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Absolutely.
That's why a Blake & Alexis prequel wouldn't work for me. I prefer the "he said/she said", the lies with a little bit of truth in it.
I found it very Desperate Bates Motel Wives.
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What was the last film you watched?
- Thread starter Mel O'Drama
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That's why a Blake & Alexis prequel wouldn't work for me. I prefer the "he said/she said", the lies with a little bit of truth in it.
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For me, too. These things tend to have far more resonance when I'm left to weigh up the evidence and build a picture in my mind. There's nothing wrong with the oblique, and with leaving the audience to question.
Yes, many will ask for answers to those questions but, when given, the reality can never live up to the fantasy.
Ooh. Intriguing.
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The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997)
Despite the tweaked-to-get-attention title (the source material was called Watch That Man), there's nothing at all Hitchcockian about this. Instead it feels very much like an ersatz version of the Clouseau films or even Mr Bean (it's ironic that the same year's Bean movie would lose much of its appeal by transplanting the main character to America, while this film sees Bill Murray plopped into a Hollywood vision of London - filled with RP accents, red phone boxes, cobbled streets and Minis - with about as much success).
The premise is a promising one, with Murray's character unwittingly dragged into espionage and despatching threats through his own clumsiness, spending the entire time under the misconception that he's involved in a live theatre performance paid for by his brother. This angle got a few decent chortles from me, such as the scene where he blasts a phone to smithereens with his gun, unaware that he's packing the real thing.
But the Devil's in the detail and, while the story is decent, the execution feels rather clunky and the script unpolished. Overall it's not as funny as it promises. I also came out of this feeling weary of Bill Murray's brand of buffoonery and questioning if I even like him as an actor. At the back of my mind the whole time was that I'd rather be watching Peter Sellers.
On the plus side, Alfred Molina does his usual brilliant thing with accents. And Richard Wilson's always a delight, even with sub-par material.
Despite the tweaked-to-get-attention title (the source material was called Watch That Man), there's nothing at all Hitchcockian about this. Instead it feels very much like an ersatz version of the Clouseau films or even Mr Bean (it's ironic that the same year's Bean movie would lose much of its appeal by transplanting the main character to America, while this film sees Bill Murray plopped into a Hollywood vision of London - filled with RP accents, red phone boxes, cobbled streets and Minis - with about as much success).
The premise is a promising one, with Murray's character unwittingly dragged into espionage and despatching threats through his own clumsiness, spending the entire time under the misconception that he's involved in a live theatre performance paid for by his brother. This angle got a few decent chortles from me, such as the scene where he blasts a phone to smithereens with his gun, unaware that he's packing the real thing.
But the Devil's in the detail and, while the story is decent, the execution feels rather clunky and the script unpolished. Overall it's not as funny as it promises. I also came out of this feeling weary of Bill Murray's brand of buffoonery and questioning if I even like him as an actor. At the back of my mind the whole time was that I'd rather be watching Peter Sellers.
On the plus side, Alfred Molina does his usual brilliant thing with accents. And Richard Wilson's always a delight, even with sub-par material.
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Scream (1996)
This used to be a favourite of mine, but I found myself falling out of love with it some years ago. With the 25th anniversary and the upcoming new film, this seemed as good a time as any to revisit it after a good few years.
The best things about the film and the series for me have been the town of Woodsboro and the warm, rich cinematography, and it still delivers on that front. The locations and properties really grabbed me this time round, and I found myself coveting each home in turn as we travelled around Woodsboro.
This time round, I realised there's a huge male/female divide between the characters. The women are sparkly and interesting and carry this film. The younger men are played very broadly as gurning clowns who can't take anything seriously, and there are are too many "adorably clueless" or comic relief types among the men. Kenny and Randy are the exceptions as the lighthearted stuff feels appropriate for them and they both steal their respective scenes.
All the same, it holds up really well, looks great and I found myself appreciating all over again what a breath of fresh air this film would have been to a category of film that had become stale and derivative.
This used to be a favourite of mine, but I found myself falling out of love with it some years ago. With the 25th anniversary and the upcoming new film, this seemed as good a time as any to revisit it after a good few years.
The best things about the film and the series for me have been the town of Woodsboro and the warm, rich cinematography, and it still delivers on that front. The locations and properties really grabbed me this time round, and I found myself coveting each home in turn as we travelled around Woodsboro.
This time round, I realised there's a huge male/female divide between the characters. The women are sparkly and interesting and carry this film. The younger men are played very broadly as gurning clowns who can't take anything seriously, and there are are too many "adorably clueless" or comic relief types among the men. Kenny and Randy are the exceptions as the lighthearted stuff feels appropriate for them and they both steal their respective scenes.
All the same, it holds up really well, looks great and I found myself appreciating all over again what a breath of fresh air this film would have been to a category of film that had become stale and derivative.
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No Time To Die ... my first time back to the movie theater since the COVID pandemic started. I'll miss Daniel Craig as James Bond.
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i haven't seen any of this films yet. well i just got done watching Fourteen Hours (1951) a really damn good movie too well worth it 10/10
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It's an unusual movie, but I thought the director did a wonderful job of blending suspense, dark comedy and social commentary.
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Utter tripe. It's as if Dramarama had a go at a Rosemary's Baby episode. I watched it through to the end, so I can't like myself very much today.
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DUNE. Most of it looked like a reshoot of the 1984 version but with less colours. Isn't there any more happening in the first novel it's based on? Toto's stupid score is replaced by Hans Zimmer but minus Brian Eno's fantastic "Prophecy" theme. Timmy and Zendaya are probably genius casting for younger generations (and they're actually good - as were Kyle MacLachlan and Sean Young back then). I think the actress playing Paul Atreides' (Timothée Chalamet) mother - Rebecca Ferguson - looks too young, like a sister (Francessca Annis had a natural maternal authority in the old film). Jason Mamoa as always a joy to watch (and much more memorable than Richard Jordan). The set decorations for the three different planets we see aren't very different, that's a big minus compared to Lynch's film (and also no spectacular costumes or hair styling). But overall I like Villeneuve's slow visual style even though BLADE RUNNER 2049 impressed me more. So this is PART ONE and Feyd ("oh beautiful Feyd")- played by Sting in the original film, hasn't been introduced yet.
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Sister Act. Finally got around to watching it yesterday. Very dated and pretty light on laughs.
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I'm planning to see this later this week. I've not seen the earlier version and know nothing about the novel on which it was based so I will coming from a different starting point from you. It will be interesting if I will like it more than you appear to have.
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I never tire of watching Sister Act. I think it's a marvellous film.
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Dear Evan Hansen (2021)
This film had lots of bad reviews but I was still keen to watch it because I heard a lot of good things about the stage play but I never got around to seeing it. In the end I didn't think it was a bad film at all, in fact I liked it.
The premise of the film is great, the story of a high school student, Evan Hansen,. who suffers with social anxiety so his therapist suggests he writes letters to himself stating why each day will be a good one. On this one particular day he types a letter to himself in which details some of his depressive thoughts and Connor, the school bully, takes it from him when he prints it out. Connor later commits suicide and the "Dear Evan Hansen" letter is found on him and Connor's parents think their son wrote it to a fellow student who must have been his best friend. Evan plays along because he thinks it gives Connor's parents some comfort and it also makes him a more popular at school as other students have sympathy for him.
It's a really interesting premise for a film and it would work even without the musical numbers and it some ways I think it would have been a better film had it not been a musical. However, the songs are pleasant enough and they work reasonably well with the narrative. Overall, I thought it was an entertaining film which made me even more keen on seeing the stage production.
This film had lots of bad reviews but I was still keen to watch it because I heard a lot of good things about the stage play but I never got around to seeing it. In the end I didn't think it was a bad film at all, in fact I liked it.
The premise of the film is great, the story of a high school student, Evan Hansen,. who suffers with social anxiety so his therapist suggests he writes letters to himself stating why each day will be a good one. On this one particular day he types a letter to himself in which details some of his depressive thoughts and Connor, the school bully, takes it from him when he prints it out. Connor later commits suicide and the "Dear Evan Hansen" letter is found on him and Connor's parents think their son wrote it to a fellow student who must have been his best friend. Evan plays along because he thinks it gives Connor's parents some comfort and it also makes him a more popular at school as other students have sympathy for him.
It's a really interesting premise for a film and it would work even without the musical numbers and it some ways I think it would have been a better film had it not been a musical. However, the songs are pleasant enough and they work reasonably well with the narrative. Overall, I thought it was an entertaining film which made me even more keen on seeing the stage production.
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A double-bill today, starting with a matinee...
Joker (2019)
The chance to watch it came up and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. I'd picked up that the film was violent and disturbing, so at least I was prepared for that. I thought it was an incredibly well-made film, with a fascinating story. The aesthetics were great - I loved the gritty mid-to-late Twentieth Century East Coast vibes. And the sound design was really something. Several times during the film I thought something was going on outside the house because of the way sound was used realistically. Grim as it is, I'm very glad I watched it.
Joker (2019)
The chance to watch it came up and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. I'd picked up that the film was violent and disturbing, so at least I was prepared for that. I thought it was an incredibly well-made film, with a fascinating story. The aesthetics were great - I loved the gritty mid-to-late Twentieth Century East Coast vibes. And the sound design was really something. Several times during the film I thought something was going on outside the house because of the way sound was used realistically. Grim as it is, I'm very glad I watched it.
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This evening's film was...
The Secret Of My Success (1987)
I really wanted to see this when it first came out on VHS but, for whatever reason, it never ended up being one of the pairs of films I'd opt to rent. I also missed it on TV, DVD and Blu-ray. Three and a half decades on I've finally ticked that box.
It's an enjoyable enough film, though everything about it is oh so very Eighties: The soundtrack.The clothes. The values. I've always thought Michael J. Fox is cute in a cheeky little terrier kind of way, and it's used to good effect in this film.
Oh, and this scene really surprised me in the best possible way.
The Secret Of My Success (1987)
I really wanted to see this when it first came out on VHS but, for whatever reason, it never ended up being one of the pairs of films I'd opt to rent. I also missed it on TV, DVD and Blu-ray. Three and a half decades on I've finally ticked that box.
It's an enjoyable enough film, though everything about it is oh so very Eighties: The soundtrack.The clothes. The values. I've always thought Michael J. Fox is cute in a cheeky little terrier kind of way, and it's used to good effect in this film.
Oh, and this scene really surprised me in the best possible way.
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I think this is one of the great films of the 21st Century. It reminded me a lot of Martin Scorsese's King of Comedy (1982) in which Robert De Niro played the role equivalent to Joker.A double-bill today, starting with a matinee...
Joker (2019)
The chance to watch it came up and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. I'd picked up that the film was violent and disturbing, so at least I was prepared for that. I thought it was an incredibly well-made film, with a fascinating story. The aesthetics were great - I loved the gritty mid-to-late Twentieth Century East Coast vibes. And the sound design was really something. Several times during the film I thought something was going on outside the house because of the way sound was used realistically. Grim as it is, I'm very glad I watched it.
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I'm sure it could well be. It's certainly unique, and I thought the subjective emphasis on mental illness fascinating.
I'm not familiar with King Of Comedy (though naturally I'm now intrigued), but with this in mind it's interesting that De Niro appears in Joker as well. Almost as though he's passing on the torch.
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I agree. It's my favourite film based on a Marvel or DC comic book character. The film works on so many levels and is completely engrossing. I superb piece of cinema in my opinion.
It storyline of the 2 films is very similar. Robert De Niro is the slightly deranged comedian who wants to appear on the TV chat show and Jerry Lewis plays the Johnny Carson type chat show host. There isn't the same intensity nor the depth in the exploration of the main character's history and it's no where near as violent and but it's a great film, one of Martin Scorsese's best.
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Maybe to give it a more realistic appearance even though there's nothing realistic about a reality without colours. And why this reality, of all realities, should look unrealistically realistic...well that's the big question.
According to an IMDB review:
"If the pacing were any slower, this movie would run backwards"