Haha, that took me suprise as well. The CGI was pretty bad all round I thought.
Film The Redcafe Movie review thread
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Haha, that took me suprise as well. The CGI was pretty bad all round I thought.
Yeah, I know what you mean. I fully expected it to end with
Dreyman driving past Wiesler realizing the sacrifice he had made to keep him free. The book tribute scene could be seen as cheesy but it somehow avoided being that just because of the way it was shot, or because its German, i don't know. I didn't choke up at all. Honest.
Loved Akira.
Last half hour?...It starts off fecking weird and then challenges itself to get more and more bonkers as it goes along. About half way through it gets incredibly weird, and you're thinking "alright, this is getting pretty batshit, I assume this is some kind of profound trippy interlude or something?" but no, by the end it's gone so far off the reservation it's planting marshmallow trees in the Neverland Ranch with King George and Nicholas Cage.
It is brilliant though. Completely brilliant. Still in this day and age one of the most visually arresting animations I've ever seen, possibly even films full stop (especially the first half, before it gets all Dragon Ball Z) and despite the batshittedness of it's story, it does actually hold up narratively. Especially the second time around. Though I do much prefer the first half.
NEVER watch it on mushrooms.
And while on anime's, I'm going to be blasphemous to the Ghibli tards....I don't like Spirited Away. In fact I found it hugely boring and juvenile and not even that incredible visually for a noughties film 13 after the likes of Akira. Whilst I get the hype around Ghibli, they are brilliant, they're very Disney, and so I still don't see why so many rank them above Pixar as a studio. Both Spirited and Howls Moving Castle have so little of the adult poignance and wit of the American Studios best work. Spirited is very much a kids film, and I was painfully aware of that throughout to the point of complete indifference by the time Sen's love breaks the evil spell on a water spirit/dragon-man thing she fell into once. It's Alice in Wonderland sure, but without any of the darkness and intrigue that made that seminal. Meh. To me at least. I'm still convinced a lot of people claim to love it cos it's weird and foreign. If it wasn't animeted, it'd just be a schmaltzy Disney flick. Alice meets Pinoccio meetsThe Never Ending Story. Akira is weird, foreign and animeted...but that's actually great.
Yet to see Mononoke, going to watch it next week.
Last half hour?...It starts off fecking weird and then challenges itself to get more and more bonkers as it goes along. About half way through it gets incredibly weird, and you're thinking "alright, this is getting pretty batshit, I assume this is some kind of profound trippy interlude or something?" but no, by the end it's gone so far off the reservation it's planting marshmallow trees in the Neverland Ranch with King George and Nicholas Cage.
It is brilliant though. Completely brilliant. Still in this day and age one of the most visually arresting animations I've ever seen, possibly even films full stop (especially the first half, before it gets all Dragon Ball Z) and despite the batshittedness of it's story, it does actually hold up narratively. Especially the second time around. Though I do much prefer the first half.
NEVER watch it on mushrooms.
And while on anime's, I'm going to be blasphemous to the Ghibli tards....I don't like Spirited Away. In fact I found it hugely boring and juvenile and not even that incredible visually for a noughties film 13 after the likes of Akira. Whilst I get the hype around Ghibli, they are brilliant, they're very Disney, and so I still don't see why so many rank them above Pixar as a studio. Both Spirited and Howls Moving Castle have so little of the adult poignance and wit of the American Studios best work. Spirited is very much a kids film, and I was painfully aware of that throughout to the point of complete indifference by the time Sen's love breaks the evil spell on a water spirit/dragon-man thing she fell into once. It's Alice in Wonderland sure, but without any of the darkness and intrigue that made that seminal. Meh. To me at least. I'm still convinced a lot of people claim to love it cos it's weird and foreign. If it wasn't animeted, it'd just be a schmaltzy Disney flick. Alice meets Pinoccio meetsThe Never Ending Story. Akira is weird, foreign and animeted...but that's actually great.
Yet to see Mononoke, going to watch it next week.
Mononoke is probably the most adult oriented of them all after Grave of the Fireflies, and I prefer it to Spirited Away. Howl's is pretty average and overhyped.
I sugggest you watch the earlier works like Mononoke, Nausicaa, Castle in the Sky and Grave of the Fireflies before you make up your mind. Ghibli films have the fantasy, imagination and the music whilst I don't really see what's so great about Pixar at all.
Mononoke is the best of the Ghibli films I've seen, with Nausicaa second. I haven't seen Grave of the Fireflies though.
Monoke is the best anime/manga I've ever seen and I include Akira in that.
Gone with the Wind 10/10
Four hours passes in what seems like half an hour. This film is 72 years old now, but is still a marvellous depiction about life in the south during the Civil War.
Vivien Leigh plays Scarlett O'Hara, a beautiful and spirited Southern belle, who spends the film believing she loves Ashley Wilkes,only to discover too late that it's Rhett Butler, ( a very handsome Clark Gable ) who is the real love of her life.
Four hours passes in what seems like half an hour. This film is 72 years old now, but is still a marvellous depiction about life in the south during the Civil War.
Vivien Leigh plays Scarlett O'Hara, a beautiful and spirited Southern belle, who spends the film believing she loves Ashley Wilkes,only to discover too late that it's Rhett Butler, ( a very handsome Clark Gable ) who is the real love of her life.
Assuming good things for Mononoke then, but now you lot have bigged it up, I'm sure to be disappointed just by my own expectations (so when I inevitably am, it's all your fault)....Downloa...err...legally acquired Ghost in the Shell too, so that's on my watch list.
As I said, I do get the allure of Ghibli, they are brilliant. But so far everything I've watched (which tbf, is just Spirited, Howl's and Toroto) has been achingly childish. And while that's not a bad thing, I've so far failed to see the attraction for adults beyond "oh my kids will like this". Which is why Pixar is such a relevant comparison re: how to make a universal family film. Because Wall-E, The Incredibles and the first half of Up are films I can appreciate as an adult...and no one breaks spells by the power of love. Urgh.
So far Akira stands out as my top anime film by quite a distance. But I'm not gonna pretend I'm well versed in the genre.
As I said, I do get the allure of Ghibli, they are brilliant. But so far everything I've watched (which tbf, is just Spirited, Howl's and Toroto) has been achingly childish. And while that's not a bad thing, I've so far failed to see the attraction for adults beyond "oh my kids will like this". Which is why Pixar is such a relevant comparison re: how to make a universal family film. Because Wall-E, The Incredibles and the first half of Up are films I can appreciate as an adult...and no one breaks spells by the power of love. Urgh.
So far Akira stands out as my top anime film by quite a distance. But I'm not gonna pretend I'm well versed in the genre.
Which version did you watch?
Mononoke is the best Ghibli film, both visually and in terms of a cohesive plot.
But it's still a kids film, all of Miyazaki's are. Watch Takahata's films if you want something less juvenile, although bear in mind they all pretty much descend into a narrative on the destructiveness of man at some point, even the one about dancing raccoons.
Ghost in the Shell's excellent, it's like Blade Runner anime style. And check out Jin Roh and Paprika too. As for Ghibli, I loved Spirited Away more than Mononoke, but that's because I've got a taste for the surreal but yeah, generally Miyazaki's stuff's for kids - as Cement pointed out. I might watch Mononoke again, not seen it for well over a decade.
And anime fans, how does Death Note the anime compare with the film (DN)?
Death Note just got ridiculously stupid very quickly, first 10 or so episodes are solid enough, but I then just gave up after that(prolly around ep 15), and since it finished have never gone back to finish as alot said it got worse, although alot also say im stupid for not thinking its some masterpiece....however it's usually the only anime they've seen as it's one of the most accessible to be fair.
It ran at about the same time as Haruhi which was a gazillion times better, watch that instead or maybe not....i'd never go back and watch most anime now I've grown out of it.
It ran at about the same time as Haruhi which was a gazillion times better, watch that instead or maybe not....i'd never go back and watch most anime now I've grown out of it.
No, the anime-movie not the anime TV series, Zen... you plonker.
Had no idea there was an anime film tbh -_-
True Grit - Brilliant film. Jeff Bridges & the girl were fantastic in their roles and Matt Damon put in a good performance. The film has a simple premise and for once with a Coen brothers film I could understand everything that was happening. A must watch and better than No Country for Old Men in my opinion - 9/10.
Both True Grit and No Country for Old Men were extremely faithful adaptations from the books by the Coen Brothers. They pick great books to make into films.
The Final Cut version, as far as I can tell.
The Birds - didn't really know what to make of it. Very enjoyable but I'm not sure I got the "depth" to this movie, it seemed to fly right over my head. Not at all apparent to me why this is one of his most highly rated movies.
The Tenant - loved it. Not as powerful as Repulsion but completely absorbing and darkly funny. Polanski does insanity/paranoia very well. Might watch the Pianist tonight. Watched Chinatown, Repulsion, The Tenant...any of his other movies worth watching? Can't believe how poor the first movie of his I watched was, Ghost Writer.
Fantastic movies. Not sure which I prefer. Probably True Grit. But Javier in No Country is one of my favourite bad guys in years
Harrison Ford was a legend (not so much anymore). Perhaps it is because you did not grow up with these movies. (Star Wars and Indiana Jones).
Bladerunner is one of the few movies I would give a 10/10
saw Lone Star last night. 8/10.
set in a border town in Texas. You could almost feel the heat. Nothing is really what it seems when the main characters are introduced. The flashbacks blend perfectly with what is happeneing.
Finally the soundtrack is just beautiful texmex music.
set in a border town in Texas. You could almost feel the heat. Nothing is really what it seems when the main characters are introduced. The flashbacks blend perfectly with what is happeneing.
Finally the soundtrack is just beautiful texmex music.
You shouldn't like Ford in it, he's the villain of the film.
Interesting point, although antagonist is possibly a better word for it.
I don't like Harrison Ford the actor, not Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard. And yeah, the fact that he's so highly thought of by his generation is probably part of the irrational hatred.
Villain he may be, but antagonist he is not (although the line is blurred because the antagonists are more interesting and better realised than the protagonist).
Sorry, I have no control over my pedantry
I watched The Bicycle Thief this weekend. It must have been a real shock for Americans seeing that sort of depiction of real life. I read that they wanted to give it the Hollywood treatment with Cary Grant as the lead....that would have been fecking criminal.
I love the scene is the end where they merge into the crowd and you're left thinking this is just one story of thousands of people scrapping their way through life as best they can. No happy ending unless you count the love that little Bruno still has for his father.
I'm waiting for Wages of Fear to come through on Netflix...watched part one of Che last night...part 2 tonight. A brief glimpse of the lad who played Carlos the Jackal...I think he's mesmerizing and hope he gets some decent Hollywood roles (other than Clash of the Titans 2!)
I love the scene is the end where they merge into the crowd and you're left thinking this is just one story of thousands of people scrapping their way through life as best they can. No happy ending unless you count the love that little Bruno still has for his father.
I'm waiting for Wages of Fear to come through on Netflix...watched part one of Che last night...part 2 tonight. A brief glimpse of the lad who played Carlos the Jackal...I think he's mesmerizing and hope he gets some decent Hollywood roles (other than Clash of the Titans 2!)
Blade Runner Final Cut on blu-ray + big screen =
Great film that. Amazing that none of the actors were professional.
Great film that. Amazing that none of the actors were professional.
Villain he may be, but antagonist he is not (although the line is blurred because the antagonists are more interesting and better realised than the protagonist).
Sorry, I have no control over my pedantry
I semi thought that after I'd posted it, but villain seemed too strong a word - there aren't really and heroes or villains in the story, and he was the one really doing the antagonising. Your point is true though.
Gaff's the best anyway.
I should probably review it to stay on topic - 9/10!
Yeah, thats a great movie. The lead role wasnt played by a movie actor, infact he was a regular factory worker that the director picked for the movie. I remember reading that anyway.
Wages is even better.
You're such a nostalgia queen.
Watched Ghost in the Shell, liked it, but it felt incomplete to me. Like it ended half an hour early. The story was bangerang for 2/3rds of it, slowly building like the best films do, but then it didn't really resolve itself well enough, had a big chunk of Basil Exposition, and then ended. Which after all the (good) slow, methodical build up, felt like a cop out. It got to the really interesting point, and then just ended. And with a vague, Blade Runner-lite open ending (and Spoons, you're BR allusion was spot on, very much cut from the same cloth, but lite.) It seemed more like an extended TV movie than a film film. Anime/Manga tends to over-run, but this was a rare case of underunning for me....
Got the sequel to watch, but it's one of those 10 years later jobbies and I've heard it's not really that good.
Still good, but not a classic for me. 7ish. Could've been an 8.5 if it'd delved a little deeper for a little bit longer. It needed another beat, for want of a better phrase.
Mononoke tomorrow, then Paprika
Winter's Bone - really enjoyed it. Some beautiful cinematography, a surprisingly compelling plot with a quietly powerful performance from Jennifer Lawrence lifting it to make a very good movie. Looks great in Blu-ray.
7/10
The Adjustment Bureau - don't ever watch this. Really terrible. Came highly recommended from a friend but aside from a vaguely interesting first 15 minutes or so it was one of the poorest movies I've seen. And it's not like they came up with anything remotely original either.
1/10
7/10
The Adjustment Bureau - don't ever watch this. Really terrible. Came highly recommended from a friend but aside from a vaguely interesting first 15 minutes or so it was one of the poorest movies I've seen. And it's not like they came up with anything remotely original either.
1/10
Have to say I am disappoint in Che. It was just hours of sweaty, hairy blokes bumbling about in the jungle. Especially part two. I'd like to have seen the film cover his early days in Guatemala and a bit more on his darker side. It was also difficult to really follow what was going on in Bolivia. Matt Damon popping up kinda pissed me off too.
I thought it was pretty rubbish, particularly part two. An almost apolitical film about Che, well done lads.
I was watch Che Part 1 last night as well. Finding it rather tedious so far. It's far too pretentiously for my liking. The random cuts make it difficult to follow as well. I see what they're going for and I think I would like it in the right mood but that said I'm not going to be watching Part 2 anytime soon.
Generally agree with you. I've seen a small number of anime and I have to say, I've yet to see one that would top Akira. The epic nature of both the themes and vision is outstanding. You'll enjoy Mononoke much more than Spirited. Better film by far.
Thought the same. I was hoping the movie was going to be epic and inspiring and make me angry and emotional and whatnot, but it just left me cold and bored. What a waste. Went to watch the documentary "The Revolution will not be televised" right after, just to give me a socialist kick and make up for the blandness of Che.
The Pianist - very powerful, a couple of truly great scenes and despite its length and harrowing nature it's never anything but captivating. A part of me thinks it was possibly the best Polanski movie I've seen after Chinatown, which I wasn't expecting.
Did it ??
Alien - was intriguing for the first hour or so but the pointless hollywood action scene with a hint of cheap horror thrown in the mix towards the end ruined it. Pointless action is so dull and brings out the worst in poor actors. Beginning to think I'm not all that fussed on either sci-fi or Ridley Scott. Will still watch Aliens though.
6/10
6/10