What films have you seen recently?

[Make Them Die Slowly]

"Captain America:The First Avenger". Pretty good, if a little saggy in the middle. In the cynical times we live in, there is something really subversive about this and other recent Avenger related films, in the way the heroes are, well, heroes rather than anti-heroes.

[keirarts]

Originally Posted by Gojirosan

Ah yes - the acting of the folks in the lift was fine and the two security guards were great, my only problem was with the lead cop dude, who I never bought as going through an emotional hayride. Unfortunately I think a lot of the film was rested on his shoulders to ill effect.

Should have been clearer in my other post.

Main problem with DEVIL. The latino security guard throwing the toast in the air and pointing out that because it landed butter side down THE DEVIL MUST BE NEARBY! the director seemed desperate to make this scene seem profound when honestly it was f%&*$g stupid. Otherwise I enjoyed devil, that scen just bugged me.

[pedromonkey]

just finished watching KILL LIST, this film annoyed the bejesus out of me, it was really really good hitman drama that shifts in tone to a weird ass wicker man style horror film that completely ****ed up the film. God damn it.

[Slippery Jack]

Originally Posted by pedromonkey

just finished watching KILL LIST, this film annoyed the bejesus out of me, it was really really good hitman drama that shifts in tone to a weird ass wicker man style horror film that completely ****ed up the film. God damn it.

It was hardly a shift in tone. There was weird ass stuff going on all the way through! Looking forward to the BD . . .

[Gojirosan]

Originally Posted by keirarts

Main problem with DEVIL. The latino security guard throwing the toast in the air and pointing out that because it landed butter side down THE DEVIL MUST BE NEARBY! the director seemed desperate to make this scene seem profound when honestly it was f%&*$g stupid. Otherwise I enjoyed devil, that scen just bugged me.

Oh yeah - that was funny!

[Slippery Jack]

Gremlins 2

Still as fun as I remember, which was a relief! The puppetry on display here, particularly Gizmo, is pretty incredible - so much more impressive (and charming, and physical...) than a bunch of CGI pixels. Watching it now, I didn't realise just how little plot this film has - great swathes of the second half is basically puppet sketch show, with all the human characters reduced to bit parts (though John Glover does some good stuff).

[Gojirosan]

Do you know...I am not sure I have ever seen Gremlins 2!

But speaking of sequels, I watched Porkys II:The Next Day and found it far better than I remembered.

[Phurious]

Voice Over

Another great BFI Flipside release with an extremely impressive central performance from Ian McNeice as Fats Bannerman, who writes and performs a one man radio show about high society in Edwardian times. Unfortunately Fats's personal life is becoming increasingly turbulent and the arrival of a mysterious mute girl sends fat's over the edge and into a downward spiral of depression and psychological torment.
It's certainly one of the bleakest films that I've seen in a long while, but this is no bad thing in my book and it's a big recommend from me.

The Stendahl Syndrome

Oh dear, oh dear. What was Argento thinking when he cast Asia in the lead role? Probably one of the worst casting examples that I've ever seen. Poor Asia simply can't shoulder the role convincingly and this isn't the only thing that lets the film down.
Shoddy and unnecessary CGI effects (pills down the gullet) are also a personal bugbear for me, although I do appreciate what Argento was hoping for with pictorial transitions.
Two more issues were the fact that the audience knew who the killer was from the outset (a problem that I had with the much more fun and deftly directed Stagefright), which I suppose helps to line up the 'twist' at the end of the film. But what an absolute sham that is in itself. I've never come across a more obvious twist, it's such a let down.

I've still got Sleepless to watch yet, but I'm not holding my breath. And I'm also going to try and give The Card Player another go, but it's almost impossible to think that the director who made Tenebre, The Bird With The Crystal Plumage, etc. could offer up such a lacklustre and deflated film like The Stendahl Syndrome - it's like Peter Greenaway doing an episode of Emmerdale.

[Gojirosan]

Originally Posted by Phurious

[B]Oh dear, oh dear. What was Argento thinking when he cast Asia in the lead role? Probably one of the worst casting examples that I've ever seen. Poor Asia simply can't shoulder the role convincingly and this isn't the only thing that lets the film down.
Shoddy and unnecessary CGI effects (pills down the gullet) are also a personal bugbear for me, although I do appreciate what Argento was hoping for with pictorial transitions.
Two more issues were the fact that the audience knew who the killer was from the outset (a problem that I had with the much more fun and deftly directed Stagefright), which I suppose helps to line up the 'twist' at the end of the film. But what an absolute sham that is in itself. I've never come across a more obvious twist, it's such a let down.

I've still got Sleepless to watch yet, but I'm not holding my breath. And I'm also going to try and give The Card Player another go, but it's almost impossible to think that the director who made Tenebre, The Bird With The Crystal Plumage, etc. could offer up such a lacklustre and deflated film like The Stendahl Syndrome - it's like Peter Greenaway doing an episode of Emmerdale.

Gosh!

I am surprised and couldn't disagree more!

Oh well.

[Phurious]

Originally Posted by Gojirosan

Gosh!

I am surprised and couldn't disagree more!

Oh well.

I went in with as open a mind as possible, as it's reputation had preceded it, but I just couldn't forgive it it's (to my mind) ineptitude.
I found it barely comparable to some of his previous work and find it quite hard to believe that the person who thought up such bravura sequences as the tracking shot in Tenebre or the bullet to the eye in Opera, could even't muster even 10% of the creativity required for those films.
And Asia was just way, way, way to young to play a role that screamed for a more physically and practically mature actress - from the offset she was a rabbit in the headlights and didn't muster any of the necessary strong characteristics that were in dire need in large sections of the films.

I'm well aware that die hard Argento fans haunt these hallowed threads and are willing to forgive him his forays into the banal and misjudged, but alas I'm not amongst these. Hence my indignation at what is an enormous step backwards for such a talented mind.

But hey, I love the fact that people can see the good in films that I can't and it's miles better for a film to be divisive than universally panned (or loved) - discussion and open mindedness are key to this very thread I'd say.