What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[keirarts]

EQUALISER.

A loose reworking of the TV series, Denzel plays a bloke with OCD who makes friends with a teenage hooker. When her Russian pimps put her in hospital, the mild mannered customer service representative reveals a much darker past and murders the Russian Mafia. Yes, pretty much the entire Russian Mafia.

He's special forces or something, but I suspect he may simply be the African American Michael myers in the way he can move about silently, dissapearing when you stop looking at him and murdering people with various household implements. Pretty much all the film is, is Denzel killing a bunch of people in a bid to make his character from man on fire look like a pacifist and the Russians running around like blue arse fly's trying to catch him.

Stupid? Yes Entertaining? Most definitely.

[Buboven]

Originally Posted by shel

TCM3, which I think is an under rated b movie. Shot with style - some really great shots and angles, the family are all crazy, Viggo and Foree look like they're having a blast, Leatherface walking with a brace after his accident in TCM is a nice little wink, KNB SFX, Hodder on stunts. Whats not to like.

Then I watched Arrow's TCM2 and it's as rubbish as I remembered it. The first 30 minutes are ok then the family turn up at the radio station and it falls to bits. Stretch screaming constantly for the next hour gets old quick, Hopper looks like he immediately regretted accepting the job, the guy with the metal plate is irritating as hell and you're stuck with him right up to the end way after Leatherface bites the dust, the whole thing is dull. Highlight is Savini's SFX. About the only positive thing I can mention. I have no idea why Arrow gave this the deluxe treatment, it's more than it deserves.

Watching the extras now; a very troubled production from the beginning to end. Boy does it show.

Completely agree with you. No idea why I bought it in the first place. Glad I got a good price for it on Ebay.

[Buboven]

Last film I watched was Escape From Alcatraz (1979)

My favourite Eastwood film I have seen so far. 9/10.

[Handyman Joe]

They Drive By Night (1940) - Ida Lupino steals the picture as your classic money grabbing vixen, the wrinkle being she's completely genuinely insane. Some great trucking action in the first half replete with Bogie/Raft banter and overall the film just oozes all the class you would expect from a vintage Jack Warner production. Well worth a watch and you'll never look at a remote control garage door the same way again.

Secret Beyond the Door - Michael Redgrave as a suspicious spouse with a collection of 'felicitous rooms' (AKA recreated murder scenes) - well, this would raise the old eyebrows as you bedded into your new family home. Has its moments but for me this is a bit of a plodder from Fritz Lang, more gothic melodrama than film noir, I give it a generous 7/10, mainly for the nice atmosphere and the one man trial dream sequence.

You Only Live Once - Now this is top tier Lang, Henry Fonda unforgettable as a no-hope punk trying to go straight - I went into this knowing nothing about how the plot plays out and so should you - all I'II say is it's well worth the trip.

Brighton Rock - dug this out in memory of old Sir Dickie - how brilliant is he as a complete sociopath? See also his John Christie. Once I got used to the cor blimey guv accents I loved this film - it builds to a fantastic double whammy climax and has some indelible moments (the Ghost Train being my favourite)

Where the Sidewalk Ends - I often find Dana Andrews a bit wooden (and drunk!) but he's perfect here as a corrupt cop sliding into a mire of his own making. The noir photography in this is superb, the city a shadowy sinister dreamscape, as it should be.

T-Men - another essential Anthony Mann/John Alton Noir. Get past the jingoistic narration and plunge into a world of moral degradation. A proto Donnie Brasco but there's no kindly Al Pacino here, just a psychotic Charles McCraw and a neverending stream of scumbags from all strata of society. This film pulls no punches and has some gut punch scenes - I loved it - a high 8/10.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Handyman Joe

Secret Beyond the Door - Michael Redgrave as a suspicious spouse with a collection of 'felicitous rooms' (AKA recreated murder scenes) - well, this would raise the old eyebrows as you bedded into your new family home. Has its moments but for me this is a bit of a plodder from Fritz Lang, more gothic melodrama than film noir, I give it a generous 7/10, mainly for the nice atmosphere and the one man trial dream sequence.

It's been over five years since I saw that (it was for a film noir module at uni) and I thought it was a really interesting take on the Bluebeard story with a nice turn by Michael Redgrave (making his Hollywood debut) and I liked Joan Bennett, who played his on-screen wife. I should probably add it to my rental list and give it a reappraisal.

[Handyman Joe]

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

It's been over five years since I saw that (it was for a film noir module at uni) and I thought it was a really interesting take on the Bluebeard story with a nice turn by Michael Redgrave (making his Hollywood debut) and I liked Joan Bennett, who played his on-screen wife. I should probably add it to my rental list and give it a reappraisal.

It's not bad at all, I just found the pace draggy, a lack of tension palpable, maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for a more cerebal number

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

It's been over five years since I saw that (it was for a film noir module at uni) and I thought it was a really interesting take on the Bluebeard story with a nice turn by Michael Redgrave (making his Hollywood debut) and I liked Joan Bennett, who played his on-screen wife. I should probably add it to my rental list and give it a reappraisal.

I ordered it last week from Exposure Cinema via Amazon marketplace and although it was shipped on Saturday it hasn't turned up yet.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Handyman Joe

It's not bad at all, I just found the pace draggy, a lack of tension palpable, maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for a more cerebal number

I don't disagree Paul W.S. Anderson is a filmmaker who has a lot to learn and what he did with Event Horizon in terms of pacing, atmosphere and maintaining tension could have been done a great deal better by someone like Ridley Scott or even Danny Boyle, whose Sunshine is a similar, but vastly superior film, but I still think Event Horizon is a solid sci-fi-horror.

[Handyman Joe]

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

I don't disagree Paul W.S. Anderson is a filmmaker who has a lot to learn and what he did with Event Horizon in terms of pacing, atmosphere and maintaining tension could have been done a great deal better by someone like Ridley Scott or even Danny Boyle, whose Sunshine is a similar, but vastly superior film, but I still think Event Horizon is a solid sci-fi-horror.

Heh heh, bit of a quoting mix up I think - for the record I recall Event Horizon as a pretty decent time waster although like Sunshine the build up was way better than the pay out.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Handyman Joe

Heh heh, bit of a quoting mix up I think - for the record I recall Event Horizon as a pretty decent time waster although like Sunshine the build up was way better than the pay out.

If I had to put numbers on them, I would probably say Event Horizon was a 6/10 film, whereas Sunshine is about a 9/10.