UKH

Climbing in Vegas and got to watch 3 films on the way over,

Atomic Blonde was good fun despite being in a growing trend of spy movies that are overly stylised and violent..

Baby Driver ... silly but slick gettaway car crime caper and what a sound track.

War for the Planet of the Apes was plain excellent, even on the small in-seat screen ( I'd given in to an almost adictive need for something I should really have seen first in a cinema).

In reply to Offwidth:

Apes film is superior to Bladerunner, I think.

In reply to Offwidth:

Just watched a decent space horror called Life.

Main selling point for me is that the characters are weightless from start to finish.

Apprently all done by wires.

Respect to Gerry Anderson.

In reply to Tom Valentine:

I loved that on first viewing, 8.5/10

Embarrassingly, my having extolled its virtues to many friends, it turned out not to stand up to a minute of scrutiny, which genuinely saddened me.

It's no spoiler to say that some characters die. One of those character deaths - and I hope you'll guess which one - is one of the hardest, most grim and gnarly on-screen death scenes I've ever seen.

As for the weightless throughout thing - well yes and no. All wires? Really? No CGI (like in Gravity, which was mostly Sandra Bullock's head sticking out of a cardboard box)? What WAS striking in Life, was the opening travelling shot going all over the ISS in an apparent single camera movement (presumably NOT a single camera movement but it doesn't matter - the DESIGN of that shot was amazing)

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Regarding the wires, I only know what Wiki/IMDB tells me.

Regarding the gnarly death, from my POV it should have happened 10 mins earlier.

In reply to Tom Valentine:



We may have differing opinions on which was the gnarliest, from what you say there!
Does yours happen inside or outside??

In reply to Offwidth:

I watched The Disaster Artist last night.

All about the genesis and making of modern cult legend "The Room", which is famously one of the worst films ever (I haven't seen it).
Arguably it's all a bit "Ed Wood" in theme but I have no issue with that.
It's extremely well done and James Franco is superb in a surprisingly complex role as writer-producer-director Tommy Wiseau.
There are a couple of minor lulls but the finale, depicting the disastrous premiere of The Room, becomes incredibly moving.

9.5/10 and an Oscar nomination for Franco

In reply to Offwidth:

Off topic as it is television, but I am eight episodes into the third series of Twin Peaks and it is brilliant. I missed the original broadcast and only started watching on Saturday.
I'd been worried that it might all be a bit of a damp squib after the decades of waiting, but David Lynch has really taken the bull by the horns here, and pretty much outdoes all the strangeness of the first two series, with the bonus that he has retained control and is keeping it all tight.

I gather that episode 8, which is the last one I saw, is already somewhat legendary. After seven episodes which are enjoyably "David Lynch" but which still have characters and story and words, in episode 8 it looks as if Lynch watched Aronofsky's "The Fountain" and Malick's "Tree of Life" and decided to show them how to REALLY make some odd abstract viewing.

Really quite a bold move.

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Inside.

In reply to Tom Valentine:

Guessing the one with a lot of blood.

Mine was outside, and despite my misgivings about the film as a whole (aforementioned subsequent half-viewing), the scene I am on about stands up very well (even if the victim COULD have arguably saved the day with a smarter self-sacrifice)

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Good to hear it. The first series was one of the best things I'd ever seen on TV at the time. The second season was excellent in parts but wandered too much in the middle as Lynch reputably lost focus due to other work.

In reply to Offwidth:
(tangent time)
Having fairly recently (past 15 months I think) watched the first two series, it was interesting to note that whilst - as everyone in the world agrees - series 2 had its major flaws - it was not only "excellent in parts" but also quite commendably retained its core storyline (Cooper and the Black Lodge and the White Lodge, and bits with Major Briggs and cosmic signals).
Aside from the romance with Annie Blackburn, none of the piffling and annoying subplots (James Hurley's bike odyssey and affair, the recluse, Windom Earle's comedy disguises, the duelling old brothers, Josie's criminal past) ever impacted on the main thrust of the thing.

Yes, Lynch was absent from production for a lot of it as he was shooting Wild At Heart (and possibly in a grump at having been forced to reveal the killer, which is maybe why he and Frost threw so many daft sub plots in - remember the whole thing was meant as a pastiche of soap opera so they had probably had a load of cliched spoof ideas in mind, and threw them ALL in at once )

Series 3 is something else entirely and arguably superior. I think every episode is written by Lynch and Frost, and directed by Lynch.
Kyle MacLachlan is superb in it too.

£21 DVD, £35 Blu Ray. You know you want to!

In reply to Offwidth:

Paddington 2

9/10

In reply to Offwidth:

Just watched The Tiger.
Beautifully filmed and really quite moving in places.

In reply to Offwidth:

Very rarely enjoy films, but saw three not so recent ones this month and found all enjoyable.
"Passengers" - sci fi, interesting concept
"Inside Out" - looks Disney but a nice twist on the human psyche
"A War" - Danish film about War on Terror experience in Afghanistan

In reply to Offwidth:

Star Wars - The Last Jedi

8/10 (just scraped it, was borderline 7.5/10)

In reply to Blue Straggler:

The hype here in the US is amazing. Local news showing most people going to one vegas premier queuing in costume and escorted in by stormtroopers. Sadly too tired after a long days climbing to experience it directly. Unusually good weather yesterday low wind and about 10 degrees warmer than normal (and something like the 94th consecutive day without rain). Perfect for very long routes in the shade. We've been watching Orange is the new Black... an outstanding TV drama we never got to see on UK free TV first time round; and not quite making two episodes a night.

In reply to Blue Straggler:


I watched this recently too. I was somewhat disappointed though. It was good-ish but one of those films where the trailer was better. I thought the similarly themed Ed Wood was a better film.

As a comedy and biopic there were bits that definitely weren't funny and clearly showed there was something wrong with the main character. Yet this was never explored or taken anywhere leaving significant unanswered questions. Ferreting around the internet it's suggested that the guy may have had borderline personality disorder which is something I'd thought about after watching. Still a worthwhile film for me, just not a great one.

I totally agree James Franco was superb playing the part of Wiseau. Overall 6.5/10

In reply to Offwidth:

'American Made' provided my Xmas viewing and was surprisingly good, exceeding my expectations. It's the story of how airline pilot Barry Seal, was approached to work the CIA to work taking photos, smuggling drugs and guns to central America during the late 70s and early 80s.

The film's perspective was from the main character, Barry Seal (Tom Cruise), so does not moralize about the rights and wrongs of what he was doing. The film's style is comedic, almost comic book style. This makes it an entertaining, fun and upbeat yet all the dodgy political corruption is still laid bare to see. So for me it was both an enjoyable action film and an insightful viewing of the workings of the dark side of US politics.

Definitely recommended: 8/10

In reply to Tom Valentine:

Watched this recently too, the cinematography was EXCELLENT.

Well worth seeing.

In reply to stp:


Yes , I really liked this, saw it at the cinema in September.

I thought the decision to make it somewhat comedic, like a caper movie, was a good one. There are plenty of serious dramatic treatments of similar stories so this style set it aside.

In reply to Offwidth:

Last Jedi....with Vietnamese subtitles (im in vietnam)
Too long. Storylines were very weak, such as the main arc being that they were running out of fuel which could have been an episode of Star Trek in the 70's and so much didn't add up, not least of which was what happened with Luke at the end.

Sorry, but its a 4 from me.

Finally got to see What We Do In The Shadows....a mockumentary vampire film from NZ....very funny and gets a solid 7.5/8

In reply to Offwidth:

I personally thought Life was decent but pretty formulaic. Nothing special other than the cgi.
Just watched Lego batman and thought it was pretty damn funny.
Mainly due to Will Smith's performance, collateral beauty was moving, if a little obvious.
Also finally got round to blade runner 2049 and I thought it tried so very hard to retain some of the original and was damn fine too.
I also really enjoyed Dunkirk. Not what I thought I was going to be, but the usual high Nolan standard of film.

In reply to Blue Straggler:





Have to agree. Quite simply some of the most amazing scenes I've seen on TV. Not perfect but the good doesn't get any better.

In reply to DubyaJamesDubya:

Specifically Episode 8, or the series as a whole? (I have 1.5 episodes left to watch, and won't get to see them until Jan 8!)

In reply to stp:

Fair points about The Disaster Artist, even though I stand by my high score. I thought the "unanswered questions" were acceptable given that you don't want to bog down a film like this with another 40 minutes of factual exposition. It was a fictionalised dramatisation of events after all...but your comment about ferreting around the Internet is interesting - I wonder if more and more film-makers dealing with dramatisations of real events decide that they can trim some aspects for the sake of dramatic flow, in knowledge that keen viewers WILL be able to "fill in the gaps"?

I went home and looked up Wiseau's age and nationality which are well known, but I preferred the fantasy given in the film.

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Obviously episode 8 is a standout but most episodes feature some very intense/intensely strange scenes.
Without giving anything away the last 1.5 episodes are mind boggling...

In reply to Blue Straggler:


You got me looking for some more info. The Wikipedia page is interesting reading. I love the way though almost nothing about him is certain. He seems like someone who has no problem coming up with complete fiction whenever it takes his fancy. Still very much an enigmatic character.

In reply to Offwidth:

Just watched a film from last year: The Bad Batch. The film is future dystopia and the title refers to all the dregs of society who have been cast out into a fenced off part of the Texas desert to fend for themselves. I wasn't sure about this film since it gets very mixed reviews on IMDB, some giving it only 1 or 2 stars and others giving it 9 or 10. Overall though I thought it was pretty good though it's not your typical Hollywood type of film. The first part, which features cannibalism, is not the most cheery viewing though it soon eases up.

It was described as arthouse and boring by some reviewers but I don't think those terms are accurate at all. The story is straightforward and easy to follow and the unpredictability of the film and strange characters and scenes made it compelling to watch.

It also features Chris Sharma's friend, Jason Momoa, in one of the lead roles who I thought was really good. Also has Keanu Reeves and Jim Carrey (though you probably wouldn't recognize him).

The ending felt anti climatic, a bit of a let down for me, but since I enjoyed the other 90% I think it's something like 7/10.

In reply to stp:
Sounds like something for me.

Compulsory leave this week and finished resolving some car problems, so finally watched the latest Star Wars today (my Uni 'saves money' by closing in the Xmas break, unlike some). The movie is excellent stuff for fans but maybe less so for those who don't get Sci Fi. I much prefer this third series to the second but for me it lacks the impact of the first two in the first series. Maybe third place of the 8 (+ spinoffs), Did someone above seriously accuse it of having a ludicrous plot?!!?

Also watched a couple of other good films for the first time in the last week that I can happily recommend. Wonder Woman... much better than average Superhero fare and good enough as a genre film if the expected gentle feminist edge isn't your thing. Slow West.. yet another realist western.. just lacks the edge, for me, of the very best in the genre.

In reply to Offwidth:

Slow West is up there with the best for me.
"Dry your eyes, kid; let's drift" is a good enough line for Tombstone.

In reply to Offwidth:

I thought Wonder Woman strangely sidelined Wonder Woman and played more like a First World War adventure all about Steve who finds this very handy superweapon. This worked well and i liked it, but with all the “feminist hype” leading up to its release, I was a bit surprised at this sidelining.
A decent 7/10

In reply to Offwidth:

BTW, Steve, when you say you 'watched' a movie, do you mean on some home video system rather than in the cinema? Just interested.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:
When you put inverted commas around the word “watched”, are you implying some potential misuse of the word, depending upon the viewing medium / venue? Just interested

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:
In the case of the OP it is reasonable to assume that those films were not viewed in a cinema given that they were watched - sorry, ‘watched’ - on Offwidth’s way to Vegas. The OP that refers to a small in-seat screen.

In reply to Blue Straggler:


No, simply quoting his term. No misuse of the word at all, but slightly strange to my ear.

In reply to Offwidth:

Is that the trend that has been growing since the 1962 release of Dr No?

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:
Why?
Do you use the term only to describe cinema experiences? How do you describe having viewed something on “some home video system”?

In reply to Blue Straggler:


Sorry, didn't answer the second part of your question. Yes, I think the viewing medium/context (not just medium) makes a huge difference ... with some movies, perhaps not all.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:
There was no second part to my question.
It was all about when and where you think the word “watched” should be allowed to be applied
You are coming across as someone who thinks a film can’t be described as having been watched, unless it was seen in a cinema.

Don’t worry, other readers, this is my last post on this tangent

In reply to Blue Straggler:



As someone who worked for many years in the cutting room, spending hours and hours 'watching' movies on quite a small screen, when I saw them on the big screen it was always something else. 'Going to'/experiencing/ even just 'seeing'. In the cutting room, we were always trying to understand how it would look/impact on the big screen.
That's a hugely interesting subject in its own right. But ... Don't let us for heaven's sake get too serious about this, but there are some subtle differences in the different ways one views a movie.

In reply to Blue Straggler:


A 'viewing', I guess The perfectly OK/correct word.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

And the experience on the big screen is even more different these days when watching on a giant IMAX cinema, in deep 3D and along with a humongous sound system.

In reply to Offwidth:

Saw Wonder Woman at the cinema and really liked it. Not seen Star Wars yet. Another one I was put off by the bad reviews but I'll have to check it out.

I'm beginning to distrust the bad reviews lately. They often seem well out.

I just watched the latest Kingsman film which many people slagged off. I thought it was great. It was less serious than the first one and even more comic book style. Great action sequences along with fun stuff like Elton John getting kidnapped by the evil villain because she loved his music.

In reply to stp:

Did the new Star Wars get a lot of bad reviews? It is on 7.8/10 on IMDb and I saw mostly good “professional” reviews and only a few bad ones although I didn’t survey that many

Kingsman 2, sorry, to each his own and all that but 4.5/10
Elton and Julianne and Taron seemed to be having fun but everyone else - notably Colin Firth - actually looked on-screen as if they were regretting signing up for it.
And they (seemed to) very early get rid of arguably one of the more interesting characters from the original , whose character really warranted some additional development . And the film just went on and on and on, 2h20mins, strewth!

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:
Good subject. I tend to watch most films at home, and watch seems an apt description. Time is a big factor in this .. I don't tend to be predictably free much or have enough spare time for normal cinema showings, as I once did. I record almost anything that got high critical or audience ratings alongside things I know I will like (eg favorite directors, actors, franchises or genres). To be honest a modern flat screen TV in low ambient light seems little different to a cinema view visually and unlike cinema you can pause if required or quickly rewind and review a key scene. I still really enjoy the full cinematic experience, especially with family and friends. If a 'filmaker' has put a lot of effort into the look and sound of the film and it comes recommended I'll normally try and see it on a big screen. My main choice is Broadway my local arts cinema. If I'm on my own I'll sometimes go to my local Showcase 'delux' as the parking is easier and the sound is better and the bigger and better spaced seats stop other people who don't treat the cinema with respect from being too much of a pain (often a problem at Broadway when its packed on popularist stuff... nearly ended up in incidents a few times there but the staff are good and try their best to quieten things down). I often feel guilt watching stuff on a seat back (on a plane) or occasionally on a tablet as I know a lot of effort (like yours.. I have even thought of you) is rather wasted. There are other reasons ro go to the cinema: The Shining distracted me from one of those once, being too good not to watch

In reply to Offwidth:

Saw Mountain, excellent footage slightly diminished by an annoying and grating classical score.

Christmas TV and Cinema offering has been rubbish.

Looking forward to Churchill in January

In reply to Blue Straggler:

3D beyond about half an bour gives me bad headaches. I suspect when the safety psychology of watching such things for long periods is fully understood they will be either banned or linked to strong health warnings.

In reply to Offwidth:

Thanks for your long reply. I agree that viewing on a huge modern 4X TV screen from a few feet away is little different to the visual experience of being in a cinema. The only difference being the lack of an audience (which adds a certain dimension ... eg. the collective gasp when the dead man's head appears in the hole in the bottom of a boat in Jaws; also that amazing silence from the audience when they are totally gripped by a movie). As someone else has said above, IMAX is a whole different experience again. My favourite is still cinemascope ratio movies in a luxury 'art' cinema, such as our excellent local Ritz in Belper. Also, I like the cinema as an evening out ... I really like going to movies that I know very little about (except for good reviews). Then the whole thing has the nice flavour of 'OK, tell me a story ...'

In reply to womblingfree:
I normally end up with a big bulge of recordings over Xmas ... not this year. It doesn't mean the films are all bad though.. just lots of repeat showings. I think I must have watched parts of Journey to the Centre of the Earth about 20 times, usually over Xmas, as I grew up. I think it took at least 10 before I'd seen the whole film... viewing by mosaic.... home TV was not to disturb 70's family meals.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1011256_journey_to_the_center_of_the_earth...

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

Viewing is too small a description. I was trying to agree with what I expected would be your view that films are experienced in the cinema. Anticipation, vision, sound, audience and shared recollection. One other thing I noticed is hardly anyone else sits to the end of the credits these days: modern films are produced by small armies. I guess that part of that is for far too many films the armies are not properly equipt.. sometimes substandard direction or editing or more likely over-interferance in production and way too often below par scriptwriting.

In reply to Offwidth:

Yes, viewing only really applies to rather clinical appraisal, I think (e.g something critics do). I always watch all the end credits, btw, though I'm baffled by the sheer number on most movies nowadays. How come we used to make movies, even very big ones, with much smaller crews? Mind you, people like accountants were never typically included in the past. One thing that I find really irritating about the credits on many modern movies is how the creative and administrative jobs are all jumbled up. I think all the creative ones should come first. Nowadays one often has to sit through long lists of accountants before one gets to the editing and sound crew, for example.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

I'm sure some of that accounting can occasionally be creative

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Our last film of 2017 was arguably one of the very best: Paddington. Astonishingly well done as a film despite good source material.

In reply to Offwidth:

First or second?
I did not see the first but Infound the second to be an object lesson in how to tell a story via the medium of film

And it was dead funny

And moving, in the right places

In reply to Blue Straggler:


Well 7.6 average on IMDB now but if you read through the written reviews they're really bad, almost no one giving it more than about 4 and many giving only 1 or 2. So a very heavy slating there. But another friend of mine thought it was good so I'll have to give it a chance as it's still on.

In reply to Blue Straggler:

The first one (recorded from TV and watched just pre new year celebrations).