Last movie watched...

[Theblazeuk]

Finally got around to seeing Spiderman: Homecoming. Was sold the minute I heard the cartoon's theme-tune put to cinematic score, and was smiling to myself all the way through Peter's "Friendly Neighbourhood" routine. Dragged slightly in places though largely due to the usual slog that is the last 20-30 minutes of a superhero slog. Thought all the young cast were great and I look forward to seeing the next one!

[Apestrife]

I think the assembly cut is better. While some scenes are just a bit different and don't really add much to the story (the alien hatches from a different animal for example) it has a whole chunk of plot [spoiler]involving a twist[/spoiler] included that wasn't in the theatrical cut.

It's a bit messy as a cut. There are scenes which look grainy, and there's a bit of minor duplication (I noticed a character repeat a line), so it's not perfect. But overall I found it very interesting and it adds a whole lot to the story.

You also get to see a bit more outdoors stuff at the start too. That doesn't add to the plot at all, but it sets the scene better concerning the prisoner's planet, working the oxen, etc, it's visually quite stunning in a lonely desolate kind of way.

I've had a look at the intro, ending and inbetween. Felt like it works better. But doesn't save the "whole" for me. Still, I can see why some really like it.

[Dandontdare]

Valerian and the...

Looks fab, some great ideas in the first mission.

Scuppered a little bit by the leads, Valerian seemed like he needed to be more Han Solo, but comes across as more human resources sex-pest nightmare.

Delves a bit too much into videogame territory, ship computer narration "you need this item", "these are the 4 sectors", but the visuals still make it worth a look - saw it in 3D and just enjoyed the graphics.

Pretty similar view here - it looks amazing, the best bit is the idyllic beach intro. The leads are poor though - Cara monobrow is okay at action quipping but you can get splinters off her when she tries to act, and he's just a bit insipid. The Rihanna cameo is just an excuse for some sauciness and cgi shapechanging. By the last half hour I was bored and wishing it would just end. A whole heap of style over substance

[Steve Green]

The bubble thing fell flat for me, seemed like it needed a whole crowd scene in there, like the Diva scene in the fifth element, or Jessica Rabbit's act.

Favourite character by far was the eager to please PA to the chief.

Think she was handed some pretty duff dialogue to deliver anyway, but also someone like Eva Green might have been a more interesting choice for Laureline.

I've never read the comics, but someone said the whole romance subplot wasn't in them.

[Judge Olde]

Just seen Dunkirk on iMax, really enjoyed it. A friend recently saw it & hated it. Really can't believe he & I watched the same film. Tempted to see it again on standard cinema screen to see how it compares (I've got the Odeon card thingy)

[Apestrife]

"Don't look now". Good 70s horror (I think you could say it's such) with Donald Sutherland. The ending really put me on the edge of my seat, and the twist was great.

Really enjoyed how the details told the story. For example the cut between a woman screaming and the sound of a power drill. The use of glass, water and the colour red.

[Mattofthespurs]

"Don't look now". Good 70s horror (I think you could say it's such) with Donald Sutherland. The ending really put me on the edge of my seat, and the twist was great.

Really enjoyed how the details told the story. For example the cut between a woman screaming and the sound of a power drill. The use of glass, water and the colour red.

One of my all time favourite films. Saw this a year ago (for the umpteenth time) at the BFI last year.
Also made a pilgrimage to Venice and visited many of the places they filmed including the church that was being renovated and the place where the final scene takes place.
The short story it's based on is also brilliant.

[Apestrife]

One of my all time favourite films. Saw this a year ago (for the umpteenth time) at the BFI last year.
Also made a pilgrimage to Venice and visited many of the places they filmed including the church that was being renovated and the place where the final scene takes place.
The short story it's based on is also brilliant.

Cool to hear! Considering reading that short story!

Watched THE CONVERSATION last night. Great film on paranoia. Feels very relevant in our times of misinformation. Especially enjoyed the bit on spreading information can have grave consequences. Love how subtle the ending was [spoiler]with the bug probably being in the saxophone[/spoiler]. I also like it how it doesn't take the paranoia and make it about a man vs some cool sounding conspiracy, but rather a hollow man's slow descent into getting ruined. In that sense, I think Harry Caul feels every bit as fascinating as Travis Bickle and Benjamin Willard.

[Hawkmumbler]

My Shin Gojira build up once again had me revisiting two of my favourites...

Gojira (Ishiro Honda/1953) needs zero introduction and no defence, it's an absolute masterpiece. An analogue for the effects of nuclear war on Japan, it's harrowing, dark, pondering, but also up alongside Quatermass as some of the best political sci-fi. It truly is essential viewing.

Return of Godzilla (Koji Hashimoto/1984) is a superb 'soft' reboot to the series, ignoring everything in the showa continuitu bar Gojira. The movie is perhapse this week more relevant than ever, as a direct commentary on the cold war and its effects on anti-nuclear war nations like Japan. It's comfertably the second best movie in the franchise, and highly recomended also. 

[The Legendary Shark]

Barbarella. An hour and thirty eight minute glimpse into the fevered wet dreams of ten thousand nerds and an absolute triumph of style over substance. Magnificent!

[SIP]

Barbarella. An hour and thirty eight minute glimpse into the fevered wet dreams of ten thousand nerds and an absolute triumph of style over substance. Magnificent!

What an opening sequence..........good time 😊

[Mardroid]

Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens

I've seen it twice before at the cinema, and finding it fairly cheap in CEX yesterday, I couldn't resist buying it.

I get people's criticisms that it's too much like A New Hope. I agree, but I thoroughly enjoyed it again none-the-less.

I'm really looking forward to The Last Jedi.

[don wiskerando]

Nocturnal Animals.

The nearly 2 hour running felt like it flew and dragged at the same time but when I sat dragged, I mean it in a good way.   The tension that pervades some of the early scenes is like a physical presence pushing you down. Time just seems to stretch out leaving you trapped in this nightmare scenario with the characters, unable to escape until they do.

In a wonderful cast Michael Shannon still manages to outshine the rest.

Do not watch with kids.

[Apestrife]

CHE: The Argentine and Guerilla. Two parter, Benicio Del Toro playing Che Guevara. He was good in the role, but as a film (split in two) I wasn't that impressed. Some sparks now and then, like the immediacy when he speaks at the UN or towards the end of part 2 when he's about the "get it", but otherwise I thought it was quite flat.

[The Legendary Shark]

Razorback (1984). Everybody's favourite killer pig movie! I love the look and feel of this film (with just a small rewrite it could have been an ace Mad Max episode) but have only just discovered that the actor playing grizzled old razorback hunter Jake Cullen was none other than Bill Kerr of Hancock's Half Hour fame. Live and learn, eh?