VHS and Betamax You Have Recently Rented

[Chris B]

I'm somewhat okay with it - in the first one, he's doing elaborate shit with the bodies to freak out Laurie. Theres an element of him playing tricks.

But I also wish they'd gone down the anthology route. Halloween III is a misfire but a hugely enjoyable one.

[cobra_gordo]

The original and the 2018 ones are the only ones in the series I'm particularly bothered about although Halloween 2 sort of gets looked over, it's decent. As Devon says though, the rest can fuck off particularly the Rob Zombie ones. And I was so gutted buy how bad Halloween Kills was. There's a single take shot in the 2018 film that is so good it earned all the good will from me that was then shat all over with how bad the follow up film was. Evil dies tonight? Oh get knotted.

[WyattSheepMask]

We did a full watch of the series before the 2018 trilogy began as I’d only ever seen the original. The original speaks for itself, but I’ve always enjoyed Halloween 2. It’s not great but it’s OK and it’s got Donald Pleasance repeatedly shouting “I SHOT HIM SIX TIMES!”. Halloween 3 is very underrated, but everything after that upto Halloween 2018 should be destroyed.

It’s still mind boggling how they got 2018 so right and the following two so wrong.

Edited October 2, 2025 by WyattSheepMask

[Weezenal]

Just out of The Smashing Machine. Was expecting a lot more, thought it was a bit dull actually. The Rock was pretty good and might get an Oscar nom just because it’s the Rock doing a serious role, but I’m hoping we’ll get some better films and performances coming out in the coming months.

[FLips]

Blade Runner 2049

Didn’t leave me with the same lasting impression the original did on recent viewing, but still thought it was pretty great. My only criticism is it takes a long time to get going and feels like it’s going to drag but when it does find it’s footing it really is special. Excellent score and cinematography but the greyness didn’t wow me like the neon of the original.

[Devon Malcolm]

Happyend (cinema)

Japanese high school drama set "in the near future" about a group of friends dealing with increasingly authoritarian school rules. One of the best films of the year, this, really angry but also extremely funny in places. You'll like this, @SuperBacon.

The Lost Bus (cinema)

Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrara and a bus full of kids vs. massive wildfires. Shame about the crappy domestic drama stuff but when it concentrates on what everyone is here for, which is stuff burning, this is enjoyable. The effects are really excellent, too.

Dead of Winter (cinema)

For those of you who have been waiting eagerly for an Emma Thompson action-thriller with Judy Greer as the main villain, your day is here! Undemanding and good fun, and our Em just goes full Marge Gunderson with her accent and performance while Greer really fucking goes for it, and in a hot way too obvs.

Late Shift (2025)

Brilliant, anxiety-inducing drama about a nurse dealing with an under-staffed ward at a Swiss hospital. Leonie Benesch was amazing in The Teacher's Lounge (which is similar to this in tone and also really good) last year and is once again in this - she's one of the most exciting actors around. Also one of the best films of the year.

The Ugly Stepsister

This is being talked up as the horror film of the year but I'm not having it. A reworking of Cinderella, it's not gory enough to be the body horror it aspires to and seems to think in 2025 that you can stick some braces in a hot woman's mouth and that's enough to make her 'ugly'. Some bits work but I was quite disappointed.

We Have Never Been Modern

Czech mystery drama about the aftermath of the body of an intersex baby being found in the grounds of a factory. One of the best films I've seen on the subject of intersex people, far more gentle and positive than I was expecting while also being hard to watch in a couple of other surprising ways. A shame that word about this hasn't spread, hopefully it will at some point.

Soft Leaves

Belgian drama about a mixed race Belgian/Japanese girl whose single dad becomes paralysed in an accident. Typically slow-paced stuff from recent Belgian cinema but I really like this style and this worked for me.

Lost in Starlight (Netflix)

Korean anime romdram about an astronaut who falls in love with an out-of-work musician. Pleasant enough and the animation is excellent but disappointing in its final third.

Von Ryan's Express

Possibly the best dad film. Alongside Where Eagles Dare. Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard were the double act the world never realised it needed.

The Thing from Another World (BBC iPlayer)

For me this is the best of the 1950s monster movies. I watch it a lot, it's still amazing after all these viewings, with one of the greatest fire stunts of all time.

Underwater

Saw this at the cinema. Didn't like it. For some reason I watched it again. Still didn't like it. So there you go. 

The Pit and the Pendulum (1961 and 1991)

The former is far, far better than the Stuart Gordon one. Gordon made some awesome horror films but this isn't like him at all, more a dry historical drama with the odd bit of nudity. Lance Henriksen's having a blast though. The 1961 version is really good, with Vincent Price at somewhere near his best. Loved it.

Suitable Flesh (Shudder)

Aside from being notable for how little Heather Graham and Barbara Crampton have aged, this is really shite. Too long and increasingly stupid but not in a good way. No idea why such a fuss is being made about it.

My Bloody Valentine (1981) (Prime)

Took me a few goes to *really* warm to this but it's definitely approaching a top tier slasher for me now. I watched this on the same day I got a new washing machine, so it was timely.

[TheBurningRed]

Some of the films I've watched the past few months before I binged Better Call Saul. I will keep them as brief as possible.

Argo

The true story of the CIA pretending to make a Sci-Fi movie to rescue six American's during the Iranian Revolution. A real fun, tense film. Don't know why it took me so long to ger round to this.

L.A Confidential

First watch. Set in the 1950s and focusing on the LAPD, the corruption in the force and the Bloody Christmas incident. Really enjoyed this and one I will definitely go back to again. Kevin Spacey mentions something about men and young boys. Won't be the first time he does this in one of the films I've watched. Because he also did this in...

Seven

I love this film and had to rewatch after seeing it being mentioned on here a few months back. I go back and forth on what my favourite Fincher film is, but this might actually be it. Freeman and Spacey are on top form, Spacey in particular stealing the show. And of course, the ending is one of the most talked about endings in cinema. And for good reason.

Meet Joe Black

The most I'd ever seen of the movie was Brad Pitt talking with a Jamaican accent in one of the most hilariously awful things I've ever seen. I shouldn't have bothered watching anymore other than that. Boring, overly long shite. Anthony Hopkins tried I suppose. Nearly three fucking hours that I'll never get back.

Copycat

Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter star as a criminal psychologist and homicide detective trying to find a serial killer committing copycat crimes that other serial killers have committed. A perfect palate cleanser after the previous movie I had to watch. 

A Fistful of Dollars

The first of the Dollars Trilogy. It was perfectly fine. I think its the weakest of the three personally. I may have to rewatch it again though to appreciate it more. 

For a Few Dollars More

This was great. No coincidence its due to Lee Van Cleef starring alongside Clint Eastwood. The scenery and soundtrack are great, but then its topped in...

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

A filmed that lived up to the hype. A wonderful soundtrack with the highpoint being The Ecstasy of Gold. Van Cleef is the scene stealer for me, but Eli Wallach holds his own with the big boys. Clint Eastwood has had that cigar stuck at the side of his gob for years at this point, he must stink. Reminded of UKFF, now I know where the name Arch Stanton comes from.

Mad Max 2

The best of the Mad Max films. It flies by. Only thing I don't like about is when

Spoiler

the dog is killed

Gran Torino

As seen as a gif on this very forum. Clint Eastwood plays a grizzly, old racist widow who slightly softens with his new Hmong neighbours who he starts to care more about his arsehole kids and grandkids, Even in his late 70s, Eastwood could still be menacing. 

Metallica: Some Kind of Monster

A great documentary centred around the making of one of the worst albums Metallica made. The psychiatrist thought he was part of the band and came across as a real leech.

Casino

Scorsese, De Niro and Pesci team up in another mob movie after previously doing so in Goodfellas. While nowhere near as good as that, and definitely not high up in the Scorsese filmography, its still very entertaining, violent and fast paced. Pesci and Sharon Stone are great in this.

The Naked Gun: Files From Police Squad

Was meant to watch all of these before seeing the remake and got as far as this. Drebin visiting Nordberg in hospital had me in tears.

Tombstone

Loosely based on the Wyatt Earp and his brothers and the outlaws of the time. Includes the Gunfight at the O.K Corral. Another perfectly fine film, performances were better than the movie itself. Needed more of Sam Elliot's lovely voice.

Cape Fear

The 1991 remake by Scorsese. De Niro plays psychotic rapist Max Cady who stalks his former lawyer and his family after being released from prison. I prefer this just slightly more than the original, but slightly less than The Simpsons episode. There is a tv series coming starring Javier Bardem as Max Cady and Patrick Wilson and Amy Adams as The Bowdens. I'm sure Bardem will be a great Max Cady but don't know how it'll work as a series.

Raging Bull

Another Scorsese, De Niro and Pesci collab. The story of iconic boxer and piece of shit human Jake LaMotta. A hard film to watch at times but wonderfully made and performed.

Jackie Brown

First watch. Typical Tarantino movie - feet, the N word being used an unhealthy amount of times and a great soundtrack. Didn't mind this one though. Not bad is how I'd describe it. Pam Grier, Samuel L Jackson and Robert Forster were great.

Creed

Apollo Creed's son becomes a boxer. Gets trained by Rocky. Tessa Thompson is lovely. Enjoyable film, looking forward to seeing the sequels. Tony Bellew in a Hollywood movie. Madness.

Death Rides a Horse

Fun spaghetti western revenge film starring Lee Van Cleef and John Phillip Law. Lots of horse stealing and overdramatic deaths.

[FLips]

No Country for Old Men

A relentless killer stalks a man who stumbled upon a drug deal gone wrong and takes the cash for himself. Javier Bardem in a career defining performance elevates this film from good to great but there’s not a bad performance from anyone. 

No Way Out

Excellent thriller with Gene Hackman, Kevin Costner and the stunning Sean Young. I don’t want to give anything away, but I highly recommend this one. Great suspense, brilliant cast (Will Patton is fantastic especially) and a solid runtime under 2 hours.

[JoeManco7]

Avatar: The Way of Water (in 3D)

I have to admit that I had seen Avatar a few times before, but never got around to watching the sequel. 

Well now that it has been released again in cinemas for one week in 3D, I did go to watch it today and really enjoyed it. It is a long film, although not as long as the other great one I saw in the cinema a couple of days ago (One Battle After Another). The visual effects are epic on the big screen with 3D effects, but I am not sure if the story or characters would mean much to people who haven't already seen (adjusted for inflation) the second-highest-grossing movie of all time.

After the film ended and as promised by James Cameron before it started, there was a scene from the next sequel due out at the end of the year - Avatar: Fire and Ash. Which will be an Avatar sequel I won't leave as long next time before saying "I see you."

[RIDDUM_N_STYLE]

Watched a couple of horror/thriller titles today to get my spooky month up and running

First was Harlequin, a 1980 mystery thriller starring Robert Powell and David Hemmings about a mysterious faith healer who cures the  leukaemia suffering child of an Australian politician and seduces his wife which threatens to derail the politician’s career

Second and last was Night Screams, a 1987 teen slasher about a promising footballer and his friends having their final party before he goes off on a scholarship but get picked off one by one seemingly by two prison escapees. Just your typical slasher really, plenty of kills and naked girls

[Weezenal]

10 hours ago, JoeManco7 said:

Avatar: The Way of Water (in 3D)

I have to admit that I had seen Avatar a few times before, but never got around to watching the sequel. 

 

Watched this at home a few months ago, I don’t recommend it without the 3D. It’s a SLOG, I would have waited for the re-release if I knew it was coming, definitely not rewatching though.

[SuperBacon]

As a fan of the Bridget Jones series, I was really disappointed by the Mad About The Boy one.

It's always a joy to see Renee Zellwegger in the role, and she's great as always, but it just didn't click and was too long.

And no spoiler, but I was amazed they took the romance route with the plot as well in that (and this is a spoiler) 

Spoiler

Mark Darcy is dead. Made it a downer off the bat

 

[Rossman]

The Nightcomers

TP were showing this the other night. And when you look at the main adult cast. You've got Hollywood legend, Marlon Brando. Last of the Summer Wine's, Thora Hird & Bad Girls', Stephanie Beacham. And it's directed by "Calm down dear, it's only a commercials" Michael Winner.

This is Marlon in a commercial & critical slump and the last film he made before The Godfather came out. He puts on a comedic Irish accent to play an enigmatic but dangerous groundsman. Stephanie Beacham plays a governess who has a thing for Marlon and they end up having it off. She teaches two kids at their mansion after they've been orphaned by rich parents. It's all a bit rubbish, one of those films where the backstory about it, is more interesting than the film itself. Like for the love scenes they wanted Beacham nude, but Brando refused because he got fat and wanted to keep his pants and wellies on.

[FLips]

From Dusk Til Dawn
Absolute nonsense but it’s fun. The first and second halves are two completely different films and Tarantino is shit and weird in both of them. Vampire Tarantino looks like Frasier Crane. The second half is completely mad and Juliette Lewis doesn’t seem to give two shits her entire family died. 

The Thing
Good but not great. Maybe my expectations were just too high. The special effects are second to none but at times it feels like crawling from big gory practical effect to the next. The story is decent, the tension is high but it just feels like a showcase for grossness and that more could have been done between the big monster bits. Somehow has an Ennio Morricone score that is completely forgettable.

Fright Night (1985)
Just a great time. Peter Vincent, The Great Vampire Killer might be one of my favourite film characters. 
Another one with disgusting practical effects, and Chris Sarandon is unfairly handsome and plays the charming but threatening vampire next door perfectly. Just a great movie by it’s own merits, regardless of the horror.

Child’s Play
Tom Holland and Chris Sarandon went from Fright Night to this and for me it’s another smash hit. Funnier than it is scary in 2025, there’s still something really creepy about the Chucky Doll though. Every time his little body ragdolls or when he comes alive and shouts “YOU FUCKING BITCH, YOU FILTHY SLUT!” it absolutely cracked me up. Another one that’s complete nonsense but like Fright Night I think you could watch this outside of the horror and still have a great time.

[Hannibal Scorch]

On 10/4/2025 at 9:15 PM, JoeManco7 said:

Avatar: The Way of Water (in 3D)

I have to admit that I had seen Avatar a few times before, but never got around to watching the sequel. 

Well now that it has been released again in cinemas for one week in 3D, I did go to watch it today and really enjoyed it. It is a long film, although not as long as the other great one I saw in the cinema a couple of days ago (One Battle After Another).

One Battle is about 25 minutes shorter than Avatar. But yes, seeing it in 3D is the only way to enjoy them. It was the last 3D blu ray released in the UK (and yes I still have a 3D TV, I’m one of them). 
 

As to One Battle After Another, I’m on the fence. Very well made, the car chase is phenomenal. But I found it too nonsensical to make me feel it’s one of the films of the year. I didn’t feel the same leaving the Cinema after watching this compared to Sinners.