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Member	Movie		Comment / Review
Pridesale 19th Oct 2024		Till Death Us Do Part (1969)	Watched this on YT. its a bit dire for me but covers Alf being young in WW2, into the Wapping Flat and industry and politics of late 60s and into the future in a Flat in Newtown Essex.
Magic Marmalade 17th Oct 2024		The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (2008)	Rated 6/10 This is one long-ass movie! Finally plucked up the courage to watch this, thinking, since time of release, that it was absurd and hokey in concept... a bit of mock-worthy fluff. I never imagined that what I was actually in for was a positively Tolkienian 2hrs, 45 mins of funerial, languid, bordering on the morbid, depression, and all n David Fincher's signature murky tones, minimalist direction and glacial pacing. ...I mean, it's actually a better story than I had expected, and better handled than the cringe fest I thought awaited me, but with all those previously mentioned factors at play, it just exhausts the viewer, so that by the end, I found myself drooping, and thinking: "Dude, I don't really care how this ends now, so long as it does end... at some point... soon!" Subsequent research reveals something I didn't know about the story: That it was based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald... I repeat: *short* story, of some only 45 pages long. How on earth do you spin out a 45 page short story to heading toward three hours of movie? And this tale of a man who ages in reverse, set against the fable like device of a clock that was built to run backwards by a man in grief at the loss of his son to war certainly does have an appealing notion at it's heart, and which should have made for a more engaging, and crucially, compelling tale. It actually feels like one of those short stories great novelists write from time to time, where they get a cute notion in their heads, and so jot it down... for fun. I think what's happened here then, is whoever made this happen had too long to think about that notion, and all it's extensive implications, and spun the yarn out way too long. Another odd thing, is when a particular director makes a movie not in his accustomed style, or of a different kind of genre, it often begins to look like another director's work slightly. Here: it has a faint whiff of Wes Anderson or the kind of magical fable telling of Guillermo del Toro, but alas, these allusions wilt under the weight of it's Finchery. (Also, in this sense, Martin Scorcese's: Hugo, sprang to mind, except that is quite enjoyable) So if you fillet this movie, and look at the bones of it, it's like Forest Gump minus the joy, emotional impact, fun, engaging quality, or entertainment value... and it should have been handed to a Zemeckis or a del Toro to make a better movie. Drab, soul crushing, depressing... and ultimately disappointing, in that it could have been such a magical movie if someone else had done it... with a shorter runtime! 2 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
MR B PAGE ● 16th Oct 2024		Reunion (1994)	Based on a novel called Points Of Light by Linda Grey Sexton. Leelee Sobieski`s Film Debut.
Magic Marmalade 15th Oct 2024		Timecop (1994)	Rated 7/10 A fairly decent slice of sci-fi action spectacular hocum, typical of it's age, and among the better movies of JCVD's, that holds up better than most among his filmography. 3 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 15th Oct 2024		SpaceCamp (1986)	Don't know why, but whenever I see the title for this, I always see: "Space-chimp" (And admit, for a moment, I'm actually a little disappointed it isn't! :)
Magic Marmalade 15th Oct 2024		Banlieue 13 (2004)	Rated 8/10 Hardcore Parkour! This is one of those frenetic thrill rides that jumps straight into the action from the off, and rattles along to the end without letting catch your breath much. From the age when Parkour was, culturally speaking: "a thing" on everyone's lips, so naturally you get all these brain bending parkour set pieces and fights, but it also has a great premise, and fairly decent story to boot: So, a local lad defies, and goes up against the local drug lord / warlord in his district, which, along with others, have been deemed "out of control" by the authorities, and so a wall has been built up around it to keep the mayhem in, and away form "decent folks" outside... Said lad fails in his attempt (though has a decent stab at it!), and is locked away by the corrupt police when he is delivered to them by said warlord... and to make matters worse, his sister is being held captive inside by the warlord and his crew. But then... an action man / super cop is recruited to go into district 13 and retrieve and defuse a bomb that the warlord has stolen, and which will go off in a few hours, so naturally employs the help of the incarcerated local lad to guide him in, which also gives him the chance to recover his sister... Naturally, both are supremo Parkour super- bendy people, made of springs and general boing-y-ness, so that helps! This is an absolute masterclass in how to cram a complete action story into just 1 hour, 24 mins without missing beat. A super thrill ride actioner, great for a Saturday night in. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
zabadak 12th Oct 2024		The Crowd (1928)	Public Domain Review article :read:
zabadak 12th Oct 2024		Timestalker (2024)	Review Independent review :read: ✔︎ Helpful Review?
mikewn 10th Oct 2024		Ethel (2012)	RIP Ethel!!
Magic Marmalade 10th Oct 2024		City Of Angels (1998)	Rated 7/10 I'd always avoided this believing it was an over-wrought, schmaltzy, sugary-sentimental, overly earnest affair, leaning a little too heavily into the whole Hallmark card angels business... ...And to some extent, it is, but not schmalzy or over sugared. Certainly, they don't beat you over the head with the emotional manipulation I expected in true Hollywood style, but to such an extent that they may have gone a little too far away from any sentiment, so that it felt a tad... sterile, emotionally for me. What they have done with this romantic fantasy tale of an angel who falls in love with a doctor, and wants to become human for her sake (plot taken care of!) is actually opted, wisely, and to my great delight and surprise, for a more sparse, almost minimalist tone, where everything is very lightly handled and done, from the photography, acting, story and dialogue. This gives the whole feel of the movie a more haunting, ethereal tone, so as not to damage it's poignancy. ...But, as I said, I think it goes a little too far in this direction, making it feel a little thin, and fragile, and as with the footprints in the sand as the angels walk on the beach at sunset, it barely leaves any emotional impression... at least on first viewing. It could have done with, let's say, more emotional punctuation - The odd scene where they did amp it up a little more, just to sell the rest of the story a bit more, rather than, therefore, emotional monotone through out. Of course, it does kind of elevate it a little towards the end, and may have suggested a tear or two (but only to my right eye! :), but I feel it needed a little more of something in there. Finally, I must take issue with the key scene in the finale, which, rather than deliver the emotional punch it was aiming for, was poorly staged, weakly, and meekly acted, and was inclining slightly toward the curling of the toes (but only on my left foot!). All told, this does have the feel of a movie that needs more than one viewing, as many who have seen it the once, will likely hold the same opinion as me, but, I suspect, will grow on you, or into you the more you see it... Eventually to become one that is held with great affection. So I'm going to keep this one about the place for a while, then watch it again sometime, to see if it's worked on me in the meantime. (I am certainly inspired, on the strength of this, to seek out the movie it was based on: Wings of Desire - a German film, I believe) ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 9th Oct 2024		On The Beach (1959)	Rated 7/10 There's still time.. Brother. Well, this is a pretty bleak movie! In fact that's why I've been meaning to see it for a while, to see if it was as depressing as it's reputation suggests, and yup, it is pretty grim. It's not graphic, or horrific to watch, obviously, due to the time it was made, primarily, as well as the stars who appear in it would never do anything like that...It's just the whole setup, the whole premise, and situation is quite a lot to invite into your brain, especially in times like these... But perhaps that's exactly what may make this the most timely movie to watch. So, humanity has destroyed itself globally in a nuclear war, with only Australia surviving, and an American sub, captained by Gregory Peck is heading in there as their last resort... what with home being destroyed... but nobody in this part of the world has truly escaped, and are in fact, doomed anyway, as the global fallout radiation is heading their way in just a matter of months, when they will all die from that. (Happy thoughts everyone!) But this is not a Mad-Max type of post-apocalyptic mutant wars scenario; Rather this is a character study of people who, though they all know what is coming, are trying simultaneously to carry on as normally as possible - after all, what else can you do? - while trying to push such thoughts of impending doom aside. Peck's Captain lives in denial that his wife and children have perished at home, and so refuses the attentions of a barely-holding-it-together Ava Gardner, who just wants companionship, and connection in her final months. Fred Astaire's scientist has invested his remaining time in building a Ferrari to race, and enjoy what remains to him, and bleakest of all, Anthony Perkins is trying both to keep composed, while planning for the end for him, his unaccepting wife, and baby through the procurement of certain pills to speed them painlessly on their way when the time comes. The doom and uncertainty means there's no happy ending here, and the movie was clearly intended at the time to shock audiences into abandoning the lunacy of nuclear proliferation, by painting a very effective portrait of the un-survivable aftermath of such a final devastation. All performances are strong, including Fred Astaire in a straight up dramatic, non-dancing or singing role, but especially Ava Gardner, who steals the whole movie with charm and charisma. One of those movies that's perhaps important to watch, but once would probably be enough. Otherwise a very powerful, haunting movie, who's pointedly significant motif lingers long in the memory after it's ended: There's still time.. Brother. 2 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
SvendHenrik00 7th Oct 2024		Kærlighedens Melodi - (1959)	Added Danish Film Booklet showing LOUIS ARMSTRONG with NINA & FREDERIK.
Magic Marmalade 7th Oct 2024		Prey (2022)	Rated 8/10 The best one since the first one! In pantheon of infamy which is the Predator franchise >gag<... (I always feel unwell using that word, along with other tummy bugging terms like: "IP" and the like) ...This is way above all the other sequels, and for one clear and obvious reason: They actually had a story to tell, in which the Predator appears, rather than: "Let's make a Predator movie, then tack "a story" on after. For it's primarily an inspired coming of age tale for a young girl / woman of a Native American tribe who just wants to be a hunter, rather than just a home-maker etc. And so, the whole first 45 mins is about establishing her character, her world, and her relationships to others in the community, with only the brief scenes of Predator arriving and being Predator-y interspersed ere and there until their paths really cross, and she must prove herself, as well as survive. Great storytelling, beautifully shot in some stunning countryside (Cinematography looks and feels more of the calibre of something like The Revenant crossed with Dances With Wolves than the usual mega CGI / green screen fare we've come to expect. I rank this alongside the likes of Blade Runner 2049 and others of this rare breed of truly getting a sequel / prequel right. Truly excellent. (I'm sorry I was so dismissive of it when it came out... I just thought it was going to be another cruddy movie in the series) 2 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 7th Oct 2024		Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)	Rated 7/10 Great fun of course, but it feels a bit too much "Comic book nerd material" for me now, and while it is enjoyable, it's all gone way too meta. Ultimately, a sugar rush of a movie, nice instant hit, but ultimately disposable pap that won't really bear repeated viewings. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 4th Oct 2024		The Barefoot Contessa (1954)	Rated 8/10 A very "talkie" drama. Not much by way of cinematic pizzaz with regards dramatic visuals and scenes, mostly interior dialogue scenes, but very mesmerising nonetheless. The story of a poor Spanish girl plucked from her hometown and transported to Hollywood to be transformed into a star by some mega-rich wannabe Howard Hughes type, with the intention of working with Bogart's down on his luck director. Alas, she won't play the game the way Hollywood wants exactly, being strong willed, self possessed, yet lacking a certain something in her life. Her story is told through the narrations of three principal characters at her funeral (not much of a spoiler, as that's where the movie begins!), as this tragic tale unfolds. One impressive thing about this is the relationship between Bogart and Gardner's characters... initially threatening to be of a romantic nature, it then progresses and continues throughout the rest of the movie as a purely platonic relationship, in the manner of allies, confidants, and friends, although you do feel a strong love between them... not something you often see in a movie like this, or of this time, but it's excellently handled. So a nice, easy paced, engrossing tale of a rise and fall of a tragic heroine. 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 1st Oct 2024		Hells Angels On Wheels (1967)	Rated 7/10 Better than I had been led to believe, if a little odd. This always seemed to dwell, reputationally, in the long shadow cast by it's near contemporary: Easy Rider, and always seemingly readily dismissed as a bad movie. But it's not that bad actually; In fact, in many ways, it's really rather good. The problem it has, I think, is that people don't really know what to make of it, have gone in perhaps, with one set of expectations about what it is, and finding it's mostly something else. Begin with that title, which leads you to believe this is a biker movie, in the style of what our more recent, and more modern understanding of what Hell's Angels are, and any movie about featuring them would be... And while there certainly are those elements present: Riding around en masse, fights, trouble with the law etc. What it really is, is a typically sixties psychedelic art movie, like an Andy Warhol movie, with zany, amateur-ish spiralling handheld camera views of crazy arty orgies, strange set piece scenes of mucking about on motorcycles and other trippy nonsense, all set, not to any expected hard rock soundtrack you may associate, but all the groovy, psychedelic, far out Hollywood approximations of the music of that specific era. All of which, gives it a weird vibe: A psychedelic movie featuring Bikers? ... eh? Like chocolate and cheese. Two things that you may like on their own, but would never consider putting together. The "plot" consists, at least for the first hour, of a wash, rinse, repeat cycle of psychedelic orgy and love scenes, followed by a fight, followed by some riding, followed by another love / orgy scene, followed by a fight...etc. Once petrol station attendant Jack Nicholson ditches his job and takes up with the Hell's Angels. And frankly, this first hour seems aimless, and pointless, and going nowhere... which is, as it turns out the point the movie is consciously making... the excellent song in this: Moving Going Nowhere, by a band called The Poor, makes this evident, in case you missed it! ...But the last 25 mins / half hour is where it all begins to make sense, and you go: "oh!.. I get it!" And as such, it turns out to be a commentary on an itinerant, rebellious lifestyle. And given that this point was very much against the prevailing "free" spirit of the time it was made, it's actually quite bold, and ahead of it's time, in re-appraising the late sixties even while living it. In fact, Jack Nicholson delivers the most salient line once he realizes he's dropped out of societal norms only to adopt, contrary to his expectations, a new set: "I won't wear your uniform!" (A bit like when everyone and their dog gets a tattoo in order to be "different from everyone else", and express their "individuality" - Life Of Brian, anyone? ((Chuckle)) Not the greatest movie ever, but really rather good, nonetheless. 4 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 29th Sep 2024		Shogun Assassin (1980)	A couple more points to note about this movie: Firstly, I noticed in the credits that one of the English dub voice artists is Sandra Bernhard! - Which seems a bit leftfield for her, but I suppose this was early in her career. Secondly, there's one of those truly brilliant, if odd scenes that get stuck in your head in here: After a confrontation by the travellers on a ferry with the Masters of death, a bit of a "to-do" occurs, and a fire breaks out, so all hands must abandon ship and swim to shore. Our hero throws the cart / baby pram in the water, and tells his son to get in it and use it as a boat... anyway, they get ashore and go into a hut there to get warm and dry off, as does the head female ninja - his mortal enemy... ...After stripping his son to bare-ass, and doing the same for himself, he turns menacingly towards this woman with his signature, gruff, yet inscrutable look, who fears the worst; As do we, the audience, as out of nowhere, you doubt this lethal yet honourable man's motives towards her - surely he's not going to rape her is he... not with his son standing there too? - the tone therefore takes a real dark, and unexpected turn. ...He grabs her, throws her down, and begins stripping her too, against not only her naturally loud protests, but her violent attempts to get him away (difficult watch at this point)... But then: ...Once she's completely naked, he turns, gathers up his son, holding him to his chest, then pulls the terrified woman near, and holds them both in his his embrace - the son between, explaining that they need the body heat. The scene lingers here, and shows she is entertaining the idea of drawing his sword from the scabbard on the ground and stabbing him, but the son gives her boob a flick, which seems to shake her out of the notion, and she gives up to just resting against him. The scene is all about the shift in tone, set against audience expectations, until you have a man holding his mortal enemy around his son, but naked for their mutual benefit. There's something sublime, and brilliant about the scene I think.
MR B PAGE ● 27th Sep 2024		The Missionary (1982)	R.I.P. Dame Maggie Smith.
MR B PAGE ● 27th Sep 2024		A Private Function (1985)	R.I.P. Dame Maggie Smith.
MR B PAGE ● 27th Sep 2024		The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)	R.I.P. Dame Maggie Smith.
MR B PAGE ● 27th Sep 2024		Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit (1993)	R,I,P. Dame Maggie Smith.
MR B PAGE ● 27th Sep 2024		Sister Act (1992)	R.I.P. Dame Maggie Smith.
Magic Marmalade 26th Sep 2024		Vampyres (1974)	Rated 7/10 A winter warmer. I really liked this one, against all expectations. Don't be fooled by the DVD cover, as this is not the ultra-slick production that cover suggests; Rather this is in the vein (pun!) of the kind of ultra-low budget, atmospheric, early seventies rural England style "horrors" that Hammer and others used to make - maybe think, in terms of look, style, and feel: The Devil Rides Out, and the 1978 movie: The Legacy (Both more my kind of horror movie, as opposed to modern horrors) - This has a lot of atmosphere, and character, due mainly to the incredibly meagre budget seemingly only stretching to the hire of a couple of cars, a caravan, some charity shop find costumery, and the use of an old manor house... (Perhaps for a few mornings, where I guess they shot most scenes in a very short amount of time, to make the most of this access) ...These resources are utilised to great effect by shooting in those dank misty, autumnal / winteral mornings those of us in England are well acquainted with: damp brown, soggy leaves bestrewn among the baring, dead looking woodlands, an icy mist hanging perpetually in the air to the sound of the many ominous crowings of local rooks, ravens, and well... crows. This weakness also is this movie's strength though too, actually, as not being able to do spectacular vampire effects (supernatural powers etc.), they basically dispense with all that, and concentrate on the "off-ness" of the two main female leads: besides the mostly tastefully shot, largely inoffensive soft-focus, soft porn lesbian sex scenes, and occasional romp with their lured, and ensnared male victims, there's plenty of stomping around in the misty woodland and graveyards sporting long flowing, black and purple velvet cloaks, before stomping back again moodily. And aside form a hapless straight-laced couple in their caravan, one of the lured: the hapless Ted, who spends the movie, once ensnared, trying to free himself from their clutches, has the only real "effects" in the movie: A cosmetic cut on his arm the devilish duo extract their needed blood from. So it's all about mood, and not visual effects nonsense, or contrived variations on Vampiric folklore. In fact, it has a kind of cosy, familiar feel to it, great for a night tucked in with a little snifter when the rain's coming down outside. The only thing that really has me scratching my head is the opening scene, after the initial sex bout between the pair, they are shot by a dark figure... who? we never find out, or how this leads them to become vampires, or by what mechanisms... (I did say they dispensed with all that establishing of premise etc... and as you can see, I mean ALL of it) ...But once over that, you have a gently titillating early seventies rural English gothic mood piece. All good fun :) ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 24th Sep 2024		Shogun Assassin (1980)	Rated 8/10 Another classic tale of revenge... ...Set in motion by our (anti) "hero" defying the big cheese / Shogun, and having his wife murdered, and so setting off to basically kill everyone the Shogun has ever met, or seemingly ever even looked at! He takes with him his infant son, in a cart / pram, and they just continually travel around, dicing all who the Shogun has sent to assassinate him and his son. This includes a pack of ninjas, another group of female ninjas, and three ominous beings known as the: "Masters of death"... (Three dudes with huge hats and individual fighting gimmicks that will immediately call to mind three such individuals to any who have seen: Big Trouble In Little China!) ...But fortunately, our hero is, of course, the ultimate badass! A few points of consideration though: Firstly, this movie, shall we say, doesn't seem to have any actual resolution, which is odd. Also, while this is technically a samurai / martial arts / revenge movie... in look, feel tone and style, I would actually describe this as more of a genuine piece of 60s / 70s psychedelia... ...It has a very trippy, hypnotic, and mesmeric quality to it, further enhanced by the oddly John Carpenter-esque synth score, which I presume, of course, was not part of the original, and much earlier two parts welded together to make this single movie in 1980. And so, this odd time shifted psychedelic splatter-fest, which is not without some great story points, and poignant moments, is probably best watched whilst smoking a "cigarette" or two . (wink :). 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 24th Sep 2024		Shurayuki-hime (1973)	Rated 8/10 The movie that "inspired" Kill Bill. (Not that Tarantino ripped it off at all, oh no, he doesn't do that... he "pays homage to...") A child born for, and to vengeance... ...In a prison, to a mother who promptly dies after giving birth, and swearing the child to fulfil this vow of vengeance on those who killed her husband, and created the circumstances of her lifetime of incarceration. The child, of course, grows to be "Lady Snowblood", a cool, ruthless, sword wielding angel of revenge. All the beats, style, and look that you will recognise from later Kill Bill are here, but in the authentic 70s fashion: Some truly beautiful photography / cinematography, transition shots, and other innovative, and stunning visuals frame the essential fountains of blood, spewing comically all over the place, yet this is a more engrossing, easier paced, slow burner of a tale of revenge, as opposed to the more frenetic Tarantino style. The scene at the end, at a European style period ballroom dance is strongly reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's style, and I wonder if he was an influence on the moviemaking style here... it seems so. Excellent. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
South Shields Football Club 22nd Sep 2024		Hell Drivers (1957)	Hell Drivers is The Great British Film made by Pinewood Studios London with Stanley Baker as Tom Yateley looking for work as the truck driver number 13 in 1957. The Fight broke out when Tom found out about the wages stopped by Red Truck Driver Foreman Number 1 played by Patrick McGoohan and Tom won the fight over Red. Terry
South Shields Football Club 22nd Sep 2024		A Kind Of Loving (1962)	A Kind of Loving made by Shepperton Film Studios with June Ritchie and Alan Bates made in Black & White movie. Ingrid falling in love with Vic is the great love scene are wonderful and married as well and I watched the movie is great of 1962. Terry
South Shields Football Club 22nd Sep 2024		Seven Days To Noon (1950)	Seven Days To Noon is The Great British Film in 1950 made by British Lion Films-Shepperton Studios Starring Barry Jones as Professor John Willingdon Wrote to The Prime Minister Sir Arthur Lytton played by Ronald Adam to blow up The House of Commons-Lords in London. Terry
South Shields Football Club 22nd Sep 2024		The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner (1962)	The Loneliness of The Long Distance Runner released in 1962 starring Tom Courtenay as Colin Smith who stole the money from The Bakers alongside with his friend Mike played by James Bolam and Sir Michael Redgrave as The Governor of Ruxton Towers. Made by British Lion Films at Shepperton Studios. Terry
South Shields Football Club 22nd Sep 2024		Horrors Of The Black Museum (1959)	Horrors of The Black Museum is the great British film of 1959 starring Michael Gough as Edmond Bancroft is the writer made by Merton Film Studios in London and Gail Dunlop killed in her flat and her eyes covered in blood is the great master classic of 1959. Terry

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