Wattstax. Film of the 1972 Wattstax festival, which was held to commemorate the 7th anniversary of the Watts riots.
What DVD / Video did you watch last night? (pt3)
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Private Storm
Smell The Glove
Cloud Atlas. Well, half of it, 2nd half tonight.
So far......wut?
So far......wut?
trabuquera
Modesty Bag
Red Tails - story of (some of) the Tuskegee airmen i.e. African American pilots who fought both Nazis and redneck southern US racists during WW2. A worthy theme about a neglected side of history, but a clichéd and hamfisted movie. You've probably seen most of it already in various guises - often done better in superior films (Glory, Indigenes, Days of Glory, etc etc etc) ... apart from the ill-advised 'groovy modern' music during the aerial dogfights. Terrence Howard does a good strut 'n sneer as the highest-up airman fighting to get better planes and terms for his men, David Oyelowo gives straightforward hick-hero fodder, everyone else is a bit forgettable. Sorry, but it was a bit too simplistically gung-ho go-USA for me.
DotCommunist
So many particulars. So many questions.
Boys from Brazil
Gregory Peck hams it as Mengele and Laurence Ollivier does a comedy nazi as Ezra Lieberman. A poor grasp of genetics and child developmental psychology leads two elderly nazis on a plot to resurrect the fuhrer in clone form and establish the fifth riech. Tense stuff in places and the actors were good but could not take seriously. Loads of people had told me this was a great film over the years but I beg to differ.
Gregory Peck hams it as Mengele and Laurence Ollivier does a comedy nazi as Ezra Lieberman. A poor grasp of genetics and child developmental psychology leads two elderly nazis on a plot to resurrect the fuhrer in clone form and establish the fifth riech. Tense stuff in places and the actors were good but could not take seriously. Loads of people had told me this was a great film over the years but I beg to differ.
DexterTCN
Troy and Abed in the morning
rubbershoes
not the only raver in the village
I'm two thirds of the way through a fan edit of the Hobbit films.
All 3 films condensed into 4 1/2 hours
so much of the guff has gone.
Mrs Shoes is out tonight so I can finish my Hobbitathon
All 3 films condensed into 4 1/2 hours
so much of the guff has gone.
Mrs Shoes is out tonight so I can finish my Hobbitathon
Paranormal entity 3 (2011). Found footage AND exorcism. And made by the asylum to boot. As rubbish as you would expect. I always find the most interesting thing about these films to be the financial model they work on.
For example, the above wasn't the third in a series trying to cash in on the paranormal activity franchise (though the asylum did make one). It was made under a different title in order to rip off The Exorcism of Emily Rose and later picked up and repackaged by a UK distributer and punted out on DVD as paranormal activity 3 was getting a pr push for its cinematic release.
For example, the above wasn't the third in a series trying to cash in on the paranormal activity franchise (though the asylum did make one). It was made under a different title in order to rip off The Exorcism of Emily Rose and later picked up and repackaged by a UK distributer and punted out on DVD as paranormal activity 3 was getting a pr push for its cinematic release.
Is that when he used to service pianos?
What, he used to paint pianos? Surely, he'd have been called Mr. Painter.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
A shedload of old 'folk horror' stuff - concentrating on 70s BBC productions:
Robin Redbreast - fantastic (in the proper sense) play for today from 1970 that clearly had a big influence on the wickerman (though i suspect the original book the latter was based on had an influence on the former). All the tropes here - posh middle class urbanist moves to country and doesn't quite get it. Nice and creepy and a very sinister Bernard Hepton. The BFI re-released this with an excellent cover:
Dead of Night :The Exorcism - the 'class war ghost story' - another great creepy play from the BBC. This time with sell-out middle class labour party socialists not quite getting it. Terrible cover on the original and the BFI re-issue.
Against the Crowd: Muraain - and yet another play, this one from ATV - is she a witch or isn't she? More social commentary in this one too.
The Pledge - early 80s short about highwaymen whoi have pledged to recover their dead comrades body. Very creepy indeed and like something Michael Reeves may have made.
Schalcken the Painter - one that the aficionados rate very highly (BBC play). Harder to get a grasp on the others in the same vein because of the choices the rather determined director made (i.e lots of tableau vivant style stuff rather than creepy toothless farmers being odd) - which didn't make it as effective to me. Felt like i was being winked at too much.
Stigma - one from the BBC's Ghost stories strand - mix of the very creepy and horrible and a rather weak ending to this one. Still worth the watch.
Robin Redbreast - fantastic (in the proper sense) play for today from 1970 that clearly had a big influence on the wickerman (though i suspect the original book the latter was based on had an influence on the former). All the tropes here - posh middle class urbanist moves to country and doesn't quite get it. Nice and creepy and a very sinister Bernard Hepton. The BFI re-released this with an excellent cover:
Dead of Night :The Exorcism - the 'class war ghost story' - another great creepy play from the BBC. This time with sell-out middle class labour party socialists not quite getting it. Terrible cover on the original and the BFI re-issue.
Against the Crowd: Muraain - and yet another play, this one from ATV - is she a witch or isn't she? More social commentary in this one too.
The Pledge - early 80s short about highwaymen whoi have pledged to recover their dead comrades body. Very creepy indeed and like something Michael Reeves may have made.
Schalcken the Painter - one that the aficionados rate very highly (BBC play). Harder to get a grasp on the others in the same vein because of the choices the rather determined director made (i.e lots of tableau vivant style stuff rather than creepy toothless farmers being odd) - which didn't make it as effective to me. Felt like i was being winked at too much.
Stigma - one from the BBC's Ghost stories strand - mix of the very creepy and horrible and a rather weak ending to this one. Still worth the watch.
May Kasahara
take me to the feeling
The Lair of the White Worm. I can't believe Peter Capaldi was in this, he must look back and cringe so hard.
Thimble Queen
Called away to another place
Finally got round to watching Only Lovers Left Alive last night. Really enjoyed it. Adam was like a much moodier Spike 
Tilda was majestic as always.
Tilda was majestic as always.Johnny Vodka
The Abominable Scotsman
Filth - liked it up until the 'twist' at the end, which I didn't really buy.
Idris2002
canadian girlfriend
Catch-22
Supposing everyone thought like that, Yossarian ?
The film of the book - whether or not you've read the book, I strongly recommend this one. It works better as a movie than a book, I think (but you should read the book anyway).
One of the best antiwar movies ever made, and certainly one of the most underrated movies to ever come out of Hollywood. Given that this was made decades before the CGI era, some of the stunts are truly impressive.
But the depiction of a madman who is the only sane person in a world that's mad itself is the centre of the story, and well played by Alan Arkin.
Also featuring Tony "shower scene in Psycho" Perkins as the chaplain.
I could go on and on about this one, but seriously just go and see it for yourself (and read the book as well).
"I have named the child Caleb, in accordance with your wishes" (a line from the book, btw).
Supposing everyone thought like that, Yossarian ?
The film of the book - whether or not you've read the book, I strongly recommend this one. It works better as a movie than a book, I think (but you should read the book anyway).
One of the best antiwar movies ever made, and certainly one of the most underrated movies to ever come out of Hollywood. Given that this was made decades before the CGI era, some of the stunts are truly impressive.
But the depiction of a madman who is the only sane person in a world that's mad itself is the centre of the story, and well played by Alan Arkin.
Also featuring Tony "shower scene in Psycho" Perkins as the chaplain.
I could go on and on about this one, but seriously just go and see it for yourself (and read the book as well).
"I have named the child Caleb, in accordance with your wishes" (a line from the book, btw).
Idris2002
canadian girlfriend
^^ one of my favourite books. Many many years since i last saw the film - will have to dig out a copy
My Da had a story about trying to buy the book in Cork in 1960s, and having the person behind the counter refuse to sell it to him on the grounds that it was filth, or some such reason (and my Da would have been very visibly over 18 at this point, btw).
Idris2002
canadian girlfriend
I also really love the particular effects you get with the sort of film stock and colour processes they were using then in the late 60s, early 70s, and which you can see in Catch-22, for example. I'm sure the hipsters all have fancy programmes that replicate the effects, but I suspect it's not the same.
DotCommunist
So many particulars. So many questions.
After Bannockburn
Documentary (1st part). Following Robert the Bruce's invasion of English occupied Ireland. Fascinating, never heard of this period before, nor the bruces appeals to a kind of pan-gaelic nationalism.
Documentary (1st part). Following Robert the Bruce's invasion of English occupied Ireland. Fascinating, never heard of this period before, nor the bruces appeals to a kind of pan-gaelic nationalism.
TheHoodedClaw
acknowledging ur soup leg
Paddington. Towards the end it got a bit too "peril heavy", but otherwise a really great film: funny and kind, and visually inventive.
onenameshelley
is Major Morgan's bitch
The book of life. Sweet and great animation. And all the candy skulls you could want.
Thimble Queen
Called away to another place
Watched a few films yesterday.
White House Down. Cheesy action thing. Had Channing Tatum (sp) in it playing the hero. He's totally passed me by so far but he's pretty fit. Film wasn't bad for what it was.
Followed that up with Deep Impact. I'd only ever watched it in bits and OH loves it.
OH had never seen Do the Right Thing so we watched that. One of my fave films from when I was a kid. Interesting, and sad, to rewatch after Eric Garner, and in this country the recent verdicts on, Habib Ullah and Jimmy Mubenga.
White House Down. Cheesy action thing. Had Channing Tatum (sp) in it playing the hero. He's totally passed me by so far but he's pretty fit. Film wasn't bad for what it was.
Followed that up with Deep Impact. I'd only ever watched it in bits and OH loves it.
OH had never seen Do the Right Thing so we watched that. One of my fave films from when I was a kid. Interesting, and sad, to rewatch after Eric Garner, and in this country the recent verdicts on, Habib Ullah and Jimmy Mubenga.
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