Mindhorn

[Mini]

I found this really weak. The script felt like a first draft, the action was little more than a tourist board-funded tour of the Isle of Man, and the '80s TV spoof was much too tame to raise any decent laughs.

Did anyone else notice the gratuitous shot of Steve Coogan's admittedly impressive abs?

In any case, would not recommend except to people planning a holiday to the Isle of Man and fans of Steve Coogan's torso.

[Morrison Lard]

If you're one of those dreadful people who torrent things you've probably seen this is now doing the rounds.

On a related note, I'm gonna be seeing this over the weekend.
At the cinema.

[phantom_power]

There was a very strange "foley" version of this doing the rounds where you got all the audio apart from the voices. It seems that it was ripped from the non-UK Netflix release and they fucked up and had the wrong version. Very odd.

[DrunkCountry]

Alpha Papa's Dark Place on Toast, basically.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I hate myself for such pedantry, but that style of music vid - where it's shot on video rather than film and looks 'live' - is more 84 than 89.

Possibly, but you could argue that he's so behind the times that he'd think this looks modern. Or he just didn't want to spend much money on the video.

Anyway, I watched this tonight and really enjoyed it, there's a couple of shaky moments but I got caught up in the atmosphere of it all and there's a lot of great jokes here. Probably could have done with an extra draft or two on the script to make it really special but I still rate it pretty highly.

[Swoz_MK]

Yeah was ok. A few guffaws on The Parole Officer levels. Windjammer was a good name.

[Noodle Lizard]

I fell asleep about forty minutes in - it wasn't doing much for me.  Maybe it's that the basic premise was vaguely similar to Alpha Papa and that there are really only so many things you can do with the "has-been actor/artist" trope, but I also feel like it wasn't very well-written.  It all fell completely flat for me; that whole bit with Kenneth Brannagh and the "lol white guy auditioning for Jamaican character by accident" sequence was about as humourless as I can imagine from an ostensibly comedic film.

I will finish it, though.  I've always liked Julian Barratt.

[Blinder Data]

I did watch this in a full auditorium at a film festival, which probably helped a lot.

I still reckon it's a solid 7.5/10 and better than your average BritCom films.

[Neomod]

I also started to drift off watching this. It seemed really stilted like a student film where they haven't really got to grips with pacing.

On the whole a bit weak.

[phantom_power]

I also started to drift off watching this. It seemed really stilted like a student film where they haven't really got to grips with pacing.

This makes sense as it is the director's first attempt at filming something, not just a feature film but anything I believe.

I found it watchable but all a bit "first draft"-ey. A bit lazy. Almost like they were so pleased with the basic premise that they thought it would write itself and therefore didn't bother, hoping to punch it up with improv on set.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I kind of wanted to see this but it's the last day it's showing at the cinema and I can't be hooped, so I guess I'll wait until it appears on Netflix or prime.

[Brundle-Fly]

The washed up old star or washed up old superhero saving the day is almost a comedy sub-genre. eg: My Favourite Year (1982), Galaxy Quest (1999), The Incredibles (2004). Ash Vs The Evil Dead (2015 -  ).

Here's a recent addition I spotted in Morrisons DVD section this week.

In this sci-fi horror movie a washed-up action star from the 1990s tries to be a hero in real life, fighting off a monstrous swarm of giant lava-breathing tarantulas that have erupted out of ancient volcanoes in the Santa Monica Mountains and are leaving a fiery path of death and destruction across Los Angeles. Cast includes Steve Guttenberg and Nia Peeples.



TRAILER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY_Cp3rRR3s

[Small Man Big Horse]

Here's a recent addition I spotted in Morrisons DVD section this week.

In this sci-fi horror movie a washed-up action star from the 1990s tries to be a hero in real life, fighting off a monstrous swarm of giant lava-breathing tarantulas that have erupted out of ancient volcanoes in the Santa Monica Mountains and are leaving a fiery path of death and destruction across Los Angeles. Cast includes Steve Guttenberg and Nia Peeples.



TRAILER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY_Cp3rRR3s

I've seen that and it's actually really fun. Sure I wrote a mini-review at one point *heads off to search CaB*, ah, here it is:

Have watched Lavalantula (2015) and Big Ass Spider (2013) recently, both of which were directed by Mike Mendez. The former is the better of the two as it stars Steve Guttenberg as a washed up movie star and gently spoofs the whole genre and the script is genuinely funny in places. Not sure it needed some of the other Police Academy cast members (including unfunny voice man) along for the ride, but they certainly don't spoil things, whilst perhaps most importantly the the lava spewing spiders don't disappoint.

[Brundle-Fly]

I gather there is a sequel: 2 Lava 2 Lantula (2016)

TEASER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCuEkzy-Cbw

[checkoutgirl]

Disappointed with this. I don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't that good. Like Alpha Papa but it feels like Partridge earned his film by being a great character for years. This just came out of the blue and wasn't that exciting or funny. Pity really because I'm a fan of Barrett generally.

[checkoutgirl]

There was a very strange "foley" version of this doing the rounds where you got all the audio apart from the voices.

I downloaded that! Took me a few minutes to work out what the fuck was going on.

[checkoutgirl]

It all fell completely flat for me

Agree. It was like a balloon with a slow puncture. None of it felt like a feature film. More like an extended TV show episode and not a particularly good one. I can't remember laughing once. Were there jokes in there even? Maybe I'm just thick.

I'm surprised Barrett would be involved with something so half arsed and patched together. The only saving grace was Simon McFarnaby who almost looked like he was bothering with a performance. I find him quite funny usually. What the fuck was Coogan doing with his shirt open? "I've been working on these abs for the last 6 months, I'm fucked if I'm not showing them off". Nice on Coogan.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I downloaded that! Took me a few minutes to work out what the fuck was going on.

Heh, me too, I found myself thinking that it was a very unusual artistic decision to have made, but after a couple of minutes realised something was wrong.

[phantom_power]

Yeah I thought at some point a boom mic would drop into shot and the sound would start

[biggytitbo]

In this sci-fi horror movie a washed-up action star from the 1990s

He's flattering himself there, Steve Guttenberg was already washed up before the 90s.

[weekender]

Although obviously instead of just torrenting the film, everyone should just seek it out at their local cinema!

Otherwise we might as well wave goodbye to cinematic releases for British comedy films.

When this sort of thing happens I book a ticket using my cinema card, then just download the film and watch it at home without the annoyance of having to go to the cinema.

I don't know how this ultimately affects the film's takings, but I like to think I'm helping.

Anyway, Mindhorn was alright.  I don't think there was really enough of the original 'Mindhorn' character to laugh at, which meant that there was limited opportunity to make subsequent laughs at either 'Mindhorn' or 'Richard'.  It did its job, which was to while away 90 minutes this afternoon when I felt like doing nothing.  I chuckled a couple of times at things, and it wasn't unpleasant.  There's just something missing, and I don't really know what it is.  I think it's that the film didn't know what it wanted to be, ultimately.

The Isle of Man looks nice, never been there, so good publicity for it.

Overall, a 4 out of 9.

[Brundle-Fly]

The Isle of Man looks nice, never been there, so good publicity for it.

Is IOM still operating a tax relief scheme for UK film companies?

[weekender]

Is IOM still operating a tax relief scheme for UK film companies?

I have literally no idea.

Do you want me to ask?

[buzby]

Is IOM still operating a tax relief scheme for UK film companies?

Yes - the Isle Of Man Film Fund is one of the many production logos at the start of the film. They own 20% of Pinewood Shepperton Studios (one of the other production companies on Mindhorn), so they offer using the Isle Of Man and it's tax credit scheme to productions using the studios.

[Malcy]

Really enjoyed this. Hope he does something more with the character.

[popcorn]

My mum loves Partridge so I'm tempted to suggest watching this with her. Is there anything unbelievably rude and horrible in it?

[Malcy]

My mum loves Partridge so I'm tempted to suggest watching this with her. Is there anything unbelievably rude and horrible in it?

I don't think so.

[popcorn]

All right, cheers, we'll watch something else.

[Malcy]

All right, cheers, we'll watch something else.

Oh...

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

I haven't seen this but I found it very disappointing. The whole Austin Powers reboot for people who were too young for the original didn't really bring enough to the table this time around. Barratt was his usual passable self, funny for a half an hour, but lacking in any character depth beyond the predictable mock 70's attitudes. There's a strain of comedy, hailing from the Simon Pegg/Edgar Wright school that believes all you need is a 'thing' and to milk that. In Mindhorn's case this is his telepathic powers which come from his removable leg. A leg which is also bionic and cost millions of pounds. Perhaps it's only right that a gag about inflation cheapens over the years. The third quarter of the movie had some interesting dynamics and nice touches but swayed unnervingly towards its botched finale, featuring cameos from TV stars and some redemption for our protagonist.

4.5/10