Film reviews (no spoilers)

[madaunty]

One of my favourite films but boy is it dark and melancholy despite the brilliant soundtrack and the dance classes that all us ladies of a certain age attended when we were kids?! I tried, and failed 3 times to get into see the film when it first came out, and if I remember rightly a dumbed down version was made a bit later and I wasn't interested in that but I managed to see the original version on video when I was in my mid twenties. I actually wonder whether had I got to see it when I was 13 whether I would have been less traumatised (for want of a better word) by some of the scenes and themes than I was when I was old enough to understand them - Gang rape, violence, racism, suicide and the general air of sadness. Yes, I'm sure it would probably have washed over me and I'd've only seen John Travolta busting his moves on the dancefloor to the music of the moment! Quadrophenia is also a favourite of mine and again I was too young to see it when it came out but I got in alright and since watching it time and time again I do find it quite melancholy. At the time to me it was just a cool movie that tied in with the mod revival of the day and of course like SNF there's a brilliant soundtrack to go with it! Grease on the other hand was just a massive dose of fun and one of my favourites too - I even liked Grease 2, Staying Alive on the other hand was complete crap!

It was the first “18” film I saw at “the pictures” (as we called the cinema in those days). I was 17 and to be fair I was a bit of an innocent and a lot of it wouldn’t have properly registered with me.
They did bring out an edited PG version a couples of years later, chopped about 10 minutes out of it to sanitise it so they could capitalise on a younger audience.
Also found this
In 2010, Saturday Night Fever was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

“You think you can be friends with a girl?”

 

[donna255]

Oh, by the way, the film I meant was The Ring, not the Circle. Brain wandered off.

Does anyone remember the follow-up film to SNF? Called Staying Alive and about John going on to train as a dancer. Believe it or not, directed by Sly Stallone. I am not joking.

 

[Patsy]

Oh, by the way, the film I meant was The Ring, not the Circle. Brain wandered off.

Does anyone remember the follow-up film to SNF? Called Staying Alive and about John going on to train as a dancer. Believe it or not, directed by Sly Stallone. I am not joking.

I wasn't particularly keen on John Travolta until he got older. He was very good in Phenomenon and Swordfish with Hugh Jackman.

 

[merryone]

Oh, by the way, the film I meant was The Ring, not the Circle. Brain wandered off.

Does anyone remember the follow-up film to SNF? Called Staying Alive and about John going on to train as a dancer. Believe it or not, directed by Sly Stallone. I am not joking.

Yes I mentioned it earlier I just remember being really disappointed. I was so hoping that Stephanie from the Original SNF film would figure in it somewhere and maybe a couple of the other characters, but there was nothing. If I remember rightly nobody or nowhere from the original was even mentioned. To me it wasn't really a sequel to SNF at all , just a random dance based film with the same actor in the main role and a similarity in titles (Bee Gees song) and a few Bee Gees songs thrown in for good measure - Terrible film.

 

[donna255]

By the way, the dog film is actually called Arthur The King.

Anyway, Amazon Prime have the Elvis film, so decided to watch it last night. Now a friend went to see it with her grown up daughters, well they treated her to the cinema. She raved about it, and she is a long time Elvis fan, been to Graceland 4 or 5 times over the years. Even goes each year to an Elvis week long event in Yarmouth, she goes next month.

I hated the film! Now I had read people saying Tom Hanks as Col Tom Parker was bad, damn he was just awful! I was shocked at how bad his acting was. The film bored me. The soundtrack was great.

 

[Ant7t]

This is an oddly placed comment that I hope won't get deleted. But here I go. There I was, wandering Youtube and saw a recommendation for a film: in full. I am Gabriel. Why I hope it won't get deleted is it's a very religious themed film, if the title isn't too much of a give away My review is, if anyone is interested, it's about a boy that goes to a 'dying' town in Texas. I recommend it highly

 

[Ant7t]

This isn't really a 'review' as much as a general observation. OLD news now, but needed as an intro. Maggie Smith deceased. Noooo, Yesssss, Nooo. But joking aside, if that's not in poor taste, I can't say I ever saw her work to that degree. HP, yes. Not Hire Purchase So, since she has left, I've been seeing a lot online about her. When she guested in the Carol Burnett Show and so on. I thought, she's good.

So, yesterday I was channel hopping and saw a documentary on BBC4, or 3, can't remember It was her, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, (I think) and another whose face I know, but not her name. Only saw the last 20 mins of that but on came a film with MS in it afterwards. The Lady in the Van. 2015. It held my attention. I watched all of it. Worth watching if you haven't seen it, or want to watch it, of course.

I have finished.

 

[PhædrusR]

I've just discovered a new Startrek series called Picard. As I don't do streaming I've ordered the complete series on DVD and am looking forward to getting it.

Starts off well, then gets a bit bogged down, I lost interest but might continue watching. Let us know what you think and whether I should persevere?

Also started watching Slow Horses, which has very good reviews.

Films, saw Last Rights on BBC. Corny, Irish, predictable, feel good...

 

[stratobuddy]

Starts off well, then gets a bit bogged down, I lost interest but might continue watching. Let us know what you think and whether I should persevere?

Also started watching Slow Horses, which has very good reviews.

Films, saw Last Rights on BBC. Corny, Irish, predictable, feel good...

I haven't had chance to start watching it yet.

 

[merryone]

I've been watching a lot of Netflix and I stumbled upon a film/documentary about this couple who climb skyscrapers and cranes on top of skyscrapers wearing normal clothes, no harnesses, the woman sometimes wore high heeled shoes. They would get to the highest point and pose for selfies. Of course it's crazy, but I couldn't even watch it properly as it gave me the heebie jeebies. They're both still alive and from what I've read they've stopped doing it. It was worse than any horror film I've ever seen, of course knowing it's real is a factor but the sights of them walking along narrow ledges hundreds and hundreds of feet up in the air and seeing the drop, sends shivers down my spine and my heart was literally in my mouth. I was in the comfort and safety of my bed but still I was literally rooted in fear. Even thinking about it gives me the heebie jeebies. Film not recommended!

 

[stratobuddy]

If anyone is interested in TIME TRAVEL MOVIES I've just watched "The Two Worlds of Jennie Logan".​

​

It's free to watch on Youtube and is an emotional weepie romance.​

​

I really anjoyed it.​

A similar genre to "Somewhere in Time" starring Christopher Reeve.

 

[MrMarple]

I've been watching a lot of Netflix and I stumbled upon a film/documentary about this couple who climb skyscrapers and cranes on top of skyscrapers wearing normal clothes, no harnesses, the woman sometimes wore high heeled shoes. They would get to the highest point and pose for selfies. Of course it's crazy, but I couldn't even watch it properly as it gave me the heebie jeebies. They're both still alive and from what I've read they've stopped doing it. It was worse than any horror film I've ever seen, of course knowing it's real is a factor but the sights of them walking along narrow ledges hundreds and hundreds of feet up in the air and seeing the drop, sends shivers down my spine and my heart was literally in my mouth. I was in the comfort and safety of my bed but still I was literally rooted in fear. Even thinking about it gives me the heebie jeebies. Film not recommended!

I'm exactly the same merryone. Anything at all involving heights and I just can't watch it. My stomach turns just thinking about it.

 

[historymystery]

If anyone is interested in TIME TRAVEL MOVIES I've just watched "The Two Worlds of Jennie Logan".​

​

It's free to watch on Youtube and is an emotional weepie romance.​

​

I really anjoyed it.​

A similar genre to "Somewhere in Time" starring Christopher Reeve.

I love the film 'Somewhere in Time' - and the music.

 

[stratobuddy]

I love the film 'Somewhere in Time' - and the music.

I think you will also enjoy this one roo

 

[merryone]

I'm exactly the same merryone. Anything at all involving heights and I just can't watch it. My stomach turns just thinking about it.

I think it stems back to my early days when my dad used to take me out when I was small, he was interested in boats so we'd often visit nearby harbours to have a look. I remember us walking right up to the edge and even at that young age not trusting myself not to jump. I just ran back in the opposite direction. I don't know what it is about that strange "pull" you get. I hate heights at the best of times even if you're closed in and couldn't jump anyway, so I really don't understand anybody who'd risk their lives doing stupid stunts like that even if height isn't an issue. So many things could go wrong. Like I say I even get the collywobbles thinking about such things!

 

[historymystery]

I think you will also enjoy this one roo

Thanks, Stratobuddy.

 

[PhædrusR]

If anyone is interested in TIME TRAVEL MOVIES I've just watched "The Two Worlds of Jennie Logan".​

​

It's free to watch on Youtube and is an emotional weepie romance.​

​

I really anjoyed it.​

A similar genre to "Somewhere in Time" starring Christopher Reeve.

The Tomorrow War, had some time travel.

A family man is drafted to fight in a future war where the fate of humanity relies on his ability to confront the past.

Saw it on ITV recently:

https://www.itv.com/watch/the-tomorrow-war/10a6071a0001B/10a6071a0001

 

[donna255]

Watched a film on Film 4 last night, The Black Phone, based on a story written by the son of Stephen King.

Yes, it made me jump a few times. Small town, late 70s US and boys are disappearing, the children call the man The Grabber. Finney has a sister who has dreams that tell things. Finney is grabbed and locked in the basement of a house it is sound proofed but has an old black phone on the wall, but the wires are cut. The phone starts to rings and the ghosts of the other dead boys start talking to him

 

[merryone]

I'm a sucker for a film that's based on a true story and new on Netflix was the film "Joy" which was all about the birth of IVF. I actually don't know why I watched it as I didn't really learn anything I didn't know already - well apart from the fact that many people opposed the idea saying it was messing with mother nature and intrinsically wrong. Being young at the time, I had no interest in the news. I must admit that I didn't know the names of the pioneers that made it happen, nor that a woman was involved who has only in recent years been credited publicly for her input which I'd say was the mainstay of the film, so that was good I guess. I think I'd sooner have watched a documentary about this as opposed to a film adaptation as films are very long and when you kinda know the outcome it's a bit of a pointless watch. For instance when they showed the first trials in the early 1970s I knew they'd fail as it's common knowledge that the first test tube baby didn't arrive until 1978. It seemed though an hour had passed and they'd only chugged on to 1975, but I stuck it out and found out what I already knew. My overriding feeling was that some subjects really don't benefit from being made into feature films. I'm not saying informative is a bad thing, but a film needs a modicum of entertainment and sadly for me, this didn't!

 

[donna255]

My cousin said I should watch Joy.

It is really supposed to be about Jean Purdy, who is the forgotten member of the team.
Documentaries will focus on the men, Jean only got her name on the plaque in 2015.