Movie Record 2021 Edition - The Bear and Badger

tin_robot

Shirkers - Surprisingly affecting documentary about a group of teenagers making an independent movie in Singapore in the early 90s, with the assistance of their film teacher. It's an altogether more complicated tale than that synopsis implies, but to say more would be to spoil it. A film about creativity, loss, and some pretty extraordinary kids. ( 8 )

The Last Man on Earth - Vincent Price starring version of I Am Legend. It has its moments, but is let down by its obviously meagre budget, and some unintentional comedy. (Any tension in the early stages is somewhat undermined by the fact that our hero seems able to largely escape his attackers by shrugging.) More annoyingly, it fudges a number of the story's big reveals, allowing them to brush past rather than land with any real significance. Still, its influence on later films is obvious, and Price does a good line in lonely melancholy. (6)

Dr Terror's House of Horrors - Anthology film with Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Donald Sutherland and, erm, Roy Castle. Like all horror anthologies it's a mixed bag, with Lee's segment as a humiliated art critic easily the stand out. (The Roy Castle voodoo section whilst full of "normal for the day" racism, is also a weirdly breezy piece about the perils of cultural appropriation). It's horror as campy fun rather than anything truly chilling, but entertaining enough. (6)

Minkymu

The Daddy wrote:

8. They Live. I mean, objecively this is not a good film. But, what a fucking film! [7]

Oh no sir this is a great film. Carpenter at his best. Great play on someone going postal with the shades too.

Webbins

18. Mamma Mia
Watched at the behest of mother and sister, the things you do for family. Cheesey, campy karaoke 'em up. A thin, inoffensive story stretched over Streep, Brosnan and Co., caterwauling out ABBA's back catalogue. Not a disaster but I question whether sticking pins in my eyes and Gold on the wireless would have been more preferable. 5

19. Breakdown
Kurt Russell loses wife in desert and falls foul of a kidnapping trucker gang. Very solid and effective 90s thriller. 7.5

20. Calm With Horses
Top tier Irish crime drama. A bruising ex-boxer with a soft side has to balance providing for his autistic son with the burden of responsibility of being the goto bruiser for a crime family. Excellent performance by Cosmo Jarvis. 8.5

21. We Own The Night
Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg headline this solid crime thriller as a divided family of club manager (Phoenix) and cop (Wahlberg) are drawn together and into conflict with the Russian mob. 7.5

nick_md

Breakdown's a great slice of 90s thriller, love me anything like that set on the long California highways.

The Daddy

9. Saint Maud. This didn't grip me, but I did like it. The finale was great, and the build up is retrosepctively solid. Doesn't outstay it's welcome. I probably shouldn't have watched it in the daytime, found it difficult to engage with the middle third. [7]

Wookienopants

Webbins wrote:

18. Mamma Mia
Watched at the behest of mother and sister, the things you do for family. Cheesey, campy karaoke 'em up. A thin, inoffensive story stretched over Streep, Brosnan and Co., caterwauling out ABBA's back catalogue. Not a disaster but I question whether sticking pins in my eyes and Gold on the wireless would have been more preferable. 5

19. Breakdown
Kurt Russell loses wife in desert and falls foul of a kidnapping trucker gang. Very solid and effective 90s thriller. 7.5

20. Calm With Horses
Top tier Irish crime drama. A bruising ex-boxer with a soft side has to balance providing for his autistic son with the burden of responsibility of being the goto bruiser for a crime family. Excellent performance by Cosmo Jarvis. 8.5

21. We Own The Night
Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg headline this solid crime thriller as a divided family of club manager (Phoenix) and cop (Wahlberg) are drawn together and into conflict with the Russian mob. 7.5

Mamma Mia is an all-time 11/10 for me. I fucking love it so so much

Minkymu

Watched these 2:

The colour of space- A Nick Cage scifi weird fest. Watchable but also pretty shit. Nick Cage couldn’t even manage a decent Nick Cage. 5.0

21 Bridges- a russo brothers film with some decent actors and a brisk pace. Good shoot outs and lots of running around. The plot is signposted too often and too early but enjoyable no less 7.5

Kow

Color out of Space is great, I really enjoyed it. Cage wasn't really the centre of attention in it anyway.

ShabbyMcCrabby

11. Ju-On: The Curse
Realised I hadn't watched a Ju-On so went for the very first one. Compressed YouTube probably not the best platform but it's nowhere else. Was pretty good but could have done without the cliche horror soundtrack at times. Did a good job with tension and spooks without it.
[5]

Gremill

13. Greenland
Once I'd got over my incredulity at the fact that I was watching a Gerard Butler film, I really enjoyed this. He's actually pretty good in it, playing against his usual type as an everyman is an extraordinarily stressful situation. Pretty great SFX and some very dark moments make this very watchable. 7

retroking1981

Moot_Geeza wrote:

No retroking in here this year?

Not this year no. This site was blocked at work last spring and posting with links on a mobile is a massive pain, hence the multiple reviews in single posts last year.

Still pop in and have a read though, nice to see what your all watching and hopefully pick up some unknown gems along the way.

retroking1981

I watched Greenland last week, enjoyed it myself, 7 sounds about right.

b0r1s

17. Inside Man - how did I miss this great film. A heist movie with a great story that keeps you guessing. While I did guess the “end” I still enjoyed some great performances from Denzel, Owen and Plummer. And Jodie Foster looked like she was having great fun really playing against type. The supporting cast were also excellent. Brilliant stuff.

g.man

I love that film. Seen it many times on the telly box over the years, and I'm always surprised that every time I re-watch it, I see some new little detail or twist I've never noticed before. Cracking stuff.

b0r1s

I just don’t know how I missed it. It’s exactly the sort of film I love.

g.man

I think when I first saw it, I just came across it randomly on the telly one night years ago. I'd never heard of it.

bad_hair_day

Great soundtrack.

Minkymu

Clive Owen is hugely underated.

Watch Children of men. Fuck me.

Slso he is excellent in the BMW promo films, the driver.

b0r1s

Yep Owen is great in Children of Men and in Closer. That fuck you moment in Closer is priceless. As is the argument scene with Roberts.

Minkymu

Yeah i feel sad he seems to have just gone

Webbins

Gone? I can't get away from the cunt pimping BetFair every neet on the YouTube.

b0r1s

18. Greenland - just watch 2012 or Armageddon or Deep Impact instead.

ShabbyMcCrabby

Any other films like Inside Man that peeps recommend? I love a good twisty turny

b0r1s

Thomas Crown Affair and Trance are two that spring to mind.

Eric

Frailty, Life of David Gale, Jacob's Ladder and Old Boy are all decent twisty films that aren't on everyones watch lists

bad_hair_day

ShabbyMcCrabby wrote:

Any other films like Inside Man that peeps recommend? I love a good twisty turny

No Way Out

Costner, Hackman and Patton, great cast but unsure if it holds up as it’s a 90’s thriller and liked virtually anything that was new in on a Blockbuster shelf.

b0r1s

Jacob's Ladder is a great call, haven't seen it in years, but what a film.

Minkymu

b0r1s wrote:

Jacob's Ladder is a great call, haven't seen it in years, but what a film.

. Brilliant film. See it now before the remake.

Angel heart is great. Mickey rourke and robert deniro.

Obvs the usual suspects.

Predestination

Ohhhhh and there was one with bill pullman in where he plays ind part of an fbi duo. Can’t really remember the nane but that’s good

Minkymu

Surveillance was the bill pullman film

b0r1s

Minkymu wrote:

b0r1s wrote:

Jacob's Ladder is a great call, haven't seen it in years, but what a film.

. Brilliant film. See it now before the remake. Angel heart is great. Mickey rourke and robert deniro. Obvs the usual suspects. Predestination Ohhhhh and there was one with bill pullman in where he plays ind part of an fbi duo. Can’t really remember the nane but that’s good

What the actual fuck?

Oh yeah Angel Heart is fab.

I didn't think of these films. While they are definitely twisty turny, I put them more in the psychological horror/thriller camp, but definitely great movies.

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