What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Rob4]

Children of Men (2006)

Another viewing of one of my favourite films of the noughties.

I'm not going to review it as there must be a thousand reviews out there.

It was just interesting to watch to see if we are heading the predicted way. I did chortle when it mentioned the global pandemic of 2009 - only a decade out but still!

The immigration theme appears to be spot on though, especially looking at what's going on in America, Europe and the rise of Reform here...

No infertility yet, but with the never-ending pollution of air and water I'm not betting against it.

Even with the 'happy' ending it's entertaining and depressing at the same time. So much better than the similarly themed borefest from the 1970s - Zero Population Growth

[Rob4]

Who? (1974)

I'd managed to catch the single showing of this by the BBC back in the day and remember being mightily unimpressed.

Thought I'd give it another chance to see if my juvenile self had misjudged it? I hadn't!

Flatly directed by Jack Gold using ugly cinematography that only improves in the Florida scenes (different cameraman?), this 'is he or isn't he' Cold War sci-fi is talky and deeply uninteresting.

I can usually find positives in the crappest of movies but I find it difficult for this one: Elliot Gould is, barring one scene at the end, one-note throughout; Trevor Howard is completely wasted; the silver plastic and paint make-up job looks like something out of Lost in Space; the one action scene is totally botched by using a stunt driver with no attempt to make him look like Elliot Gould.

Perhaps the one interesting stylistic choice is the POV flashback scenes, but these are used sparingly and don't really improve the picture by much.

A 70s curio no doubt, but for me it commits the Cardinal Sin of being boring.

[Frankie Teardrop]

ALISON'S BIRTHDAY - This late seventies Australian charmer plays loose with 'Rosemary's Baby' but definitely calls upon its own sun soaked sinistrality. Even if it can't escape the usual expectations - a stock-in-trade cult chants by torchlight in someone's garden and someone else's overenthusiastic boyfriend comes to the rescue - between these moments, when the film slows, it fills with an atmosphere of quiet dread. Fleeting instances of optically enhanced cheapo psychedelia and potentially quite creepy rock formations only quicken my pulse. Grainy, awkward, casts a shadow. That final image is nightmare fuel for sure.

MONSTER MAN - If you hate the strain of 'gross out' comedy that nearly wrecked the early noughts, you'll probably spend most of 'Monster Man' wishing Adam and Harley would just f?ck off and die. They're douchebag movie bros on a cross-country mission to gate crash someone's wedding, and they are nothing short of the filmic equivalent of nails slowly scraping down a blackboard... until they bleed and drop off. On the other 'hand', I somehow got a twinge of masochistic enjoyment watching a 'Road Trip' rip morph into a 'Wrong Turn' clone, so all not lost.

WHEN A STRANGER CALLS - Expect another slasher wannabe and you'll end up on the wrong foot. The stealthy poise of its early scenes, with Carol Kane as a babysitter plagued by sinister phone calls, suggests a Carpenter-style take on suburban menace, but it soon broadens out into a bleak cat-and-mouse between Charles Durning and psycho Tony Beckley. As much as I find Carol Kane an absolutely fascinating actor, I have to say that Beckley's terrifying performance steals the show. Riveting and grim.

DEATH MACHINE - Say what you like, but any movie with Brad Dourif has to basically be alright. Here, he's a homicidal goth scientist tech nerd genius in a leather trench coat and a massive perma-sulk, and he's designed a killer robot to mess with the normies. 'Death Machine' is a mid-nineties take on the 'several people trapped in an isolated location are one by one pursued and dispatched by a seemingly unstoppable menace' routine, a hardy genre perennial that sadly will never die. There's running around, a bit of screaming, explosions, a big robot, all done with a very era specific mise-en-scene redolent of a posh perfume advert directed by Richard Stanley. It's... basically alright. Extra points though for an early turn by Richard Brake, easily one of the most interesting faces in showbiz.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Robert Eggers' Nosferatu (2024) is his finest film since The Witch: A New England Folktale, a masterfully crafted gothic horror that pays homage to both the 1922 and 1979 versions while forging its own chilling identity.

Both physically and vocally, Bill Skarsgard delivers a hypnotic and grotesque performance as Count Orlok, his eerie presence lingering long after the credits roll, while Lily-Rose Depp brings a haunting fragility to Ellen, and Nicholas Hoult provides a compelling turn as Hutter.

The film's sound design, rich with unsettling whispers and mournful undertones, amplifies the sense of creeping dread, while Jarin Blaschke's stunning cinematography bathes each frame in shadows and candlelight, evoking the eerie beauty of silent-era horror; there are many scenes that could be captured as still images to be made into posters, T-shirt designs, or computer wallpapers.

Eggers' meticulous direction ensures that this Nosferatu is both a love letter to its predecessors and a bold new interpretation, immersing modern audiences in a nightmare they won?t soon forget. I liked it so much at the cinema that I went back a couple of days later to watch it again on a bigger screen, but still look forward to watching it in my own room.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Moana 2 is a disappointing follow-up to the riotously entertaining original, lacking the sense of danger and brilliantly catchy songs (such as You're Welcome) that made the first film so compelling.

While the visuals are unsurprisingly stunning, bringing the ocean and islands to life with breathtaking detail, the story feels too safe and predictable, never truly challenging its characters or audience. Despite this, Moana remains a likable and inspirational protagonist, offering young girls another strong role model.

However, without the same emotional depth, thrilling adventure, or Lin-Manuel Miranda providing the musical backdrop and award-winning songs of its predecessor, the film ultimately feels like a beautiful but unnecessary extension of a story that was already perfectly told.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Mufasa: The Lion King is a visually stunning and musically rich prequel that serves as a worthy companion to Jon Favreau?s reimagining of the 1994 Oscar winner. The photorealistic animation is once again breathtaking, bringing the Pride Lands to life with incredible detail, while the songs add depth and emotion to Mufasa's origin story.

Though it doesn't quite reach the high points of the other Lion King films, it's a solid and well-crafted addition to the franchise. I'll happily watch it again, as it captures the grandeur and heart that make this saga so enduring.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

You're Cordially Invited follows two former best friends who, after a long feud, are forced to reunite when their children unexpectedly get engaged, leading to a chaotic battle over wedding plans. Unfortunately, it feels like a subpar remake of Bride Wars, a film I don't rate at all.

This film leans too heavily on tired wedding comedy tropes without bringing anything fresh or genuinely funny to the mix. The rivalry at its core feels forced rather than entertaining, and the emotional beats never truly land. While the cast does their best with what they're given, the script lacks sharpness, making the whole thing feel predictable and uninspired.

Ultimately, it's a forgettable comedy that fails to justify its own existence. If you have Prime Video and have been tempted by this, don't make the same mistake as me and watch something else instead.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

In The Beekeeper, Jason Statham plays a former operative of a shadowy organisation who is forced out of retirement to unleash his brutal skills on a corrupt cybercrime ring. I went in expecting forgettable action nonsense, but I was pleasantly surprised by how slick, stylish, and downright entertaining it turned out to be.

Statham delivers exactly what you want from him: brutal efficiency and dry wit, while the action sequences are impressively choreographed, packing a real punch.

I wish I'd seen it in the cinema rather than on an iPad in hospital, but thankfully, my AirPods Max and their spatial audio helped compensate for the small screen, making the fights and explosions feel satisfyingly immersive. It?s a blast of a film, and I won't make the mistake of underestimating it again.

[Nordicdusk]

I see Nosferatu is in Xbox store to rent but it's ?18 I'll wait for the Blu Ray for that money I really want to see it your review has really made me want to see it NOW tho

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Island in the Sky (1953)

A largely enjoyable film with a finale that annoys the shit out of me.

Set just after the war with John Wayne at the helm of a freight aircraft that has to crash land in the frozen Canadian wastes. With temperatures that plunge sub zero at night Wayne and his crew have to fight to stay alive until help comes.

It's lovely and atmospheric in that chilly frozen way that films like The Thing from Another World and Day of the Outlaw are, the crisp black and white photography making that iciness all the more chilling and the outcome for the characters who are all fully fleshed out all the more perilous. There's also some excellent aerial photography on show which makes the film ever more realistic.

And then we get to that finale. Search and rescue craft are circling the area for the second time when the survivors have the bright idea of using the flare guns. WTF?

You've had me watching for almost two hours with planes flying overhead and not seeing you and then in the last five minutes you decide to get out the flare guns? That's bloody stupid. It's like having a film with a bunch of folk treading water in the ocean for ninety minutes, then two minutes from the end one says "We could always get in the boat over there".

It annoyed me the first time i saw it and did so again. Other than that i like this movie.