What have you watched recently? 3D!

silverharp

Watched Fight Club with junior yesterday, enjoyed it, I'd say more but you know....

Tony EH

'Stalker'

Andrei Tarkovsky's very loose adaptation of Boris Strugatsky's novel 'Roadside Picnic' is, today, hailed as a classic amongst certain quarters but I came away from it with mixed feelings I have to say. The same "mixed feelings" as was the original critical reaction to it when it first appeared in 1979. The story, what little of it there is, concerns a man, the "Stalker", who acts as a paid guide for two enlightenment seekers, the "Professor" and the "writer", as they traverse The Zone, an exclusion area that is the site of a meteor that crashed to earth over 20 years previously and has altered the natural landscape (plants have no scent, geography is fluid) and, seemingly, made it uninhabitable for humans. However, in The Zone there is a building with a room that will grant anyone who walks into it their innermost desire. But this may come with a hefty price.

'Stalker' is a unique film, unlike anything that was done before, although has been copied to a certain degree in the 40 odd years since it was made, most notably in 'Annihilation' from 2018, which I actually consider to be a much better film over all. But, unlike 'Annihilation', Tarkovsky's film demands the viewer's own interpretation on what the meaning of the film is and so wide open to cinematic exegesis it is that ultimately it renders the film without any real coherent point. This isn't a bad thing in itself, films don't necessarily have to have a point, clear or otherwise. But for a piece that runs at over two hours and forty minutes it ends up a somewhat gruelling journey to nowhere in particular.

And 'Stalker' is a slow film...molasses slow. It takes a long time to do much of anything at all. But, in saying that, it's not dull and the first hour or so is incredibly intriguing. It's the middle section that gets bogged down, and coupled with the relatively unsatisfying finale, the whole thing can leave the viewer wondering just what it was they sat down to watch. But maybe, in the end, that is exactly what Tarkovsky wanted.

However, where 'Stalker' completely succeeds is in its 1.66:1 cinematography which is never anything less than an captivating sight, even if I do consider the stylistic choice of shooting the bookend sequences in sepia a poor one. But the fantastic vistas - it was mostly shot in Estonia - imbue the film with an otherworldly feeling that helps to transport the viewer to another place despite the fact that everything was shot in real world locations. Simple scenes of mostly empty fields broken up here and there with the odd rusted vehicle or an strangely angled telegraph pole that the land is gradually reclaiming does wonders for the film's atmosphere. An atmosphere that's shrouded in a deep, deep, gloom. No matter what part of 'Stalker' is on the screen, its visuals create the impression that this world is a dark and depressing one with many places that have been abandoned by man, both in The Zone and outside of it. The opening and part of the closing sections, shot in the sepia I mentioned, portray a very rough life for the protagonist and his family. In contrast the scenes inside The Zone, shot in colour, are disturbingly desolate while at the same time very beautiful in parts. Regardless of that, the world of 'Stalker' is not one where any rational being would want to live.

The soundtrack, too, is remarkably complimentary and works well in helping the viewer into the film, while remaining as sparse as it is unobtrusive. Eduard Artemyev uses his instruments in such a fashion that his subtle notes crawl in the viewer's subconscious adding greatly to the general unease of what we're looking at.

Acting wise, 'Stalker' is mostly low key, but with some highly charged moments. Some of the monologues as well as the poetry let it down a bit, but don't distract too much. Although Alisa Freindlich's spoken to the camera moments feel quite stagey and ill fitting. But everyone plays their part with convincing enthusiasm, and despite not being a Russian speaker, lines appear to be delivered with feeling even with the heavy use of overdubs which was the order of the day in Russian cinema of the time.

'Stalker' is a strange film and not one to approach lightly. It isn't something to sit down to for relaxation and I can see that many people would be put off by its lack of substance and long running time. But if you're prepared for such "challenging" arthouse fare, you may find it a rewarding experience.


7/10

Dades

Boss Level

Most fun I've had in ages. Never paid attention to him before, but Frank Grillo is just great. The "science" is glossed over but who cares. In a slow Oscar year... who knows

Last time I watched an "non A list" own a movie as much was Jessica Rothe in Happy Death Day. Takes real quality to pull that off.

SimonTemplar

Nomadland

Despite a typically excellent performance by McDormand, I never really became invested in her character or cared much for her story. I get the feeling a straight-up documentary featuring American nomads would have been far more intriguing rather than that world presented through the eyes of her fictional character, because she just isn't very interesting.

Tony EH

'The Shape of Things to Come'

A 1979 movie that has little to do with the superb 'Things to Come' from 1936 and even less with the H.G. Wells book that spawned both, that was made on the back of the success of 1977's 'Star Wars' in a period when every studio was trying their damnedest to reproduce what made George Lucas's film so successful and failing miserably. This independent Canadian production was no exception.

Ostensibly starring Jack Palance as the stupidly named "Omus" (which I couldn't help but hear as Humus), as the new leader of Delta 3, a planet responsible for the production of Raddic-Q2. This is an anti-radiation drug necessary to sustain the remaining human survivors of Earth's robot wars, who have fled to the moon leaving their former home a radioactive wasteland. Omus withholds shipments of Raddic-Q2 unless the leaders of the moon grant him his demand of being supreme leader. His demand is refused by the people on the Moon and Dr. John Caball (Barry Morse), his son Jason (Nicholas Campbell) and the moon colony leader's daughter Kim (Anne-Marie Martin) head off in a starship called Starstreak to try and stop Omus before he can send his army of robots to invade.

And yes, 'The Shape of Things to Come' is as bad as it sounds. It's such a cheap production that even TV efforts like 'Buck Rogers in the 25th Century' would be forgiven for having a laugh at its expense. Omus' robots look more like rejects from the design concepts of Robby The Robot and are impotent in any effort to convince that they are an army of killer droids. And the friendly robot name Sparks, reprogrammed from one of Omus' collection, looks like something assembled for a kids costumed party. The miniatures and spaceship effects, too, are bottom shelf quality and even lack the dubious charm that such efforts general inspire.

It's nice seeing Barry Morse get a role in the wake of 'Space 1999' and the always watchable Jack Palance is fine in another scenery scoffing part. But there's nothing Morse can do to elevate the awfulness of the whole thing and Palance is the kind of bad guy who spends most of his time in a single room plotting the destruction of something, because the budget is so tight. So there's little for him to do either. Everything ends up feeling so amateurish and there's no entertainment to be had at all despite any effort put into the proceedings by everyone concerned.

And while there are certainly worse Star Wars knockoffs around, such as 'Starcrash' or 'War of the Robots', 'The Shape of Things to Come' ends up just being dull because there's not enough to poke fun at or is just isn't as all out enjoyably campy as something like 'Flash Gordon'.


2/10

Tony EH

'The Parallax View'

Classic 70's conspiracy thriller directed by Alan J. Pakula and starring Warren Beatty as an Oregon newspaper reporter who gets drawn into a quagmire of events in the wake of a political assassination in Seattle and its fallout in the subsequent years.

'The Parallax View' from 1974, with the exception of an ill fitting car chase, is a talky but never boring movie who's story stays exciting throughout and you never know who to trust or who's going to get it next. Along with 'Three Days of the Condor', it is probably the best of the conspiracy based efforts that were in vogue in Hollywood on the back of murders in the preceding decade of such figures as the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King. It has a wonderfully paranoid plot involving a shadowy organisation who have an impossibly deep reach that allows them to engage in their nefarious activities which unfolds interestingly by giving the audience just enough to keep it interested in where things are going to go.

Warren Beatty is well cast as the reporter who gets entangled into the story, despite his initial disregard, and is supported well by veterans like Hume Cronyn and familiar bit part faces like William Daniels and Bill McKinney, who most people will remember as the hillbilly who has the way with poor Ned Beatty in 'Deliverance' from a couple of years earlier.

Its yarn, while being a little silly if you look into it, stays compelling because the tone remains consistent throughout, which is something which a lot of film makers could do well to bear in mind these days. Pakula keeps the viewer invested because his characters take what's happening to them seriously, therefore we take what's happening seriously too and the tension is held tightly right up to its final moments.

Although 'The Parallax View' was released to mixed reviews initially, it's probably no surprise that Pakula was given the reins of 'All the Presidents Men' a year later. A movie based on real conspiratorial events involving Richard Nixon's administration and their bugging of the DNC headquarters in the Watergate building in Washington.

Highly recommended.

9/10




'The Norliss Tapes'

A 1973 made for TV movie that was supposed to be the launch pad for a series which, unfortunately, never took off. 'The Norliss Tapes' is about a writer, David Norliss (Roy Thinnes), who's working on a book denouncing supernatural phenomena and charlatans. His preparation for this book is recorded on a series of tapes, the first of which his publisher listens to when David goes missing. The tape reveals that Norliss had been investigating a case regarding Ellen Cort (Angie Dickinson) and her claims that her dead husband, James, who had been a cripple and later dabbled in the arcane, has come back to life.

The movie is a hokey and at times laughable take on the undead, with a central monster that's never more than a curious blend of zombie and vampire and rendered in pretty ineffectual blue makeup. The kind of blue makeup that plagued George Romero's 'Dawn of the Dead' 5 years later, and it's doubtful that the undead James Cort would raise little more than a snigger from modern audiences. But 'The Norliss Tapes' is still highly entertaining almost in spite of itself. The is in part due to the actors involved and how they grip the absurd material. Roy Thinnes, who may be remembered from 'The Invaders', works well as the central hero, Norliss, and Angie Dickinson, already a veteran of TV and movies lends a certain sophisticated air to everything as Ellen Cort. Claude Akins turns up too, as the sheriff who wants to keep a lid on everything.

'The Norliss Tapes' was never picked up by NBC, the US network that premiered it, which is a great shame as it's premise lends it to what would have been a promising TV series where each week a new tape of Norliss's would have revealed a little bit more of what he was investigating for his book eventually leading to the discovery of the author's whereabouts. I'm surprised, too, that in the near 50 years since it first aired nobody has picked up the idea and run with it since as it would still make for an interesting show.

7/10


'Hammer House of Horror'

'Hammer House of Horror' was an entertaining ittle series of just 13 episodes that exploited the - waning in popularity - Hammer name to put on air some odd stories involving cannibalism, werewolves, witches, doppelgangers and ghosts. All done with every expense spared of course. Yet, a few of the episodes are well remembered by those who first saw them on ITV 40 years ago despite their cheap nature. Largely because a lot of them were so damned odd for the time. Horror TV shows weren't that uncommon, but 'Hammer House of Horror' hit a couple of beats that lasted in the memories of many people. Quite a few folk who saw the episode entitled 'The House that Bled to Death' can easily recall its nastiest moment, for instance.

A lot of British stars and non-stars also appeared giving an added umph to many of the episodes. People such as Diana Dors, Denholm Elliot, Jon Finch, and Hammer stalwart Peter Cushing all lined up to lend a hand elevating what were fairly mediocre stories it has to be said. The best of which were probably, 'The Two Faces of Evil' and 'The Silent Scream'. But every episode had a good atmosphere to it, where nothing ever seemed quite right and you never knew what was hiding around the corner.

'Hammer House of Horror' displays that uniquely British style of horror that was very common throughout the 1970's thanks largely to the Hammer themselves and the likes of Amicus, their nearest rival. It has a manner that's hard to categorise yet is instantly recognisable to those would be familiar with it. Although that style would more than likely be completely lost on most people today. Viewed now, it is little more than an interesting relic of the TV of yesteryear, whose most eager respondents would be the people that were already viewers at some point before. Others, I would say, would merely see it as an odd remnant of a TV past that includes stuff like 'Tales of the Unexpected' and 'Sapphire and Steel'.

7/10

Mad_maxx

Blade Runner 1982

First time I've seen it believe it or not

It's great, totally unique

mikhail

Which cut? You've opened Pandora's box here.

Mr.Nice Guy

I watched The Edge. No, not Bono's mate, but the Anthony Hopkins, Alec Baldwin adventure.

I remember thinking about this movie a few months ago and, as luck would have it, I spotted it on Disney+. I thought it held up well since I first saw it a long time ago, and found it a fun film. If you're unfamiliar with the plot, Hopkins plays a billionaire who goes with his young model wife, played by Elle Macpherson (remember her?), and her photographer, played by Baldwin, to a remote cabin. The film focuses on the dynamic between the characters of Hopkins and Baldwin as they find themselves stranded, and getting the unwelcome attention from a big old bear. There are a few twists and turns as well.

It's a nice, 90s-style adventure yarn. It was refreshing to see an actual bear involved too, rather than some CGI creation. Hopkins steals the show which is probably no surprise, but I thought Baldwin held up his end.

The Raging Bile Duct

Dades wrote: »

Boss Level

Most fun I've had in ages. Never paid attention to him before, but Frank Grillo is just great. The "science" is glossed over but who cares. In a slow Oscar year... who knows

Last time I watched an "non A list" own a movie as much was Jessica Rothe in Happy Death Day. Takes real quality to pull that off.

That was fantastic!!!

Mr Crispy

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

It's a nice, 90s-style adventure yarn. It was refreshing to see an actual bear involved too, rather than some CGI creation. Hopkins steals the show which is probably no surprise, but I thought Baldwin held up his end.

Bart the bear in his second movie with Anthony Hopkins, after also appearing in Legends of the Fall. He had a better resume than some human actors!

Sugarlumps

Youngblood – 80’s Ice hockey flick with Rob Lowe, Swayze and Reeves. Had a serious crush on Lowe’s love interest back in the day.

Homelander

I'd second the praise for Boss Level. Great flick with a lot of heart, always been a Frank Grillo fan but he's particularly good in this. Great blend of genres, at times silly but other times has moments of almost poignancy.

Mad to think that Frank Grillo is 55 as well.

joficeduns1

Shutter
Some great horror elements shown in this Thai picture. Definitely enjoyed it.

The Wolf of Snow Hollow
Jim Cummings kills it in this, I think. So much energy shown in his frustration and stress levels, and perfectly met by Robert Forster in what must be one of his last roles? Not sure when El Camino wrapped Vs this. The werewolf story is fun and supporting characters are all used well, definitely recommend this.

The Wailing
Admittedly tried to watch this too late on a Sunday so I was wrecked by the end, but this is a stellar horror film. I'll need to watch again in the future to appreciate it because the story devolves into a bit of madness and complexity, but its handled so so well. Beautifully shot, has some great humour that comes across well even with subtitles. Top notch.

Jump_In_Jack

The Age of Stupid (2009)
Saw it for the first time this evening.
I don’t normally watch documentaries but this seemed to capture my interest right to the end.
It’s a foreboding documentary of our impending enviromental and existential demise due to greed and a type of stupidity inherent in a predominant proportion of people.
Very interesting at this juncture in time to see what was predicted back then continuing to unfold apace.
Should be mandatory viewing for every human being on this planet.
Thought provoking, quite alarming and and even agonising at times.

joficeduns1

3:10 to Yuma
Strong film with lots of tension and well done key moments. Crowe is great for me here, so much charisma as a villain.

billyhead

joficeduns1 wrote: »

3:10 to Yuma
Strong film with lots of tension and well done key moments. Crowe is great for me here, so much charisma as a villain.

Ben Foster is very good too.

joficeduns1

billyhead wrote: »

Ben Foster is very good too.

Definitely a menace about him and a borderline insane loyalty to Ben Wade.

gmisk

SAS Red Notice
A pretty poor die hard on a train style knock off, Sam Heughan maybe saw this as a decent show case for bond and he is pretty decent in it, pretty decent cast but it just felt very very generic and cheap.

Das Boot 1985-87 This is the mini series version split into six episodes. Film making does not come much better then this, Wolgang Peterson managed to capture what it was to be a submarine man, and put you right there amongst the insanity of it. You feel what the captain feels, you feel what the engineers feel and what the grunts feel, its a remarkable piece of work that goes from extreme calm to panic and chaos again and again leaving you just in awe.
The story is based on the accounts of a journalist who was aboard a sub during the war, which makes a lot of sense because everything about this feels real. There was talk of the filming of this in Germany to be like 'a near pathological quest for authentic exactitude'
The Director: “We thought, in the beginning, we might kill ourselves after a few weeks because it’s just such a small place. Then you develop a kind of discipline there that you can do it forever and forever. You get very tired. We spent one year, because of the long version, one year in that set. It’s tiresome but more and more, the more we realized we can do it, we’ll make it, we’re getting amazing footage. Because we shot in sequence, the actors got more and more really into it, into their part. They could’ve done that forever… It was a set but it was a submarine. The feel of it was absolutely real.”

AMGer

joficeduns1 wrote: »

3:10 to Yuma
Strong film with lots of tension and well done key moments. Crowe is great for me here, so much charisma as a villain.

The original is great aswell, Van Heflin & Glenn Ford

flasher0030

The Little Things

With Denzel Washington. Really enjoyed it up to the end. Seemed mysterious.
And then nothing. I understand the point of the open ended conclusion. But disappointing after the first 2 hours.

johnny_ultimate

Quo Vadis, Aida? - Christ, this was harrowing. The deservedly acclaimed Srebrenica massacre drama from Jasmila Žbanić manages that all too rare feat of being tense and engaging without being exploitative of a real world atrocity. Set primarily in a UN base - initially seemingly a haven from the Bosnian War unfolding just outside - we follow a local translator who faces an increasingly desperate uphill battle to protect her sons and husband from falling back into Bosnian Serb Army hands. The direction is cautious and compassionate, while steadily ramping up a sense of desperation and unease. A masterful piece of modern war cinema.

Prince of Darkness - One of John Carpenter's most underappreciated masterworks? Honestly, I'd take this over some of his better known work - there's a simplicity to it that really worked for me. Scientists vs the devil; logic vs superstition; good vs evil. It's a horror film pared back to the genre's core conflicts (hell, humanity's core conflicts in some ways), and all the better for it. A master of horror in some ways having his definitive say on the tropes and tricks he himself helped define.

What REALLY sells it is Carpenter's superb, pulsating score. Sure, his many other classics have more iconic theme, but the score here is like a beating heart - I'm not sure if it lets up for a second, and it sets the film's rhythm through a relentless beat of menace and tension. The film itself flirts with both the cheesier and creepier elements of the genre, but that score is kind of like a unifying force - and one that doesn't want you to let your guard down for even a moment.

Also been revisiting the Ron Clements / John Musker Disney films to watch-along with the Blank Check podcast series. All of the early ones are a first rewatch since childhood.

The Little Mermaid is a neat bridge between classic and modern Disney. A little bit of a surprise to see how short and focused it is - an exercise in economic storytelling and smart animation decisions (best song: Under the Sea, and it's not even close).

Aladdin is obviously well-crafted, although in Williams' performance we see a truly ominous harbringer of the sarky post-modernism that would all but ruin mainstream American animation (best song: One Jump Ahead / Prince Ali).

Hercules is a bit lightweight all-in-all, but benefits from a more novel, lively animation style, the delightfully sassy Meg and a refreshingly unusual soundtrack by Disney standards (best song: Zero to Hero / I Won't Say (I'm In Love))

Treasure Planet is an engaging folly, naff in its way but its hybrid CG/hand-drawn style holds up surprisingly well. Fundamentally misguided in some interesting ways, but a fun time if you meet it on its own earnest terms. (best song: there's none really, except for a montage set to a bloody Goo Goo Dolls song for some reason)

The Princess and The Frog mostly works as a modern updating of the classic Disney princess formula, although some of its creative decisions - such as hiring Randy Newman to soundtrack this particular film - are baffling. (best song: Dig A Little Deeper).

Moana is better than Frozen. (best song: How Far I'll Go)

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Moana is better than Frozen. (best song: How Far I'll Go)

Tangled is also better than Frozen, for what it's worth.

johnny_ultimate

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Tangled is also better than Frozen, for what it's worth.

I agree, although the directorial credits preclude it from this particular list of Disney movies

Tony EH

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Prince of Darkness - One of John Carpenter's most underappreciated masterworks? Honestly, I'd take this over some of his better known work - there's a simplicity to it that really worked for me. Scientists vs the devil; logic vs superstition; good vs evil. It's a horror film pared back to the genre's core conflicts (hell, humanity's core conflicts in some ways), and all the better for it. A master of horror in some ways having his definitive say on the tropes and tricks he himself helped define.

What REALLY sells it is Carpenter's superb, pulsating score. Sure, his many other classics have more iconic theme, but the score here is like a beating heart - I'm not sure if it lets up for a second, and it sets the film's rhythm through a relentless beat of menace and tension. The film itself flirts with both the cheesier and creepier elements of the genre, but that score is kind of like a unifying force - and one that doesn't want you to let your guard down for even a moment.

One of my favourite Carpenter movies since I first saw it in the 80's. But, yeah, very much underrated even if it is kinda dumb and a lot of things don't make much sense. It's probably Carpenter's last great film? I like it more each time I sit down to it.

I love the fact that the Catholic Church has kept the devil or evil(?) locked up in the basement of a chapel for donkey's years. And the vision that the protagonists experience always set the hairs on the back of neck standing up for some reason.

Agree completely on the score. Simple but absolutely perfect for the film you're watching...

...plus Donald Pleasence.

budgemook

I have a 4 year old kid and a disney+ subscription. With the pandemic we've been watching a movie every Saturday afternoon when his brother is in bed. There are a couple they're he hasn't seen yet, and Tangled too.

I agree that Moana is pretty good but some of the songs are just too damn catchy. Dwayne Johnson's You're Welcome had me driven close to insanity recently, cannot get it out of my head.

dubstepper

The Debt Collector

Was in the mood for a no brainer and put this on. It's actually surprisingly good. Scott Adkins plays a variant of Jason Statham but perhaps with a little more humour. The two leads spark off each other quite well. Watched the sequel too and it's more of the same. I say that as a compliment. Both movies are good craic. 6/10

Solaris (2002)

I missed this first time around. It is an interesting movie. Not a movie if you are interested in outer space, more about inner self. The main themes it explores are love, loss, grief, life and death. While it's slow moving it doesn't drag. 7/10

Del.Monte

joficeduns1 wrote: »

3:10 to Yuma
Strong film with lots of tension and well done key moments. Crowe is great for me here, so much charisma as a villain.

Not a patch on the remake though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXMUv_cKtLM

pixelburp

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Prince of Darkness - One of John Carpenter's most underappreciated masterworks? Honestly, I'd take this over some of his better known work - there's a simplicity to it that really worked for me. Scientists vs the devil; logic vs superstition; good vs evil. It's a horror film pared back to the genre's core conflicts (hell, humanity's core conflicts in some ways), and all the better for it. A master of horror in some ways having his definitive say on the tropes and tricks he himself helped define.

What REALLY sells it is Carpenter's superb, pulsating score. Sure, his many other classics have more iconic theme, but the score here is like a beating heart - I'm not sure if it lets up for a second, and it sets the film's rhythm through a relentless beat of menace and tension. The film itself flirts with both the cheesier and creepier elements of the genre, but that score is kind of like a unifying force - and one that doesn't want you to let your guard down for even a moment.

It's definitely a Carpenter film that gets less praise than it's due. One of the first horror movies I saw that left a palpable sense of dread and unease in me after watching it. Had seen plenty of things that shocked or surprised, but Prince of Darkness left a cold sweat that haunted me for days. I've wanted to go back and re-watch it but been sceptical if it could hold up to that first viewing - and if it had aged as well as the version in my memory. I can see parts that are probably way cheesier now than intended in '87, but also elements that may still creep me the F out.

As Tony EH said himself, those VHS visions were .. unsettling, and like him can't put my finger on the why.