====== Films ======

I'm not much of a cinema-goer or film-buff.  I can watch things, but I don't feel the need simply to go out and see the latest release, and most of the films I do watch are on DVD.

Here are my comments on some of the ones I've seen.

===== Some films I simply recommend absolutely with no further comment: =====

  * **[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0886W9668|Apollo 13]]** 
  * **[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002HEXVSK|Avatar]]** featuring Sigourney Weaver and directed by James Cameron
  * **[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00UGQDDCA|Blade Runner]]** based on the story //[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003FXCSNQ|Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep]]// by **Philip K. Dick**
  * **[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000AGK11W|Capricorn One]]**
  * **[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AW9MAXO|Ender's Game]]** based on [[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005FVNIW6|the book]] by **Orson Scott Card**
  * **[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001SAO38G|The Italian job]]** - the original version (not that I'm saying [[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0000YHJB4|the remake]] is no good - I haven't seen it)
  * **[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01HJKATJK|The Martian]]** based on [[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0845W45HN|the book]] by **Andy Weir**
  * **[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000X41CE6|M*A*S*H]]** - the link is not just to the film, but also to the entire TV series, but both are __excellent__
  * **[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07BN292YZ|Ready Player One]]** based on [[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005CVWWJY|the book]] by **Ernest Cline**
  * **[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01DUBB6VM|Top Gun]]**

===== Some I recommend with a bit of a comment: =====

  * **[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00019HOMC|Dark Star]]** starring Dan O'Bannon and directed by John Carpenter
    * An excellent science-fiction comedy, with a nice philosophical theme for the storyline
  * **[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08KQDYLRW|Silent Running]]** starring Bruce Dern and directed by Douglas Trumbull
    * A science fiction film with a difference - no Star Wars-type action, not much in the way of special effect, but a very nice storyline
  * **[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00004CZ63|You've got mail]]** starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, written and directed by Nora Ephron
    * A pretty typical Nora Ephron romantic comedy, with a quaint reminder of the days of Compuserve, AOL, Fidonet and Bulletin Board Systems in general (all incompatible with each other, of course), and when people looked forward to a special notification on their computer when they received an email


===== However, some films do make me wonder about the plausibility of (at least some parts of) the story. =====

  * **[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00004SCAL|Sphere]]** - I like the film, and the story, __but__:
    - why would someone design, or build, an underwater habitat which depends on the **internal air pressure** to keep the external water out?
    - why would anyone build such a thing in such a way that if water __does__ get inside, it sprays all over the place (ie: over all the electronics) instead of flowing safely down between the outer and an inner skin, so that it can cause the least amount of damage possible?
    - why would there be so much in/flammable gas in such an environment?
===== Some make me wonder "what?" =====

  * **[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0095HHBRY|Cloud Atlas]]**, based on the [[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002VHI8J0|equally obscure and totally devoid of meaning book]] by **David Mitchell**
===== Some are simply awful =====

  * **[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JLBVABM|Locke]]** starring Tom Hardy and almost nobody else
    * Two to three hours in the life of a man who knows a lot about concrete driving his car from Birmingham to London whilst being on the (hands-free) telephone.  Fortunately the film lasts only 85 minutes.
    * The most boring "thriller" I think I've ever come across.
    * As far as I can remember, he doesn't even arrive.
      * I only bought the DVD because the title was the name of my dog.  It's clearly not a good basis on which to decide to watch a film.
  * **[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000S6UZEM|Sunshine]]** has an **excellent** example of an audio-descriptive soundtrack, but that is the only worthwhile thing to say about this film.
===== Some just make me give up in despair. =====

  * **[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00004R84K|Falling down]]** starring Michael Douglas in probably the worst film of his I've ever seen
    * I can't actually remember whether I got to the end of this film, but I have no inclination to start again at the beginning and find out
  * **[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B010AHTLXE|Shaun of the dead]]** is a total waste of time, no matter how soon you stop watching it.

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