What films are you watching?

[Johnny Shearer]

I've not seen the US version yet but when when Paul turns around and winks at the camera in the original version, it sent a shiver down my spine. The remote control bit seemed to go a bit too far but by then i was utterly hooked.

 

Have you seen Cache (Hidden), also by Michael Haneke? Its about a family being secretly filmed by a mysterious other. There's a moment when you briefly see the shadow of a big movie camera, suggesting it is the director himself who is terrorising the his characters. He loves breaking down the forth wall (as well as torturing his guilt-ridden middle-class audiences).

 

Aye most films will have the 'bad' guys getting their comeuppance but this just leaves you depressed (well me anyway) as things like that can and have happened.

 

Nope will have to look into Cache, sounds interesting.

 

and i wont lie, i looked up this fourth wall stuff- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_wall

 

Gotcha!

 

Ha, don't worry I only knew of it due to extensive reading of comics when I was at school. HALLO!

[Saints1980]

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.

 

Watched Tell No One last night - great film.

[St Landrew]

I won't be watching this tonight, as I have a copy on disc. But I'd advise anyone to give this a go if they haven't seen it. Thoughtful and powerful, it's a very good film with a famous story, and extremely well acted. From the Radio Times website:

 

Inherit the Wind

 

Monday 02 February

11:30pm - 1:35am

BBC4

This courtroom drama was inspired by the real-life trial in 1925 of a young Tennessee teacher who was charged with giving lessons on the Darwinian theory of evolution in a state school. Very much a drama of words and ideas, the film was a critical hit but a commercial flop in its day. Yes, the plot meanders and even drags at points, but ultimately it engrosses thanks to major-league performances from Spencer Tracy and Fredric March as the opposing lawyers in what became known as the "Scopes Monkey Trial". Eighty years on, we can all feel smug at the preposterousness of it all, but there is certainly no shortage of American Christian fundamentalists who would probably relish bringing to bear a similar prosecution today.

[Master Bates]

Have looked into a French subtitled film called "Frontière(s)" and may purchase it, anyone seen it yet? apparently it's better than "Switchblade Romance", which is very good.

[SuperMikey]

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - BBC 1 Now.

Most quotable film ever!

[Deppo]

I too have just enjoyed this film. I was pleasantly surprised.

[Evil Monkey]

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - BBC 1 Now.

Most quotable film ever!

 

One of my favourite comedies.

 

Not so enjoyable, was Tropic Thunder. I'd heard such good things about this film, and liked what I saw on the trailers. But it fails to live up to the hype. Downey Jr playing a black officer is occasional worth a laugh, as is Jack Black's well recognised accentricity. Ben Stiller however, has never been so poor IMO. His character just doesnt have those exagerated personality traits that all good comedy leads possess.

 

5/10

[thesaint sfc]

One of my favourite comedies.

 

Not so enjoyable, was Tropic Thunder. I'd heard such good things about this film, and liked what I saw on the trailers. But it fails to live up to the hype. Downey Jr playing a black officer is occasional worth a laugh, as is Jack Black's well recognised accentricity. Ben Stiller however, has never been so poor IMO. His character just doesnt have those exagerated personality traits that all good comedy leads possess.

 

5/10

 

My god. I wouldn't even give that film 5/10! Are you forgetting the role that Tom Cruise and the genius that is Bill Hader played? It was appalling. The only thing that made me laugh was the scene when he was trying to escape in the helicopter and blood hit the moon, and when the directors head blew off and they thought it was all done as effect!!

 

3/10!

[jeff leopard]

Dead Set

The Big Brother zombie thing written by Charlie Brooker just about got the balance right between trashy fun and thought provoking satire. It scores points for its 18 cert gore and its nihilistic ending. Dont like the running zombies though, they're dead and decomposing so they should move like ket-heads and oap's, not tri-athletes.

 

Teeth

Enjoyably weird high-school body-horror flick in which the female hero comes to terms with being a bit bitey downstairs. It takes pot-shots at the current trend for the Christian right to decide what children are taught at school, in particular the re-emergance of abstinence classes in place of sex education. It doesn't really come to any earth shattering conclusions but represents brave film making, in its own low-key way. Its also infinately better than Juno, which tried so hard to be hip and indie but was at heart deeply conservative and left a nasty taste in the mouth.

[Kadeem Hardison]

Just watched Mac and Me on Blu-ray. It is what the format was made for. The detail on the alien, Mac, is incredible.

 

At the end of the film it proclaims "We'll be back!". This must be the most eagerly awaited sequel of all time - it's been over 20 years! Anyone have any news on this sequel?

[Saints1980]

Watched The Orphanage last night. Very atmospheric, although slightly over-hyped I would say.

 

7.2

[the stain]

Black Book - Pretty decent Serious film by Paul Verhoeven (guaranteed tits!) about Nazi occupied Netherlands. Works well on a spy/resistance intrigue level, although it's hard to speak for its realism when he occasionally reverts to cartoon villain type. Well worth a watch though.

[jeff leopard]

Watched The Orphanage last night. Very atmospheric, although slightly over-hyped I would say.

 

7.2

 

Yeah, its very good but falls a little short of being great.

 

The Devil's Backbone, on the other hand, is utterly amazing. I watched it for a second time and whilst the ghost story wasn't as terrifying, it works brilliantly as a human (and non-human) drama. Full of unforgettable moments (the aftermath of the explosion is staggering and I challenge anyone to watch it and not think of Iraq) and takes risks that a Hollywood film would never dare. I didn’t realise before that it was produced by Pedro Almodóvar (All about my Mother, Bad Education, Volver) and features many of his favourite character actors. Its just amazing and works brilliantly as a companion piece to Pan's Labyrinth.

 

9.9

 

 

Black Book - Pretty decent Serious film by Paul Verhoeven (guaranteed tits!) about Nazi occupied Netherlands. Works well on a spy/resistance intrigue level, although it's hard to speak for its realism when he occasionally reverts to cartoon villain type. Well worth a watch though.

 

 

Ohhh. Some reviews were great for this, others said it was Allo Allo with tits and fanny and human excrement.

[LVSaint]

X-Files: I Want to Believe - 500/1000. Not what I was expecting in the true vein of the series (and last film). More a below par thriller than supernatural, though always good to see Billy Connolly being creepy.

[the stain]

Ohhh. Some reviews were great for this, others said it was Allo Allo with tits and fanny and human excrement.

 

 

There are a lot more nuddie bits than required. I couldn't work out if this was down to the director's art-house roots or his mainstream fanny-fests, but no complaints from this viewer. It's exciting right to the end but sometimes lacks a bit in character depth, particularly the Nazis. And it uses that cheesy Saving Private Ryan style 'memories of those we've lost' bookend device. You'll see a lot worse films though; it's a better war film than for example the aforementioned Spielberg bore-a-thon.

[St Landrew]

 

There are a lot more nuddie bits than required. I couldn't work out if this was down to the director's art-house roots or his mainstream fanny-fests, but no complaints from this viewer. It's exciting right to the end but sometimes lacks a bit in character depth, particularly the Nazis. And it uses that cheesy Saving Private Ryan style 'memories of those we've lost' bookend device. You'll see a lot worse films though; it's a better war film than for example the aforementioned Spielberg bore-a-thon.

 

I don't think it's cheesy in Saving Private Ryan though. In SPR it is an emotional release that is entirely real. It speaks to thousands and thousands of servicemen and [ordinary] families from any wartime era and attempts to answer their question... how did I survive, and have I justified my survival..? The problem is, when the scenario you describe is recreated for cheap thrills, and isn't appropriate. In fact, all it does is devalue anything of the nature that came before it.

[St Landrew]

Been watching Red Dragon. Considering that Manhunter was such an excellent film, I tried to give it a good bit of attention. Those that are not aware of the series, will no doubt have otherwise heard of The Silence Of the Lambs. Well, in the book/film series, Red Dragon is a prequel. However, back in the 80's before SOTL was filmed, came Manhunter, which was based on the book, called Red Dragon. And although it was quintessentially 80's in style, it was incredibly dark, and menacing. And in the cinema, it flopped..! Heavily..! But it's a brilliant film because, although Red Dragon follows pretty much the same storyline, even the same lines as Manhunter, the spark and edginess is all with the earlier film. We have a great actor in Ralph Fiennes [in RD], yet Tom Noonan [MH] is incredibly right as Francis Dollarhyde aka The Tooth Fairy. He makes the Jamie Gumm character out of SOTL seem amateur in his unstoppable evil, yet he is more human as well. And Will Graham has far more edge and danger from MH, as conceived by William Peterson [yes, you few people who watch CSI: Whatever] than Ed Norton from RD.

 

They don't always make the best films nowadays. Actually, like for like IMO, most of the time they don't. But do compare and see for yourself.

[jeff leopard]

I don't think it's cheesy in Saving Private Ryan though

 

I've got to agree that SPR, despite some mind-blowing combat scenes, sinks under the weight of its sentimentality. But a couple of years later, Speilberg pulls the same trick off with far more success in the fact-based tv spin-off Band of Brothers, starting and ending each episode with the real members of Charlie Company looking back on what they did during the war. It just worked so much better in the tv format for some reason.

 

I know we've been here before and the battle lines are still clearly visible, but SPR is just the poor man's Thin Red Line which can boast career best performaces from all involved, great combat scenes, striking realism, bucket loads of existential angst and practically no coying sentimentality, all filmed by one of cinema's greatest artists, Terrance 'Tel' Mallick.

 

 

Been watching Red Dragon...Manhunter was such an excellent film

 

Yeah, Red Dragon, despite an excellent cast, just limps off the screen. After about 20 minutes I had to put my hand in the toaster in order to revive myself. Manhunter captures the best and the worst of Mann, IMO. Its all shiny surfaces, crumpled suits, designer stubble and quasi-futuristic skylines. But when push comes to shove it hits all the right buttons. The Tooth Fairy is properly disturbing and the 'Garden of Eden' conclusion is gripping in an edge-of-the-seat air-keyboard solo kinda way. I was never a huge fan of Silence of the Lambs, hated Hannibal and have nothing but pity for the turgid Red Dragon, so Manhunter is my fave of these films too.

[Johnny Shearer]

Death Race

 

Have to admit Jason Stratham plays these types of roles to a tee. Good film IMO, especially if your having a couple of beers.

 

Saw the trailer for Crank 2 and I think I'll myself to the cinema to watch that too.

[Kadeem Hardison]

The Thin Red Line is the second worst film I have ever seen at the cinema, behind EPic Movie.

[jeff leopard]

The Thin Red Line is the second worst film I have ever seen at the cinema, behind EPic Movie.

 

if you willingly leave the house to go and see Epic Movie, on purpose and gladly paying, then you'll probably not going to like The Thin Red Line

 

Oops, my little cultural fascist popped out then :-#

 

Check this out, try watching it in three 45 minute blocks, from the start to the eve of the assault, then all the combat scenes (the two attacks on the hill and then capturing the Japanese base, all as good as the beach assault in SPR, one after the other), and the last part is the aftermath of the battle and the troops fighting their private demons and waiting to be sent home. It works really well as there is a lot to take in in a single viewing.

 

Or don't do this at all. people died in wars so we can decide that ourselves.

[scott_saints]

Watched "Control" last night. The one about Ian Curtis.

 

Quite a good film once I got used to black and white!!

[St Landrew]

Having decided to ditch all my existing VHS tapes some time back, I've earmarked a few bits and pieces on them for HDD/DVD transfer. Consequently, I ended up watching my old VHS copy of American Beauty last night, while I was transferring it to the HDD/DVD recorder. Really superb film, which kind of flows over you like a warm oil, mainly due to Kevin Spacey's great performance. But there is a quirkiness about it, and the rest of the cast, [apart from the daughter's boyfriend] particularly an excellent Annette Bening, remain two steps adrift throughout the film, which gives the whole thing a tremendous edge. It's a film that you wish will keep going, rather than coming to a climax. Great, tragic ending though.

[saint_stevo]

Steel Trap

 

Rubbish. Hideous acting. Rubbish kills. 3/10

[saint lard]

Been watching Red Dragon. Considering that Manhunter was such an excellent film, I tried to give it a good bit of attention. Those that are not aware of the series, will no doubt have otherwise heard of The Silence Of the Lambs. Well, in the book/film series, Red Dragon is a prequel. However, back in the 80's before SOTL was filmed, came Manhunter, which was based on the book, called Red Dragon. And although it was quintessentially 80's in style, it was incredibly dark, and menacing. And in the cinema, it flopped..! Heavily..! But it's a brilliant film because, although Red Dragon follows pretty much the same storyline, even the same lines as Manhunter, the spark and edginess is all with the earlier film. We have a great actor in Ralph Fiennes [in RD], yet Tom Noonan [MH] is incredibly right as Francis Dollarhyde aka The Tooth Fairy. He makes the Jamie Gumm character out of SOTL seem amateur in his unstoppable evil, yet he is more human as well. And Will Graham has far more edge and danger from MH, as conceived by William Peterson [yes, you few people who watch CSI: Whatever] than Ed Norton from RD.

 

They don't always make the best films nowadays. Actually, like for like IMO, most of the time they don't. But do compare and see for yourself.

 

Have you seen "Hannibal Rising"

What are your thoughts if you have?

I thought it was a fairly good stand alone movie,as long as you dont go into it expecting too much from it.

[St Landrew]

Nope never seen it. Those films themselves are not really a genre I enjoy, so they have to be exceptional for me to like them. Hence Manhunter stands out for me.

 

Still transferring some VHS films to HDD/DVD that will hardly ever see TV again. Tonight is Dead Of Night, a classic Ealing Films horror.

[St Landrew]

Not watched this for an age, but I thought I had to put a link on here.

 

Amen to all that: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7892611.stm

 

Slightly off mainstream: Monty's reaction to his bloody cat always put me into hysterical laughter.

Edited 17 February, 2009 by St Landrew

[scott_saints]

Watched "Control" last night, about Ian Curtis' life.

 

Took me a while to get into and a while to get used to black and white but 'twas quite a good film. Shame about the ending, but I knew what was coming!!

[jeff leopard]

Timecop (or as my girlfriend described it 'Hooray for the magic future-car')

 

Science fiction has always been the realm of the fantastic, but few could have foreseen or comprehended what was to come in Timecop. Made in 1994, it dares to dream what life could be like in…..2004! Too much of a mindphuq, man! So what will life be like in 2004? Well, much like 1994 apart from small collars on suits (the standard near-future fashion development) and cars will have no windows and be driven by robots, although this turns out to be a plot device used to show-horn in the happy ending rather than the future of automobile design.

 

So yeah, it’s a cheap, tacky Terminator rip-off, whose interesting premise is ruined by being rewritten by Hollywood committee, and fittingly for a time travel film, it allows anyone paying attention to see into the future and clearly predict what will happen. On the plus side, its got just enough going on to elevate it above the dirge of cheap sci-fi (this must be something to do with Sam Raimi being one of the producers), using the time travel set up to instigate much kick-boxing action. Its also Van Damme's best film by several light years, but that’s damming the film with the faintest praise known to man.

 

Well, his best film up until the recent JCVD, the art-house/post-modern biopic which has revitalised Van Damme's career and given him some of the critical and artistic worth that he's been seeking. And some bright spark at Sainsbury's saw this as the opportunity to shift that box of Timecop DVDs for a £1 each. And its easily worth a £1 of anyone's money. There's something very likeable about Van Damme, much more so than Seagal or Stallone or any of the others, bar Arnie. Until he speaks that is, no one has mangled the English language like this man, and in Timecop, he fluffs every single one of his tacky pay-off lines, 'have an ice day'.

 

Apparently, he's off to make sequels to all his hit films (I hope he can remember what they are because I cant), but with the emphasis on character this time round. And who knows, if Terminator 4 is a hit, maybe VD will jump inside the magic-future car one more time.

 

1984 out of 2001

[the stain]

Apparently, he's off to make sequels to all his hit films (I hope he can remember what they are because I cant)...

 

Kickboxer and Blood Sport are the best ones. I liked the way he could be so acrobatic in a full-length overcoat.

 

I just watched This Girl's Life. Well... I watched about half of it. Thouroughly modern woman juggles caring for her father, who has Parkinson's, with being a porn star. I'd tell you more but there's no point. The most boring film about ****ging since 9 Songs.

[Julian H. Cope]

Mulan - Watched it with my kids.I thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

Lez Babes - Watched it with my wife. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Saints1980]

Waltz with Bashir.

 

****ing excellent.

 

Have pre-ordered this on DVD, have heard very good things.

[Saints1980]

Watched Into The Wild last night. Visually stunning, marred by the guy who goes into the wild being a complete c**t (as others have noted I see)..

[the stain]

The Brothers Grimm - Entertaining Gilliam romp. The Brothers are portrayed as a pair of confidence tricksters, strolling round Europe charging money for killing trolls and witches. Inevitably thay come up against some real life fairy tale magic and dramatic madness ensues. It manages to handle being scary and slapstick, but is kind of let down by a couple of 'jarjar binks' characters that the plot didn't really call for. And the SFX are in many places dreadful. But it hits in enough of the right places to make it worth a go.

[jeff leopard]

Just Imagine

 

My girlfriend's just starting her PhD in utopian/dysutopian urban sci-fi and we're watching the key early films that have influenced it ever since. Metropolis is a classic and is still used as a template for the future city (see blade runner, star wars episode 1, the fifth element etc). Over the weekend we saw Just Imagine, a "comedy" "musical" spin-off of Metropolis made by Hollywood in 1930, a film which dared to dream how life would be in 1980. Think massive sky-scrapers and everyone flying around in there personal hover-planes and constantly popping pills. It’s a timely reminder of just how terrible the early 'talkies' could be (compared to modern cinema) as its bascially a bunch of vauderville entertainers trying to cross over to cinema, and failing. The acting is laughable and the waffer thin plot is padded out with truly awlful songs and variety acts. But the sets and special effects look really good and they even got the 80s big-hair just right. And it's the key influence on the Flash Gordon comic strips and Saturday morning serials which came out a couple of years later and went on to influence just about everything sci-fi wise up to 2001:A Space Odyssey. Next up is Britain's first £1000,000 movie, the epic world war/nuclear desturction nightmare, Things to Come (1936). Dun-dun-duhhhh!

[jeff leopard]

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

 

I watched this the other day for the first time in years and years and thought it was great, very silly but endless fun. When it came out I thought it was too silly for its own good, I was just the right age when Raiders was released and was blown away just how scary it was (to a ten year old anyway). Last Crucade just didn’t have that wonderful supernatural/other-worldlyness that thrilled and chilled at the same time. But…after the debarkle of Indie 4, Last Crucade has gone from above average to whip-cracking fun!

 

The first three Indie films are like a cool uncle who would turn up at family get-togthers and effertly impress. Indie 4 was that same uncle but whose exploits now are tinged with a tragic desperation as they try much to hard to live up to their reputation. You sit there cringing and wishing somebody would whisper in their ear, 'that’s enough, this is just sad'.

[Sheaf Saint]

The first three Indie films are like a cool uncle who would turn up at family get-togthers and effertly impress. Indie 4 was that same uncle but whose exploits now are tinged with a tragic desperation as they try much to hard to live up to their reputation. You sit there cringing and wishing somebody would whisper in their ear, 'that’s enough, this is just sad'.

 

In defense of Indie 4, it would have scored sooooo much higher on my ratings were it not for two little bits... 1) the bit when Indie jnr swung through the trees like tarzan! (WTF!?!?!?) and 2) The gophers... The ****ing gophers! :mad:

 

I would just like to ask Mr Spielberg - WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?!?!?

[Deppo]

I'm not sure Steven Spielberg reads these pages...

[Johnny Shearer]

I'm not sure Steven Spielberg reads these pages...

 

I don't know. The way some people post on the The Saints Board I think everyone in the world reads this site and laughs at us.

 

Plus I reckon Spielberg is ITK.

 

Taken

 

Watched this film with Liam Neeson. Have to admit when I saw the trailers for this film I thought it looked pants. However to my surprise its a decent little action romp.

 

Recommended!

[St Marco]

The Myst

 

Watched this on Blu-Ray the other day. Thought it was one of the best horror films i have seen for a longtime. Very few films these day's actually absorb you into the film where you think "holy fook you guy's are screwed, how will they get out of it?", this film did that and the ending was up there with the best i've seen, truely a memorable film momment that will live with you forever!

[St Landrew]

Someone gave me The Prestige [2006] to watch the other night. The title comes from the 3rd part and climax of a magic trick. It stars Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, and Michael Caine; with David Bowie making a cameo as Nikola Tesla. Had a fair few twists and turns, and seemed a little over serious, in my view. It was all about deception, and two rival magicians endlessly deceiving each other, to the point of death. In the end, I didn't really care who came out on top, and surely, in the directors mind, that's the wrong reaction. Perhaps that's why I thought it overly serious, as I was never convinced by it. Interesting, clever; I might even watch it again sometime - but ultimately, not rivetting. Which it should have been, given the story and cast. Good looking though.

[jeff leopard]

Someone gave me The Prestige [2006] to watch the other night. The title comes from the 3rd part and climax of a magic trick. It stars Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, and Michael Caine; with David Bowie making a cameo as Nikola Tesla. Had a fair few twists and turns, and seemed a little over serious, in my view. It was all about deception, and two rival magicians endlessly deceiving each other, to the point of death. In the end, I didn't really care who came out on top, and surely, in the directors mind, that's the wrong reaction. Perhaps that's why I thought it overly serious, as I was never convinced by it. Interesting, clever; I might even watch it again sometime - but ultimately, not rivetting. Which it should have been, given the story and cast. Good looking though.

 

I think I enjoyed it a bit more than you but it is definitely more successful as a "clever" film, knowingly playing with themes that get post-modern film theorists in a flap. After the success of Dark Knight, Chris Nolan will hopefully have the money and freedom to make something really weird but a bit more emotionally involving, before the next batman flick.

[the stain]

I think I enjoyed it a bit more than you but it is definitely more successful as a "clever" film, knowingly playing with themes that get post-modern film theorists in a flap. After the success of Dark Knight, Chris Nolan will hopefully have the money and freedom to make something really weird but a bit more emotionally involving, before the next batman flick.

 

As a viewer who knows next to sod all about post-modern film theory, I thought it was both exciting and involving, on top of being clever. I'm fairly easy to please though.

[LVSaint]

Coraline. Went to see with my six year old...the poor little sod! My god, very haunting, dark and surreal, but very satisfying and charming. 3/4

[Evil Monkey]

Watched "Control" last night. The one about Ian Curtis.

 

Quite a good film once I got used to black and white!!

 

Watched "Control" last night, about Ian Curtis' life.

 

Took me a while to get into and a while to get used to black and white but 'twas quite a good film. Shame about the ending, but I knew what was coming!!

 

You must really like it to watch it 2 nights in a row.

[St Landrew]

Recorded 2 films over the weekend, both of which are classics. First up was The Lion In Winter [1968] with Peter O'Toole in his pomp, and Katherine Hepburn nearing the end of her career. Both comfortably act the rest of the cast off the screen, including a newish to the cinema Anthony Hopkins, who looks terribly actory [is that an adjective..?], and stagey in his performance. He does this close-up scene with Hepburn, and has half the lines. But while she looks like she's just invented what she's delivering and is quite still, he throws his head about [and this is a head to waist frame] as if he's playing to the gods, and looks more technical than Sir Lawrence Olivier on a bad day. O'Toole brilliantly swaggers through his Henry II role like a king who knows he's the most powerful being on Earth. Good supporting cast in Nigel Terry and John Castle as Henry's younger brats [appropriate word, believe me]. Sadly, it was on ITV3, so the 5 minute advert breaks every 20 minutes [i kid you not] had to be edited out before I'd watch it. Plus, there's the bloody ITV3 logo on the screen. The film is good enough to overcome this though. Thoroughly recommended.

 

The next film I haven't ever watched all the way through yet, despite it being on TV countless times. Usually, it's because ITV have shown it, and being over 2 hours uninterrupted, The Man Who Would Be King [1975] would take an entire Sunday afternoon away if it was broken up into segments. Films have a habit of being adopted by Commercial TV or the Beeb, for example - Bond films, but some times they cross over. Thankfully, this one did, and now I've only had to chop a few minutes off the front and back of the film and it's there in all its entirety. No more, no less - and no channel logo either. I've never been a huge fan of either Sean Connery or Michael Caine, principaly because they don't convince me that they are playing any character but themselves. But here they go together well, as playing 2 British soldiers, they can adopt their own characters as much as anyone elses. Excellent casting, I would say. Might get the brandy out later and sit back and wallow in a very good story.

[revolution saint]

Yeah, its very good but falls a little short of being great.

 

The Devil's Backbone, on the other hand, is utterly amazing. I watched it for a second time and whilst the ghost story wasn't as terrifying, it works brilliantly as a human (and non-human) drama. Full of unforgettable moments (the aftermath of the explosion is staggering and I challenge anyone to watch it and not think of Iraq) and takes risks that a Hollywood film would never dare. I didn’t realise before that it was produced by Pedro Almodóvar (All about my Mother, Bad Education, Volver) and features many of his favourite character actors. Its just amazing and works brilliantly as a companion piece to Pan's Labyrinth.

 

9.9

 

 

 

 

 

Ohhh. Some reviews were great for this, others said it was Allo Allo with tits and fanny and human excrement.

 

Picked up "devils's backbone" in HMV for a fiver earlier this week and just watched it. I really enjoyed it and does work well with 'Pan's". I thought "The Orphanage" was great too though but I watched it before there was a lot of hype about it so possibly didn't have raised expectations. Have to say some spanish films from recent years have been fantastic.

[St Landrew]

Just Imagine

 

My girlfriend's just starting her PhD in utopian/dysutopian urban sci-fi and we're watching the key early films that have influenced it ever since. Metropolis is a classic and is still used as a template for the future city (see blade runner, star wars episode 1, the fifth element etc). Over the weekend we saw Just Imagine, a "comedy" "musical" spin-off of Metropolis made by Hollywood in 1930, a film which dared to dream how life would be in 1980. Think massive sky-scrapers and everyone flying around in there personal hover-planes and constantly popping pills. It’s a timely reminder of just how terrible the early 'talkies' could be (compared to modern cinema) as its bascially a bunch of vauderville entertainers trying to cross over to cinema, and failing. The acting is laughable and the waffer thin plot is padded out with truly awlful songs and variety acts. But the sets and special effects look really good and they even got the 80s big-hair just right. And it's the key influence on the Flash Gordon comic strips and Saturday morning serials which came out a couple of years later and went on to influence just about everything sci-fi wise up to 2001:A Space Odyssey. Next up is Britain's first £1000,000 movie, the epic world war/nuclear desturction nightmare, Things to Come (1936). Dun-dun-duhhhh!

 

Jeff, you might like to know that BBC Radio 4 is in the middle of its sci-fi season. Today was the first part of the classic Arthur C Clarke story - Rendevous With Rama. You can listen to this again for the next 7 days. I tend to play these things on my computer and get it to record the episode using something like Freecorder or Messer Session Recorder. It means, of course that you can also record next week's episode and then play them when you damn well choose.

 

BBC iPLayer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00hs8xn/Classic_Serial_Rendezvous_with_Rama_Episode_1/

 

or from the Radio 4 website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/classic_serial.shtml and just click on Latest Classic Serial.

[OLYMPIC]

Went to the cinema Saturday night and watched The International,now that 2 hours of my life i can't get back.

From the reviews i had seen i was expecting a half decent thriller,but the film is far to slow and just not clever enough allthough it is trying to be.

Clive Owen only looks half interested in what he is doing and there is just no urgency to his role,and Naomi Watts is just useless.

Maybe now was just not the right time to release a film about a bank carrying out dodgy deals and being on the verge of collapse because of it.

[saint_stevo]

Watched Mum and Dad in the end.

 

Pretty rough, the meat scene taking the biscuit. But not horrendous. Pretty crap 2 if i am honest!

 

5/10