Last movie watched...

The Legendary Shark · 14 May, 2024, 09:40:37 PM

Godzilla x Kong - The new Empire. Huge great monsters knocking huge great chunks out of one another while crushing huge great numbers of people underfoot. I watch these films because they're the ones the eight-year-old me always wanted to watch. He's still in here, loving this awesome rubbish and wondering why I don't play out any more.

Colin YNWA · 15 May, 2024, 06:01:19 AM

Well finally got around to finishing The Gate last night and not sure why I bothered. A seemingly random series of not at all scary stuff. I was kinda hoping for a hidden gem of an 80s horror. Nothing of the sort and the 2000ad cover was by far the best thing in this movie.

Entirely pointless!

Doomlord66 · 16 May, 2024, 12:55:25 AM

Just watched Sisu
During the last desperate days of WWII, a solitary prospector (Jorma Tommila) crosses paths with Germans on a scorched-earth retreat in northern Finland. When the Germans steal his gold, they quickly discover that they have just tangled with no ordinary miner. While there is no direct translation for the Finnish word "sisu", this legendary ex-commando will embody what sisu means: a white-knuckled form of courage and unimaginable determination in the face of overwhelming odds. And no matter what the Germans throw at him, the one-man death squad will go to outrageous lengths to get his gold back - even if it means killing every last German in his path.

Excellent WW2 Story although a tad gory at times. Got some serious Taratino vibes from this, if I didn't know otherwise I would've thought it was one of his.

karlos · 16 May, 2024, 03:54:08 PM

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)

A close relative of SISU, in many ways - especially in the Tarantino-aping and general cartoony killings (of which there an astounding amount).

An odd one - I thoroughly enjoyed it but afterwards found out the many things that were left out or changed for no real reason, I can tell.

I should read the book.

But, anyway, still recommended but with a lot of caveats (Maybe it's best to see it as some sort of alternate reality version of what actually happened?)

The Legendary Shark · 22 May, 2024, 05:29:57 PM

The Fall Guy. Disengage brain, enjoy the stunts, wait for the inevitable Lee Majors cameo. Does exactly what it says on the tin before stabbing it with a screwdriver, setting it on fire then dropping it out of a disintegrating helicopter. Great fun.

Colin YNWA · 22 May, 2024, 10:14:34 PM

Well being a massive fan of The Sopranos makes it a surprise it took me so long to get to The Many Saints of Newark but then having now watched it I'm not sure I needed to bother.

Its strongest piece feel like so many similar movies done better before.

Its weakest moments are found in its ambition to be something more than that but they wrestle against the contrasts of a movie format as opposed to the wider canvas a telly show offers. Its cuts too many important corners which denies it much of its potential.

You could try to watch it on its own merits but it steeps itself so deeply in Sopranos lore as to be impossible to mistake. At times (and I'm thinking Paulie and Silvio he particularly) it almost feels like fan fiction. Its just impossible to reproduce the performances that so brilliantly made those characters utterly impossible to replicate without seeming to fall into parody.

It needed to be braver in what to step away from as it couldn't be want it wanted to be and just left itself a pale shadow of one of the truly great telly shows.

All that said it was compelling throughout and utterly watchable. Some of the performance and I'm thinking particularly older Tony himself and Livia were just brilliant - others too. So while it was a pale imitation that is a high bar and heck it was as bad as some bits of season 6 so ya know!

The Legendary Shark · 25 May, 2024, 07:45:32 AM

Atlas. A.I. v. Humanity in this sci-fi thriller. I didn't expect much here but I was pleasantly surprised. It ain't Trek or Wars but still well worth a watch.

JohnW · 27 May, 2024, 06:13:42 PM

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
I saw Fury Road three times in the cinema, and several more times thereafter. That's my problem right there. Furiosa is just a variation on something I'm rather too familiar with. Tonally and visually, this is Fury Road all over again.
I say this not in complaint but out of a certain regret. This film reminded me that I can never again see Fury Road for the first time.
On the plus side, this is spectacular.
And Anya Taylor-Joy has nice eyes.

Colin YNWA · 27 May, 2024, 06:37:05 PM

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will forever have a place in my heart as it was the first Apes film I took the boychild too the cinema to see. Which is a shame as its so mediocure and one of the weakest in one of my top two film franchises and certainly the weakest in the relaunch films 9to be clear that obivously doesn't include the Burton abomination). Its not a bad film, its just not a great film eitehr.

It was fine.

Which is kinda damning.

I've heard talk that the first half is a little slow and the second half makes for that. Well the boy and I disagree. I was really enjoying it up to the but when they got to The Kingdom of the title and things got a little - What huh daft... yeah yeah talking apes get over daft, but they are really made to work in pretty much all the movies (see Burton caveat above). Yeah the whole eagles now thing was a bit needless and daft, but at least it didn't get in the way until again we reached the Kingdom.

The first half was brisk but built the world and character well. It laid out the plot and for me was full of much more tension.

As soon as they hit the Kingdom there just isn't as much cohesion and things just thrown in to keep the plot bouncing along and hang any sense of logic or reason, motivation or character. Its never horrible its just not at all great.

Close and I'm happy its setting up more to come and I'll be there. Just hope they do anything to come as bit better.

Funt Solo · 28 May, 2024, 02:31:26 AM

Quote from: JohnW on 27 May, 2024, 06:13:42 PMFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga
I saw Fury Road three times in the cinema, and several more times thereafter. That's my problem right there. Furiosa is just a variation on something I'm rather too familiar with. Tonally and visually, this is Fury Road all over again.

I'm in a weird space where I don't want to see it because of how good Fury Road is.

Barrington Boots · 28 May, 2024, 10:04:34 AM

Quote from: Funt Solo on 28 May, 2024, 02:31:26 AMI'm in a weird space where I don't want to see it because of how good Fury Road is.

Funnily enough this is my feeling as well. Fury Road is incredible.

Colin YNWA · 28 May, 2024, 10:14:02 PM

Carnival of Souls is one of those films it feels like you should see, or even should have seen a long time ago. Is it a fumbling B movie or an lost art lose classic. Well if I'm honest I lean more to the former than the latter.

Its intent is clear, but to be honest that intent isn't much more than a half decent Twilight Zone story. There are moments when it does look fantastic. So when Mary is playing the creepy organ music in the church and the souls lurch out the water in her minds eye. This magic is immediately lost to the hocky dialogue and terrible performance as the minister admonishes her. There are numerous examples like that.

The end is half decent but really for me this falls well short of being the classic its often cited as being.