Ah right. My misunderstanding.

This weekend, I went to the cinema for the first time in several years and watched three films:

Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse
Because it had been a while since I watched it and I didn't want to get a bit lost when watching the sequel, I watched Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse.

I thought it was a great film when I first saw it and this second viewing has confirmed my opinion. It's clever, innovative, and exciting, possibly the best Spider-Man film yet.

The sequel doesn't disappoint as it is equally audacious, funny, and animated with astonishing flair and invention. Because of the number of scenes with captions or split screen (sometimes split three ways), I look forward to watching it again, possibly at the cinema before it disappears.

Elemental
This latest Pixar film follows a couple of fire elements, Bernie and Cinder Lumen, as they move to Element City and open a shop. Struggling with a sluggish business and hostility from the other elements, they raise their daughter, Ember, hoping she will grow up and learn to control her temper so she can take over the shop when they retire.

Ember develops an unlikely friendship – and a burgeoning relationship – with a water element called Wade, and the two spend a lot of time together around the city leading more about the other elements and their place within it.

This isn't a top tier Pixar, and I wasn't entirely convinced by Ember and Wade's relationship, though the storyline about the Lumen family, and the relationship between Ember and Bernie was very authentic and quite moving.

Unusually for a Pixar film (or any animated film from a major studio), there aren't any big-name actors in the voice cast, with the most well-known actors being Wendi McLendon-Covey and Catherine O'Hara. Among the crew, I knew director Peter Sohn (director of The Good Dinosaur) and executive producer Pete Docter (director of Monsters, Inc., Up, Inside Out, and Soul).

Visually and narratively, there are some similarities with Inside Out, though this pales in comparison with that Oscar-winning film, one of the best of 2015. It's probably on a par with The Good Dinosaur and perhaps Cars.

Asteroid City
This isn't going to win Wes Anderson any new fans because it's far from his most accessible film, though it is a brilliant one.

The events take place in the titular town, a small town in the middle of the desert, famous for its meteorite (oddly, not an asteroid) and for hosting an award ceremony for young scientists, including astronomers and someone who's invented an actual death ray!

Actually, that's not quite accurate as the events in Asteroid City are part of the latest work by a bored playwright and presented by an on-screen narrator., switching the story to the 1950s and the titular location.

Like The Grand Budapest Hotel, Anderson uses aspect ratio as a timestamp: the framing story is in monochrome 1.37:1, with the 'performance" in pastel colored 2.39:1 widescreen. As usual, his mise-en-scène and attention to detail are flawless and there were occasions when I knew I missed some minor details which I'll have to catch when I buy it to watch at home.

Also, typically for a recent Wes Anderson film, there is an all-star cast of which most directors could only dream: Tom thanks, Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Edward Norton, Bryan Cranston, Jeffrey Wright, Hope Davis, Liev Schreiber, Matt Dillon, Adrian Brody, Tilda Swinton, Margot Robbie, Willem Dafoe, and Jeff Goldblum, many of them regular collaborators, whose appearances come as no surprise.

Like the visuals, the script is detailed, brilliant, and with some names and phrases I am looking forward to hearing again. The same eagerness for repetition applies to the soundtrack – I loved Alexandre Desplat's score and there was a clever blend of period and contemporary music. Jarvis Cocker's new song, You Can't Wake up If You Don't Fall Asleep played over the end credits and was a wonderful way to finish the film and I've listened to it several times since.

If you are a fan of Wes Anderson's films, then this is highly recommended. If you aren't keen on his aesthetic and quirky humour, then I'd approach it with caution.

I struggle with Wes Anderson films, i respect that he has his own voice and way of doing stuff, but kinda want to rip up all the perfect pictures and say where's the emotion, to me he's like Peter Greenaway without the darkness and decay.

There is a degree of emotion in Asteroid City as Jason Schwartzman plays a father of four whose wife died three weeks prior to the trip to the desert.

His decision to take the ashes in Tupperware is a form of the grieving process, just as his reluctance to let his daughters bury the tub in the sand shows he has a particular way of dealing with loss.

As I said before, if you aren't a Wes Anderson fan, this isn't going to appeal to you, but it is a film with some brilliant dialogue, excellent cinematography, and is the work of a unique talent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FXCSXuGTF4

Redcon-1. 2018.

After a zombie outbreak in England, a elite special ops squad is sent to the quarantine zone, find a doctor and bring him out.

I was recommended this film by a friend who thinks it's one of the best zombie films made. We got a different band of soldiers English and American sent in and as soon they land they are ambushed. Then again ambushed, these soldiers have a unlimited amount of ammo but they do bring their own weapons to the fight. Then we realise they aren't fighting off zombies but a skull gang has taken control of part of the city and some freedom fighters who want to help find a cure. Half way through we do get a small predictable twist and a soldier who is hell bent on saving a life but willing to take a life. The make up effects are decent for the zombies and biting the skin away but the acting is certainly not the best.

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Locked Up. 2017.

An American student living in Asia is bullied and turns on her bullies that results in her being sent to a reform school that is actually a youth prison and has to fight in order to survive.

Something of a new take on the women in prison genre that came out in the 70s this time seems like older teens...I'm hoping the actresses were over 21 if not then I will need to go to confession. We have the usual corrupt warden that exploits everyone for her own gain with one or two personal favourite inmates, newbie having to learn the ropes and avoid the local lesbian prisoner. Quite a bit of nudity with a bit of girl on girl action and plenty of bad acting. The actresses did try but guess you go with what your given.

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Sounds fun. :lol:

lost Continent. 1951.

A search for a downed atomic rocket, a small crew crash land on a mysterious island with dinosaurs.

Cesar Romero, Chick Chandler, and Sid Melton are Air Force men who take our scientists to look for the rocket and get the data from it, this goes from Black and White to green tint screen with either animation or stop motion for the dinosaurs which does not look the best. The actors do try their best even though Hugh Beaumont breaks character and laugh slightly that was kept in. May not be the best but certainly a bit of good entertainment.

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The Devil's Woods (2015)

A group of four friends trying to repair their strained relationships decide to spend the weekend camping at a music festival. En route they stop off at a small town in the middle of rural Ireland and then find a nearby spot in the woods in which to camp prior to moving on to the festival.

In a way there's nothing new to see in this ultra low budget Irish horror, however i really enjoyed it once again. Director Anthony White basically seems to have a camera and a cast of four for much of this film yet it works really well. It helps that the friends all come over as mainly likable and the dialogue totally natural and at times really funny whilst never feeling forced or scripted, helped by a pacing that allows the characters to build and not seem so throw away as is the case with many of these films.

There's an air of unease which develops as the films slender 70 minutes gather pace. Idle chatter which could have been awful actually feels invigorating thanks to White's innovative camera work and an ambient soundtrack from a band called Stillroom which is weird and sinister.

From the off there are hints at what is to come with Occult themes and symbolism throughout and even a few homages to films like The Wicker Man and The Blair Witch Project.

Whilst films like this aren't for all as there are several stretches where not a lot really happens, the last ten minutes are genuinely creepy and i thought fairly edge of the seat stuff.

Guns Akimbo. 2019.

A computer game developer, bullied by his boss and still has feelings for his ex, trolls a site called Skizm, a underground gun battle tournament. When the makers home invade him, they bolt two hand guns to his hands and give him 24 hours to kill he reigning champion Nix.

Daniel Radcliffe plays the wimpish guy who manages to find his inner gladiator fighting skills and can't perform the simplistic tasks of getting dressed or answering a call of nature. As much as this is action packed with plenty of bullets flying about and a man finally standing up to his boss, this does have some good dark humour mixed in. The film is definitely OTT and done in a way it still entertaining and never gets dull or boring.

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The Clinic. 2010.

A pregnant woman and her fiance are travelling to her mother's for Christmas when they make a pit stop at a model. She is abducted and wakes up to find her baby has been removed and finds other women in the same predicament.

The film is set in 1979 and based on child abductions this was a blind watch for me, Tabrett Bethell plays the expecting mother while Andy Whitfield plays her fiance (his last film role due to his death), he doesn't have a big part but certainly his part is strong. What I thought it would only be one woman seeking answers and revenge it turns out 4 women are in the same boat and there is one or two little twists but can be predictable as to who is involved in the abductions. Something different from Australia. It's not a masterpiece but certainly worth a watch.

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I also enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. Daniel Radcliffe is, as you say, very good as Miles with (to my ears, anyway) a very convincing American accent.

The blend of dark humour and extreme violence works very well – the scenes with Miles trying to do basic tasks with zero dexterity due to the pistols bolted to his hands are funny, and I was nearly dry heaving during the scene with a hobo (Rhys Darby) where Miles is desperate for something to eat.

If you have Prime Video or are tempted with a blind buy, I second MrBarlow's recommendation.

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JUMANJI:WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE (2017)

I only ever saw this movie in bits and bobs on the TV. Never all the way through. What I saw I thought was good and quite funny.
So, I picked up a cheap Blu ray to watch it properly (and the sequel)
Yeah, really enjoyed this movie. So glad I picked it up.
The scene where Karen Gillan tries to distract the guards had me laugh out to myself and it takes a lot to do that.
Great fun all round.

I got this from Poundland a couple of years ago and i still haven't watched it.

You've at least piqued my interest.

I enjoyed both new Jumanji films when I watched them on TV, throwaway fluff, but entertaining and an easy watch when you need something undemanding.

Salems Lot 1979
I bought the Blu Ray of this sometime last year. I first seen this as a two part on BBC1 in the mid 80s. Those levitating kids scraping on the window disturbed me.
I still rate this as one of the better vampire films.

What's the Blu-ray quality like Davcol. I've had this sat in my collection to watch since last September.

Is it tv format or adapted for modern widescreen tv's?

It is 4/3 with bars at the sides. It looks fine on my 42inch telly. It's not a particularly impressive BD but I still watch VHS and I'm not fussy.

Thanks.

I still watch dvd's, but can't watch any vhs as i can't hook my player up to the tv.

I have a few vhs that haven't come out on dvd never mind Bluray that i'd quite like to rewatch.

Pearl (2022)

I streamed this film last night from Rakuten.

The film has a really interesting style from the outset - the style of the opening credits part is full of vivid colours coupled with a font thats intentionally trying to feel like the classic ‘golden age’ Hollywood look. The vivid colours continue throughout, gradually getting darker and darker as Pearl’s mental state deteriorates, very much the opposite from The Wizard of Oz going from black and white to full vivid colour - I had this thought near the start and was later surprised to see a sex scene involving a scarecrow! There is also a lot of reds used, similar to Suspiria.

I really enjoyed it. It was often sinisterly whimsical, with some pretty hard hitting death scenc som of which happened off camera. I’m undecided as to wether the Rakuten version is maybe cut in some way. I’ll need to try and catch “X” again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No Composite Video Connection?.my telly is a decade old and has scart, hdmi, composite and svideo.
I find the older tapes sound quality more of a problem than picture. Later VHS sound quality is still impressive even now id argue.
I too have some titles never released on dvd. Mainly spaghetti western and eurocrime stuff.

The Super. 2017.

A ex police officer takes on a job as a superintendent at a high rise block in New York where some residents disappear.

Gotta give credit to Val Kilmer taking on a job just after his cancer treatment, his voice may not be perfect but he does try his best with his lines. Patrick John Flueger is the new guy on the job with his two daughters and Louise Krause as the happy neighbour. Director Stephen Rick does give us a decent 12-15 minute opening that does hold your attention and maybe have you on the edge of your seat. The film does change to thinking there is a mad man in the building to something else but the last 15 mins fails. Clearly the film went through a re-write and dubbed over that its clearly noticeable and just becomes daft. This has been shown on Horrorxtra a lot but not one to rush out and buy IMHO.

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There's not even a scart socket.

That's what Samsung OLED get's you. Total HDMI.

Thankfully with the BD player being the same and bought earlier i was prepared.

It's still a favourite Vampire tale for me too, I'm currently re reading the book for the first time in about 20 years, just got past the end of episode one in the book so watched the first hour the other night as i was getting ready to sleep.

I first saw the TV series version as well, probably aged around 10 or so. The cut down theatrical version used to turn up on TV a lot back in the day but as far as i'm aware it's not on dvd or blu.

That's the version i'm most familiar with and although the series is better. there's a few scenes that seem wrong to me, the shotgun scene he gets the guy to put the barrel in his mouth and there's a antler impalation of one guy in the film version.

I seen the two parter originally probably on a repeat in about 86. I seen the same two parter over on ITV a few years later when they started doing all night telly.
About 20 years ago I seen the shortened version on Channel 5 and it seemed choppy.

I had this back in early 90s.


I first watched it with my dad and all he done was complained that it was a shorter version, it was a travesty, insult to Stephen King and Tobe Hooper :lol:

Best not mention what he said about Return to Salem's Lot :lol:

Tbh I find I think it's edges a bit than exorcist for a horror film.

I rewatched A Return to… a few months ago, first time since that very same tape!

I really liked it hahaha

Its not the best and watching the old guy run and limp is comical :lol:

Yeah it’s no good, but that doesn’t stop you having a good time lol.

Thats very true :lol:

The 2nd. 2020.

A estranged father who is a Army Delta Force officer goes to collect his son from college along with a supreme court judge's daughter is taken hostage.

Having Ryan Phillippe and Casper Van Dien in this seemed to be a promising film and maybe a throw back to 90s action films but instead these two actors are wasted in this. The dialogue is bearable...just, the fight scenes are barely passable and we are given a couple of scenes of shoot outs but nothing spectacular and a small sword fight with a bit of girl on girl that was just a waste of screen time. This would be better as background noise.

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Watched a few minutes of the wonderful film Brooklyn on BBC1 HD. What a stunning picture.

I'll be upgrading my dvd to Blu-ray very soon.

I keep meaning to watch this, I'll get around to it soon, can probably watch it on the iPlayer for the next few days at least :D

Child's Play 2 (1990)

Generic stuff that's basically a retread of the first film other than an interesting finale at the Play pals factory, but even that could have been so much more had Charles Lee Ray managed to possess all the dolls. I guess they never thought of that idea. Or never had the budget.

If i hear one more bowl haired brat cry a variant of "Chucky did it" i think i'll start throwing things.

CAGED HEAT – Jonathan Demme made this influential WIP film for Roger Corman. Anyone expecting an endless parade of boobs behind bars will meet with something a bit more abstract as ‘Caged Heat’ simmers with swirly seventies hippie art film vibes as much as with exploitative potboiling. There are dreamy bits and there are grim bits (forced ECT) before it finally breaks out into runaway shenanigans with cons versus cops. Very good, in part because of era-specific genre faces such as Barbara Steel.

PEARL – Starstruck farmgirl in twenties Texas heads towards the realisation that she’s better at murdering people than wowing them onstage. Much touted backstory to ‘X’ by Ti West, but probably owned by writer / star Mia Goth, whose performance is as mesmerising as reported. There are many other highs; if the hilarious ‘X-factor’ pisstake doesn't tickle your fancy, please refer to aforementioned scarecrow roistering. Highly recommended and destined for my end of year top three list (and maybe yours too).

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY’S REVENGE – This seems almost universally regarded as one of the most disposable ANOES films. It’s not amazing, but it’s at least entertaining (to my easily pleased eyes). It doesn’t do anything with ‘the mythos’ or Kruger and it certainly doesn’t extend Craven’s work in any interesting direction, being content to simply roll along leaving a trail of pleasant FX-laden dreck broken up by bits of dramatic stupidity and nonsense eighties set-pieces. I’m OK with that. The subtext about sexuality seems deliberate but stillborn – maybe the makers just thought “it’s got dreams in it, there’s got to be some Freudian shit going on somewhere”. Yeah well I can go on about that stuff all day but ultimately I’m more into seeing a burned undead serial killer’s face burst its way through someone’s chest. I’m a bit shallow like that.

That's the second glowing review for Pearl i've seen on here. i watched and enjoyed X last Christmas so plan on seeing Pearl on Blu this Christmas.

I'm not what you'd call a fan of the Elm Street series so perhaps not the best judge but i think Freddy's Revenge is more enjoyable than the majority of the other films. Miles better than 4, 5 and 6 and also better than the third.

I agree with both points here, I just need to get around to watching Pearl soon.

And Freddy 2 is my favourite of the sequels, I used to think I loved the third one but on subsequent re-visits it just gets a bit more boring. I am a fan of 4 though :D

The Big Country (1958)

What a superb film this is and how it's not better known is beyond me. It's a genuinely major western and it's title is suitably epic not only due to it's breathtaking Technirama photography but it's near three hour run time.

It's brilliantly cast with Gregory Peck probably the only Hollywood star who can make pacifism seem authentic. Co-star Charlton Heston certainly couldn't have pulled it off.

Meanwhile Jerome Moross's sweeping, wonderful piece of 20th century classical score elevates the film to masterpiece status.

The Blu-ray from Final Cut is gorgeous to look at and there's a plethora of extras as well. I'll give this the review it deserves in the Westerns thread when i've watched it again next week with Christopher Frayling's commentary.

Vicious Fun. 2020.

A 1980s movie critic accidentally finds himself in a self help group for serial killers and tries to survive the night and save his room mate who is dating one of the killers.

The makers obviously wanted to do a homage to 80s horror films and created this, even the actors manage to bring some cheesiness to the screen and add in some dark humour and gore. There is a decent set of actors who bring something different to their characters that can give out a snigger or two. This isn't a time waster and certainly recommend for a good night viewing.

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