What was the last film you watched?

[menthel]

The new Kong. It was fine, good enough story and action pace. And lots of people being squashed by a massive monkey.

It was certainly aided by the new home cinema setup and the 4k HDR image left my eyeballs needing a holiday.

[citoyen]

Thor - Ragnarok.  Follows the basic Marvel formula. 

I'm intrigued by the fact they got Taika Waititi in to direct it. I enjoyed Hunt For The Wilderpeople and What We Do In The Shadows so I'd be interested to see how his style transposes to the Marvel formula.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Thor - Ragnarok.  Follows the basic Marvel formula. 

I'm intrigued by the fact they got Taika Waititi in to direct it. I enjoyed Hunt For The Wilderpeople and What We Do In The Shadows so I'd be interested to see how his style transposes to the Marvel formula.

I saw it on Sat.

Completely abandons any attempt at being serious. Pulls in a few maori actors/actresses and makes the most of the gags, not all handed to the big names.

Nice to hear a mix of accents, and he makes use of incongruous voices and accents. Cate Blanchett is great, as is Goldblum and Tessa Thompson.

[citoyen]

Completely abandons any attempt at being serious.

TFFT. 

[hillbilly]

Thor - Ragnarok.  Follows the basic Marvel formula. 

I'm intrigued by the fact they got Taika Waititi in to direct it. I enjoyed Hunt For The Wilderpeople and What We Do In The Shadows so I'd be interested to see how his style transposes to the Marvel formula.

He's a good fit.  Largely because of the irreverent comedy.  I could get all artsy and suggest it's also because Thor is fundamentally an outsider with outsider friends, and note that it involves an ensemble (being part of the MCU).  But it basically boils down to how the gags are handled.

He also appears (well, covered in CGI).  I spent some of the film figuring out which of the Flight of the Conchords' accents it was, and the credits suggested it was him.

[Jakob W]

_The_Death_of_Stalin_, which was every bit as good - if black - as everyone said, with Jason Isaacs even more brilliantly scene-steal-y than I'd expected from the trailers. Next up is going to be seeing if there's a decent bio of Zhukov in English.

[rogerzilla]

The World's End.  Very funny although the ending is meh.  I worry that I am actually Gary King.

[ian]

Thor - Ragnarok.  Follows the basic Marvel formula. 

I'm intrigued by the fact they got Taika Waititi in to direct it. I enjoyed Hunt For The Wilderpeople and What We Do In The Shadows so I'd be interested to see how his style transposes to the Marvel formula.

He's good value as the voice of Korg, some of kind of rock-creature. One of the funnier parts in a very funny movie. As others have said, it's completely played for laughs which is no bad thing. I can't be bothered with the next Justice League because I know everyone will be so serious. I hate Batman. How am I supposed to take someone who dresses up as a bat seriously?

[Kim]

I hate Batman. How am I supposed to take someone who dresses up as a bat seriously?

You're not.  Adam West is the one true batman.

[Jakob]

The new Kong. It was fine, good enough story and action pace. And lots of people being squashed by a massive monkey.

That movie really surprised me. Was expecting it to be terrible, but it was very entertaining.

[T42]

Get Shorty. Had avoided it because although Gene Hackman is a good actor, he's been in a few terrible films in later years; but it was mentioned in a Graun article about Blood Simple and was on Netflix so we gave it a go. Not bad at all.

[mattc]

Anyone seen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paperboy_(2012_film) ?

I watched approx. 5min-20min last night, between channel-hopping. Crikey*.

Decided it was far too intense a thing to watch in parts - especially after missing 5mins of possibly critical setup - so went to bed. But it's definitely on my list to watch some day.

Matthew McConaughey is really winning me over as a classy actor - I had him down as a rom-com pretty boy until quite recently. I just expect Kidman to be pretty amazing, given a decent script.

*_{(and that applies to the bits that weren't the first prison visit scene  )}

[Wascally Weasel]

Get Shorty. Had avoided it because although Gene Hackman is a good actor, he's been in a few terrible films in later years; but it was mentioned in a Graun article about Blood Simple and was on Netflix so we gave it a go. Not bad at all.

It's based on an Elmore Leonard novel which usually means it's going to be fun.  Was definitely true of Get Shorty but the follow up book (and film) 'Be Cool' isn't very good.

[T42]

Get Shorty. Had avoided it because although Gene Hackman is a good actor, he's been in a few terrible films in later years; but it was mentioned in a Graun article about Blood Simple and was on Netflix so we gave it a go. Not bad at all.

It's based on an Elmore Leonard novel which usually means it's going to be fun.  Was definitely true of Get Shorty but the follow up book (and film) 'Be Cool' isn't very good.

Yes - it considerably brightened my outlook when I saw his name in the titles.

[fuzzy]

Joe, a Nicholas Cage film about a neglected teenager and his relationship with an ex con.

Surprisingly good.

[Riggers]

Predator – at the 'flicks' last night, celebrating it's 30th anniversary. Only ever seen it on TV. It's one of those 'films' (like so many others) that you happen-chance upon, late at night flicking the channels, when you know you really should be off to bed. You've see it so many times before, but you get drawn in.

[T42]

French TV used to have a programme that reconstructed an evening at the flicks in the 50s or 60s, complete with an audience in 50s kit, a B feature, news, adverts of the time, maybe a short live act and then an A feature. That was fun.

[citoyen]

Murder On The Orient Express

Pretty much exactly what you'd expect. Slick production, beautiful sets and costumes, tight direction, awesome camera work, polished script, tidy performances all round from an A-list cast. Kenneth Branagh is a great Poirot and Michelle Pfeiffer is just wonderful. I did find it slightly confusing to follow at times, but that may be because I kept being distracted by Kenneth Branagh's astonishing moustache.

It also helps that I have a memory like a sieve so had no idea whodunnit, even though I'm sure I've seen the Albert Finney version several times in the past. (Though I understand they've changed the ending anyway, but I couldn't tell you how.)

[T42]

Abortive Netflix evening last night. Mrs T's running group were all enthusing about Outlander so we watched half an episode before deciding it was a derivative gobbet of shite. Then she noticed that The Paradise is based on a Zola novel she's reading so we had a go at that.  The shop in Zola's opus, though, has 3000 employees and a private 24-man fire brigade, and is situated on one of Paris's fashionable new boulevards at the time of Baron Haussmann, rather than a back street somewhere in Bucketville.  The story, too, was more like 1950s Woman's Day than the fist of the Jacuzzi Man. Duly declared vomitus and banished to the Abode of Nausea.

Better luck tonight. Maybe.

[mattc]

Then she noticed that The Paradise is based on a Zola novel she's reading so we had a go at that.  The shop in Zola's opus, though, has 3000 employees and

...blah blah.

If you wanted the book, read the book. Or did you want Jackanory - someone filmed reading the book, so that you can stay on the sofa in front of the gogglebox??

[T42]

Fuck off.  She was interested in seeing what they made of it, so why not have a look?

[Kim]

Or did you want Jackanory - someone filmed reading the book, so that you can stay on the sofa in front of the gogglebox??

I know that's meant in jest, but I have wondered - in this age of cheap programmes and abundant bandwidth to fill with them - why nobody's thought to do a Jackanory-for-adults type series.  It's the sort of thing my mum would have watched while doing the ironing.  Throw in an audibly-pleasing celebrity or two and it might attract a decent number of viewers.

[Mr Larrington]

Or did you want Jackanory - someone filmed reading the book, so that you can stay on the sofa in front of the gogglebox??

I know that's meant in jest, but I have wondered - in this age of cheap programmes and abundant bandwidth to fill with them - why nobody's thought to do a Jackanory-for-adults type series.  It's the sort of thing my mum would have watched while doing the ironing.  Throw in an audibly-pleasing celebrity or two and it might attract a decent number of viewers.

Something like Crackanory only not on Dave, you mean?

[Kim]

Something like Crackanory only not on Dave, you mean?

Apparently so.   

[Hot Flatus]

The Human Centipede 3