Last movie watched...

[Colin YNWA]

Neverending Story

I thought I'd not seen this for ages when I saw it on iPlayer cos I really couldn't remember anything about it. Well turns out I don't think I've ever seen it - or it was so dull that have just entirely forgotten it. I guess I thought it was just one of those films I must have seen. But aside from the flying chinese dragon chappie and the sneezing giant turtle pretty much a blank.

Its not that it doesn't display astonishing imagination and wonderful fairy tale ideas, its just that it uses them to such poor dramatic effect. The themes of the power of the reader and the captivating nature of story are laid on so thick and lack any guile in their use.

I just found the whole thing a chore, and there was less than an 1 1/2 of it.

Such a shame.

[pictsy]

It's a weird film.  I really am never sure about the real world interaction to the fictional world.  I don't like my fantasy films having "reality" shoe horned in.  This is why I have never gushed over The Princess Bride like so many others.  I don't mind Neverending Story despite this because it's got some imagination I like and some good production values I can appreciate.  Nevertheless, the last time I watched it I did think about Return to Oz a lot. 

The sequels are a whole lot worse.

[Jim_Campbell]

Its not that it doesn't display astonishing imagination and wonderful fairy tale ideas, its just that it uses them to such poor dramatic effect.

See also, Dark Crystal, which I re-watched for the first time in decades ahead of the (criminally cancelled) Netflix sequel series. Looks lovely, goes nowhere and takes its time doing it.

[wedgeski]

Greenland on Prime. Better than you might think, with a pleasantly tense first half before sliding into predictability for the second hour. Looks good (for the most part), well-written, and Gerard Butler puts in a more sophisticated turn than usual.

[repoman]

I'm on a Nic Cage roll right now.  Next was good fun.

Am watching all the Underworld films.

1 - not great.  Just like I remembered it.
2 - not great.  Worse than I remembered.
3 - actually surprisingly good.

I imagine 4 and 5 aren't great but I'll get onto them soon.

[Tiplodocus]

CAPTAIN MARVEL which is jolly good but should have ended within five minutes of her standing up montage. She just seems like an overpowered bully at the end.

[pictsy]

I'm on a Nic Cage roll right now.  Next was good fun.

Am watching all the Underworld films.

1 - not great.  Just like I remembered it.
2 - not great.  Worse than I remembered.
3 - actually surprisingly good.

I imagine 4 and 5 aren't great but I'll get onto them soon.

When you say 3, do you mean Rise of Lychans?  If so, then I agree with this.  I remember 4 being terrible.  So much worse than what came before.  It's been a long time since I watched these films, however.

[milstar]

The Island (1980)

Well, I hate this. One of Sir Michael Caine's forgettable efforts. As if filmmakers weren't sure what movie exactly they are making. The premise is pretty simple. A journalist who travels with his son to the island in the search for his scoop, falls captive (after surviving air wreck) to the group of pirates inhabiting the island, led by David Warner. The first part works as a slasher film, the second as survival horror with strong adventures overtones, and the final part as a second-grade thriller, which probably is the most interesting moments of the film. I was fond of pirates in my childhood, after reading Treasure Island, but there is no treasure here, nor the pirates were interesting at all. All are shown as a group of madmen (although David Warner's character shows some intelligence). Speaking of David Warner, he is poorly used here. Neither Michael Caine is made as a believable hero, [spoiler] except when gunning down with a machine gun, dozen of pirates near the film's end.[/spoiler] And as for pirates themselves, they are shown as someone I would tremble on sight. Even though the filmmakers tried to make them intimidating, by having them using gratuitous, gory violence. Also, there is a quite weird boat raid scene. Oh, and the film uses a tagline that is a reference to Jaws (as both films use the same screenwriter, who wrote both novels). But Jaws is a class film compared to this.

[repoman]

I'm on a Nic Cage roll right now.  Next was good fun.

Am watching all the Underworld films.

1 - not great.  Just like I remembered it.
2 - not great.  Worse than I remembered.
3 - actually surprisingly good.

I imagine 4 and 5 aren't great but I'll get onto them soon.

When you say 3, do you mean Rise of Lychans?  If so, then I agree with this.  I remember 4 being terrible.  So much worse than what came before.  It's been a long time since I watched these films, however.

Yep, the prequel one.  So good.  Bill Nighy is amazing in those films and makes up for Sheen not looking anything like a werewolf leader at all.  Looks more like a skinny Simon Pegg.

[von Boom]

Gave Next a look. Not bad as Nick Cage films go, but my wife was seriously put out by the ending.

Tampopo followed by The Ramen Girl. The first is perhaps my favourite foreign-language film, the later is more fun than it has a right to be.

[Tiplodocus]

But Jaws is a class film compared to this.

I dunno. Richard Dreyfuss is a bit too short and tubby to be an effective leading man. Roy Scheider is no oil painting and I'm not sure Robert Shaw has his own teeth. What were they thinking casting these ugly fuckers as heroes? They could have got fit and handsome people.

[Bolt-01]

applause.

[The Legendary Shark]

The shark was gorgeous, though...

[von Boom]

You're biased though.

[The Legendary Shark]

Oh behave  - who doesn't get turned on by a sexy shark?