What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Handyman Joe]

Had 60 mins tele time last night and stuck on Tod Brownings Freaks. What an hour it is - I would kill to see a complete directors cut of this but sadly It's never gonna happen. Part historical document, part melodrama part cheesy horror/exploitation - this is truly a unique experience. Some complain that the ending reinforces negative stereotypes but I don't see it that way - Cleopatra had it coming and was the real freak of the movie (along with her strongman lover) - there's no doubt where Browning's sympathies lay. Now I've got to track down The Unholy Three.

[antmumford]

Originally Posted by sawyer6

Yes Vivien's character was hateful but that was the way girls of her status were grown! Watch 'A Streetcar Called Desire' If you haven't seen yet for a great performance by Leigh

A Streetcar Named Desire

No not seen it yet mate, GWTW was the first Vivien Leigh film I've seen so will definitely check it out soon.

[Gojirosan]

Yeah, Freaks is gloriously good.

I haven't got around to buying it on disk since I ditched all my tape. I should.

[sawyer6]

Originally Posted by antmumford

A Streetcar Named Desire

No not seen it yet mate, GWTW was the first Vivien Leigh film I've seen so will definitely check it out soon.

Right

[sawyer6]

Originally Posted by Handyman Joe

Had 60 mins tele time last night and stuck on Tod Brownings Freaks. What an hour it is - I would kill to see a complete directors cut of this but sadly It's never gonna happen. Part historical document, part melodrama part cheesy horror/exploitation - this is truly a unique experience. Some complain that the ending reinforces negative stereotypes but I don't see it that way - Cleopatra had it coming and was the real freak of the movie (along with her strongman lover) - there's no doubt where Browning's sympathies lay. Now I've got to track down The Unholy Three.

Negative stereotypes xmm.The film simple ask us who is the real freak.Very good film by Browning,I prefer it from Dracula

[nekromantik]

Just seen a Danish/Swedish drama called In a Better World.
I loved it, exceptional movie and quite powerful!
The 2 performances from the boys imo is Oscar worthy!

The story is about 2 families in Denmark who's 2 sons form a friendship and makes them do something that has serious consequences. One of the families is farther and son who move from London back to Denmark after the death of the wife/mother and other boy is from parents in the middle of a divorce. There are a lot of emotions in this movie and one of the scenes towards the end of the movie is very sad!

No hollywood movie has felt like this in a very long time and I actually clapped at the end.

It actually won the oscar for best foreign film!

[Daemonia]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

Got to grips with ALTERED STATES which features William Hurt as a narcissistic scientist out to unravel the mysteries of self. To this end he subjects himself to various trials involving floatation tanks and psychedelic drugs. Far from reaching a plateau of epic transcendence, he ends up turning into a goat-killing ape man, then a weird maggot-thing before love conquers all. Probably based on the work of 60s psychonauts such as John Lilly. Not as excessive as 'Tommy' etc, but full of satisfying plunges into freaked-out inner space in the form of eighties-style trip sequences (these do tend to be broken up by long stretches of academics shouting at each other).

I've always liked Altered States. Probably not Russell's best film, but I enjoy the ridiculously trippy nature of the film. Although it does get a bit silly towards the end. When I was a youngster and I first saw the film, what he goes through to achieve an altered state used to baffle me, I thought 'Why not just drop some acid? Job done.' Of course, now I'm older, I understand that the film is a psychedelic voyage of self-discovery. Well, it could be many things, but that's how I read it.

[Gojirosan]

Altitude - I expected this to be an OK timewaster, but I ended up really, really liking it. A wonderful Twilight Zone type thing - a little stretched at feature length - tense and fascinating. Spectacularly shot in a hard, steely colour palette, it looks - intentionally - like a comic at times.

The cast are fine, but the acting is very much of the 90210/One Tree Hill graduate kind - such as you get in almost all North American horror nowadays; all tilted heads and meaningful glances and shouting.

I really do recommend this though. It's a very pleasant surprise with some intelligence behind it and a boss monster.

[stevie21]

Just watched the Shawshank redeption which I have been meaning to watch for years. Really loved it, it definitely deserves its status as a classic.

[Prince_Vajda]

Originally Posted by Handyman Joe

Had 60 mins tele time last night and stuck on Tod Brownings Freaks. What an hour it is - I would kill to see a complete directors cut of this but sadly It's never gonna happen. Part historical document, part melodrama part cheesy horror/exploitation - this is truly a unique experience. Some complain that the ending reinforces negative stereotypes but I don't see it that way - Cleopatra had it coming and was the real freak of the movie (along with her strongman lover) - there's no doubt where Browning's sympathies lay. Now I've got to track down The Unholy Three.

A truly disturbing movie. A great example for the fact that a movie has not to be funny or entertaining in order to be a great watching experience. Anybody who isn't afflicted by this movie should see a doctor immediately.

Greetings!