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

[Bellenda Carlisle]

I watched Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters last night.

 

I'm really not into the fairytale revival of this decade but I wanted to see this for some reason and I actually really enjoyed it for what it was. It wasn't too long and it didn't try to be clever or take itself too seriously.

It was just Gemma Arterton and Jeremy Renner blowing ugly witches to pieces with steampunk weaponry in a medievalish setting. It would've been much less enjoyable if it was aimed at kids which it could've been but the level of gore and swearing and stuff was good fun, Peter Stormare was a horrible sheriff too and he's always good. In some ways it reminded me of an 80s fantasy adventure although there were clearly post Underworld, Matrix and Van Helsing elements. One thing that did feel straight out of a Jim Henson film was the Troll character, I really liked him, he added another element of non realism to it and made it feel even less like it was set in the normal world. I spent most of the film wondering if he was CGI or a practical effect and I'm pleased to report he was practical. Even if you have no desire to watch the film you could do worse than watch this video as it's fun to see animatronics still being used to that level in the age of CGI

[patiirc]

Saw The Invasion last night. Out of all the Bodysnatcher films, this is the worst and most disjointed, as it struggles to really put the paranoia across about people changing but staying the same outwardly. There is little to no tension and the 'deus ex machina' regarding a cure, for a happy ending, is horrid.

 

Nicole Kidman was completely wasted and added nothing, though Jeremy Northam was cracking as 'the baddie', a role he excels in in 'The Net' as well. He's always good for trememdously creepy and slimey in films. It's a far cry from his Oedipus Complex, SOE Operative in Wish Me Luck.

 

Daniel Craig's role was much ado about nothing as well.

 

In short then, the film was a bit of a waste. I think there were lots of production issues, with the original director fired and James McTiegue (I think) brought on board to do re-shoots, and seems flawed in it's conception. There are some nice nods to the 1978 remake with Veronica Cartwright cast in a cameo amongst others, but overall it's bobbins.

 

The 'code' for the Bodysnatcher films has to be:-

 

2. The 1978 Remake/Sequel with Donald Sutherland, Leonard Nimoy, Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright and cameo's from Kevin McCarthy and Don Siegel.

 

1. The original 1956 film, made during the height of 'red' paranoia. It is often seen as an allegory for Communism taking over the US as the everything is the same and shared ideals, but is wonderfully tense and scary even now.

 

3. Abel Ferrara's 1993 film is actually good in it's own right. It's just not as good as the first two and that scene where they all draw the same picture is still very creepy.

 

4 is in a different time zone, verging on Rocky V proportions of it doesn't or rather, shouldn't exist.

[Devon Malcolm]

I watched This Is The End the other night and actually rather liked it. Wasn't expecting that at all. I'm still never watching Pineapple Express, though. The bit where they're talking about not raping Emma Watson was great.

[Devon Malcolm]

I just watched Drinking Buddies. Make sure you don't.

[Surf Digby]

I just watched Drinking Buddies. Make sure you don't.

I've never even heard of it. I'll try and keep it like that.

[KingOfMetal]

Watched 12 Years A Slave earlier this afternoon. Its not showing anywhere near here until the end of the month because Hull is backwards, so got a copy online which is a perfect rip.

 

Excellent performances by everyone involved and at times a difficult watch. At the 15 minute mark SPOILER - Highlight the black box to read

the lashings start and Chiwetel Ejiofor takes about 20 hits, it really is brutal at times, but it obviously has to be in its portrait. Theres a lashing scene which runs for about 4 minutes

 

Michael Fassbender was really good also and is a real nasty bastard. Could not help but this all the while that he was on screen that has to be the next James Bond - he is perfect for the role.

Brad Pitt has about 5 minutes of screen time in the two scenes he is in, and I was thinking surely they could have found someone cheaper to be in it, then it turns out that Pitt was a producer.

Michael Kenneth Williams also shows up early, which I was real happy with as I think he is really good, SPOILER - Highlight the black box to read

only to then get killed off 2 minutes later. A criminal miss-use of his talents

 

Edited January 18, 2014 by KingOfMetal

[Devon Malcolm]

I just watched Drinking Buddies. Make sure you don't.

I've never even heard of it. I'll try and keep it like that.

 

It's one those mumblecore things. It's just terrible. Nothing happens AT ALL.

[Keith Houchen]

Thanks for the spoiler, KingOfMetal, much appreciated.

[KingOfMetal]

I assume your referring the Michael Kenneth Williams part of my post. Hes barely in it and his role doesn't have an effect on anything else to do with the outcome.

If there is anything else, please say so that I can edit appropriately

 

Edit: I've spoilered anything I think could by deemed as spoiler, but even then I don't feel I gave too much away to start with

Edited January 18, 2014 by KingOfMetal

[Keith Houchen]

Still, I know what to expect when he is on screen now.

[King Pitcos]

I just watched Drinking Buddies. Make sure you don't.

I've never even heard of it. I'll try and keep it like that.

 

It's one those mumblecore things. It's just terrible. Nothing happens AT ALL.

That's not fair. A thing did happen a little bit, but then didn't. It's very self-indulgent. Feels like the draft of a script that you don't even show anyone for feedback, but put in a drawer for a few weeks and then come back to and think "oh, fuck, there's no story." Anna Kendrick's legs were quite creepy in one scene, too. I don't think I minded it, but it took me days to watch because I kept getting bored.

Edited January 19, 2014 by King Pitcos

[DEF]

Watched a few Blu's last night. We're the Millers kicked it off. I liked it. It isn't funny. Certainly not laugh out loud funny. More quite pleasant and mildly amusing. It got me thinking if I've missed out on any other R-rated comedies of recent years. I heard that The Heat with Sandra Bullock wasn't to bad so I may give that a shot. I think I've seen most of the really successful main stream ones (good or bad) but any suggestions would be welcome. I'm probably quite easily pleased but hey it was fun and wasn't annoying.

 

Then I switched gears and watched Brian De Palma's Dressed to Kill. Which for some reason I'd never seen dispite my love of Slasher movies. I guess as its not an out and out slasher it was never high on priorities but I really enjoyed it. It certainly has a great mix of slasher/giallo and erotic thriller. I'd watched Blow Out the night before and didn't think much of Nancy Allen in it but in Dressed to Kill I thought she did a good job. SPOILER - Highlight the black box to read

I do wonder what the Transgender community (I assume there was one in 1980) thought of it. As it's not exactly flattering and plays on ill conceived prejudices

 

 

Then some straight up giallo with the new Arrow remaster of Dario Argento's Tenebrae. It's certainly not my favourite Argento but man back then that dude made some exciting and fun movies didn't he? It really has does have moments of genius where it ramps up the adrenaline. I'm a sucker for lengthy tracking shots. Love the heavy handed score. Made me finally pull the trigger on ordering the OST's of Deep red and Suspiria. Plus John f'n Saxon ~

 

Finally the last of the 3 Arrow blu's I watched, Motel Hell. Well it's a bit of an oddity isn't it. SPOILER - Highlight the black box to read

It's about a Motel that sells it's own fresh meat and BBQ. You guessed it, the meat isn't cow.

Not quite a good horror/slasher film and not quite a good black comedy either. The plot borrows from Texas Chainsaw Massacre a smidge and IMO is about as good as TCM2. I enjoyed it but I can't see it getting many repeat views.

 

EDIT - Oh yeah nearly forgot I've been watching the first disc of the first season of The Twilight Zone thanks to inspiration from the UKFF. Great stuff. Anyone on the fence should definitely get the Blu-ray's. The restoration is tremendous. I loved 'The Escape Clause' and 'The Lonely' particularly.

Edited January 19, 2014 by DEF

[Onyx2]

Off the back of some Disney chatter over here, I watched Wreck-It Ralph today. Frustratingly bad.

 

As someone who's spent their entire life playing games keenly, I've been cautious about seeing it. I couldn't bear the idea of dropping in references in an over-the-top or ham-fisted way. Much to my surprise, there wasn't nearly enough of them. The central concept of taking a 1982 Donkey Kong/Popeye/Rampage-style game was done really well, and the play-off between bad guy Ralph and do-gooder Felix was a great one.

 

We then forget about all the game stuff for the remaining two thirds for a series of candy-inspired kart racing, where the focus is on the dessert puns and references instead. This does lead to the best joke in the whole thing: "Oh-ee-oh, O-re-os."

 

It's also curiously vulgar and aggressive for Disney. I'm not prudish by any sense, but there's a definite lowering of Disney's taste bar here. One scene has a character repeatedly getting smacked in the face to make people around them laugh. There's endless gunfire. Sarah Silverman talks about a "vurp" (I think), when you sick up in your mouth. It's not the wholesome family stuff they usually deliver and is really incongruous with the brand.

 

There's a whole bunch of extra characters at the fore, which don't need to be there, and it's not really clear who we're supposed to be rooting for. It feels like a good idea for a 30 min cartoon committeed to death.

Edited January 19, 2014 by Onyx2

[Devon Malcolm]

This would probably a good time for me to say that I don't like Disney. At all. In fact, I hate Disney.

 

Whenever it said in the paper when I was a kid that there were "Cartoons" on, I'd always get excited that it would be Tom & Jerry or Speedy Gonzalez or Road Runner - and then on comes fucking Goofy. Or worse, Mickey Mouse.

 

Fuck Disney.

[Onyx2]

This would probably a good time for me to say that I don't like Disney. At all. In fact, I hate Disney.

 

Whenever it said in the paper when I was a kid that there were "Cartoons" on, I'd always get excited that it would be Tom & Jerry or Speedy Gonzalez or Road Runner - and then on comes fucking Goofy. Or worse, Mickey Mouse.

 

Fuck Disney.

Yeah, the TV cartoons were always super-dull with nicey-nice Mickey and "ooh I'm right cross me" Donald and I would have the same reaction as you from the TV guide. The animated films are a different league though, with a few exceptions.

 

Tom & Jerry is the bomb of classic cartoons though. Still very funny.

Edited January 19, 2014 by Onyx2