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Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

John Wick 1-3

There are two thing I find refreshing about the absurd adventures of John Wick and their increasingly byzantine world building.

1. That fact that this is not based on a book, play, video game, or graphic novel. It is an "original" screenplay.... it you can call it "original".

2. The fact that the director's do not hide their action choreography with a series of quick cuts and gimmicks. They give you a good, hard, bloody look at the action. So many head shots! This allows you to appreciate the work of the professional stuntmen, B-movie star martial artists, choreographers, and even the actors who learned what they needed to learn well-enough to do it on screen.

Sure, the movie is straight up Gun Porn, with the occasional Knife-porn thrown in for some spice. However, it is really well executed, and the plot and characterization is just enough to help you get through. One is solid, almost parody of a retired hitman movie; and 2 follows that. Some of the dialogue in the sequel is word-for-word from the first; just to remind you who is who. Number 2 starts exploring the secret society stuff, and Number 3 just dives head first into it.

Amusing diversions for a weekend romp, but it is carried by great action, artistic direction, and strong cinematography with a gloss of characterization and world-building. Just enough to make it bearable to sit through all the loving-long scenes of glorious gun porn and "heroic bloodshed.

These are the movies Chow-Yun Fat wishes were available when he first came across to Hollywood.


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Using Inks and Washes





Batman:- The Doom that came to Gotham

An unusual and interesting take on the whole Batman thing, and probably one of the best of these little animated films they've done in a while. A big part of that is probably down to them using an older animation style (I just can't get used to the style they use on the newer stuff), but it's also a genuinely decent movie that doesn't really have the usual run-time issues.
   
Made in at
Buttons Should Be Brass, Not Gold!





Vienna, Austria

@Easy E: Some very good points there! Especially 1. is a boon to the series.


..so on to something unoriginal!

Power Rangers (2017)


I know next to nothing about Power Rangers. I'm familiar with the looks and the concept of a mega-zord, but that's it. So I caught it on TV last night, decided to give it a shot and see how bad it gets. It's sat in a high school in America and the jock is the main character and he gets kicked out of the sports team or something and has to go to detention. (Rest of the story: he meets other teenagers there, they end up finding colourful medallions in a cave, they find a space ship, the robot tells them that they are supposed to be a team of Power Rangers to stop the evil lady from destroying the world by killing her. This is made very explicit, which amused me.) So I thought that this would get too annoying to watch pretty fast. Much to my surprise, it didn't.

Over the course of the film I actually started liking the characters. Okay, Billy is a caricature for the first third or so of the film and mostly to drive the plot along, but he's not all bad or too one-dimensional either (dangerously close to it though). The jock isn't a bad lead, the cheerleader girl gets an interesting story and the other girl (due to two scenes in which she opens up to the group and the way the following scene works) gets possibly the most interesting scene in the film. The guy who sits around on a rock and lives in a trailer park with his mom is just a nice guy. That's a thing which I think helps a lot in making the characters un-annoying: At the core, they're nice people and don't pointlessly "give attitude".

Several scenes are reminiscent of Breakfast Club (well, the whole group very much is), and that's a very good thing in my book. If you want to present your teenage protagonists in a way that makes them at least appear like relateable or likeable characters there is no better source to go to. On a personal note, I enjoyed not seeing cellphones playing a role. They ruin films. (what also ruins films is hip hop music in action or montage scenes.That's in there. Love me some hippedy-hop and rap music, detest it in films. Especially the one they do use in these films. The trashy pop stuff with party lyrics.) In this film cellphones (and the things that come with cameras in cellphones) are adressed, but in that way I condone, in my personal rejection of smartphones and selfies and all of that.

Anyway, the kids find a space ship underneath a small lake, in it they find a (surprisigly un-annoying) CGI robot and Zargon or Zordos or what his name is, who is a big face in a wall who tells them exposition. The face in the wall is played by Brian Cranston, I later learned, but could have been played by anybody with a voice. They learn, that they have 11 days to train to be Power Rangers and KILL the evil Rita Repulsa (I'm happy they kept the - so I assume - original name. She's played by Elisabeth Banks.). Her motivations are simple - she eats gold to get more powerful (which I like) and wants to find some magic stone to destroy the world (which is boring), and the stone is hidden somewhere in the little American town everybody lives in. Another nice thing there is that all of the story takes place in this small "middle-American" (as some people in the US would call it I assume?) town and everything revolves around it.

The Power Rangers start training to find out how and when they can get their 'armour'. It takes surprisingly long until that happens and long the way we get a lot of un-annoying character stuff. And then they finally get their power rangers costumes and there's a fun fight scene and then there's the show-down and I have to say that I enjoyed that film. The fight scenes are mostly clear and you can see what happens. The very first fight scene in the film is very interesting too, the second is very fun, from then on it's kinda standard fare.

I can't give it a proper Watch It, because it's bloody Power Rangers, but just for me, as I watched this film way too late at night, it worked really well. Power Rangers is surprisingly un-annoying, takes its time with the characters (takes NO time with everything else. I feel like I must have watched a cut version or something even though the film's rated FSK12. Maybe they just left a lot on the cuttig room floor in favour of the character development / team forming bits). Based on my frame of reference it's kinda like Breakfast Club crossed with Paw Patrol. Oh, I also really liked how nobody said "family" in regards to the team. I hate the use of the f-word in regards to friends or comrades. A family isn't "friendships, but elevated". It's an entirely different things. And everybody in the film's got a family. Family can be great, it can be hell. Friendships are a different thing entirely.



edit: I also watched some episodes of Tales from the Crypt. It's alright. I was surprised about some of the actors who appear. Also - impressive names in the producing team there.

I watched the Waco documentary on Netflix. Usually I don't netflix documentaries, because I always feel like I'm being mislead by some algorithm when I see the big red N. But I know next to nothing about the Waco stuff, and they have a LOT of footage of the stuff. Surely cut together in wrong contexts at time, but it's impressive. And a very, very interesting situartion, the whole thing. They got people who were inside in interviews, the main negotiator guy and a guy of the anti-terror team (interplay between different arms of service / national instances is always interesting, because most people will assume that there's perfect flow of information between such entities and that interests are always lined up perfectly, which never ever is the case).

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2023/03/28 12:53:45


   
Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

Not just misled by the big Red N, but by the people who make Big Red N documentaries in the first place.

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Made in at
Buttons Should Be Brass, Not Gold!





Vienna, Austria

 Easy E wrote:
Not just misled by the big Red N, but by the people who make Big Red N documentaries in the first place.


It isn't exactly a sign of quality. But it's their own fault, with all the crap they throw at us.

It kinda feels like when Amazon try to make some sort of wholesome or funny or any tv commercial. As soon as the logo pops up the instant reaction is "feth off".

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2023/03/28 14:58:38


   
Made in gb
The Daemon Possessing Fulgrim's Body





Devon, UK

Insidious Chapters 1 + 2

I know I've seen the first of these, and even having watched the second the following evening, I'm still not sure if I've seen it before, which says it's own thing.

I'm not a big one for going back and rewatching stuff, the list of films and shows I'll revisit with any regularity is short, but I had genuinely very little recollection of Chapter 1, so I thought I would have a little retrospective.

There's no arguing with the influence that James Wan has wielded over 21st Century Horror, but for my money of the two big franchises he's created the Conjuring films are superior, and consequently I've never invested quite the same interest into this series.

The one thing that caught my attention this time around is how strongly evocative of the first Poltergeist film Chapter 1 is. The plot structure, cast, general mythos, it's all really easy to draw parallels. No bad thing of course, Poltergeist still by and large holds up, and arguably it's a better remake than the actual attempt. Preserving the spirit and framework without being slavishly recreated shot for shot.

Chapter 2 is not as strong, but, taking the law of diminishing returns for sequels as read, is stronger than many. The very precise call backs to the first movie are a novel idea that I've not seen done as well anywhere else before, and Patrick Wilson is clearly having a ball channelling Jack Nicholson in the final act. Other elements feel a little contrived and coincidence is stretched to breaking point at times, but Wan is a competent pair of hands and he pulls off elements in a way that others might fumble, giving credibility to the laughable.

I'm not sure I can be bothered to follow up with 3 and 4, but I will likely prioritise chapter 5 when it releases, as a return to this original family some 10+ years down the road is an interesting prospect.

We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank Howard Clark

The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.

The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” Professor Brian Cox

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Made in us
Legendary Master of the Chapter





SoCal

Antman & co: Quantumania

Finally got to see this. My first impression was “Marvel’s Aquaman minus the sex appeal.” My second impression is “what if Flash Gordon, but beige.” I didn’t think it was bad—even enjoyed some of it a lot—but can’t find any reason to recommend it or remember it.

   
Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
Antman & co: Quantumania

Finally got to see this. My first impression was “Marvel’s Aquaman minus the sex appeal.”


Hey! Paul Rudd was voted Sexiest Man Alive once!

Phase 4 has felt like the premise was, "What if the MCU was more like the DCEU?"

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Legendary Master of the Chapter





SoCal

Yes, I know he’s something of a Baldwin himself, but he has no smolder in this movie. This movie feels so sexless that he and his wife would have to buy a humidifier to reach the steaminess of “quirky barista and work wife”.

   
Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
Yes, I know he’s something of a Baldwin himself,


Liked for the Clueless reference.

Support Blood and Spectacles Publishing:
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Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

The Beyond

Some call this Lucio Fulci's seminal work. It does have some of his favorite tropes in spades:

1. Zombies
2. Gateways to Hell
3. Gratuitous eye related violence
4. Seeing-Eye dog attacks

The plot? A women inherits a hotel that supposedly covers a gateway to hell. Supposedly, an artist uncovered it 60 years previously, and got lynched for his trouble. Bad things start happening right away.

You really aren't here for the plot. Most of the whole movie is adorably contrived in that Italian horror movie way. However, if you are a fan of Italian horror movies, this is a must see. Otherwise, skip it.

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Using Inks and Washes





Resident Evil:- Welcome to Raccoon City

As a big fan of the original run of Resident Evil films I thought I'd enjoy this, and for the most part I did, I liked that that it focused more on the horror side rather than the action emphasis of the earlier films.
Then in the final 20 minutes it decided to ditch all that, and had a half-hearted stab at doing a crazy action sequence with a poorly CGI-ed monster and kinda ruined it.

The creepy, earlier sections were certainly worth a watch though.
   
Made in gb
Ridin' on a Snotling Pump Wagon






Paradise Z

It’s a Zombie movie. But….over half way into its runtime, No Sodding Zombies. Well. One as a dream. Possibly one in a field all the way over there.

I’d like to say our two main characters are interesting, but there’s barely any dialogue. And when there is (47 minutes in) they’re more wooden than a Very Wooden Thing. Oh and they finally meet two other people, only to promptly Murder Them To Death More Or Less Immediately. Because Reasons.

On top of this, despite Apocalypse? Hair, make up and clothes are immaculate. And once again, some bugger has been cutting the grass. Presumably when no-one was looking.

OH WAIT! 50 minutes into an 80 minute film? We finally get a Zombie! A….fast…sprinting zombie. In a flashback.

There are a couple of upsides for the Zombie Movie Connoisseur though. First, when heading you to gather supplies? The lasses are at least wearing forearm protection in the form of metal splints. Also knee and elbow pads. And when off to scavenge for supplies, it’s one of those electric golf cart type things you might see in a studio tour or perhaps airport. Which whilst I wouldn’t call armoured, they’ve at least assemble some form of protective cage on one side of.

Around the 53 minute mark we get non-flashback Zombies. One just got on the wrong end of Mr Baseball Bat, and we don’t even get to see the effect. All done Just Off Screen. And the Zombies look and behave unconvincing.

But, like a wounded soldier, clutching a grenade? I’ll see this out. You….you save yourself. Y’hear? Save yourself! Spare your loved ones. Run. I said run from this Grey, flaccid, lifeless abomination. RUN.

   
Made in gb
Leader of the Sept







Spectre and No Time to Die

On a bit of a Daniel Craig kick having watched the Knives Out films back to back over the last few days.

I think these are good Bond films. Nothing exceptional, but the stunts are good, the cars are sexy (until they get trashed and utterly discarded), the backdrops are gorgeous and the action is exhilarating. Blofelt is the better bad guy, but mostly because of the multi film setup rather than the new guy who is just kind of there. Also casting Moriarty as an apparent good guy is just asking for trouble

Ana di Armas is extremely fun to watch for all kinds of reasons. I think the whole cast had a good time in these films.

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

Terranwing - w3;d1;l1
51st Dunedinw2;d0;l0
Cadre Coronal Afterglow w1;d0;l0 
   
Made in gb
Ridin' on a Snotling Pump Wagon






That’s Paradise Z done and dusted.

Man it’s awful. We learn nothing about our protagonists. At all. We find out one lost a pregnancy, but that’s it. Certainly no reason or context is given as to why they just Instantly Horribly Murdered Two Men To Death On Sight. Spesh as right at the end we meet a DJ, broadcasting, only for his compound to come under attack and out girls seem terribly put out by this…so….they don’t seem to have adopted Just Murder Everyone We Meet In The Face as a particular survival tactic.

It kind of feels like the film ran out of money, and the Producer put a couple of sequences up as a stake in a Poker game he promptly lost. Maybe because if the competence of this film is reflective of their overall competence, he’d mistaken his hand of a 2, a 7 and Mrs Bun The Baker for a Royal Flush.

   
Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

D&D: Honor Among Thieves

This is a Marvel-style, Fantasy, Heist movie. If you are into that, you will like it. If that is not what you are expecting, you will not like it.

Pretty simple.

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Operation Fortune

A Guy Ritchie film. In which…erm…some stuff happens. Then more stuff. And stuff after that. Then it ends, and whilst I know stuff definitely happened, and I just watched it, I couldn’t tell you what that stuff was or what the film was actually about.

   
Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

Was this the one with Hugh Grant?

Hugh Grant has a bit of a resurgence lately.

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The Daemon Possessing Fulgrim's Body





Devon, UK

No, this is a Statham film that's just dropped on Prime today. You're thinking of The Gentleman I think.

We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank Howard Clark

The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.

The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” Professor Brian Cox

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Made in gb
Leader of the Sept







Hugh Grant is in it as well as the lead sleazeball


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

Terranwing - w3;d1;l1
51st Dunedinw2;d0;l0
Cadre Coronal Afterglow w1;d0;l0 
   
Made in gb
The Daemon Possessing Fulgrim's Body





Devon, UK

FFS, Ritchie has "collected" him now too I suppose...

We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank Howard Clark

The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.

The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” Professor Brian Cox

Ask me about
Barnstaple Slayers Club 
   
Made in gb
Ridin' on a Snotling Pump Wagon






Hugh Grant is the high point. Everyone else is just sort of there. Even Cary Elwes

   
Made in us
Decrepit Dakkanaut





 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Operation Fortune

A Guy Ritchie film. In which…erm…some stuff happens. Then more stuff. And stuff after that. Then it ends, and whilst I know stuff definitely happened, and I just watched it, I couldn’t tell you what that stuff was or what the film was actually about.


Soo. . . . a bit like "Lock, Stock. . " and "Snatch" then, yes? It honestly seems that every time a Guy Ritchie film comes up among my friends, whether it's for "you should watch it" discussions or whatnot, most of us always seem to walk away from those films wondering what the feth just happened? Like, credits roll and you just go "well, that was brilliant" or "ehh, not sure I liked that one" but regardless, you cant quite nail down the "what happened" part
   
Made in gb
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In their defence, Lock Stock and Snatch were fairly unique for their time. A fairly successful resurrection of British Crime and Farce movies of yesteryear.

Operation Fortune is….well….it’s a film, with like actors and sets and that. Not entirely convinced it has a plot though.

   
Made in gb
Ridin' on a Snotling Pump Wagon






Not a review, but a request for recommendations. I’m a dab of, and a sucker for Adventure Films. Goonies, National Treasure, Indiana Jones, even Sahara. Even better if there’s a supernatural element, like The Brendan Fraser Mummy (not you, Tom Cruise)

Don’t mind if they’re hokey and ropey as that’s part of the appeal.

   
Made in us
Legendary Master of the Chapter





SoCal

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Not a review, but a request for recommendations. I’m a dab of, and a sucker for Adventure Films. Goonies, National Treasure, Indiana Jones, even Sahara. Even better if there’s a supernatural element, like The Brendan Fraser Mummy (not you, Tom Cruise)

Don’t mind if they’re hokey and ropey as that’s part of the appeal.


So, Vibes then? Or Romancing the Stone? Or, to a lesser extent, Secondhand Lions?

There was also a TV show starring Tia Carrere called Treasure Hunters or something.

   
Made in gb
Ridin' on a Snotling Pump Wagon






Romancing the Stone and Jewel of the Nile I’ve seen, but not for a while.

I shall check out Vibes and Secondhand Lions.

And yeah. Relic Hunter. A show slightly ruined by my having seen the sidekick in underrated, underknown comedy “Preaching to the Perverted”.

   
Made in gb
Leader of the Sept







On the classic end, Princess Bride?

On the newer and creepier end I rather enjoyed Underwater with Kristen Stewart.

The Adam Project was great fun.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
When was the last time you saw Krull, or Hawk the Slayer?

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2023/04/10 09:28:46


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

Terranwing - w3;d1;l1
51st Dunedinw2;d0;l0
Cadre Coronal Afterglow w1;d0;l0 
   
Made in us
Legendary Master of the Chapter





SoCal

Secondhand Lions is structured like Big Fish, with a modern day story wrapping around someone describing his days of high adventure. Just avoid watching the deleted scene ending. It’s soooo bad.

   
Made in gb
Ridin' on a Snotling Pump Wagon






 Flinty wrote:
On the classic end, Princess Bride?

On the newer and creepier end I rather enjoyed Underwater with Kristen Stewart.

The Adam Project was great fun.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
When was the last time you saw Krull, or Hawk the Slayer?


Princess Bride? Not only seen it, but attended a wedding held at a shooting location (Penshurst Place. It’s very nice!)

Will give the others mentioned a whirl if I can find them streaming


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Bunch of them as paid-for on Prime.

Booooo! Oh well, Romancing the Stone it is!

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2023/04/10 12:56:19


   
 
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