It's a stone cold classic.

It's refreshing going back to oldies. Their shorter running time (87mins in this case) means they get on with it and don't take themselves seriously. But they still manage to get points across. There is a question of scientists and ethics in this film.

Still playing catch up on the reviews, 50–59.

50. Out of the Blue
Tense and unflinching 2006 New Zealand film starring Karl Urban, based on the 1990 Aramoana massacre in which 13 residents of a small coastal NZ town died at the hands of a lone gunman. 8

51. Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Enjoyable and very nostalgic sequel. A handover to a new generation of ghostbuster. The handling of Harold Ramis/Egon's passing is emotionally dealt. 7.5

52. Layer Cake
Decent crime caper starring a pre-Bond Daniel Craig... although as I'm writing this it's not lived long in the memory! It was enjoyable at the time but didn't leave a lasting impression. 7.5

53. Coming Home in the Dark
A family are abducted by a seemingly unrelated pair of drifters in this tense and dark, 2021 New Zealand psychological thriller. 8

54. Piranha
Silly, and surprisingly entertaining killer fish remake with some equally eyebrow raising stars. An earthquake unleashes a deadly, and hungry, school of prehistoric piranhas that chew their way through the star studded cast. 7

55. Robocop 35th Anniversary 4k
Limited cinema release of this 1987 Paul Verhoeven classic. The 4k print didn't really add anything new, but it was a pleasure to rewatch this iconic slice of sci-fi violence on the big screen for the first time. 9

56. Top Gun
Another rewatch ahead of the visit to the iMax to watch Maverick. Always enjoyable, iconic and eminently quotable, Tom Cruise naval aviator actioner. Stunning cinematography and buckets of nostalgia. 9

57. Bad Boys for Life
Better than expected sequel sees the ageing duo of Mike and Marcus facing up to their advancing years as a secret from the past forces them both into action. 7.5

58. Top Gun: Maverick
Hugely entertaining sequel that pays respect to the original through several call backs whilst offering an updated slant on the flight school formula. 9

59. The Constant Gardener
Diplomat Ralph Fiennes investigates the mysterious death in Kenya of his activist wife, Rachel Weisz, in this conspiracy thriller. Great performances and a much better film on reflection that my attention would acknowledge at the time. 7.5

Will put it on the list.

Layer Cake is the best British gangster film.

I remember it being pretty great - fantastic cast and the story really cuts through and highlights that classic British class structure and how crime/corruption permeates it from top to bottom.

RRR
This Indian epic is pretty much Hindu nationalist propaganda, with all the problems that description implies writ large.  It's an epic set in the 1920s showing Indians resisting the rule of sadistic British arseholes, and knitting in elements of the Ramayana and Mahabharata.  Imagine Lagaan, but with the cricket replaced by extravagant violent set pieces and you've got a pretty good idea. (Including the standard issue token nice white lady.)  

The thing is, those "extravagant violent set pieces" are frequently incredible (in all senses of the word). From an early attempt to arrest a man in the middle of a riot, to the barnstorming finale in which the two lead characters essentially embody their name sake Gods (Rama and Bhima), the dial is firmly turned up to 11.  (And, if you're wondering, yes, there are songs, as well as a dance off.)  Whilst there's not a tremendous amount of tension in the action scenes (you would never imagine anything happening is remotely real) - they're thrillingly bonkers, and I can imagine there are a fair few Hollywood directors and producers taking notes.

It's very loosely inspired by the stories of real life indian revolutionaries Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem - though in reality the two never met, let alone struck up a potentially doomed bromance, whilst performing extravagant stunts surrounded by CGI animals.  The film is a love letter to those revolutionaries who fought for Indian independence, including a literal roll call at the end - which conspicuously leaves out a few famous faces (no Nehru or Gandhi here). It's also very, very pro-guns in a way that even 80s Hollywood movies might blush at (and US Republicans will love.)

So...  It's kind of a must-see film, but if you're anything like me, you may find yourself having to hold your nose whilst watching it.

Fallen was released in 1998 and I never heard of it. The usual reason - was the early days of fatherhood and cinema etc was off the menu.

It's a weird fish of a film. Starts off as a serial killer story and ends up as a full on supernatural tale. I picked it to watch because of Denzel but the cast is a treat - John Goodman, Donald Sutherland, the other worldly Embeth Davistz and James Galdofini and there's even a bit part for Tony Soprano's sister.

The shift in tone is a jolt but the supernatural idea is actually rather good. Once the shift is made it's a pretty good film. I was disappointed initially as I thought it was going to be ambiguous but it went all in on the idea. Overall I enjoyed it - the performances carry the film through its weaknesses.

RRR looks bonkers as do other films by that director. Will need to invesigate.

ShabbyMcCrabby wrote:

Wished that RRR vid came out before it showed in Aus. They did a screening at IMAX I wished I'd seen as I know other big releases have pulled large crowds. Fallen is excellent. Used to rent that one pretty regularly back in the day

RRR at an IMAX would be incredible.

(Edit - Sorry, that probably doesn't help the whole "wish I'd seen it" thing does it?)

46. Mission: Impossible 3
Realised I hadn't seen this one so stuck it on for some brainless action for a Saturday night. Really great fun, like almost all of these films are, only let down by some of the direction which was a bit too shaky-camtastic at times. 8

Dark Soldier wrote:

Layer Cake is the best British gangster film.

The Long Good Friday

Watched a triple bill tonight that I recorded Friday on a channel called Talking Pictures

Each film was presented by Caroline Munro (who I remember looking fantastic in an old Harryhausen Sinbad film). She is dressed up as if for Halloween in a low key Elvira style and answers some questions fans have asked her. Really sweet.

The bill was :

Fall of the House of Usher with Vincent Price. Everything you think it would be. It's a Hammer style (though it isn't a Hammer production) melodrama and a film version of the Edgar Allen Poe short story. Price is great as usual and it's entertaining stuff.

But nothing prepared me for the 2nd film

Gog  How have I not known about this absolute 1950s gem. It's a murder mystery set in a sci-fi setting and it's wonderfully ludicrous. This is genuine LOL territory but it's never less than entertaining. It uses science knowledge of the day and plays with it a bit - in some cases it is way off, but in others it raises valid questions about automation, AI, robotics, surveillance and even cyber security - way back in 1953.   The robots that eventually run amok are a hoot and have to be the least threatening example I have ever seen and toward the end it becomes almost farcical facing off with the hamfisted hero.  You get superb gobbledegook, a hysterical woman getting slapped back to her senses, an experimental lab chamber with a windscreen wiper, and other gems and tropes of the era. Some really iffy acting abounds too.  This is in the so bad it's good category and it's the best of that example as it is genuinely entertaining throughout.  Check this out. It's a hoot.

Frogs How the hell did Ray Miland get talked into doing this dirge of a horror film. He must have been on his uppers at the time. Constructed like a family based soap opera intercut with shots of frogs, snakes, lizards etc.  It seems after the head of the family has been too easy with the DDT and poison,  nature has decided to take revenge and hit back. This is a real low rent reptile version of The Birds but even saying that is an insult to Hitchcock film. The budget was clearly blown on Miland and the animal wrangler as there is a complete absence of soundtrack.  The family members start getting bumped off via encounters with the wildlife and it's the only time the animal shots and soap opera shots meet up. Each death is so ludicrously unlikely, helped by hapless victims falling over , and is so badly done that the film is a yawn except for when Miland is chewing the scenery as the grumpy family patron or when the abysmal acting of the victims in their death throes raises a laugh. Truly awful but worth a look if you curate this type of thing.

Overall a splendid evening's viewing with Gog being the absolute stand out. I'm going to keep an eye on this channel.

Dark Soldier wrote:

Both early classics in the genre, both pap now. TLGF getting its homage in the better film, The Gentlemen. Bar Hoskins' performance in TLGF, its 80s shit. Get Carter is just lol sorry. Caine is insanely overrated in everything.

Get Carter is still aces for me. Best thing Caine ever did.  The edge is taken off it a bit by spotting people like Alfie Roberts from Coronation st. in the cast (you're a big man but you're out of shape), but it's a proper gritty film.

That opening sequence is superb cinema.

Get Carter soundtrack is top notch.