What have you watched recently: Electric Boogaloo

bnt

I recorded The Lincoln Lawyer a few weeks ago and watched it last night. Mildly interesting, but I was slightly underwhelmed in the end, and thought the core story wasn't anything I hadn't seen or read before: lawyer (Matthew McConaughey) roped in to defending a client whom he discovers to be guilty of more serious crimes. (Not a spoiler - this was basically telegraphed from the start, if it hadn't been in the movie description on IMDB.) The fun was in the details of how he juggled his obligations as a lawyer with "doing the right thing", and he had a lot of help (ex-wife, PI ... gang of bikers?). However McConaughey lost me with his over-acting: starting off all callous and cynical, then has his "road to Damascus" moment and gets all serious. Maybe that's in the character, and we do see him trying to find a middle ground by the end.

ButtersSuki

bnt wrote: »

I recorded The Lincoln Lawyer a few weeks ago and watched it last night. Mildly interesting, but I was slightly underwhelmed in the end, and thought the core story wasn't anything I hadn't seen or read before: lawyer (Matthew McConaughey) roped in to defending a client whom he discovers to be guilty of more serious crimes. (Not a spoiler - this was basically telegraphed from the start, if it hadn't been in the movie description on IMDB.) The fun was in the details of how he juggled his obligations as a lawyer with "doing the right thing", and he had a lot of help (ex-wife, PI ... gang of bikers?). However McConaughey lost me with his over-acting: starting off all callous and cynical, then has his "road to Damascus" moment and gets all serious. Maybe that's in the character, and we do see him trying to find a middle ground by the end.

I did watch that once but can't remember much about it tbh, which says something in itself. It's one of a series of crime fiction books by Michael Connelly, and as light crime fiction goes, the books aren't bad. The character played by McConaughey in The Lincoln Lawyer is the half-brother of Harry Bosch btw (another set of books by the same author and also an amazon prime series (which I haven't seen)).

Tony EH

CrankyHaus wrote: »

I actually think The War Game, the 1965 Peter Watkins film that was withdrawn by the BBC until 1985, is better than Threads. It was on Youtube last time I checked but I couldn't find it today. I'd give it 8/10.

Yeh, 'The War Game' is great too. But, for me, 'Threads' edges it. It's more unrelenting and its graphic nature still succeeds in sending shivers up my spine today.

CrankyHaus wrote: »

What ever happened to John McTiernan?

'The Last Action Hero' happened to him and then it was all down hill from there.

Tony EH

Tony EH wrote:

'The Last Action Hero' happened to him and then it was all down hill from there.

Pretty sure that it was prison that was his problem though be is back and last year did a rather great trailer for Ghost Recon: Wild Lands and is currently working on another film.

Tony EH

Deleted User wrote: »

Pretty sure that it was prison that was his problem though be is back and last year did a rather great trailer for Ghost Recon: Wild Lands and is currently working on another film.

It was a joke Donnie.

david75

Lars and the real girl.

Is there no end to Ryan Goslings talents? A wonderful little film.

Tony EH

Tony EH wrote:

It was a joke Donnie.

Oh right, jokes are generally funny.

Tony EH

Deleted User wrote: »

Oh right, jokes are generally funny.

awwww....not mine.

bnt

Tony EH wrote: »

'The Last Action Hero' happened to him and then it was all down hill from there.

After that he made the 3rd Die Hard, The Thomas Crown Affair and Rollerball, so I wouldn't say that. But then he made Basic, which was really badly reviewed (34% on Metacritic). Then his legal troubles started ...

Sugarlumps

Hacksaw Ridge - Comedy gold.

El Duda

Sorcerer - 8/10

Frequently cited in many top films of all time lists, Sorcerer was sold to me as a quintessential slice of cinema history. It bombed on its theatrical release as it was up against Star Wars, but this is no turkey.

The plot synopsis reads like this will be a stripped back, bare bones film with a very simple plot. "Four men have to transport two trucks packed with nitroglycerin across a South American jungle."
I was a little disappointed that it takes almost an hour to get to this brilliant central premise. There's a lot of preamble to get through but it is well worth it.

It delivered on its promise of tension/suspense and contains one of the most nail biting sequences I've ever seen. It's a highly impressive set piece that really makes you wonder how on earth they managed to film it, which is a feeling you just don't get anymore with modern movies.

Really glad I picked this up on the 40th anniversary blu-ray as I will be revisiting it. Essential viewing.


Road Trip - 7/10

This is one of the comedies that came along during my formative years and even though I'm well aware its just another goofy teen comedy, this one holds a special place in my balls.

Good chemistry between the leads, decent set pieces, an appearance from Andy Dick and the salmon song. It still makes me chuckle after all these years.

Tom Green :adore:

delbertgrady

Breakheart Pass (1975)
"When a man is a killer, arsonist, a cheat and a coward, it's hardly surprising if he turns out to be a liar as well."
Get Carter (1971)
"You're a big man, but you're in bad shape. With me, it's a full time job. Now behave yourself."
Where Eagles Dare (1968)
"Broadsword calling Danny Boy! Broadsword calling Danny Boy!"

Standing Bear

delbertgrady wrote: »

Breakheart Pass (1975)
"When a man is a killer, arsonist, a cheat and a coward, it's hardly surprising if he turns out to be a liar as well."
Get Carter (1971)
"You're a big man, but you're in bad shape. With me, it's a full time job. Now behave yourself."
Where Eagles Dare (1968)
"Broadsword calling Danny Boy! Broadsword calling Danny Boy!"

Three classic movies with three (four) legendary leads: Charles Bronson, Michael Caine, Clint Eastwood (+ Richard Burton) - how could you go wrong.

ButtersSuki

Mr. Mercedes Season 1 binge watch over the last week. Good in places, weak in others, and for me a poor finale. Brendan Gleeson was quite good in it (but got the feeling he was largely playing himself!), but overall meh. 5/10.

ButtersSuki

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Mr. Mercedes Season 1 binge watch over the last week. Good in places, weak in others, and for me a poor finale. Brendan Gleeson was quite good in it (but got the feeling he was largely playing himself!), but overall meh. 5/10.

Jayz I thought this was brilliant! Gleeson hilarious, enjoyed the dialogue a lot with his neighbor, suitably weird and screwed up bad guy. 5/10 seriously harsh!

bladespin

Deleted User wrote: »

Jayz I thought this was brilliant! Gleeson hilarious, enjoyed the dialogue a lot with his neighbor, suitably weird and screwed up bad guy. 5/10 seriously harsh!

Me too, had a great pulpy vibe from it, couldn't stop watching it, also thought the actor who played Mr.Mercedes was brilliantly odd.

ButtersSuki

Deleted User wrote: »

Jayz I thought this was brilliant! Gleeson hilarious, enjoyed the dialogue a lot with his neighbor, suitably weird and screwed up bad guy. 5/10 seriously harsh!

I'm a hard marker at the best of times!

I did say it was good in places and that Gleeson was quite good; I just felt the ending was weak, the 2nd last episode's twist

placing his dead manager's body in the bed etc.

was predictable etc. but I guess the problem with it for me is there's so much quality TV out there right now that unless it's really top notch I struggle with it. It's by no means bad - I debated giving it a 6 - but I didn't think it was brilliant either.

As well as Glesson, Mr. Mercedes himself was also very well played, I should have given the guy credit for that too.

Whilst I haven't read the Mr. Mercedes books, I've read a lot of King. This just felt a little light and fluffy for me and maybe not "Kingy" enough for me.


I'm not saying you're wrong and I'm right btw; I'm pretty sure you'd likely find nothing in movies/TV i like etc. Doctors differ, patients die and all that!

stampydmonkey

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Whilst I haven't read the Mr. Mercedes books, I've read a lot of King. This just felt a little light and fluffy for me and maybe not "Kingy" enough for me.

Reading the books, on the last one and a quarter into it. Only now starting to get "Kingy". They are very readable but as you said, they are a little fluffy.

Thought the tv version was decent tho. Very well cast.

ButtersSuki

ButtersSuki wrote: »

I'm a hard marker at the best of times!

By the way, I have to say that opening scene in the pilot, I don't need to mention what happened, is probably the most shocking opening scene I can ever remember from a TV show. That alone needs up to your rating to a 6!

johnny_ultimate

Decasia - the astonishing Dawson City: Frozen Time was an unexpected highlight of ADIFF, so was glad to see a substantial box set of director Bill Morrison's earlier work was released by the BFI a while back.

One of my few minor criticisms of Dawson City was that a few more traditional documentary bits bookending the more free-form majority didn't 100% fit. His most famous work, Decasia, doesn't have that problem - this is an hour or so of pure imagery, accompanied by a startling, long-form score by composer Michael Gordon (which is truly unlike anything else I've ever heard in a film). Like Dawson City, this film is formed primarily (or actually entirely in this case) by found footage - heavily damaged or deteriorated film stock. With no traditional narrative to speak of, the images and indeed the deterioration itself begin to tell stories: a boxer punching into a void; an old Japanese film where the details are now but fleeting spectres; faces monstrously distorted as a result of the irreparable nitrate film damage. Moments of beauty are within for sure, but others are genuinely unnerving. In these 'broken' images, this fascinating reflection on mortality - human and cinematic - emerges.

This is very much an experimental work, but I was genuinely captivated for the duration. Very much looking forward to diving deeper into Morrison's work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDa-mmSldDg

buried

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

I thought this was absolutely brilliant stuff. A proper fresh but at the same time strangely familiar take on psychological horror film-making. I loved the whole occultish element brought into the shiny pristine world of the main family. I know some people be complaining about the dialogue, for me the dialogue ushers in the unsettling darkness like a spell underneath the slight ridiculousness of it's delivery. It's a major factor into what makes this piece of work actually work. It really is brilliant IMO. A proper on screen Grimoire. Fantastic film, Yorgos Lanthimos can do no wrong for me, I loved 'The Lobster' too, my only complaint is only a case of more, more, more. I want more. Really great performances from everybody but especially from young Raffedy Cassidy and Barry Keoghan. Proper accessible and enjoyable forward pushing work. Great Tack. Instabuy on the blu ray. 9/10

policy75

Renegades: Luc Besson:
So I ended up watching this movie last night purely on a whim. There it was so I clicked on it. Storyline is about a bunch of US Special forces in Sarajevo in the mid 1990s who get involved in a search for Nazi gold that went missing in 1944. No other spoilers. Cost of making the film was over $60 million dollars. Effects were good, story-line was reasonable. Overall just shy of two hours decent entertainment. So after watching the film I checked Rotten Tomatoes which gave it a score of 0 and the critics simply killed it as utterly useless. Sometimes its better to ignore the experts. Its an enjoyable film. When you think that The Shape of Water won the Oscars this year, LaLaLand won it last year, and then I think back to when BirdMan won it, maybe its best if we are allowed make up our own minds as to what constitutes entertainment value

ButtersSuki

buried wrote: »

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

I thought this was absolutely brilliant stuff. A proper fresh but at the same time strangely familiar take on psychological horror film-making. I loved the whole occultish element brought into the shiny pristine world of the main family. I know some people be complaining about the dialogue, for me the dialogue ushers in the unsettling darkness like a spell underneath the slight ridiculousness of it's delivery. It's a major factor into what makes this piece of work actually work. It really is brilliant IMO. A proper on screen Grimoire. Fantastic film, Yorgos Lanthimos can do no wrong for me, I loved 'The Lobster' too, my only complaint is only a case of more, more, more. I want more. Really great performances from everybody but especially from young Raffedy Cassidy and Barry Keoghan. Proper accessible and enjoyable forward pushing work. Great Tack. Instabuy on the blu ray. 9/10

I didn't dislike it but wasn't as keen on it as you are - but he, that's allowed!

Given your review, I think you might like Funny Games (either version).

buried

ButtersSuki wrote: »

I didn't dislike it but wasn't as keen on it as you are - but he, that's allowed!

Given your review, I think you might like Funny Games (either version).

Nice wan, I liked some of the works Haneke has done but never checked that one out, will seek out the two of them things!

ButtersSuki

buried wrote: »

Nice wan, I liked some of the works Haneke has done but never checked that one out, will seek out the two of them things!

Haneke's later works are definitely more nuanced, subtle and developed. Funny Games is/are a bit of a blunt sledgehammer by comparison, but I liked them. Mind you, I seem to be in the minority for that......don't think I've ever had a discussion with anyone who liked them!

branie2

Lady Bird at the cinema this evening. It was very good.

CrankyHaus

Look Who's Back (2015)
German comedy about Hitler returning to life in modern Berlin and becoming a TV comedy star as he rants about cookery shows and immigrants. A deeply weird concept that the film competently pulls off. The film feels split between improv scenes with the public, that feel like something Sacha Baron would do, and the more scripted second half. The attempt to graft deeper meanings into the film was unsuccessful and this is best viewed as a comedy. The acting was generally excellent and I laughed a lot. This topped the box office in Germany on release and the book it is based on was a bestseller. Good to see Netflix pick it up. 7/10

Mooooo

Death of a superhero on rte2 is an alrite show

delbertgrady

An American Werewolf in London (1981)
"I will not be threatened by a walking meatloaf."
JFK (1991)
"Back, and to the left... back, and to the left... back, and to the left."
The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
"I ain't your scout. And we sure ain't in no damn militia."

igCorcaigh

Paddy Considine's directorial debut 'Tyrannosaur' and also 'Dead Man's Shoes' in which he played the protagonist.

Both a tough watch, both bloody brilliant.
For fans of gritty British realism; 'Nil by Mouth', 'This is England' etc.