Glasgowchivas

I can't stop listening to this. Also, wtf, the first few pages of this thread are grim.

Because of the implications?

I'd watch a Despin directed Venom movie. "We out."

Posted about it in the movie watchers thread already but fuck it, this needs a topic of it's own. Having never seen any of the previous four (4!) adaptations of this story but being aware of them (and having no interest in them) I was somewhat surprised when I watched the trailer for this a few months back and was immediately on-board the Hype Train. There was just *something* at work in that trailer that was drawing me in, but I couldn't say what it was. Was it Cooper's sun-burnt, addled cowboy crooner? Blue eyes brimming with adoration and watering from being perpetually sozzled? Was it Gaga's dowdy transformation into Ally; the small-city girl with big lungs and bigger talent, convinced they could go nowhere because of her even bigger nose? Was it the brief glimpse of Sam Elliot; who's mere presence is enough to justify giving a film a watch? Or was it the soundtrack which seemed to be pressing all my buttons, sticking in my brain and playing over and over, promising a perfect marriage of material and sound? Folks, it was all of that and I'm delighted to report that the film is a goddamn delight from start to finish - even when it's getting pretty ugly (which it does) and tragic (which it also does, for various reasons.) I honestly can't remember a time when I've been so invested in a film I've been watching. Shit, I'm a Marvel fanboy and fucking loved Infinity War but did I preorder it on Blu-ray before I even left the cinema? No. Did I also order a Jackson Maine costume for Halloween in the middle of the night? Also no but now that I think about it..... There is just so much that works in this film that it's hard to know where to begin. Is it realistic? Probably not. Is it believable though? 100% yes. All the relationships in the film play like gangbusters; from Jack and Ally all the way down to the drag queen buddies who steal the 1st act. There's not one false note to be found and if this film doesn't get ALL the nominations and the majority of the wins at the Oscars I will eat my hat. There's some weird stuff in it though. I'm not sure that I bought into the image of Jackson Maine the way I was supposed to. The film clearly paints his addiction and faults and shows his struggle against them but even when he's being a complete dick, the film clearly wants you to support his decisions. There's also some real "really?" moments where Jack is shown taking charge of Ally and forcing decisions on her, only to be proved right later on. They even fight over her own agency but I can't decide if the film realises that it's guilty of the very thing he is upset about. Cooper is great, of course, as the damaged Jackson and he can sing. Gaga is PHENOMENAL as Ally, a real star-making turn is captured here. She manages to show real vulnerability and honesty in Ally, and divorces her from the real-life Gaga personality which is no mean feat - especially in the latter half when Ally's career veers dangerously close to real-life Gaga territory. As the film closed, with a dozen catchy songs ringing in my ears (seriously, 'Shallow' is the duet that's getting all the airplay now but 'Always Remember Us This Way' and - ooft - 'I'll Never Love Again' are absolute all-timers imo) I was left with some grit in my eye. I wasn't crying, I was allergic to feelings. Which is a terminal condition if you're watching this film. It's a fucking roller-coaster and I loved every minute. 10/10 for 'A Star Is Born (2018)'

It's honestly great but if you're sticking point is Lady Gaga then it's probably not for you as there is a *lot* of her in the film, which is hardly surprising. Can't wait to hear what others think of it as, as good as it is, there's some real weird stuff in it; Cooper really wants to have his cake and eat it with his character of Jackson Maine.

A Star Is Born (2018) 10/10 fucken hell

is spider-man in it tho?

Disappointed by this tbh. I felt the story was willfully obtuse - especially having read a few reviews that mention it's an adaptation of a novel where certain crucial info, never revealed in the film, is made explicit from the start - and ultimately unsatisfying. I'd have honestly preferred it if it had been a straight Man Vs Wolves story. I'll say this though; Warner Bros have picked the wrong guy in Mel Gibson for their 'The Wild Bunch' remake. His OTT, bombastic violence might seem like a perfect fit for the material but for my money, Saulnier delivers a perfect audition for the job during this film.

'GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra' is terrible and yet it's one of those film that I always end up watching if I flick channels and find it playing. I think the melodramatic "Call me......Commander." at the end when Levitt fully transforms into the Cobra Commander we know and love from the cartoon is unironically great.

20/1, William Hill...

He's young enough to carry the franchise for 10+years, has name recognition globally as Rob Stark, he can fill a tux and most importantly, is Scottish. I wonder what kind of odds I can get on this....

Great start, decent middle, poor ending. £10 says Madden's in the running for the next Bond gig after Craig's swansong next year.

I am here for Phoenix, the look of his Joker, the early 80's setting and the lack of Batman. What concerns me is the 'King of Comedy' riff, plus Current De Niro in the Jerry Lewis role and Mark fucking Maron doing something.

No but (apparently, I dunno) there's loads of little nods before his appearance (Crimson Dawn, some sort of kung-fu that's mentioned etc.) that are all refs to him.

Dwight off 'The Office' is it not?