What Did You Watch Today?

[Benjamin]

Charade (1963) [Amazon Prime] was good fun. Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn are of course both eminently watchable, and there is enough uncertainty about who's lying (hint: everyone) about what (hint: nearly everything) to keep it interesting until the end.

The only bit that irks me slightly is how quickly she's all OH I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU after simply hanging around with him for a day or so. But that seems to happen almost all the time in these older films so I just have to get used to it...

Best part about Charade is still Walter Matthau. He's just the fucking best, and so funny and yet able to be taken seriously. Grant had nothing on him, he was like the fourth best thing about the movie.

I really am annoyed with the 50's habit of casting their golden era male leads with really young female leads just so the female leads can gush over them like they're gods.

And if you think Grant is creepy here, the Hitchcock film with Mount Rushmore which I can't remember the title of is worse. It's fairly disconcerting considering he's like 60.

[stokeriño]

^ North By Northwest. Which was actually made when Grant was four years younger than he was in Charade.

That film also contains possibly the biggest cop-out ending to a dramatic scene I've ever witnessed.

The rest of it is pretty entertaining though. Especially in the first half when he's trying to convince everybody he's not nuts.

[I Don't Mind]

Watched the first episode of Peaky Blinders [Netflix] and found it really well done. Aesthetically, every seen had my attention. Some of the pacing felt slow at times but there's some great characters. Definitely going to be my new binge fixation. Also reminded me I need to finish watching Mad Men [Netflix] and at least the rest of season 1 of Boardwalk Empire [Amazon Prime]

[Benjamin]

^ North By Northwest. Which was actually made when Grant was four years younger than he was in Charade.

Containing possibly the biggest cop-out ending to a dramatic scene I've ever witnessed.

The rest of the film is pretty entertaining though. Especially in the first half when he's trying to convince everybody he's not nuts.

Yes! I hate that scene! Might be my second least favourite scene in a Hitchcock film I've seen.

Number one is that fucking tennis scene. Fuck that scene.

And while I always thought Grant was creepy, Gary Cooper's role in Love in the Afternoon might be the creepiest.

I'll always give Bogey a pass for doing the same thing, though. Mostly because he's so amazeballs.

[Jimmy]

Watched the first episode of Peaky Blinders [Netflix] and found it really well done. Aesthetically, every seen had my attention. Some of the pacing felt slow at times but there's some great characters. Definitely going to be my new binge fixation. Also reminded me I need to finish watching Mad Men [Netflix] and at least the rest of season 1 of Boardwalk Empire [Amazon Prime]

Peaky's great. The accents aren't always brilliant, and it often leans towards the melodramatic, but that's totally part of its charm. It looks fantastic and has brilliant acting in. Tom Hardy's just popped up in season 2 and he's great.

[Benjamin]

That Awkward Moment (2014)

Damn shame. Such a great cast and the entire movie is such a fucking cliche it's sad. The cast tries really, really hard, and Teller pulls off his stuff a lot, but they're basically working with horseshit. What a horrible script, a boring as fuck storyline with the most overused characters in rom-com history.

[Benji]

Children of Men was pretty good. Had a really rocky and dull start, but it slowly picks up and has an amazing last 15-20 minutes.

[Benjamin]

Children of Men is basically a video game disguised as a movie.

22 Jump Street is really good, and it's surprising because it has so many things going against it.

[Colly]

Are you sure you weren't watching Shoot 'em Up by mistake?

[Jimmy]

Children of Men is so good. Need to rewatch soon.

[Colly]

Legends episode 4 was decent, despite 'I'm from t'Liverpool'. I think the problem with it is he's solving 24 style terrorist threats in 42 minutes and it just feels a bit rushed. Feels like a poor relation.

Len 'don't call me Ken' Barlow, the Yorkshire cowboy is the best Sean Bean yet though.

[Jimmy]

Two Days, One Night is my favourite film of 2014. Marion Cotillard is incredible, and the Dardenne's are on top form. My kind of film.

[Benji]

Needed something light yesterday as my focus was split between TV, FM and Civ: BE, so I went with The Spongebob Squarepants Movie. I'd seen bits before but never the full thing. Fun bit of mindless entertainment.

Then watched Dead Poets Society this morning. Not as good as it's accolades suggest, but still a good movie and the last twenty minutes are really good.

Legends episode 4 was decent, despite 'I'm from t'Liverpool'. I think the problem with it is he's solving 24 style terrorist threats in 42 minutes and it just feels a bit rushed. Feels like a poor relation.

Len 'don't call me Ken' Barlow, the Yorkshire cowboy is the best Sean Bean yet though.

Agreed, I watched the first and dropped it because I have too much to watch, but it's not at all the kind of show that should have villain of the week format, it's entire premise lends itself heavily to being seasonal or at least having arcs.

[GhostMachine]

Stage Fright. A Horror-comedy-musical. Basically, a killer is on the loose at a camp putting on a musical production of Haunting Of The Opera (Phantom Of The Opera renamed, obviously) with the setting changed to feudal-era Japan.

The good: Meat Loaf is in it, the opening song on the way to and upon arrival at the camp is pretty funny and the lead actress is actually a pretty good singer.

The bad: Everything else.

Minnie Driver is in it, but gets killed early on and appears in a short flashback later on.

[Benji]

Mama was great. I can't remember the last horror film I saw that didn't rely almost solely on jump shocks. The visuals of Mama, the tale the film wove, and the acting of the children all made for a really interesting experience, and proof that you can go with a classic horror concept without relying on clichés.

Cape Fear was also really good, but I kept imagining Robert DeNiro getting hit with rakes.

[VerbalPuke]

Godfather 2 is the superior film, anyway. Basically anything with more John Cazale is better than anything with less John Cazale.

I love John Cazale, Deniro is the star of the Deer Hunter, but Cazale is fucking brilliant in that movie. The "This is This"scene is among my favorites ever.

Shame his career was cut short, he would probably have been mentioned among the greats like Deniro, Pacino, and Walken.

[stokeriño]

I now feel justified in having put off watching Hellboy (2004) [sky Movies On Demand] for so long. There are a handful of 21st century superhero films that are worse, but not that many.

[Jimmy]

While it might not be as good as The Guest, I thought You're Next was great. Such a good balance of horror, comedy and entertainment.

[Benji]

Nothing Left To Fear may be the dullest horror film I've ever seen. Calling it horror is incredibly generous. If you're looking for films this Halloween season, steer clear of this one.

[Colly]

I now feel justified in having put off watching Hellboy (2004) [sky Movies On Demand] for so long. There are a handful of 21st century superhero films that are worse, but not that many.

You should definitely watch the second one too. You'll love it.