What did you watch today?

[Davy_Lee]

Apocalypse Now - Redux Version (First viewing; f.o.c.) – 7.5/10
This is one of the films I’ve always avoided watching for many years because I felt that it was a “tough and bleak” film about the Vietnam War. Not really my cup of tea. Now that I’ve watched it, I can confirm that Apocalypse Now - Redux or not - is a depressing, heavy-duty war thriller. Some viewers may even require multiple viewings before they can “fully enjoy” it, especially during ‘the Colonel’s lecture’, while others may dislike it because of its bleak theme and uneven pacing.

To me, the Redux version is for fans of the film only, casual viewers should stick with the Theatrical Cut.

[Ain_Uussaar]

Everest (2015)
Sicario (2015)
We Are Your Friends (2015)

[Ain_Uussaar]

Knock Knock (2015)
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015)
Magic Mike XXL (2015)
Sleeping with Other People (2015)
Creed (2015)
In the Heart of the Sea (2015)

[Davy_Lee]

Cop (f.o.c.) – 6/10
A homicide cop (James Woods) investigates a brutal murder that he believes is linked to a serial killer at large in Tinseltown. This is a routine cop thriller that plays like a made-for-TV film with hardly any thrills. Another title I watched back in the video days. If I had seen this in a cinema, I would have dozed off. Forgettable.

Charles Durning and Lesley Ann Warren co-star.

[Ain_Uussaar]

The D Train (2015)
The Revenant (2015)

[Ain_Uussaar]

Zipper (2015)
The Martian (2015)

[Ain_Uussaar]

The Duke of Burgundy (2014)

[Ain_Uussaar]

Supilinna Salaselts / Secret Society of Souptown (2015)

[Samuel_Scott]

Finished 2015 having viewed 699 films - short of my 730 target which is what I have set myself again for this year.

001. Straight Outta Compton (2015) 4.5/5
002. The Apparition (2012) 2/5
003. Drillbit Taylor (2008) 3/5
004. Winter's Bone (2010) 4/5
005. War, Inc. (2008) 2.5/5

[Vincent_Bouche]

248 - Black Cat (Gato Nero) (US Blu)
Free adaptation of Poe's story. Not extraordinary, but rather pleasant - 6/10.

249 - Mr Turner (Broadcast)
Strong performance from Timothy Spall, but not really convinced by the movie itself - 6/10.

250 - Wild (Broadcast)
I liked this movie in which memories are entertwined with a journey "into the wild". This reminded me "127 Hours" - 7/10.

251 - Wild Tales (Relatos Salvajes) (Broadcast)
Made of several stories, this came quite as a shock, with several unforgettable ones, virtuoso directing and an overwhelming mix of comedy and violence. One of my greatest discoveries in 2015 - 9/10.

252 - The Theory of Everything (Broadcast)
Story of Stephen Hawking who became progressively paralysed when he reaches his twenties. Great interpretation and often interesting story make it really worthwhile - 7/10.

253 - John Wick (Broadcast)
Efficient action/thriller movie with Keanu Reeves - 7/10.

254 - The Giver (Broadcast)
Better than what I was expecting, this is a true anticipation story with great moments - 7/10.

255 - A Most Violent Year (Broadcast)
I really liked this movie in which the boss of a company tries desperately to remain honest, even when everything around time tries to force him not to - 7/10.

256 - Beyond Outrage (US Blu)
Just as great as the first movie, a funny and violent story of yakuza conspiracies - 8/10.

257 - Your Vice is a Locked Room… (US Blu)
Second film of the "Black Cats" boxset, and a notch better than the Fulci one IMO. Great soundtrack, good performances and a story far from being as straight as what it may seem - 7/10.

Total for 2015:
212xMovies, 31xseries, 14xShorts/Documentaries

[Ain_Uussaar]

Finished 2015 with 450 (films, documentaries, shorts) viewed.

[Samuel_Scott]

Finished 2015 with 450 (films, documentaries, shorts) viewed.

Did you notice Letterboxd annoyingly wiped it to 0 on the 31st (a day early) though viewings on the 31st still went towards 2015?

[Ain_Uussaar]

Yep

[Samuel_Scott]

006. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) 3.5/5
007. The Vow (2012) 3/5
008. Dangerous Mind of a Hooligan (2014) 1.5/5
009. Devils of War (2013) 0.5/5
010. Texas Chainsaw (2013) 2/5

[Ain_Uussaar]

Four Rooms (1995)
The Walk (2015)
Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser (2015)
North to Alaska (1960)

[Samuel_Scott]

011. Zombie Hunter (2013) 1.5/5
012. Anaconda (1997) 4.5/5 - one of my all time guilty pleasures.
013. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) 3.5/5
014. Apartment 1303 (2013) 1.5/5
015. Crash Site (2011) 1.5/5

[Ain_Uussaar]

McFarland, USA (2015)

[Davy_Lee]

The Devil’s Rain (First viewing; YouTube) – 6/10
A reincarnated satanic priest (Ernest Borgnine) and his eyeless disciples (one of them is John Travolta!) terrorize a small family whose ancestors had caused the priest to be burned alive at the stake hundreds of years earlier. Searching for a book of power that lists the names of damned souls, which has come into the possession of the family, the devil worshippers transform the mother and one of her two sons (William Shatner) into their minions. Knowing that his family has been destroyed, the only surviving member (Tom Skeritt) and his wife, together with an expert in occultism (Eddie Albert), must battle the Devil himself and put an end to the Devil’s reign!

Unfortunately the film is far from interesting, let alone terrifying. The best things to see are Ernest Borgnine’s excellent make-up when he transforms into the demonic goat-man and the special effects of the melting faces and bodies. Unless you are a ten-year-old, seeing the jolly-faced Borgnine with his make-up, complete with goat horns, will evoke a chuckle!

Robert Fuest (The Abominable Doctor Phibes and its sequel) directs.

[Samuel_Scott]

016. American Pie

[Davy_Lee]

Cirio H. Santiago Action Double Feature:
The Devastator (First viewing; f.o.c.) – 5/10
Silk (f.o.c.) – 5/10
I watched Silk once back in the video days but didn’t remember anything good about it. I thought I’d give it and The Devastator a watch before deciding whether to add them to my collection. These are films that you might watch once and will never watch again. The Code Red limited edition blu-rays are pricey, so only compulsive nostalgic 80’s B-movie collectors may want them. I’d rather save myself $50.