What film did you watch last night?

[AndyRM]

Alien: Romulus - 7.5/10

A fine addition to the franchise after the relative disappointments of Covenant and Prometheus.

Highlights for me were Andy, the practical effects and a new beastie to enjoy. The possibility of it going off into a new environment is pretty neat too.

I don't quite know what they were thinking bringing Ian Holm back into the picture, because that didn't really make any sense.

Overall though, very enjoyable with an excellent score.

 

[lazybloke]

Can anyone id a film from the following few details I saw in a trailer the other day? Not sure if it's for a forthcoming film, or one that's been released in recent years. It might just be a short, or a TV series.

Details:
IT's form the "found footage" genre, with the footage showing how a person went missing after going through a door - it looks like a standard door and doorframe, but it's a portal to some kind of alternate reality/realities.
The protagonist of the film has obtained the door, and I think has brought it back to his house/apartment.
The rest of the film is presumably exploring through the portal and finding out what happened to the missing person.
Likely sci-fiction/horror elements.

Alas, didn't catch the name of the film. Couldn't tell you any of the actors, or their nationality.

Went through my Google account history and found it!
The film is "Hostile Dimensions". Seems to have been made last year with very little budget but had a limited theatrical release and is now avaialble on VoD services (Google, Apple and Youtube).

Most reviews recognise a strong concept, but some say the overall result is let down by poor plot development and low budget.
Hmm, I'll probably still try it.

Trailers:

 

[AndyRM]

Went through my Google account history and found it!
The film is "Hostile Dimensions". Seems to have been made last year with very little budget but had a limited theatrical release and is now avaialble on VoD services (Google, Apple and Youtube).

Most reviews recognise a strong concept, but some say the overall result is let down by poor plot development and low budget.
Hmm, I'll probably still try it.

Trailers:

Looks good, I'll give it a go too. Another super low budget Scottish effort I have on my list is The Bench, which I believe is on Prime.

 

[lazybloke]

Looks good, I'll give it a go too. Another super low budget Scottish effort I have on my list is The Bench, which I believe is on Prime.

Well i watched Hostile Dimensions.
I was hooked for the first hour; the concept was right up my street and the developing creepy atmosphere was well-crafted.
It reminded me of watching the 90s's series "The Outer Limits" or earlier "Twilight Zone" episodes
But the last 10 minutes felt a bit chaotic and left me unsatisfied or wanting more.
The ending didn't make me think a sequel will ever happen... Probably I'd like to see the idea developed further and filmed again. I guess that's unlikely to happen.
Enjoyable but flawed; I give it 2/5.

 

[ianrauk]

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.

Just as funny as the original, with the usual Tim Burton oddball, over the top madness and weirdness making it a highly enjoyable watch. It builds up very nicely to the hugely entertaining last 20 minute finale. Micheal Keaton is utterly fab once again and Willem Defoe does a brilliant turn.
My lad didn't know what to expect not seeing the original and I think that made it more enjoyable for him. It had us both laughing out loud at times. Great fun.

 

[AndyRM]

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.

Just as funny as the original, with the usual Tim Burton oddball, over the top madness and weirdness making it a highly enjoyable watch. It builds up very nicely to the hugely entertaining last 20 minute finale. Micheal Keaton is utterly fab once again and Willem Defoe does a brilliant turn.
My lad didn't know what to expect not seeing the original and I think that made it more enjoyable for him. It had us both laughing out loud at times. Great fun.

Good to know, it's one of those I've been a bit unsure about, especially as when Burton gets it wrong it's a disaster.

 

[cyberknight]

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.

Just as funny as the original, with the usual Tim Burton oddball, over the top madness and weirdness making it a highly enjoyable watch. It builds up very nicely to the hugely entertaining last 20 minute finale. Micheal Keaton is utterly fab once again and Willem Defoe does a brilliant turn.
My lad didn't know what to expect not seeing the original and I think that made it more enjoyable for him. It had us both laughing out loud at times. Great fun.

just seen the end of the 1st one on tv, great although the special effects certainly show their age.

 

[johnnyb47]

Just watching the Film called The Blob starring Steve McQueen that I recorded last night.🤣🤣

 

[AndyRM]

The Substance - 9/10

A pretty brutal take down of all that is wrong with body shaming, vanity, expectation, self worth and ageing via the lens of Hollywood, from a very French perspective. It's essentially a modern retelling of Dorian Grey but goes way beyond any take I've seen of that visually.

Superb performances from Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid hold everything together brilliantly, if any of their performances weren't fully committed it'd totally fall flat or spiral out of control.

Class score from Raffertie as well, and another triumph for practical effects. You can almost feel how grim the prosthetics are when they make an appearance, which is always a good thing.

 

[AndyRM]

The Crow - 3/10

I knew this was going to be bad, but not this bad. It's a confused mess with none of the grungy appeal of the original.

The soundtrack is poor too.

 

[AndyRM]

Sounds like Smile is worth checking out. I have my doubts about it to be honest, but then I do about most horror films these days as they rarely seem to tread new ground.

Well, I have because a friend wants to see the sequel.

6/10 - mostly for Rosie Bacon's performance and the sound work. Otherwise it's pretty unspectacular and breaks up decent tension with daft jump scares.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Bit of miseryness for you....

Threads (1984)

The BBCs bleak and realistic look at a Nuclear attack on the UK, it's got better practical effects than many contemporary films. It was 40 years old this year and I think still as relevant today as it was then. Its utterly harrowing, and spans roughly 20 or so years so shows a good amount of the short-medium term effects on the country.

Ghosts (2006)

Inspired by the 2004 Morecambe Bay Cockling disaster where at least 21 Chinese migrants drowned after being cut off by the tide. The film is a fictional story, and some liberties are taken such as showing the local cocklers being hostile to the Chinese, as actually local cocklers did try to warn them of the dangers. However it paints an utterly bleak picture where these people had taken a 6 month journey to the UK, and being paid as little as £100 per week for long hours, and the miserable conditions and lies they are given and forced to endure.

Both films 10/10 for me though.

 

[MontyVeda]

Dune, pt2... this and pt1 are far far better than Lynch's woeful effort, but still a distant 2nd place behind the twenty-odd year old Syfy version.

 

[Adam4868]

American Star...
Big fan of Ian McShane so thought I'd give this a go...ignoring some terrible reviews, surprisingly thought it was good.Probably give it a 7/10.Worth a watch on a Sunday night anyway just for Mcshane.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

The Critic - 6/10

Great performance from Ian McKellen but the rest of the cast were so-so. Also, given the devious blackmail plot, it was lacking in drama and jeopardy.

On Netflix we watched Mrs Harris Goes to Paris - 7.5/10.

A jolly and uplifting tale of the dreams of a working class woman. I enjoyed it far more than I expected to.