Return of the RECENT VIEWING

[Goat Boy]

The Wild Bunch

On the big screen with the old man.

It is a great film and it has more humanity and humour than I remembered. Its themes as well resonate with me increasingly as I get older.

[Snarfyguy]

A decent premise about social catharsis and class war goes to waste amid feeble characterizations and plot turns that are at once ludicrous and telescoped so clearly in advance that there's effectively no suspense. Oh well.

[Matt Wilson]

Collateral & Manhunter

Two of Mann's best. Collateral is the only great Tom Cruise film of the 21st Century (OK, I haven't seen them all) and Manhunter is an underrated '80s crime drama with the first film appearance of Hannibal Lector. I love both of these movies but to be honest, Mann made better.

[joels344]

Come and See was an unapologetic look at the physical and psychological horrors involved in warfare. The audience experiences the sheer terror along with the main character as he descends through a myriad of destruction, violence, and madness. The film is presented in such an astonishing and often hypotonic manner that one cannot pull away from it, even with all the horrors thrown at you. It's one of those films that I can comfortably say every aspect was handled in a masterful way. Especially the sound design, which was an absolute work of art. Come and See is an essential cinema and arguably the most realistic war film ever shot. 5/5

[joels344]

Valley of the Bees is the third film in František Vláčil's historical trilogy, which also includes The Devil's Trap, and the highly ambitious and innovative masterpiece, Marketa Lazarová. With this film, Vláčil utilizes a more straightforward narrative structure and classical filmmaking approach to tell the story. Visually the film is just as stunning as Marketa Lazarová, but operates in a more subtle manner with its gorgeous pastoral landscapes shots mixed among the grim and realistically portrayed medieval culture. What the film may lack in overall ambition, it makes up for in confident direction, transportive visuals, engaging storytelling, and unique characterization. Valley of the Bees is a must watch for fans of pure cinema. 4.5/5.

[Matt Wilson]

In Cold Blood

Absolutely riveting film version of Capote's novel. I've always loved it, but I never fully appreciated it until I saw Criterion's blu last night. One of the best crime pictures ever made.

[Davey the Fat Boy]

Fantastic Nicholas Ray noir. Not sure why this one isn't mentioned more.

[Goat Boy]

I remember this being marketed as a "Welsh Trainspotting" obviously because it's "provincial" and contains drugs. All of the characters are crude and stupid and the main brothers are horrible and totally unsympathetic (they even chop a dogs head off). A stupid, grotty little movie.

The 90s were terrible for British film

[The Modernist]

I remember this being marketed as a "Welsh Trainspotting" obviously because it's "provincial" and contains drugs. All of the characters are crude and stupid and the main brothers are horrible and totally unsympathetic (they even chop a dogs head off). A stupid, grotty little movie.

The 90s were terrible for British film

Yes I agree.

[Minnie the Minx]

We've been watching Northern Exposure from the start. I think I got into it much later on, so I had never seen all these early episodes.
It has a fabulous feel to it. I can't really explain what I mean. It's just immensely enjoyable.

[Darkness_Fish]

We've been watching Northern Exposure from the start. I think I got into it much later on, so I had never seen all these early episodes.
It has a fabulous feel to it. I can't really explain what I mean. It's just immensely enjoyable.

Probably my all-time favourite American tv show. I haven't watched it since it was originally shown, in case my memory of it is playing tricks on me, or it's dated badly. I remember it being slightly off-kilter and surreal, but very warm-hearted with it all.

[Goat Boy]

American Hustle

I enjoyed this a lot. The performances are great (Jennifer Lawrence is a real talent), the story has twists and turns but it’s not too complex that you can’t follow it and it has style with moments of depth and real heart.

[Matt Wilson]

Hell and High Water

A Samuel Fuller Cold War/comic book picture from the '50s with Richard Widmark as the captain of a Submarine. Early Cinemascope film with laughable dialogue but tense sequences. A blind purchase.

[Samoan]

We've been watching Northern Exposure from the start. I think I got into it much later on, so I had never seen all these early episodes.
It has a fabulous feel to it. I can't really explain what I mean. It's just immensely enjoyable.

Probably my all-time favourite American tv show. I haven't watched it since it was originally shown, in case my memory of it is playing tricks on me, or it's dated badly. I remember it being slightly off-kilter and surreal, but very warm-hearted with it all.

I loved that show which had a cult following when it was first screened here in the 90's.
Marilyn was the star, for me.
I'm glad to see it has other fans as it's something special.

[pcqgod]

The Big Sick (2017)

Essentially the true-life story of the relationship between actor/comic Kumail Nanjiani and writer Emily V. Gordon, this movie is alternately funny and sad, adequately conveying the awkwardness of relationships in general and in particular this one, complicated by the fact that Nanjiani comes from a traditional Pakistani family where arranged marriage is the norm.



Wonder Woman (2017)

This movie had a lot going for it; terrific action, comedy, charming leads in Gal Gadot and Chris Pine, and the WWI setting gives it a real world gravitas often missing from superhero films. The climax is one of those typical things with a bunch of cgi characters flying around, so I felt a bit let down at the end, but this is still worth a watch if you like the character or comic book films in general.



Baby Driver (2017)

The thing that I really liked about this movie is how a romance story straight out of a musical is grafted onto the action/crime story. If it was just fast cars and stunts I wouldn't have cared.

[Goat Boy]

Crooklyn – Spike Lee

There isn’t much plot - it’s basically a series of anecdotes set in 1970s Brooklyn – but there doesn’t really need to be. It has a naturalistic charm, some good performances (especially from the kids) and it feels authentic in a way that’s lots of period movies about childhood don’t. The 70s soul/funk soundtrack is, of course great too. You might say it’s a bit gratuitous but the movie works as a nostalgic recollection of a bygone era where kids still play in the street and neighbours still know each other. Perhaps that’s a rose tinted view but so what?

[Snarfyguy]

King Cobra (USA 2016)

I don't know what it's a sign of that the likes of Christian Slater, Alicia Silverstone and Molly Ringwald appear in this no-budget g*y sexploitation romp: either they're such has-beens that they'll take any work they can get or that their collective stature is what's needed to get a production like this made in the first place. James Franco's presence actually makes more sense - he loves this kind of splashy, transgressive ridiculousness.

To call it "lurid" is a massive understatement; indeed, the whole point of the exercise often seems to be a massive excuse to wallow in soft-core p**n: even when the characters aren't making p**n, they're having s*x in scenes that are basically indistinguishable from the p**n scenes they create and perform in.

Otherwise, it's a movie with two plot strands that are dramatically out of step with each other, tonally. There's a marginal amount of actual characterization amid the cartoonish antics, but it really doesn't go deep enough, so to speak.

[Matt Wilson]

LOL! How could you have possibly thought that film would be good, though?

[Dr Markus]

I really don't like James Franco, but I can't figure out why.

[Snarfyguy]

LOL! How could you have possibly thought that film would be good, though?

I didn't really think it would be "good," but I thought it might be more entertaining than it turned out to be. Wishful thinking, clearly.

Tell me you've never watched a sleazy exploitation movie, Matt!

(Perhaps a contrast with Spring Breakers - which I thought was junk cinema done right* - is in order.)


* at least, it had sexy girls in it.