What DVD have you just watched?

Yes, I did rather.

A long time since I had last seen this, what a great, but brutal, film.

EJ

I just saw some stuff featuring the young actress (when not acting). She struck me as an annoying and pretentious little sniveler. (But then again, almost all children of people I don't know strike me that way). But it put me right off the film. Is it any good?

Winky,

I always try not to learn in advance anything about a film I am planning to watch or a book which I am going to read. I leave that stuff for later and in the meantime I go through the process with a less muddled brain.

The film is definitely worth watching. Let me know what you think of it.

My film for last night - (on holocaust memorial day)

A film to be watched for historical account and interest, it’s bitter-sweet, horrifically real, so much sadness and madness.

Polanski did a good job making sure this excellent film [like Schindlers List] is not a film to be comfortably enjoyed.

Debs

I'm a bit late to this but I'm just working my way through S1 of 'Homeland' fantastic viewing, quite a laid back pace which is quite refreshing for a US drama, just ordered S2 so that I can carry straight on once S1 is finished.

Layer Cake, a good crime drama with great performances from the big cast. I was expecting something similar to lock, stock... but this film is more story driven, the plot is actually quite good, and humor is much subtler if just as black. The multiple endings on the disc are great watching, too. For once, they all work (I prefer the one that's made it into the picture).

Cheers,

EJ

Not recommended.

Haim,

What are your objections?

M

Haim, I would be interested in your arguments as well. The film is generally regarded as a good film, although personally I think it's tough to sit through with nobody to root for, and some cruel scenes, and the silly French informant network plot device. (A similar plot device as the equally silly republican lobbyists in Lincoln).

Cheers,

EJ

The assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford is an intriguing character piece about the final months of the James gang. Slow, expansive, well plotted, great cinematography and two superb performances from Casey Affleck as Bob Ford and Brad Pitt as Jesse James. 

Cheers,

EJ

There was nothing that I liked in this film, probably getting irked more than the average viewer simply because I am an Israeli familiar with the topic, identifying too many fake and unbelievable scenes.

Few points:

The casting of the main character who looked with his dreamy eyes like he couldn't hurt even a puppy was bad. He seemed to be so much more at home preparing gourmet meals than leading a team of killers.

A Mossad agent chosen to lead such a secretive mission would have never been introduced beforehand to any PM or army general. For what purpose? It defies any sense or reason. I also cannot imagine these agents congratulating each other after a killing with a 'Mazal Tov' like they have been attending a Bar Mitzvah.. Really!

We were not shown any tedious reconnaissance work nor planing that such an operation requires. Instead the film provides us with this miraculous source that we meet at different cafes who pulls out of his sleeve the whereabout of any wanted terrorist. Viola, so nice and easy. The only thing left for us to figure out is what appliance is going to be booby trapped to take out the next target.

The most grotesque scene was our puppy eyes guy making love to his wife and being overtaken by the brutal images of Munich. Why? He was never there, experiencing nothing of that massacre. Perhaps it would have been more believable (that is if we really wanted to interrupt his love life) if he would have been bothered by images of the killings he was personally involved with.

These are too many words for such a negligible film. I guess that the only way to enjoy such a shallow Hollywood saga is not to know much about the subject and not to overuse our brains while watching it.

Sanctum, about cave divers being trapped by a cave flooding. Looks quite realistic but acting is flat and uninteresting. Plot wise, the film follows disaster film genre conventions. 4/10.

EJ

What was my take on the film? Bit of a curates' egg. There were bits that engaged me, and others that were simply 'meh'.

This is an area where Le Carre is just so good. If we are going to have a fictional account, and I do look on this as fiction, then Le Carre is brilliant at portraying the sheer hard work and effort that goes into something like this, before any wet work can occur.

The one scene that stands out in my mind was the killing of the female assassin. While I have no sympathy or empathy for someone that uses such 'skills' the effect of such an act on those gaining their revenge is interesting, and this was just so cold; as were all the murders.

I suspect that this might have been what Speilberg was trying to examine, but I do believe this was the wrong vehicle.

I do not find it an easy watch. 

M

Nicholas and Alexander.

This proved better than I had hoped. It is a beautifully made film, and has a large cast of fine British actors from the beginning of the 1970s. 

The narrative unfolds at a steady pace, but did not flag for me, and many points are made clear about the slide until chaos and revolution in Russia.

I don't know what the critical response was to this, but I found it entertaining and informative, particularly about the knock on effects of Tzar Nicholas's decisions, which from this period of historical perspective seem to take on a degree of lack of any connection to the struggles of the Russian people to survive. It is more than interesting to speculate whether there would have been the start of the Great War in August 1914 had not the Tzar called for a General Mobilisation. In response the German Kaiser seized the chance to declare War on Russia ...

I bought this for £3 in HMV, having been looking for it on DVD for years. I watched it last evening. Certainly worth watching again, in my view.

ATB from George

Two Spielberg films in one week, a clear overdose. Recommended only to horse lovers and admirers of John Williams music.

A agree Haim, I thought it was dreadful (although I wasn't a fan of the book or play either).

I have friends who saw the play in the UK and did not like it either though it received rave reviews in Chicago. Well, at least I didn't have to go anywhere to watch this masterpiece and was able to take a couple of breaks in the middle to ease the pain.

To add some variation:

I loved the stage play, and disliked the film, far too much saccharine for my taste.

M

Continuum

Watched this series over the weekend and, on the whole, enjoyed it. It is far from flawless though.

The setup:

A terrorist group are fighting against what is being revealed as a dystopian future. The terrorists themselves are far from freedom fighters, and prepared to kill tens of thousands to achieve their ends.

Having been caught and sentenced to death they escape into the past, 2012, together with a nearby police officer, who attempts to stop them.

The Good:

Not a simple case of good and bad, and the complexities are revealed more and more over time.

Time: frequently mishandled in other series. Here the paradoxes are mentioned, and if not addressed are acknowledged.

The Bad:

The central partnership is between the future cop and one from today. This man is not written as stupid, but what he is prepared to accept must put him high up on the density scale!

Police procedure is done so well on so many series, here it is poor, and the show suffers for it.

A super suit which allows the main protagonist to escape the inescapable in a single bound. Fortunately this is out of commission for most the episodes.

Over all, worth a watch, and I am glad they have secured a second season, just hope they tighten a few things up.

M

There are two ways to appreciate The Chase: as one of the early 90s great underrated comedies, or a pretty bad action movie in which nothing much happens. I'm with the minority and think this is pure brilliance on the so bad it's good scale. The actors clearly enjoyed themselves making this, and there is some truly inspired casting (in supporting roles, there are Henry Rollins as police officer and two of the Chili Peppers as redneck patriots). Charlie Sheen is himself - he may have been sober during some of the filming, but you'd never guess it from this performance.

The fact that this is not for everybody has unfortunately meant it never received a decent transfer to DVD let alone BR. I have two DVD editions. The first is in letterbox format (!), the second is in 16x9, but region 0 NTSC with visible artifacting and no subtitles. Press 'menu' and you get a grey screen...

A big shame - if ever there is a community funding project to give this film a new lease of life in full HD, I'll sponsor.

Cheers,

EJ 

EJS,

I have put this on my LoveFilm list.

Says it will be sent when released on ..........unknown.

M