Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
Emanuelle in Space used to play all the time in cable.

...and I haven't seen it a single time! Life's not fair.



@Easy E: Quite probably so. I was thinking if I'd ratehr watch all the Marvel films in a row or all the Emanuelle films. Pretty sure I'd go for the second option.

The Emmanuelle version of Avengers Endgame probably has a bigger climax.

Die Brücke (1958)

Pretty sure I wrote about this one before. It's about a group of boys aged 16 or so during the last weeks of the war. They sign up for military service, because that's what they were brought up to do and eventually they even get called in. After woefully short training they are moved to a combat unit, along with old veterans and more kids. A well-meaning company commander is able to have the group stationed to guard a tiny little bridge in their home town.

Powerful film, that. It's pretty much like Starship Troopers, if Starship Troopers wasn't a satire on propaganda, militarism and all of that. Other than Starship Troopers they also got a bunch of good actors. Despite the heavy subject it's surprisingly "easy to sit through". 98 minutes, and more action-y than I remembered it to be. The best part though is the establishing scenes about the boys, how they interact with each other, about their home lives. It's interesting to see how all the adults try to either cope with the situation of the front lines drawing nearer or try to flee, but the boys don't even seem to notice as they're busy being teenagers.


Watch It. It's really good.


Apparently there's a remake from 2008 by a German private tv channel, and from what I read it's about as good as these factors would imply. So do watch the original. Back then it won a golden globe and was nominated for an Academy Award too.

 LordofHats wrote:
It really is a terrible movie. Most in the second and third thirds. Like, the first third of the movie isn't bad. Except for their decision to 'let's just go to this random planet we know nothing about with tens of thousands of lives at stake because religion metaphors or some banal gak we hope you won't look too hard at.'

It has Matrix sequel Syndrome: between the already-not-stellar, but passable Prometheus and this, about three movies worth of exposition and material was put out in comics, none of which the average moviegoer had any idea about. As a result of this, a script that barely clears the bar as a typical stalker monster movie dissolves into an unintelligible mess overladen with deep philosophical discussions nobody understands because half the argument happened off-screen. The end result is a dumb movie with predictable twists and confusing dialogue.

Evil Dead Rise

Was looking forward to this one, I'm a big fan of the original (as in 2013, not the original originals which goes without saying.)

After a typically brutal Evil Dead opening, we step back 24 hours, and relocate, in one of the big departures from the previous installments, to the city. LA to be precise.

After an establishing period where we get to know the protagonists, we transition into what I felt was the weakest part of the film, not only because the sequence of events is tenuous at best (forgivable, especially as essentially any story becomes a story because unlikely things occur) but also because we see Peter Parker get bitten by the spider again. (Figuratively speaking.)

At this point I was bored, it all felt a bit like the film was going to rely on its new location and simply tell the same story we've seen many times before.

To a point, this is true, but thankfully the execution of the back half of the movie is worthy of the Evil Dead mantle. At this point, that almost means two things, the almost camp, OTT nature of the Campbell era, and the far darker, more brutal modern films.

Rise manages to keep a foot in both camps though. The gore, including a tribute to The Shining, is excessive to the point of bordering on hilarity. The violence, especially the malicious glee the deadites inflict on their own host bodies, is enough to make your toes curl (although thankfully no fingernail stuff which is my own personal pain point.)

It's not perfect, but Rise does enough in the end, it's just a shame it treads a little more old ground than I'd like to get there. Hopefully it isn't another decade before the next one.

Tsagualsa wrote:

 LordofHats wrote:
It really is a terrible movie. Most in the second and third thirds. Like, the first third of the movie isn't bad. Except for their decision to 'let's just go to this random planet we know nothing about with tens of thousands of lives at stake because religion metaphors or some banal gak we hope you won't look too hard at.'

It has Matrix sequel Syndrome: between the already-not-stellar, but passable Prometheus and this, about three movies worth of exposition and material was put out in comics, none of which the average moviegoer had any idea about. As a result of this, a script that barely clears the bar as a typical stalker monster movie dissolves into an unintelligible mess overladen with deep philosophical discussions nobody understands because half the argument happened off-screen. The end result is a dumb movie with predictable twists and confusing dialogue.

No amount of extra material would ever pull whatever nonsense that movie was trying to make together.

In comparison, Prometheus was a medicore film that at least put real effort into trying to be deep. It didn't come together at all sure, but it tried. Covernant was just lazy.

We Summon The Darkness

This is good, really really good. I’ll admit the opening credits mentioning “The Litecoin Foundation” very nearly put me off, as I’m stupidly adverse to crypto as a rule.

But I’m glad I didn’t. Because as said, this is really, really good. And definitely worth a watch.

 LordofHats wrote:

Tsagualsa wrote:

 LordofHats wrote:
It really is a terrible movie. Most in the second and third thirds. Like, the first third of the movie isn't bad. Except for their decision to 'let's just go to this random planet we know nothing about with tens of thousands of lives at stake because religion metaphors or some banal gak we hope you won't look too hard at.'

It has Matrix sequel Syndrome: between the already-not-stellar, but passable Prometheus and this, about three movies worth of exposition and material was put out in comics, none of which the average moviegoer had any idea about. As a result of this, a script that barely clears the bar as a typical stalker monster movie dissolves into an unintelligible mess overladen with deep philosophical discussions nobody understands because half the argument happened off-screen. The end result is a dumb movie with predictable twists and confusing dialogue.

No amount of extra material would ever pull whatever nonsense that movie was trying to make together.

In comparison, Prometheus was a medicore film that at least put real effort into trying to be deep. It didn't come together at all sure, but it tried. Covernant was just lazy.

If you want actually-good alien movie things, and can't wait for Alien:Romulus which is now supposedly filming, i can recommend the handful of short stories that emerged as the result of am competition held on occasion of the Alien franchises' 40th birthday. These are actually good, and legally available on Youtube for free:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0tIu7zvQcw&list=PLi8Cw1FZz4ZPp-pq7uaycsb6XglTNtxez

They also have a delightful B-Movie charm about them

Watched Cross of Iron. As good as it ever was.




Bill and Ted Face the Music (2020)

It's perfectly OK. In 2 days I will remember nothing about this though. It feels rather disjointed and direct-to-video. Or like a youtube special or something (not the least due to the digital look). The actors all do a fine job and are well cast for their roles. First time I saw the Louise Belcher voice lady in anything non-Bob's-Burgers, but I find he voice to make things endearing (probably because I like Bob's Burgers a whole lot). The robot looked like it would suck, but it ended up being a rather fun addition. So basically they do all the things the writers considered people expecting them to do and the song in the end was rubbish.

It's an OK film though. Which probably makes it all the more evil, because it's feeding off nostalgia and it's okay? Somehow I'm pretty sure that's rather evil, but I can't quite put my finger on it yet. Anyway. It's okay. But also utterly unremarkable.

I have to add that I watched this on Netflix, which seems to make me like films less than if I'd caught them on TV by accident. Are you familiar with this? Watching films on netflix always feels a bit stale and like doing a chore as opposed to linear tv, which weirdly feels like having more of a choice. Like being allowed to turn it off and then it's gone and not one more thing added to the digital to-do/consume pile half-finished.

UHF

The Weird Al comedy classic. Never fails to make us laugh.

 Sigur wrote:
Watched Cross of Iron. As good as it ever was.




Bill and Ted Face the Music (2020)

It's perfectly OK. In 2 days I will remember nothing about this though. It feels rather disjointed and direct-to-video. Or like a youtube special or something (not the least due to the digital look). The actors all do a fine job and are well cast for their roles. First time I saw the Louise Belcher voice lady in anything non-Bob's-Burgers, but I find he voice to make things endearing (probably because I like Bob's Burgers a whole lot). The robot looked like it would suck, but it ended up being a rather fun addition. So basically they do all the things the writers considered people expecting them to do and the song in the end was rubbish.

It's an OK film though. Which probably makes it all the more evil, because it's feeding off nostalgia and it's okay? Somehow I'm pretty sure that's rather evil, but I can't quite put my finger on it yet. Anyway. It's okay. But also utterly unremarkable.

I have to add that I watched this on Netflix, which seems to make me like films less than if I'd caught them on TV by accident. Are you familiar with this? Watching films on netflix always feels a bit stale and like doing a chore as opposed to linear tv, which weirdly feels like having more of a choice. Like being allowed to turn it off and then it's gone and not one more thing added to the digital to-do/consume pile half-finished.

Whilst I don’t disagree with your summary of Face the Music?

I submit a Defence that it didn’t try to reinvent the the wheel, and the important beats were all there. Sadly not quite the sum of its parts, it remains a decent enough Latter Day Sequel, and as is important with such things, didn’t take a big old dump on the originals. And to be honest, it not being quite as good as it’s predecessors, given how good those are, is not a massive crime

Most importantly? It was made with love for the material, and not a somewhat cynical attempt to keep hold of the rights

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
UHF

The Weird Al comedy classic. Never fails to make us laugh.

To me it is always a ..... "Supplies!"

https://tenor.com/view/suppies-supadoodles-sup-sup-guys-supplies-gif-18594207

Gif to the famous Supplies scene.

Kuni is a character who maybe hasn’t aged the best, but he’s so damn quotable. “What’s in the box? Nothing! Stupid! You’re so STUPID!”


Most characters in the movie are quotable.
I can’t use the word “community” in a sentence without slipping into RJ Fletcher’s rant.


We have three generations who haven’t seen Treasure of the Sierra Madre yet still lose it at “Badgers? Badgers? We don’t need no stinkin’ badgers!”

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

 Sigur wrote:
Watched Cross of Iron. As good as it ever was.




Bill and Ted Face the Music (2020)

It's perfectly OK. In 2 days I will remember nothing about this though. It feels rather disjointed and direct-to-video. Or like a youtube special or something (not the least due to the digital look). The actors all do a fine job and are well cast for their roles. First time I saw the Louise Belcher voice lady in anything non-Bob's-Burgers, but I find he voice to make things endearing (probably because I like Bob's Burgers a whole lot). The robot looked like it would suck, but it ended up being a rather fun addition. So basically they do all the things the writers considered people expecting them to do and the song in the end was rubbish.

It's an OK film though. Which probably makes it all the more evil, because it's feeding off nostalgia and it's okay? Somehow I'm pretty sure that's rather evil, but I can't quite put my finger on it yet. Anyway. It's okay. But also utterly unremarkable.

I have to add that I watched this on Netflix, which seems to make me like films less than if I'd caught them on TV by accident. Are you familiar with this? Watching films on netflix always feels a bit stale and like doing a chore as opposed to linear tv, which weirdly feels like having more of a choice. Like being allowed to turn it off and then it's gone and not one more thing added to the digital to-do/consume pile half-finished.

Whilst I don’t disagree with your summary of Face the Music?

I submit a Defence that it didn’t try to reinvent the the wheel, and the important beats were all there. Sadly not quite the sum of its parts, it remains a decent enough Latter Day Sequel, and as is important with such things, didn’t take a big old dump on the originals. And to be honest, it not being quite as good as it’s predecessors, given how good those are, is not a massive crime

Most importantly? It was made with love for the material, and not a somewhat cynical attempt to keep hold of the rights

No, you're absolutely right there, and I liked the film overall, I just disliked everything else in the world at the time I wrote that stuff above I think. The film is fine as just what you described above.




Listened to the first few hours or so of Matthew Perry's autobiohgraphy. Slightly annoying. But it's interesting to see how much of Chandler Bing is actually autobiographical.

So autobiographical, that when the “great comedic actor” Matthew Perry tells a joke, nobody present has ever laughed?

Sharknado


Curiosity got the better of us. Turns out it was delightfully cheesy. We got a lot of laughs out of the film. My one complaint is that the film didn’t tone down the score and zoom in on the actress giving her terrible “Indianapolis” monologue.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
So autobiographical, that when the “great comedic actor” Matthew Perry tells a joke, nobody present has ever laughed?

Oh, you. I think he's a talented dude in his field. Being a comedic actor must be weird. Actor to begin with, but specializing in comedy must be extra weird.

More an observation that none of the cast laugh at Chandler’s jokes - it’s only audience reaction

Disenchanted

Being a lumpy grumpys blerk this sort of thing isn't really my cuppa but I watched the first one with my Mum as part of a vague attempt to balance the being 2-0 down in the providing grand children game so we did Disney and Disney like movies instead

This one is a bit of a lazy cash grab, there are a few moments of narrativium based pokes at story telling but really nothing that hasn't been done before, although Ms Adams is watchable in almost anything

Jungle Cruise

Emily is purty, The Rock is funny, Jack Whitehall needs feeding into a wood chipper, passable enough but clearly an attempt to do a Pirates re-boot without the hassle of Depp

Jack Whitehall needs feeding into a wood chipper on sheer principle.

I’ve no idea how that scrawny streak of unfunny micturant has a career, let alone was nominated and inexpiclably won king of comedy on multiple occasions.

 Azreal13 wrote:
Evil Dead Rise

Was looking forward to this one, I'm a big fan of the original (as in 2013, not the original originals which goes without saying.)

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Jack Whitehall
I’ve no idea how that scrawny streak of unfunny micturant has a career,

I watched him live once. Aside from amateurs at the comedy club, he's the least funny person I've personally witnessed on stage. And I paid to see him! I wanted him to be funny. He wasn't.

Oh you poor, poor thing.

Have you been to therapy?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also?

Hands up if you’re watching Dredd. Again.

Because it’s ace.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
More an observation that none of the cast laugh at Chandler’s jokes - it’s only audience reaction

Oh, that. Surely there must have been some random cut to Monica or Rachel at least smirking about his jokes at some point. Or maybe his friends are rather annoyed with his constant joking around all the time.



Didn't watch Disenchanted (until halfway through I thought you meant the Matt Goenig tv show), but I did watch Enchanted a bunch of years back and found it alright.


Jack Whitehall. Yeah, I have no idea why he shows up everywhere, or used to during the latter 2010s. First I saw him was on QI, then I watched a few episodes of the show in which he travels with his father. I guess he works if he's a sort of 'relateable straight guy with boyish charm' when put next to some wacky person's antics? No idea. What I do know is that the Germans (private TV ones too, so the worst sort) did a rip-off of that with a complete tit of a former comedian a few years back. That was proper crap.

Detective Pikachu

Perhaps the first movie in a long time where Ryan Reynolds did not annoy me to the point of disliking the movie. Overall, a harmless little family film that is fun enough.

The Mr. Mime interrogation is priceless and worth watching the rest of the movie.

That is a film which sits in my list of “Films With No Right To Be As Good As They Are”.

Now, that list doesn’t mean the film is necessarily good, let alone a classic (but it can, ref A Knight’s Tale), just that by all rights it should’ve been a massive steaming pile (ref Suicide Squad) but somehow turns out perfectly entertaining (ref Detective Pikachu).

I think it's a perfectly fine movie. Reynolds is another one of those actors that performs best when the director keeps tight reins on them (ref Jim Carey), and since it's only his voice in this movie then they picked his best work and ditched the baggage.

Justice Smith is also surprisingly engaging to watch.

Is that the legislative friend of Action Jackson?


Yes, Detective Pikatchu was perfectly OK. I just can't bear to see more films coming along with an interesting premise for the first half or so, then run out of ideas and go with a "hollywood film plot with fight/explosion in the end" story for the second half. Just feels like a let-down.

Suzume. Latest from Makoto Shinkai(your name, weathering with you). More action packed and maybe bit less humour than previous ones though cracked me still up. Music score less memorable overall.

Once again struct how japanese stories give out questions but don't spell out. Who was the talking cat? God like one guy said?

Have my suspicion but if right new questions born.

Overall enjoyed it though. Style felt different enough to previous ones to feel fresh but still Makoto style.

Now to wait blyray with hopefully pile of making of bonuses etc. Maybe script like i got for weathering with you.