DVDs and Films You Have Watched Recently 3 - The Final Insult

[Endorphin]

 

I was sobbing by the end of this. Can already tell this film will end up meaning a lot to me.

[NEWM]

Watched a few things in the last few days and enjoyed them all tremendously:

 

The Stuff. Fucking brilliant. Michael Moriarty was a piss funny lead and did well to compete with Paul Sorvino and Garrett Morris, who both tore it up every second they were on screen. The best kind of low budget flick, it was entertaining without being obnoxiously shit, and had some charm in it's satire. Should have got round to this a long time ago.

 

Extract punched well above its weight, with loads of Mike Judge trademarks, Ben Affleck stealing the show, Jason Bateman playing Michael Bluth and understated but enjoyable turns from Kristen Wiig and Mila Kunis. The gentlest of dark comedies, but it was a really nice one for an easy watch. Todd Packer from the Office pops up as a brilliant irritating neighbour, which leads to a fantastic payoff and a raging film rant on annoying people you have to deal with that you'd love to use one day in your real life.

 

How to Be a Serial Killer was a cute comedy about a murderer (obviously) that really picked up towards the end when shit got real, like it always does. Wasn't over keen on the infomercial device which they clung onto for too long, but the relationship between super cool and super friendly Mike (the murderer) and Bart (the smart-but-not-actually-so-smart) apprentice was ace. A good lingering sense of tension between them made for some realism in an otherwise ludicrous scenario. A really fun watch.

[Devon Malcolm]

Watched a few things in the last few days and enjoyed them all tremendously:

 

The Stuff. Fucking brilliant. Michael Moriarty was a piss funny lead and did well to compete with Paul Sorvino and Garrett Morris, who both tore it up every second they were on screen. The best kind of low budget flick, it was entertaining without being obnoxiously shit, and had some charm in it's satire. Should have got round to this a long time ago.

 

Great fun, isn't it? It was the first thing I watched on Netflix. Paul Sorvino gets the best lines as well.

 

I watched a horror comedy a few weeks back called Humanoids From The Deep. It was even better - really funny and gruesome with a great ending and Doug McClure! That's on Netflix as well.

[Professor Paul's Bin]

I watched As Good As It Gets for the first time last night. One of the best film's I've seen for a while. It was just an outstanding film. My favourite Nicholson film and him mixing it up with the lovely Helen Hunt just made it great. Found myself laughing throughout all of it and even shedding a few small tears. Being a dog lover myself I really liked the connection with the dog too. Wish I'd found about this film sooner 9.2/10

Edited May 26, 2013 by Twinn

[Devon Malcolm]

As Good As It Gets is one of my most hated films. Overly sentimental, maudlin and borderline offensive shit. Absolutely detestable in places.

 

Glad you enjoyed it!

[Devon Malcolm]

I'm sorry, I absolutely hate it. Oscar-grabbing stuff like that annoys me more than almost everything else, especially when it has Helen Hunt in it.

 

Not that I'm against Jack Nicholson doing this kind of film. About Schmidt was everything this film wished it could be.

Edited May 26, 2013 by Devon Malcolm

[HarmonicGenerator]

Had a bit of a film spree this weekend, mostly thanks to the Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle having a day of showing films that people have voted for wanting to see, and charging

[Devon Malcolm]

That was followed straight away with The Red Shoes because '80s horror-comedy-musicals are always best followed by Powell and Pressburger. Yes. The Red Shoes is a sublime film, so well-made, really interesting, beautifully shot, everything I'd expected from all I'd heard about it (I hadn't seen this one before either). However, towards the end I was kind of really needing to visit the toilet, so if it had been 10 or 15 minutes shorter I wouldn't have minded...

 

I don't have any doubt in my mind that it's one of the greatest films ever made. I watched it a few months ago and every single thing in that film is a work of beauty.

 

Astro Hollywood's always shilling his work round here, so I'll do the same with a review I did of it:-

 

http://letterboxd.com/settingsun/film/the-red-shoes/

 

It's even more of a miracle in that it manages to be better than A Matter Of Life & Death and Black Narcissus by Powell & Pressburger, two more films that few ever made have ever matched.

[SteelEdge]

Anyway, the spree today. Little Shop Of Horrors was first, at 8.20 this morning. I'd never seen it before, but it was brilliant, really entertaining with some great cameos I wasn't expecting. It was the Director's Cut, which I understand has a less happy ending than the other version?

 

Absolutely love that film, one of my favourite screen musicals but I didn't know there was a Directors Cut. Mind spilling what the different ending is, in spoiler tags?

[HarmonicGenerator]

Devon Gladstone - great review. I'm very pleased I spent the pound to see the film on the big screen; I loved it and would be keen to watch it again with a more trained eye!

 

Anyway, the spree today. Little Shop Of Horrors was first, at 8.20 this morning. I'd never seen it before, but it was brilliant, really entertaining with some great cameos I wasn't expecting. It was the Director's Cut, which I understand has a less happy ending than the other version?

 

Absolutely love that film, one of my favourite screen musicals but I didn't know there was a Directors Cut. Mind spilling what the different ending is, in spoiler tags?

 

No problem. Although I have just copied and pasted from Wikipedia, here you go:

 

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

During production, director Oz shot a 23-minute ending based on the off-Broadway musical's ending. However, after receiving negative reviews from test audiences, the ending had to be rewritten and re-shot for the theatrical release with a "happier ending".

 

In the original ending, after Audrey is attacked by Audrey II (reprise of "Suppertime"), Seymour tells Audrey that he fed Mushnik and Orin to Audrey II and explains the whole story, then Audrey dies in Seymour's arms, but only before begging him to feed her to the plant so that Seymour will get all the fame he deserves (reprise of "Somewhere That's Green"). Seymour does so, but afterwards attempts to commit suicide by jumping off a building. Before he can, Patrick Martin appears and attempts to persuade Seymour to let him cut samples of the plant so that they can grow into little Audrey II's and be sold across America. At the same time, he shows him a miniature plant that grew from a sample he cut days earlier, which menacingly grins at Seymour. Realizing Audrey II's intentions from this, Seymour quickly slides down the ladder and returns to the flower shop, shortly before Martin tells him they don't need his consent since a plant is considered public domain. Returning to the shop, Seymour confronts and tries to kill the plant ("Mean Green Mother from Outer Space"), who tears down the shop, plucks Seymour out of the rubble, and eats him alive. It then spits out his glasses and laughs triumphantly.

 

The three chorus girls appear in front of the American flag and tell how the Audrey II buds became a nationwide consumer craze , but soon, grew into an army of monstrous plants who take over the country ("Don't Feed the Plants").[3] In the dramatic finale, giant Audrey II buds begin destroying cities across America by knocking down buildings, blowing into the smoke stacks, and eating trains. The U.S. Army attempts to fight the Audrey II buds. The final shot shows the plants ascending upon the Statue of Liberty, and then a title card "THE END?!?" appears and Audrey II bursts through the screen, cackling.

 

[close spoiler]

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Oh, and totally unrelated but I could swear there's an extra in To Rome With Love wearing one of those Miz 'Hello, I'm AWESOME' t-shirts.

Edited May 26, 2013 by HarmonicGenerator

[Chilly McFreeze]

Devon Gladstone - great review. I'm very pleased I spent the pound to see the film on the big screen; I loved it and would be keen to watch it again with a more trained eye!

 

Anyway, the spree today. Little Shop Of Horrors was first, at 8.20 this morning. I'd never seen it before, but it was brilliant, really entertaining with some great cameos I wasn't expecting. It was the Director's Cut, which I understand has a less happy ending than the other version?

 

Absolutely love that film, one of my favourite screen musicals but I didn't know there was a Directors Cut. Mind spilling what the different ending is, in spoiler tags?

 

Little Shop is my second favourate musical behind Rocky Horror. It's a cracking film, funny, good tunes and pretty good special effects for it's time. I haven't seen the Director's Cut ending but it sounds better.

 

Bill Murray steals the show for me. His scene with Steve Martin is hilarious. They should have done more films together in the 80's.

 

[HarmonicGenerator]

The Director's Cut ending worked really well, I thought - but then again I haven't seen the other ending. It was remarked afterwards that the DC ending felt a little unconventional, which goes to show there was a reason to change it, as the tone of the film is probably altered quite significantly.

 

I wish Rick Moranis hadn't retired.

[Keith Houchen]

Watched Network last night. Now THAT'S a brilliant film.

[Devon Malcolm]

It's one of the few Sidney Lumet films I haven't seen, actually. One of the greatest directors of his generation, though. Have you seen any of his other films, Keith? I rewatched Dog Day Afternoon and The Offence recently. The latter, especially, is a fantastic film.

[chokeout]

It's one of the few Sidney Lumet films I haven't seen, actually. One of the greatest directors of his generation, though. Have you seen any of his other films, Keith? I rewatched Dog Day Afternoon and The Offence recently. The latter, especially, is a fantastic film.

 

Gladders Im shocked you've never seen it, you'll love it. Pretty sure I've seen it on StageVu in the last few months, get it watched