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

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

Public Enemy is pretty good for its era, but a bit too creaky for my taste.

The Roaring Twenties and Angels with Dirty Faces are easier to take.

A couple aspects that make early 30s films a bit more creaky is the lack of a soundtrack (one literally pays more attention to the noises because of the direct sound recording) and the camera does not move as much as it did in the later 20s (its funny that the camera movements became more virtuoso as the 20s went on, right until sound films stopped a lot of movement so the microphones could be heard.) It took a few years for certain styles of acting to change as well.

But I like those two films as well. Its funny now seeing Humphrey Bogart typecast and generally dying in his third-billed films. Who would know at that point how popular Bogart would become. Have you seen The Petrified Forest?

[Markgway]

Have you seen The Petrified Forest?

I haven't. Heard good things about it though. Bogart is up there with Cagney as an all-time great.

A nice touch on the Warner BD of PUBLIC ENEMY is that it's the original uncut (pre-code) version.

[grim_tales]

How long does the Blu Ray run for? According to IMDB the DVDs have a cut version from a 1941 re-release. Even for the theatrical release the censors made some cuts apparently:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022286/alt ... tttrv_sa_4 If all the cuts have been restored, thats pretty cool

[Markgway]

Looks like I was wrong about the BD being uncut; it's 84m same as the restored DVD.

I didn't know there was still 11m (from 13m) missing. That's A LOT of footage and shows how bad the Hays Code was for early gangster pics.

I don't think those 'New York' theatrical cuts affect any other release.

The film was banned by the BBFC in 1931 and no running time info given on their website. The record(s) probably no longer exist.

EDIT: Found this at the BBFC:
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/enemies-public
According to Wikipedia this was an alternate title for Public Enemy.
An 83m run time and no mention of cuts.
This was before the Hays Code, so Warners must've cut the film themselves for the UK.

[Markgway]

Commando (1985-USA) **½
Indefensible on any artistic level, but good, dumb fun.
I watched the director's cut, but frankly the theatrical cut is preferable.

[saltysam]

Commando (1985-USA) **½
Indefensible on any artistic level, but good, dumb fun.
I watched the director's cut, but frankly the theatrical cut is preferable.

the differences are so slight it could hardly be classed as a directors cut imo.

Dracula Vs Frankenstein 1/5 Legendary horror actors Lon Chaney jr & J Carroll Naish draw their last breath in this awful Al Adamson directed monster mash up. Russ Tamblyn,Jim Davis & Anthony Eisley join in the fun. Dracula, who is played by the immortal Zandor Vorkov, speaks with a loud echo and fires death rays from his ring.yep,it's that type of movie.

Hot Pursuit 0.5/5 dreadful, completely laugh free big studio "comedy" starring Reese Witherspoon as a cop assigned to protect the widow of a dead mobster played by the annoying Sofía Vergara. truly terrible on all levels.

[Markgway]

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015-USA-China) **½
Hmm... I came away from this one a tad disappointed (yes, I actually got off my arse and went to the cinema!). It wasn't dull, in fact it had plenty action packed into its 131m. with Cruise doing his now trademark crazy stunt(s). Rebecca Ferguson made a strong impression and was sexy as hell. Hope she returns for the inevitable Part VI (box office permitting). So what was up? Maybe it was the increasingly silly plot? Yeah, I think that was my biggest problem - the movie just seemed like nonsense, as if writer/director Christopher McQuarrie was making shit up as he went along. The first film got complaints about the complexity of its plot, but Rogue Nation is incredibly convoluted. I may check this out again on BD just to see if it's me and I wasn't in the right frame of mind or something. Also, I didn't care for the villain (English, natch) who seemed more of a nerdy irritant than an imposing threat to Cruise (it's perhaps no surprise that they never get into fisticuffs).

[Killer Meteor]

Looks like I was wrong about the BD being uncut; it's 84m same as the restored DVD.

I didn't know there was still 11m (from 13m) missing. That's A LOT of footage and shows how bad the Hays Code was for early gangster pics.

I don't think those 'New York' theatrical cuts affect any other release.

The film was banned by the BBFC in 1931 and no running time info given on their website. The record(s) probably no longer exist.

EDIT: Found this at the BBFC:
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/enemies-public
According to Wikipedia this was an alternate title for Public Enemy.
An 83m run time and no mention of cuts.
This was before the Hays Code, so Warners must've cut the film themselves for the UK.

It could be the BBFC made similar cuts to what the Hays Code did?

Funnily enough, the BBFC were more lax over Frankenstein and King Kong than Hays, so we can see scenes now that were kept in the British prints but totally removed from the US re-issues.

[saltysam]

Savage Streets 2/5 trashy 80's exploitation fare, Linda Blair plays the leader of a girl gang who turns vilgilante after her deaf mute sister is gang raped. The rape scene as is the norm for these films is deeply unpleasant and the climactic face off with Blair & her three targets seems rushed.but it's ok of it's kind.

Trainwreck 2/5 New Judd Apatow comedy stars Amy Schumer as a promiscious magazine writer who falls for Bill Hader's sports doctor. not bad but in typical Apatow fashion overlong (just over 2hrs) no doubt the home video release will add anothe 20 minutes on.

[Markgway]

Die Hard (1988-USA) ***½
One of the best action movies ever made.

Goldfinger (1964-UK) ***
Entertaining, though silly Bond caper.

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

... It's a fine movie but I was expecting more from the director of Kick Ass.
I need more Matthew Vaughn, so I went to imdb and picked up the rest of his movies I haven't seen.
...

It sounds like Layer Cake is the only one left for you to watch (I have not seen yet, nor have I seen his latest Kingsman which you just watched, though I do want to see pretty soon.)

Vaughn did the story for X-Men: Days of Future Past which I ended up liking a bit more than X-men First Class.

Did you see Kick Ass 2? Not directed by Vaughn, but it was hurt most in the storyline. There are parts I liked about it, but no where near as much as the first one.

[Markgway]

G.I Joe: Retaliation (2013-USA) *½
Brainless action bubble gum only for those with single digit I.Qs.

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

Die Hard (1988-USA) ***½
One of the best action movies ever made.

Goldfinger (1964-UK) ***
Entertaining, though silly Bond caper.

I remember seeing Die Hard as a kid (Vintage Faire Mall theater no longer in existence.) It was one of those films where my ticket stub was all wrinkled and worn out because of all the tense action scenes. I don't remember quite what I was expecting other than knowing that it was an action film and I saw Bruce Willis on the TV series Moonlighting (I knew of but did not see yet Blind Date). I was a big fan going out of it though and most likely overdid the Yippee-ki-yay quote.

Goldfinger is probably my favorite bond film or at least the Bond film I have seen the most times.

[Markgway]

Moonraker (1979-UK-France) **
The most uneven of the entire Bond series. Some strong scenes (in the first half) hamstrung by pervasive silliness (notably the unwelcome return of Jaws). Jean Tournier's rich cinematography and John Barry's lush score are compensations.

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

Moonraker (1979-UK-France) **
The most uneven of the entire Bond series. Some strong scenes (in the first half) hamstrung by pervasive silliness (notably the unwelcome return of Jaws). Jean Tournier's rich cinematography and John Barry's lush score are compensations.

And this is my least favorite Bond. The silliness just annoyed me more than any other Bond film.

[saltysam]

The Legend Of Billie Jean 2.5/5 A vhs staple back in the 80's that bizrrely never saw dvd until recent years.Helen Slater and a youthful Christian Slater go on the run after accidentally shooting sleazy shop owner Richard Bradford.good cast includes Peter Coyote & Keith Gordon. runs out of steam towards the end but a solid effort.

Vampire Lovers 2/5 Atmospheric if slow moving lesbian vampire tale from hammer.Ingrid Pitt is Carmilla,busy seducing Madeline Smith & Kate O'Mara amongst others.great climax featuring Cushing,Wilmer,Jon Finch & George Cole set in a spooky castle .

[Markgway]

Thunderball (1965-UK) ***
Lavish Bond adventure (the first filmed in Panavision). Good dialogue and Connery's charisma stave off lulls in the underwater action.

[saltysam]

Vampire Lovers 2/5 Atmospheric if slow moving lesbian vampire tale from hammer.Ingrid Pitt is Carmilla,busy seducing Madeline Smith & Kate O'Mara amongst others.great climax featuring Cushing,Wilmer,Jon Finch & George Cole set in a spooky castle .

And the day after i watch George Cole passes away aged 90 .R.I.P.

Top Secret! 3/5 funny WW2/Elvis Presley spoof from the makers of Airplane.Val Kilmer is Nick Rivers,an american rock star who gets involved with the resistance in East Germany.Bonkers but good.

[Markgway]

From Russia with Love (1963-UK) ***½
The best of the Connery Bonds and the actor's own favourite.
A traditional spy movie with a (then) new type of action and edge.

Taken (2007-France) ***
Slam-bang revenge actioner put Liam Neeson back on the A-list.

[Markgway]

Road House (1989-USA) ***
One of the coolest action movies of the era; endlessly rewatchable.
Only sour note is how they turned Kelly Lynch's character into a wimp toward the end (and then by the credits forgot about it).

[Markgway]

Trainwreck (2015-USA) *
Appallingly unfunny "comedy" about an obnoxious slut who eventually learns to love. Yuck. Amy Schumer has all the appeal of a diarrhoea milkshake. Sneaky buggers stuck the credits at the end of the movie so I wouldn't know it was a Judd Apatow film. Bastards.

[Yi-Long]

Trainwreck (2015-USA) *
Appallingly unfunny "comedy" about an obnoxious slut who eventually learns to love. Yuck. Amy Schumer has all the appeal of a diarrhoea milkshake. Sneaky buggers stuck the credits at the end of the movie so I wouldn't know it was a Judd Apatow film. Bastards.

I haven't seen the movie yet but it's been received quite positive, I believe. I like her wit in interviews, but her TV show never really appealed to me.

[saltysam]

The Amy Schumer character in Trainwreck is dislikeable but i thought the movie itself was ok though suffering from the usual Apatow trait of overlength.There's been far worse movies this year, the overlong Oscar Winning Birdman for example.

[Markgway]

Birdman was terribly pretentious but in no way was it worse than Trainwreck.

Still, it's up to everyone to decide for themselves.

I think Judd Apatow has been a major contributor to the post-millennial collapse of Hollywood comedy; so that's where I'm coming from...

[Markgway]

Spy (2015-USA) **
Occasionally amusing spoof with more profanity than actual wit; at 2hrs desperately in need of judicious editing.