What was the last film you watched?

[Mel O'Drama]

Holy Water (2009)
A.K.A. Hard Times

Basically The Italian Job meets Cocoon by way of Father Ted. Starring The Terminator's Sarah Connor and Imelda Quirke from The Commitments'

I'm a little surprised that Pfizer allowed their logo to be displayed all over the hijacked van and their little blue pills to be clearly shown. But then, publicity's publicity. And they covered themselves with an abundance of "we respectfully discourage people from tainting water supplies with our medication" type messages at the end.

I didn't know they were the same Andrew Garfield.

Yes indeed. A lot can happen in three short years.

 

[LEEJ88]

Spider Man 2002 is so cheesy and it drags took me 3 viewings to finish it lol.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

When A Stranger Calls (2006)

This era put out an absolute shedload of terrible remakes of horror films: Black Xmas, Prom Night, April Fool's Day, Halloween, etc. Some were based on good films and almost all were absolutely pointless.

All the same, I'm really quite fond of this particular remake and have enjoyed watching it many times over the years. Compared with the 1979 version it wisely takes a very different approach.

Gone is the charming Seventies low budget grit, glossed over with sumptuous Noughties production values. It should go against the film, but the sets and cinematography are gorgeous and make it visually very interesting. Shadows loom round every corner, blending with rich colours to give the viewer that feeling of being in a strange house, alone at night.

Gone, too is the mid-film character study of Curt Duncan. "The Stranger" of this film stays very much in the shadows with next to no dialogue other than a few short memorable lines and much heavy breathing. This is very much Jill Johnson's film, and once she arrives at the Mandrakis house, we barely leave. It stretches out the first short act of the original to feature length. It shouldn't work, but it does because its less is more approach creates a brooding atmosphere. It's not about stuff happening (very little does) and more about the fear that something could be about to happen.

The biggest strike against the film is that it gets squeamish when it comes to the original's most significant shock, with Curt's most horrific act. The more I watch, the more I feel this is a mistake. I enjoy that this is a psychological thriller (albeit a very lightweight one) rather than a slasher, or even a horror film. All the same, because of the pulled punch, there's no real sense of consequence for anyone, really.

Still, the lead actress is watchable, I really like James Dooley's oppressively atmospheric score. And it looks gorgeous.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

The Midnight Man (2018)

I was expecting something of a slasher, but it turned out to be a supernatural type thing that evoked a number of other films for me: the childhood boogeyman from Stephen King's It; the "he can only get you at night" business from A Nightmare On Elm Street; the "I dare you to summon him" urban legend stuff from Candyman; and the obsessive-compulsive rules from Gremlins. And familiar horror faces Robert Englund and Lin Shaye.

It's really nicely shot. Rich and dark, classy and spooky. There's also some genuinely creepy imagery, particularly early on in the film when the evil is mostly unknown and unseen, with just a flash here or there. And there's that creepy mannequin (or is it a manikin) in the attic that made me pull my dressing gown hood over my eyes.

It became less frightening as it progressed. Once the boogeyman was out in the open and interacting with the cast he was far less frightening than my mind had imagined and most of the tension evaporated. Plus there were more SFX as the film went on. Less is always more in this kind of film, but most can't seem to help themselves with this no exception. The two young actors carrying most of the film were decent enough, but once their blonde, creaky voiced friend showed up I started rooting for the Midnight Man.

 

[Angela Channing]

The Harder They Fall (2021)

A western film that highlights black characters who have mostly been erased from Hollywood films of this genre. Rufus Buck, played by Idris Elba, is sprung from jail by his gang prompting another gang, lead by Nat Love, to seek revenge because Love's parents were killed by Buck when the former was a child. The film has a Tarantino-esque feel about it with lots of violence and gruesome killings interspersed with some dark humour. However, but seemed to be done at the expense of having more depth to the plot and the development of the characters. It's still a very stylish film and a fine piece of entertainment.

 

[darkshadows38]

a real bad one called Heat Wave (1954) also known in the UK as The House across the Lake which is a far better title and more fitting than the US title which is Heat Wave and it had nothing to do with the film at all

 

[Biggie]

Westworld.

Gotta say that I rather enjoyed it. Yul Brinner as the robot gone murderously wrong stole the movie.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Ripper Untold (2021)

^This cover has bog all to do with the film, but hey ho.


A so-so film that feels a bit like those reconstructions that you see in documentaries to stop it from being entirely talking heads, all strung together to feature length. While it looks OK, the low budget does add to the charm. The boom mic bobbed into shot more than once.

Some of the performances were really good while others left something to be desired. Contemporary expressions are always a concern of mine in these period dramas. Thankfully nobody said "OK". One expression that jumped out at me was the expression "bang on" (though I'm not 100% sure it wasn't used then). Speech patterns felt very contemporary at times though.

They erred on the side of taste when it came to showing Jack's handiwork, which was all to the good. However, they balanced it out with lots of titties (weirdly, one shot of a sex worker bouncing on top of a main character in the trailer below appears to have CGI'd a black dress on her).

Plenty of liberties taken with the facts, I suspect. But it was watchable enough. I especially enjoyed the whole Gary Ewing subplot with the alcoholic character becoming convinced he must have killed these women he knew in blackout. Naturally, this comes with a big 21st Century twist.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

The Stalker (2021)

The advantage of "blind watching", avoiding trailers and reviews, is that I form my own opinions and I'm often very pleasantly surprised by a great film. The disadvantage, however, can be summed up in two words: The Stalker.

It's one of the longer 61 minutes of my life, with the thin plot supported by writing, acting and production values unworthy of a Verisure Alarms advert. Perhaps the most entertaining part of the plot was the bevvy of creepy men who fell at the feet of the leading lady simply by laying eyes on her like an Impulse commercial. By the third time it happened I began to wonder if the entire film was actually a brilliantly subtle satire, with the actors in on the joke, and I was supposed to be laughing.

You'll never guess who the stalker is!!!*

Feast your eyes and ears on a taste of last night's entertainment:

​

* By which I mean you'll guess but you won't care. Which is almost the same thing.

 

[Willie Oleson]

^This cover has bog all to do with the film

That comment brought immediate relief to this side of the internet.
I'm so fed up with this "we're going to play everything like Batman" attitude.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

That comment brought immediate relief to this side of the internet.

It makes me happy to know that, Willie. And you're welcome.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Jadoo (2013)
AKA Jadoo: Kings Of Curry

This has everything I love in British films: perfect casting; a wonderful sense of humour; a keen eye for humanity; a touch of pathos and a huge heart.

Loved it.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

High Crimes (2002)

Not top drawer, but still gripping with some nice twists and a few big jump scares which I hadn't been expecting from a thriller of this kind. And Morgan Freeman's in it, which is always a huge plus.

 

[JR-Rules]

Love that movie! Love the Freeman/Judd pairing ("Kiss the girls" is also wonderful!)

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Love that movie! Love the Freeman/Judd pairing ("Kiss the girls" is also wonderful!)

Thanks for the tip. I'll look out for it.

I've actually just added a few unseen Morgan Freeman films to my Watch List. Can you believe I've never watched Driving Miss Daisy?!

 

[Seaviewer]

Raising Helen (2004)
A distaff Uncle Buck with a dash of The Devil Wears Prada.
Kate Hudson stars as as a woman who becomes the guardian to her late sister's kids, which interferes with her job at a fashion house. John Corbett plays much the same character as he played in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, giving the film an unconsummated rom-com element ripe for a sequel.
I don't think I've seen any of Kate Hudson's films before. I still remember daffy Goldie Hawn on Laugh-In. Now her daughter's a movie star. How did that happen?

 

[JR-Rules]

Thanks for the tip. I'll look out for it.

I've actually just added a few unseen Morgan Freeman films to my Watch List. Can you believe I've never watched Driving Miss Daisy?!

Me neither And Morgan Freeman is one of my favs actors... Shame on me!

 

[Mel O'Drama]

The Interpreter (2005)

I watched this one on a whim and found it thoroughly absorbing. Both leads and supporting cast were great (Sydney Pollock has a small role in addition to directing duties). It looks gorgeous and James Newton Howard's score is thrilling.​

 

[Biggie]

King Richard.

Wonderful beginning to end. Will Smith pulled a little something special out the bag. Saniyya Sidney as Venus Williams stole the movie. Demi Singleton as Serena waiting to step out of her sister's shadow put in noteworthy performance.

I'm quite sure that King Richard is not going to be wholly accurate testimony, but still, it's very engaging and some excellently choregraphed and shot tennis.

I don't have an interest in sport, any and all. But I admire what these two ladies have gone on to achieve. When the play Wimbledon I watch as a salute to them.

​

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Open Water (2003)

I often watch this as part of a shark film jag and it's a nice change to watch it independently where it holds up on its own merits (I haven't even watched Jaws this year). It's a really well-made film, with documentary-like realism which adds to the increasing feeling of anxiety, panic and disorientation.

I've never found the main characters likeable and I think may be intentional as it adds a satisfying layer of schadenfreude on seeing this entitled, self-centred couple stuck in the middle of the ocean with only one another. This time round I found them a little more likeable, helped by the fact I watched it with the actors' audio commentary.