films we just saw

scrobble · Post by **scrobble** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 7:23 pm

Just went to see Burn After Reading - really enjoyed it, Coen Brothers on top form with loads of the usual black humour. Would definitely recommend.

Melvin Junko · Post by **Melvin Junko** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 8:03 pm

watched In Bruges today, seen it in the cinema as well. still good for some laughs. And I wouldn't mind going to Bruges for a weekend for some sight seeing

About to watch Return to sleepaway camp. I'm not expecting much.

Notts Pete · Post by **Notts Pete** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 11:39 pm

Just watched the Tarantino -produced biker movie Hell Ride. Blimey, what a mess of a movie.
Written and directed by Larry Bishop, who also stars as the main character 'Pistolero', this ridiculous exercise in vanity induced so much unintentional laughter that I actually rolled off the sofa during one particuarly hilarious exchange of dialogue.
It's basically a muddled revenge story about a guy joining a gang of bikers called The Victors to seek-out the men responsible for murdering his Mother, thirty-odd years ago.
With a cast that includes Michael Madesn, Dennis Hopper, Vinnie Jones and (in a 5min. cameo) David Carradine, I really tried to see the good in this one, but the script gives them nothing to work with at all. They're obviously going for that ultra-hip, Tarantino-esque kinda dialogue but it just comes over as repetative, pretentious babble.
Vinnie is given WAY too much to say - and to make it worse, they thought it would be cool for him deliver it all in an American accent. There's one scene in a brothel, where his character, 'Billy Wings' is explaining the relevance of his tattoos to a young hooker that sounds like it was a nod to the 'Chet Pussy' speech in Dusk til Dawn - but just comes over as really, really unpleasant.
In fact, none of the female characters are called upon to do much more than stand around half naked waiting for their s*x scene with director/star Bishop - while the guys all seem to be competing to see who can deliver their lines in the gruffest, meanest voice. I know it sounds like I'm really picking on the fella, but Mr Bishop comes off worst here as well, varying between a poor Marlon Brando impression and the 'Papa Lazarou' character from The League of Gentlemen.
Anyhow, it all plods along for an hour and a half until a disappointing 'climax' that really doesn't explain much at all - especially why you've just wasted another 90mins of your viewing life.

Sorry if I've been a bit mean to this one. I guess I felt a bit guilty for putting a link up for it's grindhouse-style trailer the other month and wanted to warn folks before they went out an paid good money for it.

On the plus side, one of the weekend's other viewings was a very nice surprise. A good very friend gave me a copy of the action moive Wanted to watch. I'd avoided this as I really disliked Shoot Em Up and thought this looked like more of the same. Very pleasantly surprised though. Lots of fun and some top UK talent on display. Good stuff.

Grindhouse · Post by **Grindhouse** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 3:36 pm

last nights dvd viewing Dagon,which is an anagram of gonad

sorry my childish humour,i thought it would suit the gorezone readers.
So anyway theres something fishy going on in a spanish village by the sea,and so this film had my interest hook line and sinker,and not to give too much away or deliver any red herrings its loads of fun,with acursed folks,mermaids,oh and breasts too,some quite nasty scenes which we like so all round sunday night fun then?
all i kept thinking about was resident evil 4 the game,with the spanish villagers in it.

Melvin Junko · Post by **Melvin Junko** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 4:49 pm

I quite liked Dagon too, was also thinking it would make a good video game.

So I saw Return to sleepaway camp last night, the acting was so bad, the story so lame, the whole thing was just stupid. Needles to say that I loved it

could have done with some shower scenes though.

soulmining · Post by **soulmining** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:38 pm

I have to agree with the earlier comment about Eagle Eye being the most ludicrous movie of 2008... honestly, the longer it went on the dumber it got. It really annoyed me... shame after a promising start.

ghouldrool · Post by **ghouldrool** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:45 am

going out on a limb here but i enjoyed Eagle Eye precisely because it was so ludicrous. A computer able to kill using precision aimed power lines indeed!
Shia leBouf is never less than likeable, even being more interesting than the in it for the gas bill Billy Bob. could have done with the simpering female lead who looks far far too old to be a potential love interest for just learning to shave Shia.

If you want to see something really beautiful, imaginative and moving then you need to seek out The Fall. Though good luck as its on the tiniest release possible.
Its amazing and one of the finest visual movies of this decade. Some moments are truly jaw dropping while others tear jerking. honestly you wont make it through this film without blubbing at least once (i dare you to make it through Darwin losing his monkey).
The director also made the lame The Cell but here he expands on what where the best bits of that film (the Dream world) and also gets two wonderful performances from his leads.
Its criminal that this film has been buried.

The 13th Sign
Maybe ill undo all the words above in praise of The Fall by now admitting i enjoyed what saw of this early Adam Mason movie.
Sure the acting is malignant and the budget low but the story has some ambition. Also it contains a bizzarre scene where a guy head butts his way into a moving car! now if only Sol had done that in Doomsday

Grindhouse · Post by **Grindhouse** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 7:51 pm

With the 13th warrior fresh in my mind from its recent viewing,and Beowulf pretty much unforgettable, what arrived on bluray rental,Beowulf and Grendal,which considering its cast,isnt all that bad,so theres Gerard
Butler from 300,Stellan Skarsgard from King Arthur,Tony Curran from the 13th warrior,Sarah Polley from Dawn of the Dead,this version is more of a complete telling of the story without cgi,well shot in Iceland,and if you want to see Grendal getting it on with ms Polley this is troll heaven.

Reanimator · Post by **Reanimator** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:33 am

Managed to catch 3 films so far at the London Film Festival:

Tyson - the documentary about Mike Tyson. This was slow to start but was pretty good - I think it will appeal to boxing fans only however.

Two Lovers - Gwyneth Paltrow was at the screening. This was also pretty good if a little predictable towards the end.

Hunger - set during the 1981 IRA Hunger Strikes this film is extremely powerful. Michael Fassbender who was in Eden Lake goes to extraordinary lengths to show the effect of the hunger strike on his body which is reminiscent (and more) of the portrayal by Christian Bale in The Machinist. A must see movie!

Bearded Avenger · Post by **Bearded Avenger** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 12:41 pm

Smiley Face - while a stoned Anna Farris is quite a cute thing, this would have been better if it had actually had some decent jokes. Even a 1 hour 20 minute running time was too long - may have worked as a short. This is what happenned when directors of worthy indie films try their hand at Calvin and Kumar-esque humour.

lupogirl · Post by **lupogirl** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 8:27 am

soulmining wrote:I have to agree with the earlier comment about Eagle Eye being the most ludicrous movie of 2008... honestly, the longer it went on the dumber it got. It really annoyed me... shame after a promising start.

Have to agree there. A great shame that nearly all the action sequences were fast edits close up. Which made it look messy. A promising start with a ending that was on a verge of being vomit inducing.

Quite like the story itself but could of been told in a shorter running time. Shame there had to to be a romantic sub plot. Give me Taken!

Bearded Avenger · Post by **Bearded Avenger** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 12:46 pm

Paris Lockdown - violent French gangster film. I'd liken it to a flashier Mean Streets, but with no-one you can feel any sympathy with. Runs along nicely until an abrupt ending. Beatrice Dalle looks odd - plastic surgery?

PappaFreakdog · Post by **PappaFreakdog** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:22 pm

THE SERPENT - a french blackmail . psychological thriller - some particularly tense moments in the climatic scenes -- real nail biter.

Laymonite · Post by **Laymonite** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:38 pm

PappaFreakdog wrote:THE SERPENT - a french blackmail . psychological thriller - some particularly tense moments in the climatic scenes -- real nail biter.

And Olga Kurylenko in the nuddy :P

PappaFreakdog · Post by **PappaFreakdog** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 2:28 pm

And OF COURSE

Olga Kurylenko in the nuddy