Film The Redcafe Movie review thread

I've watched both Screamers and Deep Rising a very long time ago, but I enjoyed them as a one-time watch. Wouldn't watch them again though.
 
RedPed said:
Planning a movie binge this week covering the good, the bad and the ugly in 80s/90s sci-fi.

So far, considering:
Leviathan
Event Horizon
Lifeforce
Hardware
Dark City
Aliens
Brazil
Outland
The Fly
Fortress
Enemy Mine
The Lawnmower Man
Mimic
Split Second

Some I've never seen or only seen a couple of times many years ago. Want to narrow down to about 10 if possible. Any other suggestions??
Click to expand...
If i did the same thing, this would be it:

The Thing
Total Recall
Predator
The Terminator
Aliens
12 Monkeys
The Running Man
Blade Runner
Robocop
The Matrix

But here's some less obvious shouts:

Strange Days
The Thirteenth Floor
Timecop
The Abyss
No Escape (from Absolom)
Scanners
Stargate
Wedlock (aka Deadlock)
Johnny Mnemonic
Cube
 
RedPed said:
I started watching Screamers years ago. I just remember some guy in a desert and something coming out of the sand and slicing his leg. Lost interest after that and gave up. Will definitely give it another go though. Can't say I care for the others, especially Deep Rising.
Click to expand...
Screamers is a bit of a cult classic I hear. Although I've never met anyone else who's seen it. I loved it.

Deep Rising is just a fun B-movie. The others can be great or shit depending on your tolerance for cheese.
 
Ramos said:
If i did the same thing, this would be it:

The Thing
Total Recall
Predator
The Terminator
Aliens
12 Monkeys
The Running Man
Blade Runner
Robocop
The Matrix

But here's some less obvious shouts:

Strange Days
The Thirteenth Floor
Timecop
The Abyss
No Escape (from Absolom)
Scanners
Stargate
Wedlock (aka Deadlock)
Johnny Mnemonic
Cube
Click to expand...

There's no bad or ugly in your first list? They're just all classics. Great shouts with Scanners, The Thirteenth Floor and Wedlock (can't beat a bit of Mimi) though. Thought Scanners was late 70s.
 
RedPed said:
There's no bad or ugly in your first list? They're just all classics. Great shouts with Scanners, The Thirteenth Floor and Wedlock (can't beat a bit of Mimi) though. Thought Scanners was late 70s.
Click to expand...
Yeah, you're right. I planned to put some cheese into it but once i started with the good ones i couldn't help myself.

Though maybe The Running Man might be considered a bit goofy, even leaning on the bad side. By some anyway.
 
Saw Deep Rising mentioned on here and thought that was the one with Jamie Lee Curtis and Sutherland Senior but that's Virus apparently. So there's another one. Don't think i've seen Deep Rising, might give that a shot.

Oh and lots of Cronenberg but no EXistenZ mentioned either. Late 90's but still counts. That gun was original.
 
Annabelle Comes Home
While babysitting the daughter of Ed and Lorraine Warren, a teenager and her friend unknowingly awaken an evil spirit trapped in a doll. The writer partly responsible for the Conjuring Universe takes this on as his directorial debut. It was shot really well, good production value, acted well etc. But my god I'm just done with these by-the-numbers, mediocre jump-scare movies. I loved it when James Wan was doing it because his direction usually added a level of unpredictability to it, e.g. the face scare in Insidious and it was clear that he knew exactly what he was doing (i.e. making the characters likeable and relatable). These films (Annabelle, The Nun etc) just feel like cheap imitations of Wan's work.

This movie had a lot of build up. Literally NOTHING happens for the first hour, just set up. but when you think about it, this movie actually doesn't have a story. So it's just an hour of exposition towards back stories of the characters. Characters do dumb shit, lots of setting up new demons so they can make more spin-offs. Admittedly, some of these demons were cool and could potentially make good spin-off movies but not if they're treated this way. Just lazy cheap jump scares that you can see coming a mile away.

The final act is just jump scare after jump scare with no tension building. The marketing also was misleading. They hooked it around Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), but they're only in the opening and ending.

Maybe I'm being too harsh. It was a first time director, there were one or two bits that made me jump, a few cool demons and solid performances all round. It's just so cool that there's a horror universe but it's being destroyed with by-the-numbers movies like this and The Nun 5/10
 
Can anybody recommend a good site/app to access older films? I have Netflix/Prime/Sky Cinema but most of the films mentioned are no longer available on any of those platforms. They used to have a lot more of the older stuff but they all seem to be unavailable now. There are all these fecking channels on Prime Video now that you have to pay for, MUBI, BFI Player, StarzPlay? WTF?

I'm starting with:

Runaway
Brazil
The Lawnmower Man
Scanners
Lifeforce (probably 5 times)
1984
Event Horizon
Robot Jox
Saturn 3
 
Ramos said:
Saw Deep Rising mentioned on here and thought that was the one with Jamie Lee Curtis and Sutherland Senior but that's Virus apparently. So there's another one. Don't think i've seen Deep Rising, might give that a shot.

Oh and lots of Cronenberg but no EXistenZ mentioned either. Late 90's but still counts. That gun was original.
Click to expand...
Deep Rising is a more fun version of the monster on a boat scenario. Swap alien robot things for monsters and make it a more tongue in cheek B movie and that's Deep Rising.

The House

Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Jason Manzoukis all names I'm capable of spelling wrong and people who starred in this film. So I expected it to be a lot funnier given those three headlined it and the supporting cast they had. It was ok. Nothing special, I laughed a few times and felt a bit disappointed by the end.

I'm still recovering from watching White Space and can't bring myself to watch anything serious.

6/10
 
Nialler said:
Are the "John Wick" movies worth a watch?
Click to expand...

Where you been bro??? Of course they are! If you love dogs and Halle Berry, you'll absolutely love 3, which also have two of the best deaths of the three movies so far.
 
Rocketman Fun and better than Bohemian Rhapsody. Oddly like a stage musical converted to a film (it isn't) but well worth a watch. 7.5/10
 
Little Evil
Gary, who has just married Samantha, the woman of his dreams, discovers that her six-year-old son may be the Antichrist. Another horror comedy that doesn't really deliver on either. Shame as it was by the same guy as Dale and Tucker vs. Evil, which was great. Adam Scott aka the budget Tom Cruise was good in it though and there were some good moments between him and the kid actor. Evangeline Lily also shows a lotta cleavage, so plus points for that 4.5/10
 
RedPed said:
Where you been bro??? Of course they are! If you love dogs and Halle Berry, you'll absolutely love 3, which also have two of the best deaths of the three movies so far.
Click to expand...

Edgar Allan Pillow said:
Hell yeah x 10000000
Click to expand...

Sweet Square said:
Nah just watch the fights scenes on YouTube.
Click to expand...

Wibble said:
The first was tolerable thought free comic book violence. The second a repetitive pointless copy as (I'd guess) is part 3.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I watched the first one last night, thought it was slightly above average. I will check out 2 & 3 shortly. Reminded me a bit of the Punisher.
 
Robot Jox (1989)

Available on Netflix but seriously... I remember back in the days of video when I was duped by a cool looking video cover of some mecha robots and had to check it out. Imagine Pacific Rim or Power Rangers but with (very poor) stop motion animation instead of CGI and you get the drift. It's hard to believe that this was made in 1989, two years after Predator and RoboCop and with only a slightly smaller budget too and three years after Aliens which cost an extra $8m to make. It really hasn't aged very well compared to those...quite badly in fact. It's an interesting premise though, set in the future where war is outlawed but instead disputes are settled by the bickering nations putting forward their champions, robot jockeys (or jox for short, hence the title) to slug it out in their enhanced massive robots.

The story basically revolves around America and Russia getting into a tiff over control of Alaska for its resources with their jox battling for supremacy. Of course the American champion Achilles has all sorts of shenanigans both domestic and foreign to contend with especially when up against the undefeated Russian, Alexander (think Rocky IV), who is hell bent on taking him out for good.

The sets and robots look pretty cool...until they actually engage in combat and this is where the limitations of the film are really laid bare. The fight scenes, if you can call them that are very laboured, dull and devoid of any excitement whatsoever and the characters are very one-dimensional and a bit cheesy. This would probably be pretty good if done today but we already have the Pacific Rim movies which are effectively updated versions of this film. It has a couple of nice touches like the handshakes and the saying "Crash and Burn", which they use instead of "Good Luck!" I suppose. But my curiosity has been satisfied now for another 20 years. They did release a sequel, incidentally called Crash and Burn which was slightly better if I remember correctly....but still pretty dire.

It's only 85 minutes which is plenty but won't be winning any awards any time soon. I doubt whether most people will actually get through it to be honest.

I'm giving this a 2/10.
 
Saturn 3 (1980)

Available on Prime Video BFI Player. Decent early 80s sci-fi primarily featuring just a cast of three humans and a very demented robot. The three humans in question are Kirk Douglas and the absolutely gorgeous Farrah Fawcett whose idyllic existence on a remote station on one of Saturn's moons is turned upside down by the arrival of Harvey Keitel playing a corporate stooge who decides to take over the facility with his temperamental robot as they are not progressing fast enough in their mission to produce food sources for the dying Earth. From the moment he arrives in his black space suit, you just know he's trouble.

Tensions soon ensue though as Benson (Keitel) understandably takes a shine to Alex (Fawcett) and decides that he is better equipped than the ageing Adam (Douglas) to take care of her. However, the problem is we also have a randy robot who is smitten with her too. It must be really flattering having two guys and a robot all vying for your attention. All havoc soon breaks loose in the facility as Hector the robot assumes control of Saturn 3, engaging in a game of cat and mouse with the occupants. It's surprisingly compelling and although Hector looks pretty naff, he is still quite creepy and intimidating. Whoever designed the sets did a pretty fine job as the look of the movie is great and very believable. The facility looks expansive, functional and fit for purpose, not flimsy, tacky or sterile. It's aesthetically very pleasing on the eye.

The actors don't really have much to work with in terms of dialogue but do a fine job as the continuing changes in dynamic between the four of them lead to more drastic actions being taken. Nice bit of tension leading up to the somewhat predictable ending but nonetheless it ultimately ends up being a decent movie that probably looked great on the big screen. Farrah Fawcett was in her prime here fresh from her stint as one of the original Angels but boy is she beautiful or what. If you liked The Black Hole, you'll probably find yourself making some comparisons with that film...but yeah Black Hole is better.

I'm giving this a 7/10.
 
Ramos said:
Saw Deep Rising mentioned on here and thought that was the one with Jamie Lee Curtis and Sutherland Senior but that's Virus apparently. So there's another one. Don't think i've seen Deep Rising, might give that a shot.

Oh and lots of Cronenberg but no EXistenZ mentioned either. Late 90's but still counts. That gun was original.
Click to expand...
ExistenZ is decent, even if the name is irksome and the ending a bit lame.

RedPed said:
Can anybody recommend a good site/app to access older films? I have Netflix/Prime/Sky Cinema but most of the films mentioned are no longer available on any of those platforms. They used to have a lot more of the older stuff but they all seem to be unavailable now. There are all these fecking channels on Prime Video now that you have to pay for, MUBI, BFI Player, StarzPlay? WTF?

I'm starting with:

Runaway
Brazil
The Lawnmower Man
Scanners
Lifeforce (probably 5 times)
1984
Event Horizon
Robot Jox
Saturn 3
Click to expand...
Some blasts from the past there. That reminds me, I've had Brazil on dvd for at least 10 years and still not round to watching it.
I need to watch Scanners agsin.
 
Jippy said:
ExistenZ is decent, even if the name is irksome and the ending a bit lame.


Some blasts from the past there. That reminds me, I've had Brazil on dvd for at least 10 years and still not round to watching it.
I need to watch Scanners agsin.
Click to expand...

Am literally watching it now. WTF?? It's completely bonkers!
 
Jippy said:
Some blasts from the past there. That reminds me, I've had Brazil on dvd for at least 10 years and still not round to watching it.
I need to watch Scanners agsin.
Click to expand...
Its aged really well for sci fi move. Lots of the themes and ideas the films was trying to get across still really resonate today. Although the most amazing thing about the movie is how the hell did Gilliam convinced a studio to make a film where Jonathan Pryce is the main star/romantic lead and Robert De Niro is a electrician.


Oh and its a secret christmas movie.
 
Brazil (1985)

Available on Prime Video. Brazil is a complex, thought provoking, visually arresting and very humorous film by Terry Gilliam. It has his trademark style and features a star studded cast that obviously had a lot of fun making this film. Set in a future society but with a look reminiscent of the early 20th century, Jonathan Pryce is the main protagonist as Sam Lowry, an administrative worker in a world where red tape and bureaucracy is the order of the day. From what I can gather, an administrative error starts off a chain of events that has massive repercussions for Lowry and the humdrum world he existed in up to now. To escape the monotony, Sam would also drift off into dreams where he had wings and regularly encounter a beautiful mysterious woman. Things soon become even more complicated though when the lines of reality and fantasy become blurred as a manifestation of this mysterious woman becomes all too real.

There are so many layers to this film. It's a political allegory, social satire, a moral tale, a love story. There's so much going on in every scene and Gilliam has clearly put a lot of thought into the images that he wants to convey, with great attention to detail. He later continued with those ideas in Baron Munchausen. The set designs and costumes in particular add their own symbolism to the many themes running throughout the film and the music is brilliant, perfectly suited to what we see on screen. Gilliam also uses visual illusions to good effect, some are very clever and catch you out good and proper. Amongst the opulence and routine, we get chaos and destruction. A mixture of self-serving vanity, idealism and totalitarianism all come together in a seemingly dysfunctional world that Lowry is so desperate to break free from.

The film is very funny in places without having to try too hard. Some of the characters are played for laughs and that's absolutely fine. The film will appeal to people in different ways and you will need to look beyond the obvious to keep up. But it's worth investing the effort for what is a truly cerebral experience. Once your brain has tuned in to what is going on, you eventually get to make sense of and appreciate what is going on...right up to the very end. It's bonkers, it's funny, it's exhausting. It still holds up today and it's over 30 years old! You'll definitely have to watch it again though. Make sure you have the 142min version. There are two shorter versions I believe.

I'm giving this a 6/10.
 
RedPed said:
Am literally watching it now. WTF?? It's completely bonkers!
Click to expand...
Sweet Square said:
Its aged really well for sci fi move. Lots of the themes and ideas the films was trying to get across still really resonate today. Although the most amazing thing about the movie is how the hell did Gilliam convinced a studio to make a film where Jonathan Pryce is the main star/romantic lead and Robert De Niro is a electrician.


Oh and its a secret christmas movie.
Click to expand...
I'm not going to read your review til I've watched. Die Another Day was on at the weekend which reminded me about Brazil.
 
Sweet Square said:
Its aged really well for sci fi move. Lots of the themes and ideas the films was trying to get across still really resonate today. Although the most amazing thing about the movie is how the hell did Gilliam convinced a studio to make a film where Jonathan Pryce is the main star/romantic lead and Robert De Niro is a electrician.


Oh and its a secret christmas movie.
Click to expand...

De Niro actually wanted Palin's role but it had already been cast so he took the other role because he really wanted to be in the movie. It's a great film and really aged well like you say. Gets a solid 7.5 from me.
 
Point Blank
To save his pregnant wife, an emergency room nurse teams up with an injured murder suspect in a race against time, rival criminals and renegade cops. It was a decent action movie. Fun characters, lots of decent set-pieces and always enjoy watching Frank Grillo and Anthony Mackie. Nothing spectacular but a solid movie if you're in the mood for it 6/10
 
PhilQ said:
De Niro actually wanted Palin's role but it had already been cast so he took the other role because he really wanted to be in the movie. It's a great film and really aged well like you say. Gets a solid 7.5 from me.
Click to expand...
One of my favourite films. It's a bit messy and disjointed in places but there's such vision and life in it, it's a delight to watch.
 
RedPed said:
Saturn 3 (1980)

Available on Prime Video BFI Player. Decent early 80s sci-fi primarily featuring just a cast of three humans and a very demented robot. The three humans in question are Kirk Douglas and the absolutely gorgeous Farrah Fawcett whose idyllic existence on a remote station on one of Saturn's moons is turned upside down by the arrival of Harvey Keitel playing a corporate stooge who decides to take over the facility with his temperamental robot as they are not progressing fast enough in their mission to produce food sources for the dying Earth. From the moment he arrives in his black space suit, you just know he's trouble.

Tensions soon ensue though as Benson (Keitel) understandably takes a shine to Alex (Fawcett) and decides that he is better equipped than the ageing Adam (Douglas) to take care of her. However, the problem is we also have a randy robot who is smitten with her too. It must be really flattering having two guys and a robot all vying for your attention. All havoc soon breaks loose in the facility as Hector the robot assumes control of Saturn 3, engaging in a game of cat and mouse with the occupants. It's surprisingly compelling and although Hector looks pretty naff, he is still quite creepy and intimidating. Whoever designed the sets did a pretty fine job as the look of the movie is great and very believable. The facility looks expansive, functional and fit for purpose, not flimsy, tacky or sterile. It's aesthetically very pleasing on the eye.

The actors don't really have much to work with in terms of dialogue but do a fine job as the continuing changes in dynamic between the four of them lead to more drastic actions being taken. Nice bit of tension leading up to the somewhat predictable ending but nonetheless it ultimately ends up being a decent movie that probably looked great on the big screen. Farrah Fawcett was in her prime here fresh from her stint as one of the original Angels but boy is she beautiful or what. If you liked The Black Hole, you'll probably find yourself making some comparisons with that film...but yeah Black Hole is better.

I'm giving this a 7/10.
Click to expand...
As a very young teen I went to see a different movie but they told us the incorrect screen number (this was the era before multiplexes so no excuse really) and we were thus able to sneak in and watch this 15 rated film. I wasn't a fan of farrah fawcett at the time but let's just say this film had a big impact on a growing boy!
 
Notting Hill
Had never seen it before and needed something to pass the time when it happened to be on telly. Julia Roberts was really pretty in the 90's. Hugh Grant might also be the most British man alive. At least in the way I imagine British people are like. I liked it, especially the parts that didn't age well society wise. Oh and really young Alec Baldwin as an obnoxious cnut is glorious.

8/10
 
You must log in or register to reply here.