The Films You Watched Thread V: Dead Men Watch No Movies

[wakka]

I continued my Fincher binge last night with Seven. Unlike the last two I'd actually seen this one before, at the cinema on release, so it'd been a while. Watching it again it's still brilliant ... maybe even better with time. The vision is so strong and the bleakness barely lets up ... but when it does you really feel the relief, like getting to an inn in an RPG when you're on your last legs: the supper scene, even the breakfast scene in the dark and dirty diner ... they just break up the unrelenting rain-soaked dread. It's beautifully made, as would be expected, and the script is tight as a drum too ... economical and smart ... not merely sequence after sequence of the grizz.

Loving these films so much. Got a couple more on my radar: one I haven't seen (Social Network) and one I have, but I'm almost too scared to watch again (Zodiac).

Seven is brilliant.

Although it's a tighter, probably technically better film than Zodiac, I actually prefer Zodiac. I really, really love that film, and I've seen it numerous times. Something about it just pushes my buttons.

In fact - maybe I'm due a rewatch! It would be great if it came to UHD at some point, but I remember it was shot entirely digitally. I wonder if a 4K master is even possible/exists. I guess they could upscale and add HDR though. It'd be far from the first film to exist on a UHD with a 2K upscale.

[Atticus]

Seven is brilliant.

Although it's a tighter, probably technically better film than Zodiac, I actually prefer Zodiac. I really, really love that film, and I've seen it numerous times. Something about it just pushes my buttons.

Zodiac deserves way more attention than it gets. I love getting carried along with the obsession and pursuit ... and some of the moments in it are genuinely terrifying, I don't know why they're so effective but they really get under my skin.

It would be great if it came to UHD at some point, but I remember it was shot entirely digitally. I wonder if a 4K master is even possible/exists. I guess they could upscale and add HDR though. It'd be far from the first film to exist on a UHD with a 2K upscale.

I watched Seven on blu-ray last night and I don't know if it's the upscaling or whatever but it looked amazing. Fincher's films look immaculate anyway but I can't imagine it looking much better ... though there's plenty of darkness that would probably benefit.

I'll be watching the director's cut of Zodiac on blu too. The running time is only 5 minutes or so extra but Fincher said they initially bowed to test audience reaction and removed two scenes for the theatrical release, but he later decided they're pivotal to the film and needed to be back in. I've never checked on any more detail than that as I don't really want to know ... I'd rather be lost in the moment than watching for specific scenes.

[QualityChimp]

I've not seen Zodiac. I thought it was on my TiVo box, but it isn't.
However, it's going to be on BBC1 on the 11th September at 10:45pm.
Betamax set!

Just looking, I've a load of great films I need to wade through on there!
I normally flick through Film4's schedule for the week and set it to record.

Atomic Blonde
Darkman
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Everybody Wants Some!!
Field of Dreams
Gangster No.1
Green Room
Gremlins
Halloween III
Happy Death Day
Independence Day: Resurrection
Inside Out
Jurassic Park III
Krull
Mission Impossible: Fallout & Rogue Nation
Night at the Museum 1 & 2
Oliver!
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Smokey & the Bandit
Star Wars
The Swimmer
The 39 Steps
Trance
Valerian
The Way, Way Back
The Witch
Sherlock Holmes

[Atticus]

I've not seen Zodiac. I thought it was on my TiVo box, but it isn't.
However, it's going to be on BBC1 on the 11th September at 10:45pm.
Betamax set!

I think it's on Netflix currently too ... might be worth seeing if they're the same version (dc/theatrical).

[Atticus]

Atomic Blonde
Darkman
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Everybody Wants Some!!
Field of Dreams
Gangster No.1
Green Room
Gremlins
Halloween III
Happy Death Day
Independence Day: Resurrection
Inside Out
Jurassic Park III
Krull
Mission Impossible: Fallout & Rogue Nation
Night at the Museum 1 & 2
Oliver!
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Smokey & the Bandit
Star Wars
The Swimmer
The 39 Steps
Trance
Valerian
The Way, Way Back
The Witch
Sherlock Holmes

Reminds me of my Sky box recordings list ... deep down I know I'll never get through them.

[QualityChimp]

I think it's on Netflix currently too ... might be worth seeing if they're the same version (dc/theatrical).

BBC is 2hrs 30.
Netflix is 2hrs 37
DC is 2Hrs 42

Might take down the Netflix version anyway.

[randombs]

BBC is 2hrs 30.
Netflix is 2hrs 37
DC is 2Hrs 42

Might take down the Netflix version anyway.

It sounds like the BBC one is sped up to 25fps for PAL TVs(Netflix and the DC will be 24fps):

2h30m*(25/24)=2h36.25m

[QualityChimp]

Wow. Is that something they do? Every day is a school day!

I watched Atomic Blonde last night.
David Leitch co-directed John Wick with Chad Stahelski, but only the latter was credited.
Leitch directed this.
Sam Hargrave, who directed Netflix' "Extraction" has a small cameo role at the start, but like Extraction, there's a protracted "one-take" sequence that's the real highlight of the film.

Charlize Theron plays a spy who has to find a list of double agents who are being smuggled into the West on the eve of the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, finding it hard to trust anyone as everyone has multiple agendas.

Got a great snappy feel to this with the 80s soundtrack and lots of vibrant neon colours contrasting with the bland Communist backdrop. Theron's Lorraine Broughton is a no-nonsense badass, taking no nonsense from anyone and comes across as a great protagonist.

Yeah, I really enjoyed this and if you're a fan of the action in Wick/Extraction, you'll enjoy this too.

[Atticus]

Continued the Fincher run with Social Network last night. Got to say that despite my disinterest in the subject matter it is as brilliant as I'd heard thanks to mega-slick work from Fincher and a doozie of a script from Aaron Sorkin (lost count of how many great lines Eisenberg delivers) ... but I don't think it's Fincher's most enjoyable film, purely down to the fact that you can go anywhere and be more surprising and unpredictable with an original work of fiction and you just can't do that with a true story.

[Dogg Thang]

I watched Jade last night and I feel I’m now into the dregs of the steamy thriller movies. The story actually isn’t terrible but the cast is just about the least sexy cast they could have found for this type of movie. Caruso is no Michael Douglas. And there really isn’t any chemistry in the movie which highlights the importance of getting a cast that really fits together and shows why movies like Basic Instinct work and other, like this, just don’t. 2 sexies out of 10.

[Dogg Thang]

Watched Karate Kid Part 2 yesterday and enjoyed it a lot more than I remember. It’s quite a different film, mostly set in Okinawa and probably full of awful stereotypes that I just don’t know enough about to see but it’s an entertaining watch in an interesting location and mostly based around Miyagi, and we love Miyagi. The setting is interesting because it sets up that it’s in Mr Miyagi’s home village and Daniel can’t find it on the map and that turns out to be because the US military slapped a base down on it. The military are a constant presence, an occupying force in the village, and yet it’s almost never mentioned. It’s not part of the story. It’s just there. It’s like the director or writer wanted to make some comment about the military but couldn’t so just made sure their presence was felt.

And the end is interesting because it basically wraps up without a fight. There is a point where, had the credits rolled, it would have felt like a perfect complete movie. But because it’s Karate Kid, someone zips in for a final fight. It’s not a bad fight but totally unnecessary and, if anything, would have made the film much more interesting if a film centred on one fight ended without a fight. Anyway, I enjoyed it.

Also watched Indecent Proposal or, as it should be called, Woody Gets Shafted. Basically what happens in the movie is that Woody gets shafted. I found myself not enjoying it because of just how badly Woody gets shafted. I just had contempt for the Robert Redford and Demi Moore characters pretty much all the way through. And then I spent the last portion wondering about the money because they kept referring to the million dollars without taking into account that they had established the lawyer gets 5% and there is a point in the movie where that missing 5% would become a pretty big problem. Anyway, I found it hard to know what to make of the movie. It might be a good movie. I mean, it’s well made - same director as Fatal Atraction, 91/2 Weeks and Jacob’s Ladder - but I just didn’t enjoy watching Woody get shafted.

[Atticus]

Fight Club last night. I remember going to see this at the cinema and that steady realisation that it's not really about a club where fighting happens. It's a film that's fun to re-watch but can never be as much fun as the first time ... but I had forgotten just how much attitude it has. Wow, that's what really kept me invested this time. And the ending is one of the all time great endings too ... incredibly well constructed and a perfect track choice too.

[teddymeow]

A few recently. Some new, some rewatches.

Aladdin (live action) - awful, awful, awful, awful, awful. Stock pins in my eyes it's so unbearably awful. The kids liked it.

Lost in Translation - Never gets boring, never gets old, never fails to make me cry but then feel better afterwards.

Abominable - Lightweight CGI fluff which I was enjoying until Coldplay started on the soundtrack.

The Personal History of David Copperfield - Wonderfully wonderous with phenomenal performances across the cast and just generally a brilliant film.

[JazzFunk]

Three, the last three nights (two rewatches):

First off...THE FESTIVAL, from the guys who brought us THE INBETWEENERS, and starring Kingsley from FRESH MEAT (who was also in THE INBETWEENERS but I've forgotten his name).

I quite enjoyed it in the same jovial way I enjoy THE INBETWEENERS. I never laugh my tits off at it but it's amiable, anarchic, I kinda enjoy it even if it doesn't make me belly laugh, ever.

Yeah, it's alrite. Funniest guy was the ketamine bloke, he made me titter every time, I used to know a guy like that in my clubbing days. Also, I've never been to a proper festival because it looks too much like a muddy arseache and this is obviously shot at a real festival and very much confirms my vision, it looks horrendous (give me a smoky jazz club any day of the week).

Anyway, I liked, it's not amazing but I'd recommend for a nice, amiable bit of whimsy.

Then, onto my second viewing of THE DAMNED UNITED and it's not just a great film cos I'm from Leeds. Sheen is brill as Brian Clough, in fact everyone's brill, this is one of THE great sport movies ever made, it brings to mind that old Aussie film, THE CLUB, that used to on loads on telly back in the '80s. Ain't seen that for EONS!

Only thing I think is a bit jarring is the penultimate scene of the film where he's driving down Elland Road with his fam and you see a modern bus stop in the background. When this was being made, I was living up Churwell Hill with a lass and I'd pass Elland Road every day on the 51 to work and I'd always see that bus stop but they coulda CGI-d it out!

Anyway, grrrrrreat. Leeds. Leeds. Leeds!

Finally, THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK. First saw this on VHS back in 1988, first time since then but I didn't enjoy it first time, too.

Second time is excruciating. As much as I love many Jack Nicholson flicks, this is sickening to watch, he just looks like a dirty, stinky, bloated old Del Boy Trotter, did women actually throw themselves at this bloke after this?

Made me wanna vom at points, there's this bit where Cher comes into his bedroom and he's laying on the bed in a seductive manner looking like a stinky, dishevelled David Jason and Cher actually looks WELL fit in this film and he manages to bed her. AND Michelle Pfeiffer AND Susan Sarandon.

To watch this nowadays, one really needs to foster a great suspension of disbelief. Anyway, it was pap then, it's even more pap now and I just think Jack is 100% repellent in this. Not recommended.

[Dogg Thang]

I watched Karate Kid Part 3. Not a great movie. I didn’t remember much about it except for the main bad guy and it’s easy to see why now - he chews the scenery while much of the rest of the movie is a bit dull. Daniel does a lot of stuff he just shouldn’t and some of it feels hard to justify and there’s a new relationship with yet another girlfriend who just vanishes a certain way into the movie with no payoff one way or another. The villain is hilarious but so cartoony. He is entertaining to watch, I’ll give him that. But with him, the movie establishes some stuff in training sequences that really should have paid off but they don’t. And the end fight is very unsatisfying because of how the victory happens. It basically requires the opponent to act totally out of character for that final beat.

So yeah, not a great movie but it filled in some of the backstory to Cobra Kai for me.