Such a snob!
Film The Redcafe Movie review thread
- Thread starter golden_blunder
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I prefer Tom Cruise's American Gangsters and Whatnot 3.
As your sensei I find it troubling that you've neglected your training. You're quite weak in your current state.
In for a sci-fi film tonight. Anyone got a few recommendations apart from the classics/obvious? For example, I watched The Lazarus Effect yesterday. Pretty meh.
The original Thing From Another World (Howard Hawks/Christian Nyby)
Fair. The old revival theatre I used to get my fix at changed owners and now they just show Tarantino or Apocalypse Now four hundred times in a row rather than a different film every night. Streaming also seems to have gone to shit and finding anything pre 2000 that isn’t 80s schlock seems nigh on impossible. I’ve begun accumulating criterion collection but it’s an expensive business.
Here's hoping the Criterion Channel will become available for the rest of the world soon.
Dis gon b good
Why are they speaking terrible Danish?
The Man from Earth is a good low key sci-fi movie if you're after that kind of thing rather than aliens and space ships etc.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0756683/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1
Kiki's Delivery Service
A young witch moves to a new town and has to find her place in it. She uses her gifts to begin a delivery service. Looked superb and I was on board for the first half. But it kind of goes nowhere. No real threat or anything. Think from the Ghibli films I've seen so far, this is my least favourite 4/10
A young witch moves to a new town and has to find her place in it. She uses her gifts to begin a delivery service. Looked superb and I was on board for the first half. But it kind of goes nowhere. No real threat or anything. Think from the Ghibli films I've seen so far, this is my least favourite 4/10
Weirdly despite being intellectually aware that it's not one of their very best, I think this is one of my favourites.
I think I saw it when I had just left home for the first time and moved to a new city so a lot of the themes resonated way more than I was expecting from a kid's film, as did the fact that the actual "threat" in the film was Kiki's own self doubt rather than something external. It was exactly the right time to see it, really. I must watch it again and see how it holds up on second viewing but I'd be surprised if it hasn't permanently earned a place in my affections.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix
Expectations were so low that this was always going to surpass that. However, it is a really boring, slog of a movie and Sophie Turner cannot lead a movie. She really can't act. Shame considering Dark Phoenix saga could have been really interesting 4/10
John Wick 3
Exactly what I was looking for. An intense action flick with lots and lots of cool set pieces. Plus, my boy Marc Dacascos was in it! Love that guy! Just wish it was 20 or so minutes shorter 8/10
Expectations were so low that this was always going to surpass that. However, it is a really boring, slog of a movie and Sophie Turner cannot lead a movie. She really can't act. Shame considering Dark Phoenix saga could have been really interesting 4/10
John Wick 3
Exactly what I was looking for. An intense action flick with lots and lots of cool set pieces. Plus, my boy Marc Dacascos was in it! Love that guy! Just wish it was 20 or so minutes shorter 8/10
Once Upon a Time in Tinseltown - feck me, what a waste of three hours. A big, empty lifeless corpse of a film, like an entire movie made up of dvd extras, extended and deleted scenes. Even for the adolescent minded Weinstein lackey that violence near the end was in bad taste. Brad Pitt was the shining light.
Ad Astra
Somone in the cinema fell asleep and started snoring.
Somone in the cinema fell asleep and started snoring.
I had high hopes for this, James Gray is one of my favourite current directors. Care to tell us more?
If you like his other films then I'm guessing you'll probably like this one. I've personally never heard of his other films.
Ad Astra was alright - overall a very well made film, some great space visuals, but the script for me was a bit one-dimensional and simplistic. And it comes across as a bit of a more arty 'thoughtful' sci-fi (which it is) but is also a bit Hollywoody/ridiculous at the same time.
Great performance from Pitt though.
Cheers. If you care to know more about James Gray's filmography, I suggest We own the night and The lost city of Z
No killer robots?
This massively enlarged prostate of a film can only make you wince with its badly acted geronto-ultraviolence, its Trumpian fantasies of Mexican rapists and hilariously insecure US border, and its crass enthusiasm for rape-revenge attacks undertaken by a still-got-it senior dude, 73 years young, on behalf of a sweet teenager.
New Rambo looks fun
New Rambo looks fun
The last one was one of the most violent and sadistic movies I've ever seen so feck knows how they've managed to make this even worse, but it sounds like they have.This massively enlarged prostate of a film can only make you wince with its badly acted geronto-ultraviolence, its Trumpian fantasies of Mexican rapists and hilariously insecure US border, and its crass enthusiasm for rape-revenge attacks undertaken by a still-got-it senior dude, 73 years young, on behalf of a sweet teenager.
New Rambo looks fun
Ma
A widowed woman befriends a group of teen-agers and let's them drink and party in her basement. But her real intentions are very sinister. Octavia Spencer is good in this and the premise was quite interesting but in the end, just an average and predictable psycho thriller 5.5/10
A widowed woman befriends a group of teen-agers and let's them drink and party in her basement. But her real intentions are very sinister. Octavia Spencer is good in this and the premise was quite interesting but in the end, just an average and predictable psycho thriller 5.5/10
The Box
A family is offered a chance to get $1m if they choose to press a button in a box which would cause a person they do not know to die.
A family is offered a chance to get $1m if they choose to press a button in a box which would cause a person they do not know to die.
What starts as interesting premise gets tied into aliens who want to judge humans worthy or not using the box descends into predictable stereotypes and you can see the climax miles away.
5/10 Watch only if you have nothing else better to do.
5/10 Watch only if you have nothing else better to do.
Rambo: Last Blood
Surprisingly I enjoyed this movie. I Was worried there wouldn't be much gore and boy was I wrong. Went in expecting Rambo to murder the holy hell out of people and got exactly what I wanted. The plot is very generic but it didn't matter simply because Stallone is a badass. First half is like Taken and the second half is like an adult version of Home Alone. I'll give it a 8/10
Surprisingly I enjoyed this movie. I Was worried there wouldn't be much gore and boy was I wrong. Went in expecting Rambo to murder the holy hell out of people and got exactly what I wanted. The plot is very generic but it didn't matter simply because Stallone is a badass. First half is like Taken and the second half is like an adult version of Home Alone. I'll give it a 8/10
The Thing (2011)
A prequel/soft remake of the John Carpenter one. I actually quite liked this. It probably should have been less worried about mimicking some of the older ones techniques and focused on its' own plot a little more but overall, it was fairly enjoyable 7/10
A prequel/soft remake of the John Carpenter one. I actually quite liked this. It probably should have been less worried about mimicking some of the older ones techniques and focused on its' own plot a little more but overall, it was fairly enjoyable 7/10
Aye, I got a bit bored too. It was watchable but a 6/10 movie, at best.
Not only is the new Rambo taking a kicking from critics, the actual creator of Rambo doesn't seem overly fond of it either:
"I hated the film. The film is a mess. Embarrassed to have my name associated with it. I felt degraded and dehumanized after I left the theater. Instead of being soulful, this new movie lacks one. I felt I was less a human being for having seen it. From multiple perspectives, this film fails miserably."
Ouch.
"I hated the film. The film is a mess. Embarrassed to have my name associated with it. I felt degraded and dehumanized after I left the theater. Instead of being soulful, this new movie lacks one. I felt I was less a human being for having seen it. From multiple perspectives, this film fails miserably."
Ouch.
Looks like audiences like it, and it'll gross enough money to easily be profitable.
Death and The Maiden. A man suspected of evading justice for past crimes - most notably rape - is subjected to a kangaroo trial by his victim. The film asks questions like what makes men of repute do such awful things, and what does justice look like in the wearing of time, and is it ever possible to escape your past (sex crimes). It was directed by Roman Polanski in 1994.
Possibly a mea culpa, possibly a middle finger. It has to be the most inappropriate pairing of director and material, right up until they let that other paedophile make Jeepers Creepers 2: a film bout a flying paedo monster.
I also watched The Little Drummer Girl. Le Carre thriller dressed in Park Chan Wook's gaudy, elegant trash aesthetic. As expected it's fairly thin and odd with some wonky acting, but it's also compelling and odd with some great acting. I really took to it. And unlike @Rooney in Paris ' boy's small screen venture, it has focus and stuff that means stuff and it's flaws are interesting and it's not just an creatively-impotent jerking it off for hours.
Possibly a mea culpa, possibly a middle finger. It has to be the most inappropriate pairing of director and material, right up until they let that other paedophile make Jeepers Creepers 2: a film bout a flying paedo monster.
I also watched The Little Drummer Girl. Le Carre thriller dressed in Park Chan Wook's gaudy, elegant trash aesthetic. As expected it's fairly thin and odd with some wonky acting, but it's also compelling and odd with some great acting. I really took to it. And unlike @Rooney in Paris ' boy's small screen venture, it has focus and stuff that means stuff and it's flaws are interesting and it's not just an creatively-impotent jerking it off for hours.
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Why do you think the violence was in bad taste?
Ad Astra is odd but I loved the ending.
I thought the ending was a bit flat. I guess they tried to build it up to be a bit Heart of Darknessy but it didn't really pay off, for me.
Sucker Punch (2011)
Available on Prime Video. Now let me just clear one thing up at the outset, I don't care about the hate this film gets, it's a fecking great leave your brain at the door and just enjoy movie and I absolutely love it. For those that haven't seen it, Sucker Punch is an action fantasy set in an asylum for the insane with a very shady undercurrent of exploitation and abuse being meted out to the inmates (who are all female by the way). It is this aspect that reins the film in from being an all out fantasy for young kids as the themes do get pretty dark in places. It is also this contrast with the fantasy elements that make it such an intriguing watch. The lines between reality and fantasy are constantly blurred to the extent that you really have to just go along with story and try and keep up.
It stars a host of biggish names like Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jenna Malone, Jamie Chung, Vanessa Hudgens, Carla Gugino, Oscar Isaac and Jon Hamm. Reminiscent of the Spice Girls, the film centres around 5 of the inmates quirkily named Baby Doll, Sweet Pea, Rocket, Amber and Blondie who rise up against the establishment in a bid to escape their captors and the hell of forced labour, prostitution and er, eventual lobotimization. Now this is where it gets interesting because the way they try to achieve this is through a self-induced trance-like state where they kick all kinds of ass in an alternate reality guided by some mysterious mentor who holds the key to their freedom. It's really difficult to explain and this is why you have to watch it to try and understand it.
Using fantasy sequences to tell the story, this is where Snyder really comes into his own and does what he does best. Delivering set pieces that are visually arresting and just over the top. The washed out colour palette and music soundtrack (Bjork deserves a special mention here) gives the film that look that has never been seen before...not since his '300' perhaps but even then this is on another level. You have to be patient with the fantasy sequences however as they kind of create a disconnect from the story and usually leave you questioning their relevance. You have more like mini stories within a story but like I said, they're brash, loud, stylish and very impressive.
Despite the fact that the five 'heroines' are consigned to a life of servitude, degradation and a horrible ending looming on the horizon, they still manage to remain smokingly hot throughout the film. Abbie Cornish gets an honourable mention in this regard. Great chemistry amongst the female lead characters holds the film together. We do get to know a bit about their back story, but the asylum setting always remains a bit puzzling...but part of the appeal I guess. Whether you end up caring enough about them too though is debatable. Their mistreatment is constantly alluded to and you are subjected to glimpses of what they have to endure but Snyder wisely, in my opinion, avoids taking us down that road completely as I'm guessing it would end up being a completely different movie. Still, that simmering uneasiness that runs throughout the film adds to the tension as you're constantly wondering which way it's going to turn. Will it have a happy ending or will it all end in tears? It certainly is not a foregone conclusion.
People will probably slate Sucker Punch and that's fine. If you're not a sheep follower and enjoy the occasional mindless bit of fun with a dark underbelly, you'll give it a go and make your own mind up. I'm not ashamed to say that I love it.
I'm giving this a 7/10.
Available on Prime Video. Now let me just clear one thing up at the outset, I don't care about the hate this film gets, it's a fecking great leave your brain at the door and just enjoy movie and I absolutely love it. For those that haven't seen it, Sucker Punch is an action fantasy set in an asylum for the insane with a very shady undercurrent of exploitation and abuse being meted out to the inmates (who are all female by the way). It is this aspect that reins the film in from being an all out fantasy for young kids as the themes do get pretty dark in places. It is also this contrast with the fantasy elements that make it such an intriguing watch. The lines between reality and fantasy are constantly blurred to the extent that you really have to just go along with story and try and keep up.
It stars a host of biggish names like Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jenna Malone, Jamie Chung, Vanessa Hudgens, Carla Gugino, Oscar Isaac and Jon Hamm. Reminiscent of the Spice Girls, the film centres around 5 of the inmates quirkily named Baby Doll, Sweet Pea, Rocket, Amber and Blondie who rise up against the establishment in a bid to escape their captors and the hell of forced labour, prostitution and er, eventual lobotimization. Now this is where it gets interesting because the way they try to achieve this is through a self-induced trance-like state where they kick all kinds of ass in an alternate reality guided by some mysterious mentor who holds the key to their freedom. It's really difficult to explain and this is why you have to watch it to try and understand it.
Using fantasy sequences to tell the story, this is where Snyder really comes into his own and does what he does best. Delivering set pieces that are visually arresting and just over the top. The washed out colour palette and music soundtrack (Bjork deserves a special mention here) gives the film that look that has never been seen before...not since his '300' perhaps but even then this is on another level. You have to be patient with the fantasy sequences however as they kind of create a disconnect from the story and usually leave you questioning their relevance. You have more like mini stories within a story but like I said, they're brash, loud, stylish and very impressive.
Despite the fact that the five 'heroines' are consigned to a life of servitude, degradation and a horrible ending looming on the horizon, they still manage to remain smokingly hot throughout the film. Abbie Cornish gets an honourable mention in this regard. Great chemistry amongst the female lead characters holds the film together. We do get to know a bit about their back story, but the asylum setting always remains a bit puzzling...but part of the appeal I guess. Whether you end up caring enough about them too though is debatable. Their mistreatment is constantly alluded to and you are subjected to glimpses of what they have to endure but Snyder wisely, in my opinion, avoids taking us down that road completely as I'm guessing it would end up being a completely different movie. Still, that simmering uneasiness that runs throughout the film adds to the tension as you're constantly wondering which way it's going to turn. Will it have a happy ending or will it all end in tears? It certainly is not a foregone conclusion.
People will probably slate Sucker Punch and that's fine. If you're not a sheep follower and enjoy the occasional mindless bit of fun with a dark underbelly, you'll give it a go and make your own mind up. I'm not ashamed to say that I love it.
I'm giving this a 7/10.
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I reckon that review is longer than the script for the film.
Watching "you were never really here" with Joaquin Phoenix. How have I not seen this already? Great film.
He is aging like a fine wine.
There was no script.
It's a very ugly film to boot. One of the rare times I actually walked out of the cinema.
That roof scene