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

[Twatters]

Im currently halfway through Bus 174:

 

Documentary depicts what happened in Rio de Janeiro on June 12th 2000, when bus 174 was taken by an armed young man, threatening to shoot all the passengers. Transmitted live on all Brazilian TV networks, this shocking and tragic-ending event became one of violence's most shocking portraits, and one of the scariest examples of police incompetence and abuse in recent years.

 

Very interesting and really good so far.

[MoKonjic]

I watched Wolf Creek 2, film was average but John Jarratt gives another great performance. Mick Taylor is up there with my favorite horror movie bad guys.

[Onyx2]

Just watched the Pegg/Frost film Paul - it was okay; entertaining enough. Didn't do enough with pop culture references, and I found Pegg and (especially) Frost unlikeable in this one. Seth Rogan did a good voice job on the alien, though. Bit of a King Cone, really.

 

If it had come down one side of the stoner movie / family fun fence, it probably would've have been really enjoyable. As it is, it's kind of gutless for a 15 but too crude for PG = everyone loses. It reeks of having too many hands on it.

 

I watched Wolf of Wall Street yesterday. Blooming loved it. Leo keeps getting better with age and Jonah Hill was just superb. At home the three hour runtime did not bother me at all, it flew by. Is there a story behind the Joanna Lumley casting? She's so un-Hollywood, is she a mate of Scorcese or something?

[John Matrix]

Took advantage of the long weekend and watched Hummingbird in three 40 minute blocks.

 

I quite liked it, it was interesting watching a normal film with Statham in it, with action kept fairly minimal throughout and a decent Robin Hood theme running through it.

 

Say what you will, but nobody plays Jason Statham quite like Jason Statham, and i mean that in the best possible way. By underplaying absolutely everything always (apart from that horrendous turn in The One), moments where he shows even a glimmer of emotion seem to work so much more - there's a scene where he's posing for photographs to show his estranged daughter but can't be convinced to smile, and when he eventually did, i did too such was a rare moment of happiness for such a dark and troubled character.

 

Keeping the action to a minimum really worked. Contextually, there wasnt a place for the huge set piece brawl and the blink and you miss it disposal of the films main villain is a perfectly fitting end as the closing scenes play out and you realise that this wasnt your standard gung ho revenge thriller, but a look into the life of a man who dosent fit anywhere and who as a result often does bad things with good intentions.

 

If you're familiar with London, it's fun playing "I've been there" and my second favourite Benedict turns up in a supporting role so I'll probably watch this again in a one'er when the opportunity presents itself, and whilst not a popcorn movie by any stretch, it's a great example of a good idea executed simply and effectively.

[Vamp]

Has anyone seen Our Heroes Died Tonight?

[Bellenda Carlisle]

Grand Piano is a fucking blast. The perfect B-Movie. It's basically Phone Booth, but with Elijah Wood held hostage at a concert piano. If he gets any notes wrong, HE DIES. It's the rare high-concept thriller that manages to be every bit as fun as the pitch makes you hope it is. These things never usually live up to the idea you've got in your head when you say "that sounds great."

 

I was looking in this thread for a film to watch today and due to my overwhelming urge not to see a Scottish film from the 1980s I chose Grand Piano, Woy's right, this film is great, it doesn't put a foot wrong, a really simple. classy thriller. Also it's great to see Alex Winter (Bill from Bill & Ted) in something and Pee Wee Herman in his first serious role playing the part of Elijah Wood.

[Bellenda Carlisle]

I saw a copy of the film Paper Man on DVD with a completely different name and look, it's an indie dramedy about Jeff Daniels as a writer who's having a creative and personal crisis. Ryan Reynolds has a tiny (but great) role as a superhero Daniels invented that visits him as an imaginary friend. The new cover and name make it look straight up like a Ryan Reynolds Superhero movie, I hate it when they do that.

 

[bAzTNM#1]

Got it out of Poundland perhaps? Notorious for doing that shit.

[Rey_Piste]

I saw that film with the alternate cover in Tesco the other day and wondered what it was.

[Jas]

Watched Capt. America 2 & Spider-Man 2 - both very enjoyable and nicely progresses things along.

 

The Raid 2 was SPECTACULAR and no action movie will touch that till Raid 3 comes out I reckon. Expendables 3 has no chance.

 

Next up Godzilla in a few weeks, then X-Men and maybe Tom Cruises Edge of Tomorrow which looks interesting.

[Onyx2]

I saw Divergent at the weekend. If I were 12 I might think it's the best film of all time. As an adult, the immature bits kinda grate. These people are strong - let's call them Dauntless. These people are good speakers - let's call them Erudite (incidentally, why does that word get an extra syllable in this film? "Err-ee-a-dite". Annoyed the hell outta me). I'd much rather the groups were a little broader, e.g. manual labourers, leaders, justice and give them not-as-shit names.

 

It's also a greatest hits of all teeny films of the last decade. Remember the Sorting Hat from Harry Potter? Well that's the whole film.

 

The female lead is excellent - she holds the whole thing together really well I thought.

 

Don't exactly rush to see it - though the population here is hardly the target audience - but if you enjoyed Hunger Games this is in the same mould with similar beats.

[gmoney]

I was dragged to see it and I thought it was pretty naff, even for teen fluff. Lil' Jeff Goldblum was quite good though. I noticed they also had a rip off of the Wall from Game of Thrones too, just to notch another 'influence'.

Edited April 28, 2014 by gmoney

[Keith Houchen]

Watched The Descendants yesterday. I love Alexander Payne so I'm biased but this was lovely. Sad, but lovely. Clooney is fantastic in this and the performance from the eldest daughter was great. Lovely use of music too, he is like awes Anderson for non twats.

[Maverick]

Nebraska was excellent too, great cast, funny and poignant. Really enjoy Payne's films.

[Ladiesman345]

I'm trying to make my way through every Scottish film ever made. I'm on 25 so far. Finally got round to watching The Acid House, an Irvine Welsh adaptation. Released in 1998, it's odd in the fact that it's actually three short films at about 40 mins each. It's fair to say it's one of the strangest films I've seen in terms of storylines. It features a grown man reverting back to having the mental age of a baby, courtesy of some lightning and acid, and a man transformed in to a fly by God. The second story was my favourite, with Kevin McKidd's character playing a cuckolded husband. It's great, although I love McKidd so I may be being slightly biased. Not on par with Trainspotting, but what is?

 

 

I made a 10 minute short for my degree based on one of the stories in the book. The one about the man who has a car accident and is now just a head, floating in a jar (doesn't stop him and the wife having friends over for dinner). There are some right weird stories in their, I'd recommend the book.

 

Is the short online? I wouldn't mind watching it.

 

I've been reminded how good Martin Clunes was in The Acid House. A comedic master class.