Seen any good films lately?

I loved Duncan Jones' Moon but I thought Source Code looked really weird. Between that and being busy this weekend I passed up on a chance to see it yesterday, but I might have to go check it out now.

Today was my 1st viewing of the 'Pirates' film with Johnny! I have no regrets about seeing it and would encourage others to do the same.

On Stranger Tides is my favourite Pirates film since the first one! I also saw Kung Fu Panda 2 yesterday, and I liked it, but not as much as Pirates.

Terry Gilliam's Brazil is currently available on the BBCI player for UK residents. Well worth a watch. If nothing else you will never have seen anything which looks quite like it.

I watched Danton for a history class on the French revolution and liked it enough to re-watch the film on my own time a few days later. The film is about the eponymous figure and his struggle with Robespierre during the height of the revolutionary terror. I liked it a lot the first viewing and after the second I have to say I think it's brilliant. Sadly the only version with subtitles that I could find on YouTube is a TV edit of the film that removes a few scenes, but it's nothing too major.

Just watched the film version of Stephen Kings novella The Mist. I've never read the novella so no idea how it is as an adaptation. Its sort of entertaining but the plot seems to be stolen from video games. The main plot is stolen from Half-Life (and some of the 'things' too) and the setting is pure Silent Hill. Throw in some King staples- crazy religous woman, plot thats better in the set up than the conclusion and you get pretty much what you expect. Not really scary either, unpleasant in a few places but not in any new ways.
Overall I think when it comes to films based on hazey atmospherics I'd go for John Carpenters 70's classic The Fog every time.

Finally sat down and watched The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford today. Not very similar to other Westerns I've seen, but it was different in a good way. Pretty sad story, though. You know he had it coming, and you still feel sorry for the man. Anyway, great film - recommended

Yes I enjoyed that myself- not for everyones tastes I suspect, it having the pace of a good novel unwinding rather than a blockbuster- but all the better for it in my opinion.

How many times can you remake a film? I watched the original A Thing from Another World earlier- wonderfully melodramtic but all the core ideas that made the Carpenter remake so good, the paranoia, the claustrophic setting are all there.
And now we have a new version with a female lead! Not 100% sure but as far as I can tell this is a prequal to the Carepnter version, in which the Thing and its crashed ship are originally found by a team of Norwegan scientists (although in the Carpenter film the footage they watch of the Norwegans finding the ship in the ice is actually the footage from the original black and white version!). And as all the Norwegans get 'Thinged' save one dog in the opening titles of Carpenters it will be interesting to see how they do this. From the trailer it seems very like Carpenters, similar look and emphasis on the paranoia, all good things but not sure it will be new enough to stand out from Carpenters.

This looks ok, pretty sure Andy Serkis (gollum) played the monkey.

http://www.totalfilm.com/news/comic-con-2011-rise-of-the-planet-of-the-apes-footage-debuts?ns_campaign=news&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=totalfilm&ns_linkname=0&ns_fee=0

The Thing, loved the one with Kurt Russel. Hope this is as good. Actually named my first son Kurt after watching it.
I always remind him i named him after watching The Thing. lol

Chris. At least he got named after a hero.
Big fan myself of The Thing, my biggest fear for the new one is that cgi effects will not live up to the original- I know that sounds mad but there was something wonderfully inventful and solid about the effects in Carpenters. I think CGI would spoil it.

Has anyone seen it?

I always enjoy superheroes beating up Nazis (Rocketeer, Hellboy). I have great hope for this movie. The previews look good, but they ALWAYS look good.

-Paul

Just hope them Norwegians can speak English.

Nazi's? In the Thing?

Pettytyrant101 wrote:Nazi's? In the Thing?

My bad, PT. I was willfully changing the subject to Captain America. Sorry!

chris63 wrote:The Thing, loved the one with Kurt Russel. Hope this is as good. Actually named my first son Kurt after watching it.
I always remind him i named him after watching The Thing. lol

Big Trouble In Little China

Magic kung fu, gun fights, goofy monsters and guys wearing giant basket-like hats. I can't do a load of laundry without putting the basket on my head and gesturing menacingly at my oldest daughter.

I think wobbit is talking about Hellboy.

Sean Bean in Snow White, wonder if he's playing a Dwarf.

http://www.totalfilm.com/news/sean-bean-is-the-king-in-tarsem-singh-s-snow-white?ns_campaign=news&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=totalfilm&ns_linkname=0&ns_fee=0

Never read any Captain america comics, not very appealing to a Brit with all the best comic writers in the world to choose from (the best ones are all British and most of them Scottish!) and quality titles doing cutting edge stuff like 2000ad and Crisis to pick from. I'm afraid US superhero comics just didn't compete.

Fair enough. I hope someday they make a Judge Dread movie with more integrity than the Stallone version. That comic deserved better.

From Gollum to Gibbon.

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2011/07/from-gollum-to-gibbon-andy-serkis-talks-rise-of-the-planet-of-the-apes/

There is one on the way starring thingy- Eomer from LotR's.

Not much to be found about it so far- just some stills- news I have heard is Dredd does NOT remove his helmet this time-thank Grud.

The fan film Judge Minty currently in production actually looks much more promising.

The Wobbit A Parody wrote:Fair enough. I hope someday they make a Judge Dread movie with more integrity than the Stallone version. That comic deserved better.

Judge Dredd, Karl Urban (lotr)

http://www.firstshowing.net/2011/more-dredd-photos-from-empire-include-first-look-at-olivia-thirlby/

Chris63, PT, thanks for all the great Judge Dread stuff!

I haven't seen Karl Urban since his wacky sidekick role in Van Helsing. He's great, and I'm glad he's working.

Good night, all!

-Paul