Nobody seen anything worth talking about recently?

I've been busy watching Olympics, but after tonight I'll get back to film-watching.

 

Last film I saw at the cinema was Magic Mike. It was good, but Channing Tatum wasn't right for his role IMO, I think the film would have been better with a different leading man. Matthew McConaughey was great.

I've seen over the past few weeks brave which I thought was brilliant and really good family film with laughs for all. Sucker Punch, VERY weird I couldn't begin to explain it properly, I didn't like it, it was too choppy into a fantasy world of a girls mind and back to reality. Not much more to say... Just weird. Raid Redemption..... Awesome!! Martial arts is great in this one with alot of gore ( not normally my thing but I really enjoyed it) if you don't mind splatters everywhere and more I really recommend this one!

 

Brave is on my list as I generally love Pixar films, so glad you recommend it. I have a copy of Sucker Punch, but not watched yet. Sounds like I might need to pay attention with that one. I'm not really a gore person, so Raid Redemption sounds like it's not my cuppa T.

 

Just started watching Cypher, but got interrupted 10 mins in so that will need to be restarted again. It did sound interesting from the reviews though.

 

 

Although I have had a few recommendations for that film, reading the synopsis, it does not sound like a film I would normally watch. Would you say it's one to catch when it's comes to TV or pick up on rental? 

If it's not your usual type of film, I wouldn't go out of your way to watch it EC, so TV or rental if there's nothing else on.

Battleship: oh dear, not very good at all. TBH, this is par for the course in big budget sci-fi.

 

Sci-fi in the Transformers style, full of CGI crashes and explosions albeit the CGI was well done but like Transformers, there's just too much visual crashes and explosions crowding the screen to convey any human drama.  Naturally mediocre acting, a prerequisite busty eye candy blonde and clichéd gung-ho dialogue but that's to be expected in this type of film.  But even here there's no chemistry or dialogue between male lead and his eventual love interest. 

 

Rihanna is in it.  She's one of three main actors billed on the cover and probably got paid a fortune for her bit.  However, she acted the whole film wearing a hat  in navy uniform and her dialogue was limited to a few snippets of dialogue, so could really have been any bit-part actress. So you have Rihanna in a film, but she never takes off her hat doesn't sing and isn't a love interest. What a waste of time!  If she wasn't named on the cover, I wouldn't have realised she was even in it.

 

The problem with the type of film where they load it with CGI action sequences, is it's done at the expense of character development, which is ok to a certain extent.  I don't expect much character development in this type of film but  even one-dimensional character development would have helped.

 

Natrually, the characters are clichéd gung ho and all-American, so naturally I was indifferent about their fates. It's one of those sci-fi films where it would make for a more interesting and entertaining film if the aliens actually won and some of the wooden characters got killed.

 

To top it all, a horrible dated 80s rawk soundtrack, featuring MTV-metal throwbacks AC/DC.  "Thunderstruck" when did that pile of shite come out, 1988?  With AC/DC's screechy racket and incessant "boom, boom, thud" drums kicking in during the battle scenes, it killed any possible drama or emotion in those scenes and just turned them into nothing more than a crap music promo video.

 

Plot holes too numerous and implausible to mention, of course.

 

Did I like it?  No, but it's not really for the likes of me.  Would a 12 year old me like it?  I think a 12 year old me would still think it fairly lame.  Not the worst but you have to give these things a go as they might exceed expectations.

 

Why is it that the more money Hollywood chucks at cgi sci-fi, the more plot hole ridden and lame the premise gets?

 

 

 

Well, as it happens I watched this last night instead of Big Brother. I really did not think too much of it either. I felt that I was second guessing what would happen at every turn - and I was not wrong.

 

I knew that the premise was that it was based on the game, so I tried to see how they had crowbar'd references in, the shape of the alien missiles resembled the pegs you stick into the game board and the scene where they were tracking the alien ships by a grid reference of buoy's, oh and the fact that they ended up in the final part of the film on a Battleship. That's all I can remember.

 

I really think this is a classic case of switch your brain off and watch the action, don't for one minute try and think too deeply into it. It looked pretty good as most films of this nature seem to, but not one I would watch again, and it felt looong too.

 

I was going to ask you Carnelian to name me 10 plot holes, because I hear that phrase used a lot and not always in the right way. Sometimes I feel that it's used by people who need everything explaining (not that I am suggesting you are one Carnelian). but please don't waste any time on it as I don't think it's worth the effort.

 

Sadly for me we are seeing too many poor / average films coming out of Hollywood along with remakes and reboots I'm seldom impressed.

 

Probably why I am making efforts to view films made in the 50's, 60's and 70's.

 

Rhianna did sing, albeit for a short scene and to herself whilst doing something else on screen. I am surprised Carnelian that you did not mention that shocking football scene.

 

Oh and yes agree with you Carnelian, the soundtrack was a shocker.

 

The sad thing is I know someone who likes this film and he paid good money to se it !!!

 

 

I was going to watch Battleship solely for Alexander Skarsgard....but it sounds like a pretty bad film!!

 

Hi Enthusiastic Contrafibularities,

 

I didn't realise that the premise for the film was that old game Battleships.  I'd have never thought in a million years that Hollywood would be so bereft of ideas as to fund a huge budget sci-fi blockbuster with a board-game as its inspiration and a pretty simple board-game at that.  Transformers is comparable but there's a world of plot flexibility on that premise, compared to Battleships.

 

Plot holes - I'll give them a go.  Ten would be expending too much effort, more effort than the script writers probably!

 

1) One minute the male lead is a stoner type being arrested for stealing a borito (stupid anyway), next he's enlisted in the navy and in no time, he's captaining a battleship!  I've heard of fast tracking, but that's just ridiculous!

 

2) Radio telescopes are really very sensitive satellite dishes and don't fire laser beams into outer space.  They are tuned to pick up certain invisible wavelengths of radiation emitted from deep space objects not fire lasers.

 

3) A decommissioned battleship just happens to have a load of old timers just milling around, waiting on the off chance that their old ship will be recommissioned

 

4) The same decommissioned museum ship (for 40 years, IIRC) is armed with live torpedoes

 

5) Rihanna must have had a bad hair day and had it written into her contract that her hat must never fall off, despite being thrown around a battleship

 

6) The aliens can travel 10 or so light years and choose to do their battle on the seas.  This is pretty stupid because their ship can only move by a silly hopping forward motion. No planes, no boats, no guns just a lumbering craft which has this shoehorned hopping motion, which I now realise was to tie in with the board-game.

 

 

 

Cockneys vs Zombies (2012)

Enjoyed this! But would only recommend it to fans of the zombie horror genre. Memorable scene; Richard Briers (using a zimmer frame) being chased by zombies,

 

Wuthering Heights (2011)

I really wanted to enjoy this adaptation – but ultimately I found it disappointing. With minimal dialogue and no background soundtrack – nature was a primary tool used for conveying the story. Some visually stunning sequences on the moors…

LOL i watched Cockneys vs Zombies

It is good but will always be compared to Shawn of the Dead - and therefore pales as a result

It has its moments though - and Richard Briar is in it

 

John Carter - oh dear

This is a mix of Star Wars, WaterWorld and Dune.

The main problems is its far too long and far too demanding of the viewer to be fun.

AND it trailed behind Avatar - so it was always playing catch up.

 . . .another thing  . . .

Avatar - set in rain forest which is a magical wonderland

Carter is set in a desert - an empty wasteland

 

Go figure . . .

John Carter was totally pants! Could have been so much better! Will have to give Cockneys vs Zombies a watch.

Speaking of watching, anyone seen 'The Watch' yet? I saw it the other night and thought it was pretty good for a silly film.

Thats a shame, Its my favourite book. I remember seeing the one with Ralph Fiennes as Heathcliff and that wasn't much cop either.

Since they knocked off the Lotto quiz early Saturday night is full of dross. Last week we watched a fillum called Hannah. Even though it had Cate Blanchett, it actually wasn't bad. A decent thriller! Last night a fillum called Resistance was on offer. Dreadfully slow and somewhat pointless.

 

Despite the terrible reviews, I did not think it was as bad as they said, but then It's not a film I would add to my collection or say is good by any stretch.

 

Such as shame really as most of the films you mentioned were inspired by John Carter of Mars!

 

 

I really enjoyed Hanna. A good mix of a thriller and a coming of age Drama. Also had a brilliant soundtrack... if you're into the Chemical Brothers that is.

Yes! We like the Chemical Brothers.

Went on a date to the flicks with my fella at the weekend to watch 'Beasts of the Southern Wild'. Blimey George, it's been a long time since I've been moved by the sheer beauty of a film and the acting was out of this world, considering most of the cast were non-actors to begin with. The little girl (I'm gonna have to google to spell her name) Quvenzhané Wallis was amazing! 

 

Oh, and I've not seen it but the men in my life saw the new Bond last week and loved that too.

Totally agree. All the hype surounding it meant I went to see it with high expectations to begin with, but I was still blown away.

A magical film.

cockneys v zombies

starring

honor blackman & richard briers amongst others

 

highly recomended if youre easily pleased and a bit stupid as i am

Just watched 'Sinister' and thought it pretty good even though I had partly spoiled it for myself by reading too much of the Wikipedia article on it!  I did find myself thinking "turn the lights on you fool" several times though!

 

Is it a horror film?

If so is it mainly psychological horror or gore?

Yes it's horror, mostly psychological and the gore is implied rather than shown in graphic detail!

Boring too.  I can't remember half of it.  It went on for ages.  At least it lost a load of money for Disney, so they won't be in any rush to make a sequel.

Prometheus - what a plot hole ridden let down.  Somewhat predictable, because modern sci-fi is usually embarrassing.  If only as much effort was spent on tightening up the plot and script as was spent on the special effects and visuals.

I'm not surprised read that to be honest.

Where ALIEN was simplictic PROMETHEUS was pretentious

A real let down

I enjoyed prometheus, but agree that the plot and script could have been improved!

 

I enjoyed it too and so did many given it's high popularity ratings across a number of review sites. One of the better films of 2012.

Watched Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Wonderful - just wonderful

A true adventure and compelling story

Please watch

watched new brit 'true' horror last night 'when the lights went out' based on a true case of a poltergiest terrorising a family in their yorkshire home in the 1970's during the blackouts

i was scared

i mean, it really made me jump

OH watched it through her fingers hahaha

 

dont think it will be up for an oscar! but worth the watch if you like a film without hollywood hype/effects 

going watch 'citadel' now

its an irish film

a bit of a thriller from what i can gather

 

got good reviews at film festivals

 

let you know if its any good

yeah

it was good

a bit odd but good

Kill List is on Film4 at the moment, 3 (bad) films for price of one.  If you've had the misfortune to have seen it, you'll know exactly what I mean. 

 

I challenge anyone to watch this film and say they rated it.

 

I watched it - didn't rate it

QED

 

 

 

OK, so last night I watched The Amazing Spider-Man. Er, could not see the point of that film at all. They made a very similar film with Toby Maquire back in 2002 - Spider-Man.

 

Well actually I can see just one point, so they can produce another couple of films with Andrew Garfield in the lead role.

 

It looked good as most films of this nature tend to do (I liked the creature), but other than that I would not waste my time.

 

Tonight, it's the remake of Total Recall. 

 

Unless I get sidetracked by the comedy series Life's Too Short. Watched the first EP last night and quite liked it, laughed out loud a few times.

 

Watched the new Total Recall and prefer it to the older Arnie film. Plenty of action, good looking "world of the future" even if it did take a few design ideas from Blade Runner. Another one that tilts over 2 hours (I watched the extended cut), but it did not drag for me.

 

If you fancy a bit of escapism, then it's not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.

Cosmopolis

 

Deary me, what a load of dull, pretentious w**k.  What a boring, rambling message film that was!  No insight just a dull treatise on the real world consequence of market capitalism in the age of split second, autonomous computerised decision-making and transactions. 

 

David Cronenburg and a critique of capitalism at some point in the near future should be something I'd like, being a bit of a political nerd like that, but it was just so awful. 

 

Most of the film's dialogue feels laboured and most of the film is set in Twilight's Robert Pattinson's character's state-of-the-art slightly futuristic stretched limo during what is assumed to be a mounting collapse of the global stock markets (or at least I think it was that but by then I'd lost interest).  Pattinson's character is a cold hearted financial whizz-kid, a master of the universe, a tech-savvy Gordon Gekko type character for the 21st Century. 

 

We get to hear one tedious unrealistic monologue after another with a set of  abstract characters who are apparently the lead character's associates, who randomly climb into the stretch limo for 'meaningful' discourse with Pattinson's character as the global market crisis gathers momentum.

 

There is no empathy with any of the characters nor is there an attempt at fleshing out the characters beyond their tiresome monologues.  The film's characters' personalities are just the sum total of their opinion.

 

Cronenburg and Pattinson must be the only reason why this film got made.  "RPattz" can stick 'serious actor, worked with Cronenburg' on his CV now, I suppose.