last weekend we watched Caged Heat and Black Angel. Black Angel was good. I'm a Dan Duryea fan. Up next are Death Sentence, The Dirty Dozen, A Few Good Men, and The Fugitive Kind. I've seen TDD and AFGM but my wife hasn't.
last weekend we watched Caged Heat and Black Angel. Black Angel was good. I'm a Dan Duryea fan. Up next are Death Sentence, The Dirty Dozen, A Few Good Men, and The Fugitive Kind. I've seen TDD and AFGM but my wife hasn't.
when I read that comment, I thought I'd love to see a "Bob and Prometheus" movie. then I found one, sort of. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1z7WFLE3IAOriginally Posted by Paulie
Prometheus was one of the most illogical, plot hole heavy, pieces of crap this side of Star Trek: Into the Darkness. Of course, both boast the writing credit of Damon Lindelof
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart
Yeah. Lots of wasted potential with that film.
I know you're excited: http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/100...ght-whalewolf/
"Whalewolf"
Just saw the movie Ex Machina in the theater. I thought it was ok. I guess my main complaints are it moved really slow, didn't have much action and over all seemed a bit boring. However, there were moments with deep philosophical dialogue I thought were interesting and it did seem to build tension. I also liked the unpredictability of it. I guess I'm just not used to movies like this. It wasn't bad. However, I can't really recommend it to the average movie goer just to those into cerebral science fiction that is heavy on dialogue and light on action.
Spy - Comedy spy movie with Melissa McCarthy, Jude Law, Rose Byrne, and a nice sprinkling of Brit comedy roles for Miranda Hart, Peter Serafinowicz...and especially Jason Statham.
Yes, I know there are a lot of McCarthy haters out there, and your enjoyment of this obviously depends on how much you love/hate her. Personally I like her, and loved the pairing of her and Sandra Bullock in Paul Feig's Heat.
It's target is more Bourne that Bond, a Euro-centric caper taking in Budapest, France, Italy and Hungary.
McCarthy is a deskbound CIA analyst, whose job it is to be in constant contact with agents via headset and give them info and assistance. She works closely with Jude Law's suave, super-agent whom she also has a thing for...but when he is 'offed' by Rose Byrne's baddie, she is inexplicably drafted in as an undercover agent to go to Europe and track down the villains.
OK, the plots not the thing, the usual clichéd villains, double crosses, nuclear weapons cache's, double/triple crosses, no one is who they seem etc. But it matters not...on the whole this is a hilarious send-up of spy movies, in which the whole cast throw themselves into their roles with gleeful abandon.
Statham is a revelation...I have wanted to see him send himself up like this for some time...not a huge fan of his movies, but his character here is priceless...a British agent miffed at the notion of McCarthy being given the job, and constantly telling ever more unlikely stories of his macho prowess, like how he once had his arm ripped off, and sewed it back on by himself whilst fighting off bad guys...you see where this is going.
Rose Byrne is icily cold and all stiff-upper lip as the spoilt brat of a villain, with a penchant for killing off her own men at the drop of a hat...sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. She certainly holds her own against McCarthy, to her credit.
Jude Law is suitably suave as the Bond-style, smooth super-agent, though he is not on screen for that long. Of course this is McCarthy's movie, and she is as you would expect...often foul-mouthed but frequently funny. It's a basic fish-out-of-water scenario, with her thrust into the field and floundering her way through the sometimes silly plot, constantly bemoaning the clichéd identities she is given, all frumpy schoolteacher types and cat-ladies.
Miranda Hart as her frumpy, gangly sidekick is, well...Miranda. As the movie goes on she has more to do and steps up to the challenge...even gets some great scenes with 50 Cent. And finally the versatile Peter Serafinowicz, very funny as an oily, sleazy lovesick Italian spy...or is he an undercover British agent...who knows.
At times McCarthy's over-the-top quickfire dialogue and insults threaten to wear thin, but director Feig keeps things moving very quickly, and all of the cast are given plenty to do so that it never drags.
Good fun.
I only clicked on it because I thought it was going to be something more interesting...
Spy sounds like it might be fun, good review. I thought she was good in St. Vincent too.
I like your reviews.
Keep em coming!
no tunes, no dynamics, no nosebone
Talking of St Vincent...
St Vincent - brilliant movie with Bill Murray very much on form. He plays an aged, lazy, washed-up Vietnam vet, spending his days gambling (and frequently losing) and getting drunk. Melissa McCarthy and her young son Oliver move in next door to him, and immediately they start bickering. However, they reach an uneasy truce of sorts, as McCarthy is in the middle of a messy divorce and has to work long shifts to make ends meet, so reluctantly asks Vincent to babysit Oliver.
To say Vincent's babysitting methods are unconventional are an understatement, which naturally involve visits to the track and various bars. However, Oliver warms to Vincent and the two form a bond. Oliver is small and is picked on at school, so Murray gives him fighting lessons, as well as his own unique and uncompromising guide to the real world.
However, amid the comedy are some serious moments...Vincent is not quite what he seems, and there is more depth to the character than you would expect. It is unashamedly sentimental at times, but it's good to see Murray get his teeth into role like this, which has echoes of his classic 80's comedies.
McCarthy is also very good here, a somewhat more toned down character than she normally plays.
Oh, and Naomi Watts is great as a heavily Russian-accented 'lady of the night', and the IT Crowd's Chris O'Dowd as an unconventional teacher priest.
I only clicked on it because I thought it was going to be something more interesting...
Agreed, St Vincent is a very good flick, definitely worth watching.
Watched The Equalizer on cable last night. This is an overused formula, ex military superman wades through an endless supply of badguys usually to avenge a wrong. In this case its Denzel Washington VS the Russian mob.The movie is slick but so "already seen that....a thousand times" that I give it a 4 of 10. Choreographed killing, quiet reflection, killing ,reflection, killing............zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Can't disagree with that...not only have we seen this kind of revenge drama millions of times, but Washington has become far too comfortable in these types of roles, it's like he's not even trying.
I only clicked on it because I thought it was going to be something more interesting...
Some oldies, new to blu ray...
The Onion Field.
Brilliant, absorbing if little-known true story from 1981, with James Woods, Ted Danson, John Savage and Ronny Cox. Hettinger(Savage) and Campbell (Danson) are two cops who pull over Powell (Woods) and his sidekick Jimmy (the excellent Franklyn Seales) for a minor traffic offence...not realising they are on their way to commit a robbery, who then decide to take the cops hostage and drive them out to a remote field...one cop is brutally gunned down, one escapes.
Spoilers ahead.......
Set in 1963, the first half of the movie sets up the characters, particularly Powell's hyper, unpredictable, coiled-spring persona, and Jimmy's nervous, slightly timid and malleable nature, making him an easy target for Powell's more dominant and manipulative tendencies. Danson shines in his few scenes in the early part of the film, showing a rarely seen dramatic side to him (and he gets to play the bagpipes...seriously!). But the bulk of the movie is really Hettinger's story.
After the killing, the movie focuses partly on the trial(s), and endless legal manipulation on the part of Campbell and Smith, ultimately falling out whilst in prison awaiting sentencing, learning about law, stringing things out for years, learning to defend themselves etc, to the point where it becomes completely farcical.
During this time, the film also focuses on the effect of the events of that night on Hettinger...he has to live with the guilt of his partners death, but also of not being able to save him. But the fact that he gave up his gun to the killers, something that police procedure at the time considered a no-no. Not only does Hettinger question and doubt himself, but so do others around him. Therefore something has to give, and he eventually quits his job, has mental problems, nightmares and problems with his marriage.
And I had forgotten there was a scene with Savage involving his young baby constantly crying that actually made me put my hands over my eyes and turn away. Don't worry it's not graphic or even distasteful, but because of the build-up, the characters state-of-mind and Savage's intense performance, it's extremely powerful and upsetting.
One of the films strengths, apart from powerhouse performances from Woods and Savage, is that one crucial detail about the killing is left deliberately obscure, and indeed becomes the crux of much of the legal case...and the film leaves this detail unresolved, which adds to the tension and keeps you watching in fascination until the end.
Wolfen -
A somewhat obscure but very interesting take on the werewolf tale. Made in 1981, with Albert Finney, Diane Venora, Gregory Hines, and a very young looking Edward James Olmos and Tom Noonan.
Spoilers ahead...
Bodies start turning up all over New York, mostly transients and homeless people...but when a wealthy businessman and his wife with political connections and his wife are killed, the investigation deepens. Finney and pathologist Hines start to realise that the cause of death is unclear, and seems to be the work of an animal.
This was one of the first movies to try to mix horror with ecology, and is far from a standard werewolf movie. For me that's the appeal...there are no animatronic werewolves here along the lines of American Werewolf In London or The Howling...this relies very much on atmosphere, and particularly some stunning 'wolfs-eye' style photography and incredible sound design to create the tension (both of which thankfully come across very well on the blu ray).
The story also takes an interesting twist, when it seems that the creatures seem to have some connection with a group of spiritually inclined native Indians, who indulge in hallucinogenic drugs that they believe transform them into animals...
The film does outreach its grasp somewhat, particularly when it tries to make the connection between man encroaching on the beasts domain, due to massive re-development and building work (the years when almost the whole South Bronx area was literally a derelict building site), and a 'warning' about man tampering with nature that seems a bit outdated these days.
All that said, its still a fascinating and very different 'werewolf' movie. There is some gore and blood, but it's not overdone. But it's the incredible photography (particularly a now completely unrecognisable early 80's New York), sound design and interesting premise that make this still very watchable.
Last edited by Rogue Mail; 06-07-2015 at 11:36 AM.
I only clicked on it because I thought it was going to be something more interesting...
I think he's building up his retirement account.
Wolfen- I remember really liking this when it came out, haven't seen this in decades. I don't remember the werewolf angle, Its time to rewatch.
My personal opinion is that Washington is coasting and believes he does not have to try hard any more, because of his past successes.
I think he's a bit premature with that...he has had some success sure, but I think he started to relax into easy, action-orientated roles far too early on, and also traded off his persona far too much.
I know people often accuse De Niro of this sometimes, but I disagree...as much as he has made some stinkers and does not push himself too much these days, the man has left a massively powerful legacy of work to be remembered for. I for one think he has earned it. The guy was intense and really pushed himself hard in his best roles, losing/gaining weight etc..I think he has reached the point where he has nothing to prove any more. And why should he?
Re Wolfen- I was surprised how much I enjoyed it recently. Often 80's movies like this don't stand the test of time, partly because the attitudes, music, speech etc can date them badly. But more and more I am finding that you find a new appreciation for such films, because they are such a relief from modern, overblown, effects-heavy formulated films.
These were films that took the time to tell their story, build the tension, not afraid to let dialogue scenes play out, without feeling the need to have some sort of incident/explosion/chase punctuate the action at regular intervals.
I only clicked on it because I thought it was going to be something more interesting...
They weren't werewolves, they were a highly evolved species of wolves surviving amongst the human populace in NYC - capable of telepathy and mind control or whatnot IIRC. Time for a rewatch for me, as well, the decapitation sequence was awesome for the time...
-=Will you stand by me against the cold night, or are you afraid of the ice?=-
Indeed...they were Wolfen, not wolves.
At the time the film was considered kind of old fashioned and not gory enough, especially as AWIL and Howling had recently opened
The emphasis was very much on atmosphere and tension, but it did have its moments, like the decapitation you mentioned.
Another thing that really stood out was how the film used the locations in a very realistic manner...there were barely any sets, they filmed on location most of the time, and like I said earlier that completely desolate area of the South Bronx of the early 80's just looks so alien...
wolfen1.jpgWolfen2.jpg
And then there are scenes actually filmed on top of Brooklyn Bridge, with Olmos and Finney up there for real. No CGI in them days...
wolfen04.jpgWolfen5.jpg
I only clicked on it because I thought it was going to be something more interesting...
I remember Wolfen quite well - the opening slaughter of the rich couple and their bodyguard was a classic. Of course, just about anything with Albert Finney is entertaining.
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart
I don't remember Wolfen's decapitation scene either. But speaking of decapatations, I do remember one from the same era, the plate glass decapitation in the Omen. The head had such a nice spin. Its another film I havnt seen in years,I wonder how it holds up today. At the time though it was kick-ass, way better than the Exorsist. I remember thinking the Exorsist was funny, but being spooked by the Omen.
Watched the Exorcist just recently and it holds up really well.
Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-a...re-happy-hour/
Gordon Haskell - "You've got to keep the groove in your head and play a load of bollocks instead"
I blame Wynton, what was the question?
There are only 10 types of people in the World, those who understand binary and those that don't.
Chappie - very disappointed in this. Neil Blomkamp's career seems to be working in reverse...this comes across as an amateurish student movie given a big budget. Had this been his first film instead of District 9 you could have forgiven it's shortcomings. And his sophomore effort Elysium, while it looked great and had some decent ideas, was yet another robot-orientated, bloated, big budget disappointment.
So what of Chappie? Yep...more robots. This time Chappie is an advanced robot designed to have consciousness in order to empathise with humans to serve them better. However, the powers that be decide it should be scrapped in favour of a more military orientated design. Chappie is therefore erased, but manages to fall into the hands of a gang of villains who decide to use him to help with a heist.
There follows a kind of Pygmalion-esque sequence where the child-like robot is taught about life etc, and this was for me the movies main flaw. Chappie is basically Johnny Five from the Short Circuit movies...that's the sort of depth we are talking here. There are the usual clichés about the robot questioning his existence, wanting to be more human etc. All been done before.
Elsewhere, there is a meagre subplot regarding Hugh Jackman's evil military type trying to get his military robot (a kind of souped-up ED-209) up to speed, and inevitably the two robots go head to head. Of course as usual the effects are very good, it's just a shame its all wasted on such a slender storyline.
I think it's time for Blomkamp to move away from the robot/techie genre now, there is no doubt he is a talented filmmaker but he seems to be stuck in a rut.
I only clicked on it because I thought it was going to be something more interesting...
Agreed - possibly the best decapitation ever. I remember the utter shock of seeing it for the first time.
They tried to update it in the recent remake, but it actually looked worse and much less impressive.
I also have a fondness(?) for the lift sequence in the second movie...
And for the record, though I love the original Omen movie, Exorcist scared me like no other movie before or since.
I only clicked on it because I thought it was going to be something more interesting...
Take.My.Money.Now.
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart
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