Rate the last film you watched out of 5

[Dark Soldier]

I watch JFK once a year. Absolute masterpiece.

[NexivRed]

1 hour ago, PaB said:

It’s one of my all time favourite films. Despite it being conspiracy theory fuelled bullshit. It’s just done so well. 

 

out of interest what is the other film you have seen Joe Pesci in?

Yeah, I found an “interesting” site about the guy Oliver Stone based Mr X on https://www.jfk-online.com/jfk100whox.html

 

First time I’ve see the theory of three shooters put forwards though. And the trajectory of the throat shot always bothered me. As did the autopsy report saying it was turned into a tracheotomy. Not to mention the path of the bullet for the headshot not being able to be determined. Suddenly neither shot can be properly determined as the place of entry/exit. I can more easily believe both of those came from the front. 
 

I don’t think you need much conspiracy to ignore the findings in the Warren Report. He wanted to change things and end a war before it properly began. And then his brother wanted the same.
We’ve seen what establishments will do to prevent someone changing the status quo in this country. Slandered to buggery. Mick Lynch should get a body guard. 
 

 

As for the other film, Home Alone of course!

[Ork1927]

1 hour ago, NexivRed said:

Yeah, I found an “interesting” site about the guy Oliver Stone based Mr X on https://www.jfk-online.com/jfk100whox.html

 

First time I’ve see the theory of three shooters put forwards though. And the trajectory of the throat shot always bothered me. As did the autopsy report saying it was turned into a tracheotomy. Not to mention the path of the bullet for the headshot not being able to be determined. Suddenly neither shot can be properly determined as the place of entry/exit. I can more easily believe both of those came from the front. 
 

I don’t think you need much conspiracy to ignore the findings in the Warren Report. He wanted to change things and end a war before it properly began. And then his brother wanted the same.
We’ve seen what establishments will do to prevent someone changing the status quo in this country. Slandered to buggery. Mick Lynch should get a body guard. 
 

 

As for the other film, Home Alone of course!

 

I was going to say his other 1990 film is also pretty good (best film ever), but IMDB tells me that he had a 1/3rd film come out that year called Betsy's Wedding which was written, directed and stars Alan Alda. So now I need to watch it - maybe its better than Home Alone and Goodfellas combined???

 

 

[Clipper]

Solo - A star wars story (or some such nonsense subtitle)

 

Meh. Glimpses of a decent film. The Han Chewie stuff was ok, the Lando stuff was great. The need to have every single bloody thing in the film be an explanation for stuff mentioned/shown in Star Wars (A new hope if you insist) is a major irritant. Kessel run blech dice double blech cheesy as hell.

 

Cast wise Donald Glover is the best thing in it despite the fact it feels like he is barely making an effort. Harrelson is always good value and it has to best if those two were not in it the film would be a stinker - the rest vary from ok(Ehrenreich and CLarke) to terrible (Bettany)

 

2/5

[Stifler]

Went to see M3GAN at the cinema last Friday and really enjoyed it - doesn't do anything new or exciting, but it's a well put together wee evil robot girl thriller - 3.5/5

 

Also been on a disaster movie bender with my kids, taking in the highs and lows of Rolland Emmerich's back catalogue (The Day after Tomorrow 3/5, Independence Day 4/5, Independence Day: Resurgance - which I fucking love btw 5/5) along with Volcano (worse than I remember...2/5) and Armageddon (wonderfully rubbish! 3.5/5). My 10 year old might stop talking to me when we're done with Moonfall! 

[Boothjan]

Spoiler

2023's 200 Film Challenge:

 

1. The Reader 4/5

2. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore 2/5

3. The Reef: Stalked 1/5

4. Ghostbusters: Afterlife 3.5/5

5. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery 4/5

6. Black Widow 2.5/5

7.  Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge 3/5

8. My Left Foot 5/5

 

9. The Last Duel

 

Friends turned enemies Matt Damon and Adam Driver fight over the honour of Jodie Comer in a historical drama that does something very rare and doesn't use the standard format for films of the genre.  Instead, the film fits into 3 acts spanning the same timeline, but showing each of the 3 lead's perspective.  It's clever and watchable as a result.

 

4/5

 

10. Big Boys Don't Cry

 

A truly harrowing true story about the horrific abuse suffered by boys at the St Leonards childrens home.  Very powerful, sobering stuff with an excellent cast.

 

3.5/5

 

11. A Long Way Down

 

New Years Eve - London and Pierce Brosnan's washed up musician character attempts suicide by jumping off a tall building.  Problem is, so do 3 other people for different reasons.  Together, they make a pact to fight for their lives, growing closer as a result.

 

This film just doesn't land at all.  With Aaron Paul and Toni Collette co-starring, it badly wastes some very talented people.  It just seems to be pitched wrong, and it was a slog to get through.  

 

2/5

 

12. Burnt

 

Bradley Cooper stars as a disgraced chef trying to work his way back to the top in a London kitchen.  Although his character is thoroughly unpleasant, I quite enjoyed this - the tense scenes in the kitchens are great, although I strongly advise not watching this if you're hungry.

 

3.5/5

 

13. The Banshees of Inisherin

 

A beautiful film filled with memorable performances, particularly Colin Farrell and Brendon Gleeson as the 2 leads.  The cinematography is perfect, the direction sublime but what really impressed me was the feeling I had after watching it.  So much to take in, from a film that really is impossible to categorise.  Is this a drama?  Comedy?  Even a horror?  A mixture of all 3?  I've read plenty of different opinions people have given after watching this and a lot of them make sense.  For me, it makes a film truly special if it can throw out several morals, talking points and opinions and I'd advise everyone watch this if they haven't already - it's wonderful.  Hope it does well at the Oscars.

 

4.5/5

[multi]

On 16/01/2023 at 01:21, Benny said:

I don't usually post much in here as I put impressions in the dedicated film threads. However, there appears to be no thread for...

 

Vesper

 

I saw this recommended on here and it looked right up my street so took a punt.

 

I really enjoyed it. It reminds me a little of Prospect, another indie sci-fi I saw not that long ago and really got stuck into as well. It has that same experimental, grungy, tactile and punky feel to it.

 

Probably nearer a 6/10 arguably, as it's a bit uneven and honestly the acting is not all quite there especially from the lead, but I just really enjoy this kind of scrappy sci-fi that punches above its weight. Maybe not as good as Prospect was overall, but I would love to see more stories told in this world, as it was really well done.

 

7/10

 

 

The Benny Rating Scale:

 

1/10 - The Day After Tomorrow - the only film to this day I almost walked out of when I saw the main characters being chased by the temperature

2/10 - Batman and Robin - an aggressively bad movie. No, not so bad it's good. No one should ever say that about it. Shame on them.

3/10 - Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones - you can recognise this is a movie where some things happen in it. It's just they are interminably dull.

4/10 - Prometheus - it's just so DUMB. But it looks so cool. But it's so, SO dumb. And stupid. But gorgeous. And also stupid.

5/10 -  Avengers: Age of Ultron - exactly middle of the road Marvel guff. Even amongst Marvel guff. The ultimate average movie in every way. A perfectly beige blancmange.

6/10 - The Last Samurai - a flawed movie, but a perfectly entertaining one, that you might find yourself returning to once or twice, with more SAKE!

7/10 - The Prestige - a solid movie. One you'll discuss excitedly a bit when you leave the theatre. You might forget it tomorrow, but today, it was a good watch.

8/10 - Terminator 2: Judgement Day - a truly magical time was had by all. You come away from it now understanding why it is people cry.

9/10 - Predator - you've been sitting behind a desk too long, and now you're gonna have you some fun. Now you feel like a sexy dinosaur for some reason.

10/10 - Mad Max: Fury Road - your whole world has just been rocked. You have never seen anything like it. But beware you get addicted, or you will resent its absence.

 

Vesper is coming to Netflix this weekend*

 

For some reason it's name has been changed/extended to Vesper Seeds.

 

*obviously this is because I bought the digi version from Amazon Prime only a couple of weeks ago 😐

[glb]

The Grizzlie Truth - 3/5 (work screener)

 

A documentary by a Vancouver Grizzlies super-fan, Kat Jayme, lamenting the basketball franchise's move to Memphis. Docs made from 'in the weeds' as it were can often be a bit blinkered but enjoyed this for being well-researched, made from a viewpoint of passion for the Grizzlies but with an openness that allows for a bit of self-reflection. A breezy sports doc with a bit more under the hood. Unfortunately not sure where it will pop up in the UK due to its niche nature.

 

I Wanna Dance with Somebody - 2/5 (work screener)

 

Ah man, 'The Voice' deserved something better than this by-the-numbers checklist of her music career. Naomi Ackie is solid enough in the lead, and captures Houston's mannerisms well as she lip-syncs her vocals, but the surrounding cast look more like they are playing dress-up while waiting for someplace they'd rather be. After the vibrancy of the really quite breathtaking Elvis biopic, which played with history but did so while being hellbent on brilliantly capturing an iconic spirit above all else, this tribute to Whitney Houston felt so tame; a Hallmark movie that only ever flirts with the reality of Houston's tumultuous life. The incredible vocals are there but the soul isn't. A real shame.

 

Edit: added Kat Jayme’s name to the summary of The Grizzlie Truth.

[iknowgungfu]

Coda

Really enjoyed this felt that the film did well at showing the pulls and doubts that each person had in the family - mainly the reliance on her having to be the translator and the unspoken recognition of how it holds her back. Lots of guilt vs selfish/selflessness. Liked how it focussed more on the family aspect and responsibility - in different hands it could have very easily been turned into a twee high school melodrama.
 

My poster tagline - Hit me in the feels it did. 

 

4/5

 

[ZOK]

8 minutes ago, glb said:

I Wanna Dance with Somebody - 2/5 (work screener)

 

Ah man, 'The Voice' deserved something better than this by-the-numbers checklist of her music career. Naomi Ackie is solid enough in the lead, and captures Houston's mannerisms well as she lip-syncs her vocals, but the surrounding cast look more like they are playing dress-up while waiting for someplace they'd rather be. After the vibrancy of the really quite breathtaking Elvis biopic, which played with history but did so while being hellbent on brilliantly capturing an iconic spirit above all else, this tribute to Whitney Houston felt so tame; a Hallmark movie that only ever flirts with the reality of Houston's tumultuous life. The incredible vocals are there but the soul isn't. A real shame.

Pure nonsense. It’s a triumph in every respect.

[iknowgungfu]

Sideways

 Hasn’t watched this one in a while. I’m now older and closer in age to the protaganists and I found myself not liking either character. Miles is his own worst enemy and probably deserves to be where he is. The other guy is just awful - basically a walking STD. I still enjoyed the film but there are no consequences for the the guy about to get married and it didn’t sit well with me. 
 

3/5

 

Poster tag (trying this on for size)-  Its actually OK to drink F**king Merlot. 

[Bazjam]

Enys Men - 3/5

 

It pains me not to score this higher, as this has been my most looked forward to film for quite some time. Weird, abstract, creepy, Cornish, folk horror, couldn't be more my bag. Plus I live very near to where it was filmed. Unfortunately this falls to far on the wrong side of ambiguous for me. I love films that make you work hard for the meaning/plot (I'm a massive David Lynch fan) but this felt like it was missing something. Doesn't help that the first hour is very repetitive.

I really like Mark Jenkins and there is a lot to admire, just wish it had come together better.

[glb]

1 hour ago, ZOK said:

Pure nonsense. It’s a triumph in every respect.

If you find the life of one of the most iconic singers of all time being reduced to tedious melodrama entertaining then, yeah, I guess it’s an unquestionable triumph.

[ZOK]

7 minutes ago, glb said:

If you find the life of one of the most iconic singers of all time being reduced to tedious melodrama entertaining then, yeah, I guess it’s an unquestionable triumph.

No, I find the life of one of the most iconic singers of all time being presented as a joyous celebration an unquestionable triumph, which is precisely what it is, and why what you’ve written is pure nonsense.

 

If it was a tedious melodrama I’d observe it as such, but it clearly is not, which is why I didn’t.

[glb]

Cool beans, don’t think we’re going to meet in the middle on this one.

[Nathan Wind]

The Business - Prime

 

Another British geezah crime caper film with a young Danny Dyer and Tamer Hassan. How much you like it is going to depend on your tolerance for misogyny, violence and excessive use of cahhhhnt. I really enjoyed it though. It’s one of the better realised examples of this little niche of the crime genre. Gets into the filthy side of 80s British drug trafficking and has a banging period soundtrack.
 

Also shell suits.

 

4/5

[Silent Runner]

Moonstruck
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093565/

 

Loretta Castorini, a bookkeeper from Brooklyn, New York, finds herself in a difficult situation when she falls for the brother of the man she has agreed to marry.

 

This is the film Cher won an Oscar for. It's a romantic comedy set in Brooklyn in a multi-generational Italian American family. Cher gets engaged and as soon as she has a ring on her finger her fiancee leaves town, some stuff happens and she ends up involved with his brother, Nicholas Cage. 

 

This is a total delight. Cher and Cage are so good together and have a proper chemistry. It's almost stereotypically Italian, with even simple conversations ending in a raging argument and everyone believing in mad superstitions. There's a great support cast, including Olympia Dukakis, and all the minor characters have proper story-lines. It looks great and there's an excellent ending.

 

4.5/5 

[schmojo]

M3gan

 

This silly AI-doll horror knows exactly what it is. And it does that well.

 

There were plenty of laughs in the cinema, and it ticks an awful lot of boxes. Though I haven't seen it, I suspect the plot is incredibly similar to the Child's Play reboot recently, and it hits all the tech movie tropes, but I don't care. It's fun.

 

3.5/5

[Clipper]

My son has just started watching Star Wars films and he has started from Episode 1 despite my dire warnings

 

Star Wars Episode 1 the Phantom Menace

 

Shit.

 

The acting is risible (seriously Jake Lloyd has no talent at all no idea why Lucas picked him), the plot is dull, the cgi is horribly dated. It has two set pieces that make it worth 1 mark, the pod race (if you ignore the fucking kid) and the Duel of Fates which is overrated purely because Star Wars fans have to hang onto it as making the film worthwhile.

 

It isn't

 

1/5

 

Star Wars Episode 2 Attack of the clones

 

Worse than shit.

 

The acting is worse, the romance plot is embarrasingly shit. I'm not sure you could have gotten less romantic chemistry onscreen between Christiansen and Porter - hell Leia and Luke had more romantic chemistry on screen and they were brother and sister! The cgi is horrible, horribly aged, just awful. The scene in the colliseum is hilariously shit. Jango Fett terrible, more dull plot. The film has no standout set pieces at all as the action scenes are all cgi tastic garbage

 

So the 1 mark is earned for Christopher Lee who brings some gravitas but even his acting looks wooden as fuck in some scenes!

 

1/5

 

I have criticised the acting quite heavily but it should be pointed out that most of the actors can act and have prvoed it before and since so I lay the blame solely at the feet of Lucas. He shat the bed with the prequels and any talent he had was long since over the horizon.

 

My son is now moving on to watching the CLone wars series so I guess it'll be ages before I have to suffer Revenge of the Sith - my memory is that it is slightly better than the other two but sheesh.

[The Tall Man]

Eat Me (Prime Video)

 

A suicidal woman is sexually assaulted by invaders who find her unconscious at her home and a weird bond develops. Adapted from a play written by the female lead this seems uncertain what its tone is to be. A few early moments of pitch black humour gives way to prolonged unpleasantness. Avoid. 

 

0.5/5

 

Landmine Goes Click (Prime Video)

 

I’d passed this over previously due to a pretty daft title, but it was recommended on a FB horror group. Turns out it was pretty good, albeit with an overlong (and annoying) part in the middle. Ended strongly and lets the viewer interpret it as they see fit. 

 

3/5

 

No One Lives (Tubi)

 

Luke Evans starring sort-of-slasher movie which does exactly what is says on the tin. 

 

2.5/5

[tenrou]

Thing is I don't think the new star wars films are any good either and they have some fantastic actors in them.  I think Adam drivers a great actor and although I haven't seen it John boyega was getting fantastic reviews for the stuff he did with mcqueen.  However they're both terrible in them.  The parts where driver is meant to show rage are just Terrible cringey nonsense.  

 

 

[Clipper]

6 minutes ago, tenrou said:

Thing is I don't think the new star wars films are any good either and they have some fantastic actors in them.  I think Adam drivers a great actor and although I haven't seen it John boyega was getting fantastic reviews for the stuff he did with mcqueen.  However they're both terrible in them.  The parts where driver is meant to show rage are just Terrible cringey nonsense.  

 

 

Ok well I was just judging the film in front of me… as I will do when I get to the sequels 

[Silent Runner]

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0981227/

 

High school student Nick O'Leary, member of the Queercore band The Jerk Offs, meets college-bound Norah Silverberg when she asks him to be her boyfriend for five minutes.

 

Michael Cera is totally mis-cast as a nerdy musician who splits up with his girlfriend then pulls Kat Dennings. Him and his bandmates then go on a New York adventure to track down a missing girl while trying to get into a secret concert. 

 

This wasn't terrible but didn't really have much going for it. Michael Cera does his usual schtick which gets old pretty quick, the other cast members are fine and there's a few laughs but it's all a bit flat. Good soundtrack though. 

 

2.5/5

[Timmo]

The Menu

 

2/5

[Fierce Poodle]

1 hour ago, tenrou said:

Thing is I don't think the new star wars films are any good either and they have some fantastic actors in them.  I think Adam drivers a great actor and although I haven't seen it John boyega was getting fantastic reviews for the stuff he did with mcqueen.  However they're both terrible in them.  The parts where driver is meant to show rage are just Terrible cringey nonsense.  

 

 

The new films are masterpieces compared to the absolute shitting abortions that were the sequels.

[Clipper]

2 films one night

 

The Enforcer (1976) (sealed unwatched bluray pile o shame project)

 

Having watched Dirty Harry and Magnum Force recently this one really shows a big drop in quality. In isolation it feels like a perfectly fine simple Dirty Harry film but stacked up against the first two it is poor. This film seems made to appeal to the more right wing inclined person or Republican voter than the first two. The bad guys are badly drawn "hippies" and their motivation is all over the place with the plot seeming to be happy with "hippies are liars and not hippies or they are BAD!". Harry has always been a tricky character as he tends towards the cartoonish, here they don't bother trying to humanise him he is pure cartoon. In the first two (especially the second) there was a distinction between Harry and the vigilantes and here it is still there but more blurred. This series struggles with mysogyny but here it doesn't struggle it just gives in to it. The final nail in the coffin is the lack of a Lalo Schiffrin score.

 

It is a shame as I quite like Tyne Daly in this but she is horribly wasted in all senses of the word.

 

2/5

 

Daybreakers (Prime)

 

I hopped onto Prime and just picked the "we'll think you'll like" film of the night and it was this curio from 2010. I am a fan of vampire films and dracula adaptations specifically but this one definitely caught my attention.

 

It is more of a vampire dystopian Scifi crossover film than a straight vampire flick and it is frustratingly good (more on frustration later). The high concept of vampires rule the earth is solid and the idea of vampire society and its need for humans is well played. In some ways it feels like a 1970s dystopian scifi film that is out of time, or maybe an alternative universe I am Legend.The plot hangs together and the substitute vs cure thing is very nicely handled, albeit the cure stuff is a bit ramshackle in its introduction. The main cast of Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe and Sam Neill do a decent job although Neill is a bit phoned in and it feels like his scenes were shot in a day .

 

The frustrating part is that technically the film is not well put together. I am guessing it had a low budget but the cgi is very poor and the action is not well shot or lit at times. Parts of the in car scenes feel like Near Dark but shot by a director who is not even in the same league. I can't decide if it is budget, direction or cinematography that let the action scenes down but either way it leaves the film floundering whenever there is action/fx to be had. When the film is character driven it succeeds.

 

3/5

[El Geet]

4 hours ago, Clipper said:

2 films one night

 

The Enforcer (1976) (sealed unwatched bluray pile o shame project)

 

Having watched Dirty Harry and Magnum Force recently this one really shows a big drop in quality. In isolation it feels like a perfectly fine simple Dirty Harry film but stacked up against the first two it is poor. This film seems made to appeal to the more right wing inclined person or Republican voter than the first two. The bad guys are badly drawn "hippies" and their motivation is all over the place with the plot seeming to be happy with "hippies are liars and not hippies or they are BAD!". Harry has always been a tricky character as he tends towards the cartoonish, here they don't bother trying to humanise him he is pure cartoon. In the first two (especially the second) there was a distinction between Harry and the vigilantes and here it is still there but more blurred. This series struggles with mysogyny but here it doesn't struggle it just gives in to it. The final nail in the coffin is the lack of a Lalo Schiffrin score.

 

It is a shame as I quite like Tyne Daly in this but she is horribly wasted in all senses of the word.

 

2/5

 

Daybreakers (Prime)

 

I hopped onto Prime and just picked the "we'll think you'll like" film of the night and it was this curio from 2010. I am a fan of vampire films and dracula adaptations specifically but this one definitely caught my attention.

 

It is more of a vampire dystopian Scifi crossover film than a straight vampire flick and it is frustratingly good (more on frustration later). The high concept of vampires rule the earth is solid and the idea of vampire society and its need for humans is well played. In some ways it feels like a 1970s dystopian scifi film that is out of time, or maybe an alternative universe I am Legend.The plot hangs together and the substitute vs cure thing is very nicely handled, albeit the cure stuff is a bit ramshackle in its introduction. The main cast of Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe and Sam Neill do a decent job although Neill is a bit phoned in and it feels like his scenes were shot in a day .

 

The frustrating part is that technically the film is not well put together. I am guessing it had a low budget but the cgi is very poor and the action is not well shot or lit at times. Parts of the in car scenes feel like Near Dark but shot by a director who is not even in the same league. I can't decide if it is budget, direction or cinematography that let the action scenes down but either way it leaves the film floundering whenever there is action/fx to be had. When the film is character driven it succeeds.

 

3/5

I agree re Daybreakers. The idea and story are compelling enough to see it through but it does feel like a wasted opportunity. IIRC it really goes for a stylised look that I think detracts from a cool concept. It has this weird 50s noir vibe that just doesn’t fit with the film at all. 

[glb]

On 19/01/2023 at 10:58, schmojo said:

M3gan

 

This silly AI-doll horror knows exactly what it is. And it does that well.

 

There were plenty of laughs in the cinema, and it ticks an awful lot of boxes. Though I haven't seen it, I suspect the plot is incredibly similar to the Child's Play reboot recently, and it hits all the tech movie tropes, but I don't care. It's fun.

 

3.5/5

 

It is fun and knows it. "Dumb horror" but made with smarts. And the soundtrack is gloriously tongue-in-cheek. 'Walk the Night', which plays during that dance scene, slaps hard.

 

A sequel is already in the works, unsurprisingly.

[Hitcher]

Skinamarink

 

-5/5

 

Pile of pretentious rubbish.

[Stig]

44 minutes ago, glb said:

 

It is fun and knows it. "Dumb horror" but made with smarts. And the soundtrack is gloriously tongue-in-cheek. 'Walk the Night', which plays during that dance scene, slaps hard.

 

A sequel is already in the works, unsurprisingly.

 

I see it's a 15 but I've been told it should really be a 12A. My daughter wants to see it but we'll have to wait for streaming. Is it OK for a 9 year old?