DVDs and Films You Have Watched Recently #2

[Gordon_The_Gopher]

Plus, choosing Remember The Titans over Gran Torino? Not great arrows.

 

I was definately in the Torino camp. At the very least for the inclusion of the ethnic slurs "gook", "fish head" and "spook".

[patiirc]

Chosen Hill

 

Blimey that's going back some. I threw Discus there at an 'all schools' match. Most interesting was the stupid women teacher who clearly wasnt paying attention to heavy objects being thrown ( No net mso the discus could go anywhere)

 

Unsurprisingly a couple of minutes after my age group had finished she got hit by a discus, we laughed. alot.

 

 

Erm Films, righty

 

Watched This is England last night for the the first time. Interesting characaturing of National Front people and trying to expose how futile racism is, but confirming how narrow the margin is between love and hate.

 

It's supposed really all about the boy, but the boys story is a bit dull

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Dad's dead, looking for father figure.. Combo is the father figure he thinks he needs, but isnt. rebels against him so teenage angst. I dunno if its so revered because Shaun's mum died during filming or what ( harsh I know) but cheeky lil gobshites becoming a man is a story thats been done a squillion times before.

 

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The scenery and way it was shot is stunning, a sort of Meadows does Loach? Both Kes and This is England are bleak as fuck in outlook and while there are elements of humour in both. much of it is played straight they are also shot/set in similar parts of the world and follow a Boy trying to escape misery. Kes its the bullying by Jud and poverty of the Mining Community and what have you. This is England its Shaun trying to escape the poverty of the early 1980's and bullying about his dad being dead.

 

In both instances its a case of kids trying to better themselves. In both cases it doesnt really come off as Jud

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Killing Kes

 

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Beating the shit out of everyone, but pulverising Milky til he is unconcious/ at deaths door

 

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");document.close(); means that both's happyness is taken away and the films end on somewhat of a soured note.

 

This is England is not bad, but didnt have me gripped and I wouldnt say Id especially go out of my way to see it again

[King Pitcos]

I think it's well-liked because not everyone's such a miserable cunt.

 

I think it's my third favourite Meadows film after Dead Man's Shoes and Romeo Brass, but it essentially does something similar to them, with the combination of heart-wrenching drama with natural, funny comedy and brutal, scary violence. And it captured the essence of being young and getting in with a group of mates and all that. And some people liked the clothes.

 

Tomo's mum didn't die during filming, by the way, but she did before the film came out.

Edited September 7, 2010 by Pityinthecityofsin

[patiirc]

Tomo's mum didn't die during filming, by the way, but she did before the film came out.

 

 

I thought the film came out in 2007, his mum died at the end of 2005 from cancer and had only seen some 'rushes' of it as was being filmed/ edited?

 

Never mind. RIP Sharon Turgoose.

 

 

Re Shane Meadow's films

 

Ive only ever seen

 

24/7

Once Upon a Time in the Midlands

and

This is England

 

Out of all of them Once Upon a time is my favourite, mainly because of Shirley Henderson being brilliant in it.

[Sergio Bellend]

I think it's well-liked because not everyone's such a miserable cunt.

 

I think it's my third favourite Meadows film after Dead Man's Shoes and Romeo Brass, but it essentially does something similar to them, with the combination of heart-wrenching drama with natural, funny comedy and brutal, scary violence. And it captured the essence of being young and getting in with a group of mates and all that. And some people liked the clothes.

 

Tomo's mum didn't die during filming, by the way, but she did before the film came out.

 

I'd agree with that. Hopefully the following short reviews aren't too spoiler-riffic.

 

I've watched a few films off Sky Anytime recently. Firstly, Adventureland which was a bit weird. Everyone told me it was nothing like Superbad and those sorts of films that I'm not overly keen on saying it was 'deep' and stuff like that. So I gave it a go and it was alright, nowhere near as dark as I had heard but it passed 90 minutes. Nice story, Kristen Stewart was pretty hot but spent the whole of the film looking really moody. I've never watched Twilight so I don't know if this is her shtick in films. Not a must watch, but far from disastrous.

 

Then it was Blackout about three people who get stuck in a lift. It had Aidan Gillen off Queer as Folk/The Wire/Identity everything and he is usually pretty good. Formulaic trapped in a lift stuff but the slow 'heel' turn was alright before the predictable ending. It was fairly gruesome at times, and though some of the flashbacks seemed pointless, it padded the film out and explained a fairly major point

 

Finally Terminator Salvation which I had avoided/put off seeing until now after all the mixed reviews and it was a bit shit. Unlike at least the first two films, where the emotional/family stuff was as prevalent, if not more so than the action this was completely different. Just loud noises, explosions and gunfire with little plot. Bale's Connor lacked the charm and personable-ness he should have and anybody really could have played the role. Bryce Dallas Howard was there doing nothing in particular, but at least Sam Worthington was good-a rare highlight of the film. The tacky love story that didn't need to be there added nothing. My favourite bits were with Michael ironside, simply because he's Sam Fisher, innit?

 

I hope they kill the franchise off with that film, it just won't hit the heights of the first two films. I'd much rather see more of the Sarah Connor Chronicles than a fifth film, but that'll never happen. James cameron would be rolling in his grave.*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*If he was dead.

[King Pitcos]

I thought the film came out in 2007, his mum died at the end of 2005 from cancer and had only seen some 'rushes' of it as was being filmed/ edited?

Aye, it was still being edited so she wouldn't have seen much of it.

 

Re Shane Meadow's films

 

Ive only ever seen

 

24/7

Once Upon a Time in the Midlands

and

This is England

 

Out of all of them Once Upon a time is my favourite, mainly because of Shirley Henderson being brilliant in it.

You've missed the best two, but if Once Upon a Time (Shane's only bad film, he'd tell you as much himself) is your favourite, you might not like the others. Shirley Henderson's Notts accent in that gave Dick Van Dyke and Green Street Charlie Hunnam a run for their money in the bad accent stakes, as well. I do really like the DVD of that film, though, the second disc with Shane's World on it's great.

 

My order of preference:

 

Dead Man's Shoes/Romeo Brass (can't choose between 'em, probably Dead Man's)

This is England

LeDonk

24/7

Somers Town

Midlands

 

The DMS DVD also has a short film called "Northern Soul" that's about wrestling!

Edited September 7, 2010 by Pityinthecityofsin

[tiger_rick]

Agree with Pity, Once upon a time in the Midlands was garbage.

 

I watched Police Academy 1, 2 & 3 back to back. I still love them as much as ever. It's one of those weird things though, I think if I saw them for the first time now, I'd think they were rubbish but because I've always liked them, I still do. Does that make sense?

[bwo]

I am just back from seeing this film and all I can say is WOW.

 

I wasn't expecting a great story or acting. All I wanted was eighties action, eighties dialogue and a hell of a lot fo stuff going boom, and I wasn't disspointed.

 

Some nice little pieces of dialoulgue such as the Arnie president line as well as the line about Steve Austin hitting women.

 

Roll on the sequal.

[Gordon_The_Gopher]

Day: Yesterday

Time: Evening

Company: The Good Lady & I

Film: Defendor

Rating: 4.5 stars

Comments: Oh my god! I was not expecting what I got. Adam Curtis said it right - this is as real a "Super Hero" Movie as you can get. Fantastic.

[Poopants the Scrunge]

I watched Zardoz and Soylent Green at the weekend.

 

Zardoz is immensely mental, who'd of thought the fella from Please Sir? would be the main villain along with Connery in a red nappy. Quite good though.

Charlotte Rampling was a babe !

 

Soylent Green is an absolute 70's classic. Superb 70's visions of the future always do it for me. Highly recommended, even though everyone knows the twist. its up there with Planet of the Apes and Omega Man as another classic Sci Fi role for Charlton Heston.

 

Have the russin movie Stalker and the Jap version of Dark Water to get through, I really want to , but subtitled movies require just that little bit more commitment to view.

[FLips]

Downloaded "The Room" last night. Can't wait to watch that soon.

[TildeGuy~!]

Downloaded "The Room" last night. Can't wait to watch that soon.

It's so bad that it's amazing!

[FLips]

Downloaded "The Room" last night. Can't wait to watch that soon.

It's so bad that it's amazing!

 

I know! I've been watching clips on Youtube. It looks awesome.

[JLM]

It's phenomenal. We've watched it several times already, but I'm still absolutely hyped that we're going to see a proper screening on the 25th. Spoons, American footballs, we're doing the whole damn thing.

[Steve Justice]

Enlighten me. There are so many links for 'The Room' on imdb.com I don't know which one it is.