Death Race 2.
Prequel to the first film, and much the same as before. But this time we learn about the origins of one of the more famous named drivers. Smaller budget and less known cast than the first film, but delivers some satisfactory violent action still.
[quote=âEl Topo, post:8400, topic:1923â][size=12pt]Cold Sweat[/size] 1970 Terence Young
Another Bronson film from his French period,[/quote]
As I remember, this one actually starts out pretty good before falling apartâŚ
Apollo 18, 2011⌠I wanted to love it, but I couldnât. -Reminiscent of the format for The Blair Witch Project, concerning âlostâ NASA film-footage from a âsecret missionâ. The creatures were conceived well, but director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego and writer Brian Miller are asking us to accept that offworld-entities can nimbly exist in zero-gravity, remorselessly freezing temps, and pressure-less vacuum⌠blithely prancing about on the Moonâs surface. -Entering sealed spacesuits, etc. My subconscious brain wouldnât let me enjoy the film.
Tokyo Story (1953) by Yasujiro Ozu.
I was waiting for a masterpiece and I feel a bit disappointed. Sure, itâs a good movie, Iâd even say itâs a great one, but Iâd never call it a masterpiece and Iâd never give it 9 or 10 out of 10 either. I didnât find it boring or not my cup of tea. I truly enjoy Japanese dramas, as a matter of fact I love them. In my view, the flick just lacks the intensity that I always find in movies of other Japanese directors - Kaneto Shindo, Yoshitaro Nomura or finally Masaki Kobayashi. The story tackles some genuinely important problems concerning Japanese society such as consumerism and childrenâs lack of interest in parents fate. Itâs all here, however, something feels missing. Itâs definitely not my last Ozu film, I did like this one, not as much as I wanted though. 8/10
âThe Wrestlerâ with Mickey RourkeâŚa great filmâŚbreaks your heartâŚ
I watched âWrong turn 4â & âWrong turn 5â yesterday because I didnât have anything better to do, but I wish I hadnât.
Both films are utter crap, especially âWrong turn 4â which is painful to sit through.
The Woman Next Door (1981) by François Truffaut.
An OK romantic story, nothing particularly engaging or gripping. One knows how it is going to end, very predictable stuff. There is a couple of incredibly crafted scenes and loads of not so well made. I liked it, but it something just for one viewing. 5/10
A mini Giulio Questi fest:
Death Laid an Egg - viewed in a much better print than the one I had, this remains a singular experience, a twisted potboiler of illicit love, murderous plots, mutant poultry and the perils of mechanisation. Employs the same montage technique that gives Django Kill its manic intensity. Quite wonderful.
Arcana - a decent subtitled print, courtesy of Cinemageddon. First-time viewing of this hallucinatory head-fuck, in which fake medium Lucia Bose and her (genuinely psychic?) twentysomething son exploit their psychologically needy patrons while maintaining a creepily intimate, quasi-incestuous relationship. The plot dissolves into surrealistic stream-of-consciousness, but Questi and regular collaborator Franco Arcalli conjure some unforgettable imagery - the son slashing his motherâs breast in a fury, a woman vomiting live frogs. There is civic unrest, mysterious dwarfs, levitating crockery⌠David Lynch must surely have a copy of this. Well worth repeat viewing.
[quote=âStanton, post:8398, topic:1923â]There are better ones. Of the few I have seen I would prefer The Sopranos and especially Mad Men. Mad Men is virtuous.
Breaking Bad is on the level of Deadwood and Rome.
Next ones will be [size=12pt]Game of Thrones, [/size] Boardwalk Empire and The Wire. Maybe Sons of Anarchy. Or Dexter.
I skipped Six Feet Under after the 1st season, and True Blood is also on a lower level.[/quote]
Many people seem to love it, I gave up after two episodes, thought it was quite dull and predictable.
For me Rome is the HBO series so far.
Same for me with 6 feet Under. I know some who think it is great, but I couldnât get into it, didnât become involved with the characters.
I somehow managed it to watch the entire first season and was glad that there was no cliffhanger which could made me think about continuing with it.
The Walking Dead is 8/10 after the first season.
Rome is 9.
Mad Men is 10.
Six Feet under is 6, just like True Blood.
Sopranos is for large parts also a 10.
i gave up after one episode 
for me is The Wire a tv show, which deserves 10/10 rating, although iâve seen only first season
Lost is 9/10 so far
i gave up also Mad Men, but i think of returning to it someday
Dexter is 8/10, but recently iâve seen 4.season with Lightgow, which was great but last episode was just lame
Battlestar Galactica is 9-10/10
[quote=âtomas, post:8411, topic:1923â]for me is The Wire a tv show, which deserves 10/10 rating, although iâve seen only first season[/quote]The Wire is fucking fantastic.
I didnât bother with it for years, I thought to myself âJust another American cop showâ, how wrong I was.
I watched pretty much the entire series without many stops to watch films inbetween. I was hooked.
So glad people convinced me to watch it.
[quote=âYodlaf Peterson, post:8412, topic:1923â]The Wire is fucking fantastic.
I didnât bother with it for years, I thought to myself âJust another American cop showâ, how wrong I was.
I watched pretty much the entire series without many stops to watch films inbetween. I was hooked.
So glad people convinced me to watch it.[/quote]
yeah, normally i donât bother with crimi and cop shows, but i was also convinced 
hope iâll watch other seasons soon
Shit I hardly have time to watch film these days
Iâm afraid I got stuck in time somewhere between Gallactica, The Dukes of Hazzard, Soap and Macgyver
[quote=âYodlaf Peterson, post:8412, topic:1923â]The Wire is fucking fantastic.
I didnât bother with it for years, I thought to myself âJust another American cop showâ, how wrong I was.
I watched pretty much the entire series without many stops to watch films inbetween. I was hooked.
So glad people convinced me to watch it.[/quote]
The shield is another one with cops which got much praise. Also on my list for the future.
Instead of The Last Detail yesterday, I had the dubious (highly dubious in fact) privilege of⌠ahem⌠encountering Tinto Bassâ (although not really his) Caligula (1979). Itâs a mess for sure - a beautiful mess in some parts, and there are a handful of very good performances from Malcom McDowell (as Caligula), Peter OâToole and Teresa Ann Savoy. Helen Mirren probably had more to do in Bassâ original envisioning, but here has little to do in the 154 minute cut (not by any stretch of the imagination what Bass wanted or even remotely resembling original screenwriter Gore Vidal wanted either, but actually Penthouse boss Bob Guccione version of Rome). The history behind the film is fascinating, one of the great what-might-have-beenâs of cinema, with no release so far containing all the known shot footage, but a helluva a lot of different releases out there that had footage unique to them. As the film itself, the first half is the best, with McDowell becoming Emperor after his uncle Tiberius (OâToole) is suffocated/strangled to death after ending his days in debauchery (gleefully detailed). This is the best shot part of the movie and, with John Gielgudâs death scene, the most moving. After that, the films loses most of itâs coherency in too many padded out orgy scenes (thanks for that Bob!). One or two moments survive of original intentions though: the huge killing machine, Caligulaâs wander through Rome disguised as a commoner, the unbelievable cruelty of the killing of Protaculus as well as the final assassination of Caligula himself. The Imperial Brothel is a good idea(!), with a terrific set, but just seems endless thanks to Bob Guccioneâs determination of having large cutaways to his Penthouse Playmates âfrolickingâ. Worth seeing I suppose, as a giant flawed film with glimpses of a great film. 3/5 (Iâm feeling particularly generous today).
[quote=âStanton, post:8415, topic:1923â]The shield is another one with cops which got much praise. Also on my list for the future.[/quote]Really good show but I got fed up with it somewhere in the 4th or 5th season.
I havenât seen the film, but Iâve watched that scene. It looks absolutely terrific.
Chandler, 1971⌠starring the improbable romantic duo of Warren Oates and Leslie Caron. I liked the unexplained Powers That Be hiring a lowball private-detective to follow a mysterious woman around Los Angeles and Monterrey Peninsula idea, because the outdoor-scenery adds adrenalin to the plot. But this film is really for fans of Oates and Caron though. The plot is wobbly. Itâs refreshingly void of 60âs-70âs generic âhippie-musicâ. And politics too. If I were a film-teacher, Iâd use it⌠but for entertainment, itâs generally below-average.
[quote=âStarblack, post:8408, topic:1923â]A mini Giulio Questi fest:
Death Laid an Egg - viewed in a much better print than the one I had, this remains a singular experience, a twisted potboiler of illicit love, murderous plots, mutant poultry and the perils of mechanisation. Employs the same montage technique that gives Django Kill its manic intensity. Quite wonderful.
Arcana - a decent subtitled print, courtesy of Cinemageddon. First-time viewing of this hallucinatory head-fuck, in which fake medium Lucia Bose and her (genuinely psychic?) twentysomething son exploit their psychologically needy patrons while maintaining a creepily intimate, quasi-incestuous relationship. The plot dissolves into surrealistic stream-of-consciousness, but Questi and regular collaborator Franco Arcalli conjure some unforgettable imagery - the son slashing his motherâs breast in a fury, a woman vomiting live frogs. There is civic unrest, mysterious dwarfs, levitating crockery⌠David Lynch must surely have a copy of this. Well worth repeat viewing.[/quote]
Glad you enjoyed both these, mate. They are wonderful imo and show what a unique talent Questi is. I like all his films (tragically so few) but think Arcana is probably the ultimate Questi. Magnificently weird.