Films you've seen lately

[Roger Webb]

I record everything , then edit-out the adverts. I couldn't watch Tv otherwise. The adverts would infuriate me.

And am I the only person who is irritated by the succession of 20-second graphics sequences which precede most films these days?

I do similar Smittims. If I notice something on a commercial station I, or my wife, would like to watch I either record the whole thing on the Humax and watch at a later date, or set the Humax to the desired station before the programme start time and then simply start watching, say, half an hour after it has started and 'rewind' to the beginning, fast-forwarding at 16x speed as and when adverts are encountered!

[LMcD]

I record everything , then edit-out the adverts. I couldn't watch Tv otherwise. The adverts would infuriate me.

And am I the only person who is irritated by the succession of 20-second graphics sequences which precede most films these days?

No!

[LHC]

I find most American blockbusters to be boring. The MI8 film took ages to get going and the only exciting elemtents were the descent to the submarine and the biplanes at the end. It was overlong and very predictable.

I find that films which are made in America are really formulaic and very predictable. 'The Accountant 2' surprised me with it's intelligence and non linear approach to the story. Mi8 seemed typical of big budget films insofar that rhe screenplay was just a sequence of high octaine scenarios.

Is MI8 filmaking ir just product ? No artistic value whatsoever.

At this stage the MI series is built around the complex set pieces. Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise come up with their ideas for ever more complex and outlandish stunts for Cruise to do, and then a script is constructed with the sole aim of connecting those set pieces.

McQuarrie is said to be suspicious of dialogue and normally tries to keep the action coming thick and fast. Its a shame he didn't follow his own edict in Final Reckoning as there is far too much tedious exposition in the first 70 minutes or so and the film doesn't really get going until Cruise gets to the submarine. The messianic treatment of Cruise as the 'chosen one' in the first half is also pretty tiresome. I did enjoy the submarine and bi-plane set pieces and it looked and sounded amazing on the BFI Imax screen, but it really could and should have been 40 minutes shorter than it was.

The film also showed signs of being hastily rewritten after the previous film wasn't as successful as had been hoped, with Esai Morales' character, Gabriel, taking over as the main antagonist instead of 'the Entity', which was much more present in the first part.

[Nick Armstrong]

I do similar Smittims. If I notice something on a commercial station I, or my wife, would like to watch I either record the whole thing on the Humax and watch at a later date, or set the Humax to the desired station before the programme start time and then simply start watching, say, half an hour after it has started and 'rewind' to the beginning, fast-forwarding at 16x speed as and when adverts are encountered!

Same here! (Except it’s Panasonic)

Even the silly animations which precede BBC programmes get edited out here (I wonder how many £millions they cost…?)

[smittims]

Another feel-good road movie about an aged person with a terminal diagnosis. No not The Salt Path this time, but The Last Bus, on BBC iPlayer, which I enjoyed very much. Timothy Spall plays a man travelling back by bus from John o'Groats to Land's End where his baby daughter was buried, to deposit his wife's ashes in the sea. It's predictable , but well done,and once again the scenery is magnificent, if a little out of phase. H e seems to travel via Liverpool , and on the way to Gloucester there are mountaind in the background. Hmm.. . never mind.

[LMcD]

Another feel-good road movie about an aged person with a terminal diagnosis. No not The Salt Path this time, but The Last Bus, on BBC iPlayer, which I enjoyed very much. Timothy Spall plays a man travelling back by bus from John o'Groats to Land's End where his baby daughter was buried, to deposit his wife's ashes in the sea. It's predictable , but well done,and once again the scenery is magnificent, if a little out of phase. H e seems to travel via Liverpool , and on the way to Gloucester there are mountaind in the background. Hmm.. . never mind.

Did he also pass though 'Death Valley'?

[EnemyoftheStoat]

Did he also pass though 'Death Valley'?

If not, maybe Salisbury will feature in the sequel.

[johncorrigan]

I like Tim Key. Since seeing him in the trailer for 'The Ballad of Wallis Island' I have been looking forward to going to the film, which we looked in on last night. Tim plays lottery winner, Charles Heath who invites his musical heroes, duo McGwyer Mortimer, to reunite and play for him. I found it very funny - I laughed a lot, and there were people in the cinema laughing even more, so I missed some of the lines - it's also quite a sad wee film. Carey Mulligan's in it, playing Nell Mortimer very nicely. I really enjoyed Sian Clifford's performance as the shop keeper on the island. Anyway, it may not be to everyone's taste but Mrs C and I had a most entertaining evening out at the flicks. I think I saw on the credits that it was filmed in Wales - looked lovely.

[Belgrove]

There’s been a dearth of decent films of late, and I’m sure that 28 Years Later is not recommendable to all, it will certainly have those more at home with Jane Austin adaptations reaching for their smelling salts. Indeed I have not felt more anxious watching a film since first seeing Alien many years ago. Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland have reunited to provide a worthy sequel to their earlier 28 Days Later, a zombie apocalypse with serious intentions and memorable imagery. This is equally serious, and brilliantly executed, but I’m unsure what the intentions are. It contains scenes and images of terrifyingly savage brutality, and of stunning, cosmic beauty, there’s even a quote from Das Rheingold in the soundtrack. It also has some fine acting, not least from the young Alfie Williams who helps his ailing Mum, Jodie Comer, seek medical assistance from a shamanistic former GP played by Ralph Fiennes. This episode has a Heart of Darkness vibe about it. So is it an allegory of some kind (post Brexit Britain maybe)? It certainly has mythic qualities, a coming of age story, a quest beset with dangers, … . But perhaps it’s saying little more than civilisation is a thin veneer (the same charge could be levelled at Heart of Darkness, at least on first reading). However one reads it, it is an accomplished film, but not for the faint hearted.

[smittims]

Alhough I don't go for violence in films ( my idea of a good recent film is The Eternal Daughter) , I compliment you on what looks like a vivid summary there, Belgrove. But it did make me wonder why sex is so heavily censored in films when violence isn't.

[Ian Thumwood]

There’s been a dearth of decent films of late, and I’m sure that 28 Years Later is not recommendable to all, it will certainly have those more at home with Jane Austin adaptations reaching for their smelling salts. Indeed I have not felt more anxious watching a film since first seeing Alien many years ago. Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland have reunited to provide a worthy sequel to their earlier 28 Days Later, a zombie apocalypse with serious intentions and memorable imagery. This is equally serious, and brilliantly executed, but I’m unsure what the intentions are. It contains scenes and images of terrifyingly savage brutality, and of stunning, cosmic beauty, there’s even a quote from Das Rheingold in the soundtrack. It also has some fine acting, not least from the young Alfie Williams who helps his ailing Mum, Jodie Comer, seek medical assistance from a shamanistic former GP played by Ralph Fiennes. This episode has a Heart of Darkness vibe about it. So is it an allegory of some kind (post Brexit Britain maybe)? It certainly has mythic qualities, a coming of age story, a quest beset with dangers, … . But perhaps it’s saying little more than civilisation is a thin veneer (the same charge could be levelled at Heart of Darkness, at least on first reading). However one reads it, it is an accomplished film, but not for the faint hearted.

We saw the film last night. I agree with the parallels with Brexit but more significantly felt the message was more against English nationalism with the views of Reform brutally skewered. Maybe the film's target was Reform more than Brexit?

The violence is cartoonish and I felt the fate of Jodie Cromer's character did not ring true. However, the story was really good and the scenery even better than The Salt Path. It is not really a horror film .

The opening scenes were not explained until the end of the film which was rather abrupt. Made me wonder if there was a part two. The story offered some interesting strands which need to be taken up in a sequel. Much better than your usual American film . In aime respects it was quite experimental.

Shame Danny Boyle never got to do the James Bond film.

[johncorrigan]

Being a bit squeamish, and despite the fine reviews here on the forum, I thought I'd give Danny Boyle's latest a miss. Instead, I noticed that 'Fitzcaraldo' was doing the rounds. I hadn't seen it in the cinema since its original release in the early eighties, but I had fond memories of Werner Herzog's film. It did not disappoint. The stars were certainly Klaus Kinski, who is wonderful in the film; the riverboat, called Molly Aida in the film - originally built in Glasgow I learned subsequently - and the members of indigenous Amazonian tribes. The making of the film is fraught with problems, not least because of Kinski's antics. There is a companion film called 'Burden of Dreams' , which is worth looking out if you can and charts the troubled making of the film. Anyway, it was wonderful to see the original again - a terrific piece of work by a wild and crazy director.

[LMcD]

Being a bit squeamish, and despite the fine reviews here on the forum, I thought I'd give Danny Boyle's latest a miss. Instead, I noticed that 'Fitzcaraldo' was doing the rounds. I hadn't seen it in the cinema since its original release in the early eighties, but I had fond memories of Werner Herzog's film. It did not disappoint. The stars were certainly Klaus Kinski, who is wonderful in the film; the riverboat, called Molly Aida in the film - originally built in Glasgow I learned subsequently - and the members of indigenous Amazonian tribes. The making of the film is fraught with problems, not least because of Kinski's antics. There is a companion film called 'Burden of Dreams' , which is worth looking out if you can and charts the troubled making of the film. Anyway, it was wonderful to see the original again - a terrific piece of work by a wild and crazy director.

I enjoy modest, low-budget films that concentrate on personal relationships and don't rely on CGI and other special effects, the most recent being 'The Quiet Girl' on Film 4 and 'Past Lives' on BBC2.

[Ian Thumwood]

I see that there is a sequel to '28 years'called "The bone temple " which makes sense as so many loose ends need tying up. Danny Boyle is not the director but the screenplay is by Alex Garland . Both will return for a third and final installments. The 2nd is released in January 2026.

I am not a fan of horror but think the "28 days later" film is more of political observation. It strikes me as a critique of Englsh nationalism but I also see it as paean to the savaging of the countryside. The images of the Hadrian's wall sycamore really resonate.

[johncorrigan]

It may interest some on this string that when I went to see 'Fitzcaraldo' at the Pictures this past week there was a a trailer for a smartened up version of 'Amadeus' which will arrive in cinemas towards the end of the month - at least that's what I understood from the trailer. I haven't seen 'Amadeus' since it first appeared in the mid-eighties, but might be worth a trip to the Flicks to see it.