What I've Been Watching: The Catch-All Film Thread

Few years late but finally got around to watching the latest Ghost in the Shell. It really wasn't bad at all; I feel its massively poor theatre performance must have been due to the miscasting of Scarlet Johansson in the lead role. It done did incur the wrath of the core anime audience! She also didn't really bring anything to the role, acting-wise, in my opinion…

Still, a good movie - I enjoyed it more than the latest Bladerunner.

I just can't force myself to watch it. Sorry.
The original is so amazing I can't possibly imagine how a live version could ever beat it or even come close.

Upon a recommendation from the creator of Mr. Robot, I watched Three Days of the Condor. A great and very authentic spy film about the CIA from the '70s. Robert Redford was great in it. I also recommend watching it.

Talking if Scarlett Johansson, I watched Under the Skin recently. I wasn't expecting much but I enjoyed it - it's a genuinely creepy film. Scarlett Johansson can be a bit hit and miss but I thought she was fantastic in it. It's a weird old film and I'm not sure I recommend it exactly, but if you fancy a slow, off-beat, confusing, weird, creepy, low budget film it's worth a go. It's definitely not a Saturday night popcorn affair though.

Ares - french dystopian cyberpunk movie.
Low budget it is, but it's smartly used to get max from it.

IMO a mustwatch. Best before the cyberpunk game releases.
No, I refuse to write any details about it's story and stuff. The keyword is enough.

Sorry, can't find a trailer with english subs, seems that such doesn't exist, so here's the french trailer:

And now for something completely different

The Railway Children (2000) Is not specifically a children's film. It's one of those olden times stories that are a good watch for anyone of any age, in the era and vein of Dickens and the like. This one was written by Edith Nesbit and is about a bunch of rich kids who, through the tragic arrest of their father, suddenly become poor kids who are shuffled off from the town to the countryside in a desperate attempt to quickly downsize.



However, this is not a story that will make you blub from all the misery, quite the opposite in fact. I found myself in literal tears at a number of points in the film, but not tears of sadness but instead tears of joy. This is quite possibly one of the most wholesome stories ever told. Where Les Miserables pounds you with 50 little unhappy endings before providing some kind of happy ending, this little gem pounds you with 50 little happy endings before providing its happy ending.

Each one pounding on your senses like a host of saccharin injections, each one more sensual than the last. And barely any of it is what one would call cliche, for pretty much every little event in the film one's ability to predict what was going to happen next was practically zero. This isn't some chemically developed-in-a-lab forced collection of cliches mass produced by roomfulls of professional hacks, this is something truly unique from a unique voice.

And apparently those who are familiar with Nesbit believe this to be because she was just such a damn nice person and what you see in the book and on screen is just how she was, how she imagined the world, how she believed the world should be or even is.

The most famous version is the 1970 film, which itself was coming off of a recently popular tv series of the book, so I was sceptical that the 2000 edition would be the right version to watch first. However, I noticed that Jenny Agutter was in all three, as a child in the first versions and here playing the mother. And then I noticed that both the films were rated the same 7.3 on IMDB, so I had no reason to assume anything.

And, oh my word, this version even has Richard Attenborough in it (you know, the old guy who owns Jurassic Park), and yet its just a relatively cheap PBS tv movie. These kinds of people wont do it unless its done properly, and it was. On the DVD I had there was even an introduction by Agutter, formally declaring her seal of approval (though I'd advise not watching that first as it did contain spoilers sadly).



I'm not sure there's any central plot to the story, well, there is, but its only briefly referenced here and there, it's mainly one of those 'Kids lark about' films, like Stand By Me or Swallows and Amazons. I think the only complaint I would have is that very occasionally the kids come across as a bit wooden/amateur, but only on a massive nit-pick level. And even this works in the film's favour as innocence is so central a theme. This is one of those examples of art that will simply 'test your humanity'. If you are in the least concerned or mindful that you think you're becoming or have become an emotional husk or that you feel the rest of the world is, then try this one out, you'll know for sure by the end of it what emotions still reside within you.

A very rare and highly deserved 5/5 for me.

Been a quiet few months on my front.

Though I did finally watch three movies.

1. Jumanji: The Next Level
2. Bloodshot
3. Bad Boys III

I recommend all three but it's up to you to decide if you like them.

1. Watched, an awsome isekai, deserves my recommendation too
2. I'd need a lobotomy before touching that one
3. Never heard of it's two prequels, so not interested

The Railway Children is drama/family which means no kinkyness, no misanthropy, no street language and no "disturbing" content.
I really can't watch such stuff any more, it bores me to death. Sorry.

Instead I want to recommend this one, criminally underrated and obscure being a low budget thriller: Hollow in the Land.
Completely opposite to family movies yet feels so real. Don't watch it with kids around.

Dune Trailer



Looking great!

Alrighty, then. I could do without Momoa, but otherwise, I'm in.

Nah I'll keep watching the ScFy TV version which so far is the best version. The 1984 version wasn't that great either. Also they already have plans for multiple movies.



Edit. Also hate the Paul actor in the new movie. He has that whole goth/emo look..

Not multiple but two.
Villenuve said hundreds of ages ago he accepted to direct it only because Warner allowed two movies (too much of content for just one).

But Warner wouldn't be Warner without some additional bullshittery so there will be DLC in form of Bene Geserit prequel TV(?) series noone asked for. Based on no book. IIRC it's title is supposed to be The Sisterhood. That thing will get off my property.

I loved books, I loved Lynch's ugly adaptation and didn't care about SyFy's, sorry but IMO, pathetic cash'in attempt. I refused to watch what could have been Jodorowsky's Dune, not interested in what's potentially a whining doc.

I love all Villenuve's fullfeature movies I watched so far. That means every single one except Sicario - that one is IIRC whatever drug trafficking and/or gangsta'/mafia stuff which I can't care less about. It got off my property just as the stupid prequel series will.

The trailer IMO looks too good. So good, they should have used this song in it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5mtclwloEQ

Originally Posted by joxer
Not multiple but two.
Villenuve said hundreds of ages ago he accepted to direct it only because Warner allowed two movies (too much of content for just one).

Warner has already gone on the record they want to make this a permanent franchise. It just has to sell. It could be another Harry Potter franchise all over with 7+ movies.

Funcom also has plans for two games but they will probably be some type of MMO. Emperor of Dune and Dune 2000 were some of the best RTS games of their times.

Originally Posted by danutz_plusplus
Looking great!

Yeah that looks ace! Fingers crossed eh

Originally Posted by Ripper
Alrighty, then. I could do without Momoa, but otherwise, I'm in.

Nothing against Momoa per se, but I agree all the familiar faces took me right out of it. I am also in the "preferred Dune TV" camp. Lynch's version was ok but badly edited, maybe one day when the legendary director's cut appears…

Originally Posted by Philistine
Nothing against Momoa per se, but I agree all the familiar faces took me right out of it. I am also in the "preferred Dune TV" camp. Lynch's version was ok but badly edited, maybe one day when the legendary director's cut appears…

I thought all the adaptions so far were poor, though the Lynch version had an eccentric 80s charm of its own, and I can watch it. He claims the studio interfered and messed it up, though.

This new one looks promising - I just thought Momoa doing some action hero shtick jarred with the tone. The Pink Floyd track is a nice touch, as they were on board to do the soundtrack for the sadly unmade Jodorowsky version.

Mmm I guess I'm kind of neutral about it. The trailer wasn't bad, but it didn't blow me away either.

I love Lynch's version despite the non-canon stuff. The mini-series otoh put me to sleep, and I've never been able to finish either of them.

I definitely don't like the new look of the sandworms though. They were bad-ass in Lynch's adaption. These just look like giant anuses.

Originally Posted by Ripper
I could do without Momoa

I share that sentiment in general. Nothing personal against the guy, but I think he gets way too much work for his caliber of acting. He was also just cast for the lead in the new Witcher prequel series.

I'm in the Lynch movie > TV series camp, mostly because of how the main character was depicted: namely Dune, the planet. That and what it demanded of its inhabitants - dust, sweat, thirst, spitting as a sign of respect, sand.. plus the whole Ghola story and the Bene Gesserit. The book for me was great mostly for the philosophy, setting and evocative images.

The TV series looked too sterile. The new trailer didn't wow me either in that regard, although I'm happy the material will get a proper treatment. If successful, maybe there will even be movies for the followup books. I'd like that. I'm also hoping the soundtrack will be memorable.

Yeah, I wouldn't say the trailer blew me away, either. But it looks fine, many of the cast are very good actors, I've really enjoyed Villeneuve's previous work, and, Pink Floyd. So I'm definitely onboard.