Last movie watched...

[radiator]

Speaking of Clooney, I rewatched Up in the Air last week - and enjoyed it just as much as the first time.

A gorgeous looking film that is funny, has a superb cast (nice appearances by first rate comic actors such as Danny McBride, Zach Galifianakis and Jason Bateman), well acted and overall is slick and entertaining to watch. If you don't like Clooney it probably won't win you over, but it's undoubtedly a role he is perfect for.

Despite the cover making it look like a sappy rom-com, the overall tone is genuinely bleak, with some hugely uncomfortable sequences. And just when it looks as if we're going to get a nice, happy, Hollywood ending, the film punches you right in the gut with a final twist (admittedly I did guess the twist on first viewing, but only did so shortly before the reveal).

Also rewatched Adventureland - a film I actually enjoyed more the second time round - I first watched it nursing a same-day hangover so had forgotten loads of things about it. A superior teen movie on the surface, but it's natural audience is probably a fair bit older than that - probably explains why it didn't do too well. While it's a very funny film the humour isn't quite what you'd expect from the director of Superbad - quite understated in comparison. I thought Ryan Reynold's character was especially well-observed - he certainly reminds me of people I have encountered in my life.

[Buttonman]

My last was 'The Supergrass' from 1985 which was the big screen debut of the Comic Strip cast and quite enjoyable too despite a few too many coincidencesused to drive the plot along.

I'd also recommend 'Gentlemen Broncos' by the writer/director of 'Napoleon Dynamite' which sees a young sci-fi writer getting his story nicked by an established cheezy hack straight from the Garth Merenghi school.

[Greg M.]

Last film I watched must have been a French horror film from 1980 called ‘Night of Death!’: at times a rather black comedy, at other times a wonderfully atmospheric piece, set in a cannibalistic nursing home for some very creepy geriatrics. Very enjoyable, with a few welcome but not wholly unpredictable twists, and some genuinely unnerving sections as the residents stalk the corridors en-masse.

Oh, and an Italian 70s zombie comedy called ‘Io Zombo, Tu Zombi, Lei Zomba’. In Italian. With no subtitles. And I can’t speak Italian. (It was pretty inexpensive and I’ve seen virtually every other 70s / 80s Italian zombie movie, so I felt compelled to seek this obscurity out.)

[Strontium Claw]

I watched Inception for the first time the other day and found it to be pretty disappointing. It's very well directed and has some amazing sequences, but it's let down by the screenplay which has two significant weaknesses:

1. It has no story. None whatsoever. The plot is very straight forward and nowhere near as intelligent as it purports to be.

2. The characters were poorly developed so I didn't care what happened to them, a  particular problem given the dream-within-a-dream-within-a-dream scenario which  means there's no sense of threat or danger.

Tom Hardy was the best thing in it but he still wasn't given much to do. I really wanted to like it, but it just seemed cold, clinical and efficient.


Just to add:

2001 is a masterpiece, it instills a sense of wonder and awe about creation and the universe like no other movie,
I pity anyone who says they find it boring.

[JOE SOAP]

I watched Inception for the first time the other day and found it to be pretty disappointing. It's very well directed and has some amazing sequences, but it's let down by the screenplay which has two significant weaknesses:

1. It has no story. None whatsoever. The plot is very straight forward and nowhere near as intelligent as it purports to be.

2. The characters were poorly developed so I didn't care what happened to them, a  particular problem given the dream-within-a-dream-within-a-dream scenario which  means there's no sense of threat or danger.

I disagree with those points and ther relevance to the value of the film but I do not like the Bondesque snow scene which is just a silly indulgence much like the game theory boat rubbish at the end of Dark Night.

[Keef Monkey]

Regarding the differences between 2001/2010 and the books, I made the mistake of only reading 3001, and being a bit confused. Only really have myself to blame for that I guess.

Last movie I watched was a rewatch of Grindhouse on blu-ray. I always find it interesting that people find Death Proof too slow and talky, because watched in the proper format (and granted, with a shorter cut of both films) I think it works brilliantly. Planet Terror is so energetic that by the time it ends it's been a bit exhausting really, and I find the contrast of DP really welcome. In fact I'd go so far as to say that PT loses a lot of the fun on subsequent watches but DP I think I could watch over and over again and still love. Also, there's the fact that the women are incredible and the car chase is probably the most excited I've been by cars going fast.

As a kid I thought car chases were exhilarating, but Hollywood can't seem to do it right these days. Maybe it's all the CG that goes around these days, those kind of scenes feel very sterile and empty these days. Not so with DP though. The fake trailers aren't quite as funny at home as in the cinema, but Thanksgiving is still the best thing Eli Roth has ever put his name to by a mile.

[strontium_dog_90]

Last one watched was Hellraiser: Inferno. Not bad, considering it was the first one Clive Barker didn't have a hand in. And nice to see the Pinhead story crossing over into a completely different kind of genre.

[Keef Monkey]

Last one watched was Hellraiser: Inferno. Not bad, considering it was the first one Clive Barker didn't have a hand in. And nice to see the Pinhead story crossing over into a completely different kind of genre.

I recall enjoying that one too, it was a nice change of pace after 3&4 I thought. Much better than I expected. Haven't ever got around to the later films (don't think they ever got a UK release) so Inferno was as far as I got.

[IAMTHESYSTEM]

The Evil Dead on the Horror channel.

It's clearly plasticine their using for the 'melting effects' at the end but it doesn't matter it's just one of those films like 'An American Werewolf in London' that is a cult movie classic.

[mogzilla]

well the last one was zatoichi but i "taped" carriers the other night which i shall watch with a brew later.

[Ignatzmonster]

well the last one was zatoichi but i "taped" carriers the other night which i shall watch with a brew later.

Which Zatoichi? There's a bunch of those guys.

[Tiplodocus]

THE PRINCESS BRIDE.

Not seen it for nearly twenty years and nearly as good as I remember it. Snappy dialogue, lovely plot and characterisations and that knowing wink to camera of the story within the story all work for me.

Tiny Tips pointed out one of the weaknesses though; the final assault on the castle is too straight (nearly dark) compared to the rest of the film.

[vzzbux]

The last movie I watched was Tangled about 3 hours ago (again and again and again etc), at the moment it is Sophie's flavour, The last one was The princess and the frog.
What I can't understand is why they went for Tangled as the title instead of Rapunzel. Considering all the other fairy tale movies were aptly named, i.e. Snow White, Cinerella et-al.
I don't think I will be able to stomach much more as I am not a fan of the Disney mush. It keeps Sophie quiet though.





V

[Roger Godpleton]

The Mechanic. It was OK.

[doggettX]

Romeo + Juliet.

If he'd only waited another 30 seconds...