Unmissable films

[Rowan]

Yes, another day another topic. It feels like it's been cinema silly
season for ages and I really want to see something good at the flicks
- come on people, I want top quality suggestions.

Personally I loved Batman, but can't remember another good film I've
seen in the cinema for ages.

Alternatively you're allowed to suggest other unmissable films, as
LoveFilm means I have the world at my finger tips really.

[danielet...@googlemail.com]

I thought that Dark Knight was the most overrated film of the summer -
sure it looked awesome on IMAX, but it was pompous and self-important.
Really not convinced you can take yourself that seriously in a film
about a bloke dressed as an action figure.

Have you heard these rumours of Johnny Depp as the Riddler and Philip
Seymour Hoffman as Penguin in the next sequel? I hope they don't just
kill off the baddies, as the whole thing about Batman's enemies is he
has long-term antagonistic relationships with them. It's so rubbish to
kill off The Joker for the same of feature film narrative, as he's his
*arch* enemy for crying out loud!

2008 films. Hm. I liked In Bruges - great blend of violence and
humour.

What else has been good this year?

[Rowan]

I enjoyed it, I felt it was grown up and dark enough - probably too
much for a 12A (wasn't that certificate made up for the Jack Nicolson
Batman?). I know what you mean about it being self-important, but I
didn't mind that really as it just about carried it off for me.

[jacqui...@hotmail.com]

thank god, daniel, i thought i was the only one who didn't like
batman. way too long, over complicated and as much as i love
christian bale, he doesn't really do anything other than growl.

now hellboy 2 - that was fantastic... luke goss - who'd have thought
it?

[Badgirlswirlgirl]

I wasn't a massive fan of Batman either. It was quite late when I
managed to get to the cinema so taking on all the hype, it was a bit
of a letdown. I thought it was very long too!

Give me Wall-E anyday of the week. I just love that film, and I
thought Pixar were slowly heading down the drain...

> > > LoveFilm means I have the world at my finger tips really.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Rowan]

I watched Control last night (think it had a 2007 release) but it was
really good - no where near as bleak as I'd anticipated. Persepolis
is next on my list - I seem to have missed everything this "summer".

[jacqui...@hotmail.com]

i recently watched the orphanage (juan antonio bayona); not at all
scary (but then I don't scare easily) but it's a lovely wee film with
a lot of heart ... see the original spanish one before hollywood rip
the a*se out of it.

[Math]

Have you seen [REC], Jacqui? You need a heart of stone not to be scared by that one. I'm still not over it. I don't think I ever will be.

It's old now but My Best Fiend is worth checking out if you haven't already, Rowan. Herzog is such a beautiful talker, I could listen to him all day. I know bugger all about his films (apart from the wonderful Grizzly Man) but that didn't seem to matter. And fair play to Klaus Kinski. The madman's madman.

[jacqui...@hotmail.com]

no, not yet, math. is it gory? i don't particuarly do gory.

i've been watching a lot of old hitchcock films recently, i don't
reckon he was as great as everybody says ... the man who knew too much
is a bad film.

On Sep 11, 1:19 pm, Math <sunsetbe...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Have you seen [REC], Jacqui? You need a heart of stone not to be scared by
> that one. I'm still not over it. I don't think I ever will be.
> It's old now but My Best Fiend is worth checking out if you haven't already,
> Rowan. Herzog is such a beautiful talker, I could listen to him all day. I
> know bugger all about his films (apart from the wonderful Grizzly Man) but
> that didn't seem to matter. And fair play to Klaus Kinski. The madman's
> madman.
>

[Math]

There is no gore. It's a jumpy film. Jump! Aargh, it's horrible, so scary that it's really upsetting. It doesn't bend your brain or gross you out, it does nothing new, [REC] just does it by the book but does it perfectly.

Chirpy Spanish TV presenter and an intrepid cameraman are making a feature on late night life at the local fire station. An emergency call comes in, they tag along in the fire engine to see what's up. They arrive at a building. And then!

[Spinky]

So this is where Collective lives on? Hi (again) everyone!

Anyway - last decent movie I saw was Persepolis - really enjoyed this,
very true to the book. It is well worth a look.

I wanted to see Man on Wire, but it only seemed to be in the cinema
for 5 minutes, then it went under in a deluge of Batman.

> > > > > is next on my list - I seem to have missed everything this "summer".- Hide quoted text -

[danielet...@googlemail.com]

Saw Shane Meadows' latest, Somers Town, yesterday. Pretty good, though
kidna slight compared to his superb last ones - This Is England and
Dead Man's Shoes.

Then I saw Gomorrah, an Italian film about the crime and corruption in
southern Italy, based on a non-fiction book. Pretty good, but I was
kinda hoping for a Neopolitan City of God and it falls well short of
that.

[REC] is cool. Seems like it's traumatised you though Math. Only cure
for that is to watch more scary movies. ;-)

I wonder if Hollywood will pull off the same fear factor in its remake
(Quarantine, out here 14 Nov). Doubtful, unless they can resist the
urge to transform the lean, mean Spanish film into a daft, flashy,
glossy US film.

[Rowan]

I thought the Orphanage was brilliant but terrifying - you have a
heart of stone Weeg!

I have heard that Man on a Wire is unmissable actually, but I have to
confess that the subject doesn't grab me that much, maybe it's one of
those documentaries that manages to go beyond your expectations.

[Math]

Surely Quarantine will be utter shite. That choice of title is awful. They don't know how to do the Proper Fear, not any more.

And you could be right about the trauma Dan. That's what the best ones do after all. They cause a tiny bit of damage, leave little scars in your mind. Loads of films when I was little did that but now that I'm all grown up it has only been the original Ring and [REC].

[Spinky]

Anyone seen Eden Lake yet? the Metro said that was proper scary. I
want to see that now.

> > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

[Math]

I heard Kermode review it on the radio. Sounds like one of those torture films. I'll be avoiding.

[danielet...@googlemail.com]

Eden Lake is pretty intense. My friend Ali (who co-wrote the excellent
book 'Your Face Here' on British cult film) was ranting at me on the
text the other night after seeing it, calling it "the greatest and
most powerful british horror film since the wicker man". I reckon he
was overstating the case a tad. It's pretty powerful stuff, but made
up of a lot of familiar elements.

It's not really torture porn like Saw or Hostel, more what I call
"backcountry gothic", with townies getting preyed upon the sticks.

I've got a review over on Film4: http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=167942

On Sep 14, 2:54 pm, Math <sunsetbe...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I heard Kermode review it on the radio. Sounds like one of those torture
> films. I'll be avoiding.
>

[Spinky]

The review in the Metro made it sound like Southern Comfort on a
council estate. It's one of those great ideas you just think, "why
hasn't someone done this before"

[Rowan]

Watched Persepolis the other night - I felt it was sad and touching
and educational and beautiful - I loved Satrapi's animation more than
her book illustrations I think, which are lovely but more simplistic.
If only we learned about politics in this sort of way at school.

[astrotomato]

If you watch The Orphanage on your own, in a dark flat, with all the
lights turned off, I can guarantee that it's spooky as hell.
Especially when the kids play "what time is it Mr Wolf?" at the end.
{{{{brrrr}}}}

The Strangers is hilarious - well, when you watch it in a theatre full
of teenage girls. I haven't laughed so hard in ages. On a horror
level, the first half is fairly effective, the second half just
cliched running around nonsense. Liv Tyler is lovely.

Batman was great. Whoever thought it was too complicated - how?! The
plot was easy to follow. Batman is supposed to be po faced and overly
earnest. That's why his nemeses are jokers, riddlers and waddling
penguins.

Wall E is unmissable. Almost made me cry. But then I am getting old,
and adverts are starting to make me cry these days.

a*o

[Amir]

Right. Here's my all-time complete unmissable films list.

Kill Bill Volume One - I don't give a toss if people don't like it -
the animated backstory to O-Ren Ishii is as good as any anime you'll
see, the Showdown at House Of Blue Leaves a masterclass in
choreographed gore.

The Dreamers - A great soundtrack, visually compelling, a homage to
great movies and Eva Green in the buff. Who cares if the plot's a bit
shit?

Grosse Point Blank - It works on so many levels... John Cusack is a
very brilliant comedy actor.

Fitzcarraldo - frankly bonkers and unbelievable. But that's the whole
point.

Dead Man's Shoes - a revenge tale set in backwoods Derbyshire? Yes
please.

Groundhog Day - Inspired comedy genius.

The Third Man - A nailed-on classic. Much better than Casablanca.

Raising Arizona - Nicholas Cage's finest hour-and-a-half.

Glengarry Glen Ross - inspired the most underrated Simpsons character,
Gil, and has top notch acting from all the cast. Even Alec Baldwin.
And Pacino, for once, doesn't chew the scenery.

But, my all-time unmissable film???

Apocalypse Now - I would sell my soul to make a film as good as this.
The Redux version is even better. Everything about this film is great.
Brando on the world's greatest ego trip can't spoil it. My favourite
bit in the whole film is the scene at the bridge. You can't see a
thing, the soldiers are beyond the pale with regard to their mental
health and yet the fighting still goes on. It captures the whole mood
of the film. And Dennis Hopper's in it, which makes it even better.

[jacqui...@hotmail.com]

saw [REC] at the weekend. excellent film - jumpy in more places than
normal. i enjoyed it, but i wasn't scare (honest, guv, that wasn't me
screaming like a girl you heard.....)

[Rowan]

Watched the Coen Bros new film, Burn After Reading, last night (at
Bristol's new chichi cinema which is pretty lovely) - didn't have the
spark that Big Lebowski has for me. It's definitely entertaining, but
when I came out I couldn't work out why anyone would bother making a
film like that, but then I guess that's what the Coen's like.

[jacqui...@hotmail.com]

it's entertaining enough. some good performances though. john
malchovich is terrific ("what the f*ck?") and jk simmons is peerless
("get back to me when you know what's happening"). both sum the film
up nicely.

[Spinky]

"Kill Bill Volume One - I don't give a toss if people don't like it -
the animated backstory to O-Ren Ishii is as good as any anime you'll
see, the Showdown at House Of Blue Leaves a masterclass in
choreographed gore. "

I finally saw Death Proof last night - I don't care if it was slated -
it's critics are clearly idiots. I thought it was great. A big
kahuna burger of a movie.

[Rowan]

Ice Cold in Alex - fantastically evocative Man struggles against harsh
north African world in midst of crazy war movie. Carlsberg couldn't
have hoped for better advertising in their most crazed dreams.

[Amir]

I love that film. There's something classically 'British' about it
all.

[Rowan]

Darjeeling Ltd - Great, like Royal Tenenbaums on holiday. Good sound
track, as expected from Wes Anderson. Bill Murray underused.

Seven Samurai - I've never seen the Magnificent Seven (which is based
on Seven Samurai) but could it posisbly be so slow? SS is a great
Kurosawa film made in 1954 which somehow feels like it was made in
feudal Japan.

(I also the new Bond recently - thought it was good, if you like
Casino Royale you'll like Quantum of Solace although there's not much
more to say on the subject other than it continues the rebranding of
Bond. Didn't work out what the name was really about, must have
missed that...)