What I've Been Watching: The Catch-All Film Thread

Started watching the older James Bond catalog. So far watched
- From Russia with Love
- Goldfinger
- Thunderball
- Diamonds are Forever

Been great! My partner used to work in film and TVs and she has enjoyed them more than she expected. Takeaways? Stunts! Locations! Villains! And how different/old style was "From Russia with Love". Probably Dr No next or On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
 
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I was sad to hear how poorly Pride and Prejudice and Zombies did at the box office.

I mean, it makes sense. The zombie crowd may mostly be thinking... hmm Jane Austen? While the Jane Austen crowd is probably thinking... really? Zombies?

However I enjoyed it quite a bit for what it was: An alternate reality Jane Austen movie.

NOTE: I haven't read the Grahame-Smith novel this was based on.
 
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I was sad to hear how poorly Pride and Prejudice and Zombies did at the box office.

I mean, it makes sense. The zombie crowd may mostly be thinking… hmm Jane Austen? While the Jane Austen crowd is probably thinking… really? Zombies?

However I enjoyed it quite a bit for what it was: An alternate reality Jane Austen movie.

NOTE: I haven't read the Grahame-Smith novel this was based on.

I much preferred Zombeavers - though this was largely based on the short cameos by Bill Burr, which it never quite lived up to.
 
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The Limehouse Golem

Went to the cinema yesterday to see this film. A Victorian murder thriller. Liked how they portrayed the thought processes Inspector Kildare went through. It kept me guessing right to the end.

It isn't an action movie with cops and robbers running around shooting ever thing but it is about people, motivation and the unravelling of who is the "Golem". Everything makes sense by the end of the movie.

In my opinion worth a cinema visit and watch it again in 4 years time.
 
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I loved the dark tower series by Stephen King… So today I went to cinema and watched the film adaption directed by Nikolaj Arcel. I hadn't read anything about the film beforehand which turned out to be a big mistake. I'm not going to be sugar coating it: The film was an epic failure. So boring and flavorless. A total train wreck for a movie. To have such an amazingly rich source material available and then deliver something so soulless should be a crime.

According to wikipedia this film had been in production since 2007 and there had been numerious director changes which explains a lot… If I had known this info beforehand, I'd have not wasted any money on this. The film just didn't feel right and didn't make any justice to this magnificent story. The extremly short (90 minutes or so) screenplay was just crammed full of stuff. I'm not even going to start mentioning how little it reminded me of the actual novels.

As for the actors… Although I had imagined Roland in my head to be a much older white man, I think Idris Elba was definitely an intresting choise for this role. He is an extremly talented actor and has pulled off so many memorable perfomances over the years, but in this film he failed. He didn't bring Roland I know from those books to life. Roland in those books had certain kind of aura and he carried himself with dignity. When Roland in this film recites the gunslinger oath, I simply wasn't feeling it. It was just something which they had to put into the film to be able to call it a dark tower film.

Matthew McConaughey as Walter wasn't how I had imagined him either. He was all style and no substance, and unable to exhibit anything approaching nefariousness or real villainy. The kid actor who played Jake was okey I quess, but his performance wasn't really memorable. As you can notice, there is a clear pattern here. This film lacks hearth and I'd say that filmmakers have forgotten the faces of their fathers… Just avoid.
 
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The Dark Tower

I have to agree with the conclusion by Dez though I don't know about his analysis. I have never read the books. I knew the film would not be good because I looked at the IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes scores but thought "What the hell Idris is a good actor."

Too much action and very little connecting story. The uber-villain was a typical "bad, mad man" and his followers seemed 2D to me.

Wish I hadn't bothered. It's a film that I would watch when it hit the non-cable TV channels and it would also need to be in the Summer months when very little good TV (my definition) is on. Now that I have seen it I will not bother (at least the ice-cream and Latte made the trip worthwhile).
 
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@SleepingDog;

Yeah there was plenty of action, but not much story or character progression. The film was an utter mess. The seven books long dark tower series was basicly bastardized to the typical 90 mins hollywood action film format.

And as to someone who has read the books, it was also dissapointing how generic the setting felt. Dark tower story largerly happens in a post apocalyptic western setting spiced with science fiction elements. Sure the story takes the reader back to modern urban setting few times, but over all it takes place in a post apocalyptic western fantasy setting. There wasn't much of it seen in this film.

I don't get what the film makers were afraid. They didn't even attempt to recreate Kings setting on screen. They just went and made a generic action film.
 
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Dez

I read in the Toronto Sun that Mr King was expecting that the film would not be a hit because the level of violence was reduced (to make the potential audience bigger?). Perhaps more interestingly it looks like a TV series is still looking likely - "still going ahead with plans to turn the book series into a small screen drama".

And Idris would "be interested in reprising his character" for the TV series.

Who knows we may get a show based on the books? Based on your recommendation I will have a look at the books in the near future.

regards
 
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Mother!

Do you like Marmite? [The British version of the product is a sticky, dark brown food paste with a distinctive, powerful flavour, which is extremely salty.] It is my experience that people either like it or hate it. I hate it , my wife loves it. Back to the film - it has been described as a "marmite" film.

I watched this yesterday in my home town. It was headlined by Jennifer Lawrence who's not afraid to do unusual films (Passenger, Silver Linings) as well as the more mainstream stuff. IMDb used the following adjectives "drama", "horror" and "mystery" to describe it.

The good. The actors performances were strong and emotionally powerful, sometimes disturbing. It kept me in the cinema wondering what would happen next. Time passed quickly - in the main.

The bad. I didn't understand the story at all. Perhaps you need to see it a few times before things click … or not.

For me I like to understand at least some of the film while watching it. I now know what it was about because I read a JL interview later on were she explained it. For some people this is acceptable - marmite again - but for me not so good.

Can I recommend it? No if you are like me but 46% of google users who voted clicked "liked the film". No accounting for taste.
 
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Went to see the Kingsman sequel; over the top fun which reminded me of the old cartoons I used to watch as a child. Totally unbelievable, but so well done you can't help but enjoy it!! :)
 
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Went to see the Kingsman sequel; over the top fun which reminded me of the old cartoons I used to watch as a child. Totally unbelievable, but so well done you can't help but enjoy it!! :)

Whoa. That's really brand new (released 9/22 ?). Loved the first one. This new one seems to have a truckload of great actors. Hope to see it soon.

__
 
It was (imho) actually a decent movie given the story basis.

I was sad to hear how poorly Pride and Prejudice and Zombies did at the box office.

I mean, it makes sense. The zombie crowd may mostly be thinking… hmm Jane Austen? While the Jane Austen crowd is probably thinking… really? Zombies?

However I enjoyed it quite a bit for what it was: An alternate reality Jane Austen movie.

NOTE: I haven't read the Grahame-Smith novel this was based on.
 
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It seems that eventually some things from The Wizard Of Oz became Common Knowledge - as I read this from an ASRock motherboard description :

No, your motherboard doesn’t melt when in contact with water like the wicked witch of the west,

I think this even more underlines the impact the movie once had ...
 
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Bladerunner 2049

The set design and music were spot on.

As to the rest of it, I can't help but sense a lot of interesting exposition got left on the cutting room floor. It felt like 80% of the movie was shots of Ryan Gosling's deadpan portrayal of his character. By the time Harrison showed up over an hour into the movie, I had to remark, "so *that's* what actual acting looks like!"

It's hard to live up to the first movie, but I can't help thinking how this sequel could have been far better with someone other than Gosling.

And, yes, although Gosling plays a replicant, it's obvious from other replicants in that society that this doesn't necessarily mean emotionless, without expression, and godawful boring.

CGI Sean Young +++
 
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Damn, I posted this in the tv series thread instead.

I also came back from Blade Runner 2049. Loved it a whole lot. Visuals and music were amazing. I had no issue with the way Gosling played K. It was sort of in keeping with the whole dreary mood of the film. Really recommended! Denis Villeneuve has done it again.
 
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Well, the trailers were intentionally ambiguous so as not to give the plot away. While great for luring in people who grew up w/ the first movie, this doesn't work well to attract millennials.

As for the movie itself, it's slow and ponderous, the plot is basic and underdeveloped, and Gosling is a bore. So I wouldn't personally walk out of the theater looking to encourage people unfamiliar with the first movie to go see the sequel.

Basically, what you have is a movie that will do well with people who were around for the first one. But little else.
 
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Just saw the bladerunner 2049. What a film. Whoa. I wanted to sit 10 extra minutes in the cinema when credits started rolling just to rethink everything I saw. I won't be saying anything about the plot of this film. Just that it did justice to the bladerunner name.
 
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