[BB]

I agree with the above. Star Trek was Good, but not awesome.

One thing that did irk me a bit was the action sequences. They put them together like they did in Quantim of Solace where the camera flits around so quickly you can't follow what's happening.

Other than that, it was most enjoyable. Although I did groan inwardly when i found out it was yet another Star Trek/time travel plot.

[magpie]

The fairer half didn't want to go, but loved it and didn't stop talking about if after.

I wonder if it's a chick thing?  We saw it last night at the IMAX and I loved it, best film I've seen in ages.  I think my wild effusing about just how much I enjoyed it got a bit dull after the first 20 minutes or so. 

I was expecting it to be alright since it got good reviews everywhere but it totally exceeded my expectations, it was just the perfect level of cheesy blockbuster with a decent story and true enough to the original series without being too trekkie, plenty of nods to it without being confusing if you weren't a massive fan already.  I thought the characters, on the whole,  were all very well done too. 

One thing that did irk me a bit was the action sequences. They put them together like they did in Quantim of Solace where the camera flits around so quickly you can't follow what's happening.

You want to try watching it in IMAX, I thought I was going to have a stroke at one point. 

[SA Chris]

I thought I was going to have a stroke at one point. 

From the person sitting next to you?

[Plattsy]

I thought I was going to have a stroke at one point. 

Of the person sitting next to you?

[magpie]

I thought I was going to have a stroke at one point. 

From the person sitting next to you?

I thought I was going to have a stroke at one point. 

Off the person sitting next to you?

So good you told it twice, boys?    Surely that's the whole point of the cinema though, cheeky grope in the dark?  No?  Just me? 

Clearly, I should have said fit, I thought I was going to have a fit. 

[Plattsy]

You made me go back and check my grammarness. 

I always get of and off mixed up

[SA Chris]

Too slow Plattsy, too slow.

[magpie]

You made me go back and check my grammarness. 

Sorry  It was cheeky to change it wasn't it?  I thought you might not notice and my weird OCD-like tendencies wouldn't let me leave it in my post.

[Plattsy]

Sorry. I will bring fresh homemade cake for all the Sheffield lot the next time I visit. My weird OCD-like tendencies won't let me leave it at home.

You are forgiven Maggers. 

[magpie]

 

  but you might want to check these guys out, they do GOOD cake.

[moose]

Star Trek - Agree with the rest of you: it's a pretty decent effort and far better than anyone other than rabid fanboys had any right to expect.  For my money it had a nice compromise between being a proper Star Trek film (photon-torpedoes, lasers, time-travel!) and affectionate mockery of the genre (Kirk's way with green laydeez, the sad fate of "Ensign Expendable" etc).   Okay, it had plot lines you could pilot a space station through, and I suspect Simon Pegg's Scottie plus assistant could be viewed as a being a bit "Jar Jar Binks", but I can't say I cared - it all just rattled along nicely.  I doubt it'll change anyone's mind about Star Trek: loather's of sci-fi will not have a road to Damascus moment, but it was a pleasant few hours.

State of Play is worth a watch too.  It doesn't have the depth of the BBC version - and at a fraction of the length how could it?  But, it's a pretty solid thriller: lengthy and complex but clear and fast moving enough to avoid boredom or confusion.  Russell Crowe is even good enough to remind you of the fact he used to be an actor rather than a snarling caricature (although I did wonder how such a purported slob managed to maintain such glossy and luxuriant hair).  That said, it is a bit cliched and old fashioned, but I'm pretty partial to the paranoid conspiracy genre (Parallax View, Five Days of the Condor, Manchurian Candidate etc) and find it hard to be too nasty about any film that's half-way intelligent.   

DVD-wise some recent highlights have been:

La Zona Mexican thriller in which a burglary in a gated-community goes badly wrong.  The surviving thief is trapped within, whilst the residents cover-up the deaths and organise a militia to hunt him down.  Efforts by the police to find the truth are met by a wall of silence and privilege.  It'san exciting enough chase film in it's own right, however, it also tries to address some larger matters: the value the rich put on the lives of the poor, how wealth can put people above the law etc (fairly current stuff - recent revelations about hit-squads in Brazilian cites etc.).  It also looks an absolute certainty to be remade - maybe a gated community in LA broken into by young, black teenagers from South Central etc?

I've Loved You So Young French film, Kristen Scott Thomas is a recently released prisoner slowly rebuilding her relationship with her sister.  Not much happens but it's acted out beautifully as KST becomes less guarded and more independent and the sisters explore their shared past.  There are revelations about the nature and circumstance of the crime, but to me it wasn't enormously important: the film's appeal does not lie in any shock-horror value but its characters.  Although it does keep you guessing as to just how heartening or tragic the outcome will be - will the past ever be forgiven by the family or the public?

The Children  British horror, a Christmas gathering of two families in a country house turns nasty when their children fall ill... before violently turning on their parents.  It is far better than it sounds: the acting and atmosphere are good and, before it kicks-off, there are some cute observations on modern family life.  For example, the behavior of the teenage daughter - estranged from both the adults and much younger kids, and the pushy, middle-class parent insisting on teaching their tiny tot Chinese!   But it's real strength is the disquieting atmosphere that sets in once the "accidents" start to happen - an air of unease that hints at more horror than actually occurs.  The children are blank-faced, spiteful automatons - yet still recognisably children - so there can be no easily victory, as what parent could bring themselves to kill their child?  It's not a truly great horror film by any means (doesn't have the poetic resonance of say Let The Right One In) but it's virtues were a welcome surprise as I'd not really heard of it (did it go straight to DVD?).  Recommended for anyone who liked Eden Lake, but thought it could have done with more zombies!

By the way... anyone any news / opinions on Terminator Salvation - I suspect I'm one of the few who rather liked T3 - but I'm not sure what to make of the latest installment.  Getting in Christian Bale was a good sign but the adverts all look a bit "Transformers" and it's directed by someone who calls himself McG ferfucksake!

[tomtom]

By the way... anyone any news / opinions on Terminator Salvation - I suspect I'm one of the few who rather liked T3 - but I'm not sure what to make of the latest installment.  Getting in Christian Bale was a good sign but the adverts all look a bit "Transformers" and it's directed by someone who calls himself McG ferfucksake!

Looking forward to it Moose - the trailers looked ace - and I've always loved the epic feel of the terminator films. I hope they've bought that back. I didnt like T3 - and ten  + years after the novelty of SGI has sunk in, T2 is not as great as it felt at the time... I hope the characters are worked on...

[moose]

Bad news:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/may/21/terminator-salvation-christian-bale

I rather liked T3, viewed in it's own right I thought it was a decent Die Hard-esque action film: lots of self-mocking humour and probably the nearest Arnie will ever come to nailing comedy (high praise indeed!).  Though, I'll admit that it didn't have the portension of the prequels and that "triumph of the will" bit near the end (just before John Connor escapes to the bunker) where Arnie overcomes his programming was just plain embarassing.  I guess I prefer a film that doesn't pretend to be anything much better than an undemanding night-in with beer, to an out-and-out would-be epic that fails miserably.

Mind you, I'm also backwards enough to still be impressed by the CGI in T2.  To me, the effects still compare favourably with most modern blockbusters - they just seem incredibly well integrated into the action.  There isn't the obvious "CGI set-piece" thing you got in the likes of the LOTR series, the new Star Wars films, King Kong etc where everything just seems to have a slight outline with obviously blue-screened actors.  I guess the director was just sensible enough not to exceed the limitations of the available technology.   

[SA Chris]

Mind you, I'm also backwards enough to still be impressed by the CGI in T2.  To me, the effects still compare favourably with most modern blockbusters - they just seem incredibly well integrated into the action.  There isn't the obvious "CGI set-piece" thing you got in the likes of the LOTR series, the new Star Wars films, King Kong etc where everything just seems to have a slight outline with obviously blue-screened actors.  I guess the director was just sensible enough not to exceed the limitations of the available technology.   

I am too. It was just part of the action, not overblown and "obvious".

[tomtom]

Mind you, I'm also backwards enough to still be impressed by the CGI in T2.  To me, the effects still compare favourably with most modern blockbusters - they just seem incredibly well integrated into the action.  There isn't the obvious "CGI set-piece" thing you got in the likes of the LOTR series, the new Star Wars films, King Kong etc where everything just seems to have a slight outline with obviously blue-screened actors.  I guess the director was just sensible enough not to exceed the limitations of the available technology.   

I am too. It was just part of the action, not overblown and "obvious".

Yup - I didnt think it was overblown and obvious, but on reflection a whole chunk of the WOW from seeing T2 was what the special effects allowed... the fact the Terminator could be a blob of metal or anything else just took my breath away. Now revising my initial post - this is of course part of the plot - not just the graphics.. I guess I have become a bit stilted about more modern films that have plotlines driven by the effects... I'm not sure that was the case in T2. So I take back some of my cynicism... it must have been partially created by marking too many shit dissertations that evening 

Hmm, just read the link from Moose... thats a shame. It sounds like a dogs dinner..... Oh well, one for a rainy day and a DVD perhaps...

[slackline]

Up looks like it might be quite good.

[Falling Down]

Watched Body of Lies on DVD Saturday evening.  Worthwhile.

[slackline]

Reminds me I watched Changeling on Saturday evening, which despite having a rather emaciated Angelina Jolie in the lead role was very good.  Not the happy ending you hope for, but then its based on true events as opposed to fairytales.

[nik at work]

You made me go back and check my grammarness. 

I always get of and off mixed up

I think in this case it doesn't matter, the joke still stands. In fact you used "of" (implying Magpie was going to do the stroking and the person next to her would be strokee) as opposed the SA Chris who had Maggers as the strokee. Magpie "correcting" your posting to "off" instead of "of" simply removed the clever twist on SA Chris' initial joke that you had (apparently inadvertently) made.

It's all a bit academic really as Maggers is more of a crusher than a stroker...

[Plattsy]

You made me go back and check my grammarness. 

I always get of and off mixed up

(implying Magpie was going to do the stroking and the person next to her would be strokee) as opposed the SA Chris who had Maggers as the strokee.

Exactly what I was going for. 

However I did have to double check my use of "of".

Bad news:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/may/21/terminator-salvation-christian-bale

Better news:

http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=10354

[magpie]

I stroke as well as crush, I'll have you know; it just depends what list you're on at the time which you get!   

Changeling sounds good.

[slackline]

Changeling sounds good.

It was surprisingly good, I even managed to stay awake for all of it (I normally fall asleep watching films and have watch them again!).

Going through the phone just now it seem I made a note to buy a film I saw on TV at some point...

Inside I'm Dancing

A touching movie about a guy with Cerebal Palsy who's encouraged to get out and live life when another disabled person moves into the care home.  More details are there on IMDB link, but I really enjoyed this (it too kept me awake!) and found it quite touching yet invigorating at the same time.

[Houdini]

Valkyrie.


Not much to recommend it really; OK for filling a few gaps in one's WWII knowledge (though I thought Goebbels looked pukka), but nothing I'd buy or hire.  Torrent or TV only.

[Eddies]

Watched 'Kenny' tonight... Mocumentry about an Ozzie bloke who maintains porta-loo's... Really Funny

"There's another classic example of someone having a two inch arsehole and us having installed only one inch piping"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0822389/

[tomtom]

Watched 'Kenny' tonight... Mocumentry about an Ozzie bloke who maintains porta-loo's... Really Funny

"There's another classic example of someone having a two inch arsehole and us having installed only one inch piping"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0822389/

Thats an ace film - Saw it on a Singapore air flight back from Oz a couple of years ago... I raved about it to a few people, but generally drew blank/odd looks in reply when describing the plot/theme!