Dark Skies

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

Another alien invasion film! but this one is not the big world domination kind. This plays out more like a haunted house story. No surprise given that it's by the company that made Insidious, Sinister and all those Paranormal Activity films. It's not as good as those first two but a great deal more enjoyable than the PA franchise, it actually has some really creepy moments. But there's also a lot of filler. Doesn't add much new to the alien abduction mythology either, but it's put together well enough that it's perfectly enjoyable while you're watching.

War of the Worlds

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Belinda

I grew up with the 1953 film and I love it dearly. Clearly Spielberg does as well and there are many homages to it in much of his work, especially here. But despite the modern setting and obligatory addition of kids for a father/son relationship that is apparently mandatory now, this film is surprisingly faithful to the original novel, more than the George Pal film in my opinion.

It manages to keep all the major beats of the novel and throws our characters into more of the action rather than just being observers and reporters. But it still keeps everything grounded and shot from an eyewitness account perspective. There's no big cheesy shots of national monuments being destroyed. It's also a very post-9/11 take on the story. A lot of ashy imagery and handheld camera work, and a big downed plane that I recall at the time was greeted with audible gasps from the audience.

Oh man I love Tripods so much, and these guys are the best on-screen renditions so far. Great sound design for them too. Much have been a bitch for ILM to composite into Janusz Kaminski's bloomy highlights. Yeesh.

Love the update on the farmhouse scene. Love the two big single take shots, first when the heat rays start up and second, that crazy car shot. The Ferry scene is great stuff. Love that they finally included the red weed.

But the most horrifying moment for me is always being mobbed in the car. The crowds of displaced people are kind of terrifying. I remember the descriptions from the book and I think they captured it in an even more visceral sense.

I don't care much for Tom Cruise. Or for Justin Chatwin. But the rest is all good.

We went and saw a concert of the musical version straight after. Kitschy nostalgic fun. But the two film adaptations are more my style.

Leviathan

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

The last film of our underwater adventure marathon, and the 3rd big film in the genre from 1989.This one is basically Alien set underwater. If the alien was a little more like The Thing. It even has a Jerry Goldsmith score and production design by Ron Cobb. Stan Winston does the creature effects. Probably not his best stuff and they show as little as they can get away with.

It's all gravy until the finale where it seems like they just ran out of budget for the final scares and randomly throw in some sharks for good measure. Peter Weller gets a terrible one liner and then punches a woman in the face. Classic.

DeepStar Six

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

Write Up.

Eeehehehehehe yes. Out of the 3 films we're watching tonight this is the cheapest of the lot. Still there's quite a bit of fun to be had though. Miguel Ferrer plays the snivelling weasel so well.

Sphere

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

Write Up.

Watching The Deep the other night lead to this little underwater adventure marathon. I do like Sphere. An odd but fun film with some cool production design and ideas and some kooky stuff too.

Klown

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

The Hangover 3 left a bad taste in my mouth. So I came home and watched this because I recall the namecheck from the trailer.

Holy shitballs this thing is extreme. Hilarious and very dangerous. There's some pretty shocking behaviour on display and it's equal parts marvellous and shocking. I can't even begin to describe... oh man. That trailer can barley hint at what goes on in the film.

Best of all they wrap it up in a very American formulaic stock family comedy story. A man about to become a father takes his nephew on a boys-only camping trip to prove his worth at being a responsible adult to his girlfriend. I see Hollywood is already trying to remake this one, I doubt it will get through any studio system, at least not with the more extreme elements intact.

That poor kid. He's fantastic though, priceless reactions. Now I don't know anything about the Danish television series that comes before this but the film stands alone and the characters are easy to get a handle on. See this instead of that Hangover cash-in. It'll be far more satisfying.

The Hangover Part III

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

Not that they were particularly ahead with Part 2, but they should have quit there anyway. This may placate those who complained Part 2 was just a remake of Part 1, but unfortunately it hasn't made it funny or interesting.

The Deep

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

Is the treasure worth the terror.

IS IT?!?!?!

I've had this one sitting around for many years, having seen the cover and mistaken it for The Abyss a couple of times. I also noted the director was Peter Yates, who was also responserble for one of my personal favourites, Krull.

This is a neat 70's thriller, with a very young Nick Nolte and Robert Shaw, who seems to be reprising his role as Quint from Jaws. It was like a serious version of Fool's Gold. (I'm sorry to bring up that film...) There's treasure hunters, voodoo madness, sharks and a big ass eel that I knew from the moment he first showed up would steal the show. Amazing.

There's also some amazing 70's hair.

Very enjoyable and glad to finally cross this one off the to-see list.

Aftershock

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

A well made thriller that turns pretty nasty. Some awesomely grizzly stuff in this one, I guess that's to be expected when Eli Roth is involved. The tone changes multiple times and no-one in the cast is safe. It can be a little jarring switching tone all the time but will certainly get a reaction.

For a low budget thriller shot on Canon DSLR's they've made something that looks far more expensive than what you'd expect for their budget. There seems to be a darkly comic tone to some of the proceedings but really, much of the film is just so dark, you probably won't be laughing...

I really enjoyed watching this one. It establishes some wonderfully annoying characters and then puts them through hell. It has real moments of tension and horror. And knowing much of it was based on the directors personal experiences and stories he heard from the real earthquake that recently hit Chile makes it just a little more terrifying. Although they take a few concepts pretty far past believability. But I'm hoping it gets a cinema release here so I can enjoy it on the big screen. Keep an eye out.

CQ

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

Write Up.

That Codename Dragonfly film within the film is so cool. I want to see the whole thing.

The Numbers Station

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

What little I remember of this film seemed ok I guess.

Bachelorette

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

Write Up.

What gloriously horrible characters.

Dredd

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

Write Up.

So much fun. Wish I could see it in 3D again. I wish it did better at the box office to warrant a sequel too. We can still hope.

Spring Breakers

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler, Jordan, Kate, Matt

Write Up.

So pretty.

Berberian Sound Studio

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

Always liked Toby Jones. Here he plays a sound designer who is hired to work on an Italian giallo film ion the 70's. He doesn't understand the language (and neither do we, none of the foreign dialogue is subtitled) or the heated working environment.

It's a slow paced, very atmospheric film that becomes more abstracted as it goes on. And then it finishes. It does build a great uneasy, slightly tense mood but it never really goes anywhere much more interesting than that.