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SMB Film Thread 2025
- Thread starter Fletch73
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Monty Pigeon
Striker
Love in the Big City (2024) 6/10
One of the most popular Korean films of last year. A repressed gay man and free-spirited woman meet in college and become best friends. The film follows their ups and downs over the next decade or so. Mostly a romantic drama, it gets the tone badly wrong a couple of times - not least with a song and dance routine at the end.
Under Fire (1983) 7/10
Gritty thriller about journalists covering the Nicaraguan revolution. As so often when Hollywood deals with Central American revolutions, the politics are simplistic and cartoonish. Also, the prologue set in Chad shows African troops riding Asian elephants, supposedly on their way to the frontline on the Zambezi - at the other end of the continent. That said, good performances from Nick Nolte, Gene Hackman, and French legend Jean-Louis Trintignant in a rare English-speaking role.
Coming Home (1978) 9/10
Jon Voight as a disabled Vietnam vet and Jane Fonda as a hospital volunteer who embarks on an affair with him. Excellent soundtrack, great direction from Hal Ashby. (Notable that in the extras from 2002, Jon Voight was still a confirmed lefty. He became an extreme right-winger after visiting Israel c 2010.)
One of the most popular Korean films of last year. A repressed gay man and free-spirited woman meet in college and become best friends. The film follows their ups and downs over the next decade or so. Mostly a romantic drama, it gets the tone badly wrong a couple of times - not least with a song and dance routine at the end.
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Under Fire (1983) 7/10
Gritty thriller about journalists covering the Nicaraguan revolution. As so often when Hollywood deals with Central American revolutions, the politics are simplistic and cartoonish. Also, the prologue set in Chad shows African troops riding Asian elephants, supposedly on their way to the frontline on the Zambezi - at the other end of the continent. That said, good performances from Nick Nolte, Gene Hackman, and French legend Jean-Louis Trintignant in a rare English-speaking role.
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Coming Home (1978) 9/10
Jon Voight as a disabled Vietnam vet and Jane Fonda as a hospital volunteer who embarks on an affair with him. Excellent soundtrack, great direction from Hal Ashby. (Notable that in the extras from 2002, Jon Voight was still a confirmed lefty. He became an extreme right-winger after visiting Israel c 2010.)
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Doogie Hauser
Midfield
Please Murder Me (1956)
Raymond Burr starts a tape recording, saying that in 55 minutes he will be dead. So begins a flashback detailing the reasons why.
A surprisingly decent B noir. Burr is very good as a man who asks his best mate to divorce his wife (Angela Lansbury) so that he can marry her. A few days later she kills her husband in ‘self defence’. Burr defends her at the trial (conflict of interest much?). He then begins to realise that she isn’t the bastion of sweetness and light he thought.
There’s a decent courtroom scene, and some genuinely interesting characters. I really liked Burr’s connection with a rival. It was refreshing and not the usual noir trope. The direction is unspectacular, and the budget non-existent, but it has a straightforward hook to immerse you in the scenario, and it works.
7/10. Enjoyed it. Great Saturday morning viewing.
Raymond Burr starts a tape recording, saying that in 55 minutes he will be dead. So begins a flashback detailing the reasons why.
A surprisingly decent B noir. Burr is very good as a man who asks his best mate to divorce his wife (Angela Lansbury) so that he can marry her. A few days later she kills her husband in ‘self defence’. Burr defends her at the trial (conflict of interest much?). He then begins to realise that she isn’t the bastion of sweetness and light he thought.
There’s a decent courtroom scene, and some genuinely interesting characters. I really liked Burr’s connection with a rival. It was refreshing and not the usual noir trope. The direction is unspectacular, and the budget non-existent, but it has a straightforward hook to immerse you in the scenario, and it works.
7/10. Enjoyed it. Great Saturday morning viewing.
look out piano
Striker
Just watched Superman: The Christopher Reeve story (2024)
What a wonderful documentary film, the man was a real hero and it was very moving in parts.
It basically showcased his rise and family life, then the accident and the aftermath.with interjections from his Hollywood friends (but obviously sadly not his best friend Robin Williams, but he did feature
)
Hearing his wife died not long after (from lung cancer) leaving their child orphaned was very upsetting.
I'd give it a strong 8/10, it was excellent
What a wonderful documentary film, the man was a real hero and it was very moving in parts.
It basically showcased his rise and family life, then the accident and the aftermath.with interjections from his Hollywood friends (but obviously sadly not his best friend Robin Williams, but he did feature
)Hearing his wife died not long after (from lung cancer) leaving their child orphaned was very upsetting.
I'd give it a strong 8/10, it was excellent
riffraff
Striker
John Huston said summet along those lines when his 1941 version of The Maltese Falcon was released. There’d already been two critical and commercial flop versions of it. Our very own @cockneymackems film podcast regularly features films dug out of the shite to possible redo.
There’s a load of timeline stuff been shuffled around in it.
Last edited:
pixie345
Midfield
Heretic from last year was an incredible performance from the normally putrid Hugh Grant.
Juror no.2 Clint Eastwoods last film direction is definitely worth a watch too
Late Night With the Devil was a great 2024 scary
2025 .. A Real Pain .. Jesse Eisenberg stars and directs. Great movie.
Presence .. Steve Soderberghs new film is well shot, but kind of predictable. Paranormal Activity vibes.Worth seeing.
Wolfman also fairly predictable but a decent watch for a filler .
Nosferatu was great, but as mentioned is Dracula rebooted without the charm of Gary Oldman
Juror no.2 Clint Eastwoods last film direction is definitely worth a watch too
Late Night With the Devil was a great 2024 scary
2025 .. A Real Pain .. Jesse Eisenberg stars and directs. Great movie.
Presence .. Steve Soderberghs new film is well shot, but kind of predictable. Paranormal Activity vibes.Worth seeing.
Wolfman also fairly predictable but a decent watch for a filler .
Nosferatu was great, but as mentioned is Dracula rebooted without the charm of Gary Oldman
craigypants
Striker
Agree with you on this. It's really well made and there are some powerful moments. I wasn't really a fan of his acting but as a person he had plenty of guts and showed great courage. The moment at the Oscars with his peers giving him a great ovation seemed genuinely moving. The Roger Moore doc is also good and the one on Sky about Christopher Lee.Just watched Superman: The Christopher Reeve story (2024)
What a wonderful documentary film, the man was a real hero and it was very moving in parts.
It basically showcased his rise and family life, then the accident and the aftermath.with interjections from his Hollywood friends (but obviously sadly not his best friend Robin Williams, but he did feature
Hearing his wife died not long after (from lung cancer) leaving their child orphaned was very upsetting.
I'd give it a strong 8/10, it was excellent
errant
Striker
Watched Nosferatu last night, pretty much exactly what everyone has said already. Looks great, doesn’t quite deliver… horror not being my thing and not having watched what might be considered Dracula cannon I thought it would work in my favour, however i found when bill skarsgård was on screen my mind came out the moment and drifted to what they do in the shadows… 
Fletch73
Midfield
The Angel [2018] 7.5/10
Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1971. Angel-faced, 19-year-old Carlos Puch is a thief who acts ruthlessly, without remorse. When he meets Ramón, they follow together a dark path of crime and death.
I watched this after watching Kill the Jockey by the same director, Luis Ortega. Another really enjoyable film, although it could be argued it glamorizes a real-life serial killer.
Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1971. Angel-faced, 19-year-old Carlos Puch is a thief who acts ruthlessly, without remorse. When he meets Ramón, they follow together a dark path of crime and death.
I watched this after watching Kill the Jockey by the same director, Luis Ortega. Another really enjoyable film, although it could be argued it glamorizes a real-life serial killer.
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Saw that at Boldon Cinema back in the day. Christ that was so long ago.
fyl2u
Striker
Star Trek: Section 31
Bloody awful.
From the moment they start introducing the team, my eyes started rolling. This isn't Star Trek, it's an attempt at a superhero movie.
Unfortunately it isn't even a good superhero movie, it's a pile of absolute wank all the way through.
From the
to the
to the
- I just didn't give a shit about any of the characters at all.
I was rooting for the
What an absolute pile of steaming turd.
Bloody awful.
From the moment they start introducing the team, my eyes started rolling. This isn't Star Trek, it's an attempt at a superhero movie.
Unfortunately it isn't even a good superhero movie, it's a pile of absolute wank all the way through.
From the
microscopic leprechaun driving a robot Vulcan, complete with shit Irish accent and a personality that makes you want to stab your eardrums with ice picks
mechanical Jason Statham stand-in
all-new-fangled shape-shifter
I was rooting for the
McGuffin going off and destroying the entire quadrant with them in it
What an absolute pile of steaming turd.
Monty Pigeon
Striker
Eureka (1983) 5/10
Mark Cousins reckons it's a masterpiece and Danny Boyle lists it in his top 5. I didn't think much when I first saw it, but thought I'd give it another go. Haven't changed my mind. It's a mess.
Escape (2024) 7/10
A North Korean soldier plans to defect to South Korea, but his best mate is trying to stop him. Reasonable action sequences, but not sure about the portrayal of the North Korean officers living it up like they're in Tsarist Russia.
Nosferatu (2024) 7/10
The Murnau and Herzog versions are better. Would have been nice to see something different tried with this, perhaps setting it in a different era.
Mark Cousins reckons it's a masterpiece and Danny Boyle lists it in his top 5. I didn't think much when I first saw it, but thought I'd give it another go. Haven't changed my mind. It's a mess.
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Escape (2024) 7/10
A North Korean soldier plans to defect to South Korea, but his best mate is trying to stop him. Reasonable action sequences, but not sure about the portrayal of the North Korean officers living it up like they're in Tsarist Russia.
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Nosferatu (2024) 7/10
The Murnau and Herzog versions are better. Would have been nice to see something different tried with this, perhaps setting it in a different era.
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Speakeasy
Full Back
Paris 13th District (Les Olympiades)
Jacques Audiard's last big film before Emilia Perez is free to watch on iPlayer. Black and white film following 3 twenty/thirty somethings navigating life and modern relationships in a working class estate in Paris. Nearly gave up after 20 mins as the first characters introduced were so unlikeable to start with. Stuck with it though, and it got much better.
Beautifully shot film, with very much an art house vibe. Think La Haine but with shagging instead of violence.
7.5/10
Jacques Audiard's last big film before Emilia Perez is free to watch on iPlayer. Black and white film following 3 twenty/thirty somethings navigating life and modern relationships in a working class estate in Paris. Nearly gave up after 20 mins as the first characters introduced were so unlikeable to start with. Stuck with it though, and it got much better.
Beautifully shot film, with very much an art house vibe. Think La Haine but with shagging instead of violence.
7.5/10
riffraff
Striker
Croupier. 1998. Dir: Mike Hodges. 8/10.
It’s currently on bbc or C4 IPlayer catch up tv thingys.
Clive Owen plays a struggling London writer forced back into the casino game by money troubles. Gina McKee, Nicholas Ball and Alex Kingston are the only other faces I recognised.
Owen and his tux were acclaimed by the UK media of the time as a cert for a future Bond on the strength of it. I was one of the half dozen or so people to see it in UK cinema on the strength of the underwhelmed reviews mentioning that it featured an old school film noir type talkover which I love but turned out to be more of an internal monologue.
C4 Films and their partners had no faith in it and didn’t even bother creating a poster for cinema and tube station advertising. It did well in the US and kicked off Owens career ower there.
It’s currently on bbc or C4 IPlayer catch up tv thingys.
Clive Owen plays a struggling London writer forced back into the casino game by money troubles. Gina McKee, Nicholas Ball and Alex Kingston are the only other faces I recognised.
Owen and his tux were acclaimed by the UK media of the time as a cert for a future Bond on the strength of it. I was one of the half dozen or so people to see it in UK cinema on the strength of the underwhelmed reviews mentioning that it featured an old school film noir type talkover which I love but turned out to be more of an internal monologue.
C4 Films and their partners had no faith in it and didn’t even bother creating a poster for cinema and tube station advertising. It did well in the US and kicked off Owens career ower there.
Lankester Merrin
Striker
As above Complete Unknown is excellent. Great performances from Chalamet and Ed Norton. Best thing I've seen all year
riffraff
Striker
Try the Arg original of Nine Queens marra. It’s a cracking conman type film. Even the US remake is decent.
Been sorting through my dvd boxes in the loft and I’ve about ten Argentinian films. Nine Queens is the pick of em though.
bat_finchale
Central Defender
I thought it was ok and really wished it was better, maybe I was expecting more. It was a very short window covered in the film. Didn't mind the acting, from biographies I have read he comes across as a bit of a tosser and not sure the film captures that.
Not a film but we’ve been discussing the movie series on here so seemed appropriate
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