A.R.S.E.

Le Mans 66 (aka Ford v Ferrari)

Bit of a slow start but it picked up. I enjoyed it. A few racing movie cliches like cars with dozens of gears or cars that catch up rapidly and then once they're alongside they suddenly run out of puff only for the driver to push the throttle more (why wouldn't you already have your foot to the floor!) but it was well done. Some good acting from the people playing Ford and Enzo. Some clips looked a little speeded up to appear faster but it was a story I didn't know so it was interesting to learn about it although I dare say there is some artistic license with some of it.

It's on my list but it's hard to get excited about motorsport films. I tried watching Rush again recently and just couldn't get through it. Somehow you just know it wasn't made by somebody passionate about motorsport.

That said, when lockdown eases I really fancy getting some mates together to watch Driven again. That one's extra special.

Donnie Darko... (again).

One of the greatest films ever made.

That's spooky. Even though I haven't seen Donnie Darko in probably a decade or more, I had part of the soundtrack in my head when I woke up this morning but I couldn't place it until now.

It was probably in my head because I used it in a video once

It's a bit ironic that we probably watched more films over the period that fewer were made.

We watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs again last weekend. The boy used to watch it over and over when he was little so we parked it ever since but seriously, it's sublime. A perfect film in my opinion.

Greenland
We were in the mood for something dumb last night and saw this had Gerard Butler in it. Job done. We spent a short time discussing whether we'd already seen it and then realised that was Geostorm. This was actually pretty good. The CGI was restrained, the characters in it had some resemblance to real people rather than the usual Hollywood guff. Not bad. The only thing that distracted me was thinking throughout how much Butler looks like Woodsy

Birds of Prey
This was pretty much exactly what I expected. It passed some time and then I forgot about it.

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey
Haven't seen these for decades so wasn't sure how well they'd hold but they were good. They're still pretty funny - especially Death in Bogus Journey - and they're such weird films that they don't really age. I had no idea how well they'd go with our 10yo but he really enjoyed them.

Whiplash

I'd heard a lot of good things about this and wasn't sure if it was my cup of tea but it's very good. Great performances all round and the last 15 mins or so is superb.

Don't look up. It's on Netflix and it's a little too real

Dr. Pain wrote:Don't look up. It's on Netflix and it's a little too real

I thought the same thing haha. I was feeling the frustration as well!

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I was too Santa. My girlfriend gave up watching it as it was doing her head in.

It was a bloody good movie though.

I slept through it first time around.

Watched it with the bride and didnt like it. Maybe to close to being real. Harvey Norman selling test kits for Covid anyone?

I enjoyed Don't Look Up although from browsing Twitter it seems that like most satire, it's gone over the heads of anyone who needs to get the point of it.

If you need to follow with a film that provokes less existential dread, I thoroughly enjoyed Guns Akimbo. My kind of film - a big pile of daft fun

We also watched Chef last night. It's been on my list for ages since it was so well reviewed. I thought it was fine in that sentimental American tone. But it's way, way too long and I couldn't quite accept that the Jon Favreau character with Sofia Vergera and Scarlett Johanssen. I mean, come on.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Hadn't seen it before and gave it a go. Good film. The stitch up job she does on the creepy therapist is brilliant.

Was that the Swedish or US version?

durbster wrote: ↑Sun Jan 02, 2022 8:12 pm I enjoyed Don't Look Up although from browsing Twitter it seems that like most satire, it's gone over the heads of anyone who needs to get the point of it.

Yeah, that isnt the problem. it was just a crap show.

If you want satire, look no further than the England cricket team.

durbster wrote: ↑Mon Jan 03, 2022 1:40 am Was that the Swedish or US version?

US with Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara

The Jackal

No not the utterly superb 1973 classic with Edward Fox trying to kill Charles de Gaulle.

This was the 1997 remake with Bruce Willis wearing a variety of terrible wigs and no one being brave enough to tell Richard Gere he can't do an Irish accent (separate rant - I don't know why films do this, either employ an Irish actor or make the character American!!)

Suffice to say it was.... ok..... but not a patch on the original where the subtleties of the planning and preparation were done so much better as well as the stress the police were going through with leaks and trying to work out who he was.

I've been watching Cobra-Kai on Netflix with my daughter so I made her watch the Karate Kid trilogy surprisingly she sat through them all.

I don't remember watching the 3rd one when I was a kid - guess I only watched it once unlike the first 2.

Can't believe Ralph is 60

Awesome, Cobra-Kai is on my watch list but so is too much other stuff that I have time for these days.

Yeah I didn't watch KK3 either, I was probably a bit too old by the time it came out. Plus it got bagged by critics & diehards alike so I didn't want to spoil the memory of the first 2... Well actually KK2 was just passable as well.

Oh and cos they mentioned it in Cobra Kai - Bloodsport

Gotta love the 'ol Jean-Claude Van Damme kickfest movies

The Trip
Found this on Netflix and it sounded interesting. Didn't realise it was a Norwegian film until we started it.

I thought it was excellent. It looks great with some fantastic cinematography while also being brutally violent, shocking and very funny in parts. I would recommend it.

I'd watch this even if it wasn't Alien!

I Came By on Netflix

I don't have high expectations of Netflix produced films any more because frankly most of them have been turds.

So this one was a pleasant surprise. Both me and Mrs Durbs enjoyed it.

The Incredible Shrinking Man
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050539/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

It was on TV several months ago and I recorded it because I haven't seen it for about 30+ years but got round to watching it at the weekend. What a brilliantly done film for 1957.

No CGI here so they had to think about how can they make him look small by making large household objects. Well worth a watch. The fight with the spider is epic!

No Time to Die

Had heard a lot of good reviews on this but wow what a disappointment.

Rami Malik featured heavily in the promo stuff. He doesn't even show up until about an hour in, for all of 5 minutes and then doesn't show again until 30-40mins from the end.
Ana de Armas featured heavily in the promo stuff. She was in it for all of 5 minutes. She's second on the cast list ffs!
Felix was back and featured heavily in the promo stuff. Spoiler alert, he was in it for 5 minutes and died.
Christoff Waltz was featured heavily in the promo stuff. Spoiler alert, he was in it for 5 minutes and died.

I hope the actress they reassigned to the 007 number doesn't get the next film. She wasn't very good.

Hardly any action. Not sure I'd bother with a rewatch to be honest.
3/10