Movie record 2020 edition - The Bear and Badger

g.man

Yeah, I didn't get that one at all. Rubbish.

ShabbyMcCrabby

I just think he thinks he's writing clever stuff like a Tarantino or Wes Anderson et al but then he has no visual flair or ability to translate that into interesting performances from his actors. He seems to bank on the violence getting people to watch his stuff to see that bit that is gross which, tbh, is kinda why I watched some of his stuff.

In Concrete I didn't understand

Spoiler:

Moot_Geeza

I think there's more than a touch of Verhoven about him too. The Tarantino similarities are there, both make films that favour an 'absolutely positively' style of overwritten dialogue. It's a fine line between 'does he know he's doing this?' and 'ahh, he knows he's doing this', but it was the wonky gore at the end of Brawl on Cell Block that made me try to watch his films with the benefit of the doubt. Clint Eastwood made a more believable looking head in Alcatraz; it's supposed to be a laugh out loud moment (at least that's how I've decided to take it).

Spoiler:

Okay, so maybe it's a bit odd that I've started watching his films thinking almost all of the bits that could be described as a bit shit are actually great, but it's working for me.

GooberTheHat

That's a good point about visual flair Shabby. One of my major criticisms of Tomahawk was that it felt like it was filmed on a TV set. Even the outdoor shots felt like a set.

The Daddy

9. 1917. Don't know why they couldn't just call it quarter past seven like everyone else. Good film though, well worth seeing at the cinema on the nice seats with the extra big screen.

ShabbyMcCrabby

GooberTheHat wrote:

That's a good point about visual flair Shabby. One of my major criticisms of Tomahawk was that it felt like it was filmed on a TV set. Even the outdoor shots felt like a set.

Yeah that's what I thought too. There were quite a few scenes where it didn't seem like he's given much thought about blocking or camera placement and that combined with generally flat cinematography kinda made it look bland.

And Moot, maybe I'm not quite seeing some of those moment as black comedy so perhaps that's why it doesn't work for me. I'm still glad there's someone that isn't just making the usual Hollywood stuff though.

Webbins

13. 8 Mile
Eminem turns in decent self performance in this semi autobiographical rap tale. ***

Kazuo

Slowly catching up on some of the films that made several best of 2019 lists.

Hustlers
Enjoyable true story about a group of strippers, led by Jennifer Lopez in great form, who turn to drugging and scamming their wealthy Wall St clients after the 2008 financial crash. Surprising lack of stripping, but it does a great job of conjuring up a vision of the era, and I really enjoyed the chemistry on show.

Dolemite is My Name
Brilliant proto-biopic of blaxploitation director and star Rudy Ray Moore, with Eddie Murphy putting in his best performance in as long as I can remember. As a film about the making of a film, and the journey of the man behind it, it has a huge amount in common with Ed Wood. Absolutely hilarious, amazing production design and a soundtrack packed with funk and soul.

Between J-Lo, Murphy, and Sandler, this has been a great year for comebacks.

GooberTheHat

You missed Snipes' come back (also in Dolomite). I thought he was excellent.

Kazuo

That's true, bad of me not to give him a shout out. He becomes the best thing in the film for around half an hour.

Cos

8. 1917
Stunning film that thankfully doesn't just rely on its good looks. Gripping from start to finish and the intimate nature of following the main characters exclusively only heightens that. The sequence in the town lit by flares is incredible.

9. A Clockwork Orange
First time watching this and it didn't disappoint. Dystopian visions somehow seem to age better and there's still some shocking and impactful moments, the brainwashing scenes very uncomfortable to watch despite the imagery being so prevalent in pop culture. That Kubrick is pretty good, eh?

10. American Hardcore
Solid doc about the rise of the hardcore punk movement in the early 80s. Plenty of great footage from shows and interviews with almost all the major players. Would've preferred a more in-depth view on some areas but it's certainly a must for anyone into the music.

jdanielp

8. Spies in Disguise

Reasonably enjoyable if relatively unmemorable animated spy spoof. One for the pigeon fanciers.

[6]

9. Cats

Nonsensically weird yet oddly compelling musical extravaganza featuring a mixed bag of songs.

[5]

Dubs

19. For Sama - Documentary which manages to find hope, even beauty, amid the relentless horror of an Aleppo hospital. It's on All4 here. [8]

20. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend is the obvious standout and the other numbers drag in comparison. Between songs, it's a real fun time thanks to an acid-tongued Jane Russel and Marilyn being Marilyn. [7]

21. Blackhat - I guess it's tough to make hacking stuff interesting. It's Mann so at least it's easy on the eye. [3]

22. What Did Jack Do? - The continuing adventures of Gordon Cole. Lynch having fun trading noir speak with a monkey and it's exactly as amusing and hypnotic as that sounds. [7]

23. The Body Remembers When The World Broke Open - Does a lot with a little, even if much of the subtext is lost on my ignorant melon. Still find the long (one?) shots distracting. [7]

hylian_elf

Film no 24 today, yeah?

Dubs

Well if the mood takes me I might watch Collateral despite not really liking Thief and being thoroughly bored by Blackhat. Picked up New York, New York and Judgement at Nuremberg while poking around HMV (remember those?) and the local has just listed Parasite and The Lighthouse so I'm sorted for the foreseeable. No Uncut Gems nearby though, boo.

ShabbyMcCrabby

16. My Life as a Zucchini (Courgette)
Wonderful and sweet little animation with a slight hard edge too
[9]

17. Galaxy Quest
Still a classic. Only a few years after Jurassic Park it's amazing to see the progress they'd made in effects.
[8]

Cos

I loved Courgette, such a charming film and really well styled.

retroking1981

17. Solo: A Star Wars Story - 8
My favourite of the Disney bunch, I'd like a sequel to see what happens to the characters further along but Disney have all ready run SW into the ground.

18. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - 7
Good stuff overall with a great ending, even if we knew it was coming. Let down a bit by unmemorable characters.

I wish Disney just stuck with side stories like these than making sequels to the original trilogy, I think there was more potential.

My list

retroking1981

@Kazuo Dolemite was great. What's the Sandler comeback film you speak of?

nick_md

Uncut Gems presumably

retroking1981

Moot_Geeza wrote:

A fair few badgers hate it iirc. Pretty sure g man would go lower.

I didn't get on with Bone Tomahawk unfortunatley, I really wanted to as a big Kurt Russell fan but I just couldn't get on with it.

nick_md

(I should read the thread)

nick_md

I enjoyed BT, would certainly watch again.

retroking1981

nick_md wrote:

Uncut Gems presumably

Thanks, will check that out.

LivDiv

@retro
Have you seen Mandalorian yet?

nick_md

I didn't mean to sound like a cunt there btw! Everything I've heard about UG has been positive, I need to renew my netflix.

LivDiv

Presumably you will have a hangover tomorrow (ref whiskey). It is not the movie to watch with a hangover.

retroking1981

LivDiv wrote:

@retro
Have you seen Mandalorian yet?

I haven’t, any good?

retroking1981

nick_md wrote:

I didn't mean to sound like a cunt there btw! Everything I've heard about UG has been positive, I need to renew my netflix.

All good, no offence taken.

nick_md

The trick is to drink enough so that you feel invigorated the next day :flexemoji:

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