Films

Oh don't mention The Exorcist. I'm sorting out the loft at the moment and there's a paperback of The Exorcist at the top of the stairs; I can't go back up there now. We saw it in Manchester, and I've never known such a strange atmosphere at a cinema [I think there were priests outside]. Soon afterwards we went to stay at a remote farmhouse in Wales. My ex, bless him, went off visiting friends and left me there on my own. After he left there was a tapping/rattling noise upstairs on one of the windows [just like in the film]. I spent most of the night sleeping in the living room [or trying to] with the dog [we were dogsitting for someone]. 40 years later I can still remember how terrified I was. Didn't help that, a few years prior to that, I'd been living in an old manor house in Cornwall and we'd had a seance that had gone a bit nasty.
 
Best if you don't click on that link, Moe :)

I remember a few of us trying a Ouija Board many years ago now and very spooky!
 
If it's the bit that wasn't actually in the film but has been shown since where she walks spider like down the stairs I'm certainly not watching it! Ditto if it's the bit where her head spins round. Or any of it, really. I lived in a house for a while that had steps next to it like the ones in the film as well; it's no wonder I turned into a nervous wreck in later life....
 
I went to see The Exorcist when it got itself unbanned in the UK (late 90's?). The mostly young audience spent most of the film laughing and wondering aloud why on earth it had been banned for so many years.

Now, I love the film, but in the atmosphere I watched it in I could see what they were saying.
 
I went to a preview screening last night of Nightcrawler and would definitely recommend it. I really enjoyed the film and thought Jake Gyllenhall was brilliant all the way through and he's fast becoming one of my favourite actors. Good storyline, well paced, decent enough ending. Better than most of the stuff out over halloween.
 
Saw mr turner today. A genuinely great film. Spall is quite magnificent. The genius of one the worlds greatest painters ( the fighting temeraire is one of my very favourite paintings as is the train at maidenhead) is a great subject matter but it's handled in such a beautiful and yet down to earth and human way that this stunning biopic coud not be improved upon. I have long been a mike,Leigh fan and this is the crowning of his great career. Fantastic . Best British film in years
 
Seeing it next week; thought that I'd missed it [with not going to the cinema for such a long time]. Was only thinking of Timothy Spall in Bleak House yesterday. You wouldn't meet him in the street and think 'he must be a great actor' would you, but he is.
 
Spall was very good in Life Is Sweet, great cast in that and it should be due on TV again soon, hopefully.
 
Watching stuff from Youtube is now greatly enhanced by the magic of a HDMI cable that cost a couple of quid, it's now transferred from my small monitor to the much bigger TV screen.
 
clivex said:
Saw mr turner today. A genuinely great film. Spall is quite magnificent. The genius of one the worlds greatest painters ( the fighting temeraire is one of my very favourite paintings as is the train at maidenhead) is a great subject matter but it's handled in such a beautiful and yet down to earth and human way that this stunning biopic coud not be improved upon. I have long been a mike,Leigh fan and this is the crowning of his great career. Fantastic . Best British film in years
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Saw Mr T last night - and I am going to take the opposite view to you, clivex. The cinematography and performance by Spall are both outstanding - in fact Turner and Spall are two of my favourite artists ever - but I thought the narrative was an unstructured mess and very self-indulgent from a Director I admire. I thought it was just an series on unconnected set pieces without narrative purpose. Here is Mr Turner in Holland, here is Mr Turner in the Royal Academy, here is Mr Turner in rogering the housemaid, here is Mr Turner grunting at Constable, etc etc.

Sadly, only 2 out of 5 from me.
 
Fair enough. I thought that the lack of conventional narrative was a strength myself. Only aspect I thought was slightly missing was his rivalry with constable. It was more than hinted at but not explored.
 
I'm still a bit perplexed by that ac.

going to see levithan ths week. Looks interesting and some strong reviews
 
Wings of Desire , even more so that its the 25th anniversary of the wall coming down . Wings of Desire is the most beautiful film evener
 
I too think that Wings Of Desire is a wonderful work of film-making. (As against the Hollywood remake City Of Angels which is pure junk).
The mood of the film is perfect, and the subject of existence, reality and death is so thought-provoking. The film has great humanity and compassion.
And isn't Bruno Ganz as the lonely angel marvellous in it; then 15 or so years later excelling in the Hitler role in Downfall. Hard to believe it is the same actor.
 
Glad there's another fan Icebreaker :) Wim Wenders is a genius . Really sad that Solveig Dommartin died when she was only 40 I think . She was so beautiful as the trapeze artist . I haven't watched the film in a few years but its up there with It's a Wonderful life for being life affirming . For anyone who's feeling jaded and tired I sincerely recommend it
 
Leviathan is certainly worth seeing. Good performances, often funny and great sense if a time and place. A real look at modern Russia. Plot isn't exceptional but does have one of the grossest characters I've seen in any film. Beaitifully shot too. Good film.

Want to see the Drop and the Turing picture
 
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