance - go elsewhere. If you're looking for progressive politics too, you may find slim pickings, despite what you may have read. I didn't hear many glass ceilings being shattered in the dark, but I did hear laughter: lots and lots of it. So it gets a thumbs up. It's also worth watching with people in the cinema. Good comedy is a great communal experience. Treat yourself.

Dr. Mantis Toboggan

run_Forrest_run wrote: »

It Follows
Heard good things about this. My enjoyment faded as the movie went on. I loved the cinematography and that 80's heavy analog synth soundtrack, yes everyone says 'Halloween' and they are right.
A pretty decent horror but it was getting dangerously close to one of those typical teenage horror flicks

Yeah, i watched that last night. I liked it, but the ending was a bit off to me.

MadDog76

Sugarlumps wrote: »

All This Mayhem

Killer documentary about the Pappas brothers. Searing account of what happens when raw talent and extreme personalities collide.

Drugs and the dark side of professional skateboarding, brothers Tas and Ben Pappas' intense bond and charisma take them from the pinnacle of their sport into a spiraling world of self-destruction.

Thanks for recommending this, watched it last night and really took me by surprise .......... I knew things weren't going to go well for the Pappas brothers because of the drugs etc. but I never expected it to get so ugly with

Tas ending up in prison and Ben murdering his girlfriend then taking his own life

....... truly shocking stuff!

Unearthly

Snowpiercer - thought this was superb. Surprised that a film that has such a ridiculous premise could be so intelligent and deal with issues many films ignore.

GreNoLi

Unearthly wrote: »

Snowpiercer - thought this was superb. Surprised that a film that has such a ridiculous premise could be so intelligent and deal with issues many films ignore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X05TDsoSg2Y

Del.Monte

"Redirected" (2014) on Netflix.



Disappointing British/Lithuanian production starring Vinnie Jones. Similar genre to "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels", "Layer Cake", "Snatch" but with little of the intensity, acting or humour. Better than much of the tripe that I've watched recently but that's not saying much.

5/10 - but only if you're really bored.

gucci

I went for a bit of a Sci-Fi Double Bill:

Prometheus

Well this movie certainly divided opinion when it came out first. Upon a second watch I was once again disappointed by the direction it took, however all in all a pretty decent sci-fi. Fassbender and Rooney Mara are head and shoulders (

even when fassbender is a head with no shoulders

)above any of the other cast members. In its own right its a decent film, I am not sure I would be greatly looking forward to the sequel, but no doubt will watch it! 6.5/10.

Moon

If Prometheus is the OTT Champions League version of Sci-Fi, then Moon is the good old fashioned meat and two veg championship....and its absolutely great!! A clever plot (far from unique in space sci-fi) that is well executed, visually impressive and a great performance by Sam Rockwell. Clever and interesting all the way through.....Prometheus asked big questions of creation and mankind, where as Moon was far more down to earth (so to speak!) and showed the real emotion of man just battling himself and his own emotions when faced with massive questions about his own personal existence. This was great 9/10

johnny_ultimate

gucci wrote: »

Prometheus
Fassbender and Rooney Mara

Think you're looking for a different girl with a dragon tattoo

SarahBM

Watched the Lego Movie last night, and it definitely was not what I was expecting. I was wrecked tired and I think I may have dosed off for a bit, so I think I will have to watch it again. But I thought it was very funny.

gucci

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Think you're looking for a different girl with a dragon tattoo

Dam it! Should have used the old Googler!! Daniel Craig was brilliant as the cyborg too!!!

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

The Way

Emilio Estevez writes, directs, produces, probably did the catering too..... Martin Sheen stars as a father whose son dies a day into the Santiago De Compostela pilgrimage and when he flies to France to claim the remains he decides to complete the walk with his son's ashes. I was worried this was going to be a full on Holy Joe film but the religious aspect is actually kept out of it for the most part. Martin Sheen's character meets up with a few different people along the way, all there for different reasons and it's surprisingly funny and although the overall premise is a bit sad it never gets overly emotional or sentimental. I was genuinely surprised by how enjoyable this film is.

charlie_says

Watched Let the Right One In, the other night for the second time. Quietly the best vampire film ever made.

When I was a kid I definitely met someone who I thought would live forever.

Schadenfreudia

Sense8, new Netflix series.

Watched the first episode, it builds up without undue haste (slowly!) and is very confusing - as we'd expect, I suppose, from the folk who brought us the Matrix.

The Black Oil

Jurassic Park III

It starts alright, well, until they hit the island. Dinosaurs be angry, yo! How the heck do you hear a

phone ring

in the middle of the jungle? Twice?! :pac: I had completely forgotten about the

kid's existence until they bumped into him.

A sequel for the sake of a sequel, it seems. Little sense of imagination a la the first, though it's years since I've seen it.

Poor man's Jaws/Alien with dinosaurs, basically.

ButtersSuki

Menace II Society saw this in the cinema when I was much, much younger and was blown away by the freshness of it (akin to Boyz 'N The Hood etc.). A rewatch 22 years after release though and it's very dated, cliché-ridden and generally not half as interesting as first time around. I'd imagine I'd have given it at least an 8/10 on release but now I'd give it a 5.

Also just finished binge-watching all 5 seasons of Friday Night Lights on US import DVD (lots of extras vs. UK edition and I'm nerdy enough to watch things like that). Have to say I was very pleasantly surprised by a show I'd heard good things about but was somewhat dubious of the accuracy of those claims. It's not perfect and it's a little schmaltzy at times, but it's bloody good. And no, you don't need to have an understanding of American Football to like it.

And I loved the way after 3 seasons of rooting for the Panthers you gradually turn on them given what happened.

An 8.5/10, I'd easily put it in my Top 10 TV shows of all time. My copy of The Wire on Blu Ray came today....want to start it again but have so much other stuff to watch first....decisions, decisions....

ButtersSuki

Just back from Mad Max: Fury Road in the cinema. I don't get all the fuss. I'm a little too tired right now to elaborate further and I'm up very early tomorrow so I'll just give it a 5/10 and await the derision. I genuinely found myself bored by it all. I'd rather have watched the long version of La Belle Noiseuse again.

The Way Back Second time I've watched this and it really hit home this time. Masterful direction from Peter Weir, and just beautiful. So tired of CGI these days it hurts to watch most stuff done on a grand scale, but this movie is grand to say the least, and without a drop of green screen and special effects.
Farrell and Ronin are both excellent, as is Ed Harris. The more the film goes on the more moving it gets, amazing it didnt get some awards.

fin12

The Lost World Jurassic Park

Pretty good film enjoyed watching it, now on to the third one.

Sugarlumps

Soaked in Bleach - Tom Grant, a private investigator once hired by Courtney Love, reveals his take on the death of Kurt Cobain.

Just goes to prove what a conniving cúnt Love is.