Nasty Goes To The Movies

Nasty, as it happened I rewatched the Indy films a few weeks ago. Raiders really was the best of the bunch, and you could say it defined the genre as a whole.

Jumanji was better than I thought it would be too. Poking good fun at videogame tropes.

Reply #441. Apr 25 20, 9:35 AM

nasty_liar

I am part of a WhatsApp ‘Film club’ that one of my friends set up during lockdown. One of the films was Mars Attacks but I couldn’t join in that night. Good to suggest lighthearted films though yeah scorpion.

Gil, yes and Dwayne Johnson makes fun of himself perfectly.

I watched quite a few more.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Great film doesn’t quite package it as neatly as Raiders but great chemistry between Connery and Ford.

Indy and the Crystal Skull
Not as bad as I was expecting but that’s not saying too much. Very average but I think I enjoyed it slightly more than Temple.

A Town Like Alice (1956)
Absolutely brilliant World War Two film and British women and children Pows in Malaysia. Heartbreaking but with a flash of romance through its core. Understated excellence from Virginia McKenna and Peter Finch.

Jawbone
British boxing drama, written and starring Johnny Harris with support from Ray Winstone. Good stuff here and a great example of how to shoot a boxing bout on film. That part was excellent.

Reply #442. Apr 25 20, 11:59 AM

nasty_liar

Not a movie but tonight I watched, with my brother (we started it simultaneously on Netflix then chatted over whatsapp while it was on), Star Trek episode Spocks Brain.

I was laughing for more of the run time. It's such a ridiculously hilarious episode. So shockingly bad that it is hysterically funny. What really gets me is when they keep cutting to a close up of brainless Spock's face.

I think the actors were treating this script with the disdain it deserved with their completely over the top delivery. "Bones, are you saying he was dead?"
"Jim, he's worse than dead"
"What is it Bones?"
"His brain is gone!!!!"

Reply #443. Apr 26 20, 4:06 PM

brm50diboll

You completely abandoned your movie format to go after Star Trek?

OK. I'll admit it. Like every other TV show, Star Trek TOS has bad episodes. Particular in the very uneven third season, of which this was the first episode. Fine, have your laughs. This gave Shatner and all the other actors a chance to do their classic overacting lines Star Trek was known for, and, as an added plus, the "villains" were space bimbos in skimpy outfits who were clueless. Perfect Star Trek, complete with 60s vintage sexism!

https://tinyurl.com/y8pl69yn

Reply #444. Apr 26 20, 4:54 PM

nasty_liar

Absolutely! Oh I’ve watched Spocks brain so many times. It has a special place for me. I’d sooner watch that than quite a few other episodes that make more sense but are far less entertaining.

We decided to watch some Star Trek ‘together’ and I said “do you want an incredible episode or a laugh any bad one?”

He wanted the latter so we both immediately said Spocks brain!

Other episodes thrown out there were The Outrageous Okona from The Next Gen, Move Along Home from Deep Space Nine and Threshold from Voyager.

We will get to those in future weeks.

When we were kids, once we had watched all of the episodes of Star Trek and Star Trek The Next Gen several tunes over then the obvious thing to do whilst watching then was to nitpick them. We do so in the very thorough way that only someone that knows and loves the material well could do. We always think of inconsistencies between episodes, continuity problems and so on.

Tidbit of trivia, during that episode Spock said the word Fascinating four times!

Star Trek will always be my favourite TV franchise. No chance for anything else, I know it so well and have spent so much time watching it and reading about it that it is ingrained in my conscious.

Live long and prosper!

Reply #445. Apr 27 20, 1:16 AM

brm50diboll

A lesson for some who may need it:

Always ask why.

In this case, it was because the original creator, Gene Roddenberry, had been removed from the day-to-day operations of the show. (He was still available as a consultant, basically). Without the discipline of having to report directly to the original creator, the writers could not resist the formidable temptations to degenerate into self-parody. And it showed, which, among other things, contributed to Star Trek not being renewed for a fourth season. This sort of thing happens all the time, most recently with Game of Thrones and George RR Martin, when they passed the book material.

Deuteroisaiah is not Isaiah.

Reply #446. Apr 27 20, 3:54 AM

nasty_liar

Yes. There were still some good episodes in season three, but as you say they were straying wildly into sometimes cringeworthy parody. Although watching them back over fifty years later there is often cringeworthy material on display even in the good episodes!

Still love watching it.

Reply #447. Apr 27 20, 4:44 AM

C30

Nasty you ever attend Trek Cons? I attended most major (and a few minor) UK Cons 1980-1994.........met my wife at one. I was Security Chief and she one of my Stewards. :)

Nicest Guest I met..........probably Robin Curtis...........had her cracked up with laughter. She wanted me to take a photo of her and her "significant other" with her camera..................dambn thing wouldn't work for me.
"Well it's never done that before", she exclaimed ruefully. "I am sorry Lieutenant Saavik, but I am a Security officer, not a Science Officer", was my reply. She cracked up.

Guest I disliked the most.........by a country mile......William Shatner, not being one of those fans who considered the sun shone from his rear orifice! Trouble is, IMO - HE thought it did too!

Reply #448. Apr 27 20, 5:30 AM

nasty_liar

Sadly no, I have never gotten around to it. I love watching Q & A clips from conventions on YouTube though. I must make the effort to attend one.

I would always love to meet Patrick Stewart since he originates from Mirfield very close to my home town and he is an avid supporter of Huddersfield Town like me.

Reply #449. Apr 27 20, 7:21 AM

nasty_liar

A bit of catching up required....

The Incredibles (2004)
Good animated movie with an interesting take on superheroes.

The Martian (2015)
Not sure if I've done this one before. Essentially a mashup of Apollo 13 and Cast Away. Pretty good, it's an easy watch and is an optimistic movie not dark or gritty.

Trolls World Tour (2020)
Fast becoming a controversial film, not because of its content, because of what it represents to cinema. It might be grossing more than it would at cinema by being available to rent on steaming platforms....
My kids loved it, it's basically kind of a reimagining of the Avengers: Infinity War plot except with guitar strings instead of stones. It has a nice message about diversity but it's a big mess of loud and sometimes grating soundtrack.

The Prince of Egypt (1998)
The story of Exodus is just too much for a 90 minute animated movie that cannot decide whether it's tone should be for kids or adults.

The Terminator (1984)
I hadn't watched this for years and years. I always thought that T2, that I have watched many times, was the superior movie but having rewatched this I realise that they are probably about even. This chase film is just fleshed out with such a rich back story. Love it.

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Urgh, the prequels.

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the clones
The worst one

Revenge of the Sith
Watchable but still moments of horrible writing.

King Lear (2018)
Anthony Hopkins in the eponymous role. He rages and blazes through this as he mad king but I really don't have a basis to know how to judge this movie as an adaptation. Enjoyed it though.

Solo : A Star Wars Story (2018)
Average outing but at least it clarifies Hans Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs comment from Star Wars.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Great film for fans, wouldn't advise it for anyone that has never seen the original trilogy and doesnt know Star Wars backstory.

Reply #450. May 12 20, 2:04 AM

Gil_Galad

Ah, why such hate toward the prequels? Honestly, people often seem to hate on them just because it's the cool thing to do. The new trilogy is so much more disappointing. It has essentially the same plot as the original trilogy, when it could have been so much more. Sidebar - if you're looking for actually good Star Wars material, read some of the books set in the Star Wars universe. Vastly superior to the movies.

Reply #451. May 13 20, 11:29 AM

nasty_liar

No not because it’s cool, it’s because they are not good. Well revenge of the Sith is average but the other two are not good. When the overlong pod race sequence featuring the kids I’ve just been introduced to and don’t care about cane on I knew it was the perfect chance to go make a cuppa. I don’t discard them lightly I just don’t like them very much and they are bound to be compared unfavourably to three of the greatest films ever made of that genre.

I don’t like the sequels much either if that helps...

I did read much if the expanded universe, if that what you’re alluding to? I loved much of it. The New Jedi Order featuring the Yuuzhan Vong being my favourite series of books. Shame it is all essentially overwritten by the Disney sequels... :(

Reply #452. May 13 20, 2:21 PM

nasty_liar

And have you seen The Mandalorian? I really enjoyed that.

Reply #453. May 13 20, 2:22 PM

nasty_liar

Boba Fett was always one of my favourite characters in the expanded universe books. Anything to do with him or other Mandos was well received by me!

Reply #454. May 13 20, 2:23 PM

Gil_Galad

The Mandalorian, yes, that was surprisingly fun. Disney did something good after all.

But back to the point, the prequels did have some bad parts. Jar Jar Binks, kid Anakin, angsty adult Anakin, an awkward love story... but they were essentially an overlong origin story, limited storywise. And the fight sequences were infinitely superior to the originals, which, let's not forget, featured an absurdly long sequence with teddy bears.

As for the books, of course the expanded universe, but also newer additions. I read Catalyst last year, it provided a great background for the entire series.

Reply #455. May 16 20, 8:53 AM

nasty_liar

I have to be honest, I lost interest in the books post Disney.. I felt like much of what I had invested time reading no longer mattered... also I had kids and don't have as much time!

I was jesting a little when I summarised the prequels each in just a few words. I do have more in depth views on them but I had written more detailed reviews elsewhere and was too lazy to spend more effort here although my generalised thoughts of each is summarised fairly accurately above. I don't like Episode 2 at all and I find the first one to be generally quite tedious. It's not JarJar, there are many annoying characters in many movies who don't really affect ones appreciation of them as a whole.

Watched Force Awakens, I'd put that in a par with phantom menace but not as bad as Attack of the clones. It's a lazy copy of Star Wars 1977. Watched Last Jedi and I enjoy large parts of that but the ponderous story of the rebels slowly trying to escape the First Order is not enjoyable. I fact I don't like half of the characters, Poe, Finn, Rose... boring scenes when all you want to do is get back to seeing what Luke and Rey (and Kylo) are upto. I'd put Last Jedi on a par with or slightly better than Revenge of the sith.

I'm watching Rise Of Skywalker tonight! First time! I'll let you know what I think.

Reply #456. May 16 20, 10:05 AM

nasty_liar

More films

Ratatouille (2007)
Great animation, nice story. Delightful really.

Monsters University (2013)
Great prequel to Monsters Inc. thoroughly enjoyed it.

Little Mermaid (1989)
Songs are great, some of the characters are great but I just hate the story.

Little Mermaid II: Return to the sea (2000)
Why did I say they could pick anything? Like the first one except no good songs and retrodden plot elements.

Madagascar (2005)
So funny, great vocal talents. Just missing some good songs for a kids movie and also better moral tale perhaps?

The Eagle Has Landed (1976)
Interesting premise, a Ww2 Churchill kidnap plot, but doesn't live up to the promise and becomes quite a generic caper. Lighthearted but not intentionally funny. Accents all over the place. Here's my advice, either do them or don't do them...

The Rise of Skywalker 2019

Just makes me wish we could go back to the saga ending with Return of the Jedi really. It's a functional film I suppose that ends things in a satisfactory way... but I just end up thinking, why bother?
I'm going to rename this film, Star Wars Episode IX: the greatest hits album, because that's what it feels like. At least there will always be the original trilogy.

Citizen Kane (1941)

Always wanted to see this and I was not disappointed. What a great film. It's like a blueprint for countless modern movies.

Reply #457. May 20 20, 6:34 AM

scorpion1960

Still stuck at home and I found a moldy oldy movie. Every Saturday on METV is a hokey host who hosts his weekly horror (old horror) movie offerings. The host calls hisself Svengoolie. Tonights offering is a 1972 classic. Gargoyles.

Reply #458. May 23 20, 6:33 PM

nasty_liar

Haha! Are you watching them from behind the sofa?

I’ve never much appreciated horror as a film genre to be honest but obviously many, many people live it owing to the thousands of horror films that have been made!

Reply #459. May 24 20, 4:21 AM

nasty_liar

King Kong (1933)

This was no doubt incredible at the time and actually I don’t knock it for the stop motion effects it’s more the way the story plays out that’s the problem. Nice build during the first half despite the casual sexism and also some racism thrown in too. The second half is just rampaging beast after rampaging beast with practically zero of anything else besides almost constant blood curdling screaming. Iconic ending of course.

Tangled (2010)
Think I’ve done this before. Still the most expensive Animated movie ever made. Still my favourite Disney princess movie. It’s a great film.

A Bugs Life (1998)
Fairly generic stuff. Interesting themes on display but they are hamfisted and the middle portion of the film is pretty dull.

Fort Apache (1948)
Really good John Ford western. Filled with wide shots of beautiful landscapes, loving shots of men on horseback, homely scenes at the outpost with people who seem real (with the odd bit of ropey acting thrown in).
Henry Fonda is brilliant as the commanding officer and the final act provides the drama that draws in all of the set up and characterisation from earlier in the film. The final scene is crazily good and Ford somehow leaves it feeling upbeat even though it is nothing but.

Reply #460. May 24 20, 4:40 AM

489 replies. On page 23 of 25 pages. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Legal / Conditions of Use