Last movie watched...

[Goaty]

Last week I been watch some new films on Netflix;

Bone Tomahawk - that was very great film, brutal!

London Has Fallen - Dumbest action film like first. Bit lots of plot holes as no way they lost control to London!

Spectral - That was very enjoyable and smart film, sort of Black Hawk Down but with twist I wouldn't said, but that final act was great and great special effects than most blockbuster films last few years!

The Hunt for the Wilderpeople - Loved it! Funny and enjoyable to watch, Sam Neill always great. Good luck to director Taika Waititi for next film Thor 3!

[blackmocco]

Hunt For The Wilderpeople was the best movie I saw last year. Great stuff.

[CrazyFoxMachine]

Yeah I really can't wait to see Wilderpeople. My parents saw it over Christmas and were raving about it which is rare.

Psycho

Heady with the weight of its own reputation but still an effective and extraordinarily tense macabre thriller. I'd seen it a few years previously but the gloriously unexpected bait-and-switch with the plot focus changing halfway through is utterly fantastic [spoiler]how the $40,000 goes from being a stress-creating maguffin to discarded in a swamp is ballsy as fuck[/spoiler]. Anthony Perkins is hypnotic as the anxious Bates and I get a big kick out of seeing 12 Angry Men's Martin Balsam as the gloriously named Milton Arbogast. Shame it had to turn into a watery franchise in the 80s and beyond but as a stand alone it's worthy of the acclaim.

[Goaty]

[Professor Bear]

Shame it had to turn into a watery franchise in the 80s and beyond but as a stand alone it's worthy of the acclaim.

I'd argue the recent teen-friendly remake/prequel tv series is worth a gander, while the 1998 remake is - depending on your opinion of Gus Van Sant - either a bizarre act of hubris, or a protest at the creative bankruptcy of Hollywood.

[Mardroid]

Yeah the TV (sort of*) prequel series is pretty good.


On to my film review, which coincidentally does share a major them with psycho, while being very different:
The film I came here to talk about was May .

I recorded it from Film 4 quite a while ago, but just got round to watching it tonight. I liked it a lot. A rather strange film about lonely vulnerable girl with this weird doll that was given to her by her mother as a 'best friend'. It's a weird thing in a box with a glass front. I thought the film might be yet another 'killer doll came alive' iike Chucky, or that film with Anthony Hopkins and the ventriloquist doll...(to be fair I don't think the doll comes to life in that latter one, but I'm sure you get what i mean) and maybe it has that or maybe it doesn't. I'd rather not spoil that for you, but I will say, this film felt rather original. (Edit- That film with Anthony Hopkins is called 'Magic'. I'm not sure I've ever seen it all the way though. I must find that sometime.)

May is essentially a character driven, psychological horror story. It has it's lighthearted moments, and it is very amusing in places and the main character is painfully endearing in her oddness and loneliness. It  is pretty dark as well though, and I warn you, some parts will likely make you wince. (Not because the film is rubbish, I actually think it's a very intelligent film. Even if you don't like it, it will likely give you something to think about.)


*'Sort of' because they have modern technology like mobile phones and laptops, etc, suggesting it's in the present day. That being said, I'm not sure a date is ever stated in the films, we just assume its set in the time period it was created.

[Tiplodocus]

SING STREET

Fabulous little "boy forms band to impress girl" movie with some great songs (original and period).

[Keef Monkey]

I've been wanting to see May for a long time Mardroid, but whenever I've looked it's been a bit tough to get on dvd. I'll have to have another look! I've got a lot of time for Lucky McKee, because I really, really liked The Woman (another one that's a bit of a tough watch in places but is a really bold and unique film) plus The Woods was really interesting and he did one of my favourite Masters of Horror episodes (Sick Girl). Saying that, the last thing I saw of his was All Cheerleaders Die and I really wasn't into that at all.

I can't wait to watch Hunt For The Wilderpeople again now that it's on Netflix, I've probably said it before on here but it was the best film I saw in 2016, a real joy.

[Hawkmumbler]

SING STREET

Fabulous little "boy forms band to impress girl" movie with some great songs (original and period).

I found it pretty dull, TBH.

[Theblazeuk]

I also caught Bone Tomahawk, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The low-key matter of fact violence and gore, the horrific wider picture of the troglodytes (Crippled, pregnant females...) that is never explicitly stated but which creates some genuine Wild West monsters, and the brilliant cast (Chickory... poor old coot) made it the best out of the two westerns starring Kurt Russell I watched last week. Hateful Eight came a distant second in that race, taking a lot longer to say a lot less, and that with about 200% more dialogue. It was OK but an incredibly indulgent piece from Tarantino, and with lesser actors it would have been a complete miss.

This week I also watched Oculus, which had some promise but fails to really centre itself around the mystical mirror mcguffin, and so it's all a bit of a disconnected, empty mess despite several novel ideas and ambitious past/present narrative blurring. And finally, Hardcore Henry, which was a complete novelty and would definitely have made a better videogame than a movie. Still, that's not a huge criticism - I enjoyed it, silly and stupid as it was. Sharlto Copley's ridiculous character was cool and the action was impressive. Not sure first person camerawork will ever be great beyond the artifice of the few well-constructed found footage movies like [REC], but 'twas never dull.

[dweezil2]

Watched Under The Shadow on Netflix, a very effective Iranian horror film with some genuine moments of shock.
Just don't watch it in the early hours like I did!

[JamesC]

Watchmen

I hadn't seen this for a good few years so it was ripe for a re-watch.
This time I was watching it with my girlfriend who has no familiarity with the source material.
In short these were the conclusions:
- It looks lovely. Some really nice production design which, on the whole, is very respectful of the source material.
- The casting is great. In particular Patrick Wilson as Nite Owl, Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the Comedian and Jackie Earl Haley as Rorschach. Everyone put in a pretty good performance though.
- The soundtrack works really well.
- Unfortunately the film misses so much out that it's a pale shadow of the original comic (There's no background to the world of costumed avengers. We don't get to see Rorschach's effect on his psychologist. There's no hint of a further police investigation after Eddie Blake's murder. We aren't familiar with the New Frontiersman so the final twist lacks effect).
- Ozymandias is criminally underdeveloped and lacking in gravitas (in some ways this is the biggest fault of the film and stops it from working on its own terms).
- Dr Manhattan's journey from Jon Osterman to super-human to god-like supreme being is mis-handled. The audience is left wondering why he is ever attracted to Laurie in the first place and why she would be attracted to him if he is so lacking in basic humanity.

Having said all that there's still a lot to like about the film (if you put the morals of intellectual property rights to one side). It's definitely entertaining, it's ambitious and it looks great. Watching it is a strange experience though - more interesting than enjoyable.

[radiator]

To counter my negativity on the Rogue One thread, I'll talk about some movies I've seen and enjoyed recently:

A Christmas Story
I saw this in my local cinema just before Christmas as part of a triple bill. For those not familiar, it's a perennial Christmas classic in the US that has, for whatever reason, not translated to the UK in the same way that other Christmas movies have. It's easy to see why its so beloved; it's a warm, quirky 80s family movie that has a refreshingly odd sense of humour - it would feel pretty modern and timeless were it not for the unfortunate, out of place, slightly racist ending skit.

La La Land
Yeah, it's getting a load of inevitable backlash (de rigeur for any film getting any amount of awards buzz these days) but I went in pretty blind and thought it was delightful. Reminded me somewhat of The Artist - a film that was about, and mimicked the form of, an old Hollywood style of filmmaking and featured two dazzlingly charismatic leads. And as with The Artist, I doubt it'll stand the test of time, or even be widely remembered or revisited in years to come, but for a one-off cinematic experience (and I emphasise 'cinematic' - I imagine it would lose a lot of impact on the small screen) I thought it made for a perfect nights entertainment.

Boy
Thoroughly enjoyable debut feature from Taika Waititi. While its less accomplished than Wilderpeople and suffers slightly from the obviously non-professional cast, it's still funny, moving and heartfelt. Well worth seeking out.

[Link Prime]

I've been wanting to see May for a long time Mardroid, but whenever I've looked it's been a bit tough to get on dvd. I'll have to have another look!

Worth seeking out for a horror fan such as yourself, Keef.
An ending that will stay with you- simultaneously horrific and heartbreaking.

I've never seen the DVD in the wild, but keep an eye out on The Horror Channel- they've broadcast it several times over the past year or two.

[Link Prime]

I recorded Turkish horror Baskin last weekend, and watched it last night.

The tale of 5 police officers (featuring 'Nice-guy rookie', 'Pervert Mr. Nasty', 'Sage old man', etc) as they take a (spoiler) one-way trip into hell itself.

I really enjoyed it for what it was- and it was pretty effin' sick.
Some hints of Jacobs Ladder, Silent Hill and really great performances by the cast (in particular the unforgettable Mehmet Cerrahoglu) ensured my attention was held right up until the multi-interpretive ending.

Worth a watch, horror fans.