Movies you've seen recently

[Elerond]

 

 

La vie d'Adéle

 

 

I couldn't find it on Netflix. How does it compare with When Night is Falling?

 

 

 

It has more focus in sex and sexual escapades (there is over ten minutes worth of very explicit sex scenes), but still it main focus in story is ones struggle with her sexuality. Movie's ending goes towards depressing and tragic instead of hopeful new beginning as "When Night is Falling" 's ending 

As main characters don't end with each other and then one who struggles with her sexuality is left to ponder if her decision were wrong ones.

 

[TheChris92]

Right, like I mentioned in my review above, the lesbian fad becomes more of a vehicle for Adele's development & maturation as a person. I'm gonna check out the other one soon to give a stronger impression on how they hold to each other.

[Gorgon]

John Dies at the End.. A movie made for and by stoners, although I gathered the book was actually quite clever. Funny in some places, but mostly just made me go "ehh?"

Quite a lot of references to Naked Lunch. Vintage Cronenberg/David Lynch in places. Making it partly comedy was a clever move. I liked it. Not meant to be fully 'understood' I think. Didn't like the ending much, but how do you wrap up something like that anyway.

[Walsingham]

Haven't seen that one actually so I'll let you know as soon as I do. Will add it on my 'to-watch' list -- I take your post as a recommendation on your part

I've gained access to the American Netflix where I found the film listed.

 

 

I'm not saying it's a great film. There are moments of interesting narrative. Mainly it's carried by Pascale Bussieres.

[Drowsy Emperor]

Watching the danish TV show "The Killing". Enjoying it quite a bit so far, though I think they drew it out a tad.

[Blarghagh]

 

John Dies at the End.. A movie made for and by stoners, although I gathered the book was actually quite clever. Funny in some places, but mostly just made me go "ehh?"

Quite a lot of references to Naked Lunch. Vintage Cronenberg/David Lynch in places. Making it partly comedy was a clever move. I liked it. Not meant to be fully 'understood' I think. Didn't like the ending much, but how do you wrap up something like that anyway.

 

 

You'll enjoy the book - the weirdest, mindscrewiest parts aren't in the film. In fact, the movie ends with a weird plot twist, yet that is only the least weird of the large amount of plot twists the book ends with.

[TheChris92]

Watching the danish TV show "The Killing". Enjoying it quite a bit so far, though I think they drew it out a tad.

The English certainly seem to like it a lot - I will say that it is the most impressive produced series this small country has produced alongside 'Borgen' -- I found Borgen more intriguing though. Looking forward to 1867.

[TheChris92]

 

John Dies at the End.. A movie made for and by stoners, although I gathered the book was actually quite clever. Funny in some places, but mostly just made me go "ehh?"

Quite a lot of references to Naked Lunch. Vintage Cronenberg/David Lynch in places. Making it partly comedy was a clever move. I liked it. Not meant to be fully 'understood' I think. Didn't like the ending much, but how do you wrap up something like that anyway.

 

Vintage Cronenberg - As in Videodrome? Because Videodrome certainly holds up on the '****ed-up'.

[Amentep]

Captain Kronos is awesome - pity Hammer fell apart without being able to do the proposed series of movies.

 

Really liked the angle that each vampire family was different and their vulnerabilities had to be researched (leading to the scene where they keep trying different ways to kill a vampire in their control with varying results).

[HoonDing]

I recently remember that I really liked The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, upon rewatch I saw a lot of household names that hadn't made it back then. It was kind of odd.

I remember Catherine Zeta-Jones and Elizabeth Hurley in it.

[sorophx]

skimmed through the first two seasons of Strike Back (as per Monte's recommendation, although I'd be more grateful if he told me Rhona only appears in season 3...)

 

anyway, there's a quote that I kind of agree with, "it's a pathetic male fantasy". especially once they turn the whole show around at the start of season 2.

 

to give you an idea. it introduces a former Delta Force sergeant, who was kicked out for something so despicable that even PMCs won't hire him (yeah, right), and this guy has a rather explicit sex scene in every episode (!) with a new woman every time (!!), and oftentimes he doesn't even say anything to seduce them, he just looks at them funny, turn around and leaves, and the very next scene shows them shagging (!!!).

 

so basically, for the first two seasons the majority of female characters in the show exist only to get naked (and starting with season 2 - please Scott (the ex-Delta dude)). really, the whole notion of a 30-something elite soldier being kicked out of a top-secret military unit for something *SPOILERS* he did not even do, and word about it spreading around the whole special operations community is so stupid... but then a super secret UK (?) organization just pics him up and lets him in on all of their operations because he proved useful in one mission alongside their agent? wha...

 

in short, the writing is SO bad, the action scenes - so forgettable, main characters - so one-dimensional and stereotypical, that I really couldn't imagine anyone enjoying this bull**** series.

 

season 1 had me a bit interested because of its association with Chris Ryan, but in the end it didn't pay off. its only good quality was its short list of episodes. some critics actually compared it to Green Zone. and I have to tell you, Green Zone, as naive as it sometimes can look, is a masterpiece of Hitch****ian proportions compared to Chris Ryan's Strike Back.

 

season 2 racked up the production values and action, but again, they went full-retard with the masculine angle (having a female actress replace the guy who was the officer commanding the super secret good-guys organization didn't help, even her having a secret agenda didn't) and the central conflict (WMDs, a weak-ass attempt at political commentary with an episode exposing the US government invading Iraq under false pretenses).

 

season 3 finally introduces 2 female characters that aren't playing blow-up sex dolls, so there's some hope of it actually delivering, but my expectations are at the basement level of low. I'm only driven by my curiosity and love for strong female leads.

 

I will give my full impression once I'm done with season 3 and caught up on season 4 events. but right now it doesn't look good. the only other similarly themed series I saw was The Unit, and (by grace of David Mamet) it is far better in every way.

 

EDIT: wikipedia tells me I managed to skip a season, because actual season 3 of the show is season 2 in the US. so I missed a whole season of Rhona kicking ass...

Edited April 13, 2014 by sorophx

[Hiro Protagonist]

Strike Back is awesome. Season 5 will be the final season and hope it'll be as great as the previous seasons. The production values are excellent for a TV series.

 

On the actual subject of the thread, I've been on a western movie kick at the moment and watching a few Clint Eastwood westerns. Watched Hang 'Em High (1968) and The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) on the weekend. Unforgiven could nearly be a sequel to Josey Wales. Even though they're different characters and the movies are not related in any way, the story to both movies fit really well together. Still got a couple more Clint Eastwood westerns to go. Also, good to see a young Clint Eastwood in Hang 'Em High.

[Lexx]

Watched The Physician yesterday. Despite the historical inaccuracy it was a good movie, imo.

[Hiro Protagonist]

anyway, there's a quote that I kind of agree with, "it's a pathetic male fantasy". especially once they turn the whole show around at the start of season 2.

 

EDIT: wikipedia tells me I managed to skip a season, because actual season 3 of the show is season 2 in the US. so I missed a whole season of Rhona kicking ass...

 

Oh and Sorophx, that quote was tongue in cheek. I wouldn't be relying on Wikipedia for your information since they cherry picked it. The reviewer who said that said he also likes Strike Back. He also had this to say at the start of his review. "Chris Ryan's Strike Back is terrific stuff." and the paragraph where he says that male fantasy tongue in cheek quote he also says "And me. I quite enjoyed it, I'm embarrassed to say."

Edited April 14, 2014 by Hiro Protagonist

[sorophx]

it doesn't matter what the review says, I just found the quote by itself to be very accurate. 

 

as for production values... the show has very little authenticity while exploring its main themes and characters, apparently they did try to fix it in season 3, so we'll see if it's any better, but so far episodes 1 and 2 both began with Scott ****ing, that definitely sinks my expectations)

Edited April 14, 2014 by sorophx

[Hiro Protagonist]

Okay, I didn't know you like to take quotes out of context. My response was to highlight that the quote was tongue in cheek and not to be taken seriously as the reviewer actually likes the show. You're actually quoting a humorous quote but you're taking the quote literally. That quote can apply to many box office action films that have overwhelming critical appeal and a reviewer could have used something similar in their positive review. And then for someone to take a small tongue in cheek quote out of a positive review, to take it out of context and use it against that show, movie, reviewer, etc, is quite odd to me.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by they tried to fix it with Season 3. Do you have any links on who or why they tried to fix it? Also, I'm not sure what you mean by linking production values and authenticity. They seem to be two different things to me. Strike Back has the action of Die Hard, The Bourne Identity, and James Bond rolled into a TV series where these two guys go and fight terrorism. I mean seriously, you want authenticity? Does this even happen in real life? And the production values is excellent for a TV series, considering you would see this sort of stuff in movies. I don't know how they keep all this under budget. Oh well, it seems all this is too lowbrow for you.

Edited April 14, 2014 by Hiro Protagonist

[Monte Carlo]

Strikeback is a guilty pleasure, utter nonsense done well. The theme music is brilliant, the production values are high and it doesn't take itself too seriously. It also has guess actors like Charles Dance and Dougray Scott. The stunts are great and the two main actors have taken the time to learn proper weapon-handling. It also has an Australian playing an American and an American playing a Brit.

 

One of the first rules of Strikeback is that one never questions the internal consistency of Strikeback.

 

It's in the tradition of testosterone-dripping nonsense like The Professionals.

[sorophx]

I'm not sure what you mean by they tried to fix it with Season 3. Do you have any links on who or why they tried to fix it?

wikipedia article references some magazine(s), where they claim the show received negative feedback from the military community in regards to their portrayal of all things military, so the creators of the show spent some time trying to make it more authentic.

 

and I wasn't saying authenticity and production values are one and the same. that was poor wording on my part, I guess? I meant for a show with high production values it really lacks in authenticity. although, that's the least of their concerns. 

 

as for authenticity in TV shows, just look at Generation Kill. it can be done, and it can be done well. but these guys just chose not to take that route. their loss 

 

if that show is such a critical and commercial hit as you say it is, I can only roll my eyes.

 

and get over that quote business already. I didn't use the quote to support my claim the show was bad. I used the quote because it worded my thought perfectly. so the context doesn't matter in this particular case, because it's not about the reviewer's opinion, it's about my opinion

Edited April 14, 2014 by sorophx

[sorophx]

 it doesn't take itself too seriously.

but Monte, it does. it does take itself too seriously. that's one of the show's biggest problems.

[Amentep]

Watched OCCULUS which was a pretty good horror film.  More creepy vibe than jump scare, but I thought it effective.

 

Then I rewatched RIDDICK.  The Director's Cut adds some stuff in that I think help expand the story connections between this film and the last as well as the next.  If you like Vin Diesel running around and tough-guy outsmarting everyone, this is the film for you.

 

Then I watched MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (the original) which I hadn't seen since I was in the single digits age wise.  Its a fun film, with some goofy aspects.  Also includes - for a brief seen - a roster of period boxers and wrestlers including Primo Carnera, Bomber Kulky (later better known as the 1st Chief of the Boat on the TV Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea), Man Mountain Dean and Tor Johnson's "Swedish Angel" name rival Phil Olafsson.

 

After that was THE CAT AND THE CANARY with Bob Hope and Paullette Goddard and the typical old dark house + comedy routines.  Nice to see George Zucco and Gail Sondergaard show up as well.

[Walsingham]

Watching Hyperdrive on Netflix. It starts incredibly weakly, being yet another spoof on a spcaeship. Even the stereotypes are generic.

 

The good bits are all in the little details. Nick Frost is obviously great. The aliens are ideal.

[Walsingham]

Watching Hemlock Grove.

 

Famke Janssen's character actually scares me.

[Labadal]

New World or Sin-se-gae (Korean title).

 

Another Korean movie that doesn't disappoint. At first, I was thinking this was Infernal Affairs copycat but it had its own interesting twists. Mostly watched this because I recognized Min Sik Choi's name and I liked some of the movies he's been in.

[sorophx]

Rhona being awesome

http://youtu.be/UtX2w4brRLk

[ManifestedISO]

I know, I'm late, for Cap 2, but it was worth waiting for in IMAX 3D when only a handful of other goers are in the theatre. I just cannot do crowds of seat-kickers in confined spaces. 

 

I frrrickin loved The Winter Soldier. Bucky Barnes' arc is compelling and emotional, for me, but I'm nerdy like that. Coulda done without seeing Agent Carter, as she was. Her role in the first movie was beautifully inimitable, and heart-rending ... but it felt strange this time. I don't think I've ever seen more vehicles practically destroyed on-camera in any other film.