What have you watched recently? 3D!

flasher0030

Disconnect

Very interesting movie on the dangers of online habits/social media etc.
Much much along the same storytelling way as the film Crash. - gloomy, emotional etc. But it really draws you in.
If you want something light and fun that just switches your brain off, this is definitely not for you. But if you're in the mood for something thought provoking and stirring, then give it a shot.

johnny_ultimate

The Heartbreak Kid / Ishtar - Having now finished watching all of Elaine May’s features, I’m confident saying she’s one of the great American filmmakers of the modern era.

The Heartbreak Kid is essential viewing: Neil Simon’s sharp script married beautifully to May’s immense directorial intuition. It’s a proto-cringe comedy in many ways, and watching one terrible man leave a trail of destruction in his wake is something that’s as entertaining as it is excruciating. A knock-out final shot is close to perfect. Something of an outrage that this hasn’t been properly restored (bizarrely, it’s not even available legally anywhere - thank god for youtube sometimes).

Ishtar famously sank May’s directorial career, and while it’s the weakest of her four films it’s hardly an absolute creative disaster. The opening half hour in particular is fantastic. It ultimately loses its way, but it’s a very watchable film nonetheless.

Terrorizers - On Mubi at the moment, and well worth your time whether you’re familiar with Edward Yang or looking for an introduction. Less accessible than Yi Yi or A Brighter Summer’s Day, but still clearly the work of a master: a complex, multi-layered thing that is an extraordinary example of a filmmaker blurring the lines around what exactly is the film’s truth and internal reality. The answers on offer are often ambiguous, but Yang’s filmmaking has a casual, unassuming elegance to it that makes it a pleasure to soak in even as you try to interpret what’s afoot.

The Fifth Element - Remains a bonkers, absurdly well-designed oddity: perhaps the closest any other film of this scale has come to channelling the absurdist spirit of Gilliam’s Brazil. The effects have barely aged (it’s still something of a high watermark for practical effects, coming right on the cusp of CG’s looming domination) but alas Chris Tucker’s performance is even less tolerable than it was 25 years ago.

shrapnel222

In & of itself

This is basically Derek Delgaudio's broadway show but what a show it is! incredibly powerful and moving, mixed with some great story telling and magic.

flasher0030

In Time - Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfeld.

Very decent sc-fi thriller action etc. I'm not sure if the whole concept of it is clever or silly - that currency is based in time instead of money.
It's not going to transform your life. But it entertained me for 2 hours.
7 out of 10

dubstepper

Underwater - good under water sci-fi horror. Bottom of the ocean drilling facility is hit by a catastrophic collapse. A group of survivors attempt to get free. There is more than water pressure to worry about. Not a classic but enjoyable. 6/10

Hell House LLC - above average found footage horror. A bunch of people decide to run a haunted house attraction in an old abandoned hotel. End is a bit predictable. 6/10

3032 - space thriller. A bunch of astronauts are half way through a 10 year mission. They are struggling with keeping their sanity when it appears a catastrophic event happens to earth. This was enjoyable as it concentrates more on the psychological repercussions rather than set pieces. 5/10

Greenland - no bad from Gerard Butler. Has been covered on previous posts. 6/10

One cut of the dead - I had turned this off previously after 30 mins as I though it was a really poor horror. Based on people's advice here I gave it another go and watched to the end. It is quite inventive but not really my cup of tea. I though it was a horror but more of a comedy I guess. 6.5/10

Dogtown and z-boys - I really love this documentary on the skateboarders in the mid 70s but hadn't watched it in ages. You really get a feel for the excitement and the times. It's fairly poignant at points when some of the members talk about their regrets. 8/10

al87987

The Loft - 2008 Dutch movie, 5 guys have a loft for their mistresses. 5 keys, 1 dead body. Solid, twisty whodunnit, it was remade in English but would always go for the original -7/10.

Judas and the Messiah - 8/10 Daniel Kaluuya is immense in this, really good film about the Black Panthers.

Greenland - good disaster movie 6.5/10

Carlito's Way - 8/10 Caught this on itv4 recently, one of Pacino's best.

El Gato De Negocios

Crash

One of the few Cronenberg movies I'd never seen, it got a shiny 4k release from Arrow recently so I watched it the other night. Basically it follows James Spader and and bunch of other sexual deviates who get their jollies by watching/having car crashes. Notorious at the time of its release, its a pretty empty movie, performances are grand and as a character study of what drives fetishism (pardon the pun) its OK but its not one I'd ever be arsed with watching again.

The BIg Short

True story about events leading up to the world economic crash in 2008 this is a riveting watch. Its actually mind boggling how much corruption and double dealing went on and most likely still goes on on Wall Street and beyond. There is a monologue at the end narrated by Ryan Gosling that is more relevant in a post Trump world and its like a sledge Hammer, even more so considering it was made well before the Donald got near the white House.

8/10

JohnK

The Kid Detective
A once-celebrated kid detective, now 32, continues to solve the same trivial mysteries between hangovers and bouts of self-pity. Until a naive client brings him his first 'adult' case, to find out who brutally murdered her boyfriend.

Well worth a watch.

flasher0030

JohnK wrote: »

The Kid Detective
A once-celebrated kid detective, now 32, continues to solve the same trivial mysteries between hangovers and bouts of self-pity. Until a naive client brings him his first 'adult' case, to find out who brutally murdered her boyfriend.

Well worth a watch.

Going to give this a spin tonight. Is it pure senseless comedy or more of a thriller, mystery etc.

barrymanilow

Our Friend

Moving Drama that explores themes like friendship , death , loyalty , betrayal and forgiveness. Casey Afleck and Jason Siegul are great in this. I thought it was great. The writing is superb.

8.5/10

Homelander

flasher0030 wrote: »

Going to give this a spin tonight. Is it pure senseless comedy or more of a thriller, mystery etc.

It's a great film. It's sort of a bleak comedy-drama really, but it's an excellent watch.

JohnK

flasher0030 wrote: »

Going to give this a spin tonight. Is it pure senseless comedy or more of a thriller, mystery etc.

Not a senseless comedy at all, more drama with some funny bits

bnt

Just finished Call Her Savage (1932), after reading about the days before the Hays Code of 1934 effectively neutered Hollywood for decades. This was one of the last two films Clara Bow starred in before she retired from acting at just 28 years old. Clara had been the "It Girl" in the 1920s, the top sex symbol of her time, and for the two comeback talkies she was paid the then-astonishing sum of $250,000. The whole movie is on YT now, if you want to watch it (which you should), and I'll be giving away some spoilers next.

If you don't know about the Hays Code, you might have trouble imagining that a major Hollywood production from 1932 could contain scenes such as the following:

• A woman whipping a man repeatedly in the face. "I was practising in case I ever get married";
• Violence against women played for laughs;
• Two women having a horrendous catfight, literally tearing the clothes off each other;
• Many scenes of Clara Bow in clothes that are barely there or falling apart, no underwear.
• A musical number in a gay bar (in 1932), followed by a knock-down drag-out fight in which Clara lays in to men twice her size;
• prostitution (which has tragic consequences, of course)
• Mixed-race relationships;
• Using her mixed race as an explanation for why she is such a savage;

Don't get me wrong - Clara Bow is a knockout in her starring vehicle, and in some scenes she seems to be doing "method" before "method" was a thing. This is a sensationalist, moralising film, containing things almost designed to offend the prudes in conservative parts of the USA.

Some of the story must have hit Clara Bow hard, knowing what we do about her early life, especially her relationship with her mother. According to reports she was already a wreck, additionally stressed out by the transition to "talkies", and her problems didn't end when she retired, sadly.

Trivia: this is possibly the first movie to show the Empire State Building, a year before King Kong.

The Raging Bile Duct

JohnK wrote: »

The Kid Detective
A once-celebrated kid detective, now 32, continues to solve the same trivial mysteries between hangovers and bouts of self-pity. Until a naive client brings him his first 'adult' case, to find out who brutally murdered her boyfriend.

Well worth a watch.

This was totally not what I thought I was going to get from this movie. The beginning unfurls as you'd expect from the title but by the end it turns into a much deeper film by the end. Adam Brody dues a great job in the title role.

Birds of passage

Interesting film set in Colombia that was highly touted and billed as based on a true story.
Doing some research it appears that it's all made up from the events not actually taking place in the Wayuu tribe to the US Peace Corps being in that part of Colombia at the time and instigating demand for drugs.

6.5/10

flasher0030

Homelander wrote: »

It's a great film. It's sort of a bleak comedy-drama really, but it's an excellent watch.

I second this. Very entertaining. The 2 main actor/actress were very good. Some of Caroline's facial reactions to Abe's carry on were hilarious.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Nomadland 2021 Im sure some people will rave over this, but at the half way point I could not care less to see any more of Francis pi**ing and shi**ng her way from caravan park to caravan park meeting various uninteresting people who would be better served in a Sky One reality tv show about people who left their homes to live in a van.

Didn't like this. You'd be better off watching "Leave no trace" starring Ben Foster if you want to watch a movie about people who feel ill at ease with modern society.

Mad_maxx

1917

Excellent, much better than Dunkirk

Sugarlumps

50 States of Fright Quibi series explores stories based on urban legends from different places in the United States, taking viewers deeper into the horrors that lurk just beneath the surface

Decent is you're a fan of Twilight Zone etc.

dubstepper

Cell - Low enough grade zombie flick. Some good actors but the story was not great. 4/10

joficeduns1

The Gentleman
A rewatch of a recent classic for me. Grant and Farrell are just both pure class in this. Some great montages throughout and an engaging plot. Great film to sit through.

Reservoir Dogs
Could have been my mood but this missed the mark for me last week. Plenty of scenes to chew through but a lot of dialogue was over the head for me. Enjoyed it more a few years ago so again, maybe just mistimed.

flasher0030

Had a nice little run of it over the weekend. 4 very enjoyable movies

The Kid Detective
Starts out very lighthearted. But gets a little dark as the movie went on. It's really good.

Long Shot
Comedy with Seth Rogan and Charlize Theron. Harmless fun. Wasn't overly funny. But did enough to make for an enjoyable 2 hours. I saw a film Blockers a few nights ago. That was funny - if you like rude American slapstick comedy.


Love Simon
Never heard of this before. I thought it might be bit mushy. But no. Very intelligently made. Enough emotion to it, without getting too soppy.

Informer
Bit of a thriller to close off a Sunday night. Cops, drugs, prison etc. etc. Would definitely recommend.

WrenBoy

John Q (2002)
Denzel Washington, Kimberly Elise, James Woods, Robert Duvall.
Dir. Nick Cassavetes.

Washington plays the titular John Q Archibald, a desperate father out of options who takes a drastic step in an attempt to save his dying son.
A movie that has a message but beats you over the head with it repeatedly to the point it gets annoying. The relationship between John and his wife (Washington and Elise) is well done but the other characters just don't act intelligently, especially Ray Liotta's Police Chief and the hospitals financial director is portrayed as the most 1 dimensional villain.

3/10 Watch Dog Day Afternoon or The Negotiator instead.

homerun_homer

I Care A Lot:
Two types of film clash here, and ends up doing itself a disservice. But I was definitely entertained and enjoyed watching Rosamund Pike and Diane Wiest at loggerheads, and happy to see Peter Dinklage too.
3/5

The Player:
I'd always meant to see this over the years and made it my business at the weekend to mark it off the list. Very entertaining look at Hollywood, where probably not much has changed since then, the top dogs always looking to shaft the creatives. It made for great satire, with a gripping plot, great performance from Tim Robbins and loads of great cameos.
4/5

The Rental:
I gave this a go for the sake of it. Dave Franco doesn't do a bad job directing. Just a shame it kinda goes nowhere, with the slasher element arriving a bit too late in it's short running time.

Character development and the personal predicaments established go nowhere in the end given they are all just killed off with no resolution to any of it.

It is certainly watchable.
2.5/5

Judas & The Black Messiah:
Top notch filmmaking and standout performances from the two leads. Having recently seen The Trial of The Chicago Seven, and seeing how Bobby Seale was treated heightened my interest to see more on the Black Panthers. This was a very different class to that film, and packs a punch by the time the credits roll.
4.5/5

D'Agger

Little Miss Sunshine
8/10
Had never seen this before but heard great things and really enjoyed it without thinking it was groundbreaking - though for 2006 I reckon it would have been a breath of fresh air. Alan Arkin stole the show in this one, but all the performances are quite strong and you can't help but smile at the way it finishes.

The Godfather
10/10
Nothing else to say, absolute gold standard


The Godfather II
8/10
I might get slated for this given all I've heard is how II is a masterpiece compared to the first but I thought the pacing of the first was much better, the 2nd I was knackered for a finish but it seemed more all over the place that the first which seemed much more simple and polished in it's story but sure look.....have at that opinion I guess


Interstellar
8/10
Sparked a rewatch based on a Kermode podcast where he rated Nolans top 10 movies and this was well further down the list than I expected given how much I enjoyed it when it came out, but the story does seem to get cobbled together and have a bow slapped on top for a finish. I still think the soundtrack and the docking scene are two of the best things to come out of movies I've watched in the last 10 years though - remember being blown away by both in the cinema.

Inception
8/10
As above, podcast inspired with this being up much higher than I expected it to be. I'd seen it once in the cinema and didn't like it all that much barring the ending and how it was left but I didn't quite appreciate the full story, this time I did, thought it was quite well put together, an original screenplay with a good budget to allow it to be pulled off - a blockbuster with a bit more nuance I guess

Judas and the Black Messiah
8/10
I think Daniel Kaluuya & LaKeith Stanfield are two fantastic actors, who I hope get to see more and more of in future. A story worth telling and relatively well told, there may be areas that could have been expanded upon a bit better perhaps, but it's a movie that lets you make up your own mind on Stanfields character particularly which I like - he seems conflicted at times but ultimately out for himself first and foremost.

Glad to see The Kid Detective getting positive reviews here, it's on the list.

Zak Flaps

homerun_homer wrote: »

The Player:
I'd always meant to see this over the years and made it my business at the weekend to mark it off the list. Very entertaining look at Hollywood, where probably not much has changed since then, the top dogs always looking to shaft the creatives. It made for great satire, with a gripping plot, great performance from Tim Robbins and loads of great cameos.
4/5

Very fond of this.
My favourite ending to a movie ever.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

Tom Hanks and Matthew Rhys star in a "based on a true story" film about Mr Rodgers, the apparently much beloved US kids' TV presenter, and the Esquire magazine journalist who interviews him for a puff piece on heroes. Shocking, I know, but I really don't like Tom Hanks, but I was pleasantly surprised to find he's not actually in this too much. Rhys is the focus as he begrudgingly agrees to write the piece while also coping with several stressful family situations. It's your standard cynic meets genuinely nice guy and learns and grows and all that good stuff but it's really well done, and Rhys is really strong in the lead, I'm a big fan of his TV work, so it's nice to see him on the big screen too.

Anyway, I enjoyed it. A solid watch.

vriesmays

Angel face - don't get into a roofless car beside a cliff driven by a demented woman.

pixelburp

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

Tom Hanks and Matthew Rhys star in a "based on a true story" film about Mr Rodgers, the apparently much beloved US kids' TV presenter, and the Esquire magazine journalist who interviews him for a puff piece on heroes. Shocking, I know, but I really don't like Tom Hanks, but I was pleasantly surprised to find he's not actually in this too much. Rhys is the focus as he begrudgingly agrees to write the piece while also coping with several stressful family situations. It's your standard cynic meets genuinely nice guy and learns and grows and all that good stuff but it's really well done, and Rhys is really strong in the lead, I'm a big fan of his TV work, so it's nice to see him on the big screen too.

Anyway, I enjoyed it. A solid watch.

I suspect had the film ballsed up Mr. Rodgers' inherent and almost impossible-to-attain levels of decency, there might have been riots on the streets. Unlike many paragons of virtue, Rodgers' reputation remains intact after death, there doesn't seem to be any great indicators his public persona was a facade; I think one of his sons had a tough life, but that's about it.

That 60-second segment that broke the 4th wall was surprising and incredibly effective. There wasn't a cynical bone in its body and hit me like a freight train. One of the few occasions during a film that the room got really dusty all of a sudden.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

pixelburp wrote: »

That 60-second segment that broke the 4th wall was surprising and incredibly effective. There wasn't a cynical bone in its body and hit me like a freight train. One of the few occasions during a film that the room got really dusty all of a sudden.

Apparently all the extras in the restaurant for that scene were people who had worked with the real Mr Rogers on the TV show. Was a nice little moment.