Films thread

[Deleted]

That was a quality sequel. I'm really not sure why people have it for the movie and consider it the weakest of the bunch? It's on the same level as the original in my opinion. I'll do a more in depth review of it at the weekend but I would give a 9, maybe even a 10 personally.

[iank]

It's always been my fave, personally.

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Rocky V (1990)

A decent entry in the series actually. Plenty of heart and drama and also a sense of realism and grit that had been missing from the previous sequels. Some good montages, cool rap music and an awesome street fight to cap it all off. Much better than people say it is. 7.5/10

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The Cable Guy (1996)

Matthew Broderick finds himself being stalked by his manic cable guy (Jim Carrey) in this dark but funny comedy film.

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Batman Forever (1995)

Discussed the film earlier with a friend and decided to give it a watch. I really enjoyed it. The balance in tone is just right and Bruce's character is given much more depth than he did in the Burton flicks. Nicole Kidman is as sexy as anything and Carrey does a solid job as the Riddler. I don't even mind Robin that much. I love it when he steals the batmobile and saves the girl from the gang. There's a lot of neon in this film but I find it to be easy on the eyes. It's visually striking even if some of the cgi scenes look a bit flat. Joel's Gotham is a lot of fun but lacks the atmosphere of Burton's. The action sequences and fight choreography are immense (even though I watched the butchered DVD version) and the car chase is pretty cool too. I do prefer B&R slightly because of the incredible eye candy and the appearance of the lovely Alicia, but I'm fond of this one. 7.5/10

[iank]

Mission Impossible. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is framed for treason and murder when his entire IMF team is apparently wiped out during an operation and, going on the run, takes extreme risks to prove his innocence and smoke out the real traitor. The original MI film remains a cool classic 25 years (God I'm old etc) on, filled with great set-pieces and helmed with typically assured class and flair by Brian De Palma. Classic.

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Mortal Kombat (1995)

Never played the game, but I quite enjoy the film. The martial arts stuff looks great and Johnny Cage is a real badass. I fancy Sonya too mainly because she's a no nonsense chick with an attitude. The soundtrack is a mix between industrial rock and techno and sounds damn good compared to the music these days. Of course, the film's cgi has dated very badly and there's really not much to the plot other than people fighting in a tournament to save the world. It's a bit thin and maybe a little cheesy, but it's got that 90s vibe and I can't help but find it charming. It's well made and entertaining with cool characters and a great mystical setting. Recommended 7/10

[Monster X]

'The Questor Tapes' - 1974 TV movie, dreamed up by Gene Roddenberry, about an android with an incomplete memory.
A bit bland and preachy but with enough '70s style, cool and weirdness to keep me interested for 90 odd minutes.

[iank]

Invasion USA. Richard Lynch heads an army of terrorists determined to bring the US to its knees and only Chuck Norris can stop him! Ludicrous 80s action flick that's utterly moronic but just about watchable thanks to its general 80sness.

[iank]

Madman. A campfire legend comes true when a bunch of camp counsellors are attacked by an axe-wielding lunatic out of local legend, "Mad Man Mars". This 1981 slasher horror is as familiar as it gets, but is pretty well made and atmospheric. The only cast member I recognise is Gaylen Ross, who was the heroine in the original Dawn of the Dead, and the ending is a tad abrupt but this was pretty entertaining for all its familiarity, helped by a cracking Blu ray restoration.

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Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (1988)

This film has catapulted itself into my top five favourite films. This is the most tongue in cheek slasher film I've ever seen and it's all the better for it. The humour hits home and the killings are particularly memorable especially when Pamela Springsteen drops amazing one liners before every murder. The metal music is awesome and I love the fact that every character is named after someone from either the 80s "brat pack" or a John Hughes actor. Demi (Demi Moore), Anthony (Anthony Michael Hall), Emilio (Emilio Estevez), Judd (Judd Nelson), TC (Tom Cruise), Uncle John (John Hughes), Ally (Ally Sheedy) and Molly (Molly Ringwald). It's a great 80s film with one of the hottest blondes I've ever seen in a movie (Valerie Hartman) and the most convincing practical effects. I remember falling in love with this movie about six years ago and honestly I still think it rules. As much as I like the original Sleepaway Camp, this is far superior in my opinion. I love the fact that's only 77 minutes including credits so it never outstays it's welcome and I don't even have to go for a toilet break either. Wonderful flick.

10/10

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Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (1989)

This film really reminded me of Back to the Future III in the fact that it feels a bit stale and tired compared to its superior predecessor. It's odd though, because like Back to the Future II and III, the same team behind Sleepaway Camp II also made the third movie too. The lead is the same, the music is the same, the setting is the same, the premise is the same, the director is the same, the writer is the same, the metal music (they even used the same bands in both films) is the same and yet in terms of quality it's the complete antithesis of the second film. The original plot of Renee Estevez getting her revenge on Angela was quickly shoved aside for a more pedestrian slasher flick which, in all honestly, feels and looks like complete and utter cash grab. III tries to be quirky like the second film but it fails. Even at 76 minutes the film feels stretched out and boring. It's not the worst Sleepaway Camp movie (oh, we'll get to that one soon) but it marked, to me anyway, the beginning of the end for the series. Depressing stuff.

3/10

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Howling Reborn (2011)

A fairly good reboot of the Howling series. I'm a fan of the original and to a lesser extent the second film, but pretty much everything from the third one onwards is crap. That is, every film except this one. It's essentially a combination of The Lost Boys and Twilight and has very little in common with the original Howling apart from the fact that they both feature werewolves. It's a big angsty at times, but I do like the idea of two teenagers being trapped inside a school with a bunch of werewolves. They must fend for themselves while they're hunted from classrooms to the basement. It's good fun and I think the actors have superb chemistry. I also like the use of Echo and the Bunnyman's song "The Killing Moon" at the start of the movie. It's probably one of the few films that I would watch again from the 10s.

7.5/10

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The Howling (1981)

The lovely Dee Wallace Stone (Critters, ET) plays news reporter Karen White in this terrifying werewolf flick from director Joe Dante. Karen has recurring nightmares and is recommend by a doctor to spend some time in a place in the country called the Colony. Little does she know that the residents there are all bloodthirsty werewolves. Classic horror and one of my personal favourites from the 1980s. Good score and some nice humour dotted throughout.

On another note, I've only watched Critters once. I did enjoy that film so I may have to dig that out again and give that a watch again. I recall liking the first sequel quite a bit too.

[iank]

The Howling's okay but I've always preferred American Werewolf and Wolfen (all in 81!).
Critters is a hoot.