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Re: Films

Post by plummy »

Kids film - Wreck it Ralph - loved it :D
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Re: Films

Post by CamiCrew »

My recent favorite was "20 Feet from Stardom." American documentary on background singers. Fascinating look at what it means to be the talent in the spotlight versus the incredible talents that are (by choice or otherwise) just outside the spotlight, and the money, etc. I didn't realize how often the same background singer will work for multiple big names. And... and... and... there were so many interesting things I learned from this movie but I don't want to give it all away. I saw it in the theater but I'll seek it out to watch again another day at home.
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Re: Films

Post by Paul Victory »

Saw Silver Linings Playbook on TV this week. Fairly daft movie, but I enjoyed and Jennifer Lawrence was great. I watched her post Oscars press conference on YouTube afterwards - hilarious. She comes across as hugely likeable and down to earth.
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Re: Films

Post by webberg »

Cami, if you want an alternative on backing singers and groups etc, watch The Sapphires. Story about an Aussie girl group and their manager who get a gig entertaining troops in Vietnam. Funny and quite touching at the same time.

As I may have mentioned, our eldest is at Uni studying to be a film script writer. Consequently we get to see a lot of films. His latest indie films recommended include Garden State and Safety Not Guaranteed.

Mainstream wise, he rates Gravity and Philomena.

Not film but TV - we're going through Elementary (US version of Sherlock) very fast. Whilst it's a bit more frantic than Sherlock because each episode is 48 minutes and there are many in the season as opposed to Sherlock's 3 x 90 minute season, it is VERY GOOD. Johnny Lee Miller in the title role is especially good.
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Re: Films

Post by CamiCrew »

Sapphires, saw its run go by but didn't catch it at the time. Will check it out for sure. Great other recommendations. And Silver Linings too, not in a hurry to see it but good to know it's enjoyable!
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Re: Films

Post by Paul Victory »

webberg wrote:Cami, if you want an alternative on backing singers and groups etc, watch The Sapphires. Story about an Aussie girl group and their manager who get a gig entertaining troops in Vietnam. Funny and quite touching at the same time.

As I may have mentioned, our eldest is at Uni studying to be a film script writer. Consequently we get to see a lot of films. His latest indie films recommended include Garden State and Safety Not Guaranteed.

Mainstream wise, he rates Gravity and Philomena.

Not film but TV - we're going through Elementary (US version of Sherlock) very fast. Whilst it's a bit more frantic than Sherlock because each episode is 48 minutes and there are many in the season as opposed to Sherlock's 3 x 90 minute season, it is VERY GOOD. Johnny Lee Miller in the title role is especially good.
Our youngest is also doing film studies and gives us lots of recommendations. We went to see Gravity because he was raving about it so much and were slightly disappointed. We thought it was a good movie, but I guess our expectations were sky high. He didn't like Silver Linings Playbook at all, but Jennifer and I both enjoyed it.

I also enjoy Elementary. I started watching it towards the end of series one and I agree that Jonny Lee Miller is excellent. Also starting watching Sherlock this season. I've seen episode one and recorded episode two. I think I prefer the US version.

I saw Argo last night. I thought it was OK, but wasn't blown away by it.
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Re: Films

Post by webberg »

Paul, have to disagree on Elementary and Sherlock as I much prefer the UK version.

Gravity I've not seen but my family rate it.

Argo I have watched perhaps 30 minutes off and then had to turn it off. Aside from the very noticeable lack of historic accuracy, where was the sense of danger or tension or fear of the unknown that makes good drama?

Obvious from about minute 15 what the outcome was going to be and lost all tension at that point. Couldn't and probably never will watch it to the end.

Compare with No Country for Old Men which I think is fantastic.
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Re: Films

Post by Stan »

Saw American Hustle today. Well acted, but a bit dull really.
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Re: Films

Post by Thomas W-P »

I thought Silver Linings Playbook was a brilliant film. Great acting and story. I do like a bit of dance. JL is a brilliant actress and carries Hunger Games films superbly. Also easy on the eye!

LOVED Gravity. Had high expectations (physics teacher!) and it pretty much lived up to it (apart from the necessary silliness).

Have to say I like both Elementary and Sherlock. Elementary is genius in how cheap it is to make, Sherlock is genius at how expensive and such good value for both. Sherlock has done the impossible and dragged my 13 year old daughter's attention away from Harry Potter. She now has OCD ("Obsessive Cumberbach Disorder") according to her... :D
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Re: Films

Post by Paul Victory »

Went to see 12 Years a Slave at the weekend. I thought it was excellently made and very thought provoking. It really brought home the evils of slavery and showed how even ordinary, otherwise decent, people could become slave owners and not realise that what they were dong was totally abhorrent.

I saw all three episodes of this year's Sherlock and it's growing on me, but I still think I prefer Elementary (although maybe that's because I've been watching it from series 1, whereas I've only seen the current series of Sherlock).
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Re: Films

Post by Stan »

I saw 12 years a slave as well Paul. Superbly acted and deserves all the plaudits its getting. Difficult to watch some of the scenes though!
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Re: Films

Post by Gregor Andrews »

My girlfriend Emma admitted to me this week that she'd never seen Footloose : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087277/
So we watched it the other night - I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I remeber going to the cinema in 1984 and dancing home with friends after it had finished 8) but I thought I'd find it a bit naff and outdated now.
Also I forgot Chris Penn was in the film (he was superb) and I spotted a young tiny Sarah Jessica Parker too.
some brilliantly cheesy tunes makes it all the more amusing now. 7/10

On a totally different theme, the second series of Utopia just finished. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2384811/?ref_=nv_sr_1
I'm not sure if anyone here will have seen it but it's amazing. I love everything about it. Superb acting, well written, plenty of surprises in the plot.
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Re: Films

Post by plummy »

Mad Max Fury Road - went to see it this afternoon and it's completely insane bonkers - loved it for that :D
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Re: Films

Post by Daffy »

Saw "Spy" with Melissa McCarthy last night - good fun! The whole cinema was laughing out loud!
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Re: Films

Post by webberg »

My children are cinema fanatics (one has recently finished a screen writing Uni course and one wants to work in film marketing and one wants to work in film SFX), but as the two elder ones are away for various reasons, I'm being forced to take the youngest (15) to the cinema to watch things he wants to see.

Saw the final Hunger Games film yesterday.

I was not a willing viewer. I think the books that the films are based on have plagarised Battle Royale and have a moral issue with enriching the author. I have no time for the lead actress who I think is wooden and just not very good. The story has so many plot holes as to be embarrassing. It's at least 40 minutes longer than it needs to be. Some of the plot devices are like something you'd find in a kids cartoon. It "ended" at least 3 times.

Good bits? I liked the beginning and the end but they were too far apart.

Not a fan. I will not be adding to the 72% this film apparently scores on Rotten Tomatoes.
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Re: Films

Post by plummy »

I disliked the first one so much I never bothered with any of the follow ups - I certainly won't be "paying" to watch them but may dip in when they are free to TV.
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Re: Films

Post by webberg »

I'd agree and as I missed out on some of the series, perhaps I didn't get all I could from it, but frankly it's poor.

I don't get why the media is so into whatever the actress is called. Ok, she's averagely pretty but she has two expressions, bland and empty, and moves like Pinnochio.

Anyway - I have booked to see Star Wars at a 3D IMAX in Christmas week and now hope that my faith that even Disney cannot spoil the franchise (although the 4/5/6 films were BAAAAAAAADDDDD) is going to be repaid.

we'll see
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Re: Films

Post by Paul Victory »

Jennifer and I went to see the latest Star Wars movie this evening. It was very true to the original movie in feel and the 135 minutes certainly passed quickly. Neither of us was blown away by it, but I'm glad we went to see it. Now we don't have to worry about inadvertently reading any spoilers. :roll: :lol:

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Re: Films

Post by webberg »

Go and see Bridge of Spies.

Great story and very good performances from Hanks and Rylance, the second especially.

Typical Spielberg schmaltz in places and some clumsy stuff (always warm and sunny in USA but cold and snowing in Germany) but overall a decent rendition.

Star Wars tomorrow.
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Re: Films

Post by CamiCrew »

Paging Mr. Webberg. Paging Mr. Webberg. Sir, please report to the Name that Film thread.

:lol:
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Re: Films

Post by Recess »

I went to see Star Wars 'The Force Awakens' this afternoon.

I'm going back to see it again on Wednesday.
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Re: Films

Post by JonT »

Recess wrote:I went to see Star Wars 'The Force Awakens' this afternoon.

I'm going back to see it again on Wednesday.
I was really looking forward to seeing it and I really didn't enjoy it at all. It just struck me a pasting together all the bits that they knew Star Wars fans would like and doing it with almost no imagination. I also thought the acting from the two new leads was really quite poor. And for god's sake why didn't they just disguise the damn robot!?

Sorry! :oops:

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Post by Recess »

I wonder if all of that will reveal itself tomorrow when I see it again. But, yesterday I went in with the eyes of the 7 year old boy who loved the originals and loved it!

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Re: Films

Post by webberg »

I'm with Jon on this one.

Either Disney lost their nerve and gave Star Wars fans a rehash of the best bits and the next two will be no different, or (even worse) they've allowed Lucas to continue his one paced and bland writing habits to take control and produced this film.

Can't say that I'll be acquiring the DVD when it appears.
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Re: Films

Post by Paul Victory »

Those of you who are regular readers of this thread may know that our son Jonathan is a big movie buff and has got Jennifer and me to attend many films over the years that we might not have even noticed were on. The latest of these was Captain Fantastic.

When I first heard the title, I assumed it was yet another super hero movie, but I then realised that's not really the sort of thing that Jonathan goes in for. It stars Viggo Mortensen and is about a family living in the wilds somewhere in Colorado or Wyoming or thereabouts. It's kind of a road movie and is definitely different from most mainstream films. Worth seeing if you are looking for something out of the ordinary.
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