It (2017)

I didn't like this as much as everyone else seemed to. Almost all of the kids were very underwritten (the only exception being Beverly, with Sophia Lillis turning in a performance with at least a little nuance in between the tropes), and although the jump scares were effective and Skarsgard was clearly enjoying chewing up kids and scenery in equal measure the whole film ended up feeling hollow to me. I had no real investment in any of the characters beyond Beverly, and I felt the film was content to just treat them as window dressing. Ultimately it was all sound and fury, signifying little. Somewhat ironically, given the provenance, I couldn't shake the feeling I was watching a second rate knockoff of Stranger Things. 2/5.

Concur, excellent film.

Frances McDormand is amazing

Talladega Nights?

With The Silent Child winning an Oscar last night, my Dad can now say he's met an Oscar winner, as Rachel Shenton is patron of our local deaf club.


Not too sure about his purple t-shirt though

We watched Three Billboards Outside Epping, Missouri last night. Much of the pre-release hype about it seemed to label it as a black comedy, but I'm not sure I'd go that far - it's nowhere near as amusing as Martin McDonagh's previous work (thinking specifically of In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths) but that's not a bad thing.

Fantastic performances all-round, Frances McDormand is amazing, Woody Harrelson somehow manages to get across a whole spectrum of emotion from one scene to another in a way that I'd never really considered him to be capable of doing, and Sam Rockwell is... well, he's Sam Rockwell.

8/10.

We watched Three Billboards Outside Epping, Missouri last night. Much of the pre-release hype about it seemed to label it as a black comedy, but I'm not sure I'd go that far - it's nowhere near as amusing as Martin McDonagh's previous work (thinking specifically of In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths) but that's not a bad thing.

Fantastic performances all-round, Frances McDormand is amazing, Woody Harrelson somehow manages to get across a whole spectrum of emotion from one scene to another in a way that I'd never really considered him to be capable of doing, and Sam Rockwell is... well, he's Sam Rockwell.

8/10.

It (2017)

I didn't like this as much as everyone else seemed to. Almost all of the kids were very underwritten (the only exception being Beverly, with Sophia Lillis turning in a performance with at least a little nuance in between the tropes), and although the jump scares were effective and Skarsgard was clearly enjoying chewing up kids and scenery in equal measure the whole film ended up feeling hollow to me. I had no real investment in any of the characters beyond Beverly, and I felt the film was content to just treat them as window dressing. Ultimately it was all sound and fury, signifying little. Somewhat ironically, given the provenance, I couldn't shake the feeling I was watching a second rate knockoff of Stranger Things. 2/5.

Wait, no, turns out the image was discussing the quote after all, it just had the name of another film at the top.

Super-confused that it also uses GazChap's name AARRGH TOPICS YOU CUNTS

GazChap's mention of "fire extinguisher" is a reply to a screenshot of a conversation AE had with someone called 'Gareth' that starts by talking about Escape Plan.

ICARUS - A dude called Bryan Fogel set out to make a documentary about doping in professional sport, as he'd been disturbed by high-profile cases such as Lance Armstrong getting away with it forever with apparent ease. The documentary was to be about nothing more than him entering the premier amateur cycle race in the world (think an amateur Tour De France) whilst doping, and getting away with it.

However, during the course of his preparations he's put in contact with a Russian doctor to help him with his doping regime, and ends up blowing the lid on decades of Russian doping in sport, that culminated with Russia nearly getting banned outright from the 2016 Rio Olympics. (And includes astonishing insider reveals of how Russia cheated at the Sochi Winter Olympics with shenanigans that seem to belong in a James Bond film.)

What elevates this film is that Fogel and Rodchenkov are both likeable characters, Rodchenkov in particular is a documentarian's dream, I've seen him described as 'eccentric, garrulous, frequently shirtless, and immensely charming', and it's often easy to forget you're actually watching a documentary.

It takes a serious turn for the sinister when some people involved with the State-sponsored programme start 'dying', and Rodchenkov decides to leave Russia or end up the same way himself, and once in the States agrees to turn witness to blow the whole thing apart.

A truly fascinating watch.

841/1000

Annihilation was pretty good. Some of the cgi was a smidge iffy but Natalie Portman was excellent and it was atmospheric and tense.

I thought the visuals overall were really well done.

Portman was good, and overall it was, yeah, pretty good.

It’s absolutely nothing like the book(s), which threw me for a bit as I kept on expecting things to happen that didn’t.

Icarus

Just clicked this for the poster art and watched it completely cold. Glad I did. What a rollercoaster of a documentary this is. I recommend everyone watch it, but if you must know stuff before spending two hours of time...



Ah, I’m rubbish at reviews and too much happens. You should just watch it. JBR is nearly in it.

I watched the Star Wars 8 again. Visually, it’s spectacular. I liked it loads more than 7 and that Rogue One.

I also watched Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Man alive, that film is dumb. I bloody loved it. Heather Graham is spectacular. She should be in more things. Like my bedsheets. YA GETS ME! Fnaar fnaar.

She's one of the better things about the last season of Californication.

And Boogie Nights, obviously.

Heather Graham is a *terrible* actor. Just awful. But I'd watch her in anything because she's enchanting.

Bowfinger is a career highlight for her I reckon

Gah! I have avoided Icarus up till now, but I'm going to have to watch it now, aren't I?!

(Note: this is testament only to how much influence you can have, Mimi, and the lovely way you express yourself, not a real GAH. Plus as my dad is an athletics expert I grew up with commentary on elite sport so it is relevant to my interests - which is how come I have heard of it and avoided it, rather than going Whuh?)

Greatest Showman - s'alright. One or two decent songs, all the emotional heft was, for me, in the first half or so, which made it feel a bit unbalanced.

The Party - doesn't outstay it's welcome at 71 mins. Hybrid of play and film, all about the plot and performances, which are great, though you'll be left very short-changed if you want firm resolution.