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

[DaveCinzano]

This isn't about us, Houbs, this is about them

 

[Orang Utan]

On The Buses - grim tv kitchen sink drama about two creepy bus drivers sexually assaulting all the women they encounter . There is a subplot about whether one of them can earn enough money to buy a washing machine on HP, a seemingly more important concern than his downtrodden cohabiting sister’s pregnancy. Vicious misogyny underpins everything in this horrifying slice of life in the Savile era

 

[DaveCinzano]

No I haven't is it good?

Moar heer:

 

[inva]

Moar heer:

Thanks for that, definitely sounds worth a look. And a little overwrought is fine by me

 

[krtek a houby]

Moar heer:

Am a fan of both that and Two Mules, must admit

 

[krtek a houby]

On The Buses - grim tv kitchen sink drama about two creepy bus drivers sexually assaulting all the women they encounter . There is a subplot about whether one of them can earn enough money to buy a washing machine on HP, a seemingly more important concern than his downtrodden cohabiting sister’s pregnancy. Vicious misogyny underpins everything in this horrifying slice of life in the Savile era

Out of all the "beloved" retro shows that were "rediscovered" in the 90s, could never get the fandom of this particular sitcom.

 

[platinumsage]

On The Buses - grim tv kitchen sink drama about two creepy bus drivers sexually assaulting all the women they encounter . There is a subplot about whether one of them can earn enough money to buy a washing machine on HP, a seemingly more important concern than his downtrodden cohabiting sister’s pregnancy. Vicious misogyny underpins everything in this horrifying slice of life in the Savile era

My great aunt used to love this show. She often said she wished they made shows like that nowadays.

 

[platinumsage]

The Black Phone - nicely filmed mystery/horror, some things in common with Stranger Things: the retro vibe, missing kids, a cast centred on school kids, they even filmed at some of the same locations. Felt more like an artwork than a story though, the plot seemed somewhat secondary.

 

[Part 2]

The Black Phone - nicely filmed mystery/horror, some things in common with Stranger Things: the retro vibe, missing kids, a cast centred on school kids, they even filmed at some of the same locations. Felt more like an artwork than a story though, the plot seemed somewhat secondary.

Thanks... I've been meaning to watch that

 

[redsquirrel]

Started watching some Monica Vitti films, and then continued on with some more commedia all’italiana

The Girl with the Pistol - Mostly living on Vitti's performance, there are some good scenes and it is a good picture for getting the style of the time. But there is a lot of weak stuff too. Does have Blair's father in law turning up as a stylish young man from Sheffield.

Modesty Blaze - In lots of ways it's rubbish but the silliness of Vitti, Bogarde and Losley does work sometimes and again it is one of those films that is worth watching for the history.

Jealousy Italian Style aka The Pizza Triangle aka The Dramas of Jealousy - Much higher quality than the previous two films. Vitti plays one half of a love triangle against Marcello Mastroianni. Both Vitti and Mastroianni are great with love driving them to their ends. Some very strange but rather good running gags with Mastroianni constantly followed by a blowfly and with no undamaged fingers, people constantly being brought into hospital. Some nice touches with the political climate of Italian at the time too.

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow - De Sica pairs up Loren and Mastroianni again for three tales where they play lovers. Entertaining enough is passed the evening but the three pieces don't really seemed properly balanced.

 

[Idris2002]

Goodbye Pork Pie.

The New Zealand classic that tracks three larrikins demented progress from Auckland to Invercargill in a stolen mini. A product of a society chafing at the bit of its own conformity. Archive.org had a cheeky dvd rip with a much better picture quality than the one I had on my hard drive - unfortunately, the wizard of Christchurch wasn't in this version.

 

[redsquirrel]

Am a fan of both that and Two Mules, must admit

Agreed. It's no Once Upon a Time in the West but to call it terrible is not fair

 

[Orang Utan]

Casino Royale - the 1967 version directed by and starring half of Hollywood and numerous British character actors, many of which have also appeared in other James Bond films.
I think it had 6 directors in the end and they sort of made several films/storylines and jammed them together to make absolutely no sense. It’s really really long as well. Best thing about it is the Bacharach soundtrack and the sumptuous set and costume design. It’s the most 60s film I’ve ever seen and heard.
Austin Powers was clearly more influenced by this film than the others. Not really worth the effort still.

The Wild Geese - nasty and bleak mercenary thriller - Richards Burton and Harris and Roger Moore interfere in East African politics by rescuing an imprisoned president or summat. Hardy Kruger also stars as a racist Saffer who becomes not racist after carrying a sickly rescued president/saint about for a bit.
Dire stuff mostly, though the characterisation of the main characters is better and deeper than in most action thrillers of that time.
Like in Casino Royale, one of the pleasures of watching crappy old films like this is spotting familiar British character actors in small roles.

 

[Orang Utan]

Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves
One of those films that I should have seen at the time but never got round to.
It’s entertaining enough tosh. Rickman is clearly having the best time and is the best thing in by far.
Costner is one big fucking blank in this. Great supporting cast alongside Rickman.
That fucking song still irritates after all these years.

 

[Idris2002]

Casino Royale - the 1967 version directed by and starring half of Hollywood and numerous British character actors, many of which have also appeared in other James Bond films.
I think it had 6 directors in the end and they sort of made several films/storylines and jammed them together to make absolutely no sense. It’s really really long as well. Best thing about it is the Bacharach soundtrack and the sumptuous set and costume design. It’s the most 60s film I’ve ever seen and heard.
Austin Powers was clearly more influenced by this film than the others. Not really worth the effort still.

The Wild Geese - nasty and bleak mercenary thriller - Richards Burton and Harris and Roger Moore interfere in East African politics by rescuing an imprisoned president or summat. Hardy Kruger also stars as a racist Saffer who becomes not racist after carrying a sickly rescued president/saint about for a bit.
Dire stuff mostly, though the characterisation of the main characters is better and deeper than in most action thrillers of that time.
Like in Casino Royale, one of the pleasures of watching crappy old films like this is spotting familiar British character actors in small roles.

Wild Geese is even worse than it looks at first sight. The African president they try to rescue is obviously meant to be Moise Tshombe, the puppet ruler of Katanga during the first Congo crisis. Best bit: when the Irish priest rocks up on a donkey and says "I'll curse ye from every hilltop in Africa, so I will". Roger Moore's great, in that he's clearly on the far side of forty, and heading for fifty at a rate of knots, but his character is meant to be a twenty-something playboy. Richard Burton: "I am the greatest British actor of my generation, reduced to starring in this execrable rubbish". Richard Harris: "Even when I'm in a dreadful film, I try to have a laugh with it anyway".

 

[krtek a houby]

Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves
One of those films that I should have seen at the time but never got round to.
It’s entertaining enough tosh. Rickman is clearly having the best time and is the best thing in by far.
Costner is one big fucking blank in this. Great supporting cast alongside Rickman.
That fucking song still irritates after all these years.

 

[T & P]

Everything Everywhere All at Once. An absurdist sci-fi comedy/drama that’s madder than a box of frogs, and utterly, utterly brilliant. Part Big Lebowski, part multiverse sci-fi set up, with a sprinkling of Groundhog Day for good measure.

It could perhaps have been 15 minutes shorter but still thoroughly enjoyable, and a big thumbs-up from me.

Everything Everywhere All at Once

When an interdimensional rupture unravels reality, an unlikely hero must channel her newfound powers to fight bizarre and bewildering dangers from the multiverse as the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

www.rottentomatoes.com

 

[Nikkormat]

A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks

Really good documentary on photographer, writer and director Gordon Parks. Quite a life.

 

[redsquirrel]

The Wild Geese - nasty and bleak mercenary thriller - Richards Burton and Harris and Roger Moore interfere in East African politics by rescuing an imprisoned president or summat.

Wild Geese is even worse than it looks at first sight.

If you want something to follow up The Wild Geese, The Sea Wolves, was made by the same team, and starred some of the same cast. It's equally bad though perhaps slightly less racist

 

[platinumsage]

Insidious and Insidious 2. Awful. Stop screaming and shouting at each other. Stop with the stupid ghosts and jump scares with the loud discordant music. Annoying.

 

[Sue]

If you want something to follow up The Wild Geese, The Sea Wolves, was made by the same team, and starred some of the same cast. It's equally bad though perhaps slightly less racist

A glowing endorsement. (Don't think I've seen either.)

 

[krtek a houby]

Annoying.

That would be the title of the new Jordan Peele/Richard Curtis effort

 

[redsquirrel]

The House that Jack Built - Lars von Trier's latest. It follows a similar structure to Nymphomaniac with the main character sharing stories with a listener only with killing rather than sex. While Nymphomaniac was indulgent and (as always with von Trier's) only about a quarter as clever as it thought it was there was something there. Good performances, some quite good dark humour at times. This is just rather boring, and far too long.

 

[redsquirrel]

Repeat Performance - Noir with fantasy overtones. Sheila Page murders her drunk abusive husband on New Year's Eve before going back in time to re-live the year, hopefully with a different ending. Not from the top or even second division of noir but Joan Leslie looks the part And Louis Hayward is scene chewingly mad as the dastardly cad of a husband with all the best lines ("Darling, you're only a woman. You're not expected to have either judgement or intelligence").

Bernadetta - Verhoeven's nun film. I've never gone with the Showgirls is actually a masterpiece theory but this could do with a little more of that Verhoeven sleaze. The second half of the film is not wonderful but entertaining enough but it takes too long to get there.

Foolish Wives - The (semi?) restored version of Strohiem's film. Very much of its time, and by today's standards too long, it is still well worth watching. Not only as an interest piece but also for some wonderful scenes - mostly those involving Strohiem.

 

[Orang Utan]

Repeat Performance - Noir with fantasy overtones. Sheila Page murders her drunk abusive husband on New Year's Eve before going back in time to re-live the year, hopefully with a different ending. Not from the top or even second division of noir but Joan Leslie looks the part And Louis Hayward is scene chewingly mad as the dastardly cad of a husband with all the best lines ("Darling, you're only a woman. You're not expected to have either judgement or intelligence").

James L Brooks must be a fan of this film:
R: How do you write women so well?

M: I think of a man, and I take away reason and accountability.

(As Good As It Gets)

 

[redsquirrel]

James L Brooks must be a fan of this film:

I'm not sure if it is horrible 40s sexism or supposed to give a representation of the abusive husband

 

[platinumsage]

The Bear. A drama TV series. People shouting in a kitchen. 100% boring.

 

[Idris2002]

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye

Jimmy Cagney breaks out of jail and returns to his life of crime. At the beginning of the flick, seven people are on trial due to their connection with him.

Not classic Cagney, but it still works very effectively. Surprisingly frank, for its era, about police corruption.

On YouTube

 

[Idris2002]

The Philadelphia Story


Sparkling repartee among the blue bloods - Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant being the bluest. Jimmy Stewart cast against type as a red-hot class struggle reporter, who crashes Hepburn's wedding preparations on behalf of Spy magazine. Ruth Hussey plays the snapper.

This is where postwar sitcoms get the practice of snappy dialogue from: none of them are as good as this, though.

 

[Gramsci]

Bull (2021) - IMDb

Bull: Directed by Paul Andrew Williams. With Adam Xander Angelides, Ivy Amelia Angelides, Lois Brabin-Platt, Matthew Castle. Bull mysteriously returns home after a 10 year absence to seek revenge on those who double crossed him all those years ago.

m.imdb.com

Bull. Out on BFI player and on prime to rent.

By the director of London to Brighton.

The level of violence and weirdness is on Korean levels. And the Kill List.

It also reminded me of some of the old Spaghetti westerns I've been watching.

The film starts and ends in a field.

Bull sets out on a spree of gruesome killings. Over the film one learns why.

As in the Korean Oldboy the action tears along. He's unstoppable and practically scares people to death. His whole life is bent on vengeance.

This is extremely well done but not for the squeamish.

I'd put it in the category of horror film. For reasons that become apparent when you've watched the film

Some great scenes using a fairground. Which has significance for Bull.