Film Thread (What have you been watching?)

[wroteforluck87]

Watched 'Heretic' this weekend on the dodgy stick those without one might have to wait a little bit longer. After seeing Hugh Grant in 'The Gentleman' taking on a different role to his usual rom-com type, I was very much looking forward to see him do it again in this film and he didn't disappoint if you like horror/thrillers with a bit of a twist this one for you.

[gingerjon]

Conclave

Had to kill about six hours in Letchworth the other day and, across the road from where Tiny Ginger was, just by the world's oldest roundabout, is a fantastic cinema called the Broadway. Anyway, sat in a very luxurious seat for a very reasonable price and watched this very good film. It is worth seeing in the cinema if you can because it is one where the sound and feel of the piece is as important as the look, dialogue and plot. Acting is off the chart good from everyone involved.

It possibly doesn't need the final, final, final twist but it's in the book so why not.

[Fly-By-TheWire]

Watched 'Carry On' on Netflix last night.   Just been released for Christmas.

Not a fan of this particular resurrection of the Carry On franchise...   literally no saucy jokes or double-entendres!   The plot was cheesy and the action was great, but I can't help feeling Charles Hawtrey would have made a much better villain.

 

Edited December 20, 2024 by Fly-By-TheWire

[Father Gascoigne]

On 18/12/2024 at 06:05, wroteforluck87 said:

Watched 'Heretic' this weekend on the dodgy stick those without one might have to wait a little bit longer. After seeing Hugh Grant in 'The Gentleman' taking on a different role to his usual rom-com type, I was very much looking forward to see him do it again in this film and he didn't disappoint if you like horror/thrillers with a bit of a twist this one for you.

Hugh Grant was good. The movie, however, while intriguing initially, lost all steam once they went down into that basement. 

[gingerjon]

3 hours ago, Fly-By-TheWire said:

Watched 'Carry On' on Netflix last night.   Just been released for Christmas.

Not a fan of this particular resurrection of the Carry On franchise...   literally no saucy jokes or double-entendres!   The plot was cheesy and the action was great, but I can't help feeling Charles Hawtrey would have made a much better villain.

 

It's half an hour too long and the all-controlling, all-knowing villains become idiots in the final act. But the set pieces are enjoyable.

It was crying out for Angela Douglas in a far too tight air hostess outfit though.

[Fly-By-TheWire]

1 minute ago, gingerjon said:

It's half an hour too long and the all-controlling, all-knowing villains become idiots in the final act. But the set pieces are enjoyable.

It was crying out for Angela Douglas in a far too tight air hostess outfit though.

Its as as near as one could get to Die Hard at Christmas, and I did enjoy it really, despite how far-fetched it was.

[Futtocks]

Well, this looks promising, in a very British DIY way.

 

[Fly-By-TheWire]

22 hours ago, Futtocks said:

Well, this looks promising, in a very British DIY way.

 

I watched an interview with one of the producers of the original Alien movie.   He stated that before they had found the British SFX guy who designed the now famous creature, one of the other producers had the idea of shaving an Orangutan and using that for the alien.   I kid you not.   I would just love to see a CGI-adjusted version of the franchise with a shaved Orangutan freaking audiences out.

[The Hallucinating Goose]

I treated myself to one of my annual Christmas time watches this evening, Kindergarten Cop! One of those films that I watch every year around Christmas time.

[Jeff Stein]

That Christmas on Netflix. Co-written by Richard Curtis and it shows. Usual Curtis themes only in animation. Amused to see clips of Love Actually whenever a child character mentions being forced to watch a boring old Christmas movie and Shaun the Sheep has a cameo if you really carefully watch. Really nothing special but amiable enough company while digesting a large turkey lunch

[Jeff Stein]

Dear Santa on Paramount +. Last Christmas movie of the year. I see it has got bad reviews, but all Farrelly Brothers films get these. I enjoyed it and it gave Jack Black his best role for years, as a demon summoned when a dyslexic child writes a letter to Dear Satan instead of Dear Santa, There's a fun cameo by Ben Stiller too.

[Gerrumonside ref]

Loved the new Wallace and Gromit film.

I want spoil it but it’s the attention to detail on the little things that really elevates it for me as a series.

The boundary signs between Yorkshire and Lancashire being a good example

”Yorkshire - Keep out”

”Lancashire - No, You Keep Out”

Haha reminded me of the boundary near the tops that was “Lancashire - where everybody matters” always defaced to “Lancashire - where everybody mutters”

[bentleyman]

I really enjoyed it

[The Hallucinating Goose]

3 hours ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Loved the new Wallace and Gromit film.

I want spoil it but it’s the attention to detail on the little things that really elevates it for me as a series.

The boundary signs between Yorkshire and Lancashire being a good example

”Yorkshire - Keep out”

”Lancashire - No, You Keep Out”

Haha reminded me of the boundary near the tops that was “Lancashire - where everybody matters” always defaced to “Lancashire - where everybody mutters”

An absolute masterpiece. I'm a member of the W&G fan club and i have to say that just about every single member said it was absolutely stunning and many are even saying it is the best W&G film to date. It was truly incredible and Nick Park has confirmed that there will be a follow up! 

[Jeff Stein]

Watched Back to the Future tonight for the first time since it came out. Enjoyed it and didn't feel it had particularly dated, except for the Huey Lewis and the News tunes on the soundtrack. I used to like them back in the day and have a couple of their LPs somewhere, but couldn't imagine putting them on now

[Jeff Stein]

I went to the cinema yesterday in London for the first time in 25 years. As a Christmas present, I took Mrs Stein to see the Thai Oscars submission for best foreign language film "How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies". I am not sure why the title chosen is so unwieldy as the Thai title when translated is Grandma's Grandchild. Strangely the title of the other big hit in Thailand this year has also had its name change for its western release from Anong, the name of one of the female characters, to My Boo. Not sure how that helped, but it can be found on Netflix and is well worth looking out. It's a romcom with ghosts.

How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies is a family drama surrounding the manoeuvrings of the children and grandson of a sino-thai matriarch after she is diagnosed with terminal cancer. If that sounds downbeat, it isn't and in places is very funny. However, by the end, it is a real tearjerker. There was quite a lot of obvious blubbing going on in the cinema, including from yours truly. The script is great and the portrayal of the way a family, which on the face of it is integrated into Thai life, but retains culture from its Chinese forebears is interesting. The acting is note perfect and a particular shout out goes to the 79 year old lady who plays the Grandmother, who had never acted before. I am still welling up thinking about the film a day on. Very highly recommended.

[Fly-By-TheWire]

On 27/12/2024 at 23:32, Jeff Stein said:

Watched Back to the Future tonight for the first time since it came out.

Have you been in a coma for almost forty years? 

Have to agree about Wallace and Gromit.  Was a little concerned that rebooting something after so much time (I think 2006 was the last episode?) that it would be re-hashed and moulded into something that satisfied modern trends and perceived audience preferences.   However, it stayed true to its roots and was great fun.   Nothing forced, or anything in there to pacify internet warriors.   I'm even sure addressing the surname of the police officer 'Alreet Mukherjee!' was a deliberate gentle play on the much-loved Northern colloquialism 'Mucker', which was a bold move in today's 'outrage' world.   If a comedian had done that in a stand up show, imagine the backlash?

Haven't really been a loyal Gavin and Stacey fan, and have been put off since by the behaviour of James Corden after fame went to his head.   However (again), the Christmas episode was no token gesture and was almost like a continuation of the original comedic value, nothing lost in time.

Credit where it's due on those two.

[Fly-By-TheWire]

On 27/12/2024 at 13:56, Gerrumonside ref said:

The boundary signs between Yorkshire and Lancashire being a good example

I had to take my 7-year-old across the actual real-life aqueduct at Pontcysyllte two days ago, as he wanted to see it in real life.   He couldn't understand why there were no Yorkshire border signs at the end of it though! 

I'd forgotten just how open the drop is on the other side with no railings:

 

 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

5 hours ago, Fly-By-TheWire said:

I had to take my 7-year-old across the actual real-life aqueduct at Pontcysyllte two days ago, as he wanted to see it in real life.   He couldn't understand why there were no Yorkshire border signs at the end of it though! 

I'd forgotten just how open the drop is on the other side with no railings:

 

 

I wonder why they didn't just put an extra 4 foot of metalwork on that side to make a rail?

[Fly-By-TheWire]

7 hours ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

I wonder why they didn't just put an extra 4 foot of metalwork on that side to make a rail?

Not sure, but when you look across from the footpath, it appears there are previous fixings for a rail.    Maybe they took the iron during the war and didn’t replace it, but it’s a surprising omission in this age of health and safety.

[The Hallucinating Goose]

1 hour ago, Fly-By-TheWire said:

Not sure, but when you look across from the footpath, it appears there are previous fixings for a rail.    Maybe they took the iron during the war and didn’t replace it, but it’s a surprising omission in this age of health and safety.

Well it's in Wales isn't it? Government have got better things to do than protect people in Wales, after all there's a tiny cul-de-sac in some random village in Kent that needs some new flower displays and bulletproof gates and armed guards providing for it doesn't it?

[Jeff Stein]

15 hours ago, Fly-By-TheWire said:

Have you been in a coma for almost forty years? 

Once I have seen something once, I rarely want to spend the time watching it again. Last night I watched The Naked Gun for the first time in about 30 years, That was still funny too.

[Fly-By-TheWire]

2 hours ago, Jeff Stein said:

Once I have seen something once, I rarely want to spend the time watching it again. Last night I watched The Naked Gun for the first time in about 30 years, That was still funny too.

I can usually remember a movie for a while after watching it, whereas my wife could watch it again the following week and have already forgotten what happened

[Futtocks]

We just watched 'Laurence of Arabia', which was on TV this afternoon. A great film, and the restored version absolutely wipes the floor with the DVD I bought years ago.

[Jeff Stein]

8 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

We just watched 'Laurence of Arabia', which was on TV this afternoon. A great film, and the restored version absolutely wipes the floor with the DVD I bought years ago.

Years ago I went to see it at the cinema at Marble Arch, which at the time had the largest screen in the country. It was extraordinary.