This being the week of the release of Mamma Mia starring our man Brosnan ....
Yes indeed and it has been my most anticipated film of the year.
I went to see it this afternoon and the theatre was packed.Very unusual for a 2.30.showing.
Have to say I .... LOVED LOVED LOVED IT!!!
Fantastic cheesy nonsense that just leaves you feeling good. Excellent performances all round and my love for Colin Firth gets deeper every day :x .
Even though the men cant sing, it does't matter as they carry the songs with such enthusiasm and obviously Julie Walters manages another terrific comedic turn.
Dont go to see this expecting a master piece, but if you just want to a bit of light relief this is for you.
Get Smart
I enjoyed the film, and give it 3 out of 5 stars. The review I read said it "missed it by that much" but I think the reviewer just wanted to use that line. It was a good film. If you liked the TV show you will enjoy the movie.
"A blunt instrument wielded by a Government department. Hard, ruthless, sardonic, fatalistic. He likes gambling, golf, fast motor cars. All his movements are relaxed and economical". Ian Fleming
The Brits rarely let me down in the horror field, this one is certainly no exception.
The year is 1947 and Anton Diffring, best known for playing nasty nazis in many war films, is Doctor Rossitor, a plastic surgeon with extremely questionable work ethics. Seems he's botched an illegal operation with horrific results and is now "on the run".
Finding refuge in a run down circus owned by Donald Pleasance, (who gives us another simply marvelous performance, one of my favorite actors), soon Rossitor owns the circus and changes his name.
Fast forward ten years. The big top is making filthy lucre and Rossitor, now named Schuler, has taken in an entourage of former thieves and murderers and he's blackmailing every one of them. Still wanted by the police he retains his "medical" practice and kills off whomever threatens to expose or leave him.
The cast is a Euro Cult enthusiast's dream with a bevy of beautiful women in skimpy attire. The double whammy of Yvonne Monlaur, (Brides Of Dracula) and Yvonne Romain, (Curse Of The Werewolf) will knock you off your feet.
Perfect entertainment. There's even Walter Gotell (General Gogol) as a monocled gentleman.
File this one next to Michael Gough's scenery chewing Horrors Of The Black Museum for pure afternoon pop corn wasting FUN.
Lovefilm sent out my copy! Certainly some Bond elements here, not just Donald Pleasance. Douglas Slocombe, who lensed Never Say Never Again, along with more successful films like The Italian Job and Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, is cinematographer. I thought this film would be black and white, but it has Slocombe's colourful palette. Actually I find his look easier to admire than like, it's better suited to magic realism or something, it's a bit too dense for me.
There's plastic surgery while on the run post WW2 (Ian Fleming's Moonraker novel), a circus (DAF and OP) and a snake in a bathroom (LALD). Later it seems less than a coincidence that the villain has a similar icy suave manner to Louis Jordan in Octopussy. This is utterly daft hokum, it's the sort of film where the villain's eyes narrow as a bolshy strumpet proclaims: "I know you killed those other acrobats to stop them leaving! But you don't scare me! I'm leaving tonight - just after I've performed my dangerous, death-defying stunt!" {[]
I would have liked it to have been scarier and I'm not sure if plastic surgery translates for me, I don't always find it convincing as a main plot, a bit like psychiatry or hypnosis.
it's the sort of film where the villain's eyes narrow as a bolshy strumpet proclaims: "I know you killed those other acrobats to stop them leaving! But you don't scare me! I'm leaving tonight - just after I've performed my dangerous, death-defying stunt!" {[]
) )
Don't forget "Bosco" the bear. (Or should I say carpet?)
COH definitely leans towards melodramatic thriller with horror elements then per se "scary" film. But it never lets up and keeps the seat filled. It's fun, darnit. Even with that Matt Monroe/Dino flavored lounge "Reach For A Star" number. (which I lazily strummed along with while tv lounging)
And the man in the gorilla suit charging around the circus huts at night like something out of Octopussy/Trading Places, while Dr Rossiter flees in terror
Just got back from Hellboy II: The Golden Army. One word: Wow! Guillermo del Toro opens up a big, fantastic toy store, revealing one eye-popping sequence after another, from a wonderful opening involving Prof. Broom telling the 11-year-old Hellboy the story of the golden army (related in an incredible animated scene) to an attack by tooth fairies to a troll market to a visit to the Angel of Death. At times I thought I was watching a series of Dali paintings come to life, and there's so much going on visually that it may take two or three viewings to take it all in.
Beyond the visuals, we get a bigger, beefier role for Abe Sapien (and Doug Jones gets to use his own voice for once), a new ally in the gaseous Johann Krauss (voiced by "Family Guy's" Seth MacFarlane), and of course Ron Perlman in his greatest role. The villains aren't as scary as the ones from the first film, but the creatures are wackier; and the movie is often downright hilarious. There are also some hints throughout the film of things to come, so it looks like a Hellboy III is on the horizon. Personally, I can't wait! If you liked the original Hellboy or if you like the work of del Toro, you should see this one.
Just got back from Hellboy II: The Golden Army. One word: Wow!
I had no idea it was out so soon! {[]
I just saw Hancock, and if you take the Han away you'll understand how I felt about this movie. I liked the idea of a drunken, layabout superhero, but then it turns evil. He has to undergo treatment for his addiction. He has to get a PR agent. He has to stop throwing stranded whales into the seas, even though it is very funny. I bet in the sequel he hires a lawyer to represent him in lawsuits. Evil film. Evil.
Mr MartiniThat nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,703MI6 Agent
I'm always one step behind everyone else here. I just saw, for the first time today, Indy 4 .
While I enjoyed the movie as a whole, some things bothered me. The beginning sequence at area 51. Some of the cinematography bothered me. I didn't believe for a second that Indy or the Russian lady were outside Area 51. Instead, it looked like they were on a sound stage shooting the scene. Also, putting Indy in the 1950's. While it was fun, it just didn't seem right. Those were probably the only parts that bothered me, wait one more bothered me. The end sequence
when the spaceship took off
. That didn't seem like an Indy movie at all. But then I looked back at other Indy movies and realized that that sequence isn't to weird at all. After all we had
Ghostly spirits, hearts being pulled out of chests, and a man dieing from a sip of water from the wrong cup
. So a
spaceship taking off
isn't that weird. I'll give this a 4 out of 5 stars just because it's a Indy movie. Not as good as Raiders or Last Crusade, but better than Temple.
Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
I'd been snippy about TB after watching it on the big screen two years ago or so... you can find the link in the Events forum. The print was very bad, which didn't help at all - this week I picked the Ultimate Edition for a fiver. It looks great; the Aston Martin is particularly lush. The film oozes a kind of languid class, though silly things still stand out: when Largo enters the Spectre HQ where the meeting is being held, someone ought to shout: "Shut the door behind you, mate!" Of course, if he did it would be another minute of noisy metallic clanking and kerfuffle!
Low budget science fiction "B" ride. One track minded doctor, played by Lew Ayres, whose mind is controlled by wealthy WH. Donovan's pulsating and glowing cerebellum. (which he keeps in what appears to be a ten gallon fish tank)
With a youthful Nancy Reagan as the heroine! (fun way to spend an hour)
Just got back from Hellboy II: The Golden Army. One word: Wow!
I can NOT wait to see this film. I loved the first film, although my excitement is mainly due to the fact that Del Toro is the director, and this is one of my big films for 2008. {[]
I just saw Hancock, and if you take the Han away you'll understand how I felt about this movie. I liked the idea of a drunken, layabout superhero, but then it turns evil. He has to undergo treatment for his addiction. He has to get a PR agent. He has to stop throwing stranded whales into the seas, even though it is very funny. I bet in the sequel he hires a lawyer to represent him in lawsuits. Evil film. Evil.
I completely agree with you that the film is really disappointing, however not for the reasons that you state. I like the idea of him undergoing treatment and getting a PR agent; I think these are really crative and clever concepts, however my problem is that the film didn't really explore these concepts. Instead of being a really interesting (and fun) *Incredibles-like film about a superhero who doesn't know where he stands and is getting treatment and PR advice to deal with his problems, it turned into an extremely weak and not very interesting conventional superhero film. That said, I did like Charlize Theron.
*Iin terms of how The Incredibles was about non-Superhero film themes
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
My brother and I saw a couple of films over the weekend:
Hellboy II
We pretty much echo what HB said, a great, visually striking movie by a visionary filmmaker. Lots of action, laughs, some very well defined characters and lots of threads left open for yet more sequels.
The villain Nuada (who looks like Tom Cruise in bizarre makeup to me) comes across as a bit too one-dimensional in his hatred of mankind, and once the special connection between him and his sister is revealed anyone with half a brain will quickly figure out how the movie has to end. The other plot thread which didn't work for me was how ALL the "normal" humans are portrayed as cold and insensitive towards Hellboy and his pals; that black and white "the freaks are the only good people" message is pushed a little too forcefully to really feel believable.
Stealing the show is the voice of Seth McFarlane as Johann Krauss, a cold, calculating, hyper-efficient German wisp of ectoplasmic smoke enclosed in a souped up diving suit. His thick accent fits his know-it-all attitude perfectly and he has some of the best lines in the film.
Despite my minor quibbles this is a great comic book movie that definitely deserves the support of the moviegoing audience (although I noticed that a lot of people in the theater just didn't seem to get it.)
Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D
An updated retelling of the Jules Verne novel; this time around the hook is the suggestion that Verne actually did journey to the center of the Earth. Geologist Brendan Fraser, along with his estranged nephew and plucky Icelandic guide embark on the journey and meet up with all kinds of strange and fantastic creatures along the way.
The story is pretty thin and everybody displays an annoying and ultimately unnecessary tendency to scream in terror at every turn. The 3D effects were only so-so; while the film had great depth of field, the attempts at making stuff pop out of the screen usually don't end up working too well. Not a terrible movie but in the end nothing particularly memorable either.
If Hollywood really thinks 3D is the key to salvaging the movie theater experience (as they keep saying) then they really have to put more effort into putting out a better product and they also need to apply the technology to a more proven and viable franchise instead of these modest efforts by second-tier studios.
Lust, Caution. Going into this all I knew was it's directed by Ang Lee, is in Chinese, and supposedly has a boatload of graphic sex. All are true, and it's also an engrossing movie. Set in Japanese-occupied China during World War II, the movie focuses on a young woman who becomes part of a resistence cell bent on destroying a collaborator (played by the great Tony Leung). The woman essentially has to use her sexual charms to get to the man, and things get complicated when she falls for him, knowing he has to be killed. This sounds a lot like Paul Verhoeven's Black Book, but LC is a far superior film--less cartoony, more serious and psychologically complex, and less gamy in its treatment of sex. Granted, some of the stuff in LC looks like it was lifted from the Kama Sutra, but it all goes to illustrate the need for two characters to connect with someone--and something--real. It's another good 'un from Ang Lee, who seems never to deliver the same kind of movie twice.
I have'nt watched this for ages so thought i'd pop it in the player over the weekend, and it still holdes up pretty well. its hard to belive its getting on for eight years old now! the only thing that still bothers me is when magneto fires the gun at the cop at the train station and freezes the bullet before it hits him in the head. Why does the guy still stay there whille its hovering in front of his face? I understand at first its shock ect but then magneto and the prof have a bit of a chat and the guy is still there! just move!
Yeah, good stuff though I should have watched it all in one go as the chic Parisian stuff complements the Nassau sequences. I still hold it's not a great movie for Bank Holiday with the family - the locale stays the same and it's quite involved. At the cinema, you can't allow your mind to wander, which it will do when you've seen it 20 times, and anyway it will be three-quarters empty, creating a hollow experience.
I can see why they say Connery gives his best performance here. He certainly has more dialogue than the other films and is quite natural and personable.
Nitpicking resumed a bit: Bond aint much of a spy as his buddy Leiter is standing right behind him on the beach and he doesn't notice! (Of course we're not meant to know it's Leiter at that point). And the 'little fish' scaled in the shower; well, it takes my shower a good minute to warm up! The hand-to-hand combat underwater has Bond as a goalhanger, above it all, nipping in and out and getting involved in singular, unlikely scrapes.
But the print quality was so good I was lapping the whole film up... Oh, the ending when the plane picks up a curious Domino and Bond... it would be "You total ruddy b@stard! You think I enjoy being hoiked up and flown away at 200mph!"
Great film. I love this film so much, no wonder it is sometimes my favourite Bond film (trading spaces with OHMSS). The only part I dislike is the boat chase scene, the movie changes direction there for a little while and the whole chase is anti-climactic (I mean, come on, after that fight scene with Grant!) after the tension being released between Grant and Bond. However, it is a basic escape story, central to the plot. Such a good movie with great value. The only shame is that it is SPECTRE and not SMERSH like in the novel. That novel is certainly my second favourite, second only to CR! Good stuff.
He said it's sometimes his favourite Bond film, trading places with OHMSS, which is clearly reflected by his list (FRWL is second.)
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
I'm no fan of the Wachowski's. I hated Bound, and thought that for all the philosophising and mathematical conundrums put forward in The Matrix films, they still managed to be profoundly stupid. But Speed Racer is quite fun. Matthew Fox makes a fine Racer X, Christina Ricci is cute. And there is a comedy monkey. Any film that features a comedy monkey in it is automatically twice as good as it would be otherwise. Kenneth Branagh take note. Put more primates in your movies and you might finally make a good one. And no I don't mean Jude Law.
scaramanga1The English RivieraPosts: 845Chief of Staff
Watched The Liquidator this morning -recorded it off TMC with my new sky plus last night. I loved it! A charming Bond spoof with John Gardner's character Boysie Oakes. Can't reccomend it highly enough -all Bond fans should watch it -and most probably read the book.
I just saw Hancock, and if you take the Han away you'll understand how I felt about this movie. I liked the idea of a drunken, layabout superhero, but then it turns evil. He has to undergo treatment for his addiction. He has to get a PR agent. He has to stop throwing stranded whales into the seas, even though it is very funny. I bet in the sequel he hires a lawyer to represent him in lawsuits. Evil film. Evil.
I completely agree with you that the film is really disappointing, however not for the reasons that you state. I like the idea of him undergoing treatment and getting a PR agent; I think these are really crative and clever concepts, however my problem is that the film didn't really explore these concepts. Instead of being a really interesting (and fun) *Incredibles-like film about a superhero who doesn't know where he stands and is getting treatment and PR advice to deal with his problems, it turned into an extremely weak and not very interesting conventional superhero film. That said, I did like Charlize Theron.
*Iin terms of how The Incredibles was about non-Superhero film themes
I went and saw this last night, and I really enjoyed it (although the last scene was a bit OTT)
I agree that they could have gone a lot further with this film, but it was pure enjoyment. Got some great laughs, and the overall message, (that love prevails)IMO is a really good message to send out.
...however, not sure I liked it that much to buy it on DVD, but I won't mind watching it again when my husband rents it.
...and of course not forgetting the real reason I went, :x and that was to see QOS trailer and the beautiful Daniel (albeit 1 min and 43 secs)...but it was worth it. (and actually Will Smith wasn't looking at all half bad! )
She's worth whatever chaos she brings to the table and you know it. ~ Mark Anthony
Ben Hur 1959 4.5/6 (Good acting by Heston , he reminds me of Arnie S in this one)
Return of Pink Panther 1976 4/6
Revenge of Pink Panther 1978 3.5/6 (sad that this was the last PP with Sellers...those 2 made after his death were just exploitation imo. LOL when he's disguising as a gangster using such lingo as "Mamma Mia....Al Pacino !")
"Hellø , dis is chief inspector Clouseau speaking on the phøne !"
Rock 'n' Roll exploitation film from the late 1950s starring a very young Cliff Richard. Cliff is something of a national treasure in the UK though I suppose he never really broke the US. He was Britain's answer to Elvis, only less dangerous, more pouty, more beautiful in a Fellini's Death in Venice kind of way. Then we became the boy next door, with hits like Livin' Doll and Move It, appearing in musicals such as Summmer Holiday, in which he and his gang took a Routemaster bus from London to Athens.
He got knocked off his perch by The Beatles but continued having hits, reappearing in the 70s looking totally different but just as young with a career renaissance with Devil Woman, We Don't Talk Anymore and Carrie.
Lately he's become more of a laughing stock due to a) His Born-Again Christianity, which would be less of a sticking point in the US b) His enduring celibate status and accompanying rumours c) A certain petulance on his part about his status in rock, esp in relation to the Beatles d) His awful mega-selling Xmas singles of the early 90s.
Expresso Bongo starts promisingly with the Soho cafe culture captured well in an imaginatively conceived opening credits, it's all very Absolute Beginnners. But it soon becomes tedious; Cliff is alright but he's not the star, it all hinges on Laurence Harvey woefully miscast as a hustling Jewish would-be manager and his shrill stripper girlfriend. Harvey looks like Jude Law when he's trying to be pushy, all lanky swagger with a hat. It grates very soon and after 45 mins I was looking at my watch.
The best laughs come from the ironic Cliff moments: "We gotta get religion!" - a cynical attempt to tap the religious market, and "Why do people keep hasslig me about girlfriends?" (Cliff is the perennial bachelor boy still).
Hancock at the weekend. I see a few people disliked the film, however for me it did exactly what is was meant to do: entertain me for a couple of hours. It was fun, breezy and moved along pretty well. I didn't actually think that much about the plot as it didn't seem like that sort of film. It was a bit of a laugh, with a few genuinely funny moments. No Batman Begins and hardly memorable, but a light Hollywood superhero which was fairly enjoyable.
Truly awful offering from Woody Allen. This is a script so bad that no other person would have got it greenlit, but apparently there are people with money still foolish enough to believe that Allen's name means something. And Ewan MacGregor and Colin Farrell are only ever good when they use their own accents, so what kind of lunatic casts them as Londoners?
Allen's producer died this week, wonder if that will change things?
The Sea Hawks
Boisterous Errol Flyn adventure from 1940, with pointed allegory about the Nazi threat to Britain, only it's the Spanish with designs on Elizabethan England.
It's odd to see Flynn (or is it Flynne?) pair off against Flora Robson's surprisingly skittish and sexy Elizabeth I, when he was up against Bette Davis' Queen Bess only a year earlier in the painful The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex. This is much better, and the chemistry between them is good.
Shades of Craig's Bond and Quantum of Solace; he's a rogue bucanneerer who oversteps his brief in raiding a Spanish ship for booty when it is on its way for a diplomatic meeting with the Queen. Then gets a rollocking from the Queen, who all the same has to hide her amusement of him behind her fan... then he is sent on a non-official jaunt to undermine the Spanish, to Panama! (Shot here in Sepia as opposed to the usual black and white).
Good stuff but hampered by having Brenda Marshall rather than Olivia de Havilland as the love interest, Marshall looks more Spanish I suppose. Claude Rains is wasted as one of the Spanish villains. And it's a bit unsatisfying, like most Elizabeth films, to have the leading lady sort of unattached at the end, you know it can go nowhere despite everything. And Flynn's character unusually tounge tied with is romance, more Leslie Howard than we expect.
Comments
Yes indeed and it has been my most anticipated film of the year.
I went to see it this afternoon and the theatre was packed.Very unusual for a 2.30.showing.
Have to say I .... LOVED LOVED LOVED IT!!!
Fantastic cheesy nonsense that just leaves you feeling good. Excellent performances all round and my love for Colin Firth gets deeper every day :x .
Even though the men cant sing, it does't matter as they carry the songs with such enthusiasm and obviously Julie Walters manages another terrific comedic turn.
Dont go to see this expecting a master piece, but if you just want to a bit of light relief this is for you.
{[]
I enjoyed the film, and give it 3 out of 5 stars. The review I read said it "missed it by that much" but I think the reviewer just wanted to use that line. It was a good film. If you liked the TV show you will enjoy the movie.
Lovefilm sent out my copy! Certainly some Bond elements here, not just Donald Pleasance. Douglas Slocombe, who lensed Never Say Never Again, along with more successful films like The Italian Job and Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, is cinematographer. I thought this film would be black and white, but it has Slocombe's colourful palette. Actually I find his look easier to admire than like, it's better suited to magic realism or something, it's a bit too dense for me.
There's plastic surgery while on the run post WW2 (Ian Fleming's Moonraker novel), a circus (DAF and OP) and a snake in a bathroom (LALD). Later it seems less than a coincidence that the villain has a similar icy suave manner to Louis Jordan in Octopussy. This is utterly daft hokum, it's the sort of film where the villain's eyes narrow as a bolshy strumpet proclaims: "I know you killed those other acrobats to stop them leaving! But you don't scare me! I'm leaving tonight - just after I've performed my dangerous, death-defying stunt!" {[]
I would have liked it to have been scarier and I'm not sure if plastic surgery translates for me, I don't always find it convincing as a main plot, a bit like psychiatry or hypnosis.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Beyond the visuals, we get a bigger, beefier role for Abe Sapien (and Doug Jones gets to use his own voice for once), a new ally in the gaseous Johann Krauss (voiced by "Family Guy's" Seth MacFarlane), and of course Ron Perlman in his greatest role. The villains aren't as scary as the ones from the first film, but the creatures are wackier; and the movie is often downright hilarious. There are also some hints throughout the film of things to come, so it looks like a Hellboy III is on the horizon. Personally, I can't wait! If you liked the original Hellboy or if you like the work of del Toro, you should see this one.
I had no idea it was out so soon! {[]
I just saw Hancock, and if you take the Han away you'll understand how I felt about this movie. I liked the idea of a drunken, layabout superhero, but then it turns evil. He has to undergo treatment for his addiction. He has to get a PR agent. He has to stop throwing stranded whales into the seas, even though it is very funny. I bet in the sequel he hires a lawyer to represent him in lawsuits. Evil film. Evil.
While I enjoyed the movie as a whole, some things bothered me. The beginning sequence at area 51. Some of the cinematography bothered me. I didn't believe for a second that Indy or the Russian lady were outside Area 51. Instead, it looked like they were on a sound stage shooting the scene. Also, putting Indy in the 1950's. While it was fun, it just didn't seem right. Those were probably the only parts that bothered me, wait one more bothered me. The end sequence
I'd been snippy about TB after watching it on the big screen two years ago or so... you can find the link in the Events forum. The print was very bad, which didn't help at all - this week I picked the Ultimate Edition for a fiver. It looks great; the Aston Martin is particularly lush.
I will probably watch the rest of it tonight.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Low budget science fiction "B" ride. One track minded doctor, played by Lew Ayres, whose mind is controlled by wealthy WH. Donovan's pulsating and glowing cerebellum. (which he keeps in what appears to be a ten gallon fish tank)
With a youthful Nancy Reagan as the heroine! (fun way to spend an hour)
Here's hoping you received the full Domino effect.
I completely agree with you that the film is really disappointing, however not for the reasons that you state. I like the idea of him undergoing treatment and getting a PR agent; I think these are really crative and clever concepts, however my problem is that the film didn't really explore these concepts. Instead of being a really interesting (and fun) *Incredibles-like film about a superhero who doesn't know where he stands and is getting treatment and PR advice to deal with his problems, it turned into an extremely weak and not very interesting conventional superhero film. That said, I did like Charlize Theron.
*Iin terms of how The Incredibles was about non-Superhero film themes
Hellboy II
We pretty much echo what HB said, a great, visually striking movie by a visionary filmmaker. Lots of action, laughs, some very well defined characters and lots of threads left open for yet more sequels.
The villain Nuada (who looks like Tom Cruise in bizarre makeup to me) comes across as a bit too one-dimensional in his hatred of mankind, and once the special connection between him and his sister is revealed anyone with half a brain will quickly figure out how the movie has to end. The other plot thread which didn't work for me was how ALL the "normal" humans are portrayed as cold and insensitive towards Hellboy and his pals; that black and white "the freaks are the only good people" message is pushed a little too forcefully to really feel believable.
Stealing the show is the voice of Seth McFarlane as Johann Krauss, a cold, calculating, hyper-efficient German wisp of ectoplasmic smoke enclosed in a souped up diving suit. His thick accent fits his know-it-all attitude perfectly and he has some of the best lines in the film.
Despite my minor quibbles this is a great comic book movie that definitely deserves the support of the moviegoing audience (although I noticed that a lot of people in the theater just didn't seem to get it.)
Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D
An updated retelling of the Jules Verne novel; this time around the hook is the suggestion that Verne actually did journey to the center of the Earth. Geologist Brendan Fraser, along with his estranged nephew and plucky Icelandic guide embark on the journey and meet up with all kinds of strange and fantastic creatures along the way.
The story is pretty thin and everybody displays an annoying and ultimately unnecessary tendency to scream in terror at every turn. The 3D effects were only so-so; while the film had great depth of field, the attempts at making stuff pop out of the screen usually don't end up working too well. Not a terrible movie but in the end nothing particularly memorable either.
If Hollywood really thinks 3D is the key to salvaging the movie theater experience (as they keep saying) then they really have to put more effort into putting out a better product and they also need to apply the technology to a more proven and viable franchise instead of these modest efforts by second-tier studios.
Dull prison drama worth seeing only if you want to see Mickey Rourke playing a transvestite convict.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
I have'nt watched this for ages so thought i'd pop it in the player over the weekend, and it still holdes up pretty well. its hard to belive its getting on for eight years old now! the only thing that still bothers me is when magneto fires the gun at the cop at the train station and freezes the bullet before it hits him in the head. Why does the guy still stay there whille its hovering in front of his face? I understand at first its shock ect but then magneto and the prof have a bit of a chat and the guy is still there! just move!
www.scottacademymartialarts.co.uk
Yeah, good stuff though I should have watched it all in one go as the chic Parisian stuff complements the Nassau sequences. I still hold it's not a great movie for Bank Holiday with the family - the locale stays the same and it's quite involved. At the cinema, you can't allow your mind to wander, which it will do when you've seen it 20 times, and anyway it will be three-quarters empty, creating a hollow experience.
I can see why they say Connery gives his best performance here. He certainly has more dialogue than the other films and is quite natural and personable.
Nitpicking resumed a bit: Bond aint much of a spy as his buddy Leiter is standing right behind him on the beach and he doesn't notice! (Of course we're not meant to know it's Leiter at that point). And the 'little fish' scaled in the shower; well, it takes my shower a good minute to warm up! The hand-to-hand combat underwater has Bond as a goalhanger, above it all, nipping in and out and getting involved in singular, unlikely scrapes.
But the print quality was so good I was lapping the whole film up... Oh, the ending when the plane picks up a curious Domino and Bond... it would be "You total ruddy b@stard! You think I enjoy being hoiked up and flown away at 200mph!"
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Great film. I love this film so much, no wonder it is sometimes my favourite Bond film (trading spaces with OHMSS). The only part I dislike is the boat chase scene, the movie changes direction there for a little while and the whole chase is anti-climactic (I mean, come on, after that fight scene with Grant!) after the tension being released between Grant and Bond. However, it is a basic escape story, central to the plot. Such a good movie with great value. The only shame is that it is SPECTRE and not SMERSH like in the novel. That novel is certainly my second favourite, second only to CR! Good stuff.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Roger Moore 1927-2017
I'm no fan of the Wachowski's. I hated Bound, and thought that for all the philosophising and mathematical conundrums put forward in The Matrix films, they still managed to be profoundly stupid. But Speed Racer is quite fun. Matthew Fox makes a fine Racer X, Christina Ricci is cute. And there is a comedy monkey. Any film that features a comedy monkey in it is automatically twice as good as it would be otherwise. Kenneth Branagh take note. Put more primates in your movies and you might finally make a good one. And no I don't mean Jude Law.
I went and saw this last night, and I really enjoyed it (although the last scene was a bit OTT)
I agree that they could have gone a lot further with this film, but it was pure enjoyment. Got some great laughs, and the overall message, (that love prevails)IMO is a really good message to send out.
...however, not sure I liked it that much to buy it on DVD, but I won't mind watching it again when my husband rents it.
...and of course not forgetting the real reason I went, :x and that was to see QOS trailer and the beautiful Daniel (albeit 1 min and 43 secs)...but it was worth it. (and actually Will Smith wasn't looking at all half bad!
Return of Pink Panther 1976 4/6
Revenge of Pink Panther 1978 3.5/6 (sad that this was the last PP with Sellers...those 2 made after his death were just exploitation imo. LOL when he's disguising as a gangster using such lingo as "Mamma Mia....Al Pacino !")
"Hellø , dis is chief inspector Clouseau speaking on the phøne !"
"I want a røm....røm , zimmer !"
"Does your dog bite ?"
Rock 'n' Roll exploitation film from the late 1950s starring a very young Cliff Richard. Cliff is something of a national treasure in the UK though I suppose he never really broke the US. He was Britain's answer to Elvis, only less dangerous, more pouty, more beautiful in a Fellini's Death in Venice kind of way. Then we became the boy next door, with hits like Livin' Doll and Move It, appearing in musicals such as Summmer Holiday, in which he and his gang took a Routemaster bus from London to Athens.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdJCtqegd8A
He got knocked off his perch by The Beatles but continued having hits, reappearing in the 70s looking totally different but just as young with a career renaissance with Devil Woman, We Don't Talk Anymore and Carrie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px7ilisAGj0
Lately he's become more of a laughing stock due to a) His Born-Again Christianity, which would be less of a sticking point in the US b) His enduring celibate status and accompanying rumours c) A certain petulance on his part about his status in rock, esp in relation to the Beatles d) His awful mega-selling Xmas singles of the early 90s.
Expresso Bongo starts promisingly with the Soho cafe culture captured well in an imaginatively conceived opening credits, it's all very Absolute Beginnners. But it soon becomes tedious; Cliff is alright but he's not the star, it all hinges on Laurence Harvey woefully miscast as a hustling Jewish would-be manager and his shrill stripper girlfriend. Harvey looks like Jude Law when he's trying to be pushy, all lanky swagger with a hat. It grates very soon and after 45 mins I was looking at my watch.
The best laughs come from the ironic Cliff moments: "We gotta get religion!" - a cynical attempt to tap the religious market, and "Why do people keep hasslig me about girlfriends?" (Cliff is the perennial bachelor boy still).
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Truly awful offering from Woody Allen. This is a script so bad that no other person would have got it greenlit, but apparently there are people with money still foolish enough to believe that Allen's name means something. And Ewan MacGregor and Colin Farrell are only ever good when they use their own accents, so what kind of lunatic casts them as Londoners?
The Sea Hawks
Boisterous Errol Flyn adventure from 1940, with pointed allegory about the Nazi threat to Britain, only it's the Spanish with designs on Elizabethan England.
It's odd to see Flynn (or is it Flynne?) pair off against Flora Robson's surprisingly skittish and sexy Elizabeth I, when he was up against Bette Davis' Queen Bess only a year earlier in the painful The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex. This is much better, and the chemistry between them is good.
Shades of Craig's Bond and Quantum of Solace; he's a rogue bucanneerer who oversteps his brief in raiding a Spanish ship for booty when it is on its way for a diplomatic meeting with the Queen. Then gets a rollocking from the Queen, who all the same has to hide her amusement of him behind her fan... then he is sent on a non-official jaunt to undermine the Spanish, to Panama! (Shot here in Sepia as opposed to the usual black and white).
Good stuff but hampered by having Brenda Marshall rather than Olivia de Havilland as the love interest, Marshall looks more Spanish I suppose. Claude Rains is wasted as one of the Spanish villains. And it's a bit unsatisfying, like most Elizabeth films, to have the leading lady sort of unattached at the end, you know it can go nowhere despite everything. And Flynn's character unusually tounge tied with is romance, more Leslie Howard than we expect.
Roger Moore 1927-2017