I think this is an awful film, but in its defence, the bolded sentence is exactly how its supposed to be. We're supposed to be shocked at how an innocent child with seemingly no bad tendencies goes on to become a murderous, cybernetic villain later.

I get what you're saying but I just find it lacking where you have Yoda and Mace Windu who basically suspect him to be evil but he just comes across like a nice amiable 9 year old. I actually quite like Jake Lloyd in it but he's just too nice to convincingly be the guy who's supposed to grow into Darth Vader for my taste. Call it sledgehammer of plot if you will but not making more of a point like that just leaves things too vague and underwhelming.

I also don't think we're "supposed to be shocked" by it either given that pretty much everyone watching, even in sequential order, are aware that he's destined to become Vader but there's barely anything to suggest he's got it in him. A different actor, some better dialogue and a tighter, more concise script would have helped that I think.

I dunno, maybe it comes out more in II and III, I've never got round to watching those properly.

I have to say, myself and S-Jeezy tried to watch Defendor earlier but it was packed full of this schmaltzy gooey nonsense you speak of. It should be on Nikelodeon, apart from the blowjobs and hookers. Actually no they can stay in.

tbh though me and you Jas are on a different page, I'd switch your two scores above since I loved Zombieland

What I meant by "shocked" wasn't that we'd be surprised to see him turn into Vader, but more that we were supposed to be shocked at the sheer contrast between what he was as a child and what he eventually became. Perhaps "shocked" isn't quite as apt a word as "disturbed" or "horrified".

Also, I'm not sure, but I think Lucas was trying to emphasise the innocence of childhood, hence why TPM was so kiddy. In II and III, when he becomes a more volatile teenage, you clearly see it more, and it's comparatively well-constructed in that regard. Overall, though, it's best not to expect the same quality we got from the original movies, because ultimately, they were a massive disappointment. "Revenge of the Sith" was probably the closest we got to that kind of quality as it was pretty decent, but it still didn't compare.

Four Lions.

Excellent stuff. The dialogue is typical Morris, not a single word is wasted or is filler. There are also a couple of genuinely touching moments, such as when SPOILER - Highlight the black box to read
Omar goes to the hospital and pretends to be a Doctor to say goodbye to his wife before he goes on his suicide mission, her expression of pride and pain while trying to not give the game away to the Police was really nice. Some of the main characters were brilliantly assembled, you really feel sorry for them, they aren't evil, just really really stupid.

Nightmare On Elm St The remake

Well I can honestly say it is one of the worse things I have ever watched in my life

That's fair enough Frank, I might actually give Zombieland a re-watch but maybe after Hot Tub Time Machine tonight which my girlfriend insists on watching!

Just got back from Four Lions. Fantastic movie which everyone should see. Funny as hell, really smart and quite moving in places too.

Wow, I remember this being one of my favourite films when I was little. My brother had it on VHS and I watched it all the time. I remember it being something about slaves in a mine who are freed by Orin? I need to track this down.

Yeah thats the one. Its pretty damn violent by todays kids cartoons standards. I've got the region 1 dvd which is the only place its available these days. Apparently in cinemas it was in 3D which unfortunately isn't on the dvd.

working my way through this at the minute. £62 from axelmusic.com. Worth every penny

I just watched Twilight. I'm quite shocked that the sequel is apparently worse. Team Edward, Team Jacob and all of it's members can fuck off, it's all about Team Foot-Through-TV. Is Edward meant to have learning difficulties or something? He appeared to be a tad slow, in fact the only difference between him and Rain Man is that the latter had the decency to get on a bus and fuck off.

Probably said this before but it's worth it. I absolutely adore Monsieur Verdoux. If you get a chance to see it please do so. I'm sure some of you will think its crap but some will see it as I do. Chaplin is superb as the first murderer with heart in Hollywood. He's got his usual slapstick stuff and sad working class characters but it's the ending that speaks the most. More touching than a real drama and almost tragic. This is a top film.

Also saw Rambo recently (the most recent one) no where near as good or gritty as First Blood but still good for the on screen slaughter of lots of people.

Starchaser was made by a Korean production group called Young Sung, whereas MOTU and Bravestarr came from Filmation.

They do share a very similar style though



Watched Big Trouble in Little China last night.

Its now 24 and aged horribly, That it was shot mainly in a studio is telling with the Polystyrene stone work really showing up and despite the decent designs the stop motion clunkily being added to the film.

The dialogue and set pieces are as cheesy as ever and as action films go John Carpenter delivers.

Ive loved the film for ages, and its sad to see something age so badly. Its very much a product of its time. Id still recommend watching it, but things like rubber daggers, what are really naff special effects and a filmic style that detracts from the story ( dunno if Channel 4 had a bad print or what) take away from the epicness of it all.

Shame. solid 6/10 really spoilt by the loss of suspension of disbelief

Fact of the day. Everyone knows the lightening guy was the inspiration for Raiden, but what they dont always know is that Egg's place is the same location used for the interior shots of Ghostbusters, Flatliners and The Mask. It is firestation No.23, 225 East Fifth Street, Los Angeles ( not New York as Ghostbusters would have us believe as the exterior for Ghostbusters is still afaik a working fire station and they needed somewhere to shoot the interiors)

I was reduced to tears last night by watching The English Surgeon.



Essentially a documentary, The English Surgeon is shot in a Ukrainian hospital full of desperate patients and makeshift equipment, but it is ultimately not a medical film - it is about a man, Henry Marsh (who works at St Georges Hospital, Tooting) who openly wrestles with moral and ethical issues which touch every one of us.

Henry's emotional journey takes him to visit the mother of a young girl he couldn't save some years ago, intercut with the current dilemma of a young man called Marian, dying of a brain tumour said to be inoperable in Ukraine. Marian has come to Kiev hoping that Henry can save him. He thinks he can, but only if Marian is awake throughout the entire operation.

The film is set in a bleak Ukrainian landscape as Henry and his colleague Igor struggle against massive logistical odds and the wrath of the old Soviet health system.

This film is essential viewing for all medical students, but i'd recommend it to everyone. And yes, they really did drill into his skull with a Bosch drill.

I only had to watch the trailer to know that Twilight was going to be horrible but still you have my condolences.

Man I cant wait until True Blood is back on the air.

woulda stuck this in the boxing thread, but i thought it deserves to be here:



little known documentary about former World Champion boxer Kasim Ouma...it's basically a standard boxing documentary following Ouma prepare for some fights intercut with his back story of how he escaped the Ugandan army by fleeing to America. The 2nd half of the doc. focuses on Ouma's attempt to go back to Uganda to visit family (punishment for deserting the army is death). I won't say much more because it will ruin it for you, but if this is emotional stuff, i had a tear in my eye at the end. If you like boxing it's a must see, but even if you ain't, i highly recommend this.

Watched Of Mice And Men earlier. Pretty much the only book I studied in school that I really liked. We watched the film as well. Hadn't seen it since I was 15, and noticed it on Lovefilm the other day so put it on my list. Still a top film. Can be depressing, but there are some great performances from Gary Sinise and John Malkovitch. 8/10

the latest dvds ive watched are england's greatest rivalries (about matches against scotland, germany and argentina), lesbian vampire killers, the 1986 transformers movie and talledega nights

Nobody says a bad word about Big Trouble In Little China!

Patdfb, i used to think that you were one of the good ones...

Error Double Post !

Have got these Few Indonesian Horror Beauties coming my way asap for viewings i will leave my thoughts asap:

Macbre
Paku Kuntilanak
Air Terjun Pengantin

I got the special edition of Big Trouble in Little China a while ago and its like a 1990`s music video

Constant visual and sound overload - non stop

But still a friggin cool movie

I still am! I wish people would read me review properly

I never said the film was shite (see the bolded bits). I said the fx on the version I saw were shite and it spoilt the experience and queried whether it was a bad print of the film!

i still don't take kindly to people dissing the movie, in any way shape of form

surely the bad fx are a part of the charm?

Theres bad FX and a bad copy of the fim with bad fx..


Ill hold off further judgement till ive seen it on a non pixellated and grainy tv channel

I just saw this tonight, absolutely outstanding. I haven't laughed that much at the cinema for a long, long time. Quite simply brilliant.

i saw Robin Hood yesterday...anyone expecting a Prince of Thieves styple action-adventure romp is gonna be sorely disappointed. It's a serious take on a part of the old tale and i actually enjoyed the fuck out of it. It's drawing some pretty harsh critisicm online though. The movie itself if you didn't know is a bit of a Robin Hood origin story, it's clearly set up for a sequel which will lead to the usual Robin Hood gubbins.

Watched The Human Centipede last night cos I was bored and there are decent rips of it floating about.

Cant see what all the fuss is about its on a level of shite (pun intentional)ness with Cabin Fever.

Its trying hard to be something its not and fails miserably. Psuedo art/horror with no budget and gash effects.

It could have been quite good if it had been better thought out, playing the trump card so soon in to the movie spoilt it and by the end I really was struggling to stay awake it was that engrossing.

It has been suggested it would be cult viewing in the future... If shit, now means cult we are doomed


The director has a sequel of sorts in the works with a longer centipede and possibly shot in London.

The idea has now been done unless its something different with what he has set out rather than bigger faster stronger and louder with the concept then its not really going to impress further

Ive given 'new' horror a chance from Hostel, Saw, Cabin Fever and the countless horror reboots. Iam guessing the genre is to some extent out of ideas (Unless is Japanese or Korean or Spanish) but even these have been cannonised by Hollywood remakes to some extent.

Even cheap 1980s horror was better than this

Sleepaway Camp/ Nightmare Vacation series to start with

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sleepaway-Camp-Tri...ef=pd_cp_d_h__0

I don't really like modern horrors that go out to shock and make you feel sick. I have no interest in the human centipede, just seems to be an idea for the sake of it, without being properful thought out.

God I hated Cabin Fever, what a pointless dire film that was. Fuck me it was a dull waste of time

my housemate was talking to me about The Human Centipede the other day, i'll check it out.

Watched OldBoy and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland yesterday.

OldBoy was truly amazing on a scale I can't really comprehend. Those who haven't seen it simply must.

Alice in Wonderland was an okay film and put a decent Burton-esque spin on the original story. Only watch it if there's nothing better to do.

Sleepaway Camp is awsome!

Its a basic slasher film, the second part is so Jason/freddie teen whit and humour its good (the third I never got around to watching, looked terrible)

The final scene of Sleepaway camp is one of those scenes that is seen as a classic horror movie moment. I was genuinely freaked by it.

If your a fan of teen slasher films then watch it. Dont read up on it because the spoilers will spoil it for you. Just watch and understand there are some awsome horror films out there.

Alpha Dog and The People vs Larry Flynt. I tell myself not to buy films I've never seen before incase I end up not wanting to watch them again. This is definitely the last time I buy films based on true events. I knew a few of the key points of TPVLR, but Alpha Dog... bloody hell.

The thing is though the origional Sleepaway Camp is a terrible slasher film right up until that ending. Without it not only would there be no sequals, nobody in there right mind would want to watch it. So lets not pretend your getting Halloween here. The ending is however one of the most effective I've ever seen.

Two is great in the way you mention. Its good old fasioned boobs out slasher fun. Three is crap but weirdly they shot it back to back with Two and it has none of its excesive charms.

Gotta agree with you Steveo, Oldboy is truly amazing – I still marvel at the fight between Oh Dae Su and 20 thugs and the fact it was all shot in one take. 10/10

Oldboy is the second of “The Vengeance Trilogy” from Park Chan Wook, the first “Sympathy for Mr Vengeance” is recommended and the third “Lady Vengeance” is also worth a look but Oldboy is the standout.

Also accidentally caught Clue on itv4 I think week ago? Still very, very funny and all amazingly held together by the superb Tim Curry as the butler Wadsworth.
And according to wiki…” In February 2009, Universal Studios announced that a remake of the film was in the works. It will be directed by Gore Verbinski, and is set for release in 2011”
GOD HELP US

I wasn't that fussed about Four Lions. My expectations were very high. I liked it, but it all seemed a little pedestrian by Chris Morris standards.

It was shot a number of times over a period of 3 days. The only CGI used is the knife iin Oh Dae Su's back

`Accidently` caught it? i have the DVD

Its a complete mess of a film that works so well you`ll wonder why you`ve never seen it. Held together with an excellent cast (tim Curry being the superglue) and finishes with the `alternative` endings. It works better on reflection than actual watching as you realise the amount of quality comedy and one liners that have stuck in your head.

So to cut a long story short......

TOO LATE

Its well worth a watch on a rainy day

Watched The Blind Side last night. It was pretty good. It's really well acted and the characters are really warm. It lacks any real drama though. Considering how edgy the 'Big Mike' character and his circumstances should have been, it's all pretty tame. There is only a momentary piece of doubt in the whole thing, otherwise it's all plain sailing. It's a nice heart warming piece though.

What else was good about it rick?

What other positives might one take from the movie?

Any stand out individual performances at all?

Sandra was pretty good but it didn't strike me as an oscar winning performance. Her performance doesn't really compare to either of the lead men in The Road for example. I suppose the competition on the female side can't have been up to much.

Bit more on that scene..

"The corridor fight scene took seventeen takes in three days to perfect, and was one continuous take – there was no editing of any sort except for the knife that was stabbed in Oh Dae-su's back, which was computer-generated imagery"

And this also has the most head fucked movie ending ever.

I just loved how much time was spent on all the main characters, each one was given their chance to shine with amazing one liners as you mentioned Jimmy.

Mrs. Peacock: Everything all right?
Colonel Mustard: Yup, two corpses, everything's fine!

-------

Professor Plum: Is there gonna be a cover up?
Wadsworth: Isn't that in the public interest? What could be gained by exposure?
Professor Plum: But is the FBI in the habit of cleaning up after a multiple murder?
Wadsworth: Yes. Why do you think it's run by a man called Hoover?

-------

Wadsworth: Professor Plum, you were once a professor of psychiatry specializing in helping paranoid and homicidal lunatics suffering from delusions of grandeur.
Professor Plum: Yes, but now I work for the United Nations.
Wadsworth: So your work has not changed.



DVD ordered!

Clue also has one of my favourite comedic murders of all time:

"I...am... the singing telegram!"

BANG!

That's the old style of British humour I so love and has become so rare in recent British comedies. My favourite series of all time is Yes, Prime Minister (and Yes, Minister), and there's one episode that has a similarly structured gag - the Prime Minister's been asked to address the Arts Council, but has just found out he's going to be harangued and ridiculed as a philistine during his speech for giving them such a small budget. He calls in Sir Humphrey, the Cabinet Secretary:

PM: "Humphrey, I have a problem. I have to give a speech to a bunch of self-righteous, posturing, theatrical drunks."
SH: "You mean the House of Commons?"

Great stuff.

Couldn't agree more. Although not a British comedy, I was watching North by Northwest for the millionth time the other night and the one-liners Cary Grant and James Mason come out with are one of the reasons why I love it so, so much. Many of the lines in this film wouldn't be as well delivered if they weren't via the refined sarcasm of flippant Brit. Even Eva Maria Saint gets in on the act. A few examples:

Grant makes a phone call from the police station after being arrested, following his abduction and his captors getting him drunk before putting him in a car:

"No. No, Mother, I have not been drinking. No. No. These two men, they poured a whole bottle of bourbon into me. No, they didn't give me a chaser"

Whilst wearing sunglasses indoors to avoid being spotted when he's on the run, Grant tries to buy a train ticket:

Ticket Seller: "Something wrong with your eyes?"
Roger Thornhill: "Yes, they're sensitive to questions"

Talking to the female lead upon meeting her:

Roger Thornhill: "What's wrong with men like me?"
Eve Kendall: "They don't believe in marriage"
Roger Thornhill: "I've been married twice"
Eve Kendall: "See what I mean?"

Carbomb; if you've never seen it, get yourself a copy. The one liners are great but so is the rest of the writing.

If ever there was a favourite cinematic moment poll on here, that would be my number 1 and has been since the first time I viewed it!