Last movie watched...

[DaveGYNWA]

Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
Three Amigos!
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!
Stop! Or my mom will shoot.

[Professor Bear]

Hollywoodland - Affleck has the mannerisms of George Reeves' screen persona down pat, and the camera certainly seems convinced  that he is an older, chunkier actor than he actually is, but... well, he clearly isn't older and chunkier, so the central conceit of the man's decline and eventual suicide is missing, which is rather a shame given that the final take on events really hinges on you believing that this is a guy who was past his prime and finally accepted it.  Adrian Brody's (I assume fictional) detective character is similarly unconvincing, but that's more from being underwritten as if you're going to make up a character for a movie these days - even if it is set in the past - you ideally need more than "daddy issues" for your actor to go forward, but that is literally* all there is there: has issues with his dad, isn't a very good dad himself - oh teh ironie!
Affleck is pretty good if you look past the limitations of the makeup department, and he really carries what there is of the picture, but otherwise it's all a bit slight and predictable, and not something I'd recommend seeking out.  If it's on telly, maybe give it a watch for a bit and see how you get on.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, put on in the wee hours in the hope my familiarity with the material would lull me to sleep, but I hung on until the end anyway because I've always liked this much-vilified outing in the series for its more sedate pacing and knockabout attitude, as it doesn't pretend to be heavy even when it clearly gets pretty heavy with stuff like McCoy's euthanising his dad.
It's much-maligned by people who want to see it as some sort of tribute to Shatner's ego, but that ignores what's on display here: right from the off Kirk is shown more than in any other Trek (even that episode where he becomes senile) as old and ridiculous, reliant on his friends to keep him from wandering into a fire or falling off a bridge, which he admits right there on the screen when he says "I will die alone", long taken as quasi-mystical foreshadowing but really just his way of saying "you guys got my back."  The big problem he faces here isn't God (who easily gets capped in the grill by a Klingon drive-by), or some beardy cult leader (Sybok constantly displays concern at bloodshed rather than having a taste for it), instead Kirk's big problem is that he's too old for shite like this and even asks his boss if anyone else can do it, but he gives it his best shot and unsurprisingly he gets his asshole handed to him by a bunch of space hicks, and then pretty much gets mugged in his own ship when Sybok slaps the shit out of him without even trying, beating him off walls like a ragdoll - it's rarely noted how deflated the character is after this as he's led off to space jail, but he's basically just been taken behind the woodshed by a hippy and he never even gets a rematch, so if this is a supposed to be a shrine to Shatner's ego, it's a pretty odd one.
Basically it is a film where some old duffers try not to embarrass themselves and fail - the bad guy pretty much wins all the time in this, outsmarting Kirk and rendering him harmless to the point that given the upper hand again kirk shies away from confrontation and instead acquiesces to his adversary's wishes, but that's okay because Sybok isn't really evil, he's just misguided by ego and when he cottons on to that he does the right thing and sacrifices himself so the others can escape, further illustrating Kirk's uselessness and Sybok's never-hidden decency despite his role as a religious crusader, a sort long portrayed in Trek as irrational bogeymen types but here Sybok is a top bloke who misguidedly uses the telepathic equivalent of the Happy Pill - only with the other's consent - because he thinks people will be happier that way, but even when rebuffed by Spock, he just looks pleased that if his brother has abandoned him, it's because he isn't the lonely child Sybok remembers, and that he has Kirk's back, however illogical this loyalty may be.  Star Trek 5 is a bunch of old men looking for answers that old men would like to have in their old age, about whether they've been right all these years, about the importance and influence their family and cultures have had upon them and the importance of their taking control of their own lives and pushing ever forward, aspiring, exploring, and always questioning even in the literal* face of absolute truth because that is what we are and that is what we do as people rather than just well-behaved monkeys that found our way down from the tree and stopped shitting on everything.
But, man, does it look cheap.  This had a higher budget than the film that came next, but you really couldn't tell by looking.
Still, it's good fun.



* totes for reals

[Ghost MacRoth]

I just watched Pitch Perfect and it was the best thing I've seen in my entire fucking life. On that note, it's been nice knowing you all.

Had saw the trailer and thought 'That looks quite funny....but it's probably pish'.  Just watched it.  Fucking great film!  Very funny, very well paced, and I even enjoyed the singing bits! Surprised?  Yes, I was.

[Frank]

I just watched Pitch Perfect and it was the best thing I've seen in my entire fucking life. On that note, it's been nice knowing you all.

Had saw the trailer and thought 'That looks quite funny....but it's probably pish'.  Just watched it.  Fucking great film!  Very funny, very well paced, and I even enjoyed the singing bits! Surprised?  Yes, I was.

We should probably plait each other's hair, promise to be BFFs, and sync our periods, Ghost. I loved the film, but let's never mention this again. I certainly haven't downloaded the soundtrack, and anyone who tells you I have is a stinking liar.

[Ghost MacRoth]

Mention what?? 

[Buttonman]

The shamefully dire Wild Geese II followed by Jack Nicholson going all art house in The Passenger.

[Graff Vynda K]

The shamefully dire Wild Geese II followed by Jack Nicholson going all art house in The Passenger.

Spooky; I just watched Wild Geese 1 (also not that good; Roger Moore's lack of acting abilty kinds of take you right out of the action) and the The Passenger! Big Antonioni fan; that final take is nuts. Also: Jenny Runacre.

Last film actually watched was The Prestige (on an aeroplane) and then Dead Man's Shoes to help with the jet lag.

[Sideshow Bob]

Just watched another old DVD....this time it was Unbreakable starring Bruce Willis and Samuel L Jackson....about 12 years old now so if you've not caught it before, give it a look...

Really enjoyed this ( again, as it's about the 3rd Time I've seen it )....and well worth another watch.

It explores the Comic Superhero / Villain myth a little,  and has Willis ( an excellent performance ) as the titular ( Unbreakable ) hero, David Dunn......Struggling to come to terms with his role in life, as he realises that he does indeed possess super powers, that he was unaware off.....What does he do and how does he carry on with his life ??
He's helped along the way by Samuel L Jackson as a Comic book store / Gallery owner, Elijah Price,  who befriends him and realising his potential, becomes involved in helping Willis in recognising this potential....

It's fairly slow moving, more of a character study than an all out actioneer movie, but it's fairly well told with Willis' character well fleshed out and Elijahs' back story very good....His initial love of comic books, as he struggled to cope with his early life...

[spoiler]There is a twist in the tale [/spoiler] ( as it's by M Night Shyalaman )....but still most enjoyable....[spoiler]Observant and 'comic book lore aware'  viewers may see the 'twist' coming, but despite that [/spoiler] it's a movie I would certainly recommend as 'worth a watch' ....

Cheers

[Professor Bear]

Cutter's Way, in which PTSD suffering war veteran John Heard smells a way to extort some cash from a local businessman when Heard's mate Jeff Bridges figures the businessman might be the person who murdered a high school cheerleader.  The plan does not unfold as hoped.
It's a pretty squalid crime drama that seeks out new ground amongst some familiar noir tropes and Heard is great as the angry, one-armed, one-eyed, barely two-legged racist drunkard with a violent streak, while Bridges seems a bit of a vapor, but then he would considering how the deck is stacked in favor of Heard when it comes to quirks.  The pace is slow overall, but the resolution is clever.
A neat find, this, as I'd never even heard of it before.  Worth a watch if you come across it.

[shaolin_monkey]

I saw Hit Girl last night, or 'Kick Ass 2' as it is currently titled.

I wasn't sure what to make of it to be honest.  It seemed to be such a bizarre mishmash of comedy, tragedy, action, surrealism, violence etc etc.  Some bits of it were cringeworthy, some funny, some made me feel a bit sick, and some bits made me think 'why the hell am I watching this?'.  It all seemed a tad pointless, and didn't really have much of a cohesive plot other than 'idiot rich kid becomes uber baddie while 15 year old tries to find herself while mutilating people'.

It was a shame they put most of the funny bits in the trailer though - it kind of spoiled the film.  It kinda reminds me of the time I saw the trailer for Star Trek V, and thought it looked awesome, hilarious, action packed etc.  Then I went to the cinema and found all the best bits were the trailer, and the rest was filler.

Still, I've seen far worse that Kick Ass 2, and enjoyed it on some levels. Jim Carrey was good. 

[MR. ELIMINATOR]

Cutter's Way, in which PTSD suffering war veteran John Heard smells a way to extort some cash from a local businessman when Heard's mate Jeff Bridges figures the businessman might be the person who murdered a high school cheerleader.  The plan does not unfold as hoped.
It's a pretty squalid crime drama that seeks out new ground amongst some familiar noir tropes and Heard is great as the angry, one-armed, one-eyed, barely two-legged racist drunkard with a violent streak, while Bridges seems a bit of a vapor, but then he would considering how the deck is stacked in favor of Heard when it comes to quirks.  The pace is slow overall, but the resolution is clever.
A neat find, this, as I'd never even heard of it before.  Worth a watch if you come across it.

Saw this recently myself. My mate just said it was pretty much the big lebowski haha. Must admit it did have some similarities.

[JamesC]

The Quatermass Experiment

This was the 1955 Hammer version that I recorded off the telly last night. I don't think I've ever seen it before and it was pretty good. The American Quatermass himself was awful though, doing little more than shouting at everyone like an arrogant prick! I think the biologist and Police Inspector would have gotten on better without him.
There was some good old British stiff upper lippedness going on, which is one of the best things about watching these old films.

[Goaty]

The Quatermass Experiment

This was the 1955 Hammer version that I recorded off the telly last night. I don't think I've ever seen it before and it was pretty good. The American Quatermass himself was awful though, doing little more than shouting at everyone like an arrogant prick! I think the biologist and Police Inspector would have gotten on better without him.
There was some good old British stiff upper lippedness going on, which is one of the best things about watching these old films.

It on iPlayer for a week.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b007y4fk/The_Quatermass_Experiment/

[PsychoGoatee]

You're Next! Fun horror flick, thrills and chills, recommended.

[Daveycandlish]

The Quatermass Experiment

This was the 1955 Hammer version that I recorded off the telly last night. I don't think I've ever seen it before and it was pretty good. The American Quatermass himself was awful though, doing little more than shouting at everyone like an arrogant prick! I think the biologist and Police Inspector would have gotten on better without him.
There was some good old British stiff upper lippedness going on, which is one of the best things about watching these old films.

Brian Donlevy is a bit shouty (Nigel Kneale hated his portrayal) but if you can find Quatermass II, that is even better. Great early Hammer films.