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

Kung Fu Panda 4. Gave up after 30 mins or so. Very disappointing & looked cheaply made.

If someone else says it got better, i might go back to it.
 
Witness for the Prosecution (1957). I am almost ashamed to call myself an Agatha Christie fan, given that I had never watched this before, or read the original playwright script.

Absolutely fucking superb in every way. Great cast, plot, and storytelling, and whereas you kind of guess the scheme before it is revealed, one of Christie’s finest imo.

On the BBC iPlayer right now, and a massive recommendation from me.
 
Ben Hur (A Tale of the Christ)

William Wyler's Oscar hoover. A stunning epic from 1959 that makes me want to see the 1925 version and read the book. Apparently, the author was initially agnostic but turned his belief around while writing the book in the 1880s.

Heston gets his chariot race with Stephen Boyd after a bromance goes sour. And by God, does that scene live up to the hype.

Speaking of which, the film is not so much about JC; more of a dip into the Christoverse. Did like the portrayal of Jesus, in that you heard his words through the reactions of others (not his directly) and it, ironically, didn't feel as preachy as some of the epics.
 
West Side Story

The lens flare heavy version from 2021. Ariana DeBose is magnificent as Anita, Rita Moreno has some moments too, and the standout number is a fabulous "America" which outdoes the rooftop version from '61.

A decent interpretation by Spielberg.
 
The Woman King

Absolute epic from 2022. Viola Davis is awesome as Nanisca, leader of the women warriors of Dahomey. Thuso Mbedo and Shelia Atim (both were excellent in The Underground Railroad) and the great Lashana Lynch also star.

Surprised this wasn't bigger, more on the radar. Or maybe it was but didn't hear too much about it at the time. Outstanding, all the same.
 
Sweeney!

Film version of the Thaw/Waterman classic, from 1977.

Regan's regular routine of moody villains and blagging blaggers is interrupted by skulduggery in high places leading to gun play in the streets as multinational oil tries to nobble a Labour energy minister.

As good as "Get Carter" according to Mrs Idris and while I'm not sure I'd go that far, it's definitely hard hitting and probably couldn't get made today. It is extremely sexist in the usual seventies bloke moustache manners, mind.
 
Salem’s Lot (2024). I had heard pretty disparaging reviews about this film adaptation of one of Stephen King’s greatest novels, but I still really wanted to like it and gave it the benefit of the doubt.

Unfortunately it was even more soul-destroying than I had feared. Not for the lack of acting talent or production values though. It’s the writing that makes this such an awful disappointment of a film adaptation of a beloved novel. The script is hopelessly rushed, to the point where it feels writers were asked to skip three out of every four episodes of the book. The character development is even more deficient. The horror elements mostly lacking. And whereas most film adaptations of books feature some notable differences in the storyline, some of the ones seen here feel completely unnecessary.

If I weren’t aware of the book I might have actually given it a 5/10, but to anyone who’s read the book this will feel as a wasted opportunity. i can only dream of what it might have been if it’d been written, produced and directed by the kind of talent that gave us the recent IT film adaptations.
 
Alien:Romulus

Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson star in the latest addition to the franchise.

It's set after the events of the first film and has nods to the other films in the series. Too many nods, including a few scenes and dialogue that felt a bit gratuitous.

As reboots/sequels go, it's grand. Liked the visual aesthetic - very Alien/Blade Runner/Outland. Just a shame that the characters weren't more memorable.
 
Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)

3rd installment in the original series. This time Cornelia and Zira find themselves in the past and must endure celebrity, ridicule and paranoia.

Must be 40 odd since seen this. Pedestrian by today's standards, but bloody hell - what a grim ending.
 
Brother Orchid

Edward G Robinson is a gangster boss looking for class, see? Unfortunately, all that money doesn't do him right and it's down to a change of scenery to make him see, see?

1940 gangster romcom (kind of) with strong support from Ann Sothern, Humphrey Bogart and Ralph Bellamy.
 
Lifeforce
There are some trying to rehabilitate this as a modern cult classic. That's perhaps a step too far. The director did very much admit to wanting to shoot a Hammer Horror on a Hollywood budget and got his wish. The effects aren't half bad for it, but they forgot to pay the screenwriters or something because the script is truly bad. Originally titled "Space Vampires" and might have done a bit better with more realistic expectations under that title. Not so bad it's good, there are some redeeming features, but overall just bad.

Drawbacks in 2025 terms are that it took most of the film to find clothes for the lead actress and an extremely cringe interrogation scene where the actor psychically "knows" the poor woman is a masochist and needs the information abused out of her.
 
Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms

as they are the only good computer game films I've stuck with the Mortal Kombat films and animations over the years, they rarely disappoint if you go in simply wanting to watch some fantasy martial arts fights with implausible but hyper violent finishing moves and a banging soundtrack. This entry to the franchise is nothing spectacular but ticks all of the boxes with a few plot twists- Raiden renouncing his god powers, Jax ripping one set of goro's arms off, that sort of thing

6/10
 
Lifeforce
There are some trying to rehabilitate this as a modern cult classic. That's perhaps a step too far. The director did very much admit to wanting to shoot a Hammer Horror on a Hollywood budget and got his wish. The effects aren't half bad for it, but they forgot to pay the screenwriters or something because the script is truly bad. Originally titled "Space Vampires" and might have done a bit better with more realistic expectations under that title. Not so bad it's good, there are some redeeming features, but overall just bad.

Drawbacks in 2025 terms are that it took most of the film to find clothes for the lead actress and an extremely cringe interrogation scene where the actor psychically "knows" the poor woman is a masochist and needs the information abused out of her.
Patrick Stewart tho. I always put this in the same headspace as 1995's Species
 
The Gods Must Be Crazy. Implausible plot lines, weird speeding up of events and shameless slapstick that somehow works - this one is an odd duck. I enjoyed it well enough despite its many flaws but wouldn't watch again.

Wasn't sure where to file this, chucking it onto the Pile of Mediocrity felt cruel. In the end I created a new label "Mildly entertaining". The description for it is: "If you're sitting with your family and have a plate of food on your lap, this might be the best thing currently available on TV. But in your own time? Heck no." So there.

West Side Story

The lens flare heavy version from 2021. Ariana DeBose is magnificent as Anita, Rita Moreno has some moments too, and the standout number is a fabulous "America" which outdoes the rooftop version from '61.

A decent interpretation by Spielberg.

I didn't like the film but I remember America as being an excellent song! I also really liked the one at the police station.
 
Anora (2024)

Went in blind - didn't know the plot but had seen various 4/5* reviews and heard 'modern Cinderella' vibes.

It's excellent - everything on point; acting, screenplay, camerawork etc etc. Mikey Madison is fantastic, as is Yuriy Borisov as Igor, the Armenian 'gopnik' with 'rapist eyes'.

(Ani is an exotic dancer/escort & there's a lot of bum waving/shagging in the first half - Take That fans may be distressed/overjoyed).
 
A Real Pain (2024)

Jesse Eisenberg/Kieran Culkin play Jewish cousins joining a tour of Poland's wartime sites to honour their recently deceased grandmother. Some lol moments and Will Sharpe is very good as the (non-Jewish) tour guide. Eisenberg/Culkin kind of play the characters you'd expect - Eisenberg all uptight, tense and sober; Culkin louche, likeable and pissed. Emotional heft all over the shop and the ending is very good.*



(though it gave me an Aftersun vibe and I sobbed)
 
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