Last movie watched...

[Hawkmumbler]

Cosmos (Dir. Andrezj Zulawski, 2015) his final movie, before sadly passing away last year. Zulawski is a director of limited exposure in the UK, most well known for arguably his opus Possession which somehow found it's way onto the DPB Nasties list. Cosmos deals with many of the same themes as that masterpiece so much so it could almost be considered a spiritual sequel, and is visually ravishing, violent and at times a truly painful watch. Not recommended for the faint of heart but for those wanting something a little different pick up both movies, they're unforgettable if nothing else, life affirming at their best.

[Rara Avis]

That's sad to hear, he is an amazing actor and definitely the best thing about this movie.

Matthew McConnaghey was a bizarre casting choice for The Man in Black, who I would know as Randall Flagg from The Stand, I gather they are the same person although he has a different name on that world.
He just looked like a super-tan Christopher Walken so why didn't they just get CW to play the role. He might have been much better in it.

Yeah, considering the backlash the film recieved* over his casting, I thought it was the strongest aspect of the whole thing. He's given virtually nothing to work with, and doesn't get a chance to really portray the character from the books, but his presence and delivery is spot-on.

*From racists.

[Mardroid]

The Dark Tower was the last film I saw too.

I'm a big fan of the novels, and I'd read a lot of negative posts elsewhere on the film, so I watched the film suitably forewarned.

As an adaptation of the novels, it's pretty poor. I understand that this is a sequel of sorts* but I would have preferred it to be closer to the books. It also needed a slower pacing, I think. Jake's introduction to Mid-World was rushed. [spoiler]That whole stuff with he haunted house should have been much more scary.
[/spoiler]

That being said, I enjoyed it. As a sci-fi action oriented film dealing with a gunslinger from a parallel world, I thought it was okay. Idris Elba** was pretty good in it, as was the kid who played Jake, and Matthew McConaughey, although he seemed much closer to his hard-case RF persona from The Stand than the more subtle trickster Walter/Marten from the novels.

It needed to slow down and take a bit of a breather though. I hope, if there are future films, they do this.

*I won't explain how, without spoiling things for the novels, but if you have read the last novel to the end, you will get what I mean, and a certain comment by Walter in this film may have a whole new meaning for you.

** I disagree that that those who disliked Elba's casting of Roland was for racist reasons though. I'll admit, I wasn't keen myself, not because I'm racist, but because I wanted someone who fit the description of Roland in the novels. If they had cast a white woman as Odetta/Detta/Sussanah, I would have found that even more offensive. [spoiler]There is also a conflict between Roland and Detta in the second novel which related partly to their different races, although I suspect that plot will just be ditched in future films, in the unlikely event that happens.[/spoiler] Suze doesn't turn up in this film though, so I guess that's academic.

I will say though, Idris was pretty good in the role. I accept him now, and wouldn't be against his continuing in the role in future films/series.

[Zarjazzer]

Batman-Harley Quinn. Don't bother. It really is awful. They can't decide whether it's a parody or a adult themed ride. Dire pacing, two rubbish musical bits that warble on far too long (I'll never be able to think of Blondie's Hanging on the Telephone song ever again without this dire version in my head also) ,  and a plot micron thin.

An abysmal waste of this character, leering backside shots, fart jokes and an appearance by Swamp Thing that's more like something out of Monty Python only not funny.

There's much better animated DC films than this. All of them I suspect.

[Rara Avis]

I managed to catch Atomic Blonde before it leaves the cinema.

It's gorgeous and cool, so stylish and yet a load of absolute nonsense. No one looked that cool in the 80s and the plot had more holes than a fishing net.

It was beautiful to look at but ultimately a very frustrating experience with the twist at the end being particularly annoying [spoiler]Oh yee ha, America saves the day once again[/spoiler]

However the fight scenes were particularly good as [spoiler]we get to see the combatants actually get knackered after a few minutes of struggle and end up looking like they actually have had the fight we've seen[/spoiler]

[Spikes]

God's own Country, and Insyriated. Whilst on a long weekend away in that there London.

Both very good.

[Greg M.]

It (2017)

Went with five other folk to see this. Their opinions all ranged from 'it was sort of ok...' to 'it was absolutely terrible.' Personally though, I thought it was great. The various kid actors were excellent - I thought the guy playing Eddie was a particular standout - and whilst the film didn't really have that much of a plot (it's basically 'kid threatened by something nightmarish, repeat for next kid, intersperse with Goonies sections'), that didn't bother me at all. Definitely too much reliance on jump scares but this was counterbalanced by some memorable set pieces ([spoiler]the headless figure in the library was my favourite[/spoiler]). I predict the film'll stand up well to a rewatch - it's certainly the most I've enjoyed a mainstream movie in ages.

[dweezil2]

Darren Aronofsky's latest, Mother.
Self indulgent, pretentious twaddle or a visual arresting, existential nightmare-you decide (maybe both).

[JamesC]

Heat.

I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. It was alright.

[Colin YNWA]

Heat.

I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. It was alright.

Always felt that way about that movie. I remember there was all the fuss when it came out about DeNiro and Pacino appearing on screen together for the first time. Alas it was all just so average. My overriding feeling when leaving the cinema the first time I saw it. There is no way Al Pacino could kick Henry Rollins' ass!

[Steve Green]

4K cinema screening of Close Encounters.

Guess it was the final cut (none of the ship interior released a couple of years ago)

It was a bit jarring for a 9/10 year old to see on its original release, coming off the back of Star Wars and getting domestic breakdowns rather than wall-to-wall pew pew flying saucers.

Lovely to see on the big screen, although the Mr Tickle alien at the end looks ropey as hell, especially the leg joints. The mothership on a huge screen makes up for it.

Preceding by a short making of/introduction - interesting to see Spielberg making his own movies/badgering the cinematographer between takes.


And An American Werewolf in London on Blu Ray - still great with copious extras, and the making of the Piccadilly Circus scene is amazing.

Apparently some gore was cut from the homeless guys getting eaten, surprised that has never seen the light of day.

[Colin YNWA]

Hateful Eight - taken me a while to get around to this, stumbling across it in a charity shop this week put a end to that, which is a shame (my delay)  as I think its one that would have well served by seeing on the big screen. Loved the supposedly over long beginning, which provided a wonderful panoramic contrast to the tight claustrophic secomd 2/3s.

All the typical Tarintino things are there, but since I love a Tarintino film no great lose there!

[TordelBack]

Heat.

I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. It was alright.

My thoughts exactly. It's not at all bad, but it's not brilliant.  Never really understood all the palaver at the time, and especially now that it stars the guys from Meet the Parents, Oceans's Thirteen* and Batman Forever.


*I was struggling to think of a really bad movie Pacino has been in - this was as close as IMDB could get me**, which may tell you something.

** He apparently plays himself in Jack & Jill, but I don't think that counts.  I haven't seen it, and don't plan to.

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

Yes, Al Pacino was in Jack and Jill

[Keef Monkey]

30 Days of Night - Okay, looked very nice but was fairly predictable and  also seemed to seriously lack tension, which for something that could have been a vampire Assault on Precinct 13 is a real shame. Not bad, decent enough Sunday afternoon fare.

GLOW - Loved season 1 of Netflix's Glow series so watched the doc about the actual how it's based on. Very entertaining, and fun to see how much certain characters and events in the Netflix show have been clearly inspired by reality.

Spectre - An alright Bond movie, I'd heard people coming away from it saying it was the best one in ages so expected a bit more I guess. I know a lot of people didn't like Skyfall but I have to say I enjoyed that a lot more, this was still entertaining enough though.