Films you've seen in 2025

Love ActuEllie said:
I had never seen Reindeer Games before last night and didn’t even know what it was about. 2000 trashy action film about a casino heist starring Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron and Gary Sinise. I knew it had a bad reputation, but it was both dreadful and gloriously entertaining at the same time.
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It inspired one of my favourite How Did This Get Made bits...

 
Just watched Laura (1944) on BBC2 right now. You should still be able to watch via iPlayer. My first Gene Tierney (1920-1991) film, although I do own Black Widow (1954) on DVD. Anyway, not to dissimilar to Gilda (1946) in terms of Tierney's acting style, but in terms of overall style it is most definitely eclipsed by Gilda, Hayworth and and many other noirs. My ranking? B+

Interesting to read that Marlene Dietrich had expressed interest in the role. The scene between Laura and a much older would-be love rival would have been surely amped up had she got the role as Dietrich would probably have been even older than the woman who looks to have a good 15 years on Tierney here.
 
Oh I loved that. I was joining in with an attempt at watching every Oscar nominated film in a major category, which took my friend over 10 years to complete. I was lazy and started at 1939 but gave up at 1947, while he did 1929 to present :bad: Laura was one of the handful of genuinely good ones.
 
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017).

I'm halfway through. Was just curious for more Luc Besson sci-fi.
 
Kiss of the Spider Woman (2025).

Fell asleep halfway through, but have now just finished. Don't expect a camp classic. J-Lo is the strongest thing about this, which is also a shame as her voice conveys so little and it amounts to something unforgivably drab and at best average. She worked best expressively in short moments of pouting "not now". The sets needed more aplomb, even if simply in terms of how they were shot. I adored the throwback to those massive MGM backdrops, the satanic sex carnival homage to Gene and Mitzi in Les Girls (1957) and to many of those films aiming to forge relations between the US and South America that we got in the era being evoked. The jungle driving of course mimicking it being a contemporary film and how it would have looked, but instead just looked cheap, and ultimately we were denied a web set peice to truly be worthy of a climatic entanglement (it looked like something Cher would have done as a number in the 70s - better!) The cell scenes didn't do much for me, probably due to the fact that the actor playing Valentin reminded me of the Summer Heights High guy.

I give it a C.
 
I've put Carol (2015) on. Cate Blanchett as a 1950s lesbian who takes a fancy to a shopgirl at Christmas wasn't a hard sell. Sarah Paulson is in there too I see.
 
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Where to even start?

The chopping scene is the first of it. The hurling her daughter through a hole in the wall that someone has just shot through? Oh it's okay, the girl is now flying through the air and about to land on the next door neighbour's roof. The make-over into Sarah Harding. And from one Harding to another. Tonya Harding as Lara Croft on the ice (complete with mini bob hair flick). The Thelma & Louise throwback. And the dialogue:

How'd you know that guy? I bumped pelvises with him

Oh honey, only 4 inches?
You'll feel me!

Die screaming motherfucker!

And with all that, Merry Christmas. My new favourite holiday film.

I give it an A.
 
Wicked: For Good (2025).

Completely unnecessary, but expensive and activates as much of the first as is adequately pleasing.

I give it a B.

Now onto The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), which I've never seen before.
 
The Grifters (1990). Huston steals all her scenes, not least with her array of tailored business woman special jackets.

I give it an A.
 
I saw Psycho for the first time night. Strong effort from a long forgotten director and lovely performance from a dishy red blooded actor.
 
Well, I thoroughly recommend The Housmaid from Paul Feig. Absolute camp nonsense but very entertaining overall kicks off in the second half.
 
The Matrix (1999).

Very cheesey (cartwheels to dodge bullets), but it was well paced and I loved the concept. I've no real desire to watch sequels, which I've heard are terrible and I consider the story told as far as it needs to go. Keanu looked beautiful.

I give it an A.
 
Shell (2024)
Death Becomes Her meets the Substance meets Tusk? I thought it was going to be a horror, but it was more of a black comedy/farce that turned into slapstick comedy. Can't say I wasn't entertained, but it was very shlocky.
 
Traditionally I watch Black Christmas (1974) every Christmas Eve but this year I switched up and put on the 2006 remake. Have never liked it but in the spirit of Christmas this year it was a fun nasty romp and I love the tacky christmas lighting throughout.
 
Finally finished the series earlier, so now watching the film Snowpiercer (2013).

Wasn't feeling it until Tilda Swinton stepped out as Pauline League of Gentlemen with a Victoria Wood accent. A-maz-ing.
 
Despite my somewhat familiarity of the text, this still had an ending that surprised me and good on them for doing it.

However, the cut-to's between the singing teacher and Tilda was something to behold.

The speech she's giving as they wait for a man's arm to freeze before chopping it off (to say afterwards "oh he's fine") was deliciously camp and dark.

I give it a rocky ride of a B.
 
Just watched Train Dreams, a perfect post christmas film. Beautifully shot and told.
 
Been watching several Hitchcock films over the last few days. I'm pretty sure I've never seen any before. My ranking so far:

North By Northwest
Stranger on a Train
Psycho
 
some recents

A – The Worst Person in the World
A – La Haine
B – Three Colours: White
A – Three Colours: Blue
A – Three Colours: Red
B+ – Challengers
 
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