What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Unstoppable (2010)

With an unmanned, half-mile-long freight train barreling toward a city, a veteran engineer and a young conductor race against the clock to prevent a catastrophe.

An absolute buttock clenching gripper of a movie. A disaster movie as it might happen in real life and pretty much akin to the kind of film favoured by Peter Berg in recent years (Patriot's Day and Deepwater Horizon). Director Tony Scott thrusts us head first into a new day at a Pennsylvania rail yard and straight into character's lives as we meet up with Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson et-al.

The script isn't candy coated to feel the viewer into the film, we pretty much have to pick up the lingo as it goes along. Admittedly it doesn't have the dense terminology of the aforementioned Deepwater Horizon but it's a similar scenario.

The action is grounded in reality and which seems to make it more edge of the seat, helped no end by the everyman roles of Washington and Pine at the heart of the attempts to stop the train.

Seeing this on Blu-ray for the first time really brought out the sumptuous photography with some stunning sweeping shots of Pennsylvania .

This has long been a real favourite of mine. Highly recommended.

[J Harker]

Excellent film Dem. My missus thought she was in for a boring boy film but ended up really enjoying it too

Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by J Harker

Excellent film Dem. My missus thought she was in for a boring boy film but ended up really enjoying it too

It could well be my favourite Tony Scott film.

Although with True Romance, Crimson Tide and Man on Fire there's some serious competition.

He and Denzel made some seriously good films together.

[iank]

Dolls. A disparate group of people stranded by a storm take refuge at an old mansion occupied by an old dollmaker and his wife... and a legion of very judgemental dolls. Daft but fun 80s horror with pretty fine fx.

[MrBarlow]

Violent City. 1970.

Charles Bronson plays the hitman who is double crossed and seeks revenge against mobster Telly Savalas and dealing with Femme Fatale Jill Ireland. Even though they were married at the time Bronson seems to not hold back when slapping Ireland around...could be out of frustration that she was not acting out well and when she does she is a bit OTT but does manage to get her kit off in this.

Savalas is basically given second billing and only begins to appear half way through, when he does appear his acting is always on top form. Third collaboration between the two main leads and should have done more as their acting and chemistry between the two is amazing.

This crime thriller packs intrigue , suspense , noisy action-packed with exciting racing cars , explosive excitement , thrills and lots of violence that's well directed by Sergio Sollima who is able to create excellent cinematography with a great background score by Ennio Morricone. Certainly one I'd recommend.

71wYlVg9lfL._RI_.jpg

[Frankie Teardrop]

LIGHTHOUSE – There weren’t many slasher movies made in the UK at the end of the nineties, but here, just to fill that niche, comes ‘Lighthouse’. Evacuees from a prison ship escape to a remote island where the only signs of life are a lighthouse and a serial killer (he was on the boat himself but escaped earlier). It’s an interesting concoction full of mist and eerie lighting, not to mention a bit of nice gore and some vivid set pieces that include a very ‘Argento’ toilet episode that made me laugh with its contrived stupidity. Also, I found it intriguing if slightly inexplicable that some of its mannerisms and photography brought to mind old Brit stuff from the forties and fifties. There are plenty of downsides – some of the acting sucks, dialogue rubbish, didn’t like the pacing. But the imagery and the atmosphere rise above all that and make it a compelling dead end.

DEAD DICKS – I can’t think of many things worse than wanting suicide, doing it, and then being reborn through a mouldy vagina-like growth on the wall of someone’s shitty bedroom. That’s the fate of Dick, half of the morbid brother-sister duo at the heart of Cronenberg-flavoured apartment horror ‘Dead Dicks’. Rebirthing involves replication rather than replacement, so his other preDickament is figuring out what to do with the huge pile of corpses left in the wake of his various attempts (delegating this task to sis works best for him because frankly Dick’s a bit of one himself). In case you hadn’t guessed, it’s a comedy of sorts, a partial play on the whole time loop / groundhog day subgenre, although being also a meditation on toxic relationships and co-dependency it keeps its arch tendencies in check with an approach that feels appropriately grim and claustrophobic. There’s a sharpness to the writing, a lively imagination that elevates it above many of the shoestring indies I see these days. A hearty recommend, and I’ll be interested to see what the directors do next.

[J Harker]

Romasanta - The Werewolf Hunt. Paco Plaza. 2004.

Spain, the mid 1800's. The countryside is plagued with a series of brutal deaths, that would appear to be the work of wild animals were it not for the strange presence of precise surgical incisions amongst the otherwise savage mutilation.
BÃ*rbara lives with her sister deep in the forest where Romasanta, a mysterious travelling vendor hangs his hat when in town.
Why though does this mysterious traveller have no fear of the dangerous wolves that menace the woods and what secrets does he keep from the women so enamoured with his attentions?

Following the sad confirmation of the late Julian Sands death I decided to watch something starring the actor.
As it stands, the only title I own is this little Spanish/British oddity from the now defunct I believe, Fantastic Factory.

My third viewing of Romasanta and I'm pleased to say the first time it's clicked with me. That's not to say I've found a new masterpiece, however it's certainly got more going on that I'd previously felt. I wonder if it's largely that I've expected a different film. For instance the title suggests an out and out Werewolf movie. The artwork on the dvd case has the look of a brooding action horror, in the vein of Brotherhood of the Wolf, an admittedly superior film although probably not really a fair comparison all told. Therefore sticking it on late at night after a few drinks expecting a bit of action was a mistake and I doubt I gave it the attention it deserved when it appeared bugger all was happening.
Romasanta is essentially a brooding gothic thriller with romantic overtones. Supposedly based on a true historical character, Julian Sands plays Manuel Romasanta with a mixture of enigmatic charm and at times genuinely chilling detachment, certainly once we come to realise what lurks behind his benign exterior. However when the plot calls for it there's a surprising innocence to the performance as well. Also of note is Elsa Pataky as Romasanta's love interest, turned nemesis BÃ*rbara, the victim who slowly becomes an avenging angel.
The whole thing looks gorgeous and either every penny of its budget is on screen or the producers were very lucky when it came to locations, beautiful woodlands, old gothic mortuaries and even a few courtroom scenes. The dvd from Arrows Fantastic Factory boxset looks absolutely stunning too. Last thing to mention is the supporting cast who all look the part, especially the wonderful David Gant as Professor Phillips, one of those ahead of his time scholarly types who looks like he walked straight out of classic gothic cinema of yesteryear.
Romasanta, approached with patience and the right mindset is a very good film that perhaps with time I will consider a great one.

Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk

[J Harker]

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. James Mangold. 2023.

So then...how do I do this...
It's been 12 years since Indy's last adventure. He's now old and alone and miserable, an ageing professor on the verge of retirement in a world that has moved on and no longer cares. Man has just landed on the moon, Hitler is a fading memory for many and dusty old museums hold little interest for the world. Into his life wanders Helena Shaw, affectionately known to Jones as Wombat. Daughter of old colleague Basil Shaw, a deceased friend who was driven mad trying to solve the mystery of Archimedes Dial, also known as the Antikythera. An ancient mechanical device millenia ahead of its time.
It doesn't take long for bad guys also on the trail of the ancient divice and its mysteries to catch up to Indy and Helena and so the globe trotting adventure begins.

Now, like most fans I'm sure, I approached this film with trepidation. I was given hope the other day when I read on here that it was better than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I adore Crystal Skull, I actually consider it superior to Indy's second outing The Temple of Doom. However I have to sadly disagree when it comes to Dial of Destiny, it simply isn't in the same league as Crystal Skull or any of Spielbergs classics.
It's a frustrating film as there is a lot done right. I actually came from the cinema having enjoyed it, and yet I find myself thinking of what was wrong instead of what was right.
Firstly, Indiana Jones is old. Proper old, he is portrayed as an elderly version of the character with no pretence otherwise. I admire this brave decision a lot. Granted I hope to goodness I'm that fit when I'm 80 odd. Despite inevitable criticism the de-aging effects are very well done, sadly the rest of the copious CGI isn't so great and it shamefully descends into video game effects at a few points.
Helena played by Phoebe Waller Bridge is frankly an annoyance. An unsympathetic cold cynical character with no real charm at all. The plot, I won't go into deeply but it just goes too far for my liking. Spielbergs Indy films always kept it on the grounded side of fantasy, just just out there in the realm of 'what if?' Dial of Destiny leaves no mystery, its just too in your face, too brazen, too...well too heartless. It breaks my heart but while not an awful film, it's a big shameless cash cow that Disney have made just because they can. It's as fake as some of its ropey effects. Mads Mikelson should have made a perfect villain, but he's just not used. He has a henchman, a huge lumping 7 foot beast of a man, now I know we can't have a proper punch up Raiders style with Ford playing his age, so at least we could come up with a brains over brawn way of dealing with this baddy....yeah? Surely?
I came out of the cinema thinking I'd enjoyed it to a reasonable degree. Yet i can't find much but fault at this stage.

[MrBarlow]

Originally Posted by J Harker

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. James Mangold. 2023.

So then...how do I do this...
It's been 12 years since Indy's last adventure. He's now old and alone and miserable, an ageing professor on the verge of retirement in a world that has moved on and no longer cares. Man has just landed on the moon, Hitler is a fading memory for many and dusty old museums hold little interest for the world. Into his life wanders Helena Shaw, affectionately known to Jones as Wombat. Daughter of old colleague Basil Shaw, a deceased friend who was driven mad trying to solve the mystery of Archimedes Dial, also known as the Antikythera. An ancient mechanical device millenia ahead of its time.
It doesn't take long for bad guys also on the trail of the ancient divice and its mysteries to catch up to Indy and Helena and so the globe trotting adventure begins.

Now, like most fans I'm sure, I approached this film with trepidation. I was given hope the other day when I read on here that it was better than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I adore Crystal Skull, I actually consider it superior to Indy's second outing The Temple of Doom. However I have to sadly disagree when it comes to Dial of Destiny, it simply isn't in the same league as Crystal Skull or any of Spielbergs classics.
It's a frustrating film as there is a lot done right. I actually came from the cinema having enjoyed it, and yet I find myself thinking of what was wrong instead of what was right.
Firstly, Indiana Jones is old. Proper old, he is portrayed as an elderly version of the character with no pretence otherwise. I admire this brave decision a lot. Granted I hope to goodness I'm that fit when I'm 80 odd. Despite inevitable criticism the de-aging effects are very well done, sadly the rest of the copious CGI isn't so great and it shamefully descends into video game effects at a few points.
Helena played by Phoebe Waller Bridge is frankly an annoyance. An unsympathetic cold cynical character with no real charm at all. The plot, I won't go into deeply but it just goes too far for my liking. Spielberg films always kept it on the grounded side of fantasy, just just out there in the realm of 'what if?' Dial of Destiny leaves no mystery, its just too in your face, too brazen, too...well too heartless. It breaks my heart but while not an awful film, it's a big shameless cash cow that Disney have made just because they can. It's as fake as some of its ropey effects. Mads Mikelson should have made a perfect villain, but he's just not used. He has a henchman, a huge lumping 7 foot beast of a man, now I know we can't have a proper punch up Raiders style with Ford playing his age, so at least we could come up with a brains over brawn way of dealing with this baddy....yeah? Surely?
I came out of the cinema thinking I'd enjoyed it to a reasonable degree. Yet i can't find much but fault at this stage.


Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk

This is certainly getting bashed by a lot of people and some seem to think why wait so long after Crystal Skull to do another Indiana Jones. Even the new Flash film is being penned by few for being the worst superhero movie made so far.

[J Harker]

I really wanted to like it, but I'm struggling. I even mentioned in my review they got a lot right yet I'm struggling to remember what. It's biggest problem is heart. It just has no heart. There wasn't a single moment in the entire thing where I felt a tinge of excitement, never mind that hairs on the back of the neck standing up thing that should happen when the theme kicks in.

Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk