DVDs and Films You Have Watched Recently #2

[JLM]

I've watched The Room more times than I care to count and it never gets old. The first time it was screened at one of our periodic awful film screenings, and our friend who provided it had to squirm through the agonisingly long and grotesque sex scenes whilst constantly reassuring us that it was worth sitting through them for the rest. He was right, of course; Troll 2 and Birdemic are atrociously bad films, but even they don't compare to Wiseau's brilliance.

 

I went to one of those late night screenings with the spoon throwing and such and it was actually quite good fun. The whole practise is quite student wankerish, but it is undeniably fun to play American football at close range in tuxedos and throw spoons everywhere. I agree that the first viewing should be done in isolation or with a small group though; you need to hear every line of dialogue and catch all the countless little things you'd miss in a crowded and noisy public screening.

 

If you haven't listened to the How did this get made? episode about the film with Greg Sestero (Mark, amongst other credits) as a guest then you should as it's a great accompaniment to it:

 

http://www.earwolf.com/episode/the-room-directors-edition/

 

Greg Sestero's book about his time spent making the film should be absolutely fascinating.

Edited June 17, 2012 by JLM

[Wild Pegasus]

Managed to find No Retreat No Surrender 1-3. These were tremendous when I was about 8 years old. No doubt they are horrible now, but I can't wait to watch them again. I haven't been able to find the 'US Version' of the original NRNS with the superb cheesy 80s rock soundtrack, instead of the asian version with music that wouldnt be out of place in Scooby Doo. Any one any ideas where i could find this version?

 

Sakura Killers is another film I have to look for

[Dead Mike]

Woke up early yesterday so got up & watched 'The Wolfman' starring Benicio Del Toro & Anthony Hopkins. I was interested in this when it was announced but then the production was full of problems, directors leaving & being replaced and rumours of massive studio interference & reshoots. It started off really well, the first 45 minutes were good, not amazing but I was certainly interested. A well shot massacre in a gypsy camp & the arrival of Hugo Weaving's character had me wondering why it got bashed by the critics. From this point things went downhill fast resulting in a predictable & naff CGI-fest with a bollocks ending.

I'd be interested in seeing the original cut/vision as there was a definite sylistic clash within the film.

Edited June 18, 2012 by Dead Mike

[Cobra1000]

Woke up early yesterday so got up & watched 'The Wolfman' starring Benicio Del Toro & Anthony Hopkins. I was interested in this when it was announced but then the production was full of problems, directors leaving & being replaced and rumours of massive studio interference & reshoots. It started off really well, the first 45 minutes were good, not amazing but I was certainly interested. A well shot massacre in a gypsy camp & the arrival of Hugo Weaving's character had me wondering why it got bashed by the critics. From this point things went downhill fast resulting in a predictable & naff CGI-fest with a bollocks ending.

I'd be interested in seeing the original cut/vision as there was a definite sylistic clash within the film.

 

Yeah i wanted to really like The Wolfman, parts were quite macabre horror which i really liked but the instant you see the wolfman himself it turns into this naff tongue in cheek horror film which is woeful.

 

I watched Another Earth last night and its a pretty fantastic film and I also watched A Midnight Clear which is also fantastic. Its one of those films I remember staying up late and watching in my teens and I found it so affecting but couldn't remember the name, just remembered Ethan Hawke and found that it had a Blu Ray Anniversary Edition on my Amazon Recomendations! Anyway checkit out, pretty powerful antiwar stuff.

Edited June 18, 2012 by Cobra1000

[hitman89762000]

Managed to pick up clerks2 dogma and jay and silent bob strikes back for

[Halitosis Romantic]

Just rewatched Hausu - it's completely incoherent, and that's how I love my horror, really. Just a bunch of inexplicable shit happening, and the complete foolishness of the effects and characters only added to this. I would love to go see it at the movies, as there are a lot of midnight shows, and I think that people's reactions will be completely freaked out.

 

I think that my favorite moment is

 

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where Melody gets eaten by the piano - the look on her face when her fingers get a nibbling is very unsettling

 

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[Joey Joe Joe Jr]

First saw The Room through my uni housemate, and have since seen it live in Brighton and London (the latter Tommy and Greg were there for a Q and A, though I didnt get a chance to meet them. Probably seen it about 15 times or possibly more. I await Greg's book if indeed it is a tell-all.

[Dai]

Recently watched Real Steel, Super 8, Hugo and Warrior. All were decent, but was slightly disappointed with Warrior. Its got an 8.2 rating on IMDB, and a couple of people I know said it was brilliant, but I didnt think it was THAT good. Real Steel was good fun, and didnt get carried away with the sentimental stuff, which I thought it might.

 

Super 8 was going along nicely until the last 10-20 minutes, when the alien stuff was shite.

 

 

Also watched Transporter 3, which is one of the worst movies Ive ever seen. You can usually forgive the shit storyline and bad dialogue when the action scenes make up for it, but this film doesnt even have those. I think there was just one fight scene, and one car chase, both of which were shit, and edited like shit, too. Fast-fowarding parts of the car chase scene, the extreme shaky camera affects for the fighting, all of it made it look like crap. The decision to cast Patsy Palmer as the main sidekick/eye-candy to Statham for the entire movie, and attempt to make her as unlikeable as possible throughout sort of sums it up. The BMX scene....somehow making T-Bag from Prison Break a bland villan...etc, etc.

[Mr. Seven]

Certainly the weakest of the series but I'm gay for Statham and won't hear a bad word about him. Also, that redhead was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay hotter than Patsy Palmer.

 

Re-watched A Perfect Getaway the other night as it was late and I wanted something that was less than an hour and a half long. I'm surprised more people haven't seen it. It's nothing special, sure, but it's a whole lot of fun and even knowing the twists second time around it's fun to watch certain characters in a different light.

[Kawaii Guy]

did a double bill of Jaws and Cosmopolis today.

Jaws is still pretty much perfect.

Cosmopolis was a bit meh. I didnt dislike it, but I found myself checking my watch a few times. its very very dialog heavy, which im normally OK with, but the characters in this talk a lot without really getting to the point. There are some great quotes, as well as a half decent commentary on the anti capitalism movement and capitalism itself.

[Rule One]

I watched Beetlejuice for the first time in about twenty years and I guess I should have left the memories alone, it really is a terrible abortion of a film. Apart from Catherine O'Hara the acting was extremely wooden and the concept/script was all over the show. Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice is no better and made me cringe every time he appeared on-screen.

 

How the fuck this was ever green lit, I'll never know.

[Slapnut]

Just got in from seeing Rock of Ages.

 

<-- click on 'spoiler' to show/hide the spoiler

It's quite enjoyable, and if it wasn't for the two main characters it would be an almost flawless musical film. Seriously, it's a complete mystery how these two got cast in a film so heavily reliant on the conventions of rock and roll. The girl wouldn't look out of place as a Chelsea Made cast member, and as for the guy...well, Kevin Nash's "swimmers with prison tattoos" quote springs to mind, except this guy doesn't even have the tattoos. (Always nice to see Big Kev by the way, even if it's a background role). These two pretty people with their perfect skin, perfect hair and pitch-perfect voices do not belong in such roles. Not to mention that every cheesy cliche under the sun is used for them.

 

On the other hand, the supporting cast is absolutely spot on. Russell Brand (who I usually detest) is brilliant, although he can't seem to decide if he wants to do a cockney or Liverpool accent which is quite hard to ignore. Alec Baldwin is a joy as always, as are Paul Giamatti and Tom Cruise. I have a new love in Malin Akerman as well.

 

So yeah, really crappy lead characters, really fun supporting cast. They could have done without using Don't Stop Believing as well. I'm not sure if that was the song used in the musical, but if it was they should've changed it. That song has been way overexposed in the past few years it's hard to take it seriously anymore.

 

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Edited June 21, 2012 by Slapnut

[bAzTNM#1]

Recently caught the original Game of Death (all 39 minutes of it) and what a film it could have been if it was finished, Bruce's charisma really shines through even more than it did in the previous movies. You could tell that this was his personal baby and that it had a message to it, sadly it was ruined in 78 when they made the bullshit version with other actors playing Bruce and some of the worst "effects" ever.

I don't know what you mean, Chinese guy with a similar haircut and big glasses is just as good as Bruce is. Not to mention the excellent scene where it is obviously a paper cutout of Bruce's face with narration.

Was that the film with the guy sitting in front of a mirror with an obvious Bruce Lee cutout-face on staring into the mirror. You can even see the string at the back of his head FFS!

Edited June 21, 2012 by bAzTNM#1

[Devon Malcolm]

I watched Beetlejuice for the first time in about twenty years and I guess I should have left the memories alone, it really is a terrible abortion of a film. Apart from Catherine O'Hara the acting was extremely wooden and the concept/script was all over the show. Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice is no better and made me cringe every time he appeared on-screen.

 

Beetlejuice is a brilliant film. It's also, aside from Ed Wood, easily Tim Burton's best film. Keaton is absolutely brilliant in it, the energy he puts into that role and the comic timing are effortless and awesome. In absolutely no way, shape or form is the acting 'wooden' either - everyone pulls their weight in this, even Geena Davis. Her and Alec Baldwin play the couple perfectly as just a couple of normal people (or spooks) and Winona Ryder's the least irritating 'weirdo' in a Burton film ever.

 

It's a great film. It hasn't aged a jot. It's one of the best comedies of the 1980s, one of the best concepts of any Hollywood film in that decade, and exactly the film that Burton should be reminded of when he's crapping out one of the pieces of shit he's more latterly known for. I could sit and watch it from start to finish every single time that's it on.

[King Pitcos]

Jeff Who Lives At Home

I'd heard mixed-to-bad reviews of this, so I had low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. Jason Segel was perfect casting, Ed Helms not so much. It's not particularly funny or cohesive, but if you can stomach indie comedy and you're easily pleased it'll pass the time easily.

 

Rock of Ages

Pretty fucking awesome. Great cast, the highlight of which is Tom Cruise. He's superb, and the whole thing rollicks along tremendously. Dodgy accent work from Russell Brand, but that makes it fun.