The Movie You Saw Last

[The Hip Historian Iaredios]

Children Who Chase Lost Voices

[Sybre]

Captain America: Civil War. Only watched it for Spider-Man and Scarlet Witch, but there were some pretty cool fights in there that were able to tide me over until Spidey showed up. I'm looking forward to his next movie!

[Erasmus Graves]

The Martian. A rather amazing hard-SF film. It's funny, very interesting and has a lot of good performances. I reckon this movie will become a classic. I'll put it on my Sean Bean Doesn't Die In It list. 

 

Dark Age. Classic Ozploitation that feels sort of like a cross between Jaws; that movie where they're trying to save a fish from hunters; and has an ending reminiscent of ​Mad Max: The Road Warrior​. It's a sort of Ozploitation eco-horror/monster movie/Aboriginal spiritual/environmental combo. 

It's not perfect and falls victim to some clichés, but it has some moments of absolutely brilliant tension and action. And it's got John Jarratt and David Gulpilil - the dream Aussie actor team.

It's the sort of film that provokes loved it / meh / hated it ​reactions from most people - but when it comes to giant croc movies, it's in the top ten.

Edited November 25, 2016 by Erasmus Graves

[Electric Light Gunhaver]

Dr. Strange. Not of the "love" variety, but I had a good time.

[Erasmus Graves]

Mad Dog Morgan. Continuing my Ozploitation streak, I found this a pleasant surprise. It's a bizarre, gritty and brutal film, straddling the divide between arthouse biopic and violent '70s Ozploitation historical flick. It has a ferociously good and rather moving performance from Dennis Hopper as the bushranger Daniel Morgan, with some strong supporting work from David Gulpilil, Frank Thring, Bill Hunter and Jack Thompson.

I was surprised at its general historical accuracy - it doesn't just recreate that turbulent, savage era of Australian history; after an opening of dubious accuracy, it generally sticks to the facts of Morgan's life after his release from prison.

There were some good Mad Max cameos - Hugh Keayes-Byrne (Toecutter/Immortan Joe) and Bruce Spence (The Gyro Pilot), and the cinematography was superb, though not flashy. It has a fair few brilliant moments, and keeps its head above cliché, but its rambling structure is somewhat offputting. Dark Age had a more cohesive plot.

Mad Dog Morgan's an interesting film and a superb bushranger epic, but definitely not one for the kids or the faint of heart.

 

Zodiac was on the TV, so I rewatched it. It's phenomenal - easily one of my favourite films, and Fincher's best. Gets better on the rewatch.

 

So a while ago, some of the lads and I decided to - just for the heck of it - watch Waterworld. It's clichéd and not very good, but not terrible. It's entertaining and has some nice effects. It has scenes ripped from Mad Max 2, and has a suspicious resemblance to Fury Road, despite coming out 20 odd years earlier.

 

Hunt for the Wilderpeople - A terrific Kiwi movie, the best since What We Do In The Shadows. Taika Waititi is their best filmmaker in the game. He hasn't offered up as anything as incendiary or heartbreaking as Tamahori's phenomenal Once Were Warriors, but his films flow with a quiet power that is often concealed beneath their humour. It will be interesting watching Thor: Ragnarok and seeing his take on the Marvel universe. Fingers crossed that it'll be as good as his other films.

 

Wake in Fright. An Australian classic. It's a rare example of a film being better than the book. As an Outback bloke, I found the film's view of the outback and its inhabitants less condescending and offensive than that of the book - although it still does the heart of darkness message equally well.   

 

​Assault on Precinct 13 ​(1976) - A straight-up masterpiece, one of the best films John Carpenter ever made. It's incredibly intense and despite its low budget, manages to look utterly convincing. It's easily one of the best action movies of the '70s - grim, trim and vicious with a spattering of wit. There are some very good performances here, and it is rather unpredictable.

Edited December 14, 2016 by Erasmus Graves