What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Frankie Teardrop]

Originally Posted by James Morton

ISOYG is one of the better remakes
got the uncut R1

I have the uncut R1, too - can't figure out what was cut, though.

[pedromonkey]

Last few films watched....

BLACK RAIN: Ridley Scott's crime thriller starring Michael Douglas on the hunt for a Yakuza hitman/mob boss with his partner Andy Garcia through the streets of Osaka, Japan. While it's a bit overlong, it's still an engrossing action thriller with a superb performance from Douglas. Scott's visuals are beautiful as he makes the neon lights of Osaka look like the streets of LA in Blade Runner. Quality stuff.

THE HIT LIST: This way above average DTV action thriller starring Cuba Gooding Jr and Cole Hauser does something most DTV movie don't do, include an interesting plot and good performances. This is less action packed than most 'fight factory' releases and Cuba is on great form as the psychotic hitman Jonas. It's like a low budget Collateral and one which i think i'll find more watchable than the Michael Mann film. Check it out.

ALIEN RAIDERS: This low budget sci-fi horror from the Raw Feed Label is actually a well made creature feature about a group of people searching for a King Alien in an arizona supermarket. Some outstanding practical visual FX and a cast of actors from TV shows like Chuck, 24, Prison Break and Six Feet Under make it a choice watch. Seek it out if you can.

THE MUPPETS (2011): I can't remember the last time i cried with laughter at a film that was supposed to be funny. The Muppets is pure awesomeness in a can, very very funny and even though there were some duff musical numbers such as Chris Cooper rapping, the film entertained every bone in my body. A great self mocking script from obvious muppet fan Jason Seagal really helps but it took 54 minutes for Pepe the Prawn to appear. One of the best films i've seen this year, just an absolute joy to watch.

MAN ON A LEDGE: I had visions of this being utter trash but in actuality, it was a well constructed heist thriller with a good performance from Sam Worthington. The film is a little far fetched but that's what you get with high concept thrillers like this. Ed Harris has fun hamming it up as the villain and it's always great to see William Sadler on screen. Just take it as a popcorn film and you should get quite a bit of enjoyment out of it.

[keirarts]

Originally Posted by Crimson Blade

Watched a great little film last night called Alice, Sweet Alice.
And despite being an American film, it's very much like an Italian giallo in it's style.
Highly recommended.
And also starring a very young Brooke Shields in her film debut.

The Anchor Bay DVD is adequate, but isn't anamorphically enhanced however.
Maybe a new remastered version from Shameless or Arrow, perhaps?

surprisingly the 23rd century vhs rip is actually worth seeking out. Recent versions of the film have been edited/reedited/had soundtrack changes.

[Crimson Blade]

Originally Posted by keirarts

surprisingly the 23rd century vhs rip is actually worth seeking out. Recent versions of the film have been edited/reedited/had soundtrack changes.

Can't say i've ever heard of that one tbh. The only other more recent version i know of is from Hen's Tooth Video, but apparently it's the same transfer as the Anchor Bay one.

[VicDakin]

What films have you seen recently?[

[Gojirosan]

Tidal Wave/Haeundae - 2009 S Korea d:Yoon Je-kyoon

One can criticise the "goofy" comedy and overly emotive acting (such as irritated so many people who saw The Host) if it's something you cannot take, but there is no denying the skill in the making of this disaster film. Also, the comedy and schmaltz means that the disaster scenes, when they come, hit even harder. The tsunami and aftermath sequences are harrowing! The tidal wave hitting is the nearest a film has come to scaring me for a long, long time. Very disturbing.

An odd but wonderful film. I liked it very much.

[Frankie Teardrop]

THE BLACK PANTHER - Excellent account of the Donald Neilson killings unfolds like an avant-realist Crimewatch reconstruction (in my house, a good thing). Its subordination of narrative to an almost forensic level of documentation and long, chilly silences conjures a profound sense of alienation and detachment - not typical at all of UK cinema at the time. Donald Sumpter seethes with rage as Neilson and turns in a great performance which suggests calculated malice and a weirdly fragile sense of containment and desperation. An atmosphere of barely subdued dread pervades - totally ambient cinema which goes well beyond genre. It's just such a great film, utterly hypnotic - I can't believe it's been buried for all these years, what a crime. But here it is on DVD / BD for a new lease of life - and I unreservedly recommend it, simply a must see.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by pedromonkey

Last few films watched....

BLACK RAIN: Ridley Scott's crime thriller starring Michael Douglas on the hunt for a Yakuza hitman/mob boss with his partner Andy Garcia through the streets of Osaka, Japan. While it's a bit overlong, it's still an engrossing action thriller with a superb performance from Douglas. Scott's visuals are beautiful as he makes the neon lights of Osaka look like the streets of LA in Blade Runner. Quality stuff.

My UK dvd of Black Rain has a terrible picture quality. What were Paramount thinking when they released this back in 2000?

[keirarts]

TWIN PEAKS FIRE WALK WITH ME.

After checking out Lost highway yesterday I decided to have a look at the other problem disc in the boxset, FIRE WALK WITH ME.

I dodged the bullet with lost highway. One minor audio dropout aside my copy featured none of the problems reported online. It never froze or skipped once. FWWM had two of the audio glitches others have described, once when laura is doing coke, another when she's in the club dancing, other than that fine.

If universal initiate a product recall i'll probably send it back, but for the time being this will suffice.

For anyone unfamiliar with FWWM, it's a prequel to TWIN PEAKS that follows the last seven days of Laura palmer. On release it was unfairly panned by the critics, most of who were probably expecting more of the 'quirky' humour of the series. Instead David Lynch decided to cut to the heart of twin peaks story and present a tragic tale of incest, sexual abuse and drug addiction. Time has offered the film a critical re-appraisal and now the critics seem to like it, personally though its always been one of my favourites.

The PQ is great, like Lost highway I don't know if its 1080i/p but its the best i've seen the film, unlike the dvd you don't get the subtitles in the club scene which is slightly annoying (to me, i know at least one person who will be releived to hear it) and DNR-phobes will definately appreciate the disc.

Personally i'd wait a month or so and see if theres a product recall before spending money on it though.

[pedromonkey]

Originally Posted by Demdike

My UK dvd of Black Rain has a terrible picture quality. What were Paramount thinking when they released this back in 2000?

yeah i have the Paramount dvd, the transfer is shit, but i like his visuals. It looks like a slightly clear than normal VHS rip, i might just get the blu ray.