The Recommended Movies Thread

[pharvey]

PH

Be fair bro....beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Oh Dear....... getting a tad passionate after the jungle juice again! Apologies all - Homer, certainly no offense intended.

[sandman67]

well, just to prove that not every film with Nazi zombie experments rocks here is

WAR OF THE DEAD

This flick has been "lost" for the last couple of years as its Finnish director chucked a teddy bear and literally stole the print and hid it in a vault. Maybe it should have stayed there....as its a mess. Poor scripting is compounded by bad editing and the whole shebang looks like what it is...a direct to DVD dog of the first stamp.

A team of Finnish and American commandos are sent on a mission to destroy a remote bunker occupied by the Russian inavders during the Winter War of 1941. Before they get there they are attacked by undead soldiers, and the remains of the party link up with a Russian survivor of a similar attack, travel to the bunker, get chased, get attacked over and over, run round more...... and thats about it.

Little or nothing in the way of back story fill in, redundant characters and plot arcs hang about like unwanted guests at a party, stupid plot loops that make no sense, and a half baked ending.

I trashed it as soon as it was over....what a dissapointment as the trailer looked so promising.

Out and about in DVDRIP at all the usual suspects if you can be bothered....

[sandman67]

Another ripping samurai drama

SWORD OF DESPERATION

At an annual noh dance performance a trusted luitenant of a samurai lord suddenly assassinates his chief consort. What is strange is that the samurai concened is reputed as a model samurai, noble and dutiful. Even stranger is that the lord, despite being under the consort's spell, chooses to be lenient and sentence the samurai to house arrest for one year rather than execution. After his release he is then re-instated and made Chief Bodyguard. Perhaps it is because the lord has a brother who wants to take his seat...or is there a deeper plot behind the paper screen?

This is another great example of modern samurai cinema. Much more of a straight drama and less arty than the recent HARA KIRI it is still a compulsive watch....less of a whodunnit and more of a multi layered why-dunnit. Of course, although the motives behind the scenes are revealed as the film progresses, it is only during the climactic final blood stained act that the final jigsaw piece falls into place and the true motives of all involved are revealed.

Top class stuff, and out and about in crispy DVDRIP formats at all the usual places.

[BaaBaa.]

First trailer for Django.

http://thefilmstage.com/trailer/full-le ... unchained/

[sandman67]

yeah right Quentin...well done....great job....and the Tarry fanboys go wild....

So you took one of the most iconic characters of weird west spaghetti westerns, the mud spattered union overcoated weathered faced silent killer dragging a coffin containing a gatling gun with chains, and turned it into a blood spattered version of Wild Wild West with a hipster soundtrack.

I will admit...it looks good. BUT WHY CALL IT DJANGO??????

I can see the interviews now....

Quentin: "Yes the UNCHAINED title is a clever reference to unchaining the character from the stereotyped one seen in the originals and later revisits lke Sukiyaki Western and Death Trance. (smirks)."

Sandman: "But it is still Wild Wild West with more blood. Gantz is still a pirhouetting monkey with a funny accent. And you are still a total c**t for doing it!"

[BaaBaa.]

I think he does alot of stuff as an homage to what he's into, I'm sure it'll get alot of people to go and dig out the originals,which can't be a bad thing. Same with Jackie Brown and the Blaxploitation films. Besides, hasn't Django already been Tarantinoed with Desperado?

Does look good in its own right though.

[sandman67]

WRATH OF THE TITANS

The sequel to last years 80s swords and sandals epic homage remake has finally hit the web in DVDRIP formats, and to be honest whilst its as ripping an adventure as the first it falls floppy on one point.

I loved the first one because it had the same style of camerawork and cinematography as the old classic Ray Harryhausen films.....ultra-real hi contrast comic book style with eye poppng amounts of colour. It was always clean and clear and you could see what was going on. Beastie scraps were always mostly done in long shot so you could wow at the monsters, or they used an over the shoulder third person perspective where you could still see the action clearly. If theres a beastie on the screen getting biffed you want to see what it looksl like. THAT is "How to make effective beatie shots 101" at the Ray school of epic flmmaking. THAT is why hs stuff remains fresh even though it used pre CGI and greenscreen claymation, and why the first remake TITANS film also looked so good.

This one has muddy colouring, and uses arty "edgey" shakeycam in close shots when it shouldnt, monster shots are mostly done in partial close view to support the 3D cackola, and as a result it looks messy. IMHO this is a symptom of the current everything in 3D fad that only serves to ruin most films. It doesnt ruin this one, but it does make it definitely a second place contestant when compared with the first.

Anyways, this one picks the story up 12 years after the first, and a now widowed Perseus is trying to live the life of a fisherman with his young son. Unfortunately nasty old Hades has teamed up with Ares, the demigod of war, to set free Kronos from his prison in Tartarus. This isnt the smartest idea as Kronos was imprisoned there to stop him killing off all the other gods and destroying the Earth. So, when Posiedon and Zeus fall in battle against the bad guys, its down to Perseus and another team of potental cannon fodder to get down to Tartarus and kick some godly butt and stop the volcano on legs that is Kronos.

I liked it, even if it wasnt as much an eye candy ripping wheeze as the first, and its good matinee style bubblegum for the brain wth some thrills, spills, and winged horserides to destiny for all the family. It could have looked better had they stuck to the first films clean and clear Harryhausen look, but what the hell....its a swords and sandals epic! Wayhayyy!!!!

Out and about in crisp DVDRIPS at all the usual suspects.

Three cheers and a keeper.....but remember Im a sucker for fantasy flicks.

[richard]

Just downloaded Sword of Desperation but no subs

I know you posted instructions on downloading and subs and stuff. Can't find it anywhere

Anybody got a link or failing that SM some advice on getting subs please

[sandman67]

Richard

download one of the following sets of subs depending on whether the film is all in one file or is split into two halves:

1 file subs: - http://subscene.com/english/Sword-of-De ... 46694.aspx

1 file subtitles: - http://subscene.com/english/Sword-of-De ... 49995.aspx

1 file subs: - http://www.podnapisi.net/en/ppodnapisi/ ... ateTitle/1

2 file subs: - http://www.opensubtitles.org/en/subtitl ... risashi-en

Then its a case of open the file with winzip, store the SRT file(s) in the same folder as the film files, and then when you start the film your meda player should automatically start the subs as well (GOM Player and VLC will as well as Windows Media Player but with WMP you need to make sure the film and subtitle files are called the same name - rename all of the files to the name of the film)

You might need to make sure by checking in the settings box of the player that subtitles are turned on.

If none of that works let me know and I'll sort the problem out for you. f teh subs are out of synch with the film let me know the name of the version of the flm fle you have and I will fnd the subs that fit it.

[richard]

Cheers mate

Worked a treat

Oh, and just found your original post

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=13573&hilit=downloading+files

[richard]

Another ripping samurai drama

SWORD OF DESPERATION

At an annual noh dance performance a trusted luitenant of a samurai lord suddenly assassinates his chief consort. What is strange is that the samurai concened is reputed as a model samurai, noble and dutiful. Even stranger is that the lord, despite being under the consort's spell, chooses to be lenient and sentence the samurai to house arrest for one year rather than execution. After his release he is then re-instated and made Chief Bodyguard. Perhaps it is because the lord has a brother who wants to take his seat...or is there a deeper plot behind the paper screen?

This is another great example of modern samurai cinema. Much more of a straight drama and less arty than the recent HARA KIRI it is still a compulsive watch....less of a whodunnit and more of a multi layered why-dunnit. Of course, although the motives behind the scenes are revealed as the film progresses, it is only during the climactic final blood stained act that the final jigsaw piece falls into place and the true motives of all involved are revealed.

Top class stuff, and out and about in crispy DVDRIP formats at all the usual places.

A Gem
A tear breaker

I'm really addicted to these Samurai films. Knocks shit out of most of the crap coming out of Hollywood

Sword of Desperation is Bird Spearing

Thanks SM

[richard]

A WOMAN IN BLACK

Downloaded it weeks ago and kicked it off a few times BUT thought boring so hit some music instead.

Watched it tonight...............What a great movie. Spine chilling with a lovely last 30 second twist.


ENJOY.................I DID

[sandman67]

RAMPART

This grimy and gritty cop drama set in the late 90s was wrtten by James Ellroy, and like most of his books it concerns a proper filthy nasty dirty cop. Dave Brown is the sort of LA cop that gives bent cops a bad name....racist, bigoted, corrupt and out of control violent, his life both on and off duty is a 16 car train wreck on meth and cheap whisky. At the hight of a cop coruption investigation scandal that is rocking the force, Dave has the unfortunate luck to be filmed by a citizen kicking 10 bells out of a black guy who drove into his squad car then tried running for it. But is it all as it seems? Was Dave actually set up as a decoy duck to take the heat off the whole department, and is he being sold down the river as a sacrifical goat? Or is it just that Dave's dinosaur attitude and clusterf*ck career style is finally catchng up wth him in the age of cameraphones and the net?

Sounds great eh? Typical Ellroy. Add to that good start the fact it stars Woody Harrelson in a role he plays to the tee, wonderfully portraying the rolled up ball of hate and moral minefield that is Dave, with a supporting cast of similar great actors and actresses. Its also filmed wonderfully, literally taking you on a close up ride into the hell that is being Dave. No wonder its won a scad of awards and plaudits from the critcs.....

But....

Y know what? I have a simple rule of narratives......THEY HAVE TO TAKE YOU ON A JOURNEY ALL THE WAY FROM A TO Z....and thats where this otherwise excellent film falls flat on its face. Plot arcs are left hanging like drunks on lamposts on a Saturday nite. Hinted at conspiracies and plots within plots are left unexplored and unexplained. The whole sodding film stops at an illogical point and you are left wondering what the hell happens....its like someone cut the last 20 minutes off the film. Maybe I missed out on something and this is some form of arty post modernist way of telling a story....I dunno.

Have a looksee for yourself. Its well worth a watch...but I bet like me when the end credits roll you will say WTF?????? To me its another example of how Ellroy's compelling cop drama narratives do not translate well onto film.

See what you think. Caveat Emptor.

Out and about all over the shop in DVDRIP formats.

[Homer]

Saw this a few weeks ago because I have to see everything made of Ellroy's work. Good review.

and thats where this otherwise excellent film falls flat on its face. Plot arcs are left hanging like drunks on lamposts on a Saturday nite. Hinted at conspiracies and plots within plots are left unexplored and unexplained. The whole sodding film stops at an illogical point and you are left wondering what the hell happens....

The film was about the main character's downward spiral. The filmmakers let the viewers come to their own conclusions, which were probably darker and more effective than showing one to us, IMHO. Thought the arcs were left hanging so the story's sole focus would be the same as the main character's, also IMHO.

[sandman67]

Yeah I get the "leave it to the viewers imagination" thing H and most of the time it works...INCEPTION for example is a great ending...is he still in the dream or not? But here the holes were dumb. The potential stitch up plotline involving the old guy who was his shady ex cop contact was just pointless left unconcluded and unexplored as it was. And the end is daft....with a narrative like this it should have led to a solid end conclusion to tell the tale properly. As you so rightly qualify tho bro thats all IMHO. Glad you liked it tho as it is otherwise an excellent flick and Woody doth shine again.

As to Ellroy...gotta say I prefer the books. Much denser and more complex and nuanced. He is, IMHO, one of the all time crime writer greats. I love his neo-noir stuff. When they make films of his stuff, even the great LA CONFIDENTIAL, a lot of his subtlety and complexity gets lost.

RAMPART is still well worth a watch IMHO....Woody is truly excellent. Its just not a keeper tho IMHO