The Official Filum Thread
I know it's a bit low rent, but I just want to say good things about two Netflix movies.
The Highwaymen (well known film) is excellent in its own way - reasonably faithful historically to the Bonnie & Clyde saga, interesting depiction of depression USA, good performances, well paced.
The 12th Man (more obscure - in Norwegian, subtitled) - WWII movie and fucking hard viewing at times, but a fantastic study in bravery - of the man hunted and of those who helped him - and endurance. Very humbling.
The Highwaymen (well known film) is excellent in its own way - reasonably faithful historically to the Bonnie & Clyde saga, interesting depiction of depression USA, good performances, well paced.
The 12th Man (more obscure - in Norwegian, subtitled) - WWII movie and fucking hard viewing at times, but a fantastic study in bravery - of the man hunted and of those who helped him - and endurance. Very humbling.
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sockwithaticket
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Isle of Dogs was pretty meandering and pointless. Coming off a career best with Grand Budapest Hotel and before that Moonrise Kingdom, I was expecting better of Wes Anderson.
Yeah, and the plot was transparent
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Mr Tim Buktoo
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Just watched greyhound. Loved it. Epic. Was hoping for a bit longer than the 90mins though. But i suppose people complain if these movies are 3hr long also.
I like tom hanks but would have been nice to see someone else in that role he has done before. Tom hardy maybe without the bible bashing.
I like tom hanks but would have been nice to see someone else in that role he has done before. Tom hardy maybe without the bible bashing.
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mat the expat
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Just watched the Dead don't Die by Jim Jarmusch.
Jeebus it's bad. Doesn't go anywhere at all
Jeebus it's bad. Doesn't go anywhere at all
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Monkey Magic
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Watched unhinged, basically bc there is so little on at the cinema.
Russell Crowe does a convincing crazy guy but all tension etc is lost when the woman he is after does things so stupid you most laugh
Russell Crowe does a convincing crazy guy but all tension etc is lost when the woman he is after does things so stupid you most laugh
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Uncle fester
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Line6 HXFX
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Really enjoyed knives out recently, also watched Bug with Micheal Shannon and Ashley Judd.
My God what a incredible acting performance by Ashley Judd, I was just blown away by her.
Didn't know she was such an incredible actress.
If Weinstien really ruined her Career (not sure it is a if anymore) he should have another 15 years just for that.
My God what a incredible acting performance by Ashley Judd, I was just blown away by her.
Didn't know she was such an incredible actress.
If Weinstien really ruined her Career (not sure it is a if anymore) he should have another 15 years just for that.
Catching up with a few films of varying quality
The last Stars Wars yoke was just meh. Not sure what was wrong with it but I wouldn't be going back to watch it or the last jedi one gain. I actually did watch the last jedi one again before this and it remained a bit shite. I actually thought Lucas's JarJar Binks filums were pretty good bar JarJar himself though the kids did like him. Think the problem with the last two films was how portentous they were. How filled with self reverence. The first of the new series had a bit of fun that was missing from the others. Anyway end of my childhood and I promise I will grow up now.
JoJo Rabbit was great. Young passionate Nazi lad finds something in his attic. Cue story. Not perfect or anything like that but really good. The two young actors were class. That young Kiwi actress who was in Leave no Trace is a class apart and will get all the big parts down the line. Probably vying for them with Saoirse Ronan. It manages to get the humour bitter sweet thing just right. Sam Rockwell is great but Rebel Wilson could have brought a bit more nuance to her role.
The last Stars Wars yoke was just meh. Not sure what was wrong with it but I wouldn't be going back to watch it or the last jedi one gain. I actually did watch the last jedi one again before this and it remained a bit shite. I actually thought Lucas's JarJar Binks filums were pretty good bar JarJar himself though the kids did like him. Think the problem with the last two films was how portentous they were. How filled with self reverence. The first of the new series had a bit of fun that was missing from the others. Anyway end of my childhood and I promise I will grow up now.
JoJo Rabbit was great. Young passionate Nazi lad finds something in his attic. Cue story. Not perfect or anything like that but really good. The two young actors were class. That young Kiwi actress who was in Leave no Trace is a class apart and will get all the big parts down the line. Probably vying for them with Saoirse Ronan. It manages to get the humour bitter sweet thing just right. Sam Rockwell is great but Rebel Wilson could have brought a bit more nuance to her role.
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Uncle fester
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Cracking filum, isn't it?EnergiseR wrote: ↑Sat Aug 15, 2020 9:19 am Catching up with a few films of varying quality
The last Stars Wars yoke was just meh. Not sure what was wrong with it but I wouldn't be going back to watch it or the last jedi one gain. I actually did watch the last jedi one again before this and it remained a bit shite. I actually thought Lucas's JarJar Binks filums were pretty good bar JarJar himself though the kids did like him. Think the problem with the last two films was how portentous they were. How filled with self reverence. The first of the new series had a bit of fun that was missing from the others. Anyway end of my childhood and I promise I will grow up now.
JoJo Rabbit was great. Young passionate Nazi lad finds something in his attic. Cue story. Not perfect or anything like that but really good. The two young actors were class. That young Kiwi actress who was in Leave no Trace is a class apart and will get all the big parts down the line. Probably vying for them with Saoirse Ronan. It manages to get the humour bitter sweet thing just right. Sam Rockwell is great but Rebel Wilson could have brought a bit more nuance to her role.
Bleak but rewarding.
Unless you're a fan, there's not going to be much of interest in the new star wars filums. And come on, phantom menace + attack of the clones were unspeakably bad.
Rogue One is decent though. I like a nice bleak ending.
Rogue one was great. The other ones are grand kids films. Have watched them more than once and they are grand and I like that they take themselves seriously. That knowing wink and nod bollox that is in every film these days is over for me.
Leave no trace is amazing. Had the added thing for me that I watched it and had that throat problem a few days later. I think it gave it to me.
Leave no trace is amazing. Had the added thing for me that I watched it and had that throat problem a few days later. I think it gave it to me.
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sockwithaticket
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I've watched quite a few recently. Things worth watching:
Bad Times at the El Royale - decent ensemble thriller. Nice to see Chris Hemsworth do some acting and Jeff Bridges is never anything but watchable.
Ready or Not - extremely fun horror-comedy (rather than comedy-horror) in the vein of You're Next. Samara Weaving's becoming quite the hor-com Scream Queen now having also done The Babysitter and Mayhem.
Colour Out of Space - everything I'd hoped Mandy (horrednously over-hyped garbage) would be. Some nice moments of peak Cage, but not over done along with an increasingly claustrophobic atmosphere and nasty practical effects.
Satantic Panic - a low budget comedy-horror doing nothing new by positing the wealthy as practioners of human sacrifice to secure their status. Nothing special, but passes the time pleasantly and it's always nice to see a low budget affair that's not a total pile of shit.
Deadpool 2 - a bit more serious than the previous one, but, as someone who's read a lot of deadpool, it was still grand. I have lingering annoyance over making Domino black. Her white skin (like a piece of paper rather than caucasian) is as much a part of her character design as blue is for Mystique or Beast
At the other end of the scale I was massively disappointed in Isle of Dogs. I'm big fan of Wes Anderson's recent fare and this represented a substantial dip in quality. There were things to enjoy and the animation, much like Fantastic Mr. Fox, was lovely, but it just didn't have a narrative that felt at all strung together and I felt by the end that I'd missed a chunk of the film that explained how we got there.
Bad Times at the El Royale - decent ensemble thriller. Nice to see Chris Hemsworth do some acting and Jeff Bridges is never anything but watchable.
Ready or Not - extremely fun horror-comedy (rather than comedy-horror) in the vein of You're Next. Samara Weaving's becoming quite the hor-com Scream Queen now having also done The Babysitter and Mayhem.
Colour Out of Space - everything I'd hoped Mandy (horrednously over-hyped garbage) would be. Some nice moments of peak Cage, but not over done along with an increasingly claustrophobic atmosphere and nasty practical effects.
Satantic Panic - a low budget comedy-horror doing nothing new by positing the wealthy as practioners of human sacrifice to secure their status. Nothing special, but passes the time pleasantly and it's always nice to see a low budget affair that's not a total pile of shit.
Deadpool 2 - a bit more serious than the previous one, but, as someone who's read a lot of deadpool, it was still grand. I have lingering annoyance over making Domino black. Her white skin (like a piece of paper rather than caucasian) is as much a part of her character design as blue is for Mystique or Beast
At the other end of the scale I was massively disappointed in Isle of Dogs. I'm big fan of Wes Anderson's recent fare and this represented a substantial dip in quality. There were things to enjoy and the animation, much like Fantastic Mr. Fox, was lovely, but it just didn't have a narrative that felt at all strung together and I felt by the end that I'd missed a chunk of the film that explained how we got there.
Yeah, I really enjoyed it, too.sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:00 pm I've watched quite a few recently. Things worth watching:
Ready or Not - extremely fun horror-comedy (rather than comedy-horror) in the vein of You're Next. Samara Weaving's becoming quite the hor-com Scream Queen now having also done The Babysitter and Mayhem.
Also agree wrt Isle of Dogs - just didn't work at all for me, either.
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mat the expat
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I watched this on the plane back from the US - did it have a limited release? I thought it was great.sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:00 pm I've watched quite a few recently. Things worth watching:
Bad Times at the El Royale - decent ensemble thriller. Nice to see Chris Hemsworth do some acting and Jeff Bridges is never anything but watchable.
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sockwithaticket
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As far as I can remember it had a regular release in the UK, but got pulled from cinemas rather quickly as no one was turning up to see it. According to IMDB it's gross was about $110k below it's budget, which is crazy. Just one of those things where a good film doesn't connect I guess.mat the expat wrote: ↑Sun Aug 16, 2020 3:51 amI watched this on the plane back from the US - did it have a limited release? I thought it was great.sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Sat Aug 15, 2020 12:00 pm I've watched quite a few recently. Things worth watching:
Bad Times at the El Royale - decent ensemble thriller. Nice to see Chris Hemsworth do some acting and Jeff Bridges is never anything but watchable.
Tenet gets 2 stars https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/a ... dromic-dud
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sockwithaticket
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Currently 71 on metacritic. Shoard's is comfortably the worst review given which doesn't surprise me in the slightest.BnM wrote: ↑Fri Aug 21, 2020 5:55 pm Tenet gets 2 stars https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/a ... dromic-dud
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Uncle fester
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And 4 in Empire.BnM wrote: ↑Fri Aug 21, 2020 5:55 pm Tenet gets 2 stars https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/a ... dromic-dud
Would be more inclined to pay attention to the latter.
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Lemoentjie
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I watched 'Land of Mine'. Short movie, only just over 90 minutes. I liked it.
Uncle fester wrote: ↑Sat Aug 22, 2020 2:18 pmAnd 4 in Empire.BnM wrote: ↑Fri Aug 21, 2020 5:55 pm Tenet gets 2 stars https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/a ... dromic-dud
Would be more inclined to pay attention to the latter.
Also 4 from Will Gompertz on the bbc website.
And are there two g’s in Bugger Off?
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sockwithaticket
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Leave No Trace - In general I have very little time for pure dramas and I don't invest in characters very easily. This one did test whether I cared about the protagonists on occasion, but, on the whole, I was interested in their journey and the ending is fucking heartbreaking. Ben Foster is excellent throughout as a quietly broken, listless man unable to explain to himself or his daughter why he is no longer compatible with society.
I watched Mulan yesterday to see what all the hype was about.. Acquired a copy in 4K/HDR and it looked fantastic. Ive never seen the animated version or familiar with the story. All in all a good watch but I definitely wouldn't pay what Disney is asking for it currently.
"Billy Jack" (1971) ... wtf did I watch? 
Like something they'd review on RLM's Best of the Worst.
Watched "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" for the third time ... little touches early-on hit me harder knowing what was coming. Wonderful film, and probably my favourite of Waititi's
Like something they'd review on RLM's Best of the Worst.Watched "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" for the third time ... little touches early-on hit me harder knowing what was coming. Wonderful film, and probably my favourite of Waititi's
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mat the expat
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For a lark, I watched the first Police Academy last night and realized I'd only ever seen the TV-edited version as a few 'new' scenes appeared (my brother and I watched gramps' bootlegs a lot as kids). Prostitute in the podium + Commandant scene was in the edit, but only the beginning and end. I had no clue she made a return at the end when Mahoney's getting his award... I always wondered why he looked down at his speech and then back at the Commandant confused!
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sockwithaticket
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In case anyone else is looking to give as little money as possible to our budding corporate overlords (Amazon, Google), but still pay for things I found a couple of sites you can buy or rent movies digitally:
Chili https://uk.chili.com
Rakuten https://rakuten.tv/uk
I tend to use them when unable to rent the DVD via Cinema Paradiso. Not a 100% hit rate given some of the independent films I'm often trying to track down, but more often than not I can find what I'm looking for and sometimes cheaper than it would be on larger platforms.
Watched a bunch recently, but most of it hasn't been too worth mentioning.
A couple of big blockbusters that were very disappointing:
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - just apallingly written. Both the plot and dialogue were utterly dire. The spectacle was as impressive as a premium tent pole film ought to be these days. There's a decent film in there somewhere, but realising it would require half the content being stripped out with time being spent to flesh out what's left.
Avengers Endgame - I am both a bit of a marvel comics nerd and a fan of most of the cinematic fare, but this just didn't land with me at all. The first half or so was an extended walk through McGuffin territory while the climatic battle final act was like watching a computer game and full of infuriating moments that defied logic even within the looser confines of a superhero film. The battle fading away so characters can say hello to each other in the midst of everything?! Ugh.
Other viewing highlights:
Pet Sematary - being both a Stephen King adaptation and a remake it rather bucks the odds to be a reasonable horror flick. The ending was pretty cool, didn't think it would go there.
Better Watch Out - a neat twist on the home invasion genre. Will certainly add it to the Christmas counter-programming list.
Devil All The Time - a decent slice of 1960s southern gothic. Pleasantly surprised by Tom Holland, didn't think he had this sort of thing in him.
Nightcrawler - a re-watch and a satisfying one at that. If the Oscars actually had anything to do with the best work of the year, rather than who lobbies hard enough, Gyllenhaal would have been in the running for best actor and the film for best picture.
The Favourite - I don't know exactly how many liberties were being taken here with the actual history, but vicious courtly intrigue in the 18th century has never been quite so compelling. Olivia Coleman got the acting nods for a performance lacking in vanity, but Rachel Weisz is superb as the ice queen behind the crown. Surprisingly decent English accent from Emma Stone. The first Yorgos Lanthimos film I've understood the plaudits for having rather struggled with The Lobster and Killing of a Sacred Deer.
Arkansas - a surprisingly gentle crime dramedy of errors about the small time realities of being in the Dixie Mafia. Strong taciturn work from Liam Hemsworth and another turn from Vince Vaughan to remind us he's actually a decent actor. A film likely to fly under the radar, but if you've got a Netflix subscription I'd definitely check it out.
Chili https://uk.chili.com
Rakuten https://rakuten.tv/uk
I tend to use them when unable to rent the DVD via Cinema Paradiso. Not a 100% hit rate given some of the independent films I'm often trying to track down, but more often than not I can find what I'm looking for and sometimes cheaper than it would be on larger platforms.
Watched a bunch recently, but most of it hasn't been too worth mentioning.
A couple of big blockbusters that were very disappointing:
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - just apallingly written. Both the plot and dialogue were utterly dire. The spectacle was as impressive as a premium tent pole film ought to be these days. There's a decent film in there somewhere, but realising it would require half the content being stripped out with time being spent to flesh out what's left.
Avengers Endgame - I am both a bit of a marvel comics nerd and a fan of most of the cinematic fare, but this just didn't land with me at all. The first half or so was an extended walk through McGuffin territory while the climatic battle final act was like watching a computer game and full of infuriating moments that defied logic even within the looser confines of a superhero film. The battle fading away so characters can say hello to each other in the midst of everything?! Ugh.
Other viewing highlights:
Pet Sematary - being both a Stephen King adaptation and a remake it rather bucks the odds to be a reasonable horror flick. The ending was pretty cool, didn't think it would go there.
Better Watch Out - a neat twist on the home invasion genre. Will certainly add it to the Christmas counter-programming list.
Devil All The Time - a decent slice of 1960s southern gothic. Pleasantly surprised by Tom Holland, didn't think he had this sort of thing in him.
Nightcrawler - a re-watch and a satisfying one at that. If the Oscars actually had anything to do with the best work of the year, rather than who lobbies hard enough, Gyllenhaal would have been in the running for best actor and the film for best picture.
The Favourite - I don't know exactly how many liberties were being taken here with the actual history, but vicious courtly intrigue in the 18th century has never been quite so compelling. Olivia Coleman got the acting nods for a performance lacking in vanity, but Rachel Weisz is superb as the ice queen behind the crown. Surprisingly decent English accent from Emma Stone. The first Yorgos Lanthimos film I've understood the plaudits for having rather struggled with The Lobster and Killing of a Sacred Deer.
Arkansas - a surprisingly gentle crime dramedy of errors about the small time realities of being in the Dixie Mafia. Strong taciturn work from Liam Hemsworth and another turn from Vince Vaughan to remind us he's actually a decent actor. A film likely to fly under the radar, but if you've got a Netflix subscription I'd definitely check it out.
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boere wors
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Interesting, i thought the favorite was quite ordinary for a lathimos film. Killing of a sacred dear and the lobster were his trademark weird films, just great imo.
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sockwithaticket
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Because of the Weirdos thread I dropped in on the other place and noticed they were doing a best films since 2010 thread. I scurried off to IMDB to see which films I've rated would make the cut. It struck me that out of goodness knows how many films I've watched that were released since then (at an average of 3 per week I'd guess) I've only rated 27 as 8 or 9 stars (no 10s).
That doesn't feel like many at all, so I pondered why? My viewing skews towards comedy, dramedy and horror where most films tend to slot somewhere along the mid-range of 5 to 7, but I'm also likely a much harsher judge of quality than I used to be and much more prepared to give something a like a lower score.
Anyway, for the sake of playing along with their thread, in no particular order, these are the best films I've watched since 2010:
Easy A
Baby Driver
The VVitch
Freefire
Moneyball
Wind River
Knives Out
Short Term 12
Nightcrawler
The Grand Budapest Hotel
That doesn't feel like many at all, so I pondered why? My viewing skews towards comedy, dramedy and horror where most films tend to slot somewhere along the mid-range of 5 to 7, but I'm also likely a much harsher judge of quality than I used to be and much more prepared to give something a like a lower score.
Anyway, for the sake of playing along with their thread, in no particular order, these are the best films I've watched since 2010:
Easy A
Baby Driver
The VVitch
Freefire
Moneyball
Wind River
Knives Out
Short Term 12
Nightcrawler
The Grand Budapest Hotel