What was the last movie you saw?

[No One]

13 Assassins, by Takashi Miike.

More than any other director I can think of, Takashi is a chameleon, adapting his style from film to film. This is no exception. It screams tribute to Akira Kurasawa but still carries a few signature moments to mark it as his own - namely some real nastiness at the outset (Takashi has had a lot of practice at establishing depraved individuals) and a touch of the downright strange (with regards to a certain developement in the final scenes).

It could've done without some implausibly constructed defences which required suspension of belief, and it would've benefited with an extra 15-20 minutes to get to better know the 13 samurai individually. It may be a two-hour film, but when the last 45 minutes is one giant action sequence, then there's not much room left for character.

It wasn't quite all that I'd hoped it would be, but expectations were high and it's still a keeper.

[psychotick]

Hi Metryq and Junkmonkey,

I still feel cheated by Thor. I feel that for at least half the show I was watching radio. And you can tell me all you want that I should have been sitting in a dark room with the tv brightness set up all the way, and my answer will still be the same. No. Granted that may add to a movie, but in the end a dvd is meant to be played on a normal person's telly under normal conditions. If you can't see anything, its not a movie its just a sound track and some dialogue. And that's a rip off.

The last movie that was this bad with this same fault was AVP Requiem, and I was so peeved I damn near threw a brick at the dvd.

I'm seriously thinking about writing a letter of complaint - its just a question of who to.

Cheers.

[JunkMonkey]

Originally Posted by psychotick

Hi Metryq and Junkmonkey,

I still feel cheated by Thor. I feel that for at least half the show I was watching radio. And you can tell me all you want that I should have been sitting in a dark room with the tv brightness set up all the way, and my answer will still be the same. No. Granted that may add to a movie, but in the end a dvd is meant to be played on a normal person's telly under normal conditions. If you can't see anything, its not a movie its just a sound track and some dialogue. And that's a rip off.

Personally I would have thought that DVDs were supposed to recreate the look, as closely as possible, to films as they would be seen in the cinema. The marketing of DVDs (certainly in the early days) was heavily weighed to giving the impression it was a near cinematic experience.
And I think we have a different ideas of what 'normal conditions' are. For me the normal conditions for watching a film on DVD is to as I described earlier. Darkened room, no distractions and in my sweetspot seat, dead centre screen.

Originally Posted by psychotick

The last movie that was this bad with this same fault was AVP Requiem, and I was so peeved I damn near threw a brick at the dvd.

I've not seen AVP Requiem but the reviews I have read make me think that throwing a brick at the screen is probably the only sane response to it - whether you can see it or not.

[P.G.Bell]

I saw "Let Me In" - the American remake of "Let The Right One In" - at FantasyCon in Brighton last weekend. I'd not seen the original so have no basis for comparison (except the book, which is excellent) but I rather enjoyed it. John A. Lindqvist was there to introduce it and he likes it too - although he did admit to preferring the original.

[Diggler]

Real Steel

Boisterous and silly at times, I just could not help but enjoy the frenetic energy, heart and soul of this robot rendition of Rocky. Yet again, if you want to be entertained, see this. If you feel the need to nitpick, don't bother.

7.5/10

[Starbeast]

Frenzy (1972)

Alfred H.'s disturbing and suspenseful movie about a serial killer. It's the first time I've seen this gem of a film. Rated "R"

[Diggler]

Originally Posted by Starbeast

Frenzy (1972)

Alfred H.'s disturbing and suspenseful movie about a serial killer. It's the first time I've seen this gem of a film. Rated "R"

This was one of my favourites from many years ago. His use of black comedy was very much prevalent in this film.

[Starbeast]

Originally Posted by Diggler

This was one of my favourites from many years ago. His use of black comedy was very much prevalent in this film.

Great film. Henry Mancini was asked originally to do the music score, I liked his music more than Alfred's choice, Ron Goodwin.

[Interference]

Goodwin, though, was a stalwart of British film at the time and to some extent might be considered a more "suitable" choice for this return-to-the-homeland flick.

[Starbeast]

Originally Posted by Interference

Goodwin, though, was a stalwart of British film at the time and to some extent might be considered a more "suitable" choice for this return-to-the-homeland flick.

I know it was for Alfred, but after I heard both themes, I had to go with Henry.

[Connavar]

I havent even heard about Alfred H film called Frenzy. He has become a huge fav first only in recent years thanks to seeing for the first time Vertigo, Foreign Correspondent, Shadow of doubt .

A film of his about a serial killer sound fascinating, time to hunt for the DVD in lovefilm!

[Abernovo]

Remember Frenzy from years back. Good film.

Became a fan at the age of 15, laid up in a plaster cast. One of the channels (only 4 of them back then) had a Hitch season. Took my mind off the broken bones.

[mr kite]

Frontier(s)

It makes Texas Chainsaw look like the Mad Hatters Tea party .

[HoopyFrood]

Watching Sixth Sense. 'cos it's on and I like it and it's a good ghost film. With an actual plot.

[JunkMonkey]

Originally Posted by Abernovo

Became a fan at the age of 15, laid up in a plaster cast. One of the channels (only 4 of them back then) had a Hitch season.

Right. When I were a lad there were only two channels and both of them were in black and white and looked like they were painted by Rolf Harris on corrugated cardboard. ....... and I had to lick road clean with my tongue........

Tonight I watched Thunderpants (2002) A good old-fashioned family film about an 11 year old boy with uncontrollable flatulence. I really don't know why Disney didn't pick this one up because it's a real 'follow your heart' story. A young boy surmounts all the obsticles to find his gift and achieve his dream - with fart jokes, (lots of fart jokes) it also has opera singing, a kid facing a firing squad, ritual humiliation, more fart jokes, and some cracking OTT performances before climaxing in the launch of a shuttle rescue mission powered by a tube stuck up our hero's arse. It's hilarious. I can thoroughly recommend it to all.