What have you watched recently: Electric Boogaloo

Bipolar Joe

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Attack the Gas Station!

If you get the time, check out the sequel. It's basically the exact same thing, and just as fun.

cursai

Man of Steel. if you can ignore the massive plotholes and some childish lines......youll enjoy the special effects.

Bipolar Joe

Bipolar Joe wrote: »

If you get the time, check out the sequel. It's basically the exact same thing, and just as fun.

Best of all it's on Netflix US.

briany

]The Day of the Beast (1995)

Blackly comic Spanish horror about a priest who believes he's discovered a secret code in the bible that tells of where and when the anti-christ will be born. Turns out it's only a day or two away, and in Madrid, conveniently enough. He goes there on a mission to stop the birth and save the world with the aid of a local death-metalhead and a TV psychic.

Very entertaining film. Has a real madcap feel with the bungling priest making his quest up almost as he goes along. He's had only very little time to prepare, I suppose. Recommended if you're in the mood for an Omen type film that doesn't itself seriously.

pixelburp

Berberian Sound Studio (2012)

Toby Jones stars as a Sound Engineer, conned into working on the audio, SFX, foley etc. for a schlocky 70s Italian Horror movie. Initially repulsed by the scenes he has to create audio for (brilliantly, we never see the film in question, "Equestrian Vortex"), he and the audience are slowly corrupted by the barrage of disturbing audio and disjointed soundscapes.

Whilst I can't decide if the last act is either mindbendingly brilliant or just a bit of an incoherent mess, the material leading up to that was fantastic. For anyone who loves cinema, specifically the mechanics and art that goes into physically putting a film together, all the scenes in the sound studio were a joy to watch (who knew you could do so much with vegetables and a mic!).

Outside of that, the way the creeping dread & atmosphere of the horror film bleeds into the reality of the narrative we're watching was deftly handled - the film uses audio to create a genuine psychological disturbance throughout the movie. It's not an actual horror movie as such, but Berberian... has an unsettling quality greater than most modern horror cinema can manage.

The Black Oil

Kermode's documentary - The Fear Of God: The Making of The Exorcist. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0237235/

Kermode's in it very little himself. Seemed like Friedkin was a bit of a bollocks at times. Worth a watch.

Tony EH

There's no doubt in my mind that William Friedkin is an incredible bollocks, but he's managed to turn in at least two excellent pictures and others that deserve an honourable mention.

krudler

Tony EH wrote: »

There's no doubt in my mind that William Friedkin is an incredible bollocks, but he's managed to turn in at least two excellent pictures and others that deserve an honourable mention.

the Empire team had a special podcast with him on it a while back, interesting interview

Rubber_Soul

briany wrote: »

Jagten (2012)

Danish film about a nursery school teacher whose life begins to unravel when he is accused of 'improper relations' with one of his pupils.

Amazing film. I'd encourage anyone who reads this post to at least consider giving it a watch. The shockwave that the accusation causes for the man and the community he's surrounded by is portrayed honestly and sometimes brutally but it also tries to give a more multi faceted and in depth picture of how those in the man's social circle react. It's not just about hate, love, truth or lies. There's shades of grey as well. Anyway, I've said enough, give it a watch if you're in the mood for a drama.

Bumping an old post to highlight this film for anyone that may not have watched it. I just watched this and I can honestly say I've never felt angrier at a film in my life. Absolutely brilliant drama with a fantastic performance from Mads Mikkelsen.

Corkfeen

Watched Marathon Man this evening, it hasn't ceased to be uncomfortable and i've sat through many uncomfortable films at this point.

I know the teeth scene is the infamous scene however I actually found another part of the film to be far more powerful.

Szell basically walks down the most Jewish street in the world and is confronted by victims from his past.

It was such an intense scene which was entirely unpredictable what the outcome be. Also the character blended so well into his surroundings even though he was so evil.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Recorded The Cohen Brothers' "A Serious Man" off BBC the other night. Watched it this morning.

I wasn't impressed. It was kind of dull and a bit depressing.

Paddy Samurai

Corkfeen wrote: »

Watched Marathon Man this evening, it hasn't ceased to be uncomfortable and i've sat through many uncomfortable films at this point.

I know the teeth scene is the infamous scene however I actually found another part of the film to be far more powerful.

Szell basically walks down the most Jewish street in the world and is confronted by victims from his past.

It was such an intense scene which was entirely unpredictable what the outcome be. Also the character blended so well into his surroundings even though he was so evil.

It's a long time since I saw the film ,but the fight scene with "Doc" was another that I remember vividly.A great realistic fight scene.

It looked like he was going to win the fight.

Along with Dustin ,Scheider was top notch....

briany

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Recorded The Cohen Brothers' "A Serious Man" off BBC the other night. Watched it this morning.

I wasn't impressed. It was kind of dull and a bit depressing.

A Serious Man wouldn't be a morning film in my book. The Breakfast Club - now that's a morning film. :cool:

No, I think ASM would be a state of mind kind of film. Similar to Barton Fink, you could watch and wonder what the hell it was all about or you could love it, depending on your state of mind. Sometimes I like a film like that, which doesn't seem to be about too much, to just wash over me, kind of. It's a pessimistic slice of life, I suppose you could say. It's really just about a guy who's life is coming apart at the seams but he's too much of a nebbish to do much about it. Painful but with moments of black/offbeat humour that the Cohens do quite well.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

briany wrote: »

No, I think ASM would be a state of mind kind of film. Similar to Barton Fink, you could watch and wonder what the hell it was all about or you could love it, depending on your state of mind. Sometimes I like a film like that, which doesn't seem to be about too much, to just wash over me, kind of. It's a pessimistic slice of life, I suppose you could say. It's really just about a guy who's life is coming apart at the seams but he's too much of a nebbish to do much about it. Painful but with moments of black/offbeat humour that the Cohens do quite well.

I don't necessarily mind films where nothing happens, and I did find some bits mildly amusing, like the Korean student, but it was just a bit meh for me. I get that sometimes life s**ts all over you for no reason but are there really people like that out there that would just sit back for so long and do nothing, as he kept saying himself? I kept thinking he was going to snap at any minute and get s**t done, but no, he just did nothing.

What was the point of the bit at the start too?

johnny_ultimate

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I don't necessarily mind films where nothing happens, and I did find some bits mildly amusing, like the Korean student, but it was just a bit meh for me. I get that sometimes life s**ts all over you for no reason but are there really people like that out there that would just sit back for so long and do nothing, as he kept saying himself? I kept thinking he was going to snap at any minute and get s**t done, but no, he just did nothing.

What was the point of the bit at the start too?

It's been a while since I saw the film, but I remember the films casual, meaningless cruelty was an integral element to that. It's a film about a moral battle with no positive outcome - in a sense, it has to deny us that satisfying payoff because there is none. I'm not going to pretend to know enough about Judaism to discuss it in depth, but the whole thing could be and has been read as an allegory for their history and religion. There's a lot of theological subtexts and meanings in there most of us will miss. Some have said the opening is a sin the future characters are forced to spiritually atone for - although personally I feel the Coens are teasing us a bit with the scene too, very purposefully providing no concrete meaning.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

^ I did wonder if there was more to it if you were Jewish or had more knowledge of the faith.

Mickeroo

I thought it was supposed to be mostly based on the biblical story of Job,.

e_e

My 1st viewing of A Serious Man: "What the hell was that?"
2nd viewing: "Oh now I see what they are going for."
3rd viewing: "Wow!"

It really does improve over time. Such a rich, funny and rewarding film.

cherryghost

I watched Take Shelter this evening. Very emotional rollercoaster... you could really view the ending one way or another but either way the film had a real impact on me and left a lot of food for thought.

johnny_ultimate

For Love's Sake (Ai to Makoto) - Takashi Miike's most unhinged, go-for-broke effort in quite some time. Using the foundation of a star crossed love story (albeit a mostly one directional love) Miike genre hops with mad frequency - from 70s-style musical to raw action via wacky comedy and romantic melodrama. There's even animated prologues and epilogues.

It's fully aware how ridiculous it is, the catchy music numbers particularly laced with irony and self-awareness. The fight scenes - the film is effectively a tale of class warfare - are relentless and brutal, sometimes channelling Oldboy as much as West Side Story. And then, strangely, at the very end it's actually sort of moving in its own unique way, the character insights creeping up on you amongst the increasingly unmusical mayhem. It also looks absolutely spectacular with extremely rich production design.

It's far too long, that perennial problem of contemporary Japanese cinema. The middle act particularly is very often aimless and confused. But it gets to where it needs to with sheer force. Equal parts frustrating and brilliant, it earns our attention through strong direction and absolute uniqueness.

Mr E

kraggy wrote: »

Went to see The Iceman. [..] But I don't know what the hell David Schwimmer was doing in it.

I kept expecting Schwimmer to say to Liotta "But WE WERE ON A BREAK!!". His whiney voice doesn't really suit the role he played.

Good movie but the ending

was a bit unfulfilling

.

Dazzler0911

Behind the Canderabla

Bio on Liberace and his lover. Starring Michael Douglas as Liberace & Matt Damon as Scott Therson.

Very good film, best I've seen in a while. Best performance I've seen from Michael Douglas , he's great. Pretty funny throughout. Didn't really know a whole lot about Liberace, so found it interesting. Rob Lowe, yes, Rob Lowe makes an hilarious cameo in it too.

Definitely one to watch

Seedy Arling

Searching for Sugar man. Lovely story, very slight similarities to Anvil but over all just really nice and Rodriguez is THE man!

johnny_ultimate

Pather Panchali - Satyajit Ray's debut feature, and perhaps the most famous and beloved film to ever emerge from India. Telling the story of one poor family in a rural village, Ray focuses on the viewpoint of young Apu. It's a simple but emotionally powerful representation of childhood - ranging from pure joy to the confusions faced by the challenges (and tragedies) of impending adulthood.

Through an energetic soundtrack and endearingly unpretentious camerawork - Ray, for example, modestly points the camera telling nature to achieve simple but telling visual comparisons and contrasts with the main story - this is a genuinely emotional film, and an honest, dynamic representation of life in mid-century India. Some scenes, such as a brother and sister's first encounter with a steam train, are genuinely beautiful. The limited resources and the director's inexperience are often apparent - an awkward edit here, the fact the whole film is set around a handful of locations, a slightly meandering pace. But it's also an impressively fully formed creation, powerful and involving. I look forward to the remainder of the 'Apu trilogy'.

longshotvalue

Watch Amelie on Blu-Ray last night, bit late to the subtitled thing and i could live with it alright.

It looks simply stunning and was a very good original film, but some rose tinted glasses with its general reviews. I get the feeling reviews go up about 10% just because it french..:o

Still ill be wathcing more of these.

This film along with another i saw this week Stoker, show what can be done to make a film look stunning. Both of these films make standard rooms etc look amazing..

Tony EH

I don't know what it was about this picture, but I couldn't stand it.

briany

MacGruber (2010)

Comedy starring Will Forte as MacGruber, a ridiculously decorated former special ops man who comes out of retirement to take on his old nemesis, Dieter von Cunth, who is believed to be holding a nuclear warhead and who plans to do, well, some pretty nasty stuff with it.

This is a real turn your brain off kind of comedy. Just totally fun, silly, juvenile humour but once in a while that's a good thing. I find them a bit of a palette cleanser. Forte carries the film as " 'Grubes ", the hilariously inept walking McGyver parody. Definitely recommend if you enjoy the kind of silly comedy that seems to live exclusively in the 5.0 - 6.0 range on the IMDB.

missingtime

In The Loop

With the passing of James Gandolfini I decided to watch In The Loop, something I've been meaning to watch for a while now. For those that haven't seen it, it's a satirical view of the events leading up to the invasion of Iraq.

Really enjoyed it, very very funny with Peter Capaldi playing an absolute blinder. Some of his lines were hilarious - "I'm sweating spinal fluid here"

Tipsy McSwagger

Mission Impossible 3&4

Second time viewing both films. MI4 is a decent film but not a patch on the brilliant MI3 (it's still way better than the awful second film). MI3 has a great baddy played wonderfully by the always reliable Philip Seymour Hoffman and a dark undertone throughout the movie that the others in the series lack. The set pieces are top class and it also has the best team supporting Cruise, Ving Rhames is definetely missed in MI4.

Judgement Day

Midnight Man (1997) on DVD. TV movie adapted from a Jack Higgins novel. A plot to kill members of the British Royal Family is devised by foreign (?) interests and the IRA are to be set up as the fall guys. As a fan of IRA/political thrillers, and in the interests of research, I sat to watch this thing last night and I have to say it would rate as one of the worst movies of any kind that I ever watched. A laughable plot, poor casting (Rob Lowe, the American actor, as a reformed IRA man/British agent), unbelievably wooden acting and I was sorely tempted to switch it off well before the inevitable ending. Do not on any account be tempted to buy, rent or watch this tripe. 100 minutes of my life that I won't get back. -10