What films have you watched recently?

Philly_Q

Offset said:

Philly_Q said:

Passing on - and trying to avoid - a curse is a familiar idea in horror movies, but this is a pretty decent variation on the theme.  It's not over-reliant on CGI either.  Worth a watch.

My favourite of the genre is Night Of The Demon, which is an adaptation of M.R. James' Casting The Runes.  There was something really disturbing about the film's atmosphere and I love it.

Drag Me To Hell is a decent variation on the theme. 

Night Of The Demon (aka Curse Of The Demon) is one of my all time favourites.  Very atmospheric as you say, absolutely fantastic monster too, for the time.  Drag Me To Hell is good too. 

Watching Smile I was thinking of The Ring and It Follows, although it's not in that league.  The trailer (and poster) make it look like an M. Night Shyamalan film, with a hint of Jordan Peele, but it's not really like that.  The "smiling" doesn't actually play a very big part.

Shrews

Jesus Christ Superstar 7/10

Trippy.

Hated it the first time I watched it, but it's quite good as background music and full of strong visuals throughout, so easy to catch some hippy stuff when looking up from the laptop. It's grown on me and I've seen it a few times now.

The Monster Club 9.5/10

The best of the short story horror compilations out there. Featuring fried cats, skeleton strippers, BA Robertson and Vincent Price doing what Vincent Price does.

JezWynd

Currently on a Pedro Almodovar jag after catching Pain and Glory again on TV last week. I love his world - the decor, personalities, situations - all go together to create an adorable, smart, funny, poignant reality. Subsequently watched All About My Mother and, most recently, Talk To Her. Highly recommend all of them (the scene of the miniature man climbing inside his lover’s vagina to make love to her is hilarious, while a short time later the story takes a turn into tragedy - Almodovar manages these abrupt turns brilliantly and takes the audience with him through these changes; he’s a master craftsman.

theatreanchor

Willy's Wonderland. Brilliant. 

https://youtu.be/0v27rfaoB2Y

goldtop

^ Yes! Pain and Glory was phenomenal. You're never quite sure with Almodovar what you are going to get, but he rarely disappoints. Except that the recent one he did with Tilda Swinton was too bloody short!

ICBM

The Fabelmans

Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiography as a very thinly disguised fictional teenage filmmaker struggling with family and teen issues. It’s beautifully made in his typical style of course, and slightly less superficial than it seems at first, but despite a lot of good acting, in the end it doesn’t really convey any sense of struggle - I don’t know whether the real Spielberg followed his destiny in such an apparently straightforward way, but I suspect he may have.

He’s still one of the greatest directors ever, and this is by no means a bad film, which has clearly been very carefully and lovingly made, but it’s far from his best. Worth seeing if you’re interested in him or the history of film, but otherwise just another coming-of-age drama.

7/10

(Local cinema)

I’d like to know if the real ‘Monica’ was actually like that though .

chillidoggy

All Quiet on the Western Front. I gave up half way through. Nothing wrong with the acting, but the life in the trenches thing was so predictable to me.

I can’t score it cos I never watched it all.

Offset

Philly_Q said:

Viking Wolf (Netflix)

The title's a little misleading, this is a modern werewolf tale which has very little to do with Vikings.  However, it is set in rural Norway so there's some nice scenery. 

It's not bad at all, but it's all a bit predictable and finishes in a way which is meant to be ambiguous but just feels like there are a lot of loose ends...

Watched it last night.  Started well enough but it all went to crap when the 'monster' revealed itself.  One of my dogs is far scarier.  And yes, it was all too predictable I'm afraid.  4/10.

Offset

'Salem's Lot (1979)

I recently re-watched this TV film for the umpteenth time.  Directed by Tobe Hooper, it has a pretty stellar cast but star of the show is James Mason who delivers a fabulously measured and creepy turn as Richard Straker.  David Soul is excellent as the main protagonist Ben Mears.

I'll make no bones about the fact I adore this.  It has some genuinely creepy moments and several in particular have stayed with me since I first saw it 44 years ago.  The scenes where the Glick boys float eerily through clouds of mist and scratch at windows with their claws still scare the living crap out of me even now; Mike Ryerson sitting in a rocking chair with glowing eyes and fangs rasping "teeeeeacher... loooook at me..."; Barlow springing up in Ned Tebbits' prison cell; vampire townsfolk suddenly visible as they crawl out of the dark in the basement of Straker's house; and Marjorie Glick rising from the dead in the mortuary.

There are loads of other great moments but the strength of the performances, the atmospheric and pacey direction from Hooper and the presence of James Mason elevate this above most TV horror movies - in fact, above most horror movies full stop.

Still brilliant and scary after all this time.

10/10

jonnyburgo

Luther The Fallen Sun.

That was fucking daft, Andy Serkis is genuinely horrible but Luther dressed as Luther walking  around in -30°c Norwegian Mountains with his jeans and Jacket flapping about before falling into the water and not even shivering afterwards, I mean I know he's hard but ... Still entertaining though 7/10 for a laugh.

rze99

We Have a Ghost

Netflix 2022

Daft plot but effective supernatural comedy adventure

A family moves into a creepy old house they haven't realised has a reputation for being haunted which is why it is cheap and needs renovation.

The youngest (vintage rock guitar loving) son Kevin (Jahi Di'Allo Winston) soon encounters a ghost named Ernest (David Harbour) that has been clearing out prior owners with his creepy looks and presence.

Kevin is lonely and isn't scared of the ghost sensing its pain and along with super-bright and lonely girl neighbour, they attempt to figure out why he is a ghost. But when Ernest goes viral, the entire world — and the CIA — want a piece of him as well as tearing the family apart.

Gotta say there were mixed ages watching this and, eventually, we all enjoyed it overall despite ourselves and some eye-rolling. it's a kind of 10/12 years upwards.

While the pacing and vibe is all over the shop, it has a bunch of different things going for it and the stupid story is backed up with very strong performances laughs and cameos. Jahi Di'Allo Winston looks about 15 but he carries the lead beautifully with emotional range and huge charm. 

Family Friday night brain-off fun

8/10

chillidoggy

Anyone here seen The Changeling starring George C. Scott? I don’t scare easily, but that film really spooked me.

Philly_Q

chillidoggy said:

Anyone here seen The Changeling starring George C. Scott? I don’t scare easily, but that film really spooked me.

Yeah, I watched it again quite recently.  Strange film, but it works - Scott was such a charismatic actor.

AlbertC

JezWynd said:

Currently on a Pedro Almodovar jag after catching Pain and Glory again on TV last week. I love his world - the decor, personalities, situations - all go together to create an adorable, smart, funny, poignant reality. Subsequently watched All About My Mother and, most recently, Talk To Her. Highly recommend all of them (the scene of the miniature man climbing inside his lover’s vagina to make love to her is hilarious, while a short time later the story takes a turn into tragedy - Almodovar manages these abrupt turns brilliantly and takes the audience with him through these changes; he’s a master craftsman.

Thanks for the reminder, I've been meaning to catch up on his more recent films. The Skin I Live In was the last one I watched. which as I recall, was quite a crazy one, but I'm a big fan in general of his films and their style. 

equalsql

Before Sunrise 1995
A young American tourist (Ethen Hawke) heading to Vienna to catch a flight back to the States,  encounters a French student (Julie Delpy) heading back to university in Paris, on the same train. The young couple immediately hit it off and Hawke persuades Delpy to get off her journey mid route and spend time with him walking around Vienna while he kills time wating for his flight the morning of the following day.
A simple walking and talking movie that is enchanting and intoxicating.
A really wonderful film with superb performances from both actors. 
I think this might just be the one of the best 'romantic' films I've ever seen.
An absolute 10/10.

jonnyburgo

equalsql said:

Before Sunrise 1995
A young American tourist (Ethen Hawke) heading to Vienna to catch a flight back to the States,  encounters a French student (Julie Delpy) heading back to university in Paris, on the same train. The young couple immediately hit it off and Hawke persuades Delpy to get off her journey mid route and spend time with him walking around Vienna while he kills time wating for his flight the morning of the following day.
A simple walking and talking movie that is enchanting and intoxicating.
A really wonderful film with superb performances from both actors. 
I think this might just be the one of the best 'romantic' films I've ever seen.
An absolute 10/10.

The other two in the trilogy are good as well.

paulnb57

Luther, Netflix

Utter drivel, bloody hell, it was poor

Philly_Q

That Luther film is getting terrible reviews.  I won't be watching it because I didn't like the series, but the series was popular - how did they mess up the film so badly?

HerbieTheRadDorklift

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

I wouldn't normally select a film like this, or what I believed this film would be like, but blimey it was brilliant. Perfect blend of action, fantasy and lots of comedy. Really great, easy to follow fantasy. 

RocknRollDave

paulnb57 said:

Luther, Netflix

Utter drivel, bloody hell, it was poor

Just finished it. Absolute drivel, as you say.
 I enjoyed watching it, but probably just for the high number of (unintentional) laugh out loud moments.
Completely ridiculous, from start to finish.

Oh, Idris, what were you thinking?!