What's the Latest Thing You Saw at the Cinema?

Am tempted to go and see it, given all the positive write-up,s but I also read it's emotionally moving in a depressing way which to be honest puts me off a bit. How did you find that aspect of the film, Mr Underhill? 

The second hobbit film which is excellent

+1 for 12 Years A Slave. Maybe one of the best film's I've ever seen. It's that good.

MDS,

It is emotionally taxing, but that is what I valued. I genuinely think this is a film that everyone should see.

M

Thanks Mr U.  As I suspected. I have the same mixed feelings about Schindler's List - a great film but at the same time quite depressing in places. Will probably give 12 years a slave a go though. 

The Wolf Of Wall Street

I liked it a lot. Yes it is three hours long but it didn't seem over long. It is based on a true story and apparently follows the story fairly closely. It also doesn't take itself too seriously. Average rating of 8.6 on IMDB so it seems that others liked it as well.

Saw Wolf last night....

The 3 hours running time flew by.

Yes, the odd set piece based around the effects of drugs were a bit drawn out and rather slapstick and Margot Robbie's New Jersey accent was a bit OTT (she's from Ostraya) but overall it's an enjoyable journey.

4/5.

Last night Blue Jasmine. Top performance from Cate Blanchett and geat support from Sally Hawkins.

Tonight a double header - Inside LLewyn Davis  (Coen) and The Only Lovers Left Alive (Jarmusch)

Saw this over the weekend with a 14-year-old and a 16-year-old. I thought it was very good - if a bit too long - with a fantastic female lead. Better than the first one (which I also enjoyed).

Actually turned out to be pretty decent. 

Captain America: The Winters Soldier

I thought this was a good film.

I do find a few of the choices they made poor, but I won't discuss them here, spoilers.

Some excellent set pieces, and I just like the Cap character, a man out of time.

If you like the Marvel Universe I can't imagine that you won't enjoy this.

M

Agree M, good film.

Mr Redford still has it, can't remember the last time I seen him on the big screen though, Sneekers I think.

Could have been 30 min. shorter though, some bits dragged. 

Grand Budapest Hotel-Quite amusing.

Thursday 24th April , we saw the "Vikings Live" from British Museum, interesting programme spoilt by some awful loud noises and a little picture breakup. Free film vouchers were handed out, a few had left.

This is the second one following on from Pompeii Live last year.

It gives a very good feeling for the show and whether you want to make the effort of actually visiting BM for the full exhibition.

Saw that with the kids. OK in its genre. But the whole superhero thing is becoming a bit stale for me. Redford was good. I know some people that worked with him a few years back and had only the nicest things to say. A gentleman, by their account.

Hi Winky,

I thought they made some interesting and perhaps even brave choices in this film.

'Stale': I saw the new spidey film the other week and was totally underwhelmed. This was good in its class. I suspect that I will always enjoy these type of films IF they are interesting and well made.

<spoiler>

This film did have one aspect that grated for me, I hate it when normal people start to somehow have superhero facets, such as a leap from a collapsing building into a flying helicopter.

</spoiler>

M

Godzilla

What a pleasant surprise. I have to say the Godzilla has never really doe anything for me, and the Mathew Broderick version was appalling. This film is well paced, in that they take time to deliver the big G.. The humans are very much bit players, and so you could claim they are wasted, but my feeling is that they intruded as much as was required to put some plot structure around an excuse to destroy a city or two.

No thinking should be bought to this film, and if you take it at that level I think you'll have a good time.

M

Capt America Winter Soldier: top marks

Captain America...shit!

What utter dross. Honestly, I am a SciFi fan but the relentless regurgitation of the genre is making even me sick. 

The Marvel Superhero fad is nothing more than Eurovision Song Contest on cinematic steroids. The writing is poor, the characterisation is bland and one dimensional in an American Oprah Winfrey way, too much fake emotional baggage, and the cinematography is now the bog standard norm, and therefore predictable.

In summary: predictably boring and culturally irrelevant.

Jason.

p.s this goes for all the Superhero crap being spat out, (since the Batman films over 10 years ago) same script, same characterisation, same bullshit emotional farce.

The BFI/NFT in London is showing a beautifully-restored print of An Autumn Afternoon, the last film (1962) by the great Japanese master Yasujirō Ozu.

Hadn't seen it before, so off we went to watch it. I was deeply impressed - it was typical Ozu: a quiet, understated, rather elliptical and melancholic family drama possessed of a modest visual beauty and those signature compositions and camera angles. A keeper on DVD or Blu-ray methinks, and highly recommended for anyone seeking a breather from infantile movies about superheroes and elves.

"3. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) (of speech, literary style, etc)

Definitely a). But not obscure.

Ozu was also famous for his use of ellipsis as a narrative device. You get the picture...

Jason,

You should let your feelings out, if you bottle them up like this you'll do yourself a harm.

I have to say that in large part I do agree with you, although I thought 'Winter's Soldier' did make some interesting choices in a post-Snowden world.

I was watching Elmer Gantry the other evening and wondered what happened to this type of cinema, and of course much migrated onto TV.

The big US studios are using big money to put a big image on the big screen - and hopefully make big returns. I do enjoy a range of cinema and TV but will happily go and watch the spectacle with my family, god-children and friends - it doesn't destroy the grey matter. I would agree that too much stodge will clog the thinking arteries.

M

Saw the latest Xmen sequel to the prequel film last night in a Dolby Atmos equipped cinema in Leeds. The film wasn't bad but the sound was a huge step up compared to 'standard' cinema surround sound I've been used to. Obviously soundstaging was better as you'd expect with multiple speakers in the ceiling, front and sides. However, it was the top and bottom end control which was the biggest improvement, yet it seemed to retain plenty of sub-bass slam and extension.

Highly recommended if you have one of these cinema setups near you. 

Hi Felty99,

I'll make a point of getting along to one.

I thought the new X-Men film was very good, and reversed the franchise out of the cul-de-sac that Ratner had steered it into - excellent cast.

M