What Non-New Films Have You Seen? (2018 Edition)

[Sebastian Cobb]

He looks like a cuddly wounded bear. I much prefer him in that mode - the sensitive, 'ordinary guy' action hero - than whenever he plays a humourless, tooled-up prick like Rambo* or Cobra.

Cliffhanger is great fun, you're absolutely right. It never pretends to be anything other than a big fuck-off blast of goodies vs baddies hokum. Lithgow quite rightly hams it up something rotten as the villain, he's tremendous.

* Sly is obviously in full-on wounded bear mode in the brilliant First Blood, but I refuse to accept that the violent right-wing superhero Rambo from the sequels is the same person.

Any film with Lithgow as a camp baddie is good fun.

Tonight I saw Sympathy for Mr Vengance. Enjoyed.

[greenman]

He looks like a cuddly wounded bear. I much prefer him in that mode - the sensitive, 'ordinary guy' action hero - than whenever he plays a humourless, tooled-up prick like Rambo* or Cobra.

Cliffhanger is great fun, you're absolutely right. It never pretends to be anything other than a big fuck-off blast of goodies vs baddies hokum. Lithgow quite rightly hams it up something rotten as the villain, he's tremendous.

* Sly is obviously in full-on wounded bear mode in the brilliant First Blood, but I refuse to accept that the violent right-wing superhero Rambo from the sequels is the same person.

Yeah I tend to think Arnie played the "tooled up" characters rather better not coming across as so much of a humourless prick. I spose it helped that Arnies films tended to have more of an anti establishment bent to them where as Sly's were more nationalistic flag waving exercises after the early years.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Exactly, yes. Sly's messianic, God bless America ego hijacked Rocky and Rambo in the mid-80s. Our lovable Rocky ending the Cold War with his heartfelt street wisdom? Fuck off. The Rambo of First Blood, a rootless war veteran suffering from PTSD, returning to Vietnam to win the war on his own? Fuck right off.

I should stop dribbling on about Sylvester Stallone in this thread, it must be so boring for anyone who doesn't share my interest in his career. I've started a Creed II thread for further discussion of the man and his work.

[greenman]

Not seen it in 20 years but werent the badguys in Cobra some kind "enemy within" literati terrorists?

Again I think that action cinema as a whole from that era was actually a lot more subversive that what we've seen since with the US establishment/capitalism a pretty common target which makes Sly shifting so much in the other direction stand out a lot more.

[SteveDave]

Lithgow quite rightly hams it up something rotten as the villain, he's tremendous.

Someone from Twitter dot com said that Bryan Ferry was in the (briefly) running to play the villain.

From TV Tropes:

"Christopher Walken was originally cast as Qualen, but pulled out just before filming started. Bryan Ferry was briefly considered for the role, while Renny Harlin wanted David Bowie."

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Bryan Ferry is so shy, he can barely face a camera while performing. It's quite difficult to imagine him exuding OTT villainy on an icy mountain rage while Sly swings about heroically in a vest.

[SteveDave]

I spent a long time yesterday imagining what it would've been like and laughing out loud.

[greenman]

The post credits revival scene singing Virginia Plain might have made it worthwhile

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I'm too close to paradise...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9EZaI8dmrs

[alan nagsworth]

Rear Window

Incredible. Couldn't find fault with the entire thing. Brilliant set design (reading the trivia has just heightened my opinion of it) and utterly gripping throughout. Much like the "what you don't see" of Rosemary's Baby, I was completely in the dark right until the end and didn't know what to expect. I also loved the quirky sense of humour.

What's interesting is that, being so familiar with the Simpsons episode "Bart of Darkness", I kept wondering how mirrored the parody was, but it didn't detract from the suspense at all. It's such a fitting tribute to Hitchcock's work.

[Sin Agog]

I feel like Christopher Reeve took the whole method acting thing a bit too seriously for the remake.

[Large Noise]

8 1/2- Fellini

Didn't pay enough attention. The guy's poly or something.

[hedgehog90]

^ It's difficult with subtitles isn't it? Especially the walking/talking scenes. If I revisit it I'll consider watching an English dub.
I appreciated it more afterwards, but for most of the running time it felt like hard work.
Really enjoyed the bits where it goes off-the-rails though, particularly the section where Guido is lording it over his haram of women. His mistress in that is so great.

[zomgmouse]

I watched that on a shitty DVD on a shitty TV with my mum years ago and I love this film a lot and had no problems with subtitles or following anything, I dunno what you're all on about. It's gorgeous. One of my cherished memories with my mum.

[greenman]

I was supprised how easy I found it to watch compared to something like Pierrot Le Fou, the flashbacks/fantasys never seemed that hard to follow and its just charming and funny for the most part as well as looking great.

Maybe watching La Dolce Vita first might help? it kind of feels like your dealing with vaguely the same character with Mastroianni in both so you already know him a little when the film starts.

[Large Noise]

I've seen La Dolce Vita. Think I enjoyed that more, but the difference was I watched that with somebody else and a pot of coffee. I was fannying about with my phone for the first half of 8 1/2 and that kind of ruined it. Might rewatch it.

[greenman]

Watched Sword of Doom a couple of days ago, chambara post Kurosawa glory years and pre his return to success in the 80's isn't really something I'v seen a great deal of bar a couple of Zatoichi films. Was surprised just how dark/brutal this was for 1966 but certainly very effective indeed up there with Kurosawa in terms of visuals.

[hedgehog90]

Don't think I'll be forgetting that one in a hurry...

As disturbing and unpleasant as most of it was, I've come out the other end feeling strangely euphoric.
The only thing I can think to compare it to is Under The Skin.

Words fail me.
Just, wow.

Fuck.

Just finished watching Irreversible.

[hedgehog90]

As I was getting ready for bed, brushing my teeth, going to the loo, etc, I was fixated on a particular moment in the film. I could have burst into tears if I didn't restrain myself.
The moment when a distant figure walks into the background, but upon seeing what was happening, walks away a few seconds later.

It's just hit me how devastating those moments were, the moments that could have been but weren't.

Fucking ugh.
This film's gonna fuck me up I know it.

[hedgehog90]

Fuck.

[Urinal Cake]

Fellini is one of those rare directors whose quality fits a bell curve.

[hedgehog90]

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

RUBBISH.

Great premise but executed terribly.
Why didn't Joan Crawford yell from her window when her sister was out? When she reaches the phone why didn't she call the police? What the FUCK Joan you stupid fucking idiot I hate you.

[zomgmouse]

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

RUBBISH.

Great premise but executed terribly.
Why didn't Joan Crawford yell from her window when her sister was out? When she reaches the phone why didn't she call the police? What the FUCK Joan you stupid fucking idiot I hate you.

Sometimes you are very right and other times, like this time, you are just obstinately and utterly wrong. It's very baffling.

(I realise you can't really be wrong about matters of taste but also this film is brilliant.)

[surreal]

Just watched Inside Out for the first time - restored my faith in Pixar somewhat, very clever way of getting difficult concepts like emotions and their effect and importance across cleanly but without being preachy.

Also Amy Poehler.

Also BING-BONG!!!! Noooooo....

[amputeeporn]

The Insider

Really enjoyed it. Very Michael Mann-ish. Although it's a far less coked up performance than the last Pacino I saw (Heat), it's a great performance. Even if that's just the way he is, the brooding intensity he can bring is so convincing that you nearly forget at times he's a massive star. Fascinating when that happens and we get lost of him shouting about how someone's fucked him etc.

The true story behind it is, of course, beyond appalling. Interesting that we never see anyone smoke a cigarette in the entire film.

I love these kinds of pseudo-true expose type thrillers a-la All The President's Men, Michael Clayton, Spotlight, etc.

Are there more? I guess maybe Zodiac counts, which I need to revisit but might be my favourite of the bunch...

[Sebastian Cobb]

Last night I watched the original Oldboy, which I thought I'd watched before, but must've only watched part of, because I'd have remembered that ending. Kind of glad I hadn't seen it before though as it was excellent.

Then I watched the rather strange The Wild Boys (Les Garçons Sauvages) which was good and all.

[greenman]

Women of the Dunes, as with 8 1/2 this was a surprisingly easy watch as well dispite the arty rep, I think you can see a lot of the genesis for warped arty thrillers from the likes of Lynch here and I could easily imagine for example Jonathan Glazer doing a remake of it. Its actually a pretty straight forward confinement story on the face of it but effectively turns it into Anakin Skywalkers worst nightmare with the creeping threat of sand being more sinister than the majority of monsters/killers.

[Sin Agog]

Love that movie so much.  Be sure to watch Pitfall 'n' all by the same guy if you can find it.  It's like the Japanese Carnival of Souls.  There was a phase there with Onibaba, Kwaidan and this where Japan were making some of the most original and best horrors in the world

Scarecrow with Gene Hackman and Al Pacino in his first post-Godfather role.  Has a bit of a mixed rep, but it's a lovely fillum.  Would write more but I'm currently distracted by a curly-haired old lady opposite my boat whacking a middle-aged bloke in the head because their dogs got in a tussle. 

[zomgmouse]

Samurai Rebellion. By the director of Hara Kiri (and the recently mentioned Kwaidan), another slow burn scorcher. Much of this film is concerned with clan/family politics but then lets loose spectacularly in the final act.

Love that movie so much.  Be sure to watch Pitfall 'n' all by the same guy if you can find it.  It's like the Japanese Carnival of Souls.

The Face of Another is a film by the same director and based on a book by the same author. Well worth checking out.

[hedgehog90]

Au Hasard Balthazar
GRIM