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 of 5

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EvaUnit02 wrote: 06 Jun 2021, 04:21The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) - 2.25/5
Everything in terms of filmmaking technical craft, writing and acting were all fine. However I was thoroughly unengaged, I stopped watching at the 3rd act and didn't return to the film until half a day later. There's nothing scary here, it's just relies on loud sounds and quick editing. I'd rather just rewatch the original Exorcist if I was in the specific mood for a demon possession film.
"There's nothing scary here, it's just relies on loud sounds and quick editing." Sums up every single film in the Conjuring universe. The first film got by because of the crazy intensity, but as soon as that let up for the sequel and all the spin offs the woeful inadequacy of all the filmmakers involved in this dumpster fire of a franchise was throughly exposed.
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

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Tomorrow Never Dies (UK, 1997) [VoD] – 2.5/5
Late 90s techno Bond with a still-timely theme (media manipulation and misinformation) and frankly not that bad a villain. Also, Teri Hatcher has a cute voice and Michelle Yeoh is some fun. But the rest is mediocre, from lame one-liners to uninspired action scenes and forgettable theme song.
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

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HungFist wrote: 08 Jun 2021, 18:11 Tomorrow Never Dies (UK, 1997) [VoD] – 2.5/5
Late 90s techno Bond with a still-timely theme (media manipulation and misinformation) and frankly not that bad a villain. Also, Teri Hatcher has a cute voice and Michelle Yeoh is some fun. But the rest is mediocre, from lame one-liners to uninspired action scenes and forgettable theme song.
To think, they had Phillip Kwok in the film and all he does is walk down a corridor!
bradavon wrote:
but I guess you're more intelligence than me.
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

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In the Earth (UK, 2021) [VoD] – 3/5
Ben Wheatley's microbudget horror film about mad scientists using light and sound to commicate with Mother Nature's mushroom brain reminded me a bit of Laird Barron's great, early cosmic horror short stories. There's some gnarly depictions of bodily harm as lead Joel Fry really gets put through the wringer. There's a bit of Wheatley's pitch black humor as well. May be too esoteric for some viewers but I liked it quite a bit.

eXistenZ (CAN, 1999) [BD] – 4/5
David Cronenberg's video game movie (written a directed by a man who only ever played a few hours worth of MYST) has aged pretty well in my opinion. I wasn't hugely impressed when I originally saw it upon release but 20+ years on I now consider it one of the director's most underrated works.

Escape from L.A. (USA, 1996) [BD] – 3/5
Hated this in theaters at the time because, if I recall correctly, it was too humorous and not edgy enough. Upon revisiting it all these years later I now seem to like it for the exact same reasons I hated it back then. Great cast too with Bruce Campbell as a deranged plastic surgeon and Pam Grier as a transsexual called Hershe.
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

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The World is Not Enough (UK, 1999) [VoD] - 2/5
The most tiresome (though still tolerable) entry in the series, with decent actors like Carlyle wasted in instantly forgettable roles. The storyline is as bland as they come. The only thing popping out here is Denise Richards' boobs. Well, those and the ever reliable Coltrane and Dench. The theme song is bad, too.
Guro Taku wrote: 11 Jun 2021, 12:39 Escape from L.A. (USA, 1996) [BD] – 3/5
Hated this in theaters at the time because, if I recall correctly, it was too humorous and not edgy enough. Upon revisiting it all these years later I now seem to like it for the exact same reasons I hated it back then. Great cast too with Bruce Campbell as a deranged plastic surgeon and Pam Grier as a transsexual called Hershe.
I rewatched this a few months ago. There's a lot that I don't like (the CGI, Pam Grier robbed of her voice, and the film just not being as good as it should) but at the same time it remains pretty entertaining and Kurt Russell is absolutely awesome here! Same rating (3/5).
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

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Sudden Death (1995) - 3/5

Van Damme stars in a movie that seems like Die Hard at an ice hockey game, entertaining :)
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

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Die Another Day (UK, 2002) [VoD] - 2.5/5
Brosnan's last Bond, utterly ridiculous and loaded with some of the worst CGI ever seen in a major film. But strangely enough, this is more watchable and entertaining than the previous film. The storyline at least has a bit of suspense to it, and the storytelling is not as shabby as in The World is Not Enough. Madonna's theme song is odd: I examined my speakers and internet connection before I realized it's supposed to sound like crap, with sound dropping off every few seconds. Must’ve been some teen thing.
grim_tales wrote: 14 Jun 2021, 23:04 Sudden Death (1995) - 3/5

Van Damme stars in a movie that seems like Die Hard at an ice hockey game, entertaining :)
I would rate this even higher, 3.5/5. Very entertaining, one of Damme's best IMO.
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

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Deadlock (West Germany, 1970) [DCP] - 3/5
The past few years have seen a welcome trend of theatrical re-releases in Japan, so far focusing on classics such as Once Upon a Time in the West, Last Tango in Paris, Django, The Hitcher, Sorcerer, Streets of Fire, and the Bruce Lee films. But to give something like Deadlock, that even many genre cinema fans have never heard of, a nationwide theatrical run in 2021 is truly admirable. Reportedly loved by Alejandro Jodorowsky, this dream-like modern Spaghetti Western sets a coward mine worker Mario Adorf, young machine gun killer Marquard Bohm, and Lee Van Cleef type senior killer Anthony Dawson in one deserted town (only populated by Adorf and two mentally disturbed women) to fight over a suitcase full of money. Buddy/enemy bonding, sudden bursts of violence, an awesome score soundtrack by Can, mental insanity, nudity, a hundred shots of the camera pointing in the sun, some cinematically clumsy "how did that happen?" moments, and frankly a too compact setting with the guys running back and forth the same sand fields from start to finish. If it’s great, that’s up to debate, but it’s absolutely good and worth a watch.

JP Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJiICLV9cPo
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

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Firecracker (Philippines, 1981) [VoD] – 2/5
Yellow haired warrior Jillian Kesner goes looking for missing little sister in the Philippines, uncovers gangsters smuggling drugs and running deadly martial arts tournaments. A score lifted from Shogun Assassin plays on repeat. Kesner loses her clothes and fights in the nude. She looks good and fights much better than most people in Cirio H. Santiago films. But the storyline is such a bag of cliché that I can’t even tell which of his own films he’s borrowing from (let’s see, saving the sister, that was in TNT Jackson… and in The Muthers… and in Wheels of Fire…and…). There’s a fair bit of Enter the Dragon here as well. Had I seen this on VHS back in the 80s, in a country with no abundance of good martial arts films in rental stores, it could have been a nice, exotic piece of action. But it doesn’t fare well anymore.
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

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The Beastmaster (USA, 1982) [VoD] – 3.5/5
A boy who can communicate with animals goes on a big journey, thankfully not in a Disney movie, but a bonkers barbarian adventure. Swords, beasts and a topless Tanya Roberts follows. Other selected highlights: the hero is born from a cow's stomach (dar fuk?), evil priests manufacture homicidal SM freaks (who instantly kill their makers), and the hero hooks up with a black panther and two thieving weasels (!) who become his best friends. Conan the Barbarian this is not, but it remains a worthy barbarian adventure; one of the few with a proper budget and a unique vision (the animal stuff). And how can you not love a movie whose major co-star was not allowed on set at the same time as children, since he might eat them (the panther that is, played by a tiger). The fighting could be much better, though, and the film a lot shorter than it is (118 min!).
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

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Blue Thunder (USA, 1983) [TV] – 4/5
Under-rated concept thriller with fantastic action sequences. Roy Scheider is a helicopter pilot who gets to test-fly a new military model, and records evidence of political assassination by accident. The helicopter action has the kind of heavy physicality that is missing in today's CGI enhanced and/or over-stylized films. The film makers were also wise enough to stick to the helicopter concept from start to finish, resulting in a film with identity.
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

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Witness for the Prosecution (1957): 4.5/5

Excellent murder mystery based on an Agatha Christie play. I really enjoyed it and it kept me guessing :)
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

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Ben Hur (1959): 3/5 - first time

I know.. you're probably thinking "What?!" But unfortunately I found this very heavy going especially at the beginning. Charlton Heston's performance is very good though and the chariot race is exciting (when it arrives). Why exactly did his friend (Messala) turn against him?
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Ben Hur (1925 version) - first time: 3/5

The colour scenes must have been spectacular in 1925
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Get Carter (UK, 1971): 4/5

Michael Caine's performance is really good here, playing an amoral bastard of a man in gangster/hitman Jack Carter, who goes to Newcastle to investigate his brother's murder. The jazzy theme music is terrific.
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Dirty Harry (USA, 1971): 4/5
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (USA,1975) - Rewatch: 4/5

Hard to watch in places especially looking at how mental illness or disability was viewed at that time.
Nurse Ratched is a villain :mad: :(
Is McMurphy in a kind of Catch 22 situation? I mean, he pretended to be mentally ill to be let out of prison (?) but found the institution even more of a prison than before. The Chief didn't want him to live his live that way at the end :(
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

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Casablanca (USA, 1942) - Blu Ray: 4/5

I'm not that big on romances but this is good, Bogart is excellent as is Bergman (and beautiful) :)
Why did Rick lie to Victor Laszlo at the end? Rick loves Ilsa but he leaves her
I've wondered why "Play it Sam" was always misquoted. Because As Time Goes By was something Sam used to play, and is always asked to?

I chose the Warner Night at the Movies option BTW, as well as a few cartoons and a newsreel, there's a short called Vaudeville Days which is just weird IMO - even in 1942 would most people remember acts from 40-50 years previously? The final number sounds pretty racist or full of stereotypes :(
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A View to a Kill (1985): 3/5

It felt strange watching this again after being more used to the Craig style Bonds. Moore looks really old (Tanya Roberts looks really young next to him) :icon_suspect: and Christopher Walken hams it up as nutty baddie Max Zorin who rigs horse races and then wants to sink Silicon Valley... or something.
The use of California Girls near the start seems an odd choice of song if you ask me.
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

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The Machinist (2004): 4/5

Notable for Christian Bale's amazing transformation to play Trevor (I think he lost about 3 stone), his performance is really good. The film kept me guessing and confused me though. Reminded me a bit of Fight Club, Abre Los Ojos etc.
Was Ivan Trevor's "dark side"? Was that why no one else could see him?
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

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The Departed (2006): 3.5/5
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Grim's back in the movie watching game! :thumbs:
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

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For Your Eyes Only (1981): 3/5

Some lovely Greek locations, and interesting underwater stunts in this one. Carole Bouquet is gorgeous :love:
The theme song isn't one of the best, that's for sure, and the ending scene with the Thatcher impersonator - WTF?
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

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Octopussy (1983): 2.5/5

This one is weaker. A dated theme song, not many memorable stunts (except for one ontop of a circus train), the climax feels rushed and there's a silly metajoke where a street performer in India starts playing the James Bond theme. :lol:

However, I suppose that fits given that originally - the tune was a song done in an Indian style for an abandoned musical. Monty Norman later reused the tune for the movie theme.

Villians throwing circular blades reminded me of Master of the Flying Guillotine for some reason

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6EuzGhIyRQ
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Re: What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

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Stryker (Philippines, 1983) – 3/5
Cirio H. Santiago's first post apocalypse. There are little people, big boobs, and hairy heroes. Not as good as the director's later Wheels of Fire (with more little people, bigger boobs, can't remember about the hairiness), but still a very passable entry in the genre. Post apocalypse films seemed to be a genre Santiago handled better than martial arts films.
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