What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Deadite]

The Tournament. It's a fun movie and i lolled straight away that it is set in Middlesbrough - that must be a first! Some mighty body detonations throughout and it actually reminded me of the remake of Deathrace 2000 with the Stath. Although it's a good detach your brain actioner, the central premise upon which the plot is based is deeply deeply flawed.

SPOILER:

If the tracking device is so easily removed wouldn't everyone be removing it as a matter of course? It would make more sense that it has a tamper trigger to stop people removing it - then we wouldn't have a movie though, so swings and roundabouts.

Ignore that fatal flaw and its good brainless fun.

[Frankie Teardrop]

K-SHOP – A young economics grad inherits his dad's take away and decides, out of duty or grief, to take on the mantle of kebab facilitator for the drunken hordes of Bournemouth. He's sickened by what he finds in the provinces – binge drinkers puking in the street with their knobs out, metaphorically and otherwise. A night out in Bournemouth might be like a night out anywhere else, but, out there on the front line with racist abuse shouted in his face into the small hours, this guy is reaching the end of his tether... something's gotta give. After a young chav takes a step too far, K-guy connects with his inner Sweeney Todd and reaches for the cleaver... 'K-Shop' is a really interesting film. For a start, it brings one particular corner of English malaise, namely the whole city centre hen do binge drink tragedy thing, to the silver screen (well, the direct-to-DVD screen) when hitherto it had only been glimpsed in documentaries about Newcastle and Blackpool. It combines this fixation on English slime with harsh, gory slasher-cum-Travis Bickle type antics. Down at heel Brit realism and graphic gore, that's my thing. And 'K-Shop', during its overlong runtime, really does deliver something quite compelling for the first hour or so. Then it slips up. Characters are introduced to provide relationship interests, 'human angles' and social themes when pathos and critique were already well in the mix. Two films emerge – one, a vicious slasher doused in sleaze with a socio-political edge, the other a kind of channel four-esque tale of young marginalised people trying to get by and relate in a harsh economic climate. Theoretically that could be fine, but the 'horror' aspect here is driven and dynamic, whereas the 'drama' element is bland and slows things down. The cynical part of me wonders which film the director really wanted to make, but sticking them together in this way was a refreshingly odd choice at least. As well, certain quarters have portrayed 'K-Shop' as being anti-working class in its depiction of unbridled end-of-the-week passions, although the use of this in the film is opportunistic rather than moralistic, it seems to me. Oh well. The whole is well made with good performances, and pacing issues only start to emerge when the film takes a nap and decides to go 'Eastenders'. As it stands, 'K-Shop' is an interesting debut that excites and infuriates at the same time. At its best it has the vibe of a contemporary Pete Walker film about it, that mix of exploitation, dour Britishness and ambiguous social commentary. I'd definitely give it a watch as it's very different in tone and execution to the usual DVD fodder out there, and I'm curious as to what the makers do next.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Deadite

The Tournament. It's a fun movie and i lolled straight away that it is set in Middlesbrough - that must be a first! Some mighty body detonations throughout and it actually reminded me of the remake of Deathrace 2000 with the Stath. Although it's a good detach your brain actioner, the central premise upon which the plot is based is deeply deeply flawed.

SPOILER:

If the tracking device is so easily removed wouldn't everyone be removing it as a matter of course? It would make more sense that it has a tamper trigger to stop people removing it - then we wouldn't have a movie though, so swings and roundabouts.

Ignore that fatal flaw and its good brainless fun.

You perhaps miss the plot device that these nutters want to kill each other for money. Ian Somerhalder was lapping it up for example. So yes play by the rules.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

K-SHOP – A young economics grad inherits his dad's take away and decides, out of duty or grief, to take on the mantle of kebab facilitator for the drunken hordes of Bournemouth. He's sickened by what he finds in the provinces – binge drinkers puking in the street with their knobs out, metaphorically and otherwise. A night out in Bournemouth might be like a night out anywhere else, but, out there on the front line with racist abuse shouted in his face into the small hours, this guy is reaching the end of his tether... something's gotta give. After a young chav takes a step too far, K-guy connects with his inner Sweeney Todd and reaches for the cleaver... 'K-Shop' is a really interesting film. For a start, it brings one particular corner of English malaise, namely the whole city centre hen do binge drink tragedy thing, to the silver screen (well, the direct-to-DVD screen) when hitherto it had only been glimpsed in documentaries about Newcastle and Blackpool. It combines this fixation on English slime with harsh, gory slasher-cum-Travis Bickle type antics. Down at heel Brit realism and graphic gore, that's my thing. And 'K-Shop', during its overlong runtime, really does deliver something quite compelling for the first hour or so. Then it slips up. Characters are introduced to provide relationship interests, 'human angles' and social themes when pathos and critique were already well in the mix. Two films emerge – one, a vicious slasher doused in sleaze with a socio-political edge, the other a kind of channel four-esque tale of young marginalised people trying to get by and relate in a harsh economic climate. Theoretically that could be fine, but the 'horror' aspect here is driven and dynamic, whereas the 'drama' element is bland and slows things down. The cynical part of me wonders which film the director really wanted to make, but sticking them together in this way was a refreshingly odd choice at least. As well, certain quarters have portrayed 'K-Shop' as being anti-working class in its depiction of unbridled end-of-the-week passions, although the use of this in the film is opportunistic rather than moralistic, it seems to me. Oh well. The whole is well made with good performances, and pacing issues only start to emerge when the film takes a nap and decides to go 'Eastenders'. As it stands, 'K-Shop' is an interesting debut that excites and infuriates at the same time. At its best it has the vibe of a contemporary Pete Walker film about it, that mix of exploitation, dour Britishness and ambiguous social commentary. I'd definitely give it a watch as it's very different in tone and execution to the usual DVD fodder out there, and I'm curious as to what the makers do next.

I'd seen this on web stores and found the idea intriguing. However the overlong run time and drama, Eastenders like elements, you mention really puts me off.

There are a few new releases from the past six months i'd like to check out. This was one.

[gag]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I'd seen this on web stores and found the idea intriguing. However the overlong run time and drama, Eastenders like elements, you mention really puts me off.

There are a few new releases from the past six months i'd like to check out. This was one.

Hate EE with a passion, its like a who can shout the loudest and longest competition each week .

[wonderlust]

The Invisible Man, 1933, 8/10

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Scream Park (2014)

The workers of a fun fair, closing down due to lack of funds, decide to stage an all night party in the grounds. Unbeknown to them the fair's owner (Doug Bradley) unleashes a pair of masked killers on the group in a bid to keep the park open through notoriety.

The films' plot was given away on the back of the box. It might have made a nice twist had we not known the fun fair's owner was behind it all. However even this plot spoiler wouldn't have saved a disappointing modern slasher.

The film does a lot of good things. The empty fun fair made for a good location and some of the gore was grossly well done. The soundtrack featuring unknown industrial and death metal bands was also rather tasty. However the acting was hit and miss, unfortunately all but Bradley and the two leads were at times amateurish. It didn't help that the microphones didn't seem well positioned at times as one person spoke clearly and others seem muffled, fortunately this only happened a couple of times, but it smacks of being under funded when it can't be rectified.

To sum up, Scream Park was a good idea let down by lack of budget or i suspect the creativity to get round budgetary issues.

[Deadite]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

You perhaps miss the plot device that these nutters want to kill each other for money. Ian Somerhalder was lapping it up for example. So yes play by the rules.

I didn't miss anything mate.

SPOILER:

The first thing the French guy did was remove his tracker and have the priest swallow it so that it looked like the priest was a contestant and the French guy 'vanished' and made it right to the last 3 - no repercussions at all. Everyone was like "woah! He tricked the system! Let's carry on and make the priest a contestant as well". It was a smart move and only possible because the tracker wasn't difficult to remove. A good assassin would look for any advantage and the parkour guy did that and, it seems, was the only person ever to think of it (until the bait and switch at the end).

Anyhoo, fun movie that for me, was flawed. It's ok, i'll let you like it more than me!

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Deadite

Anyhoo, fun movie that for me, was flawed.

Yes, that sums it up. Enjoyable violent fun.

[Frankie Teardrop]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I'd seen this on web stores and found the idea intriguing. However the overlong run time and drama, Eastenders like elements, you mention really puts me off.

There are a few new releases from the past six months i'd like to check out. This was one.

It's still worth seeing, as the horror and the grossness of underbelly UK win out over the attempts to sanitise. The latter probably loom larger in my head than they do in the actual film, really, and reflect my inability to tolerate feelings of unfulfillment once my expectations have tasted blood. For me, it was more a case of - if they'd cut it down to eighty minutes and stuck with the grime without foresaking the social comment, then it would've been a total hit. As it is, it's far from 'meh' and way better than 75% of the shit I sit through.