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Sarah (7800 KP) rated Evil Dead II (1987) in Movies
Nov 24, 2019
Bloody good fun
This could possibly be one of the few sequels that actually surpasses the original. Not only does it start off by recapping (and slightly alterating) the first film, it goes completely over the top with the gore and physical effects and it is brilliant.
The effects and the horror aspects are the best thing about this film. The gore is so brilliantly done and despite the fact that the physical effects look maybe a tad dated, they still look a lot better than any modern day effects. The humour and comedy fits in really well and the whole thing is just gloriously bonkers and a riot from start to finish. I think Bruce Campbell may be a tad too over the top at points (even for this film) but it was made in the 80s after all.
They don't make horror films like this anymore.
The effects and the horror aspects are the best thing about this film. The gore is so brilliantly done and despite the fact that the physical effects look maybe a tad dated, they still look a lot better than any modern day effects. The humour and comedy fits in really well and the whole thing is just gloriously bonkers and a riot from start to finish. I think Bruce Campbell may be a tad too over the top at points (even for this film) but it was made in the 80s after all.
They don't make horror films like this anymore.
David McK (3773 KP) rated Live Free or Die Hard (2007) in Movies
Dec 10, 2019
Known simply as 'Die Hard 4.0' in the UK, this sees Bruce Willis's NYPD cop John McClane sent to pick up a computer hacker (Justin Long) for the FBI, before getting caught up in increasingly preposterous events.
But, then again, it's Die Hard!
Unlike the John McClane of the original, this version does come across as somewhat of an 80s throwback action figure, quipping his way throughout the film:
"You took down a helicopter, with a car?!?"
"I was out of bullets"
being, for me, the best line of the entire film (and that was changed in the Die Harder edition).
this is also the one that Bruce Willis, in a truck, faces off against a Harrier Jump Jet, and is the one where McClane is described by the villain as:
"a Timex watch in a digital age"
which should give you some idea of the general outline of the plot!
But, then again, it's Die Hard!
Unlike the John McClane of the original, this version does come across as somewhat of an 80s throwback action figure, quipping his way throughout the film:
"You took down a helicopter, with a car?!?"
"I was out of bullets"
being, for me, the best line of the entire film (and that was changed in the Die Harder edition).
this is also the one that Bruce Willis, in a truck, faces off against a Harrier Jump Jet, and is the one where McClane is described by the villain as:
"a Timex watch in a digital age"
which should give you some idea of the general outline of the plot!
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Once Upon a Time in America (1984) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020 (Updated Mar 5, 2020)
Seen by some as an 80s Godfather light, this masterpiece of storytelling stands very much on its own two feet. There is a melancholy and nostalgia that make you care about the characters in ways many crime films don’t achieve. Led by one of the best cinema scores there has surely ever been. Ennio Morricone’s haunting melodies stay with you for life, evoking in turns the spirit of childhood, the regret of old age, and the ache for love and happiness that ultimately evades every one of them. Moments of laughter and glory turn to brutality, betrayal and bitterness, leading to an ambiguous end that breaks the heart. The look and feel of New York, captured with immense care in every shot, is a character in and of itself. An extraordinary allegory of what we were, what we dreamed we’d be and what we actually became.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) in Movies
Apr 11, 2020
Action-adventure sequel from Lucas and Spielberg. Indiana Jones and his friends find themselves in India where they discover an ancient cult with plans on world domination.
Not quite the perfect, gleaming classic that the first film is, nor as much fun as the third, but if you want a knockabout adventure film that goes boom-boom-boom from one classic set-piece to the next virtually non-stop, then you could do very much worse than this. Watching closely you can tell there's a chunk in the middle where a subplot has been cut to keep up the pace and shorten the film, but apart from this it's a virtually perfect thrill-ride: not as subtle, thoughtful, or textured as Raiders, but then I'm not sure it was ever supposed to be. Still very reliable comfort viewing for those of us who grew up in the 80s.
Not quite the perfect, gleaming classic that the first film is, nor as much fun as the third, but if you want a knockabout adventure film that goes boom-boom-boom from one classic set-piece to the next virtually non-stop, then you could do very much worse than this. Watching closely you can tell there's a chunk in the middle where a subplot has been cut to keep up the pace and shorten the film, but apart from this it's a virtually perfect thrill-ride: not as subtle, thoughtful, or textured as Raiders, but then I'm not sure it was ever supposed to be. Still very reliable comfort viewing for those of us who grew up in the 80s.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Krull (1983) in Movies
Apr 13, 2020
Daft but charming sword-and-sorcery adventure, one of the more distinctive products of the early 80s fantasy boom. The planet Krull (a generic fantasyland) is invaded by vaguely Giger-esque alien conquerors and rightful king Colwyn must go on a quest in search of a rather unwieldy magic weapon to save the galaxy (or something).
Looks good, and is helped along considerably by a slightly unhinged score from a young James Horner. One of the many fun things about it is the fact that ostensible hero Ken Marshall is, these days, one of the least well-known people in it - the lower reaches of the cast list are stuffed with well-known actors just starting out (Alun Armstrong, Robbie Coltrane, Liam Neeson). In the end the story is nothing very special - the usual quest for plot coupons - but it's played with gusto and very hard to dislike.
Looks good, and is helped along considerably by a slightly unhinged score from a young James Horner. One of the many fun things about it is the fact that ostensible hero Ken Marshall is, these days, one of the least well-known people in it - the lower reaches of the cast list are stuffed with well-known actors just starting out (Alun Armstrong, Robbie Coltrane, Liam Neeson). In the end the story is nothing very special - the usual quest for plot coupons - but it's played with gusto and very hard to dislike.
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