Topic: The Movie Thread

I started Zatoichi the Outlaw .It definitely had a strong and fascinating opening, for sure. Hopefully the rest of the movie will live up to the promise shown in the beginning.

Edit: Watched bit more now, the action and consequences of the bloody swathe Zatoichi cuts through the land are both exciting and poignant ,respectively, and I can't wait to see what turn the movie takes next!

@Ravix Yeah, Zavvi was nice enough to email me and rub my face in it. Haven't found it anywhere else, yet... bløødy Zavvi....

@FuriousMachine speaking of annoying storefronts. I got my first properly damaged steelbook today 😭 and yeah, Amazon.it customer service is a sh*t show. So I think in future (especially now i'm at the point of focusing more on quality over quantity) i'm going to just pay more for a UK storefront when possible, and only take chances when they are OOS items. It has been fun overall 😂 got some great deals, but I don't think I can be bothered with customer service chats and return processes in future that involve international shipping.

Fingers triple-crossed for the US order 😬 although, at least English will be their first language, or specialty for customer services haha.

I'm just going to keep the bugger anyway, because I can probably hide the damage if I wall mount this one as it is at the back. I got it £10 cheaper than UK price anyway (but at what cost!!!! Luck of the draw tbh) and I just can't be f***ed with international returns 😂

Also, what was the movie that old David Harbour first appears in, in this role. My brain is totally blank on it. It wasn't Black Widow, was it? (At what point is there too much Marvel... probably at the point when you can't even remember what film the character was in, right? hah)

@Ravix With Amazon.com you won't even have to speak with anyone. Just a few clicks from the order page that takes you through stating the reasons for the return and when the return is approved (seems automatic, took only a couple of minutes), you'll get an email with a return label that you can plaster on the package and ship it. The actual shipping process may differ from country to country, but for me it entailed going to a page at DHL, requesting a pick-up, and a DHL dude was at my door only a couple of hours later and picked up my package. As soon as he scanned that he had picked it up, my refund was available on Amazon.com. Pretty smooth.

And, yep, it was Black Widow that introduced Harbour as Red Guardian

@FuriousMachine Yep, it works that way too in the UK. Most of the time these day I've not needed to print anything off, just show a QR code at the drop off point (I've used the nearest Royal Mail place the last few times), and they print everything off.

@JohnnyShoulder There's no shortage of bad things to say about Amazon, but they can't be accused of not having streamlined pretty much every aspect of online shopping.

@JohnnyShoulder @FuriousMachine

Yeah, normally no issue you click and then they sort a return, and you either drop off or someone comes, but it seems amazon.it want me to sort everything out my end and I just can't be bothered at this point. Tried speaking to the customer services but they were clearly copy/pasting massive paragraphs unrelated to anything I said anyway. I have a label, but would have to cover import export and find and organise a courier myself, wait 30 days for processing bla bla. And they'd only send the same damn dented thing out to someone else (probably me) anyway, if they get it back haha.

Also, their policy of not offering a replacement as a first option goes against actual consumer law. And that kind of thing winds me up, tbh. If they just offered a replacement without having to jump through hoops i'd have probably taken it. But they want you to send it back and then make a new order. Maybe i'm being stubborn, but when something is slightly geared against the consumer it winds me up, especially when it is a multi (trillion?) Dollar company.

Watched it last night, anyway. Marvel back in form, as far as i'm concerned. So that is the good side of things. I might have to watch a few of the ones I've missed at some point. What has been released over the last few years, oh wise Oracle of Marvel? I think the only one I have seen for a while was Deadpool x Wolverine.

Am I right in thinking Hawkeye has Yelena in too? I avoided that as it is Jeremey Renner, and I do have my limits 😅

Just watched Better Man and as a guy who was in Comprehensive School while Take That done the rounds and in my 20’s while Robbie was in his pomp (ie the total opposite of my bag during my formative and self-realisation stages) it was pretty good to be fair. Probably a bit more Rocket Man than Bohemian Rhapsody (& not as good as either)… but better than it had any right to be.

Fixed (2025) - Netflix Original

I finally got around to watching Fixed earlier today, had a really fun time!

Genndy doesn't miss, and I hope he's able to experiment like this again.

This reminds me I need to watch Samurai Jack and Primal, long overdue.

Further to additional research I have done, and after learning that these movies are apparently pretty good too, I have also decided to watch Zatoichi At Large ,Zatoichi Challenged ,Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold, Zatoichi's Flashing Sword, Zatoichi's Cane Sword and Zatoichi And The Chess Expert ,in addition to Zatoichi The Outlaw , which I am currently watching, and Fight, Zatoichi, Fight, Zatoichi's Conspiracy and Zatoichi (1989) ,which I had previously planned on watching. I am planning to watch one every couple of weeks in order not to grow weary of the basic premise of the movies.

What are our fine forum members' opinions on Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai? I literally found out it existed only a couple of days ago, but it sounds really interesting, and i'll probably pick it up at some point. Apparently it has a stunning 4k transfer that is better than it has any right to be, as it was shot on quality 35mm by very talented people, despite it being pretty low budget, and Studiocanal handled a 4K scan/restoration for the UK/European market.

It may be one for @BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN as it is a fusion of Samurai culture, hitman/crime drama, and hip hop, with RZA responsible for the soundtrack.

And I'd bet @FuriousMachine will have seen it, so I will include a tag for the forum Oracle, too 🙌

@Ravix hehehe, I have indeed seen it, though not since it first came out. Back then I found it very underwhelming, but it may have been a case of way too high expectations, so take from that what you will

@Ravix Thanks for the mention, I have, indeed, heard of this, but not seen it, definitely one that should be added to my WishList.

@FuriousMachine I remember you saying before that you like some hip hop but aren't a huge hip hop head, so, without giving any spoilers, would you say that might have had some impact on your appreciation of the movie?

@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN I won't discount it entirely, but I don't think so. As I mentioned, I simply found it underwhelming as a movie and I don't think any more or less hip hop elements would have added or subtracted from that. Still, hard to say for certain, especially as it's been so long since I saw it. I wouldn't put too much stock in my opinion here, though; the movie has plenty of die-hard fans and time has shown that we have quite different tastes in very many things, so there is a strong possibility of this being a case where it simply wasn't for me

@Ravix Yes awesome film and it is on my list as I've heard the 4K transfer is top. The score is by RZA and also includes songs by Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy and others.

As it was a 1999 film (apparently) it could be one that, upon second watch, might click with you @FuriousMachine not that it has to, of course, but I often find it doesn't take that many years for some of my own tastes to change, and that is a heck of a long time 😬

@JohnnyShoulder nice. Someone described it as Ceon-ish and someone else as "unbelievably full of itself - and I love it" which I'm pretty sure I've mentioned on here before, really is my kind of thing (hence Alan Wake having one of my favourite games endings ever 😂 and my love of self aware but kind of pretentious movies) and if that is the case, then it is worth me giving it a chance 😁

The 4k steelbook is on Zavvi's 2 for something offer, if that helps tempt you. But I bet its one that the 4k can be picked up second hand fairly cheap too, with it being a random movie a lot of people might not know about, limiting its second hand market.

Been a long time since I posted here, but I'm still around, and here's a big update with all the movies I've watched over the past couple weeks.

A Clockwork Orange (UHD Blu-Ray) - Brutally dark, but it's a beautifully shot film and while it's largely about free will (is anything, even torture, permissable in quashing bad behavior, or do we try to rehabilitate criminals into choosing to be good of their own choice), it does also have some warnings about authoritarian governments that are relevant in the current landscape. I'll admit it can be kind of hard for me to get into older films a lot of times (by my standard, anything made before the 80's), but this had me completely transfixed.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (UHD Blu-Ray) - On the other hand, here's another 70's film that didn't quite land for me. Don't get me wrong it's still a good movie, but I'd imagine a huge part of the appeal is the mystery behind it all and the film is just so ubiquitous (at least for those of my generation) that it just can't possibly surprise (even though I haven't fully seen it until now). Likewise, while I'm sure the visuals were breathtaking at release & still have a noticeable sense of vision to them, it just doesn't really awe in that respect either (I do like the scene with the child being "called" by the lights while all the electronics in the house go haywire. That was evocative). There's some good character work too, such as Roy driving his family away over his obsession. Definitely worth a watch though, especially if you somehow are in the dark over it's influence.

Deadpool & Wolverine (UHD Blu-Ray) - First watch since the theatre. It is still loads of fun with a lot of bloody action & the crass humor still elicits some laughs (though everything that's just "ha ha, this is an R rated Disney movie!" doesn't hit as well after you've seen it once), though I think it's the weakest of the franchise. Again, most of it is just poking fun at the fact that it's Disney/MCU now, and doesn't have the emotional core that held the first two together in spite of their raunchiness (that being his relationship with Vanessa, which has been unceremoniously done away with off screen here). They pay some lip service to him wanting to join the Avengers/MCU to "matter" for her sake, and it's hinted that they still have a future together, but this is very much a side concern at best. That said Ryan & Hugh had some fun chemistry & I'll probably be there for the next one.

Dragon Ball Super: Broly (Blu-Ray) - Both stylistically & in terms of animation this is the best Dragon Ball has ever looked, and even if any future movies follow in Super Hero's footsteps in being CG (which TBF still looked fine) I'll be forever glad we got this. Probably won't be of any interest if you're not into whatever Dragon Ball is all about, but if you are this is a rip roaring fun time. Though I didn't notice until now that it's completely sanitized of any blood whatsoever (not that it's a huge deal or that I need it to have 80's ultraviolent OVA gore levels, but with how much our heroes get rag dolled around & the few people that get shot, just a little bit would have made the already visceral action hit just a tad bit harder).

Dragonheart (UHD Blu-Ray) - This was always a favorite of mine as a kid & I watched it every time I stumbled across it on TV. It may not be a "great" movie, but it's a lot of fun having Sean Connery chew the scenery as a dragon with a sense of chivalry, and although it took a bit to get used to the aged CGI I had a blast revisiting this.

Dune: Part 2 (UHD Blu-Ray - My first watch since theatres, and I'd honestly say I even enjoyed it a bit more this time around (probably because it was easier understanding everything that was going on the second go around). Narrative is pretty gripping seeing Paul as he tries to avoid becoming what he's going to have to become if he wants to win, and otherwise it's just a slick looking modern sci-fi blockbuster (really love the black & white arena scene on the Harkonnen home world).

Field of Dreams (UHD Blu-Ray) - Farmer hears voices telling him to build a baseball diamond in his corn field, and dead baseball players come back to play ball. Seriously though, I don't care much about sports, but this was actually a solid movie & pretty emotional (you just kinda have to watch it for yourself). He thinks he's healing old wounds for the dead, but ends up healing a hole in his own heart sort of deal. There's also a scene involving a debate over banning books in schools that unfortunately still feels relevant.

First Man (UHD Blu-Ray) - Biopic of Neil Armstrong starring Ryan Gosling. Every time I watch a movie about early space travel I just can't imagine the kind of willpower these guys would have to have in order to climb into these claustrophobic tin can death traps & be shot into space (and this film specifically makes it known how common death was for these men, and the impact it had on the survivors), and even more miraculously how anyone managed to survive when something goes wrong. It features some stunning visual shots as well.

Forbidden World (UHD Blu-Ray) - A mercenary(?) is contracted to go to an isolated research facility on a remote planet in order to help the scientists contain a strange creature, but of course they don't tell him everything & soon chaos ensues. Just a schlocky sci-fi B-movie from the 80's that rips off a number of more prominent films from the era (like Alien), and although it's not "good" per-se, it has all the ultra gore, sex/nudity, and hilariously dumb decision making from the cast of supposed geniuses you could ever want from a film of this type. A fun watch if that sounds up your alley.

Hot Pursuit (Blu-Ray) - 80's comedy about a preppy college student who just misses out on getting to go with his girlfriend's family on a Caribbean vacation & spends most of the film's runtime going on all sorts of misadventures across the isles trying to catch up to them, before having to use a bunch of skills he learned along the way to go full commando & rescue the family from pirates. It's not a must watch, but I enjoy the vibe of 80's comedies so I liked it (also has Ben Stiller in an early roll)

Interstellar (UHD Blu-Ray) - When ecological collapse has brought human civilization to the brink of collapse, a former engineer/pilot turned farmer is given the chance to potentially find a new home for humanity thanks to a wormhole discovered near Saturn (there's a lot more to the set up than this, such as the government officially embracing conspiracies that the space race was a hoax, and a mysterious "ghost" leaving his family messages, but I don't want to be here all day explaining). Absolutely beautiful both thematically & visually. It may get a bit sappy at the end, but that's just the magic of movies as far as I'm concerned & it may be my favorite film of the bunch I have listed here.

King Kong 2005 (UHD Blu-Ray) - I remembered this was a pretty big deal back in the day, although for whatever reason I never saw it then (I was 14 when it came out, so you'd think the prime target for the "giant monkey movie", lol), so I decided to rectify that. I don't think I'd call it a masterpiece, but it's definitely worth the watch if you have the time. Perhaps a bit too long, I wouldn't say I need instant gratification, but an entire hour before reaching Skull Island is maybe a bit much (although it has amazing set piece after amazing set piece once they land, especially the Kong vs T-Rex scene). Some of the visuals are starting to stretch thin/show their age (like a laughably green screen looking underwater shot during the swamp attack), but it mostly holds up & is often still breathtaking (really loved how well realized the 30's New York looks). Didn't really connect to any of the characters, but Jack Black's role became easy to hate by the end.

@RR529 Nice. I've been recommend Dragon Heart recently, so I will have to look into grabbing that somewhere.

Also looking forward to getting stuck into my Nolan box set at some point in the autumn. How were the IMAX scenes translated on home cinema for Interstellar? Did you notice the transitions and get a wow effect, or was it a little more subtle? I'm dying to try out a few more movies with 16:9(ish) ratios in 4k, or with full(ish) IMAX scenes.

And Dune (part 2) is one of the most impressive experiences, for sure.

@Ravix Yeah, I know my tastes have changed in a lot of ways since then, though that one is one I've never had any burning desire to revisit. Not saying it's not going to happen, but it is nowhere near being a priority. Simply too much else to experience out there

@RR529 Hey there, good to see you posting again. Have you upgraded to 4k since you last posted?

I've heard that about the cgi in King Kong, and a lot of films from that time. Think the issue is most cgi is done a lower resolution, so takes a bit more TLC to get it to look right.

How was the sound for Dune 2? It sort of ruined it when I saw it at the cinema as the bass was too intense for me.