Movie Record 2021 Edition - The Bear and Badger

Gremill

54. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
I don't think I'd seen this since I was a teenager, but this was an absolutely fantastic watch right up until the hilariously bad aliens at the end. The visual effects for the UFOs are still stunning, Dreyfuss is so watchable as the Everyman who abandons his family and the overall atmosphere of conspiracy, cover up and dread is as compelling as ever. 9

ShabbyMcCrabby

b0r1s wrote:

50. Sicario - on first watch I didn’t appreciate this film. Now one my third viewing and this is just a brilliantly paced film of American corruption and collusion.

I quite liked the second one too. It's a different director and so has a different feel to it but I liked what he did. I think they wanted to make a trilogy of the setting but not sure if the third will get made.

b0r1s

Have it on my list.

ShabbyMcCrabby

69. Harry Potter 1
I'd forgotten how old school fantasy this is in the direction and storytelling. It's quite quaint and almost refreshing considering how modern films feel.
[5]

70. Nobody
Saul does John Wick. Quite enjoyed this and the simplicity of it, just like the first Wick.
[7]

71. Harry Potter 2
Same as the first in the quaintness but now with more money on screen. I do like how much practical effects they put into these and that set is a fucking stunning piece of craft. Is a bit long though.
[5]

72. Harry Potter 3
Such a crazy change in quality and style going over to Alfonso Cuaron. Was definitely needed as Columbus probably couldn't have pulled off something like the dementors. Still a bit long though.
[7]

73. In the Heights
Lin Manuel Miranda's earlier musical in film form. It's good, the songs as well formed as you'd expect although it's like going back to an earlier album after a band's opus. I like that the film uses film techniques to improve the storytelling. Waaaaay too long though.
[7]

b0r1s

52. The Dark Knight Rises - flawed and overlong but still enjoyable and ultimately satisfying end to the Nolan bat films. Usual great physical set pieces that the director is known for and (at least in the Arc) Bane is perfectly legible (especially compared to Tenet mask chats).

Gremill

b0r1s

See. Heard every word.

b0r1s

53. An Officer and A Gentleman - spoiled a little by it’s up beat ending this is literally a love story they don’t make anymore. Quite gritty and certainly the version on Netflix isn’t what I remember watching on TV when I was younger. The love story is convincing but obviously Louis Gossett Jr steals the show and takes home the Oscar.

nick_md

b0r1s wrote:

53. An Officer and A Gentleman - spoiled a little by it’s up beat ending this is literally a love story they don’t make anymore. Quite gritty and certainly the version on Netflix isn’t what I remember watching on TV when I was younger. The love story is convincing but obviously Louis Gossett Jr steals the show and takes home the Oscar.

I watched that on Sunday, first time I'd seen it. Enjoyed it and yeah LGJr was great.

Moot_Geeza

Saint Maud. Didn't know much about this other than some positive word of mouth/forum fingers. Wasn't expecting anything quite this good though, was excellent.

Diluted Dante

b0r1s wrote:

53. An Officer and A Gentleman - spoiled a little by it’s up beat ending this is literally a love story they don’t make anymore. Quite gritty and certainly the version on Netflix isn’t what I remember watching on TV when I was younger. The love story is convincing but obviously Louis Gossett Jr steals the show and takes home the Oscar.

When I was a kid, me and my best friend used to watch all sorts of martial arts action films on video. Van Damme, Steven Segal, Jackie Chan. For some reason, in addition to these being played on repeat, An Officer and a Gentleman was also in the mix. Looking back, I've no idea why. It's got absolutely nothing in common with them, not even a shared actor. But for whatever reason it was in there.

I disagree that it spoiled by the ending. Zack and Sid's fates are completely contrasted. Sid was destroyed by his relationship with Lynette, whereas Zack is saved by his relationship with Paula.

b0r1s

So not the fact that the ending is a happy one but the actual scene in the factory and the fact that for years later it was used everywhere and I recall people saying how romantic it is but I do wonder how many people watched that scene on top of the pops and what they ended up watching was very different from what they had in mind.

It feels almost like that scene is the lie of the American dream with the working class looking up to the “girl who made it” trope. So not all for a happy ending for them both, it’s just felt schizophrenic compared to the rest of the film.

Hyde

Gremill wrote:

54. Close Encounters of the Third Kind I don't think I'd seen this since I was a teenager, but this was an absolutely fantastic watch right up until the hilariously bad aliens at the end. The visual effects for the UFOs are still stunning, Dreyfuss is so watchable as the Everyman who abandons his family and the overall atmosphere of conspiracy, cover up and dread is as compelling as ever. 9

One of my all-timers. Which version did you watch, Grem? The original cinema release has Apollo Creed in it as a soldier! I still have one of the three left to see, the Director’s Cut. Now you’ve made me want to watch it. Good man!

Gremill

I think it was the directors cut.

nick_md

Just finished The Mule, enjoyed it quite a bit. I always have it in mind that Eastwood is likely some shade of cunt irl but I can't remember details why. Anyway, he's always v.watchable imo, and this was an engaging story based on true events.

Blocks100

Yeah he's a bit of an arch-republican, can't remember what he said I think it was something to do with youth matters- didn't exactly put him in a good light.

However if you're prepared to separate the man from the actor (as I am with most cases) this new release also looks intriguing:

Could well be is last cos he's looking damn old in this. I wonder what keeps him going? I recently saw a picture of Gene Hackman who retired as an actor many years ago and wow he looks old too. Nothing fucks you as hard as time eh?

nick_md

Yeah that's it, staunch republican stuff in general. But, as you say, separate man from his works and he's top tier. Screen presence for days. He looked fucking old in The Mule, was 88 then I think. Watching it I was think it's probably his last film, pleased to see I was wrong.

Gremill

55. The Bourne Identity
Still kicks arse after all these years. Better than Bond, superb action scenes and one of the best car chases of recent years. 8

56. Kick Ass
Hasn't aged as much as I thought it would have and is still a rollercoaster of fun, extreme violence and Nicholas Cage. 8

poprock

I think a lot of the issues with Eastwood are his views on guns. He’s a proper ‘prize mah guns from my cold dead hands’ type and has waded into conversations about school shootings in some quite awful ways.

Diluted Dante

Look, dead kids are a price he's willing to pay so he doesn't have to be slightly inconvenienced when buying a gun.

Kow

I think his debte with an empty chair sealed the deal for him being a political nutter.

poprock

Absolutely.

Diluted Dante

Kow wrote:

I think his debte with an empty chair sealed the deal for him being a political nutter.

Did he lose?

Kow

Well he didn't win anyway.

Moot_Geeza

He's a bit of a CLINT but he's been involved in plenty of superb films.

b0r1s

54. The Matrix Reloaded - the sequel that disappointed at the time doesn’t feel quite as bad as coming off the original at the time. Some great action set pieces (with some now dodgy looking CGI) and The Architect doesn’t irritate as much as I recall.

55. Up in The Air - Clooney in good form playing the guy who fires you, realising that perhaps life isn’t that great.

56. The Matrix Revolutions - rounding out the trilogy that didn’t need to be. It’s a bit of an oddly paced film that actually manages to be worse than Reloaded.

The Daddy

Pretty sure there were no sequels to The Matrix.

Kow

I've said it many a time but I'll say it again - The Matrix sequels are the worst sequels ever made.

LivDiv

I have watched the first two movies fairly recently, since they were added to Netflix anyway.

The gap between the first and the sequels is shrinking.

I dont think I'll be watching any of them again any time soon.

Kow

Yeah, the original is also shit so the sequels really had to work hard to be so bad.

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