What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

[HungFist]

Out of focus doesn't count

[Markgway]

It does if you can make out the nipple!

[saltysam]

Hangover 3 1.5/5 Last in the trilogy is a weird,loathsome ending to a series that started entertainingly enough but quickly wore out it's welcome. Hard to describe this as a "comedy" it's a mean spirited and tired tale throughout it's 100 minutes...and i'm sure Bradley Cooper was in on a secret bet to see how many times he could say "what the fuck" throughout

[Markgway]

The Monster Squad (1987-USA) **
House III: The Horror Show (1989-USA) *

[saltysam]

Black Eagle 1/5 you'd have to imagine it'd be pretty hard to make a boring movie starring Sho Kosugi & Van Damme when they were at their late 80's peak but Eric Karson has somehow managed it. A lame spy story set in Malta what little action there is is poorly choregraphed and the climactic Van Damme/Kosugi face off is a real disappointment. the german blu-ray of the directors cut has been scrubbed into a DNR mush,probably the worst case of it since The Predator re-issue

[Markgway]

Machete Kills (2013-USA-Russia) **
Colourful characters, hot babes, and ludicrous splatter are amusing for a short while... but the whole enterprise grows wearisome far too quickly. It's hard to know where grindhouse parody stops and mediocre filmmaking begins given that all of Rodriguez's output is in the same vein. Mind you, how many proper grindhouse films with eight-figure budgets do you know of? Mel Gibson outclasses everyone and deserves better projects.

[Markgway]

Prisoners (2013-USA) **½

Long, but absorbing thriller in which two little girls are kidnapped and the extreme, torturous response of their parents. A tough watch, especially for parents. The plot manages to fool you just enough, but its detours are convoluted - the red-herring with the adult escapee recreating the murders and committing suicide doesn't really add up - and its sick twist raises far too many questions - at any stage Alex could've saved himself agony by telling where he saw the girls... if he's as innocent as the film ultimately suggests, he's no reason not to. Also, why would he deny telling Keller in the parking lot that he saw the girls? If his I.Q is extremely low it would limit the likelihood of him lying.. Niggles aside, worth a look. It's worth mentioning that the culprit is one of the most truly evil characters I've ever seen in a film.

[Markgway]

Maniac Cop 2 (1990-USA) **½
Maniac Cop 3 (1992-USA) **½

[saltysam]

Cohen & Tate 2.5/5 80's thriller starring the great Roy Scheider & the far less great Adam Baldwin as two hitmen charged with bringing a small boy who witnessed a mob hit back to Houston. Mostly taking place in a car Scheider is excellent but the over the top Baldwin is irritating.Worth a watch.

Streets Of Fire 2.5/5glossy 80's actioner built up a cult following down the years,it's not that great but entertaining enough,certainly never drags.

[Markgway]

Deadly Blessing (1981-UK-USA) **½

[HungFist]

Maniac Cop 2 (1990-USA) **½
Maniac Cop 3 (1992-USA) **½

How do they compare to Maniac Cop 1? I haven't seen any of them, but got the impression that the sequels are better (and more like action film)

[Markgway]

Maniac Cop 2 (1990-USA) **½
Maniac Cop 3 (1992-USA) **½

How do they compare to Maniac Cop 1? I haven't seen any of them, but got the impression that the sequels are better (and more like action film)

The sequels are a slight step up from the original, which still isn't bad.

2 is the best overall, but 3 has an amazing finale.

[grim_tales]

In the Line of Fire (1993): 4/5

Exciting and tense political thriller, Clint Eastwood is superb in it, even throwing in some old style one liners and references to his older characters (thats what it seemed like to me). But John Malkovich is menacingly brilliant as the villain too and should not be overlooked.

[Markgway]

From Beyond (1986-USA) *½

Compliance (2012-USA) **½
A pervert crank caller (posing as a cop) convinces dumb fast food workers to sexually abuse a young female colleague falsely accused of a theft that never happened. If this weren't a true story you'd never believe it. Fascinating, and well-acted, but obviously deeply unpleasant. The director spares the strongest details, removing any 'complicity' from the viewer. No Funny Games style accusations of voyeurism here. Not something you'll watch twice.

[HungFist]

Bullet to the Head (USA, 2013) [BD] – 3/5
Walter Hill’s throwback to the 80’s is much more of a real action movie than some of the recent post modern teen movies à la Expendables 2. The film is basically a poor man's 48 Hours with zero originality and somewhat insufficient chemistry between the leads. Even then, in the year 2013 it’s a small treat with its serious approach to violent buddy action. CGI blood is used, but quick cuts make it less obvious than usual.

[Markgway]

Walter Hill insisted on replacing Thomas Jane with Sung Kang.

Mistake.

I think original director Wayne Kramer would've done a better job; but I still quite enjoyed the film for the reasons you outline.

[HungFist]

The Counselor (USA, 2013) [Cinema] – 4/5
Ridley Scott’s excellent, bleak crime drama turned out far too dark and fragmented to please mainstream audiences and even some critics (though many have already ranked it as one of the year’s best films). The Cormac McCarthy adaptation is admittedly a notch too poetic in its dialogue, but the slow and careful build-up and Scott’s mature direction are an increasingly rare feast these days. Though the film only features a handful of graphic violence, the tone is extremely pessimistic – enough to make it an unusual project for such a star studded cast (except for Brad Pitt who frequently takes risky roles).

The year's most under-rated film.

[Markgway]

Wow, that's the first good review I've seen that film get.

Will probably wait until it shows up on TV.

[HungFist]

In Finland there's actually a number of critics who gave it a four star review (out of five) and called it Scott's best film in a long time, although some did bash it.

The film seems to be hated first and foremost by the mainstream audiences and mainstream critics (you know its a bad sign when the review / comment begins with the words "I'm a big arthouse fan / Cormac McCarthy fan / Ridley Scoff fan..." ). That's not saying everyone with better taste ought to like it, but I can see why mainstream won't: too dark, too slow, too fragmented (a lot of characters instead of a traightforward narrative), no hero to cheer for...

[HungFist]

Spring Breakers (USA, 2013) [DVD] – 4/5
Harmony Korine’s incredible, absurd satire on Western pop idol and teen party culture fests in excessiveness. Much like some of the best exploitation movies the film blurs the line between satire and exploitation. Exactly how did Korine manage to attract popular teen idols (Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson) whose culture he’s mocking into the lead roles and then release the film to their fans, remains the greatest cinematic trick of 2013. An instant cult film.

[Markgway]

Hung, do you seek out films that have been critically mauled?

[HungFist]

hah, it was a coincidence, but amusing nevertheless.

Actually I think Spring Breakers was quite well received among critics. Most reviews I've seen have been positive. I didn't realize the ridiculously low IMDb rating (5.4) until after seeing the film.

[Markgway]

Actually I think Spring Breakers was quite well received among critics.

Really? I hadn't heard anything good. Maybe Finnish critics are kinder?

Might check it out on TV if only to see Vanessa Hudgens in the buff.

[Markgway]

Con Air (1997-USA) **½

Your Highness (2010-USA-UK) *½
If anachronistic use of the f-word was sign of comedic genius then this movie would earn ****.
It isn't thus it doesn't.

Conviction (2010-USA) **½
Commited true story drama about a woman's pursuit to free her wrongly convicted brother from a murder rap. Some strong performances, but never really catches fire.
The biggest tragedy is that the innocent man died from an accident six months after his release.

The Mangler (1994-USA-South Africa) *½

Massacre at Central High (1976-USA) **

[grim_tales]

Django Unchained: 3.5/5

Entertaining enough spaghetti Western homage overall with some good music by Morricone, and other films that adds to the atmosphere (though the more modern sounding rap music sounded out of place). Jamie Foxx and Leonardo Dicaprio are great in it, but the CGI blood sticks out like a sore thumb and it overall feels too long.
The scene with the Ku Klux Klan (?) (the guys with bags on their heads) complaining they couldnt see is funny