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Post by paltogue on Mar 30, 2014 19:50:45 GMT
Hi all, looks like we don't have a 'films' thread on here (waiting for Alex to tell me we do!), so I thought I'd add one.
Have seen two great films recently - Gravity (on Blu-ray) and The LEGO Movie (cinema), both in 2D. And both brilliant in entirely different ways.
I wasn't expecting Gravity to grab me but it was edge of the seat stuff the whole way through and utterly beautiful and terrifying. I wanted to be a spaceman as a kid but I so don't ever want to go into space now!
The LEGO Movie was some of the best fun I've had in film form - about an hour and a half of manic craziness, extremely well done and with so many LEGO in jokes that it's clear that adult fans of LEGO were one of the main target audiences. Although it was all CGI I think, it looks like a stop-motion film made entirely with LEGO bricks, which is exactly how it should have been.
Also saw the 2nd Hobbit movie before Xmas, but that was only all right - not exactly a wonderful plot, but enough daftness to hold my attention for most of the film, though the end was too prolonged and unrealistic.
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Post by outspaced on Apr 3, 2014 10:41:06 GMT
I really enjoyed The Desolation of Smaug, but perhaps it's even better in 16 bit.
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Post by paltogue on May 22, 2014 14:33:10 GMT
Watched two films at the weekend: Word War Z and the new Star Trek one.
WWZ (minor possibly but not really spoiler-ish comments) was gripping and maybe kind of enjoyable, if rather gratuitous and unnecessary (it was essentially a souped up version of every other zombie movie, with all the usual tropes: the associate who becomes a zombie that then starts chasing the others, the chase up tower block stairs, the traumatised kids, the search for food in the supermarket, the breakdown of civil society, the research facility, the captured zombie, the outbreak in a confined place, the desperate search for a completely daft cure, the half mad soldiers, etc.). It also contained some kind of confused commentary on the Israel-Palestine wall as far as I could tell, although maybe I'm reading too much into it. Oh, and the "there's 80 zombies to kill if you want to..." moment had me thinking they've been reading BotZ!
The Star Trek film? I can barely even remember it, it was that dull. I can't even remember what it was actually called. It had Sherlock Holmes in it and a Gravity-style scene in space, but other than that I'm not really sure. Hmmm...
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on May 22, 2014 19:14:34 GMT
I too saw The LEGO Movie in the cinema and enjoyed it and will probably pick it up on blu-ray. Yesterday I went to see X Men: Days of Future Past with some friends for a birthday and while it was mildly entertaining, it's not something I would have picked to go and see. The only other film I've seen so far this year at the cinema was The Monuments Men which was a fluffy but enjoyable romp.
*I found Star Trek Into Darkness un-engaging and won't be purchasing. *I haven't seen Gravity or World War Z. *The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was fine for what it was and I'll probably get it on blu-ray at some point.
Films (new to me) that I have recently watched: Despicable Me 2, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, They Live, Suspiria, and The Adjustment Bureau.
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Klea
Wanderer
Writing Lyssia Ulmer's marriage for Camp NaNoWriMo (based on King's Heir: Rise to the Throne)
Posts: 57
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy (Sorcery!)
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Post by Klea on Jun 2, 2014 19:52:03 GMT
I'm relieved to see others less than impressed with nuTrek. Say that on TrekBBS and you'll immediately get flamed and trolled - even by moderators.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Jun 3, 2014 8:33:43 GMT
I'm relieved to see others less than impressed with nuTrek. Say that on TrekBBS and you'll immediately get flamed and trolled - even by moderators. I should probably qualify my remark but pointing out that *in general* I've found most iterations of Star Trek uninteresting (only DS9 provoked anything other than "meh"). Meanwhile I've seen The Trip to Italy on the big screen and watched on blu-ray (and new to me): Mission: Impossible III, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, No Country for Old Men, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Olympus Has Fallen and The Thing (2011 version).
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Oct 15, 2014 5:57:52 GMT
I'm relieved to see others less than impressed with nuTrek. Say that on TrekBBS and you'll immediately get flamed and trolled - even by moderators. I should probably qualify my remark but pointing out that *in general* I've found most iterations of Star Trek uninteresting (only DS9 provoked anything other than "meh"). Since saying that of course, the blu-rays were all heavily discounted here in NZ and one retailer has run two 25% off sales in the last couple of months. Thus I now have all 12 films, all 3 seasons of TOS and the first 5 of TNG! Ha! Anyway, films watched for the first time recently: In the cinema: The Boxtrolls (2014) Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) Magic in the Moonlight (2014) What We Do in the Shadows (2014) Blu-Ray: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension! (1984) Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) The Devil Rides Out (1967) Dracula (1931) The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) The Mummy’s Shroud (1966) North by Northwest (1959) Olympus Has Fallen (2013) Red 2 (2012)
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,547
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Oct 15, 2014 12:42:11 GMT
What did you make of it? I saw it for the first time a couple of years ago and I just found every line, costume, gesture and set had been spoofed so many times I couldn't take it seriously.
Also what a rubbish ending!
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sylas
Baron
"Don't just adventure for treasure; treasure the adventure!"
Posts: 1,744
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy, Way of the Tiger
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Post by sylas on Oct 16, 2014 0:01:36 GMT
i love the Dracula mythology but only really like the Christopher Lee, Gary Oldman ones. Vampire films and series nowadays are almost exclusively terrible. in other news, i watched Edge of Tomorrow today excellent film. nice to see Bill Paxton still acting. flawed ending though. shave off the last 2 minutes and it remains a great movie, watch it to the very end and you'll be wondering if this IS a great movie.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Oct 19, 2014 6:18:25 GMT
What did you make of it? I saw it for the first time a couple of years ago and I just found every line, costume, gesture and set had been spoofed so many times I couldn't take it seriously. Also what a rubbish ending! You've obviously seen a lot more pisstakes of the material than I have as that wasn't a problem for me! The difference in film techniques of storytelling was probably the biggest issue for me (as noted in the docs it was primarily shot as if it was a silent film), but as I've watched several silent/early films from the 1920s & 30s this wasn't a such an issue once I got into the film. I though it was good, if horribly dated (I'm intrigued as to what the Spanish version is like and since it is included on the blu-ray I'll get around to watching it at some point). Next will be the 30s version of Frankenstein which I've also never seen before.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Jan 7, 2015 20:22:17 GMT
Films watched for the first time recently:
In the cinema:
Mr. Turner (2014) Big Hero 6 (2014) Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
Blu-Ray:
The Fog (1980) Pacific Rim (2013) Barbarella (1968)
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Jan 23, 2015 7:30:02 GMT
End of January, new films for the first time:
In the cinema:
The Imitation Game (2014)
Blu-Ray:
Adventures in Babysitting (1987) Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004) The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance (1962) Leon: The Professional (1994)
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Feb 28, 2015 1:48:11 GMT
End of February, new films for the first time:
Blu-Ray:
Rio 2 (2014) Scarface (1983) Edge of Tomorrow (2014) Fury (2014) Halloween II (1981)
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Apr 10, 2015 20:42:00 GMT
Start of April, new films for the first time:
In the cinema:
Shaun the Sheep: Movie (2015)
Blu-Ray:
Rocky V (1990) Rocky Balboa (2006) Lethal Weapon 4 (1998) Hitchcock (2012) O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Apr 22, 2015 3:33:20 GMT
End-ish of April, new films for the first time:
Blu-Ray:
The 39 Steps (1935) The Trouble with Harry (1955) The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) The Mummy (1932) Vampyres (1974) All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)
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Post by offm on Apr 23, 2015 14:51:15 GMT
didn´t buy much dvd lately as my son (1 year and a half) likes to grab them and play with it, but my latest english movies seen its two promotions i grabbed on a local store: 1 adventure from sherlock holmes about a crime on a train, 1 from a low quality production made by chuck norris on the late 70s Movie titles 1.Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes- Tenebrous Night(?) Colour Version and the Remastered Black & White (original version) 2.Chuck Norris - The Command of Black Tigers(?) (?)-Must not be the original english titles
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on Apr 25, 2015 21:20:42 GMT
didn´t buy much dvd lately as my son (1 year and a half) likes to grab them and play with it, but my latest english movies seen its two promotions i grabbed on a local store: 1 adventure from sherlock holmes about a crime on a train, 1 from a low quality production made by chuck norris on the late 70s Movie titles 1.Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes- Tenebrous Night(?) Colour Version and the Remastered Black & White (original version) 2.Chuck Norris - The Command of Black Tigers(?) (?)-Must not be the original english titles #1 is probably this film, Terror by Night.#2 is this film: Good Guys Wear Black
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Post by offm on Apr 26, 2015 10:14:45 GMT
Yes they are the correct titles (I saw it by the description of the films as the covers are not the same)
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on May 18, 2015 4:25:33 GMT
Through to mid-May, new films for the first time:
In the cinema:
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) A Royal Night Out (2015)
Blu-Ray:
Re-Animator (1985) The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) Escape from New York (1981) Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) X the Unknown (1956)
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,547
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on May 18, 2015 21:23:26 GMT
Did you like Avengers? I thought it was pretty enjoyable despite thinking the first one underwhelming
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sylas
Baron
"Don't just adventure for treasure; treasure the adventure!"
Posts: 1,744
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy, Way of the Tiger
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Post by sylas on May 19, 2015 0:19:48 GMT
watched It Follows recently. really good horror flick with a different approach than others. story seemed original and had more focus on cinematography and score.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on May 20, 2015 9:25:38 GMT
Did you like Avengers? I thought it was pretty enjoyable despite thinking the first one underwhelming I thought it was an enjoyable couple of hours. Mind you, I've never been a comic book reader (apart from Tintin, Asterix, and a couple of manga titles) so I'm not as invested in the characters as Marvel fans might be. For instance, I felt the portrayal of the Mandarin in Iron Man Three was perfectly acceptable (even if they later made it clear he *wasn't* the Mandarin in the one-shot All Hail the King). I *did* feel it was slightly too heavy on fight scenes and too light on character development (reportedly Whedon was told by studio suits to cut a lot out). I've found as I've gotten older that an action film doesn't need a fight every 5 minutes to hold my interest. *shrugs*
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on May 20, 2015 9:29:16 GMT
watched It Follows recently. really good horror flick with a different approach than others. story seemed original and had more focus on cinematography and score. Yeah. I keep hearing it mentioned online as a reasonable horror flick, but while it got a film festival showing here last year in NZ, I haven't seen it advertised for general release. Mind you, horror films tend to be something I like to watch in the comfort of my home. The idea of watching one in the cinema has never appealed to me for some reason.
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,547
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on May 20, 2015 11:50:50 GMT
I thought that was an absolutely brilliant twist. Really did not see that coming.
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Post by The Editor (Alex B) on May 25, 2015 8:29:49 GMT
May addenda (new films):
Cinema:
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
DVD
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,547
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Jun 17, 2015 15:41:23 GMT
Not a good film but I saw Jurassic World last night and thought it was a big pile of triceratops plop. Paper-thin characters, no tension, no believable behaviour or plot points. Made JPs 2 and 3 seem brilliant by comparison.
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Post by Pete Byrdie on Jun 17, 2015 16:32:07 GMT
Not a good film but I saw Jurassic World last night and thought it was a big pile of triceratops plop. Paper-thin characters, no tension, no believable behaviour or plot points. Made JPs 2 and 3 seem brilliant by comparison. I agree with all your criticisms, except I didn't think it was that bad. It was a big budget b-movie, and as such I found it very entertaining. I think it compares well enough with the second and third installments of the franchise.
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sylas
Baron
"Don't just adventure for treasure; treasure the adventure!"
Posts: 1,744
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy, Way of the Tiger
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Post by sylas on Jun 17, 2015 22:41:26 GMT
I kind of agree but i also found it entertaining, perhaps in all the wrong ways. the premise itself was ludicrous, the CGI effects were still not as good as the original masterpiece, and what made the first movie smart and engaging was entirely lost in this chapter. if you enjoy action flicks and monster movies you'll enjoy this too; just don't expect anything intelligent or inspiring. this is Aliens meets Deep Blue Sea - 5/10
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Post by offm on Jun 18, 2015 3:21:06 GMT
well , a little off-topic as it´s a series but here in my country "everybody" is talking in Game of Thrones, i haven´t yet seen any episode am i missing something?
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kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,547
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
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Post by kieran on Jun 18, 2015 12:12:38 GMT
It's good, but dear God, it can be slow some times. Most of the characters are good and the political intrigue elements are always fun. Actually I find the fantasy elements tend to be the dullest part of it. It's pretty graphic when it comes to sex, violence and language - don't know if that would be an issue for you but I know some people who were put off by it. The best thing about it is my feet appear in Season 2 Episode 4
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