Topic: Never Ending Movie Marathon (short reviews)

[samuelrichardscott]

Righteous Kill (2008)

Having heard nothing but bad/mediocre things about this movie, I went into it with low expectations. Unfortunately, everything I had been told was on the money. The so-called 'twist' was obvious from the opening scenes, De Niro and Pacino phone their roles in, and it feels like an overly long police procedural television show. The fact it was written by the same guy who wrote The Inside Man made it all the more disappointing. Still, there is some good to be had here. The actual ideas are good, Carla Gugino impresses (but is under utilised), and I did enjoy the occasional glimmer of dark humour. It's a low end rental at best. 2.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Edge of Darkness (2010)
Okay, so it isn't quite as good as the original mini-series (also directed by Martin Campbell), but this is certainly a very solid thriller and Mel Gibson puts in his best performance in years. There are some brutal moments, the special effects are top notch, and the storyline is intriguing. Worth buying.

[Tom]

Thanks Tom. Seems the only blu-rays for them are USA but over the customs limit. I've put a low price watch on them and will pick them up if they ever get stupidly cheap (I'm unsure about them now after this one).

Just so that you know: I didn't enjoy "Batman: Gotham Knight" either.
You can find my review here. Have you watched the episodes in the special features? Seems like there was an episode I had really enjoyed.

My review for "Wonder Woman" is here.
And here my review for "Superman: Doomsday". And here my review for "Superman/Batman: Apocalypse"

[samuelrichardscott]

Thanks for the links Tom.

I haven't watched the extras. Skip most extras these days so I can make some attempt at cutting down on the pile, though I do end up watching quite a few still.

Have you seen these Ultimate Avengers movies?:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimate-Avengers-Blu-ray/dp/B004EMS01Q/ref=sr_1_4?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1373150320&sr=1-4&keywords=marvel

I think I might blind buy at £6.25

[samuelrichardscott]

Lemmy (2010)
An absolute legend, anyone with even a passing interest in Motorhead should watch this. It's a look at his life and career and there are so many people who in themselves are excellent musicians interviewed here including Ozzy. He's blunt, he's to the point, but he has a lot of time for his fans. Loved the story with Lemmy, Dave Grohl and The Darkness. 4/5

Tropicalia (2012)
Some great music and an interesting look at a cultural movement in Brazil that even helped change the country to a point. Those with a close relationship to this style of music and its history in Brazil will love it, others watching it on a whim like me, might want to rent it first. 3/5
I gave the Mr Bongo blu-ray a quick technical review: http://www.dvdcompare.net/review.php?rid=2896

[Tom]

Have you seen these Ultimate Avengers movies?:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimate-Avengers-Blu-ray/dp/B004EMS01Q/ref=sr_1_4?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1373150320&sr=1-4&keywords=marvel

I think I might blind buy at £6.25

No, I haven't seem those. I might consider it also.

[samuelrichardscott]

Dangerous Parking (2007)
Watching the main characters descent into detructive self-loathing was great, but the attempts at dark comedy often missed the mark and director Peter Howitt's last minute appointment as the main character was a bad move - but unfortunately he had no choice after the actor originally due to play the part dropped out just before filming starts and the £650k budget didn't allow the shoot to be put back. 3/5

I also rewatched House on the Edge of the Park (1985) which I reviewed earlier in this thread.

[DSig]

Edge of Darkness (2010)
Okay, so it isn't quite as good as the original mini-series (also directed by Martin Campbell), but this is certainly a very solid thriller and Mel Gibson puts in his best performance in years. There are some brutal moments, the special effects are top notch, and the storyline is intriguing. Worth buying.

I have to agree with this being one of his best performances in a long time.  It is interesting to me how well he does in films like this where the *hero* is a very stressful person.  Like his job in "Payback".  It is also interesting that he seems to carry this great stress/tension in his real life as seen in some of his behavior.

[samuelrichardscott]

Rewatched Warlock (1989) which I reviewed earlier in this thread.

The Hamiltons (2006)
Not much to say about this one to be honest. It has some great ideas, but they are very poorly utilised so one can only hope that the sequel is better. 1.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Rewatched 8 Million Ways toDie (1986) and The Last American Hero (1973), both of which I reviewed earlier in this thread.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011)
When Ghost Rider takes a wee, his penis works as a flamethrower. In all seriousness though, better direction than the first, better special effects and a storyline that revels in its own sillyness. This movie knows it is stupid, and tries to at least make it fun in knowing so. 2.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

EM Embalming (1999)
EM Embalming, quite possibly the only film in the world where the central character is an embalmer, is about Miyako (Reiko Takashima), who is embalming the body of an apparent suicide victim.  However, when she finds a needle embedded in the body she believes the death may amount to more than first thought.  When she returns to her workplace (I really don't know what you'd call an embalming place?  a studio? an office?  who knows?) she finds that the head from the body has been chopped off and stolen.  It is here that Miyako starts her journey through various subjects including live organ harvesting, drug experiments, religious sects and even more disturbing stuff.  Throughout the story a couple of questions arise.  First of all, who killed the young boy?  And again, who would be sick enough to steal his head?  Directed by Cannes award winning director Shinji Aoyama, EM Embalming (his 8th feature length film) is a gory investigation into the illusions that make up society as we know it.  With some gory scenes, obviously including one of somebody being embalmed as well as the odd limb/head chopping, it is a film that you don't want to watch after having your dinner unless you have a strong stomach.  It certainly isn't a film you should miss altogether.  Starring Reiko Takashima (as Miyako),  Yutaka Matsushige, Seijun Suzuki, Hitomi Miwa and Masatoshi Matsuo, it is also cast well.  The characters take very different paths and all lead very different lives, all of which are conveyed immensely and to the point where you start to feel for each character, trying to solve the clues yourself and continually guess what the next twist is going to be (which if you're like me, you'll also be continually wrong and pleasantly surprised).  The only main problem I had with this the film was that it didn't really know what route it was taking.  It started off as a typical horror film venturing along the lines of Ringu and NEKROmantik (another taboo defying fest), but then slowly turned from what was the trend amongst Japanese horror (which at the time, wasn't the best decision) into a typical thriller style scenario.  Despite this, EM Embalming is a thought provoking film there certainly is no other like it.  Everyone should at least see this film, but afterwards, if you feel a little let down, go and get Eureka (2000), which proved to be a fantastic hit on the festival circuit as well as in my house. 3/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Nada (1974)
Nada is the name of a small French terrorist group that are operating from Paris. The main storyline to the film is that Nada kidnap an American ambassador from a Parisian brothel, keeping him in a farmhouse, isolated from the rest of the world, whilst they wait for an answer to their demands. As the film progresses however, we learn that as the police close in on rescuing the ambassador, they are a lot less concerned about rescuing him, and a lot more concerned about eliminating the terrorists so that can turn the event to their own political advantage. The one thing I really enjoyed whilst watching this political thriller, was the way that Chabrol batters your mind thinking about who is in the right and who is in the wrong (Nada or the authorities). You know, deep inside, that the authorities are obviously in the right, but as you see their ruthless way of questioning people and the downright barren way in which they try and move forward in the search, you almost feel sorry for the terrorist group. By showing us the relentless passion from both sides of the coin, Chabrol gives us a film that after watching, you really think about.
During the film there are some fantastic shots from cinematographer Jean Rabier, who has worked with Chabrol on many films.
The acting ranges from average to excellent with the more sadistic and heavy handed scenes being handled magnificently. The more dialogue driven scenes, where not as much passion is needed, are unfortuantely overlong and dull. This is the main downfall of the film for me. I think if the actors had put a little bit more effort in these scenes, the film would've been a lot more appealing and my mind wouldn't be starting to drift away at all. The main cast members are Fabio Testi, Mariangela Melato, Maurice Garrel and Michel Duchaussoy.
An above average film with some very hit and miss scenes, I recommend you get this if you are really into political thrillers. If you're not, then rent it first. Either way, it shouldn't be missed. 3.5/5

[samuelrichardscott]

Rewatched Que la Bete Meure (1969) and Vacanze per un massacro (1980), bothof which I've reviewed here before.

Capone (1975)
Produced by Roger Corman, this is the type of movie based around gangster Al Capone you would expect from him. Historically inaccurate, low production values, but a lot of fun and there's an interesting role for Sylvester Stallone within. 3/5

[samuelrichardscott]

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
It might be nearly three hours in length and had a few folks complain that it wasn't as gripping as LOTR due to being more strung out, and I can see their point, but personally, I really dug it and can't wait for the next part. Martin Freeman was the perfect choice for the lead, the special effects were great and the 3D avoided gimmicky popouts and opted for fantastic depth. 4.5/5

[DSig]

Agreed.  The only time it seemed slow at the theater was when people talked, cough etc and broke the mezmorizing effect it had on me <G>.  And Martin Freeman was a great choice.  I really loved him in The Office and even The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy.  Yep .. a great film with great characters ... even if some are added <G>