What films have you watched lately?

[Jon O'Neill]

Citizen Kane. Then I had to go read about why it's good.

In other words it isn't. I watched it a couple of years or so ago and wasn't massively impressed.

Yeah it's a tough watch. Why does everybody keep talking over each other? It wasn't completely unenjoyable though. And after doing the reading about why it's good, I think it's fair enough.

[Gavin Chipper]

I think a lot of it comes from the film's technological achievements - apparently very good for the time. But if you're watching a film decades later, you're unlikely to be aware of what was generally available in 1941 as opposed to 1936 or 1946. But still, I think that's not the most important thing about a film.

Over the last couple of years or so I've started watching more films - generally on the iPlayer or C4 online etc., whereas previously I'd neglected film-watching quite a bit. I've seen quite a few films deemed classics and others too. Most films that I've watched I've generally thought were OK or good in some way, but largely I would then just move on. Not many films have stuck with me in any way. If I think about the films I've watched fairly recently, the two that spring to mind are 12 Angry Men and Memento. 12 Angry Men seems more of a "play" than a film though, but I'm not sure if that counts as a criticism. Memento I found quite compelling. Also interesting is that it's directed by Christopher Nolan who also directed Inception, one of the most overrated films of all time. I thought it was pretty much garbage to be honest.

On overrated films, I wrote this about Brief Encounter back in 2023.

[Ian Volante]

Citizen Kane. Then I had to go read about why it's good.

In other words it isn't. I watched it a couple of years or so ago and wasn't massively impressed.

I found it reasonably engaging, but also somewhat contrived in its central 'mystery'.

In terms of making use of numerous techniques that hadn't been used or combined previously, I can understand the plaudits.

[Paul Worsley]

The same is true with music too. I'm thinking of albums like Pet Sounds and Sgt Pepper's... You can't really appreciate how innovative they were without listening to them when they were released.

[Matthew Brockwell]

CItizen Kane is certainly from an older tradition of filmmaking, but I'm intrigued why Jono finds it a tough watch. It has a pioneering investigative narrative that starts with Charles' death and the interviews and flashbacks build a picture of who he was. Plus the high-contrast deep focus visuals are truly awesome (Blu-Ray or cinema watch recommended, streaming services can often lose the high contrast quality). It is fast for it's time (and I'd argue narratively more dynamic that 90% of today's cinema) - the overlapping dialogue derives from the screwball tradition that Welles admired. Robert Altman takes overlapping dialogue much further in MASH and Nashville.

Gevin's opinion on Brief Encounter is maybe his worst contrarian stance, and that's saying something. It is not pathetic to want to not only have a partner but to love and be loved too. Laura finds her husband does not have the same appreciations for music and stimulating conversation - we often do not realise what we are missing until we are presented with it. Both Laura and Alec are locked into relationships through their children that they wish they could get out of for their own selfish reasons. Choosing to remain in lesser relationships for the good of the family units is noble and quintessentially British (it's our equivalent of Casablanca in it's depiction of wartime nobility).

I'm curious what are your favourite films Gevin - I could give you some classic recommendations based on them if you'd like?

[Gavin Chipper]

I think you're over-simplifying the reasons for the characters being pathetic. It's not just that they loved each other and were in other relationships. There was also very little substance to the characters and the film in general other than that basic premise and very little to root for.

I'll have to think about my favourite films but obviously there is 12 Angry Men and Memento that I mentioned above.

Back To the Future and ET are pretty great though right? Also it's ages ago that I watched it but I seem to remember quite liking Village of the Damned (the old one).

Also always liked the Ghostbusters films but maybe more the idea of them. I'm not sure they're as good as they could have been.

[Gavin Chipper]

Btw I didn't personally dislike Citizen Kane. It was only relative to its high reputation. I thought it was OK. I preferred Casablanca if we're comparing old films.

[Marc Meakin]

12 Angry Men and more recently Glengarry Glen Ross are fantastic screenplays
Certain films are of its day like King Kong (1933l) and the special effects don't hold up
.The Thing and Bladerunner both made in 1983 still hold up today.
The Shark in Jaws was pisspoor but the direction , cinematography , Script and score are so good you can forgive it.

Alien and The Conversation are 2 of my favourite films though I so love The Untouchables , yes even Swan Connerys ropy Irish accent.

Btw I recently watched The Dollars Trilogy and I honestly can't think of a trilogy that's better insomuch as each film is bettered by the next one.
If Toy Story had stopped at 3 maybe it would give it a run for it's money.

Fuck me Gev , how can you say Inception is over rated..

[Paul Worsley]

Number 24 (Netflix)

The film tells the story of Gunnar Sønsteby, a real life member of the Norwegian Resistance during WWII, who went on to become Norway's most decorated civilian.

A low budget, fascinating film, that doesn't simply glorify the Resistance, but also shows some of the moral dilemmas they had to face up to due to the often brutal reprisals of the Nazi occupiers.

[Marc Meakin]

2 films with a nostalgic feel due to call backs from previous episodes in their respective franchise.
Final Destination Bloodlines : this has some very inventive deaths.
Mission impossible Final Reckoning.
A bit long but the last half hour has some insane stunts

[Gavin Chipper]

I watched The Untouchables the other day. Decent enough. Disappointed they killed off the accountant guy.

[Marc Meakin]

[*]

I watched The Untouchables the other day. Decent enough. Disappointed they killed off the accountant guy.

One of my all time favourite films.
The soundtrack the set pieces notably the bridge on the Canadian border and Grand Central station are magnificent

[Marc Meakin]

The Ballad of Wallis Island.
British film of the year
Tim Key is fantastic in this funny ,melancholic bromance/Rom Com.
It's very funny and also quite sad

[Marc Meakin]

F1.
More cheesy than a Quatro Formagio pizza.
Considering it's a sport I have little time for these days, (sorry Phillip A) it was fun and entirely believable.
F1 petrol heads will love the name dropping and the blink and you will miss it cameos from drivers and other related F1 figures.
Loved Brad Pitt and the young rookie.
This film was straight out of the late 80s early 90s
A fun ride that probably does F1 a good service in the same way the superior Rush does it down.
Even though the era of Rush was when F1 was exciting if only because of how dangerous the sport was compared to today

[Gavin Chipper]

F1.
More cheesy than a Quatro Formagio pizza.
Considering it's a sport I have little time for these days, (sorry Phillip A) it was fun and entirely believable.
F1 petrol heads will love the name dropping and the blink and you will miss it cameos from drivers and other related F1 figures.
Loved Brad Pitt and the young rookie.
This film was straight out of the late 80s early 90s
A fun ride that probably does F1 a good service in the same way the superior Rush does it down.
Even though the era of Rush was when F1 was exciting if only because of how dangerous the sport was compared to today

I saw this too. I found it entertaining but not remotely believable and very shallow. I thought the random bits from the races were very disjointed. It would have been better to focus on one or two races and have a proper race narrative. The existence of other real drivers and teams seemed very shoehorned in.

[Marc Meakin]

F1.
More cheesy than a Quatro Formagio pizza.
Considering it's a sport I have little time for these days, (sorry Phillip A) it was fun and entirely believable.
F1 petrol heads will love the name dropping and the blink and you will miss it cameos from drivers and other related F1 figures.
Loved Brad Pitt and the young rookie.
This film was straight out of the late 80s early 90s
A fun ride that probably does F1 a good service in the same way the superior Rush does it down.
Even though the era of Rush was when F1 was exciting if only because of how dangerous the sport was compared to today

I saw this too. I found it entertaining but not remotely believable and very shallow. I thought the random bits from the races were very disjointed. It would have been better to focus on one or two races and have a proper race narrative. The existence of other real drivers and teams seemed very shoehorned in.

I think that promoting F1 was what encouraged drivers etc and make it appealing to the fans.
But aspects of the film were unbelievable especially the big reveal about Pitts character.
Also Conlons character seemed shoehorned in for the love interest subplot

[Marc Meakin]

Friendship.
A Script that should be a whacky knock about comedy about romance turns into ha darkly comic film because of how the lead actor plays the roll.
Worth watching though and it's still funny in parts

[Philip A]

Isle of Dogs

2018 Wes Anderson stop-motion animation set in Japan and a fictional islands, with very similar style to Fantastic Mr Fox.
Definitely giving Nick Park a run for his money. Animation is beautiful.
Not really a kids’ film though; rude but deadpan humour.

[Marc Meakin]

I watched One Battle After Another twice in a week.
It's so good and the score by Johnny Greenwood is awesome, such a great satire and Sean Penn is amazing as Captain Lockjaw.
Also the fantastically named Chase Infiniti was great as Willa

[Gavin Chipper]

I watched Some Like it Hot the other day. I thought it was decent enough, but the middle section was a bit too long. It's probably not really my sort of film but I mostly enjoyed it.

[Gavin Chipper]

Heathers. I've seen probably most of it before but I don't think I've actually ever sat down and watched it all. I think it's quite good and has some good humour. To make a random 80s teen movie comparison, it's much better than The Breakfast Club.

[Marc Meakin]

Heathers. I've seen probably most of it before but I don't think I've actually ever sat down and watched it all. I think it's quite good and has some good humour. To make a random 80s teen movie comparison, it's much better than The Breakfast Club.

The breakfast Club is one of the most over rated films ever apart from the Simple Minds Song at the end

[Paul Worsley]

The breakfast Club is one of the most over rated films ever apart from the Simple Minds Song at the end

Only a few weeks ago I found out that Simple Minds didn't write the song. It was written for the film and performed by them.

I had always assumed that the makers of the film had chosen the song for the movie. I think it was the only song that the band ever recorded that they hadn't written.

[Gavin Chipper]

Probably the only time when someone says "it's the song from that film" when they've got causality the right way round.

[Marc Meakin]

I Swear biopic of John Davidson sufferer of Tourettes.
One of the best films of the year very sad but also very funny.
People of a certain age may remember John from the documentary John's Not Mad

[Ian Volante]

I Swear biopic of John Davidson sufferer of Tourettes.
One of the best films of the year very sad but also very funny.
People of a certain age may remember John from the documentary John's Not Mad

If it's that one we greatly enjoyed at school, then yes. Finest entertainment since Joey Deacon, at least to a bunch of teens employing no considerations of social niceties in that context.

[Fiona T]

I Swear biopic of John Davidson sufferer of Tourettes.
One of the best films of the year very sad but also very funny.
People of a certain age may remember John from the documentary John's Not Mad

If it's that one we greatly enjoyed at school, then yes. Finest entertainment since Joey Deacon, at least to a bunch of teens employing no considerations of social niceties in that context.

I was explaining the Joey Deacon thing to some of the younger countdowners. I mean it's shocking, but no-one our age can avoid smirking.

[Marc Meakin]

Yeah I remember Joey Deacon
My brother especially does as Joey Meakin and Joey Deacon almost rhyme