VHS and Betamax You Have Recently Rented

[DavidB6937]

Amazon has their '99p per month for 3 months' deal back for a few of the channels like Shudder, BFI and MUBI if anyone fancied checking anything out.

[Hannibal Scorch]

Ghostbusters Afterlife.  Blew away expectations. Not perfect, but I had a great time watching it.

But I also thought Ghostbusters Answer The Call was alright, so make of that what you will

[Magnum Milano]

Bachelor Party (1984)

Rick Gassko is getting married, despite the disapproval of his future in-laws, so his friends decide to throw him the ultimate bachelor party. A stereotypical 1980s sex comedy that hasn’t aged well. It has it’s moments but I didn’t find it, and the OTT characters, that funny.

Jackie (2016) (All 4)

Biographical drama on Jackie Kennedy, focusing on the period after the assassination of her husband, John. Maybe I wasn’t in the right mood for this but it didn’t do much for me. The scene when Jackie is telling her children about their father is heartbreaking.

The Cannonball Run (1981)

Teams compete in a Connecticut to California cross-country car race, and that’s pretty much it. A real star studded ensemble. Roger Moore, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. provide my favourite moments, plus there’s a highly entertaining fight scene where Jackie Chan does his stuff. Gets funnier the longer it goes on.

Stripes (1981)

After losing his job, car, apartment and girlfriend, John Wringer decides to enlist in the Army, persuading his best friend to enrol with him. Not as laugh-out-loud as I expected. Good climax to the film, even if it does involve those nasty Russians, but the two hours felt like three. Average.

Don’t Hang Up (2016) (Horror Bites)

Four teenagers who make cruel prank phone calls and then post them on the internet have the tables turned on them. Decent modern slasher, though the main issue is that Brady especially is so obnoxious that it’s hard to have any sympathy for him. A bit Scream, a bit Saw.

Cannonball Run II (1984)

Another year, another cross-country race, this time though there’s some sub-plot involving the mob and owed money. Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. are once again the best things in it, sadly no Roger Moore although we get Richard Kiel (Jaws) instead. A desperate sequel that’s close to unwatchable.

Killer Party (1986)

A film of two parts, first following three girls pledging to a sorority and then it’s on to an April Fool’s Night party being held at an abandoned frat house. Things get more interesting at the party but for a slasher it’s neither gruesome nor scary. Two false openings too before the actual movie begins.

Deliverance (1972)

An idyllic canoe trip out in the wilderness turns into a nightmare for four City workers when they come across a couple of hillbilly mountain men. It’s all rather serene until they meet the men but what follows is shocking, and it’s then a tense, gripping ride for the rest of the film.

Days of the Bagnold Summer (2019) (All 4)

Supposed to be spending the summer in Florida with his father, Daniel is instead stuck with his “boring” mother following the trip’s cancellation. Realistic, humorous and eventually heart-warming. Dolan and Cave are both excellent, plus with a score by Belle & Sebastian, what’s not to like?

Finding Your Feet (2017) (Film 4)

After discovering her husband was having an affair, upper class Sandra moves in with her estranged council flat living sister Biff where she gets a new appreciation on life. A warm, British comedy (despite some sad moments) with a top line cast (Imelda Staunton, Celia Imrie, Timothy Spall). Enjoyed this more than I expected.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

12 hours ago, Magnum Milano said:

Deliverance (1972)

An idyllic canoe trip out in the wilderness turns into a nightmare for four City workers when they come across a couple of hillbilly mountain men. It’s all rather serene until they meet the men but what follows is shocking, and it’s then a tense, gripping ride for the rest of the film.

As Ned Beatty told his agent.

[Factotum]

DELIVERANCE is such a great film. Also has a number of rip offs that followed it which are quite a fun sub genre in themselves,

[Devon Malcolm]

I like Deliverance but Southern Comfort is the best of that sort of thing by some distance.

 

[chokeout]

The last act of Ghostbusters broke me and I'm a cynical old husk of a man. Not a perfect film by any streach but a lovely popcorn movie with nostalgia done right. 

[Factotum]

11 hours ago, chokeout said:

The last act of Ghostbusters broke me and I'm a cynical old husk of a man. Not a perfect film by any streach but a lovely popcorn movie with nostalgia done right. 

Agree. I saw a LOT of push back on it from some, but personally the end just made me quite happy. You can tell that with who was involved, it wasn't done without thought. Also managed to do what the new STAR WARS films bloody failed to do.

I re-watched UNDER THE SILVER LAKE last night, having only seen it once when it came out. It got polarising reviews upon release, with some critics really hating it, but I enjoyed it then and I think it's even better now. Destined Cult Classic status for years to come.

Edited November 24, 2021 by Factotum

[cobra_gordo]

Ghostbusters made my heart smile and frankly, that's what I was after in a new sequel. The editing is a bit weird in places but other than that I had great fun and all three of my kids, who've all seen Ghostbusters but not enough to get all the references, still understood what was going on and enjoyed it too.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

19 hours ago, chokeout said:

The last act of Ghostbusters broke me and I'm a cynical old husk of a man. Not a perfect film by any streach but a lovely popcorn movie with nostalgia done right. 

According to the likes of Mark Kermode and RedLetterMedia, you're a man child who shouldnt have an opinion. You and the other 96% of the audience who gave it a positive approval rating.

[Hannibal Scorch]

2 hours ago, IANdrewDiceClay said:

According to the likes of Mark Kermode and RedLetterMedia, you're a man child who shouldnt have an opinion. You and the other 96% of the audience who gave it a positive approval rating.

He was right about Ghostbusters 2016 and the original though.

[Factotum]

2 hours ago, IANdrewDiceClay said:

RedLetterMedia

I like RLM, but I didn't really get their criticism of the ending. In the wrong hands it could have been terrible, but I thought it was handled very well. 

Kermode is a bit of a parody of himself these days.

[Factotum]

HOUSE OF GUCCI I mean go see this. Its ludicrous, massive, beautiful, hilarious and all other such words. I loved it. Many will hate it. Fuck them, this is what I want to see for 2 and a bit hours. No matter what, you will NOT be bored.

[TheSurgeon]

Rocky IV / Rocky vs Drago - Ultimate Directors Cut.
40 mins of new footage added, but they cut 40 mins of footage to fit it in. This cut makes it less 80's cartoony, and more like Rocky or Rocky Balboa.
I need to watch it again, but after 1 watch, although the new footage was good, I think I prefer the original.

[METAL ON METAL]

I agree. I saw the directors cut last night and, although still good, the original is infinitely better to me.

Far too much messed around with the intent of ‘fleshing the characters’ but ultimately made the film less coherent and less fun. Bar maybe Duke’s big speech scene and a little more Drago, I don’t think the new footage added much and for the most part was rightfully cut the first time around. Some very strange editing choices that took me out of the moment somewhat, made certain big moments feel very abrupt without letting you process it.

It was my missus’ first time seeing Rocky IV (she’d loved the first three after I’d introduced her to the Rocky films in recent weeks) and she refused to believe there was ever a robot in the film until I showed her on YouTube.