Film 2012

[Uncle Spielberg]

Elephant is a great piece of work.

The Hunger Games is finally here - preview screenings tomorrow night, general release on Friday - 2.5 fantastic hours of Katniss trying to survive the reaping. What's not to love?

Agreed CM. Haunting. The lead role was superb. The kid looked like his soul had left him. The repeat of events from different people and shown from different angles was very clever. Its far superior to Kevin imo. I would give it 8.2

 

[Acker79]

The Hunger Games
I made the mistake of watching the superior, and more visceral and decidedly not pg-13 Battle Royale last night. Hollywood would never make a film about killing children as explicit as BR, and as such the film was at risk of being neutered but I thought on the whole they managed to cover the killing of all those 12-18 year olds quite well, though I felt one of the key deaths lacked a certain impact because of the PG-13 direction of the film.

I was impressed that the film didn't feel the need to put in superfluous chase scenes or fights and explosions early in the film, and allowed the story to develop at its own pace, allowing the audience to get to know the main characters beforehand so that we cared about what happened to them later.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

The Hunger Games - good book, disappointing film adaptation when there was so much good material to work with. Where was the drunk character Haymitch because it sure wasn't Woody Harleson in that film? That part should have been played by Robbie Coltraine and Tim Burton should have directed it.

6/10

 

[Acker79]

Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists! (2D version)
Top quality work from Aardman studios, though it seemed to go under appreciated in the screening I saw. It seemed like a lot of jokes, even the most obvious (Elephant Man Reference) seemed to go over everyone else's head. I was in the right mood for the film though, I found myself laughing harder than some of the smaller jokes deserved, but it was generally good stuff. Not even the little kids running around put me off. Not sure how the would add to it. I don't know if it was just because it was an advance release or whatever, but there were no commercials, it jumped straight to the trailers.

 

[Acker79]

Wrath of the Titans (2D)
I found this to be bad in a dull way. True, I should have expected it, given how terrible the first was, but I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, hoping they had seen what they did wrong with the first, and endeavoured not to repeat the mistake. I myself didn't bother with the 3D this time (and having watched it, I can see no benefit to the film being 3D).

The tone - With such a film they really need to be more playful, amp up the cheese and make it fun. Sam Worthington seemed to play it as a straight action film, and the story and characters are just too fantastical for that. The names alone make any attempt to play it straight seem silly. Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes tried to play it like some deep and artistic greek tragedy, but it was too actiony and too simple for that. Only Bill Nighy, and Toby Kebell seemed to strike the right tone, and neither of them feature enough to make it worthwhile.

The editing/photography - often times the action scenes were shot at weird angles and put together in rapid cuts that made it impossible to understand what was going on.

Two torso-ed demons and other lies from the trailer - the trailer was pretty exciting; Marilyn Manson's darkly melodic version of sweet dreams, with exciting action scenes, highlighted for me by the spinning two torso-ed demons attacking an army, but these demons are barely featured. It promised the sort of action and cool fun that the first was missing. There were exchanges shown in the trailer that involved conversations that had nothing to do with each other - one that appeared to be hades and perseus conversing was hades talking to zeus, and the perseus' part of the conversation wasn't in the film at all (unless I feel asleep and missed it, which is entirely possible).

The badness of the clash of the titans meant my expectations were low, this film failed to even meet them.

 

[Meade's Ball]

Well, despite being under the weather, i thought i would get The Hunger Games out of the way yesterday. When i see Jennifer Lawrence i am still memorably gripped and moved by her in Winter's Bone. She's clearly a great actress in the making. Even here, in some deeply depressing and childish quick-cut fare, she has the necessary power to carry. It wasn't a great film. Or necessarily a good one, but it had Lawrence and Stanley Tucci and Woody Harrellson to give a bit to it. While Acker mentions seeing Battle Royale shortly before and justly compares, i had a mind for The Running Man too, but of course without the cheap gore.
Overall, i found it average and a little unadventurous. It seemed like they were running out of time in the editing and had to throw the ending on without any care or feeling to it. It was all so sudden and lacked the lasting crescendo that an emo-part-action film requires or planting the seeds for a follow-up that the first part of a trilogy demands. Lawrence quivers and fights catchingly though, so not all bad. Hopefully it won't carry on as so dour and disappear into its rival - Twilight- 's drivel-based state for the rest of the series.

Headhunters, however, is one i sort of recommend. It helps greatly, i think, to not recognise anyone on screen. Headhunters, a Norwegian crime-thriller, will have its Hollywood remake in the near future, and i know when that happens that i shan't accept the ludicrousness of the film itself. I'm probably a believer in all things dark and scandanavian thanks to the long run of expert detective dramas from there over the past few years. But Headhunters is beyond believable, but darkly enjoyable all the same. It's the simple tale of an impish, but successful recruitment consultant for some big businesses in Oslo. But at the same time, he is also an art thief, sometimes using his meetings with those looking for employment to case a joint. He steals in order to get enough money to satisfy a wife he thinks only loves him because of the cash he offers. Obviously, he meets his match in the style of a handsome high-flyer who has some military history and the two go into battle for the majority of the film. There is blood, gunfire, chase scenes, car crashes and one of our men hiding in a still-warm vat of sewage. Jolly good fun and always at an eager pace. I recommend seeing this before Keanu Reeves or his type go into a cleaned-up and unsubtle version.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Headhunters - brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. DO NOT miss this film

 

[Meade's Ball]

I read a review of Cabin in the Woods and grew attracted to it not by its 3-star rating but because Joss Whedon's name was somewhere involved. I was a Buffy fan and very much enjoyed Serenity when it hit the screens on 2005 and Whedon was behind both of those. I see he's behind the camera for the Avengers film and i already think it likely less of a debacle. For me, he's a decent screenwriter and the dialogue in his, completely mainstream, fare is sarcastically and warmly coated enough to not find the action behind it utterly empty. He can drag a viewer in and make one care for and half-believe in throwaway heroes.
Anyway, i saw Cabin in the Woods last night. At the Hackney Picturehouse, the screens of which are all mahusive, so anywhere but the back three rows will have you miss much of what's happening. It was alright. A darkly humourous and paranoiac take on the slasher movie and splatter-gore in which, of course, a group of teens - a jock, a comic stoner, a hussy, a virgin and an intellectual - find themselves up against it in some woods they've done no research into before having a weekend away at. It has a similar air to Scream in that we know what's going to happen, mostly, and don't care that we do, but has a subversive, demonic undertone to it to pull it away from seeming a copy.
Bloody enough fun, if never terrifying, and heartwarming for the 80s horror fan to see references to Evil Dead 2 and Hellraiser, etc, in there.

 

[Acker79]

I saw The Cabin in he Woods this morning and really loved it. I thought it was very clever, taking the staples of horror movies and giving an explanation for them to exist in all movies. I too, was attracted to this by Joss Whedon's name, and my favourite bits tended to be the scenes with RoboCop 3's Bradley Whitford and Undercover Blues' Richard Jenkins.

It is a little hard t really go into what I like about it without spoiling it, but it is not, I think, trying to be the scariest film ever, if only to make a point that is hard to discuss without spoiling.


I followed that with a showing of Mirror Mirror. I'm not a fan of Julia Roberts, so wasn't expecting much. As perhaps expected with a tarsam singh movie, it is visually impressive. But the story and performances were nothing special. Nathan Lane does his usual schtick, Lily Collins was sweet enough. The various dwarves were inconsistent with some funny moments (particularly grubb and half pint) and the supporting characters were rather bland. The finale was a bit unsatisfying, but overal the film was ok.

 

[Acker79]

Battleship
Best enjoyed with a friend(s) with whom you can mock the film. Not good, original or silly enough.

 

[vegster]

Battleship
Best enjoyed with a friend(s) with whom you can mock the film. Not good, original or silly enough.

Just to save me the trouble, how does our insignificant Earth weaponry defeat something like an armoured mountain ?

Which one is it this time, computer virus causing self destruct, biological virus/bacteria causing quick death of all aliens, a suicide team getting to the nuclear core of the ship then blowing it up or the simple expedient of finding the ships unguarded Self Destruct button ?

 

[albion534]

Pictures Of Lily - Feature Film -- Indiegogo

Its a film with 1 of my closest mates in, ( the guy with the porn star tache) not sure if its anygood, but ill see it for obvious reasons, and also its filmed in brighton

 

[Acker79]

Just to save me the trouble, how does our insignificant Earth weaponry defeat something like an armoured mountain ?

Which one is it this time, computer virus causing self destruct, biological virus/bacteria causing quick death of all aliens, a suicide team getting to the nuclear core of the ship then blowing it up or the simple expedient of finding the ships unguarded Self Destruct button ?

**SPOILERS** The armour isn't impenetrable, an onslaught or shells is enough. The aliens have a weakness to sunlight. The alien bombs are shaped like the pegs from the games and they land in the ships like the pegs and stay there a beat or two before exploding. They just had to do it before the aliens could set up a communication link, and can't use their sonar/radar to work out where the alien ships are**SPOILERS**

 

[Acker79]

Marvel Avengers Assemble - 3D
I went to see the avengers this morning, and loved it! I thought the hulk was great in his interactions with the others. Some great typical Whedon stuff. I want to gush about all the things I liked but fear it would be too spoilerish.

Even the 3D seemed pretty good - it wasn't so noticeable that it distracted, but there was clear use of is. I didn't walk out thinking "Where was the 3D?" as I so often do. I don't think the 3D was so spectacular the film will lose anything in 2D, but the 3D didn't leave me feeling shafted.

The positive reviews are well deserved.

There is an additional clip shortly into the credits, but nothing at the very end.

 

[looney]

Battleship:- Cheesy in places, think topgun but entertaining.

Cabin in the woods:- f***ing brilliant. scared the shit out of me and was very clever with twists all the way through.

Clash of the Titans:- Total Gash, avoid.

 

[Meade's Ball]

Marvel Avengers Assemble - 3D
I went to see the avengers this morning, and loved it! I thought the hulk was great in his interactions with the others. Some great typical Whedon stuff. I want to gush about all the things I liked but fear it would be too spoilerish.

Even the 3D seemed pretty good - it wasn't so noticeable that it distracted, but there was clear use of is. I didn't walk out thinking "Where was the 3D?" as I so often do. I don't think the 3D was so spectacular the film will lose anything in 2D, but the 3D didn't leave me feeling shafted.

The positive reviews are well deserved.

There is an additional clip shortly into the credits, but nothing at the very end.

Yeah i saw it today too and rather enjoyed it. Not much point in the 3D, i thought, considering how many heroes they had on display and how much action, but it didn't ruin anything. Big backing track and some good graphics to go along with actors big enough to battle for attention subtly, just as the heroes they play clearly do.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Cabin in the woods:- f***ing brilliant. scared the shit out of me and was very clever with twists all the way through.

Second that, absolutely brilliant film. Kristen Connolly, the red head called Dana, is fantastic. Very funny film, but scary at times as well. Billiantly done, reminded me of Super 8 in that it was funny and serious. Very hard to do well, but both achieved it superbly.

 

[shaolinpunk]

I saw The Avengers last night and absolutely LOVED it. (I refuse to call it Avengers Assemble)

The best superhero film I've ever seen - and I've seen a lot. Great action set pieces and a lot of laugh out loud humour. Joss Whedon has completely nailed it - bring on the sequel.

 

[Acker79]

Gone
Not great, but short. Simple, no real twists or turns.

Lockout
Would be a decent straight to dvd movie, but Guy Pearce doesn't convince as the tough guy.

Avengers
Still great on third viewing

 

[Acker79]

Silent House
Either my friend and I have sick minds (entirely possible) or this film is quite predictable. I think we were in a bit of a silly mood, as well, so didn't totally get into it. Maybe on another day I would have liked it more, but on this day it was very m'eh.