VHS and Betamax You Have Recently Rented

[Keith Houchen]

Spiral - Chris Rock shouts a lot and the camera goes shaky to show he’s really angry at times, maaan. I know Saw films aren’t a high bar to begin with but this is fucking dreadful. 
 

One Castle out of five. 

[LaGoosh]

Tried watching Single All The Way last night. Turned it off after 20 minutes. Truly terrible and a perfect example of the low budget made by algorithm shite that most of Netflix's original content is. 

So after that watched The Hand of God which was excellent and I highly recommend. 

[Just Some Guy]

John Wick: Chapter 2.

A plot so linear the family dog could have written it combined with some great action scenes made for a pleasant evening.

Have to schedule the 3rd one at some point.

[FLips]

Watched all the Home Alones over the last week or so.

1, 2, HSHA, 3, 5, 4.

[chokeout]

39 minutes ago, FelatioLips said:

Watched all the Home Alones over the last week or so.

1, 2, HSHA, 3, 5, 4.

The Home Alone code is 1,2,3 and 3 is only included because it was written by John hughes and the mum is played by Marla from Gremlins 2. The others don't exist. 

Edited December 19, 2021 by chokeout

[Keith Houchen]

As The Gods Will 

Takashi Miike wears many hats. This one can be filed in the fucking batshit column. Comparisons to Squid Game are obviously there, and it could do with the running time shortened, but it’s immense fun. 

[DavidB6937]

Looking to pick up a few 4K discs now I've got a PS5. Anyone got any noteworthy releases/upgrades to recommend?

[Jazzy G]

9 hours ago, FelatioLips said:

Watched all the Home Alones over the last week or so.

1, 2, HSHA, 3, 5, 4.

Did you not give Bone Alone a watch? 

[Nexus]

Watched It's a Wonderful Life for the first time. Not bad tbf. 

[chokeout]

1 hour ago, Nexus said:

Watched It's a Wonderful Life for the first time. Not bad tbf. 

James Stewart is one of the best there's ever been. Never been someone even close to having such an understated charisma. 

[Weezenal]

4 hours ago, DavidB6937 said:

Looking to pick up a few 4K discs now I've got a PS5. Anyone got any noteworthy releases/upgrades to recommend?

This site current have 30% off 4Ks and you can get an additional 10% off your first order if you sign up. I just ordered 2001. 

https://www.rarewaves.com/collections/4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-promotion

I'll have a think which ones I've seen in 4k a write a list, most recent one that I was impressed with was Dunkirk, I've heard most of Nolan's are decent in 4k.

[WyattSheepMask]

8 hours ago, DavidB6937 said:

Looking to pick up a few 4K discs now I've got a PS5. Anyone got any noteworthy releases/upgrades to recommend?

Depends what your into really, but if you’re into Asian cinema Arrow Video put out a really good Oldboy 4K set at the start of the year and Battle Royale got a 4K release last month which was really good.

The Oldboy set includes most of the extras that came with the 2019 BluRay release as well as the 4K upgrade, while the Battle Royale set has 4K transfers of both the Theatrical and Director’s Cuts as well as a couple of new Anniversary special features as well as the other special features that came with the 2010 BluRay release.

I’ve not got many other 4Ks, but I’d say that Blade Runner 2049 is the best looking one in my collection.

Edited December 19, 2021 by WyattSheepMask

[Hannibal Scorch]

Wrath of Man (Prime) - Jason Statham plays a man on a mission whist moonlighting as a security guard. Not the usual Guy Ritchie film. God but not wholly satisfying.

Earthquake (DVD) very dated and of its time film from 1974. Some good effects don’t make up for the hammy acting, dodgy effects which balance out the really good ones, and characters you don’t really root for. Odd how disaster films were the Marvel films of the 70’s, but this was a let down for me. 

[Devon Malcolm]

Surge (Netflix)

I'm glad I didn't see this at the cinema as I'd have walked out from the stress. Superb film though, Ben Whishaw is doing wonders to wash the stink of Q off him, he's amazing in this.

The Voyeurs (Prime)

I'd heard some good things about this even though it was supposed to be shit, and I just assumed it was from people who watched it for Sydney Sweeney's norks. But I had an absolute blast with it and I wasn't expecting anything at all. Like a millennial Shannon Tweed film with a couple of fantastic twists and a loopy ending. Honestly one of the most unexpectedly enjoyable films of the year.

The Novice

Really well made psychological drama with the girl out of Orphan playing a student who becomes obsessed with rowing. Like you do. Might work better if I understood the American school system at all, but Isabelle Fuhrman is excellent in it and the rowing scenes are actually exciting.

Encounter (Prime)

Came into this expecting a sci-fi thriller; actually got a tedious melodrama about a dad gone mad. Riz Ahmed innocent as always but I don't know why he chose to do this, it's just unnecessarily boring and predictable.

Broadcast Signal Intrusion

I think this was supposed to be an early internet version of stuff like The Parallax View crossed with a bit of Ringu. It never quite works and doesn't really know where it wants to go but it's got quite a heavy atmosphere to it and was worth sticking with up to its daft, abrupt ending.

[SuperBacon]

The Matrix Resurrections

A stupid amount of fun, and veers in a direction that is genuinely inventive (I'd avoided all spoilers, reviews, trailers etc and had no idea). I really enjoyed it, and am glad it exists. Some of it is a little on the nose, but it still works.

Also, it will annoy all the right people and that can only be a good thing. It does sag a little in the middle, but that's OK, and it drives the story forward. Yes, it's stupid, makes little sense, but who cares. A million times better than Reloaded and Revolutions, but I walked out of the latter after 30 minutes and have never been back, so I dunno.

Jessica Henwick is fantastic, as is Keanu (but what do you expect) and it was genuinely thrilling to see him in this role again.

Popped big time for 

Spoiler

"My name is Trinity" and the end when Neo and Trinity are talking about changing the code to 'rainbow filled' skies. 

Top work all round. The only sour note was being confonted by BIG SCREEN Chris Whitty and his massive face in the adverts. Was a bit disconcerting if I'm being honest.