Devil Times Five aka Peopletoys

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: No
Watched With: Tyler

Wow. Hah, that trailer gives away pretty much all of the deaths. It's also far better looking that the copy we watched, which must have been a 5th or 6th generation video, the reds were all gone and there was pretty much only 2 colours, orange and blue.

This film was mentioned on the Sinister commentary I watched the other day and piqued my interest. It's an amateurish film but I can imagine some of he ideas in it would have been pretty extreme at the time. At least I hope so, because it doesn't have much else going for it.

It's very unintentionally funny though. Most of the behaviour of the adults make no sense whatsoever. The cheesy catfight that just comes out of nowhere made me think we might unintentionally be watching a bad porn film without any sex scenes. I love how the entire way through, actors heads are framed right in the middle of the screen giving all the frames massive empty spaces on top. And how many of the deaths have been slowed down in post and the slow motion just goes on and on forever, which probably helps with the running time but really kills (no pun intended) any suspense, shock or horror. There was also a jumpcut that was so funny we had to rewind it and watch it again.

The music is groovy though.

Sorcerer

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: No
Watched With: Tyler

How we ended up watching this one is a rather amusing story, so naturally I won't tell it here. (I'll just say it has something to do with a very misleading title....) I've tried watching this film 3 or 4 times now but never made it over half way, it kept losing me. That probably says more about me than the film though. But now I've seen it all I can see why, the film really doesn't kick in until just over an hour in. That's a lot of, what I feel was unnecessary, set up time for something that should have been quite simple.

But this time I made it over the hump and got to where the suspense starts and form then on it was far more interesting. Some great suspense moments and set pieces.

Now I've never seen Wages of Fear and I didn't know this was a remake of it anyway so I had no idea where the film was heading. That could be another reason I found it hard to get through the start. I'd be interested to see how it compares now though. It's a great set-up for suspense even though, in this film, the outcomes where pretty predictable.

Mercifully Tangerine Dream's score is kept to a bare minimum so it hasn't dated the film too much...

Iron Man 3

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler, Michael

Write Up.

A quieter late afternoon session than the midnight premiere screening. (Except for the baby in the audience that kept crying. They have babes-in-arms session for a reason guys...) A lot less laughter from the subdued crowd but mercifully I was not the only person that embarrassingly let out a burst of laughter at the "Westworld" quip this time...

Sw it in 2D this time, not really worth the price jack up for the job they did with the post conversion.

Peter Pan

IMDB
First time viewed: Really not sure...
Current Release: No
Watched With: Tyler

I know I'd seen bits and pieces of this before but I wasn't sure if I had seen the whole thing through. Watching it now though there wasn't really anything that didn't seem vaguely familiar, so I really don't recall if I have seen it before or not. Well I certainly have now. I can see why I wouldn't remember it if I had though, it's so simple and quick that it's just pretty forgettable. Don't hate me, just not my cup of tea.

Stitches

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

Horror comedies are tricky things. Whilst I can appreciate the gags done here and delight in the excessive cartoonish gore, this one never quite gets the balance right. It's too silly to be scary or horrific but the humor isn't that great either.

But the film is technically well put together and they have assembled a pretty great cast of kids to be fodder for Ross Noble's manic undead clown.

Tomie

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: No

Sadako left a sour taste in my mouth. I thought I'd finally get around to watching this film. After all if it was any good, there are another 8 to go through.

It's less of a J-horror and more of a thriller with a tiny bit of supernatural stuff thrown in. Nothing amazing but I enjoyed being reminded of this period and discovering a whole new

Two Little Boys

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

A very darkly comic film with a few nice surprises, Hamish Blake exerts himself well on screen. Delightful little number.

Straight A's

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

This was a bit of a nothing film. A plot that is worn and predictable and heartwarming moments that feel unearned and manipulative. A very meh film.

Sadako 3D

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

I've written before about my love of J-Horror, especially The Ring. That film did strange things to me. The sequels, both Japanese and American had varying degrees of success. Here though, we get what is pretty much a reboot, that keeps the mythology of the original but takes it into the digital age. And into 3D, although I didn't have the opportunity to watch it as such.

This is one of those sequels that seems to completely miss the point of what made the original work. It almost feels like a joke. They've diminished Sadako to a hand that reaches out of a computer monitor, or an iPhone for jump scares that, whilst they obviously are intended for 3D, aren't scary in any way.

Worse still, they brilliant idea they came up with for the protagonist is a girl that shatters glass when she screams. Of course, that's the natural enemy to a ghost whose now sole gimmick is to push people over from the other side of their laptop screen.

The original incarnation is something I am very passionate about and to see it reduced to this is saddening and frustrating. And as bias as I am, even through the language barrier I can see that this is a pretty terribly scripted and acted film.

Don't even get me started on the grasshopper legged ghosts from the finale.

Unfortunately, the incompetent dudes who put this travesty together are already finishing up a sequel. I don't hold much hope for the future of the franchise. Stick with the original.

Casa de mi Padre

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

Adam McKay and Will Ferrell set their sights on low budget Mexican melodrama that apparently they grew up watching on television. I've never seen one, I just know what I've read about them, so I'm sure a lot of the references were lost on me. But there is plenty that translates, mainly to do with  them making the most of their low budget. 

Making an intentionally bad film is always a risky proposition. The results here are slight but overall enjoyable enough. Always nice to see Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal reunited. And there are some great music numbers. Must admit the title song has been stuck in my head for a while now.

Iron Man 3

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Belinda, Paul, Aaron

So surprised at how much this is really a Shane Black film. It's a christmas period action film with a wise cracking protagonist who gets the shit kicked out of him and has to fight inner demons to save the day. He storms a compound, shares hilarious wisecracks with incompetent henchmen, let's them know in advance how he will kill them and also gets help from a plucky young kid. As we saw in Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, Black and Robert Downey Jr. are a great match of sensibilities and that shines here too.

This film also has very similar voice over narration to that film and It really annoyed me, but there was a post-credits scene that helped alleviate some of that and also provided a nice cameo. Don't expect any Avengers 2 set up though, it's just a fun gag.

The evil guys in this film are typically comic-booky, movie-scienced up to provide more of a threat. It's kinda hoaky but I guess it does the job. The Mandarin is a little more illusive however. Ben Kingsley is surprisingly funny. I guess the bad guy just didn't make much of an impact for me.

I don't know enough about the comic storylines to be fussed about changes they've made. I thought the finished film had a lot of great moments of action and humor, they did a lot to showcase Pepper Potts this time around and even Rhodes and Hogan get more to do. The film opens to a very unexpected song and there's a funky retro end title sequence that made me smile. No doubt I'll be seeing it again soon.

Olympus Has Fallen

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Belinda

This is more of a Die Hard film than the latest Die Hard. As you could expect, it's pompous and very patriotic, gratingly so. It's also pretty outrageous in its implausibility but the cast are all so deadly serious that I found myself laughing all the way through, which was actually kinda fun. Even the captions were so serious the made me laugh.

Gerard Butler is good fun, I still never believe his American accent. From Dylan McDermott's first innocuous words at the beginning of the film I distrusted him immediately. I don't know if it's because he's obviously telegraphed or because his recent role in American Horror Story just makes me presume he's evil. Radha Mitchell showing up was a pleasant surprise but she has nothing to do. Sadly Ashley Judd has even less. There was something strangely satisfying about seeing Melissa Leo get beaten to a pulp. Morgan Freeman was the President again (pretty much).

It's a bit of an old fashioned stand off, with a lot of gun fighting and lose quarters combat. More than I thought there would be. Some of the visual fx aren't so great. Even some basic screen and monitor replacement looked poorly composited. 

It's a very silly film. And there's another with seemingly the exact same premise coming out in a few months. We'll see if that fares any better. But this might scratch a purely mindless action itch for some.

Les Misérables

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes

Write Up.

Listened to director commentary on bluray. Some interesting things about the sound recording. And Tom Hooper explains all his choices very well, it makes it seem obvious actually. But without that knowledge it really isn't...

But it's a good listen.

Pitch Perfect

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes

Write Up.

A delightful film. Such fun. Listened to the commentary on bluray, more of the usual stuff.