Watched tonight on Film Four, Never Go back.

Jack Reacher's second movie instalment with the vertically challenged Tom Cruise. Though physically he is not right for the part still thought it was good entertainment.

Rocky 4 with my son. I'm making him sit through all my favourite films!

3 minutes ago, eltel72 said:

Rocky 4 with my son. I'm making him sit through all my favourite films!

How old is your son?

He's 10.

 

There's quite a few on my list he can't watch yet. Pretty safe with the Rocky films though. Not ready for Goodfellas yet!

Edited November 23, 20187 yr by eltel72

I'll think I'll go and watch the film, Mary Queen of Scots. It will be interesting to see how accurate it is. I've just watched the trailer of the film and it shows Mary meeting Elizabeth. Strange, as that never happened and the former as having a Scots accent: debatable as she spent most of her upbringing in France.

The execution of Mary should make interesting viewing as it was very bloody: it took the axeman a few attempts to remove her head.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.

Typically Coen.

If you take you eye off it for a moment, it's probably because someone just shot you in the back of the head. It's that kind of movie.

I watched the Queen film last night wasn't a good copy all I could see was a little silhouette of a man.

Just watched Aquaman on pirate after hearing it’s trash. I can confirm it’s trash.

49th Parallel.

Made in 1941 by Powell and Pressburger at the behest of the British Ministry of Information and set in Canada. A great cast including Laurence Olivier. Leslie Howard, Eric Portman and Raymond Massey. A propaganda film to encourage the Americans to enter WW2 and show them that the Germans were to be feared.

The plot of the film is that six Germans are sent ashore in Hudson Bay in Canada from a U-Boat to find supplies. The U-Boat had been tracked by the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Airforce. After the six are put ashore the U-Boat is detected and sunk. The film then concentrates on attempts by the six Germans to make their way to neutral USA. and then back to Germany. On the way they meet a number of locals and as the film progresses some of the six are captured or killed leaving only one played by Portman. Portman's character boards a train bound from Canada to the U.S.A. On the train he meets a Canadian soldier who has gone AWOL. After crossing the border the train is boarded by US Customs Officials who after some persuasion by the Canadian Soldier have the train turned around to Canada. That is how the film ends and the assumption is that the German is arrested.

Not long after the film was released the U.S.A entered the war after the attack on Pearl Harbour. 

On ‎22‎/‎03‎/‎2019 at 20:33, Boyne said:

49th Parallel.

Made in 1941 by Powell and Pressburger at the behest of the British Ministry of Information and set in Canada. A great cast including Laurence Olivier. Leslie Howard, Eric Portman and Raymond Massey. A propaganda film to encourage the Americans to enter WW2 and show them that the Germans were to be feared.

The plot of the film is that six Germans are sent ashore in Hudson Bay in Canada from a U-Boat to find supplies. The U-Boat had been tracked by the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Airforce. After the six are put ashore the U-Boat is detected and sunk. The film then concentrates on attempts by the six Germans to make their way to neutral USA. and then back to Germany. On the way they meet a number of locals and as the film progresses some of the six are captured or killed leaving only one played by Portman. Portman's character boards a train bound from Canada to the U.S.A. On the train he meets a Canadian soldier who has gone AWOL. After crossing the border the train is boarded by US Customs Officials who after some persuasion by the Canadian Soldier have the train turned around to Canada. That is how the film ends and the assumption is that the German is arrested.

Not long after the film was released the U.S.A entered the war after the attack on Pearl Harbour. 

It's interesting what propaganda is used in wars and films are part of that.

In the early 50's as Britain was extricating itself from Empire and trying to keep Britain on an even keel economically it was realising that the US was no longer a friend and there was proxy way being fought in the Middle East with the SAS supporting one group and US special forces supporting the opposite group. The UK also had its own Nuclear missile program.

James Bond was launched then as part of the propaganda war that the Britain still packed a punch probably both for domestic purposes via morale as much for international ones. After the mid 50s that relationship changed and perhaps that is when the special relationship came into being about foreign policy and international affairs.

Despite this change James Bond still went on to become a successful film series.

 

^ Strider - thought you might enjoy this article by the belated (& much missed) Christopher Hitchens.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2006/04/bottoms-up/304719/

14 hours ago, youlots said:

^ Strider - thought you might enjoy this article by the belated (& much missed) Christopher Hitchens.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2006/04/bottoms-up/304719/

Good analogy between Leitner and Bond.

Avengers Endgame.

Good, not great. Draws a line under the last ten years nicely which is what I was hoping for. 

Not sure I’ll be particularly invested in whatever films Marvel release after this although I’m curious what they’ll do now they’ve got the rights to X-Men and Fantastic 4 franchises following the Fox merger.

This Thursday, I'm going to see The Cold Blue. Description of the film below:

The Cold Blue is a new feature-length film, digitally restored, constructed from the material of 34 reels of raw, colour, footage shot during bombing missions in Germany. Captured by William Wyler, it was originally shot for the 1944 documentary The Memphis Belle: A story of a Flying Fortress. 
Incredibly all this footage was recently discovered, deep in the vaults of the National Archives by Director / Producer Erik Nelson. 

In 1943, Wyler went to Europe to document the Air War in progress during WWII for the creation of the classic 1944 documentary The Memphis Belle. Wyler captured footage of bombing missions over Europe whilst flying actual combat missions with B-17’s. 
In the Summer of 2017 nine of the very few surviving B-17 pilot veterans from this mission were interviewed and their voices take us through the harrowing world that Wyler and his cameramen captured in that summer of 1943. 
Created for the purpose of an immersive big screen experience, using every 21st century technical technique available, The Cold Blue presents original, colour footage, shot by Wyler and his team, restored frame by frame. Boasting a brilliant, original orchestral score by British musician, Richard Thompson and sound design by Black Panther’s David Hughes.

This event will be paired with an exclusive behind the scenes look at the making of The Cold Blue. Including a compelling and evocative look at WW2 via a range of unique perspectives, how the UK viewed the support of the allied troops, poignant and difficult moments brought to life via incredible colour footage, interviews of the 8th Airforce veterans and interviews with director Eric Nelson & Wyler’s daughter Catherine, telling the remarkable story behind the “found footage” and how The Cold Blue was created.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8693770/

@erskblue I think you would like this film. Only being shown on one day in this country. Details of which cinemas at:

https://www.mycineplace.com/event-releases/the-cold-blue?https://www.cinevents.co.uk/the-cold-blue&gclid=cj0kcqjw3ubobrdcarisao2xcyauqcbtyvqo36x5nimann1r6jpma-g1nup8cgmzusdop11k4fjumbiaaq3nealw_wcb

im certainly not a huge elton john fan, but quite enjoyed rocketman tonight.

 

I saw a familiar film a few days ago @Boyne. The new Spider-Man was quite good...

Annabelle Comes Home...utter sh*t.

Shazam - bollocks, goes on for an age

Hellboy - enjoyable watch on a Sunday afternoon. David Harbour (Hooper from stranger things) is perfect for the role. 

Watched the Maradona film last night.. absolutely fantastic. A great football biography.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

I saw this yesterday. I’m a huge QT fan. Basterds is my favourite of his films, closely followed by Dogs, Kill Bill Vol 1 and Pulp. And I think OUATIH will cement itself in 5th place.

It’s far, far superior to The Hateful Eight, which I found tedious in the extreme. DiCaprio is monumental in this, you really feel sorry for his character, trying to maintain his stardom in a town which so quickly forgets. And I haven’t enjoyed a Brad Pitt performance like this in ages- Cliff shone in this; the scene with Bruce Lee made me laugh out loud!

I have a morbid fascination with the Manson family and murders during this time anyway, having read the book Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders back in May. So my interest in this film was already heightened before going in the cinema.

I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll just say I thought the ending to the film, whilst incongruous to the previous 2hrs 15 mins, was a hoot. Especially considering what actually happened to Sharon Tate and her friends on that fateful night in August 1969.

Tarantino has returned to making proper films once more with OUATIH, not the grandstanding dialogue-heavy one-set melodramas. The colours, camera techniques and hilarious inserts of DiCaprio in old movies made this a true love-letter to a bygone era, and I loved every minute of it.

And yep, his foot fetish returns with a vengeance!

Watched Odette yesterday. Made in 1950 and is about Odette Sansom who served with the French Section of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during WW2. A great cast including Anna Neagle, Trevor Howard, Peter Ustinov and Marius Goring. The French SOE was headed by Maurice Buckmaster and he played himself in the film.

Oddette was born in France to French parents but moved to Britain after marrying her first husband who was British. After training with the SOE she served in France alongside Peter Churchill and they pretended they were married (after the war, they did marry) and after being betrayed and captured convinced they were related to Winston. Odette was tortured while in prison and ended up in the Ravensbruck concentration camp. She survived the war and was awarded the George Cross and the Legion d'honneur.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043871/

On the subject of the SOE I'm going to a talk about the organisation next week. A fascinating organisation but one that could be too secretive and there were tensions between the SOE and MI6.

Another great film, 633 Squadron, on the BBC this afternoon. @erskblueone of your favourite films I believe. Here's the theme tune. A classic.

 

Edited September 3, 20196 yr by Boyne

Joker.

On ‎05‎/‎10‎/‎2019 at 08:38, Jezz said:

Joker.

 

Went to see Joker on sunday with the family. Felt a bit uneasy when this came on.

On 25/08/2019 at 08:45, Blueblur said:

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

I saw this yesterday. I’m a huge QT fan. Basterds is my favourite of his films, closely followed by Dogs, Kill Bill Vol 1 and Pulp. And I think OUATIH will cement itself in 5th place.

It’s far, far superior to The Hateful Eight, which I found tedious in the extreme. DiCaprio is monumental in this, you really feel sorry for his character, trying to maintain his stardom in a town which so quickly forgets. And I haven’t enjoyed a Brad Pitt performance like this in ages- Cliff shone in this; the scene with Bruce Lee made me laugh out loud!

I have a morbid fascination with the Manson family and murders during this time anyway, having read the book Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders back in May. So my interest in this film was already heightened before going in the cinema.

I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll just say I thought the ending to the film, whilst incongruous to the previous 2hrs 15 mins, was a hoot. Especially considering what actually happened to Sharon Tate and her friends on that fateful night in August 1969.

Tarantino has returned to making proper films once more with OUATIH, not the grandstanding dialogue-heavy one-set melodramas. The colours, camera techniques and hilarious inserts of DiCaprio in old movies made this a true love-letter to a bygone era, and I loved every minute of it.

And yep, his foot fetish returns with a vengeance!

Nicely summed up. Agree with all of that- best film I've seen in ages!

 

4 hours ago, Andy North said:

 

Went to see Joker on sunday with the family. Felt a bit uneasy when this came on.

When you say ‘the family’ I hope it wasn’t the wife & kids 

Saw it Friday and I found myself sympathising with the title character