currently on at the 'pictures':

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

You must be talking about the Steptoe films of the early 70s, Col: I loved them too.


This following film couldn't be more different:

The Devil's Double:

I wasn't sure if I was going to see this, but by the skin of the teeth I caught it last night, and I'm glad I seen it......


Centred around the brutal regime of Iraq in the late 8os/early 90s, this follows the trials and tribulations of Saddam Hussein's eldest son Uday, who was even more loathed in that country than Saddam himself. Like his old man, Uday forces a lookalike ex-schoolchum to stand in for him and bear the brunt of no less than 11 asasination attempts.

Drawn in by force into the depraved world of Uday, whose opulent lifestyle is tempered with sadistic torture of those who dare to insult him, all lovingly captured on videotape in a vast library. Uday is also partial to personal murder--in full view of nightclub patrons-----which he dispenses with an electric carving knife.

The depravities don't end there: Uday routinely uses his strongarm lackeys to kidnap desirable young women who are raped at the luxury headquarters of the madman, and even a bride is defiled on the day of her wedding after being forcibly whisked away from the ceremony.


All these unpleasantaries are endured at first hand by the unwilling body-double [both played with two wholly seperate personas by Dominic Cooper] utilizing some ingenious SPFX shots: they actually interact to great effect at times.


Many more atrocities are presented for the viewer, and if the events are often downright nasty, this is an absorbing and sometimes riveting account of the depravities of an almost Caligula-like figure for a modern age: Saddam's son was mooted to take over the Iraqi regime from him, and it promised to be even more corrupt than the events put down in History.



I checked the net to see if the unbelievable events actually occurred: sadly, it all seems to have been true.


Well worth a look, and an education in the excesses of Dictatorial regimes.






4/5.

[colcool007]

I heard about this on Radio 4's film programme. Not my sort of thing to go and see at the cinema. I think I will wait for the DVD appearance or watch it on some format or another. If you want a glimpse into the life of a playboy thug with no rules to stop him, then this is the movie to watch. The interview with Dominc Cooper was very interesting and should still be on play again until Friday.

[colcool007]

It's taken a while, but I have beaten Rab for once and seen Conan The Barbarian. For myself, it's an enjoyable buckle your swash with great effects (The sand monsters you may have seen in clips) but it just never really kept up with the promise that the start of the movie gave. If I had seen it on any other day than Orange Wednesday, I would have said it wasn't worth the money, but for an OW, it is...just. But for most of you, I would keep your hand in your pocket and watch it on DVD or Blu-ray.

3/5 for me.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

You've certainly beaten me hands down on this one, Col! I will see it this weekend hopefully though, and chuck in my ten bob's worth. I enjoy monster movies in general, so it's a 'must' for me.

However, today I seen:

THE INBETWEENERS MOVIE:

I assume this is a modern TV comedy [I've heard the name before] and this is the big-screen adaptation.

Pretty vulgar stuff, as four British jack-the-lads go over to Spain [or somewhere] to seek out the prospect of intimacy with the opposite sex, to put it mildly.

Much slang references to bodily functions, grotesquely comic scenarios and obsession with genetalia in general [though not a great deal is actually on show: one for the 'freeze-framers'.]


I am aware that modern TV comedy/drama is a long way removed from the three-channel days, and this offering reflects the 'anything goes', unshockable 2010s.

Actually quite funny in parts, with minimal tokenist 'human interest'.

One elderly gent with a walking stick did walk out the packed auditorium after about 15 minutes, though!


3/5: I've seen worse.

[steelclaw]

I love The Inbetweeners' tv series, looking forward to seeing the film.

[colcool007]

Not watched the series, so the movie doesn't interest me either. It strikes me as the Kevin and Perry Go Large for today's TV watchers. I think if I was still watching TV then I might have gone to see this, but I'll catch it on Freeview at some point.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Col the Coolest beat me to Conan the Barbarian by about two weeks, but I finally saw the 2-D version yesterday.

There's loads in this picture, a visual, gritty feast for the senses as debauchery and even decapitation is dispensed as casually as you or I browsing through this forum.

I never saw the early 80s Schwarzenegger vehicle, but I'll wager this new one is more accomplished. CGI is used quite sparingly for this type of film, probably for the best.

The ruthless, life-is-cheap ambience of the distant-past setting is nicely-realized, if a bit grim in some of the more brutal scenes.


Also a few naughty topless scenes that may be unsuitable for the kiddywinks of a sensitive nature [I assume it's a 15, however].


Not bad a all.



[3/5].




BONUS FEATURE:




just discovered a great new novelty, [well, it's new to me, at least] capturing stills direct from DVD . Very handy indeed:

[starscape]

I adored Conan. Can't believe the bad reviews it's been getting. I don't think I've seen a better straight unwatered down version of a sword-n-sorcery flick. I'm giving it an 8 or 9 out of 10.

[colcool007]

I adored Conan. Can't believe the bad reviews it's been getting. I don't think I've seen a better straight unwatered down version of a sword-n-sorcery flick. I'm giving it an 8 or 9 out of 10.

And that is why it is good for us all to give opinions. For me, I loved the race at the beginning, but alas that was the highlight of the movie for me. I'm glad you enjoyed it Chris and hope you keep letting us know what you think of different movies. I think the cinema addicts on this forum are Rab and I!

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Just came back from this one, Col:


APPOLLO 18

I was expecting a sort of gung-ho, all-American, stiff-upper-lip-fest along the lines of that Tom Hanks film Appollo 13 a few years back, but quite refreshingly, this is a Blair Witch Project/Cloverfield-like 'documentary' supposedly culled from 80 hours of vintage footage from the very early 70s shot on 16mm film by the Appollo astronauts.


It's all fake of course, but I'm old enough to remember the actual lunar landings of the time, and the fake footage is beautifully realized. It really feels like 1970-74, with hand-held super-8 film and scratchy film, etc.


These sort films are OK if not stretched too long , and the balance is about right here: we see an abandoned USSR lunar craft that evidently got there first: all water-heater engines and brass rivets. We soon discover what happened to the Russkie astronauts: pretty unpleasant stuff.

A docu-thriller masquerading as authentic footage.



Quite good: an interesting curio, but mainly for Lunar buffs mereckons.


[3/5].



Yes, Col, I'm an absolute big-screen addict: that's ten years this year I've been using Cineworld's 'Unlimited' system. Costs me about 3.75 a week at the moment, but I've easily seen 1, 500 films at the cinema since 2001...probably more. I've seen the odd stinker, but it's been a blast!

[colcool007]

I think that I will watch that one *cough* online....

I do like going to the cinema, but when there is four of you going, it soon adds up. I am tempted to get one of those unlimited passes, but when there is kids clothes to get, it soon drops down the priority list. Once the kids have flown the nest, then I might be able to get the passes for me and the other half! As we both like the cinema, but have to budget which movies we go to see.

I have now seen Cowboys and Aliens. Now that was a waste of a great premise. I was bored with it after fifteen minutes, but struggled through it so that I could see if it was worth the hype and sadly it wasn't. I am not sure if anyone else has reviewed it but it is a poor 2/5 from me.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Col: I saw Cowboys and Aliens on it's release day. That week, it was the sixth film I had seen at the flicks [!] and my head was pounding with the excesses of the Dolby Surround.

I never especially rated it either, it started off good, with good mystery and intruige, with that James Bond actor playing another variation of the 'man with no name' and the first half-hour or so drew me in.

But there were too many characters,--- and frankly bizarre incidents--- happening all over the shop, and the entire story just degenerated into a sorry mess. I was wishing for it all to end, it was that bad. However, the spacecraft lifting off at the end from the desert was pretty good.

I agree: 2/5

I totally understand that the cinema is an expensive business for the whole family, Col; it's OK for me living on my own . I also don't watch TV [I have a set, but it can't recieve digital pictures]. My girlfriend or mates sometimes ask to see something on BBC I-player on the computer, I just let them watch it in peace....... but I don't really watch it myself.

[philcom55]

On Cowboys and Aliens I'm surprised that nobody has given credit to Neal Adams and DC Comics for coming up with the basic idea years ago. I remember being absolutely blown away when I saw this cover advertised in 1970; shame the comic itself didn't live up to the premise!



- Phil Rushton

[starscape]

Never seen that before but it's a beautiful cover. I've not long finished re-reading the Avengers going back to the Wild West to face Kang. Features Thor & Moondragon looking for Hawkeye, only to find him alongside cowboy heroes, such as Night (Ghost) Rider, Two-Gun Kid, Rawhide Kid and others. A great period in the Avengers history.

[Raven]

Never seen that before but it's a beautiful cover. I've not long finished re-reading the Avengers going back to the Wild West to face Kang. Features Thor & Moondragon looking for Hawkeye, only to find him alongside cowboy heroes, such as Night (Ghost) Rider, Two-Gun Kid, Rawhide Kid and others. A great period in the Avengers history.

Ooh, I remember reading that in black and white, in ... I think ... The Mighty World of Marvel?

I've liked that DC Special cover for many years, Phil, and keep seeing it at comic marts, but always a bit pricey (well, over £6!). From what you say it's probably not worth investing too many pounds in, then ... ?