DVDs and Films You Have Watched Recently #2

[patiirc]

James Purefoy

 

Resident Evil

 

Tv Series 'Rome' as Mark Antony

 

A Knights Tale

 

Vanity Fair

 

 

To be honest hes done more TV than films but, could be another action star in the making

[Surf Digby]

Tonight I watched the Harold Lloyd silent classic, Safety Last.

 

It's a reasonably well made silent comedy, not as mad cap as Buster Keaton's work, but with more continuity and as a result has aged better than some of the Keaton shorts I've been watching this week (although admittedly they were some of his very early ones).

The plot's a no brainer, although some of the stuff regarding the Great Depression may go over the heads of some. If you know what's coming (and if you've any idea who Harold Lloyd is then chances are you've seen a picture of the bit that's coming), then the first half hour of the film serves at little else than just a build up to the big stunt. It's like going to an all you can ear Chinese buffet, and them filling you up on starters for what seems like forever.

 

When the building climb stunt arrives though, it's tremendous. It brought a reaction from me not dissimilar to when I saw the finale of Police Story 3 for the first time. There's a couple of moments where a split second mistiming would have guaranteed death, and it's been made all the more exciting since I recently learned that he only had three fingers on his right hand and no thumb (he lost his thumb and index finger in an earlier film when a prop bomb went off in his hand).

With today's bluescreening and CGI, I rarely get excited over stuntwork in modern films. Watching a guy cling onto a ledge with one (disfigured) hand whilst fending off pidgeons with the other, with nothing but a big drop to the pavement below him is a tough one to beat.

[Carbomb]

Saw Solomon Kane earlier. I really enjoyed it, it had a good story and some awesome action scenes.

 

The lead actor James Purefoy was really good too... Can't really remember him in any other films, but I'll definately be keeping a lookout for him in the future. He also looks very very similar to Hugh Jackman.. who played a similar character to Purefoy as Van Helsing, so it was hard to get Helsing out of my head throughout the film!

 

I've been looking forward to seeing that. The trailers looked awesome. I remember on Youtube, a fan of the Solomon Kane book series having a rant about people automatically associating him with either Van Helsing or Warhammer, heheheheh.

 

There was also something about him being only one of two action heroes to have a South-Western accent. ARRRR.

[Jimmy_kahoona]

Dead Snow

 

Ok so I`m a little late knowing that the debate about this was a good few pages ago but i`ll chip in my take on it.

 

Quick recap, its a german horror film about Zombie Nazis

 

Theres some great set ups, some great deaths and some excellent undead nazis.

 

Theres some awful set ups, some awful deaths and some excellent undead nazis.

 

The problem the film has is that although the concept is pretty basic (but more than enough for a film of this calibur) the deaths are pretty good in some areas

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

especially anything to do with the snow mobile

 

[close spoiler]

");document.close(); and the imagery is so awsome, especially becuse it uses nazi zombies in snow, during the day! the comedy aspects are too stupid and distract so much from the atmosphere it looses its way alot.

 

The makers obviously had a good time making the film, they`re obviously big horror fans and they know a few things about set ups and jumps but they seem to not know how to keep a plot rolling along, how to pace a film or how to balance out comedy to horror ratio.

 

After alls ended and the credits roll there is a slight satisfaction that you`ve seen a good foreign movie, but theres just a little taste of disappointment knowing that it could have been done better especially with just a little more script development and possibly some input from hollywood.

 

Certainly worth a watch if your wanting to see a film thats almost great but not quite.

[patiirc]

MI III

 

Aside from the fact I cant abide Tom Cruise, the lack of anything else on the telly meant I watched this.

 

Was there any point? I had more fun watching for all the cameos, bit parts... Eddie Marslan etc.

 

Felt like it was trying to be Bourne, with edgyness, but failed miserably

 

Fluff, entertaining fluff, but fluff nonetheless

 

give it 5/10

 

 

Before that there was 'Force 10 from Naravrone' on Five USA

 

Starring a young Harrison Ford... the premise had merit, directed by Guy Hamilton ( a few Bonds, Battle of Britain) it had the potential to go places.. but was very lop sided and poorly paced.

 

Jaws (Richard Kiel) squaring off to Apollo Creed ( Carl Weathers) was a fun little set piece, but other than that not much else went for it, got steadily more bored as it went on and then watched MI :III

[Egg Shen]

i loved MI:III

[Dynamite Duane]

The Dr Who Movie with Paul McGann (1996)

Sky +'d it off Watch the other day, saw it first time around but couldn't remember the story or if any good. On a second viewing with 14 years passing since first seeing the film I was disappointed. Dr Who has been brilliant in it's latest incarnation since 2005, but this film version didn't do a lot for me. McGann was a good pick for the role, then we had the intrigue of what happened to Sylvester McCoy but it didn't take long for the film to lose my interest.

 

The problem was the lack of English quirkiness which is the essence of Dr Who, yes sadly the whole thing was too Americanised and serious.

[CleetusVanDamme]

Die Hard 4.0 on Blu Ray. It got shit reviews because it wasn't a thought provoking film set in a bleak dystopian universe about 2 gay Bosnian cowboys eating pudding, But it's fucking amazing, its John Mc'claine's return to action involving lots of guns, over the top stunts, and some groingrabbingly huge explosions. So far its the easily nicest looking Blu Ray i've watched (ive only had the player a month or so) and every explosion looks amazing 9/10. If you didn't enjoy Die Hard 4.0 then you have no testicles.

[JLM]

It got shit reviews because it wasn't a thought provoking film set in a bleak dystopian universe about 2 gay Bosnian cowboys eating pudding

 

Yeah, the other Die Hard movies got panned for similar reasons. Hang on...

[Loki]

Die Hard 4.0 on Blu Ray. It got shit reviews because it wasn't a thought provoking film set in a bleak dystopian universe about 2 gay Bosnian cowboys eating pudding, But it's fucking amazing, its John Mc'claine's return to action involving lots of guns, over the top stunts, and some groingrabbingly huge explosions. So far its the easily nicest looking Blu Ray i've watched (ive only had the player a month or so) and every explosion looks amazing 9/10. If you didn't enjoy Die Hard 4.0 then you have no testicles.

 

I totally agree, it was great. The most recent Rambo got treated similarly. There aren't many reviewers out there who appreciate a proper action movie. I thought that the character development of John McClaine has been great - slightly more worn down, slightly less jokey with each film. He's clearly had a shitty life, but when it kicks off he knows what to do.

[martyngnr]

Die Hard 4.0 on Blu Ray. It got shit reviews because it wasn't a thought provoking film set in a bleak dystopian universe about 2 gay Bosnian cowboys eating pudding, But it's fucking amazing, its John Mc'claine's return to action involving lots of guns, over the top stunts, and some groingrabbingly huge explosions. So far its the easily nicest looking Blu Ray i've watched (ive only had the player a month or so) and every explosion looks amazing 9/10. If you didn't enjoy Die Hard 4.0 then you have no testicles.

 

I totally agree, it was great. The most recent Rambo got treated similarly. There aren't many reviewers out there who appreciate a proper action movie. I thought that the character development of John McClaine has been great - slightly more worn down, slightly less jokey with each film. He's clearly had a shitty life, but when it kicks off he knows what to do.

It didn't do itself any favours with the "he just killed a helicopter with a car" and the ridiculous "riding the fighter jet" scenes. They were just far too overblown even for a Die Hard movie.

In fairness though i thought the rest of the movie was great.

[Loki]

I think expecting cinema verit

[Chest Rockwell]

Die Hard 4.0 on Blu Ray. It got shit reviews because it wasn't a thought provoking film set in a bleak dystopian universe about 2 gay Bosnian cowboys eating pudding, But it's fucking amazing, its John Mc'claine's return to action involving lots of guns, over the top stunts, and some groingrabbingly huge explosions. So far its the easily nicest looking Blu Ray i've watched (ive only had the player a month or so) and every explosion looks amazing 9/10. If you didn't enjoy Die Hard 4.0 then you have no testicles.

 

I totally agree, it was great. The most recent Rambo got treated similarly. There aren't many reviewers out there who appreciate a proper action movie. I thought that the character development of John McClaine has been great - slightly more worn down, slightly less jokey with each film. He's clearly had a shitty life, but when it kicks off he knows what to do.

 

 

John McClaine's character is the main thing I didn't like about this film. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if it wasn't called Die Hard 4. It was a good action movie, but there was only a couple times in the film where it really felt like a Die Hard movie.

[tiger_rick]

I watched Daylight Robbery on Saturday. Had it for a while and just got around to it. It's about a group of guys who set up a pretty clever bank job before escaping to the World Cup in Germany. it obviously doesn't go smoothly or there'd be no movie. I quite enjoyed it. It was pretty clever in that it was shot almost in real time, had a decent cast of british actors (B-level and lower) and was pretty intruiging throughout. I'd watch it again.

[Magnum Milano]

After reading so much praise for the show, I searched out a copy of the Freaks & Geeks TV series and am thoroughly enjoying it at the moment, and am currently half way through the box set.

 

For those who dont know it is set at McKinley High School in 1980, and focuses on the lives of two siblings, Lindsey and Sam Weir. Lindsey was a previous A-Grade student, who changes her image and befriends the 'Freaks' whilst her brother Sam is a 'Geek', and the show concentrates on how they make their way through high school and the problems and issues that they face. The pilot is a tremendous episode, and my other favourites are 'Beers and Weirs' (where the Weir's parents go away for the weekend, and Lindsey's new friends persuade her to have a party at their house), and 'Carded and Discarded' (where a new girl transfers to McKinley from a school in Florida, and gets befriended by Sam and the 'Geeks'. Soon however, she starts becoming pally with the head cheerleader, and they realise that she wont want to know them once she becomes friendly with 'the cool crowd'). I cant recommend this show enough, and if you can get hold of a copy from somewhere you wont be disappointed.

 

Watched the entire series in a weekend a few weeks ago. Loved it, especially seeing who outside Seth Rogan has gone on to become semi-famous since.

Finished watching the final episode last night, and yep, best TV show I have seen in a loooooooooooooong time. I almost didn't want to put it on, as I knew going in it was the last ever episode and I had enjoyed it so much. I tend to struggle when watching films or long series of shows, but I got through this one in 6 days and it held my attention throughout.

 

I take it that they didn't know that the show wasn't being renewed as there was plenty of scope for a new season (especially the slow build on the Nick and Lindsey relationship, which I at first didn't care for but had drawn me into come the end of the season). I felt it still finished great though, what with the 'Geeks' thinking they aren't so geeky as Desario played Dungeons & Dragons with them and Lindsey making the choice to go and follow the Grateful Dead with the Dead Heads from school and Kim, instead of going on this two week educational camp. From the final disc I thought the 'Smooching and Mooching' episode was top draw, and was cheering when Sam and Bill ended up getting it on with the hot cheerleaders, whilst 'The Little Things' episode covered a subject matter that I can't ever remember being covered on a TV show before, and was handled wonderfully.

 

The supporting cast were excellent (most notably Coach Fredricks, Millie, Cindy, Harris and Gordon Crisp), although I wish we had seen a bit more of Eli who was featured pretty heavily in the pilot and only made one more appearance after that. The soundtrack was superb and there were a number of songs that I had never heard before (Come Sail Away, Rosalinda's Eyes, Poor Poor Pitiful Me, You'll Accomp'ny Me) that I want to get hold of. Not being a fan of films, the only one of the cast who I was aware of was Seth Rogen, so after doing a bit of looking on the net I saw that Linda Cardellini appeared in the Scooby Doo films (which just so happens aired on ITV 2 after I had finished the disc). Several other TV series arrived with Freaks & Geeks, so I am planning on making my way through them, but I can't wait to go and revisit this show.