What film did you watch last night?

[AndyRM]

French Connection - 9/10

Been years since I watched this and I was a little worried I might have been remembering it too kindly based on my comment upthread.

Nope, still genius. My viewing partner was less than impressed so I guess I'm single now.

 

[Drago]

Bullying might be pushing it a bit...saw that interview last night.
Bill Murray Remembers Gene Hackman As A “Tough Nut” Who Gave Wes Anderson A “Really Rough” Time On ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’.

Depending on who you believe, Hackman simply didn't like Anderson or Angelica Huston very much and at best had a strained relationship. Not being someone to pull their punches, to say it how it is (or think it is) isn't bullying - blunt to the point of pain, perhaps.

One of Hackmans neighbours in NM would regularly give Hackman excess eggs that his hens had laid. One day Hackman turned up at the guys house with a landscape scene he had painted and insisted on giving it to the guy to show his appreciation for all the eggs. That seems the act of a thoughtful character rather than someone prone to being a gratuitous PITA for the sake of it.

 

[Psamathe]

The Gorge

OK, not very original story. Small cast (cheap), limited locations (cheap) but OK. I wouldn't recommend it but it's not a disaster. Maybe representative of the cheaper fast production we have these days from the likes of Amazon/Apple/Netflix (direct to TV?).

Ian

 

[stephec]

Combat Academy

Billed as a Police Academy style comedy, it would be true if Police Academy was a dire piece of cack.

A high school loser and his sidekick are sent to a military academy as punishment, and all manner of high jinks ensure.

Leave well alone, I watched it so that you don't have to.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Combat Academy

Billed as a Police Academy style comedy, it would be true if Police Academy was a dire piece of cack.

A high school loser and his sidekick are sent to a military academy as punishment, and all manner of high jinks ensure.

Leave well alone, I watched it so that you don't have to.

I fear a Franchise is already in the making ..

Fire Academy
Rubbish Academy
Mortuary Academy
Academy Academy
Etc....

 

[AndyRM]

The Gorge

OK, not very original story. Small cast (cheap), limited locations (cheap) but OK. I wouldn't recommend it but it's not a disaster. Maybe representative of the cheaper fast production we have these days from the likes of Amazon/Apple/Netflix (direct to TV?).

Ian

I quite like the look of this, seems up my street.

They've been coy about the actual costs but I've read anywhere from $20m which is probably about right, all the way up to $70m which seems huge for what it is.

 

[icowden]

Well just fell down an Amazon wormhole after watching episode 4 of Reacher.

Amazon keeps trying to make me watch Elevation, so I decided to watch it while I did the ironing.
It's not a bad movie, also not the best. It's an apocalypse movie where everyone has to live above 8000 feet because indestructible creatures came out of the ground and ate everyone. The mystery is how they only attack humans and never seem to rest or sleep. At bit of weak "explaining" writing at the start, and it's very predictable in places with over obvious signposting of events. I enjoyed it though. It also feels like as they were getting towards 66% done the studio went - "all right you need to finish this - 30 more minutes of film and that's it". Either that or there needs to be a sequel. There is a strong cast headed by Anthony Mackie and Morena Baccarin, so 7/10 from me.

This then led me to "Borderlands". This is a silly videogame based movie. The start is absolutely awful - terrible writing, and there is some poor CGI throughout as well as plot holes as wide as a double decker bus, but I did warm up to it. It's definitely a film you can watch where very little thinking is required, and there are some great comedy moments largely provided by a Jack Black voiced one wheeled robot - probably the best character in the film. It's weird and the body count is high but in a sanitised sort of way. Probably only a 5/10 though.

 

[yello]

We watched Shawshank Redemption a few nights back on terrestrial tele. We didn't know it was on, just the result of channel flicking. It really is a top drawer film.

We haven't watched a film in ages, even longer on 'proper' tele, so it was a most enjoyable throwback evening.

 

[lazybloke]

Two films on streaming this weekend; neither requiring a brain. Unintentionally funny, so both get an extra point.


Executive Decision
A preposterous plane hijack story starring Hercule Poirot David Suchet, and a bespectacled, floppy-haired Kurt Russell who steps up to save the day, in a dinner jacket. Halle Berry plays the plucky flight attendant. A second bonus point for killing off a star in the first few minutes. 3/5.

Plane
Another preposterous movie involving a winged vehicle. After having the avionics knocked out by a fierce electrical storm, Gerard Butler plays an astonishingly capable pilot, touching down in jungle on a hostile island with hopes of Macgyvering the plane back into airworthiness whilst simultaneously battling an armed militia. 2/5

 

[cougie uk]

Two films on streaming this weekend; neither requiring a brain. Unintentionally funny, so both get an extra point.


Executive Decision
A preposterous plane hijack story starring Hercule Poirot David Suchet, and a bespectacled, floppy-haired Kurt Russell who steps up to save the day, in a dinner jacket. Halle Berry plays the plucky flight attendant. A second bonus point for killing off a star in the first few minutes. 3/5.

Plane
Another preposterous movie involving a winged vehicle. After having the avionics knocked out by a fierce electrical storm, Gerard Butler plays an astonishingly capable pilot, touching down in jungle on a hostile island with hopes of Macgyvering the plane back into airworthiness whilst simultaneously battling an armed militia. 2/5

Gerard Butler is my go to 'avoid if he's in it'

All of those bodyguard movies are awful.

 

[Adam4868]

Sicario....ended up watching this again the other night.Great film if your lucky enough to not have seen it.

 

[icowden]

As a fan of the game series the film has got absolutely destroyed by people like me, it adheres to almost none of the actual plot and has severe misscasting (Kate Blanchett is great but Lillith is suppoed to be in her 20s). The worst one is having a dwarf, sorry Kevin Hart, play Roland. Its almost as bad as when they cast the other famous dwarf Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher. Not suprisingly the film is considered one of the worst of 2024 and potentially the worst film based on a videogame.

Yes, I had the impression that people who had not played the game viewed it more favourably although were somewhat baffled by some things that are just not explained, whereas those that have played the game understood more but were much more wtf? One reviewer summed it up as a film that makes no-one entirely happy. Amazon are really pushing it though.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Mercy. Absolutely dreadful 1/10. It was on the Netflix top 10, and had Jon Voight in it so thought it might be worth a bash.

A Doctor who was of course ex-military has to rescue her son and prevent an Irish gang mob from taking over a hospital. A scene where she ran on to the roof and all the FBI agents saluted her made me laugh out loud, which I rarely do but it was so cringeworthy it was hilarious.

One to avoid

 

[icowden]

Thats about right. Gamefans are notoriously protective of 'our' game and if someone changes things theres hell to play. I mean the film makers can't act surpised if they change all the things that made it popular and then wonder why fans of the game think its a bad film, and none fans are just confused by the (new to them) poor story and effects.

It struck me that it would probably have been better as a TV series. It just felt like a lot more could have been fleshed out and given depth. As it is, the characters are pretty much cardboard cut-outs. TBH Claptrap the robot saved the film for me.

 

[yello]

I kinda films (and tv) with the FBI in them. I think it's the jackets. I've always secretly craved one of those FBI jackets (not so secretly now) Plus, I like to say eff-bee-eye in my sternest voice, enunciating each letter in a particularly rigid way. The dog thinks it's a hoot and the start of a game.