What DVD / Video did you watch last night? (pt3)

[ymu]

I watched Ill Manors. I like Plan B, but this is just another urban gang yoof film which doesn't add anything new to that particular genre. It's just about watchable but at times it's ridiculously melodramatic. The scene with the fire and the baby reminded me more of Mighty Joe Young than anything. As a piece of film-making it's all over the place. Occasionally it looks like pop promos have been inserted into the film when the style of the film breaks for a bit of music. Nice to see John Cooper Clarke in a small role.

Just seen this and couldn't disagree more. I thought this was a really impressive bit of film-making, completely unlike the usual urban yoof/gang film, with some really interesting ideas. It did get melodramatic at the end, but it had to. The film is all about how people end up where they do; the ending is essentially a fantasy escape. And those are not 'breaks' for music. At times it does feel like an album-length rap video but the soundtrack is integral to the film in a way I've never seen before.

Rap as voiceover.

 

[Reno]

I watched the latest demonic possession film, with the blindingly original title The Possession. The only twist is that this one draws on Jewish mythology, though there already have been at least a couple of those, like the recent The Unborn. It is very stylishly directed by the Danish Ole Bornedal who made the excellent retro-noir This Is Not a Love Story a few years ago. At least it is well acted, has a few effective scares and is reasonably atmospheric, despite following The Exorcist template to a T.

 

[Firky]

El espíritu de la colmena / Spirit of the Beehive (again).

Didn't really watch it, so much as have it on in the background. I love it.

 

[Part 2]

Spirit of the beehive is ace. Have you seen Cria Cuervos? Has the same kid in it.

 

[Voley]

Waltz With Bashir. Nothing special.

 

[Reno]

Dredd, which was pretty good apart from the central character having no personality, but I suppose that's just part and parcel with this particular universe. It was one of a number of 2012 mid-budget sci-fi/action films like Looper and Lockout which were 80s throwbacks to the likes of early Carpenter, Cameron and Verhoeven, which were in many ways more fun than most the big blockbusters of the year. That these films all came in at under two hours helped as well.

 

[discokermit]

Spirit of the Beehive . I love it.

i bought this dvd, what a load of shit! didn't play any of their hits. where was "don't call me baby"? total rip off.

 

[Firky]

i bought this dvd, what a load of shit! didn't play any of their hits. where was "don't call me baby"? total rip off.

FFS

Waltz With Bashir. Nothing special.

Apart from the scene that gives the film it's name. I liked that bit and some of the dialogue but yeh..

Spirit of the beehive is ace. Have you seen Cria Cuervos? Has the same kid in it.

No, will add it to my list

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Halfway through a film called Gomorra: Italian, about the Neapolitan mob. Liking it so far.

 

[Reno]

Another thumbs up for Cria Cuervos/Raising Ravens (I have the Cuban film poster up on my wall), it's a fantastic film.

 

[jeff_leigh]

Halfway through a film called Gomorra: Italian, about the Neapolitan mob. Liking it so far.

IIRC there's a sequel planned

 

[TruXta]

Dredd, which was pretty good apart from the central character having no personality, but I suppose that's just part and parcel with this particular universe. It was one of a number of 2012 mid-budget sci-fi/action films like Looper and Lockout which were 80s throwbacks to the likes of early Carpenter, Cameron and Verhoeven, which were in many ways more fun than most the big blockbusters of the year. That these films all came in at under two hours helped as well.

I found the setting to be bloody boring. Looked like a cost-cutting exercise more than a creative choice tbh.

 

[Reno]

I found the setting to be bloody boring. Looked like a cost-cutting exercise more than a creative choice tbh.

It was a relatively low budget film, but so what ? What's wrong with scrappy low budget genre films ? They often more entertaining than the bloated Hollywood blockbusters, where every suit in the meeting has a say. It's not like they had a huge budget and spent most of it on booze and hookers. In the current Hollywood you are not going to get a film this violent off the ground on a $ 200 million budget. If you have a limited budget then you do something that's appropriate in scale rather than overrreaching yourself. I thought the setting off a tower block that's as large as a city was great and well used. It's in a honorable tradition of one location siege films like Assault on Precinct 13.

Feel free to stick the the crappy Stallone Judge Dredd, which was exactly the costly bag of compromises this film avoided by having a smaller budget and giving the film-makers artisitic control.

 

[TruXta]

It was a relatively low budget film, but so what ? What's wrong with scrappy low budget genre films ? They often more entertaining than the bloated Hollywood blockbusters, where every suit in the meeting has a say. It's not like they had a huge budget and spent most of it on booze and hookers. In the current Hollywood you are not going to get a film this violent off the ground on a $ 200 million budget. If you have a limited budget then you do something that's appropriate in scale rather than overrreaching yourself. I thought the setting off a tower block that's as large as a city was great and well used. It's in the tradition of siege films like Assault on Precinct 13.

Feel free to stick the the crappy Stallone Judge Dredd, which was exactly the costly bag of compromises this film avoided by having a smaller budget and giving the film-makers artisitic contral.

Woah woah woah! I love low-budget stuff. That's got nothing to do with it, and it doesn't excuse poor film-making. And I did get the whole siege-idea, I just don't think it was particularly well executed. And the gore was just silly and tacky. For the record I've not seen the Stallone Dredd as I heard it was incredibly shit and I didn't want to tarnish my memories of the franchise.

 

[DotCommunist]

I think the Cursed Earth bit of stallones dredd was actually ok its just that the rest was so shitit cancelled it out

 

[Reno]

Woah woah woah! I love low-budget stuff. That's got nothing to do with it, and it doesn't excuse poor film-making. And I did get the whole siege-idea, I just don't think it was particularly well executed. And the gore was just silly and tacky. For the record I've not seen the Stallone Dredd as I heard it was incredibly shit and I didn't want to tarnish my memories of the franchise.

Considering this mostly got very good reviews, unusual for a film like this, many seem to disagree that this was crappy film-making. It worked for me.

 

[DotCommunist]

that reminds me there was a goodlittle short about a Cursed Earth sheriff-type judge 'Sturm und Dang' where he fought neo-nazi punks

ahem

 

[Captain Hurrah]

I think the Cursed Earth bit of stallones dredd was actually ok its just that the rest was so shitit cancelled it out

With Hershel out of The Walking Dead. Rob Schneider's character was annoying.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

A movie called Machine Gun Preacher.

No, it's not anime - it's a true story about a biker/drug dealer from Pennsylvania who finds God, and goes to the Sudan to build an orphanage and rescue child soldiers.

http://www.machinegunpreacher.org/

Sometimes, you can't help but marvel at people.

 

[Orang Utan]

Does it have any tits in it?

 

[Orang Utan]

Oops, I meant to quote. I asked that about Dread, not the serious sad film that Johnny posted about.

 

[Orang Utan]

Considering this mostly got very good reviews, unusual for a film like this, many seem to disagree that this was crappy film-making. It worked for me.

Does it have any tits in it?

There.

 

[Orang Utan]

A movie called Machine Gun Preacher.

No, it's not anime - it's a true story about a biker/drug dealer from Pennsylvania who finds God, and goes to the Sudan to build an orphanage and rescue child soldiers.

http://www.machinegunpreacher.org/

Sometimes, you can't help but marvel at people.

Does it have any tits in it?

 

[Reno]

Does it have any tits in it?

No tits, just ultra violence

 

[butchersapron]

John Dies at the End - never read the book, but really really enjoyed this - great fun, energy and imagination. (Loved his Bubba ho-tep as well).

The Thieves - another fun one. Heist film with everyone double-crossing etc - so not in the slightest bit original but very well done. Could have done with a longer more complicated actual heist though.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Does it have any tits in it?

There's a scene where the recruiters force a kid to club his mother to death. I think you get a flash of sideboob.

Not really enough for you to wank over, though.

 

[Orang Utan]

Just looked at the rest of Coscarelli's films. Wow! Phantasm and The Beastmaster too! Quite a varied career. He sure knows how to entertain, evidently.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Just looked at the rest of Coscarelli's films. Wow! Phantasm and The Beastmaster too! Quite a varied career. He sure knows how to entertain, evidently.

Much tit action in his films?

 

[Orang Utan]

There's a scene where the recruiters force a kid to club his mother to death. I think you get a flash of sideboob.

Not really enough for you to wank over, though.

You weren't supposed to answer that.
I am way too deep for your simpleton mindset.
That's as deep as a puddle.

 

[butchersapron]

Oh yeah, another Korean heist one, set in the 18th century part of the Joseon period, and the material being nicked is ice. Not as good as the thieves, but still worth a look if you're into this style. The Grand Heist