Last Movie you Watched?

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Had heard good things about this film so was a mite dissapointed. The initial premise is good but theres too little Sci Fi, none of the social commetary, no humour, no real characters to engage (human or CGI).

Serkis is brilliant (was he born to be cgi actor extrodinare?) but despite his sterling work and a likable James Franco turn there's just not enough meat on the bones. Once everything abruptly changes direction it rushes headlong into a generic action territory. Even great CGI isn't enough by itself and if that where the franchise wishes to go then I personally thing the humans in mask route is a better bet.

6/10

lachesis wrote:

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Had heard good things about this film so was a mite dissapointed. The initial premise is good but theres too little Sci Fi, none of the social commetary, no humour, no real characters to engage (human or CGI).

Serkis is brilliant (was he born to be cgi actor extrodinare?) but despite his sterling work and a likable James Franco turn there's just not enough meat on the bones. Once everything abruptly changes direction it rushes headlong into a generic action territory. Even great CGI isn't enough by itself and if that where the franchise wishes to go then I personally thing the humans in mask route is a better bet.

6/10

The humans in masks was done particularly well in Tim Burton's Apes film (2001) so I think also, that that option has more appeal than the CGI work here. I liked the film, but it didn't blow me away either. I might bump it to 7/10 but no more.

At least it's success sets up for a sequel. I prefer my Apes films, with the Apes in charge and the humans fighting them, which looks like where we might be headed for Part 2, or even better, the humans and apes evenly matched in a battle for control of the planet. Depends on how deadly that human-killing virus was though.

Contagion (2011)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1598778/

5/5

this is a scary film!!

tiffanywint wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

tiffanywint wrote:

Witherspoon looks real good on top of the elephant.

As good as Pattinson would look flattened underneath it?

Pattinson did some good work in this film, especially with the elephant. He's more than just sparkle boy.

I'd rank the elephant work here ahead of both the Bond elephant films, OP and DAF.

I think DAF was Bond's best elephant film. The casino elephant's enthusiasm at winning slots was far more dramatic than the more docile beasts we saw harnessed for Kamal Khan's safari. Then, there was the OP's circus elephant. Tough call.

Finding the idea of a 'Bond's best elephant film' sub-genre highly amusing.

tiffanywint wrote:

Hilly wrote:

Oliver Twist (1948)

something special by David Lean, looks quite special in the scenery and the way it adds mood right down to the final scene with Sikes' death. Four stars and thusly onto Diner (1982). Ah, Steve Guttenberg before it all went...

heh....Guttenberg's most iconic work was in the first 4 Police Academy films. Comic genius. Those movies sealed his legacy. :)

ha, this is a good and valid point of course. It was Police Academy that introduced me to him then came the other stuff, Boys from Brazil, Three Men films, Cocoon et al.

Carey Mahoney's finest hour was the first Academy film. Absolute legend to this day.

Brief Encounter

so frightfully British, in the old sense. Stiff if sometimes trembling upper lips. Fantastic central pairing which could've been quite different if Roger Livesey had played Alec (though I'd wager he'd have given a good run for his money). I suppose there's a lot of it that would seem silly nowadays, like Celia Johnson's dolt of a husband (poor bounder). A tough love story but then these chaps were married...even so the way of their parting is sad and made more so by that blasted woman who won't leave Celia Johnson alone. Something about Trevor Howard's performance that carries so much without appearing to do so.
Honourable mention to that old stalwart of film, Stanley Holloway.

A sidenote is that it inspired amongst other things the conclusion to a Dad's Army episode where Captain Mainwaring sees off Mrs Gray, one of Dad's Army's (and indeed Arthur Lowe's) finest hours.

It always bothered me because I think they (Alec and Laura) made the wrong choice.

Saw THE THIRD MAN at MoMA this afternoon. And for free.

There are a lot of gorgeous images in this film. My favorite shot is at the end.

Reed had a pretty amazing run in the late 40s into the early 50s. Have you seen any of his other flicks from that period Brown, like Odd Man Out, The Fallen Idol, and The Man Between? Fantastic films, and then he went and did a sort of parody of his own work with Our Man in Havana, which is just plain good fun.

And yet my favourite Reed film is still The Agony and the Ecstasy. :| Seems odd.

Hilly: Are you going through all of Lean's stuff?

FourDot wrote:

Hilly: Are you going through all of Lean's stuff?

unfortunately not. Channel 4 here were showing his Dickens films and I thought I'd check out Brief Encounter. I was going to get his boxset this week, centenary edition but it was gone by the time I got there. Very much would like to go through his work soon. A big, if lesser and humble, fan of his work.

The Ides of March

Full of unpleasant characters and forgettable. Left me wanting a shower and to stroke some bunny rabbits and wear colourful pyjamas to remind myself the world isn't always that grim.

FourDot wrote:

Reed had a pretty amazing run in the late 40s into the early 50s. Have you seen any of his other flicks from that period Brown, like Odd Man Out, The Fallen Idol, and The Man Between? Fantastic films, and then he went and did a sort of parody of his own work with Our Man in Havana, which is just plain good fun.

Embarrassingly enough, I haven't seen THE FALLEN IDOL yet. :|

NIGHT TRAIN TO MUNICH is another of his I'd classify as "plain good fun".

ROMPER STOMPER. Superb. Russell Crowe is a revelation.

Blue Moon Rising (2010)
Dir. Stewart Sung

Documenting the highs and lows of Manchester City Football Club's 2009-10 season, Blue Moon Rising offers no more insight than the video content that can be found on the club's official website. Choosing to focus on the 'heroes' of City's inaugural season of the Khaldoon Al Mubarak era, players such as Emmanuel Adeybayor, Craig Bellamy and Carlos Tevez, are portrayed as the bright future awaiting City, making the film already horrifically dated. Since Mancini's appointment as manager, Adeybayor has already fallen out of favour (with loan spells at Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur following this revelation) as has Craig Bellamy, who spent the 2010-11 season on loan at Cardiff City before making a move to Liverpool. Carlos Tevez, or the 'hitman' as described in the film, is unlikely to ever play for City again after a significant period of controversy in which it was claimed that he refused to come on as a substitute against Bayern Munich. Other than the hero-worshiping, there is some semblance of commentary on the addictiveness of supporting your team (as Liam Gallagher says in the film "whether they win or lose is irrelevant") but it's drowned by heavily fictionalised accounts of previous seasons as recalled by some of the fans interviewed for the film. Rising is at it's best when splicing together genuinely exciting match-action with some staggering footage of the supporters giving their all (highlights include the Manchester United 'ultras' doing their best to change the Etihad from blue to red) but as a whole it's a rather forgettable, shallow and, in light of recent events, pointless look at a future for Man City that isn't going to happen in the way that was expected. But I guess hindsight is a wonderful tool.

:1*:

Groundhog Day

from start to end a riot and a classic Bill Murray movie at that. What with all the snow, idiot man turn good etc it's a Christmas movie. Well, kind of. Fantastic fun.

A classic. Ramis's best work, I'd say.

Munich

I am for the most part very pleased with this film. The differing attitudes towards their mission by the members of the Israel team, particularly the change of the main character's feelings on it, are presented in a subtle and fairly convincing manner. The ambiguity is handled well. No trace of kitsch. There are directors who would have done it better, but this film doesn't feel like a Spbg. film at all. It's the only one of his I really like next to JAWS and DUEL.


The Last Picture Show

Very fine film about the life in a horrible small town in Texas. Good acting all around. Fucking is one of the main issues here. Also a lot of interesting characters interplaying. Good impression on first viewing.

Manhunter wrote:

Munich

I am for the most part very pleased with this film. The differing attitudes towards their mission by the members of the Israel team, particularly the change of the main character's feelings on it, are presented in a subtle and fairly convincing manner. The ambiguity is handled well. No trace of kitsch. There are directors who would have done it better, but this film doesn't feel like a Spbg. film at all. It's the only one of his I really like next to JAWS and DUEL.

I recommend giving CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, A.I. and (especially) SUGARLAND EXPRESS another go. Spielberg's finest films, IMO.

MARS ATTACKS (1996 - Tim Burton)

One of the finest films of the 90s. A brilliantly anarchic, endlessly funny social, cultural and political satire in the vein of Paul Veerhoven's ROBOCOP and STARSHIP TROOPERS. This is post-Gulf War Clinton America taken to the cleaners. Who saves the day? Country music, a working class outcast, a granny with dementia, Jim Brown in a King Tut costume and Tom Jones. Despite all of its zany comedy and cynicism towards the political and celebratory elite, it's got heart.

Terrific score too by Danny Elfman, which sounds like the love child of Bernard Herrmann and Sergei Prokofiev on acid.

My second favourite Tirm Burton film, right next to ED WOOD.

Mr. Brown wrote:

A classic. Ramis's best work, I'd say.

considering his subsequent work I'd agree entirely. Though without Bill Murray Groundhog Day might have fallen a little.

Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows - I had a great time watching this - the film even got a good amount of applause at my theatre. It was fun throughout and lacked the bloatedness and so many second films in franchises seem to have nowadays. Both the returning cast and new players are all in top form. It's good to see Noomi Rapace in a more feminine role after the Millennium trilogy. Stephen Fry's Mycroft is as eccentric as his brother "Shirley." Jared Harris as the icy Moriarty has eye-catching chemistry with Holmes. The Moriarty plot is more engaging to follow than the relatively generic Blackwood conspiracy in the first one. Downey and Law of course still rule the show, and their shtick hasn't worn out its welcome yet. Some things, like Watson firing machine guns and the increased amount of homoerotism are over the top, but that's Guy Ritchie. Overall, a satisfying winter blockbuster that is more faithful to Conan Doyle's short stories than I anticipated. 8/10

Sharky wrote:

My second favourite Tirm Burton film, right next to ED WOOD.

Nice to see we have the same #1 from Burton.

I've not seen MARS ATTACKS! since the 90's, but I love the ending if I recall it correctly with Tom Jones and the animals.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1270761/

I had very high expectations for this film and it turned out to be a disappointment - Guillermo Del Toro, are you reading this?

2.5/5

Sharky wrote:

MARS ATTACKS (1996 - Tim Burton)

One of the finest films of the 90s. A brilliantly anarchic, endlessly funny social, cultural and political satire in the vein of Paul Veerhoven's ROBOCOP and STARSHIP TROOPERS. This is post-Gulf War Clinton America taken to the cleaners. Who saves the day? Country music, a working class outcast, a granny with dementia, Jim Brown in a King Tut costume and Tom Jones. Despite all of its zany comedy and cynicism towards the political and celebratory elite, it's got heart.

Terrific score too by Danny Elfman, which sounds like the love child of Bernard Herrmann and Sergei Prokofiev on acid.

My second favourite Tirm Burton film, right next to ED WOOD.

I'm not quite as keen on the film as you are--the satire is in place, but I don't think the film is as funny as it wants to be--but it's definitely underrated.

That said, my favorite Burton films are still ED WOOD and SWEENEY TODD.