Last movie watched...

[HdE]

and most importantly Christopher Walz gives the best bad guy I've seen in years. 

He's bloody brilliant, ain't he? His first scene was absolute genius!

Top movie. Well worth a watch for those who haven't seen it!

[Orlok]

Whip It.

I approached this film with a measure of caution as it was picked by the missus. Directed by Drew Barrymore it tells the story of a 17 year old girl's (the gorgeous Ellen Page) efforts to find her own path in the world, hampered by small town life and the expectations of her parents (a football mad father and a pageant obsessed mother). Standard tropes follow, girl meets a boy in band, boy becomes a douche, she has to overcome adversity and win the respect of her parents and peers.

All standard stuff, except...it explores these themes using an all girl roller derby.

Girls in hotpants beating the shit out of each other, Juliette Lewis looking like a spaced out skanky ho, a sleazy compere, good soundtrack and a tactics obsessed coach.

It's a masterpiece.

[HdE]

...Juliette Lewis looking like a spaced out skanky ho...

Wait - is that the part she's acting, or are you just speaking generally? Coz either works, in my opinion.

[Dandontdare]

Saw Benjamin Button on the telly the other night - a great film, reminded me of Vonnegut in it's scope and atmosphere; but those fantastic aging effects that everyone was raving about weren't that impressive - he seemed to turn overnight from being a grey-haired old man to, well, Brad Pitt, and then stayed the samme for about 30 years, whilst Daisy reached her 30s and then aged the next 30 years by putting on a pair of glasses.

Also watched Clash of the Titans again - Haryhausen rocks!

[radiator]

Working my way through Band of Brothers atm. It's just amazing isn't it? Only on episode 5, but can already see myself rewatching this in the near future.

So many likable actors keep turning up (Damian Lewis, Marc Warren, Ron 'Office Space' Livingston - never knew James McAvoy was in this, and I just recognised one of the Lost Boys from Hook!) - it's heartbreaking to know that most of these characters probably won't be making it til the end of the series...

[mygrimmbrother]

Yep, a true classic of modern TV. Is it your first time Rads? I'd also recommend The Pacific - doesn't have the cameraderie of BOB as the story is cobbled together from the autobiographies of a couple of guys and what is known of Purple Heart winner John Basilone, who operated in separate units ISTR, but still really powerful stuff. It builds real momentum too as the US forces island-hop ever closer to Japan, with the defenders' tactics growing ever more desperate.

[zombemybabynow]

got clerks and love & death today.

want to get clerks 2 but apparently miramax has been sold so i'll have to wait for a re-issue.

not a film but currently watching season 9 box set of smallville - can't wait to get to the [spoiler]JSA[/spoiler] episodes

[radiator]

Yep, a true classic of modern TV. Is it your first time Rads?

Pretty much - I remember watching the pilot and a coupe of odd episodes when it was on BBC2 about ten years ago, so I keep remembering little bits of it as I watch, but it's so so much better watching it right from the beginning. I'm watching it on the train on my iPhone, which is actually a really good way to watch stuff I'm finding - the headphones really help to immerse you, and it's rare that I'd sit down and give something my full attention at home - too many distractions!

It kind of goes without saying that the battle scenes are incredible - it's made me wonder why so far videogames have yet to even remotely capture that sort of Saving Private Ryan atmosphere and aesthetic. The closest I've seen was an old Xbox game called Brothers in Arms (a rather shameless BoB rip-off admittedly), but even that was compromised somewhat. It was quite a brave game in that combat was limited to small skirmishes and the emphasis was on suppressing and outflanking the enemy. It managed to nail that feeling of running to and from cover with bullets zipping around your head, and the sight of a tank rolling into view was genuinely panic-inducing. Completely unlike Call of Duty which seems to cast you as some sort of superhuman fighting in WWII as directed by Michael Bay.

I've heard mixed things about The Pacific - have heard that it's kind of just one relentlessly grim battle scene after another with very little character stuff in between - will still probably give it a go after BoB though.

What I really love about BoB is the characters though - you get surprisingly little backstory about who they are on civvy street, it's all down to the individual actor's charisma that makes you root for them and hope they survive.

[Tiplodocus]

I only saw a couple of episodes of Pacific but it just seemed more... "written" than Band of Brothers. And that didn't seem right.

I think the third episode CARENTAN is just about my favourite hour of telly ever. It packs sooo much in that I keep remembering it as 3 different episodes.

[klute]

I only saw a couple of episodes of Pacific but it just seemed more... "written" than Band of Brothers. And that didn't seem right.

I think the third episode CARENTAN is just about my favourite hour of telly ever. It packs sooo much in that I keep remembering it as 3 different episodes.

Band of Brothers is by far the better of the two IMHO i like both...but found that BoB gave people time to fall in love with the characters,pacific didnt appear to do that seemed more of a rush to get straight in.

[klute]

Last film watched Star Runner horrible simply horrible wouldnt recommend this serenity/pitch black/firefly rip off to anyone.

Give it a miss.

[Mardroid]

Triangle.

Very confusing but interesting stuff.

[Orlok]

Band Of Brothers still tears me up.

Tom Hardy (soon to be Bane) appears too.

Best bit? Lots to choose from, but loved the transition of everyone's war story villain Ronald Speirs to the hero they all could rely on when the shit hit the fan.

[Richmond Clements]

I only saw a couple of episodes of Pacific but it just seemed more... "written" than Band of Brothers. And that didn't seem right.

I think the third episode CARENTAN is just about my favourite hour of telly ever. It packs sooo much in that I keep remembering it as 3 different episodes.

For me 'Why We Fight' is the one- every single person should be made to watch this. And the last line tears me up every single time.

[radiator]

I think what has made watching BoB even better is that I watched The World at War immediately before it, so I understand the context and timeline of all the battles.

Tom Hardy (soon to be Bane) appears too.

Wow - didn't know that. Damian Lewis, Michael Fassbender, Simon Pegg, Tom Hardy, Dexter Fletcher, David Schwimmer, Marc Warren, James McAvoy, Stephen Graham, Ron Livingston,...

That is one hell of an ensemble cast!