- Awards
- 52
I've never checked out Reddit discussions on The OA, I'll have to do that sometime.
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What was the last film you watched?
- Thread starter Mel O'Drama
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- Awards
- 20
I like Tommy as a musical work and as a movie but the sound in the theatre where I saw it was so loud that my ears were ringing for hours after.
- Awards
- 20
Tower Heist (2011)
An obvious Ocean's Eleven knock-off but enjoyable nonetheless.
As much as I like Stiller & Meara, I've never cared for their son, but Ben Stiller is quite good here and Tea Leoni is always a treat.
An obvious Ocean's Eleven knock-off but enjoyable nonetheless.
As much as I like Stiller & Meara, I've never cared for their son, but Ben Stiller is quite good here and Tea Leoni is always a treat.
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- 17
I wasn’t a big fan of this one. Glad you enjoyed it though. It was a little entertaining at times but for me it never really got going.
- Awards
- 52
The King's Man (2021)
I loved the first Kingsman film for it's originality, humour and action, the sequel was disappointing though so I didn't have great expectations for this prequel. However, it's a really good film. A good story with a nice mix of comedy and drama. The plot is about the Duke of Oxford who forms a spy network to support the UK during the first World War. There is a nice retelling of historical events to fit the narrative and the cast, lead by Ralph Fiennes, is excellent.
I loved the first Kingsman film for it's originality, humour and action, the sequel was disappointing though so I didn't have great expectations for this prequel. However, it's a really good film. A good story with a nice mix of comedy and drama. The plot is about the Duke of Oxford who forms a spy network to support the UK during the first World War. There is a nice retelling of historical events to fit the narrative and the cast, lead by Ralph Fiennes, is excellent.
- Awards
- 12
I went to see "The King's Man" on Thursday.
I won't say too much about it as I don't wish to spoil it for anyone who has not yet seen it.
However, there is a nice twist at the end when the identity of the shepherd is revealed. Also, I was stunned at the fate that befell Conrad in the trenches- I certainly didn't see that coming.
I'm also amazed that it was given a 15 classification.
How much more violence and swearing would there have needed to have been in order to merit an 18 rating?
I won't say too much about it as I don't wish to spoil it for anyone who has not yet seen it.
However, there is a nice twist at the end when the identity of the shepherd is revealed. Also, I was stunned at the fate that befell Conrad in the trenches- I certainly didn't see that coming.
I'm also amazed that it was given a 15 classification.
How much more violence and swearing would there have needed to have been in order to merit an 18 rating?
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- Awards
- 52
Flee (2021)
This is a remarkable film for many reasons. The story it tells is compelling and heart-breaking and the method they use to tell it is original and absorbing. The film is of a gay Afghan refugee who tells the story of how he came to flee from Afghanistan to start a new life in Denmark. The traumas he goes through back in his home country and in his journey to Denmark is told through interviews with him illustrated with animations and some live action news footage. Incredibly, the film has been nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Film, Best Documentary and Best Animation categories and it's easy to see why.
This is a remarkable film for many reasons. The story it tells is compelling and heart-breaking and the method they use to tell it is original and absorbing. The film is of a gay Afghan refugee who tells the story of how he came to flee from Afghanistan to start a new life in Denmark. The traumas he goes through back in his home country and in his journey to Denmark is told through interviews with him illustrated with animations and some live action news footage. Incredibly, the film has been nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Film, Best Documentary and Best Animation categories and it's easy to see why.
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- 52
These days people have a more relaxed view about swearing and violence on film. Yes, there was violence in The King's Man but I didn't think it was shown in graphic detail so the film classification seemed ok to me.
- Awards
- 8
I like Scarface. It usually gets singled out as one of the best of Ann Dvorak’s career, along with Three On A Match. Ann Dvorak is the most memorable part of Sky Devils. With Spencer Tracy. She gets to do some dancing in that. I’ve got her in Crooner, plus some other movies as well.
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- 8
Today I watched Two Seconds. With Edward G. Robinson, Preston Foster and Vivienne Osborne. Loved that. About to go on the electric chair, in the space of two seconds before expiring, Edward G. Robinson’s character flashes back. He is tricked into a marriage while he is drunk, when his wife to be bribes a JP ten dollars to marry them without him really noticing. And he unintentionally knocks his best friend to death, off a girder from high up. Oops! And has a delightful descent (like his friend really), as his wife belittles him and makes her money by sleeping around. So he settles up his debts. Then murders her. Great courtroom scenes afterwards.
I also watched James Cagney in Lady Killer, paired again with Mae Clarke, whose face he had put a grapefruit in, when they had been different characters in The Public Enemy, some two years later. Which gets referenced a couple of times in this movie. She is reading about fruit in California and shoots him a worried look when she reads grapefruit. Later on, he takes a grapefruit from his basket and drops it in her lap.
And I watched Blondie Johnson, with Joan Blondell and Chester Morris. With Joan as a lady gangster.
And Three On A Match. Starring Joan Blondell, Warren William, Ann Dvorak, Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart. Enjoyed that. Ann Dvorak’s character’s descent particularly. Although she herself was dismissive of it, as was Bette Davis. Bette Davis is said to have harboured a grudge against the director.
And Scarface. With Paul Muni, Ann Dvorak, George Raft and Boris Karloff. Lots of delightful murders in that. And another marvellous Ann Dvorak appearance.
And Union Depot. Starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr.. And Joan Blondell and Guy Kibbee. Charles Lane turned up too.
I also watched James Cagney in Lady Killer, paired again with Mae Clarke, whose face he had put a grapefruit in, when they had been different characters in The Public Enemy, some two years later. Which gets referenced a couple of times in this movie. She is reading about fruit in California and shoots him a worried look when she reads grapefruit. Later on, he takes a grapefruit from his basket and drops it in her lap.
And I watched Blondie Johnson, with Joan Blondell and Chester Morris. With Joan as a lady gangster.
And Three On A Match. Starring Joan Blondell, Warren William, Ann Dvorak, Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart. Enjoyed that. Ann Dvorak’s character’s descent particularly. Although she herself was dismissive of it, as was Bette Davis. Bette Davis is said to have harboured a grudge against the director.
And Scarface. With Paul Muni, Ann Dvorak, George Raft and Boris Karloff. Lots of delightful murders in that. And another marvellous Ann Dvorak appearance.
And Union Depot. Starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr.. And Joan Blondell and Guy Kibbee. Charles Lane turned up too.
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Licorice Pizza (2021)
A film about a teenage child TV star who get the hots for a 20 something photographer's assistant and how he eventually wins her affections after introducing her to his various business schemes and show business. I should have like this film more but I couldn't get over the fact that the main character came across as a creepy stalker in how he pursued the young woman and because of that I was willing them not to get together. There are some great performance in the film and the cast are first rate.
A film about a teenage child TV star who get the hots for a 20 something photographer's assistant and how he eventually wins her affections after introducing her to his various business schemes and show business. I should have like this film more but I couldn't get over the fact that the main character came across as a creepy stalker in how he pursued the young woman and because of that I was willing them not to get together. There are some great performance in the film and the cast are first rate.
- Awards
- 52
West Side Story (2021)
Firstly, I love the retro feel to the poster.
I always think if someone remakes a film they should try to do something different with it otherwise what's the point? I think Steven Spielberg did attempt to make the film fresher an appeal more to today's audience but he fell short of reaching the heights of the original production.
The 1961 film is so well known and it's hard to watch this new version without comparing the two and I found myself doing that with just about every aspect of the film. I thought the dance scenes in the new film worked well and in many ways I thought how they portrayed the conflict and violence through dance was really effective and more convincing than the original. Having Latino actors playing the Puerto Ricans gave the new film a greater authenticity and believability than the original. The new character created for Rita Moreno was a nice touch but I didn't like how they gave her the song Somewhere to sing as it has more power when it is sung but Tony and Maria. I wasn't entirely convinced that Ansel Elgort was the best choice for Tony as he didn't have enough of an edge to him to play the tough ex-con leader of the Jets.
The film is well worth watching but I would still recommend the original 1961 film over this one.
Firstly, I love the retro feel to the poster.
I always think if someone remakes a film they should try to do something different with it otherwise what's the point? I think Steven Spielberg did attempt to make the film fresher an appeal more to today's audience but he fell short of reaching the heights of the original production.
The 1961 film is so well known and it's hard to watch this new version without comparing the two and I found myself doing that with just about every aspect of the film. I thought the dance scenes in the new film worked well and in many ways I thought how they portrayed the conflict and violence through dance was really effective and more convincing than the original. Having Latino actors playing the Puerto Ricans gave the new film a greater authenticity and believability than the original. The new character created for Rita Moreno was a nice touch but I didn't like how they gave her the song Somewhere to sing as it has more power when it is sung but Tony and Maria. I wasn't entirely convinced that Ansel Elgort was the best choice for Tony as he didn't have enough of an edge to him to play the tough ex-con leader of the Jets.
The film is well worth watching but I would still recommend the original 1961 film over this one.
- Awards
- 52
The Great Caruso (1951)
After watching Mario Lanza in Serenade (1956) last year and not being overly impressed by it, I thought I would watch what is considered to be his best film, The Great Caruso. However, again I wasn't overly impressed by it. There is no doubt that Mario Lanza was a great star and he has a strong screen presence but the film was pretty bland stuff. I don't know much about the real Caruso but even I could tell it was a sanitised and fictionalised account of his life. Mario Lanza's voice and the songs were great as was Ann Blyth was as his wife but other than that, there wasn't a great deal more to like about this film.
After watching Mario Lanza in Serenade (1956) last year and not being overly impressed by it, I thought I would watch what is considered to be his best film, The Great Caruso. However, again I wasn't overly impressed by it. There is no doubt that Mario Lanza was a great star and he has a strong screen presence but the film was pretty bland stuff. I don't know much about the real Caruso but even I could tell it was a sanitised and fictionalised account of his life. Mario Lanza's voice and the songs were great as was Ann Blyth was as his wife but other than that, there wasn't a great deal more to like about this film.
- Awards
- 44
X-Men (2000)
Having only seen four X-films (the original trilogy and First Class) I plan to right a wrong by watching the entire series in the weeks ahead.
It's many a year since I've watched this one. My main memory of it is as a film that feels pretty basic but one that sets the scene well. Revisiting it, X-Men looks more impressive than I remembered, though it's does suffer in direct comparison to some of my recently watched MCU projects such as the Avengers and Guardians Of The Galaxy films. A good story goes a long way, however and watching this reinforced that the premise of the X-Men is as good as it gets for me when it comes to team films. I enjoy the angsty outcast angle and the analogies with human rights movements, and this series has three solid anchors in representing the various sides of the argument in Xavier, Magneto and Senator Kelly.
With such a huge roster of characters from which to choose, it's right that this film should focus on a select few. The choice of characters, however, is pretty patchy: particularly when it comes to the Brotherhood. Toad and Sabretooth bring nothing of interest, and the changes to Toad in particular are for the worse. Famke Janssen has always felt a little wrong for Jean Grey, and while James Marsden looks absolutely perfect as Cyclops I really dislike the smug, smirking alpha male characterisation that comes across here.
I've really disliked this version of Rogue on previous viewings, but found her very endearing this time round. Likewise, Hugh Jackman feels so right as Wolverine I can get past him being far too tall and appearing to speak with an American accent. Halle Berry looks right as Storm, though was barely explored as a character. But that's OK, as the potential is still there at this stage.
As an X-Men reader of old, the cameos are very much appreciated. Kitty Pryde's excited me the first time I saw it and still makes me smile. Henry Peter Gyrich is a really nice touch, though I think killing him offscreen before the film even begins limited the possibilities a little when it comes to future films.
The opening titles are a litte cheesy, and I don't like the font used for credits which is too pseudo-futuristic and actually makes it look more dated than it is.
I really appreciate the film's vision, though, and the choice of opening with a grim image of a concentration camp is a ballsy one, setting this perfectly in the real world of discrimination and genocide.
While it's far from the slickest of superhero films, the heart of the comic series is here, and it has to be given credit as the film which made superhero films viable once again in an era where they'd veered off into cheese and camp. It almost certainly laid the pipe for the beast that is the MCU.
Having only seen four X-films (the original trilogy and First Class) I plan to right a wrong by watching the entire series in the weeks ahead.
It's many a year since I've watched this one. My main memory of it is as a film that feels pretty basic but one that sets the scene well. Revisiting it, X-Men looks more impressive than I remembered, though it's does suffer in direct comparison to some of my recently watched MCU projects such as the Avengers and Guardians Of The Galaxy films. A good story goes a long way, however and watching this reinforced that the premise of the X-Men is as good as it gets for me when it comes to team films. I enjoy the angsty outcast angle and the analogies with human rights movements, and this series has three solid anchors in representing the various sides of the argument in Xavier, Magneto and Senator Kelly.
With such a huge roster of characters from which to choose, it's right that this film should focus on a select few. The choice of characters, however, is pretty patchy: particularly when it comes to the Brotherhood. Toad and Sabretooth bring nothing of interest, and the changes to Toad in particular are for the worse. Famke Janssen has always felt a little wrong for Jean Grey, and while James Marsden looks absolutely perfect as Cyclops I really dislike the smug, smirking alpha male characterisation that comes across here.
I've really disliked this version of Rogue on previous viewings, but found her very endearing this time round. Likewise, Hugh Jackman feels so right as Wolverine I can get past him being far too tall and appearing to speak with an American accent. Halle Berry looks right as Storm, though was barely explored as a character. But that's OK, as the potential is still there at this stage.
As an X-Men reader of old, the cameos are very much appreciated. Kitty Pryde's excited me the first time I saw it and still makes me smile. Henry Peter Gyrich is a really nice touch, though I think killing him offscreen before the film even begins limited the possibilities a little when it comes to future films.
The opening titles are a litte cheesy, and I don't like the font used for credits which is too pseudo-futuristic and actually makes it look more dated than it is.
I really appreciate the film's vision, though, and the choice of opening with a grim image of a concentration camp is a ballsy one, setting this perfectly in the real world of discrimination and genocide.
While it's far from the slickest of superhero films, the heart of the comic series is here, and it has to be given credit as the film which made superhero films viable once again in an era where they'd veered off into cheese and camp. It almost certainly laid the pipe for the beast that is the MCU.
- Awards
- 52
Was it really released as far back as 2000? I saw the film when it first came out and thought it was really good. Strong story, great cast and great special effects. There was an element of setting the scene for a series of sequels. I never saw the animated series of read the comics so I had nothing to compare it with so coming to the characters and their relationships from new it seemed like a fresh approach to the superhero genre which at the time was feeling a bit tired.
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It's scary how time flies, isn't it? I clearly remember going to the cinema with friends to watch this.
Yes. It felt very much like a pretty lean film that introduced the concepts and a few key characters with an intention to expand on them in later films. And I think it did so really well. I really like the tone of the film which balances the fantasy with a real-world grit.
You're right about the genre feeling tired by this time. All things considered it was a risky move to make this film at a time when superhero films had descended into plain daftness. It's certainly worlds apart from Batman & Robin, released just three years earlier.
- Awards
- 52
Blackmail (1939)
My all time favourite film is probably I am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang (1932) so when I read that this film has a similar premise I was keen to watch it. Both films are about an innocent man who is falsely convicted of a crime for which he is sentenced to serve time on a brutal prison chain gang. He goes on to escape the chain gang and goes on the run. Blackmail is not just similar to I am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang some scenes and even some dialogue are so similar they seem to be near identical. What this film doesn't do though is copy the brilliance of its predecessor. It has none of the drama, the tension, the horror of the original and I felt completely detached from what I was watching. After years of trying to get a copy of this film I felt completely let down by it.
My all time favourite film is probably I am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang (1932) so when I read that this film has a similar premise I was keen to watch it. Both films are about an innocent man who is falsely convicted of a crime for which he is sentenced to serve time on a brutal prison chain gang. He goes on to escape the chain gang and goes on the run. Blackmail is not just similar to I am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang some scenes and even some dialogue are so similar they seem to be near identical. What this film doesn't do though is copy the brilliance of its predecessor. It has none of the drama, the tension, the horror of the original and I felt completely detached from what I was watching. After years of trying to get a copy of this film I felt completely let down by it.
- Awards
- 20
Colette (2018)
I was familiar with Colette as the author of the original story that was the basis for Lerner & Loewe's musical Gigi but I knew nothing of her life.
Not surprisingly she faced many of the same struggles that other female authors of about the same time so there was inevitably a similarity with biopics of George Sand and George Eliot that I've seen but the performances were strong and the French period interesting.
I was familiar with Colette as the author of the original story that was the basis for Lerner & Loewe's musical Gigi but I knew nothing of her life.
Not surprisingly she faced many of the same struggles that other female authors of about the same time so there was inevitably a similarity with biopics of George Sand and George Eliot that I've seen but the performances were strong and the French period interesting.
- Awards
- 52
Ant Man (2015)
Inspired by @Mel O'Drama's Watching the Marvel Cinematic Universe from the beginning thread, I thought I would finally watch Ant-Man. As Mel's thread has moved on quite a bit since he watched it, I'm posting my thoughts here.
This film has all the elements you expect from a superhero film: a mad scientist, a plot to control the world and an ordinary guy who is given extraordinary powers. However, it's more than a usual superhero film, this one has a lot of comedy, elements of a money heist film and a shrinking man film and I loved it. So many superhero films rely mainly on action sequences and fight scenes but this one also had a strong storyline and a lot of character development. In many ways, it's a superhero film that will appeal to people who don't normally watch superhero films. Unlike many Marvel films, it doesn't reference the other films significantly so it's easy to watch without thinking you've missed plot points which occurred in other films. I think it's a great film and up there with one of my favourite Marvel superhero films.
Inspired by @Mel O'Drama's Watching the Marvel Cinematic Universe from the beginning thread, I thought I would finally watch Ant-Man. As Mel's thread has moved on quite a bit since he watched it, I'm posting my thoughts here.
This film has all the elements you expect from a superhero film: a mad scientist, a plot to control the world and an ordinary guy who is given extraordinary powers. However, it's more than a usual superhero film, this one has a lot of comedy, elements of a money heist film and a shrinking man film and I loved it. So many superhero films rely mainly on action sequences and fight scenes but this one also had a strong storyline and a lot of character development. In many ways, it's a superhero film that will appeal to people who don't normally watch superhero films. Unlike many Marvel films, it doesn't reference the other films significantly so it's easy to watch without thinking you've missed plot points which occurred in other films. I think it's a great film and up there with one of my favourite Marvel superhero films.