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Trash books. I don’t think they made any movies based on Pride and Prejudice and Zombies…?


I’ll have to watch that video when I am at home. I’m curious what his reasons are. I like that the movie doesn’t give any answers for why the birds attack, at least not in the text. I do like the vibe in the diner where everyone turns on each other like The Mist. “You did this!!” is always a classic.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
Trash books. I don’t think they made any movies based on Pride and Prejudice and Zombies…?


I’ll have to watch that video when I am at home. I’m curious what his reasons are. I like that the movie doesn’t give any answers for why the birds attack, at least not in the text. I do like the vibe in the diner where everyone turns on each other like The Mist. “You did this!!” is always a classic.

bad news

it made $16 million on a $28 million budget, so you know it's good!

Yup. I mean at 2016 is was too late for anyhting "...and zombies" even for the most zombie-tolerating person.

I tried reading the book, and it was awful.

Basically just Pride and Prejudice as is, with some nonsensical, poorly written Zombie attacks where everyone is suddenly a ninja.

Utter, utter tripe.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I tried reading the book, and it was awful.

Basically just Pride and Prejudice as is, with some nonsensical, poorly written Zombie attacks where everyone is suddenly a ninja.

Utter, utter tripe.

IIRC, they were trying to play off of the success of "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter" (which is a genuinely humorous take on things). . . . . and utterly failed at it, because the premise didn't work as well.

That’s another film that I didn’t take to. Might be worth giving it another try though.

Probably not though. These to me always sounded like chasing internet clout because "omg that's so random". Iron Sky did that to an extent, whereas the film hat 2 jokes. Or concepts for jokes at least.

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I tried reading the book, and it was awful.

Basically just Pride and Prejudice as is, with some nonsensical, poorly written Zombie attacks where everyone is suddenly a ninja.

Utter, utter tripe.

IIRC, they were trying to play off of the success of "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter" (which is a genuinely humorous take on things). . . . . and utterly failed at it, because the premise didn't work as well.

If you liked that you are gig to love FDR American Badass!. I'm kidding.
I've probably got both movies on the shelf but haven't watched either in a long time.

 warhead01 wrote:

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I tried reading the book, and it was awful.

Basically just Pride and Prejudice as is, with some nonsensical, poorly written Zombie attacks where everyone is suddenly a ninja.

Utter, utter tripe.

IIRC, they were trying to play off of the success of "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter" (which is a genuinely humorous take on things). . . . . and utterly failed at it, because the premise didn't work as well.

If you liked that you are gig to love FDR American Badass!. I'm kidding.
I've probably got both movies on the shelf but haven't watched either in a long time.

Yeah. . IMO, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter was a decent enough movie the first time around. But it quickly loses its luster on subsequent viewings. I can't recall ever actually finishing it a 2nd time.

 Sigur wrote:
Yup. I mean at 2016 is was too late for anyhting "...and zombies" even for the most zombie-tolerating person.

I found the 19th century English literature bits tedious, not the "zombie" parts. I'd argue the zombies as a sentient, persecuted group with the backdrop of 19th century English society aren't even a terrible thing. But on a technical level the parts don't mesh very well (that's classic English literature, Eastern martial arts and zombies). In my opinion it's too glossy and serious for its own good and ends up a dull movie as a result.

@Bob - Regarding the spoilers for The Keep....... maybe?

 Easy E wrote:
@Bob - Regarding the spoilers for The Keep....... maybe?

I request further elaboration. I can’t picture how the film could be ambiguous about something so silly yet central to the book’s premise.


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 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I tried reading the book, and it was awful.

Basically just Pride and Prejudice as is, with some nonsensical, poorly written Zombie attacks where everyone is suddenly a ninja.

Utter, utter tripe.

I didn’t read that one, because zombies, but I read Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters…for about 60 pages. That’s about as far as one joke could take me, especially since the original novel was not exactly my cup of tea.

Shin Godzilla

Signed up to a weeks trial of Crunchyroll, spotted this.

At first, the monster effects struck me as super lame. Then…it clicked. It’s not that they’re meant to be lame (this isn’t Sharknado, or other Asylum cinematic drivel)….they’re meant to resemble proper “it’s a bloke in a suit” Kaiju. Which is a very specific look and feel. And now I’ve got my idiot brain round that? The effects look hella cool - and adds to the Kaiju’s otherworldly nature.

Ad Astra

Brad Pitt grumbles his way through a slow paced psycho drama about his daddy issues, but IIIINNNN SPAAAAAACE! The NASApunk equipment aesthetics look great, and the set dressing is wonderful. The actual story is dull as dishwater. Also it Turns out baboons have some kind of natural radio jammer. That’s the only thing that explains one specific bit of the film.

Also some kind of moon pirates can apparently operate with impunity against the US military without having satellites track their moon buggies back to their lairs.

So yeah, looks great, makes little sense and is only vaguely entertaining. Only watch if you like spacesuits and morose looking Brad Pitts.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Shin Godzilla

Signed up to a weeks trial of Crunchyroll, spotted this.

At first, the monster effects struck me as super lame. Then…it clicked. It’s not that they’re meant to be lame (this isn’t Sharknado, or other Asylum cinematic drivel)….they’re meant to resemble proper “it’s a bloke in a suit” Kaiju. Which is a very specific look and feel. And now I’ve got my idiot brain round that? The effects look hella cool - and adds to the Kaiju’s otherworldly nature.

that movie is a great example of how less can be more. this suit-like effects are maybe not technically impressive, but they match the look of the film better than any attempt at "better" CGI could be. that's also how it looks significantly better than Shin Ultraman, despite coming out years before

Anno is fantastic at making movies about the things he loves. check out Shin Kamen Rider, if you can, it's great in a similar way

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:

 Easy E wrote:
@Bob - Regarding the spoilers for The Keep....... maybe?

I request further elaboration. I can’t picture how the film could be ambiguous about something so silly yet central to the book’s premise.

They mention it in passing from an unreliable narrator(IIRC), and then never really talk about it much again.

However, the crosses do play a big role in the movie, but their origin and nature is not the key component. The movie is much more interested in the "Jewish revenge" on the Nazis angle to release the creature in the Keep, and then the wizard slowly making his way to the big showdown.

The movie was just more interested in killing Nazis.

 Sigur wrote:

Your comparison between the trash films from the late Noughties and The Birds made me chuckle.





One of the very, very few youtubers I follow. He put some of his film reviews up in English.


No films seen recently, been out this weekend.

So, I watched the review, and since I’ve never seen him before I need to ask: is he doing a bit, or is he serious? His phrasing and deadpan delivery are hilarious.

The content of his video…it’s about what I expected. Again, I’m not sure how much is parody, but it feels like a non-zero amount.


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@Easy E. That sounds pretty different from the book, where Molassar spends a great deal of time breaking the Jewish professor’s religious convictions by stating the crosses are Christian crosses and that’s why they are effective. Also, the wizard(?) in the book is more like Kull the Conqueror meets Connor MacLeod, more of an epic swordsman with a destiny.

…But I can’t find fault with the film being more interested in killing Nazis. That’s good cinema.


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@Mad Doc Grotsnik,

I finished your video review and, yes, gently depressed the like button. I’ve already made my thoughts on the film known, so I’ll comment on your video. The laid back atmosphere is nice, but perhaps you can either add music or use multiple phone cameras to splice together different angles or start out with an outline for the discussion? I found my attention wandering, as your video is one long static shot, and both of you talk in a comparatively slow pace.

I’ll take the comments on board Thank you!

Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters - Part 2

Oh dear. Where to begin. I think this is an Indonesian movie, as it’s mentioned Jakarta. And hails from the 70’s as time stamped by its awful disco dancing opening scene. In which the band sound completely indistinguishable from Fast Show’s Mikki Disco.

Seems to be an exploitation flick. And not a very good one. Lots of moustachioed villains, a bit of (not very good) Kung Fu.

Written and directed by Arizal. Not sure if surname or forename. Just Arizal. Well, don’t worry Arizal, if that’s is indeed your name. I’m not sure I’d give my full name to this utter nonsense.

But hey, at least the English dub voice actors are at least trying. Not very hard. But there’s identifiable effort being made.

Hopefully we’ll get to some of the Ferocious Fighting afore long. Spesh this is (amazingly) part two. I’d hate for this to all be arse about face and a second half centred solely on (crap) exposition (unconvincing) flashbacks and long, pointless lingering shots of faces where the camera zooms in for the last couple of seconds to no particular purpose.


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Third of the way through, and the male lead is doing some Deja Fu, where the target sometimes goes flying before he’s even pretended to lash out. And not a single woman has fought.


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Little over halftime, and we have a training montage. She’s not very good, as sometimes she’s going backwards. Though to be fair that might serve well for confusing an opponent. Open them up for a traditional British frying pan to the noggin. That’s usually an effective technique, man or woman.

@BobtheInquisitor: Oh, you really sat through it. I watched the review after I linked ot it, and listening to him in English is tough. Surely there is a certain degree of self-awareness about the whole presentation and such, but as far as I understand the guy is a bit of a freak, but very well read. He's rather popular as the sorta intellectual mouthpiece of German internet lefties. The film critizism from an ideology-critical point of view is what got him popular and he's very, very big on Zizek of course, but since he's very much branced out to political and economical commentary and such. He's even a capable talker, but not in English it seems. The cadence and such made it a bit hard to follow.

I sat through it and laughed more than a few times. The way he talks about things is, I guess unintentionally, hilarious, such as the photos of the planes representing birds of a type that are industrial birds, or something like that.



Pearl

If you’ve seen the trailer, it’s pretty much that, but more. It’s not for everyone, but I enjoyed it.

First off, it doesn’t feel like a horror movie. The movie delivers a lot of scenes that are disturbing and uncomfortable (in a good way), but it’s not scary. There are two really fun scenes where people start to see the real her and gradually realize how much danger they’re in, but not a lot of jumpscares or something’s-gonna-get-me scenes.

Mia Goth’s performance of a crazy person is riveting. If you just want to look up any scenes on YouTube, I recommend her dance audition (and aftermath) and her performance in the last scene and end credits. One thing that was a little weird is that she starts the film with old timey acting, like the kind comedian Rachel Feinstein uses for bits, but transitions into more normal acting. This might be a choice as parts of the movie feel like they’re attempting an old technicolor look, but most of it doesn’t do that.

Anyway, I recommend it to anyone who wants to see a movie about a descent into murderousness.

 Henry wrote:
BarbieAnd similarly the Barbie ideal is an empowered female perspective so long as that falls within the American view of what Barbie represents. There's nothing wrong with using movies to present these ideals but we should at least recognise the limits of this cultural representation.

Sorry if that was a bit all over the place, and I'm sure it would be easy to pick holes in my thesis, but it's something that was picking at my mind by the end of the film.

Have to chip in on behalf of my daughter who is Indian. Was in the UK, heard the hype, went along to the cinema... and half an hour into the film wandered out.

I will put your analysis to her and see if that jibes with how she felt the movie wasn't that interesting and left her cold.


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 Ahtman wrote:
The documentary about the making of AN, Hearts of Darkness, is a really interesting watch. A lot of wild stuff went on during the making of the film.

If we are talking documentaries I finally got to watch "The Battle of Algiers, a Film Within History".

If anyone hasn't seen The Battle of Algiers, all I can do is implore you to. Incredibly influential on filmmakers, routinely regarded as one of the best films of all time. If you are into wargaming, especially lower model count games, one of those touchstone films.

And the documentary is a brilliant accompaniment. Multiple voices are heard including many Algerian, both talking about the film but also the circumstances around it. Would have been easy to do one of those infuriating talking head things that fill TV screens, this manages to add to the after experience of the film and not simply have vacuous comments or anecdotes.

The Evil Below

B-Movie thriller which, whilst not exactly fantastic is far, far better than I was expecting.

Boatman and his client are looking for El Diablo, a ship which sunk in the Caribbean, allegedly with treasure stolen by Heretical Monks. And of course it’s said to be cursed.

I was expecting a shlocky horror movie, perhaps with convincing monsters. But no. I got a genuinely enjoyable mystery thriller.

Everything about it is Slightly More Than Fine. Whilst not original, it is pretty competently put together.

Planet of the Apes

The original one.

It’s dated yet still a fun watch. It’s all about racism and using religion to justify discrimination, shown through the treatment of chimpanzees and especially the attitudes towards humans, who have no rights, no voice and no justice. It’s also about how humans are just the worst, ruin any society they participate in and deserve everything bad that happens to them. A bit of a mixed message, really.

I suppose the rampant “the most evil creature is man” misanthropy was fresh and interesting when the film was made, but really feels tired now. And it’s not a small part of the film. Even the dark mirror of ape society reinforces the humanity sucks vibes.

Yet for all that, there’s something charming about 60’s Sci Fi that makes it more entertaining than not.

Watch it because it’s an important film pop culture.


Rise of the Planet of the Apes

One of the few great prequels ever made.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

A decent follow up. The mocap apes are strangely compelling.

War of the Planet of the Apes

So, every PotA film is a downer, and the effect is cumulative. This seems like a pretty good movie, but it was a mistake to watch these all in a row.

We had plans to watch Beneath the PotA, Escape from the PotA, Conquest of tPotA and Battle for tPotA, but those are now on indefinite hold.

Fletch (1985)

Netflix suggested this one and were right on the button.

I have fond memories of this from the first time around, we saw it during a family trip and then it was one of those films that always seemed to be on HBO. Me and my sister quoted it for ages.

"Strangers in the night, exchanging clothing"

Basically Chevy Chase is a fast-talking con artist/investigative reporter who talks and bluffs his way through a mystery and various foes and ends up with the girl, the money and a trip to Rio. His bluffs and cover stories are the real attraction.

Great? Meh. But cute and comfortable.


Play us out Stephanie Mills!

@The_Real_Christ: Yeah, I think I have to look that film up. Thanks for the suggestion

@Kid_Kyoto: Yeah, Fletch is alright, right? What happened to that remake they've been working on?

Friday the 13th remake

It’s a film nobody particularly needed, but is fun enough. And could be said to serve as a sequel if we go from Part VI/Part VII, wisely avoiding the intervening four films (which to be fair aren’t without their charms).

The Dudebros are more obnoxious. Jason is bigger. I think. But it’s got the right DNA.

Main issue for me Jared Padalecki. Not his performance. Not the man. But he is Sam Winchester, and always will be. So when he’s up again some possibly supernatural killer? I expect Dean, the Car, Crowley and at least one phone call where the boys are called Idjits.

Odd that Supernatural, over its 15 seasons, never featured a Jason-a-like nasty.

Ip Man is a really cool movie. everything in the film just sort of works. the acting is all great, the historical time period is portrayed really well, the music is fantastic, and, of course, the action is incredible. i'm not much of an action movie person but this definitely has me wanting to watch more

The Shooter with Mark Wahlberg.

Just so dumb. This is the most scenery chewing I’ve seen from bad guys for a while. Not in a frothing at the mouth, although there is a bit of that as well, but just so generically bad. There were a few places where I had to restrain myself from shouting “he’s behind you!”.

Creepy love at first major medical procedure side line. Magical foresight and home made super weapons. Extremely overplayed “great guy loner gun enthusiast against the deep state” storyline.

And Mr Wahlberg just mumbles his way through all of his lines.

I mean it’s not terrible, but it would have been better if it was. Can’t recommend due to its utter blandness.

I don’t think I’ve liked Wahlberg in anything since The Big Hit.

Because of Fletch I will still occasionally answer a question with "as far as you know".

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Friday the 13th remake

What is really strange is that it did fairly well in the theater yet they never followed it up. I'm not saying they should it is just odd to see a studio not follow up on a money maker, especially in a horror franchise.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
I don’t think I’ve liked Wahlberg in anything since The Big Hit.

Oh you were the other one that saw that?