What films have you watched recently?

VimFuego

/\ /\ did not know that about the budget, but in a way it made it better. Limited fancy CGI and so on, put more of a focus on storytelling and not showing us stuff, leaving it up to our imagination. 

sweave

The Menu
I enjoyed it - many 'laugh out loud' moments within the more serious commentary on modern life 7.5/10

chillidoggy

"The Vault" on Netflix.

As far-fetched a heist as it gets. Complete nonsense. The wife loved it.

vanlooy1

Nowhere special 

A single dad looks for prospective parents to adopt his son as he has a terminal prognosis.

Despite the depressing premise it’s really quite a lovely film, well played by all especially James Norton.

Definitely worth a watch.

Solid 7.5/10

ICBM

Velvet Goldmine

Ewan McGregor and Christian Bale in a heavily-inspired or thinly-disguised (take your pick) take on Bowie and Iggy in a surrealist glam rock tale...

I'd never seen this, although I was aware that it was 'controversial' at the time. It's nearly at the Baz Luhrmann level of demented genius, but for me it seemed to be trying slightly too hard most of the time and didn't quite work, although there are definitely good parts. McGregor is both not quite sleazy or self-destructive enough to capture the Iggy character perfectly, but is actually very convincing on stage. Christian Bale as the 'story teller' is an interesting character, but not really emotive enough to relate to somehow. (I've thought that about him in other roles though.) Controversial? MrsICBM asked what all the fuss was about - and was fairly unimpressed by McGregor's fully nude scene - but I did realise with some slight shock that 1998 is *25 years ago* now, and the world has actually changed quite a lot since then. [/Old Man]

Impressed more by the use of a number of early Roxy Music songs than the more obvious Stooges ones.

7/10

(Netflix)

Sporky

Mortal Engines

The first four minutes or so are quite good, though the basic premise is very silly.

I gather the book isn't bad.

The film is. 3.7 / 6.8

axisus

Sporky said:

Mortal Engines

The first four minutes or so are quite good, though the basic premise is very silly.

I gather the book isn't bad.

The film is. 3.7 / 6.8

Indeed. Utterly daft, however, it's the kind of film that is quite enjoyable if you just switch off your brain and go with the flow.

Philly_Q

ICBM said:

Velvet Goldmine

Ewan McGregor and Christian Bale in a heavily-inspired or thinly-disguised (take your pick) take on Bowie and Iggy in a surrealist glam rock tale...

And Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the Bowie role, looking good and doing very little (if I remember correctly), which is probably what he's best at... Terrible actor.  I haven't seen Velvet Goldmine since it came out, I'm quite shocked that was 25 years ago!

axisus

I saw two films yesterday

First men in the moon (1964). I saw this as a kid and it left a lifelong impression on me. I became a big Lionel Jeffries fan. I literally hadn't seen it for a few decades, and it was a most enjoyable watch. It's a fabulous HG Wells story but with a light touch, adding dashes of humour. The aliens that are men in costumes are less convincing now, but the Harryhausen animated ones still have that superb stop-motion creepiness. I would say that this was the first time I came across his stuff and that was probably why the film remained such a childhood classic to me. The 'spacecraft' is a wonderful design, looking like a giant mine. Loved it! For me, 7/10

I had a real urge to watch the Time Machine remake with Guy Pierce. I enjoyed it, but then I am a massive time travel freak. It's not a patch on the original of course, but it's a fun watch. With my logical hat on, it is inconceivable that an 'Ai' device somehow survived for 800,000 years and still functions. Where is it getting power from in a primitive world???? but if I [try to] ignore the daft stuff it's a fun watch. I'd give it 6/10, which in my book is clearly no classic but still worth a look.

axisus

Leisceoir said:

Anyone else watch "Lightyear"? It got a lot of bad reviews because people thought it was another Toy Story movie and it was a lot different. The main character is actually the person the Buzz Lightyear toy was based on and has a totally different personality. I think the movie got largely overlooked because of the bad reception. I thought it was a really good film, one of the best sci-fi films I've seen in a long time. 

I saw it with my daughter when it came out. Bits of the plot were annoying but overall we enjoyed it. 

Haych said:

True Lies

Saw it way back in the day. My recollection is that I liked the first half with their 'normal' life, but then I was less interested in the 'action' half. In all fairness I don't like action films. I have bookmarked it to watch again though so I'll see what I make of it now.

ICBM

Philly_Q said:

And Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the Bowie role, looking good and doing very little (if I remember correctly), which is probably what he's best at... Terrible actor.

Yes - I couldn't decide whether he was trying to be a kind of emotionless idiot savant caught up in a whirlwind beyond his control (ie very much *not* Bowie) or whether he just can't act.

SPECTRUM001

ICBM said:

Philly_Q said:

And Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the Bowie role, looking good and doing very little (if I remember correctly), which is probably what he's best at... Terrible actor.

Yes - I couldn't decide whether he was trying to be a kind of emotionless idiot savant caught up in a whirlwind beyond his control (ie very much *not* Bowie) or whether he just can't act.

We went to Velvet Goldmine when it came out too. I had previously seen Todd Haynes' controversial and brilliant Carpenters biopic so had high hopes.

But I really struggled, particularly with Jonathan Rhys Meyers (and the name: Brian Slade - fictional band and rock star names are so often just wrong).

@ICBM - totally agree; the film just tries too hard.

RocknRollDave

The Menu

Had never heard of it; Mrs nRollDave suggested it tonight.

I enjoyed it.

Reggaebass

Watched Doomsday on Netflix, it’s like a mashup of the wanderers and mad max, quite a bit of action but I’d say it’s a 5/10

Stratavarious

Alien

I had forced myself to watch the recent abysmal Prometheus movies.

’They don’t make ‘em like they used to’…. The original is just so well crafted and paced.  So much more human.   

10/10.. perfect Sci-Fi.  Never tired of it.

DrCornelius

Murder Mystery 

Pre Knives Out Adam Sandler effort in which he plays a cop of a second honeymoon who stumbles into a succession of murders.  Tbh I watched it as I didn’t really want to engage my brain much after a day of trying to navigate Spanish roads . Jennifer Aniston is always an easy watch and tbh it wasn’t a bad film by Adam Sandler standards . A chucklesome 7 out of 10

chillidoggy

"Non-Stop".

Pretty good in-flight action and suspense, with Laim Neeson being, well, Liam Neeson. I enjoyed it, even though the plot was a little iffy.

PSA - If you find out that Liam Neeson is on your flight to anywhere, FFS don't board it, take the next one.

axisus

DrCornelius said:

Murder Mystery 

Pre Knives Out Adam Sandler effort in which he plays a cop of a second honeymoon who stumbles into a succession of murders.  Tbh I watched it as I didn’t really want to engage my brain much after a day of trying to navigate Spanish roads . Jennifer Aniston is always an easy watch and tbh it wasn’t a bad film by Adam Sandler standards . A chucklesome 7 out of 10

Yeah I remember that was quite fun. A good Friday night takeaway film for us.

rze99

The Handmaiden

Subtitled: spoken in both in Korean and Chinese according to role .

Immersive psychological multi-dimensional story of deception and  intrigue, combined with both subtle and graphic lesbian eroticism, S&M, fine costumes and incredible cinematography. Unrated but definitely adults only.

Very long!

1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a new girl (Sookee) is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress (Hideko) who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering Uncle (Kouzuki).

But the maid has a secret. She is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a Japanese Count to help him seduce the Lady to elope with him, rob her of her fortune, and lock her up in a madhouse.

The plan seems to proceed according to plan until Sookee and Hideko discover some unexpected emotions and layers of intrigue and deception emerge.

The story evolves from different role perspectives over time the pace varying and the plots absorbing. The story as you end u knowing it is not particularly believable, but it is absorbing and absolutely gorgeous to the eyes that you won't care. Dependent upon you outlook, it's also incredibly erotic at times. 

Not for everyone but I found it quite wonderful

9/10

Brio

Time after time - The Malcom McDowell HG Wells story where follows Jack the Ripper to the future (1979 San Fancisco) and falls in love. 
Davis Warner is excellent as the Ripper character and Maray Steenbergen is the love interest.
A delightful film and I got the odd chuckle from it.