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

SMB Film Thread 2025

Status
Not open for further replies.

riffraff said:
Bing bong, this a colleague announcement: @Cockney Mackem to thread please. @Cockney Mackem to thread. Bing bong.







Oooooooh are you gonna get a talking too young man.
Click to expand...
Cockney Mackem said:
I just feel sad for anyone unable to appreciate officially the greatest film ever made
Click to expand...
Quite the achievement to make a 4-hour film that is so uninteresting from start to end.

Down there with The Deer Hunter in terms of ‘masterpieces’ that are barely watchable.
 
Lankester Merrin said:
Back when I worked in Whitehall I was walking along Horseguards parade with my sister going for Christmas drinks after work

We were waiting at a pedestrian crossing, and there was a little bald man stood next to me. He looked a bit familiar, and he was looking at me as if maybe he knew me, so I said hello, and had a brief chat while we waited for the lights to go green. Said our goodbyes and walked off. I'm not great remembering people so if someone looks familiar I assume I know then and say hi.

My sister asked "How long have you known Ian Hislop from Have I Got News For You"
Click to expand...
Fletch73 said:
Are you sure it wasn't Jimmy Somerville?
Click to expand...
That bloke said goodbye whereas Jimmy can't

You must be logged on to see media items
 
Three Bogart films that somehow I hadn't already seen:

To Have and Have Not (1944) 10/10
A grittier companion piece to Casablanca, this time set in Vichy Martinique, based on the novel by Hemingway. Stunning debut from 19-year-old Lauren Bacall.
You must be logged on to see media items

The Big Sleep (1946) 8/10
As with the above film, plenty of pin-sharp quotable dialogue (" She tried to sit on my lap while I was standing up."). The plot's notoriously difficult to follow. This time Bacall is outshone by Martha Vickers, playing her nymphomaniac sister.
You must be logged on to see media items

High Sierra (1941) 8/10
Bogie as a gangster recently released from prison now planning a heist at a mountain resort. From the moment someone points out the highest peak, you know that's where it'll all end up.
You must be logged on to see media items
 
Monty Pigeon said:
Three Bogart films that somehow I hadn't already seen:

To Have and Have Not (1944) 10/10
A grittier companion piece to Casablanca, this time set in Vichy Martinique, based on the novel by Hemingway. Stunning debut from 19-year-old Lauren Bacall.
You must be logged on to see media items

The Big Sleep (1946) 8/10
As with the above film, plenty of pin-sharp quotable dialogue (" She tried to sit on my lap while I was standing up."). The plot's notoriously difficult to follow. This time Bacall is outshone by Martha Vickers, playing her nymphomaniac sister.
You must be logged on to see media items

High Sierra (1941) 8/10
Bogie as a gangster recently released from prison now planning a heist at a mountain resort. From the moment someone points out the highest peak, you know that's where it'll all end up.
You must be logged on to see media items
Click to expand...

Famous story that Hawks or the writers contacted Chandler while developing The Big Sleep and asked him to tell them whodunit. Chandler replied that he wasn't entirely sure himself
 
Last edited:
Maravilla said:
Tried giving Once Upon A Time in America another go and I’m pretty much losing the will to live 90 minutes in. Dreadful
Click to expand...
Not particularly a fan of that one, although it’s more to with its influence.

Mainly because every American gangster film since (and because of) it has been overly focused on trying to deconstruct the motivations of the gangster, which has made them quite self-indulgent, navel gazing pieces. Whereas in comparison, movies like The Godfather have a much bigger story to tell (it’s about capitalism and The American dream).

Depending on your perspective and tastes of course, you can make the argument it ruined the gangster genre.
 
Monty Pigeon said:
Three Bogart films that somehow I hadn't already seen:

To Have and Have Not (1944) 10/10
A grittier companion piece to Casablanca, this time set in Vichy Martinique, based on the novel by Hemingway. Stunning debut from 19-year-old Lauren Bacall.
You must be logged on to see media items

The Big Sleep (1946) 8/10
As with the above film, plenty of pin-sharp quotable dialogue (" She tried to sit on my lap while I was standing up."). The plot's notoriously difficult to follow. This time Bacall is outshone by Martha Vickers, playing her nymphomaniac sister.
You must be logged on to see media items

High Sierra (1941) 8/10
Bogie as a gangster recently released from prison now planning a heist at a mountain resort. From the moment someone points out the highest peak, you know that's where it'll all end up.
You must be logged on to see media items
Click to expand...
I watched the last 20 minutes of The Big Sleep yesterday on BBC2. Great.

To Have and Have Not was also adapted in 1950 as The Breaking Point. I haven’t seen either, so I’m going to have to compare them in the future.
 
Monty Pigeon said:
Three Bogart films that somehow I hadn't already seen:

To Have and Have Not (1944) 10/10
A grittier companion piece to Casablanca, this time set in Vichy Martinique, based on the novel by Hemingway. Stunning debut from 19-year-old Lauren Bacall.
You must be logged on to see media items

The Big Sleep (1946) 8/10
As with the above film, plenty of pin-sharp quotable dialogue (" She tried to sit on my lap while I was standing up."). The plot's notoriously difficult to follow. This time Bacall is outshone by Martha Vickers, playing her nymphomaniac sister.
You must be logged on to see media items

High Sierra (1941) 8/10
Bogie as a gangster recently released from prison now planning a heist at a mountain resort. From the moment someone points out the highest peak, you know that's where it'll all end up.
You must be logged on to see media items
Click to expand...

All classics.
In The Big Sleep even Raymond Chandler didn’t know who’d shot one character. Bogart asked Hawkes whodunnit and he had to ring Chandler who didn’t know and hadnt had anyone pick up on it from publishers, readers, critics, screenwriting, film production etc etc.

Edit: I fancy a Bogie binge this week.
 
Last edited:
Monty Pigeon said:
The Big Sleep (1946) 8/10
As with the above film, plenty of pin-sharp quotable dialogue (" She tried to sit on my lap while I was standing up."). The plot's notoriously difficult to follow. This time Bacall is outshone by Martha Vickers, playing her nymphomaniac sister.
You must be logged on to see media items
Click to expand...
Love The Big Sleep, and have read and loved most of Chandler's novels, for the brilliant one-liners if nothing else. Last time I tried watching it was in a hotel abroad on French TV with dubbing, which made it even more confusing!!



Don't Breath - on Netflix

Saw this in the cinema back when it first came out and vaguely remember enjoying it. Rewatched with friends last night, and it was still really enjoyable - though I was shocked at how much I'd forgotten about it. I have a memory like a sieve!

Fun, taught little horror thriller.

7.5/10
 
"Anora" (2024).

Nice to look at and some good acting. Funny in parts, although generally quite a bleak message to take away.

8/10
 
xmfd said:
"Anora" (2024).

Nice to look at and some good acting. Funny in parts, although generally quite a bleak message to take away.

8/10
Click to expand...
Vastly overrated imho. Saw it months ago. It’s basically morphs from a MTV video/light Porn video mash up into a comedy hapless gangster film ower the course of the film.
 
Just read Tarantino's Cinema Speculation. He's much more in love with genre cinema than I am, but it sent me back to three of the films he devotes chapters to.

Logon or register to see this image


Bullitt (1968) 8/10
Possibly the greatest car chase of all time, and a decent finale among active airliners at San Francisco Airport. Lags a bit in between.
You must be logged on to see media items

Dirty Harry (1971) 8/10
Take away the 'Do you feel lucky, punk?'* speeches, it'd be a routine cop thriller. But thanks to the famous lines, and to Eastwood's performance, it's a bona fide classic. (* As usually misquoted.)
You must be logged on to see media items

Rolling Thunder (1977) 8/10
Tarantino reckons that where you see a film can be as important as the film itself. I saw this in a packed cinema in Africa with full audience participation. The film itself - a Vietnam ex-POW going on a revenge rampage after losing his family and his hand - is pretty decent. Linda Haynes's performance as William Devane's love interest is extraordinary. (Tarantino repeatedly tried to bring her out of retirement, but from the 80s onwards she was done with acting.)
You must be logged on to see media items
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top