What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[PaulD]

Just watched Trip With the Teacher - enjoyable exploitation rape/revenge-type film if a little long. Defies logic as much as any of these films should (the 3 motorcycles towing the bus scene being an example!) but has a great motorbike chase sequence and a palpable sense of threat in Zalman King's David Hess-aping, scenery-chewing madman making it a lot nastier than I was prepared for. Part of a Mill Creek set so sound and picture quality weren't fantastic but perfectly watchable.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Invid Ninja

Well, this might be still off the boil but I may see The Master today to see what all the critical fuss is about.

I came back from the cinema an hour ago after watching The Master and it is an outstanding film by one of the greatest directors currently working. Based on Paul Thomas Anderson's previous films, I had really high expectations and it thankfully didn't disappoint. Jonny Greenwood's score is, as it was for There Wil Be Blood, brilliant and the performances by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joachim Phoenix are both compelling.

[Slippery Jack]

Christmas Evil (though I think You Better Watch Out better suits the film)

A blind buy for me, and decided to read through the booklet on the train home. Interesting reading the director’s introduction, where he sort of dismisses Kim Newman’s ‘sober’ piece, saying he subscribes more to John Waters ironic, campy attitude towards his film. So going into the film I think I was expecting some kind of camp ‘so bad it’s good’ trash fest. Pleasantly surprised to find it wasn’t that at all, but a largely well-handled character piece. Reminded me a little of Don’t Go In the House and Dan Grimaldi’s sympathetic performance, eschewing the one-note psychopath route for something with a little more depth. Sure there were some enjoyably trashy moments and silliness (flaming torch wielding villagers straight out of Frankenstein!), but on the whole the film appeared to me to be playing it fairly straight (in a good way!). I’m interested to hear the commentary now. Hope Waters and Jackson don’t just spend it mocking the film. It’s much better than that . . .

[Demoncrat]

Originally Posted by Slippery Jack

Christmas Evil (though I think You Better Watch Out better suits the film)

A blind buy for me, and decided to read through the booklet on the train home. Interesting reading the director’s introduction, where he sort of dismisses Kim Newman’s ‘sober’ piece, saying he subscribes more to John Waters ironic, campy attitude towards his film. So going into the film I think I was expecting some kind of camp ‘so bad it’s good’ trash fest. Pleasantly surprised to find it wasn’t that at all, but a largely well-handled character piece. Reminded me a little of Don’t Go In the House and Dan Grimaldi’s sympathetic performance, eschewing the one-note psychopath route for something with a little more depth. Sure there were some enjoyably trashy moments and silliness (flaming torch wielding villagers straight out of Frankenstein!), but on the whole the film appeared to me to be playing it fairly straight (in a good way!). I’m interested to hear the commentary now. Hope Waters and Jackson don’t just spend it mocking the film. It’s much better than that . . .

Tis JW's favourite xmas film. So he won't be "mocking" it btw

[Demoncrat]

Did I mention I was going to see Les Yeux Sans Visage btw?????

Twas a pleasure to see in all its crackly glory and the mates I'd hauled along were all impressed. Result!!!

[keirarts]

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

I came back from the cinema an hour ago after watching The Master and it is an outstanding film by one of the greatest directors currently working. Based on Paul Thomas Anderson's previous films, I had really high expectations and it thankfully didn't disappoint. Jonny Greenwood's score is, as it was for There Wil Be Blood, brilliant and the performances by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joachim Phoenix are both compelling.

REALLY want to see this one. Unfortunately my local is showing nativity 2 and a bunch of other crap, the only thing of interest to me is GAMBIT. Naturally they will never show the master as our town is populated by chavs.

[Slippery Jack]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

Tis JW's favourite xmas film. So he won't be "mocking" it btw

Good! I might end up agreeing with him. I really liked it . . . !

[Delirium]

Originally Posted by Invid Ninja

Well, this might be still off the boil but I may see The Master today to see what all the critical fuss is about.

Good luck. I seem to be in the minority, but I thought it was a load of bloated bollocks, personally.

Don't get me wrong, I've very much enjoyed PTA's previous output, not least There Will Be Blood (and the thematic similarities are clear). But I found The Master a chore to say the least; a plodding, drudging and ultimately unrewarding mess. It's very ACTED - achingly so, and you can almost feel its cloying self importance drip off the screen. I can barely remember Jonny Greenwood's forgettable score ("but it's Jonny Greenwood" cry the masses). And regards the 70mm - I saw it in digital and it looked fine, but it didn't have half of the striking cinematography of TWBB. Now that film was a looker.

I spent an afternoon reading all the reviews I could in order to ascertain what exactly is so wondrous about this film, and not one - for all the gushing articulation - could actually tell me. Even PTA seems not to know what it's about, umming and ahhing his way awkwardly through interviews without even hinting at the The Master's central plan. But it would be cheap to dig at it for its lack of story - lots of films I love have little to no story - no, it's just its mind numbing, pompous tedium that got my goat. And don't expect character development, just enough scenery chewing to give the viewer indigestion. As for man blindly following a master - methinks the reviews are proof enough that this is a curious case of life imitating art.

[Invid Ninja]

Originally Posted by Delirium

Good luck. I seem to be in the minority, but I thought it was a load of bloated bollocks, personally.

Don't get me wrong, I've very much enjoyed PTA's previous output, not least There Will Be Blood (and the thematic similarities are clear). But I found The Master a chore to say the least; a plodding, drudging and ultimately unrewarding mess. It's very ACTED - achingly so, and you can almost feel its cloying self importance drip off the screen. I can barely remember Jonny Greenwood's forgettable score ("but it's Jonny Greenwood" cry the masses). And regards the 70mm - I saw it in digital and it looked fine, but it didn't have half of the striking cinematography of TWBB. Now that film was a looker.

I spent an afternoon reading all the reviews I could in order to ascertain what exactly is so wondrous about this film, and not one - for all the gushing articulation - could actually tell me. Even PTA seems not to know what it's about, umming and ahhing his way awkwardly through interviews without even hinting at the The Master's central plan. But it would be cheap to dig at it for its lack of story - lots of films I love have little to no story - no, it's just its mind numbing, pompous tedium that got my goat. And don't expect character development, just enough scenery chewing to give the viewer indigestion. As for man blindly following a master - methinks the reviews are proof enough that this is a curious case of life imitating art.

Well I just got back from it, bear in mind it's my introduction to PTA's films so I am not terribly aware of the quality of his other work. 'sighs'. I really enjoyed it, sue me.

[Delirium]

Originally Posted by Invid Ninja

I really enjoyed it, sue me.

Well good for you. You got something out of it - that's fine. I was hoping to, but found it an ultimately shallow experience. Hey ho.