What have you watched recently: Electric Boogaloo

Duggy747

Terminator Genisys

Put this off for a long time since I was appalled at what was done to the Die Hard franchise with the last film, that was a truly awful piece of film-making and a fine example of how to utterly destroy a character so I wasn't in a rush to see this.

This, however, wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and actually had some decent moments to it. The 1st half of the film was pretty entertaining which was probably because it had to draw from T1 & T2 for it's story before it went off on it's own.............which is where it crumbled. It felt very much like 2 separate films smushed together with the 2nd half being some bland piece designed by a committee so checkboxes could be ticked.

There was elements of a good film here but they resorted to boring sequences, hokey dialogue and cartoon humour.

Casting Emilia Clarke & Jai Courtney was a mistake, these 2 couldn't have been further from Hamilton's and Biehn's portrayals. They had the chemistry of socks and sandals where Clarke's deliveries were very ropey and the GF had even noted how bland Courtney was. His purpose to be a hunky beefcake was fulfilled and he had an unintentionally hilarious moment of him standing naked in the time machine in an blatantly obvious pose to push out his six-pack. :pac:

I normally like Jason Clarke but he was very cartoonish in this and his character got progessively worse with some really awful dialogue the poor guy had to deliver in a serious way.

Speaking of which, I'm absolutely burnt out hearing Terminator quotes over & over again as nods and it really doesn't help when people can't deliver them right, it's cringe.

Arnie was Arnie and I'll watch him in anything, I never tire of seeing him. I didn't mind the whole "pops" angle for the most part, it was an interesting take to having a Terminator look after you most your life but they fumbled it and degraded him to being a robotic father with oh-so-hilarious father jokes and standard disapproving moments. Terrible stuff.

Overall, it wasn't terrible but it very nearly crossed that line multiple times the further it went on, the 1st half elevated it up.

Interestingly, I'd seen this gallery which really compared how flat and matte-looking the film appeared compared to Terminator 1.

I hope when James Cameron gets the rights back in 2018 that he just locks it away and kills it, nobody has a clue what to do with this franchise or it's mythology.

People just wanted the future war and they should've rolled with that instead of trying to relive past glories.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

I'm trying to do the #52FilmsByWomen thing this year, although I'm already a bit behind. First one up was What Happened, Miss Simone? a documentary about Nina Simone. They have loads of archive recordings, audio and visual, which make up the bulk of the film. There's a few talking heads here and there, her daughter, former band member, friends etc. They also have what I assume were her diaries which reveal a lot.
It's a pretty sad story, one I wasn't familiar with. She set out as a kid with the intention of being the first black female classical pianist to play Carnegie Hall and one rejection sent her life in a completely different direction. I was familiar with quite a few of her songs but had no idea of the history behind a few of them.

Worth watching, I think, if only to appreciate how incredibly talented she was.

BMMachine

Duggy747 wrote: »

Terminator Genisys


This, however, wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and actually had some decent moments to it.

incorrect. its a giant puddle of vinegar piss with no redeeming qualities.

Bowie is dead so Im taking no mercy anymore with people giving sh*t things a bye.

Irish Aris

a handful of films that I recently watched at Mubi.

Friends With Money (2006)

Despite the good cast I found this just passable. I couldn't connect to or care about any of the main characters and most of the situations failed to bring any substantial laughs . I hate to say this in general, but I think it targets exclusively a female audience.

Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

Anime is a genre that I have very little knowledge of, but after seeing Tokyo Godfathers I will probably try to dig in a bit more. This was beautiful and funny and dramatic and nicely over the top when required.

Superbad (2007)

the kind of comedy that I absolutely dislike. The situations are just ridiculous, it is just one gag after the other without any coherence and most characters are annoying or silly or both. I know that this is supposed to be dumb fun and "switch your brain off" kind of film, but my brain always stays on in order to be entertained. And Superbad doesn't pass the entertainment test.

Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962)

Although I have been to theatre a lot in my life, I have never watched this play by Eugene O'Neill on stage. Sidney Lumet's film is as close to filming theatre as you can get (I actually think that it might be an inspiration for some of the recent live cinema screenings of theatre productions). Lumet naturally focuses on the four characters and gives them enough space to develop in this nearly 3-hour long film. The cinematography in the last two acts is brilliant: the action is indoors and the game of light and shadows is intriguing. As expected very strong performances overall (although at times I would have liked them a bit more toned down) with Katherine Hepburn benefiting from being the only main female character on the film.

Bottle Rocket ((1996)

Wes Anderson's debut film, it was also the debut for brothers Owen and Luke Wilson - Owen co-wrote the script with Anderson. I will admit that at times I find it very difficult to really get into his worlds (i.e. the life aquatic), because of the absurdity of the situations, I think that his cinema always requires a certain mood set to really appreciate it. Bottle Rocket has an overall balanced story infused by some of the obscurities that Anderson seem to like, plus a rather weak and not very necessary or relevant love story. I reckon that it sets the tone of Anderson's filmography nicely, without aiming very high it is quite enjoyable.

As Tears Go By (1988)

Wong Kar-Wai's debut film, though thematically different from the films that made him famous later on shows some of the motives that will become trademarks in Kar-Wai's cinema. The very 80's soundtrack is left, right and center and makes things very interesting and the cinematography especially for the night shots and the interiors is very good too. The story is a bit violent and put ne off a couple of times but overall another positive vote for one of the few directors that satisfy me with almost every film they make.

Gwynplaine

Watched the new Robocop today. 2 hours of my life I won't get back. Attrocious. Any bit Samuel L Jackson was in, he was shouting. I'm so sick of him, he's the same in every film.
Then I watched the Marco Pantani documentary (Netflix). Very good. Extremely good at what he did, who was crushed and punished by the media and cycling Guru's.
I'm now watching Frank, about 15 minutes in. Seems okay so far. Maybe more suitable to students and lazy stoners.

e_e

Irish Aris wrote: »

Superbad (2007)

the kind of comedy that I absolutely dislike. The situations are just ridiculous, it is just one gag after the other without any coherence and most characters are annoying or silly or both. I know that this is supposed to be dumb fun and "switch your brain off" kind of film, but my brain always stays on in order to be entertained. And Superbad doesn't pass the entertainment test.

Hated this movie and I'm surprised that it was even on Mubi tbh. Doesn't give me much hope to subscribe again.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Gwynplaine wrote: »

I'm now watching Frank, about 15 minutes in. Seems okay so far. Maybe more suitable to students and lazy stoners.

Students and lazy stoners? Why?

Irish Aris

e_e wrote: »

Hated this movie and I'm surprised that it was even on Mubi tbh. Doesn't give me much hope to subscribe again.

yes, that was an unexpected one. I am a subscriber for the last 4 months. Their list seems to focus on specific directors at times. Last month there was an overload on Robert Rodriguez with El Mariachi, Desperado, Once Upon A Time in Mexico and Sin City - have seen them all and have no interest to see them again. But usually I get 4-6 films per month that are worth watching (and another few that turn out to be not worth watching) and at 40 EUR a year I consider them good value for money.

e_e

What actually led me to unsubscribe the first time was not the list of movies but how wonky the apps are. PS4 one is slow and laggy as hell for me and the IOS one (hooked my iPhone up to my telly with HDMI) kept crashing. I'll probably give it another chance at fiver a month to see if it has gotten any better.

Gwynplaine

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Students and lazy stoners? Why?

I turned it off after 25 minutes. Not for me.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Gwynplaine wrote: »

I turned it off after 25 minutes. Not for me.

It was more the students and lazy stoners bit I was confused about. Not sure I see the overlap. Or what kind if film it is you think appeals to them.

Chain Smoker

Brooklyn
I really wanted to see something "nice" in the cinema so I was f*cking delighted when I remembered this is still out.
Emory Cohen didn't grate on me half as much as the Place Beyond the Pines but his James Dean mannerisms did bug me a bit. The film seemed to make some weird time/plot jumps at points that I wasn't totally okay with either (presumably an issue stemming from the book?).
Was mildly disappointed, but only because the reviews have been so universally positive, it's a very nice watch with lots of moments that put a smile on my face. I think I'd've really liked it if I was able to find Saoirse Ronan a bit more likeable, there's something about her that I just find utterly charmless.
...that all reads a lot more negative than my actual feelings on the film.

Oh, also, some parts inevitably felt like Barry's Tea ad.


Mistress America
This feels like it was thrown together by Gerwig and Baumbach as it was being filmed. Something of a hollow mess but with undeniable vibrancy and sense of fun. Liked it a lot.


The Bad and the Beautiful
Is this the first Vincente Minnelli film I've seen? I was quite hugely thrown off by some of the camera movement early on for what seemed fairly noirish.
Good film, suffers quite unfavourably in the absolutely avoidable comparisons to Citizen Kane, but good film.

Irish Aris

e_e wrote: »

What actually led me to unsubscribe the first time was not the list of movies but how wonky the apps are. PS4 one is slow and laggy as hell for me and the IOS one (hooked my iPhone up to my telly with HDMI) kept crashing. I'll probably give it another chance at fiver a month to see if it has gotten any better.

agreed. I mainly watch at PS3 and some films wouldn't even start!
They have recently had a patch update which seems to have addressed that issue.

For me the great value is that I get to find out and see films that otherwise would probably be way out of my radar. The next couple that I will see are Bergman's Wild Strawberries and Preminger's Bonjour Tristesse. While Wild Strawberries where on my to-see list, Preminger's film would probably have gone unnoticed.

Gwynplaine

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

It was more the students and lazy stoners bit I was confused about. Not sure I see the overlap. Or what kind if film it is you think appeals to them.

It just reminded me of 'What Richard did'. He did nothing. Awful film.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Gwynplaine wrote: »

It just reminded me of 'What Richard did'. He did nothing. Awful film.

That doesn't explain it either. Never mind.

NIMAN

Saw Brooklyn last night, can't see what all the hype was about to be honest.

Had the feeling of a TV movie to me.

5/10

ancapailldorcha

True Grit (2010) was on BBC2 tonight so I finally got round to watching it. Really enjoyed it. My only real complaint was Jeff Bridges' occasionally unintelligible dialogue delivery.

Also watched The Assassin last week. Similar to The Revenant in that it is gloriously shot but lacking any real substance in terms of story and characters. Watched A Walk Among the Tombstones last night. Very good Liam Neeson film.

Canadel

Interstellar - Only got around to watching it recently on recommendation from a friend. Wasn't really a fan of sci-fi or Christopher Nolan beforehand. Well, I am now, and I've just finished viewing it for the 5th time this week. If I were to put my honesty setting at around 90-100%, I'd have to admit that this is the best movie I've ever seen. A masterpiece, and so much more. The criticisms and perceived flaws pinpointed with precision and pride by its detractors only serve to make me love it even more. It calls out the cynic in us and dares to care in a world that doesn't. Only two pieces of television/film have ever brought me to tears or even close as an adult. The first was The Wire. And the second was Interstellar. One is the greatest tv show ever made. Interstellar may not be the greatest movie ever made, but I think it will only improve and impress further with time. It will remain timeless in a Shakespearean sense almost, reminding us that humanity's survival relies on us simply remaining human in a sometimes inhumane world, choosing love over hate, good over evil, and others over ourselves. As my friend said, "I love it for giving a sh*t in a sh*tless world."

10/10 in case/tars that wasn't already clear..

Duggy747

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

Was in the mood for some Keanu Reeves and slapped this on considering I barely remembered it. He's actually not in it as much I as thought but his accent truly is atrocious, all the more so when we're exposed to the likes of Anthony Hopkins and Gary Oldman just annihilating the scenery.

As much as he gets abuse for being in this film I'd be lying though if I said I didn't find him entertaining in this. :pac:

The film itself has some fantastic moments and set-designs in it, it genuinely looks fantastic in some parts and has some great old-school camera tricks thrown in. A nice little modern mouth-wash from being saturated in the past few years of constant sexy vampires.

It does have it's problems; some actors really turn up the ham, has a fair amount of unintentional hilarious moments, and the editing is a bit off in places with dead-ends or sudden shots slapped in to remind you of a moment or beat you over the head of what's happening which can be a bit jarring.

Oldman, though, really shines in this as Dracula. He does have some cheesy, borderline overacting, moments but overall he has a fantastic presence and nails the ghoulish charms / sinister intentions of the character.

Keeping with Reeves them, we might give good old Point Break a go tonight

Tony EH

"I know where the bawstawd sleeps!"

Gets me every time. :pac:

Chain Smoker

Ex Machina
Well this was just great sci-fi stuff, wasn't it?

Chi Raq
Spike Lee at his most excessive. It's absolutely crazy how thoroughly hilarious he can be in one scene and how painfully strained and unfunny he can be in the next. The tonal shifts didn't bother me at all, the length didn't bother me at all, I can imagine both driving a lot of people who even like Spike Lee a bit mad.
An absolute mess but it's the kind of mess that both reaffirms how good of a filmmaker Lee can be and how utterly baffling it is that he can't make more films like this.
If nothing else, it has Samuel L Jackson in his fun role in f*ck knows how long.


and for no reason at all, here's a 30 second scene from Spike Lee's 1999 film "Summer of Sam"

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Watched The Lego Movie tonight.

Much like Inside Out I was a little underwhelmed. Many of the same issues I had with Inside Out too. It just seemed a little heavy handed and obvious with it's message. Didn't like the live action bits either. I understand what they're doing but it makes it seem very much like a kids film.... which maybe it is.

It was funnier than Inside Out, I'll give it that. I laughed quite a few times, especially at the ghost on a string.

Tony EH

Ya know, it's funny.

I've seen 'The Lego Movie' and I know I enjoyed it. But all I can remember from it is Everything is Awesome, Morgan Freeman and Batman.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Tony EH wrote: »

Ya know, it's funny.

I've seen 'The Lego Movie' and I know I enjoyed it. But all I can remember from it is Everything is Awesome, Morgan Freeman and Batman.

It's weird how everyone loves that song when it's basically about communism.

Heckler

Just seen ' Black Mass'. Very good. Having seen the Revenant I'd be inclined to give Depp the kudos. Should have definitely been nominated.

Sir Gallagher

Heckler wrote: »

Just seen ' Black Mass'. Very good. Having seen the Revenant I'd be inclined to give Depp the kudos. Should have definitely been nominated.

I thought it was very dissapointing, i dont think any of the characters had any redeeming qualities at all. Depp was like Gary Oldman in Dracula, almost funny at times.

Heckler

Agreed no likeable characters. Thought the dinner scene and when he killed the girl were chilling. Didn't think he overdid it at all in general. Good return to form.

Chain Smoker

Haxan
Despite being made in 1922, it still managed to be surprisingly dated.
The live soundtrack (by Wrekmeister Harmonies) was pretty damn cool but wholly inappropriate for such a silly old load of ****e, only started enjoying it when I completely gave up on the film.

Lesson of film: witches rode their brooms backwards?

Decuc500

Youth

I really enjoyed this new film from Paolo Sorrentino.

Set in a spa resort in the alps in Switzerland it’s about two aging artists, Michael Caine playing a composer and Harvey Keitel a film maker who is preparing to make one final film, who are staying at the hotel. As the two men come to terms with being old, we get to observe the other oddball guests staying there.

There’s not much of a story really, but the film is full of many great moments and quirky star cameos. It all looks great, as stylish as any of Sorrentino’s other films and there’s great music from Mark Kozelek, who also appears briefly, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

Very impressive overall, I would say it’s at least as good as The Great Beauty.

pixelburp

The Brothers Bloom (2008)

Rian Johnson's second outing, and a real treat too. A playful, jazzy, enthusiastic heist comedy with an honest (dishonest?) heart, fronted by actors bubbling with chemistry and clearly loving the snappy, fun dialogue Johnson wrote for them. They bounced around a slightly oddball world of deliberate timelessness, a world containing cell-phones, steamers and telegrams at the same time. The screen snapped around in a fashion that is very much Johnson's style, yet there was something of a Wes Anderson production about this: a certain quirkiness that Anderson's film often themselves revel in. A very enjoyable, frothy time had by all.

Cop Car (2015)
An effective and worthwhile low-budget thriller, which proved that for all the technical wizardry, explosions and false tension a Blockbuster might try to create, there's little more unsettling and tense than watching a pair of 10 year olds playfully handle live firearms like they were toys.

A simple premise executed well, that ably see-sawed in tone between that of a children's adventure film & a gritty crime thriller, neither genre ever gaining too much ground over the other. And with scenes such as the one mentioned above, it was a film that knew how to best put its child stars in danger, never baulking at the unwritten Hollywood rule that you can't up kids in harms way. On that, the children deserve praise for their performance, because however it was coaxed out of them, they felt natural, organic; the friendship itself felt real, to the point that I wondered if the actors were indeed friends in real life. Kevin Bacon also chewed just the right amount of scenery to give his increasingly desperate sheriff the right amount of menace (and comedy)

Only quibble really was an ending too sudden and more than a little jarring, as if the writers had no idea how to wrap things up, figuring the film could simply fade to black on a frustratingly ambiguous note.

Spectre (2015)
It's one thing to use the term 'formulaic' as a euphemism when describing a predictable, uninspired plot or narrative, it's quite another to use the term and fully mean it.

Spectre was by far the most formulaic, by the numbers Bond film I've ever watched. Every trope used, every box ticked, with the least amount of imagination or spark that could be mustered. That the film was a financial success doesn't speak to anything beyond the confident knowledge that James Bond is a fairly universal brand at this stage; a brand whose apparent re-invention has given way to being as tedious and predictable as the latter Brosnan films were.

I've given out about the Marvel films operating under a fairly transparent formula themselves at this stage, but at least with each film the studio has tried to tweak the formula around the edges, merge it into other sub-genres and categories (Ant Man effectively a heist movie, Captain American: Winter Soldier an urban conspiracy thriller, Guardians of the Galaxy a space-opera comedy etc. etc.). The formula's there, but the surface distracts with an energy and invention in its own way. There was none of that in Spectre

To be fair, between Spectre and Skyfall you have the most handsome and gorgeously shot Bond films in the franchise, and Sam Mende's work has yielded some stunningly beautiful compositions. Quieter scenes in Spectre were often framed exquisitely, everything in the centre of the shot, with symmetry used to great effect. It's just a shame the actual film was so forgettable.