Rate the last film you saw.

[gt]

You love that film don't deny it

I've read the rumour in several places now, and looking at the guy I can see him being able to do it

[Travis]

gt said:

And good to see you've seen 'Romeo Brass' Trav. Tell me, just how satisfying is that scene towards the end where the other dad leaps from the lorry and gives Considine a damn good kicking? A genuine heart in the mouth moment for me...

There's nothing like seeing any bully, let alone a grown man who's terrorising a little lad, getting a good kicking!!

I was a bit disturbed by the other dad, simply wanting to lay down and die in front of his wife and child though......

[Neko Bazu]

Beetle Juice

A childhood favourite, and one I recently got hold of to watch again. The basic premise of the story is that a young couple with their whole lives ahead of them, Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara (Geena Davis), die in a tragic accident. Rather than moving on to the afterlife, they end up haunting their old home - and much to their dismay, they find they now have to share it with the Deetz family, an obnoxious out-of-state household. They try to frighten the family away, but find their efforts ignored or laughed at, and so turn to the underworld's self-proclaimed "bio-exorcist", Betelgeuse ("Beetle Juice," played by Michael Keaton) for help.

In all truth, as much as this was a childhood favourite, I was distinctly underwhelmed watching it again. Whether it was because I'd already watched it to death, was old enough to appreciate how limited some of it was, or because it seemed so dated now, I couldn't honestly say - but it will definitely remain only a childhood favourite.

The plot itself had a lot of potential, but the idea was under-used. What could have been a surreal comedy-classic (one of Tim Burton's earlier works) instead ended up being worth a chuckle here and there, but not a lot more. At times, the story felt rushed, and in other parts it dragged, leaving it feeling somewhat clumsy and admittedly a little unsatisfying.

The special effects were also hit-and-miss - some, like Betelgeuse's snake guise or Barbara and Adam aging when they get summoned, were fantastic for the time (1988), but others such as the sandworm scenes were cringe-worthy (and I remember picking them out as being bad even at six years old). Credit has to be given for creativity in some of the representations of various characters' deaths, though (such as the lady sawn in half or the man who burnt to death), and the smoke coming from Juno's slit throat whenever she drags on her cigarette was a touch of genius.

The acting, as one might expect from names such as Baldwin, Keaton and a young Winona Ryder (Lydia Deetz), was of positive note, despite the very limited room for character portrayal in the script. Baldwin and Davis play Adam and Barbara brilliantly, managing to fill the role of 'everyone's favourite neighbours' without being sickeningly pleasant or feeble, and Michael Keaton plays the slimy, disgusting, crude and offensive Betelgeuse in a way that, for all his bad points, still somehow contrives to make him a lovable character. For me, though, the real star was Catherine O'Hara playing Delia Deetz, who managed to steal the most memorable scene of the film (the 'Day-O' song scene) with some exceptional body and face acting.

For those who don't know it/can't remember it well, one of Adam and Barbara's plans to remove the Deetzs is to scare them away by possessing them and the guests during a dinner party, making them sing and dance before having ghoulish hands reach up out of their soup and grab them. The chosen song is 'Day-O' (aka The Banana Boat Song), and O'Hara plays the role flawlessly. Throughout, she maintains a perfect look of confusion/horror in her eyes, even as her possessed body sings and dances, sometimes smoothly and sometimes jerkily as though trying to resist the possession. It really is a scene that you have to watch properly to fully appreciate her quality, and based on that acting I fail to understand how her biggest acting roles since were in Home Alone and Lemony Snicket (though she also provided voices in Nightmare Before Christmas and Chicken Little).

I think one of the biggest problems the film encounters is a particularly weak ending, as though the writers didn't know how to tie it off. It doesn't help that said ending manages to fall under the 'poor effects' bracket too, adding to the let-down.

Despite the above bad points, though, it's well worth watching once, either to remind yourself of an old favourite or - if you've not seen it before - to catch up on another classic.

6.5/10

[Lollipop]

Dead Poet's Society.

IMDB's synopsis:

Painfully shy Todd Anderson has been sent to the school where his popular older brother was valedictorian. His room-mate, Neil, although exceedingly bright and popular, is very much under the thumb of his overbearing father. The two, along with their other friends, meet Professor Keating, their new English teacher, who tells them of the Dead Poets Society, and encourages them to go against the status quo. Each, in their own way, does this, and are changed for life.

Wow.

9/10

"Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary."

[gt]

Great film Jen, one of my favourites - I have it on DVD so didn't watch it last night

[Dr LuKas]

I saw Raging Bull the other day.

[Travis]

lucasledge said:

I saw Raging Bull the other day.

You forgot the 10/10 bit, Lucas. Anyway, catch up time.....

THE HOST

Korean monster flick, told and directed in the best 'B' movie traditions. The Host is the story of a genetic mutation caused by the leaking of formaldehyde into the River Han, which develops into a huge man eating beast. When Park Hyun-seo, the young daughter of a close knit family is grabbed she is feared dead, but she is able to make a call from the sewers where she is being stored for later consumption. Determined to save her, her father, aided by his family escapes quarantine to stage a rescue mission.

Very entertaining stuff, although it does commit the cardinal sin of slightly outstaying its welcome. Ninety minutes really is standard for films of this nature, while The Host spends a little too much time on characterisation, when the subject matter really doesn't demand it.

7/10


CRANK

Essentially Speed meets Run, Lola Run, as Jason Statham is injected with some weird Chinese drug that will cause him to die unless he keeps his adrenalin levels sky high. Over the space of 90 minutes he must find an antidote, or at least avenge his death.....he just has to stay alive for the duration.

It's a nice twist on a tried and tested concept and for about 15 minutes it is good fun (if you ignore the tirelessly used 'snap editing'). But once the novelty wears off, I found myself willing the remaining hour or so to rush by....it didn't.

Not a disaster, but certainly not essential.

5/10


HAVOC

Featuring one of the most misguided pieces of casting in recent memory, this absolute 'car crash' of a movie is of the sort that could force Spike Lee to hit the bottle.

Anne Hathaway, plays a poor little rich girl. Disillusioned with the superficiality of her domestic existence, she instead identifies with the rap and hip-hop lifestyle; she hangs out with her bitches, she dates a guy adorned with bling and cruises into the hood looking for musclebound, tattooed guys in white vests.......yes really, this is Anne Hathaway we're talking about!!!

The film is absolutely dreadful, provided next to no insight, the soundtrack made my ears bleed, the story was laughable. Maybe those brain dead enough to identify with gun culture may take something from it, but as for me???

0.1/10

[Ninja Squirrel]

Tremors

What can I say i love this film so much it is one of the best b - movie sci fi films ever I mean giant under ground worms! survivalists Kevin bacon, and the Chinese guy from Big trouble in little china all you need for an entraining film.

Plot? simple Giant worms + isolated small town = pure entertainment.

9/10

[Stan]

ninjasquirrelmbe said:

Tremors

What can I say i love this film so much it is one of the best b - movie sci fi films ever I mean giant under ground worms! survivalists Kevin bacon, and the Chinese guy from Big trouble in little china all you need for an entraining film.

Plot? simple Giant worms + isolated small town = pure entertainment.

9/10

Is Laura Dern in that too...?

[Ninja Squirrel]

Nope I think its some one else I can't remember

[Stan]

ninjasquirrelmbe said:

Nope I think its some one else I can't remember

Shame.... Laura Dern... MMMMM!

I agree with you though, it's a great film - especially when the big worm dies in the creek!

[Ninja Squirrel]

The 2nd 3rd and 4th ones are pretty entertaining to

[Neko Bazu]

ninjasquirrelmbe said:

The 2nd 3rd and 4th ones are pretty entertaining to

Sound like the Critters series there!

Psychotic alien fuzzballs + small town = 4-5 films' worth of lazy, unchallenging entertainment

[gt]

Sideways (2005)

A absolute gem of a film, a real slow burner but fantastic nonetheless. A really well told story of friendship and love.

Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church star as two ostensibly different men (Miles and Jack respectively) on a tour of Californian vineyards before Jack's impending nuptials. Miles is a recently divorced writer who has found life difficult since his separation, Jack is a happy go lucky kind of guy who thinks nothing of cheating on his fiancee.

Miles meets a friend, waitress Maya in a diner and Jack encourages him to come out of his shell to woo her. While Jack seduces Maya's friend Stephanie with relish (not literally with relish), Miles finds it hard to engage with Maya in the same fashion but the two talk about many a common interest. However he inadvertently reveals Jack's upcoming wedding and after the inevitable fall out they all go their separate ways.

Jack continues to act like a selfish womaniser until he is caught by an irate husband and loses his wallet with special wedding bands in it. He leans on Miles to fetch it for him, Miles only putting himself at risk when he realises his friend has learnt a valuable lesson.

It turns out that Miles has had difficulty engaging with the world after repressing his feelings about his father's sudden death, and this is apparent in the novel that he has written.

Miles returns home to an empty house to find a voicemail from Maya saying how much she loves his writing and how he should visit if he ever in the area. Seemingly taking his friend Jack's 'carpe diem' advice we witness Miles driving through the rain before the film ends with him knocking on Maya's door (a scene that made me cry) - strongly reminiscent of the closing chapter of 'Local Hero'

________________________

Really, a fantastic piece of film that deserves all the plaudits it received. Touching without being overly sentimental, I found myself being able to relate to the character of Miles in more ways than one and gave me hope that life will be that rich for me again one day. Any film that can make that connection is worthy of repeated viewings.

Great stuff

9/10, if not 10

[Travis]

MISS POTTER

I had high hopes when I first learned that there was to be a Beatrix Potter biopic, especially following the brilliant, J.M. Barrie based Finding Neverland. Unfortunately Miss Potter falls some way short of that piece.

The film focuses primarily on the period her life from the publication of her first book, through her first serious relationship and on to her departure to live in the Lake District and her consequent burgeoning interest in conservation.

Renee Zellweger for the most part seems to be running on auto-pilot, and the Beatrix Potter character seems a little unconvincing. At one moment we see her talking to her drawings in an incredibly drippy and mawkish fashion, the next moment she's a headstrong, driven young woman. Now the story's obviously based on truth but such a strong dichotomy seems to have been exaggerated and as a result, very hard to reconcile.

The film itself, despite only being 90 minutes in length, starts to falter once Potter becomes a published author, and interests begins to lag a little towards the end. But that said, for all it's faults it is still a fairly enjoyable piece, and mums and grandmothers will love it.

6/10

[Dr LuKas]

MISS POTTER trav? I haven't seen it but 'a Beatrix Potter biopic with Renee Zellweger' I'd rather stick pins in my eyes.

I saw The Matador a couple of days ago pretty good 7/10

[ovechkin8]

lucasledge said:

MISS POTTER trav? I haven't seen it but 'a Beatrix Potter biopic with Renee Zellweger' I'd rather stick pins in my eyes.

I saw The Matador a couple of days ago pretty good 7/10

Too true.Its no Shadowlands but a pile of cak as is Zellweger.

[Travis]

lucasledge said:

MISS POTTER trav? I haven't seen it but 'a Beatrix Potter biopic with Renee Zellweger' I'd rather stick pins in my eyes.

I saw The Matador a couple of days ago pretty good 7/10

LOL! Lucas. I guess you'll not be watching it then?? I didn't have high hopes, but I do have a weakness for biopics.

I though that The Matador was pretty good too.

[Dr LuKas]

No sir ;D

I also saw Invasion of the Body Snatchers the other day, but I missed the first hour or so, in fact I've got a story to tell about watching it but that's for another time. Pretty good though from what I saw, I like 70's alien films.

[Travis]

lucasledge said:

No sir ;D

I also saw Invasion of the Body Snatchers the other day, but I missed the first hour or so, in fact I've got a story to tell about watching it but that's for another time. Pretty good though from what I saw, I like 70's alien films.

The man in the mothership, a lover of alien movies??

I'd never have guessed!!