What Films Have You Seen Recently? - Page 2818

keirarts · #**28171** 4th May 2014, 09:37 PM

Trans-Europe Express.

Alain Robbe-grillet and his associates sit on a train and begin to discuss ideas for a new film. As they begin to formulate an idea for a crime film the film cuts back and forth to the film they are plotting. At points the film and 'reality' intersect. Jean-louis Trintingant in character enters the carriage and they acknowledge him.

The film takes the traditional structure and formula of the crime movie and dissects it with far more skill and intelligence than the massively overrated A bout de souffle. Plot points and character motivation change as the film progresses and the team back-track over stuff thats illogical. A really sadean streak runs through the film as well with Trintignant's character and his femme fatale mistress.

I have to confess to not having come across Robbe-grillet's stuff before. I'm glad I did as he's really quite a marvelous film-maker.

Successive slidings of pleasure.

A young woman is suspected of murdering her roommate. She's taken into custody into a convent. There she is interrogated and begins to use her wiles to seduce her captors. The film seems stuck inside the main characters head. Given that the main character seems to be a lying sadist the film plays as some kind of dark sadean nightmare that flashes back and forth through time and has some genuinely weird and perverse imagery and ideas. In many respects its a world away from the deconstructive black and white world of Trans-europe, yet its themes and imagery mark it as the work of the same director. I suppose its arguable that the film deconstructs the murder mystery from within the psyche of the suspect so in that respect its approach has some similarities to trans-europe.

Really glad I picked these films up. Given Tim Lucas has been working on some audio commentaries for the BFI set, I will most likely double dip.

Demdike@Cult Labs · #**28172** 4th May 2014, 10:47 PM

Airborne (2012)

Another winner from British producer Jonathan Sothcott (Dead Cert, Devil's Playground, Strippers vs Werewolves). This time it's a genuinely gripping thriller about a disparate group of strangers on a red eye flight from London to New York.

Starring Mark Hamill, Julian Glover, crafty cockney Simon Phillips and Gemma Atkinson. Airborne is a pacy, mystery, thrill ride with a well written script and great direction from novice director Dominic Burns who creates an atmosphere of tension from the off. All helped by the fact the team were actually able to film the whole thing in a full size transatlantic aeroplane.

To go into the story would spoil it so i won't, but i would recommend this to any fans of well crafted, low budget, film making.

Linbro · #**28173** 4th May 2014, 11:28 PM

'Assault on Precinct 13' - first viewing, believe it or not, and I really enjoyed it. The low budget shows a couple of times, but nothing too distracting. Carpenter reached his peak a few years later with 'The Thing', then seemed to shoot himself in the foot. What a waste.
Still in shock re. the ice-cream van scene!

'Doomsday' - sort of ok action/sci fi flick, that 'borrows' heavily from 'Escape From New York', '28 Days Later', 'Aliens', 'Mad Max' etc, etc.
Performances and direction were ok, the script seemed to be the biggest problem. I started losing interest when they reached the castle, and it got a bit too silly, and lame one liners replaced any tension that had been built up.
Maybe Marshall is the next Carpenter - started in a blaze of glory, then fell in a hole?

Linbro · #**28174** 5th May 2014, 12:10 AM

'Tales From the Crypt' - like most anthologies there are a couple of good stories, and a couple of not so good. Can't remember the actual titles, but I really liked the Santa Claus killer, and the car crash stories, and really disliked the Monkeys Paw story. The 'home for the blind' story sort of fell in between. Didn't know that Joan Collins was so hot, in her early years!

Make Them Die Slowly · #**28175** 5th May 2014, 06:35 AM

IRON MAN II. Saggy follow up to the first film that takes ages until shit blows up.

STAR TREK. Non stop blowing up of shit.

SCM · #**28176** 5th May 2014, 09:18 AM

Watched Gozu last night, boy that was messed up. That birthing scene was horrible.
Then watched planet terror, I decided to watch it scratch free which was a regret. It takes away something which was crap because it's a great film.

J Harker · #**28177** 5th May 2014, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linbro

'Assault on Precinct 13' - first viewing, believe it or not, and I really enjoyed it. The low budget shows a couple of times, but nothing too distracting. Carpenter reached his peak a few years later with 'The Thing', then seemed to shoot himself in the foot. What a waste.
Still in shock re. the ice-cream van scene!

'Doomsday' - sort of ok action/sci fi flick, that 'borrows' heavily from 'Escape From New York', '28 Days Later', 'Aliens', 'Mad Max' etc, etc.
Performances and direction were ok, the script seemed to be the biggest problem. I started losing interest when they reached the castle, and it got a bit too silly, and lame one liners replaced any tension that had been built up.
Maybe Marshall is the next Carpenter - started in a blaze of glory, then fell in a hole?

Has to be said I really like Doomsday, I actually don't think Neil Marshall has made a bad film yet though I do wish he'd hurry up and make some more. I think The Descent is probably his high point.

keirarts · #**28178** 5th May 2014, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCM

Watched Gozu last night, boy that was messed up. That birthing scene was horrible.
Then watched planet terror, I decided to watch it scratch free which was a regret. It takes away something which was crap because it's a great film.

Have you seen visitor Q? If you thought Gozu was messed up you aint seen nothing!!!