What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[42ndStreetFreak]

"Smokin' Aces 2: Assassin's Ball"

Ball? Balls more like!
Despite snobby critics bad mouthing the original film, it was in fact a wonderfully cast, wonderfully played, superbly made, fast paced, extremely well plotted balls-out action fest.
It managed to deliver a dense, clever, satisfying plot whilst also managing to keep up a constant barrage of high tech action and thrills.

This sequel though manages none of that.

Running 20 vital minutes shorter than the first film this stinking donkey dropping of a movie takes no less than 50, basically action free, minutes to set up a bunch of only marginally interesting characters before placing them all in a couple of rooms for the last 30 minutes so they can shoot at each other (and dodge awful CGI explosions) for no plot propulsion purpose at all.

But actually even that's wrong. As really only about 20 minutes of that last 30 is action, the rest is made up of two scenes (one in the middle of what is supposed to be the big action finale!!) where a couple of the characters rapidly mumble supposed plot explanations to each other as the screenwriters try to make up for having almost no plot whatsoever for the first hour.

I mean it. Almost all the final 10 minutes of what is supposed to be an action film is nothing but, nothing at all but, a rambling stream of plot exposition and incomprehensible twist explanations (that crassly and crudely tries to shoehorn in real life political/terrorist events) that lead up to a complete non-event of an ending.

Plusses? There are two wonderfully gory head destruction scenes and you have to love the exploding clowns. But all that adds up to about 1 minute of screen time.

"Smokin' Aces 2" is witless, stupid, badly made, often looks cheap, has Christ awful pacing, has an outstandingly badly delivered and truly pitiful plot (that only exists just before the film ends) and manages to do everything wrong that the first film did so damn right.

Avoid this turd, even if you liked the first film.
Watch the exploding clowns on YouTube and save your money!

[42ndStreetFreak]

Originally Posted by Paul@Lovelockandload

DVD:

Into The Night – Had never seen this John Landis-directed comedy/thriller. Very entertaining though not a classic by any stretch of the imagination.
.

How long has this been out on DVD?
Used to have the old ex-rental VHS. A very strange film indeed and stylistically all over the place...but still pretty good fun and a nice slice of BB King in there too.


EDIT....OOO! Just found it for £2.73. Me like.

[pedromonkey]

just watched John Carpenter's They Live for the billionth time, and i enjoy it more and more everytime i see it. This film has THE best punch up in movie history and apparently about 80% of it was real, save for the punches. Awesome.

[vincenzo]

Terror Eyes (Night School)

Former video nasty with the delectable Rachel Ward and lots of decapitations. Also lots of talk and dullness. Would pass at 15 uncut now.

Talking of Ms Ward (and who wouldn't). Sharky's Machine is LONG overdue a UK release.

[42ndStreetFreak]

Originally Posted by vincenzo

Terror Eyes (Night School)

Former video nasty with the delectable Rachel Ward and lots of decapitations. Also lots of talk and dullness. Would pass at 15 uncut now.

The round and round/shower room slashing scene I thought was still pretty strong stuff. But yes, it may get a '15' now.
Underrated little film with a nice 'where be the severed head' sequence and an effective looking killer.
Ward is awful though.

Needs a DVD release (unless I missed it)

[vincenzo]

Hasn't been released in the UK since the old Guild video (the cut cinema print). I agree the Headhunter looks great in the outfit and I did like the merry-go-round decapitation. I just felt it whittered on a bit too much and some of the comedic stuff was out of place. A million miles from being the worst nasty though.

Eyes Of A Stranger could do with a re-release too.

[42ndStreetFreak]

Originally Posted by vincenzo

Hasn't been released in the UK since the old Guild video (the cut cinema print). I agree the Headhunter looks great in the outfit and I did like the merry-go-round decapitation. I just felt it whittered on a bit too much and some of the comedic stuff was out of place. A million miles from being the worst nasty though.

I have an NTSC tape of it.
I didn't know the Uk VHS was cut. intereeeeeesting.

Eyes Of A Stranger could do with a re-release too.

The R1 DVD is a nice release. And a digitally remastered ,naked, young jennifer Jason Leigh was a sight to behold.

[The Reaper Man@Cult Labs]

Cracking film.Pity about the stupid artwork.

[vincenzo]

Originally Posted by 42ndStreetFreak

I have an NTSC tape of it.
I didn't know the Uk VHS was cut. intereeeeeesting.

Yes the same cuts as the cinema print (surprisingly heavy). I have the NTSC tape too which is uncut. Bizarrely I saw this on the cinema supporting Goodbye Emmanuelle for some reason.

Originally Posted by 42ndStreetFreak

The R1 DVD is a nice release. And a digitally remastered ,naked, young jennifer Jason Leigh was a sight to behold.

Fully agree on both counts.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

I re-watched the Raro disc of Francesco Barilli's stunning The Perfume of the Lady in Black last night.

Mimsy Farmer is terrific in this (compared to a very lack-lustre performance IMO in Autopsy), plus the Raro print is fantastic. A great gialli-styled thriller and it would make a great potential Shameless release me-thinks...