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drauch wrote:

It's really a shame Michael Pare never really got much success after the 80s

I've seen Streets of Fire and Michael Pare is the most wooden actor. His looks could not save him.
Saw him most recently in the 2012 Philadelphia Experiment.

[drauch]

Tell that to Stallone with half his face paralyzed and Arnold with the most parodied accent of all time. He's got the voice, the looks and is a hardass. You can work wonders with that.

[BIL]

Have to agree. I didn't know what to think when he first appeared (he kinda purty) but he did great. The movie's obviously got a strong fantasy element ("rock and roll fable in another time and place") and he played the noble ruffian perfectly. His chemistry with both female leads and especially that bitch Moranis was consistently superb.

I was surprised about the planned sequels. TBH I prefer this as a standalone story. Hardass returns home to save his girl, busts some fuckin heads, takes out the trash and leaves. It's like a total feel-good inversion of Get Carter (wit moikul caine, I aint neva watchin dat stallone shite).

[Obiwanshinobi]

My problem with Streets of Fire isn't the acting (didn't expect any better), but the way meticulously depicted world doesn't quite do it for me. A lot like Escape from New York, doesn't give me the sense of place it should. I've seen more convincingly dilapidated future/alternative present/past in more humble pictures (see the aforementioned Delicatessen where the slugs thing is the only thing that weakens my willing suspension of disbelief).

[GaijinPunch]

Nolan hasn't made anything as good as Shallow Grave or Slumdog Millionaire, either.

Trainspotting.

Sorceror

Trailer looks intense. This will happen soon... maybe next weekend once I get all my shit out of the boxes. Looks pretty brutal though, but it's rated PG?

[BIL]

My problem with Streets of Fire isn't the acting (didn't expect any better), but the way meticulously depicted world doesn't quite do it for me. A lot like Escape from New York, doesn't give me the sense of place it should. I've seen more convincingly dilapidated future/alternative present/past in more humble pictures (see the aforementioned Delicatessen where the slugs thing is the only thing that weakens my willing suspension of disbelief).

I had absolutely the opposite reaction (though literally from the opening titles, I had the feeling of a stage musical more than a film). I liked how the world felt like a vague coalescing of 50s and 80s pop culture into a grimy urban dreamscape. Rather like Metro City it's a backdrop to enforce a certain tone and set the stage for violent but decidedly whimsical adventure. There's a war, or something, and things are generally a bit crummy - ok. It didn't need starving orphans and graphic squalor any more than it did a brutal torture sequence.

I did feel that way about Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' ridiculous ghost town, but that movie was altogether up its own mockney cheeky chappie arsehole. Needed emergency Get Carter to flush it from my system after. SOF is just a good time punching mooks and saving chicks from evil bikers in Double Dragon world.

Trailer looks intense. This will happen soon... maybe next weekend once I get all my shit out of the boxes. Looks pretty brutal though, but it's rated PG?

Bad shit goes down for sure, but it's economical about it and never really graphic. Suffice to say it's not a movie that holds back on the doom!

[drauch]

My problem with Streets of Fire isn't the acting (didn't expect any better), but the way meticulously depicted world doesn't quite do it for me. A lot like Escape from New York, doesn't give me the sense of place it should. I've seen more convincingly dilapidated future/alternative present/past in more humble pictures (see the aforementioned Delicatessen where the slugs thing is the only thing that weakens my willing suspension of disbelief).

I mean, "rock n' roll fable" is just that: a rock n' roll film. SoF isn't trying to create this dystopian, alternate world; the entire film is a backdrop for action and music, and reality isn't present--it's a story, and it lets the viewer know that firsthand. The whole thing looks like a play, and everything is meant to be a set piece. The logic is simple: rock n' roll and crack skulls in the rainy streets of the city. I love that. Wish more people knew how to do that without being told, but instead you've always got Joe Nofun complaining that the dude didn't reload his clip or Buff McSquirt shouldn't have survived all 13 gunshots. HOGWASH.

What throws you off in Escape from New York? The rest of the world is still living it up, just New York is a sanctioned off shithole. This is pure pulp bliss at its finest. Huge cast of baddies in a sealed off city deemed too violent, and only one hardass can save the goddamn president. Welcome to violent city, right here! Dragon Ninja to save the president, etc! But I mean, honestly, the New York in Escape looks downright nasty, and that finale at the bridge is absolutely perfect.

[Skykid]

Everything about Escape from New York is pure awesome.

Nolan hasn't made anything as good as Shallow Grave or Slumdog Millionaire, either.

Trainspotting.

Hadn't forgotten that one.

To be honest - and it was bound to come up - I think Sunshine did a lot of things better than Interstellar too, despite its flaws.

Boyle like Nolan can't judge actors very well, although his hit ratio has been better over the years. Sunshine is a sort of halfway house of performances. I know people hated the Hellraiser captain (I didn't mind it so much) but the plot was generally less stupid and error ridden than Interstellar, and based in scientific theory not conflated and embarrassed by transcendent love, TARS.

Sunshine's moments of tension were also superior - Sawada's dish bake, the airlock cannon, and the T-Minus final transit between falling spaceships. And the music score is enough to rouse genitalia - amazing.

Both are entertaining concepts, but it was harder for me to overlook Interstellar's catalogue of weaknesses than those present in Sunshine.

[Plasmo]

Trainspotting was quite good. I would even call it good.

[chempop]

Sunshine’s ending (which I won’t spoil) nearly spoiled the movie for me. I was riveted for just about the whole thing and then it got silly on me.

Watched Black Rain last night, loved it.

[SuperGrafx]

Christmas Vacation

[Skykid]

Sunshine’s ending (which I won’t spoil) nearly spoiled the movie for me. I was riveted for just about the whole thing and then it got silly on me.

You mean Captain Hellraiser or another part? You can use spoiler tags if necessary.

[BIL]

Nightcrawler I was lulled into a Scarface/Goodfellas mindset and initially left feeling like it'd cut out prematurely; enjoyed the grand finale a lot more before I realised it was, in fact, the grand finale. Makes a lot more sense taken as a cynical bottom-feeding spin on the "plucky contender" feelgood flick. Entertaining movie overall. Don't buy the "zomg disturbing" press. Jake Gyllenhaal is a great Dracula and there's lots of amoral hijinks, but it's light material. spoiler: the corporate world is profit driven.

[Ed Oscuro]

Top Gay & Lesbian flick picks

[spadgy]

I watched comedy Harold and Maude last night. One of the best films I've seen in a good while, and one of the funniest.

Made in 1971, but feels and looks rather like a Wes Anderson film, albeit occasionally sillier.

[BIL]

Enemy (2013) ohoho, liked this one. Lynchian doppleganger enigma. Dude spots his double in a movie, tracks him down, aw mah gawd whats goin on. As to be expected it doesn't give much resolution, but the trip feels worth it. Might ultimately seem a load of vague balls, but it's stylishly done atmospheric balls. The creepy imagery and uneasy tone are absorbing and it has one outstanding, skin-crawlingly good surreal event, the kind I treasure from this sort of fiction. Theme and symbolism are consistent enough that I'll be rewatching.

Top Gay & Lesbian flick picks

But of course ~_~

Spoiler

[GaijinPunch]

Top Gay & Lesbian flick picks

Haha. God bless algorithms.

[Skykid]

Fury

The best movie I've seen out of Hollywood in a long time, and certainly the best war film I've seen in ages. No shakey cameras, just a small central cast, solid characterisation and a tank. Plotting mostly revolves around war tactics, which is fine, and the cliche breaking-in of a greenhorn baby soldier.

While not perfect - there's a lot of glamorisation, a smattering of the fantastical, and a regular cowboy and Indians sense of American heroism discounting any other nations present in the WW2 allied forces and not very representing of ethnicities beyond Caucasian - the director did a lot right.

It's engaging, written well enough, the performances are uniform and the character development engrossing. It's neatly cut, lean, and exciting, with a hard edge: smeared in axle grease and bloodied iron, Brad Pitt himself representing a tank-like soldier, all scars and stubble.

I really enjoyed this one. It was the first time in ages I wasn't jarred from the experience by horrible actors, idiotic dialogue or patent error. It's certainly a better film than Interstellar, but if you don't like war movies it won't be changing tastes.

Otherwise recommended!


Lucy

For a film based around superhuman intelligence this is dumb as fuck. Besson handles the first twenty minutes with flair, shades of his former self, but like a super hero yarn overcoming its genesis section, when Lucy's brain gets up to full speed ours is expected to switch right off. All things considered: bad.

[KindGrind]

Sunshine had one of the best first 3/4 of any sci fi movie. Like everybody who really enjoys the first bit, I didn't like the ending at all, but the first part is so good that it's almost forgiven.

Trainspotting is by far my favourite Boyle, though. So stylish and just pure fun. I can never get tired of it.

Just watched Predestination.

Not my thing. They try too hard to make a complex movie, and make it almost unwatchable. I'm in for brainy movies at times, but this is overkill. I'd say steer clear; it just doesn't make sense. I can suspend my disbelief all right, but here I would have had to suspend my critical thinking as well to enjoy it. Did anybody else watch this and enjoyed it? The critics are favorable on this one, I think...

I've "acquired" Streets of Fire and will watch soon. Looks like I'll be in for a good one!

[GaijinPunch]

Fury

I was a little let down (but also on the front row). The dinner scene was excellent I thought. Quite noteworthy. Some of the other parts I found less convincing. I was entertained, but wouldn't watch it again I don't think.

[Mischief Maker]

Sunshine had one of the best first 3/4 of any sci fi movie. Like everybody who really enjoys the first bit, I didn't like the ending at all, but the first part is so good that it's almost forgiven.

I'm just as much a sourpuss as Skykid, it seems:

Spoiler

I can't stand movies that need idiot plots or idiot worlds to drive the story. Near the very beginning of the movie the computer guy drops his tool into the deadly computer coolant, reaches right in with his bare hand, then spends a few second going "ow!" from the cold burn. Instantly I knew how he was going to die, but it was even stupider when it happened.

You see, anyone can remove the computer from the deadly coolant by typing a couple commands into a console, but to place the computer back into the coolant where it belongs, you have to flip several heavy manual override levers that are located so deep within the deadly coolant that a repairman must completely immerse himself in the deadly coolant to flip them, and there are no gloves or wetsuits or other protective gear in the room to assist with working around this deadly coolant -the engineer wears a T-Shirt.

And this is the SECOND such spaceship created, after the world's engineers presumably poured over design schematics for any possible problems that could have screwed up the first time, seeing as this is humanity's last chance for survival and all.

I've heard people say that good movies are simple stories with complex characters, and the problem with modern movies is they are convoluted stories with simple characters.

[Skykid]

Sunshine had one of the best first 3/4 of any sci fi movie. Like everybody who really enjoys the first bit, I didn't like the ending at all, but the first part is so good that it's almost forgiven.

I think I'm the only person who doesn't hate the ending (the actual ending, which I think is nicely done) and doesn't hate Captain Hellraiser so passionately.

Fury

I was a little let down (but also on the front row). The dinner scene was excellent I thought. Quite noteworthy. Some of the other parts I found less convincing. I was entertained, but wouldn't watch it again I don't think.

Front row is going to really kill any movie experience - if there's not a good seat available I will go for another day or a different showing. Generally speaking I thought it was really quite good, just found out it's from the End of Watch/Street Kings director, and scribe of Training Day. Makes more sense now, that guy tends to eschew stupidity and OTT fantasy for more grass roots film making.

[JBC]

I like Pinbacker. I think he was intense, & I love the haywire gravity roller coaster ride.

[boagman]

"Now You See Me"

Not bad for popcorn entertainment, but it certainly wasted the talents of its many fine actors. Needed a good bit more in the script and character development departments, and a *heck* of a lot less in the CGI department. Wouldn't see it again, but I'm not upset that I watched it. The Big Surprise, wasn't, and the end was pretty schlocky.

"2 Guns"

It's a good thing that I've already seen "Ted", because this would just be another movie in the "Mark Wahlberg can't pull off comedy" pile (while "Ted" actually might be the exception that proves the rule...I'll reserve judgment for now). Pretty lousy-and-predictable script that wastes the talents of Denzel, Bill Paxton, Edward James Olmos (really, *really* about four steps backward for him in this movie), and yet...I can't deny that it's almost always fun to watch Denzel while he appears to be enjoying himself.

Buddy cop movie that just doesn't have the cojones. It does have Paula Patton topless for a good while, so if you're into that, or you felt kind of slighted by "Deja Vu", well, here you go I guess.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Sunshine had one of the best first 3/4 of any sci fi movie. Like everybody who really enjoys the first bit, I didn't like the ending at all, but the first part is so good that it's almost forgiven.

I think I'm the only person who doesn't hate the ending (the actual ending, which I think is nicely done) and doesn't hate Captain Hellraiser so passionately.

Fury

Sadly, I missed out on watching Sunshine properly on the big screen since it got a rather limited engagement showing anyways (it played for a total of two days at a local movie theater and was not shown again afterwards). Upon getting the initial DVD release of Sunshine, it has a killer soundtrack that delivers the 5.1 surround sound experience at it's best -- the ol' subwoofer certainly does get a workout with this film, indeed. Upon getting the upgraded Blu-Ray version of Sunshine when it was made available to the general public, it's one of the few sci-fi films that has built-in support for the older 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound format (for them older home theater surround recievers from the 2005-2006 era with the usual RCA composite video, S-Video & component video inputs + TOSlink inputs and whatnot but no HDMI inputs whatsoever).

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[KindGrind]

Sunshine is the only Blu-ray I have that's faulty, the only ever media support I bought that bugged.

The problem is known; I think I can send it for a replacement, but I'm too lazy. Basically there's PiP you can't get rid of when you watch the movie. Quite a bummer, because I'd definitely rewatch it now that we're talking about it.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

The Blu-Ray disc of Sunshine that I currently have, it plays just fine without any problems. I don't use the PiP functionality though when playing the movie (as it distracts from the overall viewing experience entirely).

I'd send in the faulty Sunshine BR disc and get one that's been fixed/corrected -- it's makes for an overall better viewing experience bar-none, KindGrind.

Finally checked out the 2014 sequel to last year's 2013 Purge flick called "Purge: Anarchy" -- a certain day is picked out by the New Founding Fathers of America to allow anything under the sun as legal for an entire 12 hours with the exception of law enforcement, emergency services and hospitals to not be available to the general public during that particular point in time -- so during those long & dreaded 12 hours, it's anything goes (including the kitchen sink). There are some surprising twists 'n' spins in this sequel that you won't see coming.

Purge: Anarchy Clue Reveal Pro Tip:

If you watch it on Region 1 formatted DVD or Blu-Ray formats with closed captioning turned on for your first viewing, you'll know whom if a certain character is a good guy (or not) + background history/status after the Purge begins -- a certain handy clue/answer within the first 30 minutes of viewing the film easily. It's a given that most folks don't/won't opt to watch a first run movie on either formats with CC functionality turned on, but with this particular film, it does reveal the answer straight through the horse's mouth with a certain character indeed -- (this being "an special exception rather than the norm" for revealing such an important clue as the movie progresses along). This little tidbit is never disclosed anywhere on the DVD or Blu-Ray packaging whatsoever -- it was through trial & error, that a clue/answer was discovered. Good luck finding it for yourself.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[DEL]

The Riot Club.
Good movie.

[lilmanjs]

Brothers Five
More to the point, it should have been called something different. Everyone shows up at the evil temple and keeps fighting and running off. Lady in white keeps saving their asses and running off herself. But much to the point, the final end all be all battle with all 5 brothers at once was pretty cool. I did like the iron hat/cap that one of the brothers had. Was nice to see him wear it, take it off slice baddies and keep on going. Shaw Brothers at their finest? Nope, but still a good movie.

[ArmoredCore]

SnowPiercer

pretty artsy with great pacing. liked every min.