Christopher Masterman

3 followers

Hampshire, United Kingdom

One Cut of the Dead

Definitely, as others have said, the less you know going in the better it becomes as the film & story unveils through the running time.

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Bo Burnham: Inside

Best Bo Burnham special yet. Often feeling like an intimate performance for just one viewer. Innovative & funny, emotional & catchy. Everything that makes us adore Bo's superlative creative talent.

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Léon: The Professional

Compelling cinema. As fresh in 2016 as when I first saw it in 1995. Career enhancing roles from Natalie, Jean & Gary make this a great way to spend a couple of hours.

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Amélie

Beautiful Audrey, timeless Paris, charming scenario.
Every viewing is a joy!

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Spice World

Nearly 20 years old but still a joyous, frothy, cameo-filled, frivolous, light-hearted romp. This film is Spice Girls pop culture pure & simple; effervescent, untaxing & filled with happiness.

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Dick

Light & breezy comedy that uses an excellent selection of music to enhance the period scene. Well paced with a clever alternative take.

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Sliding Doors

First time watching Sliding Doors & the simultaneous dual stories idea is cleverly presented. The BEST thing by far about the film is John Hannah, who manages to lift the overall film from a mediocre romance by his sparkling & engaging performance.

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Shin Godzilla

Came for the monster, stayed for the administrative bureaucracy (desperately hoping there would be more city destroying action!)

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The Shining

The film feels overly long for the story, which I feel loses it 2 in the rating. Filming, editing, dialogue & acting are all good but just need an overall tightening up to about 100-110 minutes

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The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee

The title may suggest Mick "Crocodile" Dundee, but don't for a moment think that Paul "Hoges" Hogan is reprising this role. It's a return to Paul as the 'Ocker' Australian everyman, albeit not as youthful as prime Hoges. The various cameos are fun & paced well throughout the film, not intruding detrimentally into the overall story. A light hearted film that IS NOT going to fulfill a Crocodile Dundee craving (that's what rewatches are for!) but is good for Hogan fans.

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The Matrix

Philosophy & religion combine in a film that largely ignores the main rule of cinema storytelling: SHOW don't tell! Very 'talky' with some standout fight sequences.

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Out of Sight

A pinnacle of acting craft. Everyone has brought their A-game to the roles, no matter how small. The pacing of the plot propels the film forward perfectly, allowing the romance aspect to evolve naturally. Out Of Sight is a movie that easily bears repeated viewing.

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Virtuosity
7

Shout by Christopher Masterman
BlockedParent2018-08-15T18:43:44Z— updated 2020-10-21T07:25:47Z

VFX have not aged well, but the story still entertains for the 1¾hrs. Great performance by a villainous Russell Crowe.

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Endless Love

The film is an increasingly melodramatic affair, pop music used excellently (Kiss AND Blondie!) The film does have issues associated with it's production, age of cast etc. The performances are all solid and a young Tom Cruise is a (blink and you miss it) pivotal character (Billy) for putting an idea in David's mind....:fire:

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What Happens Later

Unsure as to wether I wanted to watch the film I sought out the trailer..... Hearing "Pure" by The Lightning Seeds again had me hooked (I was a fan 1st time round; 30 years ago in 1990!)........At least the story gets a bit more emotional in the 3rd act.
I'm ALWAYS a sucker for a soundtrack favourite though.

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Piranha 3DD

Watched back to back with Piranha 3D and it's NOT as bad as some reviews make out. Effects aren't quite as good but still B-movie acceptable. Leans heavily into the acres of skin on display which may be why some were put off. Plenty of callbacks to the preceding film and also Jaws which were amusing.

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Superfast!

A pretty decent parody of the Fast & Furious films. Enjoyable fun.

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Bo Burnham: The Inside Outtakes

A great complimentary experience to Inside. Like a re-imagined making of. Oh and I really loved the last beach shot. [chef's kiss emoji]

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Deadfall

Nicolas Cage's performance as Eddie is the main reason to watch this film. It's on another level to the other characters.

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The Wicker Man

If ever a film never needed remaking it's the 1973 original The Wicker Man. Nods are made to the director & star if the original. The MAIN reason for viewing this though is Nicolas Cage's bravura performance as the unwitting 'hero' for Summer's Isle.

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Memories Within Miss Aggie

From a time when 'adult' movies could be MORE than just the sex scenes. Many are overlooked as being "just another porn flick" when like this they are more cerebral than imagined.

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Moonfall

"...what you showed us was crazy, this is a whole 'nother level of insane!"
A big sci-fi/action/disaster movie that keeps you occupied throughout.

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Bad Day at Black Rock

The Director's Commentary for this film is a brilliant insight into the film making processes used. Worth the repeat viewing alone.

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Caligula and Messalina

A sprawling tale that serves to illustrate the very European genre of 'Romansploitation' films. The large background scenes are often from earlier 'sword & sandals' movies. Quite the game of "spot the 20th century item" (high heel wedge sandals, metallic satin sheets, etc)

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Venus

Visually simple in presentation. A collection of confessional interview subjects reveal themselves in a way that is raw, emotional & immediate.

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The Florida Project

Like long childhood summers this film develops slowly. Constantly brilliant is Willem Dafoe as the humanely real Bobby Hicks, a motel manager with a heart who really cares for his residents (whether they realise it or not) The cast comprises a large number of first time actors & they give great naturalistic performances. In the land of the "Magic Kingdom" we see all the brightness & colour, but we also get to see a grubbier flipside. Not everybody will get to visit the Disney castle, just like you never get to the end of the rainbow, but in the imagination of a child beating up the leprechaun for his pot of gold is a distinct possibility.

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The Columnist

A salutary lesson from Steven Dood; "Don't read the comments. Never read the comments."

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La Haine

It's not about the fall, it's about how you land.
A masterpiece of cinema; from the film's soundscape & visuals to the immersive realistic acting & dialogue, La Haine embodies everything that makes filmmaking such a powerful storytelling medium. Every viewing it's as good as ever.

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Canaries

Super-low-budget (£29000) means that the film has it's limitations, but it is worth a watch to see what can be done.

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Active Measures

Excellent explanation of a complex web of corruption & criminality.
The constant background music bed is however quite wearying (but seemingly an endemic feature of modern documentaries)

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