I Just Watched (Films)

[Wrathbone]

Palo Alto

One of the most inane, drivelling wastes of time I’ve ever endured. 100 minutes of angsty, edgelord teens doing insufferable teen shite, while James Franco acts as a background paedophile (in a film apparently based on a book he wrote, which seems really weird. I mean… did he write the part for himself?). There is nothing resembling a plot and none of the characters change much in any meaningful way, so it’s just a long, dreary and pointless slog.

It threatens some tension in the last five minutes, but then bails on it and the film just ends abruptly, like a tired prostitute who’s taken the money, spent the duration taking an almighty dump in the bathroom and then kicked you in the crotch before waltzing out the door.

1/10

[Rusty]

Dune Part two continued

Also just got back from watching this.
Seemed to be slightly too long in places. Some actual bits that made me laugh (a little bit too much like Life of Brian) but overall a good film.
Didn't wow me as much as part one that went straight to one of my favourite films ever.

Can't wait for whatever comes next..

[Animalmother]

Dune: Part 2
Not too dissimilar from Rusty's opinion. Very enjoyable and worth the long wait but I did prefer the first film if I'm honest. That aside, it's a fucking epic experience. The sound is phenomenal, there are times where your chest cavity is vibrating from sheer sonic overload. Go see it in the cinema if you get the chance, the tv could never do it justice.

The bad:
A little too long and meandering in places. Despite the amazing sound I found it hard to understand some characters when they spoke. Chalamet and Zendaya are great but I think miscast.

The good:
Pretty much everything else. Javier Bardem manages to be intimidating as hell and the comic relief at the same time. The sheer scale of what's on screen is jaw dropping at times, hundreds of people milling about and giant machines exploding. The wonderful musical score and the aforementioned sound design.

Can't wait for the next film to come out but I think it's not due till 2027 or something similar.

[Animalmother]

American Fiction
A black author can't get anything published, in frustration he submits a very trashy novel full of black stereotypes. Much to his disgust it gets picked up and becomes wildly popular. Very funny in places but also a bit grim as his personal life is going to shit in the background. Feels like it was made for streaming but got a cinema release, it won an Oscar for screenplay so that worked.
A solid 7/10

[Wrathbone]

Sisu

Decent action romp about a Finnish gold miner slaughtering Nazis at the end of WW2. It’s John Wick meets Rambo, with a dash of Fury Road thrown in. Very violent, very silly and nicely paced at a swift 91 minutes.

8/10

[Sly Boots]

Oh, might check that out

[Raid]

Bit of a review plus a question. At the weekend I watched Ghostbusters for the first time in probably a decade, and honestly I thought it was exceedingly average, which was both a surprise and a disappointment. The script is average for the most part, albeit with two or three excellent one-liners, and Venkman comes across as an unlikable creep for much of the film (which I know is applying modern sensibilities to a 40 year old film, but I think it's intentional). The performances from the majority of the cast aren't brilliant either - everyone comes across as a bit wooden, with Sigourney Weaver and Dan Aykroyd (and I suppose Rick Moranis, but he plays an annoying character so I'm not sure it's a benefit) the notable exceptions. I'm not really sure why Winston's there at all; he doesn't seem to ad anything.

It's an extremely memorable film, that's unquestionable, but I feel it's viewed through rose-tinted glasses when people talk about it. One of my colleagues who is a decade or so younger than I am had a similar opinion when they watched it for the first time. Has anyone else had a similar reaction after a vaguely-recent re-watch?

[Wrathbone]

I still enjoy it, but I get what you’re saying. I think part of it is that comedy can age badly compared to other genres, especially if it’s something that you didn’t experience in its heyday. I tried watching The Producers last week, often hailed as one of the greatest comedy films of all time, and while the concept of the story and the musical itself are great, I thought the film as a whole was total shite. Having since read up on why people love it, it mostly seems to be people who watched it in the 60s or 70s when its comedy was fresh.

I grew up with Ghostbusters and there was nothing quite like it at the time, but these days its flaws are more evident.

Also, Venkman absolutely is a creep and I think you’re right that it’s intentional. What I’m not sure was intentional was how badly his kiss with Sigourney Weaver went at the end. It’s the most awkward on-screen kiss I’ve ever seen - so bad that it makes me wonder if there was some genuine loathing or discomfort between them. Bill Murray does rub some people up the wrong way, so it wouldn’t surprise me.

EDIT

I'm not really sure why Winston's there at all; he doesn't seem to ad anything.

There’s a disappointing explanation for this. The original script had a bigger role for Winston that was written for Eddie Murphy, who then pulled out at the last minute to do Beverly Hills Cop. The role then went to Ernie Hudson, and they shrank the role because he wasn’t Eddie Murphy and increased Bill Murray’s role instead. It’s really sad, not just because it could have been a breakout role for Hudson but also because it made the character superfluous.

[Maturin]

I just love how well put-together the first one is, it's been 2 or 3 years since I last saw it. It really feels like a bunch of New York university drop-outs who strike it big, the way it's filmed feels authentic. It has a really gritty, grimy aesthetic. Plus I love the dry sense of humour that runs though it and doesn't let up.

Venkman's a bit creepy & weird towards Dana early on, but it's done knowingly I think. Plus when she gets possessed he becomes genuinely concerned for her and changes his tune, so he sort of redeems himself. I always assumed that was the whole point of his earlier poor behaviour.

The film's just very cleverly and skilfully done I think. I don't have time for any of the sequels - they're all mediocre to varying degrees and for various reasons.

[Sly Boots]

I just love how well put-together the first one is, it's been 2 or 3 years since I last saw it. It really feels like a bunch of New York university drop-outs who strike it big, the way it's filmed feels authentic. It has a really gritty, grimy aesthetic. Plus I love the dry sense of humour that runs though it and doesn't let up.

Venkman's a bit creepy & weird towards Dana early on, but it's done knowingly I think. Plus when she gets possessed he becomes genuinely concerned for her and changes his tune, so he sort of redeems himself. I always assumed that was the whole point of his earlier poor behaviour.

The film's just very cleverly and skilfully done I think. I don't have time for any of the sequels - they're all mediocre to varying degrees and for various reasons.

Re Venkman, I only noticed this recently, but does no-one else think it's weird that he happened to arrive for a date with Dana equipped with a syringe full of tranquiliser?

[Drarok]

Doctor Venkman? With medical supplies? C'mon judge!

[Rusty]

Agree with Maturin. Watched Ghostbusters quite recently and still thought it was good. It was part of a big list of films I wanted my son to watch.

[Animalmother]

Yeah I always found 80's Bill Murray to be unpleasant but I do love Ghostbusters.

Speaking of 80's/90's...
Dark Angel
A 7ft alien criminal lands on Earth and injects people with massive overdoses of heroin and then sucks the "high" juice out of their skull. Dolph Lundgren is a cop trying to stop him by breaking all the rules blah blah.. Entertaining for what it is, a late 80's early 90's action flick with cars exploding every 5 minutes, a scene in a topless bar, everyone is waving guns about and an obligatory car chase or two. Silly fun.

Dreamscape
People jumping into each other's dreams. Surprisingly dull.

Scarecrows
Criminals steal a ton of cash and drop it into a remote farm land. They parachute in after it only to discover it's got living scarecrows that like to gut people and stuff them full of money. About 40 minutes of it is people wandering around in the dark shouting. Yeah, it's shite.

Watched them all on YouTube. You can find a surprising amount of full films of dubious creative quality but in HD.

[ManBearSquid]

Speaking of 80's/90's...
Dark Angel
A 7ft alien criminal lands on Earth and injects people with massive overdoses of heroin and then sucks the "high" juice out of their skull. Dolph Lundgren is a cop trying to stop him by breaking all the rules blah blah.. Entertaining for what it is, a late 80's early 90's action flick with cars exploding every 5 minutes, a scene in a topless bar, everyone is waving guns about and an obligatory car chase or two. Silly fun.

That sounds like brilliant fun. I sought out the trailer after reading this.

That looks like brilliant fun!

[Animalmother]

Bask in it's cheesy glory