Films You Have Watched

[MartyG]

Companion - thought this was pretty good, certainly raises questions about the nature of sentient AI and how we relate to it.

The Brutalist - I was so bored, especially the second half. This film seems very overrated and pretentiously long.

Flight Risk - I can only assume Mel Gibson has had a stroke. No pilots were consulted in the making of this movie.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Night at the Museum (Shawn Levy, 2006)

Admittedly not for me, but not for me. It is what it is.

[wakka]

I watched Hackers (1995) last night.

Almost cartoonishly 90s and filled with rave music and 'hacking' sequences involving a lot of flying around 3D computer systems (both of which are honestly very cool), plus obligatory meaningless techno-jargon ('He's raiding the mainframe!').

It's a very silly story but a fun B-movie watch.

One sequence that did jump out to me is where the titular hackers - a ragtag band of heroic teenagers fighting The Man - hack into Manhattan's traffic lights system and then rollerblade through the ensuing mayhem while the cops pursuing them crash into each other and gnash their teeth impotently.

It's a cool scene and definitely felt to me like it was a direct influence on Jet Set Radio, which is a game that I think pulls a lot from movies in general - Professor K, for example, feels directly influenced by Vanishing Point's Super Soul, who in turn was IMO an influence on the DJ in The Warriors.

[Yakumo]

Arthur
The Dudley Moore version - The butler provides the best laughs whilst Dudley Moore's charm works to carry the film which is very thin otherwise.

I still remember when this was being shown on It during the Christmas period in the 80s. My mum wanted to see it, so was rushing my brother's and I off to bed.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese, 1980)

45 years old this November.

Saw this at the Prince Charles Cinema earlier today, one of several films being shown as part of "Scorsese Day".

I hadn't seen it before. It was one of those where I had seen lots of short clips from it over the years but never the full film in one sitting.

I don't think that Jake LaMotta was that much of an interesting person. Hell, I don't even think he was likeable. For me, that only serves as testament to just how utterly compelling and engrossing De Niro and a back-from-the-brink Scorsese made him and his world out to be from start to finish.

Not my favourite Scorsese film of all-time but it definitely justifies its status as a seminal modern classic and I am glad that I finally got to watch it.

[prinnysquad]

Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese, 1980)

45 years old this November.

Saw this at the Prince Charles Cinema earlier today, one of several films being shown as part of "Scorsese Day".

I hadn't seen it before. It was one of those where I had seen lots of short clips from it over the years but never the full film in one sitting.

I don't think that Jake LaMotta was that much of an interesting person. Hell, I don't even think he was likeable. For me, that only serves as testament to just how utterly compelling and engrossing De Niro and a back-from-the-brink Scorsese made him and his world out to be from start to finish.

Not my favourite Scorsese film of all-time but it definitely justifies its status as a seminal modern classic and I am glad that I finally got to watch it.

Good film and technically very proficient. However, the main character is pretty unpleasant. I really tried to like him, but like you say, he’s just not particularly likeable.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Good film and technically very proficient.

Technically excellent in terms of the shots, scans and pacing throughout. All hallmarks of later Scorsese work.

[wakka]

I kind of enjoy an unlikeable protagonist, personally. Unlikeable people often make for more interesting character studies.

[Nu-Eclipse]

I kind of enjoy an unlikeable protagonist, personally. Unlikeable people often make for more interesting character studies.

Horses for courses.

They definitely are more interesting on balance but can age badly. That said, some likeable main characters can definitely come off as too schmaltzy/corny/cheesy.

A likeable LaMotta wouldn't have worked for Raging Bull though and the mix of De Niro's performance and Scorsese's cinematography combine to make him irresistible.

[prinnysquad]

I watched White Heat (1949) with James Cagney.

He plays a character with pretty much no redeeming features. Violent, cutthroat and closed-off, he treats people with disdain and aggression.

What an amazing character it is, though. Cagney provides a masterclass in making you interested in the fate of this complete kernt. When Edmond O’Brien tries to befriend him in the nick, you almost want Cagney to grow and become likeable, even though you know that down the line he’ll be betrayed and fall back on his previous traits.

[Atticus]

Watched Way of the Dragon yesterday. This one is so different to the other Bruce Lee films (I think it’s the only one the man himself wrote and directed). It’s like a Rumble in the Bronx fish out of water setup … with Jackie Chan slapstick/comedy vibes here and there too. Honestly, it takes a little while to get tuned in, but once you’re on board it’s a pure joy. And Bruce is incredible, whether fighting or doing nothing at all you can’t take your eyes off him. Right up to that famous showdown against Chuck in the Colosseum. Brilliant.

I kind of enjoy an unlikeable protagonist, personally. Unlikeable people often make for more interesting character studies.

Yeah, I think of the repugnance of Tony Soprano straight away, probably my fave character in anything.

[prinnysquad]

Yeah, Way of the Dragon has quite a cheeky sense of humour. Its tone surprised me.

[wakka]

Love both White Heat and Way of the Dragon, great picks.

Atticus I'm just now watching The Sopranos for the first time (recently finished S1) and Tony is a great example.

I would actually say another example for me is Zuckerberg in The Social Network. The guy is a complete dickhead but it's, obviously, a very interesting profile.

[Finsbury Girl]

Lee v Norris in the Colosseum ; peak cinema right there friends

[Neon Ignition]

Thor: Ragnarok
Easier watch for once, presumably because later films make this stand out less jarring

Annabelle: Creation
The second in the trilogy and the next to last on our revisit of the CCU. Still impresses in how much better of a film it is than the first, dials itself up nicely so keeps a solid pace throughout