VHS and Betamax You Have Recently Rented

[Chris B]

I enjoyed the hell out of Godzilla vs Kong, in a way that I didn't as much with Godzilla: King of the Monsters. It had a lot of charm, with Rebecca Hall and Kaylee Hottle in particular adding a lot to it. Rebecca Hall managed to put more awe into elements of the film than anything else. 

It also looks great from start to finish - the use of colour isn't subtle, but it is really nice throughout. And the fight scenes feel coherent in a way a lot of big monster stuff doesn't tend to. Hell, they managed to make [spoiler] seem like an asshole from the way they fought alone, which is really impressive.

Sure, there's a lot of bollocks in there, and it's throwing silly concepts at you repeatedly, but it does it with enough charm, you just go 'oh, so the axe does that? Okay, sure, whatever, let's move on.'

[Hannibal Scorch]

@Chris B I’d go as far as some scenes in the last 3 Monsterverse or whatever they termed it, were so artistic they would have made great prints to hang on your walls. All had some beautiful shots. As an example 

Spoiler

 

Edited April 6, 2021 by Hannibal Scorch

[Magnum Milano]

A week's worth of viewing, including the other Yaphet Kotto film I downloaded after seeing it recommended in Devon's thread.

Across 110th Street (1972)

The Harlem mob are gunning for revenge after a criminal gang steal from them , while two diametrically opposed policemen have been assigned the case. My first blaxploitation flick is a cracker, very violent, Quinn, Kotto and Franciosa, as the ruthless D’Salvio, are all superb.

Holmes & Watson (2018)

Sherlock Holmes has four days to prevent the Queen being killed. Confirms that I don’t find Will Ferrell funny in the slightest. The laughs are few and the film is all over the shop. I only watched this because I saw it had Rebecca Hall in.  I shouldn't have bothered.  Bad.

The Damned United (2009) (BBC iPlayer)

A largely fictitious dramatization of Brian Clough’s 44 day tenure as Leeds United manager, a job he never really stood a chance with. Sheen is uncanny in his portrayal of Clough and Spall and Meaney are excellent as the support . Lovely scene at the end where Clough and Taylor reunite.

Game Night (2018)

A group of friends’ game night turns into a real-life game of life or death when one of them is kidnapped. Starts out promising but loses its way about halfway through becoming unnecessarily convoluted and completely unbelievable.

The Business (2005) (Film4)

Drugs, guns, geezers and lots of bad language! An English fugitive out in the Costa del Crime takes the young Frankie (Danny Dyer) under his wing and into his criminal empire. Basic gangster flick, the sort of film where you can leave your brain at home. Quality 80s soundtrack.

Shutter Island (2010)

A U.S. Marshall (Leonardo DiCaprio) investigates the disappearance of a patient from a highly secure psychiatric facility on Shutter Island. Or does he? I found this hard going, even when it’s explained I only just about understood.

Graduation Day (1981)

When Laura Ramstead dies at the end of a track race, someone starts killing her team mates. Good slasher and a nice change from the humiliated student out for revenge trope for that was prevalent in these high school setting horrors. Didn’t pick the killer at all and proper creepy towards the end.

I also watched Lover's Rock (2020) from the Small Axe series on the iPlayer.  A joyous way to spend seventy minutes.

[Mr_Danger]

Game Night is one of the best comedies of the last ten years you swine!

[Hannibal Scorch]

26 minutes ago, Mr_Danger said:

Game Night is one of the best comedies of the last ten years you swine!

I wonder what his stance on Good Burger being the classic film of 1997 is?

[Magnum Milano]

37 minutes ago, Mr_Danger said:

Game Night is one of the best comedies of the last ten years you swine!

I did find it funny (especially Rachel McAdams and Sharon Horgan), and the early cameo of John Francis Daley from Freaks & Geeks (who also directed) gave it instant plus points but it got unnecessarily convoluted for me.  Plus points were lost when Jaxson Ryker showed up, but then restored on his demise!

[SuperBacon]

4 hours ago, Magnum Milano said:

I also watched Lover's Rock (2020) from the Small Axe series on the iPlayer.  A joyous way to spend seventy minutes.

Probably the best soundtrack to anything I've seen in years, it's so evocative.

The bit where the song drops out and they're all singing along to Silly Games is such fantastic, brave film making.

[Devon Malcolm]

In the Name of the Father (Netflix)

Even Bono couldn't make this bad. Sometimes I think Daniel Day-Lewis can lapse into being like a higher brow Johnny Depp in the way he's always playing a Character but back in the 1990s he was more likely to be producing more realistic and relatable work. He's absolutely brilliant in this and it's a really good film even if I'd have liked less prison stuff and more on the Conlans' campaign.

True Grit (Netflix)

The Coens have made so many great films that they have plenty that get forgotten for how good they really are, and that's already happened to True Grit, which is one of the greatest westerns of the post-revisionist era. Just a great time, and surprisingly quite traditional and less idiosyncratically Coen in nature. Just brilliant stuff from Hailee Steinfeld too.

The Game (Netflix)

I've cooled on David Fincher significantly over the last few years but it was still disappointing that this wasn't nearly as good as I remembered. Just unforgivably ludicrous even for this sort of thing, and at least half an hour too long. Michael Douglas innocent, Deborah Kara Unger even more so.

Do the Right Thing (Netflix)

Is this the most important American film of the last 50 years? Probably. It's really only Spike Lee's early dodgy gender and sexual politics that weighs it down at all, and his own dodgy acting. Asks so many difficult, vital questions as well as being very, very funny at times.

Collateral (Netflix)

I think Michael Mann is more shit than good but this is easily one of his best and not just for Tom Cruise. Still has it's crap moments (nobody wants to hear a surprise Audioslave track) but just superbly paced and the last half an hour is possibly the best stuff Mann's ever done.

Citizen Kane (BBC iPlayer)

A film that thoroughly deserves the respect that it has gathered over thea years for a landmark piece of cinematic art, but dismissing it as a enjoyable watch with a terrifically developed story is stupid. It really does have everything and it really is one of the best of all time.

The Hustler / The Color of Money (pirate)

Fascinating to watch these back-to-back, to see Eddie Felson's character development despite the quarter of a century gap between the two. The way he becomes the main character in the latter is great work by Scorsese, and this is one of his most underrated films. The Hustler is the better in terms of emotional investment and performances, but The Color of Money is almost as satisfactory in terms of story development.

[air_raid]

7 hours ago, Devon Malcolm said:

The Game (Netflix)

I've cooled on David Fincher significantly over the last few years but it was still disappointing that this wasn't nearly as good as I remembered. Just unforgivably ludicrous even for this sort of thing, and at least half an hour too long. Michael Douglas innocent, Deborah Kara Unger even more so.

I watched this last night too and was expecting slightly more of a twist at the end, but still enjoyed it. Apart from that the same part of the score seemed to be playing for about 90% of the film which became a bit grating.

[Mr_Danger]

.

Edited April 12, 2021 by Mr_Danger

[Chest Rockwell]

I liked The Game a lot but felt it would be a million times better if it ended with

Spoiler

A fade to black when he hits the crash mat. It's still unambiguous, but seeing him milling about at a party after going through all that felt jarring and silly.

 

[waters44]

I need everybody involved with Netflix’s Bad Trip to drop everything and fully devote their lives to making more of these films and ideally release one a week

I watched it last night and could not stop laughing! My body was swimming with endorphins by the end, I feel like it’s added ten years to my life expectancy!

Its not only funny but it’s heart warming as well, it shows that regardless of how bonkers the situation is there are good people everywhere.

I really can’t recommend it enough 

“You’re obviously in a bad place right now, we’ve been talking for five minutes and you’ve already offered to suck my dick”

[Frankie Crisp]

Collateral

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched this. It’s absolutely brilliant. Cruise plays a belter and it was perfectly timed for him to play the antagonist for once. The late-LA mood is dead important to the film. It’s practically a supporting character, but Jamie Foxx steals the whole damn thing. His arc throughout the film slowly builds and despite the absurd circumstances, going from meek cabbie to hero works really well.

I think that Audioslave song motivated him.

 

Edited April 14, 2021 by Frankie Crisp
Ooh, double x in Foxx

[Magnum Milano]

Gregory's Girl and then a bunch of B-level slasher/horror films.

Gregory’s Girl (1981) (BBC iPlayer)

Coming of age Scottish comedy. Gregory (John Gordon Sinclair) is smitten with Dorothy (Dee Hepburn), however unbeknown to him, Susan (Clare Grogan) is quite taken with Gregory. Wonderful film where every character brings something to the plate. Very funny. Takes you back to simpler more innocent times. Why Gregory had to think about going out with Susan I'll never know. 

Girls School Screamers (1986) (YouTube)

After a wealthy benefactor leaves his estate to the local girl’s college, a number of the students stay overnight to catalogue his wares ready for sale. No prizes for guessing what happens next! Proper B-level fare. Dodgy as acting and with killings that don’t start until the final third. Poor.

Intruder (1989) (YouTube)

A group of employees working the late shift at a supermarket become the target of a killer. A very good late 80s slasher that manages to overcome some subpar acting (Danny Hicks). Gruesome kills (head squashed in the hydraulics, head in the meat slicer, butcher's hook through the neck), nice sight gags, a unique setting and a grand job done in hiding the killer’s ID.

The Slumber Party Massacre (1982) (YouTube)

A mass murderer escapes from prison and goes on a killing spree, primarily targeting students at a slumber party. What this lacks for in gore it makes up for in gratuitous nudity. The attempts to build suspense are poor and the killer is like some comical 60s Batman villain. Dull script, dull film.

Slumber Party Massacre II (1987) (YouTube)

Is this a horror, a comedy or a musical? What it is is confusing. Courtney, one of the survivors from the first film, is haunted by nightmares of a killer dressed like a rock & roll guitarist. Then he shows up out of nowhere and starts killing her friends. But I think it was just another dream. Utter garbage.

Slumber Party Massacre III (1990) (YouTube)

Another sleepover, another spate of killings. Now this actually feels like a horror film. Some red herrings before the reveal of the unexpected psycho killer, plenty of tension and the usual T&A for T&A’ sake! Went in expecting the worst but turned out to be my favourite in the trilogy.

Microwave Massacre (1979) (YouTube)

A browbeaten husband kills his wife in a drunken fit of rage. After chopping her up and storing her in the fridge, he accidentally eats her hand, getting a taste for human flesh! Awful acting, lousy looking prosthetics and corny one liners. Laughed plenty though! So bad it’s good?

[pitseleh]

A few I've seen recently...

I don't know why I thought it would be a good idea to watch Pink Flamingos first thing in the morning, but I did and I was disgusted as expected. That's not to say that I hated it as I couldn't take my eyes of the screen. I can see how it influenced filmmakers like David Lynch and horror films in general. Could of done without Divine eating what looked to be literal dog shit at the end, mind.

After getting my hands on the gorgeous looking boxset from Arrow Video at Christmas, I finally cracked and gave House a watch last night. It's an enjoyable 80's horror, packed with plenty of cheese and a hint of self-awareness. It's main problem is that it can't make up it's mind if it's a spoof on the horror genre or if it wants you to take it seriously. 

You're not going to name a film with a better cast than Escape From New York. You got Kurt Russell, Harry Dean Stanton, Donald Pleasence, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Haynes and even a cameo from Ox Baker! I've been wanting to watch this one for years and it was exactly as I expected. A big, dumb, sci-fi action flick, brilliantly scored by John Carpenter. 

Edited April 15, 2021 by pitseleh