Films You Have Watched

[Atticus]

A Nightmare on Elm Street - The opening with the crafting of the glove is so good. Lots to love about the whole film ... so much nostalgia too. I don't rate it as high as its contemporaries but it's always fun to go back to.

Trick r Treat - First time seeing this Halloween anthology film (blind buy of the recent Arrow release). It's nothing amazing ... feels a bit straight-to-video or like a double episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer ... but it has something that could make it a future Halloween playlisterer. The town in which its set is Halloween celebration overload with every frame of the film full of Halloween goodness. The stories in it aren't separate, sequential tales like Creepshow ... they're intertwined like a spooky Pulp Fiction. It's not the best thing I've ever seen but it has an infectious holiday vibe I really like and at only 80 mins long it never outstays its welcome.

Pet Sematary (1989) - Much as I love the Kingster I'd never seen either adaptation of Pet Sem. Now I've seen one. Hmmm. It's flawed. Defo. But I still liked it. Felt like it could have been 20 minutes longer to flesh out key moments that were skirted over way too fast and under-explored. I suppose that doesn't matter if you've read the book but not everyone watching has. And the actor playing the main character was pretty forgettable. What I did like was the Stephen King flavour. He wrote the screenplay himself (for better or worse maybe). It's pretty scary too (sister Zelda ). And it has Herman Munster in it

[QualityChimp]

Wow, stringing out them horror films past Halloween, Atticus!

Wing Chun (1994 via DVD)
Woovember
-Memorial Special: Cheng Pei-pei (July 17, 2024)

Michelle Yeah and Donnie Yen team up for Yuen Woo-Ping's version of the origin of the martial art style. Great demonstration of both their screen fighting skills with some inventive sequences if a bit too much sped up moments. Don't expect historical accuracy, though!

[Atticus]

Wow, stringing out them horror films past Halloween, Atticus!

Looking forward to a Home Alone / It's a Wonderful Life double-bill come the new year

[Finsbury Girl]

The Cain Mutiny Court Martial - wow. Billy Friedkin's last movie and one of if not the last of Lance Reddick's movies.

Absolute quality, I think there are basically 3 scene locations, 2 very small ones and the 3rd, the court room which is pretty much the entire film. That such a simple film is captivating throughout is a testament to the cast and crew.

Speaking of cast, it is very small but all of them absolutely on fire. But shoutouts to Lance, Keifer and (Queenslander!) Jason Clarke who for me stands out and right is on the money as the defending attorney. The last scene is farking amazing, I'd rewatch the movie again just for it.

When Lance speaks he is mesmeric (RIP brother) he exudes power and commands attention even when speaking softly. Kiefer also plays his part to perfection. His change throughout the film is really impressive.

Direction and cinematography is almost faultless.

I really loved this movie, I had no idea what it was about and had not even heard of it, but I am glad I watched it. Awesome stuff.

[QualityChimp]

Woovember watches.

John Wick 2 (2017 via NowTV).
- Watch an action film directed by Chad Stahelski to celebrate the 10th anniversary of John Wick

I was going to watch the disc of JW1, but I recently watched Scott Adkins' interview with Keanu Reeves for his YouTube channel, which is lovely, but also reminded me of how good part 2 is.
Not only do we get some great characters like Lawrence Fishbourne as Bowery King, Common as Cassaian the bodyguard with a grudge, Ruby Rose as the silent assassin and Peter Serafanowicz as The Somalier, plus the return of the regulars.

There are some top action sequences like the escape through the catacombs and the assault on the museum and art gallery.
It also expands the world John Wick lives in, which is bonkers but intriguing.


I, Robot (2004 via Disney+)
- Watch an action film directed by Alex Proyas to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Crow

I don't think I've seen this since the cinema, but I remember it being pretty good fun and seeing those fake Tesla robots that had the designer of I, Robot cussung Musk for nicking his ideas, made me check this out again. There are some action sequences that are a bit choppy and others that are ace. The 20 year old CGI is starting to creak a little, but for the whole it's convincing enough.
Love a good conspiracy and this was pretty good (but no Soylent Green) but I think there's very little relation to the source material and steals from a load of other sci-fi stories, but it's Wicky Wah Wah Will Smith shooting robots.


Mad Max 2 (Via ITVX)
- Watch an action film directed by George Miller to celebrate the epic storytelling of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

I recently rewatched Fury Road after Furiosa, so didn't to rewatch that so soon. Thunderdome is a bit poor and I struggle with MM1, but they were on NowTV.
Seeing if anything on ITVX and BBC fit the Woovember task list and saw MM2 was on ITVX, so fired that up.
I keep wondering if MM2 is better than FR. Sometimes I like the slow boil of 2 a we learn about the fuel store under siege, other times I prefer the solid opening hour of action of FR. Sometimes I like how everything is practical in 2, other times I think FR is how Miller pictured his film would look like.
Ultimately, I end up realising we movie-goers are lucky to exist in a time when both films exist.

Something I didn't quite realise was just how much Fist of the North Star is influenced by MM2. Like, wholesale ripped off!

->Open Spoiler<-

[Neon Ignition]

Heretic
The new Hugh Grant film which I feel is important to point out, because the trailer doesn't entirely make this clear, is not a horror. The film is mostly made up of long dialogue stretches and gives Grant some good material to play really well with his usual affable style. The film doesn't make a new argument in terms of its religion observations but it delivers them well, a lot of the back and forth revolving around the battle between faiths to determine which is the 'true one', what makes a believer believe and stay believing as well as how religious doctrine is corrupted by man. The ending could be sharper but largely the film does a greta job at incorporating examples of its dialogue into the plot of the film itself and the situation the the three main characters are caught in.

[Dogg Thang]

I watched the Netflix Beverly Hills Cop movie, I think it’s called Axel F. I haven’t seen the originals since back in the day so I guessed they likely don’t hold up all that well and that this might be even worse, trying to recapture the magic of movies that don’t hold up all that well. But actually I really enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun. Maybe I’ll have to revisit those older movies.

[Neon Ignition]

Yeah, Axel F was a surprisingly decent belated sequel. Nothing amazing for the sub-genre it's in but very much in line with the old trilogy and better than the third film.

[wakka]

I think the first Beverly Hills Cop holds up well. It's still a fun movie with a lot of good lines. The second one, I haven't seen in a long time, but it's okay, one of those typical sequels that retreads the same material and doesn't do it as well but isn't actively bad - a Ghostbusters 2, if you will. The third is just awful so you can skip that.

I'll def give Axel F a try myself, it's a good reminder. Looks like a good rainy Sunday afternoon film.

[QualityChimp]

Woovember:
Diversity of badass cinema:
Watch an action film directed by a woman

I saw Point Break at the cinema last night for the first time in ages.
It's a film I like but I'm not a fanatic about it.

Some great lines and action sequences, but it's all a bit silly, innit?

Particularly enjoyed early Keanu in action and those skydiving sequences.

On another note, this is the second year my wife has bought me a 6-month pass for the cinema.
My nearest one is The Light Cinema and it's lovely. All the new releases, advanced mystery screenings for members (I saw The Substance), loads of classics, nice food (had pizza last night) and drinks (Brooklyn, Camden, Shipyard), plus the staff are lovely and they seem to retain them, so must be doing something right.

The films I've seen there from April to November are:

Boy Kills World
Love Lies Bleeding
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Godzilla X Kong
Dr. Strangelove
The Fall Guy
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In
A Clockwork Orange
Trainspotting
Furiosa
Inside Out 2
A Quiet Place: Day One
MaXXXine
Kill
Longlegs
Twisters
Deadpool & Wolverine
Alien Romulus
Trap
Despicable Me 4
Pulp Fiction
The Terminator
Blur
Amadeus
The Substance
Macross Plus
Temple of Doom
Interstellar
Seven Samurai
Shaun of the Dead
Count of Monte Cristo
Stuntman
Smile 2
Heretic
Halloween
The Wild Robot
Point Break

[Baseley09]

They showed Macross Plus the movie in the pictures? Rad

[QualityChimp]

They showed Macross Plus the movie in the pictures? Rad

Yes mate. Took my son along too and it was a real treat.

https://bordersdown.net/forum/non-gaming/music-movies-and-tv/72829-films-you-have-watched/page65#post2761404

Woovember
- Memorial Special: Corey Yuen (2022)
- Watch an action film starring Jet Li to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Fist of Legend

Kiss of the Dragon (DVD)
Dug out the disc of this action classic.
I absolutely love this one and think it's a perfect storm of elements coming together.
Cast, action, soundtrack, story and location work really well for me.

Technically, it's directed by Chris Nahon and Corey Yuen is the Action Director, but I think it counts because there are some amazing action sequences.
I think Bridget Fonda is brilliant in this. She plays a woman forced into prostitution by a corrupt police chief and she strikes that perfect balance of being in a bad place, but remains optimistic and likeable. I find her story genuinely moving.
The story is enough of a balance of story and action as the police chief tries to frame Jet Li's character for a murder in a sting operation in a hotel, but they don't bank on him being such an absolute badass.

He escapes from the hotel using the scenery and his wits in a (literally) explosive chase.

I think I love how it plays out like a videogame at the end.
(Plot spoilers)

->Open Spoiler<-

When he attacks the police station, it's a non-stop. I love how he phones the chief and sees him through the window and says "Now I know where you are, I'm coming up.", chucks the phone, kicks the gate guard and just strolls in. Escaping his pursuers, there's an excellent comedy moment where he sneaks through a door and quietly turns around to find he's snuck into a karate lesson. There's a great fight where he dispatches the whole class and there's an extra where you see Corey Yuen choregraphing the whole fight from slowly learning the moves to the fast final scene.

Then there's the boss fight with little and large. Didier Azoulay is this absolute tank and Cyril Raffaelli is this mini ninja.
I've mentioned before that I really rate Cyril Raffaelli, doing roundhouse kicks between buses in a cut scene in The Transporter, doing parkour to escape Bruce Willis in Live Free or Die Hard and leaping across Paris in the excellent District B13 films.
The fight here is class because he outfights Li with his lightning roundhouse kicks, but Li adapts and moves to a narrower section of the room and Raffaelli keeps catching his feet on table legs so he can't kick, leaving Li to dismantle him.
Then the hulk is taken out because Li uses his speed to outmanoeuvre him.

So, Tchéky Karyo is no Gary Oldman, but who is? His corrupt cop is easy to loathe, so him learning what the "kiss of the dragon" is well-deserved!

Love the musical beats too, using hip hop tracks as some new fighter enters the fray or even stops on a neck-snap.

Extras include a commentary by Nahon, Li and Fonda, but not in the same room, so it's not as natural as some tracks, but still plenty of info.

I mentioned in the thread earlier that Yuen had passed away a few years ago from Covid, but his family didn't announce it, but it's a bit of a shame his excellent action legacy wasn't able to be celebrated at the time.

[QualityChimp]

Woovember
Watch an action film directed by John Woo
Watch an action film starring Dolph Lundgren

Blackjack (1998 via YouTube)
I like some of Woo's work and Lungren is definitely action star royalty, but this fell flat for me.
Lungren is a toughguy bodyguard and develops a fear of the colour white for plot reasons.
A couple of good shootouts (especially Lungren shooting two guns in slow-mo on a trampoline) but this was a bit of a chore to watch, sadly.

[randombs]

I still remember seeing Fist of Legend for the first time. It was one of those no turning back moments. Martial arts films would never be the same…

It happened again with Tony Jaa in Ong Bak.

[Atticus]

The Fog - I hadn't watched this one for a long time, probably since the VHS days ... so the 4K is a MASSIVE upgrade ... wow, it looks and sounds so amazing. A film with so much atmosphere so deresves this. Going back I'd forgotten what an impressive cast it has too ... Carpenter himself in a cheeky cameo, Janet Leigh and a load of regulars (inc Darwin Joston from Precinct 13, turns out I had seen him in something else!). It's funny how Tom Arkins' character picks up hitch-hiking Jamie Leigh Curtis in one moment, the next they're lying in bed the following morning chatting away like an old married couple Another great watch. Really enjoying revisiting these films.

The Blair Witch Project - First time watch since the cinema back in 1999. Second Sight's amazing new LE pulled me back in and I'm glad it did. I watched the new restored version (strange concept given the stock but deets on that on this page https://www.avforums.com/articles/to...er-2024.22269/) and it looks amazing. Still grimy and real but easier on the eye. The film is no dated gimmick either. I loved watching it again ... the relationships breaking down between Heather, Josh and Mike as they slowly begin to accept their fate is paced to perfection. The new release also features a very good (and very long) new documentary on the film. Brilliant.

Pulp Fiction - I had a night to myself and just fancied this. Still so much fun to watch. So many great moments.