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

[HarmonicGenerator]

Saw Boyhood at the weekend. Superb. Best film I've seen in ages and ages. Loved it. Can't seem to express my thoughts in sentences longer than eight words, but it's so, so good. See it.

Been looking forward to this for years. It obviously pays off, I take it, HG?

Is it as hearbreaking as it's been made out to be? I cry at Terminator 2, Armageddon, Romeo and Juliet and Long Lost Families, yet can't cry at real life, so this may be another form of celluloid induced release.

 

It absolutely pays off. It's a stunning achievement. I'm not sure if I'd go with 'heartbreaking' in the conventional sense - and I couldn't say whether you'll cry or not - but it will absolutely make you feel glad to be alive.

 

It's the connection I felt to everything that was happening that got me; the emotion comes from just how much you'll relate to the life you're watching onscreen (and you will, I'm certain of it). There's huge universal moments and incredibly personal ones, and they blend in and out of each other perfectly. Whether that's big things like Mason's relationship with his sister when he's 7 or 8 (there were points where the way they acted with each other was me and my sister, and I had to tell her to go and see it the instant I got out of the cinema), conversations with his dad about Star Wars and The Beatles in the teenage years, or the feelings associated with going off to university, or oddly specific moments like the sheer thrill all the kids felt at a new Harry Potter book coming out, or a conversation about Facebook later on.

 

It could only have been made the way Linklater made it - it just couldn't work any other way. I love the fact everything must have been so current when they filmed it, but it already feels nostalgic, but never, ever in a gimmicky way - that element is just background to the characters, who are all, without exception, complete fully-formed, real people who you really feel have been living real lives outside of the snapshot moments you're shown. The music works perfectly - I was won over the second 'Yellow' started playing, and that's the very first thing you hear. There's no overarching plot as such - it's just life. And it's dramatic, and gripping, and wonderful for it. I can't say enough good about it, so I bloody hope you enjoy it as much as I did, or I'll look an idiot for saying all this!

 

I think you're more likely to laugh (likely from remembering that time in your own life) than cry, but if you do, I reckon it'll be tears of joy.

Edited July 15, 2014 by HarmonicGenerator

[John Matrix]

Movies were like buses for me this weekend, haven

[Chest Rockwell]

Your film reviews and taste in films is great. Thanks.

 

I was on the fence with Non Stop, but you had me with "90 minute running time".

[Scott Malbranque]

Thanks Harmo, that's what I like to read. A good, passionate explanation/review right from the pit of your stones!

I'm really looking forward to this now.

 

Haven't seen the Internship, but I'll sit down and watch that on the basis of the Colonel's recommendation.

[John Matrix]

Cheers fellas, glad to be of assistance. The combination of this logo

 

 

and the words "Running Time 89 Minutes" was a sure fire recipe for success when i was growing up.

 

Scottie boy, i bought Olympus has Landed solely based on your review, just havent had time to watch it yet.

[Scott Malbranque]

 

Always reminds me of Kuffs, Surviving the Game and the criminally underrated Last Man Standing.

 

Watch it Colonel, for the brute force headshots alone, watch it!

Edited July 15, 2014 by Scott Malbranque

[Thunderplex]

Cheers fellas, glad to be of assistance. The combination of this logo

 

 

and the words "Running Time 89 Minutes" was a sure fire recipe for success when i was growing up.

 

Scottie boy, i bought Olympus has Landed solely based on your review, just havent had time to watch it yet.

 

 

Is that because you could get 2 of them on a 3 hour tape?

[Chest Rockwell]

4 if you put it on Long Play!

[John Matrix]

Somewhere in my garage is a VHS with a sticker on the front of it which says:

 

Back to the Future 2

Out for Justice

Wheels on Meals

Childs Play 3

 

Oh how i miss the olden days. I dont even know how to record something these days

[Chest Rockwell]

Yeah, now that you mention it I would be utterly unable to record something off telly if I wanted to.

 

I didn't record quite as many films, but I had many tapes full of between 6 and 8 hours worth of episodes of all sorts of sitcoms and cartoons.

 

Also, as one of the only ones of my mates with Sky, I used to stay up late to watch the VH1 Rock Show* (presented by Tommy Vance, no less) and record all the best music videos on to a tape, and then we'd all sit and watch them together later.

 

* there was another metal show on another music TV channel I recorded from as well but I can't for the life of me remember what it was now

Edited July 16, 2014 by Chest Rockwell

[John Matrix]

I didn't record quite as many films, but I had many tapes full of between 6 and 8 hours worth of episodes of all sorts of sitcoms and cartoons.

 

Also, as one of the only ones of my mates with Sky, I used to stay up late to watch the VH1 Rock Show* (presented by Tommy Vance, no less) and record all the best music videos on to a tape, and then we'd all sit and watch them together later.

 

Hehe, memories. I used to do the exact same thing. In fact im looking forward to going through them all again one day when i can afford to replace the roof and make that garage water tight.

 

I'll have to do it with the missus isnt around though, as i know for a fact there's many instances of an episode of Never Mind the Buzzcocks, followed by the 10 minute freeview, back when you used to see anything long enough to enjoy, followed by an episode of Yo MTV Raps, followed by some late night film on Bravo i thought might have tits in, etc etc.

 

Did you ever get to grips with 'Videoplus' ? We never had the tech in my house, but from memory it involved typing in some 30 digit number which was quoted in the telly mags at the end of every programme listing.

Edited July 16, 2014 by John Matrix

[Chest Rockwell]

I did have that on one video player. I tried it out, I think, but I didn't really trust it. It was never something I used regularly anyway.. Also, it was such a pain in the arse to enter the code in the video player anyway.

[Steve Justice]

My main gripe with it though, not at all salvaged by the fact they show you the set ups over the final credits, was that the whole thing just looked so polished, with improbable looking ‘secret filming’ to the point where it was hard to buy into the pranks – if you've seen that Troy prick doing magic on E4, you’ll know what I mean. The appeal for me with Jackass was the chaotic slap dash nature of it all, so filming a prank with 12 different hi-def cameras covering every angle hurts that a lot for me.

 

If you can be bothered watch Bad Grandpa.5. It shows a few different set ups that didn't quite work or not quite how they wanted it to be so they never made the final cut or went in a different direction with it. It also has interviews with the those that were pranked so you get there perspective on what happened. It's quite interesting, if not very funny.

 

It's on Netflix.

Edited July 16, 2014 by Steve Justice

[tiger_rick]

Like Johnny Matrix, I hadn't watched a film in ages until recently. Watched four in the last week.

 

Kick-ass 2 isn't as good as the first one but it's pretty decent for a sequel. I love Jim Carrey in it. He looks awesome. He'd have a future as a pro-wrestling character if he wasn't so old. The story is good and the action scenes are well done but it's nowhere near as funny as the first one. I know the first had bad language but in this one, the language is more gratuitous. In lieu of real humour really.

 

I liked In Security. It's pretty good. Plot is simple. Two guys own a security business in small town America that isn't making any money. So they start burgling to drum up business and end up nicking something they shouldn't. Wasn't familiar with any of the cast other than Clea DuVall who has been in all sorts. It's laugh out loud funny in a couple of places and entertaining throughout. Like JM, I'm not in to films that drag on so this is short and pretty sweet. The ending leaves you thinking which works quite well.

 

The Heat isn't bad. I could watch Sandra Bullock painting a fence for an hour and three quarters to be fair but this is still alright. The concept of an odd-couple buddy cop comedy is really unique. Why has no-one ever thought about it before? This one works well though. The fat one from Bridesmaids plays a similar role - no-nonsense and slovenly. Story works well and Bullock's development into a bad-ass is predictable but funny. End of the day this is typical hollywood blockbuster comedy. It's not original or clever but if you're not paying, it'll pass an hour and half.

 

Watched The To-do list most recently. Usual teen comedy shite this. Lass is a geek and a virgin but really wants to shag a hot guy so she decides to get sexually experienced so she can seduce him into popping her cherry. It's not terrible but aside from Rachel Bilson looking hot as fuck, it's not very rewarding either. A lot of it is set around an open air pool which is really cool. One of those Yank experiences you dreamed of as a kid.

[bAzTNM#1]

I did have that on one video player. I tried it out, I think, but I didn't really trust it. It was never something I used regularly anyway.. Also, it was such a pain in the arse to enter the code in the video player anyway.

Regarding VIDEOPLUS.We had one. Codes were like 20 digits long. It was an awful system. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, even if you put the right number in. Sensor was Poundland quality. Broke easily. Edited July 17, 2014 by bAzTNM#1