Now Screening - What Are You Watching Right Now?

[Barry]

Working my way through Eureka's new release on their Masters of Cinema label ~ Fuller at Fox: 5 Films 1951-1957 Blu-ray.

Attachment 26942

An opportunity to see a few of his films unknown to me, The House of Bamboo, Fixed Bayonets, and Hell and High Water.

Sam Fuller has never been a favourite director of mine, the best of his I've seen so far is Underworld USA from Sony's Samuel Fuller Film Collection Region 1 DVD.

Attachment 26943

Eureka distribute some great films - especially Japanese cinema.

[Barry]

National Treasure



Enjoyable hokum - not to be taken at all seriously. 6/10


Bangkok Dangerous



Nicholas Cage plays a convincing and successful 'hit man', who then ignores his own strict and self-imposed rules of his profession. 3/10


Pulp Fiction



Initially, I loathed this film as it seemed to me to make violence look 'chic' or 'cool'. However on repeated viewing (I'm usually prepared to give films a second chance), I realised the violence was 'cartoon' as were all of the characters and is one of the most darkly comic and/or comically dark films ever made. It's fast, funny, tragic, sharp, and surreal. Having revised my opinion, I'd rate it 8/10.


This is Spinal Tap



One of the best, if not THE best 'mocumentary' films ever made. 11/10


Dark Star



John Carpenter's pulp science fiction classic - a parody of Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyessy'. Obviously made on a shoestring, but hugely enjoyable and funny nonetheless. 9/10


Enigma



Bit of a curate's egg - part fictionalised documentary, part thriller, and part love story with a sadly ludicrous "39 Steps" ending. I enjoyed it, but if you are looking for a history of the wartime breaking of the Enigma code - look elsewhere. That said, the period detail (apart from the railway footage) is well researched and correct, and the incidental music by John Barry is a plus. 6/10


Mr Turner



Best seen on the wide screen, this film is more about the singular, bluff and not very pleasant character of J. M. Turner, than it is about his paintings. Beautifully played by Timothy Spall and directed by the excellent Mike Leigh, this film is well worth watching. 8/10

[Tim]

Pulp Fiction



Initially, I loathed this film as it seemed to me to make violence look 'chic' or 'cool'. However on repeated viewing (I'm usually prepared to give films a second chance), I realised the violence was 'cartoon' as were all of the characters and is one of the most darkly comic and/or comically dark films ever made. It's fast, funny, tragic, sharp, and surreal. Having revised my opinion, I'd rate it 8/10.

That's something easily missed with Tarantino until you get how he ticks. It's even more prevalent in Kill Bill - he likens a lot of his work as fairy stories and has said people regularly take them far too seriously. I had to check myself during the final 'gory' scenes of his last film, when I realised I was laughing and everyone else was going 'errrrr'. They missed the point entirely.

His dialogue in PF though, it's priceless and possibly his best work and without doubt the pinnacle of many of the actors careers. Christopher Walkens 'gold watch' speech is a masterpiece.

It's a classic.

[Marco]

Quite a good selection of films there, Barry!

Right now, this:



Trailer:



Marco.

[Marco]

Right now....



Trailer:




Description:

A US truck driver, Paul, is attacked by Iraqis and finds himself six feet underground with no idea of this claustrophobic situation. With just a lighter and a cellphone, he races against time.

Marco.

[Marco]

Wow - that was quite hard-hitting....

Marco.

[struth]

monty python and the holy grail. 1975

[struth]

monty python and the holy grail. 1975

They will never make another like that.. Pure genius and a certain level of madness.

[struth]

Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. 1993.

[struth]

Stanley Kubrick's 1972 masterpiece.

A Clockwork Orange.
A bit of the old ultraviolence