Film The Redcafe Movie review thread

Cheimoon said:
Yeah, it's always weird. I think often it's matter of financing, which means little in terms of the country of origin of a film. Also, in that list, The Prestige feels quite British in various ways, but I don't know if there is anything British about it except for some of the setting and actors; and while Apocalypse Now counts as coming from the US, I think filming happened pretty much exclusive in the Philippines - which nonetheless would never be considered as its country of origin.
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tbf, they couldn't really film Apocalypse Now in any Vietnamese like jungles in the US and have it look legit and have the extras that they needed...
Which reminds me; it is funny to see certain movies that are set elsewhere but clearly are filmed in California. The topography and look of southern california is quite distinct.
 
utdalltheway said:
tbf, they couldn't really film Apocalypse Now in any Vietnamese like jungles in the US and have it look legit and have the extras that they needed...
Which reminds me; it is funny to see certain movies that are set elsewhere but clearly are filmed in California. The topography and look of southern california is quite distinct.
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Oh, I agree, they go to where the environment is right for the requirements of the film (including the financial environment! :) ).

On your California point: same with the tons of films and series that are filmed in Vancouver and elsewhere in British Columbia these days, but are never set there. There is actually a video about Vancouver never 'playing' itself:

 
@R.N7 @Dirty Schwein @Rooney in Paris @pauldyson1uk

I've tagged some of the top contributors here but the question is for everyone please.

I'm looking for some decent films of a certain style I may have missed. I'm a fan of the dark crime noir genre and enjoy the cinematography of Michael Mann and the likes. Powerfully lit night scenes, think Heat, Collateral, Miami Vice etc.

Any recommendations? If there's mystery to it great.
 
TheReligion said:
@R.N7 @Dirty Schwein @Rooney in Paris @pauldyson1uk

I've tagged some of the top contributors here but the question is for everyone please.

I'm looking for some decent films of a certain style I may have missed. I'm a fan of the dark crime noir genre and enjoy the cinematography of Michael Mann and the likes. Powerfully lit night scenes, think Heat, Collateral, Miami Vice etc.

Any recommendations? If there's mystery to it great.
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Chinatown.
 
Rewatched Edge of Tomorrow over the weekend. Must have been in a mood because I massively underrated it first time around. I still think the last 30 mins or so are a bit of a mess and don't live up to the rest of it. Emily Blunt is amazing in it. Apparently a sequel is on the cards.
 
TheReligion said:
@R.N7 @Dirty Schwein @Rooney in Paris @pauldyson1uk

I've tagged some of the top contributors here but the question is for everyone please.

I'm looking for some decent films of a certain style I may have missed. I'm a fan of the dark crime noir genre and enjoy the cinematography of Michael Mann and the likes. Powerfully lit night scenes, think Heat, Collateral, Miami Vice etc.

Any recommendations? If there's mystery to it great.
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Probably obvious suggestions but:

Drive
Bad Times At The El Royale
To Live And Die In L.A.
Nightcrawler
 
utdalltheway said:
It's a good list and the ratings are grand. It's your opinion after all.
I haven't seen all (Prestige, etc) but are most, or all, of them American films?
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Yeah all american. Never really into watching foreign movies. Only ones I've seen are Train to Busan, Raid 1,2. Parasite, And a war movie I that came out a year or 2 ago. Best war movie I've ever seen since Ryan. Did a review of it so in here but can't remember the name.
 
TheReligion said:
@R.N7 @Dirty Schwein @Rooney in Paris @pauldyson1uk

I've tagged some of the top contributors here but the question is for everyone please.

I'm looking for some decent films of a certain style I may have missed. I'm a fan of the dark crime noir genre and enjoy the cinematography of Michael Mann and the likes. Powerfully lit night scenes, think Heat, Collateral, Miami Vice etc.

Any recommendations? If there's mystery to it great.
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L.A. Confidential
Memories of Murder
New World (personally haven't seen this as I've heard it's ultra-violent; people rave about it as a cop-gone-undercover-within-the-mob movie)
Devil in a Blue Dress
 
TheReligion said:
@R.N7 @Dirty Schwein @Rooney in Paris @pauldyson1uk

I've tagged some of the top contributors here but the question is for everyone please.

I'm looking for some decent films of a certain style I may have missed. I'm a fan of the dark crime noir genre and enjoy the cinematography of Michael Mann and the likes. Powerfully lit night scenes, think Heat, Collateral, Miami Vice etc.

Any recommendations? If there's mystery to it great.
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A few I have watch that might fit your criteria
Sin City
Se7en
Reservoir Dogs
No Country for Old Men
LA Confidental
Narc
A History of Violence
Zodiac
 
TheReligion said:
@R.N7 @Dirty Schwein @Rooney in Paris @pauldyson1uk

I've tagged some of the top contributors here but the question is for everyone please.

I'm looking for some decent films of a certain style I may have missed. I'm a fan of the dark crime noir genre and enjoy the cinematography of Michael Mann and the likes. Powerfully lit night scenes, think Heat, Collateral, Miami Vice etc.

Any recommendations? If there's mystery to it great.
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Blue Velvet is a must watch.
 
TheReligion said:
@R.N7 @Dirty Schwein @Rooney in Paris @pauldyson1uk

I've tagged some of the top contributors here but the question is for everyone please.

I'm looking for some decent films of a certain style I may have missed. I'm a fan of the dark crime noir genre and enjoy the cinematography of Michael Mann and the likes. Powerfully lit night scenes, think Heat, Collateral, Miami Vice etc.

Any recommendations? If there's mystery to it great.
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Most of these are dark/noir/crime-ish, and include night scenes.
  • LA Confidential (1997)
  • Se7en (1995)
  • American Gigolo (1980)
  • Body Heat (1981)
  • Cop (1988)
  • Tightrope (1984)
  • Body Double (1984)
  • Prince of the City (1981)
  • Exotica (1994)
  • King of New York (1990)
  • Thief (1981)
  • Nightcrawler (2014)
  • At Close Range (1986)
  • Chinatown (1974)
  • Lone Star (1996)
  • One False Move (1992)
  • The Hot Spot (1990)
  • Gone Baby Gone (2007)
  • Internal Affairs (1990)
  • Cape Fear (1991)
  • Homicide (1991)
  • Shattered (1991)
  • Deep Cover (1992)
  • Unlawful Entry (1992)
  • Romeo Is Bleeding (1993)
  • Bitter Moon (1992)
  • The Last Seduction (1994)
  • Things to do in Denver When You're Dead (1995)
  • Cop Land (1997)
  • Frantic (1988)
  • Black Rain (1989)
 
hungrywing said:
L.A. Confidential
Memories of Murder
New World (personally haven't seen this as I've heard it's ultra-violent; people rave about it as a cop-gone-undercover-within-the-mob movie)
Devil in a Blue Dress
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I saw this at a screening with the director (they had Q&A afterwards). Absolutely loved it!
 
TheReligion said:
@R.N7 @Dirty Schwein @Rooney in Paris @pauldyson1uk

I've tagged some of the top contributors here but the question is for everyone please.

I'm looking for some decent films of a certain style I may have missed. I'm a fan of the dark crime noir genre and enjoy the cinematography of Michael Mann and the likes. Powerfully lit night scenes, think Heat, Collateral, Miami Vice etc.

Any recommendations? If there's mystery to it great.
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Fallen Angels (WKW)
King of New York (Ferrara)
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (Cassavetes)
The American Friend (Wenders)
Good Time (Safdies)
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. Great stuff. I'm adding them to my phone notes as we speak. I've seen some but there's a number I haven't. Just need to find them all now on Netflix and Sky!
 
TheReligion said:
On this, and Lynch, what are people's thoughts as I hear many are put off by his films as they are quite dark and mindfecking.
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Most of his movies are quite dreamlike and deal with the subconscious, so they might be a bit confusing if you're expecting a standard narrative structure.
But most of them aren't unaccesible, especially Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive are very worth watching. The only way to know is to try one, because there isn't really anything else like it.
 
pierrethesnack said:
Most of his movies are quite dreamlike and deal with the subconscious, so they might be a bit confusing if you're expecting a standard narrative structure.
But most of them aren't unaccesible, especially Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive are very worth watching. The only way to know is to try one, because there isn't really anything else like it.
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Lynch is a weird one generally, he has in my opinion produced some of the most amazing cinema in the last few decades (two of which you've mentioned) but also produced some of the very worst.

I can remember being excited for Inland Empire, being the movie after Mulholland Drive (which is in my top 3 of all time) and leaving the cinema having been put through some of the worst cinematic drivel I'd ever seen.
 
Yes, God Yes

Much hype, high tomatoes, all a bit shit. Bought a disc with forced German subtitles, so got on iTunes in the end today.

It's marketed as a coming of age vs sex awareness when you're folks are like religious nutcases thing tale, but it's a coming of nowt. There's a possibility of a romance, but that comes to nowt too. There's no story. It turns out, that this 80 minute movie is based of a short film Dyer, the lead actress did years ago. Surely, if you're taking a short film as base, you don't release 80 minutes and call it good? Anyway.

There's no expansion on character dev, so it's all pathetic, but it could have been great. Surprised at the Tomato love (93% right now).

3/10, if that. Crap.
 
Promising Young Woman

Was expecting a lot after reading the reviews, but it was really shite. Good acting from Mulligan, but that’s about all I can say about it. Can’t believe it’s so well reviewed. Thought it was really boring, predictable and frankly barely a step above a TV movie. The ending was a real low light.

4/10.
 
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The Firm (1989)

A short (1hr 10min) low budget, up close and personal 80's football hooligan film. First time i watched this was on the telly BBC2 in the 90's. Bought the Bluray last year and got round to watching it again recently....Loved it. It's a gritty short film of Top Boy 'Bex' (Oldman) and his lust of giving rival firms a good kicking. The best hooligan movie out there. Gary Oldman is fantastic. One of his finest performances.

8/10
 
TheReligion said:
@R.N7 @Dirty Schwein @Rooney in Paris @pauldyson1uk

I've tagged some of the top contributors here but the question is for everyone please.

I'm looking for some decent films of a certain style I may have missed. I'm a fan of the dark crime noir genre and enjoy the cinematography of Michael Mann and the likes. Powerfully lit night scenes, think Heat, Collateral, Miami Vice etc.

Any recommendations? If there's mystery to it great.
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I haven''t seen it myself, but Motherless Brooklyn was released last year and fits the vibe too.

It has a stellar cast and killer Thom Yorke theme tune.

Here's the trailer:

 
simonhch said:
Promising Young Woman

Was expecting a lot after reading the reviews, but it was really shite. Good acting from Mulligan, but that’s about all I can say about it. Can’t believe it’s so well reviewed. Thought it was really boring, predictable and frankly barely a step above a TV movie. The ending was a real low light.

4/10.
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Really looking forward to this, or I was. Shame.
 
pierrethesnack said:
Do people who make trailers watch the whole movie before making it?
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It varies. Sometimes you get a selection of clips, sometimes you get a long sizzle reel and sometimes you get the entire movie.

But most of the time you get the movie minus the effects. It'll usually also have lots of text on screen about VFX to be added in or additional lines to be recorded later.
 
Dirty Schwein said:
It varies. Sometimes you get a selection of clips, sometimes you get a long sizzle reel and sometimes you get the entire movie.

But most of the time you get the movie minus the effects. It'll usually also have lots of text on screen about VFX to be added in or additional lines to be recorded later.
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Interesting, thanks.

A pet peeve of mine has always been that I feel like they show way too much, pretty much describing the antire arch and just teasing the ending. Is it just how studios want it?
 
pierrethesnack said:
Interesting, thanks.

A pet peeve of mine has always been that I feel like they show way too much, pretty much describing the antire arch and just teasing the ending. Is it just how studios want it?
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Where I work (Sky Cinema), the stakeholders are the marketing team, the production company, the distributor and sometimes the director. Marketing and distribution want to do exactly what you said there. The production company and the director don't want this, so you end up with a compromise.

However, in a normal trailer house (who specifically only cut trailers), it works very differently.

Usually, three different editors will create three different trailers. Then these trailers are handed to a studio exec, who will then sit with another editor and use those three trailers to create a new trailer that you will see on cinemas/online.

The studio exec just wants eyeballs on the film so they'll just throw whatever they can to drum up interest, which sometimes may even include a fecking plot twist like in Terminator Genesys :lol:

Obviously this isn't ALWAYS how is done, but that's how the majority of film trailers are made.
 
Without Remorse

Amazon Original movie with Michael B. Jordan. If you watch it, you’ll wish you hadn’t. And I can only imagine that the actors and director wish they weren’t associated with it. Indecipherably bad. Michael B. Jordan with the worst acting performance I’ve seen in a long time. And dialogue worthy of a high school play. Just appalling from start to finish. No redeeming qualities. Atrocious.

1/10
 
Mortal Kombat

Appalling 'acting' throughout, wafer thin 'story'. I can't get over how bad the acting is.

Decent fatalities, I suppose. Good soundtrack.

But it's utter gash overall. Actually, @simonhch said it best in the review above this for a completely different movie.
If you watch it, you’ll wish you hadn’t. And I can only imagine that the actors and director wish they weren’t associated with it. Indecipherably bad. Michael B. Jordan with the worst acting performance I’ve seen in a long time. And dialogue worthy of a high school play. Just appalling from start to finish. No redeeming qualities. Atrocious.
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2/10
 
simonhch said:
Without Remorse

Amazon Original movie with Michael B. Jordan. If you watch it, you’ll wish you hadn’t. And I can only imagine that the actors and director wish they weren’t associated with it. Indecipherably bad. Michael B. Jordan with the worst acting performance I’ve seen in a long time. And dialogue worthy of a high school play. Just appalling from start to finish. No redeeming qualities. Atrocious.

1/10
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I wanted to give it a chance, but I just couldn’t get past the RPG in the hallway scene.
 
calodo2003 said:
Never been a huge fan of MBJ outside of ‘The Wire,’ but that abortion doesn’t seem like it will advance his career one iota.
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Ever since Creed, every movie role is just a vehicle to take his shirt off. He should focus on actually acting rather than flashing his pecs.
 
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