VHS and Betamax You Have Recently Rented

[Dr. Alan Grant]

Turner & Hooch (first watch) - better late than never to see this. It’s surprisingly not the whacky buddy comedy that I was expecting. People get stabbed, blown away with shotguns, and…well, something else happens. And it made me sad. 3/5

You’ve Got Mail - harmless fluff. Meg Ryan is charming. Bloody kids today, with their TikTok and their Snapchat and their vapes, wouldn’t even understand dial up internet and email. Get off my lawn. 3/5

The Batman - watched it in glorious 4K. Possibly longer than it needs to be, but I love this. Needs more Andy Serkis in the sequel. 5/5

The Ipcress File (first watch) - goddamn. What a film. The score, the constant Dutch angles, Michael Caine oozing charisma even when he’s just making coffee. This may have just skyrocketed itself into one of my favourite films ever. 5/5

[SuperBacon]

8 minutes ago, Dr. Alan Grant said:

You’ve Got Mail - harmless fluff.

Not having that! One of Ephrons best and one of the best romantic comedies of all time.

[Chest Rockwell]

Seeing as she did so much to establish the now oft-repeated tropes of the genre I get why someone would come to that opinion watching it now 

[Dr. Alan Grant]

6 minutes ago, SuperBacon said:

Not having that! One of Ephrons best and one of the best romantic comedies of all time.

I did like it. Those two have fantastic chemistry. And they don’t really make films like that anymore. My biggest issue with it is the final scene. Hanks knew that it was Ryan he was talking to online long before she did. But he didn’t tell her. He carried on talking to her via email, all without her knowing who he was. Even though in that final scene she says that she was hoping it was him behind the NY152 username, I was expecting a frustrated reaction from her that he had been dishonest for so long. But this is a romcom, where traditionally weird stalker behaviour is seen as charming and romantic. I have a lot of time for romcoms. This one just didn’t click with me as much as Sleepless In Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, Pretty Woman and others. But I could happily watch Hanks and Ryan for hours. I have yet to see Joe Vs The Volcano, so I’ll have to stick that on the list.

[Devon Malcolm]

The Beekeeper (cinema)

Jason Statham's so good that he dragged a cracker out of shitty David Ayer. Just an absolutely great time with a mad cast, some superb fights and shootouts and plenty of room for a sequel. I might go again on Friday.

Saltburn

Nah, Emerald Fennell ain't it. Great cast and performances and the odd laugh but otherwise just piss-obvious class satire and 'edgy' sex stuff. Bobbins.

Renfield

There's a really good horror-comedy in here that's restricted by the really boring crime family storyline this goes for in its second half. Cage is excellent and Hoult just as much so, and I do like Awkwafina for the most part, but this was a missed opportunity.

The Old Way

The 189th Nic Cage film I've watched in the last 4 or 5 months and another surprisingly decent one. There's a really incisive and violent western in here if it was directed by someone with confidence in how dark it could have been but it's fine for what it is. Ryan Kiera Armstrong is really good in this.

Landscape with Invisible Hand (Prime)

From the director of Thoroughbreds and Bad Education, both of which are superb (especially the former), an odd sci-fi comedy that tries way too many things and becomes confused as a result. Some nice moments and performances, and definitely watchable, but should have been something really substantial.

The Burial (Prime)

Solid, crowd-pleasing courtroom drama. Unambitious and predictable but a good time. Jamie Foxx had a superb 2023 between this and They Cloned Tyrone. The guy can act when he picks good stuff, which he does all too rarely.

Apocalypse Clown

Exhausting Irish horror-comedy that steals its best stuff from Father Ted. Even though it's crap, Natalie Palamides' mental performance does deserve to be seen.

[LaGoosh]

My issue with You've Got Mail is that Tom Hanks basically destroys Ryan's wonderful independent business that is her pride and joy for his giant faceless capitalist chain store and I couldn't really root for them to get together after that. Pales in comparison to When Harry Met Sally or Sleepless In Seattle.

Edited January 17, 2024 by LaGoosh

[Hannibal Scorch]

33 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

My issue with You've Got Mail is that Tom Hanks basically destroys Ryan's wonderful independent business that is her pride and joy for his giant faceless capitalist chain store and I couldn't really root for them to get together after that. Pales in comparison to When Harry Met Sally or Sleepless In Seattle.

I only watched it for the first time a few years ago and pretty much felt the same way about it.

@Devon Malcolm Renfield was one of my biggest disappointments last year. Not enough Cage, not a great story and just dragged. I am glad people can find things to like about The Beekeeper. 

[Merzbow]

Poor Things is just beautiful although I think half the cinema turned when I laughed at "What a pretty little retard".. the line just caught me so off guard.

Emma Stone obviously steals the entire show, she's been perfect in pretty much everything I've seen her in in recent years.

[SuperBacon]

A fairly depressed start to the year where I really am just clicking on anything I see, with no rhyme nor reason. I also have been watching more TV and reading of an evening, so have only managed 10 or so. 

1.) The Martian* (9)
2.) Robin Hood: Men In Tights (6)
3.) Who Framed Roger Rabbit (9)
4.) Good Grief* (7)
5.) Fool's Paradise* (5)
6.) American Beauty (10)
7.) Super Troopers* (8)
8.) Borat (7)
9.) Jersey Girl* (6)
10.) A Guy Thing* (5)

I really enjoyed The Martian, mainly because Matt Damon is bloody excellent in it. I didn't think it would end the way it did though.

Men In Tights someone mentioned recently, and it's a VHS I had as a kid that I absolutely rinsed (I'm sure I bought it without seeing it as well) Erm, it's fine. It's not very funny, but its charming enough. 

Devons recent watch of Roger Rabbit compelled me to do the same, and its still such a fantastic feat and anyone who says they don't fancy Jessica is a filthy liar. Animated BONK!

Good Grief is a really assured directorial debut from Dan Levy (no not the Spurs chairman sadly) that was a lovely watch. The opposite can be said of Charlie Days debut Fool's Paradise (Sunny fans will enjoy the people that pop up though) which is crap.

Super Troopers is one of those films that I have no idea how I'd never seen, especially being a massive stoner around when it came out. Incredibly funny. Borat is still funny, but less so than when I saw it at the cinema and it's not because I've matured. 

As a completist I had to see Jersey Girl as a Kevin Smith film I hadn't seen and do you know what, it's not that bad. Ben Affleck is my spirit guide and I'll always have time for him in anything, the massive faced goon.

A Guy Thing is quite terrible and throws up the idea that a really haggard Jason Lee could have Selma Blair AND Julia Stiles wanting him. I like Lee, but that brief period where he was threatening a main event run was ill advised.

American Beauty is still, and will forever be, in my top 10 of all time. It's a comfort film for me.

I think I need some direction as clearly the films are all over the gaff, so I've decided to do a sports films project, might start a new thread for it though. 

[Devon Malcolm]

Super Troopers 2 is almost as funny, for the record, but I am a huge Broken Lizard fan and hugely biased.

[Chest Rockwell]

34 minutes ago, SuperBacon said:

I really enjoyed The Martian, mainly because Matt Damon is bloody excellent in it. I didn't think it would end the way it did though.

Spoiler

I enjoyed the film a lot but I do find it very funny that the ending they went with for the film is, in the book, an idea the character comes up with and then dismisses as really fucking stupid.

 

[SuperBacon]

7 minutes ago, Chest Rockwell said:

  Hide contents

I enjoyed the film a lot but I do find it very funny that the ending they went with for the film is, in the book, an idea the character comes up with and then dismisses as really fucking stupid.

 

I'll be honest, I thought 

Spoiler

He would die.

That's what surprised me.

[JLM]

On 1/17/2024 at 6:33 PM, Merzbow said:

Poor Things is just beautiful although I think half the cinema turned when I laughed at "What a pretty little retard".. the line just caught me so off guard.

Emma Stone obviously steals the entire show, she's been perfect in pretty much everything I've seen her in in recent years.

Saw it tonight and loved it. Wildly imaginative, gorgeous to look at, an incredible script and a truly remarkable performance from Emma Stone. I also laughed out loud at that line and there were only about six other people in the cinema. It's meant to shock you into laughing though. They were laughing at much darker shit than that by the end of it once they got on board. 

[Lorne Malvo]

I never ever turn films off before they're finished. I've probably done it twice in the last 15 years. Even if I hate something, I think 'ah well, it'll be over in an hour or so'. 

I just got 37 minutes into Lift and had to knock it on the head. I've seen worse films but I don't know if I've ever seen something so obviously uninspired and lazy. If the people making this film can't be arsed, why should I? 

Seems mad that Kevin Hart used to be half-decent comic relief, too.

[Dr. Alan Grant]

7 hours ago, SuperBacon said:

American Beauty is still, and will forever be, in my top 10 of all time. It's a comfort film for me.

I know it was really well-received at the time it came out, but I’ve noticed over the past decade that a lot of people have soured on this, maybe due to Spacey’s fall from grace. But I love the film. Definitely one of my favourites. Career best performances from everyone involved.