SAFCOldie
Striker
That's quite interesting, can you post the other titles when announced as would be interesting to note Sheersmiths thinking. I think this was one was similar to "the Visit" in many aspects.
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SMB Film Thread 2025
- Thread starter Fletch73
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Monty Pigeon
Striker
Gandhi (1982) 9/10
Old school epic featuring the full complement of British thesps. Cameos for Daniel Day-Lewis, with an awful South African 'ex-ent', and even Cliff Clavin from Cheers. Omits the fact that Gandhi was an enormous racist towards black South Africans.
Play Dirty (2025) 4/10
Another attempt to adapt one of the Parker books by Richard Stark (aka Donald Westlake). Point Blank with Lee Marvin was by far the best. This one has its moment, but is mostly a dud. A CGI racecourse chase near the beginning is cringeworthy.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) 9/10
Classic adaptation. Charles Laughton is extraordinary.
Old school epic featuring the full complement of British thesps. Cameos for Daniel Day-Lewis, with an awful South African 'ex-ent', and even Cliff Clavin from Cheers. Omits the fact that Gandhi was an enormous racist towards black South Africans.
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Play Dirty (2025) 4/10
Another attempt to adapt one of the Parker books by Richard Stark (aka Donald Westlake). Point Blank with Lee Marvin was by far the best. This one has its moment, but is mostly a dud. A CGI racecourse chase near the beginning is cringeworthy.
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The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) 9/10
Classic adaptation. Charles Laughton is extraordinary.
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riffraff
Striker
Solaris. 2002. 7/10.
Dir & Scr Wr: Steven Soderbergh.
Prod: James Cameron and Jon Landau.
This has been on my “to be watched” pile for about ten years but somehow nivver got nearer than that to the dvd slidey in thing. It looks great but how could it not considering the two leads?
Reet then George Clooneys some sort of guilt ridden widowed psychiatrist in the future struggling to get ower the loss of his wife Natasha McElhone. An awful situation to be in for any bloke but by Christ it’s surely a thousand times worse if you’d been married to Natasha McElhone? He’s employed to visit a space station orbiting the planet Solaris on which people have been subject to strange phenomenons……
Daniel Day Lewis iirc was supposed to do the Clooney part but was busy with something else so Clooney as a part owner of the production company stepped in. Based on a Polish 1961 sci fi novel and this is its third filmed version. A bit artier than my normal viewing but hey it’s got Natasha McElhone in it. There’s a bit of a Lost In Translation vibe to it in that both are probably best not watched by older gadgys in regretful moods.
I liked it. It won’t be going into the charity shop bag but I doubt it’ll be regularly watched but then again it has got Natasha McElhone in it.
Dir & Scr Wr: Steven Soderbergh.
Prod: James Cameron and Jon Landau.
This has been on my “to be watched” pile for about ten years but somehow nivver got nearer than that to the dvd slidey in thing. It looks great but how could it not considering the two leads?
Reet then George Clooneys some sort of guilt ridden widowed psychiatrist in the future struggling to get ower the loss of his wife Natasha McElhone. An awful situation to be in for any bloke but by Christ it’s surely a thousand times worse if you’d been married to Natasha McElhone? He’s employed to visit a space station orbiting the planet Solaris on which people have been subject to strange phenomenons……
Daniel Day Lewis iirc was supposed to do the Clooney part but was busy with something else so Clooney as a part owner of the production company stepped in. Based on a Polish 1961 sci fi novel and this is its third filmed version. A bit artier than my normal viewing but hey it’s got Natasha McElhone in it. There’s a bit of a Lost In Translation vibe to it in that both are probably best not watched by older gadgys in regretful moods.
I liked it. It won’t be going into the charity shop bag but I doubt it’ll be regularly watched but then again it has got Natasha McElhone in it.
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The Grauniad's famously miserable Benjamin Lee seems to have quite liked it, and Shane Black is usually fun. Shame it hasn't worked for you
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Was luckily enough to catch The '39 Hunchback of Notre Dame on the big screen 20 odd years ago, great experience.
I liked it more than I was expecting to, but it's not a patch on the Soviet original
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riffraff
Striker
Soviet sci fi originals are one giant leap too far for me I’m afraid. Natashcha McElhonevich or not.
Monty Pigeon
Striker
The Soviet original is by Tarkovsky. Probably my favourite director, though his film Stalker was the subject of controversy on this thread. No other director comes close for sheer visual impact.
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Fletch73
Midfield
Feel the same way as you. Really good-looking film, might give it an 8. McElhone is ridiculously beautiful in it.
Still not got round to watching that.
Monty Pigeon
Striker
I'm a big fan of the books. I thought he got the tone wrong. The Parker books are unrelentingly hardboiled, whereas Westlake's other major series, Dortmunder, is full of comic relief. I think Shane Black would have been better off adapting one of the Dortmunders, which - apart from The Hot Rock - have been badly served by cinema.
Fred Army
Striker
Hell House LLC (Directors Cut)
Decent documentary style found footage horror about a group of friends who se up a Halloween horror attraction in an abandoned hotel.
7/10
Not a movie but a TV spin off from Creep and Creep 2, I also watched "The Creep Tapes" series, which delves further into the adventures of Peach Fuzz. Really enjoyed these. especially the later episodes. If you've seen the films you'll know what to expect.
8/10
Decent documentary style found footage horror about a group of friends who se up a Halloween horror attraction in an abandoned hotel.
7/10
Not a movie but a TV spin off from Creep and Creep 2, I also watched "The Creep Tapes" series, which delves further into the adventures of Peach Fuzz. Really enjoyed these. especially the later episodes. If you've seen the films you'll know what to expect.
8/10
Doogie Hauser
Midfield
Enjoyed that, but can totally understand why it’s not for some people. Mick West’s biggest fanboy hated it. I loved the cinematography. It’s an extraordinary film, even if it’s not your thing.
Natascha McElhone is absolutely stunning. I don’t think that’s even open for debate.
Watched Mysterious Mr Nicholson (1947) on Encore.
It’s a bit rubbish. It’s about a former cat burglar who gets accused of murder, but persuades the rozzers that he can find the real culprit who has framed him.
It’s so, so old fashioned, but not in a good way. It’s very stagey, like a play. The acting is quite poor, the direction dull. Even the ‘twist’ is utterly predictable the second the seeds are sown. It’s just a bit dull. Even at 70 minutes I was willing it to end. Strange to think it was made the same year as something like They Made Me A Fugitive. Chalk and cheese.
3/10
riffraff
Striker
I prefer the Parker ones. Dortmunder just seems too far fetched to be taken seriously and I like my fillums/novels to be believable.
Monty Pigeon
Striker
Then you won't like Play Dirty. It's very much in the tone of the Dortmunder books. I'm not sure they can ever fully work on screen because they're made by the one liners - for me they're Raymond Chandler crossed with PG Wodehouse. Parker, on the other hand, needs to be played straight.
Fletch73
Midfield
Jagged Edge [1985] 5/10
Disappointing. It really makes no sense plot-wise and even though Bridges and Close are watchable, Peter Coyote is hammier than a butcher's window at Christmas.
Cutter's Way [1981] 6.5/10
A decent neo-noir that rests on John Heard's wild preformance. The pacing is a little off, though.
M*A*S*H [1970] 5/10
The comedy is VERY dated and I found myself, generally, bored by it. For some reason I've always thought this was set in Vietnam rather than Korea.
Disappointing. It really makes no sense plot-wise and even though Bridges and Close are watchable, Peter Coyote is hammier than a butcher's window at Christmas.
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Cutter's Way [1981] 6.5/10
A decent neo-noir that rests on John Heard's wild preformance. The pacing is a little off, though.
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M*A*S*H [1970] 5/10
The comedy is VERY dated and I found myself, generally, bored by it. For some reason I've always thought this was set in Vietnam rather than Korea.
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THE COFFEE TABLE - Subtitled. Very important to go in blind on this one. I swear I was in physical SHOCK when the end credits rolled.
Doogie Hauser
Midfield
Marilyn (1953)
Sandra Dorne is the wife of garage owner Leslie Dwyer (Hi De Hi). She is bored and miserable. Dwyer hires a new mechanic, Maxwell Reed, who hits it off with Dorne. He kills Les, and together they decide to keep it hush.
B movie noir attempt that hits some of the right notes, but misses others. Dorne is great, apart from a couple of bits of melodramatic overacting. She’s a decent noir villain and a pretty nasty character. I don’t know if we were meant to feel sympathy for her plight, but I didn’t. Definitely a looker, though. Dwyer is always a good character actor.
Maxwell Reed is wooden, and the denouement is far too simple. I expected a better ending, using a character played by Ferdy Mayne. There’s a bizarre gay undercurrent too, between Marilyn and her housekeeper. It’s too cheap and low stakes for it to be impressive, although director Wolf Rilla uses a few nice camera angles.
5/10
Sandra Dorne is the wife of garage owner Leslie Dwyer (Hi De Hi). She is bored and miserable. Dwyer hires a new mechanic, Maxwell Reed, who hits it off with Dorne. He kills Les, and together they decide to keep it hush.
B movie noir attempt that hits some of the right notes, but misses others. Dorne is great, apart from a couple of bits of melodramatic overacting. She’s a decent noir villain and a pretty nasty character. I don’t know if we were meant to feel sympathy for her plight, but I didn’t. Definitely a looker, though. Dwyer is always a good character actor.
Maxwell Reed is wooden, and the denouement is far too simple. I expected a better ending, using a character played by Ferdy Mayne. There’s a bizarre gay undercurrent too, between Marilyn and her housekeeper. It’s too cheap and low stakes for it to be impressive, although director Wolf Rilla uses a few nice camera angles.
5/10
Drexl
Striker
Bring Her Back (2025)
Finally got round to watching this one. Slow burn for the first half, bat shit crazy for the second half. Those writer director brothers love their gory stuff, the scene with the knife was sickening! Sally Hawkins being as good as Sally Hawkins always is. I preferred Talk To Me but still found this decent enough.
6/10
Finally got round to watching this one. Slow burn for the first half, bat shit crazy for the second half. Those writer director brothers love their gory stuff, the scene with the knife was sickening! Sally Hawkins being as good as Sally Hawkins always is. I preferred Talk To Me but still found this decent enough.
6/10
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Lankester Merrin
Striker
Because it was made when the Vietnam war was raging, and they used the Korean war to make points about the Vietnam war?
Mackem00
Striker
The Long Walk. Really enjoyed it but needed to go to the pub after for a couple of drinks as it's a right mood hoover. Very well acted and really felt for the lads. 8.5/10.
The new pictures is fcking awesome aswell. Shite having to come home and slum it on my own settee. Support it. The occasion was only spoiled by our lass lovingly going to get me a second pint of Moretti and a slice of pizza before the film started and proceeded to drop the hower just before getting to our seats.
The new pictures is fcking awesome aswell. Shite having to come home and slum it on my own settee. Support it. The occasion was only spoiled by our lass lovingly going to get me a second pint of Moretti and a slice of pizza before the film started and proceeded to drop the hower just before getting to our seats.
Fletch73
Midfield
Caught Stealing [2025] 6/10
Enjoyable but not clever or funny enough for the talent involved.
The Long Kiss Goodnight [1996] 5/10
Over-stylized, cliched 90's action. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I didn't like the villain at all and the kid is f***ing annoying.
The Hard Way [1991] 5/10
Loved the chemistry between Fox and Woods but the rest of film is wank. The serial-killer plot is moronic. Annabella Sciorra, though.
Enjoyable but not clever or funny enough for the talent involved.
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The Long Kiss Goodnight [1996] 5/10
Over-stylized, cliched 90's action. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I didn't like the villain at all and the kid is f***ing annoying.
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The Hard Way [1991] 5/10
Loved the chemistry between Fox and Woods but the rest of film is wank. The serial-killer plot is moronic. Annabella Sciorra, though.
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riffraff
Striker
The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three. 1974. 9/10.
Watched this one last night on the telly despite having it on dvd and seeing it dozens of times. I’m aware this threads regulars will have as well so there’s no point in adding owt else.
Apart from in between this masterpiece and the Travolta /Washington weaker effort there was another version in 1998 in which the feller who made the origami figures in the original Bladerunner took the Matthau part. Now I’ve got to try and find that one ffs.
There’s some decent stuff on the wiki page btw.
If you’ve not seen the 1964 version just get it watched. Now.
Watched this one last night on the telly despite having it on dvd and seeing it dozens of times. I’m aware this threads regulars will have as well so there’s no point in adding owt else.
Apart from in between this masterpiece and the Travolta /Washington weaker effort there was another version in 1998 in which the feller who made the origami figures in the original Bladerunner took the Matthau part. Now I’ve got to try and find that one ffs.
There’s some decent stuff on the wiki page btw.
If you’ve not seen the 1964 version just get it watched. Now.
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