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VHS and Betamax You Have Recently Rented


Frankie Crisp

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41 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said:

I’d forgotten about this, it’s an absolute belter and I’ve just realised that Johnny Flynn is the guy who does the Detectorists theme!

He performs the song in the show too. His music is great. 'A Larum' is a brilliant record. Less said about his portrayal of David Bowie though the better.

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6 hours ago, Magnum Milano said:

Into the Night (1985)

An insomniac meets a jewel smuggler and soon finds himself looking out for her and struggling to stay alive. David Bowie as a Hitman, what more could you want? A cracking black comedy that I really enjoyed. Also, liked how the film is set in almost real time over a day. Recommended.

Ahh, love this one, always nice to see it get a mention. Incredible cast, too. Makes a terrific double-bill with Martin Scorsese's After Hours, also made in the same year.

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On 8/2/2021 at 11:23 AM, Magnum Milano said:

IRed Road (2006)

A CCTV operator spots a man she recognizes on camera and sets about integrating herself into his life. Slow moving at times and It’s only in the final twenty minutes we discover her reasonings. Good, gritty independent Scottish flick with a standout performance from Kate Dickie. Also features a young Martin Compston.

Just not a fan of this film. It has hardcore sex scenes that are really, really not needed. "Red Road" flats are well away now. Knocked down a few years ago. It is bloody gritty. Not a film to cheer you up.

Edited by bAzTNM#1
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Werewolves Within

The ever lovable Sam Richardson is given the lead role in a film, finally. He stars as a newly arrived Forest Ranger of a small rural town hit by a snowstorm. Strange occurrences lead to the locals realising there are werewolves err…within the town, causing havoc and killing locals. Horror/Comedy (primarily the latter).

Obviously Richardson is his usual amazing and endearing self, but I absolutely fell in love with Milana Vayntrub (who plays Cecily) in this. There’s one scene where she dances, good god! Her character is so cute and likeable, basically female Sam Richardson.

Not going to be remembered come award season but I had fun with this, some fun dialogue and a compact little cast (including Michaela Watkins and, more importantly, Danny from 30 Rock). It’s a daft and easy way to spend 90 minutes.

I saw someone say it was Knives Out with Werewolves - don’t get me wrong, it’s nowhere near as good as Knives Out or even in the same league…but yeah, I get the comparison.

Just give Sam Richardson every leading man role, please. 

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1 hour ago, METAL ON METAL said:

Werewolves Within

The ever lovable Sam Richardson is given the lead role in a film, finally. He stars as a newly arrived Forest Ranger of a small rural town hit by a snowstorm. Strange occurrences lead to the locals realising there are werewolves err…within the town, causing havoc and killing locals. Horror/Comedy (primarily the latter).

Obviously Richardson is his usual amazing and endearing self, but I absolutely fell in love with Milana Vayntrub (who plays Cecily) in this. There’s one scene where she dances, good god! Her character is so cute and likeable, basically female Sam Richardson.

Not going to be remembered come award season but I had fun with this, some fun dialogue and a compact little cast (including Michaela Watkins and, more importantly, Danny from 30 Rock). It’s a daft and easy way to spend 90 minutes.

I saw someone say it was Knives Out with Werewolves - don’t get me wrong, it’s nowhere near as good as Knives Out or even in the same league…but yeah, I get the comparison.

Just give Sam Richardson every leading man role, please. 

I’m looking forward to catching this. Isn’t this based on a video game as well, making it pretty much one of the best video game movies ever?

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Been hammering All 4 recently.

Female Trouble (1974)

From delinquent high school student who just wanted her “cha cha heels” to mass murderer, the life and times of Dawn Davenport. Sleazy, scuzzy, tasteless but very funny. Not something I’d ever rewatch but glad I checked out my first John Waters movie. Edith Massey is a joy as Aunt Ida.

Here Comes Hell (2019) (All 4)

A group of friends gather at a run-down country mansion for the weekend and decide to hold a séance. Shot in black and white and a parody of 1930s horror...I think. Not funny with terrible am-dram levels of acting. At least it’s only seventy minutes. And Margaret Clunie is hot. 

East is East (1999) (All 4)

Set in 1970s Salford, a strict Pakistani father expects his British born children to follow in his Muslim ways. I’d not seen this for years and had completely forgot how heavy it is, most notably the abusive father. A very good look at the way cultures can clash within the family environment.

Night Shift (1982)

Transferred to the night shift, Chuck meets Bill and the two set up a prostitution ring out of the New York City morgue where they work. Did no-one ever check on them? The ending is touching but I wasn’t blown away by this. A breakthrough performance from Michael Keaton who is hilarious.

Nuns on the Run (1990) (All 4)

Two crooks hide out in a nunnery as they try to evade the Chinese Triad that they stole from and the gang that they double crossed. Hasn’t aged well. Coltrane tries his best but this is pretty much a one-note movie.

Feedback (2019) (All 4)

A radio DJ is taken hostage live on air one night by people looking for answers. Eddie Marsan on form yet again. There is some serious violence on display here. The voices talking over each other did get confusing but overall an engrossing thriller that kept me guessing until the end.  

To Die For (1995) (Talking Pictures)

The cult of celebrity and the lengths that one woman will go to in order to become famous. Filmed documentary style with Nicole Kidman giving one of the performances of her career as the calculating and fame hungry Suzanne Stone. Really good black comedy.

American Graffiti (1973)

A group of friends spend one final night cruising the streets before two of them are set to leave for College. You can see why this is so highly regarded when it comes to coming of age films. Also has one of the best soundtracks going. One that will get the revisit treatment every once in a while.

More American Graffiti (1979)

No Richard Dreyfus and limited use of Ron Howard (I'm guessing he had other commitments) means this sequel concentrates on the secondary cast from the first film. There is also the added constraint of the epilogue at the end of the original. Not bad to be fair, the Vietnam stuff with Toad is the best section. Another awesome soundtrack.

Meatballs (1979) (All 4)

It’s a new summer season at the low-budget Camp North Star who are still trying to get the better of their more affluent Camp Mohawk neighbours. Slapstick comedy full of silly, good natured fun. The movie that launched the career of Bill Murray who is the glue that holds this together.

Edited by Magnum Milano
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Stuck on Clay Pigeons last night. 

Had never heard of it before but absolutely loved it. It's a quirky late 90's indie comedy/crime film with Joaquin Phoenix, Vince Vaughn and Janeane Garofalo, all of whom are brilliant in it. 

A bunch of stuff doesn't make a lick of sense in it, but it doesn't really matter. It's a fun little film and Vaughn, in particular, is excellent. Killer soundtrack, too. 

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Free Guy (cinema)

Worth the wait since the trailers first got released 19 years ago. I'm completely over Taika Waititi's schtick but the rest of it hangs together extremely well. Not as relentlessly jokey as most of Ryan Reynolds films and Jodie Comer, unsurprisingly, passes her first Hollywood assignment with flying colours.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

Nowhere near Wes Anderson's best but even him operating some way below his best is well worth seeing. Still very sad I missed out on those trainers four years ago.

Some Like it Hot

Not my favourite Billy Wilder either but obviously still absolutely great by anyone's standards. Let's have a conversation about why Jack Lemmon is the greatest Hollywood actor of all time.

My Darling Clementine

If you've seen a lot of films about the OK Corral, on paper this has nothing different to offer. However, you'd still be nuts to miss it. Henry Fonda and Victor Mature are top tier Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, but Walter Brennan as old man Clanton is the best thing here. Superb old western.

Brief Encounter (YouTube)

Here's an example of a film that absolutely does live up to its reputation. The feel bad romance of the 1940s, full of post-war loneliness and the overly mannered British. What an actor Trevor Howard was.

Sideways

Not *quite* my favourite Alexander Payne (The Descendants) but almost pinches that spot through Thomas Haden Church alone. I love that big dopey doofus. Four great actors with a beautifully scripted and simple story with tons of funny lines, it doesn't get much better than this.

Also continued with my Hitchcock rewatches. Saboteur was a lot better than I remembered but still pretty daft and a struggle in its middle stages. Suspicion is a great inversion of the cat-and-mouse thriller, although not quite as substantial as some of the big man's best. Rebecca is still a work of almost unrivalled atmosphere and beauty. I'm sure Ben Wheatley ran it close though!!!

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3 hours ago, Devon Malcolm said:

Sideways

Not *quite* my favourite Alexander Payne (The Descendants) but almost pinches that spot through Thomas Haden Church alone. I love that big dopey doofus. Four great actors with a beautifully scripted and simple story with tons of funny lines, it doesn't get much better than this.

One of my absolute favourites. 
 

I watched The Dead Don’t Die. Man, that was a waste, a real “What could’ve been” film. 

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8 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said:

I watched The Dead Don’t Die. Man, that was a waste, a real “What could’ve been” film. 

Yes, as it turns out the answer to the question "What would happen if Jim Jarmusch did a zombie film?" is "Not much".

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Watched The Kid Detective on Sky. I really liked it. I read the premise and I thought it was about a guy who'd been a child actor in a TV show called "The Kid Detective" but he actually had a detective agency as a kid and had never really grown up. It's a good premise and has two really likeable leads. Adam Brody is handsome enough to be appealling but ordinary enough to be believable. Sophie Nelisse is really good too. A really beautiful young woman (born in 2000!) It's a good mystery, has a nice twist and ends a bit differently, probably because I watch too much shite and not enough good stuff like this.

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1 hour ago, tiger_rick said:

Watched The Kid Detective on Sky. I really liked it. I read the premise and I thought it was about a guy who'd been a child actor in a TV show called "The Kid Detective" but he actually had a detective agency as a kid and had never really grown up. It's a good premise and has two really likeable leads. Adam Brody is handsome enough to be appealling but ordinary enough to be believable. Sophie Nelisse is really good too. A really beautiful young woman (born in 2000!) It's a good mystery, has a nice twist and ends a bit differently, probably because I watch too much shite and not enough good stuff like this.

Thought Brody was really good in this and had some cracking timing. The switch between indie comedy and the darker moments could be a bit jarring though. Reminded me a lot of smaller scale 'The Other Guys', which is never a bad thing

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On 8/12/2021 at 10:48 AM, Magnum Milano said:

East is East (1999) (All 4)

Set in 1970s Salford, a strict Pakistani father expects his British born children to follow in his Muslim ways. I’d not seen this for years and had completely forgot how heavy it is, most notably the abusive father. A very good look at the way cultures can clash within the family environment.

 

"East is East" is a tremendous film that doesn't get talked about too often. Both funny and very sad and heavy at times. Around about the time Channel 4 were knocking out some great films.

Edited by bAzTNM#1
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