What non-new films have you seen? (2022 edition)

[dissolute ocelot]

Sonic The Hedgehog Part One (2019) - not terrible but also not good, its main goal is inoffensiveness. Ben Schwartz as the flea-ridden roller is less annoying than I suspected, while not exactly funny. The anodyne lead actor (James Marsden) is inoffensive, but no match for NPH in The Smurfs. Even Jim Carrey is less over the top than in many things (Ace Ventura), though quite good. There isn't much of a plot. There are lots of drones and a few robots. There is a comedy shrieking fat black woman, who is a bit of an odd caricature, but other ethnic-minority characters are normal. Best bit is the closing credits which recreate movie scenes in the style of old Sonic games. No better than Super Mario Bob Hoskins.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Just watched that House of Flying Daggers. Pretty good.

[zomgmouse]

Don't Talk to Strange Men. Short, sharp British thriller about a young woman groomed over the phone by the predatory titular strange man. Effective and tight, only let down by its rather rushed ending.

The Flower on the Stone. My first film by Sergei Parajanov although technically he was brought in to finish it rather than it being "his" film. Poetic flourishes contrast interestingly with the more realist subject matter and story of small-town love and struggles.

Pitfall. The first collaboration between director Hiroshi Teshigahara and author Kōbō Abe, who would later bring to life the brilliant The Face of Another. This one is perhaps less striking but still striking enough, chronicling the exploits of some miners in a barren landscape entangled in conspiracy and murder - and ghosts.

The Man from the First Century. Satirical Czech sci-fi from @Small Man Big Horse favourite Oldřich Lipský, this sees an upholsterer working on a spaceship accidentally propelled first to an alien planet and then back to Earth but 500 years later. The joke wears a little thin but it's amusing nonetheless.

The Grim Reaper. Debut of Bernardo Bertolucci. Several men are interrogated about the murder of a sex worker and tell their own occasionally conflicting point of view. It's pretty good, quite moody, and you see snippets of his future style emerging.

The Trial of Joan of Arc. The Bresson version. His more repressed and detached style works well to tell the story of Joan's persecution/prosecution. Incredible final shot.

[dissolute ocelot]

Hardcore Henry (2015) - so-stupid-it's-clever Russian action movie. Shot first-person like a video game, although the plot is so idiotic most video game designers would be ashamed. Anonymous cyborg battles super-villain with unexplained telekinetic powers who's trying to create an army of cyborg-soldiers. The dependable Sharlto Copley does his best playing multiple characters, while Tim Roth banks a cheque for fuck all. Sexist (there are inevitably strippers), ablist, mildly homophobic, etc, very Duke Nukem 3D. It must be nauseating to watch in a cinema but provides non-stop carnage on a sensible TV.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Emma Mae/Black Sisters Revenge - teenager from Missisipi visits family in LA and ends up decking people who cross her. It was great.

[zomgmouse]

The Colossus of Rhodes. Debut of Sergio Leone, and the only film of his I hadn't seen (unless you count the one he may or may not be uncredited on). Also easily his weakest. Ancient Greek epic of grand scale and grand action which he excels at but it generally feels insubstantial especially compared to all his later works, less of that more fluid, humorous touch.

After the Fox. De Sica comedy filmed in English with Peter Sellers possibly channelling his Pink Panther success by playing an Italian thief who concocts a plan to pull off an elaborate heist by pretending to shoot a film. A wonderful supporting cast is assembled (including Victor Mature, Martin Balsam, Akim Tamiroff, Britt Ekland, and even De Sica himself pops up) and the script is okay enough with some good gags here and there (Neil Simon) carried by the cast and direction. Frivolous fun. Plus this title sequence/song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbFFdvXIta0

The Appointment. Sidney Lumet film from 1969 which at times weirdly feels like the fake film that Peter Sellers makes in the above. Stars Omar Sharif and Anouk Aimée, set in Italy, very full of ennui as the former gets involved with the latter and then starts to suspect she might be a high-class sex worker. Ends up being a little toooooo slow unfortunately.

Also last night concluded the Hiroshi Shimizu season at the cinémathèque. They showed The Masseurs and a Woman, which was ok, and Mr. Thank You, which I enjoyed a lot more. But I think overall maybe Shimizu is not for me. His pastoral character observations sometimes contain moving sentimentality however they often do not reach this level with the slightness of the narratives.

I would say it is definitely worth a watch but don't expect a masterpiece. If you like Sleeper you will like this I would say

I watched this today - I liked its sweet neuroticism, and any excuse to showcase Alan Arkin's comic abilities is good enough for me. The scene where he recreates the history of evolution and society was a particular highlight.

[Sonny_Jim]

I know it's not really a film and I can't remember where who recommended it, but I watched Boys from the black stuff and it's very good, isn't it?  Only watched the first episode(?) (it was 1h40m) and started watching the second 'Jobs for the boys' but for whatever reason it didn't feel as 'raw' and I switched it off after about 10 minutes.  Is it worth persevering or is it a case of the first one being really good and it tailing off from there?

[Blumf]

I know it's not really a film and I can't remember where who recommended it, but I watched Boys from the black stuff and it's very good, isn't it?

There's a thread in Picture Box for that:
https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=95313.0

[phantom_power]

Resolution (2012) - Another great Moorhead/Benson film. I watched Endless first and so didn't realise who these characters were, and it doesn't really make much difference to either film which you see first. They manage to create a unique atmosphere with each of their films and are very good at evoking that sort of cosmic dread that brings to mind The King in Yellow and Lovecraft without being copyists.

Two Crippled Heroes (1980) - Cheapy kung-fu film about a man with no legs and a man with no arms (and a chimp) who are good at scrapping and club together to protect a woman wanted by a vicious local warlord. Silly but fun

[zomgmouse]

Two Crippled Heroes (1980) - Cheapy kung-fu film about a man with no legs and a man with no arms (and a chimp) who are good at scrapping and club together to protect a woman wanted by a vicious local warlord. Silly but fun

Reminds me of Crippled Avengers which is proper great, similar concept of people with particular disabilities training in complementary styles seeking revenge

[ImmaculateClump]

Reminds me of those lads from el topo.

[Mobius]

I watched Hot Tub Time Machine last night, never seen it before. Enjoyed it a lot, funny movie. Going to check out the sequel on the weekend.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I watched Hot Tub Time Machine last night, never seen it before. Enjoyed it a lot, funny movie. Going to check out the sequel on the weekend.

I don't know if they were aping that film specifically, and I realise it wasn't actually made in the 80's, but I loved the Always Sunny where they ape the problematic 80's hi-jinks.

[Sonny_Jim]

Watched that new Beavis & Butthead movie.  Even as a fan it was a hard watch, very contrived and uses the previous films structure when it can't figure out one of it's own.  Also completely wasted the opportunity of 'what if kids from 1998 turned up in 2022'.  Shame really, as most Mike Judge stuff is pretty decent with something to say.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Last night I watched A Woman Under the Influence. A 1973 Cassavetes film about Gena Rowlands having mental health issues, and her construction-foreman husband (played by Peter Faulk) struggling to deal with it.

I didn't like it very much, the portrayal of madness is a bit unpleasant to watch and although Faulk is his inherently charming self the character he is portraying is not really a good guy.

[Famous Mortimer]

Watched that new Beavis & Butthead movie.  Even as a fan it was a hard watch, very contrived and uses the previous films structure when it can't figure out one of it's own.  Also completely wasted the opportunity of 'what if kids from 1998 turned up in 2022'.  Shame really, as most Mike Judge stuff is pretty decent with something to say.

You might want to head over to the dedicated thread in CC here, cos I'm not sure 2022 counts as "non-new".

[Small Man Big Horse]

Bloody Oranges (2021) - I don't know. I just don't know. I mean, it's a vaguely Altman-esque drama where we follow various characters (an old couple deep in debt who enter a dance competition, a sixteen year old girl who wishes to lose her virginity, a politician who may have acted dubiously financially) but it doesn't really have much to say other than

Spoiler alert

that humanity / life is bleak and exhausting, filled with cruelty and mean spirited individuals, and while there might be moments of kindness they're few and far between?

[close]

5.8/10

[Dex Sawash]

Finally saw No Time To Die today. Had avoided the NTTD megathread and now can't  be bothered to find/read it.

Ropey CGI, story a bit dull, new placeholder

Spoiler alert

007

[close]

uninspiring. Naomie Harris relegated to receptionist.

It did at least wrap up well enough to draw a line under the Craige era though.

[Blumf]

Ad Astra (2019)
Watching it now. I can't hear a fucking thing anyone says! I would crank up the volume, but then I'd be deafened by all the other sounds/music (plus ad breaks). I think it's trying to be a sort of Apocalypse Now thing, but with daddy issues instead of PTSD.

Looks nice tho.

[Sonny_Jim]

I'm not sure 2022 counts as "non-new".

Aye realised that 30 seconds after posting it, whoopsy doodle.

[zomgmouse]

Last night I watched A Woman Under the Influence. A 1973 Cassavetes film about Gena Rowlands having mental health issues, and her construction-foreman husband (played by Peter Faulk) struggling to deal with it.

I didn't like it very much, the portrayal of madness is a bit unpleasant to watch and although Faulk is his inherently charming self the character he is portraying is not really a good guy.

is this a joke because all of that is the point

[Sebastian Cobb]

DIDN'T LIKE IT

[zomgmouse]

:(

[Mobius]

I watched Scary Movie

It's still really funny

WASSSSZZZUUUUPPPPP

[Dex Sawash]

I watched World War Z it was a

Spoiler alert

zombie film

[close]

It wasn't good but had Peter Capaldi in it for a few minutes. None of it made much sense, dead end storyline where Brad Pitt gains a Israeli sidekick.


Edit- meant to go in Herzog thread, obvs

[Mobius]

I saw that at cinema with a mate as we both enjoyed the book at the time, and it turned out to be absolutely nothing like the book. It was pretty terrible

[Sonny_Jim]

DIDN'T LIKE IT

Coincidentally we watched World War Z recently.  Thought it was fine but not the sort of film I'd rewatch on purpose.

So is Scary Movie actually-quite-good-actually?  I kinda of put it in the same category as American Pie, in that if I rewatched it I'd probably think it was shit.
 Is that fair?

[SteveDave]

Beyond The Infinite Two Minutes

The film begins when café owner Kato discovers his computer's monitor shows what will happen two minutes into the future from the perspective of the television in the café, which displays what happened two minutes into the past. The computer is brought down to face the television, creating a Droste effect, allowing the characters to see several minutes into the future.

This almost gets to "One Cut Of The Dead" levels of greatness in certain bits (the rescue of the hairdresser especially) but, despite it being an hour and 10 minutes long, still feels like it outstays its welcome.

[dissolute ocelot]

Coincidentally we watched World War Z recently.  Thought it was fine but not the sort of film I'd rewatch on purpose.

World War Z is the ultimate mediocre movie. It's fine, there are some good action scenes (especially in Israel), and it's probably more realistic than most zombie movies, but I couldn't care less about Brad or anybody else. The scenes in Wales are pretty anticlimactic too. I've not read the book but I'd imagine it would be more interesting given a bit more space to play out. The audiobook (featuring lots of talented actors like Alan Alda, John Turturro, Carl Reiner, and Mark Hamill) is meant to be very good too.

[Famous Mortimer]

Galaxis

Trashy mid 90s sci-fi with aliens fighting on Earth (one of my favourite sub-genres), about possession of some gem which will save their race, or allow them to enslave the universe. On the side of good is Brigitte Nielsen, with an assist from Craig Fairbrass as her brother, who gets offed fairly early on), and on the side of evil is Richard Moll (Bull off of "Night Court", and other movies of this ilk). There are a couple of cops who are pretty funny, and some criminals who all want the gem too, for some reason. You will recognise almost all the Asian goons from other movies, as I get the feeling Hollywood had a small stable of guys in the late 80s - late 90s. Also, Sam Raimi is a good guy who tries to reason with the villain near the beginning - he must have had a spare week and felt like acting.

Considering it shouldn't be anything to write home about, it's really quite good. Also, more people get thrown across rooms in this than in any other movie maybe ever, if that's a thing you've been waiting to see. Also also, there's an almost entirely unrelated sequel, another thing I love.