1 pesky sciuridae, 504 leaps, an unknown number of fillums

Registered User

12-05-16

Originally Posted by MovieMeditation

I agree with your thoughts, positive and negative, of Harakiri. The final climatic calumniation of the otherwise extremely elegant build-up just didn't pay off the way it should have. The lengthy build-up is one of the best I have ever witnessed in a movie, so it is a shame it couldn't quite wrap it all as wonderfully as what came before it...

Yep, I agree.

Just revisited it myself a few days ago and it was a perfectly peculiar, pleasant and rapid ride through the atmospherical and delusional "dollhouse" of Wes Anderson's mind of high quality quirk.

Blimey .... a lesser spotted twofer of agreement MM

Glad you enjoy both too!

Chypmunk

Registered User

12-05-16

Originally Posted by cricket

Since you liked Harakiri so much, I have to recommend Samurai Rebellion!

Cheers crick, already on the radar but always nice to have a confirmatory rec for something

Chypmunk

Registered User

12-06-16

6th Dec:
379. Spaceflight IC-1: An Adventure In Space (Bernard Knowles - 1965, stream)

Unremarkable no-budget British sci-drama which is really a human drama that just happens to be set in space with a lot of pretty awful dialogue (including one quite jarring overdub), cheap sets, indifferent/stiff acting aplenty and has the look and feel of a low quality episode in the later Play For Today series. It does however have possibly the best, albeit unintentional, depiction of an exploded childs' backside at one point - don't ask, you'd have to watch it if curious, and tbh I'm not convinced it's a plus point nor that I should have even noticed let alone mention it but I did want to try and include something positive in this waffle

Chypmunk

Registered User

12-07-16

7th Dec:
380. X The Unknown (Leslie Norman & Joseph Losey - 1956, stream)

+
Nice British sci-horror creature feature (of a sort) that's well made and acted with decent enough effects for the most part and even if somewhat lacking in excitement is still a solid enough watch. For those interested in watching online I'd recommend Internet Archive as the versions on YouTube are either interlaced with a gazillion ads or at least one point are akin to watching whilst under the influence of psychotropic drugs.

381. Where Have All The People Gone (John Llewellyn Moxey - 1974, stream)

Made for television post-apocalyptic survival drama that follows a tried and tested blueprint in terms of story arc so has no real surprises in store, does have a few minor moments of overacting and is another that lacks a little for excitement but creates an ok atmosphere and is perfectly acceptable for a movie of it's ilk.

Last edited by Chypmunk; 12-07-16 at 01:18 PM.

Chypmunk

Registered User

12-08-16

8th Dec:
382. Viaje al centro de la Tierra [The Fabulous Journey To The Center Of The Earth aka Where Time Began] (Juan Piquer Sim�n - 1977, stream)

Dubbed Spanish version of the Jules Verne adventure that is really poor to begin with and in terms of dialogue remains quite weak in places but once it gets going it is a surprisingly enjoyable somewhat camp romp that moves along at a decent clip with visual effects that are perfectly acceptable and even pretty good in places.

Chypmunk

Registered User

12-09-16

9th Dec:
383. Mars Needs Women (Larry Buchanan - 1967, stream)

+ to

(dependng on amount of festive cheer consumed)
Ultra-cheap made for television sci-fi offering that is laughably bad for most of the first third but gradually improves enough to be watchable though the acting and especially the dialogue remain below average throughout ... it's not all bad though, it is somewhat visually appealing here and there - at least from a male perspective anyway

384. Attack From Space (Koreyoshi Akasaka, Teruo Ishii & Akira Mitsuwa - 1965, stream)

+
Dubbed Japanese superhero action adventure (part of the 'Starman' franchise) which plays like a cross between Flash Gordon and rubbish chop-socky with a little Nancy Drew thrown in that contains some poor acting, camp dialogue and action sequences, predominantly state-of-the-ark special effects, low production values (though some of the camerawork is actually quite nice) and cares not one whit for science ... but for all that is fairly entertaining, up until the ridiculously drawn out final fight begins to drag, and not without a certain level of charm in it's craptitude.

Last edited by Chypmunk; 12-09-16 at 12:16 PM.

Chypmunk

Registered User

12-13-16

13th Dec:
385. Julia X (P.J. Pettiette - 2011, dvd)

+
Somewhat messy comedy/horror that never quite hits a tone that really suits leaving it sporadic and sadly ultimately unfulfilling on both sides of the equation despite the occasional decent gory moment.

Chypmunk

Registered User

12-14-16

14th Dec:
386. The Last Days On Mars (Ruairi Robinson - 2013, tv)

Passable sci-horror but no real surprises in store and nothing to really make it stand out imo.

Chypmunk

Registered User

12-15-16

15th Dec:
387. 20 Million Miles To Earth (Nathan Juran - 1957, tv)

+
Classic sci-fi creature feature with effects from Ray Harryhausen that builds nicely and like King Kong before it successfully generates a level of sympathy/empathy for a creature which has been ripped from it's natural environment before also opting to punish it for having the audacity to visit a well known monument without a ticket.

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capital "T"

12-15-16

20 Million Miles To Earth

Hey another one I've seen and I really liked this one...I initially watched it cause I was on a Harryhausen kick, and was surprised at how effective the story telling was. Like you said it builds a good level of empathy for the poor creature. It's not the usual monster-sci fi flick. Glad to see someone else enjoyed it.

Chypmunk

Registered User

12-17-16

17th Dec:
388. Die Hard 2 (Renny Harlin - 1990, tv)

+
Action thriller with some nice action scenes and even though the tone doesn't really work all the time for me on the whole it remains a fun enough watch (albeit not a patch on it's predecessor imo).

cricket

Msg

Registered User

12-17-16

Originally Posted by Chypmunk

17th Dec:
388. Die Hard 2 (Renny Harlin - 1990, tv)

My second favorite of the series (after the first), and a top 10 action film for me.

Chypmunk

Registered User

12-17-16

Originally Posted by cricket

My second favorite of the series (after the first), and a top 10 action film for me.

The tone obviously works a lot better for you then and that's great - personally I'd much rather it be either completely ludicrous all the way through or tone itself down a little and be lighthearted but a little more plausible all the way through... it just falls somewhere inbetween for me and suffers because of that.

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

12-17-16

I'm back to agree, Chyp!

Die Hard 2 can be a fun enough watch and there are really good parts in it, but overall I'm not a huge fan of it. Apart from the obvious choice of the fifth film, which doesn't even exists in my mind, the second film is my least favorite. But admittedly, as a whole the series is pretty damn solid (again, not counting five).

I really like the first a lot, third might be my favorite and four is one I really enjoy despite some people who hate it.

__________________
/watching movies for mark f/
MovieMeditation's Cinema Reviews // Film Diary 2015 // Letterboxd Profile // MovieMeditation's Top 50 Horror

Chypmunk

Registered User

12-17-16

Never seen the fifth .... not even sure I've seen the fourth tbh MM (if I have then it left no lasting impression). In general I'm not a great one for watching later entries in franchises as I find myself getting less and less invested in them as the number increases. Like yourself I prefer Die Hard With A Vengeance to Die Hard 2 but the original is still a class above either imo.

Camo

Msg

BANNED

12-17-16

Die Hard 2 is also my second favourite behind the original, when i was kid i actually preferred it to the original.

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capital "T"

12-17-16

I've only seen the 1st Die Hard, like a million years ago too.

Chypmunk

Registered User

12-18-16

18th Dec:
389. Short Circuit 2 (Kenneth Johnson - 1988, tv)

+
Family sci-comedy that is both patchy and a little childish and twee for my taste but the central character does invoke a certain amount of nostalgia for me and is still charming and amusing enough to keep things bearable and even at times entertaining.

Chypmunk

Registered User

12-19-16

19th Dec:
390. The Little Shop Of Horrors (Roger Corman - 1960, stream)

Patchy comedy horror that has a few moments but imo either involves too much slapstick or not enough depending on your point of view.

Citizen Rules