Films

Sympathy for Mr Vengeance and Ms Vengeance are really good too (all part of the Vengeance Trilogy). I've the boxset at home. Mr Vengeance is...very grim. A Serbian film grim. (which I liked BTW) but brilliant. He also did Stoker, which is good and Thirst.

Anyone seen the Oldboy remake?

Was talking to my mate about it last night, he said it was pretty good... Massive movie buff, he's generally spot on...

Watched The Innocents, the 1961 movie that makes movie critics cream their pants. Yes, it IS good. But like Peeping Tom I couldn't get into it. It was more a cerebral enjoyment rather than getting into the characters/story for me.

Yes that's an interesting conundrum. I felt the same about The Colour of Pomegranates I saw yesterday about an Armenian poet. The film used ' Film as the medium to portray the poets biography in the style of his poems'...

...too right it did, meaning it looked pretty and had some cerebral appeal with its symbolism but lacked narrative coherence, being too arty

I think I have become less tolerant of such movies over time or perhaps films have grown to such a maturity that such filmic experiments now come across as having art-school-like intenseness/tedium

Llewyn Davis was very meh.
American Hustle not bad - bit style over substance.

Osage County tonight. (hate Streep so not expecting much).

There's a fine line between artisticness/experimentation/form over function and "intellectual masturbation".

I love "enter the void" but if somebody says its a visual jerk-off I have to agree too. Sometimes you don't know why you like a movie, but if there's no engagement with the theme or main characters I guess it's a lot cause.

Nothing much happens in "once upon a time in anatolia" yet I found it much more engaging than Michel Bay's Kaboomski fests. That, of course, says something about my taste.

I think, ultimately, technique IS important but only part of the story, if you fail to engage the viewer with the story / characters it's ultimately a bit dead.

Anyone seen the Oldboy remake?

Having watched the original last night, It's almost impossible to imaging whether the remake can top it, let alone skim on the surface, especially this;

Old Boy (올드보이) Corridor Fight Scene - YouTube

Apparently it is quite a good attempt and quite a bit different from the original which would really take some beating.

Anyone know if they resolved the poster design theft?

Having watched the original last night, It's almost impossible to imaging whether the remake can top it, let alone skim on the surface, especially this;

Old Boy (올드보이) Corridor Fight Scene - YouTube

Thanks for the tip off about Oldboy. Hadn't heard of it and it looks great.
This mash-up of the old version shown with the new version's trailer soundtrack (sorry ed, don't know of subtitles are available with this} gives a flavor of both films

The only good remake IMHO I've ever seen is John Carpenter's The Thing.

The remake of The Vanishing (watch original, not super fast etc. but worth it for the bad guy and ending) missed the point, it happens so many times.

So many remakes, it seems Hollywood is running out of ideas...
...but if lovefilm has it, out of fairness may try it.

Talking of remakes vs original
My lady and I will be watching Robert Redford/Mia Farrow in the Great Gatsby tonight

The Fly was a great remake.

I love the Fly so, so much. Such a great film.

The only good remake IMHO I've ever seen is John Carpenter's The Thing.

Hell yeah, that intro music was awesome as well.

The Thing opening scene 1982 (HD) - YouTube

Then it got ruined by the prequel, whose only decent part is right at the ending, it's fucked up because of the technology, language and character (prequel that is), they're suppose to be fucking Norwegian!

To be fair, both the fly and the thing are based on short stories, so their status as remakes is a bit more complicated.

That said, I didn't realise that Oldboy existed as a comic before it got turned into a film, so maybe I'll be a little bit less harsh on Spike Lee's version.

Bit ashamed I didn't know The Thing was a remake

Night of the Living Dead is another example of a decent remake (1990).

Night of the Living Dead 1990 - YouTube

True Lies, Oceans 11 and Airplane* off the top of my head, all better than the original.

*could be argued it's not techanically a remake.

Oh wait. Casino Royale.

Evil Dead 2 is better than Evil Dead. Anyone seen the most recent Evil Dead? People said it was good, but I don't trust people.

Bit ashamed I didn't know The Thing was a remake

Dont feel too bad, I haven't even seen it.

well American Hustle was a huge waste of tedious time

What about the hair?

when De Niro turned up as a ........wait for it....you'll never guess.....mobster boss!!

he he he!!