[SA Chris]

Indeed. In the same way I don't know how anyone can have an opinion on a film after watching it on a flight.

[slackline]

How can you not like the cinema?? 

a) Its expensive.
b) There are other people who interrupt your concentration.
c) There's no pause function when you need a piss, and when you do go you then have to interrupt others concentration.
d) Few allow you to drink alcohol whilst watching a film.

[SA Chris]

e) not everyone has a huge multiplex (or two) within a stone's throw of their flat.

[rich d]

F) some people (me and the wife) don't want to a waste a precious baby sitter chance to have a night out the doesn't involve getting drunk.

[Jaspersharpe]

What slackers said. Plus as discussed previously, when you have kids and get a  babysitting favour then a good restaurant and / or the pub are always better options. EDIT - rich, you beat me to it!

I have no problem getting immersed in a film when watching it at home.

Drive is definitely a cinema/home theatre film. I could imagine my mind wandering during those long scenes if I wasn't so immersed in the whole thing.

Funny cos it's been a long time since I found a film as gripping. The sense of tension and potential disaster just round the corner all the way through it (along with the quality of the cinematography and the soundtrack) was what made it great. As an aside, my Mrs also loved it and was similarly gripped. This is very unusual, she's a tough crowd when it comes to films.

Anyway, to each their own*.

*But magpie is still wrong about In Time which is fucking abysmal.

[Iesu]

Not new either but I watched "patagonia" a trilingual (Welsh/English/Spanish) film with subtitles. I'm bound to be biased towards welsh language actors and films, but I thought it was quite good really.

The acting may not have been top drawer (Duffy, dwi'n meddwl amdanach chi rwan), and parts of the plot a bit outlandish (Viking burial) but quite good in a "the missus would enjoy it as it's a bit of a tearjerker" kind of way.

has anyone seen "Separado"? The Gruff Rhys film about tracking down relatives in Patagonia?

[Fultonius]

Don't get me wrong, I can totally understand that for a lot of people the cinema is a much less attractive option. I watch most film at home ( i do have a sub woofer/surround sound thingmy and big-ish tv).

But, but but but, I'm surprised people don't like the cinema 

Each to their own.

Indeed. In the same way I don't know how anyone can have an opinion on a film after watching it on a flight.

Ok, discount my scathing review of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. I saw it on the plane. It's still horseshit though 


P.S. in my last post I meant to say plane, not place.

[Iesu]

i'm with you; I forgot to mention that I far prefer being at a "proper" cinema (but I HATE modern multiplexes, can't beat an good old fashioned cinema). 

I DON'T have a subwoofer or surround sound so maybe that's part of the reason why (I do like the fact that i can rent films online for 99p, especially since my local Blockbuster closed down)

[Yossarian]

Drive - it was the sparseness of dialogue / not needing to say things for the sake of giving actors something to do that I found particularly potent.

Interestingly, the only Ryan Gosling film that I'd seen previously was the also very good Half Nelson, in which he does a lot of not talking too.

I've recently tried to make right the behaviour that included the viewing of In Time - reacquainting myself with the rest of Nicholas Winding Refn's oeuvre. The Pusher Trilogy is really amazing cinema, particularly the first and the third. It really knocks the whole of the British Lock Stock gangland pr0n era into a cocked hat.

Bizarrely though, an Australian film called The Hard Word was almost certainly an down under attempt at cashing in on the Lock Stock mentality, but by combining a decent chunk of butchery ephemera and Aussie charm, it is remarkably appealing. The cast is pretty strong though, which is probably why it works so well.

Armadillo - a Danish Afghan documentary, very similar to the previously mentioned Restrepo. I think its amazing how visionary documentary makers these days can really create such polished and slick cinema on such low budgets. It's a beautiful film, if ultimately depressing in the way that anything related to Afghanistan usually ends up.

[moose]

The Guard - suffice to say, I agree with the almost uniformly good reviews.  A "high concept" summary is the plot of "48 Hours"  in the style of "In Bruges".  But, much better than that - Brendan Gleeson's lead character has a depth of sadness behind his contrary ways that makes him far more appealing than the usual local-yokel cipher of these affairs.

[SA Chris]

Indeed. In the same way I don't know how anyone can have an opinion on a film after watching it on a flight.

Ok, discount my scathing review of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. I saw it on the plane. It's still horseshit though 

I forgot you had said that, it was just an observation in general.

[psychomansam]

Warrior: Good stuff. Watch it before training!

Scores 8+ on IMDB but found it hard to get friends to watch it by just giving them the plot summary. Could tell it was gonna be good, but it was better than i expected. Combines worthwhile drama with some UFC style fun in the "cage" 

Wanted to go train after watching this, if only it hadnt've been midnight.

[magpie]

How can you not like the cinema?? 

Pretty much what everyone else said; the cost, the lack of control about when it starts and finishes, not being allowed a glass of wine or a G&T, the having to leave the house but mostly what I hate is the people.  Chatting, eating, pissing about on their phones, snogging, breathing loudly, fidgeting, sitting right in front of me with their giant heads.   

The only thing I like about the cinema is the smell in the foyer.  I'll go to see 3D films at the Imax or ones which I know will be much better on the big screen and I am really keen to see them but other than that I just can't bring myself to do it.  Also adding to my irrational hatred (at least I am aware it's partly irrational  ) is the fact that it's so often suggested for a first date, why if I want to get to know someone better would I choose to spend 2 hours in a dark room, not talking, not looking at them and generally ignoring everything but the giant TV?! 

I thought Warrior was really good too, I do love a bit of UFC though so it's not surprising I liked it.

[yorkshireman]

went to see the girl with the dragon tattoo saturday night.brilliant film,very well put together,quite dark,pretty violent in places.not seen the swedish version or read the book but hoping to in the near future.highly recomended

[BB]

Watched the the girl who played with fire and despite the first one being quite good, i found it to be complete and utter arse gravy. Can't bring myself to

Same for moneyball. Interesting concept but went on and on and on and on.....and on.

Real Steel was unmittigated tosh too.

I shall try either Trollhunter or Tinker tailor soldier spy tonight and report back.

[psychomansam]

There's so much shit out there, so much generic crap. And when hollywood remakes  a swedish film, I know what I'd rather see.

I hate the multiplex cinemas. The whole concept and set up makes me feel like a guinea pig in a lab. Horrid places. Impersonal. And then there's the films... So I don't go. And if I want to see mainstream films I watch them at home, most often with friends.

On the other hand, independent cinemas can be different, and having one of the best student cinemas and one of the best indy cinemas in the country doesn't hurt, for those of us in sheffield. Reckon i'm off to see shame tomorrow night at showroom... will report back on how traumatised i am. 

[magpie]

We've got both of those (Troll Hunter / TTSS) to watch too, I am not at all sure about Troll HUnter but apparently it's better than most people expected it to be / so bad it's actually quite good.

[SA Chris]

I hate the multiplex cinemas. The whole concept and set up makes me feel like a guinea pig in a lab. Horrid places. Impersonal. And then there's the films... So I don't go. And if I want to see mainstream films I watch them at home, most often with friends.

On the other hand, independent cinemas can be different, and having one of the best student cinemas and one of the best indy cinemas in the country doesn't hurt, for those of us in sheffield.

Agree. And I hate sticky carpets!

The local indie here is pretty good too, along with all the out of mainstream pics, they also show lots of things that you normally only get to see on DVD; they showed the new Scottish surf movie, The Art of Flight snowboarding film, some of the recent Collective MTB Films. And they really are worthwhile watching on a big screen.

[moose]

We've got both of those (Troll Hunter / TTSS) to watch too, I am not at all sure about Troll HUnter but apparently it's better than most people expected it to be / so bad it's actually quite good.

It's far better than that - it's good because it's good!  Can't be categorised easily - it's funny, but not really a comedy; has monsters, but not consistently scary enough to be a horror. 

It's a fake realist documentary of an imaginary job!  What the old Belgian film "Man Bites Dog" was to serial killers, this does the same for troll hunting.  Basically takes an fantastic premise and demystifies it by entertainingly dragging it into the mundane.  Troll Hunting is just another, low paid, unappreciated civil-service job.  Full of moaning about pay and conditions, bitching about the boss and moaning about rules and regulations.  All leavened with plenty of black humour and some entertaining peril.  Another comparison that somewhat bizarrely comes to mind is that NHS sitcom Getting Out (the one written by Jo Brand); a mixture of black humour, broad comedy and exasperation.  That said, I'm likely over-analysing it.  It's a film about killing big monsters innit?

[galpinos]

What the old Belgian film "Man Bites Dog" was to serial killers, this does the same for troll hunting.

I'm hoping it has fewer scenes as uncomfortable as those in Man Bites Dog.

[moose]

I'm hoping it has fewer scenes as uncomfortable as those in Man Bites Dog.

No fear there.  It's a similar premise but an opposite effect to Man Bites Dog.  To me, the mundanity in MBD accentuated the horror (this could be happening near you, the setting is everyday and I am a potential victim).   With Troll Hunter, the mundanity just makes the horror funny (wouldn't it be great if this really was happening.... safely away in the back of beyond!).

Strange really that MBD haasn't been subject to a Hollywood remake.  I guess shaky-cam gore-pr0n like Saw, Hostel etc might be a legacy, though those films are perhaps more the bastard off-spring of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. 

[galpinos]

I was hoping to watch Troll Hunter with the wife, I'm not sure she could stomach MBD.

No fear there.  It's a similar premise but an opposite effect to Man Bites Dog.  To me, the mundanity in MBD accentuated the horror (this could be happening near you, the setting is everyday and I am a potential victim).   

As you probably know, that was the original title, "It's happening near you". I agree with all of the above. I found it all quite uncomfortable to watch, with the film crews increasing involvement and the fact that Benoît Poelvoorde creates a serial killer with whom I found myself liking and at times, sympathising with.

Strange really that MBD hasn’t been subject to a Hollywood remake.  I guess shaky-cam gore-pr0n like Saw, Hostel etc might be a legacy, though those films are perhaps more the bastard off-spring of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. 

I think it would be a very difficult re-make. The shear horror of some scenes (the rape and murder of the couple in their home) aren't really Hollywood fodder.

[moose]

I was hoping to watch Troll Hunter with the wife, I'm not sure she could stomach MBD.

As you probably know, that was the original title, "It's happening near you". I agree with all of the above. I found it all quite uncomfortable to watch, with the film crews increasing involvement and the fact that Benoît Poelvoorde creates a serial killer with whom I found myself liking and at times, sympathising with.

I think it would be a very difficult re-make. The shear horror of some scenes (the rape and murder of the couple in their home) aren't really Hollywood fodder.

No fear with Troll Hunter - the MBD comparisson is more of technique rather than content.  As I said at first, for me Troll Hunter wasn't a horror film - as its focus was more on slice-of-life humour than shock. 

I didn't know that about MBD's original title - good knowledge!  Re a remake being too horrible for Hollywood... that didn't stop them with Funny Games, which was pretty disturbing.  Just imagine.. Man Bites Dog starring the cast of Glee!  They should start filming now, maybe wait until after remaking Irreversible as a Tom Hanks vehicle!

[Jaspersharpe]

Are you a soldier? Good soldiers get fucked to death!

[galpinos]

I didn't know that about MBD's original title - good knowledge!  Re a remake being too horrible for Hollywood... that didn't stop them with Funny Games, which was pretty disturbing.  Just imagine.. Man Bites Dog starring the cast of Glee!  They should start filming now, maybe wait until after remaking Irreversible as a Tom Hanks vehicle!

I did French with Engineering at uni and in an attempt to impress girls of a more artistic nature, watched a lot of foreign/arthouse films. Man Bites Dog is C'est Arrivé Près de Chez Vous – It’s happening where you live. Turns out it doesn’t make a good date movie. Neither did the Lars Von Trier film The Idiots come to think of it. As an aside, if you like Benoît Poelvoorde and can cope with subtitles; Le Vélo de Ghislain Lambert is very good, especially if you like cycling.

Right. Troll Hunter is on the list. Thinking of heading to Manchester’s independent cinema on Thurday, Cornerhouse but what to see, The Artist or Shame?