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

[Astro Hollywood]

Gravity's turning up on a ton of year end lists, but it's not on mine.

 

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I loved the first 15 minutes, which are so immersive, stripped any of the cues that remind you you're watching a film. The only sound's from their helmet-mics, there's not a single cut, and Earth's hanging above them the whole time. But as soon as it goes to its first cut, with Sandra Bullock spinning off into space, I was dragged right out. The score is really overbearing, especially during the final scene, with that obnoxious, deafening choral music that would be more fitting to a battle scene. Also, it's basically Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em in space. "Oh no, hit by debris, gotta get to the satellite! Phew got there -- oh no, now it's on fire! Phew, got out -- now I'm tangled up! Phew, untangled -- Argh I've been hit by more debris!" Just a slightly tedious series of disaster skits, one after the other. I enjoyed it, but I was nowhere near as blown away as everyone else seems to be. And no, I didn't watch it in IMAX 3D or however people say you 'have' to see it to appreciate it. Either a story works or it doesn't. If you need to rely on tech-tricks like that, then it's a fucking themepark ride and not a movie, like Avatar was.

 

I was hopeful after the opening text about there being no sound in space etc, that there would be none other than in-story stuff. Think how much better it would have been if you'd just heard Bullock's panicky breaths rather than DA DA DAAAAAA EPIC MUSIC DA DAAAAA. That would have been immersive. It was hard to empathise with the lonely, empty terror of deep space while loud music was telling me how scary it was.

 

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Edited December 16, 2013 by Astro Hollywood

[Up Chuck]

I saw it in 3D and I agree with all of that wholeheartedly.

 

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You're dead right about that first cut killing it. I was getting right into it but it just lost me after that.

 

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[Vamp]

Gravity is shit.

[Richie Freebird]

I watched Golden Dragon Silver Snake (1979) last night. More kung-fu madness from my hero Dragon Lee and nut case director Godfrey Ho.

 

Standard plot: Bad guy kung-fu gangsters try to terrorise locals and force them into selling their farmland so that they can somehow exploit it to evil ends. Meanwhile, revenge seeking, homeless wanderer Dragon Lee ends up working on the farm and finding out the same gangsters hassling the farmers are the bastards that killed his brother some time previously. It's just too perfect isn't it?

 

Original Korean artwork

 

There's a good chunk of fighting in this one, which ranged from decent, to absolutely physics ignoringly daft (at one point, a goodie throws a chicken's egg up in the air, and Dragon Lee twats the egg with a baseball bat, but the egg doesn't break until it hits the baddies face). The final fight scene sees Dragon Lee take on about 20 henchmen in a Game of Death inspired yellow jumpsuit. This was quite an entertaining mass brawl, and marks the first time I've seen a fight occur on a moving speedboat in one of these micro-budget exploitation flicks. The final fight scene seemed to last over 20 minutes. It was certainly a comprehensive showdown, for sure.

 

The dubbing, editing and cinematography are terrible. Sometimes the person talking is half (or completely) out of the shot, and you only see the backs of other people's heads. If you like your kung-fu flicks to be bizarre and strangely comical though, with a splash of half entertaining action dotted through the madness, you might just find Golden Dragon Silver Snake to be watchable.

[ColinBollocks]

On Gravity,

 

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I agree the first 15 minutes or so are the best part of the film. My biggest problem with it is the average plot/story. It's been praised for the 90 minutes easy-to-follow story, but I found it underwhelming and I wasn't too emotionally invested in Bullocks return to Earth. I'll need to watch it again, but maybe Astro has a point and the reason I wasn't nearly as bothered as I probably should have been was the BIG score - although, at the time its supposed overbearing effect wasn't so apparent and didn't annoy me.

 

Gravity is a visual treat, but I've seen far better films this year. Tom Hanks has appeared in a couple of them.

 

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[HarmonicGenerator]

On Gravity,

 

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I agree the first 15 minutes or so are the best part of the film. My biggest problem with it is the average plot/story. It's been praised for the 90 minutes easy-to-follow story, but I found it underwhelming and I wasn't too emotionally invested in Bullocks return to Earth. I'll need to watch it again, but maybe Astro has a point and the reason I wasn't nearly as bothered as I probably should have been was the BIG score - although, at the time its supposed overbearing effect wasn't so apparent and didn't annoy me.

 

Gravity is a visual treat, but I've seen far better films this year. Tom Hanks has appeared in a couple of them.

 

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Colin's spoiler mentions Tom Hanks - that in itself is not a spoiler (Tom Hanks does not appear in Gravity) but I agree that Hanks has had a great year. Cloud Atlas, Captain Phillips and Saving Mr Banks were all really good.

Edited December 17, 2013 by HarmonicGenerator

[ColinBollocks]

Captain Philips, in particular, is a treat. I had a rubbish week of sleeping and had trouble keeping my eyes open during the trailers in a warm cinema, but come the last third of the film I was fully into what was happening on the screen.

Edited December 17, 2013 by ColinBollocks

[HarmonicGenerator]

The last scene in particular is a stunning piece of acting.

[Tim Healys Chutney Spoon]

Watched RED 2 at the weekend. Good film, gave it an 8.5/10. John Malkovich and Bruce Willis are excellent together and how Malkovich keeps a straight face with some of the outfits he wears I'll never know!!!

 

Decent cheesy action film that I'd happily watch again.

[Loki]

Been watching a LOT of Statham movies recently, as they are perfect Friday night movie fare.

 

Obviously Crank and Crank 2 are amazing, but also The Mechanic was highly enjoyable with some great set-pieces.

 

On the other hand, Blitz was pretty disappointing. It felt exactly like a script for an episode of Luther that had been expanded to feature length, and had Statham attached. It didn't play to his strengths at all, and wasted a really good cast.

 

God bless the Stath, he's single-handedly keeping the action genre alive.

[John Matrix]

Been watching a LOT of Statham movies recently, as they are perfect Friday night movie fare.

 

Obviously Crank and Crank 2 are amazing, but also The Mechanic was highly enjoyable with some great set-pieces.

 

On the other hand, Blitz was pretty disappointing. It felt exactly like a script for an episode of Luther that had been expanded to feature length, and had Statham attached. It didn't play to his strengths at all, and wasted a really good cast.

 

God bless the Stath, he's single-handedly keeping the action genre alive.

 

I'm glad you mentioned this, saw a Statham box set the other day and it occured to me, outside of the Transporter movies, i havent seen a lot of his stuff really. Any reccomendations?

 

Shame you didnt like Blitz, i reviewed that briefly a few months back and although it's not an action movie per se, i really enjoyed it and thought Statham was at his dry, sarcastic best.

[hitman89762000]

Been watching a LOT of Statham movies recently, as they are perfect Friday night movie fare.

 

Obviously Crank and Crank 2 are amazing, but also The Mechanic was highly enjoyable with some great set-pieces.

 

On the other hand, Blitz was pretty disappointing. It felt exactly like a script for an episode of Luther that had been expanded to feature length, and had Statham attached. It didn't play to his strengths at all, and wasted a really good cast.

 

God bless the Stath, he's single-handedly keeping the action genre alive.

 

I'm glad you mentioned this, saw a Statham box set the other day and it occured to me, outside of the Transporter movies, i havent seen a lot of his stuff really. Any reccomendations?

 

Shame you didnt like Blitz, i reviewed that briefly a few months back and although it's not an action movie per se, i really enjoyed it and thought Statham was at his dry, sarcastic best.

 

"War" is a fairly decent statham move imo good twist in it too.

[Keith Houchen]

It's shit when people say "Yeah, good twist in that film" as it means I will be looking out for it and ruining the film.

[Astro Hollywood]

It's shit when people say "Yeah, good twist in that film" as it means I will be looking out for it and ruining the film.

 

Don't worry in that specific instance. It's the dumbest, out of nowhere, just for the sake of it twist ever.

 

Also, don't watch War anyway. It's shit.

Edited December 17, 2013 by Astro Hollywood

[LEGIT]

Went to see Hunger Games: Catching Fire last night. First of all, I don't remember the first one being so fecking long! I did enjoy it in the end.

 

Though, not enough Woody Harrelson. For a film I didn't really want to see (The Hunger Games), catching fire has got me ready and anticipating the third installment.

Took the missus to see it. I just didn't grasp it. All the talk about districts and shit. Too out there for me, and it did feel very long. I couldn't wait for it to end.

 

A good movie I watched recently was Manhunter. Fuckin brilliant. It's the original Red Dragon film. The acting was great. Best movie I seen for a while. Anyone else saw it?