What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

DOWNSIZING is the latest film by Alexander Payne, a filmmaker I have admired and his work I have appreciated and enjoyed since (I think) I saw Sideways, then Election, About Schmidt, and The Descendants; I think the only film that his I haven't seen is Nebraska. I had seen the trailer quite a few times and went into this with high expectations because of Payne's previous film and the cast involved (Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Kristen Wiig, Udo Kier and Jason Suteikis). Fortunately, the trailer only covers events in the first act, so everything beyond, including the Hong Chou character, was a surprise. It's an extremely ambitious film which seems to want to tackle things including climate change, consumerism, liberal guilt, loneliness, wealth redistribution (or lack thereof), white privilege, urban decay, the refugees is and terrorism.

Unfortunately, despite the high concept premise, there isn't enough time in the 135 minute run time for all of this to be dealt with equally, or in enough depth, but the screenplay is refreshing by being ambitious and making the audience leave with things to talk (or think) about, so at least in that sense it is to be applauded. Ultimately, it doesn't quite hang together as well as Election or Sideways – probably his best films – but it is a provocative and challenging satire which hits more than it misses and something I look forward to watching again.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by bleakshaun

Fair enough, I would still recommend it.....when you have time

I guess I have time, it's just a question of prioritising! My parents have the books, so I don't need to buy them.

It was good to watch the films as the only person in the family had not read the source material becomes I was able to give an opinion as how the films worked as films, rather than extensions of literary material. As such, I was the only one in my family who had real problems with the plot holes and poor characterisation in the first Goblet of Fire film as my parents and brother were able to fill in the gaps because they were familiar with the source material.

[Make Them Die Slowly]

Devil's Express

Blaxsploitation/martial arts/horror hybrid that tries so hard to keep it real, it rips reality apart to birth itself, whole and new, from it's own arsehole. Genius and highly recommended.

Devil Woman

Snake fuelled, high kicking, martial arts horror/fantasy. Lots of fun and lots of snakes. The dubbing on the print I watched is amazing, taking a stupid film to the level of absurdist art.

Rock You Sinners

Jackie Collins stars in this 1957 drama about the UK rock n roll scene, here portrayed by loads of jump jive, swing bands with added Scotty Moore riffing rather than the actual movers and shakers of the UK scene of the time. Pretty much everything about it is terribly dated as it most probably was on its release. That said, it is an interesting document on the rock n roll scene as viewed through the eyes of the establishment at the time.

[bleakshaun]

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

I guess I have time, it's just a question of prioritising! My parents have the books, so I don't need to buy them.

It was good to watch the films as the only person in the family had not read the source material becomes I was able to give an opinion as how the films worked as films, rather than extensions of literary material. As such, I was the only one in my family who had real problems with the plot holes and poor characterisation in the first Goblet of Fire film as my parents and brother were able to fill in the gaps because they were familiar with the source material.

It's quite strange considering that its one of the better books

Sent from my PRA-LX1 using Tapatalk

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

I guess I have time, it's just a question of prioritising! My parents have the books, so I don't need to buy them.

Oddly i started reading the first Potter book and gave up after about 100 pages. All the silly names thrown at me made it sort of impenetrable and i was reading out of duty it seemed rather than enjoyment.

I say it's odd because i have no problems reading David Eddings fantasy doorstops or Stephen Baxter's hard sci-fi works.

[Rik]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Oddly i started reading the first Potter book and gave up after about 100 pages. All the silly names thrown at me made it sort of impenetrable and i was reading out of duty it seemed rather than enjoyment.



I say it's odd because i have no problems reading David Eddings fantasy doorstops or Stephen Baxter's hard sci-fi works.

I don’t think I made it that far when I tried reading it on holiday with the lads in 2000, gave it back to the mate I borrowed it off after about half an hour

[iank]

I found the first three fun and accessible fantasy adventures, but from the 4th onwards Rowling began to believe her own hype and they became increasingly unpenetrable and unreadable. I'll stick with the films.
But that's just me.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Frankenhooker (1990)

It's beyond madness as bedroom doctor James Lorinz loses his girlfriend to a lawnmower accident so he takes as many of her body parts as possible to try to reanimate her. Sadly parts of her are a bit too mulched so Lorinz goes to Times Square to pick up as many prostitutes as possible in order to find the best body parts to work with. Once put together, naturally, the Frankenhooker goes on a killing spree.

A black comedy parody of both Frankenstein and Re-Animator from gloop auteur Frank Henenlotter. The director of Brain Damage and Bad Biology isn't one to shy away from grue so we get head drills and exploding hookers a-go-go. Awash with nudity, outrageous characters and great dialogue, this is classic 80's horror comedy at it's best...even if it did come out in 1990. Frankenhooker is indeed a terrifying tale of sluts and bolts.

[Demoncrat]

A grim wee ride that. Solid review D!!

[keirarts]

L'assassino

More Elio Petri. This is his first film. Marcello Mastroianni plays Alfredo, a businessman who is arrested, seemingly inexplicably and interrogated. Through the interrogation and Flashbacks to Alfredo's backstory we discover he's been arrested for murder and the Flashbacks explain the circumstances.
Like Investigation of a citizen above suspicion there is a feeling of the 'kafka-esque' to the tale. The seemingly 'average' man scooped up off the streets and thrust into a nightmarish, bureaucratic system. Marcello plays the central role perfectly as one would expect and as a debut the film is very impressive.

The Climber

Joe Dellasandro plays Aldo, a young American in Italy and involved in petty crime. Working for a local boss, he gets beaten and banished seemingly Arbitrarily. Deciding to get even he hooks up with his cousin and begins again, carving out a criminal empire. Things really take off when he decides to begin hiring the local youth. With a growing army and a ruthless desire to rise to the top at any cost Aldo begins his rapid accent to the top.
The Climber is a great find by Arrow. I'd honestly not heard of it before they released it. I'm glad I picked it up as its a terrific crime thriller. Dellasandro's character is not as utterly psychotic as the one he played in Fango Bollente (savage three) but still capable of monstrous acts. Here they're not for kicks so much as they are necessary for his ascent to power. Like all good crime movies power is a corrupting influence and while he starts out as a thug it's clear he has something of a heart. By the end he's as big a monster as the people he replaced and a target for the next hungry, up and coming crook. Its a solidly directed, great looking picture and Dellasandro makes a great heavy. Stefania Casini is also great as his love interest who discovers that once in Aldo's life its difficult to leave. Recommended.