jake scully
Kiznaiver
I have the excellent John Boorman film Excalibur and it’s story about King Arthur & pulling the sword from the stone etc is absolutely fantasy like Robin Hood - people who believe in these stories are stupid to say the least
Rate the Last Film You Watched
- Thread starter Professor Irony
- Start date
RadFemHedonist
Mad Scientist
Hmm. On reflection, I think madder than a bag of hammers, but less mad than a wheelbarrow full of snakes
Top-notch edification and reading pleasure
zrdb
Adventurer
Oh I understood you perfectly well, if we're talking about imaginary characters taking place in an imaginary world then why can't each version of them exist in their own parallel world? It isn't **** so just enjoy the movies which is why they were made in the first place and have fun.
jake scully
Kiznaiver
jake scully
Kiznaiver
jake scully
Kiznaiver
You and your parallel worlds….
Witch From Nepal (1986)
Part of the same mid-80s trend in Hong Kong for exotic adventure films that gave us the bonkers Seventh Curse, Witch From Nepal sees vacationing regular guy Chow Yun Fat marked out by a young priestess (Emily Chu) as the reincarnation of her deceased master (I think?), after he badly injures himself on safari. She then trains him in the art of ancient magic, so that he can fight the demon warrior who destroyed her sacred temple. Should probably have stuck with the city break to be honest.
Broadly speaking, the film follows a similar trajectory to Highlander, in that it's mostly a light romantic fantasy, periodically interrupted by bursts of action. This is a nice looking movie with some good special effects work and appealling turns from the lead actors, but narratively there's very little to it - impressive though the action is, it often feels like it's just been thrown in for the hell of it, and the film is a bit undermined by its inability to suitably resolve the central love-triangle between CYF's character, his girlfriend and the priestess. In fact, it actually feels a lot like what you might end up with if someone watched Highlander with the sound turned off and was then cajoled into writing their own version of it. It's watchable, but Seventh Curse is infinitely more fun.
Part of the same mid-80s trend in Hong Kong for exotic adventure films that gave us the bonkers Seventh Curse, Witch From Nepal sees vacationing regular guy Chow Yun Fat marked out by a young priestess (Emily Chu) as the reincarnation of her deceased master (I think?), after he badly injures himself on safari. She then trains him in the art of ancient magic, so that he can fight the demon warrior who destroyed her sacred temple. Should probably have stuck with the city break to be honest.
Broadly speaking, the film follows a similar trajectory to Highlander, in that it's mostly a light romantic fantasy, periodically interrupted by bursts of action. This is a nice looking movie with some good special effects work and appealling turns from the lead actors, but narratively there's very little to it - impressive though the action is, it often feels like it's just been thrown in for the hell of it, and the film is a bit undermined by its inability to suitably resolve the central love-triangle between CYF's character, his girlfriend and the priestess. In fact, it actually feels a lot like what you might end up with if someone watched Highlander with the sound turned off and was then cajoled into writing their own version of it. It's watchable, but Seventh Curse is infinitely more fun.
Dai
Death Scythe
No Time to Die. This was entertaining, but not especially memorable. I've never been a big fan of SPECTRE as an ongoing threat in the series, but the way their presence in this movie just fizzled out was anticlimactic, and almost made all that build-up in the previous movie feel like a waste of time. Rami Malek was wasted on an underwritten role tied to a half-baked evil scheme. Did I miss the part where someone explained what he was actually trying to achieve? He was about to kill millions of people apparently, but who and why? Based on his backstory I assumed he was trying to wipe out all the world's intelligence agencies and evil organisations, but I don't remember any real explanation.
The action was generally good and the plot played out its mysteries well. It tried to do too many things though, and most of them ended up feeling a bit underdeveloped despite the long runtime. I felt it was setting up an additional twist or two that never came.
The action was generally good and the plot played out its mysteries well. It tried to do too many things though, and most of them ended up feeling a bit underdeveloped despite the long runtime. I felt it was setting up an additional twist or two that never came.
jake scully
Kiznaiver
The very funny French comedy Asterix And Oberlix - Mission Cleopatra. I saw the French version not the crap US dubbed one which is also 20 minutes shorter. The film makes fun of US actors, Star Wars and the characters forgetting what other names in film were. Oh yeah it also had the gorgeous Monica Bellucci
Dressed to Kill (1980)
A slickly shot thriller that meticulously reconstructs, then reimagines Hitchcock’s filmmaking style for a new decade, this is an engrossing and technically very impressive film, but I think it’s commitment to its anachronistic approach undermined my investment in the characters with their consciously artificial delivery of dialogue (Angie Dickinson notwithstanding), while even in the context of something from this time, I found it hard not to feel uncomfortable about its handling of trans identity and mental illness.
A slickly shot thriller that meticulously reconstructs, then reimagines Hitchcock’s filmmaking style for a new decade, this is an engrossing and technically very impressive film, but I think it’s commitment to its anachronistic approach undermined my investment in the characters with their consciously artificial delivery of dialogue (Angie Dickinson notwithstanding), while even in the context of something from this time, I found it hard not to feel uncomfortable about its handling of trans identity and mental illness.
jake scully
Kiznaiver
One of Brian De Palmas best films- Dressed To Kill is a classic slasher/US giallo
jake scully
Kiznaiver
Agree & disagree with you there. DTK is better than Sisters, Phantom Of The Paradise & Obsession. Blow Out very underrated & Scarface is my fave film of all time and as for Body Double yet another underrated film. The Untouchables is excellent, wasn’t a fan of Casualties Of War and esp Bonfire Of The Vanities. But De Palms was back in fine form with Raising Cain & Carlitos Way - Mission Impossible was vey good and mainly a vehicle for loony cult member Tom Cruise. Mission To Mars was a dud but Snake Eyes was another underrated film - as was Femme Fatale which with his trademark camera is one of his best film - The Black Dahlia was forgettable- Redacted not good but Passion once again very good erotic thriller & as for Domino where he had probs with distribution etc was still good
Yami
Thousand Master
I think Blow Out is his best film but the impression I get is that's now the general consensus, no? I think Phantom of the Paradise is wonderful and while Obsession is a relatively by-the-numbers homage to Vertigo, the Florentine setting and a magnificent Bernard Herrmann score elevate it. Dressed to Kill at its best is not as good as De Palma's other works (or, indeed, comparable gialli) and at its worst is objectionable for the reasons that Prof Irony suggested.
This has reminded me that I need to pick up the UHD release of Carlito's Way, which really is magnificent and second only to Blow Out in my estimations. The Steadicam shot in the railway station might be my favourite thing that he's done period.
This has reminded me that I need to pick up the UHD release of Carlito's Way, which really is magnificent and second only to Blow Out in my estimations. The Steadicam shot in the railway station might be my favourite thing that he's done period.
jake scully
Kiznaiver
I forgot to mention Carrie - very good and put Stephen King on the map & The Fury which wasn’t bad. Again I do agree with you about his previous films like Obsession which has a lovely and haunting score by Hitchcock regular Bernard Herrmann and DePalmas films before he really became famous I enjoyed as I have most of his films - overall he’s a very underrated film director - one more thing he won’t admit it but he’s influenced by Dario Argento esp the lift scene in Dressed To Kill which is similar but gorier than The Bird With The Crystal Plumage and scenes in Raising Cain and Passion to name just two have been first directed by Argento in Plumage and the brilliant Tenebre
I remember seeing Blow Out when I was too young to appreciate it (early teens maybe?) and finding it too bleak for my liking back then, but it was definitely a well made film and I feel I'd probably get more out of it now. I've been curious about Body Double for a while though, I'll watch that soon.
jake scully
Kiznaiver
I rented Body Double on video years ago and although I read it was uncut at cinema the BBFC being the morons they were/are decided to cut a scene involving Melanie Griffith saying what she wouldn’t do in a porno and a shower scene with blood on breasts - another bit which the censors found too offensive & funny considering she’s making a low budget horror vampire film within the film itself - De Palmas storylines involve Vertigo, Psycho & Rear Window and made to great effect in a film which he says it’s one of his most asked about by fans - a brilliant erotic thriller - I have the excellent blu ray&dvd w/booklet
Diary of a Big Man (1988)
Another smash hit in Hong Kong largely unknown outside Asia, Diary of a Big Man harks back to 1930s screwball comedy and sees Chow Yun Fat playing a motor-mouthed stock broker who, determined not to disappoint anyone in his life, ends up married to two women at the same time (Sally Yeh and Joey Wang), then follows the ever escalating complications as he tries to stop them discovering his duplicity. It's an old fashioned setup with a few cringe-inducingly dated gags (it's very much a product of a time and a place), but the leads throw themselves into it with real gusto and keep things infectiously jolly. It's also kind of refreshing to see Chow playing a straight-up comedy role; it's something he's very accomplished at and could easily have made a career of, if he hadn't made his name as an action star.
The Big Heat (1988)
Dogged by production problems resulting in it having three different directors, The Big Heat is a less seen entry into the heroic bloodshed cycle that can be difficult to get ahold of in English, but it's possibly a bit of a hidden gem. On the verge of stepping down due to tremors in his right hand, career CID man Waisie Lee finds himself backed into a corner when evidence in a murder case points to a powerful and well-connected businessman, leaving him able to rely only on the small group of outsiders gathered around him. It owes a clear debt to The Untouchables and lacks much in the way of character development, but this is an exciting and stylish thriller that really comes alive in its (often surprisingly brutal) action scenes, and heralding the future success of co-director Johnnie To. Worth seeking out.
Another smash hit in Hong Kong largely unknown outside Asia, Diary of a Big Man harks back to 1930s screwball comedy and sees Chow Yun Fat playing a motor-mouthed stock broker who, determined not to disappoint anyone in his life, ends up married to two women at the same time (Sally Yeh and Joey Wang), then follows the ever escalating complications as he tries to stop them discovering his duplicity. It's an old fashioned setup with a few cringe-inducingly dated gags (it's very much a product of a time and a place), but the leads throw themselves into it with real gusto and keep things infectiously jolly. It's also kind of refreshing to see Chow playing a straight-up comedy role; it's something he's very accomplished at and could easily have made a career of, if he hadn't made his name as an action star.
The Big Heat (1988)
Dogged by production problems resulting in it having three different directors, The Big Heat is a less seen entry into the heroic bloodshed cycle that can be difficult to get ahold of in English, but it's possibly a bit of a hidden gem. On the verge of stepping down due to tremors in his right hand, career CID man Waisie Lee finds himself backed into a corner when evidence in a murder case points to a powerful and well-connected businessman, leaving him able to rely only on the small group of outsiders gathered around him. It owes a clear debt to The Untouchables and lacks much in the way of character development, but this is an exciting and stylish thriller that really comes alive in its (often surprisingly brutal) action scenes, and heralding the future success of co-director Johnnie To. Worth seeking out.
jake scully
Kiznaiver
Saw Darren Wards crime trilogy blu rays over the past two days
Sudden Fury
A Day Of Violence
Beyond Fury
All films are excellent in violence Brit style
My fave is the Beyond Fury 10/10
Sudden Fury
A Day Of Violence
Beyond Fury
All films are excellent in violence Brit style
My fave is the Beyond Fury 10/10