What have you watched recently: Electric Boogaloo

branie2 · 10-11-2018 11:14pm

Widows in the cinema this evening. It was very good.

Harry Palmr · 10-11-2018 11:29pm

Groundhog Day 1993 Dir Harold Ramis

Ah curmudgeonly genius and yet generous, yeah it's a bit Hollywood but I was moist eyed at the end cos it's what we all want in the end - even Bill Murray

8mv · 11-11-2018 12:07pm

The Dinner
This got a right kicking when it was released but I thought it was OK. Maybe people saw Steve Coogan's name on it and expected something different. Laura Linney gives a great performance as usual and a decent Richard Gere and Rebecca Hall make up the core cast. It's slow and ponderous and will not be your ideal night out movie, but I stuck with it despite being tempted to abandon it in the first half-hour and I'm glad I did. Director tries too hard to be arty in places. Maybe 3/5.

otnomart · 11-11-2018 6:47pm

Life Itself - Director and writer Dan Fogelman

Felt like an advert for New York and for Andalusia, with a far-fetched storyline (reminded me, bizarrely, of Hereafter) and trying hard to be a memorable tear-jerker.

Will be out in the UK 4 January 2019

Hector Savage · 12-11-2018 10:31am

Tango and Cash
Classic 80s action with Kurt Russel and Syl. Stallone.

Vertigo
Never saw this one before, I liked it , cool atmosphere - although ending seemed a bit rushed, I must check out more Alfred Hitchcock films.

12-11-2018 12:22pm

Finished revisiting the series 'Rome'. Already looking forward to watching it again in another ten years:D In my view the best tv series ever produced. Flawless in set and costume, incredibly powerful characters, and superb acting throughout.
To capture something so perfectly from thousands of years ago is just so impressive.

pixelburp · 12-11-2018 12:38pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Finished revisiting the series 'Rome'. Already looking forward to watching it again in another ten years:D In my view the best tv series ever produced. Flawless in set and costume, incredibly powerful characters, and superb acting throughout.
To capture something so perfectly from thousands of years ago is just so impressive.

It and Deadwood felt like two shows that spawned a few years too early for the era of Internet hype: neither quite latching onto an audience, or generating hype, in the same way Game of Thrones later managed, in turn arguably launching HBO into the stratosphere.

IIRC the writers said they had vague plans for bringing Jesus into the story during a future Season of Rome. That would have been ... entertaining

Tony EH · 12-11-2018 2:10pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Finished revisiting the series 'Rome'. Already looking forward to watching it again in another ten years:D In my view the best tv series ever produced. Flawless in set and costume, incredibly powerful characters, and superb acting throughout.
To capture something so perfectly from thousands of years ago is just so impressive.

Contains the best Caesar murder scene of any production. I thought Ciaran Hinds was very good.

Atia, though, was a bit "Ab Fab", but the actress is great so she gets away with it.

It's a pity the second season was so rushed though. There's a lot that's just glossed over and it pails in comparison to the first. Unfortunate that it was axed. It was just too expensive to produce.

I'll have to give it another spin.

12-11-2018 3:02pm

pixelburp wrote: »

It and Deadwood felt like two shows that spawned a few years too early for the era of Internet hype: neither quite latching onto an audience, or generating hype, in the same way Game of Thrones later managed, in turn arguably launching HBO into the stratosphere.

IIRC the writers said they had vague plans for bringing Jesus into the story during a future Season of Rome. That would have been ... entertaining

Deadwood yeah another exceptional piece of work, but not as accessible as Rome, I can remember taking 4 or 5 episodes to really get into it. Rome within minutes had me glued to it.
A third season with Jesus involved would really have been something :pac:

Tony EH wrote: »

Contains the best Caesar murder scene of any production. I thought Ciaran Hinds was very good.

Atia, though, was a bit "Ab Fab", but the actress is great so she gets away with it.

It's a pity the second season was so rushed though. There's a lot that's just glossed over and it pails in comparison to the first. Unfortunate that it was axed. It was just too expensive to produce.

I'll have to give it another spin.

I think Atia is a great character because she doesn't just go through one transformation of hating her to liking her, but seems to do it 3 or 4 times through the two series.So vicious and mean yeah ultimately likable! She has the last laugh in one of the final scenes which really brings it home how much you just grow to like her throughout everything.
The Caeser scene might well be one of the best if not the best I can remember from any tv show. The problem is you can't top that particular story in the second series. But Lucius Verinus, really is an unforgettable character makes that second season along with Anthony falling to pieces in Egypt. Both guys transforming also throughout the story. Octavian transforms completely also, perhaps this is the magic of it all, so many central characters evolving and changing throughout. Only Pullo stays consistent
I tell you what, I'd go to battle with Verinus and Pullo anytime!!

p to the e · 12-11-2018 3:18pm

Frailty

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0264616/

This has been on my list for a while and only got around to it recently. What a great little film. Nothing too overly complicated and well acted. Also a horror/thriller that doesn't have to rely on gore but rather suspense and unease. It could be described as violent but the camera pulls away from any such scenes.

Bill Paxton plays the loving, if somewhat insane, father perfectly whilst at the same time masterfully commanding his directing duties. Apparently he got a lot of tips from James Cameron. Also we see early signs of the "McCon-aissance" that was to come for Matthew McConaughey. Oh God I love that McConaughey whistle.

Tony EH · 12-11-2018 3:48pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I think Atia is a great character because she doesn't just go through one transformation of hating her to liking her, but seems to do it 3 or 4 times through the two series.So vicious and mean yeah ultimately likable! She has the last laugh in one of the final scenes which really brings it home how much you just grow to like her throughout everything.
The Caeser scene might well be one of the best if not the best I can remember from any tv show. The problem is you can't top that particular story in the second series. But Lucius Verinus, really is an unforgettable character makes that second season along with Anthony falling to pieces in Egypt. Both guys transforming also throughout the story. Octavian transforms completely also, perhaps this is the magic of it all, so many central characters evolving and changing throughout. Only Pullo stays consistent
I tell you what, I'd go to battle with Verinus and Pullo anytime!!

Yeh, I liked that it was Rome, as seen from "the lads" POV. Just two fellas and what they get up to. Sure, there's major figures floating about, but Lucius and Titus serve as audience introductions for a lot of the show.

Don't get me wrong, I thought Polly Walker was great as Atia, even when she was chewing the scenery, spitting it out and then chewing it again. She was very watchable in it.

True, as a series of episodes, it would be difficult to follow the Caesarian period with the Augustan period, as the years dealing with Julius Caesar are some of the most fascinating times from antiquity. But, the three way split of Augustus, Mark Antony and Lipidian Rome was a very interesting period as well, full of intrigue and backstabbing. I just felt that the producers were rushed through the events, because they were told that the second season was the last. Plus, I was eagerly awaiting the how the show would handle the battle of Phillipi and they just showed an aftermath. A little disappointing.

But, over all, it's a great show and a real pity that it was axed, especially when everyone involved put so much effort in and were up for continuing the series into No.3 and 4. It would have been great to see a depiction of Tiberian rule, with Jesus getting a mention. Although, I'd say such a depiction might have had the god squad uncomfortable. Tiberius didn't even know of Jesus, other than him just another Jewish rabble rouser and Christians were viewed as just a Jewish sect. Contrary to popular opinion - made so by Hollywood - the Romans didn't hate the Jews. In fact, Roman rule in that region was largely smooth compared to some parts of Europe. And there were large numbers of Jews made welcome in Rome itself. It was only when they started to spread their religion, against the wishes of Rome, that Tiberius banished them from the city.

D'Agger · 12-11-2018 4:02pm

Absolutely loved it. Visually it's brilliant with some typical Wes Anderson shots, the walk across the island montage has a brilliant song put to it, the sushi preparation scene, the meeting in the room made of bottles. Even the close ups of the dogs with their messy, ruffled fur were brilliant.

The voices were brilliant, I loved the logical character Ed Norton voiced and the decision making processes the pack runs through, also the character who keeps introducing rumours throughout.

Enjoyable story, great visual watch and just a real treat overall, highly recommend.

Sad Professor · 12-11-2018 5:15pm

I never cared for Rome. I could never get past how stagey and theatrical it was,. I have this issue with a lot of HBO period stuff, including Game of Thrones at times. It kind of goes with the genre, I guess.

quickbeam · 12-11-2018 5:45pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Finished revisiting the series 'Rome'. Already looking forward to watching it again in another ten years:D In my view the best tv series ever produced. Flawless in set and costume, incredibly powerful characters, and superb acting throughout.
To capture something so perfectly from thousands of years ago is just so impressive.

My favourite show ever!! Never gets tired.

12-11-2018 8:13pm

Tony EH wrote: »

True, as a series of episodes, it would be difficult to follow the Caesarian period with the Augustan period, as the years dealing with Julius Caesar are some of the most fascinating times from antiquity. But, the three way split of Augustus, Mark Antony and Lipidian Rome was a very interesting period as well, full of intrigue and backstabbing. I just felt that the producers were rushed through the events, because they were told that the second season was the last. Plus, I was eagerly awaiting the how the show would handle the battle of Phillipi and they just showed an aftermath. A little disappointing.

But, over all, it's a great show and a real pity that it was axed, especially when everyone involved put so much effort in and were up for continuing the series into No.3 and 4. It would have been great to see a depiction of Tiberian rule, with Jesus getting a mention. Although, I'd say such a depiction might have had the god squad uncomfortable. Tiberius didn't even know of Jesus, other than him just another Jewish rabble rouser and Christians were viewed as just a Jewish sect. Contrary to popular opinion - made so by Hollywood - the Romans didn't hate the Jews. In fact, Roman rule in that region was largely smooth compared to some parts of Europe. And there were large numbers of Jews made welcome in Rome itself. It was only when they started to spread their religion, against the wishes of Rome, that Tiberius banished them from the city.

Probably also because Hinds played Caeser with such poise and gravity, in a career best performance whatever Octavian did was never going to match up on the screen. Im not sure why they changed actors for Octavian, in many ways it was clever, but the new actor was never likable like the old one, and it would have added a lot had the young Octavian actor been able to transform into the man without feeling and charisma, sexually depraved and so unlikeable towards the end.
Interesting you mention about the Jews, they were building towards something in season 2. I seem to remember something about it costing 10mil an episode to make and so it was just to expensive like you say it was cancelled.

I'm craving some decent historical drama of which there is a void of at the moment. The Borgias was good, and even the Medici's was very watchable, as well as The Young Pope, but there's nothing been made in a while with any sort of real meat on it. I hope Scott can knock this Gladiator sequel out of the park, and that someday someone will make a series on an epic scale following Conn Igguldens books on Ghenghis Khan.

johnny_ultimate · 12-11-2018 11:39pm

Wildlife - Paul Dano steps behind the camera, and emerges unscathed! Honestly, he's done a really good job here - there's a persistent sense of foreboding here that works super well, and made me extremely uncomfortable (in a worthwhile way!) watching this family go to ****. Of course, it helps that the actors are so strong - Gyllenhaal is pretty great, but Carey Mulligan owns the film and delivers probably her most remarkable performance to date.

Mirai - Mamoru Hosoda makes, pretty much without question, the best family films around. And indeed family is often a core theme running through his reliably delightful films. This again is a lovely tribute to childhood and parenthood... but, like Summer Wars, zooms out for a more all-encompassing perspective of family. Indeed, at one stage characters literally dive through a family tree!

It falls short of Wolf Children greatness (although that remains a criminally underappreciated masterpiece) but boasts some tremendous scenes. The characterisation is a delight, particularly the way the kids are portrayed in all their adorable, exhausting glory. This doesn't tone down the tantrums and screaming for the audience's sanity, to its endless credit. A few sequences - a playful 'heist' sequence confined to one room, and what is among the strongest representations of a 'kid lost in a strange environment' in all of cinema - are among the best Hosoda has crafted to date.

The main problem here is that the fantastical elements never quite settle. All the 'twists' in Hosoda's previous work have felt fully realised - whether that's the virtual world of Summer Wars, or the werewolf aspects of Wolf Children. Here, I guess the time-travelling elements always felt a touch jarring? Now, I'm allowing some ambiguity because I know Hosoda wants aspects of it be a bit blurry - we're meant to question whether this is all young, innocent Kun imagining / dreaming this stuff. But even with that crucial disclaimer in mind, the internal logic felt a touch shaky. However, it's a testament to the film's abundance of charm, artistry and laudable earnestness that it doesn't come close to sinking because of a few under-realised aspects.

Disposable1 · 13-11-2018 12:36am

pixelburp wrote: »

It and Deadwood felt like two shows that spawned a few years too early for the era of Internet hype: neither quite latching onto an audience, or generating hype, in the same way Game of Thrones later managed, in turn arguably launching HBO into the stratosphere.

IIRC the writers said they had vague plans for bringing Jesus into the story during a future Season of Rome. That would have been ... entertaining

Jesus might have saved it....from cancellation like.

Tony EH · 13-11-2018 7:58am

Deleted User wrote: »

Probably also because Hinds played Caeser with such poise and gravity, in a career best performance whatever Octavian did was never going to match up on the screen. Im not sure why they changed actors for Octavian, in many ways it was clever, but the new actor was never likable like the old one, and it would have added a lot had the young Octavian actor been able to transform into the man without feeling and charisma, sexually depraved and so unlikeable towards the end.

Well, there's a time jump, because by the time of the second triumvirate, Octavian was 20. So the kid playing young Octavian was never going to cut it as Augustus, as good as he was. Necessity force the producer's hands, I suppose. But, yeah, I hate actor switcheroos as well. It's never comfortable.

Agree completely that the older actor didn't have the umph as the young lad. But, he was just too young to be a convincing Augustus.

Agree on Hinds too. His Caesar is excellent. Of course, we'll never know what the man was like in real life, but it's easy to imagine him as a close approximation of the character that Hinds plays.

Deleted User wrote: »

Interesting you mention about the Jews, they were building towards something in season 2. I seem to remember something about it costing 10mil an episode to make and so it was just to expensive like you say it was cancelled.

I'm craving some decent historical drama of which there is a void of at the moment. The Borgias was good, and even the Medici's was very watchable, as well as The Young Pope, but there's nothing been made in a while with any sort of real meat on it. I hope Scott can knock this Gladiator sequel out of the park, and that someday someone will make a series on an epic scale following Conn Igguldens books on Ghenghis Khan.

Never saw 'The Borgias'. Might give it a spin. The thing is, though, with modern historical drama is that it's very often modernised, with 21st Century sensibilities tacked on. Kind of does my head in a lot of the time. In fairness, 'Rome' was a bit guilty of that as well.

Not sure if Scott's sequel will do it. He's lost his mojo badly, AFAIC. But, in saying that, 'Gladiator' left a lot to be desired historically too. I know he made Commodus a fiend in the film for dramatic purposes etc, but it still gets my goat and I hate that he dies in the arena. The real Commodus didn't kill his father and was killed in his bath by his wrestling trainer after 15 years of rule.

Speaking of Genghis Khan, you should check out 'Mongol'.

Fysh · 13-11-2018 10:38am

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Mirai - Mamoru Hosoda makes, pretty much without question, the best family films around. And indeed family is often a core theme running through his reliably delightful films. This again is a lovely tribute to childhood and parenthood... but, like Summer Wars, zooms out for a more all-encompassing perspective of family. Indeed, at one stage characters literally dive through a family tree!

It falls short of Wolf Children greatness (although that remains a criminally underappreciated masterpiece) but boasts some tremendous scenes. The characterisation is a delight, particularly the way the kids are portrayed in all their adorable, exhausting glory. This doesn't tone down the tantrums and screaming for the audience's sanity, to its endless credit. A few sequences - a playful 'heist' sequence confined to one room, and what is among the strongest representations of a 'kid lost in a strange environment' in all of cinema - are among the best Hosoda has crafted to date.

The main problem here is that the fantastical elements never quite settle. All the 'twists' in Hosoda's previous work have felt fully realised - whether that's the virtual world of Summer Wars, or the werewolf aspects of Wolf Children. Here, I guess the time-travelling elements always felt a touch jarring? Now, I'm allowing some ambiguity because I know Hosoda wants aspects of it be a bit blurry - we're meant to question whether this is all young, innocent Kun imagining / dreaming this stuff. But even with that crucial disclaimer in mind, the internal logic felt a touch shaky. However, it's a testament to the film's abundance of charm, artistry and laudable earnestness that it doesn't come close to sinking because of a few under-realised aspects.

I had high hopes for Mirai, but was pretty disappointed and for me it's easily the least of Hosoda's films so far. In part this is because where his other films have, for me, kept the melodrama and family schmaltz under control, this felt like it was full tilt "what parents of young children think their children want to watch" at some points.

Like you say, there are some great moments and it largely looks fantastic, but I found the choice of Kun as a protagonist frustrating and the story wasn't really a clear story so much as a bunch of vignettes that happened to take place in sequence. Which may have been deliberate, but didn't work for me narratively - it made the whole thing feel like a very high quality web series that had been bluntly stitched together into a feature length film.

Credit to him for not wanting to just do the same thing over and over again, but after the magnificence of Wolf Children and the slightly-lesser-but-still-great The Boy And The Beast, this felt like a real stumble to me.

13-11-2018 10:45am

Tony EH wrote: »

Well, there's a time jump, because by the time of the second triumvirate, Octavian was 20. So the kid playing young Octavian was never going to cut it as Augustus, as good as he was. Necessity force the producer's hands, I suppose. But, yeah, I hate actor switcheroos as well. It's never comfortable.

Agree completely that the older actor didn't have the umph as the young lad. But, he was just too young to be a convincing Augustus.

Agree on Hinds too. His Caesar is excellent. Of course, we'll never know what the man was like in real life, but it's easy to imagine him as a close approximation of the character that Hinds plays.

Never saw 'The Borgias'. Might give it a spin. The thing is, though, with modern historical drama is that it's very often modernised, with 21st Century sensibilities tacked on. Kind of does my head in a lot of the time. In fairness, 'Rome' was a bit guilty of that as well.

Not sure if Scott's sequel will do it. He's lost his mojo badly, AFAIC. But, in saying that, 'Gladiator' left a lot to be desired historically too. I know he made Commodus a fiend in the film for dramatic purposes etc, but it still gets my goat and I hate that he dies in the arena. The real Commodus didn't kill his father and was killed in his bath by his wrestling trainer after 15 years of rule.

Speaking of Genghis Khan, you should check out 'Mongol'.

My knowledge of the Roman era is mostly limited to Caeser, I must seek out some good books on the following periods. Its all very intriguing.

The Borgias is very decent, if flawed. Jeremy Irons is masterful as the Pope, and the political maneuvering is very entertaining.
What I found myself noticing in Rome was the level of detail they went into in the background and the use of extras. Serious depth of thought and quality, it just felt so real and natural. I can remember that Irish Easter Rising TV show last year where you would clearly see the 'cue' people cross the road a mile away. It was so forced and poorly directed, with Rome I felt I was in there. The Borgias doesn't quite deliver that but still a good watch.

Mongol I have seen, but didn't do much for me. Iggulden wrote 4 books or might have even been 5 from the time Ghenghis' father was killed and he and his family were thrown out on the ice with nothing, and how he grew from there with his brothers and united all the tribes to conquer almost everything. There is so much to work with there in a series, I just think nobody has the balls to do it or probably the money! With the CGI available today it would be perfect for the mass audience too who need all the fight scenes.

megaten · 13-11-2018 10:47am

I thought Mirai was a big step up from The Boy and the Beast which I was really disappointed in. Though that was maybe because I was expecting Boy and the beast to be a companion piece in some ways to Wolf Children and it just wasn't good enough to be that.

johnny_ultimate · 13-11-2018 11:00am

Fysh wrote: »

I had high hopes for Mirai, but was pretty disappointed and for me it's easily the least of Hosoda's films so far. In part this is because where his other films have, for me, kept the melodrama and family schmaltz under control, this felt like it was full tilt "what parents of young children think their children want to watch" at some points.

Like you say, there are some great moments and it largely looks fantastic, but I found the choice of Kun as a protagonist frustrating and the story wasn't really a clear story so much as a bunch of vignettes that happened to take place in sequence. Which may have been deliberate, but didn't work for me narratively - it made the whole thing feel like a very high quality web series that had been bluntly stitched together into a feature length film.

Credit to him for not wanting to just do the same thing over and over again, but after the magnificence of Wolf Children and the slightly-lesser-but-still-great The Boy And The Beast, this felt like a real stumble to me.

I think as a first watch I preferred it slightly to Boy and The Beast (although that grew on me on a second viewing) but definitely not up to Sunmer Wars / Wolf Children quality. It’s absolutely vignette-heavy, complete with fade to blacks quite frequently. But overall it was refreshing for me to see kids portrayed as they actually are - exhausting, obnoxious and charming at the same time.

I think what jarred most for me was that ‘future Mirai’ never felt vital to the story, despite being so prominent. I’ve compared Hosoda’s films favourably to My Neighbour Totoro before, but I think the comparison is less generous here - whereas Miyasaki’s film perfectly integrates the fantasy / imagination aspects into the film as a whole, here that’s not the case. Again, I feel that’s partially by design and often very satisfying... but other times scattershot.

As an aside, I continue to love Takagi Masakatsu‘s scores. They’re so idiosyncratic without undercutting the stories being told.

Tony EH · 13-11-2018 11:30am

Anyhooo...back on topic.

What did I watch recently?

'Jaws'...again.

Spielberg's masterpiece, as far as I'm concerned, and probably one of the finest Hollywood movies ever made. There's not really much more to be said about it really.

I watched it this time with the old audio mix and not the "new" one that's been the standard since 2000 DVD I think. The older mix is much fuller sounding and far more pleasing. There's a real weight to it that's absent in the newer surround mix. The only thing I really miss from it was the sound of Quint's shin bones cracking as the shark takes its first bite.

10/10

'The Dark'

I've heard it mentioned that this is a kind of Canadian 'Let the Right One In' with "zombies". That doesn't really add up for me though. In any case, it's not a bad little horror flick, but it is a little absurd and the ending lets it down. There's a central thread through the film of child abuse that's far more disturbing than anything else in the story too. But, it's a good, offbeat, tale that's well acted.

7/10

'Creepshow'

One of George Romero's more well known films, outside of his "...of the Dead" series. A portmanteau of five different stories based on the old US horror comics of the 50's, 60's and 70's. It's a real mixed bag, as all of those type of movies are, and the stories don't work all that well really. Especially the ridiculous Stephen King one, where his overacting and unfunny mannerisms results in just being irritating, rather than humorous. But, the film ends up being a relatively satisfying whole and its two hour pass by easy enough. It's littered with famous faces too, like Ted Hanson, Ed Harris, Leslie Nielson, Hal Holbrook, etc and everyone is having a great time of it, which makes it more enjoyable.

6/10

branie2 · 13-11-2018 11:32pm

A bit of The Incredible Hulk film from 2008 today, to mark the passing of Stan Lee.

johnny_ultimate · 14-11-2018 12:13am

Burning - Almost certainly the best film I’ve seen this year, and perhaps one of the best of the decade.

Lee Chang-dong has always been a masterful director, but this is a step up from even his lofty standards. It’s hard to explain why in some senses - this is an adaptation of a Murakami story, and it feels like it. By that I mean there’s a sort of unspoken oddness to it, where the revelations are there and immensely powerful but aren’t easy to explicitly articulate. It takes its time, allowing conversations to wander, questions to linger - but through it all it’s utterly captivating.

Other strengths are easier to point out. It looks absolutely ****ing stunning in particular - no film has ever featured dusk / twilight scenes quite like this one. There’s also a score which is unlike any others I’ve heard - quiet but urgent, lurking around in the background but also helping set the film’s perfect pacing.

I think the thing about Burning is that while you could praise it all day (well deserved to be the highest-rated film ever in a long-running Cannes critic poll) no praise can quite do it justice. Like Murakami’s best novels, Lee Chang-dong’s masterpiece is one to get lost in, to tune in completely to its unique wavelength, and just follow it wherever it leads.

This, in short, is the real good stuff.

Aisling(",) · 14-11-2018 2:31pm

I went to see The Grinch last night.

I know its still November but I enojyed the Chrismtassy feeling. It was funnier than the 2000 live action film and I prefer this one.The Grinch is nicer to his dog Max in this film and while still the mean old grump I think he's far more relatable and you understnad his grinchness far more.

My favourite piece was the

goat who screamed like a human

. Could have done with some more of him!

Optimalprimerib · 14-11-2018 7:40pm

Today I went back in time to watch two oldies but goodies that I missed back in the day. The first was scent of a woman, which was AL PACINO SHOUTING!!! and a really questionable moral about not ratting out people even though they don't give a fcuk about you. That speech was supposed to be uplifting, but I thought it was gibberish.

The second was 2001: a space Odyssey. Unbelievable achievement considering it was released before they even landed on the moon. But I am not even close to intelligent to understand the ending and not stupid enough to pretend that I do.

I also got to watch pans labirynth recently. Now that was absolutely brilliant. One of my friends hated it so I avoided it until now, but it blew my socks off.

CrankyHaus · 15-11-2018 12:58pm

Senakers (1992)

Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Sidney Poitier, Ben Kingsley and Dan Akroyd in a crime thriller about an ex-radical turned bank cyber-security white-hat hacker who is enlisted by the NSA for an espionage assignment that goes sour.

I was surprised to not have come across this film before. It was very prescient about cyber threats to vital infrastructure and Ben Kingsley's scheme was basically copied by a big film several years later. At the same time the film feels like a last hurrah for 70s espionage thrillers like The Conversation. The heist elements made it engrossing and entertaining. Great cast even if none of them put in career best performances. 7/10.

15-11-2018 1:52pm

Watched Unforgiven last night as I'm on a bit of a Western binge

What a movie, and the tension it builds is so so good

branie2 · 16-11-2018 11:18pm

A Star is Born in the cinema this evening. It was very good.

pixelburp · 18-11-2018 1:31pm

The Meg (2018)

A complete mess that managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory (pun not intended): it's another one of these Chinese films masquerading as a Hollywood blockbuster, by way of a (probably overpaid) star, and the end result was of a bore with flabby, unfulfilling action, dull wheel-spinning & an irritating cast that ticked the stereotypes so aggressively, it nearly mutated the film into parody. And while some might cry that a film about a giant shark shouldn't be criticised for lacking rich characterisation, the obvious comeback is that Jaws managed this feat 40+ years ago; heck, The Meg couldn't even manage some basic coherence or sense, the plot careening around ad-hoc within an under-explained setting.

p to the e · 19-11-2018 3:54pm

CrankyHaus wrote: »

Senakers (1992)

Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Sidney Poitier, Ben Kingsley and Dan Akroyd in a crime thriller about an ex-radical turned bank cyber-security white-hat hacker who is enlisted by the NSA for an espionage assignment that goes sour.

I was surprised to not have come across this film before. It was very prescient about cyber threats to vital infrastructure and Ben Kingsley's scheme was basically copied by a big film several years later. At the same time the film feels like a last hurrah for 70s espionage thrillers like The Conversation. The heist elements made it engrossing and entertaining. Great cast even if none of them put in career best performances. 7/10.

Haven't seen this in years and remember really enjoying it. Don't think Dustin Hoffman is in it though. However it was one of River Phoenix's last roles.

CrankyHaus · 19-11-2018 5:22pm

p to the e wrote: »

Haven't seen this in years and remember really enjoying it. Don't think Dustin Hoffman is in it though. However it was one of River Phoenix's last roles.

You're dead right. I confused him with Dick Strathairn. Thanks for the correction.

rob316 · 20-11-2018 9:52am

Final Score - a fun, fast and brainless "kill all the terrorist bad guys" action movie. Enjoyable 90 mins.

al87987 · 20-11-2018 1:27pm

Searching 8/10

Very good and well told through screens and technology. Mysterious disappearance of 16 a year old girl is investigated by her father, the MILF guy/Harold or Kumar.

Plenty of twists and turns in this one

Gimme A Pound · 21-11-2018 5:49am

Winter's Bone. Harsh and bleak. Gives me plenty of perspective.

Pretty amazing that it's 21st century America.

Outlaw Pete · 22-11-2018 1:31pm

Aisling(",) wrote: »

I went to see The Grinch last night.

I know its still November but I enojyed the Chrismtassy feeling. It was funnier than the 2000 live action film and I prefer this one.The Grinch is nicer to his dog Max in this film and while still the mean old grump I think he's far more relatable and you understnad his grinchness far more.

My favourite piece was the
goat who screamed like a human
. Could have done with some more of him!

Probably deserves it's own thread but yeah, I agree, better than the 2000 one.

We had two under 10's with us and they were immersed from start to finish (as it seemed were many other similarly aged kids at the screening too) and I feel that's probably the best review the film could have really.

Lots for adults to enjoy also and so it's genuinely an animation the whole family can enjoy. Not since Toy Story III have I really felt that was the case.

Also seen Cédric Kahn's The Prayer (La prière) recently at the French Film Festival and really enjoyed that. Not for everyone for sure and can see many being frustrated with the slow pace but it's well worth persevering with.

Also seen one of Kahn's earlier films, Roberto Succo, at another screening and man, fcuking loved that. Don't know how that film has passed me by and would absolutely recommend watching it if like me you've somehow not seen it.

buried · 22-11-2018 7:50pm

You Were Never Really Here (2018) Gave this a second watch sober and was much better. Must try to not watch things after too many beers because this second sober view was much much better. Watched this with a double bill of 'Taxi Driver' first which is a good watch with this if you have both copies. Good honest heartfelt brutality showcase! Great soundtrack too. Looking forward to watching again real soon. 9/10

Sicario 2 (2018) Good solid action thriller fare, could have done with being a small bit longer and the ending a bit better and coherent. Not as good as Sollima's other recent work but still decent enough for what it is. 7/10

A Dark Song (2017) Woman hires a demented occultist to contact a dead relative in a remote house in Wales and it all goes pear shaped. Enjoyed this, majority of the film its just the two in the house but the tension, the claustrophobia builds up and up and whole thing flies by. Won't be for everyone,

I can see people flinging their remotes at the TV as it ends lol

not the standard horror flick, heavy on occult ritual side of things and I really enjoyed it. 8/10

Gomorrah - Season 3. (2018)This got a bit too soap operaish for me at certain parts, and new characters introduced are nowhere near the levels of the ones that have left. Still, its really good in parts, one of the episodes, the one set in Bulgaria is absolutely brilliant work and outshines most full length crime drama feature films from any time. 7/10

The Deuce - Season 2 (2018) This really doesn't know what it is at all. Right on PC drama shtick? Whodunnit shtick? Police Department drama shtick? New York Mob Shtick? Lighthearted look at birth of the porn industry shtick? Too many shticks. Too much going on as it goes from mild half gritty to mild laid-back half comedy. In the end all of it amounts to feic all. Bought the last series on Blu-Ray, which was way more gritty and even that series wasn't that gritty at all, will not be buying this one. A lot of the sets looked really poor compared to the first series. Some of them looked like sets from 'Seinfeld' or something. Really noticeable, really bad. There was about two good scenes in the whole 10 hours so 2/10

Mandy (2018) I was looking forward to seeing this, but for the full 120 minutes I was bored to bits. The film just tried too hard to be as cracked as the Nicholas Cage performance in it and it was just too much, too much as in too much all over the place and I couldn't care less what was happening. It was like watching a mixture of a badly written 2 hour serial drama episode that tried to be like 'Hobo with a Shotgun' all set to the colour palette of 'Stranger Things'. Now that may be some peoples thing but it ain't mine. Will not be returning. Reminded me to watch Hobo with a Shotgun again so 3/10

ButtersSuki · 23-11-2018 11:46am

Off topic, but...

I have 4 tickets to Sauvage in the IFI tonight at 8:40pm as part of French Film Week that I can't use now. Won them elsewhere but offering to a boardsie.

If anyone wants them can you PM me?

Thanks.

ButtersSuki · 23-11-2018 12:21pm

Off topic, but...

I have 4 tickets to Sauvage in the IFI tonight at 8:40pm as part of French Film Week that I can't use now. Won them elsewhere but offering to a boardsie.

If anyone wants them can you PM me?

Thanks.

ButtersSuki · 23-11-2018 7:05pm

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Off topic, but...

I have 4 tickets to Sauvage in the IFI tonight at 8:40pm as part of French Film Week that I can't use now. Won them elsewhere but offering to a boardsie.

If anyone wants them can you PM me?

Thanks.

Still available if anyone wants them!

branie2 · 23-11-2018 11:24pm

Robin Hood at the cinema this evening. I thought it was very good.

Gwynplaine · 24-11-2018 3:39pm

Watching Live and Let Die here now. Great movie, haven't seen it for years. The old ones are the best, and Roger Moore is, by far the best Bond.

Bowlardo · 24-11-2018 6:14pm

The circle(Netflix)- fairly decent cast but woeful soulless movie. 3/10 movie.

branie2 · 25-11-2018 12:16am

JFK on TG4

fin12 · 25-11-2018 12:24am

branie2 wrote: »

JFK on TG4

Ya seems to go on for ever... still on...

Del.Monte · 25-11-2018 10:12am

fury-2014-movie-hd-wide-wallpaper-1920x1080.jpg?fit=768%2C432

"Fury" (2014) last night on Netflix.

An anti-War (?) movie that keeps you watching until the very end and never flags despite being 2 hours and 14 minutes long.
An American tank crew experience the last days of the WW.II. deep inside Germany - to tell more would spoil the story.
Brad Pitt stars so what's not to like?

A rare 10/10 from me.

Tony EH · 25-11-2018 4:45pm

/\

Really? I thought it was largely awful. It's depiction of tank warfare is laughable. It has some good moments, but over all it was rubbish and that ending was utterly ridiculous.

Surprised at how crap it was too, because 'End of Watch' was very good. But, then again, Ayer did write the woeful 'U-571', so I suppose I shouldn't be expecting any WWII film he's near to be good in the first place.

Snake Plisken · 25-11-2018 9:23pm

Saw a recommendation for Cold in July starting Michael C Hall Don Johnson & the late Sam Shepard if you liked movies like Hell or High water you will like this, starts out as one type of movie and turns into something totally different also it was directed by Jim Mickle who directed Stakeland. I really enjoyed it, worth seeking out.

droidman123 · 26-11-2018 1:10pm

R.I.P Bernardo Bertolucci

What have you watched recently: Electric Boogaloo

Comments