Had a shitty week and needed something nice to cheer me up so went to see Paddington last night. It's definitely aimed more at kids (as it should be) but there were plenty of moments of humour that adults will enjoy. Having fond memories of the stop motion animations from my youth I wasn't sure how I'd feel about a CGI Paddington, but they have been faithful to the spirit of the originals and not tried to sex it up too much. I think some of the more British jokes went over the heads of some of the Canadian audience in my local cinema but even then there was plenty of laughing and I enjoyed it.
Enjoy Sundance, @supaclive! Just been looking at the programme for Glasgow Film Festival 2015 - do you have any films in it this time? Any recommendations?
I will take a look at Glasgow line up when I'm back on Friday. We DO have one film in Glasgow. All shall be revealed.
One film here in Sundance that is HOT is Z For Zachariah. I tried to buy it in Cannes and got soooo close. Kicking myself now.
The Witch has a lot of buzz.
Mississipi Grind I watched today. A slow burn. I liked it. But it's an American road movie and gambling. It will not do well back in Blighty. Ryan Reynolds has really grown on me.
Ah no, don't spoil the surprise film for me - we've booked tickets for that one!
Kingsman is from the same minds that brought us Kick Ass, same director, producers, writers, based on something by the same writer - and it's more of the same, essentially to spies what Kick Ass was to superheroes. As with Kick Ass, there is plenty of swearing and a LOT of ultra violence, even (I could almost say ESPECIALLY) from Colin Firth who is clearly having a ball and gives a deeper performance than some might expect from the movie's advertising. The same with the co-star Taron Egerton who is probably one to watch for the future. Samuel L Jackson is incredibly hammy even by his own high levels but it works for the movie. It tips its hat to pretty much every famous spy movie going to various degrees without getting too referential but sticks to its own style for the most part.
I enjoyed it a lot, but then I liked Kick Ass and that style of film and I think it's fair to say it's an acquired taste. If you like Kick Ass, chances are you'll like this. If you didn't, avoid like hell.
Being Evel - doc about Evel Knievel produced by Johnny Knoxville - excellent.
The Stanford Prison Experiment - fantastically absorbing drama played out brilliantly by upcoming American talent. Enjoyed it a lot.
Jake The Snake Roberts - fascinating doc about Jake The Snake and his road to rehabilitation.
Dennis Rodman's Big Bang in.Pyanggan. Very interesting doc and timely given the latest North Korean stories.
Reversal - enjoyable yet unbelievable chick revenge movi. Lots of blood, gore and action.
Ratter - low budget but interesting concept based on a true story and YouTube short about a young girl in New York who has her phone, computer and xbox hacked by a computer hacker.
National Lampoon doc - very funny, but too American doc about the famous comic turned film franchise.
Not a new film but I saw Cass for the first time last night - toilet
I actually thought it wasn't too bad. Much better than Green Street. I've been in the presence of Mr Pennant a couple of times and the actor who plays him gets him to a tee.
The title of this film is a little misleading. I expect quite a few people would expect this to be a full on gangster movie but far from it. The title refers to 1981 , New York's most violent year on record . To be fair , this film could be compared to the Olympic torch when it comes to slow burning but what this film does do is ooze class. It looks fantastic and you really feel that you have been transported to the beginning of the eighties. Oscar Isaac is the glue that hold this film together and is brilliantly supported by Jessica Chastain. I'm not one for watching films more than once in a short space of time but this i could watch again tomorrow.
I normally get irritated by movies that have parts of the plot that i don't understand and Interstellar has sections of it that are baffling as hell but did it irritate me ? Not one bit. Christopher Nolan is a fantastic film maker and with Intersteller he has made a film that should be talked about for years to come. It's a shame that this has not featured much in the upcoming Acadamy awards which to me is very surprising . That just goes to show how stuffy the people are who pick the nominees. Mathew McConaughey continues his career renaissance and Jessica Chastain pops up again in yet another film and good she is too. Recommended
There is no doubt about it that what happened to Alan Turing was a tragedy and he was treated disgracefully. It is said that the work that Turin did in breaking the Enigma code shortened the war by two years and saved millions of lives. I'm in the minority of people who actually thinks this film didn't do him the credit he deserved. I thought this felt more like a BBC drama instead of a movie and i'm not sure Benedict Cumberbatch was the best choice to play Turing. The switching of the timelines was also a distraction and one more gripe is that i don't particularly like Keira Knightley but that's just me. The Imitation Game is certainly educational but still a little disappointing.
Saw theory of everything partly off the back of Beds' review.
Bloody hell - what a film. The missus was in tears at parts and I had a problem with a loose eyelash which kept making me rub my eye which caused it to water.
That man has achieved so much and broken so many boundaries.
Felony is cracking little Australian film about a cop who hit's a kid on a bike while drink driving and then , with the help of an old school bent copper , decides to cover it up. Despite being a little grim , this is packed full of brilliant acting especially from Tom Wilkinson & Joel Edgerton . I'm surprised this didn't get more publicity when it came out last year. Good stuff.
There is no doubt about it that what happened to Alan Turing was a tragedy and he was treated disgracefully. It is said that the work that Turin did in breaking the Enigma code shortened the war by two years and saved millions of lives. I'm in the minority of people who actually thinks this film didn't do him the credit he deserved. I thought this felt more like a BBC drama instead of a movie and i'm not sure Benedict Cumberbatch was the best choice to play Turing. The switching of the timelines was also a distraction and one more gripe is that i don't particularly like Keira Knightley but that's just me. The Imitation Game is certainly educational but still a little disappointing.
I agree with this. I thought the film was alright, but no more than that. I'm a long time admirer of Turing and was somehow expecting something, I don't know what, but something more from this film. Also, regarding Keira Knightly, I think I agree on this too. I don't really remember any performance from her that has been all that good. I don't really get why she gets so much work, other than that lots of movies need a generic 'posh totty' character. (Having said this, Joan Clarke wasn't exactly what you'd call 'totty' - Knightly is not even an accurate visual representation of her, as you can see...)
I wasn't the biggest fan of the TV show Dexter as i thought it , for the most part , was all over the place. Well it seems Michael C. Hall like getting involved in convoluted projects because Cold in July is an absolute mess at times. At first you think your going to watch a simple revenge movie , then it briefly turns into a police corruption story then somehow it evolves into film about homemade snuff movies. Weird. This one is only for Michael C. Hall fans only.
Seems I've followed Beds on a few of my last few film selections. Citizenfour - thought it was very interesting and Snowden was not what I expected him to be. Quite a few important issues were raised for me during it as well. Generally enjoyed it if I did feel it lacked some substance. 7.5/10
The Equalizer - surprisingly enjoyed it. The typical revenge type movie isn't always my cup of tea but this felt like it was a bit more than the run of the mill Neeson type stuff. Was over 2 hours long but didn't feel like it. 6.5/10
Finally:
Whiplash - by far the best film I have watched in quite some time, easily the best out of the award nominees and if JK Simmons doesn't win best supporting actor then someone has been paid off at the Academy. 10 minutes into this and I thought it was going to be good as soon as it finished I wanted to watch it again. I was a little surprised even with the positive reviews it has had, I'm not a Jazz fan but this clearly did not matter.Wonderfully shot and at times I felt the intensity of the characters, superb piece of film making. 10/10
Seems I've followed Beds on a few of my last few film selections. Citizenfour - thought it was very interesting and Snowden was not what I expected him to be. Quite a few important issues were raised for me during it as well. Generally enjoyed it if I did feel it lacked some substance. 7.5/10
The Equalizer - surprisingly enjoyed it. The typical revenge type movie isn't always my cup of tea but this felt like it was a bit more than the run of the mill Neeson type stuff. Was over 2 hours long but didn't feel like it. 6.5/10
Finally:
Whiplash - by far the best film I have watched in quite some time, easily the best out of the award nominees and if JK Simmons doesn't win best supporting actor then someone has been paid off at the Academy. 10 minutes into this and I thought it was going to be good as soon as it finished I wanted to watch it again. I was a little surprised even with the positive reviews it has had, I'm not a Jazz fan but this clearly did not matter.Wonderfully shot and at times I felt the intensity of the characters, superb piece of film making. 10/10
I'm going to see Whiplash tonight or tomorrow. Looking forward to it.
Seems I've followed Beds on a few of my last few film selections. Citizenfour - thought it was very interesting and Snowden was not what I expected him to be. Quite a few important issues were raised for me during it as well. Generally enjoyed it if I did feel it lacked some substance. 7.5/10
The Equalizer - surprisingly enjoyed it. The typical revenge type movie isn't always my cup of tea but this felt like it was a bit more than the run of the mill Neeson type stuff. Was over 2 hours long but didn't feel like it. 6.5/10
Finally:
Whiplash - by far the best film I have watched in quite some time, easily the best out of the award nominees and if JK Simmons doesn't win best supporting actor then someone has been paid off at the Academy. 10 minutes into this and I thought it was going to be good as soon as it finished I wanted to watch it again. I was a little surprised even with the positive reviews it has had, I'm not a Jazz fan but this clearly did not matter.Wonderfully shot and at times I felt the intensity of the characters, superb piece of film making. 10/10
I'm going to see Whiplash tonight or tomorrow. Looking forward to it.
Will be interesting to read your views. So far from people who've seen it and I've spoken to it has varied from "absolute waste of time" to "brilliant, loved every minute".
Big Hero 6 is brilliant. Best animated film since Up
I thought Up was brilliant, but I don't warm to animated films that have me on the brink of tears ten minutes in. It did cheer up, but I prefer my animation a bit more haywire like Wreck it Ralph or The Lego Movie.
Big Hero 6 is brilliant. Best animated film since Up
I thought Up was brilliant, but I don't warm to animated films that have me on the brink of tears ten minutes in. It did cheer up, but I prefer my animation a bit more haywire like Wreck it Ralph or The Lego Movie.
Only on the brink of tears? Do you even have a soul? I have cried at films less than 6 times in my life and I cried twice during Up!
Big Hero 6 is brilliant. Best animated film since Up
I thought Up was brilliant, but I don't warm to animated films that have me on the brink of tears ten minutes in. It did cheer up, but I prefer my animation a bit more haywire like Wreck it Ralph or The Lego Movie.
Only on the brink of tears? Do you even have a soul? I have cried at films less than 6 times in my life and I cried twice during Up!
This. I was in bits twice (the funeral and the scrapbook). I've watched it three times and cried at the same bits every time.
I saw Imitation Game last week. Contrary to some of the reviews on here, I really enjoyed it. One of the best movies I've seen for a while. I give it an 8.
I'm the first to admit that i'm not the most knowledgeable when it comes to music ( unless it's 1980's pop) and I've never mastered a musical instrument and i think that could be partially the reason why Whiplash didn't bash my symbols as much as it did others. There are some very good performances from Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons but the whole screaming teacher and bleeding fingers thing was a little too cliched for me. Don't get me wrong , i did enjoy this for the most part but the overriding feeling i got when it finished was that i wanted to lie down in a dark room.
Comments
7.5/10
I enjoyed it a lot, but then I liked Kick Ass and that style of film and I think it's fair to say it's an acquired taste. If you like Kick Ass, chances are you'll like this. If you didn't, avoid like hell.
8/10
Being Evel - doc about Evel Knievel produced by Johnny Knoxville - excellent.
The Stanford Prison Experiment - fantastically absorbing drama played out brilliantly by upcoming American talent. Enjoyed it a lot.
Jake The Snake Roberts - fascinating doc about Jake The Snake and his road to rehabilitation.
Dennis Rodman's Big Bang in.Pyanggan. Very interesting doc and timely given the latest North Korean stories.
Reversal - enjoyable yet unbelievable chick revenge movi. Lots of blood, gore and action.
Ratter - low budget but interesting concept based on a true story and YouTube short about a young girl in New York who has her phone, computer and xbox hacked by a computer hacker.
National Lampoon doc - very funny, but too American doc about the famous comic turned film franchise.
Berlin next week - more to follow.
The title of this film is a little misleading. I expect quite a few people would expect this to be a full on gangster movie but far from it. The title refers to 1981 , New York's most violent year on record . To be fair , this film could be compared to the Olympic torch when it comes to slow burning but what this film does do is ooze class.
It looks fantastic and you really feel that you have been transported to the beginning of the eighties.
Oscar Isaac is the glue that hold this film together and is brilliantly supported by Jessica Chastain.
I'm not one for watching films more than once in a short space of time but this i could watch again tomorrow.
8 out of 10
I normally get irritated by movies that have parts of the plot that i don't understand and Interstellar has sections of it that are baffling as hell but did it irritate me ? Not one bit.
Christopher Nolan is a fantastic film maker and with Intersteller he has made a film that should be talked about for years to come.
It's a shame that this has not featured much in the upcoming Acadamy awards which to me is very surprising . That just goes to show how stuffy the people are who pick the nominees.
Mathew McConaughey continues his career renaissance and Jessica Chastain pops up again in yet another film and good she is too. Recommended
8 out of 10
The Imitation Game
There is no doubt about it that what happened to Alan Turing was a tragedy and he was treated disgracefully. It is said that the work that Turin did in breaking the Enigma code shortened the war by two years and saved millions of lives.
I'm in the minority of people who actually thinks this film didn't do him the credit he deserved.
I thought this felt more like a BBC drama instead of a movie and i'm not sure Benedict Cumberbatch was the best choice to play Turing. The switching of the timelines was also a distraction and one more gripe is that i don't particularly like Keira Knightley but that's just me.
The Imitation Game is certainly educational but still a little disappointing.
6 out of 10
Bloody hell - what a film. The missus was in tears at parts and I had a problem with a loose eyelash which kept making me rub my eye which caused it to water.
That man has achieved so much and broken so many boundaries.
Felony
Felony is cracking little Australian film about a cop who hit's a kid on a bike while drink driving and then , with the help of an old school bent copper , decides to cover it up. Despite being a little grim , this is packed full of brilliant acting especially from Tom Wilkinson & Joel Edgerton . I'm surprised this didn't get more publicity when it came out last year. Good stuff.
7 out of 10
I'm a long time admirer of Turing and was somehow expecting something, I don't know what, but something more from this film.
Also, regarding Keira Knightly, I think I agree on this too. I don't really remember any performance from her that has been all that good. I don't really get why she gets so much work, other than that lots of movies need a generic 'posh totty' character.
(Having said this, Joan Clarke wasn't exactly what you'd call 'totty' - Knightly is not even an accurate visual representation of her, as you can see...)
I wasn't the biggest fan of the TV show Dexter as i thought it , for the most part , was all over the place. Well it seems Michael C. Hall like getting involved in convoluted projects because Cold in July is an absolute mess at times.
At first you think your going to watch a simple revenge movie , then it briefly turns into a police corruption story then somehow it evolves into film about homemade snuff movies. Weird.
This one is only for Michael C. Hall fans only.
4 out of 10
Citizenfour - thought it was very interesting and Snowden was not what I expected him to be. Quite a few important issues were raised for me during it as well. Generally enjoyed it if I did feel it lacked some substance. 7.5/10
The Equalizer - surprisingly enjoyed it. The typical revenge type movie isn't always my cup of tea but this felt like it was a bit more than the run of the mill Neeson type stuff. Was over 2 hours long but didn't feel like it. 6.5/10
Finally:
Whiplash - by far the best film I have watched in quite some time, easily the best out of the award nominees and if JK Simmons doesn't win best supporting actor then someone has been paid off at the Academy. 10 minutes into this and I thought it was going to be good as soon as it finished I wanted to watch it again. I was a little surprised even with the positive reviews it has had, I'm not a Jazz fan but this clearly did not matter.Wonderfully shot and at times I felt the intensity of the characters, superb piece of film making. 10/10
I think I saw a few Chelsea fans in the Edmund Pettus Bridge scenes!
Oh, and "Best Picture".
Lol.
Whiplash
I'm the first to admit that i'm not the most knowledgeable when it comes to music ( unless it's 1980's pop) and I've never mastered a musical instrument and i think that could be partially the reason why Whiplash didn't bash my symbols as much as it did others.
There are some very good performances from Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons but the whole screaming teacher and bleeding fingers thing was a little too cliched for me.
Don't get me wrong , i did enjoy this for the most part but the overriding feeling i got when it finished was that i wanted to lie down in a dark room.
7 out of 10