What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Justin101

It's funny because there is a sketch bit in the Gilmore Girls revival series (I'm not sure if you watch/have seen it) where Lorelei decides she wants to 'do Wild' and she gets to the trail and there are 20+ other women there wanting to get away from it all and 'do Wild' haha. They even got into the debate book vs film.

I've never seen The Gilmore Girls, but guess that's a case of 'it's funny because it's true'

[keirarts]

The cure for wellness

I have to say now I've never been the biggest Gore Verbinski fan. Mousehunt was terrific but he failed to deliver on that initial promise and the only film I really rated of his aside from that was the original Pirates of the Caribbean. Still, I thought. £4.99 at the local Vue gives more incentive to give things a go and frankly I'm glad I did.
It stars Dane DeHaan as a young but up and coming power player in wall street who gets a chance to redeem himself after screwing up by heading to Switzerland to persuade one of his firms top executives to return from an isolated spa resort. The company had recently received a troubling letter from him stating his intention to never return. Upon reaching the remote community he is involved in an accident and is forced to extend the stay. While there he uncovers some troubling secrets about the resort and its creepy owner played by Jason Isaacs.
The cure for wellness is not a perfect film. Some of the effects don't hold up as well as they should including a shot of the resort that i'm still not certain isn't deliberately intended to look like a matte painting. The film could also stand to lose about 30 minutes and in places moments feel contrived in order to keep the plot rolling along. Hoewever I have to admit coming away from the film with an overall sense that I actually liked it. Its rare to see a horror that avoids jump scares entirely and instead tries to generate tension from some genuinely f***** up imagery. Its a two and a half hour horror that retains an 18 certificate without resorting to straight up gore, though it does have a rather Fulci-esque dental scene. The film seems to be borrowing more from gothic horror and euro thrillers of the 70's with a genuinely screwed up ending that could have been lifted from something by Bava. Especially if I were to pick one Bava film it reminded me of in places it would be Baron Blood. Its flawed for certain but they simply dont make films like this anymore and on this basis its deserving of a chance. If your local has it showing I'd say give it a go and thats the first time I'd say that about a Vewrbinski film in some time.

[Justin101]

Originally Posted by keirarts

The cure for wellness

I have to say now I've never been the biggest Gore Verbinski fan. Mousehunt was terrific but he failed to deliver on that initial promise and the only film I really rated of his aside from that was the original Pirates of the Caribbean. Still, I thought. £4.99 at the local Vue gives more incentive to give things a go and frankly I'm glad I did.
It stars Dane DeHaan as a young but up and coming power player in wall street who gets a chance to redeem himself after screwing up by heading to Switzerland to persuade one of his firms top executives to return from an isolated spa resort. The company had recently received a troubling letter from him stating his intention to never return. Upon reaching the remote community he is involved in an accident and is forced to extend the stay. While there he uncovers some troubling secrets about the resort and its creepy owner played by Jason Isaacs.
The cure for wellness is not a perfect film. Some of the effects don't hold up as well as they should including a shot of the resort that i'm still not certain isn't deliberately intended to look like a matte painting. The film could also stand to lose about 30 minutes and in places moments feel contrived in order to keep the plot rolling along. Hoewever I have to admit coming away from the film with an overall sense that I actually liked it. Its rare to see a horror that avoids jump scares entirely and instead tries to generate tension from some genuinely f***** up imagery. Its a two and a half hour horror that retains an 18 certificate without resorting to straight up gore, though it does have a rather Fulci-esque dental scene. The film seems to be borrowing more from gothic horror and euro thrillers of the 70's with a genuinely screwed up ending that could have been lifted from something by Bava. Especially if I were to pick one Bava film it reminded me of in places it would be Baron Blood. Its flawed for certain but they simply dont make films like this anymore and on this basis its deserving of a chance. If your local has it showing I'd say give it a go and thats the first time I'd say that about a Vewrbinski film in some time.

I was going to go and see it but the running time was really putting me off, plus some reviews i've watched/read have all said the same thing, great direction, great visuals, very thin 'story' and it all falls apart in the last act. One thing they all agree on is that it could easily lose up to an hour of it's running time.

I am curious though...

[keirarts]

Originally Posted by Justin101

I was going to go and see it but the running time was really putting me off, plus some reviews i've watched/read have all said the same thing, great direction, great visuals, very thin 'story' and it all falls apart in the last act. One thing they all agree on is that it could easily lose up to an hour of it's running time.

I am curious though...

I disagree with the critics about the ending. It's the point where the film seems to embrace the sort of insanity the reminded me of a lot of euro horror. I'd say it's more 30 mins too long. At the end of the day I prefer overblown self indulgence to the almost mechanical by the numbers approach of a lot of modern horror.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by keirarts

The cure for wellness

Although the trailer made this look interesting, its use of the phrase "From visionary director Gore Verbinski" was a huge turnoff because I don't think he's made anything which can seriously be called 'visionary'. He's not Tarkovsky, Kubrick, Eisenstein, Murnau, Hitchcock, Godard, Bergman, or even Christopher Nolan. Verbinski is more like Renny Harlin or Brett Ratner.

All that said, your review has made me interested in it and I'll try and watch it this week after catching up on Moonlight which, following last night's Oscars, I am very keen to see.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

"From visionary director Gore Verbinski"

He's about as visionary as Uwe Boll!

[keirarts]

As I said. Mousehunt aside I cannot think of any Gore Verbinski films I actually like. I certainly would not label him a visionary. I just liked the film a lot more than I was expecting. It's not a reboot, remake, reimaginging. It's not an adaptation and it doesn't feel like a film made by committee. For all its flaws it felt like a film where the people who made it where allowed something close to free reign. It's not a perfect film but an interesting one.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

He's about as visionary as Uwe Boll!

Exactly. That's what made me do a double take and dismiss the trailer on the spot. See for yourself:

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

It looks stylish but i'm not sure i fancy it going off the trailer. Keirarts review makes it seem more up my street though.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

It looks stylish but i'm not sure i fancy it going off the trailer. Keirarts review makes it seem more up my street though.

I meant about the "visionary director" claim, not the way the film is sold in the trailer.