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  #55441  
Old 1st May 2021, 11:04 PM
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Kelly's Heroes (1970)

Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland and gold bullion. You'd almost think this classic war film was a spaghetti western, indeed Lalo Schifirin's fine score does allude to that genre as the film comes to a near Mexican stand off during it's finale, but no, Kelly's Heroes is a rollicking boys own adventure style epic about a group of maverick American soldiers led by Eastwood and Savalas who hear of $16m of gold bullion hidden in a French bank in the small town of Clermont. There's only a couple of snags. The bank vault is 30 miles behind enemy lines and is guarded by three Tiger Tanks of the 1st SS Panzer Division as well as a platoon of German infantry.

Needing his own tanks, Kelly inadvertently recruits Oddball (A brilliant Donald Sutherland) an American tank commander with three US Sherman tanks.

Kelly's Heroes is for me a timeless classic. I've watched and loved it dozens of times over the years. Director Brian G Hutton, who also directed Eastwood in the equally brilliant Where Eagles Dare two years previous, makes the film flow beautifully whether it be full on superbly realised action sequences or the quieter moments with their crackling dialogue.

Eastwood and Savalas go about their assignment with laid back cool and frenetic gusto but are upstaged by Sutherland's clearly bonkers and equally spaced out Oddball. The sight of Oddball in the midst of battle chilled out drinking wine and eating cheese whilst sat at his own table and chair is just brilliant as Eastwood and Savalas approach in sheer amazement "I'm drinking wine and eating cheese, and catching some rays, you know". It's just so bizarre and so, so funny.

The action culminates in an assault on the French town and a showdown with the three Tiger Tanks. It's expertly staged and shows the sheer fire power of the Tigers as buildings crumble to dust in their wake.

As well as being one hell of a good time and a thrilling adventure, Kelly's Heroes also manages to satirize what i would call typical war films with it's moral ambiguities and it's this satire and occasional outright laughs that sets it apart from so many war movies placing it firmly in the crime caper genre of The Italian Job (1969). Alright, The Italian Job crossed with The Dirty Dozen.
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  #55442  
Old 2nd May 2021, 12:26 AM
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Let The Right One In. 2008.

Oskar, a bullied 12 year old boy stuck between his parents divorce befriends a girl from his flats Eli, as their friendship progresses, Oskar finds out Eli is a vampire.

This is the second time seeing this film and still amazes me, from the start to finish it never gets boring more interesting and never read the book to this, leaves things questionable like was Eli grooming Oskar to be the new helper if Hakan (current helper/guardian) leaves her but never really revealed but Eli doesn't seem to be manipulative.

Kare Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson play the young leads of Oskar and Eli pretty well, they built up the chemistry between the actors decently from being strangers with a bad attitude to being friends that makes it believable. For a vampire movie there is some blood but never goes over the top. For Hakan's face make up that was done decently and horrific that you can feel his pain almost.

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  #55443  
Old 2nd May 2021, 06:20 AM
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Weird Science.
I'm sure everyone who frequents this site must of seen this film at least once so I won't bother with a synopsis. I have a deep nostalgia for the mid to late 80s as it was all about going to the local video shop or playing on my Atari. I first seen this in the summer of 87 and have loved it ever since.
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Old 2nd May 2021, 08:37 AM
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Originally Posted by MrBarlow View Post
Let The Right One In. 2008.

This is the second time seeing this film and still amazes me, from the start to finish it never gets boring more interesting and never read the book to this, leaves things questionable like was Eli grooming Oskar to be the new helper if Hakan (current helper/guardian) leaves her but never really revealed but Eli doesn't seem to be manipulative.
It's a brilliant book, Mr B. It one I found very easy and quick to read, and enjoyed it because it's superbly written, gripping, and slightly different to the film adaptation.
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Old 2nd May 2021, 09:41 AM
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Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs View Post
It's a brilliant book, Mr B. It one I found very easy and quick to read, and enjoyed it because it's superbly written, gripping, and slightly different to the film adaptation.
At your recommendation Nos, will check it out.
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Old 2nd May 2021, 10:15 AM
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At your recommendation Now, will check it out.
You might want to borrow it from a library or buy it from eBay where it's only £3.29 (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133707369080); it's fairly cheap (£3.39) at Music Magpie (https://www.musicmagpie.co.uk/store/...3-a7ad9854d318).
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  #55447  
Old 2nd May 2021, 10:30 AM
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Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs View Post
You might want to borrow it from a library or buy it from eBay where it's only £3.29 (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133707369080); it's fairly cheap (£3.39) at Music Magpie (https://www.musicmagpie.co.uk/store/...3-a7ad9854d318).
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Old 2nd May 2021, 08:20 PM
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Live

All I wanted was to watch some more idiots traipse to their doom, instead I got this rather depressing tale of a woman who is kidnapped "live" whilst chatting with her online family. Mainly talking heads (mockumentary then?? ) after the fact.
Savageland did that angle far betterer tbh.
Was that bummed out, had to watch some Bottom afterwards to cheer myself up ahem.
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Old 2nd May 2021, 10:21 PM
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The War Lord (1965)

Charlton Heston plays a knight who takes over a tower on the Normandy coast and is told by his duke to hold it in order to strengthen the duke's authority in the area. All goes well until Heston falls for local villager Rosemary Forsyth and uses the local Pagan laws in order to keep her for himself much to the anger of the locals.

The first hour is more melodrama as it explores the clashes between the church and crown and Pagan ritual and lore that consumes the villages of the time and examines the social breakdown between Lords and peasants.

However the second hour is a full on medieval assault on the castle tower by the locals aided by previously defeated Frisian raiders. It's gritty, exciting stuff as an assortment of catapults, battering rams... basically everything you can think of when it comes to a brutal medieval siege. Imagine Peter Jackson's The Two Towers but done without any CGI and you have The War Lord.

Director Franklin Schaffner (Who seemingly plucked half his Planet of the Apes cast from this film) handles the action brilliantly - top quality stunt performers too including Richard Farnsworth and Buddy Van Horn - which is helped no end by the ease at which he allows the build up to capture the viewers imagination via some colourful characters and fine interplay between Heston, Richard Boone and Guy Stockwell.

The film is gorgeous to look at thanks to Eureka's beautiful high definition print. Highly recommended.
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  #55450  
Old 3rd May 2021, 05:09 PM
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I'll say straight away, i had a lot of enjoyment watching Willy's Wonderland. It was everything The Banana Splits Movie should have been. A bit creepy, violent, gory and a whole load of fun
Totally agree a great film, fantastic that Nic Cage never utters word .... They need to start flogging those t-shirts.(there's some out there but not as good as used in the film)...
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