From what I remember it was originally going to be 2 films, which would've been fine I think. However, the studios decided they'd make more money by making it a trilogy and forced Jackson to. Wouldn't be surprised if that's a big reason why Del Toro left.

Event Horizon

Seems to take an age to get going and the climax never quite lives up to the build up, but still a very solid piece of Lovecraftian sf, helped immeasurably by the apparantly-can-do-no-wrong Sam Neill.


That would be a dream come true and, without going over old ground, I'm half surprised Christopher Nolan hasn't thought about doing something. Unfortunately a large chunk of its current fanbase would insist on something more light-hearted/campier/knowing. It'd be great to see a film with the guts to just play it completely straight. And make the Dr unfashionably old. Michael Caine would be an obvious choice if Nolan did it, but I wouldn't mind seeing someone like Morgan Freeman have a go.

I think early DW's strength was that it got some really credible sf writers on board, so the sheer strength of the stories always eclipsed the shoddy production values.

Have you seen Quatermass & the Pit? It was written by Nigel Kneale who did some great DW stories. It's probably the best DW film without actually being part of the series.

First time I saw Event Horizon years and years ago I watched it alone lat at night stoned out my mind and I had to stop it TWICE cuz I got scared.....

Dr Who has had some ups and downs thru the years. I think that season 8 or so was really well written, but a lot of the current ones are pretty poor.

I never got into Dr. Who. It's Brit-centric concerns don't matter to me.

Mechanic: Resurrection

Highly improbable but Statham almost always makes a good action film these days and of course while Jessica Alba is probably a bit overcast, but she still is easy on the eyes as they say. It was better then the remake, which I don't know why they remade, The Bronson version was good until he stupidly agreed to take Jan Michael Vincent on board.

You've said this sort of thing a few times before and I still can't get my head around it. So anything not from 'murica you can't watch? It's kind of a dim statement to say you can't watch something cos it's from Britain. No less dim if you had said Spain or wherever else.

finally managed to watch ALFIE last night. the original not the jude law nonsense (i'm only assuming it's nonsense).

michael caine was BRILLIANT in it. holy shit, it was practically a soliloquy on fast forward. also enjoyed the 60's-modern approach & small french new wave touches (the baby photos, i thought). really enjoyable period piece-- because it's a period piece.

i mean period piece cuz the mores re:biopaternity + abortion are more than a bit outmoded by today's standards. so i can see how the jude law remake would be needed to update the fable (though i haven't seen it and don't know what actually happens).

but in spite of the historical distance it still it packs a big punch if one forgets to be so 2016 for a moment. really enjoyed it. also, no heroes-- except maybe for annie & howard which we don't really see much.

eta: dont know anything about lewis gilbert but he made some movies i've enjoyed (educating rita & various james bonds)

not agreeing with his evaluation as i have yet to get into dr who, but one could argue the label "provincial" or "parochial" can often be grounds for dismissal for all kinds of art without having to name its province or parish. i can totally imagine a british person saying "too french" or "too german" ha ha ha. not that you do that. just trying to read the ideas behind the words.

eta: i always remember how some english critics sort of faintly praised joyce as a "wild irish" and "provincial talent" when he first published dubliners. the reviews come bound in the penguin critical edition of the book, which i have buried in some crate at the moment, or i'd be able to give you the exact quotes.

Last night I watched Jane Wants a Boyfriend, Eliza Dushku is one of the leads. Rather average indie fair from last year, worth that one watch if you're looking for something to see.

It's "Doctor" Who, brah.

And... your loss.

There's a film that was NOTHING like I was expecting. I thought the whole thing was gonna be 'cheeky lad out the pull with HILARIOUS consequences' not 'cheeky lad goes out on the pull and has to pay a lass to get a traumatic abortion'


Don't get me wrong I've had more than enough conversations with people who won't watch "forrun" films because, well because they're not in English. My reaction is the same as a person who won't watch a film/tv series because it too British-A roll of the eyes and a snigger.

Oh man, I thought it was just wretched. For years people told me it was one of the scariest, most disturbing thing ever, I finally watched it and Yowza what a stinker. B-movie Hellraier ripoff. Never read the book, but I'm guessing the movie doesn't live up to it.


Hmm. Interesting. But Morgan Freeman isn't British (is he?) ... I think there are some other actors who might be better, though Cain is appealing.


Oh! No, never seen it, but just looked it up and I'm totally down.

Nice call on Nolan, he's a Brit and he's the right age to be a mega fan like Neil Gaiman. But he'd never do it. Maybe someday someone will.

BTW: I don't love everything about Peter Capaldi's Doctor — fuck those sunglasses and the guitar — but I think he does a great job at "serious old guy who doesn't give a fuck" Doctor. He's had some great moments.

You're right about the Hellraiser thing. I wouldn't call it a great film, but I did enjoy it. A solid 3 out of 5. I never got any of the hype so it didn't have anything to live up to, which probably helped.


It'd upset some fans but I don't see any real reason why the Dr has to be British. Whoever plays him, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before a studio throws megabucks at a big summer blockbuster version.

Anyway ...



10 Cloverfield Lane

I loved Cloverfield and knew this wasn't directly related but liked the way it did ultimately tie in. I hope they make more 'cloverfield' films and the ending to this one definitely suggests they will.

I also tried to watch M. Night Shyamalan's The Village, but only got to about 15 minutes in before writing it off as a complete waste of time.

BOUNTY KILLER

Lots of over-the-top cartoon violence. Tons of fun. Heads get blown off with a shotgun, dismembered from the rest of the body, or get split in half to reveal the contents. All in the name of saving the world from corporate greed.

Good or bad? Who gives a shit. This is solidly entertaining.

Super weird, occasionally charming, knowing B horror cheese.
Weird thing about this was that parts of it were actually quite fucked, and the laughs were really pretty fleeting and sporadic. I don't usually have much of an affinity for super gross-out stuff, but this movie features a door knob turning into a giant flaccid dong, and a monster assembling itself out of the contents of a meat cooler. So... yeah. Entertaining.

Seems to be a bit of a cult thing already, as it's based on a David Wong book. Definitely for fans of that special kind of horror that's both disturbing and hysterical. It's serious moments don't feel as serious as, say, Cabin in the Woods, but it's still far from light viewing. Evil Dead 2/Army of Darkness, Dead Alive, Teeth and Slither fans should all be content with this one.

4/5 mostly because it was a perfect thing for my girlfriend and me to watch after we decided against paying $20 to watch Suicide Squad on the MacBook, but still wanted a kind of shitty, funny, violent movie for a really boring ass Saturday night.

Mine was better.

Yeah I remember you watched this a while back. I meant to look at what you said about it, but who has the time or energy, y'know? ;)

Know what's funny? I was thinking of the wrong movie. My bad. I'm not sure I've ever seen this. I guess that means you were thinking of someone else. Funny stuff. I might check it out later. (Unless I did see it and did post about it, in which case I might be losing my marbles. Thanks Trump.)

watched some french artsy fartsy movie called FRIDAY NIGHT. more fartsy than artsy. i didn't "hate it", it didn't make me angry or break out in hives or anything, but it was just very fucking slow and boring.

it was billed as an erotic film but it was just about mood, mood, mood, like, let's watch this woman pack boxes for 20 minutes and play some moody music, and show some moody shots of paris at sundown, and then let's put her in a traffic jam for another half hour, and she looks at people, and people look at her, and more moody moods, and lights, etc.

when it eventually came to the sex with a strangers it was just basically a bunch of affectionate hugs

no no, i didn't miss the subtext and the notion that she was moving to her boyfriend's apartment and was not so comfortable with it-- i did get that. but ayayay... mooooooodsssss

i'd post a longer summary of it but imdb has much better reviews. trust the negative ones though

---

also saw KRAMPUS. fucking awful. good technical achievement in special effects but a bad hodgepodge of movie quotes from national lampoon's christmas vacation to an assortment of horror flicks from gremlins to tremors to terminator to alien---but not in a good way.

you can have it on while playing games on your phone though

Good to know. It keeps getting recommended to me on Amazon

Just rewatched



Bram Stoker's Dracula.

I've never been a big fan but always kind of enjoyed it. Still feel the same. Poor old Keanu Reeves is terrible and Gary Oldman hams it up unmercifully but in the end they both kind of add to the enjoyment of it all.