Rate the last movie you've seen

[Mike70]

I want to see it and I think it'll be a film in my taste. But I saw the "german mocking"-thing over the radio and thought - why the hell would they do that? What good could it possibly do the germans and I doubt the german seamen would feel the need to mock their foe like that. Unless it's to get the americans to abandon their ships? I haven't seen the film, but maybe that would make sense... No spoilers - I'm not sure what they were going for other than psych warfare. "We have you surrounded. Prepare to die, Mwhahahaha!" Considering the thin margin of error that a sub has against a destroyer, I wouldn't be talking trash.

[bassman]

The Comedy Store Showtime’s lengthy five-part documentary on the history of the famous Comedy Store club in California. Pretty much any comedian that you’ve ever enjoyed has a history with this place. It’s comedian Mecca. Interviews and clips with all the greats, going into great detail with behind the scenes footage. There’s even a section on Michael Keaton’s origins as a stand up, something most people seem to have forgotten. Highly enjoyable, I can’t recommend it enough!

[MinionZombie]

The Hunt I think this movie got kinda slagged off when it first came out, seemingly because it dared to cast self-important, identity-obsessed far-lefties as the murderous villains of the piece. However, if you actually watch the movie rather than read a couple of Tweets about it, many of the hunted aren't looked upon too kindly, either. It's a film that despises the political extremes and takes them to a logical (albeit extreme) conclusion. It breezed along quite nicely and kept me on my toes in the first act quite effectively. Had some quite biting satirical lines of dialogue throughout, too. I really quite enjoyed it. Definitely worth watching. Jo Jo Rabbit Really enjoyed this quirky comedy drama set during WW2. Really well observed and subtly informative, as well as surprisingly dark at times... BIG SPOILER:   That bit when Jo Jo follows the blue butterfly, and then he stands up, the camera follows with him, and he's standing right next to a very familiar pair of shoes? Dude...! It's a tightrope act threading the needle of comedy through the context of WW2 and the absurdities of the things Jo Jo has been indoctrinated to believe, but Waititi does a pretty darn good job and balancing the tone. The trailer definitely leans to selling it more as a dark comedy, but I was glad in a way, because the darker moments came as much more of a surprise. The Comedy Store Showtime’s lengthy five-part documentary on the history of the famous Comedy Store club in California. Pretty much any comedian that you’ve ever enjoyed has a history with this place. It’s comedian Mecca. Interviews and clips with all the greats, going into great detail with behind the scenes footage. There’s even a section on Michael Keaton’s origins as a stand up, something most people seem to have forgotten. Highly enjoyable, I can’t recommend it enough! Glad that it's good! The first episode airs here in the UK tonight on Sky Documentaries. Looking forward to it.

[EvilNed]

No spoilers - I'm not sure what they were going for other than psych warfare. "We have you surrounded. Prepare to die, Mwhahahaha!" Considering the thin margin of error that a sub has against a destroyer, I wouldn't be talking trash. That's just dumb..

[Neil]

Mortal Engines - Finally got around to watching this. What a generally vapid affair! Just felt like a rather wasted opportunity. The acting and production just feels half arsed at times, and the script feels rushed and just box ticking - 5.5/10 I'll stick to Snowpiercer for a distopian fix of this ilk...

[MinionZombie]

Annihilation A second spin, this time on Blu-Ray, for this sci-fi/horror/drama. Dug it the first time, and still digging it. I've got a soft spot for stories about some curious 'zone' on Earth (or elsewhere) that defies logic and is full of mystery. "Roadside Picnic", for instance, or the film "STALKER" (or indeed the STALKER videogames), or tangentially "The Snail on the Slope". Even though I'd already seen it, there were still a few bits that made me jump or squirm in my seat. Visually sumptuous and aurally chilling, it's a real shame this didn't get a wider release in cinemas (remember those?!) or get more attention upon its release. Well worth checking out if you haven't already. Miss Sloane Political drama starring Jessica Chastain, who plays a lobbyist who has strong convictions about increased gun regulations. She joins a campaign to push those through, but her cold-hearted and egotistical desire to win above all else ends up putting the campaign, and even some lives, in danger. Chastain gets to sink her teeth into some juicy dialogue as the two sides of the debate go at it from time-to-time, particularly in the climax. It's certainly a very good part for Chastain, who has done well to pick so many projects with great roles for her to play over the years. I remembered reading about it in Total Film a few years ago and I happened across it on Film4 a few weeks ago, but just got around to watching it on the DVR. Conquest Lucio Fulci's 1983 'barbarian' type of film is a hot mess of barely comprehensible story telling and relentlessly diffused lighting (sometimes the visuals are so murky it's like somebody smeared a handful of lard over the lens). There's a handsome young man from a superior society who heads out into the wilds with a magic bow to ... I dunno ... become more of a man? Bring peace to the wild folks? Get some cool stories for dinner parties when he gets back home? I couldn't quite tell. Then there's a big muscly dude who he teams up with as they all end up getting hunted by these wolf men type things and various underlings of some mystical lady who wears a spiked metal bikini bottom, a gold mask over her head, and nothing else. There's all sorts of nonsense tossed about, although some of it is enjoyable - such as a sequence featuring an attack by a load of swamp zombies. Had it not been for the naked gold head lady, and some moments of icky gore, this could have been a family-rated adventure romp, although then it would have been even more boring. I was on the cusp of giving up on this one a lot, and watched it in several chunks before finally completing it. For Fulci completists only. Seen on Amazon Prime. The Warrior & The Sorceress David Carradine stars in this sword & sandals/barbarian style take on Yojimbo, in a film that was made with some kid's stolen pocket money by the looks of it. It's cheap and nasty, but the ripped-off Yojimbo/Fistful of Dollars plot at least gives the ropey filmmaking something to cling on to as Carradine, with his bared spindly legs flashing about, plays off two rival clans over the ownership of a well in the centre of a town (or a cheap, evidently repeatedly redressed and reused movie set from other cheapo productions). The titular Sorceress barely wears a stitch of clothing for T&A reasons, so you at least get a bit of exploitation movie silliness there, speaking of which, there's a dinner scene with an exotic dancer - who was four boobs. The film has a brief running time and certainly falls into the 'so bad it's kinda good' category. I saw it on Amazon Prime.

[Neil]

"an exotic danger"? If only to prove I do read your reviews Conquest sounds appalling!!

[MinionZombie]

"an exotic danger"? If only to prove I do read your reviews Conquest sounds appalling!! Naturally, I meant "dancer" ... Yeah. Conquest was pretty crap. A few moments here or there, but I barely had a shred of an idea what was going on or why it was going on most of the time. It really was a total hodge podge. Odd, really, as this was only 1983 and Fulci had just had a great run with Zombie Flesh Eaters, Contraband, the Gates of Hell trilogy, and New York Ripper ... and then he comes along with this mess? Maybe zapped of his creative juices ... plus a duff script.

[MinionZombie]

Silk This 1986 cheapo action movie, starring Cec Verrell (Hell Comes To Frogtown), is supposedly set in Honoloulou - but from the very first scene, anyone familiar with exploitation cinema, will immediately notice that the film is in fact shot in the Philippines - something which becomes clearer and clearer as so many supporting and extra roles are played by East Asian actors. It's pretty damn hard to spot any real actors from Hawaii, really. Anyway, the plot has something to do with a human trafficking ring using the names and social security numbers of dead Americans, and then there's something about drugs and some old British guy thrown into the mix as well, but I could hardly follow the plot at all as it didn't make much sense and was generally quite boring. Where the film did work, though, was the action sequences. They're not amazing, but they inject some oomph into the film, and Cec Verrell does a fair number of her own stunts and does a good job of kicking ass and taking names. She's the only reason to watch the movie, really, even if the saucy version of the cover art is a total lie. There's a sequel, with the part re-cast with Monique Gabrielle, which actually has a higher rating on IMDb, so I'd be interested in checking that one out. This movie, though? Only hardcore fans of low budget exploitation movies should bother, and even then you'll probably come away disappointed.

[paranoid101]

Anna and the Apocalypse:- I genuinely enjoyed this, songs were catchy, its well acted and was fun 7/10 Shed of the Dead:- Totally rubbish, trying to copy Shaun of the Dead feeling and completely failed, unfunny garbage 0/10

[Mike70]

The Warrior & The Sorceress David Carradine stars in this sword & sandals/barbarian style take on Yojimbo, in a film that was made with some kid's stolen pocket money by the looks of it. It's cheap and nasty, but the ripped-off Yojimbo/Fistful of Dollars plot at least gives the ropey filmmaking something to cling on to as Carradine, with his bared spindly legs flashing about, plays off two rival clans over the ownership of a well in the centre of a town (or a cheap, evidently repeatedly redressed and reused movie set from other cheapo productions). The titular Sorceress barely wears a stitch of clothing for T&A reasons, so you at least get a bit of exploitation movie silliness there, speaking of which, there's a dinner scene with an exotic dancer - who was four boobs. The film has a brief running time and certainly falls into the 'so bad it's kinda good' category. I saw it on Amazon Prime. I watched this while I was recovering. It's one of those Italian "Merchants and Purveyors of Fine Trash, 1st Class" films. It's one of about 10 or 12 films that came out in the early 80s in the wake of Conan. Some, like Beastmaster and Sword and the Sorcerer are kinda entertaining. Others, like this flick, are sheer trash. This film is still better than most in the D-level Sword and Sorcery genre. Lots of flesh and a plot as flimsy as the clothing on most of the females.

[Neil]

The Warrior & The Sorceress David Carradine stars in this sword & sandals/barbarian style take on Yojimbo, in a film that was made with some kid's stolen pocket money by the looks of it. It's cheap and nasty, but the ripped-off Yojimbo/Fistful of Dollars plot at least gives the ropey filmmaking something to cling on to as Carradine, with his bared spindly legs flashing about, plays off two rival clans over the ownership of a well in the centre of a town (or a cheap, evidently repeatedly redressed and reused movie set from other cheapo productions). The titular Sorceress barely wears a stitch of clothing for T&A reasons, so you at least get a bit of exploitation movie silliness there, speaking of which, there's a dinner scene with an exotic dancer - who was four boobs. The film has a brief running time and certainly falls into the 'so bad it's kinda good' category. I saw it on Amazon Prime. Wow! Was Carradine really this ripped?

[MinionZombie]

I watched this while I was recovering. It's one of those Italian "Merchants and Purveyors of Fine Trash, 1st Class" films. It's one of about 10 or 12 films that came out in the early 80s in the wake of Conan. Some, like Beastmaster and Sword and the Sorcerer are kinda entertaining. Others, like this flick, are sheer trash. This film is still better than most in the D-level Sword and Sorcery genre. Lots of flesh and a plot as flimsy as the clothing on most of the females. I tried to watch The Sisterhood, but what I saw of it was boring, so I gave up on that. Then there was one with Sybil Danning in it, although what I saw of the early part was so dull I just gave up on that one, too. I've seen the first two Deathstalker movies, which I enjoyed ... although watching Deathstalker II is kinda like watching the first movie again 'cos of all the re-used footage. - - - Updated - - - Wow! Was Carradine really this ripped? Absolutely not! He was always a pretty lean dude, so it was curious to have his slightly spindly legs on-show in the movie. The big muscly guy in Conquest, yeah, that makes sense - he was totally jacked - but yeah, Carradine is an unusual choice for this type of movie. It could work, but they generally use him as if he was some muscle mountain, rather than tailor the role and the scenes to suit his actual physicality.

[Mike70]

I tried to watch The Sisterhood, but what I saw of it was boring, so I gave up on that. Then there was one with Sybil Danning in it, although what I saw of the early part was so dull I just gave up on that one, too. You didn't miss anything. Even the nudity in The Sisterhood is boring. That flick with Sybil Danning? I did the same thing you did. I think I made it about 20-25 mins in. It's a complete and total turkey.

[Neil]

The Warrior & The Sorceress David Carradine stars in this sword & sandals/barbarian style take on Yojimbo, in a film that was made with some kid's stolen pocket money by the looks of it. It's cheap and nasty, but the ripped-off Yojimbo/Fistful of Dollars plot at least gives the ropey filmmaking something to cling on to as Carradine, with his bared spindly legs flashing about, plays off two rival clans over the ownership of a well in the centre of a town (or a cheap, evidently repeatedly redressed and reused movie set from other cheapo productions). The titular Sorceress barely wears a stitch of clothing for T&A reasons, so you at least get a bit of exploitation movie silliness there, speaking of which, there's a dinner scene with an exotic dancer - who was four boobs. The film has a brief running time and certainly falls into the 'so bad it's kinda good' category. I saw it on Amazon Prime. OMG! That was bad! Never did work out why she couldn't find a top to put on!