What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Susan Foreman]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

'Whiskey' is actually the Irish spelling (perhaps also why it's translated over to the states) and 'whisky' is the Scottish.

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

Speaking of which, and I don't want to derail the thread, but I was about to go to Asda for some White & Mackay and Grants but it looks like the rollback offer has ended and they are back to normal price. Hmph.

What? You mean by talking about something pointless, like "WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN RECENTLY"!

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Susan Foreman

What? You mean by talking about something pointless, like "WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN RECENTLY"!

Precisely. I watched Inside Out again a few days ago and, just like the other occasions, cried several times, laughed anymore and generally loved it for the brilliant film it is.

I'm near the end of the film now with the commentary, which is worth a listen.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Deadlier Than the Male (1967)

Directed by Ralph Thomas with a screenplay by Jimmy Sangster this Bond-lite adventure based on H. C. McNeile's 20's and 30's fictional character Bulldog Drummond, although the film's title came from a Rudyard Kipling poem, The Female of the Species.

Although a lot of fun the film isn't played as a comedy as many Bond style productions were at the time, see James Coburn's marvellous Flint movies as a prime example. Indeed Richard Johnson who portrays Drummond plays it totally straight down the line in a portrayal that would have made a fine James Bond. Much of the humour comes in the shapely forms of Elke Sommer and Sylva Koscina who play two of the sexiest assassins you'll see and are proven much more deadly than the male. The two are wonderful together. Practically playing a game of one upmanship as they go along murdering the directors of Phoenecian Oil, a company who want to grab oil rights in an fictitious country and eventually the the murder of the country's King.The girls constantly bicker and spar with one another and bring a wicked streak to the production. Of the two, Koscina wins out for me with her mischievous smile and almost innocent attitude to things, including murder.

The film has high production values or at least it appears that way with parts of the film playing out in exotic Mediterranean locales. Also hinting at a decent budget are a fine guest cast including Nigel Green, Suzanna Leigh, Leonard Rossiter and seemingly in a precursor to his role in The Persuaders, Laurence Naismith.

The film is tremendously entertaining. The kills are stylish and innovative and some sequences, including a very bizarre chess game, seem straight out of The Avengers also a devilish henchman played by Milton Reid gives Drummond someone to scrap with meaning the whole thing is surprisingly good but quaint entertainment if a little dated by today's building flattening standards of movie making.

Still, Deadlier than the Male is highly recommended.

[Susan Foreman]

"Kaante" is a 2002 Indian film. The title translates as "Thorns"

6 men concoct a plan to rob the bank in which lie the fundings for the LAPD. All goes well, until they make their escape, only to meet a SWAT team, waiting for them outside the bank. They engaged in a gunfight and one of the thieves is hit by a bullet. However, they all manage escape and meet at their hideout, where they come to the conclusion that one of their members is, in fact, an undercover cop. But which one?

Does that synopsis sound familiar? Well, if you have seen 'Reservoir Dogs' it should do! However, being a Bollywood version of that tale, this film has something that Tarantino's movie didn't have - the obligatory songs that cast members break into at inappropriate moments!!

"Kaante" is an enjoyable film, and at 154 minutes doesn't feel over long

Personally, I liked it more than Tarantino's film, and just for the record, the person who I had pegged as being the cop turned out to be the equivalent of Mr. Blonde - the crazy psycho character!

[trebor8273]

Taking place straight after the first movie the residents of a neighbouring town to Gatling( the town in the first film) Taking in the remaining children( big mistake ). A newspaper reporter who is traveling with his son comes to the town and sets out to investigate the events of Gatling. It's not long before strange things start to happen and people turn up dead. queue creepy kids, supernatural going on's and some interesting and bloody kills. For me the best of the series. 8/10

Next up tonight a Cushing / Lee double bill

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by trebor8273

For me the best of the series. 8/10

Nah! Part 3 is.

[J Harker]

Knock Knock, Eli Roth.

I actually enjoy Roths films, i haven't got as far as reviewing Green Inferno yet but i really enjoyed it. But Knock Knock? Basically architect and devoted family man Keanu is left alone in his big snazzy LA house working while his wife and kids go to their beach house for the weekend. When two young girls turn up during a torrential storm asking to use the phone Keanu does the gentlemanly thing and lets them in, arranges a cab and lets them use the dryer. During the wait for the cab the girls Genesis and Bel continually flirt with a clearly uncomfortable Keanu and despite his resistance to their advances eventually manage to seduce him into a threesome. Next morning he wakes up and is surprised to find the girls in his kitchen making breakfast. He tries to get them to leave and things get more and more awkward and when he threatens to phone the police the girls reveal themselves to be under the age of consent and point out the obvious consequences. When he finally picks up the phone they leave. Not before vandalising his house. Late that night while working Keanu hears noise and the next thing is knocked unconcious by Genesis and wakes up tied to the bed. So begins a night of twisted cat and mouse games with the increasingly psychotic girls.
Problem? Well firstly Keanu. I actually like him in most things and have never really got the whole 'whoa dude' thing that seems to have followed him throughout his career. Unfortunately in this he is terrible, particularly in the early scenes with his family. Chemistry with his children is awful. After his family leave his performance improves and the early scenes with Genesis and Bel aren't bad with him playing awkward and uncomfortable quite well. Once the girls reveal there true character though that all goes out the window and i found him to be cringeworthy. I don't know if this is just my thoughts but the film comes across as Roths take on Michael Haneke's Funny Games with Peter and Paul replaced by pretty girls. I actually think the film would have worked a lot better with a different actor, this simply didn't suit Reeves and he's acted off the screen by Lorenzo Izzo and Ana de Armas as Genesis and Bel respectively.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Great review, J.

[J Harker]

Cheers Dem.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by J Harker

Cheers Dem.

I've never seen Funny Games. Never really fancied it. Home invasion like that isn't really a genre i buy a lot of. I tend to think once you've seen them then that's it. I think it's because generally they are set in just one or two rooms and events tend to blur into one.