VHS and Betamax You Have Recently Rented

[LaGoosh]

Conclave - I find that I usually enjoy films about the Catholic church just because it's such a weird and strange institution that I find fascinating. I really enjoyed this. Ralph Fiennes is great in it but the acting across the whole thing is very strong. Full of fun twists and turns, however the final twist is a bit out of left field and quite strange so it ends on a bit of a whimper. Worth a watch anyway.

[DavidB6937]

3 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

Conclave - I find that I usually enjoy films about the Catholic church just because it's such a weird and strange institution that I find fascinating. I really enjoyed this. Ralph Fiennes is great in it but the acting across the whole thing is very strong. Full of fun twists and turns, however the final twist is a bit out of left field and quite strange so it ends on a bit of a whimper. Worth a watch anyway.

The end made me think I'd missed something before because it was so odd. I mean at least there wasn't aliens I suppose so could've been worse.

[FLips]

Total Recall

I'd somehow never seen this start to finish so finally got round to watching it. Thought it was fantastic. Interesting concept, some decent action and violence and a lot of fun practical effects. Great cast too, The scene in the hotel where the doctor is trying to convince them he's still in the chair at Rekall is brilliant. Even though they don't really fit in with the tone of the film, Arnie's one-liners include some of the best. See you at the party Richter!

Romeo Must Die

We foolishly thought this might be an exciting Jet Li action film. Well in what is obviously my own fault I didn't realise it was loosely based on Romeo and Juliet which I haven't seen a single good version of. Is it the most boring and overrated story of all time? Maybe next to A Christmas Carol, but at least they had the sense to include The Muppets in order to make it barely interesting.
We all unanimously decided to turn it off after an hour because nothing was happening and the acting was no good. Dull.

Ghostbusters

Put this on instead of Romeo Must Die. Flawless. Forever a crowd pleaser.

Edited January 16, 2025 by FLips

[LaGoosh]

Are there actually any good Jet Li films?

If there is I haven't seen them.

[SuperBacon]

7 minutes ago, LaGoosh said:

Are there actually any good Jet Li films?

If there is I haven't seen them.

Was very much a fan of Shaolin Temple when I was a teenage stoner. Haven't seen it for years though.

[Carbomb]

I liked Romeo Must Die. 

I'd suggest that, seeing as the bulk of his career is in Hong Kong, you're more likely to find his hits there. Once Upon A Time In China is one of the great martial arts classics, but there's a whole host of them in Li's back catalogue.#

Also, I've not seen it, but I've had people recommend Hero to me a lot.

[Merzbow]

Yeah, stick to his HK films.

Once Upon a Time in China is a banger and Fist of Legend is very much worth a watch.

Edited January 16, 2025 by Merzbow

[Devon Malcolm]

Jet Li's Hong Kong back catalogue is full of good-to-great films. His Hollywood one? Not so much but The One and War are pretty good.

[METAL ON METAL]

Twin Warriors and The Legend would get watched at least once a month back in my early teens. Haven’t seen them in quite some years now but I feel confident the former would still hold up.

Twin Warriors also has the bonus of a 30 year old Michelle Yeoh. Cashback.

[ReturnOfTheMack]

Danny the Dog was a cracking film, and I admit a fondness for The One.

[SaitoRyo]

52 Pick-Up

Fairly grimy LA-set neo-noir based on an Elmore Leonard novel. Successful businessman Roy Scheider has an affair with a younger woman and gets blackmailed by a group of baddies for it. Things spiral and he vows revenge. I enjoyed it quite a bit, especially as it's one of those time capsules that give you a look at a seedy LA that no longer exists in the same way, with the bars and the strip clubs and the porn shops. It's a John Frankenheimer film, so you know it's well put together, yet they almost ruin it all in the climactic scene (though not quite). 

Unlawful Entry

I didn't think I'd seen this early 90s thriller starring Kurt Russell and Ray Liotta, but the more I think about it I'm sure I have. Or maybe it just blends in with other similar fare from the era, since there were a bunch of films about couples being threatened by some outside force around the time this came out. Anyway, I really liked it. It's powered by those two central performances, with Liotta in particular being an excellent bastard of a villain. I'd have watched the hell out of a VHS of this back in the day.

[Hannibal Scorch]

Not sure if you were thinking about seeing Wolf Man @Devon Malcolm but it definitely has more then its fair share of jump scares. I really liked Leigh Whannell's Invisible Man, so I did have raised expectations for this. But it's nowhere near as good or as clever as that was. There are some good sequences, and some clever things done

Spoiler

when looking through the Wolf Man's eyes

 but it's really a mixed bag of a film and just never fully worked. 2/4 stars.

[gmoney]

Is there a Wolf Man in it? 

[Devon Malcolm]

Cheers @Hannibal Scorch, I was going to see it next week but I'll have to see how brave I'm feeling!

[Hannibal Scorch]

41 minutes ago, gmoney said:

Is there a Wolf Man in it? 

The answer may surprise you in that I'd argue no.