What film are you watching tonight/watched last night???

Last few nights have been rewatch nights:

Tuesday: The Fast and the Furious (2001). Still my favourite of the bunch, it's a b-grade movie at best but it still holds a certain charm for me as I was very into the modified car scene right around the time this came out, and it's still fin to watch all these years later, despite the terrible acting: it's worrying when Vin Diesel is actually the best actor in it! (not true, Jordana Brewster actually is). Paul Walker... Wooden at best, the supporting cast had their charms but are nothing to write home about.

Wednesday: 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003). Not as good as the first, but still fun enough. Walker hadn't learned much more about acting by this point, but the supporting cast were getting better (Ludacris is probably the best in this, although Eva Medes and Cole Hauser do good jobs respectively).

Friday: Rambo (2008). Think I only ever saw this once, so figured it was overdue a rewatch. I forgot how graphic this one is: it's definitely the most grizzly of the bunch. Not the greatest story, but then have any of the Rambo films been that good, story wise (except maybe First Blood).

Saturday I'll finish up the Planet of the Apes (reboot) trilogy with War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), after having done the first two last weekend. Again, I forgot how good these are: really well scripted, acted and produced - the CGI is outstanding
 
I thought the 3rd planet of the apes was dreadful. First is by far the best.

I watched Avengers Infinity Wars on the new 65CX just to see how it was with something bright and past paced. Didn't disappoint!
 
Last few nights have been rewatch nights:

Tuesday: The Fast and the Furious (2001). Still my favourite of the bunch, it's a b-grade movie at best but it still holds a certain charm for me as I was very into the modified car scene right around the time this came out, and it's still fin to watch all these years later, despite the terrible acting: it's worrying when Vin Diesel is actually the best actor in it! (not true, Jordana Brewster actually is). Paul Walker... Wooden at best, the supporting cast had their charms but are nothing to write home about.

Wednesday: 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003). Not as good as the first, but still fun enough. Walker hadn't learned much more about acting by this point, but the supporting cast were getting better (Ludacris is probably the best in this, although Eva Medes and Cole Hauser do good jobs respectively).

Friday: Rambo (2008). Think I only ever saw this once, so figured it was overdue a rewatch. I forgot how graphic this one is: it's definitely the most grizzly of the bunch. Not the greatest story, but then have any of the Rambo films been that good, story wise (except maybe First Blood).

Saturday I'll finish up the Planet of the Apes (reboot) trilogy with War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), after having done the first two last weekend. Again, I forgot how good these are: really well scripted, acted and produced - the CGI is outstanding

Weird even from the original (Mr Heston with His Vest On) through to the remakes I've never liked Planet of the Apes, couldnt tell you why, liked plenty of Dystopian / cautionary sci fi in book and movie form but...something...about the Apes movies puts me off - says more about my tastes than the movies though!
 
Star Trek (1979)

I enjoyed the first reboot Star Trek film (the second was awful and the 3rd was meh) and like TNG but the original cast are my favourite. I hadn't seen this for a long time, unlike The Wrath of Khaaaaaaaann which I have seen numerous times and is just such a great movie. I remembered this as having some interesting visuals but not much happened...

This is a mixture of some very dated effects and some really nice sweeping visuals later in the movie. The 360 around the Enterprise is wonderful (if you are a fan, if not it possibly goes on a bit too long) and a lot of the film concentrates on concepts and character development rather than battles or action. The complete opposite of Into Darkness or Beyond. It is much better than those.

The story is quite interesting but it does take a long time to get there. 20 minutes or so could have been cut but if you like Trek, there is plenty to enjoy with Kirk, McCoy, Spock and Scotty doing their stuff. The new characters are good additions, the relationship and conflict between Kirk and Decker is fascinating and Ilia is an interesting addition.

A great example of slow paced 70s sci fi, this would have worked better as a spectacle watching it at the cinema back then (though some of the effects post Star Wars do not look good) but it still works today as long as you have patience and a level of investment in classic Trek.
 
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Hellooo computer....
 
Weird even from the original (Mr Heston with His Vest On) through to the remakes I've never liked Planet of the Apes, couldnt tell you why, liked plenty of Dystopian / cautionary sci fi in book and movie form but...something...about the Apes movies puts me off - says more about my tastes than the movies though!

Think I enjoyed them more this time round than the first time I saw them. I just thought they were done really well, and the cast(s) throughout have been great.
 
Star Trek (1979)

I enjoyed the first reboot Star Trek film (the second was awful and the 3rd was meh) and like TNG but the original cast are my favourite. I hadn't seen this for a long time, unlike The Wrath of Khaaaaaaaann which I have seen numerous times and is just such a great movie. I remembered this as having some interesting visuals but not much happened...

This is a mixture of some very dated effects and some really nice sweeping visuals later in the movie. The 360 around the Enterprise is wonderful (if you are a fan, if not it possibly goes on a bit too long) and a lot of the film concentrates on concepts and character development rather than battles or action. The complete opposite of Into Darkness or Beyond. It is much better than those.

The story is quite interesting but it does take a long time to get there. 20 minutes or so could have been cut but if you like Trek, there is plenty to enjoy with Kirk, McCoy, Spock and Scotty doing their stuff. The new characters are good additions, the relationship and conflict between Kirk and Decker is fascinating and Ilia is an interesting addition.

A great example of slow paced 70s sci fi, this would have worked better as a spectacle watching it at the cinema back then (though some of the effects post Star Wars do not look good) but it still works today as long as you have patience and a level of investment in classic Trek.

That's one I always have to watch solo to be honest family tend to find it too slow, out of interest did you watch the DVD special edition or the theatrical. Always torn as the extended one is SD only (effects where re-done for DVD on video at SD)
 
It was the blu ray version in the 10 film boxset - i think it is the theatrical version. My son watched it with me and he thought it was ok

Wrath of Khaaaaaaaaan will be more his cup of tea - everyone likes that one!
 
It was the blu ray version in the 10 film boxset - i think it is the theatrical version. My son watched it with me and he thought it was ok

Wrath of Khaaaaaaaaan will be more his cup of tea - everyone likes that one!

Yes I have that one it's the theatrical release. Do have a soft spot for the extended one. Really enjoyed the DC of wrath of khan this week though.

Today we fancied a real throwback matinee afternoon so we double disneyed Blackbeard's ghost and cat from outer space. Remains to be seen after dinner if son is joining us or on line gaming. If he's joining us it's into the spider verse if not not sure as yet :)
 
On recommendation, last night's viewing (after finishing the Planet of the Apes trilogy) was Maniac (2012). Missed this the first time it went round - interesting film. Mostly shot through the protagonist's eyes, which gave it a certain feel. Coupled with the score, which is worth the watch alone, it had a real sinister, macabre aura. Elijah Wood played it brilliantly I thought, just the right amount of uneasy craziness.

This evening I'm gonna do a one-two rewatch of Young Guns (1988) and Young Guns II (1990). Not seen these for ages, and a listen to Jon Bon Jovi's first solo album the other day, I figured it was high time I gave them another watch.
 
Star Trek (1979)

I enjoyed the first reboot Star Trek film (the second was awful and the 3rd was meh) and like TNG but the original cast are my favourite. I hadn't seen this for a long time, unlike The Wrath of Khaaaaaaaann which I have seen numerous times and is just such a great movie. I remembered this as having some interesting visuals but not much happened...

This is a mixture of some very dated effects and some really nice sweeping visuals later in the movie. The 360 around the Enterprise is wonderful (if you are a fan, if not it possibly goes on a bit too long) and a lot of the film concentrates on concepts and character development rather than battles or action. The complete opposite of Into Darkness or Beyond. It is much better than those.

The story is quite interesting but it does take a long time to get there. 20 minutes or so could have been cut but if you like Trek, there is plenty to enjoy with Kirk, McCoy, Spock and Scotty doing their stuff. The new characters are good additions, the relationship and conflict between Kirk and Decker is fascinating and Ilia is an interesting addition.

A great example of slow paced 70s sci fi, this would have worked better as a spectacle watching it at the cinema back then (though some of the effects post Star Wars do not look good) but it still works today as long as you have patience and a level of investment in classic Trek.

Son wants to game tonight now look what's happened ;)
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Special edition so dvd
 
1917 -Amazon Prime- 10/10.
Wow, a stunning visual and visceral feast. I'm not usually sold on war movies, but I loved the story and the cinematography blew me away. I suppose it's not so much a "war movie" as an "off-road movie" set during WWI. I knew nothing of the film beforehand and I'm glad I didn't because it grabbed me and I had no expectations to diminish from the movie.
 
Let The Right One In - 8/10 - A re-watch of this Swedish horror/drama and its just as good the second time around, a young boy who is bullied at school seeks solace when he meets the daughter of his new neighbour Eli, they strike up a friendship but its clear she isn't watch she seems, filmed with grim realism this is a slow burn treat.
 
Let The Right One In - 8/10 - A re-watch of this Swedish horror/drama and its just as good the second time around, a young boy who is bullied at school seeks solace when he meets the daughter of his new neighbour Eli, they strike up a friendship but its clear she isn't watch she seems, filmed with grim realism this is a slow burn treat.
It's a brilliant film.
 
Fantastic film that!

I'm watching Bad Neighbors...😂 I'm a sucker for poor quality American crap. Really just background noise while browsing tbh
 
I've got Amundsen on in the background for company whilst browsing.

Think he's just been attacked by a polar bear.
 
A Cure For Wellness (2016)

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Had this one in my Netflix watchlist for ages, and finally watched it this weekend.

A young yuppie gets sent to a Spa in Switzerland on a urgent mission to bring the reluctant CEO back to New York in order to sign some papers and merge the company with another. When he arrives, he discovers loads of seemingly happy and contented clients, and finds it difficult to locate the CEO he's looking for initially. There's no phone signal up at the Spa, high up a mountain, so he asks the driver to take him back to town, but something happens which leaves him trapped at the Spa, and the longer he's there. the more grisly details of what's really going on come to light.

I loved this, it's part psychological thriller, part mystery, part gruesome horror. The main attraction for me was the cinematography, almost every shot was semi-inducing visual loveliness, from the gorgeous Swiss mountains, to the reflections in windows, lakes etc which featured throughout, to even the manky old toilets.

I've seen some criticisms that it's a 'dumbed down' thriller, the audience often can guess what's coming before it's revealed (that toilet again in particular) but this didn't bother me, meant I had less to explain to the wife :D

8.5/10.
 
'71 (2014) - Yann Demange
How I Made '71 By Yann Demange | Movies | Empire

Apart from being palpably tense and horrifying, this does a powerful job of illustrating the complexity of the troubles in Belfast in the early 70s. Not just the two sides: Catholic/republican vs Prostestant/Loyalist; but the various paramilitaries on both sides, the RUC and its abrasive relationship with the British army, government agents, splinter groups, and the duplicitous rivalries, schisms and alliances between these groups that turned the region into a true s***storm. Into this hell we have Private Hook, a new Army recruit and Derby lad caught between enemy lines who is bewildered and terrified and has no idea what he's even doing there much less why everyone wants him dead. The film remains decidedly apolitical and the film plays out instead like a survival thriller, one with gangster film elements and maybe even a bit of horror. The Belfast streets are captured fantastically well (although filmed in Northern English cities) especially some of the night scenes and it really is a dread inducing ride that leaves you unsure who you are meant to trust in this tangled web. Hook's encounters with folks on all sides as well as some frightful bursts of violence are enough to make you feel shell-shocked (two moments in particular left me reeling). Although story is fictional, the portrayal of Belfast's troubles has been described as one of the most authentic yet. Performance from Jack O'Connell is spectacular (just saw him recently in Godless) and direction, cinematography and score are all top notch. What a terrific debut from Yann Demange, and don't know how I've missed this till now. 9/10.


Aint Them Bodies Saints (2013) - David Lowery
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Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara and director David Lowery team up for the first time (the second being his excellent A Ghost Story) in this indie Southern film noir; a genre that seems increasingly popular of late and rightly so. However while the story starts and end strong, the slow burn here tested my patience somewhat and the mid-film drag made a two hour film feel like a three hour one. Nothing wrong with any of the performances here (I especially liked Keith Carradine) but I was kinda bored. Definitely worth a look however if you are a Lowery fan and can handle the slow pace. 6/10


DreamKatcher (2020) - Kerry Harris
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Every cliche you can think of together with a slightly muddy plot makes this a bit of a dud. Feels very bargain basement; the performances, production values etc all feel very much on the level of a third or fourth sequel to some crappy franchise, and I feel bad for Radha Mitchell who (despite producing the film) can't seem to elevate her acting career beyond this kind of s***e. They even wheel out Lin Shaye to play her usual old horror lady role. To be fair there are some interesting ideas here but the execution sucks. 4/10


Re-watches:
A Most Violent Year 7.5/10, Crawl 8/10
 

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A Cure For Wellness (2016)

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Had this one in my Netflix watchlist for ages, and finally watched it this weekend.

A young yuppie gets sent to a Spa in Switzerland on a urgent mission to bring the reluctant CEO back to New York in order to sign some papers and merge the company with another. When he arrives, he discovers loads of seemingly happy and contented clients, and finds it difficult to locate the CEO he's looking for initially. There's no phone signal up at the Spa, high up a mountain, so he asks the driver to take him back to town, but something happens which leaves him trapped at the Spa, and the longer he's there. the more grisly details of what's really going on come to light.

I loved this, it's part psychological thriller, part mystery, part gruesome horror. The main attraction for me was the cinematography, almost every shot was semi-inducing visual loveliness, from the gorgeous Swiss mountains, to the reflections in windows, lakes etc which featured throughout, to even the manky old toilets.

I've seen some criticisms that it's a 'dumbed down' thriller, the audience often can guess what's coming before it's revealed (that toilet again in particular) but this didn't bother me, meant I had less to explain to the wife :D

8.5/10.

Been on my list for years and never quite got round to it. Perhaps this next time I get Netflix!!

'71 (2014) - Yann Demange
How I Made '71 By Yann Demange | Movies | Empire'71 By Yann Demange | Movies | Empire

Apart from being palpably tense and horrifying, this does a powerful job of illustrating the complexity of the troubles in Belfast in the early 70s. Not just the two sides: Catholic/republican vs Prostestant/Loyalist; but the various paramilitaries on both sides, the RUC and its abrasive relationship with the British army, government agents, splinter groups, and the duplicitous rivalries, schisms and alliances between these groups that turned the region into a true s***storm. Into this hell we have Private Hook, a new Army recruit and Derby lad caught between enemy lines who is bewildered and terrified and has no idea what he's even doing there much less why everyone wants him dead. The film remains decidedly apolitical and the film plays out instead like a survival thriller, one with gangster film elements and maybe even a bit of horror. The Belfast streets are captured fantastically well (although filmed in Northern English cities) especially some of the night scenes and it really is a dread inducing ride that leaves you unsure who you are meant to trust in this tangled web. Hook's encounters with folks on all sides as well as some frightful bursts of violence are enough to make you feel shell-shocked (two moments in particular left me reeling). Although story is fictional, the portrayal of Belfast's troubles has been described as one of the most authentic yet. Performance from Jack O'Connell is spectacular (just saw him recently in Godless) and direction, cinematography and score are all top notch. What a terrific debut from Yann Demange, and don't know how I've missed this till now. 9/10.


Aint Them Bodies Saints (2013) - David Lowery
View attachment 1408021
Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara and director David Lowery team up for the first time (the second being his excellent A Ghost Story) in this indie Southern film noir; a genre that seems increasingly popular of late and rightly so. However while the story starts and end strong, the slow burn here tested my patience somewhat and the mid-film drag made a two hour film feel like a three hour one. Nothing wrong with any of the performances here (I especially liked Keith Carradine) but I was kinda bored. Definitely worth a look however if you are a Lowery fan and can handle the slow pace. 6/10


DreamKatcher (2020) - Kerry Harris
View attachment 1408018
Every cliche you can think of together with a slightly muddy plot makes this a bit of a dud. Feels very bargain basement; the performances, production values etc all feel very much on the level of a third or fourth sequel to some crappy franchise, and I feel bad for Radha Mitchell who (despite producing the film) can't seem to elevate her acting career beyond this kind of s***e. They even wheel out Lin Shaye to play her usual old horror lady role. To be fair there are some interesting ideas here but the execution sucks. 4/10


Re-watches:
A Most Violent Year 7.5/10, Crawl 8/10

'71 is just absolute class. I loved it. Not watched it for a while so may pop it on again.
 
Been on my list for years and never quite got round to it. Perhaps this next time I get Netflix!!
Do it. I've only got 'standard' Netflix, so 1080p, but watching this on my AppleTV4K box the PQ was superb.

I've got slight toothache today from clenching my teeth during one dental scene :laugh:
 
Do it. I've only got 'standard' Netflix, so 1080p, but watching this on my AppleTV4K box the PQ was superb.

I've got slight toothache today from clenching my teeth during one dental scene :laugh:

Yeah I'm not watching it now :laugh:
 
Godzilla vs Destoroyah (1995, US iTunes via Movies Anywhere)

More batshit lunacy involving grown men pratting about in cheap kinky cosplay, at least this one tries to tie itself back to the original film.

For the first time in watching about a zillion Godzilla films, the opening made me feel like I'd needed to have seen the previous film. However, quickly we settle into business as usual, albeit with some nice twists thrown in. Some analysis of the area where the original Godzilla was killed back in the mid 50's identified some strange new oxygen-free lifeforms that very quickly grew to be man-size crosses between a crab, a dragon and the xenomorph.

Suddenly the film turns into an Aliens homage/cheap remake as the police force try and take these things on. While this is going on, Godzilla is about to explode following the events of the previous film and is frozen by what looks like a flying Lego kit. But wouldn't you know it, Junior Godzilla arrives back on the scene and heads towards the strange crab monsters for reasons only known to the screenwriter to bring everyone and everything together into a now ubiquitous mega smashdown for the film's final act.

The introduction of smaller beasties offers a nice new feel to proceedings but its kinda undone when they suddenly all come together into a single large beastie to take on Big G (I'm pretty sure biology doesn't quite work like that......). And after some of the lunacy of previous entries, this smackdown feels like its not as grandiose as earlier entries.........

........and yet none of that really matters. Its a mid-90's Godzilla flick, with some great miniatures and VFX (the meltdown of Godzilla at the film's finale looked really quite excellent), a whole lot of things exploding and a narrative that makes little to no-sense, especially come its final shot. Gloriously entertaining so long as common sense can leave the building with the door shut well and truly behind it.
 
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The Village In The Woods - 6/10 - Slow burn horror mystery where a couple try to claim inheritance of a run down pub in a very foggy village, its low budget, won't win any acting Oscars but builds the unease nicely, not bad.
 

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