What ELSE (other than KUNG FU) has everyone been watching?

[DragonClaws]

9 hours ago, Tex Killer said:

Script and score are not among best spaghettis but still damn good.

In my opinion the score and script are one of the best, but I've not seen as many Italian westerns as you Tex. Gian Maria as the opium smoking bandito is superb, he was one very intense looking actor. It's a shame that MGM screwed up the DVD/BR restoration, as the beating of Estwood/Van Cleef is still censored. One of my all time favorite movies, that I never tire off. Still got the soundtrack which I bought while still in school.

[AlbertV]

The Last King - Nils Gaup's historical epic set during the 13th Century Civil War in Norway. Two members of the Birkenbeiner, the King's most loyal soldiers, must protect the 2-year old illegitimate son of King Haakon III from the likes of treachery within the kingdom as well as the rival Baglers. Nice battle sequences mixed with the great drama that surrounded the historical events, led by Jakob Oftebro and Kristofer Hivju as the protectors.

https://worldfilmgeek.com/2017/04/25/review-the-last-king-2016/

Edited April 25, 2017 by AlbertV

[Tex Killer]

19 hours ago, DragonClaws said:

In my opinion the score and script are one of the best, but I've not seen as many Italian westerns as you Tex. Gian Maria as the opium smoking bandito is superb, he was one very intense looking actor. It's a shame that MGM screwed up the DVD/BR restoration, as the beating of Estwood/Van Cleef is still censored. One of my all time favorite movies, that I never tire off. Still got the soundtrack which I bought while still in school.

Sarcasm/dry humour works also very well. I liked specially scene where Clinit asks whereabouts of LVL who steps out from hotel and the end when he calculating bounty$. Not sure but I think uncut version came out some years ago in Germany. Or misses 1 second either way.

[DragonClaws]

22 hours ago, AlbertV said:

The Last King - Nils Gaup's historical epic set during the 13th Century Civil War in Norway. Two members of the Birkenbeiner, the King's most loyal soldiers, must protect the 2-year old illegitimate son of King Haakon III from the likes of treachery within the kingdom as well as the rival Baglers. Nice battle sequences mixed with the great drama that surrounded the historical events, led by Jakob Oftebro and Kristofer Hivju as the protectors.

I gave my dad my copy of the DVD to watch and he loved it as much as I did. It's far superior to the older version of the story, released as Pathfinder(Not the Karl Urban Viking movie).

3 hours ago, Tex Killer said:

Sarcasm/dry humour works also very well. I liked specially scene where Clinit asks whereabouts of LVL who steps out from hotel and the end when he calculating bounty$. Not sure but I think uncut version came out some years ago in Germany. Or misses 1 second either way.

Sure the German release was pretty uch UNCUT Tex, the old U.K VHS/TV screening used to be intact. Sadly the versions available now all seem to be sourced from the same print, except the one you mention.

[Tex Killer]

Almost hated 1st season, it was barely ok enough to make purchase of season 2 from bargain bin tempting. Got better with#2 but still not that great. However as often with serie(if have not given up viewing before end of season1), wants to see what happens next. 

#3 is easily best so far. Storyline gets pretty addictive and seems far more expensive production. Quite a lot action, major scene is when vikings attack Paris. Now easy to make decision of ordering ssn4#1.

[DragonClaws]

2 hours ago, Tex Killer said:

#3 is easily best so far. Storyline gets pretty addictive and seems far more expensive production. Quite a lot action, major scene is when vikings attack Paris. Now easy to make decision of ordering ssn4#1.

For some reason the fourth season has been split into two seperate releases on BR/DVD. Picked up the frst part of the fourth series, for the other half when it was released. Hope to get the second half this April, but when I went to the store they said its been delayed until August. They released them all online at the same time on NetFlix, but I dont care for those services. At one time you could often get a whole boxset of a season, before it had even finnished its run on T.V. Guess companies are wanting to push the digital releases? which come with zero extras.

[lungfei]

revisted a few more favorites

 

[DragonClaws]

12 hours ago, lungfei said:

revisted a few more favorites

Long long time since I caught Freejack, the only thing I can recall is Mick Jaggers campy performance.

 

 

[lungfei]

3 hours ago, DragonClaws said:

Long long time since I caught Freejack, the only thing I can recall is Mick Jaggers campy performance.

 

 

yeah i always wondered why mick never got any acting gigs after that.

also want some river rat.  

 

 

Edited May 6, 2017 by lungfei

[DrNgor]

Evil Dead (2013) - I finally sat down and watched this (everybody went to bed but me) last night. I had to keep the volume down, but the TV had Portuguese subtitles so I could follow most of it (actually, I could hear most of the dialogue, but it's good to follow). Generally speaking, the movie was well made, well written and well directed. The heroin habit angle was more original than your usual "let's shtup each other while *doing* drugs" cliché. The finale was something of an interesting call-back to the second Evil Dead. I also felt sorry for Eric, who got seemed to get jacked up by each successive possession victim (first he gets stabbed in the chest with glass and stabbed multiple times in the face with a syringe, then the next victim mutilates his hand with a crow bar and shoots him with a nail gun, finally gets cut open with a box cutter, at which point his body decides that it's had enough. The violence is very, very strong, and I frequently turned away because I couldn't stomach what was going on, especially when the act of violence was dragged out, say, when dragging the blade of a machete across a protagonist's leg. In the end, it's a good movie for it's type, but I really don't think it's type is for me. Also, I think the original movie was scarier.

[lungfei]

Edited May 7, 2017 by lungfei

[KenHashibe]

The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)

Finally got around to seeing The Young Girls of Rochefort, the 1967 French musical, which Damien Chazelle has cited as a huge inspiration for La La Land. The Young Girls of Rochefort was a really light-hearted and extremely enjoyable musical. The long shots are amazing, the dance choreography is great, the cinematography and colors look gorgeous, and the music is fantastic. I find myself humming the songs throughout the day. Appearances by Gene Kelly and George Chakiris (West Side Story) are also welcome. Definitely highly recommended for fans of musicals.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

14 hours ago, KenHashibe said:

The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)

Finally got around to seeing The Young Girls of Rochefort, the 1967 French musical, which Damien Chazelle has cited as a huge inspiration for La La Land. The Young Girls of Rochefort was a really light-hearted and extremely enjoyable musical. The long shots are amazing, the dance choreography is great, the cinematography and colors look gorgeous, and the music is fantastic. I find myself humming the songs throughout the day. Appearances by Gene Kelly and George Chakiris (West Side Story) are also welcome. Definitely highly recommended for fans of musicals.

Reminds me that I still need to see this; just put that film in my future shopping list.  If you get a chance pick up The Umbrellas of Cherbourg by the same director (also out on Criterion.)  Surprisingly enough that film was an inspiration to Johnnie To (and influenced at least one scene in Sparrow).

[KenHashibe]

10 hours ago, masterofoneinchpunch said:

Reminds me that I still need to see this; just put that film in my future shopping list.  If you get a chance pick up The Umbrellas of Cherbourg by the same director (also out on Criterion.)  Surprisingly enough that film was an inspiration to Johnnie To (and influenced at least one scene in Sparrow).

I was actually planning on watching The Umbrellas of Cherubourg later this week. I'll post my thoughts when I get around to seeing it. I have a friend who told me it's much more dramatic compared to the light-hearted and fun Young Girls of Rochefort.

Also that's interesting about Umbrellas' influence on Sparrow. While watching The Young Girls of Rochefort, I was somewhat reminded me of Shanghai Blues because of the style of music and the story. Both movies have people who fall in love without knowing exactly who the other person is, which is great. But still, I can't really say if Young Girls was an influence or not. They just remind me of each other.

I hope you enjoy Young Girls of Rochefort when you get around to seeing it.

[AlbertV]

La La Land - Academy Award winning film which pays homage to the Golden Age of Musicals about two people with aspirations who fall in love and go through turbulent times both career and relationship wise. Excellent performances by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Great musical numbers and an ending that is not stereotypical of this genre of film. Really enjoyed it.

[DragonClaws]

The Pirate(2012) - Misleadingly re-packaged(In the U.K at least) movie originally and more appropreatly called God Loves Caviar. Self-indulgent and long winded, this is not a movie I'd recommend to anyone. This Greek production starring Sebastian Koch and directed by Yannis Smaragodis really has nothing to recommend it. Even John Cleese's minor role doesn’t make it worth watching. It's almost like they've in-serted his scene into another movie?. Even John Cleese completists/fans can avoid this one.

Bad Boys(1983) - Two bit thief and crook Mick O'Brien(Sean Penn) is sent to reform school, after accidently killing a kid. The victim just happens to be one of the local gang members brother. Gritty, dark, well acted movie that really packs a punch. Great turn by veteran actor Reni Santoni(Dirty Harry) as one of the reform school workers. Clancy Brown(Highlander) also deserves special mention for his role as the vicious Viking Lofgren.

The Escapist(2008) - Superb prison movie solidly directed by Rupert Wyatt, with a great turn by actor Brian Cox(Ironclad) as aging crook Frank Perry. Strong performances from a great supporting cast that include Joseph Fiennes and WWE star Stephen Farraly(Sheamus). When Perrys teenage daughter becomes ill, he becomes hellbent on getting out of jail. Well worth watching if you enjoy a decent prison movie, with some nice original touches.

The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid(1972) - Classic western written and directed by Phillip Kaufman(The Outlaw Joesy Wales). An early starring role for Robert Duvall(The Godfather) as famous American outlaw Jesse James. There's been many movies about the Younger Brothers and Jesse James, and this is one of the better ones. Clifff Roberston steals the film with a fine performance as one half of the younger brothers Cole. Luke Askew and R.G Armstrong among others provide excellent support. While not as bloody as Sam Peckinpah’s westerns and others of the era, its still a very gritty and realistic portrayal of the old west.

[Takuma]

Shaft's Big Score (USA, 1972) [DVD] - 2.5/5
I'm not the biggest blaxploitation fan although I tend to enjoy the films to a certain extent. This film is a good example. It's got some groove, but it also runs too long at 105 minutes. More action and exploitation wouldn't have hurt.

The Mechanic (USA, 1972) [DVD] - 3.5/5
A middle aged master killer (Bronson) starts hanging out with hippies and  takes an apprentice who doesn't look reliable at all. It's a small miracle how well this film turned out with a script like that. The storyline may not be believable, but it remains surprisingly captivating. Director Michael Winner deserves praise as well, especially for the opening part which runs 15 minutes without a word of dialogue. Such a thing would be unthinkable in modern ADHD action films.

Before Sunrise (USA, 1995) [DVD] - 3.5/5
I've always enjoyed, but never quite loved this film. Perhaps a European set romance between an American student and a French girl just isn't something I relate to. I picked this from a rental store when my girlfriend told me to bring something where people don't get killed all the time.

Before Sunset (USA, 2004) [DVD] - 3.5/5
This is where things start getting unique. Made nine years after the original, featuring a nine year older cast playing nine year older version of the characters in a world that has changed a fair bit in nine years. There's certain movie magic to that. It's interesting, well acted, and well written whenever it focuses on its main characters and their relationship. There's a long coffee shop scene, however, that outstays its welcome. The 80 minute running time is otherwise ace. A slightly better film than the original.

Before Midnight (USA, 2013) [DVD] - 3.5/5
Another 9 years have passed. This is again a notch better than the previous film, and just like the previous film, it works best when it focuses on the main characters. There are a couple of dialogue scenes (often shot with incredibly long takes) that slightly overstay their welcome. That being said, I'm already looking forward to 2022...

As for my girlfriend, she loved them all. I showed the 3rd film to her without telling her what we'll be watching, without her even knowing the film existed. The smile on her face when the title screen appeared was priceless.

[AgriWuxia]

On 07/05/2017 at 6:43 AM, DrNgor said:

Evil Dead (2013) - I finally sat down and watched this (everybody went to bed but me) last night.............. The violence is very, very strong, and I frequently turned away because I couldn't stomach what was going on, especially when the act of violence was dragged out, say, when dragging the blade of a machete across a protagonist's leg. In the end, it's a good movie for it's type, but I really don't think it's type is for me. Also, I think the original movie was scarier.

I absolutely understand your reaction. The graphic brutality depicted in some films can be quite unsettling, particularly with the modern techniques available to give added realism.

Growing up as a teenager, I actually quite enjoyed horror movies on tv. Vampire films in particular - Christopher Lee gave me many sleepless nights; it took some time for me to realise that watching these things really wasn't doing me much good! Anyway, back then, the horror was effective in that it only briefly showed the end result of the trauma, not the whole process from go to whoa in glorious technicolor and loving slow motion. Often, if the director was skilled, the general tone of the film was employed to prime your imagination to fill in the gaps and scare the living crap out of you. And believe me, it worked!

Later on, I remember stumbling across a televised Charles Bronson film - Ten To Midnight, if I recall the title correctly. Anyway, it was about this maniac who went around knifing beautiful young women. Towards the end it was stomach turning, because it actually showed the knife entering their bodies. Up until that point, I had uncomfortably coped with the very dark tone of the film but was willing to see how it ended. But those knifing scenes crossed a boundary from horror to utter revulsion, they were just too realistic and appalling, and it was ages before I could get those images out of my mind. More relevantly though, it completely negated all the directors efforts prior, as all I could see in my mind was these appalling images. The rest of the film was overwhelmed, if that makes any sense.  Ditto for movies such as Hostel, where I witnessed helpless people being graphically attacked with power drills, chainsaws etc; And I won't even contemplate watching the Saw  franchise of films - anything accompanied with a warning of "Sadistic Violence" is not for me. When you consider many people who witness graphic war injuries end up suffering post traumatic stress disorders, is it not unrealistic to think that graphic depictions of violence/brutality in film or video games would risk similar effects?

When it comes to the Shaw films, be it Wuxia, Kung Fu or Horror, the level of gore is limited in its realism so that the viewer remains comfortably detached from the brutal reality, yet still gets the message. Yes, limbs may be amputated and decapitations occur. But the blood is obviously fake, the scenes are generally brief, and the gore of the special effects does not detract from the wider narrative where the emphasis remains.

I tend to think the most powerful horror films harness the power of the viewers imagination. What you don't see can be more potent than what you do. For this reason, the original of the Paranormal Activity series was so successful here in New Zealand. At the cinema the attendant warned me that people had walked out mid way through a viewing, unable to cope with the tension, and that screams were often heard from those that remained. It just so happened that I bumped into an old schoolmate and his son when I purchased a ticket, so we ended up sitting together to view this film. Afterwards, as we were walking out, the conversation was something as follows:

Me : Well, that was effective.

Kevin : It certainly was.

Me : Do you live in an old creaky house, Kevin?

Kevin : No. No, I don't.

Me : Yeah. Well...I do!!!

Kevin : You'll be ok, mate!

 

[DragonClaws]

Flashback(1990) - Imprisoned 60's activist Huey Walker(Dennis Hopper) is being moved to a new jail. Only his FBI escort, the uptight John Bukner(Kiefer Sutherland) ends up in jail instead. Entertianing road movie with some great comedic exchanges between Hopper and Sutherland. Well worth watching if you a fan of the 1960s counter culture actor Dennis Hopper.

Sin City 2:A Dame To Kill For - Violent, dark and gritty, as you would expect from a Frank Miller and Robert Rodgriguez collaboration. With a star studded cast, this action packed sequel pulls no punches. The unqiue visual style is less of a novelty the second time round, and the film doesnt quite live up to the original. That said theres not much in these two movies, and Eva Green's presence might make me a little more biased towards this follow up. It's clear that the trouble production had an effect on the final product. Despite shooting the movie as early as 2005, it didnt get a theatrical release until 2012.

Rogue One(2016) - Enjoyed this jst as much the second time round, and still marveled at the CGI presence of Peter Cushing. Still prefer this Star Wars adventure more than Episode 7. By no means a perfect film, we needed more Donnie Yen screentime. Superb performance by Felecity Jones, who managed to be both strong, cocky but likeable as Jyn Erso.

Edited May 14, 2017 by DragonClaws

[lungfei]

few more favorites.  

 

Edited May 16, 2017 by lungfei

[DragonClaws]

2 minutes ago, lungfei said:

few more favorites.  

Johnny Handsome's one of Roukes best actioners, need to re-watch that one. Lance Henriksen makes for a really decent villain too.

[HyperDrive]

Deadly Commando - An elite Filipino military unit has to first save an ambassador and then go down south to quell a rebel uprising. A standard jungle commando movie with more shooting than dialogue at the end. I enjoyed it though.

Raiders of the Magic Ivory - I'm surprised this hasn't been released on DVD/BD yet as it's a fun piece of 80's camp cinema. Two Vietnam vets are hired by a Chinese tycoon to go back there with his bodyguard and fetch an ivory tablet. Throw in a black magic cult, a Tibetan holy woman and the Vietnamese army for good measure.

 

[KenHashibe]

Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) - 4/5

I really enjoyed Umbrellas of Cherbourg for the most part. The entire movie was gorgeous and I loved how there was no spoken dialogue. Everything was sung. But besides looking gorgeous and sounding incredible, I felt the film was lacking in character and story. The story is relatively standard, while the characters are mostly unsympathetic. At first, you feel bad for them, but then they do some stupid stuff that makes you question if you really care about them. I never really felt bad for them since I felt everything bad that happens to them was caused by themselves. It’s hard to enjoy a movie when there’s this disconnect from the characters. However, this movie succeeds as a “style over story” kind of movie. It looks and sounds incredible, and the ending scene does a lot to make you sympathize with them. It ties the movie up nicely in a bittersweet way. Overall, I thought it was really good, but I probably prefer the more upbeat Young Girls of Rochefort.

[lungfei]

revisted a few more favorites.

 

[Sheng]

No. 3 (1997)

Dark, existential Korean mob satire featuring three great actors in the early stages of their careers - Han Suk Kyu, Choi Min Sik and Song Kang Ho - and directed with panache, wit and buckets of style. The Third Window DVD I watched is woefully inadequate, subs are full of bad grammer and typos, some crucial newspaper articles that give away information about the whereabouts of the main protagonists remain untranslated. This is an early Korean jopok classic, no less, together with BEAT probably one of the earliest. Really deserves a blu ray release!

Edited May 18, 2017 by Sheng