Off Topic The Review Thread

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sb_73 said:
Well, set up a screening at an IMAX local to me and we’ll see. And then conclude that Ninesy and I are right. You have to concede though that the visceral experience of the first scene on the beach of Saving Private Ryan is not touched by anything in Dunkirk (retreats to bunker.....)
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You providing the beers? <laugh>

Agree, the first 30 minutes of Saving Private Ryan is brutal viewing, and I've yet to see a war film come close to that opening scene when the gate of the amphib drops and the German machine guns rip into the soldiers waiting to create the beach-head - horrific portrayal of true events.

I know I mentioned this earlier in this thread, but The Thin Red Line, which came out at a similar time was as good, with probably a better story-line (personal opinion), but not quite as graphic. Not seen it for a few years, but it's stuck with me as a momental war film - highly recommended if you've not seen it.
 
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Stroller said:
The opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan are stunning, and maybe more powerful than anything in Dunkirk, but ultimately it's a **** film. I think my favourite scene in Dunkirk is the Spitfire, out of fuel, gliding across the beach. Just beautiful.

Did you get the Michael Caine cameo?
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I might have dozed through that, I’m guessing it was a nod to his role in the Battle of Britain? My grandad took me to see that when I was eight. The scenes with pilots’ goggles filling with blood made a lasting impression on me.

Agree on Private Ryan, what felt like many hours of anti climax after that opening scene.
 
sb_73 said:
I might have dozed through that, I’m guessing it was a nod to his role in the Battle of Britain? My grandad took me to see that when I was eight. The scenes with pilots’ goggles filling with blood made a lasting impression on me.

Agree on Private Ryan, what felt like many hours of anti climax after that opening scene.
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The bayonet scene when the Jerry stabs Mellish is one of the most gruesome in cinematic history. It happens so slowly it's what the German says* as he's doing it along with the cracking of ribs and flesh that makes it so horrific.

*"Gib' auf, du hast keine chance! Lass' es uns beenden! Es ist einfacher für dich, viel einfacher. Du wirst sehen, es ist gleich vorbei."

“Give up, you don’t stand a chance! Let’s end this here; it will be easier for you like this!”.

One of the misnomer's in this film is that many people think that the stabbing German is the same bloke that they let go earlier in the film. It's not, it's a different bloke but looks similar. A mistake by the casting director that one.
 
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When it comes to War films I think it’s either a case of being a cinimatic blockbuster that is visually stunning, like ‘Dunkirk’ or ‘Saving Private Ryan’ or a lesser budget flick that tries to show the pure brutality of conflict.
My 2 favourite war films ‘Come and See’ (Belorussian) and ‘The City of Life and Death’ (Chinese) might not of had the budget of their American and British counterparts but, in my opinion, go much further in showing the true horror of war.
The only film that I can think of that comes close to both would be ‘Apocolypse Now’ (but there are probably more).
I’m on the side of Stan and 9’s and found ‘Dunkirk’ a bit disappointing.
 
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Absolutely sensational biography of Eric Clapton just finished on BBC2. I had a vague idea that he’d had a troubled life, but little notion of quite how ****ed up he was at various stages. I’ve always admired rather than really liked him, may revisit some of his stuff now.
 
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sb_73 said:
Absolutely sensational biography of Eric Clapton just finished on BBC2. I had a vague idea that he’d had a troubled life, but little notion of quite how ****ed up he was at various stages. I’ve always admired rather than really liked him, may revisit some of his stuff now.
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Caught the first hour of this last night (didn't start til midnight up here due to coverage of the TRNSMT festival in Glasgow, where I'm headed later today). Very good documentary from what I saw, although anyone who spent more than 5 minutes in Ginger Bakers presence deserves a sainthood because he is truly nuts - if you get the chance, watch this documentary on him....

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Clapton is a guitar genius, although I'm not a huge fan of his later work, preferring his Yardbirds/John Mayall/Cream era stuff (especially Cream). Hendrix loved him, and you don't get a much better recommendation than that!

Cheers for posting this Stan, would maybe have given it a miss if you hadn't :emoticon-0148-yes:
 
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Steelmonkey said:
Caught the first hour of this last night (didn't start til midnight up here due to coverage of the TRNSMT festival in Glasgow, where I'm headed later today). Very good documentary from what I saw, although anyone who spent more than 5 minutes in Ginger Bakers presence deserves a sainthood because he is truly nuts - if you get the chance, watch this documentary on him....

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Clapton is a guitar genius, although I'm not a huge fan of his later work, preferring his Yardbirds/John Mayall/Cream era stuff (especially Cream). Hendrix loved him, and you don't get a much better recommendation than that!

Cheers for posting this Stan, would maybe have given it a miss if you hadn't :emoticon-0148-yes:
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I think I’ve seen that Ginger Baker documentary, well worth another look. Mad as a box of frogs, with his main interest polo. Is it the one where he occassionally threatens the film maker with violence? And where Clapton seemed genuinely insulted that Baker could be compared to John Bonham or Keith Moon, he was so much better.
 
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sb_73 said:
I think I’ve seen that Ginger Baker documentary, well worth another look. Mad as a box of frogs, with his main interest polo. Is it the one where he occassionally threatens the film maker with violence? And where Clapton seemed genuinely insulted that Baker could be compared to John Bonham or Keith Moon, he was so much better.
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That's the one Stan. Baker is definately my favourite drummer - some of the stuff he done with Airforce was brilliant, this drum-off with Art Blakey is amazing....

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Went to see the Levellers last night in Margate. Never seen them live before, but was confident that I'd like them based on what I'd heard of theirs. What a blinding night! They were just fantastic. A smallish hall in Dreamland, with probably six or seven hundred people was just about the right size and I came away drenched in sweat from my dad dancing exertions. Brilliant.
 
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Stroller said:
Went to see the Levellers last night in Margate. Never seen them live before, but was confident that I'd like them based on what I'd heard of theirs. What a blinding night! They were just fantastic. A smallish hall in Dreamland, with probably six or seven hundred people was just about the right size and I came away drenched in sweat from my dad dancing exertions. Brilliant.
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Nice to know Strolls, they're headlining a small festival that I'll be at in two weeks time :emoticon-0148-yes:
 
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Not something I normally pay much attention to, but EastEnders was demanded after the football. It was the funeral of a young stabbing victim, and the scenes were interspersed with testimonies from the parents of real victims. Odd at first, but the conclusion - to the refrain of Abide With Me, and with the real parents standing at the graveside holding photos of their own dead children - was immensely powerful. Brilliant.
 
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Stroller said:
The opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan are stunning, and maybe more powerful than anything in Dunkirk, but ultimately it's a **** film. I think my favourite scene in Dunkirk is the Spitfire, out of fuel, gliding across the beach. Just beautiful.
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Here is image of Avro Lancaster flying on one engine with the other engines feathered, at very low level ............ a wonderful sight indeed.

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Even a Mossie at low level.......
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The photo below is published as part of the Contents page in "Lincoln at War" by Mike Garbett and Brian Goulding. It shows a RAF Lincoln doing a low level beat up with No's 1,2, and 4 engines (props that is) feathered. The caption states:

"It needs nerve to take a picture like this! With three props feathered and barely eight feet off the deck - less under the HsS radome -the near -30 ton RF 346 is an awesome sight as she bears down on the cameraman at TFU Defford, September 1949, flown by New Zealander Flt Lt Alan Gibson DFM. Very low flying (usually on four engines) was part of experiments involving proximity fuse testing." The photo came from the Royal Radar Establishment.

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