What Non-New Films Have You Seen? (2024 Edition)

[El Unicornio, mang]

he was now into his 60s, but that doesn't stop him being repeatedly hit on by attractive young women. Urgh.

Not entirely unrealistic in Hollywood.

I've still got a lot of time for the first one, despite some problematic stuff that's not really surprising for the time.

[SteveDave]

Trolls

My son saw "Trolls Band Together" in the cinema with his school last week so it was decided to watch this yesterday.

It was alright. Some good jokes, some abysmal cover versions with a tonne of autotune smeared on them and Russell Brand's turncoat character dies in a burning wheelbarrow at the end alongside Cheryl Hines.

[Dr Rock]

Harry Brown 2009

Previously had no interest in seeing Michael Caine go Dirty Harry, but a reviewer convinced me to watch by saying Harry uses his smarts to defeat the gang of evil kids.  He doesn't, he just shoots them. Grim.

[madhair60]

eh. fuck em!

[El Unicornio, mang]

Plan B is so annoying in that film I couldn't wait for him to be blown away

[Tarquin]

Going though the Fritz Lang films I haven't seen, started with:

Ministry of Fear (1944)

Starts off great with the weird middle-class fair and the train scene. Has some prime Lang peppered through, dialing a phone with huge scissors and the single bullet hole in the door.

Did feel the heavy hand of studio interference though. Main guy is only a tad tortured by perhaps killing his wife and his time in an asylum. Never read the Graham Greene book but I'm guessing that has a bit more depth to it.

Also saw Clue (1986) for the very first time. Loved it. Madeline Khan's fire speech, Jane Wieldlin getting immediately shot, ironing board slapstick, communism etc.

Reading up on it, original choices Cleese and Rossiter would not have been as good as Curry, but Atkinson maybe would've been even better. Anyone would be an improvement on the, blatently overdubbed, lead singer from Fear.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Ricochet - Hadn't seen this before amazing to see Denzil in an absurd action film alongside Big John Lithgow (who gets to wear a ridiculous syrup in some parts) and Ice T. Big stupid fun, exactly what I needed.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Beat Girl - quasi-exploitation flick about beatnicks, and a rebellious teenage girl who finds out her new young French stepmum who just wants to be accepted by her used to be a brass and tries to blackmail her with it.

Feels too stilted and camp in a British way to be real exploitation but still alright apart from overly long and boring musical bits. Also makes you think no wonder things like Ken Loach's Up the Junction blew peoples minds with regards to their gritty realism.

First British film to have an accompanying soundtrack lp apparently.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Also saw Clue (1986) for the very first time. Loved it. Madeline Khan's fire speech, Jane Wieldlin getting immediately shot, ironing board slapstick, communism etc.

Reading up on it, original choices Cleese and Rossiter would not have been as good as Curry, but Atkinson maybe would've been even better. Anyone would be an improvement on the, blatently overdubbed, lead singer from Fear.

I love Clue so much, when it came out on video it was a rare film that my older sister and I bonded over and we rented it many a time, yet for a very long time it seemed to be a movie that no one else I knew had watched.

Hoots Mon (1940) - One of those films which is very of its time, if only because England's funniest comedian Harry Hawkins (Max Miller) doesn't want impersonator Jenny MacTavish (Florence Desmond) to imitate him when they perform at the same show, which kind of seems fair enough as all she does is copy his closing song, but the film portrays him as being unreasonable. It's then suggested that Scottish audiences wouldn't like him and Hawkins is an arrogant sod and so insists on heading up to Glasgow to prove everyone wrong, except that he can't because they hate him. Most of this is designed for Miller to deliver his fast paced patter, and that get a bit exhausting on occasion, but I found myself becoming increasingly fond of this, with the hospital scenes towards the end being particularly fun. There's a slightly odd bit with Hawkins' side-kick who suddenly takes out giant papier machine black head and I'm pretty sure the audio dips so that something horribly racist isn't heard, and some of the portrayals of the Scottish are slightly questionable, but I'm very glad I got the chance to see this, even if the video quality was sadly fairly poor. 7.0/10

[Tarquin]

While the City Sleeps (1956)

Really odd. It's a serial killer procedural- Like Fritz's other one M? No like a TV soap-opera.

Starts of with a killing then for the rest it's Howards Way but in a newsroom. Has one supurb scene in a subway.

Dana Andrews does the worst drunk acting I've ever seen. Dana Andrews was an alcoholic. So it may be the best drunk acting of all time if he was actually pissed but prentending not to be by doing bad drunk acting whilst being drunk.

[Mobius]

Did an aeroplane double header

Red Eye and Flight Plan

Both pretty decent thrillers. Flight Plan strained believability but was fun anyway

[dissolute ocelot]

Did an aeroplane double header

Red Eye and Flight Plan

Both pretty decent thrillers. Flight Plan strained believability but was fun anyway

What, you didn't watch Liam Neeson in Non-stop? It's ok. Nobody believes him that bad shit is going down on a plane because he's an old alcoholic but he can still go Taken on your ass.

[Glebe]

Watched CaB fave (and one of my own) Under the Skin again last night, my brother was in and got a few beers and snacks, I saw it when it first came out and had been raving about it for yonks so it was glad that he finally got around to seeing it (he thought it was very good).

It's just a wonderfully eerie experience. That beach scene is still harrowing and heartbreaking and difficult to watch, mind.

Experienced a weird Mandela Effect thing... I was sure that during the scene where

Spoiler alert

Johansson's alien is seducing the young man with neurofibromatosis (Adam Pearson), there was a moment where she waves the onlooking fellow alien away with her hand

[close]

. Weird. Obviously just imagined it.

[Tarquin]

The Innocents (1961)

This film is astonishing. Freddie Francis' cinematography, I rarely notice these things, is jaw-dropping. All of it though, wonderful.

(If you have seen it, is it just me or did Patsy Byrne base Nursey from Blackadder on Megs Jenkins Mrs. Grose? "Stuff and nonsense" I'm sure.)

[Minami Minegishi]

The Innocents (1961)

This film is astonishing. Freddie Francis' cinematography, I rarely notice these things, is jaw-dropping. All of it though, wonderful.

(If you have seen it, is it just me or did Patsy Byrne base Nursey from Blackadder on Megs Jenkins Mrs. Grose? "Stuff and nonsense" I'm sure.)

Best cinema kiss.

[Tarquin]

Best cinema kiss.

That scene is where it went from very, very creepy to utterly terrifying. And then the second reciprical snog!

Here's the current BBFC ruling, not sure they have watched it:
"The film contains some mild verbal sex references, including references to a woman being a 'hussy' and being 'dirty minded'"

[Minami Minegishi]

That scene is where it went from very, very creepy to utterly terrifying. And then the second reciprical snog!

Here's the current BBFC ruling, not sure they have watched it:
"The film contains some mild verbal sex references, including references to a woman being a 'hussy' and being 'dirty minded'"

If you are in the mood for a Turn of the Screw/Innocents prequel starring Marlon Brando and Thora Hird then I recomnend The Nightcomers.

[Sonny_Jim]

Watched Equilibrium, that one with Christian Bale doing the Gun-kata thing.  Really enjoyed it, Balesy is awesome as always, the plot zips along with very little baggage.  So much so that some scenes don't even have an establishing shot and it's of no surprise that the editor is the same guy who did Nobody.  Also really like the use of colour palette, the film gets brighter as the character starts having more emotions.

I almost kinda wish that 'The Matrix' hadn't existed as some points did feel like direct lifts, which was disappointing as the film has some excellent scenes and it deserves to be viewed as a separate thing rather than 'just another Matrix knock off'.  The shot where Bale knocks another characters gun to stop them from shooting someone was amazing, so is the opening gun fight.

Well worth a watch if you haven't seen it already, although having looked at the directors catalogue I'm quite happy only seeing this film of his, the others look a bit shit.  Also it probably could have done with an extra couple of million thrown at it as some parts felt very cheap, but there's excellent use of locations and some gorgeous matte paintings. Even though it's shitty early 2000's CGI, the director knew well enough to hide as much of it as possible so it all looks ok (not great).  4/5

_{Hope I got the right thread this time.....}

[Bad Ambassador]

The Long Good Friday. Watched this again last week, and it's still magnificent. Harold Shand, kingpin of London's criminal underworld, has kept peace for a decade and is now doing a deal with the mafia to redevelop the docks (it's set in 1980ish). However, someone is attacking his organisation, killing a trusted lieutenant and blowing up his properties, so the race is on over the Easter weekend to find out who's responsible and keep the New Yorkers sweet before Harold's empire collapses.

I've always compared this to an updating of a Shakespeare play about the downfall of a king, and it's loaded with great characters, incredible dialogue and some terrific twists and turns. Bob Hoskins was never better than he was here, with Harold tough and brutal when he needs to be, but also unafraid to weep in front of his own men and having a happy and healthy relationship with Victoria, his girlfriend, closest advisor and second-in-command, played by Helen Mirren, who easily commands the respect of Harold's organisation. The reveal of who is really responsible is a surprise but makes perfect sense, the music by Francis Monkman is fantastic - the theme playing as Harold first appears, strolling confidently through Heathrow arrivals having just deboarded Concorde, is iconic - and John Mackenzie's direction is crisp and fast-paced. The story is complex, but not too difficult, and then there's the final shot. I'l try to avoid spoilers, but it's a masterclass is silent acting from Hoskins. You can read every thought on his face.

That dialogue though...

"They're gonna collect the body in an ice cream van."
"There's a lot of dignity in that, isn't there? Going out like a raspberry ripple!"

"What I'm looking for is someone who can contribute to what England has given to the world: culture, sophistication, genius. A little bit more than a hot dog, know what I mean?"

"The Yanks love snobbery. They really feel they've arrived in England if the upper class treats 'em like shit."

"Apart from his arsehole being about fifty yards away from his brains, and the choirboys playing "hunt the thimble" with the rest of him, he ain't too happy."

And the none-more-Jacobean:

"I'll have his carcass dripping blood by midnight."

[close]

[Sebastian Cobb]

The Long Good Friday. Watched this again last week, and it's still magnificent. Harold Shand, kingpin of London's criminal underworld, has kept peace for a decade and is now doing a deal with the mafia to redevelop the docks (it's set in 1980ish). However, someone is attacking his organisation, killing a trusted lieutenant and blowing up his properties, so the race is on over the Easter weekend to find out who's responsible and keep the New Yorkers sweet before Harold's empire collapses.

I've always compared this to an updating of a Shakespeare play about the downfall of a king, and it's loaded with great characters, incredible dialogue and some terrific twists and turns. Bob Hoskins was never better than he was here, with Harold tough and brutal when he needs to be, but also unafraid to weep in front of his own men and having

Good film, suggest you watch Mona Lisa as a Hoskins-as-an-80s-gangster chaser. I think I actually prefer it.

This montage alone makes it.

[Bad Ambassador]

Mona Lisa is brilliant too, and a nice contrast of Hoskins playing someone genuinely kind and soft-hearted in the same seedy, violent arena.

[Blumf]

Get Carter, The Squeeze, and The Long Good Friday : The full-on 70's grimy crime experience triple-bill. Caine, Keach, and Hoskins all delivering 100%

[Sebastian Cobb]

Tenuously relevant - watched this after it cropped up in my YT recs the other day:

[Blumf]

Double Dragon (1994)

IT'S THE 90'S!!!11111 WHHHHOOOOOOOAAAAAAA!

Worse than Mortal Kombat (1995), better than Super Mario Bros. (1993). Alyssa Milano is a Poundland Violet Berlin. The T-1000 bleaches his hair... TO THE EXTREME!!!

It's crap, but you can laugh at it.

[Dex Sawash]

The Lost City

May have cured me of my purple sequin fetish.
Also has to many fellas in it

[Dex Sawash]

Watching Salo on internet archive. On phone, no subs 1.5 speed. It's just a Marx Brothers film only Harpo's got his knob out.

[Blumf]

It's just a Marx Brothers film only Harpo's got his knob out.

So it's just a Marx Bros. film then.

[Minami Minegishi]

Watching Salo on internet archive. On phone, no subs 1.5 speed. It's just a Marx Brothers film only Harpo's got his knob out.

Not a mobile phone in sight.

[samadriel]

Logan Lucky (2017)

looks great and a good cast, especially Daniel Craig having loads of fun. I love heist movies but this one was curiously relaxed. there was no tense build up and the best bit of every heist movie where you think everything is fine and then a crucial thing goes wrong. everything just seemed to go fine. so in summary it was all right

Watched this last night and thought the same, it's a bit weak sauce compared to Ocean's Eleven, despite the same Soderberg slickness.

Watched Microhabitat, the Korean film about a young woman who doesn't want to give up whiskey and cigs, but rent in Seoul explodes, so she goes couch-surfing. Funny in bits, sad in bits... The ending really hit me. Pretty light, but a good watch.

[Fambo Number Mive]

Watched Super which was quite good, full of gore. I presume

Spoiler alert

the teen sidekick is meant to be very unlikeable given her abelist and homophobic comments and her rape of the main character

[close]

.

Also watched a generic cop made for tv film called In the Line of Duty which was very by the numbers.

Was the squeeze any good? Might check it out.