What's the Latest Thing You've Seen at the Cinema II

Spectre - I'm was never a huge fan, but this is without doubt the worst Bond film ever made in my opinion. I thought it was dull, predictable, almost totally lacked a plot.....I should have gone to the pub instead. 

Spectre

Not sure what happened above ....and I can't edit or delete it!

To continue: Chris, ........worse than Moonraker????

Spectre

Formulaic, Bond-by-Numbers. Grim dialogue lacking any snap. The best bits are Q and M, and Christoph walz is of course a joy-but with nothing original to do. Some decent effects but rather tired as a whole. The 'romance' was just daft and unconvincing.

Worth it maybe for the opening sequence, especially the long single shot through the streets accompanied by a great background carnival soundtrack.

Go see The Martian. Good ordinary fun.

Bruce

Spectre

Wasn't a big fan of Skyfall and this 2nd Bond film by Sam Mendes just convinces me that these types of film aren't his strength. I still wince at whoever cast the Bond girl he goes off with at the end. Sorry but she looked young enough to be his daughter and it just looked wrong!

Agree on the opening sequence but the rest of the film didn't live up to it and i admit i nodded off for a few minutes at one point.

Looking forward to Spielberg's 'Bridge Of Spies' that was trailered before the film though. Starring Tom Hanks, i'm expecting that to be very decent film. 

Oh, and Star Wars! 

Worse than The Man with the Golden Gun... worse than Live and Let Die... worse than Die Another Day even??

Sounds like watching Sean Connery in Dr. No is a better use of time.

Or just taking a nap. ;-)

Sorry Eloise,

Can't agree about 'Live and Let Die', first Bond I saw at the cinema and one I can still enjoy.

M

Probably, yes! It was just more of the same old formula. I don't think Craig is to blame, he just needs something better to work on.

That was The Living Daylights for me... Bond helping the Afghan cause. If you look closely, you can spot a dude with bow and arrow shooting down helicopters in the background...

EJ

I also saw spectre and wasn't impressed either......., not that it didn't entertain me at all, but far from what I hoped to see.....

You guys are too hard on SPECTRE, its a Bond film ffs.     The best"  Bonds are just as ridiculous as the worst Bonds.

but it wasn't even particularly ridiculous.. yes eye candy cinema but quite forgetful - with the possible exception of the opening which to my mind didn't really fit in anyway..

Spectre.

I enjoyed it - don't get to the theatre much anymore so that and dinner with my wife and son before the film was part of the positive experience. I don't expect much from a Bond film other than predictive 007, a grandiose opening, thrilling stunts, well-done special effects, decent cinematography, and a couple of smug one-liners, so there was no disappointment with this latest formulaic venture. It was among the best Bond opening scenes. Christoph Waltz' personality, familiar from his Tarantino roles, played surprisingly well as the villain. I agree that the Bond girl was just that; a girl that could have better played his daughter. The Italian widow was more intriguing, but I'm getting old. I find Craig's portrayal of Bond over his four films has introduced the notion of the lonely, personally unfulfilling life of a seemingly glamorous 00-agent, and Spectre emphasized that premise. Knowing that Craig is done, the film's ending leaves the feeling that so is Bond, but this is a valuable franchise and rumors are rampant the next Bond will be a black man.

Bridge of Spies, more compelling than Spectre and Mark Rylance typically excellent, even if most of his lines were "would it help?"

Last night I went to the pictures to see a film of a kind that nobody makes any more - the new 4K restoration of David Lean's 1965 epic Doctor Zhivago. It was a critical flop (with Pauline Kael and Bosley Crowther leading the charge) at the time: films like this were beginning to fall from fashion by 1965.

And indeed, a film so beautiful, with two such gorgeous leads, and a lush, romantic score might at first seem facile, particularly when it is set in bloody and tumultuous times. Still, the public liked it - it was the second-highest grossing picture of the 1960s after The Sound Of Music; and, when adjusted for inflation, the eighth biggest box-office gross of all time.

A flawed movie certainly (like a lot of Lean's films, it has a hole at its centre), and one that doesn't do Pasternak's superlative novel justice (it's a tad too romantic, even if the romance doesn't end well), but a truly sumptuous visual experience enlivened by Freddie Young's stunning cinematography and brilliant performances by Tom Courtney and Rod Steiger, ably backed by Ralph Richardson, Alec Guinness and Geraldine Chaplin.

And, of course, it has the transcendantly beautiful Julie Christie (sigh) in it.

Kevin-W posted:

 

Last night I went to the pictures to see a film of a kind that nobody makes any more - the new 4K restoration of David Lean's 1965 epic Doctor Zhivago. It was a critical flop (with Pauline Kael and Bosley Crowther leading the charge) at the time: films like this were beginning to fall from fashion by 1965.

And indeed, a film so beautiful, with two such gorgeous leads, and a lush, romantic score might at first seem facile, particularly when it is set in bloody and tumultuous times. Still, the public liked it - it was the second-highest grossing picture of the 1960s after The Sound Of Music; and, when adjusted for inflation, the eighth biggest box-office gross of all time.

A flawed movie certainly (like a lot of Lean's films, it has a hole at its centre), and one that doesn't do Pasternak's superlative novel justice (it's a tad too romantic, even if the romance doesn't end well), but a truly sumptuous visual experience enlivened by Freddie Young's stunning cinematography and brilliant performances by Tom Courtney and Rod Steiger, ably backed by Ralph Richardson, Alec Guinness and Geraldine Chaplin.

And, of course, it has the transcendantly beautiful Julie Christie (sigh) in it.

 

Have always enjoyed that film. And I agree about JuIie C.  Didn't know it has been restored.  

MDS posted:

Have always enjoyed that film. And I agree about JuIie C.  Didn't know it has been restored.  

I'd only seen it on TV, so watching it in 70mm was an experience. The restoration is very fine (almost too good - the snow sometimes looks fake ).

There's a BFI 2015 trailer here, which is worth a look even if it's marred by inappropriate music:

Kevin-W posted:

MDS posted:

Have always enjoyed that film. And I agree about JuIie C.  Didn't know it has been restored.  

I'd only seen it on TV, so watching it in 70mm was an experience. The restoration is very fine (almost too good - the snow sometimes looks fake ).

There's a BFI 2015 trailer here, which is worth a look even if it's marred by inappropriate music:

 

Thanks, Kevin. A good appetite whetter.

Mike 

The Good Dinosaur

Pixar's latest is a pretty bad film. Pretty visuals - the  environments are often amazing - are wasted on a largely empty world, the story is contrived, tonally inconsistent, and lacks resonance, and the characters are flat. Worst, I wasn't prepared for the occasionally gratuitous violence and had I known, I wouldn't have taken the kids.

EJ

Bridge of Spies

Well-made cold war film, filled with a dry humor that is similar to The Martian's tone. Another good one from Hanks, but scene stealer is Mark Rylance as Soviet spy and the most sympathetic character of the movie. Poignant ending stayed with me for days afterwards.

EJ

Just saw the new Star Wars.

Quite good. Not as good as "Dougal and the Blue Cat" (duh, obviously), but entertaining nevertheless.

Difficult to say more without spoilers, but very entertaining, and back to the original recipe, with well balanced humour etc. And better acting.

Wow you beat the 00:01 screenings happening now across the UK.

One review said it felt a little bit camp in the humour also?

Looking forward to Hateful 8 in 70mm, which might be a London visit to be fair.

I have no idea why Star Wars went on general release in France (and maybe elsewhere) on the same day that it had its "European" Premiere in London with cast'n'all. I don't even think I went to the first screening (although it was the first in "VO" - version original, or in English). (Quite why the French remain obsessed with dubbed films is beyond me). It was full, but a normally priced screening for which I bought the ticket on Sunday. No-one in fancy dress, or anything like that. The opening logo, end, and first appearances of Han and Chewie got a round of applause, but apart from that...

Anyway, it's very good.

Quite a lot of humour, but it worked for me (actually funny). It is, after all, a film aimed at youngsters. It's very much like the original in many ways.

And the trailer for Hateful 8 was also very enticing. ("Les 8 Salopards" - even better title in French).

rodwsmith posted:

I have no idea why Star Wars went on general release in France (and maybe elsewhere) on the same day that it had its "European" Premiere in London with cast'n'all. I don't even think I went to the first screening (although it was the first in "VO" - version original, or in English). (Quite why the French remain obsessed with dubbed films is beyond me). It was full, but a normally priced screening for which I bought the ticket on Sunday. No-one in fancy dress, or anything like that. The opening logo, end, and first appearances of Han and Chewie got a round of applause, but apart from that...

Anyway, it's very good.

Quite a lot of humour, but it worked for me (actually funny). It is, after all, a film aimed at youngsters. It's very much like the original in many ways.

And the trailer for Hateful 8 was also very enticing. ("Les 8 Salopards" - even better title in French).

 

Got my tickets for Star Wars booked for the 27th. Looking forward to it.

Interesting you mention Hateful 8.  I read a review on that today which was very positive. Being a fan of Tarantino movies I'll have to get that soon too.

Mike 

My Star Wars tickets booked for the 23rd - 7 of us going.

Hateful 8: I am not a Tarintino fan, but this IS one I will go and see, sounds like an Agatha Christie wrapped in Western clothing and soaked in blood.

M