This one's for you Brits out there.

A lotta buzz surrounding this one. I'm not familiar with the director Ben Wheatley's previous work but apparently, it's good. The guy's been making some waves out there and this one's already got something of a cult following apparently. There's also a lot to be said about its release. Out on all formats all on the same day. Theater, TV, DVD, Blu Ray, VOD... and I heard somewhere VHS as well although that could be totally wrong.

Well, bless you guys because it's not by means of piracy or some clandestine form of US limited release that I got to watch it. A buddy of mine pre-ordered the English Region 2 DVD weeks ago and we watched it on a multi-region DVD player.

It's with that said that I'll also make this review out to those of you who see Only God Forgives, like it, and feel you've got some cinema snob chops as a result.

A group of soldiers from Civil War-era England are captured by a deranged alchemist and forced to dig for treasure in a field... in England. There's also some magic mushrooms.

The tone is all over the place, there's confusion and WTF moments a plenty, and the last 30 minutes would make Ken Russell shit his pants.

Well, Mark Kermode liked it. Dude's become something of my go-to critic but even he said it's just about impossible to describe. I myself have next to no idea what to make of it. Easily one of the trippiest films I've ever seen.

Would recommend to film fans who are up to a challenge. You guys in the UK, the choice is yours... literally. I suppose everyone else will have to wait a little while.

Hey man, I've actually got this recorded from when it played on TV, but haven't got round to watching it yet.

I'm off to Italy tomorrow, but it's at the top of my 'to-watch' list when I return!

Great review, as always, man.

Quoted from James McClung ...and the last 30 minutes would make Ken Russell shit his pants.

Aaaaaaand sold. Hahah. I am now very excited. Thanks James, I hadn't heard about this one.

Caught this on Film Four for the simultaneous release.  Liking what I’ve seen of Wheatley’s previous films (highly recommend Down Terrace and Kill List) I was excited to see this -- ‘challenging’ sums it up pretty well.

My Dad left the room shaking his head during the tent scene and didn’t return... And I found the fast-cutting of the mushroom trip sequences (the second in particular) jarring to the point of disorienting -- can only imagine what the effect was on the big screen.  

Didn’t love it but didn’t hate it either.  Thankfully there’s a certain (very) dark humour that keeps this from taking itself too seriously.  

Toby -- hopefully you got the short interview with Ben Wheatley that followed the film.  He talks about how it came about and alludes to what was taking place in a couple of the more random moments.  I enjoyed his take on exposition and his reasons for pretty much leaving it out.  Makes sense.  

Having watched Sightseers I looked forward to this film but never got around to seeing it. Until a few nights ago.

Quoted from stevemiles My Dad left the room shaking his head during the tent scene and didn’t return

I know exactly how your dad felt. I think he made a wise choice. A lot of this was just downright bizarre. I'd have hated this in the cinema.

I'm all for weird, the type of weird that intrigues and puzzles, the type Lynch used to excel at. But AFIE's weird is just have someone say something weird and then another character do something weird. It wasn't fun or intriguing to watch.

It felt like some strange art project filmed by people with serious drug habits.

I imagine there's not too many places a story set in a field in England a few hundred years ago can go. I didn't like any of the place this went. It felt dull. I was trying to get into this story but I didn't like the characters. I ended not caring and praying it would end soon. I'm one of them who continues to watch a film I wanted to see, even one I don't like after a while, once I've started I'll finish - just in case it gets good. One day I'll be rewarded for this. Or perhaps not.

I did watch some of the extras to find out what the people making this had to say about it. They were far more enjoyable than the film itself.

R

Quoted from stevemiles Caught this on Film Four for the simultaneous release.  Liking what I’ve seen of Wheatley’s previous films (highly recommend Down Terrace and Kill List) I was excited to see this -- ‘challenging’ sums it up pretty well.

I liked Kill List. It wasn't a great movie by any means but it had atmosphere, a true sense of suspense at times. I enjoyed it.

I've seen "A Field in England" on a few, "strange" movie lists. I'll give it a watch soon and comment.