Films You Have Watched

[QualityChimp]

Robocop
The 2014 version where it's still the case that the film is reasonable if you completely ignore that the original exists. The main trouble is easily that every decision to differentiate it from the original makes it a lesser film.

Yeah, it's always going to struggle when you've loved the original for decades.

One thing I thought the remake did better, because Murphy hasn't had his mind wiped like the original, he asks "show me" to see what's left and they start stripping away all the cybernetic augmentations and he sobs as each part makes him less of a person until he sees that he's basically a face, hand and lungs. He finally understands and insists they never show him again.

I thought this was stomach-churning to watch and a sad moment as he realises Alex Murphy as he was is a thing of the past and only Murphy, the cybernetic cop remains.

[Neon Ignition]

Yep, I don't know if inverting the original Robocop concept was a fully intentional decision but it's one of the more interesting aspects of the film even if it never fully runs with it.

[charlesr]

Watched Guardians of the Galaxy 3 again. So joyful. Brilliant fun too.

[fallenangle]

Just finished watching the depressing but powerful drama about the genocide in Srebrenica during the Balkans' War: Quo Vadis, Aida on BBC4.

We need to be reminded that stuff like that went on in Eastern Europe less than thirty years ago.

[Finsbury Girl]

A Scanner Darkly. Very close adaptation of the Philip K Dick novel. Keanu Reeves plays Bob Arctor, an undecover agent in a house of paranoid, drug-fried deadbeats ... so deep is his cover, and the effects of the mind-bending drug they're all taking, he finds himself investigating himself. The rotoscoped animation gives the whole thing a suitably detached appearance that still looks amazing. Support comes from Winona Ryder, Woody Harrelson and a show-stealing Robert Downey Jr on top form. I love the concept of this story but it's so depressing.

I still haven't seen this, despite A Scanner Darkly being one of my all time favourite novels. To hear the adaptation is close is music to my ears.

[Neon Ignition]

Ghostbusters II
Still solid if similar, held the kids attention for the first time on this run

Ghostbusters: Answer the Call
An easier pill to swallow now that the franchise doesn't depend on it. Passable if still plagued with obvious issues.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Back to much stronger ground, kids are all caught up again now and ready for GB4.

Thanksgiving
It's like watching an early 2000's horror and about as good

[Lebowski]

Watched Asteroid City on Saturday, The premise is a junior science fair is being put on at a desert research station and the attendees get caught up in a quarantine after an Alien encounter. Brilliant, baffling, and very funny. The cast is pretty packed. Jason Swatzman, and Scarlet Johanson are the leads here, supports including Tom hanks, Brian Cranston, Maya Hawke, and Edward Norton who all shine. Theirs some great surprises in the cast like a bink and you will miss it cameo from Jeff Goldblum, a car mechanic played by Matt Dillion, Hotel owner Steve Carrell, and a cowboy band featuring Jarvis cocker and Seu Jorge.

It's a pretty layered film with part of it playing out like you would expect, and part of it shown as a documentary about a play being put on stage about asteroid city, i kind of would have preferred to stay in asteroid city for the whole run time as the play aspect can get quite confusing at times, but it's an interesting ride and certainly a more challenging film than any of his previous work. I'd say probably not up to the standard of say The Royal Tenenbaums or the Grand Budapest Hotel it was still a fun watch.

[Neon Ignition]

Iron Man 2
Took an absolute age but the kids finally made their way through the next film, I didn't mind it on this viewing but had forgotten the extent to which there's no action for 95% of it

[Yakumo]

Watched Sir Crazy last night. Still holds up well. It made me a little sad to think we don't really have movies like this nowadays.
Got to admit that I've always liked the Kiki Dee song at the end. So much so that I've gone and bought the soundtrack from Yahoo Auctions.

[Atticus]

Another Evolution of Horror pick steered me towards Soft & Quiet, as covered in their home invasion season (I finally got to see the film and then listened to the pod). As is normally the case it's more effective the less you know going in. It's a realtime/one take style affair.

[QualityChimp]

Not heard of that Atticus, where can I see it?

[Atticus]

Not heard of that Atticus, where can I see it?

It’s just landed on Sky Cinema / Now TV

[Travesty]

Violent Cop
I have never seen this before, I did not like it but I appreciate it dramaturgically. When I watched it I felt like all of the violence in the film was done with the rhythm of a comedy, the timing of the firing of a gun always felt like it was a punchline to a joke that was never told.

[prinnysquad]

I really liked that film! Takeshi is ace.

[fuse]

Last night I watched Sweet Home. I watched it here on YouTube and I'm going to quote the description from there directly as I think this is an undertaking that speaks very clearly to this crowd.

After eight months, three laserdiscs, and hours of clean up and translation work, we are excited to bring you Sweet Home, the 1989 horror spectacular that's been locked on analog all this time. Famous for its outstanding use of practical effects, as well as its Famicom game tie-in, this film has developed a cult following among horror film enthusiasts and gamers alike. Horror film junkies will tell you an ongoing dispute restricted this film's wider release outside of Japan to this day, with the rumor being about director Kiyoshi Kurosawa suing Itami Productions + Toho due to there not being additional compensation for the director with video sales after it was released on VHS/LD. Kurosawa would lose this lawsuit. Resident Evil fans celebrate this film as the inspiration for the Famicom tie-in title, a revolutionary game in its own right which would become the basis of the Resident Evil franchise.

I liked a few of the effects, the lighting is used in a fun way, and it's got some ideas I like, but it's also more than a little goofy, and I'd be lying if I said I enjoyed it in its own right moreso than I did soaking up how it influenced and impacted a bunch of other things I enjoy. Definitely worth a watch!