films we just saw

Chat here about anything horror related. Be it movies, news, remakes or events.
ghouldrool
Frightfest Hardcore
Frightfest Hardcore
Posts: 1448
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2004 1:38 pm
Location: London
Contact:

Re: films we just saw

Post by ghouldrool »

Brain Scan
Early 90s sci fi schlock with Edward Furlong being far better than he was in T2. The trappings of the period it was made in are all over this with its musings on the horror "backlash" of the early 90s and cheapo morphing effects. Its uber geeky but a pleasant and breezy ride - lifted even more by a smooth performance from Frank Langella. A total nerd recieves the ultimate in video gaming which starting him down a murderous road. The ending seems a cop out at first but it makes sense and is actually true to the set up.

Where The Wild Things Are
Languid but pleasantly paced kiddie friendly art house cinema. A not particularly likeable kids rows off to some land in the back of his mind to become the king of some at times frustrating but still likeable CGI enhanced muppets. James Gandolfini providing the most appealing of the voice overs. A future late night comedown movie i thinks.

Avatar
Sometimes there are some striking visuals and a lot of effort has clearly gone into making this world seem plausible, aside from the direct link to their God cobblers. Its a shame the story strikes every predictale beat, with it seemingly like a creative writing class homework assignment in "foreshadowing". Its a much better story than the emetic dross he used as the framework to build titanic on, but as a politically slanted work of fiction (dealing with issues going on right now in the developing world such as the Yusani) it isnt as powerful or urgent feeling as The Abyss. Nor is it as exciting as Aliens or as finely paced as the only true Terminator movie (thats part one btw). Its still miles better than many of this years summer offerings were. Dances With Smurfs indeed.
But i wish cinemas would programme it so the queues werent quite so big making everyone miss the beginning of what they have come to see.

Parasmonia
Laughable excretia that is on a par with the rancid Feardotcom. Guess what its the same director, which is odd as malone made quite a decent remake (10 years ago) of Haunted Hill and one of the better masters of horror. Something is going on here and its to do with a girl who falls asleep all the time, a guy obssessed with her, a hypnotic serial killing psychiatrist who cam also invade dreams... and oh please just slice a pandas nutsack open it would be more fun.
"Just what the world needs; a schizophrenic toaster!"
ghouldrool
Frightfest Hardcore
Frightfest Hardcore
Posts: 1448
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2004 1:38 pm
Location: London
Contact:

Re: films we just saw

Post by ghouldrool »

Murder Party
Likeable little romp that reminded me somewhat of Dracula 2, Sucide Kings and After Hours. It didnt really unfold exactly as predicted even though it still ended up in a predicted place. Theres attempt here to lampoon wannabe arty types which is combined with a sense of the absurd - throwing garbage to distract assailants? The way the entire drugged up gang totally rip themselves apart rather than their intended victim has some fun moments. It all leads to a kill that can safely count as one not seen before with a direct full on chainsaw to the face.

Caddyshack 2
Ok i saw it as a kid and loathed it long before i saw the original. However to buy the original meant having to buy the double disc or wait forever and a day for retstocking. Its still not only one of the worst sequals ever made (Hidden 2 takes the no 1 spot for me) but is just out and out one of the worst films possible.

Blues Brothers 2000
Redunant follow up that features some good music to prevent it being a waste of time. Whoever thought this would be a hit must have raisins in their braincase.
"Just what the world needs; a schizophrenic toaster!"
mamawaldi
Undead Horde
Undead Horde
Posts: 265
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 10:32 am
Location: Berkshire

Re: films we just saw

Post by mamawaldi »

The Breed - Always a bad sign when the credits start and you see that the film is part funded by a tourist board; in this case South African. Well, I hope Michelle Rodriguez got a lovely holiday in Jo'burg out of it because this trashy 'killer dog' tripe did nothing for her floundering career. Kids sail to an island and get attacked by a pack of super intelligent alsations. Somehow it manages to be worse than that description suggests !

Sherlock Holmes - Bl**dy Guy Richie has r*ped one of my childhood heroes !!! Sherlock has been turned into Bruce Willis complete with kung fu skills and a comedy dog! Obviously Conan Doyle's stories are a bit dated, so the source of the plot is much more contemporary; an episode of Scooby Doo from around 1975 I suspect. CGI late Victorian London looks nice though.
streetrw
Frightfest Hardcore
Frightfest Hardcore
Posts: 1560
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2005 5:54 pm
Location: A hell of my own making
Contact:

Re: films we just saw

Post by streetrw »

There's not a lot to say about Fist Of The Warrior - it's an entirely perfunctory, bog-standard DTV martial arts revenge movie. Seen it a hundred times before - hero wants out of the mob, mob kills his girl, hero kills everyone. Mesmerisingly ordinary.

Much more fun is Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell: Hammer's last entry in the Dr F saga, with a bewigged Peter Cushing doing his usual thing in an asylum; Shane Briant and a mute Madeline Smith helping out. Once it gets into its stride it's pleasantly ghoulish with some cheerfully tasteless black comedy moments.
http://streetrw.blogspot.com - For all your occasional film rambling needs.
http://twitter.com/streetrw - For when you really need to know what I had for breakfast.

AND NOW: SKYPE!
mark
Twitching Corpse
Twitching Corpse
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2006 12:44 pm
Location: London

Re: films we just saw

Post by mark »

Saw this today and doubt I'll see a more duller two hours of cinema this year...

Deeply affecting and moving -- not with me it wasn't :([/quote]

Thats a shame - interestingly I got a similar response in these forums when I was raving about the book a couple of years ago. I guess that its one of those films/books that either gets you or doesn't. I think that it might work better if you have kids yourself, as a father of three The Road plays upon many of my worst fears regarding my responsibilities to protect my children, and as such I found it terrifying.
User avatar
sherbetbizarre
Frightfest Hardcore
Frightfest Hardcore
Posts: 1459
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2007 11:41 am
Contact:

Re: films we just saw

Post by sherbetbizarre »

mark wrote:I think that it might work better if you have kids yourself, as a father of three The Road plays upon many of my worst fears regarding my responsibilities to protect my children, and as such I found it terrifying.
Yeah, I've heard that before and it may be the problem.

For me the whole thing was so minimalist I couldn't relate to any character...
ghouldrool
Frightfest Hardcore
Frightfest Hardcore
Posts: 1448
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2004 1:38 pm
Location: London
Contact:

Re: films we just saw

Post by ghouldrool »

Night of the Sunflowers is not a schlock killer plant movie but a fantastic little crime movie with an assortment of characters all colliding in a tale told from various points of view and timelines. A good solid run time of 2 hours is filled perfectly and the story takes many twists and turns before it reaches a conclusion that is both miserable and satisfying at the same time.

Speaking of killer plants can we please set some on whoever got that abysmal Triffid compost screened over Xmas?
"Just what the world needs; a schizophrenic toaster!"
Grindhouse
Frightfest Hardcore
Frightfest Hardcore
Posts: 1689
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 6:01 pm
Location: Lincolnshire
Contact:

Re: films we just saw

Post by Grindhouse »

Orphan i couldnt believe it was 2 hours long,2 flippin hours :shock: ok twisted kid whos not all she pretends to be,enjoyable but 2 hrs long!
Beverly Hills Cop i had a trilogy day on laserdisc,the 1st one very good,cant believe it was oscar nominated,feels very down at heel,Eddie Murphy probably at his best,lots of swearing and more swearing,great buddy movie.
BHC2,yeah its got Bridget Neilson,some great music and swearing,tony scott has shot this with a george hamilton tan,its just so orange everywhere,feels a lot falser,glossier and full of that 80s sheen like so many 80s movies.
BHC3 we cant blame John Landis,well i dont i blame the studio for reaching for a sequel,with a half baked poor script,eddie murphy feels fed up,and im not far behind him.
Dirty Harry
i havent seen this in years,but man does it look good,the score by lalo schifrin is just so cool,and so is clint eastwood.
Once upon a time in the west
Sergio Leone's western masterpiece on laserdisc,a film that i just cant wait to see a br release of to see how it will look in hi def,not a film i can watch frequently but every so often i like to go back and visit and enjoy.
"Time To Nut Up Or Shut Up"
Satans Puppy
Frightfest Hardcore
Frightfest Hardcore
Posts: 1299
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 1:10 pm

Re: films we just saw

Post by Satans Puppy »

Hurt Locker... reviewing for chris and phil.. LOVED IT...

But had Mr Bale been in the movie, someone between the 57 and 58 minute mark would have been on the receiving end of a very bad tongue lashing... For those of you that have it, play a game of Where's Wally Now during the sniper scenes...
[url=http://www.peopleofifrit.net/]Puppy's Blog! Yes Indeed... updated regularly[/url]

[b]Disclaimer:[/b] This post may contain... more than likely contains an idiotic comment, feel free to ignore and move on :D
ghouldrool
Frightfest Hardcore
Frightfest Hardcore
Posts: 1448
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2004 1:38 pm
Location: London
Contact:

Re: films we just saw

Post by ghouldrool »

Blood Snow
Consider this a form of public service announcement only without the hilarious film you have to go and watch in a mobile library. This is one of the most boring and fruitless movies i have seen in a very long time. It makes Parasomnia almost bearable.
Ando from Heroes goes a touch bonkers during a prolonged stay in a supposedly cursed mountain cabin. Theres hallucinations, dreams, an aging Tiffany and micheal berryman. But nothing approaching an interesting story. Watch if you have trouble sleeping.
"Just what the world needs; a schizophrenic toaster!"
User avatar
MaxRenn
Undead Horde
Undead Horde
Posts: 478
Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2008 1:29 pm
Location: London

Re: films we just saw

Post by MaxRenn »

Daybreakers - Very frustrating watch this. The premise is superb, what if a vampire plague was followed to it's logical conclusion? How would a world entirely populated by vamps function, and what happens when the blood runs out?

This premise allows the film to make some satirical swipes at consumerist culture and some pointed commentary on the pharmaceutical industry. Unfortunately the obvious budgetary constraints mean the world is not as well realised as it should be (much more fun could have been had with vampire fashion for instance).

I would rather have had more satire and less action frankly as the film feels the need to revert to action genre cliches in ists second half. This means that too much plot is compressed into the non-action sections (a sub plot involving the Sam Neil characters human daughter should resonate far more than it does). Worse as an action flick it fails woefully with a series of unoriginal and dull chase sequences.

The script is good enough that you can see how this attracted a talented cast (Ethan Hawke, Williem Dafoe and Sam Neill) but if only writer directors The Speirig Brothers had stuck with scripting duties and found a director capable of bringing the ideas to the screen in style. John Carpenter in his heyday would have directed the hell out of it.
Last edited by MaxRenn on Mon Jan 11, 2010 3:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
There is no delight the equal of dread

http://twitter.com/MaxRenn

http://letterboxd.com/maxrenn/

Blog: http://www.chrisandphilpresent.co.uk/blogs/spectacularoptical/
rawshark
Braaaains!
Braaaains!
Posts: 503
Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2004 11:58 am
Location: London, UK
Contact:

Re: films we just saw

Post by rawshark »

Pretty much agree with this review of Daybreakers 100%...

Worth a watch, most certainly, but a slightly botched execution means not much rewatchability and unfortunately not the classic it so could have been...
It's horrible... I love it... What is it?
lupogirl
Frightfest Hardcore
Frightfest Hardcore
Posts: 907
Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2006 8:26 pm
Location: Here!

Re: films we just saw

Post by lupogirl »

Had a double bill on Saturday.

First up The Road. One of those rare films where I have not seen a trailer for. Only heard good things about it. Very grim, moving and beautifully shot film. Viggo was amazing, and seeing him lose so much weight. When you do see him naked. It brings home, just how hungry the character is. One of the things I liked was that, there was no real explanation of what happened to the world. Just the aftereffects. Very unnerving. Very much worth watching.

For a upbeat film saw Daybreakers. Rather enjoyed this one. From the stylized 40's look to the harvesting of humans. Also something else in the film I won't spoil. I thought it was different from the zombie/Vampire romance films that have been about.
"We Who Walk Here Walk Alone"
Grindhouse
Frightfest Hardcore
Frightfest Hardcore
Posts: 1689
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 6:01 pm
Location: Lincolnshire
Contact:

Re: films we just saw

Post by Grindhouse »

The Road
with the book still fresh to me,i couldnt wait to see the film,haunting touching and terrifying with terrific performances from viggo as the man and kodi as the boy,their journey,with the boy being the optimist and the man being the pessimist so closed off,in a world where everything is dead & dying and whats left of humanity is eating itself.
The final scenes for me made the film an excellent adaptation.
"Time To Nut Up Or Shut Up"
User avatar
sherbetbizarre
Frightfest Hardcore
Frightfest Hardcore
Posts: 1459
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2007 11:41 am
Contact:

Re: films we just saw

Post by sherbetbizarre »

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

Andy Serkis plays Ian Drury in this chaotic biopic, in a style not dissimilar to last years Bronson. Pretty good too...
Post Reply