What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Deadite]

Originally Posted by Susan Foreman

Um...guys

[Mojo]

PENDA'S FEN
Directed by Alan Clarke, this 1974 Play For Today is a pretty astonishing piece of work. There are so many strands running through the drama, it is well worth repeated viewings. They really don't make tv like this any more. Highly recommended.

DOOMWATCH
Following on from the recent boxset of the classic BBC tv series, comes this big screen spin off, concerning the gradual mutation and murderous goings on among the inhabitants of the remote island of Balfe.
It's good to see the original cast make an appearance, though it would have been even better if they had more screen time ( particularly Simon Oates ).
Still, director Peter Sasdy keeps it going along at a good pace and is certainly one of the better of the tv spin offs. Enjoyed this one.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Mojo

DOOMWATCH
Following on from the recent boxset of the classic BBC tv series, comes this big screen spin off, concerning the gradual mutation and murderous goings on among the inhabitants of the remote island of Balfe.
It's good to see the original cast make an appearance, though it would have been even better if they had more screen time ( particularly Simon Oates ).
Still, director Peter Sasdy keeps it going along at a good pace and is certainly one of the better of the tv spin offs. Enjoyed this one.

Simon Oates was brilliant in the tv series. It's a shame so many episodes are missing in relation to his character though. He made even the blandest episodes come alive.

[Mojo]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Simon Oates was brilliant in the tv series. It's a shame so many episodes are missing in relation to his character though. He made even the blandest episodes come alive.

Agreed Dem. He was a joy to watch in the original series. His ( limited ) performance in the film is a little more restrained, but great to see him all the same.
It was also nice to see the Doomwatch premises looking much more like a proper science / research centre, rather than two rooms, a computer and some books!

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Mojo

Agreed Dem. He was a joy to watch in the original series. His ( limited ) performance in the film is a little more restrained, but great to see him all the same.
It was also nice to see the Doomwatch premises looking much more like a proper science / research centre, rather than two rooms, a computer and some books!

I've seen the film several times but because i hadn't seen the series until a few weeks ago the scenes at Doomwatch didn't mean much to me at all. I've been meaning to watch the film again to see which of the series cast made it into the film.

The tv series remains a little fragmented with so much of it missing. They seemed to have a new woman scientist in the team every other episode due to lack of continuity.

Invasion, the episode set up at Grassington, not far from me, is superb. The best of the series in my opinion.

[Mojo]

INVASION is excellent. RED SKY is another favourite of mine. It's really unsettling in a way I can't quite put my finger on.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Mojo

INVASION is excellent. RED SKY is another favourite of mine. It's really unsettling in a way I can't quite put my finger on.

That's the odd one about hallucinations and jet engine testing at the light house. Yes that's very good.

[iank]

Saw Lights Out at the cinema today. A dysfunctional family is plagued by a female spectre (who appears to have ripped her main gimmick off of the Weeping Angels) that has been haunting them for a very long time. This little B movie horror flick with a fairly no-name cast has gotten surprisingly decent reviews, and even more surprisingly a theatrical release down here, but to be honest I found it fairly mediocre and nondescript. Nothing terrible but a bland cast and a leaden pace even at just 90 minutes made it fairly dull and lifeless for me. Ho hum.

[Cinematic Shocks]

Wanda, the Wicked Warden (1977)

** out of *****

The Heat (2013)

*** out of *****

[iank]

Hard Rain. Christian Slater is a security van driver whose truck gets hijacked by a band of crooks just as their small town is hit by a massive flood. There's a great cast including Morgan Freeman, Minnie Driver and Randy Quaid in this entertaining late 90s action flick that mixes heist thriller with disaster movie. Unremarkable but decent enough fun.