A movie watchers blog

[Stig]

Brightburn (2019)

 

What if Superman turned evil when he discovered his powers. That's basically the plot of this film and outside that, they're isnt much substance at all.

 

Everything just felt super rushed and unearned. They have a pretty cool concept to start with and that's where it ends because they dont do anything good or interesting with it and it was all just really cliched.

 

Its wasnt terrible but equally it wasnt very good. Some nice gory death scenes at least.

 

2/5

[Vimster]

Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)

A computer designed to handle America's defence threatens its masters if it doesn't get its way. Suitably bleak SF from an era where things were going dark. The biggest problem with this film is the ludicrous premise that the US and Russia would allow a computer to totally control their defence systems AND make it impossible for anyone to turn them off, or have any failsafes available - pretty basic for something that important. And yes, it is fiction and all that but it makes it almost impossible to feel the terror everyone goes through here. It's a shame because it has all that lovely retro-future technology, a sleek, ultra-modern, crisp yet cold aesthetic, maybe not as well realised as The Andromeda Strain from around the same time. The ending is pure 70s bleakness, you certainly wouldn't see anything like that today. It's just that frankly daft idea that everyone from the President down throught this would be a great idea. I don't even think 50 years of computing advances make a difference, it would be just as silly then. Would definitely suggest if you want a humanity-in-peril cold 70s SF film go for The Andromeda Strain over this.

[Mawdlin]

On 10/08/2019 at 07:24, Gord said:

@strider    Wow, I have a very different opinion on this. I loved the quirky humour, the odd yet likeable characters and how the plot escalates.  4 badly nicknamed gangsters out of 10 for me.

I guess it may be just a numbers game but for me this is Neeson's best movie for decades. I was shocked by how enjoyable it was.

[Skull Commander]

I watched "Good Boys"last night.

 

Imagine Superbad, but with younger kids and all the funny bits stripped out. Now add in loads of swear words, some cringey performances and a fascination with sex toys and you have this film.

 

1 Skull (fuck) out of 5.

[ZOK]

18 hours ago, Vimster said:

Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)

A computer designed to handle America's defence threatens its masters if it doesn't get its way. Suitably bleak SF from an era where things were going dark. The biggest problem with this film is the ludicrous premise that the US and Russia would allow a computer to totally control their defence systems AND make it impossible for anyone to turn them off, or have any failsafes available - pretty basic for something that important. And yes, it is fiction and all that but it makes it almost impossible to feel the terror everyone goes through here. It's a shame because it has all that lovely retro-future technology, a sleek, ultra-modern, crisp yet cold aesthetic, maybe not as well realised as The Andromeda Strain from around the same time. The ending is pure 70s bleakness, you certainly wouldn't see anything like that today. It's just that frankly daft idea that everyone from the President down throught this would be a great idea. I don't even think 50 years of computing advances make a difference, it would be just as silly then. Would definitely suggest if you want a humanity-in-peril cold 70s SF film go for The Andromeda Strain over this.

 

Have you seen Demon Seed? I imagine so, but if not check it out.

[Vimster]

15 minutes ago, ZOK said:

 

Have you seen Demon Seed? I imagine so, but if not check it out.

Yes, definitely seen that one. It's defintely freakier. It didn't play on the paranoia about computers like Colussus did though, it was much more intimate pyschological horror.

[Vimster]

Stray Cat Rock: Beat '71 (1971)

In Japan a group of hippies set out to help save one of their troop who was framed for murder, standing up to the corrupt mayor of a small rural town. This isn't a genre of film I'm familiar with but I have to say this was really enjoyable. The hippies were a likeable bunch, keeping the pressure on a crime boss of a small town and his gang of bikers in a bid to get justice for their kidnapped companion. Strong themes of belonging, hnour and family, with the boss' son being torn between going into the family business or helping his surrogate hippie family, you never know which way his allegence will fall. The western-themed finale was a decent touch, although it didn't hammer the theme home. Some fantastic views of rural Japan, the film looks great. With the music and American-style hippie architypes it was clearly influenced by American films but still managed to retain a strong sense of Japanese culture, at least that's how it felt to me; I'm no expert on it. Will be seeking out similar films.

 

 

 

[Fitzcarraldo]

Sad to read the thoughts on Nashville on the other page. I think it's a perfect film and would be a possible candidate for a desert island choice. I find something new to love every time I watch it it (which I do probably a couple of times a year).

[Vimster]

Firetrap (2001)

A professional thief finds himself trapped in a burning tower block whilst trying to retreive a VR chip. Late era PM Entertainment flick from after Joseph Merhi and Richard Pepin had cashed out in 2000, but it's not too bad, just not great. Dean Cain is the thief in question, trying to steal a chip but finding himself helping out the others trapped in a burning tower block. Imagine a lower-budget Towering Inferno with a bit of office politics and half-arsed CIA-related shenanigans thrown in. Lots of badly-composited fire effects (on the cusp of decent CGI fire), some limp intrigue regarding the various employees in this tech company. Disaster flick? Action flick? Heist flick? It's hard to say and frankly it falls between the three stools. It does everything fine, it's never boring, and Dean Cain is a decent if unremarkable lead, but you really have to be pretty bored to get anything more than idle curiosity from this.

 

if that hasn't put you off...

.

 

 

[Bazjam]

Aniara 2019

 

When a spacecraft carrying settlers to Mars strays off course, the consumption-obsessed passengers are prompted to consider their place in the universe.

 

This came out in cinemas last weekend and is also available to rent on Amazon and the likes.

 

So glad I stumbled across this little gem of a sci fi film. It's a Swedish film based on a poem. I won't going to too much detail on plot, but probably best described as High Rise in space. I'm already regretting renting rather than buying as I definitely need a second viewing.

 

With this, Prospect, High Life, Ad Astra and Lucy In The Sky, we could be looking at one hell of a year for mature sci fi (for want of a better term)

 

4.5/5

[Chosty]

That sure is a poster.

 

Sounds intriguing.

[strider]

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (Cinema 2019)

Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a fading TV star looking for his next big break, while his stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) now works as his loyal gofer. And that's about it.

 

I'm really not sure how I feel about Quintin Tarantino's ninth film. There's no denying that it offers a fantastic snapshot of one of Hollywood's golden eras and there's some excellent dramatic scenes, as you'd expect from Tarantino, but it's also a movie that doesn't really go anywhere. Despite its meandering approach, OUATIH never drags thanks to some truly memorable scenes which include a tense meeting on a ranch, that acting scene from the trailer (which works so much better in context) and Sharon Tate (a delightful Margot Robbie) charming her way into a free showing of her new movie to name just a few.

 

The supporting cast is equally solid with Margaret Qualley leaving an impression as an impish member of Charles Manson's (Damon Herriman) creepy family, Al Pacino firing on all cylinders as a casting agent who takes a particular interest in Dalton and Julia Butters as a precocious child actor. Sadly, Margot Robbie is giving very little material to work with (although she's dynamic in the few scenes she does have) and the excellent chemistry between Pitt and DiCaprio rarely gets a chance to shine because they spend so much of the movie apart.

 

Ultimately, OUATIH feels like a story about coming to terms with your legacy and the fact that your best moments in life could well be behind you. It's interesting because this is Tarantino at his most restrained, pedestrian even, as if he's well aware of the potentially sensitive subject manner that he's dealing with and doesn't want to be labelled as another auteur who has found success in violence for the sake of violence. It lacks a lot of the flourishes you'd normally expect from him and while much of the dialogue still crackles with the same energy found in Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction, certain sequences sah under their leaden dialogue. The last twenty minutes feel far more in line with the director's past films, and will most certainly annoy historian buffs but if they anger, they're largely missing the point. OUATIH isn't trying to recreate historical events, it simply uses them as window dressing in order to create a love letter to an intense period of Hollywood that the director clearly loves.

 

It's not one of Tarantino's strongest films, but it's certainly one of his most interesting and I'm sure it's only going to get better on repeated viewings.

3.5/5

[Vimster]

Paradise Lost (1999)

A luxury holidy development in the Amazon rainforest triggers ancient forces. This started out simple enough. A worker on a shitty luxury holiday complex being built on the site of an ancient civilisation gets his heart ripped out (in a very PG way). Marina Sirtis (sans bra) is some sort of archiologist, anthropologist, forensic scientist, midwife (it shifts about) and thinks all this development is stirring up something. William Forsythe is the architect/developer behind the development. Nigel Havers of all people has developed a totally harmless (honest) chemical to defoliage the foliage. It's all set up for a bit of simple good-anthropologist-vs-evil-developer shinanegans, with Havers being the lynchpin, right? Wrong. Something happens about an hour in that turns the whole thing in its head. I'm not sure if this was a deliberate attempt to fool the casual viwer into thinking the obvious then pulling the rug from under them or just plain bad writing. If it was the former they did a fantastic job of it. The last half hour is mindboggling, culminating in an over-credits plot wrap-up montage which had me laughing and shaking my head in disbelief. William Forsythe brings the charm but is hobbled by the PG-rated production - Out For Justice this ain't. Sirtis fits the bill as the good doctor who is down with the locals, but is clearly still under the shadow of Star Trek TNG. Is this an eco-thriller? Tropical horror? I don't even think the writers knew. I know one thing though, this has some abysmal editing, re-use of shots (they clearly only had a few minutes of chopper footage), that's two things. Watch it and try to figure out if this was meant to have a big twist or if it was merely bad.

[Nick R]

Kong: Skull Island (2017) - 3/5

 

What do you get if you take a Science Should Leave Nature Well Enough Alone monster movie and then throw in 'Nam clichés galore?

 

Honestly, it's quite amazing how many Vietnam war movie tropes are crammed into this: from the guy at the back of the patrol being picked off first, to "White Rabbit" on the soundtrack. John C. Reilly's character is essentially this movie's version of Dennis Hopper, and there are character name references to Heart of Darkness. All that's missing is having someone rant "You don't know what it was like, man! You weren't there!" This appropriation of pop cultural shorthand signfiers for 'Nam probably says some quite uncomfortable things about pop culture's perception of that conflict.

 

I haven't seen Gareth Edwards' 2014 Godzilla movie but from what I gather, that film emphasised its human characters too much for monster fans' taste, and Kong: Skull Island represents an overcorrection too far in the opposite direction (just as Man of Steel was an over-corrective response to the most prominent complaints about Superman Returns). John C. Reilly's character (star of what Evan Saathoff calls the "exposition mission" side of things) is pretty much the only character who is appealing in his own right on any level more than "functional". OK, it's to be expected that the soldier characters would exist as little more than interchangable cannon fodder (with a few hints at their civilian lives to tug on the heartstrings when they get killed off), but when it comes to the characters played by John Goodman and Brie Larson, I think they could have been made more interesting with a few tweaks. Maybe they had better roles at some point earlier in production? Jing Tian was probably always there primarily as a sop to the film's Chinese release, but surely at some point her character must have had something to do?

 

So if it's not about the human characters, it must be all about the monsters and the action. The monsters' depictions strike a good balance between gentle giants who just want to be left alone (reminiscent of Shadow of the Colossus, as when one of the soldiers sits on a log that turns out to be a stick insect, or when Kong bathes his wounds), and being deadly, unknowable threats that the humans are totally unequipped to deal with. (Though I don't think the film ever depicts them in a way quite as horrifying as the pit scene from Peter Jackson's 2005 King Kong film.)

 

The action is generally good, interspersed with a few vivid images: close-ups of a President Nixon bobblehead toy in a turbulent helicopter cockpit; spray-and-pray gunfire viewed along the barrel like in an FPS game; a hero with a katana charging through deadly smog. (The cinematographer is Larry Fong, and I think the movie looks a lot nicer than his collaborations with Zack Snyder.) And near the end, there's one gleeful, vicious subversion of a character-ending action film trope.

 

On this evidence, Jordan Vogt-Roberts seems like a good candidate to make that Metal Gear Solid movie. He's got the eye for action; now he just needs to raise his characterisation to the level of those games!

[Nick R]

Posting this here as it ended up being a bit long for the ratings thread...

 

 

The Big Lebowski - 3.5/5

 

This is my second time watching this (I think my first viewing was about 2007ish) - and the first time I've seen it since seeing The Big Sleep.

 

There are two extremes of opinion when it comes to this film. At one end, you have the one-star TV Guide review that was reprinted in the Virgin Film Guide book I had growing up, which I disagree with now but which affected my opinion of the film before I'd seen it. And at the other you have the devoted fanbase who've quoted and memed it so much its hard to enjoy on its own merits. For example, I'd probably like lines like "It really tied the room together" and "say what you will about the tenets of National Socialism" more if they hadn't been quoted to oblivion - unfortunately at this point, it's like watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail for the first time having had years of Sixth Form students shouting "Ni!" and "I fart in your general direction!" at you. (Yeah, Year 12 me was like that, and I apologise.)

 

As for the famous "find a stranger in the Alps" scene, that's one of the bits I found more annoying and frustrating than funny. Things like that made me consider dropping my rating, in resentful overreaction to the film's inflated reputation - but then I thought of things like Sam Elliot's role and thought, nah, I can't bring myself to do that! (And I agree with Sam Elliot at the end about Donny's fate. )

 

So the bits I most enjoyed this time were not the quotable lines, but things like Philip Seymour Hoffman's expressions, the brief appearances by Jon Polito and David Thewlis, and the two dream sequences.

 

It's a good film, I do like it, honest! I just don't think it's as funny as those films where the Coen Brothers are in pure comedy mode like Raising Arizona and Hudsucker Proxy (or even the more flawed ones like Burn After Reading and Hail Caesar) - let alone up there with their real all-round masterpieces like Fargo and Barton Fink.

 

But that's just, like, my opinion, man.

[Vimster]

Outside The Law (2002)

After a job goes south, a government agent goes off grid and ends up in more trouble. It may be from 2002 but the intro to this straight-to-DVD action flick is pure 90s: Central American drug cartel, dodgy deal, shoot-out in picturesque town, but it all goes very noughties once our heroine gets back to The States, buys a truck with the most adorable dog in it (who is basically left to whimper in the truck for the entire film) and heads off to avoid Random Government Agency who want her dead for reasons too tedious to relate. It's the classic tale of person-who-can comes into town, sorts shit out and then leaves again, this time with added mega-mild intrigue. The plot has the elements for decent if unoriginal action-filler, but it all comes off a very bland, with ineffective villains, obvious plot points and rather soapy motivations for some of the main characters. The feds storyline in particular is poor, they pre-heat the oven with lots of chat about why they want to bump her off, but it comes out under-cooked in the end largely thanks to a pathetic twist that, whilst tying things up nicely, did smack of what-do-we-do-here writing. So the plot doesn't kick it but legendary martial artist Cynthia Rothrock does, right? Well she would if the editor hadn't had his way. Choppy, fast-cut editing that's filmed far too close up means all Rothrock's skills don't come over well, a crying shame. In conclusion we have a bland film with poorly-shot action - it's a difficult sell.

[Vimster]

Oh yes, I'm now posting these reviews on Letterboxd, so feel free to add TobeLaRone on there for more film-related stuff.

[ZOK]

On 18/09/2019 at 16:06, Nick R said:

Posting this here as it ended up being a bit long for the ratings thread...

 

 

The Big Lebowski - 3.5/5

 

This is my second time watching this (I think my first viewing was about 2007ish) - and the first time I've seen it since seeing The Big Sleep.

 

There are two extremes of opinion when it comes to this film. At one end, you have the one-star TV Guide review that was reprinted in the Virgin Film Guide book I had growing up, which I disagree with now but which affected my opinion of the film before I'd seen it. And at the other you have the devoted fanbase who've quoted and memed it so much its hard to enjoy on its own merits. For example, I'd probably like lines like "It really tied the room together" and "say what you will about the tenets of National Socialism" more if they hadn't been quoted to oblivion - unfortunately at this point, it's like watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail for the first time having had years of Sixth Form students shouting "Ni!" and "I fart in your general direction!" at you. (Yeah, Year 12 me was like that, and I apologise.)

 

As for the famous "find a stranger in the Alps" scene, that's one of the bits I found more annoying and frustrating than funny. Things like that made me consider dropping my rating, in resentful overreaction to the film's inflated reputation - but then I thought of things like Sam Elliot's role and thought, nah, I can't bring myself to do that! (And I agree with Sam Elliot at the end about Donny's fate. )

 

So the bits I most enjoyed this time were not the quotable lines, but things like Philip Seymour Hoffman's expressions, the brief appearances by Jon Polito and David Thewlis, and the two dream sequences.

 

It's a good film, I do like it, honest! I just don't think it's as funny as those films where the Coen Brothers are in pure comedy mode like Raising Arizona and Hudsucker Proxy (or even the more flawed ones like Burn After Reading and Hail Caesar) - let alone up there with their real all-round masterpieces like Fargo and Barton Fink.

 

But that's just, like, my opinion, man.

I love it. I’m totally unfamiliar with it as meme fodder though - I just take it for what it is, a superbly crafted slice of hokum.

 

I saw Burn After Reading for the first time a few weeks ago. I loved that too, but this flick is on another level entirely.

[Vimster]

Confessions Of A Window Cleaner (1974)

Phwarrrraar! Essentially an excuse to see some bird's knockers, that's what this is. Robin Askwith is the trainee window cleaner who needed to know how to serve the customers right according to Tony Booth. And he does a decent comic turn under the circumstances. One can only assume th elikes of Joan Hickson and Richard Watis were in need of a bob or two. Everyone else knew what they were getting into. I feel suitably flacid after writing this review, it's essentially Carry ON with more boobs and less wit. 

[The Bag]

On 02/09/2019 at 12:23, Bazjam said:

Aniara 2019

 

When a spacecraft carrying settlers to Mars strays off course, the consumption-obsessed passengers are prompted to consider their place in the universe.

 

This came out in cinemas last weekend and is also available to rent on Amazon and the likes.

 

So glad I stumbled across this little gem of a sci fi film. It's a Swedish film based on a poem. I won't going to too much detail on plot, but probably best described as High Rise in space. I'm already regretting renting rather than buying as I definitely need a second viewing.

 

With this, Prospect, High Life, Ad Astra and Lucy In The Sky, we could be looking at one hell of a year for mature sci fi (for want of a better term)

 

4.5/5

Never heard of it but having now watched the trailer it’s at the top of my must watch list.  Seems there was a TV version in 1960.

[ZOK]

That’s a great poster too.

[Vimster]

Jumanji (1995)

A couple of orphans find an old board game each turn of which has extraordinary real-life consequences. This is one of those films that's on every Christmas and yet this is the first time I've seen it. Very much a case of "why did I leave it so long?" This is adapted from a novel but I've not read it so this is my opion of the film. And what a superb film it is. Not having any children of my own, the phrase "family film" usually fiils me with dread, but thankfully this is an exception, being a very enjoyable experience for adults, although I would probably have been bowled over by it as a child.  Like a child's imagination the story is unfettered by adult concerns about explaining everything and just runs wild, in a tightly-directed way, if that's a possibility. Loved the way it subverted the sappy when the boy was crying, Robin Williams gives him a pep talk complete with suitably heart-tugging music only for a quality comic reveal. Mind you, when there is a genuinely emotional bit at the end I was invested enough to feel happily emotional which surprised me. Unlike a lot of more recent films this didn't feel like a series of vignettes, it all came together with elements from earlier feeding into the chaos. If I had an issue it would be Robin Williams' performance was compaatively understated. Hugely enjoyable, exceeded my expectactions.

[Vimster]

Raw Justice aka Good Cop Bad Cop (1994)

A guy is framed for the murder of the mayor's daughter. He teams up with a bail bondsman and ex-stripper to set things right. I was expecting a lot less than I got with this tongue-in-cheek cheapo action/comedy, in fact by the end I was feeling pretty satisfied, although it may have been the cider. It employs every cliche in the book to good effect, David Keith is the rough diamond bail bondsman, Stacy Keach the suitably malicious baddie. Add in Pamela Anderson and Robert Hays, oh and Charles Napier. Some low-budget car chases and Police Squad-style shoot-outs. I burst out laughing when Keith and Anderson just suddenly got it on whilst hiding out in a warehouse - where did that come from? And it's all backed by this comedy southern-US bluesy soundtrack. Dumb as the proverbial box of rocks, cliched to hell, but entertaining.

[Vimster]

Operation Delta Force 5: Random Fire (2000)

Dela Force come up against a Middle-Eastern terrorist mastermind who is using mind control on captured soldiers. I've watched some absolute shit films in my time but this will take some beating for the top spot. Sometimes dumb can be fun, but sadly this is no fun whatsoever, in fact there's no humour at all in a script clearly drawn up on the back of an MRE ration pack bought from an Army surplus store. The Delta Force soldiers barely had an ounce of personality between them, even the Captain barely registered much in the way of character beyond having a girlfriend, a girlfriend who disobayed orders and gave the General that much back chat I was surprised they didn't throw her in the brig or wherever they throw Delta Force operatives. The baddie was brown, of indeterminate nationality and spoke with an accent - he clearly had to die, if not for being a terrorist then for the crime of merely being arch; he literally stood there and spoke, only throwing the worlds least effective punch during what a more generous person than I would describe as a tense showdown. The film ends with said girlfriend drinking what I hoped was the world's larget G&T before Captain turns up and unceremoniously chucks a ring in her drink. Mission Accomplished. You don't have to watch this crap.

[Nick R]

Like @SeanR in the ratings thread, I've been watching the Rocky films recently.

 

The only three I've seen before were Rocky (watched in 2013; lived up to its reputation), Rocky II (the first one I saw: I think I caught the last three quarters of it about 15 years ago) and Creed (watched at the start of 2019; great film).

 

They've all been on Amazon Prime Video for a while now, but last week they threw up a message that they have "limited time left on Amazon Prime" (turns out they're all being taken off there tonight, the 29th!) so I thought I'd better hurry up and watch them. So last week I watched one a day. I enjoyed all of them but I can't in good conscience give anything more than an above average rating to III and IV...

 

 

Rocky (1976) - 4/5
A great film. A wonderfully effective, earnest underdog story that completely won me over (as a non-fan of boxing who came to the series with preconceptions about the series being a formulaic joke). The message about meeting your own targets (not others') carries through the series, but here it is in purest and most inspirational and uplifting form. It only improves in comparison to all its sequels, so I'm tempted to bump my rating up from four stars to four and a half to reflect just how remarkable it is.

 

Only Rocky's wooing (for want of a better word) of Adrian comes across as rather dubious nowadays (locking the door and blocking her way...). But it's worth praising the fact that the subsequent sequels prove that their love is one of the most rock-solid long-term relationships that I can think of in any popular film series.

 

 

Rocky II (1979) -3.5/5
So he's got an eye injury now? OK, it'll be interesting to see what excuses the subsequent films contrive to work around that and keep him fighting! (Oh, turns out they're just going to ignore it...)

 

Yeah, it's largely a remake of the first one, but with a bigger budget (more location filming! A crowd in the training scene!) and more interaction between Rocky and Apollo.

 

 

Rocky III (1982) - 2.5/5
I was looking forward to this one because I remembered Creed had emphasised Rocky and Apollo's friendship, and I wanted to see how that came about.

 

This is the film that gave the world "Eye of the Tiger" - I was surprised to discover that the film initially presents it as Mr T's character's theme rather than Rocky's!

 

Not a fan of the Hulk Hogan gimmick fight, but I love the film's ending (the secret fight) and the freeze frame on that great closing credits painting!

 

 

Rocky IV (1985) - 2.5/5

Yeah, I know: I'm putting this far too low. At least according to those who are particularly nostalgic for this one. (I didn't get what everyone loves so much about Star Trek IV either. Clearly I'm a philistine who's dead inside.)

 

I don't dislike it! It's fun, and good at being what it's aiming to be (a compilation of music video montages). But I struggled to embrace its dumb silliness on its own terms; I just kept thinking of how far it had strayed from the relatively subdued working class social realism of the original.

 

 

Rocky V (1990) - 2/5

Not as irredeemably terrible as everyone seems to think! The premise is fine, and in many ways much more ambitious than Rocky IV: like the James Bond series' transition from Moonraker to For Your Eyes Only, it's aiming to bring things down to earth after previous fantastical excesses. Aiming to diverge from the series' formula in such a way is a worthy aim.

 

... It's just the execution that's poor.

 

Still, without it, Rocky Balboa and Creed probably wouldn't have been anywhere near as good.

 

 

Rocky Balboa (2006) - 3.5/5

Considering that until a few days ago I'd never seen half of the Rocky films, I was surprised by how emotionally affecting I found this! Sure, Rocky has numerous speeches that risk going too far in making him a wise homespun philosopher, but I had built up a huge amount of goodwill toward the series by this point, so I was on board all the way.

 

It strikes a great combination of the two sides of the Rocky series: relatively subdued, urban social realist tone of I, II and V (the melancholy, reflective nostalgia of its first hour) and the gloriously absurd fist-pumping triumph of III and IV (when it's time for the training montage and final boxing match - which is, in its own way, almost as ridiculous as the stuff in Rocky IV).

 

 

So here's the ranking:

 

1. Rocky

2. Creed, aka Rocky VII: Adrian's Revenge (I should rewatch this now I've seen the others; I think that it'll only benefit from my increased affection for the series)

3. Rocky II (the only reason I'm putting this above Rocky Balboa is that this has Apollo Creed and that doesn't)

4. Rocky Balboa

5. Rocky III

6. Rocky IV (again, sorry!)

7. Rocky V

 

Still got Creed II to watch...

[Nick R]

Loving Vincent (2017) - 3.5/5

 

A year after the death of Vincent van Gogh, Armand Roulin - the subject of one of his paintings - attempts to belatedly deliver a letter from Vincent to his brother Theo, and in the process, learns about the events leading up to the artist's suicide. (... or was it!? )

 

I think the structure is meant to be reminiscent of Citizen Kane (flashbacks are triggered by investigations into the death of a great man), but for me it came across more like the bits in a point and click adventure game (say, Broken Sword or Discworld Noir) where you reach a new location and talk to everyone you can in turn. Then someone says something that contradicts what a previous interviewee said, so you rush back to confront them about the discrepancy... and so on until the end of the film. I'm not saying I wanted an explosion every five minutes, but there's not a great deal of variation in the pace and tone throughout the film, beyond some of the conversations being more lighthearted while others are more aggressive.

 

But although the storytelling is not the most enthralling, it's definitely worth watching for its extremely impressive technical ambition: a rotoscoped animated movie in which every frame was oil painted on canvas, most of which are done in the style of Vincent van Gogh, or recreate specific compositions of his. (The exceptions being the flashbacks, which are in black and white and use a more realistic style that I often thought looked more liked digital paintings than photographed oil paintings.) It's one of those films where the Making Of is as interesting as the film itself! How do you film a scene with real actors and camera moves, and then rotoscope it so that those real motions fit with van Gogh's distorted perspective?

 

https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/loving-vincent-6-facts-first-oil-painted-animated-feature-150443.html

 

I found that (as with 3D films or the digitally-rotoscoped A Scanner Darkly) I began to take the effect for granted as the film went on. And every time I realised that I was drifting away from it, I'd think "oh, I should be focusing on the animation while I have the chance." And in turn, those thoughts momentarily pulled me out of the story. So unfortunately, it was a film where the form was often a distraction from the story and characters.

 

I think the film was effective in teaching me things about van Gogh and conveying the tragedy of his death. But I think I owe the film a second viewing, so I can focus on the details of the dialogue and performances that I missed the first time.

 

Also, I have to brag that when I watched the opening titles, I thought "hmm, this music reminds me of Clint Mansell" several seconds before his credit appeared!

[Raoull duke]

On 29/09/2019 at 21:56, Nick R said:

Like @SeanR in the ratings thread, I've been watching the Rocky films recently.

 

The only three I've seen before were Rocky (watched in 2013; lived up to its reputation), Rocky II (the first one I saw: I think I caught the last three quarters of it about 15 years ago) and Creed (watched at the start of 2019; great film).

 

They've all been on Amazon Prime Video for a while now, but last week they threw up a message that they have "limited time left on Amazon Prime" (turns out they're all being taken off there tonight, the 29th!) so I thought I'd better hurry up and watch them. So last week I watched one a day. I enjoyed all of them but I can't in good conscience give anything more than an above average rating to III and IV...

 

 

Rocky (1976) - 4/5
A great film. A wonderfully effective, earnest underdog story that completely won me over (as a non-fan of boxing who came to the series with preconceptions about the series being a formulaic joke). The message about meeting your own targets (not others') carries through the series, but here it is in purest and most inspirational and uplifting form. It only improves in comparison to all its sequels, so I'm tempted to bump my rating up from four stars to four and a half to reflect just how remarkable it is.

 

Only Rocky's wooing (for want of a better word) of Adrian comes across as rather dubious nowadays (locking the door and blocking her way...). But it's worth praising the fact that the subsequent sequels prove that their love is one of the most rock-solid long-term relationships that I can think of in any popular film series.

 

 

Rocky II (1979) -3.5/5
So he's got an eye injury now? OK, it'll be interesting to see what excuses the subsequent films contrive to work around that and keep him fighting! (Oh, turns out they're just going to ignore it...)

 

Yeah, it's largely a remake of the first one, but with a bigger budget (more location filming! A crowd in the training scene!) and more interaction between Rocky and Apollo.

 

 

Rocky III (1982) - 2.5/5
I was looking forward to this one because I remembered Creed had emphasised Rocky and Apollo's friendship, and I wanted to see how that came about.

 

This is the film that gave the world "Eye of the Tiger" - I was surprised to discover that the film initially presents it as Mr T's character's theme rather than Rocky's!

 

Not a fan of the Hulk Hogan gimmick fight, but I love the film's ending (the secret fight) and the freeze frame on that great closing credits painting!

 

 

Rocky IV (1985) - 2.5/5

Yeah, I know: I'm putting this far too low. At least according to those who are particularly nostalgic for this one. (I didn't get what everyone loves so much about Star Trek IV either. Clearly I'm a philistine who's dead inside.)

 

I don't dislike it! It's fun, and good at being what it's aiming to be (a compilation of music video montages). But I struggled to embrace its dumb silliness on its own terms; I just kept thinking of how far it had strayed from the relatively subdued working class social realism of the original.

 

 

Rocky V (1990) - 2/5

Not as irredeemably terrible as everyone seems to think! The premise is fine, and in many ways much more ambitious than Rocky IV: like the James Bond series' transition from Moonraker to For Your Eyes Only, it's aiming to bring things down to earth after previous fantastical excesses. Aiming to diverge from the series' formula in such a way is a worthy aim.

 

... It's just the execution that's poor.

 

Still, without it, Rocky Balboa and Creed probably wouldn't have been anywhere near as good.

 

 

Rocky Balboa (2006) - 3.5/5

Considering that until a few days ago I'd never seen half of the Rocky films, I was surprised by how emotionally affecting I found this! Sure, Rocky has numerous speeches that risk going too far in making him a wise homespun philosopher, but I had built up a huge amount of goodwill toward the series by this point, so I was on board all the way.

 

It strikes a great combination of the two sides of the Rocky series: relatively subdued, urban social realist tone of I, II and V (the melancholy, reflective nostalgia of its first hour) and the gloriously absurd fist-pumping triumph of III and IV (when it's time for the training montage and final boxing match - which is, in its own way, almost as ridiculous as the stuff in Rocky IV).

 

 

So here's the ranking:

 

1. Rocky

2. Creed, aka Rocky VII: Adrian's Revenge (I should rewatch this now I've seen the others; I think that it'll only benefit from my increased affection for the series)

3. Rocky II (the only reason I'm putting this above Rocky Balboa is that this has Apollo Creed and that doesn't)

4. Rocky Balboa

5. Rocky III

6. Rocky IV (again, sorry!)

7. Rocky V

 

Still got Creed II to watch...

Spoiler alert: it's a real stinker. 

[Nick R]

Is it really that bad?  From the little I've heard, the impression I got is that it's nowhere near as good as the first Creed (mostly because of the change in director from Ryan Coogler), but still a decent 3-star film.

 

I've put it near the top of my Cinema Paradiso list so I'll find out soon enough...

[multi]

On 02/09/2019 at 12:23, Bazjam said:

Aniara 2019

 

When a spacecraft carrying settlers to Mars strays off course, the consumption-obsessed passengers are prompted to consider their place in the universe.

 

This came out in cinemas last weekend and is also available to rent on Amazon and the likes.

 

So glad I stumbled across this little gem of a sci fi film. It's a Swedish film based on a poem. I won't going to too much detail on plot, but probably best described as High Rise in space. I'm already regretting renting rather than buying as I definitely need a second viewing.

 

With this, Prospect, High Life, Ad Astra and Lucy In The Sky, we could be looking at one hell of a year for mature sci fi (for want of a better term)

 

4.5/5

 

Oh my, rented this based basically on the poster, your post and the Guardian review. It's left me conflicted a bit. I loved the film, which was brilliantly done (on what I assume was a small budget) but found myself massively depressed once it finished and even after a day or two later it's still occupying my thoughts, which I suppose is the aim of a filmmaker. So a success then

 

The way the story was told through

Spoiler

time based chapters was very effective, especially the jaw dropping (for me) last two.

 

Definitely would recommend this to the SF fans amongst us, but don't expect to come away smiling.

 

Would watch repeatedly 4.75/5.00

[Bazjam]

1 hour ago, multiclunk said:

 

Oh my, rented this based basically on the poster, your post and the Guardian review. It's left me conflicted a bit. I loved the film, which was brilliantly done (on what I assume was a small budget) but found myself massively depressed once it finished and even after a day or two later it's still occupying my thoughts, which I suppose is the aim of a filmmaker. So a success then

 

The way the story was told through

  Reveal hidden contents

time based chapters was very effective, especially the jaw dropping (for me) last two.

 

Definitely would recommend this to the SF fans amongst us, but don't expect to come away smiling.

 

Would watch repeatedly 4.75/5.00

Really glad you liked it. I have a week off work this week so going to get round to a second viewing which I’m really looking forward to.