[CLOSED] Which films did you see last week? (041424-042024)
Apr 29, 2024 10:01:34 GMT
theravenking likes this
Post by lostinlimbo on Apr 29, 2024 10:01:34 GMT
Hello, good folks of FG. The weekly film discussion thread is back.
The topic under discussion is made clear in the title. Made-for-TV, direct-to-video, streaming, TV series/episodes, documentaries, short films can also be listed.
The minimum requirement is that a numerical rating out of 5 or 10 be provided - whichever the poster wishes to choose - and it'll be even more helpful if he/she also writes a few thoughts regarding his/her experience with the feature/documentary/short/TV series' season. This will help in starting discussions, which is one of the main intentions of this thread. I also request all those who reply here to go through the whole thread once and see if you can see some common topic to discuss with other posters.
All first viewings for me in the last week :
This famous comedy, based on a screenplay by legendary playwright Neil Simon from his own play, does not have a lot of story or plot. However, it still packs plenty of humour in its rapid-fire repartee as well as some deft physical humour. Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau's chemistry is so hot it's flammable and they deserve to be spoken of in the same breath as other famous comedic teams such as Laurel-Hardy and Abbott-Costello.
7/10
Trailer :
I was expecting a funny romp with Lemmon & Matthau on the lines of The Odd Couple. What it turned out to be was a film that was alternately funny and serious. Alongside the slapstick hijinks and the repartee between the two leads, there was a lot of drama in this one dealing with the loneliness and melancholia of the old age.
When I read up on it afterwards, it came as no surprise that the script was originally intended to be of a much more serious nature than the finished product. It's still a good Christmas movie, though.
7/10
Trailer :
A more intentionally comedic sequel. Watchable for the acting by the leads but ultimately forgettable.
5/10
Trailer :
This, to my great surprise, turned out to be the funniest film of the week, funnier than the more famous titles The Odd Couple or Grumpy Old Men. Lemmon & Matthau are solid as always but - another big surprise - it is Brent Spiner who turns in the funniest performance in the film. The scenes where Matthau is trying to avoid Spiner or Dyan Cannon are flat-out hilarious.
8/10
Trailer :
This film holds a record for being among the few sequels made over 30 years after their predecessor and which retained all its lead actors.
Curiously, it seemed to me that Neil Simon forgot a lot about the characters he conceived and developed in the original film. Because this sequel seems less like a sequel to The Odd Couple and more like a ripoff of Planes, Trains and Automobiles. That's because Jack Lemmon is not playing Felix Ungar anymore, he is playing Neal Page (Steve Martin) from PT&A. In the original, one of Felix Ungar's defining qualities were his affable nature - he was not prone to lose his temper often. In the sequel, though, Felix is losing his temper due to Oscar Madison's antics in every other scene which is exactly like how Neal Page was driven up a wall due to Del Griffith's sloppiness.
Considering that Planes, Trains & Automobiles was a riff on The Odd Couple in the first place, it was certainly a strange decision by Neil Simon to copy it back. Lemmon & Matthau do produce some solid gold together but still, this film is recommended only to the completists.
5/10
Trailer :
An excellent cop drama featuring Paul Newman in a bravura performance, with Ken Wahl, Edward Asner and Rachel Ticotin providing good support. Recommended if you want to watch a good vintage cop drama.
8/10
Trailer :
Full Movie :
I'm sorry to report having never seen any of the Odd Couple movies. You make them sound like good fun though, so I might check them out in the future.
Mine:
First Time Viewing:
Cruel Intentions 2 (2000; Roger Kumble) – This DTV sequel to the teen cult movie was originally intended as a TV series, but when the network cancelled it after only 3 episodes, it was re-edited into a feature film. The main draw here would be Amy Adams, taking over from Sarah Michelle Gellar as the main bitch, she is lovely and fun as usual, but the movie fails to recapture the original’s appeal and feels cheap and trashy.
4.5/10
Cruel Intentions 3 (2004; Scott Ziehl) – Utterly worthless boring drivel, neither sexy nor clever or funny, just a complete waste of time.
2/10
The Clan of the Cave Bear (1986; Michael Chapman) – This prehistoric epic tanked on release and was mercilessly thrashed by fans of the book series, but it’s actually a handsome visual spectacle with a marvellous score by Alan Silvestri. True, the plot isn’t anything special and Daryl Hannah only gets to wear the kick-ass warrior make-up from the poster for about five minutes. I still think the good outweighs the bad here, and it’s the sort of movie I wish I could’ve seen on the big screen.
6/10
Repeat Viewing:
Murder At 1600 (1997; Dwight H. Little) – Typical 90s action-thriller about murder and conspiracy in the White House. Some elements haven’t aged that well, but Wesley Snipes and Diane Lane make for charming and charismatic leads and there’s some fine support from the likes of Daniel Benzali and Alan Alda.
6.5/10
Cruel Intentions 2 (2000; Roger Kumble) – This DTV sequel to the teen cult movie was originally intended as a TV series, but when the network cancelled it after only 3 episodes, it was re-edited into a feature film. The main draw here would be Amy Adams, taking over from Sarah Michelle Gellar as the main bitch, she is lovely and fun as usual, but the movie fails to recapture the original’s appeal and feels cheap and trashy.
4.5/10
Cruel Intentions 3 (2004; Scott Ziehl) – Utterly worthless boring drivel, neither sexy nor clever or funny, just a complete waste of time.
2/10
The Clan of the Cave Bear (1986; Michael Chapman) – This prehistoric epic tanked on release and was mercilessly thrashed by fans of the book series, but it’s actually a handsome visual spectacle with a marvellous score by Alan Silvestri. True, the plot isn’t anything special and Daryl Hannah only gets to wear the kick-ass warrior make-up from the poster for about five minutes. I still think the good outweighs the bad here, and it’s the sort of movie I wish I could’ve seen on the big screen.
6/10
Repeat Viewing:
Murder At 1600 (1997; Dwight H. Little) – Typical 90s action-thriller about murder and conspiracy in the White House. Some elements haven’t aged that well, but Wesley Snipes and Diane Lane make for charming and charismatic leads and there’s some fine support from the likes of Daniel Benzali and Alan Alda.
6.5/10
Murder at 1600 - Serviceable action thriller that stays compelling throughout. A good cast go a long way. Would make a decent double alongside Eastwood’s also late 90s thriller ‘Absolute Power’. Did the 90s have a thing for thrillers involving murder and conspiracies in the White House?
I own the ‘Cruel Intentions’ trilogy set on dvd, but have never bothered with the sequels.