What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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Folks! (1992-USA) *
Why, God, why...?
Tom Selleck (minus 'tache) plays an accident-prone stockbroker who has to deal with his estranged father's (Don Ameche) Alzheimer's.
Offensive alleged comedy takes serious subject matter and smoothers it in third-rate slapstick and insincere mawkishness.
Ghastly stuff and a black mark for all involved.
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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Body Puzzle (1992-Italy) **
Flat, confusing, sometimes silly thriller from Lamberto Bava, in which a serial killer takes organs as souvenirs. Gruesome, but not especially gory. Shot in English with Polish actress Joanna Pacula the star.
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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The November Man (2014-USA-UK) **½
Not bad action thriller stars Pierce Brosnan as a reactivated CIA agent protecting the only witness to a war crime conspiracy (the sexy Olga Kurylenko). Pretty routine save for the occasional moment where film threatens to turn into something unexpectedly dark - Brosnan severs the femoral artery of an innocent girl to test his opponent - but basically cops out toward the end for standard goodies versus baddies moral simplicity. Grittier (and considerably more violent) than Bond, with Brosnan proving he could've been every bit as serious and dramatic as Daniel Craig in Casino Royale. A moderate hit in the US, but dumped into oblivion in the UK and deserving of better.
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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They've been advertising that in Japanese theaters a lot. I've seen the trailer at least three times, and the film doesn't open until January...

I always thought Brosnan made a very good Bond in GoldenEye. After that it went donwhill, but I don't know if that was really his fault (the films went downhill, too, and became more and more over the top)
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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I've never liked Brosnan. In anything. Couldn't even get through any of his Bond-movies. Just hate him. A lot. As an actor. In interviews, he seems to be ok.
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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People forget that each of Brosnan's 007 movies broke series box office records. He was very popular at the time and only Die Another Day took a beating from the critics (and not all critics). There seems to be this revisionist idea that Daniel Craig saved the series from oblivion. Nonsense. Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace are great, but so was Goldeneye and both Tomorrow Never Dies and The World is Not Enough were good fun (the latter showing a hint of what Brosnan could do with the more dramatic stuff). The cheesy dialogue and sillier episodes were the fault of the filmmakers, not the actor. If Daniel Craig has starred in Die Another Day would he have been given a free pass? Skyfall has a terrible script, yet was drooled over by fans and critics alike. Maybe more time needs to pass before we gain some real perspective? Brosnan has always had movie star charisma, but since Bond has found the acting chops to match. It's actually a shame The November Man isn't better, because it could've been the start of a more adult-oriented spy franchise for him.
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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It's strange that after viewing Craig's Bonds, I feel I cant watch the sillier camp Bonds anymore - yet with Brosnan's Bonds as Mark said, I liked Goldeneye, and TND and TWINE were both fun despite flaws (eg non threatening villains), even DAD had a good opening and was ruined by the crap overall plot and CGI set pieces.
I'll have to re-evaluate Skyfall, I think Casino Royale was actually very funny while maintaining a serious tone
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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Yi-Long wrote:I've never liked Brosnan. In anything. Couldn't even get through any of his Bond-movies. Just hate him. A lot.
:? i've never cared enough abut any actor to actively hate them.not a fan maybe that's fine but there's probably a good reason we are posting on message boards and Brosnan is still in regular work- Acting talent
working class blu-ray fan
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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grim_tales wrote:It's strange that viewing Craig's Bonds, I feel I cant watch the sillier camp Bonds anymore
I try to adjust expectations depending on the film I'm about to watch.

If I stick on Moonraker I know what to expect.

That said, I still don't like the Tom Manckiewicz era.
saltysam wrote:i've never cared enough abut any actor to actively hate them.
Yi has never been one for understatement.
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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Markgway wrote:People forget that each of Brosnan's 007 movies broke series box office records. He was very popular at the time and only Die Another Day took a beating from the critics (and not all critics). There seems to be this revisionist idea that Daniel Craig saved the series from oblivion. Nonsense. Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace are great, but so was Goldeneye and both Tomorrow Never Dies and The World is Not Enough were good fun (the latter showing a hint of what Brosnan could do with the more dramatic stuff). The cheesy dialogue and sillier episodes were the fault of the filmmakers, not the actor. If Daniel Craig has starred in Die Another Day would he have been given a free pass? Skyfall has a terrible script, yet was drooled over by fans and critics alike. Maybe more time needs to pass before we gain some real perspective? Brosnan has always had movie star charisma, but since Bond has found the acting chops to match. It's actually a shame The November Man isn't better, because it could've been the start of a more adult-oriented spy franchise for him.
Yeah, I wasn't talking about box-office succes or anything like that. I know his movies did pretty well.I just absolutely never bought him as Bond. I thought Dalton was excellent in the role, while Pierce looked like a smug stuck-up Ken-doll, probably with a smaller package.

He was 'acting' suave, secret, super special secret agent, probably humming the Bond-theme to himself in each and every scene he was in. It was almost like a parody on the role of Bond.

I'm not the biggest fan of Skyfall either, due to the ridiculous villain and the far-fetched story, and poor use of locations (except Turkey), and Quantum of Solace was made unwatchable due to that shaky-cam bullshit and the very short running-time... but Craig was ALWAYS impressive as Bond, in each and every scene. Excellent actor.
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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saltysam wrote:
Yi-Long wrote:I've never liked Brosnan. In anything. Couldn't even get through any of his Bond-movies. Just hate him. A lot.
:? i've never cared enough abut any actor to actively hate them.not a fan maybe that's fine but there's probably a good reason we are posting on message boards and Brosnan is still in regular work- Acting talent
Well, I don't 'hate' him in a sense that I break into his mansion late at night to strangle his puppies or anything. I just think he's a very mediocre actor who, for me, hasn't been in 1 great movie, and every time I see him on-screen, I instantly switch off the TV by throwing my girlfriend through the screen. (She's Asian, so she's tiny, easy to throw, bounces alot)
Markgway wrote:
saltysam wrote:i've never cared enough abut any actor to actively hate them.
Yi has never been one for understatement.
What!? WHAT!?!? :rage: RIDICULOUS! THAT'S THE WORST THING ANYONE HAS EVER SAID TO ANYONE! EVER! IN THE HISTORY OF AWFUL THINGS BEING SAID!!! YOU'RE WORSE THAN HITLER!!! YOU SHOULD BE SHOT IN THE FACE WITH A NUCLEAR LASER WHILE BEING RAPED BY EBOLA-INFECTED POSSUMS WHILE THEY TAPE IT TO SHARE ON THEIR FACEBOOK-PAGE, FOR WHICH THEY'LL RECEIVE A BILLION LIKES!!! :rage: :rage: :rage:
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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If any film is going to change your opinion of Brosnan for a couple of hours it will be The Matador, Seraphim Falls isn't bad either. Oh and Daniel Craig's bond reboot DID save the franchise (not because of Craig though), the Brosnan era had hit a dead end with a vengeance with arguably the two worst films in Bond history. They only way to get the credibility back was to do a clean sweep, didn't Brosnan want to quit as Bond anyway by that point?
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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Yi-Long wrote:every time I see him on-screen, I instantly switch off the TV by throwing my girlfriend through the screen. (She's Asian, so she's tiny, easy to throw, bounces alot)
:lol:

I need to try that too :D
Shingster wrote:didn't Brosnan want to quit as Bond anyway by that point?
I'm not sure, but I was under the impression that Brosnan wanted to continue and was (more or less) offended when they didn't ask him to...
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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You're probably right tbh, I've never really been clued up on what's going on with the Bond franchise so I could well have been remembering it wrong!
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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Shingster wrote:Oh and Daniel Craig's bond reboot DID save the franchise (not because of Craig though), the Brosnan era had hit a dead end with a vengeance with arguably the two worst films in Bond history. They only way to get the credibility back was to do a clean sweep
Not true. Although there was a backlash over DAD's excess the film broke Bond box office records and all the filmmakers needed to do to claw back some credibility was make the next one more serious - just as Moonraker (silly) was successfully followed by For Your Eyes Only (less silly). No one asked Moore to quit. They didn't need a reboot or recast. Brosnan was merely the scapegoat.

Oh, and TWO worst films?

TWINE, one of the worst? Surely shome mishtake!?!
didn't Brosnan want to quit as Bond anyway by that point?
No, he wanted to make Casino Royale with Quentin Tarantino as director.
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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Dutch (1991-USA) **
"Working class" construction company owner(!) escorts obnoxious brat home for Thanksgiving.
I like Ed O'Neill, but this isn't one of John Hughes' better films, with any sarcastic edge dampened by typically mawkish sentiment.
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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Shingster wrote:If any film is going to change your opinion of Brosnan for a couple of hours it will be The Matador, Seraphim Falls isn't bad either. Oh and Daniel Craig's bond reboot DID save the franchise (not because of Craig though), the Brosnan era had hit a dead end with a vengeance with arguably the two worst films in Bond history. They only way to get the credibility back was to do a clean sweep, didn't Brosnan want to quit as Bond anyway by that point?
From the documentary I saw, which was about the history of the Bond-franchise, it seems like he (Brosnan) thought the first movie was good (GoldenEye), and the 3 other movies are pretty much a blur to him, and not that impressive, and he also stated it had gone completely too far with the OTT gimmicks and stuff, like the invisible car (well, that's the clip they showed when he was talking), and that whole on-ice scene.

So yeah, it needed a reboot in terms of quality and story. I absolutely LOVE Casino Royale. I was skeptical when they announced Craig as Bond, but man, he delivered.

I don't think anyone was using Brosnan as a scapegoat (I don't like him as an actor and think he's ridiculous as Bond, but I don't blame the poor quality of the movies on him). Many people seemed to like Brosnan in the part. But it was decided they were going back to basics and do a reboot with Casino Royale, so they simply needed a fresh face.

Some people like that slick, suave Bond, who's cool and collected and witty in the most riidculous of situations, so Brosnan and Moore. Others prefer a bit more humanity and realism from their Bond, so for me Dalton and Craig.
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Markgway wrote:Not true. Although there was a backlash over DAD's excess the film broke Bond box office records and all the filmmakers needed to do to claw back some credibility was make the next one more serious - just as Moonraker (silly) was successfully followed by For Your Eyes Only (less silly). No one asked Moore to quit. They didn't need a reboot or recast. Brosnan was merely the scapegoat.
You say that like turning round a flagging franchise is the easiest thing in the world, has it ever been done before when things have gone seriously off track without a total reboot with fresh new faces behind and in front of the camera? Brosnan's era was dead on it's arse, TWINE and DAD made good money but they were irredeemably shite & you could tell the audiences finally realised that after DAD, which quickly became the butt of many jokes once the tickets had all been sold and everyone had seen the film. DAD killed the Brosnan era but TWINE started the rot: Denise Richards! Denise fucking Richards as an astrophysicist Mark and you're sitting there telling me the movie was misunderstood! :o :D Only people who enjoy bad movies really get any pleasure out of that floating turd anymore.
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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TWINE was OK if you accept Sophie Marceau (1000 times hotter than Denise Richards), but the villain was shite
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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Markgway wrote:
grim_tales wrote:It's strange that viewing Craig's Bonds, I feel I cant watch the sillier camp Bonds anymore
I try to adjust expectations depending on the film I'm about to watch.

If I stick on Moonraker I know what to expect.

That said, I still don't like the Tom Manckiewicz era.


Huh? I'm guessing this was in the 70s/80's or so, am I right? :)
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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Yi-Long wrote:...and he also stated it had gone completely too far with the OTT gimmicks and stuff, like the invisible car (well, that's the clip they showed when he was talking), and that whole on-ice scene...
That's true, they had gone too far, but it's hardly the first time. Throughout the series there have been films and/or scenes within films that have jumped the shark. From Connery's YOLT impersonation of a Japanese(!) to Roger Moore's double snowboarding to a Beach Boys tribute act. DAD's invisible car could've worked had they been more subtle, as the tech is real, but there was nothing subtle about the bulk of that movie - for me the egregious use of CGI in that wind surfing scene was the nadir (or perhaps any scene with the awful Halle Berry). It's a shame as the first act of DAD was very good and I did find parts entertaining.
So yeah, it needed a reboot in terms of quality and story. I absolutely LOVE Casino Royale. I was skeptical when they announced Craig as Bond, but man, he delivered.
You don't need a reboot to improve story and quality. Yes, Casino Royale was great, but it didn't save the franchise, and I think Brosnan could've done it justice given the same script and direction. He argued for the series to be more serious and they rewarded him with Denise Richards and DAD.
Some people like that slick, suave Bond, who's cool and collected and witty in the most riidculous of situations, so Brosnan and Moore. Others prefer a bit more humanity and realism from their Bond, so for me Dalton and Craig.
I see both sides. I genuinely think that each Bond actor has contributed to the series and it's sometimes easy to forget that it was Bond's "slick, suave, cool, and collected" style that made him a stand out success in the first place.
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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Shingster wrote:You say that like turning round a flagging franchise is the easiest thing in the world, has it ever been done before when things have gone seriously off track without a total reboot with fresh new faces behind and in front of the camera? Brosnan's era was dead on it's arse, TWINE and DAD made good money but they were irredeemably shite & you could tell the audiences finally realised that after DAD, which quickly became the butt of many jokes once the tickets had all been sold and everyone had seen the film. DAD killed the Brosnan era but TWINE started the rot: Denise Richards! Denise fucking Richards as an astrophysicist Mark and you're sitting there telling me the movie was misunderstood! :o :D Only people who enjoy bad movies really get any pleasure out of that floating turd anymore.
Strongly disagree on most counts. I don't think the franchise was in bad shape, it had just gotten a little too excessive for its own good. All they needed was a better script as foundation to get back on track, which they could easily have done with Brosnan. The ONLY thing I didn't like about the otherwise solid TWINE was Denise Richards' tongue-in-cheek miscasting. It wasn't funny (as intended) and dragged down too many scenes for the film to be considered top grade Bondage... but Sophie Marceau, Robert Carlyle, Brosnan and Judi Dench gave fine performances, the photography and action sequences were excellent, the story more dramatic, personal and involving than usual. Even my Dad liked it and he's not a Bond fan. :D
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grim_tales wrote: Huh? I'm guessing this was in the 70s/80's or so, am I right? :)
You don't know Tom Mankiewicz? You call yourself a Bond fan?? :mad:

He wrote Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die, and The Man with the Golden Gun.

Bond's worst period from 1971-1974.
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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Markgway wrote:
grim_tales wrote: Huh? I'm guessing this was in the 70s/80's or so, am I right? :)
You don't know Tom Mankiewicz? You call yourself a Bond fan?? :mad:

He wrote Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die, and The Man with the Golden Gun.

Bond's worst period from 1971-1974.
Some of my favourite Bond films! :D

(ok, only Live and Let Die is really one of the best Bond films, but I like The Man with the Golden Gun, too)
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out

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Walk of Shame (2013-USA) **½
Elizabeth Banks (excellent) suffers an After Hours-like urban nightmare when she gets lost in the LA jungle and is misidentified as a crack whore. If you can get thru a mediocre first act this farce has its share of laughs and funny supporting performances.
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