The WHF Film Club

[BenLaw]

Thanks Ben, all set to record.

Have you watched MLAAD yet?

If all goes to plan it should be with me Tuesday

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

I watched Dark Knight Rises tonight, I won't be watching it again.

Seriously, why is this rated so highly? It's no better than Transformers.

 

[richardw42]

I've watched My Life as A Dog.

I might not have lots of interesting things to say about it, but I really enjoyed it, good choice.

ive not really had a chance to post here, my greyhound was diagnosed with bone cancer and I spent a lot of the past week travelling around getting the best advice. He's at the vets in Surrey (the one on tv) at the mo and I probably wouldn't get a chance once he's home.

I rented the film on iTunes, but I may well buy it as it's a film I would watch again.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Glad you enjoyed the film Richard, and I'm very sorry to hear the news of your dog, hopefully the vets will be able to help.

 

[strapped for cash]

I popped to the cinema tonight to watch The Babadook, which has justifiably garnered positive reviews and is far batter than the trailer suggests.

We're not in masterpiece territory, but it's considerably more interesting than most so-called horror films of late, with echoes of Lynch, von Trier, and Repulsion.

Unfortunately we were sat next to two people with a combined IQ below 50, one of whom jabbed his chubby elbows into me throughout, offered perhaps the most unenlightening commentary I've heard and, in my view, was one polite intervention away from violence. We'd have moved if at all possible.

 

[BenLaw]

Haha, that gave me a chuckle! From the review I hear this sounded like the sort of thing I'd like. Could you not move because it was busy? Sounded like it might have limited appeal to me, not least because it sounded good.

 

[strapped for cash]

It was screened in the smallest theatre (five narrow rows once premium seats were discounted), with allocated seating, and only spaces in the front row by the time the film began.

We were probably at greater risk of neck injury from my chubby-elbowed acquaintance than straining upward from the front row, though the shortest route to the aisle involved pushing past said thug (and his friends) and we didn't fancy inconveniencing a dozen people to our left mid-film.

Oh well, I guess the "company" enhanced any sense of threat/disquiet the film conjured.

 

[strapped for cash]

I watched Dark Knight Rises tonight, I won't be watching it again.

Seriously, why is this rated so highly? It's no better than Transformers.

From The Guardian's "first look" (three star) Interstellar review:

"The soundtrack thunders all over the dialogue. Michael Caine intones Dylan Thomas’s Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night across scenes of brave men and women in peril. The solemnity makes the journey hard-going and the film sporadically sways into the absurd..."

As I've said before, I'm no great Nolan fan. Volume and profundity are in no way correlated, and Interstellar sounds bloated, bombastic/self important and ultimately shallow. In short, more of the same...

There's plenty of "greatest film ever" buzz, however, which will fade into obscurity a few weeks later with the arrival of the next "life-changing" movie.

 

[BenLaw]

Water for Elephants and Gozu are both on film4 later tonight. Not seen either but both are meant to be good - I think Gozu is a BBB recommendation.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

I haven't seen Water For Elephants, so I might well record it. Gozu is indeed one of my recommendations, a wonderfully surreal black comedy, and definitely worth watching.

If I remember correctly, there may well be some more lactating adults in this one, and it contains a scene quite near the start, which is as funny, as it it shocking. Thinking about it, there are quite a few scenes that could be described that way. Not a family film.

 

[richardw42]

So. Has everybody watched last months film ?

The forums problems seem to be affecting FC participation (I know it is for me).

 

[Frank Harvey]

I haven't yet, but feel free to start discussing. I was away for a week a couple of weeks ago, and had to shift everything out of the room to have a ceiling repaired, and only managed to get everything set back up just in time for Halloween, so watched Halloween 1, and 3 on Friday, 4 and 5 last night, now have 6, 7, and 8 to watch tonight along with Trick 'R Treat. I'll watch My Life As A Dog tomorrow night.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

So. Has everybody watched last months film ?

I have, and you have, as for the others?

 

[BenLaw]

I have the film but have had a rather hectic weekend and not had time for any movie viewing. I will find the time to watch it in the week.

 

[BenLaw]

I haven't yet, but feel free to start discussing. I was away for a week a couple of weeks ago, and had to shift everything out of the room to have a ceiling repaired, and only managed to get everything set back up just in time for Halloween, so watched Halloween 1, and 3 on Friday, 4 and 5 last night, now have 6, 7, and 8 to watch tonight along with Trick 'R Treat. I'll watch My Life As A Dog tomorrow night.

So you don't like Halloween II??

 

[expat_mike]

I have just managed to watch the second half of Requiem. I didn't enjoy the subject matter much, it brought back memories of the period in my life when I suffered from epileptic fits.

I did feel very sorry for that girl - she had the misfortune to live during a period when there was even greater social stigma about mental illness, than there is at present. To put this into context for the film - parents had these options, in simple terms:

1 - ignore the symptoms, and pretend that nothing was wrong with their child, apart from the stress caused by studying too hard (for example)

2 - seek psychiatric help, but unfortunately at that time, psychiatry had adopted the freudian theory that mental illness was caused by bad parenting during one of the stages of childhood. So many parents inevitably did not want to let the world know that there was mental illness in their family, because it felt like revealing to society that they were bad parents.

3 - seek help from the church, and accept the religious medieval interpretation that mental illness was caused possession by evil spirits. The benefit for parents was that this approach, included no allegations that they had been bad parents.

Thankfully these days science has shown that the freudian interpretation was too simplistic, and that there are many triggers to mental illness, including environmental, genetic (both hereditary, and from the viewpoint of environmental factors switching genes on and off), etc.

I anticipate that My Life as a Dog will be lighter viewing.

 

[Frank Harvey]

I haven't yet, but feel free to start discussing. I was away for a week a couple of weeks ago, and had to shift everything out of the room to have a ceiling repaired, and only managed to get everything set back up just in time for Halloween, so watched Halloween 1, and 3 on Friday, 4 and 5 last night, now have 6, 7, and 8 to watch tonight along with Trick 'R Treat. I'll watch My Life As A Dog tomorrow night.

So you don't like Halloween II??

Oops! I did watch that too. But no, I'm not overly keen on Halloween II. It almost pulled off being a continuation of the same night (which technically it is), but there's just something missing for me. And also, Carpenter/Howarth tried to jazz up the music too much - they should've kept it the same, as it worked amazingly for the first episode. I think number three feels and looks a better film, and the music is fantastic. II isn't the worst Halloween (that goes to Resurrection), but it's far from the best.

 

[BenLaw]

I have just managed to watch the second half of Requiem. I didn't enjoy the subject matter much, it brought back memories of the period in my life when I suffered from epileptic fits.

I did feel very sorry for that girl - she had the misfortune to live during a period when there was even greater social stigma about mental illness, than there is at present. To put this into context for the film - parents had these options, in simple terms:

1 - ignore the symptoms, and pretend that nothing was wrong with their child, apart from the stress caused by studying too hard (for example)

2 - seek psychiatric help, but unfortunately at that time, psychiatry had adopted the freudian theory that mental illness was caused by bad parenting during one of the stages of childhood. So many parents inevitably did not want to let the world know that there was mental illness in their family, because it felt like revealing to society that they were bad parents.

3 - seek help from the church, and accept the religious medieval interpretation that mental illness was caused possession by evil spirits. The benefit for parents was that this approach, included no allegations that they had been bad parents.

Thankfully these days science has shown that the freudian interpretation was too simplistic, and that there are many triggers to mental illness, including environmental, genetic (both hereditary, and from the viewpoint of environmental factors switching genes on and off), etc.

I anticipate that My Life as a Dog will be lighter viewing.

So despite the fact that you didn't enjoy the subject matter much, what did you think of the film's portrayal of it?

 

[BenLaw]

I haven't yet, but feel free to start discussing. I was away for a week a couple of weeks ago, and had to shift everything out of the room to have a ceiling repaired, and only managed to get everything set back up just in time for Halloween, so watched Halloween 1, and 3 on Friday, 4 and 5 last night, now have 6, 7, and 8 to watch tonight along with Trick 'R Treat. I'll watch My Life As A Dog tomorrow night.

So you don't like Halloween II??

Oops! I did watch that too. But no, I'm not overly keen on Halloween II. It almost pulled off being a continuation of the same night (which technically it is), but there's just something missing for me. And also, Carpenter/Howarth tried to jazz up the music too much - they should've kept it the same, as it worked amazingly for the first episode. I think number three feels and looks a better film, and the music is fantastic. II isn't the worst Halloween (that goes to Resurrection), but it's far from the best.

I remember liking II but it was years after having watched the first one. You're right about the music, although it does contribute to some excellent samples in Demonique by Aim. I like III as well though you sound significantly more expert in the franchise than me!

 

[Frank Harvey]

I remember liking II but it was years after having watched the first one. You're right about the music, although it does contribute to some excellent samples in Demonique by Aim. I like III as well though you sound significantly more expert in the franchise than me!

Yeah, like that track. There's also a track by The Herbaliser based on Carpenter's main theme to The Thing called Moon Sequence, equally good

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

I have just managed to watch the second half of Requiem. I didn't enjoy the subject matter much, it brought back memories of the period in my life when I suffered from epileptic fits.

I did feel very sorry for that girl - she had the misfortune to live during a period when there was even greater social stigma about mental illness, than there is at present. To put this into context for the film - parents had these options, in simple terms:

1 - ignore the symptoms, and pretend that nothing was wrong with their child, apart from the stress caused by studying too hard (for example)

2 - seek psychiatric help, but unfortunately at that time, psychiatry had adopted the freudian theory that mental illness was caused by bad parenting during one of the stages of childhood. So many parents inevitably did not want to let the world know that there was mental illness in their family, because it felt like revealing to society that they were bad parents.

3 - seek help from the church, and accept the religious medieval interpretation that mental illness was caused possession by evil spirits. The benefit for parents was that this approach, included no allegations that they had been bad parents.

Thankfully these days science has shown that the freudian interpretation was too simplistic, and that there are many triggers to mental illness, including environmental, genetic (both hereditary, and from the viewpoint of environmental factors switching genes on and off), etc.

I anticipate that My Life as a Dog will be lighter viewing.

Hi Mike

You know when the clocks go back an hour in Britain, do they go back a month in France? *wink*

 

[strapped for cash]

So you don't like Halloween II??

Oops! I did watch that too. But no, I'm not overly keen on Halloween II.

I think Halloween II is more than serviceable, as sequels go.

Halloween III should be jettisoned as a franchise entry, since it has almost no connection with the previous two films, beyond title stealing for a quick buck. Sorry Dave, I'm not a fan of III.

I'll cast a cheeky vote for Halloween H20 -- in my view an efficient and effective reboot, of sorts.

Halloween: Resurrection is an abomination -- meta filmmaking with the subtlety of a shovel to the head.

 

[expat_mike]

Hi Mike

You know when the clocks go back an hour in Britain, do they go back a month in France? *wink*

You are right on that point. It still feels like August in the UK, and it's warm enough that I haven't had to turn the central heating on yet! *blum3*

But I accept your serious point, and I know that I need to watch MLAAD asap.

 

[expat_mike]

So despite the fact that you didn't enjoy the subject matter much, what did you think of the film's portrayal of it?

I actually think that the film was crafted well. Like BBB I enjoyed the soundtrack, and the scenery/props felt realistic. I also think that the epilepsy was as well portrayed as is possible for actors - she clearly had more than one trigger for the epilepsy, sometimes it seemed to be the crucifix, sometimes it seemed to be triggered by the flashing lights in the nightclub, but at other times there seemed to be no trigger, but she still had episodes when her movement would freeze. Although the epilepsy started off as the only illness, it gradually became clear that it was maybe just one symptom of a deeper, more progressive mental illness.

If you are ill like that, you need to have sympathetic parents, but hers were sympathetic only if she followed the religious diagnosis aligned with St Catherine, and possession by evil spirits.

Clearly we were intended to feel no sympathy for her parents, especially the religiously strict mother. Nor were the two priests portrayed in a sympathetic manner - indeed maybe we were meant to speculate who was suffering from the greater mental illness - the girl or the young priest, who was obsessed by making the diagnosis of possession by evil spirits, followed by performing an exorcism.

I think that we were meant to sympathise with her boyfriend, and old school friend, because they did all that they could to help and care for her. By the end of the film they were at their wits end, because she kept refusing to visit hospital (or take her medication) and preferred instead to return to the treatment protocol offered by the priests.

I started out sympathetic for the girl at the start of the film, but was unsympathetic by the end of the film. She had so many opportunities to receive medical treatment, and take medication to prevent her symptoms, but instead was hell-bent on following the destructive and doomed path laid out for her by the priests.

Overall then, I felt the film was well-crafted, but I just found the subject matter so depressing.

 

[Frank Harvey]

I think Halloween II is more than serviceable, as sequels go.

Agreed. The film isn't that bad, but the music spoils it. Although the first kill is a bit pants, and not very "Halloween".

Halloween III should be jettisoned as a franchise entry, since it has almost no connection with the previous two films, beyond title stealing for a quick buck. Sorry Dave, I'm not a fan of III.

You do know that Carpenter's original plan for the franchise was to be comprised of different, unrelated stories don't you? I believe Carpenter was roped into the second one which he didn't want to do, hence why he had as little to do with it as possible (i.e. didn't direct).

I appreciate it if you don't like it as a film, but I used to hate - now I love it!