What have you watched recently? 3D!

flasher0030

Nerdlingr wrote: »

Yeah love Take Shelter.

Take Shelter it is tonight so.
And a film called Searching. Looks fairly interesting.

timthumbni

A Prayer before Dawn - (2018) Prison movie set in Thailand (based on a true story) of an English boxer getting locked up over there due to drugs. Joe Cole (Not the footballer) puts in a decent turn but it’s pretty hard going imo.

I didn’t have much sympathy for the character really and felt as the only foreigner in there he got away with a lot of violence himself. No back story at all really either. The almost obligatory prison rape scene is there but didn’t feel like anything new. It feels like a cross between Midnight Express and Felon but nowhere near as good.

It was claustrophobic though. No complaining over 2 to a cell over there.

6.5/10 - not bad but wouldn’t be watching it again. Both because it’s nothing that fresh and the fact that it’s quite uncomfortable to watch.

flasher0030

I watched a film called Searching. Never heard of it before. But I was very pleasantly surprised. I read some reviews about it and some people were put off by the whole social media thing. But I had no issues with that. I really really enjoyed it. It was very well done. And quite gripping as you don’t know where it’s leading to.
If you’re not one of those who have a phobia towards facebook, twitter, Instagram etc. then I would definitely recommend.

pixelburp

Palm Springs (2020)

Deranged riff on Groundhog Day, one which underpinned the broader and more anarchic comedy style with solid and well earned development & beats from its characters. An arguably more emotionally complex cast, being more screw ups in life than the Scrooge-like curmudgeon of the aforementioned classic. Structurally it also played with the formula a little, the simple act of having the film start "in media res" an obvious but unique twist on a formula. Andy Samberg's natural boyish cheek kinda undercut his character arc a little, but otherwise knocked it out of the park alongside costar Christin Milioti. The film also left me wondering ... ... just how many were actually stuck in the loop?

fin12

Watched Bad Education (2019) last night starring Hugh Jackman. Starts off slow but thought it was very good. Based on a true story also which I had never heard off. Quiet shocking really the amounts of money that was involved in the end.

Heckler

Just now for the umpteen time but not for a year or so. Se7en. Hard to believe its 25 years old. It hasn't dated a jot maybe down to its ambiguous time and setting. The tone, score, visuals. Fantastic movie. And of course the ending.

timthumbni

Man vs Snake (2016)

Free if you have prime at moment in UK anyway. About a few guys attempting score of a billion on an old Classic arcade machine Nibbler (me neither) It seems like a version of snake. To get a billion points you have to play for the guts of 40 hrs solid play. The game constantly plays (No pause) so the only way to take a break is building up lives and letting them deplete whilst you take a short break.

If you liked King of Kong you will love this. Walter Day (A very bizarre character) from twin galaxies and bad boy Billy Mitchell also make guest appearances. (Billy looks like a nerdish gaming Chuck Norris mixed with the arrogance of Charlie Sheen, and with the evil factor of Voldemort)

Great stuff for gaming types - 9/10.

Affliction 1997 Nolte got an oscar nomination for this performance. Small town cop who is trying to get by burdened by the upbringing of his horrible father. James Coburn gives a really exceptional performance as just the meanest drunk of a father you can possibly imagine in a variety of flashback scenes.
Not the greatest film but worth it to watch Coburn in those scenes.

The thin red line 1998 For me this is Mallicks best movie and is a real masterpiece of film. What this brings to the table that his others don't is central characters that contrast his languid tennysonesque style of film making with energetic and powerful acting, charisma that carries you through the slow moments laden with imagery that come in between. Nolte as the ambitious Col is just brilliant. Travolta, Sean Penn, Woody Harrellson, the really outstanding cast goes on and on. Overall this film delivers on every level and is one of the greatest war movies ever made.

The Prince of Tides No idea why I avoided this for so many years, but its not a romance movie between Nick Nolte and Barbara Streisland that is for sure. Nolte is somewhat like in the movie affliction trying to get past his childhood and some harrowing things that happened. An incredibly powerful scene as he finally opens up for the first time on the trauma of his childhood is what got him an oscar nomination and won the globe for this performance. What is remarkable too is Stresiland directed this. A woman of serious talent. This is a fantastic moving film. Hard to say its Nolte's best performance as he has so damn many of them. Having had a lot of substance and alcohol problems for decades hard to believe he is still alive.

flasher0030

Nerdlingr wrote: »

Yeah love Take Shelter.

Watched it last night. Very interesting. Took a while to get my interest. Lots of looking at the sky for the first hour.
But very interesting idea - that's if I even interpreted the ending correctly. Will need to google that a bit.

Dades

Eurovision.
Good fun. Harmless.

Attack of the Clones.
Still bad. Easily my worst SW movie. That love story *shudder*. And the acting....

Also, I just watched CATS.

I think it looked amazing - but I had no idea what was going on and hated the music. So that's be a big no.

EasterSheep

Conspiracy Theory starring Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts. Really enjoyed it

CastorTroy

3 Walter Hill films in a row with Streets of Fire, 48Hrs and Extreme Prejudice.

Enjoyed all 3 of them. Saw 48Hrs years ago so was a rewatch, since didn't remember much.

Harry Palmr

Framed 1975 Dir Phil Karlson

Joe Don Baker is a high stakes gambler who gets er Framed. Very much of it's era in terms of the look with the kind of flared collars you could land a plane on.

The themes are quite interesting in a way. Baker is rich within his own world but completely cussed and anti-establishment making common cause with a local black deputy who is sick of being on the "dirty end of the stick" all his life. The cops and the politicians are out to get him so he'll get them back. The violence is of the nasty eye gouging/nostril pulling variety and feel plausibly painful and bloody. No one just springs back up having been lamped.

This was shown on Talking Pictures who also have another 70s sleeper crime thriller - The Friends of Eddie Coyle showing at the moment.

flasher0030

25th Hour
Very good. Very simple plot-wise but great dialogue, if that's your cup of tea.

Tony EH

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Framed 1975 Dir Phil Karlson

Joe Don Baker is a high stakes gambler who gets er Framed. Very much of it's era in terms of the look with the kind of flared collars you could land a plane on.

The themes are quite interesting in a way. Baker is rich within his own world but completely cussed and anti-establishment making common cause with a local black deputy who is sick of being on the "dirty end of the stick" all his life. The cops and the politicians are out to get him so he'll get them back. The violence is of the nasty eye gouging/nostril pulling variety and feel plausibly painful and bloody. No one just springs back up having been lamped.

I love this film. The violence is crazy.

JDB blows a guys ear off for back talking

There's also a mad stunt with a train and I'm surprised that the stunt man didn't get pulverised doing it.

pixelburp

Heat (1995)

Remains Michael Mann's best film and re-watching with an older head, what struck this time was all the material surrounding that visceral action the film's arguably more famous for. Perhaps superficially cliché at first blush; with its depiction of cop and prey as thematic brothers, while wading through disastrous personal lives. Yet there was this atmosphere of a stylish, existential dream to the setting and its mood. While the action set pieces still had that raw unfiltered impact, the quieter scenes came off positively somnambulant. Of lost souls emotionally adrift from the rest of the planet. Elegant and understated, despite the ostensible headline genre - and occasional Al Pacino outburst.

Tony EH

Always had a bit of an aversion to Mann's films (never understood the "Manhunter is better than Silence" crowd either), but 'Heat' is a pretty great film. Pacino is a bit too Hoo Ha in it for my liking, but DeNiro and Kilmer are very good, and that 20 minute bank robbery sequence is worth the price of admission alone.

Have to give it a spin again some time myself.

Cannot believe it's 25 years old...christ.

Tony EH

Tony EH wrote: »

Always had a bit of an aversion to Mann's films (never understood the "Manhunter is better than Silence" crowd either), but 'Heat' is a pretty great film. Pacino is a bit too Hoo Ha in it for my liking, but DeNiro and Kilmer are very good, and that 20 minute bank robbery sequence is worth the price of admission alone.
.

I love Manns very distinctive style. Thief has it in a abundance too. My favorite of his is The Insider, which might well be my favourite film of all. Last of the Mohicans, Heat and The insider back to back was some amazing streak of filmmaking he went on, he lost his mojo a bit after that, although Public Enemies is very good.

Tony EH

Deleted User wrote: »

I love Manns very distinctive style. Thief has it in a abundance too. My favorite of his is The Insider, which might well be my favourite film of all. Last of the Mohicans, Heat and The insider back to back was some amazing streak of filmmaking he went on, he lost his mojo a bit after that, although Public Enemies is very good.

Don't get me wrong, I like some of his films. He just has mannerisms that, I dunno, rub me up the wrong way. Hard to explain.

flasher0030

pixelburp wrote: »

Heat (1995)

Remains Michael Mann's best film and re-watching with an older head, what struck this time was all the material surrounding that visceral action the film's arguably more famous for. Perhaps superficially cliché at first blush; with its depiction of cop and prey as thematic brothers, while wading through disastrous personal lives. Yet there was this atmosphere of a stylish, existential dream to the setting and its mood. While the action set pieces still had that raw unfiltered impact, the quieter scenes came off positively somnambulant. Of lost souls emotionally adrift from the rest of the planet. Elegant and understated, despite the ostensible headline genre - and occasional Al Pacino outburst.

Love it. Brilliant film. I think it had the novelty at the time of having Pacino and DeNiro in their first scene together.
I loved the Moby soundtrack. And the night-time driving through the city with that music in the background.

mikhail

Tony EH wrote: »

Always had a bit of an aversion to Mann's films (never understood the "Manhunter is better than Silence" crowd either).

They're quite different. I like both of them for different reasons. I might even enjoy Manhunter more, but Hopkins' performance cemented Silence into iconic status and Manhunter hasn't anything comparable.

Retr0gamer

Gods of Egypt

Caught a bit of this. Wish I was drunk with a load of other similarly drunk people and laughing at this because it just isn't fun sober. Some of the CGI was scy-fy channel bad. How the hell did this get made?

Homelander

That was actually a movie I switched off after 10 minutes - something I almost never do, and most especially not when I'm looking for a sort of brainless popcorn muncher.

It is shockingly bad. I cannot understand what they spent $140m on exactly, because the CGI is absolutely horrible, looks about 20 years old.

Dades

Tony EH wrote: »

Always had a bit of an aversion to Mann's films (never understood the "Manhunter is better than Silence" crowd either), but 'Heat' is a pretty great film. Pacino is a bit too Hoo Ha in it for my liking, but DeNiro and Kilmer are very good, and that 20 minute bank robbery sequence is worth the price of admission alone.

I can't stand Pacino's Hoo Ha mode - which is unfortunate as it's the only mode he has. I tend to avoid his movies now.

The bank robbery scene is pretty awesome though.

pixelburp

Apart from one moment in one scene, Pacino never goes full "hoo ah" in Heat IMO; in fact if anything the film takes that resting swagger and made it come across like empty calories and posturing. The noisy bravado is all there sure, but his character cuts an otherwise lonely figure with nothing to show for himself except a portable TV.

Del.Monte

"Eye of the Needle" 1981 on Netflix

WW.II. spy movie based on the book by Ken Follett with more than a nod to John Buchan's "39 Steps". Britain's D-Day plans must be got to Berlin.

Can't say much about the film without giving away the whole story but I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Well crafted and easy to follow with Donald Sutherland in the lead role. 10/10.

pixelburp

Attack the Block (2011)

John Boyega's breakout role, a low-fi sci-fi horror set in a London council estate, the heroes a set of hoodie scumbags. As the film opens with the gang mugging a woman (who also gets wrapped up in the alien invasion), the script makes the youths as scary and nasty as the creatures invading their home - despite them being the ostensible heroes. Joe Cornish doesn't lionise or absolve the hoodies, adding enough context to give depth to their peacocking violence. The actual "alien" part of the film remains great, the monster design showing good use of a small budget, Cornish also adding a touch of showy scale to the Council Estate location.

Del.Monte

"Farewell my Lovely" (1975) on YouTube


Robert Mitchum puts in another strong performance as worn out private eye Philip Marlowe who is paid by an ex-con to find his girlfriend. Murder, mayhem and plenty of plot twists. Hasn't dated a bit with the passage of time. Another of my rare 10/10.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

pixelburp wrote: »

Attack the Block (2011)

John Boyega's breakout role, a low-fi sci-fi horror set in a London council estate, the heroes a set of hoodie scumbags. As the film opens with the gang mugging a woman (who also gets wrapped up in the alien invasion), the script makes the youths as scary and nasty as the creatures invading their home - despite them being the ostensible heroes. Joe Cornish doesn't lionise or absolve the hoodies, adding enough context to give depth to their peacocking violence. The actual "alien" part of the film remains great, the monster design showing good use of a small budget, Cornish also adding a touch of showy scale to the Council Estate location.

I watched The Kid Who Would Be King a few weeks ago. It's, I think, Cornish's follow up to Attack the Block. I really enjoyed it too. It has the nostalgia feeling of things I watched as a kid without laying it on too heavy by actually setting it in the 80's/90's.
I didn't realise until after watching this that Joe Cornish is Joe from Adam & Joe. I have distinct memories of seeing bits of their TV show when I was probably too young to be watching it and finding it hilarious.

mikemac2

Alexander

I watched this in the cinema when it was released and thought it was awful muck. It did get bad reviews at the time.

I watched it again this week and my opinion improved, I liked it quite a bit

Some amount of Irish accents in it! I remember at the time it was explained, might have been Oliver Stone himself said that the Greeks were noble sorts so they used British accents for the film while the Macedonians were uncouth upstarts so they used Irish accents. Dunno if it was reason for casting or not.

I know a few versions of this exist but I just watch the same version as I had seen before, the standard cinema version