I watched the new Scream last night. I don't know why. It's exactly what you'd expect but I will say some of the kills are satisfyingly gory.
Film The Redcafe Movie review thread
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I believe so
Moonfall, avoid it like the plague. Went to 4DX for the first time to watch this, experience was great movie was pointless, rushed and poor acting all round.
Even the CGI at times was questionable.
Even the CGI at times was questionable.
Yep. It is.
Well, I'm easy to please. I've learned to lower my expectations when watching horrors.
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I watched Texas Chainsaw Massacre last night. I enjoyed most of it, the pacing was good and they had a couple of interesting ideas. Ultimately they could have gone further with it, the characters were boring and the final twenty minutes fell completely flat for me. Would give it a 5, still a mostly enjoyable watch.
Its a total piece of shit, so i definitely can.
Watched Scorseses Casino on youtube for free. So good.
House of Gucci wasn't too bad. Too long and bit boring at times, but good story. Acting was surprisingly bad, Adam Driver was painful at times, why was he laughing so much in every scene?
it’s really maudlin and directed like a soap opera. I hated it.
DUNE
Excellent. Seriously brilliant. I loved the tone, look and feel of the whole thing and was totally invested right from the off.
The cast was well realised and the visual effects are the best type, subtle and realistic, something Villeneuve does very well and I’m so glad he got the chance to make this movie, not many people who could have done a better job.
Hans Zimmer, as always, amazing soundtrack.
Can’t wait for the sequel.
10/10
Excellent. Seriously brilliant. I loved the tone, look and feel of the whole thing and was totally invested right from the off.
The cast was well realised and the visual effects are the best type, subtle and realistic, something Villeneuve does very well and I’m so glad he got the chance to make this movie, not many people who could have done a better job.
Hans Zimmer, as always, amazing soundtrack.
Can’t wait for the sequel.
10/10
The latest Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a bit lazy with implementing new ideas. It's just a pretty decent slasher movie and a quick cash grab for Legendary.
Wrong Turn, on the other hand, did well freshening up the franchise. You can only go so far with inbred cannibals and the franchise became a bit stale. The latest Wrong Turn installment is more story and character driven and I like this new direction. There are people who hate this movie because of the woke cast, but I really didn't care: the characters were all perfectly fine.
Spiral
It's a Saw movie. So, just call it 'Saw', why Spiral?
7,5
Shang-Chi
Enjoyable movie, the CGI one the other hand...
Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man Homecoming, Thor Ragnarok.. I'm not too impressed with the CGI In Marvel movies. I can't be the only one, can it?
Not so keen on Marvel's first asian superhero (I exclude Wong and Hogun).
I don't get that superhero vibe with Liu Simu. He just lacks charisma.
Another thing, I remember him saying at Comic Con (I think) in the Marvel panel that he speaks fluent Mandarin. However after watching Shang-Chi, I don't think he can speak fluent Mandarin, apart from the basics. Maybe that's one of the reasons why people in China loathe him.
(I know he also made some anti-China remarks and that's why the Chinese don't like him. And the Chinese don't like his physical appearance, but yeah...)
Marvel should have cast mainland Chinese actors for the roles, like Disney did with the live action Mulan.
Anyway, good movie, but not better than Eternals (I gave that movie a 9, yes! A 9!!!)
Shang-Chi: 8
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Something Borrowed (2011)
Really fun film even though it is flawed.
Kate Hudson nails her part.
John Krasinski is funny with so many of his lines.
The cast all interact brilliantly.
7/10
Really fun film even though it is flawed.
Kate Hudson nails her part.
John Krasinski is funny with so many of his lines.
The cast all interact brilliantly.
7/10
I don't understand the love OHMSS gets. I respect what it was trying to do, but it has some truly problematic moments (all the passage in the mountain lab thing with the women is horribly misogynistic), and the action is pretty boring. I don't like Lazenby in the part, though that's more subjective.
Put some skin in the battle, what did you think of it? I rewatched it a few months ago and liked it as much as the first time around. I think casting Hemsworth as the lead was a pretty clever move.
Chess moves on a checkerboard. Hemsworth' physicality adds to the romanticism of it all.
It appears like it's finally starting to get it's dues.
The Tragedy of Macbeth is great. Consistently startles with an imaginative, playful photography, a richly textured work that mixes stagey and filmy elements. It has strong performances that maintain a restrained theatricality. I couldn't really tell how much the play was edited down but there is a clarity in the visuals and dialogue that make it easy to follow and dramatically punchy.
Aesthetically it sits somewhere between Night of the Hunter and the Orson Welles Shakespeare films, whilst keeping an originality of style. High production values, directorial dexterity, dramatically serious but light on its feet.
Not a Hollywood jack off session, but properly good work. And sure beats Kurzel's supercilious dirge from a few years back.
Seems a strange home for it on Apple, amidst the vaccuous, braindead zombies who identify with the brand. Not being a Macbro shitbag myself I stole it like a cool guy.
Well under 2 hours, yes please, yum yum.
Aesthetically it sits somewhere between Night of the Hunter and the Orson Welles Shakespeare films, whilst keeping an originality of style. High production values, directorial dexterity, dramatically serious but light on its feet.
Not a Hollywood jack off session, but properly good work. And sure beats Kurzel's supercilious dirge from a few years back.
Seems a strange home for it on Apple, amidst the vaccuous, braindead zombies who identify with the brand. Not being a Macbro shitbag myself I stole it like a cool guy.
Well under 2 hours, yes please, yum yum.
Even though the characters have been on a downward slope and increasingly trapped/threatened for most of the film, that one bit in the ending is still shocking.
Can we talk about the three brief scenes of choreographed fighting in The Tragedy of Macbeth. This is not an action film, a stunt spectacle. The rough and tumbling is incidental to the work. Yet they are shot with elegance, simplicity, impact and clarity. They fecking look good as stand alone action and they look good as Cinema.
The fights in Dune are hideous, clumsy, lousy scenes of shit. And the fights in Marvel are notoriously the worst ever. Action, battle porn, that is their job. I'm sure that dumb action films used to at least do good dumb action. By gawd.
When they kill Nicky? Yea brutal. Buried him alive as well.
Here’s the real Nicky, Tony Spilotro. Pesci absolutely perfect for the role:
(skip to 0:40)
Perfect.
The Snow Walker (2003)
A story of friendship, survival and redemption.
I saw this a long time ago and never forgot it.
10/10
A story of friendship, survival and redemption.
I saw this a long time ago and never forgot it.
10/10
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Le mirage (yep, The Mirage). A 2015 Quebec comedy-drama by Ricardo Trogi. It stars Louis Morissette as the owner of a sports store whose life of overspending and trying to be perfect is coming back to haunt him as things start falling apart in his family and finances.
It's... OK. As with all Trogi films, the first two thirds are funny (especially the first bit), while in the last third everything comes crashing down and you basically have a very sad drama - except that, invariably, the drama is rather predictable and the characters have become such unpleasant people (even more than usual in this case) that the drama doesn't feel all that dramatic at all. In fact, this film was a lot like Trogi's Guide To The Perfect Family (or rather the other way round, as that's from 2021). Some elements of the plot also seem a little random, such as the way the kids are brought in just when it's convenient for the story (but not actually used very dramatically). I'd say 2/5.
I wasn't sure whether I should write this; I wonder whether anyone on here has ever seen a Ricardo Trogi film, or would even be able to!
(Not counting downloads - or @RedDevilQuebecois. 
)
It's... OK. As with all Trogi films, the first two thirds are funny (especially the first bit), while in the last third everything comes crashing down and you basically have a very sad drama - except that, invariably, the drama is rather predictable and the characters have become such unpleasant people (even more than usual in this case) that the drama doesn't feel all that dramatic at all. In fact, this film was a lot like Trogi's Guide To The Perfect Family (or rather the other way round, as that's from 2021). Some elements of the plot also seem a little random, such as the way the kids are brought in just when it's convenient for the story (but not actually used very dramatically). I'd say 2/5.
I wasn't sure whether I should write this; I wonder whether anyone on here has ever seen a Ricardo Trogi film, or would even be able to!
(Not counting downloads - or @RedDevilQuebecois. )Family Man (2000)
One of my Christmas films to watch.
About a man who has everything he wants except what he needs.
9/10
One of my Christmas films to watch.
About a man who has everything he wants except what he needs.
9/10
Jumanji 2: The Next Level. A 2019 Hollywood adventure comedy romp featuring Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, and others. Amusing and entertaining pulp, if rather teenagy. If that's what you're looking for, look no further. 3/5
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Firelight (1997)
A period romance staring the beautiful Sophie Marceau that had little publicity.
A gentle film with a haunting theme by Christoper Gunning.
8/10
A period romance staring the beautiful Sophie Marceau that had little publicity.
A gentle film with a haunting theme by Christoper Gunning.
8/10
The Good Liar. A 2019 mystery thriller by Bill Condon featuring Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen. A conman starts dating a wealthy widow with an eye on getting her money, but her grandson does not trust the situation. There are further complications, but I'll stop here to not spoil anything.
I rather liked it. Both characters are in their 70s/early 80s and move at a slow pace, as does the story as it slowly follows the development of their relationship - and I really liked that. These are obviously great actors (joined by a strong support cast), and it's just lovely to see them play their roles - especially McKellen, who gets to portrary both, rather different sides of his conman character.
Two things really take away from the quality of the film though. There's a flashback that feels rather different in tone and breaks the film's rhythm; and then there is the ending, which doesn't just resolve the mystery by adding new information, but by adding a ton of it. I think this is always a weak move, as it is unsatisfactory to find out that there really weren't any hints throughout the move that explain how things really are - and even more so here (which maybe needs a spoiler), as there actually turns out to be a rather complicated (and far-fetched) backstory. Maybe that was done better in the book, but that doesn't help me watching only the movie.
That's only a relatively small bit of the film though, but the ending obviously has quite an impact on how I come out of watching a film. So I guess 4/5 for what came before, and 2/5 for the ending.
I rather liked it. Both characters are in their 70s/early 80s and move at a slow pace, as does the story as it slowly follows the development of their relationship - and I really liked that. These are obviously great actors (joined by a strong support cast), and it's just lovely to see them play their roles - especially McKellen, who gets to portrary both, rather different sides of his conman character.
Two things really take away from the quality of the film though. There's a flashback that feels rather different in tone and breaks the film's rhythm; and then there is the ending, which doesn't just resolve the mystery by adding new information, but by adding a ton of it. I think this is always a weak move, as it is unsatisfactory to find out that there really weren't any hints throughout the move that explain how things really are - and even more so here (which maybe needs a spoiler), as there actually turns out to be a rather complicated (and far-fetched) backstory. Maybe that was done better in the book, but that doesn't help me watching only the movie.
That's only a relatively small bit of the film though, but the ending obviously has quite an impact on how I come out of watching a film. So I guess 4/5 for what came before, and 2/5 for the ending.
Belfast An engaging if sentimental tale of life at the start of the “Troubles”. Cieran Hinds, Judi Dench and Jamie Dornan are all excellent.
Mothering Sunday An extremely tedious attempt at filming in a modernist novel style. None of the characters really engage your sympathy and the constant cuts between different times and different perspectives is much more irritating than it would be on paper. A very long two hours.
Mothering Sunday An extremely tedious attempt at filming in a modernist novel style. None of the characters really engage your sympathy and the constant cuts between different times and different perspectives is much more irritating than it would be on paper. A very long two hours.
Ciaran Hinds isn't in enough stuff. Or maybe he is I dunnno, but he's always great.
There's something about Belfast that just doesn't appeal though.
There's something about Belfast that just doesn't appeal though.
Folk horror 'Lamb' is out now via Mubi. Free 7 day trial available. Reviews have been good so I'm looking forward to being creeped out by this one over the weekend. Plus Noomi Rapace...
I said the same when I was talking about The Terror. He’s got such a cool face!
It’s a magnet for your eyes when on screen, and that is one of the greatest complements for an actor in my opinion.
Terrific actor.
The Batman (2022)
Having to sit through half an hour of trailers, nearly 3 hours of movie and 5 minutes of credits at midnight this morning was a bit of a slog, not including the 260m round trip (long story). But two things were very apparent watching this movie. 1. This film was everything the previous Christopher Nolan trash aspired to be and 2. Zoe Kravitz has to be one of the most gorgeous petite things on the planet.
Anyway, being one of Batman's most biggest skeptics, I was won over in part due to the film's grounding in a reality that Batman movies should really be existing in. Batman was great and brooding. Bruce Wayne...not so much. But that was just my personal take. In this latest incarnation of the Gotham caped crusader, we see the Bat taking on more of a Miss Marple investigative role rather than the all out vigilante approach which helps the film to plod along nicely. Going back to the grounding in reality theme, I liked how they avoided over-stylising the Gotham City backdrops, keeping all the fancy tricks and gimmicks to a minimum and even avoiding making caricatures of the villains. I hope they continue with that approach in the sequels.
Anyway, decent story, excellent soundtrack, solid Pattinson performance and a stunning Kravitz are the elements that will make this a success. I reckon at least 30 minutes could have been shaved off without impairing the final product but it was ok. Not mindblowing but a decent watch probably worth a second viewing.
I'm giving this a 7/10.
Having to sit through half an hour of trailers, nearly 3 hours of movie and 5 minutes of credits at midnight this morning was a bit of a slog, not including the 260m round trip (long story). But two things were very apparent watching this movie. 1. This film was everything the previous Christopher Nolan trash aspired to be and 2. Zoe Kravitz has to be one of the most gorgeous petite things on the planet.
Anyway, being one of Batman's most biggest skeptics, I was won over in part due to the film's grounding in a reality that Batman movies should really be existing in. Batman was great and brooding. Bruce Wayne...not so much. But that was just my personal take. In this latest incarnation of the Gotham caped crusader, we see the Bat taking on more of a Miss Marple investigative role rather than the all out vigilante approach which helps the film to plod along nicely. Going back to the grounding in reality theme, I liked how they avoided over-stylising the Gotham City backdrops, keeping all the fancy tricks and gimmicks to a minimum and even avoiding making caricatures of the villains. I hope they continue with that approach in the sequels.
Anyway, decent story, excellent soundtrack, solid Pattinson performance and a stunning Kravitz are the elements that will make this a success. I reckon at least 30 minutes could have been shaved off without impairing the final product but it was ok. Not mindblowing but a decent watch probably worth a second viewing.
I'm giving this a 7/10.
KIMI
Agree with @Wibble on this one. It felt more like an extended episode of a TV show than a fully fledged motion picture, but Soderbergh is as stylish as ever and the Martinez score is a nice throwback to classic thrillers of old; it's also the best Covid-as-a-backdrop movie I've seen so far. Plus, there's a neon-haired Zoe Kravitz to look at, who is exceptional in her role.
8/10
Agree with @Wibble on this one. It felt more like an extended episode of a TV show than a fully fledged motion picture, but Soderbergh is as stylish as ever and the Martinez score is a nice throwback to classic thrillers of old; it's also the best Covid-as-a-backdrop movie I've seen so far. Plus, there's a neon-haired Zoe Kravitz to look at, who is exceptional in her role.
8/10
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Mubi is currently showing Accattone and having a Pasolini series and The Gospel According To Matthew is up on youtube.
Parasite. Finally watched it! A 2019 Korean dark comedy drama by Bong Joon-ho (yes, that won those Oscars). I am saying nothing new here by agreeing that it was excellent. A good and entertaining and somewhat crazy story (but not too crazy; reading about it afterwards made it clear that everything really fits together quite nicely), that provides a thoughtful commentary on South Korean society (although I thought the messaging and symbolism were a little on the nose). Beautifully shot and constructed, with basically every element of the film contributing to the whole - no accidents or errors here. The acting is a bit hard to evaluate for me, since I don't understand Korean and don't know the culture, but it looked good to me. My only real criticism was that I didn't really like the ending.
But yeah, a great film overall - 9/10.
I suppose the killing is part of the 'dark' side of the film, but I thought it was at odds with the tone of the rest of the film and narratively not very helpful either. This is then followed by another 10 or so minutes of voice-over at a farily slow pace that adds very little. It does end up tying things together fairly OK, but it really felt to me like Bong got stuck with his story, and used the killing as a kind of deus ex machine device, to force the dramatic issues he had created into a sudden conclusion. A little unsatisfying.
Sing 2
Like the first one but bigger (slightly less emotional). I had a fun time, as did my daughter 7/10
Eternals
Looked nice, as you would expect. Some decent theme in there but it was long, boring and the characters/acting beyond shit 3/10
Like the first one but bigger (slightly less emotional). I had a fun time, as did my daughter 7/10
Eternals
Looked nice, as you would expect. Some decent theme in there but it was long, boring and the characters/acting beyond shit 3/10
The Batman
No doubt he’s the superhero who’s most exhausted, films flying about almost every 5 minutes.
This new one is brill. Visually it nails it, dark and brooding gothic style Gotham but still managed to look plausible and and the crossover between real and green screen was pretty much non existent.
The cast were all brilliant IMO, aside from maybe Andy Serkis as Alfred, bit of a nothing character but it was of no detriment to the story.
Rob Pattison was very good as Batman, maybe my favourite portrayal so far. The surrounding cast all did their job really well and Paul Dano was born to play a superhero villain.
I hope there’s another, seems so judging by the ending.
8/10
No doubt he’s the superhero who’s most exhausted, films flying about almost every 5 minutes.
This new one is brill. Visually it nails it, dark and brooding gothic style Gotham but still managed to look plausible and and the crossover between real and green screen was pretty much non existent.
The cast were all brilliant IMO, aside from maybe Andy Serkis as Alfred, bit of a nothing character but it was of no detriment to the story.
Rob Pattison was very good as Batman, maybe my favourite portrayal so far. The surrounding cast all did their job really well and Paul Dano was born to play a superhero villain.
I hope there’s another, seems so judging by the ending.
In fact, my biggest gripe with the film is that it couldn’t resist chucking the joker in at the end. Just feck off. Spent 2.5 hours trying to be a different Batman film then completely submits to the same sh*t reveal teaser at the end. Nit picking though really
8/10
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