Rate the last film you watched out of 5

[ZOK]

2 hours ago, JamesC said:

The Lawnmower Man.

I'd recorded this over Christmas, having never seen it before. I was a teenager when it came out and can remember some friends going to see it but I think I was ill or something, so missed out. 
I think the film is generally regarded as being pretty poor but I really enjoyed it.  It's incredibly dated and the whole production feels low budget. The music and sound effects are like something out of an episode of '90s Outer Limits.
The 'Flowers for Algernon' style story is handled pretty well though. Jeff Fahey does a great job and is pretty convincing as the idiot turned VR god and Pierce Brosnan looks like he's having great fun as the permanently exasperated doctor.

The scenes set in the VR world have a lot of charm to them too.
This has made me want to play the Megadrive game.  
 

3/5

Yes! I watched it again recently, I think it hit the same notes for us both:

 

 

[Monkeyboy]

A Virgin Among the Living Dead (1973)

 

Incredibly low budget effort from Jess Franco. I think there’s a longer version with added zombies, but there’s none at all in the version I watched (actually a good thing). The picture quality and acting are pretty ropey but once you get into the rhythm of the movie, it has a nice dream like feel to it.

 

3 out of 5

[Mikes]

Skinamarink (2022)

 

The House of Leaves adaptation I've always wanted.

 

5 colour gradients out of 5

 

[Mallet]

Alien (Blu Ray)

 

Even after all these years it is still an absolutely incredible film. I don't think I need to say more.

 

5/5

 

Oh and also, I know we are all in the age of 4k and streaming services but my god 1080p Blu Rays still look fantastic, even on 4k screens. They are a huge upgrade over HD streams and they honestly give 4k streams a run for their money. Alien with all it's dark areas and shadows especially benefits from being on physical media imo.

 

Also Blu Rays cost pennies to buy 2nd hand now, I bought a couple for 50p each in cex yesterday.

[Timmo]

10 hours ago, Mikes said:

Skinamarink (2022)

 

The House of Leaves adaptation I've always wanted.

 

5 colour gradients out of 5

 

Oh shit, does it really have House of Leaves flavour and did you really like it? I might have to check it out. I’d actually got rid of it without watching when I saw all the backlash. 

[Mikes]

Yes and yes. I wasn't aware of any backlash, but it doesn't surprise me. I'd guess it came from the same people who didn't like Blair Witch because "you didn't see anything".

[Monkeyboy]

Gamera: Super Monster (1980)

 

The final film of the Showa era, and it’s terrible. It’s a no budget crap fest which is mostly clips from the first seven Gamera movies. Still, now that’s done, at least I can move onto the 1990s Heisei era which I’ve heard good things about.

 

½ a star out of 5

[iknowgungfu]

Scream (?)V

 

What did I just watch. Absolutely turd. Literally every character in it was annoying, there was no tension in any of the scenes and demonstrated perfectly how tired and exhausted the material is. 
 

I went back to watch the start of the first one and despite its obvious dated references was a hundred times more tense and riveting to watch bearing in mind I’ve probably seen that film about thirty times.

 

 

Think there is another one being released soon? Wasteful. 

[Couch Corpse]

On 07/02/2023 at 12:24, Mallet said:

Alien (Blu Ray)

 

Spoiler

Even after all these years it is still an absolutely incredible film. I don't think I need to say more.

 

5/5

 

Oh and also, I know we are all in the age of 4k and streaming services but my god 1080p Blu Rays still look fantastic, even on 4k screens. They are a huge upgrade over HD streams and they honestly give 4k streams a run for their money. Alien with all it's dark areas and shadows especially benefits from being on physical media imo.

 

Also Blu Rays cost pennies to buy 2nd hand now, I bought a couple for 50p each in cex yesterday.

 

That'll be the bitrate

[cassidy]

Babylon 

 

4.5/5 bloody loved it.  From that opening scene that I have no idea how it was achieved or how long it must have taken. 

 

To the Sunset scene which gave me goosebumps everywhere.  

 

To the humour and love for cinema that's right there on the screen.  

[tejinashi]

The Menu, Disney+, 3 stars.

 

Perfectly enjoyable, but not the spectacular, unpredictable wild ride I was promised. 

[Jamie John]

On 07/02/2023 at 01:52, Mikes said:

Skinamarink (2022)

 

The House of Leaves adaptation I've always wanted.

 

5 colour gradients out of 5

 

 

Is this literally an adaptation? Does it have the stuff with the 

Spoiler

Labyrinth that appears in the house and the...thing deep inside it? I'm struggling to remember the book, to be honest.

 

[Dark Soldier]

On 07/02/2023 at 21:28, Mikes said:

Yes and yes. I wasn't aware of any backlash, but it doesn't surprise me. I'd guess it came from the same people who didn't like Blair Witch because "you didn't see anything".

I still say Blair Witch is the scariest horror of all time.

 

I found Skinamarink to be a terrible, awful bore.

[Vimster]

The Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans (2009)

Was initially concerned about how this would match up to the original, but Werner Herzog takes it and makes it his own, keeping everything that made the original so compelling. This is hugely helped by some fantastic performances especially Nic Cage who totally kicks it here. It's great to have a glimmer of classic full-on Cage, he's so well cast in this, his character is sleazy, unstable, impulsive. There are some real stand-out moments in this that just make you sit up and want to see more. What starts off as a reasonably standard police investigation into a murder of some immigrants gets wilder, Cage's lieutenant's coked-up vision of the world merging with the gritty post-Katrina setting.

 

4.5/5

[Mikes]

1 hour ago, Jamie John said:

 

Is this literally an adaptation? Does it have the stuff with the 

  Hide contents

Labyrinth that appears in the house and the...thing deep inside it? I'm struggling to remember the book, to be honest.

 

 

No, nothing to do with HoL, but it has the vibe I would expect an adaptation trying to stay true to the source material would have.

 

I just googled mark z danielewski skinamarink and I'm not the only one who thought that.

[Timmo]

Yeah I’ve watched the first 30 mins and it definitely feels inspired by it.

[Laters]

Another Korean film for me.

The Call.

A time bending psycho thriller with a peachy ending.

4.5/5

 

 

[glb]

Candy Land - 2/5

 

Heard this was decent and while it’s shot well with some really good framing, I didn’t really get on with the film. Not that I’d recommend but if you do want a (sort of) slasher set in a truck stop, don’t watch the trailer, which gives far too much away.

 

The director also made Little Dixie, which I thought was abhorrent. Wish I’d checked that before giving Candy Land a go.

[Vimster]

Harry Brown (2009)

It's a tricky mixture of exploitation revenge thriller and ripped-from-the-headlines gritty social commentary (if a bit Daily Mail), but ultimately it's a pensioner coolly getting revenge on some OTT caricatures of dodgy yoofs. And it does prod that bit of the brain that craves simplistic justice despite your better judgement, as these revenge films tend to. It's stopped from being too simplistic by some quality performances and an attempt to put actions on all sides into context. Plan B hams it up hugely as the lead troublemaker, and Michael Caine manages to keep a balance between badass and vulnerable.

 

3.5/5

 

Eye Of The Tiger (1986)

Gary Busey, fresh out of prison, goes to his home town and squares off against a gang of bikers. It's predictable, a bit slow in places, but it has some memorable moments, not the least use of dynamite to get information from a hospitalised biker. The last 20 minutes or so kicks the OTT action up a few notches. Busey is surprisingly calm in this, although he ups the game when it gives a passionate speech after busting in on a game of bingo.

 

3/5

 

Watched that on Amazon Prime, the transfer is appalling, there was a stretch that was properly glitchy and almost unwatchable.

 

Saw this on Letterboxd:

 

Gary Busey is what would happen if Nick Nolte and Klaus Kinski were somehow blended into Scott Baio.

[Mr Majestyk]

Bubba Ho-tep

Awesome performances by Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis elevate the b-movie. Which still holds up pretty well on watching the 4k remaster.

 

4/5

[Twinbee]

Predator (1987). Watched on Disney+

 

Obviously everyone’s seen it, but you forget just how good it is. Exceptional action, the tension builds really well. The crack team of characters are all ace, and Carl Weathers is just so good. 
 

5/5

 

 

Nightbreed (Directors cut). Blu-ray

 

Treated myself to the Arrow release of this. I was obsessed with this film as a teenager, and wore my bootleg VHS out. The theatrical release was famously butchered by the studio, so it was great to see this new, extended cut. 
 

It still is far from perfect - the makeup is next-level, but some bits look very cheap, and the performances are variable. But still a marvellous watch. Completely different ending, too. 
 

5/5 for me, 3.5/5 for anyone else. 

[lolly]

Vesper - (2022)Amazon Prime

 

Struggling to survive with her father after the collapse of Earth's ecosystem, 13-year-old Vesper must use her wits, strength and bio-hacking abilities to fight for the future.

 

 I think someone reviewed this already and pretty much summed it up better than I can, it's very reminiscent of " The Prospect"  which I though was excellent. This is good too, there's all sorts going on thematically and the allusions to the greater universe are nicely done. It doesn't hand hold too much so it's  a nice change from the usual, the acting is decent  with Eddie Marsan and  Richard Brake doing some sterling work and there's a few really nice touches throughout,I especially liked the realisation of a specific sci fi trope to quite menacing effect .   Only complaint is that I found it a little slow  for the 1st half but  there's an awful lot to like here.

 

4/5

 

 

[ZOK]

A Human Position - 4/5 (MUBI)

 

I think there are a lot of people who would watch this and find it disappointing as there's not a great deal that really happens, but I loved it. A journalist navigates her relationship and Summer posting in a small coastal town, and sees the focal points for her life gradually emerge.

 

This is such a beautifully shot film - if you enjoy what amounts to almost architectural studies of Scandi buildings in a variety of different lights this is pure catnip. And speaking of which, one of the three main characters is one of the cutest cats you ever did see. For such a static movie with such sparse dialogue to evince such a warmth and sensitivity around its characters is really quite something. Deliciously brief too at only an hour and eighteen minutes, I came away from it feeling like I'd had a weekend break in Norway.

[Clipper]

Theatre of Blood (1973) - on Prime

 

A decorated Shakesperian stage  actor is "wronged" by a collection of London critics and he wreaks his revenge in a series of outlandish and inventive revenge attacks, all inspired by the Shakespeare plays that formed his critically mauled production season.

 

This is a gorgeously realised and OTT classic horror with a sprinkling of comedy. Vincent Price is superb as the wronged actor and the cast of British characters is a who's who of 70s acting talent and they are all on top form. Many of them are comedy actors and it shows, fitting the OTT scenarios perfectly. Robert Morley is quite sublime and I have a soft spot for Arthur Lowe and Michael Hordern when they get their moment in the spotlight (Eric Sykes is amusingly muted but still gets in the odd look). A special mention for Diana Rigg who shows real flexibility as she plays Price's daughter.

 

Also, unusually for horror from this period, it has a cracking pace to it. Usually these old horrors had a sting scene then 20-45 mins of buildup to a final act of "mayhem". THeatre of Blood starts with a bang and then doesn't stop as it goes through the critics one by one.

 

I saw it described as an Ealing Comedy crossed with a Hammer Horror film but I think that sells it a little short.

 

5/5

 

That might be a bit generous as there are a couple of niggles but my word is it lots of fun!

[Garwoofoo]

Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever

 

I was actually planning to skip this one entirely but my son wanted to watch it and persuaded me to give it a go. Going in with zero expectations obviously helped because I actually quite enjoyed it. I don't know what I was expecting but "Wakandans versus Fishmen" certainly wasn't it and it was so daft in places that it managed to be quite entertaining.

 

It's no classic though, is it? It's about an hour too long and they could have chopped Bilbo Baggins and the forgettable scientist genius girl out of it completely and lost nothing of value. Also, it's very much a Shuri movie, and I'm not convinced that the actress has the charisma or the range to carry off a major role like this (the fact that the actress is an anti-vax nutjob that nearly torpedoed her own career doesn't help).

 

Spoiler

Going from wacky comedy sidekick in one movie to Actual Black Panther in the next is a hell of a stretch. Also it should have been Okoye and everyone knows it.

 

Anyway, I probably enjoyed this more than the first BP but that's faint praise. Let's hope Phase 5 steps things up a bit.

 

3/5

[Vimster]

The Condemned (2007)

It's The Running Man/Battle Royale, in this instance an island full of death row prisoners forced to fight it out, streamed live by some sharp wanker who 'll do anything for more views. Produced by WWE Studios, purveyors of the sort of unpretentious STV action films which, as a friend of mine once said, you'd pick up at a gas station. And it doesn't stray far from the core themes of ex-US Special Forces sticking it to the bad guys, mid-western US wish fulfilment, stars n stripes everywhere and a suitably American white bluesy-rock soundtrack. It is trash but well-produced trash that, if you go with the flow, delivers a good dose of bloody action with suitably crunchy fighting that isn't far removed from wrestling, appropriate as the stars of most of these films are wrestlers, here Stone Cold Steve Austin playing a not particularly engaging anti-hero. Fans of no-nonsense B-movie action will appreciate the qualities here, but it may be a bit too unsubtle and lumpen for most.

 

3/5

[schmojo]

Knock At The Cabin

 

I like Shyamalan best with a low budget, and this wasn't bad. Though certainly not up with The Visit. I wouldn't say it cranks the tension or horror particularly hard (it feels built for a PG13 US audience), but there are worse ways to spend 90 mins, and I found aspects of the conclusion interesting. The performances are fine, you get some easter egg type fun, and it all makes enough sense.

 

2.5/5

 

Triangle of Sadness

 

Yep. Really good. I've not seen The Square, but will rectify it soon, however I loved Force Majeure. This is more of the same in terms of awkward human interactions in a hoiday setting, but taken further and to more interesting places.

 

It's quite a long film at two and a half hours, and I actually wanted more by the end. I felt a couple of things felt unexplored, but I believe in the director enough to think that it's absolutely intentional.

 

4/5

[Twinbee]

The Menu (Disney+)

 

For some reason I thought this was a whodunnit, so was expecting a Glass Onion kinda thing, not what it actually is, which I’d describe as (spoilered in case it give too much away):

 

Spoiler

The Wicker Man for the super-rich and pretentious

 

Interesting and tense, but hard to love because all the characters are so damned unlikeable. Obviously her from Queen’s Gambit is the sound one, but she’s surrounded by so many jerks. 
 

Spoiler

Thing with most folk horror though, is usually the baddies are doing it with a greater good in mind (even if you don’t agree with it), not just because they’re pretentious. So it feels strange to watch pretentious people preying on pretentious people.

 

3/5

[Girth Certificate]

The Last Full Measure (2019) - 3 / 5

 

Pentagon lawyer (Marvel's Bucky sans beautiful hair) assigned to interview a group of Vietnam vets to decide if a heroic helicopter medic should have got the Medal of Honour.  Not a great film by any means but elevated by powerhouse performances from Ed Harris, William Hurt and Christopher Plummer.

[Ry]

Triangle of Sadness -2.5/5

 

Was looking forward to this and it started off promising but just went downhill. Ultimately I was bored. I get what's it's trying to say but it's as subtle as a brick to the face. 

 

The Infernal Machine - 2.5/5

 

By the numbers thriller you don't see anymore. Guy Pierce was a solid as always as a writer getting terrorised and it certainly kept my attention for much of the film but the ending was subpar. 

 

With some tighter editing and 20 mins off the runtime it could have been so much better.