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23rd January 2019, 10:18 PM
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23rd January 2019, 10:19 PM
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 I would have bought that myself.
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24th January 2019, 09:19 AM
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Demdike@Cult Labs likes this.
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24th January 2019, 10:58 AM
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 I've had a fantastic run of films these past few days, starting with Goosebumps 2, not as good as the first film, it felt more like a children's film (which it is) and less of a children's horror film (which the first one did). It was also a tad less original, still good fun though! Next up was William Castle's brilliant Homicidal, I'm ashamed to say I did NOT see that twist panning out the way that it did but it was so obvious in hindsight  I absolutely loved it and so far is the best Castle film that I've seen, just got Mr. Sardonicus left in the first box set then I can go onto vol. 2!Lone Wolf and Cub has been sat on my shelf since the day I bought it, I've never seen any of them, but I have seen Shogun Assassin (which I love). I was looking for something short and easy to watch the other day and thought yes, this is the ticket. These films are a revelation! They're played straight yet still have a very stylised and comic book look (they're based on a famous manga series after all). Some scenes were so suspensful I was on the edge of my seat until they played through! Fantastic! I hope that the last 3 keep the momentum going, I am half expecting a dip in quality, but I hope that I'm wrong.
__________________  Triumphant sight on a northern sky |
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24th January 2019, 11:24 AM
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Films I've seen over the last week or so: Avengers: Infinity War – I hadn't seen this since it was at the cinema, where I saw it twice, and was still amazed by the Russo brother's ability to not only make a film with so many superheroes coherent, but engaging, emotional and gripping. There are some really strong performances within the film which are probably overlooked because of its genre and the size of the cast, the visual effects are incredible, something reflected by the Oscar nomination (I think the first for a Marvel film) and the action sequences are incredibly well directed. It's a film I will revisit many times more, probably in a marathon run with the others in the MCU. Bohemian Rhapsody – A film I enjoyed more than I expected because I'd read a couple of less than enthusiastic reviews but then seen the Oscar nominations. I am not sure that Rami Malek needed an overbite *that* big, but the actors playing the other members of Queen do have striking resemblances to the Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon, the music is incredibly well mixed, as is some of the sound (a phone ringing has huge aural and emotional impact) and the artistic licence taken with timescale and events makes for a film which is very emotionally engaging and, at times, very funny. I'd love to see Asif Kapadia (Senna and Amy) be given free reign with all documentary and interview footage which exists, as well as the ability to talk to May, Taylor, Deacon, manager Jim Beach, and Mary Austin. Roma – A near-certainty to win an array of Oscars in a couple of weeks, this is the film I initially liked, but one I found deeply moving by the end. Alfonso Cuarón's direction, the intelligence of the screenplay and astonishing production design perhaps overshadow the brilliant performance by Yalitza Aparicio as Cleo, a maid for a middle-class family in the Colonia Roma of Mexico City in 1970. This is probably a film for cinephiles and not want to watch on an evening when you want something light and entertaining. There are moments of levity, but most of it demands your attention and left me feeling quite drained. This is no bad thing because I think I'd seen something special and feel like a second watch is needed before I know whether it's quite as great as the bulk of critics seem to think it is, an opinion I would struggle to argue against. The Last Temptation of Christ – Martin Scorsese's labour of love to adapt Nikos Kazantzakis' celebrated and controversial novel of the same name. Watching this as an atheist is an odd experience because I do not share Scorsese's religious beliefs, but I found the idea of a man struggling with what he believes to be his fate, the voices he's hearing, and the expectations on him from both followers and (as he believes) a much more existential and abstract entity to be very powerful. This makes the final act quite emotional, all the more so because it is understated and not (despite the lengthy running time) ever feeling like an 'epic' film, like Ben Hur or The Ten Commandments. What the Health – A really interesting and persuasive documentary about the benefits of a plant-based diet, and one which – on face value – suggests that the corporate interests of health charities like the American Diabetes Association and American Cancer Society are not providing balance on their website or official literature, actually offering dietary information which should be harmful to people with diabetes and cancer, respectively. The film is a polemic, it's propaganda for a vegan diet, but it's a very well made and powerful one using cherry picked statistics and one on one interviews with physicians who are already converts. Avatar (and Capturing Avatar) – I watched the theatrical version of this quite recently so watching the extended one, with an extra 26 minutes of footage in about the same month, was quite interesting. The opening is entirely different and there are longer sequences within the film. It doesn't make a huge change to a film with a very simple story, some horribly clichéd dialogue and 2-D characters as well as some astonishingly effective action sequences and groundbreaking visual effects. The feature-length Capturing Avatar documentary is very revealing and well worth watching if you either like the film or have an interest in filmmaking and/or visual effects. With James Cameron's new film, Alita: Battle Angel, being released next month, it's likely he used some of the same techniques. Cop Land – If nothing else, this boasts a hugely expressive ensemble cast: Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert Patrick, Frank Vincent, Peter Berg, Michael Rapaport, Annabella Sciorra, Edie Falco, Cathy Moriarty, Janeane Garofalo, Debbie Harry. Fortunately, there is much more than anything else as this is an engrossing crime drama where James Mangold has written a very good script and uses every ounce of acting talent available to direct something which is incredibly well constructed and a great payoff at the end. It is funny to watch it and spot all of the actors who have appeared together in films such as Goodfellas and Mean Streets, or TV shows like The Sopranos. Porky's Revenge! – I hadn't seen this prior to buying the 88 Films' Blu-ray release and I don't think I've even seen the second in the Porky's series of films. The original had a sense of vibrancy, charm, and outrageous best that doesn't seem to exist in the same quantities here, with this following a well used narrative arc in which only several scenes really pay off. It's not great, but I enjoyed it with the soundtrack being a particular highlight. Florence Foster Jenkins – This is one of those films which is based on a true story and could only exist because it is based on truth as it would have probably never been made if it was entirely fictional. How else would someone pitch the idea of making a film about a completely tone deaf wealthy New York socialite with a keen interest in the arts, particularly music, though no ability to sing, and often silently appears on stage but eventually wants to make herself heard. Oh, she also has secondary syphilis, and has done for many years. When she does sing, it is painful and Meryl Streep faithfully recreates the original vocal horrorshow to devastating effect. This is a film which is charming, funny, and often painfully awkward! Hugh Grant is just wonderful as her husband, someone who deeply loves her and wants to see her happy, often going to enormous expense to make this happen, and Simon Helberg (perhaps best known from The Big Bang Theory) is really good as the pianist and composer brought in for Florence's lessons and eventual appearance at Carnegie Hall. Stan & Ollie – Although I have the complete set of Laurel and Hardy DVDs, I wouldn't class myself as a massive fan of their work. They make films, both feature length and shorts, which I would happily watch, but don't think I'd go out of my way to do so. That said, watching this rekindled my interest in those DVDs and a Blu-ray box set of the feature films because it reminded me of what a great double act they were and informed me of the real life relationship behind the camera. It's a film which is both funny and sad because it reinforced how much they were screwed over by producers and managers, something which didn't happen to the likes of Chaplin, Pickford, Griffith, and Fairbanks when they set up United Artists so they had artistic and financial control over their own projects. I don't think I've seen Steve Coogan or John C. Reilly give better performances, with both having different amounts and types of prosthetics to change their appearances – Reilly is practically unrecognisable as 'Babe' Hardy. The support by Nina Arianda and Shirley Henderson as Stan and Ollie's wives, Danny Huston as Hal Roach and Rufus Jones, the manager who is in charge of their UK tour, makes for a relatively small cast, but one which is utterly convincing. Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie – There were many periods in this where I had no idea who someone was because there were cameos by people from the fashion and the PR industries and would only be recognised by people who were particularly interested or up to date with those. There is some of the magic between Eddie and Patsy, and the occasional great line from June Whitfield now seems bittersweet, but generally I found this quite self-indulgent and only intermittently amusing. I don't know if I would watch it again or whether I'd be much happier with several episodes of the TV show. The Favourite – I no knowledge of Queen Anne, who briefly reigned in the early 18th century, nor any idea about the ongoings in her court. What this does is – whether faithfully or not I'll leave to the historians – shows what happens when you have an infirm and dangerously capricious monarch who is a tragic character but is also the subject of a power struggle between two cousins. It boasts outstanding costumes and production design, great locations and make up, plus powerhouse performances from Olivia Colman, Rachel Weitz, and Emma Stone, all of whom are justifiably Oscar-nominated. In supporting roles, Nicholas Hoult shows he's come a long way from About a Boy, Mark Gatiss is a very reliable performer, and the cinematography which occasionally uses a fisheye lens to really distort views and maximise your vision, with Yorgos Lanthimos direction and editing, incorporating period baroque music. It's a film with great performances, but it's also an audiovisual treat which is probably best experienced at the cinema.
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24th January 2019, 11:25 AM
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You don't actually watch cult films do you, Nos? |
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24th January 2019, 11:29 AM
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bleakshaun likes this.
__________________ Last edited by Nosferatu@Cult Labs; 25th January 2019 at 08:51 AM. |
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24th January 2019, 12:56 PM
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__________________ PSN user name: suspiria-inferno Xbox user name: suspiria742952 |
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24th January 2019, 04:20 PM
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| Sorority Row (2009) A remake of The House on Sorority Row (1983) except it isn't really other than in name alone. This rehash is actually a mash up of I Know What You Did Last Summer (1987) and Bob Clark's Black Christmas (minus the Christmas setting of course). Thankfully unlike so many of the slasher remakes from the time this is actually well done and a fairly worthy slasher in it's own right. Sure it's derivative but it's also reasonably well acted (watch out for Carrie Fisher as the sorority house mother) has some inventive murder sequences and allows a sizable dose of tension to build up as it's finale nears. I'm not going to pretend Sorority Row is a great film, it's not, but it is a decent enough slasher film and would probably have fallen foul of the BBFC back in the day. |
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24th January 2019, 05:10 PM
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Nosferatu thanks for the Stan & laurel review, I'm going to see it sometime . Its got excellent reviews on IMDb and Mark Kermode loved it and said he seen it twice and would still watch it again . Nosferatu@Cult Labs and bleakshaun like this. |
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