Film Thread (What have you been watching?)

[The Hallucinating Goose]

13 minutes ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

‘Dazed and Confused’ by Richard Linklater

One of the great films of the 1990s - can watch again and again.

Great soundtrack too.

9.5/10

Linklater is a brilliant director. 

I absolutely love the Before Trilogy, some of my favourite films. 

A Scanner Darkly is my favourite Philip K. Dick novel and I thought Linklater's adaptation was great as well, one of his most underrated films. 

Just rewatched School of Rock this afternoon. Always an enjoyable watch. 

[Bedford Roughyed]

On 01/02/2024 at 07:57, gingerjon said:

I think I said that my new year's resolution was to watch more films, especially in the cinema. This is January's return of films watched that I hadn't seen before:

Next Goal Wins (2023)

Leave the World Behind

Theater Camp

Wonka

Saltburn

Black Bear

Living

Rams (2020)

White Noise

Poor Things

One Life

The Favourite

Chevalier

A Haunting in Venice

Nyad

The Creator

Only seen 2 0f those,  A Haunting in Venice and Nyad.  I enjoyed both but both sit in the average sector of the scale, neither fantastic nor terrible.

Wonka, Next Goal Wins, Poor Things and The Creator are on the list.

[Bedford Roughyed]

Gave The Marvels a go.  Didn't have high expectations, but tempered that with the fact there have been lots of online hate for Disney and Larson, so there was a question of whether the reviews were slanted by that online campaigning.  Sadly not.  One of the poorer Marvel efforts I'm afraid.  I enjoyed the Ms Marvel miniseries, but sadly that did not carry over.  

[The Hallucinating Goose]

I've just watched John Wick for the first time. Absolutely loved it. That has to be one of the coolest, most stylish films I've ever seen! 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

This evening I've watched an absolute classic of the thriller genre.

I'll give you a clue. "Gesundheit!" 

If you know, you know!

[Gerrumonside ref]

Just been to the cinema to catch the last run of Bob Marley ‘One Love’.

It’s a powerful biopic with a message.

Loved it and a solid 8/10 for me.

[The Hallucinating Goose]

I'm on a bit of a British crime high at the moment. 

Yesterday I watched Eastern Promsies, a wonderfully well acted crime drama about the Russian mafia in London. Viggo Mortenson plays a fantastic role as he does in all his films and Naomi Watts is certainly a sight for sore eyes. Directed by David Cronenberg who is more well known for his sci-fi films. Written by Steven Knight before he became more famous for creating Peaky Blinders. 

Today I am gonna treat myself to a double bill of Sexy Beast and In Bruges. Ray Winstone and Brendan Gleeson don't exactly have the same appeal as Naomi Watts but still both play their roles perfectly! 

Edited February 27 by The Hallucinating Goose

[gingerjon]

Still, sticking to the resolution to watch as many new films as possible but also go to films not seen before when they come up on the recommends. The first-time-seen films in February were:

• Nomadland
• Bottoms
• L'Innocent (The Innocent)
• Nothing Sacred (1937)
• The Hunt (Jagten)
• Fallen Leaves
• The Iron Claw
• Arctic
• The Outfit
• Wicked Little Letters
• Dunki
• The Gold Rush

[Futtocks]

[StandOffHalf]

'The Nightingale' (2018, Jennifer Kent) 

 

Brutally crude and thuddingly inhumane; an unnuanced and repellently one-note commentary on the base, animalistic horrors of colonialism and patriarchy. It would have worked better as a low-budget exploitioner; the arthouse pretentions give it an unforgiving, tragic quality. The Eggers-like reveries of recollection and natural surrounds shroud the film in a dark, horrifying folksiness. Off-putting, but bleakly powerful in its reactions to violence. Not a film I would really want to rewatch. 6/10

[Gerrumonside ref]

The Bank of Dave 

A northern businessman with a heart of gold takes on the might of London’s banking sector in the wake of the crash for the benefit of his town.

Feel good story with some great writing and memorable characters.

8.5/10 

 

 

[Bedford Roughyed]

Robbed of the best song Oscar.

 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

I was thinking last night about films or film series that are based on tv shows and have gone on to eclipse the original show. Specifically I was thinking of Mission: Impossible. I imagine there is a good lot of people that don't realise the films are a spinoff from a TV series. 

So what other films/film series can you think of where this is also the case? Or even TV series based on a film where the film has been a bit forgotten? 

[StandOffHalf]

Odna semya / A Family (1943, Grigoriy Aleksandrov, Mikayil Mikayilov, Rza Takhmasib, Gamar Salamzadeh) - 8.5/10

Wartime propaganda of the nation as a family. The interlinking threads reveal a glow of warm-hearted humanity from those manning the home front towards the fighting heroes enjoying a short respite from battle duress. The intimacy of the family home that the tank driver visits upon the suggestion of his colleague imbues the film with a welcoming cheer. The German bombings deliver a fiery danger across the city roofs that calls for calmness in extinguishing the flames. One of the film's most extraordinary aspects is a great oil fire & a diver's heroic action. Banned by Stalin - presumably because of the misunderstanding at the film's heart. A beautifully handled war film, of resilience, togetherness, and tenderness.

 

 

 

Edited March 22 by StandOffHalf

[Gerrumonside ref]

Dune 2 (2024)

A real audio visual treat that is well worth seeing at the cinema.

8/10

[Stirlin]

On 22/03/2024 at 06:46, The Hallucinating Goose said:

I was thinking last night about films or film series that are based on tv shows and have gone on to eclipse the original show. Specifically I was thinking of Mission: Impossible. I imagine there is a good lot of people that don't realise the films are a spinoff from a TV series. 

So what other films/film series can you think of where this is also the case? Or even TV series based on a film where the film has been a bit forgotten? 

The film The Gentlemen is far superior to the Netflix series of the same name , possibly due to Guy Ritchie  not having his hand on the tiller for some of the series episodes.

[Bedford Roughyed]

Roadhouse (2024) - Surprisingly enjoyable.  

[gingerjon]

And this month's 'first time for me' films were:

• Wendell & Wild
• The Cabinet of Dr Caligari
• Vindication Swim
• The Lost City
• Chicago
• Logan Lucky
• Damsel
• A White, White Day (Hvitur Hvitur Dagur)
• All Of Us Strangers
• Mixed By Erry
• Tschick (Goodbye Berlin)
• Top Hat
• The Pledge

[Futtocks]

Over the last week:

• The Phantom Empire (1987) B-movie royalty criminally under-utilised in a bore-fest. Apart from Jeffrey Combs, nobody's really trying, on or off camera.
• The Invisible Maniac (1990) Demented scientist kills off disrespectful teens, but only the girls get killed in the shower.
• Future Fear (1997) Post-apocalyptic action guff with a weird 'Alice in Wonderland' subtext.
• The Boy and the Heron (2023) Hayao Miyazaki's swansong? Maybe. Bloody peculiar but amazing.
• Cade: The Tortured Crossing (2023) Neil Breen's latest suggests he's beginning to go down the Tommy Wiseau route. Very disappointing.
• Galaxina (1980) Dull, , self-satisfied, unfunny and far too long for the content.
• Embryo (1976) Weird medical horror with Rock Hudson and knock-off Bond Girl Barbara Carrera.
• Eyes of the Serpent (1994) A Nineties attempt to make an Eighties sword'n'sorcery flick, with a bit of Deathstalker 2/3 irreverence thrown in. A bit rubbish, but another step near the end of my long trek through Conansploitation movies.

[Gerrumonside ref]

Watched a couple of Oscar nominated films over Easter:

Anatomy of a Fall (2023)

A woman is suspected of her husband's murder, and their blind son faces a moral dilemma as the sole witness.

A powerful thought provoking script based drama.

(French/English language with English subtitles)

9/10

 

The Holdovers (2023)

A cranky history teacher at a prep school is forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a grieving cook and a troubled student who has no place to go.

Has some shades of ‘Dead Poets Society’ and is an excellent watch with some great performances by the cast.

(English)

9/10

[The Hallucinating Goose]

The last film I watched was the comedy road movie, Wild Hogs, which is about 4 middle aged, middle class blokes who ride Harleys and go on a road trip across America and end up getting in trouble with a pretty rubbish biker gang led by Ray Liotta. Critics hated it, I absolutely love it!

[Lowdesert]

Oppenheimer.  Got to say, unless you are really interested in all the shadows surrounding his life and the fears of the US government, it is not gripping.  Well made, well acted but not enjoyable for us.  5/10.

[Stirlin]

4 hours ago, Lowdesert said:

Oppenheimer.  Got to say, unless you are really interested in all the shadows surrounding his life and the fears of the US government, it is not gripping.  Well made, well acted but not enjoyable for us.  5/10.

I would go further , first 2 hours of film he assembles his crew , builds the bomb , tested and delivered , so far so turgid. The final hour of the film where he is hung out to dry is the best bit , without this I would rate it as Nolans second turkey along with Dunkirk.

[The Hallucinating Goose]

Today I watched the British crime drama Harry Brown. I liked it, very powerful, Michael Caine's performance was excellent. I felt there could have been a bit more character development and depth to the story and I felt it should have been longer. Overall though, a decent film. 7/10.

[Josef K]

Looking at the films on terrestrial tv it seems as if the channels that show movies only have around fifteen films between the lot of them. Some of the films are great as i love B&W movie, but i often think there have been thousands of films made from the 1930’s onwards. Does anyone know why there isn’t much choice!!!!.