Films you've watched recently.

[RHB]

Avatar - The way of water. Fabulous 3D and CGI, not so much of 'blow me away' impact if you watched the first film, as then you know what Pandora and the stuff on it looks like. The story line isn't weak but Ill leave you to decide what you think if you see it. I'm scoring it 8/10. Half full Odeon Screen1 for a first screening seemed a bit low but maybe folk just don't have the money.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

Hurricane, on Netflix, loose adaption of the RAF 303 Squadron which was made of mainly Polish personnel and became most successful squadron in Battle of Britain.
Finishes by the betrayal of the Poles at the end of the war by the Allies. 7/10

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

Wind River, on Amazon Prime. 8/10
Modern day western set on reservation lands in Wyoming.
Well worth a watch imo.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Saw Mrs Harris Goes to Paris earlier.Excellent pre-Chrissy, British film if you're in the mood,which my wife and I certainly were.

 

[united we stand]

Wind River, on Amazon Prime. 8/10
Modern day western set on reservation lands in Wyoming.
Well worth a watch imo.

agreed, very good film

 

[Ricky Otto]

Rise - my boy has become basketball obsessed since he started senior school in September and loves giannis Antetokounmpo the Greek freak. Rise a film based on his rise, a real feel good rags to riches story. I would highly recommend, I am now a Greek freak fan just like Dylan

 

[MK Shrimper]

Guillermo Del Toro's retelling of Pinnochio is just stunning. 10/10

 

[united we stand]

More Yank 'We won the War' bollocks no doubt. The vast majority of naval convoy cover were Royal Navy and Canadian Royal Navy, not the ****ing Yanks with their rewriting of history crap.

Slightly off topic, but I recall lots of similar rhetoric in the press when “Memphis Belle” came out - “ why didn’t they make it about a British bomber crew?”

When they made the original “Memphis Belle” in 1944 the film crew went on 5 bombing missions .
One cameraman died on a mission and all were awarded a medal from r completing 5 missions ( standard procedure)

I haven’t seen the original yet, but reading the below I think I will, and then maybe will watch the remake again.

The Memphis Belle: The Story of a Flying Fortress (1944)

Boldly reviewing film and TV history. Great films, classic films, cult films, a bit of TV, and more posts on James Bond than you really need

www.cinemaessentials.com

 

[Benfleet A1]

Slightly off topic, but I recall lots of similar rhetoric in the press when “Memphis Belle” came out - “ why didn’t they make it about a British bomber crew?”

When they made the original “Memphis Belle” in 1944 the film crew went on 5 bombing missions .
One cameraman died on a mission and all were awarded a medal from r completing 5 missions ( standard procedure)

I haven’t seen the original yet, but reading the below I think I will, and then maybe will watch the remake again.

The Memphis Belle: The Story of a Flying Fortress (1944)

Boldly reviewing film and TV history. Great films, classic films, cult films, a bit of TV, and more posts on James Bond than you really need

www.cinemaessentials.com

My dad served in the Merchant Service during WWII so I get a bit tetchy about such films, especially American ones where the European theatre of war is concerned. They have a nasty habit of rewritting history.

 

[BALDY]

Another film where history was rewritten.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

My dad served in the Merchant Service during WWII so I get a bit tetchy about such films, especially American ones where the European theatre of war is concerned. They have a nasty habit of rewritting history.

My Uncle Cyril got torpedoed on RMS Viceroy of India in the med in 1942. After rescue he spent month in New York while his next (liberty?) ship was being built. He also did Russia convoys and had very busy war as merchant seaman.
He spoke of a very happy month as a young Brit in NY being paid to do nothing but wasn't so positive on US anything else.
He loved Malta where he spent time after rescue from the sinking.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Saw Aftersun earlier.This is a sad,bitter-sweet Indy Scottish film that isn't a patch on Mrs Harris.Though Peter Bradshaw in The Grauniad rated it more highly.Wrong.

 

[BALDY]

At times I have been amazed by critics film reviews.
They rate some films so highly yet I have found those movies to be a zzzzz.

 

[Benfleet A1]

My Uncle Cyril got torpedoed on RMS Viceroy of India in the med in 1942. After rescue he spent month in New York while his next (liberty?) ship was being built. He also did Russia convoys and had very busy war as merchant seaman.
He spoke of a very happy month as a young Brit in NY being paid to do nothing but wasn't so positive on US anything else.
He loved Malta where he spent time after rescue from the sinking.

Yeah, my old dad came out with some great stories like getting rotton drunk in Jack Demsey's bar and missing his sailing. He got a greyhound bus to Nova Scotia where the ship was next docking and beat it there, still got a major bollocking

He never done the Russian Convoys but did Malta which could be pretty fearsome. He also got casted in a film, Western Approaches, made by Pat Jackson and filmed by Jack Cardiff who both went on to bigger and better things in the film industry.

He helped get troops away at Dunkirk and was on supply ships a few days after D Day. A colourful life he lead indeed.

 

[united we stand]

Another film where history was rewritten.

View attachment 23919

in what way was it re written?

 

[BALDY]

in what way was it re written?

Times Saving Private Ryan Got History All Wrong

• World War II weapons and vehicles. ...
• The map isn't historically accurate. ...
• Smaller details about the German army. ...
• The American paratroopers' uniforms. ...
• The American plane in the final battle is inaccurate. ...
• Other Allied powers had a major part to play in the Normandy invasion.

 

[united we stand]

Times Saving Private Ryan Got History All Wrong

• World War II weapons and vehicles. ...
• The map isn't historically accurate. ...
• Smaller details about the German army. ...
• The American paratroopers' uniforms. ...
• The American plane in the final battle is inaccurate. ...
• Other Allied powers had a major part to play in the Normandy invasion.

The film shows the landings at Omaha beach, why would it show non US troops?
Every thing else you mention is detail which an expert may find annoying but is not what a man in the street would call “ a re telling of history “
Men who were actually there commented on how accurate the film was to them - their opinion is to me more important than anything else.

If you want a reworking of history then look to Bridge over the river Kwai which is as inaccurate as you can get and caused outrage amongst the former prisoners and their families as well as sgt major Saito ( changed to a colonel for the film).

 

[Mad Cyril]

Top Gun Maverick - 6.5/10

Risky Business - 9/10

 

[Napster]

Top Gun Maverick - 6.5/10

Risky Business - 9/10

Reported

 

[RHB]

Black Adam - Another DC Comics superhero film with Dwain Johnson flying about zapping super villians. 7/10