What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[harryd]

MEAN GUNS

Ice-T buys a prison and brings a bunch of people in that have betrayed him in the past and pits them against each other with a $10m prize split between the remaining 3. Decent enough premise but makes a lackluster film that doesn't manage to create any decent characters. Not offensively bad but just falls into the "kinda boring" category for me.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by harryd

MEAN GUNS

Ice-T buys a prison and brings a bunch of people in that have betrayed him in the past and pits them against each other with a $10m prize split between the remaining 3. Decent enough premise but makes a lackluster film that doesn't manage to create any decent characters. Not offensively bad but just falls into the "kinda boring" category for me.

Sounds like a poor version of The Tournament.

[Zann]

Night Train Murders

Beautifully shot quasi-giallo with lots of nice European scenery, plenty of deviant oddballs including the bystanders, advertising all over the f@cking place...when did I last see product placement for Lowenbrau? BD from 88, never got round to buying the BU version. Macha Méril is stunning, just looked her up on IMDB - she was in the TV series Doc Martin!

[Zann]

Originally Posted by harryd

MEAN GUNS

Ice-T buys a prison and brings a bunch of people in that have betrayed him in the past and pits them against each other with a $10m prize split between the remaining 3. Decent enough premise but makes a lackluster film that doesn't manage to create any decent characters. Not offensively bad but just falls into the "kinda boring" category for me.

Sounds utterly ridiculous but I'll have to see it

[Sam]

Carrie (2013) - whilst watchable, this sticks a little too closely to the original to be truly worthwhile, even regurgitating chunks of the script at times. Chloe Moretz puts in a decent performance but is too conventionally attractive for the Carrie character in my opinion, although to be fair, she has a lot to live up to since Sissy Spacek was virtually born to play the part. The ending is a bit more bloody and visceral and there is the almost inevitable use of the dreaded social media but, ultimately, I'd say your time is better spent watching the original.

[Justin101]

I took a little break from horror films after October so I have watched;

The Godfather

I'd never seen this before, yes I know... 5/5 etc, a lesson in film making, never have 3 hours felt so brief!

Nishi Ginza Station

Delving into my Imamura box set, I've not seen any of these films so I thought it'd start with the shortest one. There was no synopsis on the case as it's a bonus feature to the main film but it turns out to be a bit of a screwball comedy about a man trying to get a bit on the side while his wife is on holiday with the kids! Aside from some dodgy and uncomfortable 'blacking-up' of one of the actresses it was fun and made me laugh out loud a few times!

Birdman

Been meaning to watch this for a while and it's on Sky Movies so I stuck it on while I wrapped my Christmas Presents. It was a good film, it was not what I was expecting at all, but then I never looked at any reviews or synopsis and based my opinions on the poster and the Oscar buzz. I don't think it deserves the hype it received but Keaton was excellent and Norton made me laugh a few times - on-stage boner...

The Insect Woman

This is the main feature that is paired with Nishi. This film is pretty epic in it's scope, following the life of a woman from child to matron. I must admit I found the first 25-30 minutes to be a little confusing and it wasn't until the film settled down in Tokyo that it started to show some clarity. Tome, the titular protagonist is it not a nice person, in fact no-one in this film is particularly nice. It's as if the theme of the film is that people are screwed up selfish beings and are all out to get what they want any way they can. It was a very good film and I hope the other Imamura's are as good as this one was.

Tenderness of the Wolves

I saw this one before as a featured film in a festival in Sheffield. I thought it was good then and it was projected from a very well used almost grindhouse quality print. This new BD from Arrow breathes life into the film, it looks pristine. The story is based on true events from the 1920's but transformed into post WW2 Germany due to the production crew having access to props from that era.
It's uncomfortable to watch in some places, the scenes where Haarmann attacks his victims are done in grim realism and you feel every moment of them. If you can persevere with the narrative it's well worth watching.

Probably going to watch The Godfather part 2 tonight after i've done my homework... I have to write an assignment about website usability and standards compliance

[iank]

The Long Kiss Goodnight. Geena Davis is a mild-mannered schoolteacher with amnesia whose past suddenly comes back to haunt her - the past where she was a trained killer for the CIA. Samuel L Jackson co-stars in this mildly amusing mid-90s actioner.

[SShaw]

Spectre opened in Germany on Thursday and so I took myself along this evening. A fantastic opening is ultimately let down by a boring linear narrative that echoes other parts of the franchise to provide a best of Bond feel. Disappointing after Skyfall.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Battle: Los Angeles (2011)

Another in the long running Team America series of films which initially began with 1998's Saving Private Ryan and it's sequel U-571 (2000)

In Battle: Los Angeles Trey Parker and co forget about winning past wars single handed with Team America and move to the present day as America saves the world yet again this time from aliens in what could be seen as an unofficial sequel to their other huge blockbuster Independence Day.

This is ****ing awful to say the least, not helped by Team America deciding they'd film it shaky cam style for added authenticity.

[profondo rosso]

The Killers (1964)
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First time I have seen this film and thought it was fantastic. A gritty crime thriller starring the always brilliant Lee Marvin and the sassy Angie Dickinson as the main protagonists along with a brilliant performance by John Cassavettes. The film without spoiling too much is about two killers (Marvin and Clu Gulager who I thought was mesmerising as a child like cold blooded killer who obviously enjoys his job...a little too much) who are contracted to kill Cassavettes, but when the hit turns out too easy cue flashbacks and breadcrumbs that led to why.
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The film involves a lot of brutality for its day, hanging women out of windows, slapping / punching women in the face, torture scenes to get information, cold blooded kills and a great dialogue.
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In the making off Dwayne Epstein (wrote Lee Marvin's biography) talks about how Tarantino took the quick witted dialogue of everyday things that you see between Travolta and Samuel Jackson in Pulp Fiction, from the conversations that Lee Marvin and Clu Gulager have throughout this movie. In between conversations about hits they exchange information about vitamins / holiday resorts.

I also did not know that Lee Marvin in his own life probably suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome form the second world war, feeling guilty about 240 out of 247 of his platoon being killed and him feeling guilty all his life about surviving! hence the alcoholism and an attraction to violent roles. Lee Marvin for me epitomises screen presence and I love to watch his films. The only weak link in the film is Ronald Reagan, who is not that bad but he is starring alongside some screen greats and this exposes him. Apparently Lee Marvin was a real nice guy off screen and always liked honesty and was upfront and got on with everyone but never liked Ronald Reagan as he said he was full of bullsh*t.....no surprise there then!

This film was originally just made for t.v in the USA but released over here in cinema's and won Lee Marvin a BAFTA!

A cracking film, excellent interesting extras on this arrow release and brilliant picture quality. Highly recommended.
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