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What films are you watching?

Pancake

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saint lard

saint lard

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Next week sometime I'm off to see the remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still.

 

I'm not getting my hopes up. What with a lump of wood playing the lead role, it doesn't bode well. But I feel I should bear witness to either an expected balls up, or an unexpected great update of a classic film. It has happened before, both good and bad. The remake of The Time Machine in 2003 left me coming out of the cinema pretty p!ssed off. It took ages for me to appreciate the film for what it was - another departure from the book, and once I did that, I enjoyed it; wafer thin and flawed though it was. The second experience was The Flight Of the Phoenix, just the other week on TV. My opinion on that one isn't going to change, of that I'm sure. Awful and totally unnecessary film, which neither brings anything else to the screen that the original didn't, and certainly didn't improve on it. In fact, if the original was the apex of film making, and then this one surely was the nadir.

 

Perhaps the 3rd time will prove lucky. But with Keanu Reeves playing the central character..? I'm not betting on it.

 

I really wouldn't waste my time,or money if i were you.

Iv'e just watched it and it was mediocre at best,should've and could've been alot better.

Reeves is supposed to play the part deadpan but he really dosn't make it believeable.

The story could've gone a little deeper,just skimmed the surface IMO.

But it's all about opinions,if we all liked the same things the world would be a boring place.

 

Watch it here,version 3 is not too bad.

 

http://www.watch-movies.net/movies/the_day_the_earth_stood_still_2008/

Edited by saint lard
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St Landrew

St Landrew

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I really wouldn't waste my time,or money if i were you.

Iv'e just watched it and it was mediocre at best,should've and could've been alot better.

Reeves is supposed to play the part deadpan but he really dosn't make it believeable.

The story could've gone a little deeper,just skimmed the surface IMO.

But it's all about opinions,if we all liked the same things the world would be a boring place.

 

Watch it here,version 3 is not too bad.

 

http://www.watch-movies.net/movies/the_day_the_earth_stood_still_2008/

 

Thanks for the link. Not sure I'll watch it all, and certainly not all the versions anyway. This story skimming, you point out, is a modern phenomena, and is due, I'm pretty sure, to the tiny attention spans of younger people, compared to older viewers. I think it's a major problem in younger people that this is so. I, myself find that my attention span is shorter nowadays than it used to be, and that is because, like most people, I can't help myself being exposed to modern media, if I choose to dip into the everyday entertainment world.

 

It's another phenomena that, although there is more choice of entertainment, the differences are getting less and less.

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saint lard

saint lard

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You dont have to watch all the versions chap.

What i mean is version 3 is the best quality copy,its split into 2 parts thats all,you just go back and watch part 2 after 1 has finished.

 

Back on subject,i like films that i can lose myself in and become totally engrosed into.

They had an oppotunity with this one,especially with all the ecological subject matter which is of some relevance at present,i found the characters shallow and the whole thing was comandered by effects,which detracted from what it should of been about.

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St Landrew

St Landrew

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You don't have to watch all the versions, chap.

What i mean is version 3 is the best quality copy,its split into 2 parts thats all,you just go back and watch part 2 after 1 has finished.

 

Back on subject,i like films that i can lose myself in and become totally engrosed into.

They had an oppotunity with this one,especially with all the ecological subject matter which is of some relevance at present,i found the characters shallow and the whole thing was comandered by effects,which detracted from what it should of been about.

 

No I realised that, and I didn't watch them all. Just thought I'd mention it though. I was going to write my own little review, but I find I'm entirely in agreement with you. However, my thoughts were based on my preconceived ideas of pace and storyline of the original, so for me, the film might improve, over time. I'll not be holding my breath though.

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jeff leopard

jeff leopard

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Tell No One

 

A highly rated French thriller from last year. A loving husband's wife disappears on a holiday and is kidnapped and murdered by a serial killer. Or was she? Is she even dead? The first 40 minutes are quite ambigious and artsy as we move backwards and forwards in time as we try to guess whether the husband is actually the killer (as the police and his father-in-law seem to suspect). The film then lurches into action thriller mode, this could have proved fatal to the film but it gets away with it due to a brilliant chase scene through Paris which brings back memories of the French Connection and the great thrillers of the 70s. It all trundles along quite nicely until the last 20 minutes when the plot gets overly conviluted. Its still got a sprinkling of great moments and considerably better than 99% of current Hollywood thrillers.

 

It reminded me a fair bit of Hidden (Cache) which is a fricking hardcore/mind-phuq of a film.

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Scudamore

Scudamore

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Tell No One

 

A highly rated French thriller from last year. A loving husband's wife disappears on a holiday and is kidnapped and murdered by a serial killer. Or was she? Is she even dead? The first 40 minutes are quite ambigious and artsy as we move backwards and forwards in time as we try to guess whether the husband is actually the killer (as the police and his father-in-law seem to suspect). The film then lurches into action thriller mode, this could have proved fatal to the film but it gets away with it due to a brilliant chase scene through Paris which brings back memories of the French Connection and the great thrillers of the 70s. It all trundles along quite nicely until the last 20 minutes when the plot gets overly conviluted. Its still got a sprinkling of great moments and considerably better than 99% of current Hollywood thrillers.

 

Loved that film. And the soundtrack also.

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jeff leopard

jeff leopard

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Loved that film. And the soundtrack also.

I wasn't a fan of the tracks as such but I really liked the way the film used them to map out the major scenes and set their tone and pace. And the fact it would play the whole tune instead of the usual 'here's 30 secs of something in the background so we can bung it on the cd'.

 

Have you seen 'The Lives of Others'?

 

That’s also quality.

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Scudamore

Scudamore

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I wasn't a fan of the tracks as such but I really liked the way the film used them to map out the major scenes and set their tone and pace. And the fact it would play the whole tune instead of the usual 'here's 30 secs of something in the background so we can bung it on the cd'.

 

Have you seen 'The Lives of Others'?

 

That’s also quality.

 

No. Sounds good. I'll check that out. And whilst we're sounding w::nky and recommending foreign films i'll recommend Intacto. There are some quality moments in that film.

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jeff leopard

jeff leopard

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No. Sounds good. I'll check that out. And whilst we're sounding w::nky and recommending foreign films i'll recommend Intacto. There are some quality moments in that film.

 

I love sounding w_nky!

 

I've not seen Intacto yet but its pretty high up on my 'to do' list. Its themes of fate/luck remind me of a French black and white film that came out a couple of years ago about a highly secretive mass game of Russian roulette where for a huge cash prize, the players form a circle, are given a gun with a single bullett in it and, on a given signal, put their gun to the head of the person on their right and pull the trigger. The survivers then play again with two bulletts etc. I was pretty sure it was called '13' but that’s a girlie drama so maybe someone can tell me what is was called.

 

 

I watched '2001: A Space Odyssey' again last night, man, I'm worrying obsessed by that film!

 

I'm now certain that it is a bone-dry sex comedy all about birth/death/re-birth. The space ship is obviously a giant sperm heading toward the egg of Jupiter, all of the corridors inside it can be described as strongly vaginal. The bit where Dave Bowman fires himself into the airlock is akin to a baby crawling back up the fowl smelling wizard's sleeve. And HAL plays the role of the soon-too-be-dumped jealous lover, determined not to let mankind make contact with its alien overlords. For other freaky obsessives, check out this article on the facinating connotations of HAL singing 'Daisy, Daisy' to Dave as he is being disconnected. The first couple of paragraphs are a bity pointless but then they hit a seem of the good stuff http://djardine.blogspot.com/2006/03/ben-and-i-get-lost-in-stanley-kubricks.html

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St Landrew

St Landrew

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Watched V for Vendetta [2005] on BBC2 earlier this evening. Must say that during the first 10-20 minutes I was going to turn the TV off and go away to do something less boring instead. But I'm glad I stuck with it. The film got a lot better, and started to become nicely thought provoking. I'd bet it would not be everyone's taste, but when it comes around again [as they do so quickly nowadays], I'd ask people to give it a go. Just give it some time.

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Ponty

Ponty

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I bought V for Vendetta ages ago on DVD and really enjoyed it. At the time of watching it I couldn't think of a single friend or family member who would have enjoyed it also. It's very much a 'Marmite' film IMO. You'll either love it or hate it.

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jeff leopard

jeff leopard

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Purely because i'm writing about 21st century revenge cinema I watched 'outlaw', made by Nick Love, a man who makes Guy Richie look like Orson Wells and Tony Scott look like a highly advanced alien god-head sent to earth to single-handedly advance the evolution of mankind.

 

It's like Death Wish, but minus all the excitement, humour, subtly, political maturity and artistic merit.

 

Its got sean bean as a pale immitation of Paddy Considine's character in Dead Man's Shoe's, its got the guy who played ian curtis in 24 hour party people as this lone nut who watches a bank of cctv screens all day (a shamless stealing of the main character in Red Road (brilliant art-house revenge film)), and danny c_nting dyer as an annoying c_nt (has there ever been a more fitting surname?). They set about ridding London of nonses and cartoon mockney villains in the dullest and least affecting manner possible. It confuses slow burning story-telling and thought provoking sub-text with having absolutely no plot and e-n-d-l-e-s-s shots of everyone staring moodily into the distance like they're about to cry.

 

All these poor souls abandoned by the legal system get together to fight back against the rotten society. and then they split up, then get back together, then split up and then get back together...this goes on for what feels like several lifetimes and then for the last ten minutes everyone's running around the woods with machine guns in a hilariously unconvincing shoot-out with the police who are like really horrible people. Remember the paint-balling bits in spaced? Its like that but much much cheaper. And the film ends and deep inside a small part of you dies forever. Your belief in humanity has been gang-raped and the taste in your mouth could only have come from Michael Winner's chocolate starfish.

 

Luckily, there is a way to see this film for free, get a large bucket, put some old editions of the daily mail in there, then contract that vomiting virus and spend two days throwing up and sh1tting into the bucket. Then mix it all up and stare at it for 90 minutes, occasionally rubbing it in your eyes for good measure. and crying and whanking.

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St Landrew

St Landrew

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I watched the first 20 minutes for the 1,432nd time the other day. Makes me cum every time. Words can't express how good 'that' scene is.

 

Let me see... Hmm, the greatest scene change of all time perhaps..? Thighbone to Spacecraft in 250,000 years, give or take a split-second. :D

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St Landrew

St Landrew

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Just watched The Great Escape for the first time. What a swizz! Only about three of them actually escape. They should've called it The ****e Escape.

 

 

Historically, it actually caused a major problem for the Nazis.

 

By the same token, the Dam Busters operation, which is another WWII film, taken in perhaps, slightly more serious vein, by the cinema, was a pretty big undertaking by the RAF, and caused much damage...

 

...which Germany recovered from within 3 months.

 

NB: There's no way I'm attempting to cheapen anything here. It's just a bit of perspective.

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Scudamore

Scudamore

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I love sounding w_nky!

 

I've not seen Intacto yet but its pretty high up on my 'to do' list. Its themes of fate/luck remind me of a French black and white film that came out a couple of years ago about a highly secretive mass game of Russian roulette where for a huge cash prize, the players form a circle, are given a gun with a single bullett in it and, on a given signal, put their gun to the head of the person on their right and pull the trigger. The survivers then play again with two bulletts etc. I was pretty sure it was called '13' but that’s a girlie drama so maybe someone can tell me what is was called.

 

Sorry i could have put you out of your misery at the time...the film you're talking about is called 13 Tzameti...which is actually a Georgian film...i remember this because being a w::nky foreign film loving kind of guy i went to Poole Lighthouse to see it...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13_Tzameti

 

And inspite of the brilliant tension built around that russian roulette scene...i found the rest of the film dragged a bit...especially the opening.

 

Intacto is a better film...

 

Oh and Poole Lighthouse is like a lecture theatre in size...and also let's you drink beer in the cinema...much better than most scuzzy cinemas which don't even serve buttered popcorn anymore...the wrong 'uns...

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jeff leopard

jeff leopard

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Sorry i could have put you out of your misery at the time...the film you're talking about is called 13 Tzameti...which is actually a Georgian film...i remember this because being a w::nky foreign film loving kind of guy i went to Poole Lighthouse to see it...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13_Tzameti

 

And inspite of the brilliant tension built around that russian roulette scene...i found the rest of the film dragged a bit...especially the opening.

 

it takes a bit to get going for sure, but yeah, the first round of the game in particular is a real sweaty palms moment.

 

Finally got round to watching The Orphanage lastnight. Loved it. Visually it's not up there with Del Toro's other work but it all comes together nicely at the end and makes it well worth watching. 8/10

 

everyone dies happily ever after ;)

 

oops, SPOILER WARNING! Move back...nothing to see here...

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Ash

Ash

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Got The Mist and Pan's Labyrinth from Santa, both are thoroughly excellent and really worth checking out.

The Mist is one of the more original horror films of recent times with a smashing ending and superb timing throughout.

Pan's Labyrinth is just the tits, I was worried I was hoping for too much after getting carried away by some of the reviews but it really is a superb film.

I also got I Am Legend (for some reason), which is gash.

Oh and In Search Of A Midnight Kiss, which sounds like it is going to be a chick flick but was actually really enjoyable too.

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jeff leopard

jeff leopard

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For anyone who's enjoyed Pans Labyrinth and The Orphanage lately, you've got to watch The Devil's Backbone. It was made by the director of PL in 2001 and follows a similar story, this time it’s a young boy trying to survive the Spanish Civil War. He gets shipped off to a bording school in the middle of the Spanish desert and soon is hearing things going bump in the night. Its sh1t your pants scary, utterly riveting and a touch better than Pans Labyrinth IMO. Enjoy!

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saint lard

saint lard

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I concour with many reference Pans Labyrinth,superb film.

 

As there was not much else on the tellybox this evening i decided to watch Equilibrium,with Cristian Bale starring,having not heard much about it i was not expecting much.

 

But bloody heck what a damn fine movie,ok nothing interlectually stimulating,but it was great entertainment.

I for one did not like any of The Matrix films,the action sequences were much lauded by many,but i found the close combat fights in Equilibrium were far superior.

Each to our own i suppose.

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Sheaf Saint

Sheaf Saint

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For anyone who's enjoyed Pans Labyrinth and The Orphanage lately, you've got to watch The Devil's Backbone. It was made by the director of PL in 2001 and follows a similar story, this time it’s a young boy trying to survive the Spanish Civil War. He gets shipped off to a bording school in the middle of the Spanish desert and soon is hearing things going bump in the night. Its sh1t your pants scary, utterly riveting and a touch better than Pans Labyrinth IMO. Enjoy!

 

Yeah I keep meaning to get hold of that. I also bought recently Cronos which is another of Del Toro's earlier films which is supposedly excellent, but I haven't got round to watching it yet. I'll post some comments on here when I finally do.

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LVSaint

LVSaint

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Yeah I keep meaning to get hold of that. I also bought recently Cronos which is another of Del Toro's earlier films which is supposedly excellent, but I haven't got round to watching it yet. I'll post some comments on here when I finally do.

 

Thanks for the info. Wonder if the local Blockbuster will carry it...

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Nexstar

Nexstar

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Just watched Valkyrie, the German bomb plot to kill Hitler in 1944 with Tom Cruise in it. After learning about the attempt in history last year this turned out to be a very historically accurate film and portrayed very well by Cruise. Overall I thought it was excellent, the only improvement may have been it being spoken in German rather than English.

 

9/10

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LVSaint

LVSaint

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Just watched Valkyrie, the German bomb plot to kill Hitler in 1944 with Tom Cruise in it. After learning about the attempt in history last year this turned out to be a very historically accurate film and portrayed very well by Cruise. Overall I thought it was excellent, the only improvement may have been it being spoken in German rather than English.

 

9/10

 

I'd like to see this. Pity Cruise is in it, but the all star cast of English actors makes it appealing. Do they speak in German accents? I hope not.

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Nexstar

Nexstar

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I'd like to see this. Pity Cruise is in it, but the all star cast of English actors makes it appealing. Do they speak in German accents? I hope not.

 

No, no attempt at the German but tom cruise plays the character of Stauffenberg very well, and looks kind of similar to the man himself.

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Sheaf Saint

Sheaf Saint

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Just watched Valkyrie, the German bomb plot to kill Hitler in 1944 with Tom Cruise in it. After learning about the attempt in history last year this turned out to be a very historically accurate film and portrayed very well by Cruise. Overall I thought it was excellent, the only improvement may have been it being spoken in German rather than English.

 

9/10

 

I've seen a trailer for this and I have to say that I think it looks terrible. I would probably enjoy it were it not for that short-assed, wooden gimp portraying the lead role with a ****ing american accent. Well I guess after his pathetic attempt to sound Irish in Far and Away then I guess it's a good thing he hasn't tried to sound German. Would have probably made the film even more unwatchable.

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Nexstar

Nexstar

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I've seen a trailer for this and I have to say that I think it looks terrible. I would probably enjoy it were it not for that short-assed, wooden gimp portraying the lead role with a ****ing american accent. Well I guess after his pathetic attempt to sound Irish in Far and Away then I guess it's a good thing he hasn't tried to sound German. Would have probably made the film even more unwatchable.

 

As I mentioned above, 9/10 and a ****ing good film.

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the stain

the stain

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I watched Thankyou For Smoking last night. It was quite funny, in places. Little else to report.

 

Before that I watched El Aura, which was a much more satisfying experience. Argentinian film about an epileptic who fantasises about performing the perfect heist, then finds himself caught up in one. Really hauntingly shot and absorbing and completely recommended.

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