Films You Have Watched

[fuse]

I saw the stage production of Wicked twice before, and can’t say I was mad on it either time. As a film? It’s kinda fun to see them **** around with crazy maximalism as far as the eye can see, but it still does nothing for me. I have no issues with the performances, and was actually quite impressed with Ariana Grande’s comedic chops, just I don’t seem to get as much from the songs as everyone else does, and the going-nowhere is doubled down on by the fact it’s half of the danged story.

Also watched the Netflix doc The Secret Life of Ibelin. The original news story did make it to international audiences and I'm fairly confident someone will have linked it here at the time, but it's about a guy with a severe disability that took to World of Warcraft and had a significant impact on a group of people, whereas his family had little understanding of the impact he was having until after his untimely death. This doc is definitely for an everyman audience - it doesn't dwell on the game part of the game so much and instead just smartly borrows its aesthetic and focuses on the people behind things much more. It's a nice reflection on one guy's legacy, though the undercurrent of suggested surprise that you can make legitimate connections on the internet is probably going to be less shocking to you know, you weirdos that I primarily talk to on the internet.

[Atticus]

Also watched the Netflix doc The Secret Life of Ibelin.

Must get round to watching this.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Raiders of the Lost Ark (Steven Spielberg, 1981)

"It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage."

What can you say that hasn't already been said?

The seminal, inaugural chapter in the adventures of modern film's favourite bullwhip-wielding archaeologist still endures after nearly 45 years.

If anything, the simplicity and efficiency of the writing and cinematography has ensured that Raiders remains near-timeless and just as fun a watch as it ever was.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (Spielberg, 1984)

"Fortune and glory, kid. Fortune and glory."

I won't lie...my relationship with Temple is a funny one and that hasn't changed decades later. Despite it being the widely-acknowledged worst film in the original Indy trilogy, it was the one that I saw the most often on TV, even moreso than Raiders and/or The Last Crusade, so my memories of it are a little softer.

That said, it obviously hasn't aged as well as the other two. From the disarmingly much more cold and cruel Indy (with cynical white saviour redemption arc) to the incessantly awful Willie Scott (Spielberg clearly thought that Capshaw was worth it!) to the general darker storyline (read: non-stop child slavery and abuse, religious cultists and human sacrifice) and problematic racial characterising/stereotyping throughout. However, it still manages to be engaging enough after all this time with technically impressive for the time action set-pieces and stunts, even if it goes totally against the grain of the Indiana Jones ethos and spirit while doing so.

[Yakumo]

Mufasa: The Lion King

Saw this yesterday at the cinema. But with it being classed as animation, most places will only show the Japanese dub. I had to search high and low for an English release (wanted it in Dolby Atmos but no luck so had to do with 7.1 😋) . Still, even finding that in English was a bitch. One showing in the next city at 10:50am. Japanese version, no worries 2 screens with 8 showings in total.

Anyway, how was the movie? I went in to it not expecting much but was plesently surprised. The CG is pretty well done in most areas with some actually looking real while one or two may look like a AAA game intro.
The story was reasonable but it was easy to figure out the ending by half way in to the movie. Still, it didn't spoil the enjoyment. What did though was the awful comic relealf. Why do Americans need this **** in their movies? I mean, a little is good but this went way over the top. Basically for me, the warthog and perry dog (timba and pumba is it?) we're as appealing as Jajabigs. Yeah, they got in the way that much.

Music wise, there's some okay tunes in there but maybe nit as good as the original. Who knows, in time it may grow on me.

Overall it was a good movie. If you do go to see it, make sure to watch it in a cinema with a good sound system. The lion's roar needs to be felt. Yeah, it sounded very good. I just wish the Dolby Atmos version was available in English at my local cinema.

[fallenangle]

Re-watched the 2011 Jane Eyre adaptation on BBC2 last night and despite its uneven pacing it held my attention from start to finish all over again. Mia Wasikowska's (most well known for being the lead in Tim Burton's two Alice in Wonderland films) performance is a big part of that but Michael Fassbinder's as Rochester is also vital to the success of the film.

Judi Dench adds quality support and the photography is often sublimely good, particularly the murky (Derbyshire) landscapes and candle lit scenes.

It might not be the best adaption of the novel but as a film that really does not matter as it more than stands on its own merits.

[Neon Ignition]

Red One
I was braced for the worst and the first half does a reasonable job of creating a decent enough impression. It runs out of steam in the second half though and starts to become a much more forgettable effort at that point.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3
The first half is very much more of the same, I wouldn't say that the second half is technically hugely different but by the gods to anyone who owned a certain platformer and a Sega Dreamcast in 2001... I never, ever thought I would be sitting in a cinema watching what I just saw and that it would actually also be well done. Let alone the adaptation it sets itself up to tackle next.

[Nu-Eclipse]

The Losers (Sylvain White, 2010)

A considerable case of style over substance, and even the "style" is questionable. Dumb, uninspiring and ultimately forgettable, which is saying something for a comic book adaptation.

[Finsbury Girl]

Re-watched the 2011 Jane Eyre adaptation on BBC2 last night and despite its uneven pacing it held my attention from start to finish all over again. Mia Wasikowska's (most well known for being the lead in Tim Burton's two Alice in Wonderland films) performance is a big part of that but Michael Fassbinder's as Rochester is also vital to the success of the film.

Judi Dench adds quality support and the photography is often sublimely good, particularly the murky (Derbyshire) landscapes and candle lit scenes.

It might not be the best adaption of the novel but as a film that really does not matter as it more than stands on its own merits.

I thought Fassbender was bloody great in this

[fallenangle]

Talking about other literary inspired films on Xmas eve I watched both (again) David Lean's Great Expectations and the childrens' classic 1993 The Secret Garden based on Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel.

The former still stands as one of the best David Lean films and arguably the best Dicken's adaptations. Never gets old. The second film is charm itself helped by the performance of the main protagonist and also that of the now sadly deceased Maggie Smith as the imperious and apparently cold-hearted housekeeper.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (Spielberg, 1989)

Re-watched this last night.

Quite clearly Spielberg & Lucas attempting to make up for Temple of Doom by way of revisiting the Raiders formula, albeit with more slapstick comedy this time around.

Ford and Connery obviously enjoying riffing off of each other with the father-son dynamic and that's pretty much the main draw here. The action set-pieces feel a bit more laboured this time around though and somehow less impressive for it.

Ultimately the second best of the original Indy trilogy for me, Raiders first and Temple of Doom third.

[Neon Ignition]

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Never seen it all the way through till now, interesting to see but flatline for funny

[Finsbury Girl]

The Holiday - my "excuse" is that it was partly filmed in Godalming & the beautiful south west of Surrey where I used to live The "truth" is it's an enjoyable funny Christmas movie that I can watch with the missus

[Yakumo]

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Never seen it all the way through till now, interesting to see but flatline for funny

I watched that today as well 😄
I wish the BluRay wasn't a crazy price. I'd love to see what extras are on it.

[Nu-Eclipse]

We Live In Time (John Crowley, 2024)

Didn't quite pack the emotional punch that I was expecting it to. That said, the lead performances from Garfield and Pugh justify the hype for the most part, lifting a "feels like it's been done/seen many times before" story.