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SMB Film Thread 2026

Le Schpountz (Heartbeat) (1938) 6/10
French comedy featured in L'Étranger. Fernandel (kind of a French George Formby, minus the ukulele) stars as a grocer's assistant who dreams of breaking into the movies. Too long, and not that funny. Full movie here:
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Normal (2025) 6/10
Bob Odenkirk as a temporary sheriff assigned to a town in Minnesota, only to discover that it's in the pocket of the Yakuza. OTT violence played for laughs (I saw it after watching the last episode of The Boys; they're similar in that respect). Nothing special, but gets an extra mark for the sequence that triggers the big finale.
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Le colonel Chabert (1994) 8/10
Gerard Depardieu as a Napoleonic officer officially declared dead, who returns to Paris to reclaim his life - only to find that his wife has remarried and doesn't believe he's alive. Great performances.
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The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)

I liked the first two seasons of the tv show (never watched the third after hearing some less than great reviews) and had a feeling I’d enjoy this. I like that it exists in its own corner of the Star Wars universe. Probably for the best as the majority of the recent stuff has been awful. It’s quite a simple story but then that’s what the tv show got right.

Funny hearing Scorsese turn up in a voice role. Excellent Ludwig Goransson score as usual. Pascal charismatic.

7/10
 
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Four Boys and a Gun (1957)

Four lads try to rob a boxing arena. A cop gets shot. They are arrested and reflect on how they ended up in that situation.

This uses the structure of multiple flashbacks to add context and backstory. It’s low budget, but quite tight, and the characters show actual development, despite being massively flawed.

Not a bad 75 minutes at all.

6/10
 
Technically, three re-watches. I only watched these once 30 years ago and haven't much memory of them.

Carlito's Way [1993] 8.5/10
Pacino is electric. Penn is the scummiest of scumbags. Didn't like the voice-over. The best end credits ever?
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Scarface [1988] 8/10
Apparently all I remembered was the chainsaw scene and 'Say hello to my little friend'. Full on De Palma trashy visuals. Even thought this is 3 hours it whizzed by.
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Magnolia [1999] 8.5/10
Aurally relentless, sometimes overwhelmingly so. A touch too long. Great performances and soundtrack. A glimpse of the actor Cruise flirted with becoming.
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Finding Emily (2026) - Omniplex

Fun, charming little romantic comedy set in and around uni life in Manchester. Although it's set in the modern day and does touch on a few contemporary themes, it has a general 'feel' more like a 90s romcom, which I quite liked given the fact I was a teenager in that era. Even the fashions and a lot of the set designs/visuals look more like something from about 1996 rather than 2026. Only actor I recognised was Minnie Driver doing a cameo as the dean of the Uni, all the rest were pretty much unknown but were really good.

Heart warming, switch-your-brain-off entertainment.

7/10

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Just been to the cinema to see Obsession. Really good and batshit crazy at times. Great to see the screening sold out as well. 8/10.

Be careful what you wish for....
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Fletch73 said:
Technically, three re-watches. I only watched these once 30 years ago and haven't much memory of them.

Carlito's Way [1993] 8.5/10
Pacino is electric. Penn is the scummiest of scumbags. Didn't like the voice-over. The best end credits ever?
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Scarface [1988] 8/10
Apparently all I remembered was the chainsaw scene and 'Say hello to my little friend'. Full on De Palma trashy visuals. Even thought this is 3 hours it whizzed by.
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Magnolia [1999] 8.5/10
Aurally relentless, sometimes overwhelmingly so. A touch too long. Great performances and soundtrack. A glimpse of the actor Cruise flirted with becoming.
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Magnolia is a fantastic movie. Respect the cock and tame the ****. Cruise totally going against type. The way the different stories link together is brilliant.
 
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Swapped (2026) - Netflix

One for the bairns/families. Animation about a rodent thing and a bird thing that end up transforming into the others’ species and having to team up to find some magic pod to turn back, all the while learning more about the history of the valley and why so many creatures live in fear.

The metaphors and allegories are laid on thick and fast, about respect, cooperation, misinterpretation and conservation. It’ll wind some people up like a little radged nutcracker. It’s canny enough for the kids though. Visually, the designs are good, and the world-building is derivative but still accomplished. Reminded me of a Rare game. I liked it.

6/10
 
Cockney Mackem said:
I'm a sucker for magicians on film and Robin Hood heists so the first one got by for me on that goodwill and a good cast. Can't be bothered with 2 and 3. There is a true magnum opus to be made about stage magicians, The Prestige and The Illusionist both came close. Perhaps someone will adapt Carter Beats the Devil one day
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I didnt think anyone read Carter beats the devil except me - I f*** love heists magicians and zombies
 
errant said:
one of the films i've been really looking forward to this year has been given a 5 star review by bradshaw... :eek: a stopped clock can be right once in a while, right?

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Cannot wait to watch this, it's out on Friday. Mark Duplass is my favourite actor now.
 
Flip said:
I didnt think anyone read Carter beats the devil except me - I f*** love heists magicians and zombies
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Straight into the "Good Name for a Band" thread

Of course I was into them before they were cool
Junior Birdman said:
Just been to the cinema to see Obsession. Really good and batshit crazy at times. Great to see the screening sold out as well. 8/10.

Be careful what you wish for....
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Magnolia is a fantastic movie. Respect the cock and tame the ****. Cruise totally going against type. The way the different stories link together is brilliant.
Click to expand...

Just rewatched Magnolia recently, absolutely loved it. One of these days I want to get hold of a copy of Robert Altman's Short Cuts
 
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Cockney Mackem said:
Straight into the "Good Name for a Band" thread

Of course I was into them before they were cool


Just rewatched Magnolia recently, absolutely loved it. One of these days I want to get hold of a copy of Robert Altman's Short Cuts
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I remember taping Short Cuts back in the 90s when Channel 4 showed it at some ridiculous hour of the early morning. Watched it so many times, but not since the death of VHS about 20 years ago. Must watch it again sometime.
 
Normal (2025) - 6/10 - Entertaining enough silliness about an interim Sheriff stumbling across the reason a small town is so wealthy. All hell breaks loose in this shoot-fest. Switch off and enjoy.
 
There’s no way of writing that I’m going to watch backrooms tonight without it sounding dirty.

Anyway, looking forward to it. I’ll be watching backrooms with great interest.
 
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