The Silver Screen

Thu Apr 16, 2015 4:09 pm

HoundInATree wrote:Is it me, or has this news suddenly got viral? I've known this was happening for a while now so I'm not sure why the hypes suddenly picked up.

They just released a new teaser, that actually has the returning cast from the original trilogy featured. We've known about it, but now we have some more details and a better idea of what it'll be like.

Penwrite · Post by **Penwrite** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 12:28 am

Plus it's a fantastic trailer.

Saturn381 · Post by **Saturn381** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 7:56 pm

So apparently there is going to be a film adaptation of Wicked. It's going to be directed by Stephen Daldry (director of Billy Elliot, The Hours, and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close), and is scheduled to be released in 2016.

http://screenrant.com/wicked-musical-mo ... date-2016/

Took them long enough!

Liam · Post by **Liam** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 8:54 pm

Penwrite wrote:Plus it's a fantastic trailer.

So was Phantom Menace's one, and we all know how that turned out.

GreatKitsune · Post by **GreatKitsune** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 9:00 pm

Liam wrote:
Penwrite wrote:Plus it's a fantastic trailer.
So was Phantom Menace's one, and we all know how that turned out.

Hey! Don't diss the prequels. They get enough hate as it is.

Radio Blue Heart · Post by **Radio Blue Heart** » Sun Apr 19, 2015 1:24 pm

I just watch "1408", it was pretty good haunted house movie. Its about a skeptical writer to who spends the night in a hotel room with a gruesome past.

I order my own copy of "Phantom of the Paradise". It should arrive in the mail soon. It is my favorite Brian De Palma film. Personally, I think it is his best film.

I found a used copy of "Blue Velvet" at a used DVD store and I can't wait to watch it. I love David Lynch films and he never disappoints. Like "Lost Highway" or "Inland Empire" it might take some repeat views to wrap your head around it.

And I have on order a copy of the original "Prom Night" from 1980. I'll finally be able to seen it uncut and remastered. The remake was terrible, a PG-13 piece of garbage. Even the unrated one was tame and unscary.

Sun Apr 19, 2015 2:49 pm

Radio Blue Heart wrote:I just watch "1408", it was pretty good haunted house movie. Its about a skeptical writer to who spends the night in a hotel room with a gruesome past.

I saw it in theaters and barely remember it.

Radio Blue Heart · Post by **Radio Blue Heart** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 6:25 pm

Re-watched "Phantom of the Paradise" last night. Twice. I forgot how brilliant that movie is. Its been years since I've seen it.

It's an off-beat horror-comedy-musical that takes elements from the obvious source of Gaston Leroux's "Phantom of the Opera", as well as "Faust" and "The Picture of Dorian Gray".

Some other favorite films of mine in a similar vein, varying in how much comedy and horror there is, include:
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Repo: The Genetic Opera
Wild Zero
Lisztomania
The Wall
Rock 'N' Roll High School
Cannibal The Musical
Poultrygeist, Night of the Chicken Dead
Alice Cooper: The Nightmare

I'll most likely go see "Avengers: Age of Ultron" next week. The critics have given it bad reviews, but the fans in the UK, where it is out now, have lots of good things to say about it.

Saturn381 · Post by **Saturn381** » Fri May 01, 2015 9:42 pm

Just came back form seeing Avengers: Age of Ultron, and it was awesome!

Penwrite · Post by **Penwrite** » Fri May 01, 2015 10:41 pm

Saturn381 wrote:Just came back form seeing Avengers: Age of Ultron, and it was awesome!

That movie is mythic in every good way.

Saturn381 · Post by **Saturn381** » Sun May 10, 2015 11:32 pm

So here's something I found that's interesting. DreamWorks Animation is planing on making an animated musical called Larrikins. It'll be produced by Christina Steinberg (Rise of the Guardians), Tim Minchin will write the songs, and it's scheduled to be released on February 16, 2018.

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/mus ... 36k06.html

Your thoughts?

Radio Blue Heart · Post by **Radio Blue Heart** » Mon May 11, 2015 5:33 pm

I saw "Avengers: Age of Ultron" this weekend and it was great. There were a few things that I thought were odd. I thought Von Strucker would have been a major villain but he was dispatched fairly quickly. Even though they used actual locations like Johannesburg, South Africa and Seoul, South Korea, I wondered why they would do something like create a fictional place like Sokovia. Its obvious that it is supposed to be a former Soviet or Yugoslav republic, but why didn't the use one of those like Moldova and Transnistria or Sebia or Montenegro. Was it so hard to find a map of East Europe? But I guess I am just nit picking.

It was also cool that they make reference to the upcoming "Black Panther" movie by referencing Wakanda and Klaw. And tying it into "Guardians of the Galaxy" with the Mind Gem.

I watched the Hammer Film "Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter" and it is by far one of the last great Hammer Films before that studio closed shop.

Mon May 11, 2015 10:29 pm

Radio Blue Heart wrote:Even though they used actual locations like Johannesburg, South Africa and Seoul, South Korea, I wondered why they would do something like create a fictional place like Sokovia. Its obvious that it is supposed to be a former Soviet or Yugoslav republic, but why didn't the use one of those like Moldova and Transnistria or Sebia or Montenegro. Was it so hard to find a map of East Europe?

because Pietro and Wanda Maximoff aren't from those places in the comics. They aren't actually from Sokovia either, but they're from another fake Eastern European country, Transia. using a fake country makes it easier to make fake conflicts within that country.

Radio Blue Heart · Post by **Radio Blue Heart** » Tue May 12, 2015 2:41 pm

RandomGeekNamedBrent wrote:
Radio Blue Heart wrote:Even though they used actual locations like Johannesburg, South Africa and Seoul, South Korea, I wondered why they would do something like create a fictional place like Sokovia. Its obvious that it is supposed to be a former Soviet or Yugoslav republic, but why didn't the use one of those like Moldova and Transnistria or Sebia or Montenegro. Was it so hard to find a map of East Europe?
because Pietro and Wanda Maximoff aren't from those places in the comics. They aren't actually from Sokovia either, but they're from another fake Eastern European country, Transia. using a fake country makes it easier to make fake conflicts within that country.

All I'm saying is that they are about the right age to have lived through the Kosovo War phase of the Yugoslav Wars, which included NATO bombings. That could be where their story of a Stark Industries munition hitting their apartment building when they were kids. But that's just the Political Science/History major in me getting us off topic.

Back to topic, I just got a giant monster double feature DVD the British giant ape film "Konga" and the South Korean giant monster movie "Yongary, Monster From The Deep". As far as "King Kong" and "Godzilla" imitators go, they are pretty good movies. They never cease to entertain.

I just got copies of "The Babadook" and "Late Phases: Night of the Lone Wolf" and I can't wait to watch them. "The Babadook" has already been declared the best horror film of the year so I am excited to view it. "Late Phases" has gotten good notices too, with some reviewers comparing it to "Bubbah-Ho-Tep".

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Thu May 14, 2015 12:18 am

I caught They Live on T.V. last night and it was so awesome. I don't know if anything can ever top a John Carpenter movie staring Roddy Piper in terms of sheer coolness. It has some 80's camp and over the top Carpenter action but there's a smart social commentary underlying all that, I'd put it up there with the Thing and Escape from N.Y.

Liam · Post by **Liam** » Thu May 14, 2015 10:19 pm

Seth wrote:I caught They Live on T.V. last night and it was so awesome. I don't know if anything can ever top a John Carpenter movie staring Roddy Piper in terms of sheer coolness. It has some 80's camp and over the top Carpenter action but there's a smart social commentary underlying all that, I'd put it up there with the Thing and Escape from N.Y.

There should be more works that use the "Earth as third world country" trope. The only non-obscure property I can think off the top of my head is the show Earth: Final Conflict.

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Fri May 15, 2015 6:42 am

I saw the new avengers movie last night and it was OK. But nothing special as far as super hero movies go. I really thought it was trying too hard to be all hip and self aware. I wasn't a fan of snarky ultron and prefer the more sinister comic book version.
All that said there were some awesome moments and it is OK as a blockbuster/ building block towards the whole infinity gauntlet thing they keep hinting at.

Liam wrote:
Seth wrote:I caught They Live on T.V. last night and it was so awesome. I don't know if anything can ever top a John Carpenter movie staring Roddy Piper in terms of sheer coolness. It has some 80's camp and over the top Carpenter action but there's a smart social commentary underlying all that, I'd put it up there with the Thing and Escape from N.Y.
There should be more works that use the "Earth as third world country" trope. The only non-obscure property I can think off the top of my head is the show Earth: Final Conflict.

Agreed, I really liked that as the justification for the alien invasion

Radio Blue Heart · Post by **Radio Blue Heart** » Tue May 19, 2015 6:46 pm

I loved "They Live". Beautiful satire and a scathing indictment of Reaganism and capitalism. Kind of the anti-Ayn Rand.

I picked up a double feature DVD/Blu-ray of "The Video Dead" and "Terrorvision". The are sort of a "TV is bad for you" double feature.

"The Video Dead" is about a cursed television that only picks up one channel that constantly plays a black & white horror film called "Zombie Blood Nightmare". The television can turn itself on even when unplugged and if left on too long the zombies will come out of the movie into the real world and start killing people. "Terrorvision" is an outrageous horror-comedy about a rich yuppie family that gets a satellite TV receiver that accidentally beams in a monster from another planet. The monster proceeds to eat everyone in sight. This film is best described as a live action cartoon because it never takes itself too seriously. The characters were made to represent the worst kinds of people living in Los Angeles in the mid 1980s (Bourgeois, swinger parents, valley girl daughter, Right-wing survivalist grandfather and grandson). It vacillates between oddball comedy and gruesome gore film. It didn't find its audience on its initial release but quickly became a cult film.

It has a spiritual sequel in the film "Bad Channels" about an alien that uses a radio station to capture humans for experimentation.

I also got a copy of the classic Canadian werewolf film "Ginger Snaps". It uses lycanthropy as a metaphor for puberty and growing up. Two sisters who are very close start drifting apart after one of them is bitten by a werewolf. Its one of the best movies on the subjects of werewolves ever made.

Saturn381 · Post by **Saturn381** » Fri May 22, 2015 9:24 pm

Just came back from seeing Tomorrowland, and it was really good!

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Sat May 23, 2015 9:05 am

I watched seven samurai last night and it was amazing. The more Kurosawa I watch the more I like him, it's a 3 hour movie but it doesn't feel like it, it's just so well acted and well written that it feels epic instead of Just long.

Foxstar · Post by **Foxstar** » Sat May 23, 2015 11:19 am

I haven't seen any movie in ages on the big screen. I need to change that.

Radio Blue Heart · Post by **Radio Blue Heart** » Tue May 26, 2015 6:05 pm

I just watched some bad movies. Bad movies that I could not actually enjoy. The first was called "Billy Club", a slasher about a killer murdering people with a baseball bat with nails driven through it. His victims are all adults who were part of a prank gone wrong when they played little league baseball together. It could have been something but the acting was wooden and the direction was poor. There was no tension what so ever, so it was not scary or exciting in the slightest.

Second I watched Uwe Boll's (there's good news) video game adaptation film "Alone in the Dark". Although I have seen far worse, this one was basically like a big budget version of a SyFy Channel original movie. The best part about it was its awesome heavy metal soundtrack. I found it for a dollar at a yard sale so I don't feel completely disappointed.

I watched the Mario Bava crime caper film "Danger: Diabolik" ( aka "Diabolik") and even though it was mocked on the last episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, it is actually a good movie. Its very psychedelic. Its based on an Italian comic (fumetto) of the same name. Diabolik is the anti-James Bond; a master thief who robs from everyone, especially from organized crime syndicates. He and his partner/love interest Eva use a vast array of weapons and gadgets to pull off daring heists.

I found a really nice copy of "Full Metal Jacket" so I can finally watch it in widescreen.

Other than that I have just been re-watching some of my favorites like "Lifeforce" and "Combat Shock".

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Wed May 27, 2015 11:44 am

I finally watched Bergman's The Seventh Seal and it totally blew me away. It was so well written and acted and some of the cinematography was just gorgeous. It's really cool to see how amazing the images in some of these old films are knowing how far the technology has come. It really puts things in perspective for me when I want to tell myself a shot will be "too hard" to get.

Radio Blue Heart · Post by **Radio Blue Heart** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 5:42 pm

I just got a copy of "A Man Called Magnum/Napoli si ribella". Its an Italian crime film, or Poliziotteschi, from the 70s. It pretty good but not as good as other films in this sub-genre like "Rome Armed to the Teeth/Roma a mano armata" or "Contraband/Luca il contrabbandiere". I love these kind of films anyway.

Punchy · Post by **Punchy** » Tue Jun 02, 2015 5:56 am

A couple days ago I watched The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert...

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Tue Jun 02, 2015 11:26 am

Punchy wrote:A couple days ago I watched The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert...

I saw that a couple years ago in a film and gender studies class, it's a good one. The world needs more drag Queen road trip movies.

I haven't watched a ton of movies lately but I did finally watch eyes wide shut. It was a good one though the ending was a bit underwhelming it was adequate to wrap up a very well done interesting film. Kubrick's versatility never ceases to amaze me, I feel like this was Just him wanting to do an artsy out there film kinda in the vein of David lynch and he did it very well.

Radio Blue Heart · Post by **Radio Blue Heart** » Fri Jun 05, 2015 4:17 pm

The fifth and final "Phantasm" film, "Phantasm: RaVager" is coming out this year! I am very excited by this! If you have not seen the original "Phantasm", I highly recommend it. It is one of the best horror films ever made.

I just got copies of "The Lost Boys", which is one of the best vampire movies ever made, and "Madman", one of the best films to come out of the "slasher cycle" of the early 80s. I can't wait to see that one.

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Mon Jun 08, 2015 7:48 pm

So I finally watched the original version of planet of the apes ( with Charlton Heston) and it was so awesome. The makeup holds up well nearly 50 years later, the same can be said about the majority of the script/ acting. It's a great sci fi movie that really makes you think and has good action to keep your attention until the message sinks in.

Deske · Post by **Deske** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 3:08 am

I watched Boondock Saints 2 days ago and Boondock Saints 2 just 3 hours ago. Both were very fun movies. Would recommend.

Fri Jun 12, 2015 12:38 am

saw the premier of Jurassic World. I enjoyed it. Chris Pratt has still not made a bad movie. If you like Jurassic Park, go see Jurassic World. Much better than Jurassic Park 3.

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 9:04 am

I rewatched the original nightmare on elm street recently and while the script/ acting is full of 80's campy horror tropes it's decent for that genre. And really all those old slasher flicks rely on a good monster and good practical effects. NOES certainly has plenty of personality in those departments. I really liked it from both a horror historian and entertainment standpoint. Probably has a better rewatch value than Friday the 13th though the carpenter fan boy in me won't let me rank it above Halloween as far as the big 3 of 80s horror go.

Deske wrote:I watched Boondock Saints 2 days ago and Boondock Saints 2 just 3 hours ago. Both were very fun movies. Would recommend.

I haven't seen the sequel does it have Willem Dafoe in it? Because he made the first film for me ( that and the way the story was really clever)

Deske · Post by **Deske** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 9:14 am

Technically yes, but he doesn't play as big a part until the end. Still a good movie though.

Also Chris Pratt, 10/10 would snuggle and nobody here can say otherwise.

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 9:17 am

I dunno he's not my type but it'd be a good career move : p

And while I'm always skeptical about sequels I might have to check it out. I make the unfair assumption that Boondock saints II is more dumbed down and broish

Saturn381 · Post by **Saturn381** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 5:04 pm

Just came back from seeing Jurassic World, and it was great!

GameCobra · Post by **GameCobra** » Mon Jun 15, 2015 12:37 pm

Saw the movie as well. it was not as bad as i thought.

The movie tries to keep the classic campy setups that the original movie had at the beginning, but it actually gets much better and smoother later on. Most of the hype is not knowing what to expect.

And the raptors were actually cool. I came in expecting them to be corny "ooo! Raptors! That's always cool!" kind of publicity, but they turned out to be really cool in the movie.

I give it a 7/10. Great twists, neat humor and callbacks, and doesn't get too dry, but the dryness is still there to warrant a good score.

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Thu Jun 18, 2015 12:42 pm

Finally watched Dario argentos Suspiria and it was an absolutely gorgeously shot film that still holds up as pretty darn creepy. It's great for slasher fans but there are enough other elements at play in the story that keep it from being formulaic.

Radio Blue Heart · Post by **Radio Blue Heart** » Thu Jun 18, 2015 6:40 pm

Seth wrote:Finally watched Dario argentos Suspiria and it was an absolutely gorgeously shot film that still holds up as pretty darn creepy. It's great for slasher fans but there are enough other elements at play in the story that keep it from being formulaic.

Excellent. EXCELLENT choice! That is one of the best films ever made in horror of in any other genre.

I just got "The Toolbox Murders" and "Don't Go in the Woods" and I can't wait to watch them. They were banned in the UK as "Video Nasties", so you know they are good.

I watched "The ABCs of Death" and I have mixed feelings about it. Directors from all over the world took a letter of the alphabet and created a short film based on it. Some were good but others were just plain bad. It was an interesting concept but it is so varied that it seems very incohesive. But I guess that is to be expected, it is the combined vision of 26 different directors.

I watched a horror film called "May" about a lonely veterinary assistant whose hobby is sewing. She desperately wants a friend, other than a doll her mother gave her, so she decides to make one. It was a very sympathetic performance from the lead actress Angela Bettis of a girl who is not evil, just sad and misguided.

I shared the joys of "John Dies At The End" and Six-String Samurai" with my friends Hunter and Alyson. I sent them each a copy of "Six-String Samurai" and "John Dies At The End" for Hunter only. She's had a rough week so I thought she could use some cheering up. Besides, they are both obsessed with post-apocalyptic stuff because of Fallout and the new Mad Max movie.

If you have not seen "Six-String Samurai", I highly recommend it. Its what you would get if you combined "Mad Max" with "A Hard Day's Night", "Rock 'N' Roll High School", "El Topo" and "Lone Wolf and Cub".

Its set in a world were the Soviet Union won the Cold War in 1957 with a first strike, destroying America before it could retaliate. After the country was devastated and the government collapsed, the only authority is The King ruling from his capital Lost Vegas. But now he has died and a breed of swordsmen/guitar players are traveling to Vegas to fight for his throne. The hero of the film is Buddy who carries a katana and plays rockabilly music. He saves an orphan from some mutants and the kid follows him on his journey to be crowned king of Lost Vegas. Death himself also wants to be king and it following them every step of the way.

Its hilarious, sweet and exciting. Its a genius film.

"John Dies at the End" is an adaptation of David Wong's book of the same name. It kind of a combination of "Supernatural" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". Its about a drug that gives its users paranormal powers like seeing into other dimensions and bringing things back with them.

I've been watching a lot of Mario Bava films lately. I was two different cuts of his lost film "Rabid Dogs" which was reedited into an alternate version called "Kidnapped". It was not that violent, compared to his other films "Blood and Black Lace" and "Twitch of the Death Nerve", but it was just a mean spirited film.

And I am now obsessed with the film "Danger: Diabolik" and the comic book character Diabolik. It was a really good movie and did not deserve the mocking it got on Mystery Science Theater 3000". Many people in the comic field call it one of the best comic adaptation films of all time and I am inclined to agree. It also introduced me to the main character Diabolik who has been a mainstay of Italian comics since 1962.

Saturn381 · Post by **Saturn381** » Thu Jun 18, 2015 9:38 pm

Just came back from an early screening of Inside Out, and it was great!

Radio Blue Heart · Post by **Radio Blue Heart** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 7:19 am

I just watched Rob Zombie's "Lords of Salem" and it was heavy! Its a very scary, disturbing film. Its like Stanley Kubrick, Mario Bava and Ken Russel decided to make a film together. Its about a Radio DJ who is the last descendant of a Reverend that burned witches at the Salem Witch Trials. 6 of the women he burned were the real deal and placed a curse on him and his bloodline. Now she is menaced by the spirits of these witches who want her to be the mother of the Anti-Christ. Dare I say it but I think this is Rob Zombie's best movie yet.

Penwrite · Post by **Penwrite** » Sun Jun 28, 2015 9:33 pm

Seen Inside Out twice now. One of Pixar's best.