Off Topic The Review Thread

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Uber_Hoop said:
Has anybody seen Netflix’s “All Quiet On The Western Front”? What a great and moving adaptation. Huge budget and beautifully filmed. Recommend watch the German language version with subtitles rather than the dubbed edition as feels more authentic.
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Strong recommendation Uber
Managed to watch this over a couple of evenings due to the length. Moving film in so many levels: cinematography and high definition was superb to show the detail of the mire, destruction and futility of men dying in the most awful conditions and the devastating frontline land they fought over; the authenticity of what we all know is the loss of life on the battlefield and very cleverly the effect on mothers, fathers, wives and children of losing someone at war; the distance of those who lead and direct battles distanced from the conditions and extreme loss of life (seen only as body counts).

Agree with Steels, politicians should be made to see this if ever involved in decisions of warfare and armaments. Just may make them think a little deeper.
 
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Staines R's said:
Just on a break after yet another spectacular, horrific and outstanding battle scene that surely must go someway in getting across to people the horror of war and battle. The pure chaos and brutality is stunningly portrayed to people like us, who will never experience that kind of situation.
Interesting to think of the conflict from the German point of view and makes me reflect that although we see “the other side” as just “the enemy”…..every single one of them was someone’s father, someone’s son, someone’s husband or someone’s love….and every death was ****ing tragic.
I’ve never read the book, although seen the other two versions of this movie, but will put it on my list…..if it makes me feel as “anti war” as this movie has….then it’s well worth a read. (Although I have heard the endings in this film differs from the book.
This movie really does deserve an Oscar and if it doesn’t then it’s a travesty.
On another note, and I’m assuming you will anyway, watch in the original German….always better in my opinion.
Let me know what you think…..back to the movie
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Just watched this very good indeed. Didn’t need the parallel story about negotiating the armistice in my view, wasn’t in the book at all. Otherwise although the events are compressed and reordered the spirit of the book is closely followed and many of the characters are included. One thing omitted was a chapter when Paul goes home on leave and really struggles with it - a big theme of the book and it’s sequel is how unfit these brutalised and desensitised men are for a return to civilian life.

One thing I could have done without is the soundtrack. I feel that for most films, but this in particular had enough tension, drama and sadness to do without music as a signpost to tell you how to feel.

Good for Netflix.
 
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sb_73 said:
Just watched this very good indeed. Didn’t need the parallel story about negotiating the armistice in my view, wasn’t in the book at all. Otherwise although the events are compressed and reordered the spirit of the book is closely followed and many of the characters are included. One thing omitted was a chapter when Paul goes home on leave and really struggles with it - a big theme of the book and it’s sequel is how unfit these brutalised and desensitised men are for a return to civilian life.

One thing I could have done without is the soundtrack. I feel that for most films, but this in particular had enough tension, drama and sadness to do without music as a signpost to tell you how to feel.

Good for Netflix.
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Dunno if I’m in total agreement about the music….I saw a programme once where they put different types of music to different scenes in films….eg a comedy soundtrack to a horror scene. And then showed different scenes in movies both with and without music…both experiments totally changed the way the scene came across. Think it’s all to do with your subconscious mind needing to hear that you should laugh, be sad, be scared etc.

I’ve watched that battle scene 3 times now…and still it’s as brilliant as it was the first time.
 
Staines R's said:
Dunno if I’m in total agreement about the music….I saw a programme once where they put different types of music to different scenes in films….eg a comedy soundtrack to a horror scene. And then showed different scenes in movies both with and without music…both experiments totally changed the way the scene came across. Think it’s all to do with your subconscious mind needing to hear that you should laugh, be sad, be scared etc.

I’ve watched that battle scene 3 times now…and still it’s as brilliant as it was the first time.
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I thought the music to the Dunkirk remake was superb and added to the tension of the film. I can't remember the music in 1917 so will have to revisit that. I've seen the original Aqotwf, absolutely superb so will have to watch this version on Netflix once the missus goes to bed. She can't stand war films !
 
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sb_73 said:
Just watched this very good indeed. Didn’t need the parallel story about negotiating the armistice in my view, wasn’t in the book at all. Otherwise although the events are compressed and reordered the spirit of the book is closely followed and many of the characters are included. One thing omitted was a chapter when Paul goes home on leave and really struggles with it - a big theme of the book and it’s sequel is how unfit these brutalised and desensitised men are for a return to civilian life.

One thing I could have done without is the soundtrack. I feel that for most films, but this in particular had enough tension, drama and sadness to do without music as a signpost to tell you how to feel.

Good for Netflix.
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Can’t say I really noticed the soundtrack Sb - the images drew me in so much and the detail was cruelly hypnotic to be honest.
It’s interesting the development of the soundtrack now … it used to be an ambient sound that influenced your emotions and has in many films and TV moved to an audience soundtrack using music of the decades to create atmosphere and emotion, being a huge music fan I don’t mind it but I do find it distracting sometimes as I get drawn to the music and lose the flow of the movie/episode for a moment or two (but still enjoyable to hear the music). All good though and variation is definitely the spice of life.
Which reminds me I must try to take a bit of time to watch ‘Rogues’.
 
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Staines R's said:
Dunno if I’m in total agreement about the music….I saw a programme once where they put different types of music to different scenes in films….eg a comedy soundtrack to a horror scene. And then showed different scenes in movies both with and without music…both experiments totally changed the way the scene came across. Think it’s all to do with your subconscious mind needing to hear that you should laugh, be sad, be scared etc.

I’ve watched that battle scene 3 times now…and still it’s as brilliant as it was the first time.
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I think that makes my point perfectly. For well written, well acted, well photographed stuff do I need music to point to the appropriate emotion for any particular scene, especially if changing the music changes the emotion, negating the effort that has gone into writing, acting and filming?

But I don’t have an objection on principle to it, it’s just a personal thing, and I suppose soundtrack has always been a part of the package. For lots of films and tv it’s the best thing about the show. Just that for All Quiet I felt it really didn’t need enhancing, especially the three repeated deep notes that signified a battle was about to start. The brilliant actors conveyed the tension and fear more than well enough and I found it distracting.


SW Ranger said:
Can’t say I really noticed the soundtrack Sb - the images drew me in so much and the detail was cruelly hypnotic to be honest.
It’s interesting the development of the soundtrack now … it used to be an ambient sound that influenced your emotions and has in many films and TV moved to an audience soundtrack using music of the decades to create atmosphere and emotion, being a huge music fan I don’t mind it but I do find it distracting sometimes as I get drawn to the music and lose the flow of the movie/episode for a moment or two (but still enjoyable to hear the music). All good though and variation is definitely the spice of life.
Which reminds me I must try to take a bit of time to watch ‘Rogues’.
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See above…..got bored of Rogues around episode 3 I’m afraid, no investment in these psychopaths compared to the kids on the Western Front. Good music though, someone has had fun with a Spotify playlist (just looked this up, no ‘official’ playlist but a couple of punters have tried to recreate, in order, the songs used).
 
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The Football Factory, Nick Love's apparent glorification of football violence, starring Danny Dyer. I'd seen it once before and was surprised at myself for enjoying it. Watching it again now and it's actually a very good film. Better than it seems.
 
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Stroller said:
The Football Factory, Nick Love's apparent glorification of football violence, starring Danny Dyer. I'd seen it once before and was surprised at myself for enjoying it. Watching it again now and it's actually a very good film. Better than it seems.
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Have you seen Rise of the footsoldier or Cass ? Both based on true stories and both superior films in my opinion.
 
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Stroller said:
The Football Factory, Nick Love's apparent glorification of football violence, starring Danny Dyer. I'd seen it once before and was surprised at myself for enjoying it. Watching it again now and it's actually a very good film. Better than it seems.
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I read the book years ago, and think there was a sequel too both excellent reads
 
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For those of you avoiding the World Cup tonight, stick BBC Scotland on now....most beautiful film and music. King Creosotes' "From Scotland With Love". Old footage of people in Scotland from 40s to 70s with a great soundtrack....we went to see him perform this in the summer at Kelvingrove Bandstand, brilliant evening
 
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Steelmonkey said:
For those of you avoiding the World Cup tonight, stick BBC Scotland on now....most beautiful film and music. King Creosotes' "From Scotland With Love". Old footage of people in Scotland from 40s to 70s with a great soundtrack....we went to see him perform this in the summer at Kelvingrove Bandstand, brilliant evening
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If you missed it, it's on iPlayer...

From Scotland with Love: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b047lx52 via @bbciplayer
 
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BBC4 showing The Singing Detective episodes back to back. I can’t remember when I first saw this, I was out of the country when it was first broadcast, so must have been the 90s sometime.

It’s a very uncomfortable work of genius. The writing is stratospherically brilliant, no compromise, no patronising the audience, superbly acted. A warning for those who have not seen it and are interested, it has some startlingly un pc content, knowingly.

I really don’t think they make stuff like this anymore, but then again Denis Potter was a generational talent.
 
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sb_73 said:
BBC4 showing The Singing Detective episodes back to back. I can’t remember when I first saw this, I was out of the country when it was first broadcast, so must have been the 90s sometime.

It’s a very uncomfortable work of genius. The writing is stratospherically brilliant, no compromise, no patronising the audience, superbly acted. A warning for those who have not seen it and are interested, it has some startlingly un pc content, knowingly.

I really don’t think they make stuff like this anymore, but then again Denis Potter was a generational talent.
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I remember feeling quick sickened by his rotten face at the time, but not much else about it to be honest
 
Steelmonkey said:
I remember feeling quick sickened by his rotten face at the time, but not much else about it to be honest
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Have a look. It completely freaked my son out, he couldn’t cope with the sheer oddness of it. Up there with David Lynch.
 
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