• The first stage of the forum upgrades has now been completed but they remain in a degraded state and are still being worked on. Normal posting/reading should now be possible.
    Please read this thread for more details.
    New user registrations are currently disabled.

SMB Film Thread 2025

Status
Not open for further replies.
Man in the Dark (1953)

Edmond O’Brien is serving a long sentence for stealing an unrecovered $130k. He is operated on by a doctor who aims to remove the shitter aspects of his brain, but it also wipes his memory. New EOB is happy enough with his simple, innocent life, when his gang lifts him and starts to demand their share. Poor bloke doesn’t even know what they’re talking about. He is also pursued by an insurance investigator concerning the stolen money. Audrey Totter wants him to reject his past and continue with his new life.

Steady away crime flick, with quite a few very strange camera shots. I didn’t know what it was all about until I later read that it was a 3D film. EOB is decent as usual, and the ending is canny. Nothing special, but a good way to spend 70 minutes if you like your 50s noirs.

6.5/10
 

New Jack City (1991)

Wesley Snipes was great in the 90’s. Here he is the gangster with ambition to run New York City. Ice T is the cop trying to infiltrate his circle. Support from Chris Rock and (bizarrely) Judd Nelson. It uses a cool soundtrack well. Unfortunately, there’s some poor acting from some prominent characters and a script that doesn’t earn its more weighty moments.

6/10
 
Last edited:
The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969) 2/10
Went into this knowing nothing except it has an intriguing cast: Katherine Hepburn, Richard Chamberlain, Edith Evans, Paul Henreid (out of Casablanca), Yul Bryner, Donald Pleasance, Danny Kaye. Sadly it's complete tosh. It's supposedly a satire on 20th Century society. A few scenes of the 1968 Paris riots have been crowbarred in, but most of it is people sitting in cafes making trite observations.
You must be logged on to see media items

The Music Lovers (1971) 6/10
Ken Russell's over-the-top biopic of Tchaikovsky, dwelling particularly on the fact that the composer was gay and married a nymphomaniac (played - often without clothes - by Glenda Jackson). As per usual with Ken's films, it's all OTT, and the visuals tend to be hit-or-miss.
You must be logged on to see media items

Altered States (1980) 7/10
Ken tones it down a bit here - he was apparently the 40th choice to direct. In the hands of, say, David Cronenberg (who was one of the many directors who turned it down), this could have been a classic. But in this case, William Hurt's metamorphosis is more comic than terrifying.
You must be logged on to see media items
 
Cockney Mackem said:
Going to see The Amateur at the cinema this week. Bradshaw gave it 2 out of 5 so it's bound to be good
Click to expand...
Saw it yesterday, twas decent enough. Felt it got a little bogged down in the middle and dragged a bit, but a solid three stars for me.

More directors/producers need to take lessons from Black Bag. Short, taut and punchy is the way to go with these kind of spy/action thrillers!
 
Speakeasy said:
Saw it yesterday, twas decent enough. Felt it got a little bogged down in the middle and dragged a bit, but a solid three stars for me.

More directors/producers need to take lessons from Black Bag. Short, taut and punchy is the way to go with these kind of spy/action thrillers!
Click to expand...

Generally agree, about Black Bag, although I'd say it could have done with being about ten minutes longer
 
Paddington in Peru
Easily the least of the 3 films, the character of Paddington is now just a little too earnest and for my liking!
5/10

Despicable Me 4
Another surprisingly entertaining chapter in the DM series.
I enjoyed this one more than Paddington In Peru.
6.5/10

Nosferatu (2025)
Re-watched again on 4K Blu Ray, after first seeing it in IMAX.
Still loved it, glorious melodramatic gothic horror.
8/10 (again).
 
The Big Clock [1948] 8/10
George, a crime magazine’s crusading editor, is assigned by his boss, Janoth, to find the killer of a glamorous blonde. The wrinkle - the blonde is his boss's ex-wife and George may be the prime suspect.

A well-written/directed noir and excellent addition to the 'innocent man accused' genre. Two great leads in Ray Milland and Charles Laughton.
 
Fletch73 said:
The Big Clock [1948] 8/10
George, a crime magazine’s crusading editor, is assigned by his boss, Janoth, to find the killer of a glamorous blonde. The wrinkle - the blonde is his boss's ex-wife and George may be the prime suspect.

A well-written/directed noir and excellent addition to the 'innocent man accused' genre. Two great leads in Ray Milland and Charles Laughton.
Click to expand...

Remade rather well as No Way Out with Kevin Costner
 
Alias Nick Beal [1949] 9/10
A frustrated D.A. sells his soul to a smooth-talking stranger in order to bring down a local mob boss.

Faustian noir with a deliciously evil Ray Milland. Loved it.
 
natinnam said:
The Working Man - It's a Jason Stratham film, you know exactly what is coming in the next 1.5 hours. Actually, preferred the Beekeeper one to this one 5.5/10
Click to expand...
I saw the beekeeper, which is why I will never watch the working man.

‘The beekeeper’s coming!’
‘Oh no, it’s the beekeeper.’
‘I’m just a humble beekeeper.’

Fuck off 😂
 
Took my 4 yr old to see Minecraft in Sunderland yesterday 🤦🏻‍♂️ film was awful 1/5, the screening was boiling and it was full of 12-13 yr old lads shouting, swearing, playing on phones, videoing the film and hoying food everywhere.

I would stay well away if anyone has the misfortune to go. My little lad loved it though.
 
lchavez said:
Took my 4 yr old to see Minecraft in Sunderland yesterday 🤦🏻‍♂️ film was awful 1/5, the screening was boiling and it was full of 12-13 yr old lads shouting, swearing, playing on phones, videoing the film and hoying food everywhere.

I would stay well away if anyone has the misfortune to go. My little lad loved it though.
Click to expand...

Everyone's saying we need to be a bit more lenient about people being twats and throwing things because at least it's bums on seats in the cinema. In response perhaps we should have a cinemagoing trend of using tasers and pepper spray on arseholes ruining it for everyone else with TikTok crazes
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top