What have you watched recently: Electric Boogaloo

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

budgemook wrote: »

For 10 year old kids why wouldn't it be popular? Teenage. Mutant. Ninja. Turtles.

Teenage. Mutant. Hero. Turtles.

budgemook

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Teenage. Mutant. Hero. Turtles.

Only temporarily. Wow people were easily offended back then.

Tony EH

Didn't the BBFC also cut a scene of one of them twirling a chain of sausages like nunchucks?

Mind boggling.

MilesMorales1

Tony EH wrote: »

Didn't the BBFC also cut a scene of one of them twirling a chain of sausages like nunchucks?

Mind boggling.

I can't say I noticed personally. It's possible I fell asleep once or twice, given how dull the action scenes were.

johnny_ultimate

Everybody Wants Some!! Despite his recent hit streak, I still oddly approach a new Linklater film with caution. I don't think my mind quite acknowledges him as a great auteur, more a solid journeyman who throws out a great personal film once or twice a decade amid harmless studio fare and the occasional total dud.

That's an unnecessary preamble to me stating Everybody Wants Some!! is ****ing fantastic. Gloriously shapeless, it's a film that, like its characters, goes with the flow. Some sequences are basically extended gags, others surprisingly probing, but a through line of playfulness and breeziness is the rock solid core. It's a film that expertly captures that sense of simply hanging out and acting like jackasses.

After being slightly concerned about a credit sequence that could be used as a textbook example of a camera adopting a male gaze (and a few better developed female characters would be welcome throughout), it's a relief to discover that the film is as critical of its characters' raging masculinity as it is celebratory of the same. Most of the characters are charming, funny, fun-loving and in quite a few cases legitimately intelligent. But they're also arrogant, sleazy, immature and in quite a few cases legitimately insane. The film perfectly captures all of that, and it's tonnes of fun to spend time with these ridiculous bastards, who we can laugh with as much as we can laugh at. There's a few moments of almost surreal poetry in there too, like one character effortlessly slicing baseballs in half with an axe, which is far more elegant than it should be.

For a film that in many cases resembles countless campus colleges of old, there's plenty to push this above its peers. Linklater has made a great coming of age story that doesn't get weighed down in cliched identity politics - for all the cliques at play, they all mingle and get on incredibly well for a film keen to simply let the good times roll. It's a look at the fluidity of college life. It doesn't completely abandon the structures of campus comedies, but it plays and toys with them. Some of the camera and editing work has a casual grace and dynamism I usually wouldn't associate with a Linklater film.

Bonus points for adding a new entry to the short but prestigious list of great scenes of characters casually belting out a pop hit without giving a single solitary ****.

Chain Smoker

Idiocracy
Maybe it's because the last time I watched it it was a 188p rip on Youku and I missed a ton of visual jokes, but this was far faaaaar better than I remembered. The voiceover's horrible and some of the plot is painfully strained, but it's a bloody fun film!
Bonus points for being a Luke Wilson lead, that guy really grew on me.
Bonus bonus bonus points for giving a co-lead role to Maya Rudolph because I love Maya Rudolph and I'd love her even if she wasn't very funny and stuff but she is so that's great too.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail
So this was one of the funniest things ever to me when I was about 14 but this time I kind of just sat through it going "very clever! that's funny! I really appreciate the mix of silliness with high intellect!" while hardly laughing.
Guess it didn't help that I was in an audience of people who likely quote it in every conversation they have.

A Touch of Zen
Some really important parts seemed to garner some unintentional laughter from the audience and I can't really blame them. Mostly very good beyond that but with some serious Scouring of the Shire-esque "shouldn't this be over now" vibes from its pacing.

Jurassic Park
First time in maybe 15 years. **** me this is an entertaining film. ****. I mean, this was so ****ing good. ****. I was giddy throughout the ****ing thing. Didn't remember Attenborough being such a total c*nt before but that added to it.

Jaws
Obviously it's great but I completely forgot how much Robert Shaw elevates this. He's got charisma out the wazoo, definitely the kind of actor whose prime was going to be in his later years too.

NIMAN

Have been off the film scene recently due to Billions, taking in an episode each night.
Near end of 1st season and really enjoying it.
Was always a fan of Paul Giamatti.

The Long Riders 1980 A Walter Hill film with 3 sets of brothers playing the James', Youngers and Millers - Keaches, Carradines, and Quaids. About Jesse James' gang of bandits. Some great set pieces, but the film suffers from a bunch of lull's that cost it a bit. Although in many ways its worth sitting through those lull's to get to the last set piece which is really outstanding and incredibly violent for 1980. Spine tingling violence almost. One thing is for sure "No animals were hurt during the making of this film' does not apply.

Irish Aris

Haven't been to the cinema for a while and I gave it all last weekend with 4 films:

Money Monster
This felt like a lost opportunity-if only someone has written a decent screenplay. There are some good ideas in the story, Jodie Foster gives a good pace and the three leading actors try to liven up things, but there is very little to work with and towards the end (

when they leave the studio

the whole thing becomes rather absurd. One for home viewing I reckon

Alice Through The Looking Glass
I found this very beautiful, one that I admire more than I liked. There isn't a massive story behind it, it is primarily around the technical aspects-the production designs/sets are stunning, some impressive costumes and a very colourful cinematography. Acting is tuned to the story, nothing new or exceptional, we have seen some of them in the previous film acting quite similar.

A Hologram for the King
I am a big fan of Tom Tykwer's cinema (especially the German films) and the opening scene of the film was quite promising. Alas the story of the film doesn't allow for many bold ideas or a degree of craziness that Tykwer seems to like. There are some interesting (albeit repetitive) elements to the story primarily the whole "getting out of your comfort zone" idea with which I can relate to. Tykwer uses spaces quite well and injects the story with as much humour as he can. Solid acting once again from Tom Hanks, and a very good breakthrough performance from Alexander Black.

Our Kind of Traitor
This was a pleasant surprise, although looking back at my lists I tend to always like films based on John LeCarre's books. Susanna White in the director's chair wisely keeps things low key, although I think that she could notch it up a bit without losing control. This low key approach seems to suit most of the actors- Ewan McGregor gives a good performance. The one that stole the show for me though was Damian Lewis.

Harry Palmr

Far From the Madding Crowd 1967 Dir John Schlesinger

Thomas Hardy's tale of one woman and three very different men, all potential suitors is a beautifully mounted intimate epic clocking in at just under three hours. The only thing one could quibble with are the 60s hairstyles and that annoying habit back then of the lead actress being treated to a defuser filter for the close up's. God knows Julie Christie never needed one! Terence Stamp, Peter Finch and Alan Bates are all terrific as the men seeking the affections of the unexpectedly enriched Bathsheba.

Richard Rodney Bennett's score evokes the rugged Wessex countryside compellingly as does Nic Roeg in his penultimate outing as a DP for hire.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

^The more recent version of Far From The Madding Crowd with Carey Mulligan is worth a watch. It's not as good as the book but it's shorter than the '67 version and Mulligan and Michael Sheen are great in it.

Snake Plisken

Ben Wheatley's Highrise, having seen Wheatley's other work including Kill List and Sightseers I was looking forward to seeing this and even though you will have some think that is crap, I thought it was pretty good l, based on the J.G. Ballard novel set in the 70's in a super Highrise building with the designer living at the top and lower classes at the bottom and the breakdown of society within the building in a 3 month period! Good performances from Tom Hiddleston, Jeramy Irons, Sienna Miller and Luke Evans. As I said not for everyone but I really enjoyed it 7/10.

fin12

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

^The more recent version of Far From The Madding Crowd with Carey Mulligan is worth a watch. It's not as good as the book but it's shorter than the '67 version and Mulligan and Michael Sheen are great in it.

I went to see that in the cinema, it's actually quite funny but it's not supposed to be I don't think.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

fin12 wrote: »

I went to see that in the cinema, it's actually quite funny but it's not supposed to be I don't think.

I remember thinking it didn't catch the magic of the book but I don't remember any unintentionally funny bits.

fin12

Hi guys has anyone seen the new Ryan Gosling film nice guys, I've read different reviews about some saying it's very funny and others not so much, so just wondering if anyone's seen it and what they thought of it?

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

I watched Bubble Boy on Film 4 earlier.

I've seen it a few times before but it's just so funny. Stupid and ridiculous but hilarious. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Jimmy, a boy born with "no immunities" so he has to live inside a giant protective bubble in his room. A new neighbour, Chloe, befriends him and over the years they fall in love, but the giant bubble he lives in comes between them. When Chloe leaves for New York to marry Mark, Jimmy decides to escape in a smaller giant bubble and stop Chloe's wedding. All that stands between him and the wedding is a gang of bikers, a cult, a freak show, an ice cream/curry van, some mud wrestling and the entire continental United States.

It is the most ridiculous film you'll ever see but it's like everyone involved knew it was ridiculous and just went for it 100%.

Sugarlumps

The Faculty - Really underrated, excellent movie.

Spy - Lapped it up, loved every minute of it.

Mizu_Ger

The Big Clock (1947)
Adapted from the same novel as "No Way Out" (I didn't realise this until about 35 minutes in, when the story was getting very familiar!). Ray Milland and Charles Laughton play the leads and it's an excellend thriller/suspense. It doesn't quite wring as much tension from the premise as NWO (it's obviously not set during the cold war, but in the magazine industry), but still rattles along at a good clip and works well today. The only downside is that if you've see NWO there aren't as many surprises (although the climax is not quite the same).

Also, I'm still not sure what the clock reference is all about.

Self/Less
I knew this had bad reviews going in, but thought it would at least be some sc-fi to pass 2 hours. It's rubbish!!! Starts with a bit of sci-fi where Ben Kingsley's mind is inserted into Ryan Reynolds' body. Then it changes into a sub-par action film with lots of "emotion" from Ryan Reynolds that doesn't even fit the character. Avoid.

Regression
Alejandro Amenábar thriller based around a raft of satanic ritual and abuse incidences in the US in the early 90's. I had never heard of this before, but the premise is interesting. We are told a number of times that there is panic around the increasing number of incidents, but it never really feels like this. It becomes apparent early how it's all going to play out too, so the shocks are few. Could have been much better.

Duggy747

Hail Caesar!

Not one of my favourite Coen movies, doesn't quite hit the mark quite a lot with it's themes. It does have some great scenes and comedic moments in it though and it's clear it's a love letter to the older era of movie-making but there's a lot of moments where it falls.

A minor quibble, but would've liked if they had committed more to the style of film of that era when portraying movie scenes, a lot of them didn't feel or look right. The 1st musical number with the CGI water transitions was a bit jarring.

It was entertaining for what it was but not a Coen film I'd be quick to watch again.

ancapailldorcha

fin12 wrote: »

Hi guys has anyone seen the new Ryan Gosling film nice guys, I've read different reviews about some saying it's very funny and others not so much, so just wondering if anyone's seen it and what they thought of it?

I saw it on Sunday. I loved it and would highly recommend it. Don't watch the trailer if you can help it.

johnny_ultimate

The Battle of Algiers - as good as it gets. Immense documentary-style filmmaking vividly captures the conflict through sequences that feel truly raw and real. Story wise it's provocatively engaged with the people and politics - sympathetic of the rebels, but also willing to critique their actions. Epic, intimate and truly essential that earns all of the kudos it has collected over the decades.

Extreme Private Eros: Love Song 1974 - Perhaps the most descriptive title in cinema history. I'm not exactly sure what I would have classified as the most 'intimate' documentary I've ever seen before this, but Kazou Hara's undoubtedly leaps above whatever it was - and that's before the two birth sequences. Hara follows his ex-lover over a year or two, from her exodus to Okinawa to her time in a Tokyo 'mother and child commune'. It's a masterclass in discomforting, up close and personal documentary storytelling, the filmmaker's role in proceedings weird, engaged and - as he points out himself - manipulative. There's nothing like this formally speaking, and as much as you feel you're intruding at times it's fascinating to see these people so willing to let you behind closed doors.

Outer Space - imagine getting violently attacked by a demon possessed malfunctioning projector for ten minutes. Loved it.

Lady Snowblood 1 + 2 - I was misled. I was expecting exploitative viscera, and while there were certainly plenty of obscene blood splashing (in that lovely orange hue of Asian films of the era) these are far more subdued films that Quentin Tarantino's OTT homages. There's a deep sense of melancholy running through the films, and they barely revel in their violent scenes at all (although one 'slice' may be among the hardest hitting in all of cinema). The second film complicates the political context but lacks the Japanese theatre inspired production design that gives the first its moments of particular visual splendour. Not among the truly great Japanese films of their period, but something quite a bit more substantial than shallow revenge thrillers.

Chain Smoker

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Extreme Private Eros: Love Song 1974 - Perhaps the most descriptive title in cinema history. I'm not exactly sure what I would have classified as the most 'intimate' documentary I've ever seen before this, but Kazou Hara's undoubtedly leaps above whatever it was - and that's before the two birth sequences. Hara follows his ex-lover over a year or two, from her exodus to Okinawa to her time in a Tokyo 'mother and child commune'. It's a masterclass in discomforting, up close and personal documentary storytelling, the filmmaker's role in proceedings weird, engaged and - as he points out himself - manipulative. There's nothing like this formally speaking, and as much as you feel you're intruding at times it's fascinating to see these people so willing to let you behind closed doors.

Have you seen the Emperor's Naked Army Marches On by Hara? I think it'd definitely benefit a bit from seeing this one before it.




Abigail's Party
Had no clue this would feel so much like a play so that was disappointing, but it was okay enough. Nuts in May remains my favourite 70s Mike Leigh thing.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

Tangerine.

Really liked it. Plus, now the next time someone asks me for a recommendation for a nice Christmas film I have a good one

johnny_ultimate

Chain Smoker wrote: »

Have you seen the Emperor's Naked Army Marches On by Hara? I think it'd definitely benefit a bit from seeing this one before it.

Nope, know you've mentioned it before and have been quite keen to watch it at some point, will propel it up the list after Extreme Private Eros: Love Song 1974 (didn't need to type the title, but it's too awesome not to)

As an aside, Mubi are on fire at the moment. Wonderful obscurities like Hara's film are the exact sort of things I want from a streaming service, and there's plenty on there at the moment. There's sometimes slightly quieter periods, but it's easily the most valuable and worthwhile VOD service out there for cinema fans right now anyway! Plus the Arabian Nights trilogy for those of y'all who haven't had the pleasure of seeing it!

fin12

The Boss, Mellissa McCarthys new film, not that funny, I wouldn't bother going seeing it in the cinema.

Chain Smoker

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Nope, know you've mentioned it before and have been quite keen to watch it at some point, will propel it up the list after Extreme Private Eros: Love Song 1974 (didn't need to type the title, but it's too awesome not to)

As an aside, Mubi are on fire at the moment. Wonderful obscurities like Hara's film are the exact sort of things I want from a streaming service, and there's plenty on there at the moment. There's sometimes slightly quieter periods, but it's easily the most valuable and worthwhile VOD service out there for cinema fans right now anyway! Plus the Arabian Nights trilogy for those of y'all who haven't had the pleasure of seeing it!

The two consistencies across my boards accounts are my avatar and endlessly recommending that film!

I imagine Mubi have had a pretty strong growth rate in recent years, they've became one of those companies who are seemingly on EVERY podcast so I imagine the signup rates from listeners must be really strong. It's a pretty interesting product to counter the overwhelming choice of Netflix et al.
To a certain degree I can imagine it being one people would be unwilling to cancel too, would be sort of like admitting that you're letting life get in the way of your film buff pursuits.

Faith+1

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Outer Space - imagine getting violently attacked by a demon possessed malfunctioning projector for ten minutes. Loved it.

For a split second I was thinking wtf are you talking about! There was no demon possessed projector in Outer Space!?? Then I realised I was thinking of Innerspace! Duh!

Mizu_Ger

Mizu_Ger wrote: »

The Big Clock (1947)
Adapted from the same novel as "No Way Out" (I didn't realise this until about 35 minutes in, when the story was getting very familiar!). Ray Milland and Charles Laughton play the leads and it's an excellend thriller/suspense. It doesn't quite wring as much tension from the premise as NWO (it's obviously not set during the cold war, but in the magazine industry), but still rattles along at a good clip and works well today. The only downside is that if you've see NWO there aren't as many surprises (although the climax is not quite the same).

Also, I'm still not sure what the clock reference is all about.

Self/Less
I knew this had bad reviews going in, but thought it would at least be some sc-fi to pass 2 hours. It's rubbish!!! Starts with a bit of sci-fi where Ben Kingsley's mind is inserted into Ryan Reynolds' body. Then it changes into a sub-par action film with lots of "emotion" from Ryan Reynolds that doesn't even fit the character. Avoid.

Regression
Alejandro Amenábar thriller based around a raft of satanic ritual and abuse incidences in the US in the early 90's. I had never heard of this before, but the premise is interesting. We are told a number of times that there is panic around the increasing number of incidents, but it never really feels like this. It becomes apparent early how it's all going to play out too, so the shocks are few. Could have been much better.

I forgot to add that if you feel like watching Self/Less, don't. Watch John Frankenheimer's Seconds instead.

Duggy747

Twins (1988)

GF never seen it so we threw it on. Prime slice of American 80's cheese with really goofy and daft humour that could only exist in that decade and the early 90's.

Funny to think how Arnie comes off so intentionally silly in this film only after a few years of Conan, Terminator, Commando, Predator, etc........action films that built him up like an unstoppable force. The first film I think where he fully took the piss out of himself (and a little jibe at Stallone :P) and his career.

DeVito is always entertaining and he's pretty much a prototype Frank Reynolds in the film with his crazy schemes and selfish behaviour :pac:

It's corny and cheesy, complete with that goofball 80's comedy sax music but it was still funny to watch with herself, and she really enjoyed it.

fin12

Duggy747 wrote: »

Twins (1988)

GF never seen it so we threw it on. Prime slice of American 80's cheese with really goofy and daft humour that could only exist in that decade and the early 90's.

Funny to think how Arnie comes off so intentionally silly in this film only after a few years of Conan, Terminator, Commando, Predator, etc........action films that built him up like an unstoppable force. The first film I think where he fully took the piss out of himself (and a little jibe at Stallone :P) and his career.

DeVito is always entertaining and he's pretty much a prototype Frank Reynolds in the film with his crazy schemes and selfish behaviour :pac:

It's corny and cheesy, complete with that goofball 80's comedy sax music but it was still funny to watch with herself, and she really enjoyed it.

Oh I love that film, its so funny, you should watch the film where Arnold is pregnant, another really good comedy.