[Film] Film 2017

[Stat Brother]

Help needed.

Saturday night is film night, for the Jnr Stat's (12 & 11).
We've had x amount of weeks of them choosing, superheros and Pixar type 'toons.

Every once in a while I like to throw them a curve ball, with a 'grown ups' film.

They loved Hidden Figures, which followed on nicely after a film about Jessie Owens.
I'm not necessarily looking for another film in a 'racism is bad' series, but something that is thought provoking and challenging beyond the norm would be good.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, or else they could be watching Captain Phillips!
I appear to have too much choice.

 

[Acker79]

Ooh, I've not covered my April visits. Mainly because there were only two films. So I'll cover what I've seen in May so far, too.

The Handmaiden: Director's Cut
I would glibly refer to this as a Korean Wild Things - noting that I really liked Wild Things, The Handmaiden is not as trashy as WTs. I didn't know much going in, and that always helps a good film seem better, but it was my favourite film of the year so far, until...

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. I have a habit of liking sequels more than first instalments on first couple of viewings if I really liked the first. It is like being back among good friends, it's only when you've watched them a few times that I start to look at them a bit more objectively. It's already started, on second viewing it felt like they leaned into the music a lot more on this one, making it almost a musical. As a lover of musicals, I don't necessarily view that as a bad thing, but it does feel like a cynical approach of trying to focus on anticipating audiences rather than just telling the story you want to tell. But I still loved it a lot.

XX
A horror anthology of stories written and directed by women. I saw a trailer for this and thought it looked very creepy, very atmospheric. So when I saw that the Komedia was one of a handful of cinemas showing it on a one night only event, I made sure I got a ticket. It was fine, but that made it a bit disappointing, after the trailer. Contains 4 stories, the first a young boy stops eating after being given a look into the gift box of a strange man on a train. This one didn't work that well for me (though I saw a review claiming most people thought it was the best). It felt like it needed more time to allow you to connect with and care about the family that were impacted by it. The second instalment was about a woman who discovers her husband dead in his home office on the day of their daughter's birthday party. Eh. It felt out of place in a horror anthology. The third was a more traditional horror story as a small group of young adults are camping in a secluded spot when one of them is possessed by an evil spirit. Was my favourite segment. The finale was 'the other side of the Rosemary's Baby story' a mother who had the devil's son went on the run and tried to raise him so that he would reject the devil. That was ok.

Lady Macbeth
Again, I went in not knowing much, other than it had got a lot of really good reviews. I thought it was fine. Very scenic, but quite low key (despite the sex and murder), and felt like a relaxing Sunday morning movie.

The Belko Experiment
Another one I was excited for after watching the trailer, excited by the cast and excited by knowing that it is written by James Gunn - writer director of Guardians of the Galaxy. I liked it. I suspect there would have been a bit more emphasis on humour had Gunn directed it as well, but it was still a fine movie.

Help needed.

Saturday night is film night, for the Jnr Stat's (12 & 11).
We've had x amount of weeks of them choosing, superheros and Pixar type 'toons.

Every once in a while I like to throw them a curve ball, with a 'grown ups' film.

They loved Hidden Figures, which followed on nicely after a film about Jessie Owens.
I'm not necessarily looking for another film in a 'racism is bad' series, but something that is thought provoking and challenging beyond the norm would be good.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, or else they could be watching Captain Phillips!
I appear to have too much choice.

A little late for yesterday, but (and don't share this with anyone else) there may well be a few more Saturdays in the future, so...

What sort of challenge?
Inception, Interstellar or The Prestige are films that would challenge their concentration and information retention as they try to keep track of things, and are generally good films (The prestige is a favourite of mine). They are rated 12.

If you're looking t true life stories
The Imitation Game (12)
The King's Speech (12)
The Theory of Everything (12)
Apollo 13 (PG)
The Elephant Man (PG) (also good to introduce kids to black and white films so they don't ignore great films just because they're not in ultra high def full colour range)
(actually, Captain Phillips would fit well in this category, too)

Just generally good movies:
12 Angry Men (U)
The Shawshank Redemption (15)

Maybe to give them a sense of real world heroics
Sully (12)
Argo (15)
Schindler's List (15)
Gandhi (PG)
Milk (15)
United 93 (15)
Malcolm X (15)


If you want to challenge conceptions of superhero movies to branch out from typical marvel/DC offerings, maybe look at movies based on less mainstream comics, or manga comics:
Edge of Tomorrow (aka Live, Die, Repeat) (12)
Losers (12) (starring captain america, thomas wayne, gamora and heimdell)
Mystery Men (PG)
Push (12)

If you want to challenge their ideas of animation
Kubo and the two strings
Princess Mononoke
Howl's Moving Castle
My Neighbour Toturo
Spirited Away

Maybe introduce them to the joys of musicals:
August Rush (PG)
Blues Brothers (15)
Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog (??) (A superhero musical! - three 15min episodes from the mind of Joss Whedon director of the first two avengers movies)
Hairspray (PG)
Sweeney Todd (18)

If you're open to foreign language:
The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec (mild nudity - woman in the bath, nothing sexual)
Amelie
Shaolin Soccer
Das Boot

 

[Stat Brother]

A little late for yesterday, but (and don't share this with anyone else) there may well be a few more Saturdays in the future, so...

What sort of challenge?
Inception, Interstellar or The Prestige are films that would challenge their concentration and information retention as they try to keep track of things, and are generally good films (The prestige is a favourite of mine). They are rated 12.

If you're looking t true life stories
The Imitation Game (12)
The King's Speech (12)
The Theory of Everything (12)
Apollo 13 (PG)
The Elephant Man (PG) (also good to introduce kids to black and white films so they don't ignore great films just because they're not in ultra high def full colour range)
(actually, Captain Phillips would fit well in this category, too)

Just generally good movies:
12 Angry Men (U)
The Shawshank Redemption (15)

Maybe to give them a sense of real world heroics
Sully (12)
Argo (15)
Schindler's List (15)
Gandhi (PG)
Milk (15)
United 93 (15)
Malcolm X (15)


If you want to challenge conceptions of superhero movies to branch out from typical marvel/DC offerings, maybe look at movies based on less mainstream comics, or manga comics:
Edge of Tomorrow (aka Live, Die, Repeat) (12)
Losers (12) (starring captain america, thomas wayne, gamora and heimdell)
Mystery Men (PG)
Push (12)

If you want to challenge their ideas of animation
Kubo and the two strings
Princess Mononoke
Howl's Moving Castle
My Neighbour Toturo
Spirited Away

Maybe introduce them to the joys of musicals

You've never heard Lil Miss Stat sing

Thanks a lot.

Funny you should mention Interstellar, I watched Gravity last night, after bedtime, with a view of showing the kids.
I really enjoyed it, although not sure about the graphic dead body.
They are very young 12's, so definitely no 15's.
I've made a point of keeping their cinema/DVD viewing age appropriate. (I feel like the only parent that does)

But I do get points back for owning pretty much all Studio Ghibli's output.
Not to mention modelling myself on Toturo.

Thanks again, there's a fair few directions I can head off into.


I blame Netflix for giving me a brain freeze.
Having scrolled through I was film frazzled, with no end result.

 

[Steve Foster]

BHA season ticket holder Elliott Hasler - will become the youngest ever feature film director in the Brighton and Edinburgh fringe festivals this year. He's only 16 years old.

His debut movie Charlie's Letters has sold out on its debut night this coming Thursday with not too many tickets available on the Sunday. www.relsahproductions.co.uk

He was in the Bristol City programme

I understand he is to feature in the Digital Movie Magazine issue this Thursday

And here is Charlie's Letters 3rd and Final trailer, not bad for one of our own

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qALQBs1jbfs

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

2017 ratings so far

La La Land 95
Beauty and the Beast 90
Lion 89
Hacksaw Ridge 86
Get Out 82
A Dog's Purpose 82
Viceroy's House 79
Their Finest 78
Going in Style 59
Moonlight 56

 

[herecomesaregular]

Surprised there are no Alien Covenant comments. No spoilers from me: enjoyed it at the time (at the Komedia Dukes, great screen, the most comfy seats and a flapjack). Certainly, more enjoyable than Prometheus. However, it doesn't stand up to reflection at all and the characters add sooo idiotically (oh come on, the egg scene?). Still worth seeing on the big screen and I did enjoy it but I now wish James Cameron had revisited the series rather than Ridley Scott (what has happened to him?). Please, no more explaining, philosophising.... just go back to an unexplained, psychotic, killing machine, alien movie.

 

[studio150]

Surprised there are no Alien Covenant comments. No spoilers from me: enjoyed it at the time (at the Komedia Dukes, great screen, the most comfy seats and a flapjack). Certainly, more enjoyable than Prometheus. However, it doesn't stand up to reflection at all and the characters add sooo idiotically (oh come on, the egg scene?). Still worth seeing on the big screen and I did enjoy it but I now wish James Cameron had revisited the series rather than Ridley Scott (what has happened to him?). Please, no more explaining, philosophising.... just go back to an unexplained, psychotic, killing machine, alien movie.

I found the first 30 minutes or so slow and boring, but things did pick up. Although the ending was somewhat predictable.

Although good to see as with Prometheus one scene plays a homage to one of the great 1960s films.

 

[Steve Foster]

http://www.relsahproductions.co.uk/...ted-to-help-victims-of-the-manchester-attack/

all ticket sales will be donated from tonights screening

 

[Bigtomfu]

Surprised there are no Alien Covenant comments. No spoilers from me: enjoyed it at the time (at the Komedia Dukes, great screen, the most comfy seats and a flapjack). Certainly, more enjoyable than Prometheus. However, it doesn't stand up to reflection at all and the characters add sooo idiotically (oh come on, the egg scene?). Still worth seeing on the big screen and I did enjoy it but I now wish James Cameron had revisited the series rather than Ridley Scott (what has happened to him?). Please, no more explaining, philosophising.... just go back to an unexplained, psychotic, killing machine, alien movie.

I was really looking forward to this but it disappointed on many levels.

In summary, dull boring first act, average second act and ok/good third act.

Why did he feel the need to copy the blueprint for Alien vis a vis the strong female protagonist versus the xenomorph and the android senility counterpoint?!

Definitely only one for the fans of the series. Come on Ridley you're better than this!


Sometimes right, sometimes wrong but ALWAYS certain

 

[Titanic]

That King Arthur attrocity is utter horseshit from start to finish.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[Is it PotG?]

Just endured Free Fire.

A cheap version of QT, mess of a shoot out movie. One or two laugh lines but on the whole a total waste of talents such as Cillian Murphy and Brie Larson.

Don't bother....at 90 mins watch a recording of the Villa match or something.

 

[Acker79]

I Am Not Your Negro
Really interesting documentary.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
The whole Guy Ritchie cockerny gangster thing is getting tiresome now. The effects were like a computer game. Could have been so good, but it isn't.

Alien Covenant
I'm not a major fan of alien, so don't hold it in high regard and am not offended when the next doesn't live up to it. So I thought this was all right as a film on it's own, not a big fan of the demystifying of one of cinema's classic monsters. But it was ok.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge
So dull. so pointless.

Wonder Woman
A better crafted film than Batman v Superman or Suicide Squad, a clear step in the right direction for DC movies, including a bit more fun. There's still room for improvement, and I'm not a big fan of war films, so the war setting brought it down a bit for me. But overall I liked it.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

2017 ratings so far

La La Land 95
Beauty and the Beast 90
Lion 89
Hacksaw Ridge 86
Get Out 82
A Dog's Purpose 82
Wonder Woman 81 *
Viceroy's House 79
Their Finest 78
Manchester by the Sea 76
Going in Style 59
Moonlight 56

* A decent effort from enjoyable but flimsy core material. A plot was put together and the start was very encouraging, the middle in London sagged and was cheesy in places but hey, it is about a woman with superpowers, it is not Shakespeare.. Gal Gadot was the perfect choice as Wonder Woman and Chris Pine will please the ladies. Impressive action pieces, good start and end, middle sagged a bit but overall I enjoyed it a lot. It also had a powerful soundtrack. For the genre it is one of the more impressive additions. It will not trouble my top 5 for 2017 but will be a long way off the bottom as well. GIRL POWER ! It rates an 81 out of 100

 

[Meade's Ball]

I've not been to the cinema for a month now, since the wonderfully enjoyable Aki Kaurismaki film the Other Side of Hope, dancing through a range of genres and endless deadpannery for a heartfelt but comic effect. But this morning I was allowed out - the girlfriend can't really move at the minute, a mere 6 weeks from Meade Jr day, her muscles weakened and hopefully merry bulge pushing organs where they shouldn't be - and found a 10am screeeing of Baby Driver.
I've not really enjoyed seeing the name Edgar Wright attached to films since Shaun of the Dead, the booming quick cuts and smugness infecting the comedy and adventure, but the Guardian gave the new one 5 stars, and I was tempted. I wouldn't laud it quite that highly, elements of Wright's incurable style appearing in places, and the feeling of a Tarantino and Winding Refn influence sometimes heavily involved, but it works and excites. The dialogue feels a bit leaden, and English, at times, but the music, not discretely, does its job, pounding away as engines rightly roar. Sound effects and movements go in unison with the music, all of which is playing in our heist-driver's earphones.
Performance-wise, Ansel Elgort does ok, and his Patricia Arquette played by Lily James does as poorly as their unrealistic love, but Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm and the ever reliable Kevin Spacey are strong and bring good menace to what otherwise may have turned flat.
Pretty good, certainly, and I was glad to be back in the cinema, for what may be my final time for a while.

 

[dolphins]

Just endured Free Fire.

A cheap version of QT, mess of a shoot out movie. One or two laugh lines but on the whole a total waste of talents such as Cillian Murphy and Brie Larson.

Don't bother....at 90 mins watch a recording of the Villa match or something.

This was the film that was shot up in Hollingbury, wasn't it? The abandoned building behind Next/Argos/M&S... the trailer looked fun but even at that stage I thought it could go one of two ways. Missed out on it and won't go to much effort to see it based on your comments, and those of others too..

Saw Baby Driver yesterday and agree with [MENTION=282]Meade's Ball[/MENTION] - I did enjoy it a lot, but there was just a slight edge of smugness somehow, pleased with itself as to how "clever" it was. It's not one I'd watch repeatedly I think...

 

[Acker79]

Been a slow month for me at the cinema. After Wonder woman at a midnight showing that was technically 1st June, I didn't see anything until a screening of The Princess Bride at lewes castle. It's a great film and a delightful setting. There are a few different outdoor screenings going on at preston manor.

And then I saw Transformers: The Last Knight. Sigh. While there isn't an uncomfortable discussion on the romeo clause or whatever excuse for statutory rape Michael Bay wanted to promote like in the last film, there was an early shot (which features in the trailers) in a similar vein to some of the shots of 20 year old megan fox from the first film, of a 14 year old girl. Though thankfully it's toned down after that. Usual nonsense - too much going on, over explaining obvious things, throwing logic away or glossing over things that needed more thought, pointless action scenes in which you can't work out what on earth is going on, etc. Just awful.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

For my two cents, I've seen Baby Driver and Spider-Man Homecoming this week. Thoroughly enjoyed both although neither is without their own flaws. Spider-Man's lack of real action and cliche villain relationship hold it back for its genre. And Baby Driver was great fun, but almost took itself too seriously in the end, constantly trying to be too slick which ended up feeling a little contrived.

Nonetheless, I'd recommend both.

 

[Meade's Ball]

Last night I went for the Odeon £5 watch The Graduate deal. A crowd of around 17 went, none of which were yabbering youngsters. It was one of those films in which I am sure I have seen, but couldn't remember the time that I did, and even felt some scenes were unfamiliar. Still, bits of it were very funny and the music was amazing, and the performance of Anne Bancroft in particular was great. You can see Hoffman in some way from his prime, and slightly strange as an any sort of sexual presence. I did rather enjoy it all, whilst thinking a little of the process and the writing and how it spoke of the style of its time.

Last week, I snuck in to see that new Spiderman film. You know, it was alright, but I found it somewhat annoyed through it. Part of that was in Spiderboy being 15, and acting like an excitable 15 year old - ok the others who played him were much older, but I don't see that as an issue. And the other element was excessive Iron Man stuff in there. I don't like him, or his zillionaire gadgetry. I suppose without there being an origins intro for this version of him, and for it to be Avengersy, they needed Iron Man to drive the narrative here and there, but I felt it got in the way too much of any emotionality that was formed with the Uncle Ben guilt and the price of temporary fame that went through previous versions. The Vulture part of it I found a bit silly too. I felt him to be a bit powered in character by a Trumpian struggling working man falsity. Still, it was alright.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

Just saw War for the Planet of the Apes. Masterful cinema. Highly recommended (assuming you've seen, and liked, the first two).

 

[Norman Potting]

Off to see Despicable Me 3 with the younger Pottings tonight, my joy is unconfined.