The Recommended Movies Thread

[sandman67]

One to file under the W T F ???? category of trailers......seems Russel Crowe and a sack of A listers have been drafted in for Gladiator Meets Genesis

NOAH



Oh dead oh dear..... I can see a lot of very pissed off Evangelical Christians calling whine one one and ordering the fleet of waaaaaahmbulances

Still.... makes as much bloody sense as the source document IMHO

[STEVE G]

One to file under the W T F ???? category of trailers......seems Russel Crowe and a sack of A listers have been drafted in for Gladiator Meets Genesis

NOAH

Sandman, thank you for watching all this modern rubbish so that I don't have to bother! Here are some fine movies from the past including a few of my favourites that I can watch time and again:

The 10 best drinking scenes on film
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking ... -film.html

[PeteC]

As an FYI Steve, Stephen King is writing a sequel to "The Shining" It may already be out in book form, I don't know, nor the title...sorry. It follows the life of the son from the first book/movie, now grown up, and apparently a down and out drifter. I'm sure it will be a movie in the not too distant future. Pete

EDIT: Here it is: http://www.stephenking.com/promo/doctor_sleep/

[sandman67]

MACHETE KILLS

Grindhouse is back with a vengeance in this second outing for Danny Trejo as the melty faced Federale superman with a big chopper. This time Machete Cortez is drafted in by the POTUS to go sort out a crazy Mexican cartel revolutionary who has got his hands on an ICBM and intends redecorating Washington in shades of plutonium. But as in the first outing things are not what they seem, and Machete is soon up to his leathery neck in foxy bounty killers, crazy cartel hit men, redneck border guards and some of the old crew from film 1.

While it has its moments it just doesn't have the joy and slapstick slasher fun of film 1, even though the plot line is as crazy as a hare on meth and there are more splatterdy doobery choppy fun sequences. The cast of cameo actors is just as stellar, and Charlie Sheen makes for a convincingly slimy mad POTUS, with Mad Mel Gibson making a star turn as a super bad super villain.

I liked it but I do have a soft spot for the insane clown posse end of the film market, and enjoy the wry riffing on the old 70s bad flick genre. Its a bit of a parsons egg.... you either dig it or dont. I liked it and recc you give it a go. Out and about in webrips so will be out in full crispy DVDRIP soon.

Two cheers and a keeper once the good clean version comes out.

[sandman67]

There seems to be a bit of a John le Carre season doing the rounds over here in Blighty at the mo, so I have had the pleasure of rewatching the great recent adaptation of TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY and have to say that it does just get better and better with every watch. The wonderful use of tones by the cinematographer to set the period in place, as well as lend the world of The Circus a somewhat shabby sepia toned nicotine smothered air is perfect, and the understated and subtle performances by all the leads, especially Gary Oldman and Mark Strong, are a pure joy to watch.

Meanwhile over on BBC 4 aunty beeb are re-running the classic 1979 TV series adaptation starring Alec Guinness which is a pure treat for Le Carre lovers. Maybe over there you can get it by proxying the BBC I Player. If not it can easily be found on a listing site like http://www.primewire.ag/?tv

Then over at www.viooz.co you can find the other Le Carre adaptations such as THE RUSSIA HOUSE with Sean Connery, THE CONSTANT GARDENER, the charming THE TAILOR OF PANAMA with the wonderful Geoffrey Rush, and of course the classic Richard Burton led THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD.

I seriously recc the latter - a wonderful piece of classic Brit spy thriller noir and a storming performance from Burton full of smouldering anger and bitterness filmed in that amazing hi-contrast black and white that cinema seems to have abandoned much to its own loss. That is why I loved TINKER and Oldman so much - to me, although filmed in colour, it was a real step back to the old school way of filmmaking where sets and performances were in lockstep, and subtlety of acting played front stage over the over emotive hammyness that infects much modern spy cinema.

If you like Le Carre adaptations this is an early Christmas box, so set up the pot of Earl Grey, feet up and heads down all round

[lomuamart]

There's also "A Perfect Spy" that I got through PB. It a TV adaptation in seven episodes. Havn't watched it yet but I reckon the book rates up there with "The Spy Who Came in from The Cold". Also agree that the Burton version of the latter book is excellent. Very true to the book and the way he gets double crossed - well, you can understand his anger.

[STEVE G]

....so I have had the pleasure of rewatching the great recent adaptation of TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY and have to say that it does just get better and better with every watch.

Yes, I watched that twice on a flight last year, it's one of the very few movies made in the last five or so years that has any appeal to me at all. I don't play computer games and I have absolutely no interest in watching movies that look like them which is all you seem to get these days.

[sandman67]

Agree entirely Steve - while I like to switch off and fill my brain with Hollyglam and bubblegum its films like TINKER I keep watching again and again. Good news is that the accolades and successes of the first outing mean the same team and cast looks likely to do the second one which seems to have the go ahead from the studio.

There are three short "moments" of great acting in the film that for me mark it out as not just well acted but brilliantly directed, and all have to do with closeup expressions and face acting:

First is the scene where Smiley and Peter Guilliam have to go round to Control's flat to clear it out. Gary Oldmans expression work is just amazing - he really conveys a whole truckload of internal emotions with his expressions and movement.

Second is the similar style scene where Smiley and Guilliam break into the safehouse. The way Oldman conveys the disgust at what goes on there and pollution of the proper process is again a joy to watch.

Finally the brief scene of exchanged looks between Mark Strong and Colin Firth as Prideaux is about to shoot Haydon the traitor, his closest friend (and possibly bisexual lover?) at the end.

Id also add Mark Strong's work during the opening "set up in Budapest" when it becomes apparent that the meeting is a set up.

Its really a great film, so well made....which is why I get snippy when people bitch about how it had to condense the novel and focus down on the key plot lines - and added in the party sequences.

[STEVE G]

- and added in the party sequences.

I missed this when I watched the film but that is John Le Carre, (David Cornwell), the elderly gent on the right as an extra at the party.

[KhunJohn]

O.K I will not ask you to see After Earth as I would not wish that on anyone. But wow for the money they spent what a waste of time as film.

[sandman67]

Yes that is him and well spotted that man. John wrote the scene in for the film based on his recollections of boozy "Circus" shindigs then was asked to do a cameo.... saw an interview with him where he talked about it.

After Earth..... utter crap pseudo-Scientologist twaddle Smith Snr vehicle to get his talentless little twerp of an offspring some more exposure. Raging Ego Syndrome runs in the blood it seems.

Watch OBLIVION that came out around the same time - superior in every regard. ELYSIUM is also well worth a solid watch and its a keeper IMHO.

Been watching the John Le Carre TV dramatisations via YouTube....put the series title in and you will find the user who has posted them all. Wont post links here as it seems the hounds in the US are out and about again policing YouTube.

Not much out worth watching new wise at the mo (pre-Xmas doldrums) so been watching mostly old and new Japanese samurai flicks. Id forgotten how amazing WHEN THE LAST SWORD IS DRAWN and AME ARAGU (After The Rains), as well as the two recent Miike remakes of 13 ASSASSINS and HARA-KIRI, really are. Also had a Kurosawa weekender watching his samurai greats.

Will drop new reviews as I watch stuff..... till then chippy doo to all my HHAD chums from the cold and windy western front.

[barrys]

Can anyone recommend a reliable site where I can download a good torrent for the 3D version of "Rise of an Empire"? Thanks a lot

[blue05]

Can anyone recommend a reliable site where I can download a good torrent for the 3D version of "Rise of an Empire"? Thanks a lot

only the 3d trailer is on kickass at the moment and they are pretty quick there when versions come out so my guess is it is not out yet

[barrys]

Hi blue05

Thanks a lot for that - I could only find a trailer too - and that was on pirate bay.
So it looks like you're right that it's not out yet.

So another question - can anyone suggest any good 3D movies that are available with a decent story line and do not solely involve animations and monsters?

[sandman67]

Barry

Im with Mark Kermode on matters 3D - I just dont get it at all. I like film the way it is thankyou very much, so 3D and the Hobbit/Avatar2 trend towards ultra high frame rate film can sod off

That said, even Mark Kermode reckons that the near space set disaster thriller GRAVITY is definitely a film to see on as big a screen as possible and definitely in 3D as he says the effects are mind boggling.

Will be out and about on DVD post Xmas so probably worth waiting till then to buy a proper BluRay copy via Amazon.