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DVDs and Films You Have Watched Recently #2


The Cum Doctor

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I watched Feast last night, a horror-comedy about a redneck bar under attack by a bunch of powerful monsters with razor-sharp teeth. For the most part, I enjoyed it. It is a self-reflexive film that pokes fun at and plays around with horror conventions; i.e. putting up title cards for archetypal characters with bits of 'fun' information and referencing cliches through the dialogue itself. There's barely any character development, though, and it doesn't really matter, because this is about fun, audacity and irony.

 

I like that the tone is kept relatively dark, which adds nicely to moments like

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

the kid being snatched away after the trite reunion with the single mum and when the guy has his eye pulled out of its socket by a monster and shouts "give me my eye back!"

 

[close spoiler]

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But occasionally it just isn't as funny and witty as it thinks it is, like some of the poor jokes in the characters' title cards. And the crass stuff (I think there's 3 instances of monster sex) isn't as funny as stuff like

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

Henry Rollins' character, a motivational speaker, giving a hammy 'inspirational' speech to unite everyone in the redneck bar against the monsters.

 

[close spoiler]

");document.close(); Plus, it's a bit wannabe-Tarantino at times, especially the bloated first act.

 

Also, the team behind Feast have done the sequel to Piranha, which is out soon. From watching Feast, I think Piranha 3DD won't be anywhere near as good as the original, but it should be decent enough.

Edited by Vice
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Richie, if you haven't seen Ran, you should do so. It's my favourite Kurosawa film, or at least a tie with Hidden Fortress (which, fun film fact, is ripped off almost in its entirety by George Lucas for Star Wars, even down to the sweep fades).

Edited by Loki
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I watched, or tried to watch Renaissance on Film 4 last night

 

Black and White, Rotoscoped CGI mess of a film, which tries to be too clever for its own good.

 

Shame because the way it was done was very clever, the plot however was horrendous and was ultimately let down, by lack of any sense, some awful characterisation and voice acting.

 

Could have been something amazing as a whole, but just looks visually stunning with naff all to back it up

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At least a tie with Hidden Fortress (which, fun film fact, is ripped off almost in its entirety by George Lucas for Star Wars, even down to the sweep fades).

 

I thought the Star Wars story was more a rip of the Lensman novels, (Aldebaran/ Alderon, super space fortresses that destroy planets etc etc etc) in terms of plot to be fair. but yes Jidai Geki films (afaik where 'Jedi' came from) and Hidden Fortress are certainly pilfered from extensively

 

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At least a tie with Hidden Fortress (which, fun film fact, is ripped off almost in its entirety by George Lucas for Star Wars, even down to the sweep fades).

 

I thought the Star Wars story was more a rip of the Lensman novels, (Aldebaran/ Alderon, super space fortresses that destroy planets etc etc etc) in terms of plot to be fair. but yes Jidai Geki films (afaik where 'Jedi' came from) and Hidden Fortress are certainly pilfered from extensively

 

Lucas has admitted a few times that kurosawa and especially The Hidden Fortress were massive influences (pilfered) for Star Wars. So much so that the original LucasFilm offices were decorated with blown up stills from kurosawas films. Although to be fair both just stick to Propp's theory of Fairytale narrative so its not an original story by any means.

 

Oh and Rashamon is a masterpiece of cinema

 

There
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Watched tombstone on bbc1 last night kurt russell is ace in it but gets completely upstaged by val kilmer.

 

Wrong.

 

i just thought val kilmer was the star of it by the way he performed save the part where wyatt earps all pissed off and yelling at stillwell about bringing the thunder at him.

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Watched tombstone on bbc1 last night kurt russell is ace in it but gets completely upstaged by val kilmer.

 

Wrong.

 

I love Kilmer in that film but Kurt Russell owns it

 

And everything else he's been in. Apart from Tango & Cash, but it's hard to compete with Teri Hatcher as an erotic dancer.

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