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

Tbh, I had tickets, too. So, disappointing but sensible.
I was intending to spend pretty much the whole summer holiday.
I'd also won a free internal jal flight for the family to a spar onsen thing in the country. This was also the year that my Japanese sister in law had saved up for a once in a lifetime flight to the UK. . Getting work to agree time off had also been almost impossible. The only positive is that, it will be unbearably hot in Tokyo at the moment. I also hate flying and travel in general.
 
I was intending to spend pretty much the whole summer holiday.
I'd also won a free internal jal flight for the family to a spar onsen thing in the country. This was also the year that my Japanese sister in law had saved up for a once in a lifetime flight to the UK. . Getting work to agree time off had also been almost impossible. The only positive is that, it will be unbearably hot in Tokyo at the moment. I also hate flying and travel in general.

That's a shame. Tbf, I wouldn't fancy Tokyo in this weather. Had been wondering how the venue's wouldn't cope... Haven't been there since February. Not big fan of flying, either but getting out to the country is a joy.

Maybe next year, if the games go ahead?
 
That's a shame. Tbf, I wouldn't fancy Tokyo in this weather. Had been wondering how the venue's wouldn't cope... Haven't been there since February. Not big fan of flying, either but getting out to the country is a joy.

Maybe next year, if the games go ahead?
Yes, I think my wife has already been given the chance to keep the tickets and use them again next year, but it just means syncing all that up with her work and new flights. everything is so uncertain now. I had been getting a lot of work and was booked up for the rest of the year bar summer (which I set aside for holidays). Now I have no work and probably none for a long time. I also have neutropenia, which means an extremely low immune system so I should not really be going out until this all ends / or there is a vaccine, so might have to take whatever I can get next year, even if it hits in the summer. . . or we might not even be back to normal by next summer. Bummer.
 
Yes, I think my wife has already been given the chance to keep the tickets and use them again next year, but it just means syncing all that up with her work and new flights. everything is so uncertain now. I had been getting a lot of work and was booked up for the rest of the year bar summer (which I set aside for holidays). Now I have no work and probably none for a long time. I also have neutropenia, which means an extremely low immune system so I should not really be going out until this all ends / or there is a vaccine, so might have to take whatever I can get next year, even if it hits in the summer. . . or we might not even be back to normal by next summer. Bummer.

Damn. Best stay safe and hope this bloody thing burns itself out.
 
Marathon Man, which I’d last watched on tv in the 80s. It’s ok, but no classic. A lot of audience hand holding so they really get certain plot points and a rather overwrought performance by Dustin Hoffmann, who can’t do much with a character who is a cypher.

Sorcerer by William Friedkin which I've never watched and which was largely considered to be a dud at the time but which has since gone through a re-evaluation of sorts. It's a dud and it only convinced me further that Friedkin had one great film in him, The French Connection and that was that.
 
It also probably didn’t help that Sorcerer came out in 1977, when this other film that no one remembers was doing quite well ;)
 
It also probably didn’t help that Sorcerer came out in 1977, when this other film that no one remembers was doing quite well ;)
I always read that Star Wars was blamed for why Sorcerer failed but A Bridge Too Far (also all-manly action) got released around the same time as Sorcerer, the month after Star Wars and that made money. I was hoping to discover that underrated masterpiece some claim Sorcerer to be, I just found it incredibly dull, so there may be more to audiences staying away.

The title has also been blamed as audiences expected a fantasy element. The Wages of Fear definitely was a better title the first time round.
 
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I always read that Star Wars was blamed for why Sorcerer failed but A Bridge Too Far (also all-manly action) got released around the same time as Sorcerer, the month after Star Wars and that made money. I was hoping to discover that underrated masterpiece some claim Sorcerer to be, I just found it incredibly dull, so there may be more to audiences staying away.

The title has also been blamed as audiences expected a fantasy element. The Wages of Fear definitely was a better title the first time round.
They were showing the TWOF and Sorcerer as a double bill at the Prince Charles a while back. I've never seen Sorcerer but reckoned it probably would be better if I didn't see it right after TWOF.
 
They were showing the TWOF and Sorcerer as a double bill at the Prince Charles a while back. I've never seen Sorcerer but reckoned it probably would be better if I didn't see it right after TWOF.
I haven't seen The Wages of Fear in a long time, would quite like to check it out again now.
 
Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017) - finally caught up with it - and kind of wish I hadn't. Directed by the same guy who did Bone Tomahawk, and given the title you know it was always going to be grisly and bloody and violent. Nothing against that - but I feel kind of soiled having watched it because it goes well beyond 'ruthlessly crunchy pulp fiction' to 'quite sick depiction of living human heads being ruthlessly crunched to pulp a lot'. Positively slavering over all the ubermensch violence, larded with racism and an anti-choice agenda (evil foreign abortionists want to mutilate our jailed hero's unborn son in utero as part of a blackmail plot! and one of them is of course Chinese!) and general extreme rightwingery. Part of the 'climax' is straight NRA masturbation fodder as the kidnapped and traumatised wife decides to get in on the homicidal action too.Just ugh. Seems to me a near-Nazi vision of the universe. Vince Vaughan got mad critical plaudits for doing this one and there are some half-decent deadpan jokes (about VV's height, among other things) but to me he just looked like Vincent d'Onofrio at his fattest and most lumpen. I can see why the deranged energy and spare style might have thrilled some, but honestly can't understand why this got love. One for grind house aficionados who won't take it too seriously.
 
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The Godfather part I. It's alright, doesn't deserve its 9.2 IMDB rating though and the ending was a bit meh.
 
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Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017) - finally caught up with it - and kind of wish I hadn't. Directed by the same guy who did Bone Tomahawk, and given the title you know it was always going to be grisly and bloody and violent. Nothing against that - but I feel kind of soiled having watched it because it goes well beyond 'ruthlessly crunchy pulp fiction' to 'quite sick depiction of living human heads being ruthlessly crunched to pulp a lot'. Positively slavering over all the ubermensch violence, larded with racism and an anti-choice agenda (evil foreign abortionists want to mutilate our jailed hero's unborn son in utero as part of a blackmail plot! and one of them is of course Chinese!) and general extreme rightwingery. Part of the 'climax' is straight NRA masturbation fodder as the kidnapped and traumatised wife decides to get in on the homicidal action too.Just ugh. Seems to me a near-Nazi vision of the universe. Vince Vaughan got mad critical plaudits for doing this one and there are some half-decent deadpan jokes (about VV's height, among other things) but to me he just looked like Vincent d'Onofrio at his fattest and most lumpen. I can see why the deranged energy and spare style might have thrilled some, but honestly can't understand why this got love. One for grind house aficionados who won't take it too seriously.
Something tells me you are not going to be in the target audience for Dragged Across Concrete then
 
I just watched Copland. Really enjoyed it, although I did smoke 5 cigarettes in 2 hours because everyone is just constantly smoking

I have affection for it because it is very 90s and reminds me of being a teenager and 'the past is another country' etc but it's also a pretty decent film. It's very lovable with Keitel, De Niro, Stallone, Liotta all putting in a good shift. Those guys have all become kind of ironic and if they do gangster stuff there is always a bit of a wink to the old days, in this they are all putting in the work. I remember that it was a big deal for Stallone because he had been making shit films based on his muscles and this was his first 'proper' film for years, and it's one of the best Ray Liotta performances that I can think of. Good stuff
 
I haven't seen The Wages of Fear in a long time, would quite like to check it out again now.

My mom made me watch it as a kid. Glad she did, though. Watched Sorcerer last year, with no idea what it was about... until the penny dropped.

Quite enjoyed it but would love to see TWoF again.
 
70s crime films for me this week, some mentioned quite a few pages back, Charley Varrick, The Outfit, The Friends of Eddy Coyle, Dirty Harry, Great stuff.

Also watched Dragon Inn on Mubi. Classic Taiwanese 'martial arts' film, when it was all swordfighting before kung fu took over. It's beautiful to look at and obvs has some great fight scenes. Reminded me of The Hateful Eight at times.
 
70s crime films for me this week, some mentioned quite a few pages back, Charley Varrick, The Outfit, The Friends of Eddy Coyle, Dirty Harry, Great stuff.

Also watched Dragon Inn on Mubi. Classic Taiwanese 'martial arts' film, when it was all swordfighting before kung fu took over. It's beautiful to look at and obvs has some great fight scenes. Reminded me of The Hateful Eight at times.
The Friends of Eddy Coyle is great
 
Currently watching the HBO true crime series I'll Be Gone in the Dark. Stayed away from true crime documentary series lately because recently there were so many, some of them stretched to interminable length. This is very good, focusing on the Golden State Killer who long remained an unsolved case and who was not well known despite having killed many more people than Son of Sam or the Zodiac Killer. This is better than most, focusing very much on the investigator, a crime blogger whose book this is based on and the surviving victims. Easily as gripping as any crime series, with twists and turns along the way.

 
Also watched Dragon Inn on Mubi. Classic Taiwanese 'martial arts' film, when it was all swordfighting before kung fu took over. It's beautiful to look at and obvs has some great fight scenes. Reminded me of The Hateful Eight at times.

Talk about damning with faint praise... :D
 
Gumnaam - version of Christie's Then There Were None complete with musical interludes. Easily the weakest of MUBI Indian cinema season so far. There are bits that have the sort of energy that allow you to forgot the nonsense that is the plot and acting but it is far, far too long (140 mins). Some of the musical numbers are fun but this type of film needs to be rapid and short and this drags far too much.
 
Currently watching the HBO true crime series I'll Be Gone in the Dark. Stayed away from true crime documentary series lately because recently there were so many, some of them stretched to interminable length. This is very good, focusing on the Golden State Killer who long remained an unsolved case and who was not well known despite having killed many more people than Son of Sam or the Zodiac Killer. This is better than most, focusing very much on the investigator, a crime blogger whose book this is based on and the surviving victims. Easily as gripping as any crime series, with twists and turns along the way.



Started this tonight.

Must. Not. Google.
 
Started this tonight.

Must. Not. Google.
Don't ! :D

I knew what happens having followed the story before and it didn't make it less gripping, but if you don't know, then this has a few major plot turns up its sleeve.

I just watched the last two episodes and thought this was fantastic. It covers a whole lot more than the cold case of a serial killer. There is a reason why the writer of the book this is based on herself is an important character in this. It also deals with popularity of true crime genre itself and especially why it is so popular with women (the entire series was written and directed by women). Most of all, rather than being about the murderer/rapist, it's very much about the women who survived and I thought they were incredible. They are given a voice and the women interviewed for the series are tremendously articulate and perceptive.
 
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Don't ! :D

I knew what happens having followed the story before and it didn't make it less gripping, but if you don't know, then this has a few major plot turns up its sleeve.

I just watched the last two episodes and thought this was fantastic. It covers a whole lot more than the cold case of a serial killer. There is a reason why the writer of the book this is based on herself is an important character in this. It also deals with popularity of true crime genre itself and especially why it is so popular with women (the entire series was written and directed by women). Most of all, rather than being about the murderer/rapist, it's very much about the women who survived and I thought they were incredible. They are given a voice and the women interviewed for the series are tremendously articulate and perceptive.

Yea there were points in it where it reminded me of the Ripper series that focussed on the victims and the attitudes of the time.
 
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