What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

Well, Savage Weekend is pretty good but nothing overly amazing either.

My bad. I was thinking it was Pete Walker's Schizo. A film i consider really average.

Yes, the Kinski one was disappointing though, i agree.

[davidmurphy.dm19]

Deathship, starring the late Richard Crenna & George Kennedy. The transfer from Scorpion Releasing was very pleasing. Movie was okay, both actors have done better work. Still, not a bad way to spend 90m.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

My bad. I was thinking it was Pete Walker's Schizo. A film i consider really average.

Yes, the Kinski one was disappointing though, i agree.

I quite enjoy Schizo but it certainly isn't one of Walker's best.

[keirarts]

The Third man

American author Holly Martins, played by Joseph cotten, heads to post-war Vienna on the invitation of his old friend Harry lime. Holly has hit hard times and Lime has offered a job. Arriving in Vienna he discovers Lime is dead, hit by a car. However the story doesn't quite add up and he begins to investigate, discovering there was a third man at the scene of the Accident. As he investigates further he begins to uncover some disturbing facts about his old friend and falls for Harry's missus (Alida Valli). Eventually it Transpires Harry is alive (no complaints about spoilers please, the film is over 60 years old and Harry's mug is all over the sleeve) and is an utter psychopath who feels strife and conflict creates great things and views the rest of humanity as disposable things. Disgusted by his friends attitude and horrified after visiting a ward of children affected by the watered down penicillin Harry has been distributing through the black market, Holly agrees to lead the police to him and it all culminates in a breathtaking chase through the sewers.
The third man is a magnificent film from director Carol Reed. Actually filmed in the real, bomb damaged ruins of Vienna its visually stunning with black & white photography that is all shadows and strange angles. Its perfectly edited and the story is compelling. Naturally its difficult to talk about the film without discussing the soundtrack which will bore its way into your brain and stay with you forever. The new 4K restoration looks stunning and comes highly recommended.

[J Harker]

Originally Posted by keirarts

The Third man

American author Holly Martins, played by Joseph cotten, heads to post-war Vienna on the invitation of his old friend Harry lime. Holly has hit hard times and Lime has offered a job. Arriving in Vienna he discovers Lime is dead, hit by a car. However the story doesn't quite add up and he begins to investigate, discovering there was a third man at the scene of the Accident. As he investigates further he begins to uncover some disturbing facts about his old friend and falls for Harry's missus (Alida Valli). Eventually it Transpires Harry is alive (no complaints about spoilers please, the film is over 60 years old and Harry's mug is all over the sleeve) and is an utter psychopath who feels strife and conflict creates great things and views the rest of humanity as disposable things. Disgusted by his friends attitude and horrified after visiting a ward of children affected by the watered down penicillin Harry has been distributing through the black market, Holly agrees to lead the police to him and it all culminates in a breathtaking chase through the sewers.
The third man is a magnificent film from director Carol Reed. Actually filmed in the real, bomb damaged ruins of Vienna its visually stunning with black & white photography that is all shadows and strange angles. Its perfectly edited and the story is compelling. Naturally its difficult to talk about the film without discussing the soundtrack which will bore its way into your brain and stay with you forever. The new 4K restoration looks stunning and comes highly recommended.

I'm afraid its the soundtrack that completely ruined the film for me. Totally out of place, silly jingly jangly headache inducing nonsense than wrecked what could have been a fine film.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by J Harker

I'm afraid its the soundtrack that completely ruined the film for me. Totally out of place, silly jingly jangly headache inducing nonsense than wrecked what could have been a fine film.

It works really well as far as I'm concerned, probably why it was a huge chart success worldwide at the time. The zither is – as far as I know – a traditional German/Austrian instrument, which makes it so perfect for the Vienna setting.

[J Harker]

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

It works really well as far as I'm concerned, probably why it was a huge chart success worldwide at the time. The zither is – as far as I know – a traditional German/Austrian instrument, which makes it so perfect for the Vienna setting.

I'm aware its just me Nos. I hated it, really frustrating because the film itself was good. Sounded like the banjo kid from Deliverance was hired to do the soundtrack.

[Demoncrat]

Aside from the Franco, I've perused
Ex Machina (2014, Alex Garland)
Whilst reminiscent of a couple of PKD stories, I thoroughly enjoyed this rather bonny film. Wish I had watched it sooner.

[Justin101]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

Aside from the Franco, I've perused
Ex Machina (2014, Alex Garland)
Whilst reminiscent of a couple of PKD stories, I thoroughly enjoyed this rather bonny film. Wish I had watched it sooner.

It took me 2 goes, I think you have to be in the right frame of mind for it as not much happens but the second time I was riveted to the screen. Alicia Vikander was awesome.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The War Game (1965)

Peter Watkins' 1965 documentary about the effects of a nuclear attack on Britain. Specifically a Kent town some forty miles from any bomb detonation.

Scarily intense and extremely hard hitting i can understand why the government banned this film throughout the 60's, 70's and 80's - decades when the threat of nuclear war was something we constantly lived with. The reason it was banned was the realism of it all. I found the sheer power of it genuinely frightening some 50 years later. Some of the scenes are still disturbing such as children burning, looters being shot whilst desperately looking for food as well as graphic talking head accounts of events.

As with Culloden, Watkins other film on the BFI disc, The War Game is made using interviews done throughout the event of a nuclear strike, before, during and the aftermath of the fallout. The stark black and white photography and commentary of events from Michael Aspel and Dick Graham really force home the sheer terror and panic that must have ensued should such an event occur. The fact of the film were taken from historical documents from Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the flattening of Berlin and Dresden during WW2. It's not just the dropping of the bombs but also the country's lack of any preparation in how to deal with such an event that is just as unnerving. One man thinks ten sandbags up against his front door will save him or a hole in the ground with a corrugated sheet over it would keep another family safe.

However the real skill of Watkins film is that whilst watching it you can't help think it actually happened rather than a fictional account. Anti nuclear propaganda it may well be, it's still the best horror film i've seen in years.

Highly recommended. Culloden / The War Game is the disc of the year so far.