What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[mr 420]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Culloden (1964)

Peter Watkins seminal docudrama on the 1746 battle of Culloden. What turned out to be the final throes of Bonnie Prince Charlie's Jacobite rebellion and the final subjogation of Scotland by the English.

Watkins filmed this with non-professional actors, actually the people of Inverness, in a tv news style, meaning a film crew was at the heart of the battle commenting and interviewing participators on both sides. The film pulls no punches. Neither side comes out with any respect or sense of achievement, with the English (I'll get back to this in a moment) under the command of the Duke of Cumberland, shown as a sadistic invading force brutally persecuting anyone they came across in their march northwards to destroy the Highland clans.

What Watkins focuses on and makes the whole thing even worse is that the so-called English army that murdered and pillaged weren't actually English. Many of them were lowland Scots from the Campbell clans who sided with the English and hated their Highland brothers who all followed the Macdonald clan. This wasn't the first time this happened either. Notoriously, some 60 or so years earlier the Campbells had slaughtered 38 of the clan Macdonald in Glen Coe, but that's another story. Scottish history is a fascinating blood thirsty subject by the way.

Makes me wonder what would have happened had Charles Edward Stuart not taken his army as far south as Derby in a threatening gesture to English ruler George II just a few short months previous.

The battle plays a big part in the film. It's not skirted round as many docs might do. Watkins gives us a minute by minute run down of the whats, why's and hows with detailed examinations from the battlefront of the plans and weaponry of both sides. The camera is there in the thick of the fight as cannons fire and men are cut down.

This is possibly the finest documentary i've ever seen. It's a completely gripping experience that deserves all it's plaudits and hopefully through this splendid new BFI release will gain a whole new level of audience appreciation.

Congrats, Dem. A well balanced review that takes into account that the Scots were betrayed by many of their fellow countrymen.

I was born in Inverness and have lived less than 30 miles from the battleground for most of my life, so I appreciate your unbiased review.

BTW, you could do a lot worse than visit Culloden battleground if any of you are up this way. Its a fascinating place that's more than a little eerie.

[fuzzymctiger]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

As always it's each to their own.

Personally i think Hook, A.I. and Munich are weaker films by Spielberg.

I've never seen Always, Tintin, 1941 or The Sugarland Express.

ET never grabbed me but I haven't seen it for probably 10 years.

AI however I hated when I saw it, it felt like it had so much potential in its concept and squandered it and had one of the worst endings ive ever seen

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

As always it's each to their own.

Personally i think Hook, A.I. and Munich are weaker films by Spielberg.

I've never seen Always, Tintin, 1941 or The Sugarland Express.

I didn't think much of AI when I first saw it, but watched it recently and thought it was absolutely brilliant and surprisingly moving. I felt Munich was solid, but nothing special, Tintin left me fairly cold, as did The Sugarland Express.

As I said earlier, I haven't seen 1941 – I don't think I've seen Always either.

[J Harker]

There's nothing really wrong with E.T but its nothing special. I like Hook but i found A.I and particularly Munich to be boring. Personally i don't think Spielberg's ever bettered the Indy films. Apart from maybe Schindlers List.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by J Harker

There's nothing really wrong with E.T but its nothing special. I like Hook but i found A.I and particularly Munich to be boring. Personally i don't think Spielberg's ever bettered the Indy films. Apart from maybe Schindlers List.

To me Jaws betters the Indy films and his Jurassic Park films come just below them. Yes, even the second film.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by mr 420

Congrats, Dem. A well balanced review that takes into account that the Scots were betrayed by many of their fellow countrymen.

I was born in Inverness and have lived less than 30 miles from the battleground for most of my life, so I appreciate your unbiased review.

BTW, you could do a lot worse than visit Culloden battleground if any of you are up this way. Its a fascinating place that's more than a little eerie.

Thanks, Mr 420. Much appreciated.

I've only visited Culloden when i was very young and don't remember much about it. A girlfriend and i went camping in Glencoe in the late 90's. One night we went to watch a documentary / film at the village hall about the massacre. No idea what it was called i'm afraid.

I visited Stirling Bridge about ten years ago. Really enjoyable and informative trip. Learned a lot about William Wallace and also Rob Roy when visiting the Trossachs.

The only souvenir i brought back was this huge replica of Wallace's sword. I've no idea how he went into battle with it.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I've never seen Always, Tintin, 1941 or The Sugarland Express.

I quite enjoyed Tintin. I haven't seen the others you mentioned.

I used to like E. T. when I was younger but am not overly keen on it now.

The worst Spielberg film I've probably seen though is War Horse. An overly-sentimental mess of cringe-worthy proportions.

Jaws is by far my favourite Speilberg film.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

I quite enjoyed Tintin. I haven't seen the others you mentioned.

I used to like E. T. when I was younger but am not overly keen on it now.

The worst Spielberg film I've probably seen though is War Horse. An overly-sentimental mess of cringe-worthy proportions.

Jaws is by far my favourite Speilberg film.

War Horse is sentimental but it's still not a poor film. In fact i really liked it the one and only time i've watched it. Perhaps i shouldn't have visited Ypres just a few months before seeing it.

[Make Them Die Slowly]

TURBO KID

Shit blows up!

DIE HARD

Shit blows up!

BLACK JACK

Shit blows up!

[keirarts]

My favourite Spielberg films are

1. Jaws
2. Duel
3. Indiana Jones and the raiders of the lost ark
4. Bridge of spies
5. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
6. Jurassic park
7. Schindlers list.
8. Close encounters of the third kind.
9. The Terminal
10. Sugarland express
11. Catch me if you can
12. Lost world Jurassic park 2
13. Saving Private Ryan

Honourable mention to Minority report up until he kills the guy and then it rips off LA Confidential before trying to write in a happy ending.