SMB Film Thread 2025

[Albay3037]

War Of The Worlds: Revival (2025) Dropped on Prime today. Oh.... my.... God..... there isn't enough words to describe just how bad this is. Think of one of those low budget movies on Syfy or Legend and then take away the budget! 1/10 (and one is being fair)

 

[Fetch Fletch]

War Of The Worlds: Revival (2025) Dropped on Prime today. Oh.... my.... God..... there isn't enough words to describe just how bad this is. Think of one of those low budget movies on Syfy or Legend and then take away the budget! 1/10 (and one is being fair)

I found it one of those so bad it’s ok type things. I mean it’s terrible. And who ever thought Ice Cube would be a computer whizz but it passed the time in the background.

 

[SAFCOldie]

Third Party Risk (1954/5)

Lloyd Bridges is a songwriter who meets an ex-RAF buddy in Spain. His mate asks him to drive his car back to England and deliver a package. That’s the last we see of him, so Bridges is on the case.

Workmanlike and tepid. There’s very little standout material here. It’s by the numbers and just saunters along without much urgency. There’s nothing particularly poor, but it doesn’t have much to recommend it.

4.5/10

Also known as the Deadly Game.

 

[Doogie Hauser]

Also known as the Deadly Game.

Yes. I was maybe a tad harsh. I wouldn’t give it more than a 5 though. Bridges is always watchable.


Black Mask (1996)

Jet Li is a reclusive former super soldier, modified to feel no pain, with elite level martial arts and tactical skills. His policeman mate is investigating a load of drug-linked killings. Events start to get closer to Jet, who recognises some of the tell-tale signs of the crimes.

Decent enough actioner. The story is underdeveloped and has a straight to video feel about it, where things happen and they seem almost arbitrary, rather than logical and as part of natural narrative development. The villain is a throwback to 70s long haired evil bastards, all comedic cheese and cackles. He’s both great and shite.

The action is ok. It suffers from some dire CGI explosions and an overuse of wires, and some of the moves are hilarious (although it is based on a comic). However, Li is an honest and highly capable performer. His work is often excellent.

Choreography and cinematography are mostly decent. Not bad at all. Just not anyway near top level MA films.

6/10

 

[Drexl]

The Last Days Of Disco (1998)

Chloe Sevigny and Kate Beckinsale navigate disco clubs and love in the early 80’s. It’s insufferable characters doing awful things to each other. The Rules of Attraction to a disco beat, and with boxy suits. The characters are non-people, hanging around together unaffected by the things around them and affected by the people around them, but maybe that’s the point.

5/10

 

[Monty Pigeon]

Reversal of Fortune (1990) 7/10
Claus von Bulow is convicted of the attempted murder of his wife. Alan Dershowitz (later to represent OJ Simpson and Jeffery Epstein) leads the attempt to get him cleared on appeal. Makes a partial attempt to explore the ethics of Dershowitz defending awful people. Could have gone a lot deeper.

You must be logged on to see media items

The General (1926) 10/10
Buster Keaton masterpiece. Full movie here:

You must be logged on to see media items

The China Syndrome (1979) 9/10
Excellent thriller. Jane Fonda as a TV news reporter who witnesses an event at a nuclear power station but her bosses won't run the story. Jack Lemmon as a whistleblower.

You must be logged on to see media items

 

[Harry Gates]

The China Syndrome (1979) 9/10
Excellent thriller. Jane Fonda as a TV news reporter who witnesses an event at a nuclear power station but her bosses won't run the story. Jack Lemmon as a whistleblower.

We All Live In Pennsylvania.

 

[Drexl]

Barry Lyndon (1975)

A 4K reissue for the 50th anniversary, seen today at The Prince Charles Cinema. The attention to detail from Kubrick in full focus. The seeds of Eyes Wide Shut on display. Every frame its own painting. My only note would be I would prefer if the narrator didn’t outline the final act prior to it happening. Still, it’s superb.

 

[Flip]

28 years later, was looking forward to this, but just didn't have the intensity of the first 2, was all just a bit dull
3/10

I thought it was brilliant and the best film I'd seen in the last 12 months - each to their own

 

[fyl2u]

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

Tedious crap, tedious crap.

Awful sequel. Not a patch on the original. Awful sequel. Not a patch on the original.

Avoid like the plague. Avoid like the plague.

4/10 4/10

 

[Drexl]

I thought it was brilliant and the best film I'd seen in the last 12 months - each to their own

Honestly it seems to have become fashionable to bash it. It’s very good. It’s also made 150 million before streaming and home rental so we’ll most likely get 2 more sequels (one for certain as it’s filmed)

 

[BIG BAZ]

I found it one of those so bad it’s ok type things. I mean it’s terrible. And who ever thought Ice Cube would be a computer whizz but it passed the time in the background.

Same here…it was that shit it was good…well it wasn’t really but ya know what I mean

 

[Fetch Fletch]

Same here…it was that shit it was good…well it wasn’t really but ya know what I mean

I do mate

 

[Fletch73]

The Ugly Stepsister [2025] 7.5/10
In a fairy-tale kingdom where beauty is a brutal business, Elvira battles to compete with her incredibly beautiful stepsister, and will go to any length to catch the prince’s eye.
Gory, gothic re-telling of Cinderella.

You must be logged on to see media items

The Killing of a Sacred Deer [2017] 8/10
A fatherless teen insinuates himself into a doctor's life in gradually unsettling ways.
Another f---ed up Yorgos Lanthimos film. Colin Farrell and Barry Keoghan star.

You must be logged on to see media items

Nayola [2022] 8/10
In 1995, during the Angolan civil war, Nayola sets out in search of her missing husband.
Loved the animation style and the mix of real-world horror with magical realism.

You must be logged on to see media items

 

[leyburnrunner]

Licorice Pizza.
Long meandering fillum from Paul Thomas Anderson.
Great 70's soundtrack.
Boy after girl, will they won't they typeof thing.
7/10.

 

[Flip]

Honestly it seems to have become fashionable to bash it. It’s very good. It’s also made 150 million before streaming and home rental so we’ll most likely get 2 more sequels (one for certain as it’s filmed)

I think its written as a trilogy and I have a nagging memory / suspicion they may have already filmed the second one while doing the first

 

[Fletch73]

I think its written as a trilogy and I have a nagging memory / suspicion they may have already filmed the second one while doing the first

They have. Supposed to be released January 2026:

You must be logged on to see external links

 

[Drexl]

The Naked Gun (2025)

Liam Neeson playing the son of Leslie Neilson’s character from the original films. Pamela Anderson the love interest. It has some genuine laugh out loud moments (and a hugely entertaining running gag involving coffee). Neeson and Anderson have very good comic timing. It’s snappy at 85 minutes, which is nice. Good to see comedy back on the big screen, we need more.

7/10

 

[xmfd]

Happy Gilmore 2 (2025)

Not sure what I was expecting but it wasn’t that. Felt like I was watching an autistic child’s idea of a golf film by the end. What the fuck was that man? Netflix completely sucked the soul out of it. Couple of funny bits but just felt uneasy throughout. Loads of awkward and forced cameos and just really badly written.

2/10

 

[SAFCOldie]

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

Tedious crap, tedious crap.

Awful sequel. Not a patch on the original. Awful sequel. Not a patch on the original.

Avoid like the plague. Avoid like the plague.

4/10 4/10

Its one of the most unlikely remakes I'd have ever expected.

I think its written as a trilogy and I have a nagging memory / suspicion they may have already filmed the second one while doing the first

Apparently that is true and if you know that in advance it does actually make a difference.