The Last Film You Saw..... 3D!!!!

[DazDaMan]

I'm nearing the end of my trek through my collection of WW1-era aviation films, and today's viewing was:



A remake of a 1930 original (see, Hollywood were doing it all the way back then!!!), this sees Errol Flynn and David Niven playing RFC scout pilots tasked with trying to keep the newcomers alive while trying to keep themselves sane, only for Flynn's character to get the bum job of sending the kids up to their certain deaths when their CO (Basil Rathbone) gets promoted, straining his relationship with his best friend and squadron-mate.

Recycling most, if not all, its predecessor's aerial footage doesn't seem to take any edge off the story at all - it's still a fine, enjoyable film, with great performances all round, and a genuine sense of camaraderie and loss between Niven and Flynn. One scene always sticks in my head - the morning after a heavy bout of drinking, David Niven's character comes downstairs to the mess, exhibiting sure sign of a hangover! As one of the NCOs goes off to bring in the new recruits (the camera following him as he goes), Niven and Flynn can be heard offscreen:

"Court, have you ever seen mice on rollerskates?"
"On bicycles, never on skates, old man."

A brilliant little throwaway line, I think!

Daz rating: and a half.

[DazDaMan]

My tour of WW1 aviation comes to an end with Jack Gold's Aces High, starring Malcolm McDowell, Christopher Plummer and Peter Firth.

Loosely based on R.C. Sherriff's play, Journey's End, with additional material from Sagittarius Rising, the film sees McDowell playing a disillusioned squadron leader whose latest recruit is a former school chum who idolises him, not realising that his friend isn't the hero he was made out to be at a school visit/recruitment drive.

It's my personal favourite of all my WW1 films, since I've managed to get up close and personal to several of the aircraft used in the film (Stampes playing S.E.5s, plus replicas of the Fokker E.III and Avro 504). That aside, the aerial action is beautifully shot and very realistic. Human performances are excellent and very believeable (the additional squadron characters are the sort of blokes you'd have at your stag do!).

Daz rating:

[BSG-75]

some dreadful parts in the script, some funny, OK models, great flying sequences (the Skyraiders at the end, the A-6 tail chase near the start) and worth the few quid I paid.

One of the good things about the Blu-ray growth, DVD's are cheaper and cheaper.

but can anybody explain why the DVD menu page has an F-14 on it ? even I didn't like that.....

[BSG-75]

Wrapped up at home on a one week sick note from my GP - lovely lady, so today was a chance to see "Insomnia" - Robin Williams and Al Pacino, watched it because it was directed by Christopher Nolan, Batman, Momento, The Prestige all mentioned above.

Not bad, Pacino didn't get his long rant as in usual movies, and slowly unwinds in the land of the midnight sun, day light 27 x 7 in Alaska, worth an afternoon flaked out on the sofa.

[BSG-75]

Originally Posted by DazDaMan

In my opinion, Pixar's best movie. (Nemo)

A worthy winner of the 2003 Academy Award for Best Animated Film.

Daz rating:

Oh no no no sir, kindly step outside and settle this like a gentlemen, I demand satisfaction sir, name your second and choose your weapon....

"The Incredibles" is Pixar's finest movie, and "The Iron Giant" probably the directors best movie at a pinch...... Brad Bird(?)

[DazDaMan]

Them's fighting words!

Anyway, I'm just going through my second viewing (today!) of:



Very, very funny!

[old shape]

Originally Posted by BSG-75

Oh no no no sir, kindly step outside and settle this like a gentlemen, I demand satisfaction sir, name your second and choose your weapon....

"The Incredibles" is Pixar's finest movie, and "The Iron Giant" probably the directors best movie at a pinch...... Brad Bird(?)

All Pixar films are great.
Their greatest was their first. The bouncing light jumping on a ball, still used as their sig. When it came out (1979ish..please correct me if wrong) it showed an unfeasible step up in graphic technology.

[BSG-75]

Masterpiece of film making. I find James Ellroy books next to impossible to read, this film version is superb, long complex plot, well acted, throwing you curveballs all the way through - and I still jumped when Kevin Spacey got shot.

[Arthur]

Originally Posted by BSG-75

Wrapped up at home on a one week sick note from my GP - lovely lady, so today was a chance to see "Insomnia" - Robin Williams and Al Pacino, watched it because it was directed by Christopher Nolan, Batman, Momento, The Prestige all mentioned above.

Ugh. Try and survive that one during a 16-hr (from 4pm to 8am) thriller/horror movie marathon AT 3 IN THE MORNING... I managed to stay awake, but I just had to gulp that 1.5 litre of cola to cope with it. Unfortunately, the half-litre bottle of slivovic that went with the cola ment I don't remember much of the last two flicks of that session...

Daz,
Knew you'd like it

Last DVD thrown into my player was

I really liked the book when it came out, and thought it'd make a great film. And it does. Although it is a bit paternalistic in being another story on one of Africa's tragedies needing to be told from some white dude's perspective, it's somewhat comforting that Forest Whitaker's performance of Idi Amin is absolutely charming and chilling at the same time. Better yet, the central character (young naieve Scottish doctor) is little more than a stupid l!ttle pr!ck.

[DazDaMan]

I've watched a few films lately, so can't really be bothered to comment on all of them:

• Seabiscuit - Daz rating:
  
• Bad Boys - Daz rating:
  
• Bad Boys 2 - Daz rating:
  
• Back to the Future - Daz rating:

[BSG-75]

Star Wars - Revenge Of The Sith.

Doesn't get any better with time - I still think Mr Lucas has a lot to answer for, 2 outstanding original films (Star Wars & Empire Strikes Back) then he insists on writing scripts with laughable dialogue and a stream of passing characters designed I'm sure to sell toys.

Give me "Episode IV" any day.... and Luke Skywalker is a big girl's blouse and Han Solo is, and always will be the Man......

[old shape]

Originally Posted by BSG-75

Star Wars - Revenge Of The Sith.

Doesn't get any better with time - I still think Mr Lucas has a lot to answer for, 2 outstanding original films (Star Wars & Empire Strikes Back) then he insists on writing scripts with laughable dialogue and a stream of passing characters designed I'm sure to sell toys.

Give me "Episode IV" any day.... and Luke Skywalker is a big girl's blouse and Han Solo is, and always will be the Man......

I was in Hollywood in 1981, we stayed with a bit part actor who worked with the Star Wars crowd. He told me way back then that there were 7 films/stories written. Whether it's the same ones popping out now I dunno.

[BSG-75]

7 was "rebuilding the republic" etc, IIRC none of the regulars wanted in, he was "exhausted" so they never did it. The new stuff now, TV show in the making, clone wars etc is "new".

I still think he is a bit of a fop and gets way too involved with his re-makes, and "extra special effects" etc. shame, I can still remember queuing an age in 1977 to see the first one,

still - may flop out with "JFK" on Thursday - am waiting at home for a parcel-farce delivery, between 8 am and 6 pm.... may as well watch a 4 hr movie !?

[BSG-75]

Suprised not to have seen this mentioned before (not that I saw...) dreadful movie plotwise but some superb flying and on deck shots. An A-5 at the start (its huge !) A-6, KA-6, RF-8, A-7, SH-3, S-3 and of course F-14's in full colour VF-84 markings - the dogfight with the "zero's" is well done for its time.

Kept BSG junior and I happy for 80 odd mins after homework was done this evening.

[DazDaMan]

Although a flop at the cinema when first released, Tora! Tora! Tora! has since become a classic. The film takes great pains to stay true to historical fact, and thus presents the story almost as a documentary, introducing as many characters involved in the events as possible.

The human side of the acting is a little wooden, but is forgivable given the nature of the film.

Aerial action, however, is where the film stands out. The Japanese fleet of bombers and fighters, created using a number of American-made training aircraft, are the particular stars, as without them the film would have been nigh-on impossible to do realistically with models. Surely the best testament to them is the fact that the Commemorative Air Force still uses some of the replicas in its displays to this day. The Zeros vs. P-40s dogfight is a particular favourite scene of mine.

Daz rating:



From the sublime to the ridiculous. Michael Bay's take on the subject is little more than a war action movie with a love triangle thrown in for good measure, complete with MTV-style editing and lots of sweeping camera shots. Stylish, yes, but it's considerably light on substance. The love triangle is slightly less convincing than a pair of surgically-enhanced knockers, with stars Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett and the lovely Kate Beckinsale pretty much phoning in their performances in addition to the cliched story, not to mention Alec Baldwin's exaggerated take on Doolittle.

Aerial action is a decent mix of real and CGI, utilising a good number of Tora's Val divebomber and Kate torpedo-bomber replicas, as well as three original Zero fighters. Throw them into a computer and you have the entire Japanese bombing fleet ready to take on the mothballed fleet held at Hawaii.

I will admit, though, to having a soft spot for Pearl Harbor. The only reason for that is that I was able to see and photograph the four Spitfires used in Affleck's Eagle Squadron sequences at Duxford. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

Daz rating:

[BSG-75]

Daz - there is/was a very good documentary doing the rounds on Sky movies about Tora Tora Tora. Many of the Japanese parts went to various industrialists who put up money for the film (it was an expensive enterprise) which in part explains them being wooden as well as "stoic". The US actors were all TV rather than movie stars to keep the budget down and the focus on the story not a star. Lots of detail on the technical side of the filming including how a big scene went totally wrong. There is a ship (I forget which) thats damaged and they are trying to beach it, you just see it sail partly out of shot - they had a whole shot set up, lost it all.

A few technical blips as well (I have a Pet Peve about the single finned B-25) but the attack sequence is superb, as for Pearl Harbour.... other than the nurses carrying out triage with lipstick at the hospital which I find moving in the extreme.... its a dud...... dreadful and whats with green Zero's ? and as for making the Zero chase him past the control tower so the soldiers can shoot it !

anyhow - keep your eye out for the Tora Tora Tora documentary, well worth a look.

[old shape]

Pearl Harbour?
Surely, "From Here to Eternity" with Burt Lancaster and Frank Sinatra plus lots of others is the tops.

[DazDaMan]

I never said Pearl Harbor was the best film on the subject, I just have a soft spot for it.

Having said that, I'm not a fan of From Here to Eternity.

[DazDaMan]

Originally Posted by BSG-75

Daz - there is/was a very good documentary doing the rounds on Sky movies about Tora Tora Tora. Many of the Japanese parts went to various industrialists who put up money for the film (it was an expensive enterprise) which in part explains them being wooden as well as "stoic". The US actors were all TV rather than movie stars to keep the budget down and the focus on the story not a star. Lots of detail on the technical side of the filming including how a big scene went totally wrong. There is a ship (I forget which) thats damaged and they are trying to beach it, you just see it sail partly out of shot - they had a whole shot set up, lost it all.

A few technical blips as well (I have a Pet Peve about the single finned B-25) but the attack sequence is superb, as for Pearl Harbour.... other than the nurses carrying out triage with lipstick at the hospital which I find moving in the extreme.... its a dud...... dreadful and whats with green Zero's ? and as for making the Zero chase him past the control tower so the soldiers can shoot it !

anyhow - keep your eye out for the Tora Tora Tora documentary, well worth a look.

Yeah, I've read a fair few bits about the making of Tora!, most of which is online.

The green Zeros in Pearl Harbor was my biggest complaint at the time, and the Disney get-out clause that the film is meant to be a love story and not a historical movie really gets my goat. I mean, really?!

[old shape]

Originally Posted by DazDaMan

I never said Pearl Harbor was the best film on the subject, I just have a soft spot for it.
Having said that, I'm not a fan of From Here to Eternity.

Apologies.

I have a soft spot for "Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb".

IIRC it was a made for TV movie (Isn't that an excuse for a movie that is going to flop...but You haven't finished it yet?)

[DazDaMan]

Or, as it is better known in this part of the world, The First of the Few, directed by and starring Leslie Howard in what was to be his final film project.

Howard plays R.J. Mitchell, Supermarine's chief designer who wins the praise of his peers for his run of highly-successful racing seaplanes, ultimately winning the Schneider Trophy for Great Britain, and clocking up over 400mph with the S.6B.

Taking a break from all of this, he and his best friend Geoffrey Crisp (a fictional character, but an amalgam of the various test pilots who flew Mitchell's designs, played here by David Niven) visit Germany and discover that the Luftwaffe is preparing for war. Therefore, so must Mitchell, and he sets to work designing the Spitfire, paying the ultimate price while creating a world-beating fighter...

People complain about Hollywood "perverting" the course of history in films, but really we Brits have done the same! The only thing, of course, is that this film was produced as a piece of wartime propaganda to bolster the British people, and not as a bonafide historical film. And I imagine it succeeded brilliantly as the former.

Performances aren't bad - Howard playing a rather sympathetic, yet troubled genius, while Niven plays the dashing, womanising flyer (as he did so in The Dawn Patrol four years earlier), and the supporting cast merely there to lend a hand to the proceedings rather than have anything useful to do.

This film's strengths lie in its depiction and use of the various aircraft that feature in the story - the Supermarine seaplanes, some footage of German gliders that would otherwise be lost and, of course, the sight and sound of a squadron or two of Spitfires being flown by in-service pilots. Brilliant.

Daz rating: (for the authentic Spitfire action alone!)

[BSG-75]

came home tonight and the ankle biters were out and a quick trawl through Sky bought up " a few good men" - what the hell, sausage sarnies, peace and quiet and Jack Nicolson stealing a movie in what, 3 scenes?

"I sooner you just said thank you, and went on your way. Or, pick up a weapon and stand a post."

[DazDaMan]

The second and third Back to the Future movies.

Still good fun, and they've not aged too badly, either.

[Arthur]

Ongoing with my Coen-fest:


Yah! The Coen Bros' first Oscar-grabber. The story is absolutely nasty, yet thanks to Frances McDormands character the film ends up as an absolute feel-good flic. Especially interesting if you consider that apart from FMcD and her in-movie hubby, all leading characters in the film are absolutely despicable.

[BSG-75]

One of those odd films, should do better but slipped away to DVD. Researching the story after, I was surprised it wasn't better known. German born US pilot shot down in 1965 escapes a Pathet Lo camp and finds his way back.

Purists (OK, nit pickers like me) may not like the CGI but it only features in brief at the start - a belting story and well worth a Sunday evening sprawled in front of the TV. I just tried to dig out a copy of the book on the WWW, over £50..... told you the story was well hidden !

check it out - showing on Sky now if you have it.

[DazDaMan]

The original, and best, of the trilogy. Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley battle undead pirates and a mysterious curse relating to Aztec gold in this modern Disney classic. And to think it was based on a theme park ride!

Johnny Depp is undoubtedly the star of the show, but there are decent supporting performances from Bloom and Knightley, as well as a scenery-chewing Geoffrey Rush on fine form as Captain Barbossa. With visual effects courtesy of Industrial Light and Magic.

It's a pity the follow-ups didn't live up to their predecessor - a bit like The Matrix series, really!

Daz rating:



Tarantino's first film seems a little tame in comparison to the almost cartoon-like violence exhibited in his more recent offerings (Kill Bill Vol.1 for example), but nevertheless the botched bank robbery story is still a nailbiter. Of course, we all know the ending by now, right?

Fine performances from a cast of relatively well-known names (Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, to name a few).

Daz rating:

[BSG-75]

Far be it from me to tell anybody what to do.... but you have to see this.

German made movie set in the 80's about a writer who falls foul of the Stassi. He is spied on, apartment bugged and the policeman begins to realise what its all about. Fantastic movie, the images are spot on, everything is just so bleak, even the policemans grey zip up jacket.

If you can cope with 2 hrs of subtitles, I can't recommend it too much.

[DazDaMan]

Rutger Hauer plays real-life "Soldier of Orange" Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema (here called Erik Lanshof) in this thoroughly absorbing tale of heroism in the Dutch Resistance during the Second World War.

Performances are excellent all-round, and the film moves along at a fairly brisk pace, ensuring you're never bored despite it's 149min running time.

Daz rating:



Carice van Houten plays a Jewish girl who becomes a spy for the resistance during World War Two, and plays a dangerous game by falling in love with one of the men she has deemed to thwart.

Another excellent Paul Verhoeven war film (not sure we can count Starship Troopers here, even though it is awesome! ), with strong, credible performances from the leads (so much so that van Houten's next big outing will be in another war film - Tom Cruise's much-anticipated Valkyrie) and a believable plot (PV states that although the film is not a true story, most of the incidents depicted are).

Daz rating:

[DazDaMan]

A very different superhero movie, with Will Smith playing it spot-on as the alcoholic Hancock, a superhero with a rather large chip on his shoulder.

Amusing, with decent set-pieces, yet surprisingly touching at the same time.

Just don't call him an a$$hole!

Daz rating:

[steve rowell]