VHS and Betamax You Have Recently Rented

[Devon Malcolm]

11 hours ago, HarmonicGenerator said:

Been looking forward to News of the World. That's a Netflix, isn't it?

It will be, yeah. No release date yet though.

[CAREBEAR LUVVA]

Psycho Goreman was released in America today (but, you know, the internet exists, so it might as well be released everywhere...). It's a bit like what might happen if Marvel was taken over by Troma - slightly sweary (but not too much), lots of practical special effects, goofy jokes, and a fair bit of blood and gore. Really excellent fun, although one of the kids can be a bit irritating at times.

 

[Keith Houchen]

2 hours ago, CAREBEAR LUVVA said:

if Marvel was taken over by Troma

Gladders would never sleep again. 

[bAzTNM#1]

On 1/19/2021 at 11:53 PM, RIDDUM_N_STYLE said:

VHS Nasty - a 90 minute documentary about the hysteria over the so called video nasties over here in the 80's and the cult following it built up in the aftermath of the law being passed. I've seen many different documentaries/shows about the subject before but this was pretty decent with plenty of screen shots of various movies from that time

I noticed that one on my Prime subscription. If it's anything like the documentary released over here a few years ago and the subsequent documentary about the "Class B" Video Nasties, it should be a good 'un.

ADDED: Am I imaging things, or did one of the UK "Video Nasties" literally get banned for using the "Mastermind" theme as the film's theme? Some film about the Vietnam war, I think.

Edited January 23, 2021 by bAzTNM#1

[PowerButchi]

3 hours ago, bAzTNM#1 said:

ADDED: Am I imaging things, or did one of the UK "Video Nasties" literally get banned for using the "Mastermind" theme as the film's theme? Some film about the Vietnam war, I think.

I doubt get the ban was for using it. There may well have been a film which had the theme in it, but got banned for an other reason.

Edited January 23, 2021 by PowerButchi

[Cod Eye]

5 hours ago, bAzTNM#1 said:

I noticed that one on my Prime subscription. If it's anything like the documentary released over here a few years ago and the subsequent documentary about the "Class B" Video Nasties, it should be a good 'un.

ADDED: Am I imaging things, or did one of the UK "Video Nasties" literally get banned for using the "Mastermind" theme as the film's theme? Some film about the Vietnam war, I think.

Apocalypse Now was often wrongly seized by the police when searching video shops, simply because of the title, as war The Big Red One(and most famously The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas). Don't think they were because of the music though....

[Tommy!]

2 hours ago, Cod Eye said:

The Big Red One

Off Topic but the now oft forgotten "Call of Duty: Big Red One" still wins the most porno sounding game I've encountered. 

[King of Hamptons]

1 hour ago, Tommy! said:

Off Topic but the now oft forgotten "Call of Duty: Big Red One" still wins the most porno sounding game I've encountered. 

Pole Position

36 Great Holes Starring Fred Couples

Soul Blade

Master Blaster 

Monkey Puncher 

[SaitoRyo]

Watched a few things over the last couple of weeks. 

Hud sticks out the most because it was the best. Just an impeccable film in every respect. 

I also really liked Let Him Go. Diane Lane and Kevin Costner on good form. It starts off fairly placid and then really kicks off about halfway through and turns pulpy. 

Even though it was actually quite shit, I quite liked the 1982 slasher Death Valley. It's by-the-numbers as far as slashers from that era go but I liked the western locale and there's a couple of decent performances in there.

Also, that Catherine Hicks was something back in the day, eh. Who knew? 

[Magnum Milano]

Just now, SaitoRyo said:

Hud sticks out the most because it was the best. Just an impeccable film in every respect. 

I've seen this advertised on Talking Pictures a few times but never got around to watching it; I'll look to rectify that.

My offerings from the past few days:

Spike Island (2012)

Coming-of-age film about five friends who’re desperate to go to the Stone Roses’ Spike Island gig, a gig which is ultimate the beginning of the end.  A bit clichéd in story and characters but was super nostalgic for me with the Stone Roses soundtrack.

Slaughterhouse Rulez (2018)

A teen enrols at an exclusive private school, however fracking, which is taking place on nearby land, unleashes a sea of evil beasts on everyone. A horror comedy that struggles on both fronts and was a bit of a slog to sit through. There’s little to recommend here, even wasting Margot Robbie in a pointless cameo appearance.  Incidentally, the director is Crispian Mills who was the lead singer of Kula Shaker.

The Long Goodbye (1973)

What is a clear cut murder-suicide to the police, isn’t so to a P.I.  Okay, but I did find the story a bit hard to follow.  One that would undoubtedly play better with a second viewing.  Elliott Gould is exceptional in the lead role as Private Investigator Phillip Marlowe.  Look out for a young uncredited Arnie playing some muscle.

Capricorn One (1977)

A friend recommended this one to me.  When NASA try to fake a landing on Mars, things don’t quite go to plan, and then one investigative journalist gets on the case.  Cracking conspiracy thriller, although I would like to have seen more of the fallout after it was discovered what NASA tried to pull.

[Devon Malcolm]

Hud is excellent, one of Newman's very best. I watched Hombre a couple of weeks ago and it's just as good and a great companion western.

I liked Slaughterhouse Rulez. I think Crispian Mills has something as director if he can get a substantial script behind him.

The Long Goodbye definitely lends to a rewatch, it's a great film.

Edited January 25, 2021 by Devon Malcolm

[WeeAl]

Smokey & The Bandit (1977) - Netflix

An absolute blast. Jackie Gleason as the venerable (or so he thinks) Sheriff, Buford T. Justice, absolutely steals it. I was pissing myself watching it, which is well needed these days, wherever we can get it. I hadn't watched a comedy for a while either, so this one probably had extra effect. It's easy to see why Burt Reynolds became such a household name off of the back of the Bandit. 

Double Indemnity (1944) - Sony Movies (I think)

Movies, and Noir as a genre, would have a hard time making anything as good as Double Indemnity, in the 77 years since it was released. A fantastic piece of work. Even working within the constraints of the time, Barbara Stanwyck is a captivating seductress, reducing fast tongued insurance salesman MacMurray, to lust struck criminal. MacMurray is top drawer here, and Edward G. Robinson as his boss and insurance investigator is as good as ever. The dialogue is brilliant and carried out even better. Do yourself a favour if you haven't seen it and turn the lights off, make some popcorn and sit back and enjoy. 

Blade Runner 2049 (2017) - Sony Movies

This is going to go against popular opinion on here I gather but ah well. I didn't like it. Maybe I wasn't going to, as I wasn't much of a fan of the original either, but I'm fully on board with Ford, Gosling and Big Dave, so thought that it would probably be at least pretty good. It looks great (and that's even with viewing it through Sony Movies, whose picture quality doesn't do it justice at all). There's a well layered story too. I was just bored. Bored senseless. As I was with the first one. My best compliment for 2049 is that, having seen it, I now like the first one more than I did beforehand. 

Street Kings (2008) - Amazon Prime

A fairly straightforward crooked cop escapade, with Forest Whittaker and Keanu Reeves. Pretty decent watch. Keanu is constantly getting himself into fuck ups, and his boss, Whittaker, has to cover his ass from the top brass. Shooting and swearing follow in abundance. 

Dead Reckoning (1947) 

Bogey is good here. It looks great and there's a nice mystery at work that quite clearly can only be solved by Bogart's Captain Rip Murdock. If you like The Big Sleep and Maltese Falcon, you'll like this too, whilst also thinking it's not as good as either of those. The more you like Bogart, so will go your view of the film.

Dead End (1937) - Amazon Prime

I didn't particularly enjoy this. The more I pause to check my phone, the less invested I am. That happened a lot here.

Bogart, a few times in the course of the movie, looked absolutely menacing. He had a glare on a couple of occasions that would make you think he was about to slit the other person's throat in the blink of an eye. 

The film set looks exactly how you would expect a 1930's New York slum to look. If you hadn't been told where it was taking place, you would know that it couldn't be anywhere else but the mean streets of NYC. Joel McCrea and Sylvia Sydney, are really good in their roles as hard grafting down on his luck architect, and poor shop girl looking after her mischievous wee brother. You really want to see them end up happy and get a better life. 

However the young gang of neighborhood kids? I found them incredibly annoying. It didn't help that they tend to be the most featured characters. This absolutely felt like a play, which it originally was, and I believe the kids, if not the adult actors, were in the Broadway version. Kinda took me out of it as their performances were very over the top and the New York accents (which I guess were genuine) were enhanced ten fold by the nature of the performance. 

Runaway Jury (2003) - Amazon Prime

I I thought I had seen this before, but shortly into the film I realised I didn't know what was coming next so maybe I'd caught just a bit of it at one point. I really liked it. If you enjoy Grisham's novels, or at least the adaptions  (and I do tend to), then you'll like this one too. There's twists and turns, Hoffman as the idealist, Hackman as the ruthless jury consultant that would sell his soul to the devil (and the star of the show as always). You're off to a good start there. I usually enjoy John Cusack too, whether he's in a good movie or not, and Rachel Weisz in a prominent role is certainly no bad thing. Good stuff. 

Edited January 25, 2021 by WeeAl

[Keith Houchen]

Bad Words (Amazon Prime)

Jason Bateman stars and directs this film about a man who exploits a rule in the Spelling Bee so he can enter it. Bateman is a magnificent shithouse in this. And of course, Philip Baker Hall and Allison Janney improve everything. A real hidden gem. 

[Chest Rockwell]

That sounds up my street. Cheers.

[Magnum Milano]

The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020)

After enjoying the first film I decided to watch the sequel.  Big mistake.  With no-one really believing the events of the first film, Cole (Judah Lewis) heads to the Lakes for the weekend only to once more be the target of a satanic cult.  This was going along fine and then completely lost me (I won't say where just to avoid spoilers).  After that it was a right chore.  Some funny lines but quite a few plot holes and just not worth the time. 

Valley Girl (1983)

Almost a Romeo and Juliet love story, as the rich, preppy girl from the Valley falls for the punk from the wrong side of town, much to the chagrin of her friends.  A very easy, inoffensive watch with the heart-warming ending you hope for.  One of Nicolas Cage's first films and Deborah Foreman is fantastic again, just like in April Fool's Day.  I'm surprised she appears to have worked so little as she's been nigh on the best thing in both films I've seen starring her.  Cameron Dye puts in a good turn as Cage's punk pal too.  The New Wave heavy soundtrack is excellent.