MovieDrone

[Tarka Dal]

Inspired by talk in the ‘Greatest 80s Movies’ thread. I thought it’d be good to have a straight-out movie thread. Thanks to the benefit of a Cineworld Unlimited Card I managed to see something stupid like 22 movies at the cinema last year and I’ve actually become even more passionate about cinema as a result. So would everyone be so kind as to put forward a suggestion or two with their favourite film gems and the reasons behind them.

Btw did anyone see else see ‘RedBelt’ last year?

Topic

[Danny Stephenson]

I need to get a Cineworld Unlimited card or at least something of equal usefulness.

[Tarka Dal]

They’re great if you go or want to go at least twice a month. Supposedly you can even use them in conjuction with Orange Wednesdays. The only bad thing is that you can’t make advance bookings with them.

[Mr Flibble]

Being able to watch unlimited films always makes films better, because you can go and see all the “ooh… maybe” ones and find out how good they are. Like Ghost Town. I can’t stand Ricky Gervais, but it was really good. If I’d have had to pay, I never would have bothered. (I don’t have to pay at all, which is even better than that Cineworld thing :)

Films are always better in the cinema. I think the big screen and dark room makes it. Even with a projector in your house, you’ll never quite get as good or as big a picture. It’s very easy to be passionate when you can watch all films like that.

So, some highlights: (not just of last year)
I’m a bit of a space freak, but “In The Shadow Of The Moon” is one of the best documentaries about anything ever. Superbly made – there is no narrator and the whole story is told in the words of the Apollo astronauts. It’s well paced, the film footage is used and treated well, and the epic music just caps it all off. It’s been on Film 4 recently, so keep an eye out.

“The Jacket” is one of those films that really loses its way on TV – it was excellent, powerful and gripping in the cinema, the whole sensory deprivation thing being somewhat frightening. “The Prestige” has been accused of being overly flabby, but is a superb bit of direction and mis-direction for Christopher Nolan, as he continued his quest to dominate IMDB’s top 250. Again, a film that just isn’t as much fun on the TV.

Surprise highlight of 2008 though? “Wall-E”. Not the best film of the year by any means (That’s “The Dark Knight” on IMAX. So good on IMAX) but enjoyable all the same.

[Seb Patrick]

WALL-E wasn’t a surprise for me – I was expecting something magical, and it duly delivered.

Surprise of 2008 for me, just as with quite a few people, was the really rather excellent In Bruges.

How much do those card thingies cost, then? I might just look at investing in one this year. When you can just go and see films on your own, rather than worrying about whether someone else will want to see them as well, it’s probably easier to catch more stuff. Like, in this month’s Empire there are actually a few reviewed films I wouldn’t mind catching. That “Role Models” thing, for example, looks rubbish from trailers, but Ian Freer (one of the few writers I actually pay attention to) gave it four stars, and Paul Rudd is one of the most underrated comedy actors going. Then there’s “Benjamin Button”, and “Milk”, and although it’s probably not great that new Michael Cera one looks like it’ll be right up my street. So, yeah. Going To See More Films In 2009 ftw!

[hummingbird]

> Surprise of 2008 for me, just as with quite a few people, was the really rather excellent In Bruges.

absolutely my favourite of 2008, too

[Mr Flibble]

In Bruges was good, yes. But I thought it looked it, so it wasn’t a surprise :)

If you go to the Cineworld site it tells you all about their card thing.

[Tarka Dal]

About ?12 a month, alltough you are tied in to a minimum twelve month contract. The ?12 one is nationwide save for a few central London cinemas.

It’s a bit pricier for one including those, but still better value. I’m sure a couple of years ago when I was at the Trocadero the Cineworld Unlimited card was being advertised at around ?16 with single-admission prices of around ?11 quid! So it seemed a bit of a no-brainer.

You do see a lot of crap, but it’s also kinda cool sometimes dropping in on your afterwork and having a screen almost to yourself. Obviously it helps if you’ve got no social life ;-)

The ability to see a movie more than once for no extra charge is also a huge benefit, but be warned you will want to punch Zane Lowe’s stupid face in before too long (I did already), and hearing a fresh audience laugh at the gags in Orange Wednesday ads week after week grates too.

[Mr Flibble]

Are they still showing that bloody Radio 1 ad?

I can still recite most of the John Cleese Orange ad off by heart…

[Jonathan Capps]

WESTWOOD!

[Tarka Dal]

Yes they are!

Westwood amazingly isn’t the funniest thing in it. That has to be a joint win for the pure cheese of Pete “The best bit about my job is playing all the songs for you lot” Tong and Judge Jules who seems to have raided Frank from Eastenders wardrobe. Both of them come across as poster boys for middle-age spread. Given they were part of the apparently much-needed new wave of DJ’s that Matthew Bannister brought in after booting out the old guard back in the early 90s. What’s that Rimmer line? “You always become what you hate the most”.

[Tarka Dal]

Network.

Has anybody else seen this? Watched it yesterday. 70s movie, very satirical and possibly even more relevant now than at the time of it’s release.

[Andrew]

> Network.

After years of ‘knowing about it’, I finally picked this up last month alongside the Studio 60 boxset (it’s massively pertinent to the first episode). Rings every bit as true now. How terrifying.

Mind you, this is also true of the TV satire in Scrooged…

[Ian Symes]

I finally picked this up last month alongside the Studio 60 boxset (it?s massively pertinent to the first episode).

Is it now? Me and the missus have been working our way through her West Wing boxsets since July, and now we’re on Season 7, so we were planning to follow it up with Studio 60. Would you recommend watching Network alongside it?

[Tarka Dal]

Oh great another TV show to add to the watch list then.

[Andrew]

> Would you recommend watching Network alongside it?

The movie’s name checked constantly – you won’t miss the reference (I suspect Sorkin wanted to be VERY clear that he knew his big opening stunt had already been done before!) – so you don’t NEED to have seen it…but it’s a worthy companion piece for sure.

That said, Network could make Studio 60 seem a little toothless and uncynical in comparison. (Just as something like Wag the Dog could for the West Wing, arguably.) And I’d hate to ruin a good show for you by setting the wrong tone…

[Ian Symes]

Well, I’ve already seen Studio 60 when it was on, so it wouldn’t be ruining anything. I’d forgotten the specific references, so I’d probably have wanted to see Network anyway. Given that it’s four quid on Play, I might as well…

[Andrew]

Ah, well then you’re fine. See it, for it is good.

[Seb Patrick]

Network.

Has anybody else seen this? Watched it yesterday. 70s movie, very satirical and possibly even more relevant now than at the time of it?s release.

THANK YOU. I’ve just got a Lovefilm account and have been trying to remember what stuff I’d had on mine and Rachel’s old list before we closed it – and that’s one of them. The only other stuff I could remember was old TV drama (House of Cards, Singing Detective and Our Friends in the North are now all on there). I shall report back but I’m bloody looking forward to seeing it.

(any other suggestions for movies to stick on there are welcome. Silent Running and Man on Wire are the only films I’ve got on there at the moment.)

[Tarka Dal]

You’ll like Hamish Foe. Tis not very good, but it does feature Sophia Myles… a lot of Sophia Myles.

[Seb Patrick]

Speaking of TV-satire-prescience, though, this may surprise people, but : Shock Treatment. Dismissed as “the crap Rocky Horror sequel”, it’s definitely flawed, but in terms of its themes (it’s set in a town, the entirety of which is housed in a TV studio – the residents are either performers or audience) it’s a good decade or more ahead of its time.

Also, the songs are better than Rocky Horror. It’s kind of rubbish, but kind of enjoyable.

[Seb Patrick]

>You?ll like Hamish Foe. Tis not very good, but it does feature Sophia Myles? a lot of Sophia Myles.

I presume you mean Hallam Foe? I’ve seen the relevant bits. Er, as it were.

[Seb Patrick]

But on that theme : Art School Confidential. She’s not shy, that one.

[Jonathan Capps]

Speaking of Studio 60 I want o hereby declare that everyone watch it. Especially you, Seb. It’s only one season (*sobs uncontrollably for a while*) so its not a big task, and it’s superb. If it’d carried on into the multiple season it might just’ve taken over The West Wing in my affections.

[Seb Patrick]

Oh, alright, that’s going on THE LIST as well. Er, if it’s out in region 2?

[Tarka Dal]

That’s the one. I had food poisoning one night at my folks causing me to be awake at stupid o’ clock, ill on the sofa. Luckily Hallam Foe was on so it wasn’t a complete disaster.

[Andrew]

> Oh, alright, that?s going on THE LIST as well. Er, if it?s out in region 2?

It is. And Cappsy’s quite correct. It is marvellous. (The final story – a FIVE-parter – is a bit fumbled, but what do you expect when you’ve already been cancelled and your leading lady insisted on getting pregnant…)

> Speaking of TV-satire-prescience, though, this may surprise people, but : Shock Treatment. Dismissed as ?the crap Rocky Horror sequel?, it?s definitely flawed, but in terms of its themes (it?s set in a town, the entirety of which is housed in a TV studio – the residents are either performers or audience) it?s a good decade or more ahead of its time.

All. Of. This.

> Also, the songs are better than Rocky Horror. It?s kind of rubbish, but kind of enjoyable.

And this. I was never a Rocky Horror fan particularly (which may help, since one RH fan I know couldn’t get all the way through Shock Treatment), but the tracks are good, and a lot of the design work is interesting.

People Who Liked Rocky Horror and Shock Treatment Also Liked: PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE

A Brian De Palma horror musical. Seriously. Full of his usual stuff – black comedy, Hitchcock references-a-go-go – but also songs by Paul ‘Bugsy Mallone’ Williams (who also co-stars) and a Faust vs Phantom of the Opera story. It’s a scathing satire on the music industry, most importantly, that again feels massively ahead of its time in its treatment of labels, writers and artists.

I love it.

[Seb Patrick]

I have never heard of that, but… well, I love Bugsy Malone, so I’m bound to like the songs if nothing else…

[Seb Patrick]

Ooh, and it’s got Jessica Harper in it. I loved her in Shock Treatment, I thought she was a better Janet than Susan Sarandon…

[Andrew]

Both parts required a ‘nice girl goes bad’ performance, actually, so there are connections.

On the Jessica Harper subject, she looked very like the woman who played the mother in A.I., so after seeing the film for the first time I went looking to see it it was her. It wasn’t, but she WAS in Spielberg’s next movie, Minority Report. (He kinda makes movies in pairs, looking over his catalogue.)

A case of ‘the director’s visual type’, I guess. See also Holly Hunter, Karen Allen and, arguably, Catherine Zeta-Jones.

[Seb Patrick]

> Oh, alright, that?s going on THE LIST as well. Er, if it?s out in region 2?

It is. And Cappsy?s quite correct. It is marvellous. (The final story – a FIVE-parter – is a bit fumbled, but what do you expect when you?ve already been cancelled and your leading lady insisted on getting pregnant?)

… and LoveFilm have decided to make disc one the first thing they send me! I’d better like it, it’s holding a lot of stuff up… ;-)

[Jonathan Capps]

You let a website make decisions for you? Put your foot down, man!

[Seb Patrick]

You know how Lovefilm works, right?

[Jonathan Capps]

No.

[Tarka Dal]

Well there’s this big metal box with a red light on top…

[Tarka Dal]

Okay I hate this thread title allready, but until I or someone else can think of a better one I’ll keep the movie talk here.

I’ve just got back from seeing The Spirit. The bad part of having an unlimited card is you can’t feel bad about the six or seven quid you wasted on a movie like this, only regret that you’ve brought yourself two hours nearer death with nothing to show for it. Well apart from that the thought that their are a lot of gorgeous women in this world you’ll never get anywhere near, half a dozen of which are in this movie. Infact I can’t think of any female in this film who isn’t essentially a pair of breasts on legs. More bizarre was the fact that each and everyone of them swoons over a hero whose only superpower seems to be getting beaten up. Heck I could do that.

Hands up I had no real knowledge of the comic-book prior to going to see this movie, but I figured hey that shouldn’t ever be a factor that stops you seeing the film version right? Ultimately I came out wondering if it was all meant to be ironic. Had I been watching some deep satire or was it what it appeared a lot of misognystic, style over substance, not as funny as it thinks it is pap?

On the plus side the trailer reel was close to scoring a first ever perfect for films I want to see. David Fincher’s Benjamin Button, Defiance, Seven Pounds, The Wrestler. Only they went and tagged Sex Drive and My Bloody Valentine 3D on the end and ruined it.

It is shaping up to be a fantastic year though. We must be due the first Avatar trailer anytime now.

[Mr Flibble]

That’ll be the 3D. 3D 3D 3D. You can’t get 3D at home you see. Go to the cinema and watch things in 3D. 3D.

[Andrew]

> David Fincher?s Benjamin Button

Looking forward to this. I maintain that Zodiac was an actual, actual masterpiece, and I highly recommend the DVD for its documentaries. (And the website, actually, which includes featurettes for free that they couldn’t put on the discs.)

[Danny Stephenson]

We must be due the first Avatar trailer anytime now.

Which one? “The Last Airbender” film, or the Cameron Project?

[Seb Patrick]

I would have presume he meant Cameron?

Looking forward to Button, as well.

And even if I get one of these unlimited card thingers, I’m not going near the Spirit. But that rant’s not for here, except to say :

>Hands up I had no real knowledge of the comic-book prior to going to see this movie

… if you had, it would have pissed you off more. Eisner’s version was groundbreaking, witty, satirical, and as far removed from the usual Miller aesthetic/attitude as possible…

[Tarka Dal]

> Looking forward to this. I maintain that Zodiac was an actual, actual masterpiece…

Duly added to the Lovefilm list. Not that I ever actually use my Lovefilm list, I’ve had ‘Lady in the Water’ out since April last year, but continually add a film or two a day to my list.

I’ve not actually seen all that much Fincher stuff*. I’ve been maintaining a frankly silly grudge against him for years for killing off Newt and Hicks the way he did in Alien3. I’m not that bigger fan of Brad Pitt either, but ‘Button’ still looks like the sort of film you really should catch if it’s not going to cost you anything.

> Which one? ?The Last Airbender? film, or the Cameron Project?

…Only one of them is still called Avatar ;-) But yes I meant the Cameron Project. I’m caught somewhere between being cynical about all the hype and being a believer in Cameron’s ability to break new ground. The fact he is so overwhelming behind the new wave of 3D movies has me at curious as to whether there could be something in it.

* – Same for the Coen Brothers come to think of it.

> ? if you had, it would have pissed you off more. Eisner?s version was groundbreaking, witty, satirical, and as far removed from the usual Miller aesthetic/attitude as possible?

I did a bit of background reading after typing that up last night. I appreciate now that the original story established a lot of new ground in terms of technique and style. It’s a shame then that this wasn’t in anyway acknowledged or illustrated in the film. To be honest I wasn’t expecting much, just fancied a movie and it was the first one on when I reached the cinema. Octopus and Silken Floss were probably the most enjoyable characters although that’s not really saying all that much.

[Seb Patrick]

>Same for the Coen Brothers come to think of it.

*facepalm*

Right, you watch these ones, in this order :

The Big Lebowski
Fargo
Raising Arizona
The Hudsucker Proxy
Barton Fink
The Man Who Wasn’t There

… then we talk.

[Andrew]

I’ve only actively liked two Coen movies – Fargo and No Country for Old Men. I have some kind of taste-block for them. I know the films are ‘good’, and yet I rarely find myself enjoying them. I am cursed.

[Tarka Dal]

Seb you knew this already!

[Phil]

Replace Raising Arizona on Seb’s list with No Country For Old Man (and disable the “in this order” requirement) and I’ll agree. :-)

Actually, you know what? Stick O Brother Where Are Thou somewhere in there, too. Not their best film, but overall very fucking good, and arguably their most accessible. Necessary viewing at some point for a Coen NOOB.

[Seb Patrick]

I kind of see O Brother as the Coens film for people who don’t like Coens films. Not that it’s a bad film, but you rarely see people who are fans of their work putting it as anywhere near their favourite; and by the same token plenty of people love it who’ve never been near – or at least never liked – any of the others. Funnily enough, I’d put No Country For Old Men in that bracket as well. It’s great, but it doesn’t feel hugely like a Coens film to me. It’s basically a “straight” version of Fargo – that is, it lacks the black wit and charm that made that film so perfect.

[Phil]

I agree that O Brother is the Coen film for non-Coen fans. I’ve had evidence bears that out without even realizing it! So yes, absolutely agree. (Still great, though, as you say.)

I maybe SLIGHTLY disagree about No Country. Yes, it is a straighter Fargo, but I don’t think it lacks the black wit OR the charm of the Coens’ best work. Of course, I’ve only seen it once, so a rewatching could well alter my view.

[Jonathan Capps]

I break your theory. I’ve seen a decent enough handful of Coen films, I consider myself to be A Fan and O Brother is right up there, for me.

[Seb Patrick]

Which one did you see first?

[ChrisM]

I?ve not actually seen all that much Fincher stuff*. I?ve been maintaining a frankly silly grudge against him for years for killing off Newt and Hicks the way he did in Alien3.

Wasn’t that also the writer’s fault? And partly Sigourney Weaver who had a certain amount of creative say-so in the film and wanted to get back to ‘just Ripley alone.’ (I still love her though.)

[Tarka Dal]

Hey Fincher put his name to it! Although I subscribed more to the ‘Auteur theory’ then than I did now. I’ve seen Se7en and thought that was excellent to be honest, likewise the bits of Fight Club I can remember.

So yes he’s forgiven. If it purely was a writer thing then it’s very much a shame that he never got to make the version of Alien3 set on a wooden planet.

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