What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Frankenhooker]

My two favorites from last year were Nocturnal Animals and Hell Or High Water, I'm not sure they're the best recs to watch in bed though, the pace of both can be described as slow.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

Theres a scene in X-Men: Apocalypse where a group of characters roll out of a screening of Return of the Jedi and Jean Grey comments that the third film is always the worst.

Well she ain't wrong. Especially in the case of this third film in the re-jigged X-Men universe.

The first hour is a complete mess. Introducing so many characters yet giving them nothing to do, i was pulling my hair out trying to recall the last film as to who they all were. It seemed so far up it's own mythological arse it came over as impenetrable to any none enthusiastic fan viewing it. Zipping from scene to scene yet never really going anywhere. In fact as much as i hate to say it, Jennifer Lawrence as Raven / Mystique, was easily the best thing about the first half of the film so badly drawn were her fellow X'ers.

It's also rather repetitive with yet another cage fighting sequence and once more Professor Xavier declaring to anyone who hasn't fallen asleep that Magneto must have some good in him. How many humans and mutants has Magneto murdered? Must be off the scale by now. This is before we get to the finale where whole cities are vaporized in a blur of CGI dust and no one bats an eyelid at the loss of life. Ben Affleck's Batman must be apoplectic with it all.

The big bad villain, no idea who he was, some blue dude left over from Stargate SG-1 left no impression whatsoever until the climax, which i will say became interesting to the point of borderline tension but all in all X-Men: Apocalypse isn't a film i'll be rushing back to which saddens me in a way as it's predecessors First Class (2011) and Days of Future Past (2014) were definitely superior superhero fayre.

[keirarts]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

Theres a scene in X-Men: Apocalypse where a group of characters roll out of a screening of Return of the Jedi and Jean Grey comments that the third film is always the worst.

Well she ain't wrong. Especially in the case of this third film in the re-jigged X-Men universe.

The first hour is a complete mess. Introducing so many characters yet giving them nothing to do, i was pulling my hair out trying to recall the last film as to who they all were. It seemed so far up it's own mythological arse it came over as impenetrable to any none enthusiastic fan viewing it. Zipping from scene to scene yet never really going anywhere. In fact as much as i hate to say it, Jennifer Lawrence as Raven / Mystique, was easily the best thing about the first half of the film so badly drawn were her fellow X'ers.

It's also rather repetitive with yet another cage fighting sequence and once more Professor Xavier declaring to anyone who hasn't fallen asleep that Magneto must have some good in him. How many humans and mutants has Magneto murdered? Must be off the scale by now. This is before we get to the finale where whole cities are vaporized in a blur of CGI dust and no one bats an eyelid at the loss of life. Ben Affleck's Batman must be apoplectic with it all.

The big bad villain, no idea who he was, some blue dude left over from Stargate SG-1 left no impression whatsoever until the climax, which i will say became interesting to the point of borderline tension but all in all X-Men: Apocalypse isn't a film i'll be rushing back to which saddens me in a way as it's predecessors First Class (2011) and Days of Future Past (2014) were definitely superior superhero fayre.

The main thing that struck me about X-men Apocalypse was that Bryan Singer cannot direct action. It came out the same year as Civil war which probably did Superheroics as well as I've seen on the big screen.

Go see Logan, its so much better than this shit.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

I still need to see this one. It's been lurking on my Love Film rental list for a while. I wasn't a big fan of Days of Future Past, although at least it was better than X-Men III. This one sounds worse than Days from your write-up, however I'm still curious to check it out at some point.

Despite not being a big superhero / comic book movie fan, I quite enjoy The X-Men series. Logan is a must for me when it gets released.

[Rik]

I liked all 3 of the new X-men films.....

[Deadite]

Originally Posted by Rik

I liked all 3 of the new X-men films.....

Of the six, i only really like the first 2.

Shame they never really did anything cool with Cyclops after the 1st movie - too much effects money probably!

[J Harker]

I like them all to varying degrees. Even The Last Stand. I think part 2 is probably my least favourite. The trailers for Apocalypse all looked pretty poor I thought combined with numerous less than favourable reviews. I'll give it a watch sooner or later but I'm not rushing. There's a million films I'd like to watch sooner.

[SymbioticFunction]

I really enjoyed Apocalypse, I appreciated the whole 'comic-book-y' atmosphere and visuals and thought that the Quicksilver slow-mo and unexpected Wolverine/Weapon X sequences were really cool. It's had quite a negative response which is unfortunate considering that it's the X-Men film which probably most resembles the source material. btw There is some really serious subwoofer action on the blu-ray's 7.1 sound (the most I've ever experienced in a film thus far), was genuinely concerned that my neighbours might complain.

Watched: Doctor Strange (2016).

Thought that it was yet again, another solid film from Marvel Studios. I'm not raving about it but I did enjoy myself quite a bit. Was pleased to note only three references to the Marvel Universe (the Thor appearance in one of the two after credit sequences obviously being the major one). Call me crazy but I far prefer it when solo films are standalone and team-up features are done in Avengers films only. The film had a lot of enjoyable trippy cgi visuals and is probably very enjoyable in 3D (I watched it in 2D). Film score - a rating of 3.5/5 only but could happily watch again.

[Make Them Die Slowly]

Cemetery of Terror

Mexican rip off of Halloween that goes completely bonkers at the end and turns into a zombie film. SPOILER. It has the best Mcguffin ever by killing off all the main character two thirds of the way through and leaving a gang of children from a sub plot to battle the zombies who look like rejects from Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things. Worth a look.


You Are What You Eat.

Semi documentary with loads of staged "happenings" showing a street level view of hippies in San Francisco in the arse end of the 60s. Great stuff in a ramshackle way as there is no narrative structure to the film but a whole lot of wigged out dancing as a linking theme. There is some great footage of bikers, custom cars and Tiny Tim in the mix as well. You will need bath are spending time with this motley collection of soap dodging freaks. Recommended for subculture whores like myself.

[The Reaper Man@Cult Labs]

Been on a sci-fi binge recently.

THEM!
Highly entertaining b&w sci-fi/monster mash which looks great in hd.
Amazing to see 'Brooks' from the Shawshank Redemption as a pup!

LOGAN'S RUN
The modelwork is looking a bit dated now,but York and Agutter carry the film through to a satisfying end.Again,looks fantastic on BD.

THX 1138
There's something fascinating about Lucas's other sci-fi gem.
Clinical,sombre and filled with brooding menace,this is one of the best takes on a state run future.That end-shot is still stunning and those cop-robots will always give me the creeps.

SOYLENT GREEN
Not as entertaining as Heston's other future outing,The Omega Man,this is probably more akin to the present world climate.
The scene where Edward G Robinson gives himself to the Soylent Corp. is still one of the most moving and powerful sequences ever in a sci-fi film.

WESTWORLD
Classic.Classic.CLassic.
Brynner has never been more menacing than his turn as the unstoppable gunslinger at the amusement park from hell.
It's influence on other future films can never be underestimated.

IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE
Would've been better as a Twilight Zone segment and to be honest,I found this one quite difficult to sit through.

DR WHO AND THE DALEKS
Peter Cushing.Daleks.Roy Castle making an arse of himself.Some great alienfolk who obviously inspired Vadim's Barbarella Pygar character.
What's not to like?

DALEKS – INVASION EARTH: 2150 A.D.
Follow up to the above,I found this one FAR more entertaining,with Bernard Cribben and Andrew Keir giving much more superior support than the actors in the first outing.Looks better as much of it is shot on location,rather than a soundstage.