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SMB Film Thread 2025

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Courier (1986) 8/10
80s teen comedy - Soviet style. Less comedy, more allegory. An eccentric boy, dealing with his parents' divorce, embraces the new Soviet freedoms (eg breakdancing) and falls in love. But some of his generation are fighting in Afghanistan. Full movie here:
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The Green Ray (1986) 10/10
I saw this on telly in the 80s and never looked at sunsets the same again. Low budget 16mm masterpiece from Eric Rohmer.
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Ashes and Diamonds (1958) 10/10
One of the greatest Polish films. At the end of WWII, underground rebels attempt to assassinate a top Communist. The assassination goes wrong, and they end up in the same provincial hotel as him - still on their mission - as everyone celebrates peace. Features one of the coolest pairs of glasses in cinema.
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Palestine 36

Brilliant, but not without it's flaws. It is emotionally gripping, and a superb bit of film making which manages to portray the internal schisms within the Palestinian and British Empire camps in the run up to the Arab rising, while still having characters that were believable, and which the audience could connect. The motif of the Ottoman handgun being passed among children was perfect. The downside is that it omits entirely the Jewish side of the story, and Sam Riley chews the scenery as a pro-Zionist army officer.

How To Make A Killing

Watched this as part of the Tyenside's french film season, expecting a cool french thriller. It is a brilliant dark comedy, future cult classic.
 
Fletch73 said:
Yi Yi [2000] 8.5/10
Came with a big reputation. Lived up to it.

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Definitely a contender for the film I'd choose if I could only have one. (Some critics rate A Brighter Summer Day higher, though for me it's never touched the nerve that Yi Yi does). I'm holding off rewatching yet again it until the Criterion 4K comes out.

So many great scenes, and this shot is a miracle.

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Mother

Lawrence, Javier bardem

Get fucked, if anyone on this gods green earth can tell me what the actual fuck was going in that last 45 minutes I’ll probably not even believe you. Piss take of a film.

A cobra score of 3/10 only because Lawrence looked Randy as fuck
 
Motor City Cobra said:
Mother

Lawrence, Javier bardem

Get fucked, if anyone on this gods green earth can tell me what the actual fuck was going in that last 45 minutes I’ll probably not even believe you. Piss take of a film.

A cobra score of 3/10 only because Lawrence looked Randy as fuck
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Just for you...... the explanation of what the movie is...... ( nicked from Reddit )

Characters and Their Allegorical Meanings

Jennifer Lawrence as Mother: Represents Mother Earth or Mother Nature. Her character is deeply connected to the house, which symbolizes the planet itself. "Jennifer Lawrence's character which represents Mother Earth/Mother Nature. The house also represents Mother Earth."

Javier Bardem as Him: Represents the Abrahamic God. He is a poet who craves adoration and creates life, but often ignores the suffering of Mother Earth. "Javier Bardems character represents the abrahamic God. Because just like God, he is obsessed with being worshipped by humanity."

Michelle Pfeiffer and Ed Harris as Woman and Man: Symbolize Adam and Eve. They are the first humans to enter the house, bringing chaos and destruction. "Michelle pfeiffer and Ed Harris represent Adam and Eve because they are the first people, outside of God (Bardem) and the earth (Lawrence), to set foot in nature."

The Gleeson Brothers as Older Son and Younger Son: Represent Cain and Abel. Their actions lead to the first major act of violence within the house. "Their sons played by the gleeson brothers represent Cain and able."

Story Progression and Biblical Allegories
Creation and Arrival of Humanity: The film begins with Mother and Him in their idyllic home. The arrival of Man and Woman disrupts this peace, mirroring the story of Adam and Eve entering the Garden of Eden. "The first half of the film places a huge amount of focus on the Adam and Eve/Cain and Able allegory."

Destruction and Disrespect: As more people enter the house, they become increasingly destructive and disrespectful, symbolizing humanity's exploitation of Mother Earth. "They don't care they are destroying the house/planet."

Birth and Sacrifice: Mother gives birth to a child, which is brutally torn apart and eaten by the crowd, representing the sacrifice of Jesus and humanity's parasitic nature. "The baby scene is notorious for a couple of reasons. It could be looked at as humans being parasitic or how Jesus was born only as a sacrifice to the shitty humans."

Rebirth and Cycle: The film ends with Mother's heart being taken and used to create a new house and a new Mother, symbolizing the cyclical nature of creation and destruction. "In the end, It's the Mother's decision to burn it all... In the end it's shown to just be a vicious cycle of a Earth, or celestial body playing host to a mad architect's design."

Themes and Interpretations
Environmentalism: The film serves as a stark commentary on humanity's impact on the environment. Mother Earth is depicted as a long-suffering entity, constantly abused and ignored by humanity.
 
Star wars episode IX : The rise of the skywalkers.

Watched this waiting for the ashes to start.

I was 11 when the first star wars come out, watching it at the Odeon on Holmeside and I absolutely loved the original trilogy.

Seen most of the story since, but lost a lot of interest. Anyway, episode IX. The dialogue was absolutely terrible, cringeworthy. The Cgi was good but the whole film just disappointed me.

However, the ending had me going back to 1977, very poignant and got to admit, some dust must have got in my eyes at the end.

Film itself, 5/10

Memories 10/10
 
Rammstein said:
Just for you...... the explanation of what the movie is...... ( nicked from Reddit )

Characters and Their Allegorical Meanings

Jennifer Lawrence as Mother: Represents Mother Earth or Mother Nature. Her character is deeply connected to the house, which symbolizes the planet itself. "Jennifer Lawrence's character which represents Mother Earth/Mother Nature. The house also represents Mother Earth."

Javier Bardem as Him: Represents the Abrahamic God. He is a poet who craves adoration and creates life, but often ignores the suffering of Mother Earth. "Javier Bardems character represents the abrahamic God. Because just like God, he is obsessed with being worshipped by humanity."

Michelle Pfeiffer and Ed Harris as Woman and Man: Symbolize Adam and Eve. They are the first humans to enter the house, bringing chaos and destruction. "Michelle pfeiffer and Ed Harris represent Adam and Eve because they are the first people, outside of God (Bardem) and the earth (Lawrence), to set foot in nature."

The Gleeson Brothers as Older Son and Younger Son: Represent Cain and Abel. Their actions lead to the first major act of violence within the house. "Their sons played by the gleeson brothers represent Cain and able."

Story Progression and Biblical Allegories
Creation and Arrival of Humanity: The film begins with Mother and Him in their idyllic home. The arrival of Man and Woman disrupts this peace, mirroring the story of Adam and Eve entering the Garden of Eden. "The first half of the film places a huge amount of focus on the Adam and Eve/Cain and Able allegory."

Destruction and Disrespect: As more people enter the house, they become increasingly destructive and disrespectful, symbolizing humanity's exploitation of Mother Earth. "They don't care they are destroying the house/planet."

Birth and Sacrifice: Mother gives birth to a child, which is brutally torn apart and eaten by the crowd, representing the sacrifice of Jesus and humanity's parasitic nature. "The baby scene is notorious for a couple of reasons. It could be looked at as humans being parasitic or how Jesus was born only as a sacrifice to the shitty humans."

Rebirth and Cycle: The film ends with Mother's heart being taken and used to create a new house and a new Mother, symbolizing the cyclical nature of creation and destruction. "In the end, It's the Mother's decision to burn it all... In the end it's shown to just be a vicious cycle of a Earth, or celestial body playing host to a mad architect's design."

Themes and Interpretations
Environmentalism: The film serves as a stark commentary on humanity's impact on the environment. Mother Earth is depicted as a long-suffering entity, constantly abused and ignored by humanity.
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Oh! Actualy makes some sense now. I just chucked the hewer in and was like wtf 😃
 
Magnificent Obsession (1954) 8/10
Melodrama from Douglas Sirk. Rock Hudson as a spoilt playboy who crashes his speedboat - medics borrow the town's only defibrilator to save him, and as a result the town's doctor can't be aided after a heart attack.
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Regeneration (1997) 6/10
Run-of-the-mill adaptation of the WWI novel by Pat Barker (which I've just read).
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Benediction (2021) 8/10
Many of the same characters as Regeneration, and some story overlap. The story of Siegfried Sassoon coming to terms with his WWI experiences and his own sexuality. Excellent direction from Terence Davies incorporating contemporary footage.
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Flip said:
Anyone got a cineworld pas sor similar with the dark nights and only 17.99 seems decent value to go twice a month - thoughts / advice?
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Our lass (no) got me a year's pass for Father's Day this year, pays for itself if you go twice a month and you get money off snacks and drinks as well.

It does limit your choice a bit, obviously it puts you off going to see films anywhere else and Cineworld doesn't show all the films that might be on at more independent venues but it's good value if you go often enough to the mainstream films

Easy to use on the app (IMAX screenings cost a fiver extra)
 
Freaky Tales (2025): Prime, 6.5/10

Enjoyable enough watch; a collection of several stories interweaving on occasions, set in Oakland CA.
Very 80s retro feel and some Kill Bill esque violence
 
The Prowler (1951)

Joseph Losey directed film, which features Van Heflin as a beat cop who takes a shine to married housewife Evelyn Keyes. He gradually wins her over, while eyeballing her husband’s life insurance fortune.

It’s an intriguing film. Dalton Trumbo’s script asks many questions that leave quite a bad taste in the mouth. The Prowler of the title is incidental - this film is all about morality and manipulation. Van Heflin plays a grey character who leans heavily into the dark. He’s a nasty piece of work, but the extent to which it’s due to his upbringing is ambiguous. He uses passive aggression coercion recklessly, manipulates Keyes in several ways, and behaves inexcusably.

A good film, but I’m not sure how much I enjoyed it.

8/10

Death Trap (1962)

Edgar Wallace mystery. Albert Lieven is circled by his stepson and secretary as his evil ways become apparent. He’s a businessman with no qualms about murder. Kenneth Cope and Barbara Shelley also star, as does Barbara Windsor in a cameo. As usual with these films, it’s quite formulaic, but tightly filmed and fairly rattles along.

5.5/10

The Mummy (1959)

I haven’t seen this since I was a teenager. I remember being wowed by the atmosphere and mythology, giddy with the otherworldlyness of the setting and concept.

As an adult, it’s exactly what I associate with some of Hammer’s output. Exposition-heavy, creaky, and a bit cheesy and laughable. Yet, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing are great, the script is honest in its daftness, the cinematography is lovely, the settings are lavish, and there’s a wholesomeness to it that is lost in films today. I love the mummy design and the way it clatters around.

The film’s got its own narrative and visual identity, like lots of Hammer horrors, and not many studios can claim that. It’s very dated, although my enjoyment of it is timeless.

As a film it’s about a 6, but as a guilty pleasure that feels so reassuring and visually appealing, it’s a 7.5/10.
 
The Arsenal Stadium mystery. Its quite footie orientated and I very much watched it for the nostalgia. It's a good little mystery, with comedy moments that probably aren't supposed to be comedy but that's being of the time syndrome, certainly the spliced football action is ridiculous viewed from the modern eye. For me weighing every aspect up 6/10 on the whole.
 
SAFCOldie said:
The Arsenal Stadium mystery. Its quite footie orientated and I very much watched it for the nostalgia. It's a good little mystery, with comedy moments that probably aren't supposed to be comedy but that's being of the time syndrome, certainly the spliced football action is ridiculous viewed from the modern eye. For me weighing every aspect up 6/10 on the whole.
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Decent little film. Pre-war and a fascinating window into the past.
 
The Running Man (2025) - Not as bad a remake as I had thought it would be, but it's not great either, kind of average. Despite it being nearer the book, I'll stick with Arnie's outing in the 80's. 6.5/10
 
If I had legs, I'd kick you ( 2025 ).

I'm not sure that words like 'good' and 'enjoyed' deliver what this film is about. 'Downward emotionally spiralling turmoil', perhaps?

Basically a multi layered movie about a mother who's trying to cope with a seriously ill child, a stressful job as a therapist with an obnoxious colleague ( a surprisingly good Conan O' Brien ) and living in a shitty motel room after her ceiling caves in.. all while her husband is away for eight weeks.

Rose Byrne is excellent... . and I was as stressed and wrung out as her character by the end...

7/10.
 
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