Rate the last film you watched out of 5

[PK]

Memories of Murder (2003) - 5/5

A perfect film

[Couch Corpse]

Peanut Butter Falcon - 5/7 (3.5/5)

Apollo 11 - 6/7 (4/5)

Horror Express - 5/7 (3.5/5)

Big Night - 5/7 (3.5/5)

 

[Monkeyboy]

On 15/09/2020 at 21:46, Vimster said:

Fathom (1967)

Raquel Welch stars in a fun, kitsch espionage-ish caper where she plays a skydiving dental hygeinist who gets embroiled in the hunt for The Fire Dragon. It's typical of the time: exotic location, a hint of romance, quirky characters, just a tad off-beat. It weaves a twisting story with Welch not knowing who to trust, who the good guys are. Okay so it's not the done thing these days to comment on a woman's looks but it has to be said this was Raquel Welch at her hottest, both in looks and performance. She brightens this up considerably with her charm, keeping it light. It was great to see her and Richard Briars spend a lot of screen time together, a rather incongruous pairing. This may be a little too lightweight for some but despite its fluffiness it was still entertaining.

 

3/5

 

Raquel Welch is great in this movie. And I agree, she is charm personified. It's a very self aware performance: she's clearly having fun with her sex symbol status.

[Ry]

The Devil All the Time - 4/5

 

I can understand why it got some mixed reviews but I found it engrossing from start to end. The individual stories had me intrigued and the way near everything was connected was well done.

 

Some absolute brilliant performances, a real gothic horror tone, superb score and soundtrack. 

 

It might not be to everyone's taste but I would give it a try. 

[neoELITE]

Terminator Dark Fate.

Compared to some of them, it's good but it's still not very good. Non stop action. 3/5

[PK]

Enola Holmes - 4/5

This was great fun, thanks for the recommendation @Sidewaysbob! Millie Bobby Brown is a really wonderful actor. And I was left genuinely looking forward to more adventures with the same cast, I hope it does well enough for them to make a sequel or two.

[Mawdlin]

Demolition Man

 

It has the tone of a CBBC kids drama complete with comedy noises whenever there's a joke. There's a running gag about getting a fine for swearing, which isn't funny the first time and certainly not by the end. This seems to be the only reason there's a lot of fucks and motherfuckers thrown into the mix making what would otherwise be a PG into a 15 rated film. I think Stallone saw the commercial failure of The Last Action Hero and thought I'll have a bit of that, though it doesn't even have that movie's face-saving meta.

 

Garbage.

 

1/5

[Triple A]

Lol!

Tempted to watch it again now.

I remember it being somewhat fun seeing this in the cinema in my late teens, even then I felt it had a nod and a wink in the writing though.

and it was pretty damn successful from what I remember.

But to your other points yeah I bet this hasn’t aged well.

[Mawdlin]

3 hours ago, Triple A said:

Lol!

Tempted to watch it again now.

I remember it being somewhat fun seeing this in the cinema in my late teens, even then I felt it had a nod and a wink in the writing though.

and it was pretty damn successful from what I remember.

But to your other points yeah I bet this hasn’t aged well.

True - I think it's actually alright if you're a teenager. On the success Roger Ebert made the point at the time that The Last Action Hero was considered a disaster but Demolition Man a success but they had very similar mega budgets and made similar amounts at the box office.

[Triple A]

Maybe Wesley Snipes had his accountant on the Demo Man production team.

[Gambit]

11 hours ago, Mawdlin said:

Demolition Man

 

It has the tone of a CBBC kids drama complete with comedy noises whenever there's a joke. There's a running gag about getting a fine for swearing, which isn't funny the first time and certainly not by the end. This seems to be the only reason there's a lot of fucks and motherfuckers thrown into the mix making what would otherwise be a PG into a 15 rated film. I think Stallone saw the commercial failure of The Last Action Hero and thought I'll have a bit of that, though it doesn't even have that movie's face-saving meta.

 

Garbage.

 

1/5

 

This is fucking outrageous.

 

Demolition Man is a classic.

 

"What's your boggle?"

[ImmaculateClump]

The Social Dilemma

 

Really interesting and well made documentary that would make a good double bill with the Trump one.
Makes you question some of your own actions on forums like this one that co-opt the worst influencing mechanisms of social media.

Once you've had a ride in the lovely upboat, do you start acting like a performative seal for a few tossed fish and some tummy rubs?

Anyway, hope you guys like my review!

 

It's nothing really new, especially if you've already read or heard some of what Jaron Lanier has to say about the subject, but it does a very good job of setting everything out plainly, and it's never dull.

 

I wasn't so sure about the dramatised bits at times, but I think it really works in the end. Does a good job of breaking up the jabbering bonces. Kind of feels like a naff episode of black mirror, but in a good way.

 

If nothing else, it reminds you how much more fulfilling real life interactions are. Talking to people online is very much the empty calorie, fast food substitute of social interaction with more or less zero nutritional value, it just leaves you feeling hungrier.

Though, I suppose needs must in the current climate.

 

There's a lovely line from Jaron near the end.

"Throughout history, every single time something has gotten better, it's because somebody has come along to say, "this is stupid, we can do better"
Like, it's the critics who drive improvement.
It's the critics who are the true optimists"

 

For some people who see this, especially younger folk, it could change their lives for the better and that's a really great thing.

Would be interested in hearing from anyone else who's seen this, especially some dissenting voices.

 

****

[Ry]

15 hours ago, Mawdlin said:

Demolition Man

 

It has the tone of a CBBC kids drama complete with comedy noises whenever there's a joke. There's a running gag about getting a fine for swearing, which isn't funny the first time and certainly not by the end. This seems to be the only reason there's a lot of fucks and motherfuckers thrown into the mix making what would otherwise be a PG into a 15 rated film. I think Stallone saw the commercial failure of The Last Action Hero and thought I'll have a bit of that, though it doesn't even have that movie's face-saving meta.

 

Garbage.

 

1/5

 

Get the hell outta here!!!

[Ry]

52 minutes ago, ImmaculateClump said:

The Social Dilemma

 

Really interesting and well made documentary that would make a good double bill with the Trump one.
Makes you question some of your own actions on forums like this one that co-opt the worst influencing mechanisms of social media.

Once you've had a ride in the lovely upboat, do you start acting like a performative seal for a few tossed fish and some tummy rubs?

Anyway, hope you guys like my review!

 

It's nothing really new, especially if you've already read or heard some of what Jaron Lanier has to say about the subject, but it does a very good job of setting everything out plainly, and it's never dull.

 

I wasn't so sure about the dramatised bits at times, but I think it really works in the end. Does a good job of breaking up the jabbering bonces. Kind of feels like a naff episode of black mirror, but in a good way.

 

If nothing else, it reminds you how much more fulfilling real life interactions are. Talking to people online is very much the empty calorie, fast food substitute of social interaction with more or less zero nutritional value, it just leaves you feeling hungrier.

Though, I suppose needs must in the current climate.

 

There's a lovely line from Jaron near the end.

"Throughout history, every single time something has gotten better, it's because somebody has come along to say, "this is stupid, we can do better"
Like, it's the critics who drive improvement.
It's the critics who are the true optimists"

 

For some people who see this, especially younger folk, it could change their lives for the better and that's a really great thing.

Would be interested in hearing from anyone else who's seen this, especially some dissenting voices.

 

****

 

It's a brilliant documentary.

 

I watched it and after it finished all I thought was "social media is a mistake"

 

If you watch this and don't consider coming off social media whatsoever then there is something wrong with you. 

[Monkeyboy]

Demolition Man is the reason I have three seashells on the window sill of my toilet.

[sandman]

Pixels

 

Another film I avoided for years because of the reviews. I thought this was great fun and (unlike Wreck iT Ralph) made by people who absolutely love video games. It’s certainly not Vertigo quality or anything, but it was funny, fast paced, authentic feeling and looked fantastic. For me, who lived these video games back in the 80s, this was a real treat. If there’s a 4K version I might have to pick it up.

 

4/5

[Gambit]

26 minutes ago, sandman said:

Pixels

 

Another film I avoided for years because of the reviews. I thought this was great fun and (unlike Wreck iT Ralph) made by people who absolutely love video games. It’s certainly not Vertigo quality or anything, but it was funny, fast paced, authentic feeling and looked fantastic. For me, who lived these video games back in the 80s, this was a real treat. If there’s a 4K version I might have to pick it up.

 

4/5

 

This is trolling, right?

[Bazjam]

Little Women 3.5/5

 

Like the other Greta Gerwig films I’ve seen, for me this was very over hyped. It’s fine. Some very good performances, but it’s pretty standard costume drama fare.

Local Hero 3.5/5

 

I very much enjoyed this, but I guess because of its lofty reputation I was expecting more. Will definitely watch it again some time, and can easily imagine my score going up with repeat viewings.

 

 

Raise The Red Lantern 5/5

 

This was right up my street. A fascinating tale of four scheming wife’s of a powerful lord in 1920’s China. I was only familiar with Yimou Zhang’s wuxia movies, so was delighted to see how good one of his earlier films was. Definitely going to check out more now.

[Thwomp]

Cop Land - 4/5. I thought it was fantastic for the most part, but while watching it I checked the TV guide and saw that it only had 20 minutes left to run, and he (Stallone) hadn't even started catching the criminals yet! So a fantastic first 3/4, and a rushed final quarter. Great cast though.

[Monkeyboy]

And one of the best sandwich eating scenes ever.

[PK]

19 minutes ago, Thwomp said:

Cop Land - 4/5. I thought it was fantastic for the most part, but while watching it I checked the TV guide and saw that it only had 20 minutes left to run, and he (Stallone) hadn't even started catching the criminals yet! So a fantastic first 3/4, and a rushed final quarter. Great cast though.

 

Spoiler

I think that's an intended part of the story, rather than a pacing issue in its editing. The corruption is allowed to fester for so long that the eventual standing up to it becomes rushed and unnecessarily bloody.

 

I love that film so much and haven't seen it for ages, so thank you for reminding me about it!

 

[Skull Commander]

Mulan (2020): Surprisingly good film which is less kiddy focused than one may expect. Not a frame by frame remake (to it's credit) and it's only let down by a slightly saggy final act. Overall still more enjoyable than I would have expected.

 

After watching it I had a look on imdb and there seems to be a disproportionate amount of 1/10 style reviews. Has there been some sort of campaign to mark this down?? Maybe the choice for Disney to stick a premium on it?? 

 

Anyway 4/5 Skulls

[Ry]

The Matrix - 5/5

 

Still amazing, watching it again and it still feels fresh. Choreography is still amazing. 

 

Shame they don't make action films with this kinda love anymore. 

[Thwomp]

Muriel's Wedding - 5/5. One of my favourite films 

[Steve McQueef]

On 25/09/2020 at 20:20, sandman said:

Pixels

 

Another film I avoided for years because of the reviews. I thought this was great fun and (unlike Wreck iT Ralph) made by people who absolutely love video games. It’s certainly not Vertigo quality or anything, but it was funny, fast paced, authentic feeling and looked fantastic. For me, who lived these video games back in the 80s, this was a real treat. If there’s a 4K version I might have to pick it up.

 

4/5

No physical 4K, but the 4K stream on Rakuten.tv has Dolby Vision and looks very nice. 

[Vimster]

The Debt Collector 2 (2020)

Scott Adkins and Louis Mandylor return in the sequel no-one expected and frankly weren't exactly pumped about, but oh well it's here so let's see if it's any cop. They team up again, collect debt again, their old boss has got them collecting from some likely types including Marina Sirtis and Vernon Wells, except there's something not quite right. Decent enough fights, bit of plot, a couple of twists, but the film largely hangs on the bantz between our two guys, in fact large chunks of it depend on their chemistry, so if you didn't buy it in the first one you'll definitely not in this. Lots of call backs to the original although not enough to stop the casual Netflix viewer enjoying this. And that's the thing, this is very much an easy watch, nothing too taxing, no great shakes. Good fights including an alleyway scrap between the two protagonists reminiscent of the one from They Live. Things heat up towards the end, as they often do with these cheapish efforts. It's not bad but it certainly won't stick in the memory, it's purely entertaining, nothing else. If you liked the first this is worth a watch.

 

3/5

[Vimster]

The Delta Force (1986)

Let's not mess about here, this is a well-directed action film albeit one with questionable politics. I don't want to get too caught up in the motivations of the producers and directors here, this is clearly a very pro-Israeli feature, with Islamic terrorists hijacking a plane, the Delta Force being sent in to save the day, loose canon (or should that be Cannon) Chuck Norris goes beyond the call of duty to kick ass, you know the drill. Extended scene where the terrorists try to single out the Jewish passengers, it goes on for ages. George Kennedy, did you really need to do this? This is often cited as a Chuck Norris classic, yet on reflection he does sod-all here except look steely and do the occasional punching and maybe fire a mini-rocket. Heavy-handed pro-Israeli/US hype, epic feel but feels very much of its time. This was epic when I was a kid in the 80s, age hasn't been kind to it. Despite that it was exciting, with a lot of bang.

 

3/5   

[Plissken]

Barefoot (2014)  - Amazon Prime

 

Remake of a German romantic comedy.  Jake (Scott Speedman) is mopping the floors at an LA psychiatric unit  (run by J.K. Simmons) as part of his last chance probation.   He has a Secret, which is that he's actually from a really wealthy family and has gone off the rails because he wants to feel that he earns his way in life rather than have it given to him on a plate.  He has to go back to them for his brothers wedding and desperate to avoid telling them the truth bullshits that he will bring his girlfriend. At the unit, he bumps into Daisy (Evan Rachel Wood), one of the patients.  She is being admitted because she says that killed her mother, who had kept her in complete isolation for twenty odd years leading to her having no idea how the real world works.  Daisy ends up following him out of the unit, where he decides to pretend that she is his girlfriend.

 

I did, by the way, say romantic comedy.  It's an... interesting... setup - where the power dynamics of the relationship could be incredibly creepy.  The reason it doesn't is because of the writing but mostly Evan Rachel Wood fantastic performance as Daisy - innocent without being childlike, naive without being stupid. big hearted without being sappy.  It is an incredibly tough tightrope to walk and she does it brilliantly.  I can't think of many actresses who could pull it off to be honest.  She's helped out by a good chemistry with Speedman, who also plays a decent guy at heart who ends up facing up to what he really wants to be.

 

Setup aside, the actual intricacies of the plot don't work in the second half. A few subplots and characters are set up which don't get proper resolutions.  It's a rare instance of a film which needs about 20 minutes more to properly develop and payoff the first half - instead there are a couple of very convenient bits and then the characters disappear.

 

However, the cast and writers have their heart in the right place and it gets away with it, thanks to largely to Wood but also the other actors.  Again, it would be an easy copout to have Daisy humiliated in some way in a social setting, but they sensibly treat her as the victim of her circumstance and not some stupid patsy.  There is a brilliant scene between Wood and Simmons - we know that Simmons can be a great, intense presence and Woods brings it out of him in just 30 seconds.  They both really shine.

 

With most romcoms aimed at a female audience, I found that it was a romance from the male point of view and posed an interesting situation.  Instead of the Guy having to overcome something or someone to Earn The Girl, what if the Girl arrived and the Guy could already have from her whatever he wanted... for good and for bad?  You could go to some very dark places with that concept but credit to everyone, this is supposed to be a comedy and you will end up laughing in the right places.

 

So, funny, quirky, flawed.  At 90 minutes, I would recommend sitting down with your loved one and giving it a go.  I don't think that you'll be disappointed.

 

3.5/5

[Gambit]

The Babysitter: Killer Queen

 

Both of these Babysitter films are McG's best work. Damning with faint praise I know, but it's enjoyable fluff with a fun cast (big fan of Robbie Amell in this). It went a little to far into stupid at times though, the "Fighting Game" section was cringe worthy to the extreme, but the time flew by.

 

3/5

 

#Alive

 

Korean zombie film about a a streamer who gets caught in a zombie outbreak. Nice and claustrophobic at times as a lot of the film is just set in this apartment tower block. Really, really enjoyed it. Not quite Train to Busan levels of great, but pretty damn close. I can see Hollywood getting it's greasy mitts on this one.

 

4/5

[Ry]

Terminator Dark Fate - 3.5/5. 

 

I cried at the cinema. I cried again watching it a second time. 

 

The Terminator films (1 and 2) are part of my childhood. And Arnold looking at them at the end was essentially him saying "That's me done. Goodbye"

 

It's a great action flick.