Rate the last movie you've seen

[JDP]

I still dig it. It's got Tom Atkins! Also features a couple of songs by Stan Ridgway (first singer of Wall of Voodoo), whose voice is unmistakable.

[EvilNed]

Hatchet for the Honeymoon, and Bird with the Crystal Plumage It's interesting, both films are from 1970 but Argento's giallo feels much fresher than Bava's. I like Bava, I guess, but he's really an old-timey director that never managed to evolve with the film medium. All of his films, even the latter ones, are shot on elaborate dressed and lit soundstages, the actors are all wearing perfect makeup and the acting is very theatrical. It's all set in bourgeois and upper class mansions. This works good in italian gothic horror but not in giallos which should have a more realistic aura to them. Hatchet was alright but it tried to do something which I feel the script just didn't deliver. The point was that the protagonist is a psychopathic killer who hides his killer instict from his wife and coworkers. Apparently there's a puzzle, a piece of his memory that's missing but I didn't pick up on this at all. The part about his wife coming back as a ghost was just dull too. I can't really feel a narrative here. What's the plot? Is there one? Barely. Nice sets and all that, tho. Bava knows how to stage a scene. Rewatched Bird the day after. Argento's first film ever. After rewatching it I'm considering wether this might actually be the best giallo out there. Despite having seen it already some time ago I still couldn't figure out who the killer was. Also the sets and visuals are rather nice even (Vittorio Storaro) and the music (Ennio Morricone). There's none of Argento's later playfulness tho so in some sense it runs like a pretty ordinary run-of-the-mill giallo - albeit a VERY good one.

[MinionZombie]

Hatchet for the Honeymoon, and Bird with the Crystal Plumage It's interesting, both films are from 1970 but Argento's giallo feels much fresher than Bava's. I like Bava, I guess, but he's really an old-timey director that never managed to evolve with the film medium. All of his films, even the latter ones, are shot on elaborate dressed and lit soundstages, the actors are all wearing perfect makeup and the acting is very theatrical. It's all set in bourgeois and upper class mansions. This works good in italian gothic horror but not in giallos which should have a more realistic aura to them. ... Rewatched Bird the day after. Argento's first film ever. After rewatching it I'm considering wether this might actually be the best giallo out there. Despite having seen it already some time ago I still couldn't figure out who the killer was. Also the sets and visuals are rather nice even (Vittorio Storaro) and the music (Ennio Morricone). There's none of Argento's later playfulness tho so in some sense it runs like a pretty ordinary run-of-the-mill giallo - albeit a VERY good one. 1) I enjoyed Hatchet For The Honeymoon generally, although it had various saggy moments in it and it's far from Bava's best work. The early bit on the train was the best part of the movie, and felt like a precursor of sorts to the train sequence in Romero's "Martin" in some ways. I know what you mean about Bava feeling like a director from a previous era and pulling that along with him in some of his films - it was painfully obvious in the mediocre "Baron Blood", where it was all about gothic castles and villains in velvet robes and such, but it was set in the present day with the girl in a mini skirt and the castle opened as a tourist exhibit (with a prominent Coke machine installed! ) ... however, Bava can really surprise you when he's on top form. "Rabid Dogs" is a late-in-the-career Bava movie (1974 IIRC) and it feels like the work of a man half his age. It's raw, modern, takes place in real time (a rarely used conceit at the time), and feels full of energy. He had a little help with it from his son IIRC, and it was screwed around as a result of the production company going bust and didn't see a release for many, many years - but if you've not seen it, Arrow Video did an excellent release of it a while back on Blu-Ray and it's a cracking little crime flick. 2) I really want to re-watch Crystal Plumage, but the Arrow release is long out of print. Hopefully they'll do what they did with Deep Red and put out a fresh release of it sometime soon ... but I agree, it's an excellent giallo film. There's a fresh, vibrant feel to it, taking what Bava established so well in "The Girl Who Knew Too Much" and "Blood and Black Lace" (both prime examples of the genre) and putting his own spin on it. It's been years since I saw it, and like I say, I hope a new HD release comes along soon.

[EvilNed]

I know what you mean; While I enjoy rewatching films, I ESPECIALLY enjoy rewatching them in High Def. I hadn't seen Deep Red prior to buying the Arrow release and I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much had I not been able to fully indulge in the art deco visuals of it. I'd love to have all of his films in HD now that I think about it. Well... All films up to 1987 anyway. EDIT1: Oh and I saw Arrival at the cinema yesterday. Wanted to catch it before it went down. Great film. EDIT2: I noticed that Amazon Video has Bird on Amazon instant video, but since the Arrow video is out of stock they're not currently streaming the HD version of it. What the fuck? Well, that sort of thing will probably figure itself out in the future when physical copies are no longer a thing. But still, I mean come on.. They've got the HD stream, I'm sure of it.

[shootemindehead]

I really want to re-watch Crystal Plumage, but the Arrow release is long out of print. Hopefully they'll do what they did with Deep Red and put out a fresh release of it sometime soon ... but I agree, it's an excellent giallo film. There's a fresh, vibrant feel to it, taking what Bava established so well in "The Girl Who Knew Too Much" and "Blood and Black Lace" (both prime examples of the genre) and putting his own spin on it. It's been years since I saw it, and like I say, I hope a new HD release comes along soon. It's not Arrow, but the VCI one is on eBay for a reasonable 12.79 - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bird-With-...IAAOxy4dNS6QfF There was differing opinions on which blu was the better one. One camp said Arrow, the other said VCI. Some people were unhappy with Arrow's pic quality saying it had bad crush, while I've seen positive feedback for VCI's, even if the image was "brighter". It has the original mono soundtrack too, which satisfies the purists.

[EvilNed]

It's not Arrow, but the VCI one is on eBay for a reasonable 12.79 - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bird-With-...IAAOxy4dNS6QfF There was differing opinions on which blu was the better one. One camp said Arrow, the other said VCI. Some people were unhappy with Arrow's pic quality saying it had bad crush, while I've seen positive feedback for VCI's, even if the image was "brighter". It has the original mono soundtrack too, which satisfies the purists. Unfortunately that's Region A. I'm pretty sure it won't play on my surround system.

[bassman]

The Accountant - not an Affleck-directed film, but still shows that the guy has really matured as an actor. Although there are a few plot twists that most will see coming, this is a great drama/action with Affleck playing an autistic accountant raised with a certain skillset. Jon Bernthal from TWD is pretty good in it too. With limited head-rubbing. Ha

[shootemindehead]

Unfortunately that's Region A. I'm pretty sure it won't play on my surround system. Not according to the review on Bluray.com http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Bi...Blu-ray/45997/ They say it's free. They could be wrong though. Amazon lists it as A.

[MinionZombie]

I know what you mean; While I enjoy rewatching films, I ESPECIALLY enjoy rewatching them in High Def. I hadn't seen Deep Red prior to buying the Arrow release and I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much had I not been able to fully indulge in the art deco visuals of it. I'd love to have all of his films in HD now that I think about it. EDIT2: I noticed that Amazon Video has Bird on Amazon instant video, but since the Arrow video is out of stock they're not currently streaming the HD version of it. What the fuck? Well, that sort of thing will probably figure itself out in the future when physical copies are no longer a thing. But still, I mean come on.. They've got the HD stream, I'm sure of it. I've been converted to the HD cause as a result of these pristine remasters of old films, where they keep the grain, but reclaim the sharpness of the image from the original print materials. Arrow Video has been doing really stellar work 99.9% of the time over the last several years - and indeed there are numerous other similar distributors who have been doing excellent work on these more 'niche' market films. For that reason alone DVD and Blu-Ray have continued to be a viable medium - and it's why, along with the resurgence of vinyl, that I think there will always be a market for physical copies. Stunning HD restorations with a hefty compliment of extras and exquisite packaging are ideal for collectors and afficianados - streaming just isn't capable of providing that same experience and never will - so while many of these runs are limited, they routinely sell out quickly and are targeted at a rabid audience who adore these films and want to collect them as physical copies. It's a similar mentality to vinyl enthusiasts in some ways. There will come a day when streaming in some form or another will take over mainstream content, but with the web infrastructure still being total arse in many parts of the world it's going to take a long time to fully catch on and be accessible to everyone. There's no such issues with whacking in a DVD to your player - and what if you want to watch a movie, but your Internet is down? Physical copies to the rescue! Not according to the review on Bluray.com http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Bi...Blu-ray/45997/ They say it's free. They could be wrong though. Amazon lists it as A. Amazon never get the region coding accurate. I trust Blu-Ray.com and DVDCompare to clue me in to the real situation on that front. Amazon just whacks "A" on all Blu-Rays if they're American, regardless of whether they're locked or region free. Yeah, I do recall there being back-and-forth over the two releases ... which is part of the reason why I want to hold out for a brand new restoration a la the 2016 release of "Deep Red" from Arrow Video.

[shootemindehead]

'L.A. Confidential' 9.5/10 Never gets old, with great performances by everyone, except Crowe I have to say, who I find to be a bit of a weak link. Just impossible to peel yourself away from and the attention to the period is excellent. It really feels like the 50's, more so that films that were made in the 50's.

[EvilNed]

Il Gatto a Nove Code or the Cat O'Nine Tails. It's supposed to be a giallo but comes off far more as a classic detective story. But some of the giallo elements are there; An unknown killer with an unknown motive stalks and kills his victims in Rome. It's far more noirish than many of Argento's other giallo - which I like. Like Deep Red it features some characters struggling with their identity including the killer and the lead female who isn't quite who she says she is. It's quite a bit more humorous than most Argento films. Though italians aren't very funny so it's not the films strongest point. I enjoy it. I used to like it alot more than The Bird with the Crystal Plumage but I think I've changed my mind on that.

[MinionZombie]

'L.A. Confidential' Love that movie! It's one of those flicks that draws you in when you happen upon it when it's playing on the TV ... you have to resist the temptation to just keep watching. Il Gatto a Nove Code or the Cat O'Nine Tails. I saw that a few years ago now, but I remember not liking it that much. I do remember thinking it was more of a detective story than a giallo, too. I must rewatch it and see if my opinion has changed.

[shootemindehead]

'Guardians of the Galaxy' 5/10 Frivolous to a fault and mainly devoid of any real tension, drama, or substance, 'Guardians of the Galaxy' is a completely harmless 2 hours of utter silliness. Unfortunately, you end up not caring what happens in the film, as none of the characters do. So, we lurch from one CGI set piece to another (all very well executed it has to be said) and wait for it to be over. The film tries dubious attempts at gravitas, awkwardly opening with a scene of a cancer victim dying and then carries on with wise cracks galore. It wants, so desperately, to be funny...all of the time, while not quite wanting to be a full on comedy. Surprisingly, the character I liked the most turned out to be the one I thought would be the worst. The racoon and his buddy, Groot, are the most entertaining thing about the whole film. The others are pretty meh, it has to be said, with a completely bland main hero in Starlord. The Marvel problem of impotent villains raises its head again and Ronan (obviously of Irish descent) is as interchangeable a bad guy as any other in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Completely forgettable and Beige, I can't even remember why he want to do what he did. Liberal use of 70's music that manages to be, at once, awful and great helps the viewer through, but it still feels like an unrewarding experience. Not great, not terrible. Worth a watch, but largely for fans of the original comic, or the MCU in general.

[Neil]

'Guardians of the Galaxy' 5/10 Frivolous to a fault and mainly devoid of any real tension, drama, or substance, 'Guardians of the Galaxy' is a completely harmless 2 hours of utter silliness. Unfortunately, you end up not caring what happens in the film, as none of the characters do. So, we lurch from one CGI set piece to another (all very well executed it has to be said) and wait for it to be over. The film tries dubious attempts at gravitas, awkwardly opening with a scene of a cancer victim dying and then carries on with wise cracks galore. It wants, so desperately, to be funny...all of the time, while not quite wanting to be a full on comedy. Surprisingly, the character I liked the most turned out to be the one I thought would be the worst. The racoon and his buddy, Groot, are the most entertaining thing about the whole film. The others are pretty meh, it has to be said, with a completely bland main hero in Starlord. The Marvel problem of impotent villains raises its head again and Ronan (obviously of Irish descent) is as interchangeable a bad guy as any other in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Completely forgettable and Beige, I can't even remember why he want to do what he did. Liberal use of 70's music that manages to be, at once, awful and great helps the viewer through, but it still feels like an unrewarding experience. Not great, not terrible. Worth a watch, but largely for fans of the original comic, or the MCU in general. Wow! GotG, for plot I'd give it 6/10, but overall a good solid 8.5/10. A fun filled flick IMHO.

[shootemindehead]

A lot of people seem to like and that's grand. But, I just got tired of the endless wisecrack talk and I just didn't care what was happening. It's ok, but I've forgotten most ot it already.