Films I Watched in: March

Posted on April 21, 2016 by emmakwall

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Well it’s been a fairly pitiful month for film watching – just five in total. Seriously how does an entire month go by and I’ve only managed to watch (on average) one movie a week? Considering when I’m not at work or driving or eating or in the bath my favourite place is the sofa, I’m not sure what went wrong.

But anyway, here’s what I did manage to watch and whilst quantity wasn’t great I thought the quality was alright and four out of five I’d never even watched before:

Back to the Future III (1990)

The Witch (2016)

Legend (2015)

The Exorcist III (1990)

Fast & Furious 6 (2013)

Two threequels from 1990! (‘threequel’ is actually in the English Oxford Dictionary).

I was genuinely pleased to watch Back to the Future III. Not that it should be difficult when ITV insist on playing the entire repertoire pretty much every weekend (in-between Die Hard and Hot Fuzz – seriously how many more films do they want to ruin for me?). But amazingly I hadn’t ever watched it before and featured it recently in a Top 10 ‘surprising films’ I hadn’t ever seen (here).

The humour was ridiculously silly – even when compared to the first two movies! But I enjoyed it a lot. Nothing will ever beat the original movie but there is something so likable about the franchise and the characters. Even my favourite ride at Disneyland was the BTTF 3D car (though if I remember rightly it’s been changed to The Simpsons now).

Anyway, from cowboys to Puritans – and I actually ventured off the sofa for this one – new scary horror The Witch. I won’t bother talking about it too much (at all) because I reviewed it here.

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I STILL find it funny that one of the main characters was played by Finchy from The Office. Less funny however, were the annoying morons in the cinema who discovered they didn’t actually like The Witch very much so fuck it, why not ruin it for everyone else by talking constantly.

Of course I’m British so I didn’t actually complain to anyone – perish the thought! No, we Brits prefer to sit there basking in an annoyed glow whilst making ‘tsk’ noises. Sometimes you can catch the eye of someone else annoyed (doing the ‘tsk’ noise) and you share a little eye roll thing (and possibility a head shake) to show comradeship. But to actually complain? Don’t be silly.

Legend was next, the film about the Krays that doesn’t star the brothers from Spandau Ballet (true) and after hearing nothing but bad things about the plot I didn’t hold much hope – but really it was entertaining enough for a one-time watch. I know a bit about the Krays thanks to my grandad who loves all that kind of thing. I swear deep down he would have liked to have been an East End Gangster, though he’s far too nice.

I think Legend was true to form in a lot of respects – situations and the actual events that happened but I don’t believe either brother was portrayed correctly. Nothing to do with Tom Hardy’s acting but rather the characters they were painted to be. I do find this “yeah they killed people, but they loved their mum” attitude slightly laughable.

Hardy was (predictably) good but one of the more pleasant surprises for me personally was Taron Egerton as Ronnie’s coquettish boyfriend Teddy. I’m loving Egerton at the moment and he certainly seems to be doing alright for himself – definitely one to watch.

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Now, I don’t want to talk about The Exorcist III too much because I’m going to review it properly in the not-so-distant future. But a bit of background – it’s written and directed by William Peter Blatty who of course wrote…….what did he write again? The Exorcist, of course.

So this film was based on his own book Legion (published in 1983) which is also what he wanted to call the film but was beaten down – presumably by evil studio executives – who wanted to cash in on the Exorcist name and have it as the threequel.

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Ironically, Legion was actually written as the sequel to his original novel The Exorcist anyway but because the evil studio executives had already released a hugely naff sequel in the form of Exorcist II: The Heretic they kinda had to call the rightful sequel, a threequel (seriously, I had never even heard of that word until today and now I’ve used it three times in one post).

Which was all a huge shame as I’m assuming most people would judge The Exorcist III by the awful Exorcist II and understandably write it off as yet another ridiculous sequel/threequel.

But it’s actually really good! And DEFINITELY WORTH WATCHING. And man I love George C. Scott,  that guy had some serious presence.

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Oh and if any of you watch this anytime soon, look out for the  weird, chain smoking doctor – that’s Hershel from The Walking Dead!

But anyway, I thought I’d save the best til last – FAST AND FURIOUS 6!

What can I say that hasn’t already been said about this masterful piece of cinema? That Dwayne the Rock Johnson’s muscles are so out of control he actually looks a bit like a prehistoric insect?

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That despite constant congestion, red buses, traffic lights and one-way systems, London is actually the perfect place for a high-octane car chase?

Or that you will NEVER get to the end of a plane runway despite driving down one, really fast, for at least fifteen minutes?

I actually went to see this in the cinema and it brought back ‘hilarious’ memories of arriving late and having to sit in the very, very front row. I mean – the VERY front row. The one that shouldn’t really be there because who the fuck would ever want to sit there anyway?

And watching a film like this in particular (at one point Vin Diesel drives a car through the side of a plane mid-air / mid-explosion) in the front row was pretty much torture. Even leaning my head so far back I looked like I was trying some weird technique to get rid of hiccups, I could barely make out anything except testosterone and tyres.

But despite neck ache and the ludicrous situations, I will always have a place in my heart for the Fast and the Furious movies. A bit like The Beach Boys, I just find it hard to imagine life without them.

About emmakwall

Films, books, soundtracks, good humour
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80 Responses to Films I Watched in: March

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  1. vinnieh says:
    April 22, 2016 at 09:21

    I never knew there was a third Exorcist. Guess you learn something new everyday.

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  2. MIB says:
    April 22, 2016 at 08:16

    I’ve never seen any of the “Fast & Furious” films (nor have any intention of doing so) but I am somewhat astounded that they’ve managed to get so much mileage out of what I assume is people driving cars very fast. Or are cinema goers really that simple these days?

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    • emmakwall says:
      April 22, 2016 at 08:27

      I’m actually quite hurt you’re implying I’m “simple” by watching The Fast and the Furious movies.

      If you don’t want to watch them fine, but why discredit people who do enjoy them? Everyone is entitled to watch things for fun.

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      • MIB says:
        April 22, 2016 at 09:28

        Apologies 😦 That wasn’t my intention and it certainly wasn’t an attack on you personally of course. I wouldn’t do that.

        I was very clumsily referring to the fact that such a simple premise has lasting so long and spawned so many sequels, and pondering how it is that, for all the cries of more substance in Hollywood cinema, it is all negated by how successful a franchise like this is.

        I am still amazed they’ve got the 7 or 8 films out of it though. 🙂

        Sorry again if I offended you. 😦

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        • emmakwall says:
          April 22, 2016 at 09:33

          7 films :p

          Oh don’t be silly it’s fine, I wasn’t offended. A little hurt (I was!) but I know I shouldn’t worry really, we’re friends 🙂 I need to remember that things can get taken the wrong way over the internet (ooh matron!)

          I understand where you’re coming from but why question it. Franchises, however dumb, often grow in strength just because of the fans connections to the characters and the fun they have going to see the latest release. MiB I watched EVERY Saw movie in the cinema lol. They got worse and worse inevitably but once you’ve started something, it’s fun to see it through to the end 🙂 and there is undoubtedly some unintentional humour in the F&tF movies too!!

          Please don’t worry or apologise, I feel bad if I made you feel bad!!!!!!

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          • MIB says:
            April 22, 2016 at 11:34

            Thanks! 🙂 Reading it back my words admittedly do seem harsh. :\

            Anyway I also watched the whole SAW franchise to the end (on DVD), largely out of stubbornness and interest in seeing how it would end, although seven films still feels a bit much. I didn’t feel the same sense of diminishing returns as others did, the draw for me being the inventiveness of the traps and the moral ambiguity behind them; if there was a problem it was that the formula became repetitive so it was hanging on by an arguably intriguing single thread.

            I just think that modern franchises are an easy way out for studios and too much of a crutch relied upon at the expense of creativity and originality. I won’t deny they have their audience and do entertain, but sooner or later people will tire of them.

            So, enjoy them while you can! 🙂

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  3. Zoë says:
    April 22, 2016 at 06:29

    Ah, that an entertaining read Em!

    “The one that shouldn’t really be there because who the fuck would ever want to sit there anyway?” – LOL!

    Legend was entertaining, albeit flawed. But can we just take a minute to appreciate how absolutely delicious Hardy was to look at as Reggie?

    Your Fast and the Furious bit had me laughing! I need to catch up the last two, to be honest. Maybe sometime I do a full run of all of them!

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    • emmakwall says:
      April 22, 2016 at 07:59

      Thank you Zoe!!! 😀

      It’s true though isn’t it! WHY DO THESE SEATS EXIST?!! Haha 🙂

      I can’t believe I didn’t actually mention how fit Tom Hardy looked in Legend lol. That’s a great point and perhaps (shallow) a reason I might watch it again !!

      Thanks for what you said about the Fast and the Furious bit (that was my favourite bit to write haha!) they are so silly but I do think they’re good films and quite attached to the characters 🙂 a full marathon would be incredible!!

      How is married life?!!!!! 😀

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      • Zoë says:
        April 22, 2016 at 08:02

        Like WHY?!

        Shallow? No. It will DEFINITELY be the reason I watch it again… #notevenashamed

        Man, it was ridiculously entertaining to read! Whenever I talk about F&F, it goes like that. The one with the vault heist? Don’t even get me going on that! Yeah, they are good films for popcorn and to turn your brain off with and still be entertained – even if it is to laugh your ass off because of overly defined pecks, fast cars, and physically impossible chases. I think this marathon will have to happen. Maybe when Natasha visits again – she is addicted to these movies!

        Married life is great 🙂 I am loving every minute of it! I am seriously having difficulties with my name change – accepting it, that is. I will get used to it eventually though xD

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  4. By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff says:
    April 21, 2016 at 17:27

    Hmm. I think you did well for the month Ems. 🙂 I definitely want to see Legend, and would you believe I’ve yet to see any of The Fast & the Furious movies? I know! I know! They’re on my list though. 🙂

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  5. Tom says:
    April 21, 2016 at 17:06

    Five in a week is more than I’m averaging right now. I’m so lazy, especially if I”m perpetuating this image of being a movie blogger who watches shit all the time. 😉

    But seriously. Some good titles here. I haven’t seen the “threequels” here, Exorcist or Back to the Future and I’m not sure I’m in a hurry to change that. I actually haven’t even seen Back to the Future II yet so I should probably get on that before checking out III 😀

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    • emmakwall says:
      April 22, 2016 at 08:10

      Haha, I know exactly what you mean!!! Thank god I spent my teenage years literally watching about three films a day lol – it gives me something to talk about now! Truth is I just find it harder to sit and watch a movie nowadays. I think I procrastinate quite a bit lol.

      I’d recommend the Exorcist III over BTTF III, it’s a bloody brilliant film and should have been released as the writer/director intended 🙂

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  6. The Telltale Mind says:
    April 21, 2016 at 16:14

    I consider it a slow week when I only watch five movies. lol You watched some good ones though. 🙂

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  7. Film Music Central says:
    April 21, 2016 at 15:28

    did not realize that Threequel is a real word, cool movies 🙂

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    • emmakwall says:
      April 21, 2016 at 15:33

      Thank you 🙂 🙂

      I know! I looked up on google ‘word for the third movie sequel’ and that came up…I then looked it up officially in the dictionary and yep, there it was!! 🙂

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  8. Lloyd Marken says:
    April 21, 2016 at 15:15

    Comparing The Beach Boys to the Fast and Furious franchise. Brilliant. 🙂

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    • emmakwall says:
      April 21, 2016 at 15:17

      Lol, thank you!!! 🙂 that was a weird one, I was driving to work this morning (true story) listening to my random music on Spotify when Good Vibrations came on and I just thought, who else does music like The Beach Boys? No-one. And then I thought, wouldn’t life be crap without The Beach Boys. Their distinct sound and their lovely songs. And then writing that up today it just felt…right! Haha.

      I thought most people would think I was weird (they probably still do!) but I’m genuinely delighted you liked that sentence 🙂 🙂 🙂 thank you!!!! Made me smile 😀

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  9. vinnieh says:
    April 21, 2016 at 15:09

    Keep hearing a lot of stuff about Legend, think it’s about time I saw it. Great post Emma.

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  10. beetleypete says:
    April 21, 2016 at 15:01

    I reviewed Legend on my own blog, and had similar thoughts. I have seen BTTF 3 (So-so) and Exorcist III, where George C. Scott was indeed very good. I will look forward to The Witch, based on your review, and the cast, but I have never seen any of the Fast and Furious thingys, and doubt I ever will, unless there’s absolutely nothing else on telly one night.
    Thanks for the roundup, sweet Em! XXX

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