[Film] Film 2024

[Pevenseagull]

Watched 'Saturday Night' on Sunday night.

Saturday Night (2024) ⭐ 7.2 | Biography, Comedy, Drama

1h 49m | 15

www.imdb.com

I was (unrealistically) hoping for a 'Boogie Nights' quality film and got a 'CBGB' quality film. The latter being only notable for the varied quality of the actors recreations of the stars of the time.

To be fair I've never been a fan of Saturday Night Live and find John Belushi particularly irritating so this would have needed to be pretty special for me to warm to it. And it wasn't. And I didn't.

Would probably appeal to people who think John Belushi was a genius.

 

[The Clamp]

Booked to see G2 at the cinema for 4pm

I check back on the website to see how busy it’s getting.

Sold out.

4pm

Have I made a rick here? That’s gonna be full of schoolchildren ?

Even the well behaved ones are constantly double screening and chatting because they don’t see it as rude, it’s standard behaviour now. They have no concept of other people.

Everywhere is their front room as far as they’re concerned.

Hmm.

I’m usually more careful than this when I book films.

This is now occupying my thoughts.


Why can’t I just enjoy things?

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Denzil Washington is probably my favourite actor. But how he got cast in GLADIATOR II is absolutely beyond me.

I'd substitute Denzil for Paul Mescal in that sentence, none of the gravitas, screen presence, acting ability of Crowe, bizarre choice as lead imho.

Does it's run really finish this Thursday? We were hoping to go on Friday but it seems to have disappeared from many listings after Thursday.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Watched 'Saturday Night' on Sunday night.

Saturday Night (2024) ⭐ 7.2 | Biography, Comedy, Drama

1h 49m | 15

www.imdb.com

I was (unrealistically) hoping for a 'Boogie Nights' quality film and got a 'CBGB' quality film. The latter being only notable for the varied quality of the actors recreations of the stars of the time.

To be fair I've never been a fan of Saturday Night Live and find John Belushi particularly irritating so this would have needed to be pretty special for me to warm to it. And it wasn't. And I didn't.

Would probably appeal to people who think John Belushi was a genius.

Belushi was a genius, albeit tortured.

Had he lived, he would have been up there with the likes of Chaplin, Groucho Marx and Robin Williams, all of them comic geniuses.

Sounds like I will enjoy the film

 

[keaton]

I enjoyed Gladiator 2. It's not as good as the first, has no depth and it's best not to think about much of what happens.

But is pure spectacle and good fun

 

[Pevenseagull]

Belushi was a genius, albeit tortured.

Had he lived, he would have been up there with the likes of Chaplin, Groucho Marx and Robin Williams, all of them comic geniuses.

Sounds like I will enjoy the film

On that basis yep, I reckon you will. There's certainly an audience for it. Just had a coffee with a good friend whose seen it and they really liked it. We had a good chat about films and found that there were several recenti-sh movies that split our opinions.

They really rated Saltburn and Asteroid City, both of which I thought were mediocre at best. They didn't like Banshees Of Inisherin, Licorice Pizza or Everything, Everywhere All At Once all of which I loved.

There is no right or wrong in these matters and different opinions and tastes are a good thing.. except for the likes of Borderlands and The Crow remake which are truly awful and anyone who disagrees is definitely wrong.

 

[Easy 10]

Just back from Gladiator II. As I feared, good, but not great.

It was NEVER going to top the original. I tried to go in with an open mind, but because the story is basically a complete retread of G1, you just can't help but keep comparing it every step of the way. A big opening battle with the Roman army attacking an African city from the sea passes muster, resulting in the Revenge Mission of our hero Lucius, who is sold into slavery, and away we go again ultimately back to the Colosseum.

The main issue for me was that Paul Mescus is no Russell Crowe. He just does not carry the gravitas when he speaks. And the supporting cast simply has nobody to match up to Richard Harris, Djiman Hounsou, Oliver Reed or Joaquin Phoenix, who were all magnificent. Denzil Washington does his best to reprise the Proximo role, but it doesn't really work.

It leans so heavily on the first film for its story arc, but doesn't have the heart or the emotional heft of the original masterpiece, nowhere near. There's plenty to enjoy, it is quite a spectacle and I'll likely revisit it. But this is the Alien 3 to Aliens. The bar was just set too high.

68%

 

[jcdenton08]

The Holdovers (2023) - Now TV
2hr 20, 7.9 IMDB, 97% Rotten Tomatoes, multiple Oscar nominations and wins.

Quite a quaint, gentle little film about a group of American boarding school kids left behind at their school over Christmas with a grumpy, old-school Classics teacher.

1970’s aesthetic is all over it, right down to cool faux-70’s studio idents at the beginning, and grainy post-processing effects added to the UHD digital footage.

It’s a very easy watch, but the stakes are pretty low. Paul Giamatti stars with a typically solid turn as Mr. Hunyan, with good support through the ensemble, including an Oscar winning turn as the grieving school cook from Da’Vine Joy Randolph.

It is heavily inspired by a 1935 French picture with an identical premise, but interestingly is also facing an ongoing lawsuit from another writer who claims his 2010 script was sent to the director, rejected, then lifted at times verbatim.

One for Christmas if it tickles your fancy; good performances, gentle plot and some poignancy to give it purpose.

3.5*

 

[Easy 10]

I absolutely LOVED The Holdovers @jcdenton08

I'm a massive Paul Giamatti fan - much like Buscemi, he just never, ever does anything shit. A wonderful actor. I'd go 88% on Holdovers, loved the 70s vibe and how well they captured it.

"Please, sir. I CANNOT fail this class"
"Oh, don't sell yourself short Mr Kountze. I truly believe that you can"

 

[jcdenton08]

I absolutely LOVED The Holdovers @jcdenton08

I'm a massive Paul Giamatti fan - much like Buscemi, he just never, ever does anything shit. A wonderful actor. I'd go 88% on Holdovers, loved the 70s vibe and how well they captured it.

"Please, sir. I CANNOT fail this class"
"Oh, don't sell yourself short Mr Kountze. I truly believe that you can"

I really enjoyed it and totally see the comparison to Buscemi - I actually get them confused sometimes because they’re so similar in my mind. Both terrific actors.

I probably wouldn’t be quite as high on the movie as you, although I did enjoy it, and there were some genuinely funny parts like the bit you quoted, the scene with the hooker and so on.

The 70’s vibe was the standout memory for me, it felt very authentic.

 

[maltaseagull]

I enjoyed Gladiator 2. It's not as good as the first, has no depth and it's best not to think about much of what happens.

But is pure spectacle and good fun

I was an extra for the shooting in Malta.
I really enjoyed the film but not the extra bit. 6am -8.30 pm and 4.30 am - 8.00pm was enough for me at my age! 2 days was it for me.
I didn´t see me on screen but the difference between what we saw being shot and what was shown on screen was stunning.

Edit. I agree that G1 was better.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

The Holdovers is excellent but Sideways just edges it

 

[HCxUK]

Couple of cinema trips for me last week. Waiting for the initial rush for Gladiator II to subside before going.

Anora - 9/10

A brilliant piece of filmmaking. Sean Baker is a really impressive director, handles his subject very delicately. Wasn't expecting it to be so funny either, and has the sort of frenetic energy of a Safdie Brothers film. Mikey Madison will be picking up a lot of awards for this one I reckon

Heretic - 4/10

Hugh Grant was good but don't understand the hype otherwise. Felt a bit like an A-Level student preaching at me about religion. Lots of big questions but not so many big or interesting answers. Not even particularly scary either

 

[herecomesaregular]

Just back from Worthing's lovely Dome.

Gladiator 2.

**SPOILERS**
.
.
.
.

Trash. Enjoyable trash mind. But whoever was responsible for casting in this film should be thrown to the lions.

I thought the lead actor did ok actually but Denzel had to carry the film and didn't really manage it (his attempts at being camp, omg).

The emperor's were a disaster (Ed Sheeran anyone?). Then you've got Percy from Blackadder and Matt Lucas as ring announcer.

There are a lot of unintentional laughs in this film! I think that's why I enjoyed it (my mate hated it, really hated it).

Ridley Scott still knows how to make a film look fantastic but it's time to retire (and please, please don't go near another Alien film).

 

[Easy 10]

I watched The Apprentice yesterday (no, not the TV show).

It traces the grubby rise of Donald Trump and his real estate empire, beginning in the mid-70s and ending near the end of the 80s as his 'The Art of the Deal' book hatches. Sebastian Stan is excellent as a young Trump. He's not exactly a dead-ringer, but is close enough and has all the speech and mannerisms down to a tee. The lawyer Roy Cohen who pretty much mentored him and created the Trump we know today is superbly played by Jeremy Strong, and its fascinating to see how the power dynamic completely shifts between the two as Trump becomes rich, famous and successful by using everyone around him, then burning them off when they are no longer of any use.

Trump apparently hated the movie, but thats likely because it reinforces just what a lying, narcisstic, conniving shit he is.

77%

 

[Frutos]

Looking forward to Conclave coming out this week.

I enjoyed the book, so hopefully the film lives up to it.

 

[Professor Plum]

The Holdovers is excellent but Sideways just edges it

Loved them both. As an ex-wine biz worker, I also have a special cubby hole in my heart for Sideways but greatly enjoyed the Holdovers too. I'd highly recommend both.

 

[Professor Plum]

Shit cinema mind. I go to the Cineworld in Eastbourne Beacon (Arndale Centre) and it’s magnificent

We also use the Beacon cinema occasionally but if you live in the Eastbourne area don’t forget about the Towner cinema (in the Towner Gallery building). It’s not glitzy but it’s comfortable. No popcorn or hot dogs but no kids on their phones either. Mind you, they tend not to show sci-fi / fantasy blockbusters so it’s not really a kids' place. As befits a cinema in art gallery they show a higher proportion of arthouse / alternative movies but their staple offerings are solid dramas and National Theatre screenings that don’t always find a slot in the multiplexes.

Cinema— Towner Eastbourne

townereastbourne.org.uk

 

[Professor Plum]

As a massive fan of early Bob Dylan, I’m hugely looking forward to this.

Look out kid: ecstatic reactions to Bob Dylan biopic mean Timothée Chalamet may break Oscars record

The actor gives ‘the performance of the year’ in A Complete Unknown according to one early reviewer. If Academy voters agree, he would be the youngest leading actor winner in Oscars history

www.theguardian.com

 

[jcdenton08]

We also use the Beacon cinema occasionally but if you live in the Eastbourne area don’t forget about the Towner cinema (in the Towner Gallery building). It’s not glitzy but it’s comfortable. No popcorn or hot dogs but no kids on their phones either. Mind you, they tend not to show sci-fi / fantasy blockbusters so it’s not really a kids' place. As befits a cinema in art gallery they show a higher proportion of arthouse / alternative movies but their staple offerings are solid dramas and National Theatre screenings that don’t always find a slot in the multiplexes.

Cinema— Towner Eastbourne

townereastbourne.org.uk

Thanks for the tip, I’ve actually never heard of it but there’s a few things I’d happily see