Albino Rover Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 Yesterday's triple-header: Steve Jobs Personally I couldn't care less about Steve Jobs. I have never owned an Iphone or Ipod, and when I heard they were making a film about him I thought he was just an arrogant computer geek who didn't pay his taxes. Why should I care about him? In the opening moments of this film Danny Boyle answers that question simply by taking a minute or two to remind us what computers were before he came along. The Steve Jobs story then begins with the first of three key episodes of his life- all of which take place immediately before product launches. Through a series of hectic backstage scenes and some ever-complicating flashbacks, we learn everything Boyle and Aaron Sorkin think we need to know about Jobs, his work and his relationships with those who influenced him: his superiors and inferiors at Apple, the media, his daughter Lisa, Lisa's mother, Chrisann Brennan, and Jobs' closest friend, colleague and confidante, Joanna Hoffman, played by Kate Winslet- surely the most talented and diverse Hollywood actress, particularly at accents, since Meryl Streep. It's pretty heavy on the conversation, which is always clear but not always understandable - to a layman like me much of the dialogue appeared to be the same conversation over and over again - but while much of it may as well have passed me by, I came out of it very well informed about Jobs, indeed an arrogant computer geek, and those better human beings around him. The final act considers and interprets it all and arrives at an open-ended but satisfying conclusion. This is of course an intelligent and wonderfully well-made film, but Danny Boyle's films usually answer to a higher power, in one way or another most of his films are matters of life and death, and that's exactly the vitality that I thought this film lacked. Having said that, a key part of 21st century life as many of us know it is our relationship with technology, which started with the digital revolution led by Steve Jobs, the key moments of which are summated in the stand-out sequence of the film, a visual rollercoaster ride through ten years of innovation. 8/10 Black Mass As the true Boston gangster story that inspired so much of The Departed, a masterful and original crime thriller, this film got my hopes up, and kept them up for a while, but ultimately didn't come anywhere close to fulfilling them. Whitey Bulger, played by Johnny Depp, was a notorious gangster in the 1970s and '80s, and for much of the film we watch him doing notorious gangster stuff: lynching those who cross him, doing arms deals with the IRA, eating meals, charming old ladies on the street and showing love and affection to his little son and dear old mother. What's interesting about Bulger, though, is that he was also a protected FBI informant, and the brother of Massachussets senator Billy Bulger- the parts of the film about those split loyalties work well. Much of the story is told through police statements by his key former employees, ratting on him to bargain for witness protection. After working for Bulger they dragged him down, along with those who protected him and his brother's political career. A film entirely about those mechanics would have been preferable to one that spends half its time making a second rate job of corpses, guns, steak dinners and Rolling Stones music- too much of which just made me cringe. This is a competently-directed and very well-acted film which tells a true story quite efficiently, but like so many crime films it's a failure and a bore-fest, because it was written badly and has nothing original to offer. 5/10 Then the main feature:Vertigo Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece came to the Glasgow Film Theatre screen in its fabulous 1996 remastered format - by many accounts as good as the original Vistavision. It was one of the films that Hitchcock took out of circulation while he got his estate in order late in his life, but on re-release in the 1980s the prints were severely damaged and came dangerously close to being lost forever. By the time of restoration Vistavision was extinct: it had to be done on 70mm in a painstaking, very expensive, very lengthy process by two geniuses, Bob Harris and James Katz. If ever there was a film to strive to preserve for generations to come, this is the one, and yesterday's screening was a timely reminder why. I defy you to watch Vertigo as many times as I have and deny that it's one of the very greatest films of all time. 10/10 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Henry Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Watched Mr. Holmes. Ian Mckellan is your oscar winner, if there's any justice. It's a fantastic film - it's not really a traditional Sherlock Holmes master-sleuth film. Rather it's the flawed side of his character, and how his relationships collapse around him - caused entirely by his failings as a human. It's very slow paced, but the acting is magnificent and dignified. Loved it. 8/10 Black Mass next, I think. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honest_Man#1 Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 I thought Black Mass was pretty decent, probably a 7/10. -1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScotSquid Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Hunger Games final one.. Thought it was a bit of a mess really. Why didn't anyone seem to care that the Peeta boy murdered one of their squad when the oil attacked them? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Gaines Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Savage Henry, on 27 Nov 2015 - 12:34, said: Watched Mr. Holmes. Ian Mckellan is your oscar winner, if there's any justice. It's a fantastic film - it's not really a traditional Sherlock Holmes master-sleuth film. Rather it's the flawed side of his character, and how his relationships collapse around him - caused entirely by his failings as a human. It's very slow paced, but the acting is magnificent and dignified. Loved it. 8/10 Black Mass next, I think. Think there's already plenty of competition for a Best Actor nod. Peter Sarsgaard in Experimenter must surely be in with a shout. Then you have Johnny Depp in Black Mass. Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs was tremendous. Still to see the performances of Redmayne, DiCaprio, Hanks and Cranston that are in with a shout as well. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albino Rover Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Then you have Johnny Depp in Black Mass. Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs was tremendous. By no means bad acting performances but either of them get an Oscar I'll eat my hat. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mojito Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 About to give Taken 3 a go. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hampden Diehard Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Laurel and Hardy double at the GFT. Another two of them on there this Sunday. Absolutely superb. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mojito Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 About to give Taken 3 a go. Pretty shit but least that's the franchise ticked off 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmontheloknow Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Watches Taken last night (loved it) then at the other end of the spectrum, Sling Blade tonight. Boring pap. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banana Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 Finished my ~4th run through of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, this time the extended versions, and for the first time in years. Fellowship (8/10) Better than I remember or initially gave it credit. Two Towers (7/10) Used to be my favourite of the three, but seemed a bit lacking somehow. Knowing the outcomes of the protracted Ents storyline, and the conclusion to Helm's Deep, probably takes a lot away from the original wow factor upon first screening. Return of the King (8.5/10) Used to be my least favourite of the three, but has really grown on me. Theoden's pre-battle rousing of the troops and the subsequent charge still brings a tear to the eye. Still really annoying continuity lapses in the middle and the end when switching between the four main locations/groups of characters. --- The trilogy has aged faster than I thought it would, with some of the SFX already looking a bit dated, Also second time in a row that I've almost completely fast-forwarded through the Frodo-Sam-Gollum storyline, mostly boring after the first watch. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grim O'Grady Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 Just watched the Legend of Barney Thomson, last time I saw it was at the pictures, I still pished myself at it even though I knew what was coming. IMDB only gives it a 6.9 but I'd give it an 8. Good fun. Grimbo 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xNicola_Ghirl1888x Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 Home Alone. It's that time of year. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parkgatequeens Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 The Lady in the Van 2/10 We walked out before the end, it wasn't even funny. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WullieBroonIsGod Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 Latest Hunger Games offering. Didn't really enjoy the last book of the series so want expecting much, but it was ok. The talk of prequels though, no thanks! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Henry Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Finished my ~4th run through of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, this time the extended versions, and for the first time in years. Fellowship (8/10) Better than I remember or initially gave it credit. Two Towers (7/10) Used to be my favourite of the three, but seemed a bit lacking somehow. Knowing the outcomes of the protracted Ents storyline, and the conclusion to Helm's Deep, probably takes a lot away from the original wow factor upon first screening. Return of the King (8.5/10) Used to be my least favourite of the three, but has really grown on me. Theoden's pre-battle rousing of the troops and the subsequent charge still brings a tear to the eye. Still really annoying continuity lapses in the middle and the end when switching between the four main locations/groups of characters. --- The trilogy has aged faster than I thought it would, with some of the SFX already looking a bit dated, Also second time in a row that I've almost completely fast-forwarded through the Frodo-Sam-Gollum storyline, mostly boring after the first watch. "My friends... You bow to no-one. " Gets me every time. Totally agree with the Sam/Frodo/Gollum bit. I watched Black Mass. I thought it was terrific. Highly stylised. Dreadful prosthetics. But utterly compelling. Great stuff. 7/10 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Terrapin Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Finished my ~4th run through of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, this time the extended versions, and for the first time in years. Fellowship (8/10) Better than I remember or initially gave it credit. Two Towers (7/10) Used to be my favourite of the three, but seemed a bit lacking somehow. Knowing the outcomes of the protracted Ents storyline, and the conclusion to Helm's Deep, probably takes a lot away from the original wow factor upon first screening. Return of the King (8.5/10) Used to be my least favourite of the three, but has really grown on me. Theoden's pre-battle rousing of the troops and the subsequent charge still brings a tear to the eye. Still really annoying continuity lapses in the middle and the end when switching between the four main locations/groups of characters. --- The trilogy has aged faster than I thought it would, with some of the SFX already looking a bit dated, Also second time in a row that I've almost completely fast-forwarded through the Frodo-Sam-Gollum storyline, mostly boring after the first watch. I'm guessing you follow a religious cult where inflicting pain upon yourself reaps you rewards in the afterlife? 4 times each? FFS I endured every single one of them once and the pain is still there.........I hope it works out well for you.... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Machina Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 Went to see The Good Dinosaur tonight with the girlfriend. A standard Disney-Pixar affair with the right amount of comedy and hits to the feels. Didn't find a single character dislikable. The tripping on berries scene and the Clawtooth Mountain scenes were my personal favourites. It's pretty amazing how impressive the animation is now, I mean it's always been impressive but as the years have gone by naturally it's improved but it's insanely good. 9/10 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadasdillinger Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Went to see The Good Dinosaur tonight with the girlfriend. A standard Disney-Pixar affair with the right amount of comedy and hits to the feels. Didn't find a single character dislikable. The tripping on berries scene and the Clawtooth Mountain scenes were my personal favourites. It's pretty amazing how impressive the animation is now, I mean it's always been impressive but as the years have gone by naturally it's improved but it's insanely good. 9/10 Different strokes and all that. I gave it a 3/10. Took my wee boy and thought it was total shit, easily the worst Pixar I've seen. The animation is gorgeous but the plot is an absolute box ticking exercise. Nothing I hadn't seen before in a thousand kids films and don't remember laughing once. Wee man is two and says he enjoyed it but given how restless he was for the last half hour I didn't think he was that interested. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albino Rover Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 I haven't seen the film but as a great man said: "If you start oohing and aahing at the digital animation, it says something about the plot..." 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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