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Post by Whizzo on Aug 16, 2024 12:40:22 GMT
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Post by Vandelay on Aug 16, 2024 12:58:42 GMT
It is the same Natasha Kaplinsky?! I had noticed that before, but just assumed it was a different person.
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Post by rawshark on Aug 16, 2024 13:11:39 GMT
Alien : Romulus in a cinema The house lights go down, the title card comes up, I'm still surprised Natasha Kaplinski (yes that one) is the BBFC President, the house lights come back up, problem with the film, screening cancelled. Can't recommend that film at the moment. Reads like a 5.
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Post by zisssou on Aug 16, 2024 13:13:32 GMT
What a great job though. I assume you watch a bunch of films. Argue whether an alien penetrating an anus is suitable for a 15 year old.
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Post by Bill the kidding on Aug 16, 2024 13:14:35 GMT
She was great in Terminal Velocity though.
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MolarAm🔵
Full Member
Bad at games
Posts: 6,597
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Aug 16, 2024 13:41:28 GMT
All We Imagine As Light
A Canne award-winner about two female roommates in Mumbai, who are both stuck between their own dreams and the expectations of society.
It's great. Weirdly sexual for an Indian movie. Which obviously I'm ok with, just not expecting from what I thought was a pretty conservative film culture.
I imagine it will get released more widely on account of the awards, so look out for it!
9/10
Grand Tour
A Canne award-winner about... uhhhhh... some guy in colonial Burma running away from his fiancee. He runs to Singapore, Saigon, Bangkok, Shanghai, Osaka, and so on, and the movie is about that journey, and his fiancee chasing after him. It's interspersed with old and modern documentary footage showing life in those countries, various musical interludes, etc etc.
This was a huge hit at Cannes, and I didn't really get why. It's like tourism: the movie. I guess it could provoke a sense of wonder and wanderlust in people, but I personally had already been to most of those places, so that appeal was lost on me.
Still, it's unique, and unlike anything I've really seen before. And I do value that to some extent, so
7/10
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MolarAm🔵
Full Member
Bad at games
Posts: 6,597
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Aug 16, 2024 13:47:51 GMT
Close Your Eyes
A Spanish movie about a famous actor that's been missing for more than 20 years, and the effort to make a documentary about him.
It's genuinely moving. I generally find movies about THE POWER OF CINEMA to be a bit back-slapping and self-congratulatory, but this one was nuanced and thoughtful and quite sad. Though the main character looks a lot like a slightly older David Mitchell, so that was a bit distracting.
9/10
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MolarAm🔵
Full Member
Bad at games
Posts: 6,597
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Aug 16, 2024 13:57:49 GMT
Secret Mall Apartment
A documentary about a secret apartment built and occupied by an artists' collective in a shopping mall in Rhode Island.
It's fucking mental, they remained undiscovered for four years. FOUR YEARS. And the place honestly looked kind of nice!
The documentary is also about the power of art. But I feel like if they really wanted audiences to focus on that, they wouldn't have called it Secret Mall Apartment. The secret mall apartment is the star of the show here.
8/10
Mogwai: if the stars had a sound
A music documentary about the best band in the entire world, Mogwai. It's mostly about making their newest (as of 2021) album, but goes into their history and has lots of talking heads from famous people. There's also a lot of concert and recording footage, including tracks that I've never seen live (eg. Christmas Steps, My Father My King).
If you're not into post rock or Mogwai, you probably wouldn't get much from this. But I emphatically am, so
10/10, would fear Satan again
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MolarAm🔵
Full Member
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Posts: 6,597
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Aug 16, 2024 13:58:43 GMT
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Post by Whizzo on Aug 16, 2024 14:11:44 GMT
Right then Cineworld, make sure this screening works this time!
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hicksy
Junior Member
I'm good for some but I'm not for everyone
Posts: 1,549
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Post by hicksy on Aug 16, 2024 14:21:40 GMT
Alien : Romulus in a cinema The house lights go down, the title card comes up, I'm still surprised Natasha Kaplinski (yes that one) is the BBFC President, the house lights come back up, problem with the film, screening cancelled. Did anyone check for bugs?
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Vortex
Full Member
Harvey Weinstein's Tattered Penis
is apparently a mangina.
Posts: 5,183
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Post by Vortex on Aug 16, 2024 14:27:31 GMT
Oi, mola, Mogwai. Where?
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Post by Mark1412 on Aug 16, 2024 14:57:25 GMT
Alien: Romulus. If the original didn't exist, I'm sure people would be absolutely raving about it. It looks incredible (until the CGI comes out but thankfully most of the creature and set design at least seems practical), it sounds even better, the aesthetic and vibe is great (especially the start), the two leads are really good, builds up nice and slowly, it's entertaining, although I wouldn't say scary. Issue for me is I don't find the xenomorphs interesting anymore, which I was a bit surprised by because I haven't watched either of the good two since I was a teenager, so it's not like I'm burned out through over-familiarity. There's nothing really left there to do, and I agree with reviews that say it's looking back a lot going through familiar steps. Which is why I was quite excited by this ending pivot that's been mentioned but that didn't really land for me. I think it was because it was too quickly discarded, or maybe going in expecting something ruined it. Probably would have been better if it had been the 'alien' all the way through and had been allowed to really throw off expectations and build up to something rather than be a rushed final boss. 7/10. It's good, but time to find something else scary in space.
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Tomo
Junior Member
Posts: 3,188
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Post by Tomo on Aug 16, 2024 15:31:41 GMT
Alien: Romulus - 7.5/10 I had a good time watching this. It looks gorgeous for the most part and it's mostly very atmospheric. Some highs, some lows, but as a Prometheus fanboy and Covenant hater, this is a vast improvement on the latter. Reminded me a lot of Force Awakens (and another Star Wars film without being a touch spoilery). Disliked: - the fucking puns - my god, what a weird tone to begin an Alien film, and predictably for a lightbulb moment later in the film - the CGI for Rook - very distracting - the YA fiction protagonists. I'm guessing Sigourney was probably a similar age to this crew in OG Alien, but this lot comparatively felt like kids. Probably the ballsack bantz - the low gravity, blast the xenomorphs scene - didn't really work for me. The CGI goo was crap and distracting too - "Get away from her... you... bitch" - it sounded like the screenwriter literally knowing they shouldn't out the line in and then went and did it anyway. Horrible, unnecessary fan service in a series that I think has refrained from that kind of pandering. - the xenomorphs were little more than cannon fodder which was a shame - definitely lacked terror in this one Liked: - Cailee Spaeny - best Ripley alternative so far I think. - lots of facehuggers - that first one to jump out of the water got me real good - the madness of the ending: loved it. I watched in a lovely middle class Hackney cinema and there were multiple gasps when the Baby Engineer Alien Thing emerged out of the shadows. V enjoyable. - Rook - CGI was crap, but I really liked his involvement - another decent android, albeit the suggestion of learning disability seemed a bit odd? Just about fine. - the inclusion of Prometheus/Covenant stuff. Thought they'd pretend those films don't exist, but I liked how it wove together threads of the new and old films. Romulus is Rogue One to New Hope. Didn't expect that.
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MolarAm🔵
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Aug 16, 2024 15:51:13 GMT
At a film festival, but I imagine it will get a streaming release somewhere.
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Post by Reviewer on Aug 16, 2024 16:47:58 GMT
I am getting tired of almost every major film just being a nostalgia play for the 35-55 year olds. Some are good but it’s still frustrating.
Even if they’re a sequel, at least cut out the irrelevant call backs and easter eggs.
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Post by Jambowayoh on Aug 16, 2024 17:02:38 GMT
At this point there must be equal the amount of people crying out for nostalgia and easter eggs as there are decrying the use of nostalgia and easter eggs.
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Post by Whizzo on Aug 16, 2024 17:13:41 GMT
Alien: Romulus - easily the third best Alien or Alien adjacent film and certainly better than the last two fucking awful Scott films. It's not perfect but it's very entertaining and had some new ideas the acid scene and it not ignoring inertia was well done . One of the weak aspects was the use of lines that appeared in earlier films, they can feel a bit like that "say the line Bart" meme. The most forced one being at the bottom of a lift shaft, my eyes nearly rolled like I was rebooting. But on the whole I left the cinema, for the second time, very happy. It's got flaws but it'll be remembered for the right reasons not because people didn't run sideways from a rolling spaceship. Fuck me that still pisses me off. Spoiler I'll keep vague for the nosey Rook's CGI looked really rough when you first see him but thankfully it got a lot better, they really should have redone his first appearance.
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Post by brokenkey on Aug 16, 2024 17:15:13 GMT
Pah, I thought the "nostalgia" it had was no worse than any MCU movie referring back to any previous element from the MCU. It's better than the huge advancement in technology that existed in on the Prometheus ship, which takes place 50 years before this one.
Anyway, its great. If you're not super familar with every film in the timeline after Alien, its probably all the better.
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Post by britesparc on Aug 16, 2024 17:38:16 GMT
Two films I watched with the kids this week, both seen before:
Wish (2023) *** I think they tried really hard with this, wanting it to look and feel a bit different, be very modern, but also harken back to Disney's history. Sadly it's in service of a rather vapid story, at once too confusing and too simple; few of the characters are compelling, few of the jokes land; and most egregiously pretty much none of the songs are much cop. All that being said, it's charming enough and the artistry on display is impressive. I can see someone liking it less than me, though. (Disney+)
Onward (2020) **** One of those films I sort of disregard and forget about, but it really is rather good. I think its problems are the overarching quest is maybe too complicated, takes too much explanation; and most of the humour falls flat, as do most of the supporting characters. And, arguably, it doesn't do enough with its intriguing fantastical world setting. But the central relationship, and performances, is where this shines; it's expertly played by all involved, and this is where the theme, setting, and characterisation all comes together. It's got a beautiful, bittersweet finale too. And I genuinely think this might be Chris Pratt's best film performance. (Disney+)
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Post by damagedinc on Aug 16, 2024 17:59:59 GMT
Just sitting down to watch this (alien). Like everyone else here I appear to be on my own and nearly 40 haha
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Vortex
Full Member
Harvey Weinstein's Tattered Penis
is apparently a mangina.
Posts: 5,183
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Post by Vortex on Aug 16, 2024 18:14:22 GMT
At a film festival, but I imagine it will get a streaming release somewhere. I hope so. The one cinema here that might have showed it went bust during covid. A real loss, but they are trying to revive it.
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Tomo
Junior Member
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Post by Tomo on Aug 16, 2024 20:15:25 GMT
Pah, I thought the "nostalgia" it had was no worse than any MCU movie referring back to any previous element from the MCU. Comparing the Alien movies to the MCU franchise is precisely the issue with the callbacks for me. The thought of the Alien films becoming a 'franchise' is horrible to me. I know they are technically one, but they don't have the feel of a modern blockbuster franchise. Well, Romulus is the first one for me that is beginning to slightly have that MCU/Star Wars sheen.
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Tomo
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Post by Tomo on Aug 16, 2024 20:25:19 GMT
Only the River Flows - 6/10
Film noir sees a detective track down a serial killer in provincial China. Shot in 16mm with lots of teak furniture and cigarettes. A lot of the cops are completely inept and as a viewer you get a sense they're never going to track down the murderer. There's very little urgency, which is the point, but instead it meanders along. Didn't really work for me.
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askew
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Post by askew on Aug 16, 2024 20:31:06 GMT
All We Imagine As LightWeirdly sexual for an Indian movie. Which obviously I'm ok with, just not expecting from what I thought was a pretty conservative film culture. O' sweet summer child.
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Post by damagedinc on Aug 16, 2024 20:31:37 GMT
Alien Romulus Well I was expecting to hate it but fuck I think they just about pulled it off. I'll spoiler the lot.
I didn't hate the crew Leads brilliant Loved the first half but when it went all "aliens" felt it lost its way. Then got interesting again when it weirdly went all aliens resurrection.
Kept thinking they should maybe have just done an "alien isolation" film. The first half just felt like it was so geared up for that.
Interestingly I also agree I find the alien has had its day which is why I really enjoyed the ending.
As much as Prometheus annoyed me, nothing will beat watching it for the first time and having absolutely no clue where it was all going and enjoying the new lore etc. sadly neither did the writers know, then it went a bit shit.
Still not a fan of the bioweapon angle but it's where we are.
I am assuming we will now have a timeline of films that will include the black goo and give them a lot more scope for creating new monsters etc etc.
All in all good fun. The "get away from her" line needs to be edited out and fast.
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Post by Vandelay on Aug 16, 2024 21:01:38 GMT
Pah, I thought the "nostalgia" it had was no worse than any MCU movie referring back to any previous element from the MCU. Comparing the Alien movies to the MCU franchise is precisely the issue with the callbacks for me. The thought of the Alien films becoming a 'franchise' is horrible to me. I know they are technically one, but they don't have the feel of a modern blockbuster franchise. Well, Romulus is the first one for me that is beginning to slightly have that MCU/Star Wars sheen. One of the great things about the series has been how unique each entry has felt. At least with the first 4, each entry was completely different from what came before. Even Resurrection, which isn't great, was at least doing its own thing and wasn't just more of the same. Prometheus and Covenant broke that a little bit by having bits and pieces that felt like the first film. I guess that was the Ridley Scott influence, rather than them having different directors like all the others. Even those though feel of a piece of each other, separate from what came before (and both a bit shit, although I enjoyed them both to some extent). Not seen Romulus yet, but the trailer very much looked like it wanted to be a modern take on the first film. It sounds like it does a pretty good job of that, but it would have been a lot more interesting if it tried to make its own path.
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Post by Jambowayoh on Aug 16, 2024 21:08:38 GMT
I don't think that's going to happen. As much as people say one thing the majority still want that connection to previous films like a lot of franchises and the weirdos who go on about RESPECTING THE LORE.
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Tomo
Junior Member
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Post by Tomo on Aug 16, 2024 21:13:35 GMT
I think Prometheus was the most different out of all of them, which is why a lot of people don't like it. It doesn't have an a xenomorph until practically the last scene.
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Post by Jambowayoh on Aug 16, 2024 21:17:02 GMT
I think Prometheus was the most different out of all of them, which is why a lot of people don't like it. It doesn't have an a xenomorph until practically the last scene. You think? I just thought it was because it took the trope of people making stupid decisions but rose it to infuriating levels. The lack of a xenomorph I think was the least of its issues. That and some real unsympathetic characters.
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