[Film] Film 2023

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pearl

Well-known member
May 3, 2016
13,128
Behind My Eyes
Renfield

Based on Dracula's faithful servant, who over the centuries has been tasked with bringing him corpses to feed on. They wind up in modern-day New Orleans, where Renfield, who by eating bugs gains super Matrix-type violent fighting powers to carry out his grisly job, decides he wants out.

Its stupid. Its ridiculous. Its totally OTT. The violence and bloodshed is off the scale (at one point, Renfield beats someone to death with their own ripped-off arms). Heads go rolling, bodies explode, faces are shredded, entrails fly everywhere. And then you have Nicolas Cage going FULL ON Nicolas Cage as Dracula, hamming it up to levels not seen since Face/Off.

Loved it. 80%
The first paragraph sounds great .... the second sounds shine, but Cage as Dracula I have to see!
 






Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex
Following on Twitter now thanks...

Hope you're still enjoying 'Yellowjackets'...Getting more bonkers with each episode :oops:
I haven't started yet, partly due to that fear.
It's always 80/20 as to whether and when a good American series will completely lose the plot (in every sense of the word) and go bat pooh cra-cra.

Yellow jackets only saving grace is at least there was no doubt!
 






The Clamp

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jan 11, 2016
26,210
West is BEST
Air.

The story of how Nike signed Jordan and bore the Air Jordan legend.

I really enjoyed this. It’s a bit over steeped in 80’s references and music to make sure you know you’re in the 80’s. Mostly tolerable but we don’t need a montage of clips including people playing Donkey Kong and clips from Ghostbusters. I can read a date on the screen.

But even that was quite good fun, spotting the references to my childhood.

It’s a bit cheesy in places, for sure. The sales pitch speech had me reaching for the sick bucket but by then I liked everyone enough to let it go.

It doesn’t rush the story. Plenty of background and build up. Might be a bit slow for some but I appreciate a story told properly and they did well here.

A good film.

6/10


The Mother

Jennifer Lopez is some kind of ex military high performer who had a kid and the kid gets put into protection because the mother is a dozen large eggs, bread , mixed veg, cereal, bleach, laundry stuff, mouth wash, razor blades. I wonder what’s for dinner, must book the car in for its MOT . Zzz Zzzz Zzzzzz
 
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Acker79

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Nov 15, 2008
31,921
Brighton
Sisu
I went to the unlimited preview screening last night. Overall I really enjoyed it. I was a little nervous at first about whether it would live up to the trailer. It starts slow, after a voiceover that felt like it wouldn't be out of place as the opening monologue to some 80s action cartoon. An initial dialogue free 'chapter' as we meet our hero and see him start his journey.

Then it picks up when he starts crossing paths with the Nazis.

The violence is over-the-top, comically so at times, but the films itself isn't especially 'silly'. There have been comparisons to John Wick because it's an older person kicking ass. The violence is funnier, but it's a similar 'look, this is a ridiculous premise, but we're going to treat it seriously' approach.

Plus, it's only 90mins long!


And now some trailers...















 




Acker79

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Nov 15, 2008
31,921
Brighton
Fast X
I don't have much of a lover of racing/power cars, so had little to no interest in the F&F franchise when it started. The first film of the franchise I saw in the cinema was the fourth one. I was making an effort that year to see 10 films a month and had limited options. It didn't convert me. I saw the 5th film a couple of years later because a friend wanted to. I think it was when the Rock was still a bit of a fresh face in Hollywood as a headliner, so it was still fun to see him in movies.

Then along came covid and lockdown and another friend convinced me we should watch all of them, so one weekend in 2020 I watched though 8 F&F movies and the hobbs and shaw spin off. I really enjoyed H&S, but the main series seemed to peak with the 5th instalment. It seemed to have the right amount of self awareness. Later instalment seemed to lose that and become too serious for the preposterous stunts (I mean there's clearly silliness about driving a car in space, but the film was treated too seriously for the rest of the run time. It also was almost self-parodying itself at times with the overdone 'family' message and the constant tightrope walking between movie and beer commercial.

This film seemed to be a return to the humour of 5, mostly because of Jason Mamoa and his performance as the big bad of this movie. He was just having so much fun. John Cena was closer to his peacekeeper character than his F&F9 character, adding to the fun. Yes, Vin still seems to want to be the star of a deep story about the importance of family, but with so much fun around him, it becomes a lot more bearable.

Originally planned as a two-part send-off, Diesel has been teasing it being a three-part finale. There is a clear 'to be continued' ending to the film, with a cliffhanger that would be more convincing if you haven't seen previous films, an couple of appearances, one means more if you followed the drama around previous entries, one means more if you've watched the previous films (both from earlier films making an appearance after sitting out a few for differing reasons).

It felt very much like they were trying to distil the whole franchise into the finale, bringing in as many characters, twists, and surprises that you've seen from previous entries, while topping some of the stunts. Some of the stunts are undercut by the necessity to use CG to accomplish them. There was a seemingly pointless diversion that felt like an excuse for a cameo that brings nothing to the film (it's not even a 'hey it's that character from a previous film' type cameo, more a 'hey, this person is in the pop gossip pages all the time, let's bring them in for something. Pete Davidson. It's Pete Davidson who seems to be popping up in everything thing these days for no reason).

Overall, I think Jason Mamoa had so much fun, I found it impossible not to enjoy it along with him.










 


Is it PotG?

Thrifty non-licker
Feb 20, 2017
25,492
Sussex by the Sea
Sisu.

Think Rambo/Clint Eastwood/Tarantino meets up with finding gold and killing the Nazis and you have a great ball of fun for 90 minutes.

Sisu_ver2.png
 


dolphins

Well-known member
Jan 26, 2012
5,668
BN1, in GOSBTS
Fast X
...
There was a seemingly pointless diversion that felt like an excuse for a cameo that brings nothing to the film (it's not even a 'hey it's that character from a previous film' type cameo, more a 'hey, this person is in the pop gossip pages all the time, let's bring them in for something. Pete Davidson. It's Pete Davidson who seems to be popping up in everything thing these days for no reason).
In the finest Brighton tradition when anyone from a non-league club, right through to the biggest 'stars', is announced over the tannoy, I read this and went "WHO?" Then I looked him up and the answer stayed the same! :lolol:

If you fancy a chuckle, check out Kermode's review of the film, on his podcast. There's a bit where he explains the film just using sound effects which is very amusing.
 




Acker79

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Nov 15, 2008
31,921
Brighton
In the finest Brighton tradition when anyone from a non-league club, right through to the biggest 'stars', is announced over the tannoy, I read this and went "WHO?" Then I looked him up and the answer stayed the same! :lolol:

If you fancy a chuckle, check out Kermode's review of the film, on his podcast. There's a bit where he explains the film just using sound effects which is very amusing.
I guess his fame is mostly in celebrity gossip, but it seems to have translated into cameos or small support roles in movies. I'd say he came to fame on Saturday night live, but I think he actually came to fame for dating pop starlet Ariana Grande. She a typical pop starlet was all well kept, glitzy and pretty and well made up, he looks like a homeless junky and people wondered why they were together, she said it was his 'big dick energy' and new phrase came into popular use across mainstream culture (particularly in the US, though it did make it into the independent). He then went on to date Kim Kardashian, and guest star in every movie ever, seemingly. He voiced a character in the recent Guardians of the galaxy movie, voices another in the upcoming transformers movie, was in the suicide squad (the james gunn one), bodies bodies bodies. And now in Fast X in a scene that goes nowhere and adds nothing.

I am a bit behind on my podcasts, have the last three K+Ms to catch up on, but looking forward to it.
 


sussex_guy2k2

Well-known member
Jun 6, 2014
4,085
Renfield

Based on Dracula's faithful servant, who over the centuries has been tasked with bringing him corpses to feed on. They wind up in modern-day New Orleans, where Renfield, who by eating bugs gains super Matrix-type violent fighting powers to carry out his grisly job, decides he wants out.

Its stupid. Its ridiculous. Its totally OTT. The violence and bloodshed is off the scale (at one point, Renfield beats someone to death with their own ripped-off arms). Heads go rolling, bodies explode, faces are shredded, entrails fly everywhere. And then you have Nicolas Cage going FULL ON Nicolas Cage as Dracula, hamming it up to levels not seen since Face/Off.

Loved it. 80%
I enjoyed this too, and was surprised to see the reviews be quite as bad as they were. I thought it was thoroughly enjoyable.
 


Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
62,429
Location Location
I enjoyed this too, and was surprised to see the reviews be quite as bad as they were. I thought it was thoroughly enjoyable.
Probably because it wasn't about a transitioning bi-sexual goat herder in Moldova and his challenges with his parents and peers, with subtitles, in black and white.

They'd be rolling out the gongs for that.
 






Acker79

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Nov 15, 2008
31,921
Brighton
Beau is Afraid
As someone who didn't like Hereditary or Midsommer, this felt like three hours of self-indulgent drivel, wannabe symbolism, and a soupcon of puerility.



 


dolphins

Well-known member
Jan 26, 2012
5,668
BN1, in GOSBTS
Just back from seeing Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3 and thoroughly enjoyed it. As some critics have said, it's a lot darker than the more knockabout comedy of, say, the first one, which had critters kicked in time to the music. However, there are the expected GOTG chuckles at various points, a great soundtrack, and a definite emotional heft that made it a fitting third act to one of the more interesting of the current Marvel oeuvre. For those yet to see it, one mid-credit scene, and one post.
 


Gabbafella

Well-known member
Aug 22, 2012
4,907
Sisu.
OTT and somewhat comical violence, not much of a story but engrossing and fun. Has a distinct Tarantino influence. 7/10

Air.
I really liked this. As mentioned above it is rather cheesy in places but it's Hollywood making a film about an American icon, it's to be expected. But I thought it was done in a decent way, not too much flag waving and chanting USA, actually quite a good story. 7/10
 




Acker79

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Nov 15, 2008
31,921
Brighton
The Machine
I booked to see this cineworld unlimited preview because I remembered enjoying the trailer a month or so prior. I then rewatched the trailer and started to wonder if I even wanted to go, but I went along anyway. I actually quite enjoyed it in that 'throwaway fun' way that you get with the better 'stand up comedian allowed to make a movie' films.

Films stars Bert Kreischer (US stand up, podcaster, tv host...) as a fictionalised version of himself, and uses one of his routines as a basis for the film's set up - the routine is about how he got the nickname 'the machine' on a school trip to russia he found himself partying with the russian mafia and helped them rob a train. (I've no idea how much of that story is true). This film picks up 20 years after this supposedly took place, the daughter of one of the people on the train wants to retrieve an item that was stolen so kidnaps Bert and his father and takes him to russie where they try to retrace his steps while fighting of rival mafia groups.

This film isn't going to win any serious film awards, and Kreischer gives the sort of performance you'd expect from a stand up comedian making a movie. It felt like a throw back to some of the movies I enjoyed watching back in the late nineties (and referencees a lot of them).

But I found it a lot more enjoyable than I thought it would be. Not a lot of belly laughs, but plenty of chuckles.









 


Gabbafella

Well-known member
Aug 22, 2012
4,907
Got around to watching Renfield last night with the Mrs.
We both went into this with very low expectations, me thinking it was going to be stupid and boring and my Mrs can't stand Cage.
We both really enjoyed it, Cage is brilliantly OTT, almost camp which made it even better. Really over the top comedy gore and a few laugh out loud moments. Way better than expected. 7/10.

Tonight we have John Wick 4 and a Finnish film called Hatching, which looks interesting.
 


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