Rate the last movie you've seen

[shootemindehead]

Yeh, he pukes his guts after shooting the first guy. I also like how his weapon is a dainty sparkly show piece and not something stupid like a desert eagle or a magnum 44. It certainly adds to the sense of realism. His character is, after all, an architect, unused to such things. It's funny to think, though, that the film was unavailable for years in the UK and Ireland.

[MinionZombie]

It's funny to think, though, that the film was unavailable for years in the UK and Ireland. Back in the old, ever-so-touchy days of UK film classification, heh... Charles Bronson absolutely owns the film, as well. He played all the angles on it well ... and another thing I dug about the film:   When he lures that mugger away to an industrial spot and stands up to him like a stand off - he doesn't manage to shoot him because he passes out before he gets a chance - and that's the climax of the film. In many ways the film is the antithesis of it's own self. It indulges in revenge fantasy and vigilante justice, but it also subverts the bravado of the type of film it's positioning itself beside (such as the likes of Dirty Harry). You know, the more I think about it, I'm appreciating it more and more.

[shootemindehead]

Yeh Mini, that's kind of where I was at with 'Death Wish'. It's got an awful lot more going on than first meets the eye. Mind you I first saw it on BBC in the 80's, or ITV, who knows. But, it was one of those films that had an impact on me, if you know what I mean. I think 'Death Wish' is a victim of its franchise, to be honest, as a lot of good 70's films are, mired by terrible sequels of woefully diminishing returns during the 80's. I consider it one of those "special" films from the 70's. Kinda like 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three'. Re: UK film classification, which we in Ireland used to follow blindly, that period used to drive a genre fan like me nuts. Nowadays, it's great. Anything I can't actually buy, I can...ahem...acquire by other means. There's pretty much nothing that I can't see in some form or another. Although I'd really like a good copy of 'The Shadow of Chikara'. But that's a whole other story. Anyway, check out 'Death Wish II', you might be pleasantly surprised. A lot of people hated it, but I remember it being, a least, an ok sequel to the original.

[MinionZombie]

Watched Death Wish II last night. I'll give it a 6.5/10. Seemed to me that the version they showed on ITV4 was cut though, as there were some pretty sloppy edits at certain points, or curious framing (maybe a case of "re-framing") ... so it might have been an old copy from the archives rather than an uncut copy, which is strange. I see the 2006 re-release was trimmed by 27s by the BBFC, but it was uncut (by the BBFC at least) in 2011 ... so I'm thinking ITV might have shown the 2006 re-release, perhaps. I could be wrong, but the film did seem somewhat censored to me - edits and framing. Anyway, overall it was decent, but man - don't be related to that guy, or even employed by him ... you're gonna have a bad time! There was a little bit of the 'smart stuff' thrown in there early on with talk about the death penalty in a civil society, but that was quickly cast aside for the most part as it came down to Charles Bronson kicking ass and taking names. There was noticeably a lot more gratuitous nudity flung into the picture throughout during violent scenes, which is a bit weird, but a product of its time. Strange too that in the story only 2 years have passed, but in reality it was 7 or 8 years between films. Some moments are practically comedic in how they play out:   His daughter's death (which was pretty darn harsh on her character!) - her jumping through a window and being impaled on a fence spike is so out of the blue I actually exclaimed WTF?! The first goon (with the weird blonde hair): that OTT body spasm he does when he gets a second bullet made me laugh. I'm interested in seeing the other movies, if only to see just how shitty Paul Kersey's luck is! But wow - the fifth movie was 1994, twenty years after the first movie in which Bronson was already no spring chicken, blimey! So, Death Wish II - a decent revenge flick, but definitely inferior to the first.

[MoonSylver]

III is so over the top 80's action-y that it's hilarious. I love that move, but for TOTALLY different reasons than one & two. I found it interesting by the time of III he's basically turned "professional vigilante" in his spare time...essentially he's Batman or The Punisher now, moving from city to city, plugging bad guys & moving on. He's taken his act in II, polished it, & taken it on the road... Avoid VI & V. They're just sad IMO. Very tired. Not even benefiting from III's big, ballsy, OTT blustery charm. Worth noting is that the book that the movie is based on was written by Brian Garfield, who is primarily a WESTERN novelist & film historian. No coincidence that the .32 revolver Paul is given on his trip out west is an old cowboy piece that used to belong to a gunfighter (Candy Dan). Nor is it a coincidence his line in the last showdown "Fill your hand" ("What?!?") "Draw". Keeping the authors pedigree & mindset in mind yields interesting insight into what he's saying about vigilantism, law, lawlessness, justice, & so on. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Garfield https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Wish_(novel) Also of note, he ACTUALLY wrote a sequel to "Death Wish" titled "Death Sentence", from which DWII borrowed a number of elements... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Sentence_(novel) ...and was turned into a flick with no relation staring Kevin Bacon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_...ce_(2007_film) Now, all that said, "Death Wish" is a very serious & intelligent movie, & tackles the subject matter thoughtfully, from all angles in complex ways without flinching, & isn't a simple "revenge" movie (or action film as the latter entries would evolve into). It's also a fascinating study of the times it was made in, & actually stirred up quite a bit of debate & furor at the time, spurring a reaction not unlike "The Exorcist" on it's release (though for obviously different reasons)...interesting they were only released a year apart too (73 & 74). Death Wish class dismissed. (If you dig the urban vigilantism thang, I thought Jodie Fosters "The Brave One" was a bit of an interesting modern take on the subject from a female perspective IMO. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brave_One_(2007_film), though ultimately it boils down to the same formula & doesn't really do anything different per se.)

[MinionZombie]

Ah, "Death Sentence" (the Kevin Bacon flick), I've seen that one. Just the once, but I do recall it being particularly grim, heh. Yeah, the western influence is striking in Death Wish - particuarly the "Fill your hand" scene, as you say - and indeed the climax does have a sort of 'tragic inevitability' about it, a man hurtling towards his own destruction (but not necessarily demise). It's a very interesting flick ... I think I'll bump it up to an 8/10 now. You've got me intrigued by Death Wish III. I'll have to keep my peepers peeled to see if it swings round on the telly box.

[bassman]

'The Skeleton Twins' - a good little independent film starring SNL veterans Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig. A pair of fraternal twins deal with normal problems in life after being separated for 10 years. Hader and Wiig give fantastic performances that lean more toward drama rather than their usual comedy. If you're into dramatic stories that can be related to on a personal level, I'd recommend this one. It's currently on instant Netflix. 7.5/10

[shootemindehead]

'Street Trash' 6/10

[MinionZombie]

'The Skeleton Twins' - a good little independent film starring SNL veterans Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig. A pair of fraternal twins deal with normal problems in life after being separated for 10 years. Hader and Wiig give fantastic performances that lean more toward drama rather than their usual comedy. If you're into dramatic stories that can be related to on a personal level, I'd recommend this one. It's currently on instant Netflix. 7.5/10 Aye, I saw this one recently and thought it was rather good! Definitely a must watch for Hader/Wiig fans - but as you say, much more of a drama, although it has some comedic moments. Not a particularly cheery film, but a good one.

[bassman]

'Spy' I'll always give Paul Feig the benefit of the doubt because he created the superb 'Freaks and Geeks', I also enjoyed 'Bridesmaids', but his nod to the James Bond franchise is really quite dull. I may have laughed a few times and the film isn't necessarily bad, its just really forgettable. This doesn't give me much faith in what he can do for his all female remake of 'Ghostbusters'. 4/10 - - - Updated - - - 'The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened?' - So this is the documentary about the infamous Superman film from Tim Burton and Nicolas Cage that was cancelled just weeks before filming was set to begin. While this isn't particularly the most well made documentary, it's exceptionally fascinating for fans of DC Comics or just movie fans in general. With interviews from a majority of the people involved, excluding Cage, the documentary paints a pretty detailed picture of how the film would appear on screen and what sort of turmoil happened during preproduction. Aside from the treasure trove of concept art, script snippets, reenactments of scenes, practical effects, etc....probably the holy grail of this documentary is the inclusion of the Burton/Cage costume fittings that produced that now infamous photo of a long-haired cage in a shiny superman suit. One thing is for sure after seeing all the details of this would-be film......while it wouldn't have been much of a Superman film, it definitely would have been a crazy ride and provide many, many debates around the water cooler. The full documentary is actually available on Youtube: 8/10

[shootemindehead]

'Raging Bull' 10/10

[shootemindehead]

'A History of Violence' 9/10

[bassman]

'Birdman' I've always said it....Michael Keaton is completely underused and this film proves it. I really hope this is the beginning of his return to glory like many reviews stated around its release. While it's definitely a quirky little film, even shot to give the appearance that it's one long continuous shot, I could see that being a turn off for some viewers. It's one of those films that doesn't really give the audience all the answers(how DARE they expect us to think for ourselves???), which could also steer some viewers away, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great performances, a theme that most people can relate too, and a beautiful looking film. I highly recommend it. 9/10 Although Keaton has denied it many times, its very easy to draw parallels between his character in Birdman and his career after being Batman...

[MinionZombie]

St. Vincent - 8/10 You can pretty much guess where it's going to end up, and what the peaks and troughs will be like, but it's still an engaging comedy drama with some good chuckles and some surprisingly heart-felt moments of sadness. Obviously the main draw is Bill Murray as the titular old grump, so well worth checking out for Murray fans - and Melissa McCarthy fans, too.

[shootemindehead]

'Robocop' (2014) 3/10 Pretty bland with a central performance, by whoever it was, that's completely charisma free, even before he's put in the Robocop suit and featuring one of the most unconvincing movie "families" I've seen in a long, long, time. A completely needless remake that misses the point and lacks the, dubious, charm of Verhoven's original. I suppose we should be thankful that there won't be a sequel.