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Made in at
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Vienna, Austria

@Kung Fu Panda: Watched that one loads of years ago (still loads after the release) and impressed with the look of the fight scenes.


 Easy E wrote:
After watching Matrix 4, I went back and watched all three of the other Matrix films.

I know Reloaded and Revolutions get a lot of flak, but I think as a trilogy they hold together fine. The music, action, and psuedo-philosophy are all fine by me. Sure, there are a couple scenes and production choices that are "meh", but overall all three together deliver.

I put it up there with most of the big geek trilogy/film series and would feel like it can hold its own up against any of them.


I'm too lazy to put up with 2 and 3 to be honest. I watched the second one at the cinema, and didn't really bother with 3. The Matrix is a great film, and was exactly the right film at the right time. And there are soooooo many themes to explore with these films, but somehow I don't think they did.



Just rewatched Porco Rosso. Great film, watch it.
Watched most of Ghostbusters 2. Yeah, well. I don't know. It's alright-ish, innit? I'm not wild about Ghostbusters, but what I really, really appreciate about it is the look of the ghosts. These are great effects.



Home for the Holidays (1995)


Lady (got a cold, just got fired, played by Holly Hunter) goes home to the town where she grew up to spend Thanksgiving with her familiy. Loads of good actors (the cast is really impressive) play roles in that family, among them 1990s Robert Downey Jr., being very much 90s Robert Downey Jr.

It's a neat film. Characters, ensemble cast, comedy, drama, kinda genuine, all these things keep happening.

Spoiler:
I could have done without the romantic angle between Holly Hunter and that guy who's in a lot of films.


I'll Watch It when it's on TV; because it's a nice, pleasurable film to watch.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/01/15 01:39:21


   
Made in us
Decrepit Dakkanaut





Dune

The new one. the 2021 version, by Denis Villeneuve (sp?).


My short review is, when the feth is part 2 coming out?!? Ironically, this movie covers events about as far into the books as I've read (I had/have it on Kindle. . . but hate reading via that medium so. . . yea, never finished it) so that was pretty cool, even if a bit unintentional.



The longer review, obviously, I love it. Now, you can definitely tell it was made by Denis Villeneuve, in terms of feeling like "I've seen this before". For me this was no bad thing, as I personally am of the opinion that Dune was done right, and Denis' way/method of film making, the shots he uses are no bad thing. It doesn't feel like you're mixing multiple movies together at all. It feels distinctly Dune, but it feels familiar, like you've had it for a while.

The sound and soundtrack was, spot on. Now, I'm not sure if the soundtrack works on its own. Like, I dont know if it will make it onto the "GW approved iPod" playlist with the LOTR and Gladiator soundtracks. But for me, the sound work fit the film, and set the mood without going over the top, or feeling like it was the wrong choice for the scene.


My only "critique" was Baron Harkonnen. I'm sure most of yall have read the book, and he's supposed to be like, Jabba the Hutt huge, and even in this version he isn't. I guess it really, truly is that difficult to make a fat suit big enough for his literary description. That said, I cannot fault the actor at all, he played the role quite well.
   
Made in gb
Executing Exarch





The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf

Looked and felt very Castlevania but passable bit of back story and world building

"AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED." 
   
Made in us
Secret Force Behind the Rise of the Tau




USA

Cold Feet

Watched this out of sheer boredom for anything.

Actually not terrible. It's kind of like the Hangover but with a ghost and lower budget. The actors are surprisingly okay in their rolls, the back and the plot, while not laugh out loud funny, is amusing. The movie is kind of overburdened with too many characters but I get the sense this was a project by a group of friends. They didn't do too bad.

   
Made in in
[MOD]
Otiose in a Niche






Hyderabad, India

Netflix Cowboy Bebop

I actually really liked it. I liked how it was the 70s but also the future and also IN SPACE. I liked the actors.

I thought the finale was a bit much with everyone dealing with multiple bullet wounds by walking them off. I appreciate that in THE FUTURE multiple bullet wounds might be an outpatient procedure but they need to at least get some medical care. Even if they were just slapping on med-patches or giving themselves nano-healing-potion-stuff shots throughout I could accept that handwave. I see this much too much in action films these days (John Wick I assume just has a mutant healing factor) and it's getting annoying.

Other than that I don't see the reason for the bile directed at it. Was it just because Faye Valentine wore pants? Deserved a second season at least.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/01/17 10:00:43


 
   
Made in at
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Vienna, Austria

Feel free to dismiss this post, because it's just about TV and not proper film.


I just was at my sister's for some movie watching thing. We ended up watching two episodes of Emergency Room, season 1. Dang, that was a good show, at least for the first four or so seasons. I always tied the end of my interest in the show to Sherry Springfield leaving. And it holds up. I mean there's some wackiness, but it's good TV.

   
Made in jp
Regular Dakkanaut




 Sigur wrote:
Feel free to dismiss this post, because it's just about TV and not proper film.


I just was at my sister's for some movie watching thing. We ended up watching two episodes of Emergency Room, season 1. Dang, that was a good show, at least for the first four or so seasons. I always tied the end of my interest in the show to Sherry Springfield leaving. And it holds up. I mean there's some wackiness, but it's good TV.


The thing that always strikes me is how real the hospital feels. And a big part of that is how many random extras there are everywhere, holding a bleeding arm or something, even if they never have a word of dialogue. It makes a huge difference to how alive it feels.

Eg this scene - https://youtu.be/Q6FIeUwQNR4

Maybe 7-8 people with significant dialogue, but dozens and dozens of people on set.

Even pre Covid, I started noticing fewer and fewer extras in hospital shows and a much less grubby, lived-in feel, nothing close to the slushy-pavement-walked-into-the-lobby feeling of the ER set.

Have we got a general tv thread?

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2022/01/21 00:22:43


 
   
Made in us
Terrifying Doombull




 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
Netflix Cowboy Bebop

I actually really liked it. I liked how it was the 70s but also the future and also IN SPACE. I liked the actors.

I thought the finale was a bit much with everyone dealing with multiple bullet wounds by walking them off. I appreciate that in THE FUTURE multiple bullet wounds might be an outpatient procedure but they need to at least get some medical care. Even if they were just slapping on med-patches or giving themselves nano-healing-potion-stuff shots throughout I could accept that handwave. I see this much too much in action films these days (John Wick I assume just has a mutant healing factor) and it's getting annoying.

Other than that I don't see the reason for the bile directed at it. Was it just because Faye Valentine wore pants? Deserved a second season at least.


I liked the first 2/3rds of it pretty well. It had some hard misses at times, but for the most part it was fine. The deeper it got into Spike's backstory the less invested I was and the flashback episode (9) broke me completely. But to be honest, I felt the exact same way about the original anime, though at least there I didn't have to suffer through as many scenes with Vicious and Julia.

But it also didn't feel as fun and entertaining as the original- some parts were just the painful parts of mundane banality

Efficiency is the highest virtue. 
   
Made in us
Decrepit Dakkanaut





Casualty wrote:

The thing that always strikes me is how real the hospital feels. And a big part of that is how many random extras there are everywhere, holding a bleeding arm or something, even if they never have a word of dialogue. It makes a huge difference to how alive it feels.



Agreed. . . I mean, I haven't watched /that/ hospital show, but the success of a given show depends greatly on its environment being right. Its partially why another hospital show, Scrubs, was so successful. Even my sister in-law, who is a nurse multiple times over (she has a nurse practitioner degree, as well as the masters and bachelors before that) absolutely LOVES scrubs, and will point out just how much they got right in that show.
   
Made in gb
Joined the Military for Authentic Experience





On an Express Elevator to Hell!!

Frailty [2001]

I so wanted to love this film. Am a massive Bill Paxton fan, and he directed and starred in this psychological/supernatural thriller.

Excellent performances by him, Matthew McConaughey, Powers Booth - even the kids acting in it are brilliant.

I thought the film was great until the last 10 minutes, when it lent way to heavily on the supernatural element and didn't really leave any space for ambiguity.

I guess part of the problem is me - I will accept aliens, ghosts, vampires, whatever. But the moment the Christian/Evangelical idea of God comes into it I immediately switch off. I found the same thing with Book of Eli, liked the film until you found
Spoiler:
at the end that Denzil Washington had actually been blind the whole way through the film and God was guiding his bullets.


I can imagine it was probably very popular in the American heartlands and a different audience to myself.

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Vienna, Austria

 Pacific wrote:
Frailty [2001]

I so wanted to love this film. Am a massive Bill Paxton fan, and he directed and starred in this psychological/supernatural thriller.

Excellent performances by him, Matthew McConaughey, Powers Booth - even the kids acting in it are brilliant.

I thought the film was great until the last 10 minutes, when it lent way to heavily on the supernatural element and didn't really leave any space for ambiguity.

I guess part of the problem is me - I will accept aliens, ghosts, vampires, whatever. But the moment the Christian/Evangelical idea of God comes into it I immediately switch off. I found the same thing with Book of Eli, liked the film until you found
Spoiler:
at the end that Denzil Washington had actually been blind the whole way through the film and God was guiding his bullets.


I can imagine it was probably very popular in the American heartlands and a different audience to myself.



I watched that one in cinemas and really enjoyed it.

I have no problem with christian themes and supernatural stuff. At least it's not the usual fantasy crap we're all overfed with anyway. And it builds up on well-known traditions and background knowledge we all have so it feeld more immediate than some stuff that's been made up for that film specifically, which always seems like an unnecessary crutch.
Didn't know it was directed by Bill Paxton though. Neat.


Must have missed that bit about Book of Eli. I thought that the important thing we was carrying was a bible. and I'm all well with that. Not the worst thing to consider an important thing. Unless you insist that it's been written by god or is to be taken literally. That's about on the level of considering Space Marines the good guys in 40k.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2022/01/21 20:08:05


   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut





Oxfordshire

Cars

Somehow I've never gotten around to watching this before. Over all it's a fairly run of the mill kids movie with a good number of adult jokes hidden in the text. I was relieved that the end didn't finish with the cliché "hero backslides on their character development in the last twenty minutes to create false suspense" and instead had a conclusion that showed consistent character development to the end.

Well done and all wrapped in a nice package with, for me, two stand out moments.

1) "Luigi only follows Ferrari!"
As an F1 fan, the moment an Italian turned up I hoped he was Tifosi and I wasn't disappointed. I'm going to be quoting this for days.

2) Tractor tipping. I lost it at this point. Whoever conceived of this is a genius. I lost the plot and was howling with laughter. Just as I collect myself the camera pans to the underside of a tractor to see four nuts and bolts dangling under the bovine stand-in and I lose it all over again.

This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 2022/01/22 15:24:31


 
   
Made in at
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Vienna, Austria

Meat Loaf: In Search of Paradise (2007)

When I read that Meat Loaf had died I instantly had to listen to some fine, fine music and happened across this documentary (available on youtube). It follows Meat Loaf on his 2007 tour, and I think that it does a really good job at conveying the sort of passion the guy had for his work. Or rather the possession to 'get it right'. Not for a second he's satisfied with a gig, he takes the smallest niggles by critics personal and works on correcting it. Either due to a frail personality, or due to the fact that he lost it all before and remembers that his status may be as fleeting as back in the late 1980s or just to 'show them'. Not that all his ideas were great, but I just enjoy the fantastic element of him insisting in playing out the teenage love drama of Paradise By The Dashboard Light on stage with a tiny actress in her 20s. It's not a good idea, it looks odd at best, but the mindset in which this sounds like the only right thing to do is just enviable. To have a vision for a thing so clearly and the conviction that this has to be done this way AND to be in the position in which it actually is put on stage like that... that's an impressive mix.

The guy was an artist, very concerned with minute little details about the stage show, and very much willing to suffer for his work. Maybe because he didn't know it any other way. There probably was as much theatrics to his own person as to the characters he played in the songs (they talk about that in the documentary too. Very interesting.).

Watch It.
I mean the guy rocked. He was the most unlikely of rock stars, which made him one of the greatest.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/01/22 23:17:19


   
Made in us
Decrepit Dakkanaut





 Sigur wrote:

Must have missed that bit about Book of Eli. I thought that the important thing we was carrying was a bible. and I'm all well with that. Not the worst thing to consider an important thing. Unless you insist that it's been written by god or is to be taken literally. That's about on the level of considering Space Marines the good guys in 40k.



Yeah. . . he was more "daredevil" than he was "guided by god" (ie, his "heightened" senses guided him, not some supernatural bs). . . And Even as anti-religion / anti-christianity as I am, I rather enjoyed Book of Eli. Throughout the movie he's carrying a "most important" book. They make mention that its been used to bring hope, and its been used to oppress, so it was important to get it into the "right" hands.
   
Made in gb
Joined the Military for Authentic Experience





On an Express Elevator to Hell!!

 Sigur wrote:
 Pacific wrote:
Frailty [2001]

I so wanted to love this film. Am a massive Bill Paxton fan, and he directed and starred in this psychological/supernatural thriller.

Excellent performances by him, Matthew McConaughey, Powers Booth - even the kids acting in it are brilliant.

I thought the film was great until the last 10 minutes, when it lent way to heavily on the supernatural element and didn't really leave any space for ambiguity.

I guess part of the problem is me - I will accept aliens, ghosts, vampires, whatever. But the moment the Christian/Evangelical idea of God comes into it I immediately switch off. I found the same thing with Book of Eli, liked the film until you found
Spoiler:
at the end that Denzil Washington had actually been blind the whole way through the film and God was guiding his bullets.


I can imagine it was probably very popular in the American heartlands and a different audience to myself.



I watched that one in cinemas and really enjoyed it.

I have no problem with christian themes and supernatural stuff. At least it's not the usual fantasy crap we're all overfed with anyway. And it builds up on well-known traditions and background knowledge we all have so it feeld more immediate than some stuff that's been made up for that film specifically, which always seems like an unnecessary crutch.
Didn't know it was directed by Bill Paxton though. Neat.


I did have a think about my post on this and think I missed the mark a bit, upon reflection.

My problem isn't that it has Christian supernatural themes. I'm fine with that actually, watched the Exorcist, The Omen, other horror films etc. In the latter case, even though its aged a bit I really enjoyed those films. But in those cases there was a clear understanding of what the film was going to be and it felt a natural fit. With Frailty, it swerved away from someone having what seemed like a nervous breakdown and what was a murder/thriller, into a last moment shoe-horn of a religious explanation for what had been happening. So I kind of felt like I was tricked

That was I think the problem I had with it, rather than it being the Christian themes themselves.


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Vienna, Austria

@Ensis Ferrae: Aye, that sounds a bit much. I'm okay with the bible being the book, but the fact that the blind dude without help did all that stuff was a bit much. Wasn't the blindness also a bit of a twist thing as well?

@Pacific: Yeah, I get what you're saying. IIRC the film was bascially about a religious nutjob and his sons. The reveal in the end lessened the intrigue and steered everything straight into a "a wizard did it" direction.


Haven't seen anything since yesterday I think. Well, I watched "Abenteuer im Schloss" (Adventures in the Castle) with half an eye. Austrian music/revue film from 1952 with minimal story, and lots of competently done dancing, music and costumes. Basically what was available in Austria at the time. But that's it. Very unremarkable.

   
Made in us
Decrepit Dakkanaut





 Sigur wrote:
@Ensis Ferrae: Aye, that sounds a bit much. I'm okay with the bible being the book, but the fact that the blind dude without help did all that stuff was a bit much. Wasn't the blindness also a bit of a twist thing as well?


It may be a tad much, but its kind of how I remember it?? Like, opening fight scene they kind of act it out like he has sensitive hearing and thus heard baddies surrounding him, a la Daredevil (though they dont make Eli as extreme as ol' Matt Murdock) Also, it has been a bit since I seen the movie, so maybe the blindness was a plot twist in its own right, i dont remember.


Since others are mentioning horror genre stuff, the missus and I have been semi-slowly watching Archive 81 on the Netflix. Its a pretty good psychological horror type thing where they really mess with your senses in pretty much every episode. And, it seems like just when youve figured out the "rules" of the game in the show, they go and flip them, messing with you further.
   
Made in gb
Joined the Military for Authentic Experience





On an Express Elevator to Hell!!

Night Hunter [2019] (also known as Nomis)

I failed to follow my own advice and not watch films with big actors in that I haven't heard of; in this case Ben Kingsley, Henry Cavill, Stanley Tucci.

The film was entertaining, for entirely the wrong reasons. Quite large plot holes, suspension of disbelief trampled. The worst of these is the police's apprehension of a mentally disabled individual (he was running around in his underpants dancing at the point of arrest) and could barely string a sentence together - think almost Opie from Family Guy if you know that show - yet they are convinced he is some criminal mastermind, despite car bombs and elaborate traps going off whilst he is incarcerated.

It had some nice ideas and some beautifully shot scenes, but the whole thing just felt badly put together. Cavill was wooden as hell, with the few scenes attempting to introduce some emotion feeling forced. Ben Kingsley wasted, the female lead (Alexandra Daddario) just there for close-ups of her, admittedly beautiful, blue eyes.

It's rated 5.9 on IMDB, I would probably drop it a point or two lower.

PS - also has a very brief, explosive appearance (almost cameo role - he isn't even listed on the cast on Rotten Tomatoes) of Firefly's Nathan Fillion.

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2022/01/24 16:05:16


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Vienna, Austria

Die Wannseekonferenz (2022)

Made-for-TV German/Austrian co-production about the Wannsee conference held in 1942 by German SS, SD, state secretaries, legislature, army, etc. delegates in which Heydrich presented Himmler's plans for the murder of all Jewish people in Europe.

The meeting protocol was found after the war, which (despite Heydrich and pals went over it before sending it out to all the other participants) pretty meticulously gives us an insight about what was talked about at this important meeting. Looking at the language used we get an even more ghoulish and creepy impression of the whole affair, as what we witness is pretty much the top of a bureaucracy putting efficiency first under an inhuman regime.

...and of course it's pretty easy to put into film. And possibly pretty hard as well. You need very precise and nuanced acting, and the same goes for the camera and whole staging. I watched the 1984 version (then also made for German TV) several times. Honestly, I have no idea why you would have to remake the film at all, because that worked really well. [Yes, somebody else did a version in 2001 as well (starring Kenneth Brannagh and others), I think I saw it, it didn't really stick.]

Anyway, with the 1984 version in my head I went into this new 2022 version which just premiered on TV earlier tonight. I was very worried, but soon my worries dissolved. This version is even more precise than the 1984 version, which at times looked cosy, had some banter between participants during breaks (not that this didn't make them seem any less sinister, but there were a few more jovial bits in there). This 2022 version leans even more heavily on the burocratic language and the coldness, up until the end when certain concerns are voiced about the humanitarian aspect. Instantly, all the others are snapping at the one person, rattling through all the usual NSDAP party rethorics. Quite nicely showing that they're fully aware of what they're doing there; not just the participants coming straight from the Eastern Front where they lead Einsatzgruppen, but also the higher-ups, the delegates of the legislature, exterior ministry, and so on. Of course the humanitarian concerns voiced were only meant in regards to the mental wellbeing of the German soldiers / SS personnell carrying out the murders. I found this to be a great little twist, because this is a very contemporary approach to such a situation, and maybe one we should give a bit more thought. I'm pretty darned sure that this bit was given some more space than in the 1984 version. At least it struck me as pretty impressive.

Otherwise, it's pretty much the usual fare. Solid, solid actors in an intimate play doing as little acting as possible, but get the point across.


Watch It. It's interesting, it's ghoulish, it's well made.

   
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MN (Currently in WY)

I vaguely recall the Brannagh version.

This sounds like the worst sorts of horrifying.

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Vienna, Austria

Oh, it is. Because it's like any other meeting among technocrats/brutal upstarts/elbow careerists/lawyers, and the topic is "my boss came up with this awesome solution for a problem in our organization, and here's how we implement it", meaning the murder of millions of people. Which was going on already at the time, but the idea was to make it faster, more efficient, minimize friction and less expensive.


A real hack idea for a new film of course would have been turning it into a zoom meeting or something. The documentarian approach is very much suited.

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2022/01/25 10:34:33


   
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On an Express Elevator to Hell!!

That sounds really interesting Sigur, do you know if it is on any streaming platforms?

The kind of thing I usually find deeply unpleasant to watch, but is actually quite important to do so - especially at the moment, with some of the challenges the world faces and the worrying slide towards populism.

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Vienna, Austria

Yus, it shows pretty well how inhumane politics are organized once they've become the norm.

Pretty sure the latest film isn't streaming anywhere except ZDF and ORF's websites for now (so can probably be watched via VPN, but won't have english subtitles). The english-language 2001 film named Conspiracy probably streams somewhere. It's a bit hard for me to look up because different countries stream different stuff, have different streaming platforms and so on. The 1984 film can be watched for free on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YAjKUdT3JE

German language with English subtitles. I'm rewatching the 1984 version right now to see how it's different from the 2022 version. Both stick very close to the conference protocols (and basically run in real time since the meeting only took about 90 minutes). The banter before and after is a bit more dramatized of course. From what I read, the 2001 film Conspiracy sticks less close to the protocols, not the least due to language barriers, but I think they also tried to humanize Heydrich somehow in between. Not sure.


edit: Catching up on Cowboy Bebop (the original one, obviously). I enjoy it greatly. Seems like I have to shift my cut-off date for alright-to-watch anime back for yet another year.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/01/26 21:42:27


   
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On an Express Elevator to Hell!!

Thanks mate I will look that one up on Youtube!

Flesh + Blood [1985]

This was definitely a different one! If you don't want to read this review, in one sentence I'll say "fethed-up version of the Princess Bride directed by Paul Verhoeven" - so go with that

I have been trying to watch this film for ages, it wasn't available for some time and only just arrived on streaming services (you can watch now on Apple and Amazon). It was apparently Paul Verhoeven's first English-language film, strarring Rutger Hauer, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tom Burlinson. it's a historical fiction based in 16th century Europe, about a group of mercenaries (lead by Rutger Hauer) who are double-crossed by their paymaster. As revenge they kidnap a local wealthy family's daughter (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and hold up in a castle - carnage ensues.

What I will say is if you enjoy Paul Verhoeven films then you will probably like this one, even though it's an early work from him it has a lot of the hallmarks of very dark sense of humour, some satire and definite gross-out, revolting scenes. There are a couple of scenes in particular that are difficult to watch and I would say this film would probably not be possible to release today. Certainly, you can tell it's not a 'Hollywood' film by a British or American director, it's pretty quirky and the plot zig-zags in a way that can be quite surprising.
Rutger Hauer is great in the lead role (I will say protagonist - certainly not a hero!) and saunters through as a kind of Roy Batty - incidentally he is also joined by actor Brion James from Blade Runner, in amongst his band of rogues.

Finally, I really liked the way this film, while a-historical, painted that period as dirty, unheroic, unglamorous time where life was cheap and spent easily. The sets are pretty well made, considering this was probably made on quite a limited budget, and the pacing isn't too bad for a film that is 37 years old.

Will give a cautious recommend if you are after something a bit different, like Paul Verhoeven films, and don't have too thin a skin!

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MN (Currently in WY)

I always mix up Flesh + Blood and Ladyhawke in my deeply flawed UHF station memory from the 80 and early 90s.

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Ridin' on a Snotling Pump Wagon






Drive Angry

Nic Cage. The devil. Cars. Guns. Violence.

This is a very very silly film. Probably worth watching if you’re in the mood for a laugh.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2022/01/28 16:30:17


   
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Leader of the Sept







Ladyhawke is class. It’s totally ropey, but they really got some good chemistry between the leads.

Please excuse any spelling errors. I use a tablet frequently and software keyboards are a pain!

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Buttons Should Be Brass, Not Gold!





Vienna, Austria

.) Flesh and Blood sounds proper interesting, even though I'm so thin skinned.... let's see...

.) Never seen Ladyhawke, only know the soundtrack. Soundtrack passes muster.

.) I really like Drive Angry.

   
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Otiose in a Niche






Hyderabad, India

The Prisoner (2009 remake)

So the original The Prisoner is a f'ing classic and does not need remaking. I think my roommate managed to get like 3 term papers out of analyzing it. But sooner or later it had to happen and in 2009 it did.

I think it was Aristotle who said "If you aim to kill a king don't make a leaden paced inconsistent meandering remake that no one watched."

The first episode was properly decent. A man resigns from an Evil Big Data company and promptly wakes up in the desert meets Not Patrick McGoohan and finds himself in a village where everyone has a number instead of a name. Namibia substitutes for Wales in this remake and there's some great visuals.

Then they @#$% with mind for a while. And then it gets boring, then really boring, then you don't care, and then there's a twist and then you realize you don't care, and then you put on the DVD commentary to see if these people had any idea what they were doing and then you find out they did not and they were literally changing key plot points in the editing room.

The end.

ONE STAR. Could've gotten 2 stars but really if you're doing a remake of something awesome it either has to be really good or really horrible. No room for dull.

 
   
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Buttons Should Be Brass, Not Gold!





Vienna, Austria

I didn't even know they remade that. The insanity. Was that just so somebody could keep their trademark going?
Remaking the Prisoner of all things. At this point I just feel bad for the people who put actual work and effort into these doomed-from-the-start projects (so not any of the studios folk). For the studios it's just a write-off, for the people involved it's their livelyhoods.

It's interesting though; the story fits our time really, really well, and using Evil Big Data company is correct there. Still, I think the show is just too iconic for being a 60s thing to be anything but that. Why don't they just make original shows? I'm actually pretty convinced that they made the horribly bad new MacGyver show and the I-don't-even-care-how-bad-it-is Lethal Weapon show to have people zapping on TV lure in by making them think (or hope) "oh, it's MacGyver. I could watch that.", only to find out, that it's the new one, but they hope by then people are weak enough not to turn off.




Last night I watched the first 15 minutes of Police Academy. Never liked those films much. I mean what I saw (haven't seen PA1 in aaaaages) wasn't that bad really. I mean it is bad, but it's not offensively bad, just a bit embarassing. I Never liked Michael Winslow's act in films. I'm sure he's mind-boggling on stage, but in films it always feels like a stuck-on gimmick.

   
 
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