What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by J Harker

Totally took me surprise the director of this one!!!

I remember being kinda stunned when he was announced to direct a couple of years ago but i'd forgotten it was he until i looked it up again just now.

He can certainly do action comedies. The excellent Free Fire will testify to that.

[nicholasrope]

Originally Posted by MrBarlow

Renfield. 2023.

Usually Nicholas Cage films are a bit and miss for me, I did enjoy Willy's Wonderland and to see him play Dracula was questionable but I'm surprised how good it was. Nicholas Holt is the manservant Renfield in a self help group of people in bad relationships and how to get out of them and move on. The comedy is on top form right at the start it does take homage to Dracula 1931 in Transylvania and then heading to America after a hunter attack.The gore count is a lot but also add in some dark humour and you have 90 minutes well worth passing by.

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Watched this twice since it's blu ray release.

[nicholasrope]

Originally Posted by Nordicdusk

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Struggling to find the proper sound for their 10th album Dave and Co head off to a house up in the hills that was the scene of a serious of gruesome murders of the last band that tried to record there. Haunted cursed or what ever who cares because you will never get that drum sound again anywhere else. Struggling from writer's block Dave wonders the house looking for inspiration when he discovers a secret room under the house he may pay for a new found creativity with his soul.

When this was announced I was not overly interested until I saw a clip with Lionel Richie and I was sold instantly Honestly I don't think I have heard the F word so many times in one film since the 90s especially Dave it's like every second word and that just the first 10 minutes

There are plenty of laughs and some brilliant over the top gore and a few amazing cameos like the already mentioned Lionel Richie John Carpenter who also performs the soundtrack and Kerry King as the band Drum Tech the film also feature Whitney Cummins the stand up comedian who I'm not really a fan of but she was ok here. I'm not the biggest Foo Fighters fan but I have loved Dave since the Nirvana days he has a great passion for music and he is always a good laugh in interviews. Even if your not a Foos fan you can enjoy this none of their music is in the film at all well two intro riffs Dave plays but that's for comedic value

The Foo Fighters themselves do a great job with the acting well Pat Smear is a little ropey but he almost looks embarrassed to be in a film so the performance is very genuine and for that I can't criticise it at all.

Studio 666 is honestly fun but at 1- 45 I think it was a little long if they trimmed it back to a 90 minutes film it would of flowed a little bit better cause a couple of bits do drag ever so slightly. You have to take into consideration that this is a rock band making a film so that's where your expectations should be going in and who knows like me you may be pleasently surprised and get a kick out of it .

Pearl Jam high 5 Jeremy has Spoken

Must admit all the swearing got monotonous and started to take away from the movie.

I wonder if this will receive a physical release. I think it was scheduled, then Taylor Hawkins tragically died, it's been on Sky Cinema recently, so it's not on a streaming service

[J Harker]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I remember being kinda stunned when he was announced to direct a couple of years ago but i'd forgotten it was he until i looked it up again just now.



He can certainly do action comedies. The excellent Free Fire will testify to that.

I don't doubt he could do it well. Just an unusual choice. Free Fire is brilliant but it's still not what I'd call multiplex popcorn fodder which Meg 2 is.

Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

My Favourite Wife (1940)

Having just remarried seven years after his wife (Irene Dunne) was seemingly lost in a shipwreck, Cary Grant and new wife Gail Patrick spot Dunne in the hotel. However Grant's confusion turns to jealousy when he finds out she was on a deserted island with the super athletic Randolph Scott for the whole seven years.

I went into this not remembering anything about it until the first scene of the film. Which is typical. From then on it all came back to me. My Favourite Wife is an outstanding comedy. It's wonderfully acted, especially by the mischievous Dunne (She would definitely be my favourite wife) and the script is sheer genius. I laughed out loud several times at both the witty dialogue and especially a tremendous sight gag when Grant sees Scott for the first time and then when he relives the event whilst on the phone in his office.

Almost as clever is the way the film doesn't play out quite like you might think.

Brilliant.

[J Harker]

In the Earth. Ben Wheatley. 2021.

While the world at large is at the mercy of an unnamed virus, Martin a scientist and Alma a park ranger, head deep into the forests of England to retrieve important scientific data relating to the study of the trees. Along the way it becomes unclear if the forests of ye olde England are actually conducting research of their own.
That is essentially the plot of Ben Wheatleys latest foray into the folk horror subgenre.
Reading up on the film it seems In the Earth was conceived and made slap bang in the middle of covid. The pandemic being likely the unnamed virus in the film. Quite a smart play on Wheatleys part really as virtually the whole film takes place in the countryside with very few performers, only four main roles in the whole thing.
This resourceful approach is among the reasons I really wanted to love In the Earth, as it is I'm afraid I just found it be ok. Some great scenes, a slow burn build up, a fantastic middle section do a lot for the film. Unfortunately it's not enough to make it great.
Firstly there is the issue of acting. On the whole it's good with the exception of the lead actor Joel Fry, however I'm struggling to blame the actual acting. I've seen him in a few other things and he's generally suited to roles like 'stoner flatmate' or something. Here he is woefully miscast and simply didn't sell the role of scientist to me at all, particularly when other aspects of the plot start to unfold and this becomes a role that needs an actor of a little bit more weight and diversity. For such a pivotal character, I felt it was essential to care and believe and sadly I found I did neither.
Stand out performance goes to Reece Shearesmith as Zach, a survivalist type living in the woods, as usual he's very good playing an off the wall character with a grounded understated approach.
As mentioned there is a brilliant middle section with some dark humour and a scene that took me back to first watching a certain Tobe Hooper power tool themed classic many years ago. I'm not sure I'll return to In the Earth anytime soon but I'll certainly keep it in my collection for future reference.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Blood Glacier (2013)

Scientists working high up in the Austrian Alps discover a large glacier dripping with what appears to be blood. Blood that affects and seemingly mutates anything that comes into contact with it.

Blood Glacier is an accomplished horror from Austria. Well acted (even the dog, Tinni) with convincing characters at odds with each other in the name of scientific discovery rather then just general bickering. The film reminds of John Carpenter's classic The Thing. Although there isn't that films equivalent of the blood test to really shred the nerves here, we do have a tension that slowly builds and gooey and icky sequences of mutated body horror that might not surpass Carpenter but they are extremely well done all the same.

Whilst the film isn't over the top gory, in fact it isn't actually over the top in any way making it feel quite realistic. There are one or two sequences that had me squirming, in particular the girl who has her leg cut open with scissors to get at a creature under the skin. I'm shuddering just typing it out. There are also some glorious, in a horrific way, mutated creatures, including a fox and long horned sheep that are brought wonderfully to life with well executed fx both practical and computer generated.

Beautifully filmed with some stunning mountainous Alpine locations, Blood Glacier stood up well to a second viewing.
Highly recommended.

[MrBarlow]

Cold Pursuit. 2019.

Liam Neeson plays the family man and driving a snow plough and enjoying life until his son is found dead and goes looking for the responsible ones. Cold Pursuit is a remake of the Norwegian film, In Order Of Disappearance helmed by the same director and using the same lead character's employment only change is the setting. The setting is a small town in Alaska and does keep the dark humour with a ending that will make anyone say "that's unfortunate". As much as this was enjoyable I do prefer the original version as the humour is a bit more laughable than this version.

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[nicholasrope]

Renfield

Nicholas Hoult is Dracula's much put upon Servant and he tries to get away from the toxic relationship with a Support Group and a Cop played by Awkwafina but Dracula is too demanding and egotistical to let him walk away.

This is my Film of the year, it is so enjoyable with great performances from Hoult and Awkwafina but it's Nicholas Cage that steals the show. Some say it's too OTT, but I say that it needed to be. Funny, gory and short, I certainly see it having many viewings. It's one of those I'm watching something else but want to see this again even though I've very recently seen it.

It flopped during it's Cinema Run but I hope it gets popular on Physical release and streaming.

The Hunt

A group of strangers are kidnapped and then hunted by wealthy people but Betty Gilpin fights back. Was disappointed when I first saw it due to me over hyping it and whilst I enjoyed it more this time around, it isn't as clever as it thinks it is and Gilpin's Character isn't really that likeable.

I did like the swerves at the beginning where the people you recognize and think are the main good guys get killed off early on.

Moneyball

Brad Pitt is the GM of a lower end MLB Baseball team and has to put together a winning team on the lowest budget with players that other teams don't want. Jonah Hill plays his Assistant.

I really like this Film, you don't have to understand Baseball to enjoy this Film and it's easy to follow as well. Chris Pratt also co-stars.

[MrBarlow]

Recoil. 2011.

A policeman becomes a vigilante after his family is executed by a biker gang.

Steve Austin is the copper who travels to Hope to get revenge on Danny Trejo and his gang of mean bikers who run the small town. Serinda Swan is the model owner who seems a bit nervous to why the newcomer is in town along with garage owner Patrick Gilmore. This isn't your normal revenge flick, Austin's character scopes out his target instead of going gun blazing and people feeding him info and showing their fear of the gang. It's not a great action flick and why the family is executed is never explained and shown in flashbacks. If you like Steve Austin flicks then this may be good entertainment.

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