What have you watched recently: Electric Boogaloo

Barna77

indough wrote: »

I only watched Valhalla Rising last night and don't really know what to make of it, but I think I liked it :pac:

I watched it last week... The housemate warned me I'd want to off myself after it... well, the day I get it...

Mocha Joe

Looper007 wrote: »

Been on a Joseph Gordon Levitt watch the last few days. To think the young kid from 3rd Rock From the Sun would become one of the more interesting of American actors over the years.

50/50

50/50 was advertised as a "comedy about cancer," which hardly sounds like a good idea for a movie, especially one that was advertised as "from the creators of Superbad". Cancer is obviously a very delicate subject, and there was as much risk that 50/50 could become too goofy and insensitive for its own good as there was for it to become too melodramatic and manipulative. I'm glad to say that the film is surprisingly poignant, realistic, and funny. For every crude joke, there are enough interesting character dynamics and real human emotions in this to make it a solid, thoroughly enjoyable and heart-wrenching film.That fine balance between comedy and drama can partly be attributed to Will Reiser, who wrote the story and script based on his ownexperiences with cancer. The script manages to find enough humor in Adam's situation, mostly thanks to his friend Kyle's attempts at cheering him up (such as using his cancer to pick up girls). However, the story also makes sure to deal with the serious issues around the disease too, such as how Adam handles his situation and the various ill-effects of cancer treatment, as well as how his diagnosis effects his relationships with his overbearing mother, and his girlfriend

The best part of the movie though, is quite easily Joseph Gordon Levitt as Adam. Levitt was perfectly cast in this role, and a lot of what I said about the film "not getting melodramatic" can be credited to his understated performance. He does a wonderful job of showing us what Adam is going through, from the initial shock, to his early optimism, and finally his succumbing to the fear that he really has no hope of survival. Watching Adam's journey, you really feel like you're getting to know him as a person, and understand what he's going through, which makes the climax all the more emotional. I can't imagine anyone reaching this scene without their heart racing, or even shedding a few tears.

You watched The Lookout yet? Great gem of a movie that he starred in before he became a big A-lister.

Cartel Mike

The mask Tv3


Jim Carey's finest film . Remember seeing it in the cinema years ago. Very memorable scenes , sketches and Carey impressions.
Cameron Diaz's first acting role and she's well hot. The dog in it is brilliant too.
Fav scene : the Cuban rumba dance scene.
Fav line : Where are you going sugar.. Daddy's got a sweet tooth

For me this film hasn't dated alot cause its genuinely funny unlike most of his other stuff .

Bowlardo

Just watched Killing me softly....what was it about?Load of balls really...every review has it at at 4 stars...why? is there something I missed?

Barna77

Just finished Argo. Bloody brilliant. Lived up to the expectations I had on it.

I'm flying on Thursday, I think I'll be shítting myself at the security check haha

Did I spot Jack Nicholson?

Duggy747

Gangster Squad

Silly and cliched movie that felt like it was made in the 80's or 90's where it was acceptable for our heroes to have impeccable aiming while the goons couldn't shoot to save their lives. Grenades exploding instantly but one has a delayed reaction when it lands in front of our chums............eurgh........

Just felt like a bunch of mobster films rolled into one, really isn't anything you haven't seen before which ultimately makes it feel dull and by-the-numbers.

Sean Penn's prosthetic face was way too distracting, too.

Disappointing and forgettable.

McGrath5

Dark Skies

A surprisingly good extraterrestrial horror about a family who are been terrorised by these forces which are not from our planet.

It did well to maintain the tension throughout the entire, with the ending been a little bit predictable.

6.5/10

Daemos

12 Rounds

A surprisingly decent action movie starring WWE wrestler John Cena, and directed by Die Hard 2 and Deep Blue Sea director, Renny Harlin

If you like a good action flick, this is for you.You'll be happy to hear that CGI is kept to a minimum, with mostly practical stunts and explosions throughout. IMO the story is above average for an action film too

CaptainScauld

Blue lamp - famous movie about a policeman killed by a criminal.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Recorded Winter's Bone off BBC on Good Friday. Got around to watching it today. I'd seen some of it before but not the whole thing from start to finish. Someone posted about it here a few pages back and I'd pretty much agree with them on it. It's bleak and fairly grim at times but with some very strong performances.

One thing I noticed when they kept talking about being the same blood was how much most of the female characters looked like the same person. There were a few times I thought Ree had gone back to the same house but it was another one Good casting there, they all looked like they'd been cut from the same rough bit of cloth.

I assume at the end

Teardrop went off to confront whoever it was that actually killed his brother and more than likely wasn't coming back?

Also

do we know who it was that put the money down on him at the bail bond place? Maybe it was hinted at but I didn't catch it?

Looper007

Bowlardo wrote: »

Just watched Killing me softly....what was it about?Load of balls really...every review has it at at 4 stars...why? is there something I missed?

Another film people hated but i loved it. Very talkie yes but great performance from Brad Pitt although i taught the James Gandolfini section was a bit self indulgent. Nowhere near Andrew Dominik's best film but i think too many dismissed this out of hand on its release.

e_e

It's just an example of a film being marketed really badly. I liked it a lot.

Bassboxxx

Something from Nothing

Seen this doc on rap and rappers. Directed by Ice T. Great doc but I love the genre, so I'm a bit biased. He gets input from lots of the big names from down through the years, most doin a few lines from their favourite classic rap tunes...

A must watch for hip-hop fans.....

Looper007

e_e wrote: »

It's just an example of a film being marketed really badly. I liked it a lot.

It's a Art house flick which was marketed (cause of it's star) as a slick cool Gangster movie. Didn't do the film any favours when people went to see a Gangster film with a lot of talk with political undertones with the odd scene of violence. It's a slow slow movie that demands rewatching to see its value not a one time slam bang experience many taught it would be. Known the director's previous work would have shown where this film was going.

indough

i thought it was pretty awful and i went in not expecting it to be a typical gangster movie. the subtext was handled terribly and the political undertones were anything but undertones, they were so heavy handed it almost felt like being physically assaulted - and all this without the film having anything even remotely profound to say. it also had way too much superfluous material, by which i am obviously referring to gandolfini's character. i'm still at a a loss as to what purpose he served in the story.

johnny_ultimate

I thought it was a failure with the good parts failing to coalesce into anything remotely coherent or interesting. Sure, there were some slick scenes, solid performances and potentially engaging themes, but it made its points early and repeated them over and over to the point of condescension. Worst of all I felt like I was being lectured to - the political & economic contexts could have given it an edge, but it was laid on so heavily and so repetitively it overcooked any promise it had. The result was a bloated mess all the more disappointing because there were flourishes of promise. The only appropriate response, simplistic though it may be, was a simple 'meh' and shrug of the shoulders.

Still better than Gangster Squad though :pac:

e_e

Looper007 wrote: »

It's a Art house flick which was marketed (cause of it's star) as a slick cool Gangster movie. Didn't do the film any favours when people went to see a Gangster film with a lot of talk with political undertones with the odd scene of violence. It's a slow slow movie that demands rewatching to see its value not a one time slam bang experience many taught it would be. Known the director's previous work would have shown where this film was going.

While I wouldn't call it particularly deep or innovative I thought it was very effective in showing the gritty ambience of the criminal underworld. The film had an incredible atmosphere where most other crime films would just try too hard to appear flashy.

DazMarz

Given the day that's in it, I actually decided to watch The Iron Lady.

The film itself feels a bit disjointed and a bit unsure of itself (is it criticising Thatcher? Is is supportive? Is it neutral? I don't think it knows).

But Streep's performance as the eponymous Thatcher is nothing short of breathtaking. Some actors can so embody a real person they are portraying that you forget you are watching a film and not a documentary (see: Helen Mirren in The Queen, Michael Sheen in The Damned United, Josh Brolin in W.).

Streep deservedly won an Oscar for her portrayal. At a time when Thatcher's legacy is more than ever being dissected and analysed, here we are shown some of the highlights (and low-lights) of her life and career. For all the bad people say she did, she undoubtedly did good. And all in the belief that she was doing what was right for the country and her people. She was not the incarnation of evil that some would paint her as, nor was she a saint, however.

It is hard not to feel sympathy for her as she leaves 10 Downing Street for the final time, set to the strains of "Casta Diva".

It is at times moving but a bit disjointed. But well worth a watch. Especially now.

Corkfeen

The Boys from Brazil: I used to love this film when I was younger so I decided to check it out again. It's not half as enjoyable watching it the second time because overall it's an extremely simple plot that is deeply flawed. However there are elements that still stand up. Gregory Peck's performance as Mengele is excellent and possibly even deserved an Oscar. However I was even thinking while watching him that it would be far more interesting to have watched Peck playing Mengele in a more plausible story that could be equally as horrific.

Cantona's Collars

Welcome to the Punch

Just didn't hold my interest at all & the twist was revealed in the trailer,it was more like a stretched out episode of a generic cop show plus the blue lighting was really offputting and added nothing to the film.

Judgement Day

"This Other Eden" (1959) on an unofficial DVD. Same age as myself but it has aged considerably better. Starring Leslie Phillips, Audrey Dalton, Hilton Edwards and the late, great Milo O'Shea in a minor role as a jovial barman - see below.
A very funny, satirical comedy set 20 years after the War of Independence. In the village of Ballymorgan the townspeople are looking forward to the unveiling of a statue commemorating local IRA hero "Commandant Carberry". Into the middle of the celebrations come two men with more than a passing interest in the event - Leslie Phillips (Crispin Brown) son of the English officer blamed for the murder of Carberry, and the illegitimate son of the IRA man played by Norman Rodway.

The movie takes a swipe at many sacred cows such as the Irish language, lip service to fallen heroes, attitudes to illegitimacy and hatred of the old enemy. Doesn't sound like a recipe for a comedy but it really delivers. Shot on location in Chapelizod, Wicklow Town, Ardmore Studios etc. Worth tracking down a copy. 10/10


Milo O'Shea excels as barman Pat Tweedy.

firestarter51

king of the travellers, worth a watch not great
welcome to the punch, not worth a watch poor film
sightseers, this is one strange film, didnt know wether to laugh or cry

DazMarz

As Good As It Gets (1997)

Jack Nicholson and Holly Hunter rightly won Oscars for their roles in this beauty. A superb supporting turn from Greg Kinnear was nominated for an Oscar as well.

Jolly Jack is superb as Melvin Udall, a misanthrope suffering from OCD that makes him completely unpalatable to absolutely everyone. The only person who can bear him (and even then, just barely) is waitress Carole (Hunter) who serves him every day in the only restaurant in New York that will still serve him (even then, just barely; no other waitress will deal with him and the owner wants to bar him).

Melvin's caustic barbs that are slung at everyone are my personal favourites. But Nicholson's facial expressions and subtle movements of the OCD-ridden Melvin are absolutely classic. The word "tact" means nothing here. Melvin tells it as it is and regularly flies off the handle (especially at his gay artist neighbour Simon; played with wonderfully understated brilliance by Kinnear).

The film does have a sentimental edge, but I think it is handled wonderfully and I think that it does have a sweet but not gag-inducing message and ending.

There are also classic one liners. My personal favourite being Melvin trying to "console" Simon (who is in a wheelchair temporarily): "Don't worry, you'll be back on your knees in no time."

Brilliant if only for the acting that is on show.

mewe

DazMarz wrote: »

As Good As It Gets (1997)

Jack Nicholson and Holly Hunter rightly won Oscars for their roles in this beauty. A superb supporting turn from Greg Kinnear was nominated for an Oscar as well.

Jolly Jack is superb as Melvin Udall, a misanthrope suffering from OCD that makes him completely unpalatable to absolutely everyone. The only person who can bear him (and even then, just barely) is waitress Carole (Hunter) who serves him every day in the only restaurant in New York that will still serve him (even then, just barely; no other waitress will deal with him and the owner wants to bar him).

Melvin's caustic barbs that are slung at everyone are my personal favourites. But Nicholson's facial expressions and subtle movements of the OCD-ridden Melvin are absolutely classic. The word "tact" means nothing here. Melvin tells it as it is and regularly flies off the handle (especially at his gay artist neighbour Simon; played with wonderfully understated brilliance by Kinnear).

The film does have a sentimental edge, but I think it is handled wonderfully and I think that it does have a sweet but not gag-inducing message and ending.

There are also classic one liners. My personal favourite being Melvin trying to "console" Simon (who is in a wheelchair temporarily): "Don't worry, you'll be back on your knees in no time."

Brilliant if only for the acting that is on show.

Good review-we're on the same page when it comes to this film.
Great little movie

mike65

Shout at the Devil 1976 Dir Peter Hunt. You always wanted to see Roger Moore black up haven't you? Fancy Ian Holm as a mute North African Arab? How about a fat German villain? Lee Marvin as an Irish American named Flynn O'Flynn with a very English daughter who Moore has seduced, knocked up and betrothed in more than double quick time?

Its all here and more. Or less. The film was given a significant editing after its theatrical runs (149m is the correct English language r/t) the BBC are showing the 119 edit which is why the romance subplot in the middle seems to be ludicrously turbocharged. It also helps explain the shifts in tone I think, at one point its pretty much a light comedy as Moore dresses up as a German tax collector complete with Kaiser style helmet, and later he and Marvin slug it out around and through the O'Flynn homestead almost in the style of a John Ford saloon bar scene.

Barna77

DazMarz wrote: »

As Good As It Gets (1997)

I hate it. I remember watching it at the cinema and I was constantly checking the time to get out.

Looper007

ARMY OF DARKNESS (1992)

Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi reinvent the Evil Dead series in this off-the-wall, tongue-in-cheek self-parody. Ash (Campbell) is transported to the European middle ages and must confront an army of deadites lead by his alter-ego "Bad Ash". Campbell's comedic acting is absolutely superb and the revamped Ash character is an unforgettable hero and bumbler. In terms of entertainment value, AOD hits its mark perfectly - it redefines B film making by being self-consciously and intentionally hilarious. It is one of the most entertaining films in my collection.

The special effects are fun, but (and everything in this film is intentional) completely and overtly "B-film". Every aspect of the production works simultaneously toward building the story, the characters and humor.

There are many versions of this film available on DVD. If you enjoy any one of these, chances are you will enjoy the others. The only really major difference is between the theatrical release and the "Bruce Campbell vs. Army of Darkness" version - which, featuring a completely different and more consistent ending, is my personal favorite. If you like this film, chances are you will want to watch it repeatedly. The Vs version also has very entertaining commentary from Campbell and Sam and Ivan Raimi.

EVIL DEAD 2 (1987)

Evil Dead 2 is one of those very rare films - a sequel that surpasses the original. Where the original film was a straight ahead horror flick, this one adds comedy to the mix. In different hands such a move would prove disastrous, with both the horror diluted and the comedy not funny enough. But comedy-horror is probably the sub-genre that ultimately suits Sam Raimi's sensibility best. His kinetic direction, fast paced editing and reservoir of inventive ideas are put to their best use with the addition of comedy. While star Bruce Campbell turns in a truly hilarious star-making performance as the hero Ash. His knockabout acting style is something of a revelation here. Both men peak in this movie.

It's technically a sequel, with events from the first film recapped in the early scenes. Once Ash is picked up by an unseen force and propelled through the forest we are at the point just after the first movie ended. To be honest though, it feels more like a remake than a sequel. A lot of important details are dropped from the first movie, such as the two other companions. But whatever way you want to look at it Evil Dead 2 benefits from the higher budget at Raimi's disposal. The make-up is rather good and there are better special effects throughout.

Looper007

GHOST DOG (1999)

Jim Jarmusch makes some impressive movies, and "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai" is no exception. Forest Whitaker plays the title character, who follows an ancient code used by Japanese samurai men. He also occasionally works for a mafia syndicate. But when the mafia syndicate betrays him, he has to take action, all the while abiding by the rules laid out in the code.

I liked how the movie laid everything out. Never using gratuitous violence, they show how Ghost Dog changes through his experiences, and has to reassess his loyalty. I will admit that some scenes were probably there for comic relief - namely the dialog during the meetings with the Haitian ice cream man - but I liked how the movie contrasted the rules of the samurai code with the violent world of the mafia syndicate. It was sort of like "Kill Bill" in that regard, but better ("Kill Bill" - while really good - was more about visuals and revenge).

STRAY DOG (1949)

Akira Kurosawa is known mostly for his historical films, which typically incorporate samurais and Toshiro Mifune. Stray Dog, on the other hand, takes place in post-War Japan and travels its mean streets convincingly, though, truth be told, it also features Toshiro Mifune (thankfully in one of his better and less histrionic performances).

Mifune, a greenhorn homicide detective, has his gun pinched on a bus-ride home from target practice; the remainder of the movie finds him searching for his missing pistol, first undercover as a homeless veteran and then under the tutelage of Takashi Shimura's Detective Sato.

It's a crime movie, plain and simple, but Kurosawa digs deeper than that, exploring the postwar sludge of his homeland. Mifune's Detective Murakami and the criminal Yusa are, ostensibly, mirror images of one another--both are young veterans who had their possessions stolen from them on the train-ride home after the war. Murakami, as he explains, almost snapped but chose the righteous path and became a cop; Yusa became a petty thief and then a murderer.

The exploration of the travails of the postwar Japanese youth is fascinating--just as fascinating as Kurosawa's dissection of history and storytelling in Rashomon. However, unlike Kurosawa's greater films (Dodes'ka-den and Rashomon), Stray Dog still feels like a young man's work. This was his ninth or tenth film, I think, and he was finally coming into his own on a visual level (there are some stunningly filmed sequences and his framing and arrangements are divine).

johnny_ultimate

When A Woman Ascends the Stairs - Mikio Maruse, one of the lesser appreciated Japanese master directors, in many ways carried on the thematic legacy of Mizoguchi. While not quite as distinctive stylistically speaking, his films delve into mid-century Japan with a willingness to critique society's hypocrisies without ever forgetting a basic human compassion.

This story is set in the world of Ginza hostess bars, and has echoes with Mizoguchi's Gion geisha films. Keiko (Hideko Hirayama) is an ageing albeit respected hostess, trying to decide on a future of marriage or owning her own establishment. It's a pretty harsh look at the uniquely Japanese culture of hostesses: unflinching in its criticism of the limited options it offers to the women who end up in the profession.

But through Hirayama's proud character, who suffers her fair share of disappointments and degradations, Maruse also shows on an admiration for the Japanese spirit of resilience. It's a film of frustrations, shattered dreams and societal restrictions, but one that is more interested in examining the human response to such insurmountable obstacles.

Shot in 'Toho Scope', the film also has a distinctively hip, modern feel about it that differentiates it from the pack - certainly paving the way for the likes of Tokyo Drifter or Oshima's work a few years later.

Tipsy McSwagger

Mea Maxima Culpa

If you want to know why Pope Benedict resigned then watch this fantastic documentary.