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

[Markgway]

Someone to Watch Over Me (1987-USA) ***
Newly promoted detective Tom Berenger is assigned to protect glamorous murder witness Mimi Rogers. Classy thriller from Ridley Scott.

[saltysam]

Paradise Alley 2/5 Stallone's directorial debut chronicles a tale of 3 brothers one of who is a super strong but simple minded giant.They decide to turn him into a wrestler and make their fortune from him. not bad but apart from the the wrestling brother the characters here are so unlikeable it's hard to warm to them.

Code Of Silence 2.5/5 Solid Chuck Norris vehicle.Here he's a by the book cop on the trail of Henry Silva.

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

Prince of the City (1981: Sidney Lumet):

In a way this is a companion piece to the earlier Lumet film Serpico in which also dealt with New York police corruption. Though this is more ambivalent, though I tend to agree with Lumet’s ultimate conclusion on what he thinks of the character even if it is not an easy choice. Treat Williams stars and gives a brilliant performance as the titular character Daniel Ciello (who is Prince of the City and based on real life) who decides to go undercover to find corruption among lawyers, bondsman and eventually against cops and unfortunately his partners even though his mantra throughout much of the film was that he would never give up his partners. While some critics at the time complained of its length that actually works for it as Ciello is eventually ensnared and used by a system that he is trying to help. It is almost unbearable to watch as Ciello is slowly unraveling and put in positions that could destroy him and will destroy many close to him. It has called documentary like, though there is a great artifice in how it is filmed. Camera angles, colors, compositions change as the film progresses to help push the feeling of claustrophobia and impending doom. You also do not know who is really on his side and who is just using him (with a few exceptions.)

There are scenes that are absolutely heartbreaking like when a junkie he beat up and then eventually he helps goes on to beats on his girlfriend as she had wasted some junk. But as the film progresses you just wander how the character survives with his wits intact.

This has one of the great ending freeze-frames (The 400 Blows is probably the most famous.)

You can see the Kurosawa influence in several early shots where one looks quite like Seven Samurai which mixed tracking shots cut with closer shots of the characters running. Some of the massive raining shots looked quite like Rashomon or a dozen other Kurosawa films. In the book Akira Kurosawa Interviews you read about how Kurosawa got to see this film in New York and talked it over with Sidney Lumet with William Friedkin listening (The French Connection which is interesting because this film has references to several events that really happened in that film.)

I think this can be considered underrated as it does not have that many IMDB votes and is only on a few critics lists that I know of. Thank goodness for a DVD release of it. If you like gritty cop movies like Serpico I think you will like this.

[Markgway]

Prince of the City has been on my to watch list for years now...

I liked the police corruption aspects of Serpico, but not his personal relationships, and "call me Paco" or whatever nonsense, through which the character came off as shouty and whiny. "No one is helping me... waaaah!" Realistic, maybe, but I couldn't help wishing Seagal would show up with a shotgun.

[Markgway]

Bugger, I posted reviews and lost them in a fucking page crash!

Here's some very short takes, as I can't be arsed remembering what I wrote...

Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdrome (1985-Australian) **½
Good, but not great.

Puppet on a Chain (1970-UK) **½
Dated, but watchable.

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

Prince of the City has been on my to watch list for years now...

I liked the police corruption aspects of Serpico, but not his personal relationships, and "call me Paco" or whatever nonsense, through which the character came off as shouty and whiny. "No one is helping me... waaaah!" Realistic, maybe, but I couldn't help wishing Seagal would show up with a shotgun.

Treat William's performance is less annoying and more nuanced then AL Pacino's. Interesting that both are based on real life people and cases and in New York. Watching the extras on both releases you get an idea of the real life characters (funny that Pacino doesn't seem that far off .). Sidney Lumet loved filming in New York.

[saltysam]

Creepshow 2/5 ok if overlong horror anthology from Stephen King & George Romero

Creepshow 2 1.5/5 cheap sequel,mercifully short.

52 Pick Up 2/5 Sleazy thriller from John Frankenheimer from an Elmore Leonard tale,Roy Scheider is solid as the blackmailed businessman but Ann-Margret as is wife is wasted,as is Doug McClure,reduced to a mere cameo here.

[Markgway]

Night Game (1989-USA) **½
Roy Scheider is a detective hunting a baseball-obsessed serial killer.
Pretty decent slasher-thriller, never breaks formula, but remains an engaging enough potboiler.
Good cast headed by the always fine Scheider and well supported by the likes of Richard Bradford, Paul Gleason, Rex Linn, and Lane Smith.

[Markgway]

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012-USA) *½
Exactly what the title says... overblown splatter nonsense (based on a novel!) drowns in horrendous video game-like CGI and historical bollocks (some aspects of which are downright offensive). Beware.

Hooper (1978-USA) **
An ageing (and injury plagued) stuntman tries to keep pace with a younger pretender. Lackadaisical Burt Reynolds comedy pays tribute to brave Hollywood stuntmen (even if they do come off as reckless assholes). Attempts at drama are feeble. You know what to expect from a Hal Needham movie.

The Reef (2010-Australia) **½
A sinking boat leaves four holidaymakers with little choice but to take their chances in shark-infested waters. Quite suspenseful horror picture, disturbingly based on a true story.

[HungFist]

Inherent Vice (USA, 2014) [DCP] - 3.5/5
I've never been on drugs, but I'd imagine its much like watching this film. There's not a single sober moment in this odd, intentionally incomprehensible private detective tale set at the end of the hippie age. The 2½ hour running time and the relative restraint in the humour department (which only makes the strangeness more pervasive) is no doubt going to be too much for many, but it has its strange charm plus wonderful performances and a great 1970s atmosphere.

Birdman (USA, 2014) [DCP] - 3.5/5
Yes, it's a fine film and Edward Norton is so much fun as asshole character actor, but the best film of the year? I can't help but to feel it's a bit pretentious, starting from the fake single shot approach that doesn't seem to serve that much purpose, to the ending which is left open for the sake of openness rather than being a clever twist. That being said, there's nothing especially wrong with the film. Quite good, but not quite great.

[Markgway]

Hit List (1989-USA) *½
Psychopathic hitman Lance Henriksen (wasted) mistakenly kidnaps the young son of grizzled soldier Jan-Michael Vincent (literally wasted) on behalf of mobster Rip Torn (hammy). Total blah except for one amusingly silly car chase involving the preposterously unstoppable killer. From the director of Maniac Cop... but less fun. Only Leo Rossi (as the intended target - a mob informant) emerges with any acting credit.

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

... 52 Pick-Up (1986-USA) **
Businessman Roy Scheider is framed and blackmailed for the murder of the young hottie he was having an affair with. Sleazy thriller hasn't enough flair or thrills to overcome unpleasant material. Adaptation of Elmore Leonard novel is less good than I remembered.

Funny that I saw this recently as well. There are a couple of aspects I like about the film: John Glover's performance (I was thinking that he looked familiar and then after looking him up I see that he was in Smallville, damn that beard threw me off) and the ending. Though what made me laugh was how that ending reminded me of the earlier High Anxiety. The direction was fine from John Frankenheimer though nowhere near as good as Seven Days in May, The Manchurian Candidate and Birdman of Alcatraz to me.

[Markgway]

Now hold on there, sport...

[Markgway]

Wild Card (2014-USA) **
Disappointing remake of William Goldman's Heat (penned by the author himself) casts Jason Statham in the old Burt Reynolds role. Not unwatchable, but the film lacks charm, and overdoes the brutal violence (another of those 'how did this get a '15'?' jobs.

[saltysam]

Coffy 2/5 Ok blaxploitation actioner from Jack Hill.Pam Grier s a real presence in the title role

Skin Trade 2/5 Team up of Dolph Lundgren & Tony Jaa is an ok actioner but very much by the numbers and nothing special.

[Markgway]

Career Opportunities (1991-USA) *½
Below average John Hughes script has annoying janitor Frank Whaley locked overnight in a department store with the gorgeous Jennifer Connolly. Lucky git. Even as extremely unlikely wish fulfilment this doesn't work, since the characters are unlikeable and there's no way we believe that Connolly's rich babe will run off with a nerdy fantasist . The third act - in which a pair of murderous buffoons break into the store - is especially tough to take.

[HungFist]

Furious Seven (USA, 2015) [DCP] - 3/5
This was kind of like a loose remake of The Man who Stole the Sun with Jason Statham playing Bunta Sugawara's role and everyone else in Kenji Sawada's role. Or maybe 'superheroes assemble' would be a better description. It's an utterly ridiculous film (Vin Diesel falls from a fucking mountain and doesn't have a scratch on him) but it works for that exact reason. During its best moments it's like a kick-ass Sonny Chiba film for kids (there's an insanely great moment when Dwayne Johnson decides to leave the hospital). Of course there also plenty of terrible music, super-corny Paul Walker tribute, and barely any good car chases, but Statham, Johnson and Russel save a lot. The stunts are real and amazing, but unfortunately the filmmakers felt the need to add bits of CGI and multiple edits almost everywhere to make them look less real. Still, it's a great children's movie and pretty fun for adults too. I would've been in heaven if I had seen this at the age of 12.

[Markgway]

U.S. Marshals (1998-USA) **½
Retread of The Fugitive follows all the same story beats to somewhat diminished effect -- why couldn't Snipes have actually been guilty?. Competent, but uninspired and overlong. First act plane crash (in DTS-HD audio) is highlight.

Paranoiac (1962-UK) **½
Above average Hammer chiller from Freddie Francis, one of many creepy B&W psychodramas made in the wake of Psycho's success. At 80m the film doesn't outstay its welcome, but isn't quite distinguished enough to go into the classic folder. Oliver Reed (playing a drunk) is very intense.

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976-USA) ***½
There's a cinematic storytelling sweep in this classic Clint western, which takes the unusual step of taking side with the confederate rebels. Characters are interesting, depths are often unspoken. This is no formula picture. If you haven't seen this, add it to your list.

[HungFist]

At 80m the film doesn't outstay its welcome

I haven't seen this specific film but I do love - and miss - short running times especially in genre films. These days every film tries to be the biggest, most epic thing ever - and usually fail at it. I love the 1960s and 1970s Japanese genre films which often ran just 80 min or even less. It was perfect especially for sequels e.g. long running yakuza or samurai film series where the hero arrived a new town or took a new assignment in each film and that was all there was to it. Just focus on the important stuff.

[Markgway]

I haven't seen this specific film but I do love - and miss - short running times especially in genre films. These days every film tries to be the biggest, most epic thing ever - and usually fail at it. I love the 1960s and 1970s Japanese genre films which often ran just 80 min or even less. It was perfect especially for sequels e.g. long running yakuza or samurai film series where the hero arrived a new town or took a new assignment in each film and that was all there was to it. Just focus on the important stuff.

Agree.

The formulaic U.S. Marshals is 131m; roughly 30m too long.
Josey Wales is 135m., yet somehow more deserving of that time and space, so it really depends on the film.

BTW. The BD cover for Josey Wales reveals that in the US it's still rated PG(!)
If it were re-rated now it would be an easy R for sexual violence.

[saltysam]

American Ninja 2/5 far fetched,passable actioner is definitely a product of it's time but clips along and is never dull.Dudikoff is a little stiff in the title role,Steve James as his buddy engaging and charismatic.

American Ninja 2 2/5 Even more far fetched sequel is batshit bonkers,black clad ninjas just stroll round the town and no one bats an eyelid. plenty of action,Dudikoff has loosened up somewhat here from the first film but is still effortlessly outshone by the late,great Steve James.

Still Alice 3/5Superb oscar winning performance from Julianne Moore as a lecturer trying to come to terms with early onset Alzehimers disease.quite moving but not an easy watch,not one i'd revisit.

[Markgway]

American Ninja (1985-USA-Israel) **½
The best of the Cannon Ninja movies.

[Markgway]

Casualties of War (1989-USA) ***
Disturbing, often powerful drama about the brutalising effect of war.

Groundhog Day (1993-USA) ****
Near-perfect comedy.
The Japanese 4K remaster is highly recommended.

[saltysam]

The Beat Generation 1/5 rubbish late 50's "thriller" about a beatnik who's also a serial rapist in his spare time.the subject matter is at the time was probably quite shocking and deals with issues such as abortion but it's poorly put together and pretty ridiculous.watch out for the wrestling beatnik!

The Grand Budapest Hotel 1/5 Another Wes Anderson luvvie epic,quirky for quirky's sake.a solid cast,colourful,well shot....but it left me cold.

[Markgway]

The Grand Budapest Hotel 1/5 Another Wes Anderson luvvie epic,quirky for quirky's sake.a solid cast,colourful,well shot....but it left me cold.

At least you managed to sit thru the whole thing.

I wanted to smash the monitor after 30 mins of its intolerable hipster smugness.