Just saw „It“ and I’m not impressed. While the kids are doing a great job and the dialogue is a lot of fun, the movie just completely fails to shock or instill fear at all. It‘s just so damn full of attempts to create fear that I just didn’t care or relate at all. 5/10.
Film The Redcafe Movie review thread
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Yea, best part of the movie along with Elton John
Watched Kong: Skull Island this week.
Great effects but the story was uninspired.
Great effects but the story was uninspired.
First They Killed My Father
Really excellent film, seen through the eyes of 5 year old Loung Ung, about the brutality of life under the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Her family is taken from their middle class, comfortable life in Phnom Penh, by the victorious Khmer forces, and forced to work in an agricultural labour camp. Not your typical war film, the direction from Angelina Jolie is top notch. At no point does it ever really stray from the child's understanding of the horror that is engulfing her and her family. Because she's a child, she doesn't really comprehend huge incidents in her life, such as her Dad being taken away, so the film doesn't expand any further. You get brief flashbacks, at times, which is obviously the adult Loung filling in the blanks, but they're few and far between.
I won't divulge any more. Suffice to say, it's definitely worth seeing.
8.5/10
Really excellent film, seen through the eyes of 5 year old Loung Ung, about the brutality of life under the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Her family is taken from their middle class, comfortable life in Phnom Penh, by the victorious Khmer forces, and forced to work in an agricultural labour camp. Not your typical war film, the direction from Angelina Jolie is top notch. At no point does it ever really stray from the child's understanding of the horror that is engulfing her and her family. Because she's a child, she doesn't really comprehend huge incidents in her life, such as her Dad being taken away, so the film doesn't expand any further. You get brief flashbacks, at times, which is obviously the adult Loung filling in the blanks, but they're few and far between.
I won't divulge any more. Suffice to say, it's definitely worth seeing.
8.5/10
The only thing that's annoying is that I knew Arnold was the good guy this time before watching it. Though, to be fair, I think I'd have clocked early on as he wasn't killing anyone in his path before meeting John this time.
I had a brainfart in my initial post as I got the wrong month! It was August, not September. I do think I'll watch the 3rd one, though. Maybe tonight.
Wind River
Bleak, cold murder case set in a mountainous Wyoming Indian reservation. Interesting to see a part of America that doesn't feature much in Hollywood, but overall it left me a bit empty. Seemed a bit rushed with a lack of character development for the Olsen girl's FBI agent, and the climax kind of came out of nowhere and included an oddly placed reveal-all flashback. 6.5/10.
Bleak, cold murder case set in a mountainous Wyoming Indian reservation. Interesting to see a part of America that doesn't feature much in Hollywood, but overall it left me a bit empty. Seemed a bit rushed with a lack of character development for the Olsen girl's FBI agent, and the climax kind of came out of nowhere and included an oddly placed reveal-all flashback. 6.5/10.
Raw 2016 - Seen some fecked up shit in my time but this tops the lot. Great though!
Just finished Terminator 3. I enjoyed it and, going from what I had heard going in, it succeeded my expectations! It felt rushed, though. I had the same problem in the 1st - it felt like Sarah and Kyle's feelings for eachother were in high gear which was the same here with John and Kate. The 2nd was the perfect length for me - it felt like I got the right amount of action and story telling.
Also, I love Arnold, and his one liners here did make me laugh like usual, but I didn't think he played the Terminator as well as he did in the first 2. In the first 2 I felt his performance as a robot was great but here, it just felt off to me. Like he wasn't trying as hard. Maybe it was the direction due to Cameron playing no part in said film.
I liked Nick Stahl as John, too. He reminded me of a young Michael C. Hall who I'm a big fan of. Even though it felt a tad rushed to me, I did think he and Claire Danes had some nice chemistry. If the film was just a bit longer showing you the both of them connecting and coming to terms with what was happening (like John and the terminator in the 2nd) I think the movie would have benefited so much.
I had no clue about the plot going into this one unlike the first 2 so the twist at the end caught me by surprise. I thought that was really well done.
Also, I love Arnold, and his one liners here did make me laugh like usual, but I didn't think he played the Terminator as well as he did in the first 2. In the first 2 I felt his performance as a robot was great but here, it just felt off to me. Like he wasn't trying as hard. Maybe it was the direction due to Cameron playing no part in said film.
I liked Nick Stahl as John, too. He reminded me of a young Michael C. Hall who I'm a big fan of. Even though it felt a tad rushed to me, I did think he and Claire Danes had some nice chemistry. If the film was just a bit longer showing you the both of them connecting and coming to terms with what was happening (like John and the terminator in the 2nd) I think the movie would have benefited so much.
I had no clue about the plot going into this one unlike the first 2 so the twist at the end caught me by surprise. I thought that was really well done.
Going to watch the next 2? People hate 4 but I think it was ok but 5 is one of the worst things ever. Pure garbage. And don't watch its trailer, gives away the big twist.
The problem I have with 4 is that there is no Arnold!
Plus no Nick Stahl and Claire Danes which is a shame as I enjoyed both of their performances in 3, and I'd have liked to have seen their relationship more as I did think they had some chemistry. I probably will but I'm not as keen to watch as I was the first 3.I remember seeing the trailers for the 5th one (though I can't remember what exactly happened in them now) and it didn't really peak my interest. It was just - "hey, that's daenerys!". I probably will because I have this thing in that, even if the movies in a specific franchise go downhill, I like to watch them all if I've already watched a couple (& they've been good) to finish the story. Though that doesn't include spinoffs - just the general story.
I did the same recently with the Alien franchise. I loved the original, the 2nd was good, but after that it just went downhill but I finished it because I'm a masochistic fool! Honestly, I didn't find 3 & 4 horrible but neither were a patch on the original 2. Especially the first. God, that was so good and instantly became one of my favourites.
Gerald's Game - 7/10, maybe 7.5. I liked it.
New Pirates are Wonder Woman were very mediocre and plenty dull, new Transformators were very idiotic and loud, and also very dull, and new Spider-Man was ok, I guess. I think Flash is in love with Peter Parker, very obsessed.
In the Bedroom - Family/crime drama set in tediously wholesome Maine. All about the performances from Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek. Todd Fields has only made one film since, so I guess him and Nick Stahl share an agent.
Watched it last night. Very enjoyable escapism. Agreed about Elton John.
Nothing past 2 is worth watching.
I only watched it a year ago or so but I've already forgotten most of it.
Rewatched 3 recently and have to say it was better than I remember it being (but that is probably down to how bad 4 and 5 were).
A new sequel due in 2019 will have Linda Hamilton back and be directed by Tim Miller with James Cameron's input.
https://www.engadget.com/2017/09/28/james-cameron-terminator-sequel-july-2019/
Yeah it didn't make much of an impression beyond its general competence.
The Burning (1981): 6.5
Love me some cheesy slasher out in the woods.
Love me some cheesy slasher out in the woods.
I thought Baby Driver was a good film, well made and rather conventional. I thought it worked well as a kind of Junior The Driver/Theif movie but was a little overly derivative for my taste. For all the homage, Shaun and Hot Fuzz feel distinctly like Edgar Wright films, rather than knockoff genre fare. Baby Driver though has a slight taste of that late 90s post-Tarantino filmmaking, where every youngster with a camera was knocking off samey, high octane violence and whizz-bang style, set to the sounds of rock-pop oldies.
The acting is very good and I found myself increasingly swept up in the action as the film progressed, even as the characters and storyline left much to be desired. If I was to compare it beside other driver films I've seen it might go about...
1. The Driver
2. Thunder Road...
5. Baby Driver...
42. Driving Miss Daisy...
64. Dude Where's My Car 2...
100. DVSA Hazard Perception Test...
101. Actually getting hit in a drive-by shooting
183. Drive
The acting is very good and I found myself increasingly swept up in the action as the film progressed, even as the characters and storyline left much to be desired. If I was to compare it beside other driver films I've seen it might go about...
1. The Driver
2. Thunder Road...
5. Baby Driver...
42. Driving Miss Daisy...
64. Dude Where's My Car 2...
100. DVSA Hazard Perception Test...
101. Actually getting hit in a drive-by shooting
183. Drive
Wonder women
Barely managed to watch to the end, a ridiculous and silly script with so much CGI that hurt your eyes. Suprised with such high ratings, I'm not too much into superhero movies but this one is really bad.
2/10
Barely managed to watch to the end, a ridiculous and silly script with so much CGI that hurt your eyes. Suprised with such high ratings, I'm not too much into superhero movies but this one is really bad.
2/10
Gravity is very pretty, but without that, it's a very annoying film. Common trope, disaster after disaster striking the protagonist with hardly a moment to rest (save for the fuel one). Guess it's needed to prolong the film length and bring *excitement*, but hey, I'm in space, I'm already excited!
Physics seem all weird as well. Not sure how exactly is Clooney *pulling away* when they are at full stop. Just slightly you pull HIM up, and problem solved...?
And debris, never mind now how concentrated they are, going that direction, at that altitude, but why would they *spare* the space stations for second and third orbits? First the shuttle, then the ISS, and then Chinese one...
But very pretty.
Physics seem all weird as well. Not sure how exactly is Clooney *pulling away* when they are at full stop. Just slightly you pull HIM up, and problem solved...?
And debris, never mind now how concentrated they are, going that direction, at that altitude, but why would they *spare* the space stations for second and third orbits? First the shuttle, then the ISS, and then Chinese one...
But very pretty.
Went to see Wind River today, thought it was good, Jeremy Renner was excellent, although I did think the biggest appeal of the movie was the setting and the gloomy atmosphere.
I did think it was pretty obvious who had committed the murders pretty much as soon as the FBI agent/local cops stepped on to the oil refinery grounds, the guys they questioned looked guilty as hell straight away
I finally watched this the other day, all I have to say is ♪ PORQUE TE VAS ♪
I wouldn't say I was as enamoured with it as you were though, felt like I had seen a lot it before including Ana Torrent's despondent face in the other Spanish 70's classic The Spirit of the Beehive.
I watched it twice, one in cinema and one at home. Cinema was such a great experience. At home, you could really see how bleh the movie is. Kinda like Avatar.
I enjoyed it, but like someone else said, it could have done with being longer. Some of the dialogue was very good, even though it wasn't dialogue heavy, I thought Renner was the standout, but I would have enjoyed the odd twist and turn. It's unusual these days for a film not to have any sort of curveball to throw the viewer off the scent.
Even when he caught the last bad guy, it was a very quick demise. Natalie is supposed to have ran miles before her lungs burst, but he got about 50 yards before collapsing and dying.
Agreed, it was a good movie, but not a great one,Renner was excellent, Graham Greene also, but there was just something missing. It was very dark and atmospheric,the scenery was amazing, but the story didn't quite hold your attention, it was just a bit too straightforward. Style over substance is maybe a bit harsh, but it could have been a really great movie with a better plot and storyline.
This is the biggest problem with new movies IMO. It all looks slick but the writing is weak.
I think so, a lot of films nowadays seem to go for "shock and awe" with special effects etc to make your head spin, but they lack an actual story or good acting. The most recent Mad Max movie springs to mind, couldn't hold a candle to the original. Or maybe I am just an old fuddy duddy...
I wouldn't actually say Wind River was bad, but without Jeremy Renner and the scenery, it wouldn't have been very memorable at all. Thunderheart from the early 90s is about a part-Native American FBI agent sent to a reservation in South Dakota to "solve" a murder, Val Kilmer is in the lead role. It's partly based on the Wounded Knee Incident from the 70s, well worth a watch. Graham Greene is in this also.
It's not quite the same type of film, but a really good film I saw centred mostly around events on a Native American reservation was Frozen River, great story and Melissa Leo is excellent in the main role. "Bobby Elvis" from Sons of Anarchy also has a small role.
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Baywatch (2017)
Feels like a teen movie with a plot worthy of Nancy Drew novels.
Nothing really special for any of the lead characters to do, so Dwayne passes the mark and kind of carries the movie. Zac and the rest of the girls are just for the eye candy factor (and it certainly works).
Generates a few laughs...nearly gave up halfway. The eye candy was what kept me chugging, but still disappointed.
2/10
Feels like a teen movie with a plot worthy of Nancy Drew novels.
Nothing really special for any of the lead characters to do, so Dwayne passes the mark and kind of carries the movie. Zac and the rest of the girls are just for the eye candy factor (and it certainly works).
Generates a few laughs...nearly gave up halfway. The eye candy was what kept me chugging, but still disappointed.
2/10
And for the record, I liked Wonder Women.
Have to disagree with you. I think it is one of the best films of the century so far. A visceral emotional rollercoaster that absolutely flies by. I think the cinema experience adds to the drama yes but it still packs a punch at home if you close the curtains and join in.
i remember watching it at the cinema and i actually had white knuckles from holding onto my seat.
I think, like a lot of Cuaron's work, it is about how you keep going / have faith when all around you seems lost and it manages to be a beacon of hope without appearing cheesy . A tightrope most films fail to achieve crossing.
American Made - Absolute garbage.
This one's so poorly made - it's just not worth the time. I think I saw some scene where the voice over for Tom Cruise was out of sync with the lip movements (..or was that a dream? Hope not)
Edit:
Kingsman: Golden Circle was fun! Hadn't seen the trailer before watching the movie and was pleasantly surprised by Elton John's role. First thought it was some kind of a special appearance bit like Ed Sheeran in GoT
Overall a fun package. The last scene I thought hinted at Channing Tatum playing a bigger role in the future releases.
This one's so poorly made - it's just not worth the time. I think I saw some scene where the voice over for Tom Cruise was out of sync with the lip movements (..or was that a dream? Hope not)
Edit:
Kingsman: Golden Circle was fun! Hadn't seen the trailer before watching the movie and was pleasantly surprised by Elton John's role. First thought it was some kind of a special appearance bit like Ed Sheeran in GoT
Overall a fun package. The last scene I thought hinted at Channing Tatum playing a bigger role in the future releases.
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Watched an exhilarating South Korean movie called Train To Busan the other day.
A superbly made zombie film (yes, another one, but don't let that put you off) with characters you actually care for. The film barrels along at a frenetic pace with the right amount of sentimentality that doesn't seem overwrought or forced, and actually makes you care and sympathise with the characters. A spectacular film.
9/10
A superbly made zombie film (yes, another one, but don't let that put you off) with characters you actually care for. The film barrels along at a frenetic pace with the right amount of sentimentality that doesn't seem overwrought or forced, and actually makes you care and sympathise with the characters. A spectacular film.
9/10
I dislike the Zombie genre, but Train to Busan is great. Koreans make very good genre films on trains.
Yep. I'm thinking Snowpiercer, which features a terrific performance by the inimitable Tilda Swinton.
And I'm with you on the zombie genre; almost become trite at this stage.
Agreed, very good film.
You ain’t heard nothin’ yet: the moment Al Jolson sounded the birth of the talkies
Ninety years ago, in October 1927, Warner Bros was facing ruin. It staked its future on a film called The Jazz Singer – and turned an entire industry upside down:
https://www.theguardian.com/film/20...zz-singer-1927-changed-film-industry-foreever
Ninety years ago, in October 1927, Warner Bros was facing ruin. It staked its future on a film called The Jazz Singer – and turned an entire industry upside down:
https://www.theguardian.com/film/20...zz-singer-1927-changed-film-industry-foreever
Amityville: The Awakening
Belle, her little sister, and her comatose twin brother move into a new house with their single mother Joan in order to save money to help pay for her brother's expensive healthcare. But when strange phenomena begin to occur in the house including the miraculous recovery of her brother, Belle begins to suspect her Mother isn't telling her everything and soon realizes they just moved into the infamous Amityville house.
It had it moments, some creepy , some jumps , pretty standard fare for a horror,
The original was always the best this is simply a bland, utterly forgettable and a poor excuse to bring back the Amityville long-running franchise to a new generation
3/10
The Crucifixion
When Nicole comes in contact with Father Anton (Corneliu Ulici) more and more inexplicable events occur. The pair begin to believe that the priest lost the battle with a demon.
Just another crap possession film, did not even lat till the end.
0/10
The Vault
Two estranged sisters are forced to rob a bank in order to save their brother. But this is no ordinary bank
There is a very good back story that would have made a better film, but I still enjoyed this , decent acting, decent ending.
You could do worst than watch this.
6/10
Belle, her little sister, and her comatose twin brother move into a new house with their single mother Joan in order to save money to help pay for her brother's expensive healthcare. But when strange phenomena begin to occur in the house including the miraculous recovery of her brother, Belle begins to suspect her Mother isn't telling her everything and soon realizes they just moved into the infamous Amityville house.
It had it moments, some creepy , some jumps , pretty standard fare for a horror,
The original was always the best this is simply a bland, utterly forgettable and a poor excuse to bring back the Amityville long-running franchise to a new generation
3/10
The Crucifixion
When Nicole comes in contact with Father Anton (Corneliu Ulici) more and more inexplicable events occur. The pair begin to believe that the priest lost the battle with a demon.
Just another crap possession film, did not even lat till the end.
0/10
The Vault
Two estranged sisters are forced to rob a bank in order to save their brother. But this is no ordinary bank
There is a very good back story that would have made a better film, but I still enjoyed this , decent acting, decent ending.
You could do worst than watch this.
6/10
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Blade Runner 2049 - successful sequel no one asked for. Beautifully made, true to the original without aping it. Probably too long and not entirely kind to its female cast, this is impressive. Also the best we've seen of Harrison Ford in a long time (and let's be honest, better than he was in the original). Good stuff.
Logan Lucky - had some of the best laughs in a film this year, with a number of big names allowed to weird it up. First Sodebergh picture in years that doesn't feel weirdly half-baked and anaemic. Goes on way too long and adds in twist and turns that I don't think do much for the picture as a whole. Still, highly enjoyable.
Logan Lucky - had some of the best laughs in a film this year, with a number of big names allowed to weird it up. First Sodebergh picture in years that doesn't feel weirdly half-baked and anaemic. Goes on way too long and adds in twist and turns that I don't think do much for the picture as a whole. Still, highly enjoyable.