What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Susan Foreman]

Originally Posted by bleakshaun

Invasion (1966)
An alien ship crash lands in a forest. One of the aliens gets hit by a car and is taken to a hospital, where the doctors discover he isn't human. It turns out that he is escorting some prisoners to prison and now they're free they can do what they want.
An interesting little idea, what it lacks is more tension or even a much more satisfying pay off. Which doesn't mean to say it's awful it just leaves you wanting more.
7/10

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There are more than a few similarities between this, and the 1970 'Doctor Who' adventure 'Spearhead From Space'

Surely it's no coincidence that both stories were by Robert Holmes...

[bleakshaun]

Earth vs the Flying Saucers
A rocket scientist and his wife spot a UFO while driving to a rocket base. The launch was a success, however the aliens are invading and prompts the scientist to gather all the world leaders to meet in Washington DC.
First time viewing and I enjoyed it. The effects by Ray Harryhausen are fun and it paces well.
8/10

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[trebor8273]

Been asked to go and see Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri tomorrow,anyone seen it?

[monkeypedro]

Three Billboards is great and one of the best films i saw last year.

[Demoncrat]

Originally Posted by Susan Foreman

There are more than a few similarities between this, and the 1970 'Doctor Who' adventure 'Spearhead From Space'

Surely it's no coincidence that both stories were by Robert Holmes...

Sssssshhhhhh then

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

Sssssshhhhhh then

Don't worry D, i don't think Susan's seen Invasion and was perhaps quoting from other sources. (apologies if this is not the case, Susan and you own the Network dvd) I could tell you what happens minute by minute and you wouldn't stop me and say "This is just like Spearhead from Space".

[Demoncrat]

I can see elements that are similar ... but then I would

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The Corridor (2010)

Four former high school friends meet up again for a weekend away. Isolated deep in the snow-covered forest, they stumble upon a mysterious corridor of light. Like a drug, the corridor's energy consumes them, driving them to the point of madness. Slowly they turn on each other, a supernatural or otherworldly power destroying them one by one.

A strange film for sure. It's melancholic from the start rather than the usual partying and laughs. You'd have thought five friends would be that - friends - but they clearly hate each other from the off which begs the question why bother with the excursion in the first place? From then on it goes downhill very fast. A film with only five actors, all of whom are unlikable and all of whom become more unlikable with every passing minute.

The Corridor is technically a decent film with great snowy location work and semi-decent production values but when all that happens is people shout at each other, point guns at each other and ... you get the picture. This is crap!

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

I can see elements that are similar ... but then I would

Of course - a tattooed geriatric in the shower!

[nosferatu42]

Last exit to Brooklyn

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After watching Jennifer Jason Leigh in "Heart of Midnight" the other day i thought i'd finally give this a spin, another film that i used to see in the video shop but never got around to watching at the time.

Where to start.

This is centred around Brooklyn in the 1950's and follows the stories of a few of the downtrodden inhabitants of a downbeat neighbourhood.

There's a bunch of adolescent's who spend their time getting drunk, beating on each other and trying any way to make a quick buck, and a group of workers who are all involved in a prolonged strike.

But at the forefront of the film are two characters, firstly a man who is uncaring towards his wife and is slowly beginning to acknowledge to himself that he has homosexual feelings, stirred up by meeting some of the more outwardly gay local guys.

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Secondly JJL's character Tralala, a cynical and seemingly streetwise prostitute, who is just out to rip off as many visiting army men as possible, but finds herself disturbed when she starts to feel affection for a soldier who must leave Brooklyn and return to duty.

This was well acted by the main players and well made, but i just didn't feel particularly involved with the characters, it's maybe down to the fact that no one is particularly likeable or really let's their guard down to express their feelings to other characters, everybody just seems very detached and isolated.

Reading up on the film it appears to be from a controversial book that i've never read, apparently made of individual stories that are intertwined in the film, i guess this can account for the sense of character detachment.
Also even though it was apparently shot on location, there was an odd feel to the lighting and direction that to me felt kinda stagey.

Both the main characters stories are interesting and i wanted to see what happened, but i wasn't gripped.

The story and situations just seemed too bleak and depressing to me, there didn't seem any brightness in the darkness and no glimmer of hope, maybe it's just me,i tend to watch films to escape, this was too close to reality i guess.

I can handle heavy films like 'Taxi driver' or 'Straw dogs' but these kind of films to me have some sort of cathartic resolution, or other films conceal their darkness in cinematic verve like 'Trainspotting'.

I can see that when the book was written in the early 60's all of this would be very relevant ,exposing underground lifestyles and making pertinent worthwhile points about human existence that people may not have wanted to acknowledge. So i'm sure the book is worth reading.

I just feel that the film felt too cold in it's handling of the characters. (But having said that maybe that is how it was conceived, if you became too intimate and attached to the leads then the film would be even more disturbing when it reaches it's brutal conclusion)

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Jennifer Jason Leigh stands out again in this film, and as you can tell it is thought provoking stuff, it is a good film and well made but I can't bring myself to recommend it.

6 1/2 out of 10