Messages

1

Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: 24 July, 2021, 09:04:44 AM »

Face/Off
It's a really interesting film.  I'm sure not on purpose either.  It seems to be entirely constructed on contrivances.  It almost has themes, but forgets to explore them.

I think a large part of the odd tone is down to the fact that it was originally written as a straight SF movie, and then it was decided to make it a current-day action movie, so they filed off as many SF elements as they thought they could get away with, leading to this… thing which is obviously an SF movie but conspicuously pretending it's not.

The soft sci-fi aspect of the film is something I quite liked.  Nevertheless, this is still quite funny.

For all the praise that John Woo gets, Face/Off has laughably bad and hyper-cheesy shots that offer no small contribution to the terribleness of the film.  Watching the languishing attempts to work around the actors shortcomings as action performers (especially compared to the HK crews that Woo would have been used to working with) is cringe worthy.

2

Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: 22 July, 2021, 08:59:26 AM »

Face/Off

I thought I hadn't seen this film before so I decided to finally get around to watching it.  I'm convinced now that I have seen it before and just forgot.  It's a really interesting film.  I'm sure not on purpose either.  It seems to be entirely constructed on contrivances.  It almost has themes, but forgets to explore them.  The action is surprisingly bad.  It's a mess, but a fast paced mess, so I was always hit with something new to baffle my brain.  And if it wasn't from the narrative then it was from the eating competition between Cage and Travolta as to who can consume the most scenery.  The answer is Cage, btw.  The answer is always Cage.

In terms of Cagery present in this film, I'd say it is relatively restrained.  I'd probably put it in the middle of the Cage scale of Cagery.  Enough to be satisfied that you are getting your moneys worth of Cage.

Oh and I kinda liked the film despite it being incredible dumb and awful throughout.

3

Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: 12 July, 2021, 12:26:38 AM »

Power Rangers (2017)

Just finished this.  I remember watching it around it's release.  Power Rangers isn't my thing, but I am just about the age for it.  Could never get into the TV show cos I found it hokey.  When I watched this film with my Power Ranger loving friend I said that this is a Power Ranger movie made for me.  Revisiting it years latter, I really dig it.  It really is made for me.  It's largely about the characters and it has a nice feel to it.  My only complaint is Goldar is bad and the Zords and Megazord aren't too much better.  Also, would have been nice if they came outright with the fact the Yellow Ranger is gay.  I didn't pick up on it the first time around because it is so throw away.  Aside from that, I really dig this film and I'm glad I rewatched it.

4

Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: 11 July, 2021, 11:14:11 PM »

I'm forcing Hawkmumbler to watch the latest Marvel films, just so I don't feel the need to.

Indeed, he is consuming mediocre cinema to protect the rest of us. He our cin eater.

 
This is class

5

Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: 11 July, 2021, 09:12:46 PM »

I'm forcing Hawkmumbler to watch the latest Marvel films, just so I don't feel the need to.

6

Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: 10 July, 2021, 04:59:09 PM »

I think with Goonies you needed to see it as a kid. I didn't.

I did.  When I revisited it wasn't quite what I remembered.  I still found it enjoyable, but in a weird and deflated way.  It doesn't live up to the hype that has been created around it by nostalgia, that's for sure.

7

Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: 08 July, 2021, 09:51:09 AM »

The American

That was definitely a film.  Slow burner.  I'd like to say it's a character piece but it doesn't really explore the characters in anything other than a superficial way.  Really good cinematography.  Clooney was the embodiment of anxiety throughout.  It has really good presentation, but the narrative is well trodden ground full of tropes and cliches.  To the point it becomes very obvious that Clooney dies and he "saves" the prostitute (I can't remember the characters names).  Even if that might be considered ambiguous.  I don't know why one would think of it that way.  It adds nothing to the film.

Anyway, well paced, well shot, well acted.  I'd say it hits more than it misses so it was definitely worth the watch

8

Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: 07 July, 2021, 06:39:49 PM »

OK, I'm sold.  I'll manage my expectations, however.

BTW Midsommer is the murder capital of the world that you are somehow overlooking

9

Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: 07 July, 2021, 05:22:00 PM »

The American - we're asked to sympathize with a main character who murders his girlfriend in cold blood in the opening scene because it's easier than explaining, sharing, caring, committing or taking a risk. Having knowingly put himself into a position where this was (by his absurd moral code) necessary, he then sets up a similar situation subsequently and while I assume the filmmakers wanted the audience to be thinking "will our complicated, troubled hero survive his difficulties" all I was thinking was "will someone stop the serial killer from claiming another victim"?

OR it's a metaphor for how America behaves in the world.

Is this the film that has George Clooney in it from 2010? 

You got me curious, I might watch it in the future.

10

Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: 05 July, 2021, 07:26:27 PM »

The Boy Who Cried Werewolf

This is a Nickelodeon TV Movie.  With that in consideration it is better than one might expect.  It's still not very good, however.  The weird thing is that it has a decent amount of good ideas.  It just doesn't do anything with them.  Because it's a Nickelodeon TV Movie.  That's the real shame of this film.

The story isn't very interesting.  Dead Mum, Dad finding it hard to cope, Daughter taking on responsibilities and Son acting out.  Obscure relative dies, they inherit a castle and have a lame battle with vampires.  The end.

The werewolf costumes were pretty decent.

11

Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: 28 June, 2021, 09:36:22 AM »

Summer of '84

It has a decent premise.  A coming of age film were the kids spy on a suspected serial killer.  It just doesn't come together in a coherent manner.  It leaves dangling threads all over the place and makes a drastic tonal shift right at the end of the film.  Much of it was predictable, including the tonal shift.  The characters were cut outs and their development is stifled.  Really mediocre.

12

Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: 27 June, 2021, 01:46:05 PM »

Naked Gun 2½

This one didn't do anything for me.  Despite the staggering relevance of the plot, it just wasn't all that fun.  I cringed more than I laughed.  That doesn't say much because I didn't laugh.  I was curious if the film could beat the law of diminishing returns, but I don't think it did.  Not for me anyway.  Still, it's watchable, I guess.

13

Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: 24 June, 2021, 04:04:33 PM »

Naked Gun

I chuckled in places.  The baseball stuff went on too long as I don't give a shit about sport in general or baseball in particular.  I realise I only understand baseball through jokes made about it in american media.  Anyway, I was expecting it to be a bit of a let down, but it turned out to be fine.  If it wasn't for the baseball nonsense and the very unfortunate equivalence of the Palestinian struggle to Idi Amin at the beginning it would have been entertaining throughout.  I may watch the sequel again at some point in the future.

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Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: 22 June, 2021, 08:33:10 PM »

The Wrath of Man. An intriguing start rapidly descends into a run-of-the-mill same old, same old fest trying desperately to disguise itself as something clever and fresh.

Judging by the trailer is this not just Jason Stateham doing shooty-shooty bang-bang?

Oh cool.  I like Stathem shooty-shooty bang-bang films... well, most of them.  I bet he does some martial arts type stuff and drives a car really fast as well.  And scowls a lot.

Yes.

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Film & TV / Re: Current TV Boxset Addiction

« on: 22 June, 2021, 08:31:12 PM »

I ducked out of the entire MCU after Endgame. I've had my fill, its fine, and for the most part have been dragging myself through the last half dozen movies just to reach that point. Didn't even bother with either of the Ant-Man movies. I tried to give Wandavision the benefit of the doubt, it at least seemed to be trying to come at this whole tired genre from a somewhat fresh angle but only made it through three episodes before the whole show shat the bed and went back to Disney witty-farcicalness. Loki will be another miss.

I'm probably just getting old and jaded but the constant omnipresence of these properties in our collective daily lives for what is now the larger portion of my life has really soured me to the MCU and just Disney in general.

I have similar sentiments and it was pretty much Endgame that did for me as well.  I might watch a movie here or there maybe, but at this point it's exhausting and they are just pumping out so much more of it now.  Thankfully there is stuff I know I like that I can rewatch.

Like SG1.  My rewatch of that is going good.  I'm into season 4 and thoroughly enjoying it.  I like it's goofy approach.