What I Watched Last Night In HD/UHD etc (Review).

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Blood Father

How 'bout I shoot you right now?

Firstly, thanks for the lend Coz! :) (hopefully I can get to the post office next couple of days to get it back to you).

Well this is the Mel Gibson version of Taken. Gibson's character, Link, has a wayward 17 year old daughter who unwillingly gets into big trouble with some local gangsters and turns to the only person she can - her estranged father.

Some people seem to have a problem with what actors do in real life etc - I couldn't care less myself. And I've always really liked Mel Gibson. And he really hasn't lost it. Yes he's older obviously but this is the same guy who just dominates every film he's in with ease. Here he's playing an ex-Hell's Angel (or something like that) and he lives in a broken down trailer doing tattoos. Not too different from his much younger self in Lethal Weapon 1 in fact. And guess what? This trailer gets trashed too - in a different way! I'd heard bad things about Erin Moriarity (who plays his daughter) in this film but I couldn't see the problem at all. She plays the part well for my money and seems pretty realistic too for a 17 year old who has got in way over her head without realising it. Not the best performance ever mind but still good. I also really liked Michael Parks and William H. Macy too who give solid support.

PQ was great. This may be a film on a budget but the picture quality is top notch. Black levels, detail and colour are all near reference as you would expect for a brand new film with mostly very light desert scenes. The AQ was very good too. Everything as you would expect and no problems with levels etc.

Summary? This is a very good little thriller and certainly one to at least rent. I'll probably buy it at some point. Its not perfect by any means but I hope Gibson does a couple more like this before its too late!

Film 7.5/10
PQ 9.5/10
AQ 9/10
 
Really looking forward to watching The Neon Demon (UHD :cool:) with a few beers tomorrow night. Well I have for ages but this week in particular seems extra punishing and very drawn out so it's the oasis at the end of my working desert that has kept me sane.

Oasis.jpg
 
Blood Father

How 'bout I shoot you right now?

Firstly, thanks for the lend Coz! :) (hopefully I can get to the post office next couple of days to get it back to you).

Well this is the Mel Gibson version of Taken. Gibson's character, Link, has a wayward 17 year old daughter who unwillingly gets into big trouble with some local gangsters and turns to the only person she can - her estranged father.

Some people seem to have a problem with what actors do in real life etc - I couldn't care less myself. And I've always really liked Mel Gibson. And he really hasn't lost it. Yes he's older obviously but this is the same guy who just dominates every film he's in with ease. Here he's playing an ex-Hell's Angel (or something like that) and he lives in a broken down trailer doing tattoos. Not too different from his much younger self in Lethal Weapon 1 in fact. And guess what? This trailer gets trashed too - in a different way! I'd heard bad things about Erin Moriarity (who plays his daughter) in this film but I couldn't see the problem at all. She plays the part well for my money and seems pretty realistic too for a 17 year old who has got in way over her head without realising it. Not the best performance ever mind but still good. I also really liked Michael Parks and William H. Macy too who give solid support.

PQ was great. This may be a film on a budget but the picture quality is top notch. Black levels, detail and colour are all near reference as you would expect for a brand new film with mostly very light desert scenes. The AQ was very good too. Everything as you would expect and no problems with levels etc.

Summary? This is a very good little thriller and certainly one to at least rent. I'll probably buy it at some point. Its not perfect by any means but I hope Gibson does a couple more like this before its too late!

Film 7.5/10
PQ 9.5/10
AQ 9/10

Glad you liked it Jim. Thanks to @mikemag as it's his disk so to keep it going, does anyone else want to borrow this region A disc? If so, let me know and we'll arrange to get it sent out.....
 
Glad you liked it Jim. Thanks to @mikemag as it's his disk so to keep it going, does anyone else want to borrow this region A disc? If so, let me know and we'll arrange to get it sent out.....

Will be sending this back to you tomorrow Coz all being well.

<---- And this :D
 
Glad you liked it Jim. Thanks to @mikemag as it's his disk so to keep it going, does anyone else want to borrow this region A disc? If so, let me know and we'll arrange to get it sent out.....
I'd like to borrow if OK?
 
I'll give my proper 2cents worth tomorrow, but I just watched Chappie for the first time.
I'm really confused. I've seen a lot of dislike/average thoughts for this, probably more than likes and because of that I've held off watching it.
That was honestly one of the best films I've seen in a good while!! Thoroughly enjoyed it.
 
I'll give my proper 2cents worth tomorrow, but I just watched Chappie for the first time.
I'm really confused. I've seen a lot of dislike/average thoughts for this, probably more than likes and because of that I've held off watching it.
That was honestly one of the best films I've seen in a good while!! Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Yay! Another Chappie fan!!! Thought it was just Jim and I........[emoji106]
 
Yay! Another Chappie fan!!! Thought it was just Jim and I........[emoji106]
I really had my reservations after other opinions, but was always curious as I love District 9 and enjoyed Elysium.
It was awesome. Sharlto Copley is superb.
 
It could never live upto District 9. The budget alone was amazing. It'll take something special to top that. Chappie was very similar in parts I thought, which is a slight negative in terms of loss of originality.
It has made me relax a bit more about his Alien film now.
Nothing will top Robocop. One of my favourite films of all time.
 
Nothing will top Robocop. One of my favourite films of all time.

Err, Short Circuit??

I'm surprised this hasn't had a reboot yet to be honest. Maybe not get Fisher Stevens to play an Indian again though. :blush:

I like Chappie too, the only negative was the guy out of Die Antwoord was a bit annoying, but the girl was not as bad as I expected. Jackman's mullet stole the show.
 
Dr Mabuse, Der Spieler (Eureka, region B - UK disc)

So......a 2-part, 4.5 hr silent film from 1922......lets say it didn't exactly leap off the shelves as an enticing watch. But after getting through it all across 3 nights, I have to say, this was a really cool little watch. Forget the time it was made and listen to this plot synopsis: a labyrinthine tale of a master criminal (who is a master of disguise, intent only on holding power over as many people as possible) against an upright lawman, it has plot beats along the way that echo just about any modern day gangster film you could think of: we get two cool as opening acts (By Day....and By Night) showing how Mabuse plays his games - a complex robbery of a national contract from a moving train to fiddle the stock markets, the use of suggestion and hypnosis to blag his way into one of Berlin's underground gambling dens and find a mark to make him lose all his money.

From there on in, we have the lot - insight into a complex underground criminal organisation (employing blind people to handle the goods? Just recently Marvel's Daredevil anyone???), police shoots outs, a love triangle/square, so many cool disguises as our antagonist hides very much in plain sight (think Blofeld crossed with Ethan Hunt but with slightly less running), hell there's even a scene that reminded me of the coffee shop scene in Heat, except here the lawman doesn't know who the other guy is......

There's no way of getting round it, 4.5 hrs is a hell of a film. And it feels long too, not helped by the usual silent tropes of wild overacting and in this case long, wordy intertitles. But I dug this - apart from the acting style and, you know, lack of spoken dialogue, this had a very modern feel to it that surprised me. For fans of silent cinema, there's an awful lot here to enjoy and I'm very much looking forward to the sequel.

The transfer is good for a film that is nearly 95 years old!!! The prints in fairly good shape, with no real damage to it and it looked nicely detailed and grainy and all round, not bad at all. The sparse soundtrack helped not make the film too overbearing (4.5 hours of constant music is a lot for the ears to take!) and fitted the film nicely. I'm too knackered to tuck into any of the extras, but there's a 30 min look at the themes behind the film, including some late interviews with Lang that I'll likely tuck back into.

Summary - as silent films go, this was the equivalent of Heat/Goodfellas/Untouchables/Mesrine/almost any modern gangster film you can think of - sprawling, dense, but packed with cool plot beats. Mabuse himself gets almost as much screen time as our hero and is a fascinating character, so for fans of silent cinema, I can wholeheartedly recommend this - @systemsdead definitely check this out!
 
Dr Mabuse, Der Spieler (Eureka, region B - UK disc)

So......a 2-part, 4.5 hr silent film from 1922......lets say it didn't exactly leap off the shelves as an enticing watch. But after getting through it all across 3 nights, I have to say, this was a really cool little watch. Forget the time it was made and listen to this plot synopsis: a labyrinthine tale of a master criminal (who is a master of disguise, intent only on holding power over as many people as possible) against an upright lawman, it has plot beats along the way that echo just about any modern day gangster film you could think of: we get two cool as opening acts (By Day....and By Night) showing how Mabuse plays his games - a complex robbery of a national contract from a moving train to fiddle the stock markets, the use of suggestion and hypnosis to blag his way into one of Berlin's underground gambling dens and find a mark to make him lose all his money.

From there on in, we have the lot - insight into a complex underground criminal organisation (employing blind people to handle the goods? Just recently Marvel's Daredevil anyone???), police shoots outs, a love triangle/square, so many cool disguises as our antagonist hides very much in plain sight (think Blofeld crossed with Ethan Hunt but with slightly less running), hell there's even a scene that reminded me of the coffee shop scene in Heat, except here the lawman doesn't know who the other guy is......

There's no way of getting round it, 4.5 hrs is a hell of a film. And it feels long too, not helped by the usual silent tropes of wild overacting and in this case long, wordy intertitles. But I dug this - apart from the acting style and, you know, lack of spoken dialogue, this had a very modern feel to it that surprised me. For fans of silent cinema, there's an awful lot here to enjoy and I'm very much looking forward to the sequel.

The transfer is good for a film that is nearly 95 years old!!! The prints in fairly good shape, with no real damage to it and it looked nicely detailed and grainy and all round, not bad at all. The sparse soundtrack helped not make the film too overbearing (4.5 hours of constant music is a lot for the ears to take!) and fitted the film nicely. I'm too knackered to tuck into any of the extras, but there's a 30 min look at the themes behind the film, including some late interviews with Lang that I'll likely tuck back into.

Summary - as silent films go, this was the equivalent of Heat/Goodfellas/Untouchables/Mesrine/almost any modern gangster film you can think of - sprawling, dense, but packed with cool plot beats. Mabuse himself gets almost as much screen time as our hero and is a fascinating character, so for fans of silent cinema, I can wholeheartedly recommend this - @systemsdead definitely check this out!
Have you just finished watching it this morning Coz? With your coffee and cornflakes[emoji106]
 
Have you just finished watching it this morning Coz? With your coffee and cornflakes[emoji106]

Aye - final 2 acts started at 5:15am. In the immortal words of one Mr Roy Castle esq......dedications what you need [emoji41]

Now I can start work with the satisfaction of having got through it. Small victory, but take what you can! Self five! [emoji51]
 
Err, Short Circuit??

I'm surprised this hasn't had a reboot yet to be honest. Maybe not get Fisher Stevens to play an Indian again though. :blush:

I like Chappie too, the only negative was the guy out of Die Antwoord was a bit annoying, but the girl was not as bad as I expected. Jackman's mullet stole the show.

I didn't mind Short Circuit, but it doesn't come in the same league as RoboCop for me. Chappie does seem to take a fair bit of influence from Short Circuit though.
 
I didn't mind Short Circuit, but it doesn't come in the same league as RoboCop for me. Chappie does seem to take a fair bit of influence from Short Circuit though.

Yeah I was jesting a bit. Robocop is top tier to be fair, and I agree Chappie was The Short Circuit for adults.
 
I'll give my proper 2cents worth tomorrow, but I just watched Chappie for the first time.
I'm really confused. I've seen a lot of dislike/average thoughts for this, probably more than likes and because of that I've held off watching it.
That was honestly one of the best films I've seen in a good while!! Thoroughly enjoyed it.

I was completely put off this one by the reviews. Then my brother watched it and said to me just buy it - you wont regret it (we agree on 99% of stuff). And I didn't! Its no classic but its good fun and it was funny too! (in a good way!).
 
Err, Short Circuit??

I'm surprised this hasn't had a reboot yet to be honest. Maybe not get Fisher Stevens to play an Indian again though. :blush:

I like Chappie too, the only negative was the guy out of Die Antwoord was a bit annoying, but the girl was not as bad as I expected. Jackman's mullet stole the show.

Short ******* Circuit?!!! Jeez. That's not even fit to be in the same sentence as Robocop! :D
 
126935_large.jpg


Chappie (Blu-ray UK A/B/C)
As I said last night, this is one film I've put off watching after hearing so many average to poor comments about it. I disagree with those as I think it's a great bit of entertainment.
Borrowing from films such as RoboCop, Short Circuit, A.I. and even District 9 & Elysium to some extent, it's essentially a film about life/living told from a robot with a newly developed A.I. program.

When we first get introduced to the robots as police officers I had to check IMDb to see if Peter Weller was cast as I thought they sounded exactly like Murphy in RoboCop. Turns out I was wrong!

While it's only real criticisms from me is that some of the characters are a tad annoying at times and it doesn't bring anything really new to the table, I thought it was a thoroughly enjoyable, emotional ride. Chappie, voiced by the superb Sharlto Copley was fantastic. There were a number of times I was laughing out loud as he
gets corrupted by his keepers into carrying out various illegal jobs. The car stealing scenes had me in stitches.

What I like about Neill Blomkamp is his ability to make a film that looks like it has a huge budget, but doesn't really by modern standards. Can't count Elysium in that but District 9 for $30million and Chappie for $49million is a really impressive feat.

I was wowed by District 9 when I saw that in the cinema. The special fx used were fantastic for the 'Prawns' and again with Chappie, the droids look amazing. Considering the budget for this compared to the likes of SWTFA which had a budget 5 times the amount, you can't help but be impressed with what Blomkamp et al achieved for that budget.

The comedy element made it slightly more enjoyable than District 9 for me, but I still think from an originality POV, District 9 is the better of the two. That had more of the wow factor than Chappie.
Other human cast wise, Hugh Jackman was great in a change of role for him, as was Dev Patel as per the norm. Sigourney didn't really have much of an impact as her role was somewhat limited. Some of the other characters were a tad annoying at times with their eccentricity.

PQ and AQ were great as expected. Reading on Blu-ray.com about the 4K release and the blu seems to be rated higher despite the latter not having Atmos.

Overall though, I'm baffled as to why this has received so little praise. I loved it!
 
126935_large.jpg


Chappie (Blu-ray UK A/B/C)
As I said last night, this is one film I've put off watching after hearing so many average to poor comments about it. I disagree with those as I think it's a great bit of entertainment.
Borrowing from films such as RoboCop, Short Circuit, A.I. and even District 9 & Elysium to some extent, it's essentially a film about life/living told from a robot with a newly developed A.I. program.

When we first get introduced to the robots as police officers I had to check IMDb to see if Peter Weller was cast as I thought they sounded exactly like Murphy in RoboCop. Turns out I was wrong!

While it's only real criticisms from me is that some of the characters are a tad annoying at times and it doesn't bring anything really new to the table, I thought it was a thoroughly enjoyable, emotional ride. Chappie, voiced by the superb Sharlto Copley was fantastic. There were a number of times I was laughing out loud as he
gets corrupted by his keepers into carrying out various illegal jobs. The car stealing scenes had me in stitches.

What I like about Neill Blomkamp is his ability to make a film that looks like it has a huge budget, but doesn't really by modern standards. Can't count Elysium in that but District 9 for $30million and Chappie for $49million is a really impressive feat.

I was wowed by District 9 when I saw that in the cinema. The special fx used were fantastic for the 'Prawns' and again with Chappie, the droids look amazing. Considering the budget for this compared to the likes of SWTFA which had a budget 5 times the amount, you can't help but be impressed with what Blomkamp et al achieved for that budget.

The comedy element made it slightly more enjoyable than District 9 for me, but I still think from an originality POV, District 9 is the better of the two. That had more of the wow factor than Chappie.
Other human cast wise, Hugh Jackman was great in a change of role for him, as was Dev Patel as per the norm. Sigourney didn't really have much of an impact as her role was somewhat limited. Some of the other characters were a tad annoying at times with their eccentricity.

PQ and AQ were great as expected. Reading on Blu-ray.com about the 4K release and the blu seems to be rated higher despite the latter not having Atmos.

Overall though, I'm baffled as to why this has received so little praise. I loved it!

I don't always agree with you Ripley but I'm with you here! Its not as good as District 9 but its definitely very good and I had a blast with it. Actually I want to see it again now!
 
I don't always agree with you Ripley but I'm with you here! Its not as good as District 9 but its definitely very good and I had a blast with it. Actually I want to see it again now!
Be boring if we all always agreed Jim :)

It's certainly made me feel a bit more comfortable with him tackling Alien now if he ever gets to do it.
I just thought it was really, really good fun with important messages about life and loss.

On a side note I'm glad they used the ending that they did over the alternate one. Although that one does beg the question about our future as a race and the involvement of A.I.

Get it watched again Jim :smashin:
 
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