Did you ever watch a zombie film and think "I would be embarrassed to be killed by that." "Stupid, slow moving zombies would never get me!" Not to be big headed but I always fancied my chances against a zombie. Now a vampire is a different matter but a zombie for god’s sake! Everyone's favourite geek Jesse Eisenberg has no problems with the shambling idiots. His problem tends to be other people. As he travels across America towards his hometown of Columbus he meets Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). They don't go by their real names in Zombieland see!
Columbus survives Zombieland by following an ever increasing list of rules. Simple, common sense rules that seem to mock the zombie genre in a very knowing way such as 'always check the back seat' and 'double tap'. My favourite rule has to be 'limber up’; Columbus holding his gun above his head performing stretches on the side of the road is brilliant! Everything seems to be running along as smoothly as you could expect in a post-apocalyptic wasteland as Columbus lives obsessively by his rules. That is until he meets the crazy Tallahassee and scheming girls.
This is filmed like a really slick music video. The opening shot of an American flag limply flapping in front of the Whitehouse, on fire and upside down is bold and striking, like most of this film. The survival rules get written large across the screen whenever they are quoted. Perhaps best of all we have Zombie kill of the week! I won't go into any more detail on that in case I spoil it. It all adds up to a fast paced film that never gets dull. Like a music video it is very stylised and very punchy. Despite being yet another Zombie film this feels very fresh, not because of any great storyline but because of how light it feels. Perhaps not laugh out loud funny; it certainly left me with a big smile on my face.
Case in point is Woody Harrelson. His character is big, nasty and desperate to find a Twinkie. He will do anything to find the last sugary treat in the world! They have an expiry date you know! I loved the wackiness of the characters. How anyone could stay sane in a world like that is beyond me and it seems the writer felt the same way. Also this has an amazing cameo from none other than Bill Murray. OK I don't want to give away anything more about this film; it's enough to say that this has breathed life into what was becoming a very stale genre since 28 Days Later blitzed its way onto the screen.
8/10
Tuesday 27 September 2011
Friday 23 September 2011
Vampires Suck (2010)
Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit.
I laughed more during Schindler's List.
Lazy film = lazy review!
2/10
I laughed more during Schindler's List.
Lazy film = lazy review!
2/10
Thursday 22 September 2011
Knocked Up (2007)
First of all an apology for not posting a review for almost a week now. I have many excuses, none of which you will be interested in I'm sure. Fortunately I have been keeping up with my film watching! OK back to business...
Knocked up stars Seth Rogan as man-child Ben. He drinks, smokes way too much weed, hangs around with his stoner mates all day, refuses to get a job and plans to make his millions by setting up a website that shows where in movies you can see some naked flesh. All in all a fun guy to hang around with maybe, but not the kind of person you would think capable of bringing up a child. He meets Alison (Katherine Heigl) on a drunken night out. In an almost unbelievable twist he manages to get her into bed, punching so far above his weight it was akin to Jimmy Crankie fighting Andre the Giant. Weeks later he gets the dreaded phone call from Alison announcing she is carrying his child.
This film draws on elements from several different genres. We have a stoner comedy, romance and drama. What it does well is merge all three of these so that there is a little bit of something for everyone, with the biggest emphasis on the comedy. Rogan is his typical chaotic self. A man possessed of constant verbal diharrea, who bumbles through life in his own little world. Rogan is so adept at playing this part I almost believe he is like this all the time. If you were to go around his house now you might expect him to really be smoking weed with his head in a goldfish bowl or boxing with giant flaming gloves on (see the intro to this film to see what I mean)!
Aside from the usual humour from Rogan and his gang of friends we have a story about a woman struggling to come to terms with an unexpected pregnancy and a new relationship (more out of duty at first) with a man with little prospects and even less of a clue! There is always an air of inevitability with the storyline but there are enough laughs here to make that unimportant. As a bit of a film geek there was also enough film references made to keep my eyes glued to the screen. Everyone will spot the Back to the Future and Star wars references but will they notice Swingers or Taxi Driver?
I thought this was a very well made film despite the obvious story. It effortlessly rises above being a vulgar comedy (which it is in places and a bloody funny one at that) with moments of real clarity. The novelty of it is that it has people dealing with things that any parent can relate to. Not so much in the 'having a baby with someone you just met' way but in the many other hopes and fears that come along with pregnancy or simply growing up. More than once I found myself shaking my head with embarrassed recognition at Ben's antics. Rogan's immensely likeable performance and the often brilliant script really make this a film worth watching.
7/10
Knocked up stars Seth Rogan as man-child Ben. He drinks, smokes way too much weed, hangs around with his stoner mates all day, refuses to get a job and plans to make his millions by setting up a website that shows where in movies you can see some naked flesh. All in all a fun guy to hang around with maybe, but not the kind of person you would think capable of bringing up a child. He meets Alison (Katherine Heigl) on a drunken night out. In an almost unbelievable twist he manages to get her into bed, punching so far above his weight it was akin to Jimmy Crankie fighting Andre the Giant. Weeks later he gets the dreaded phone call from Alison announcing she is carrying his child.
This film draws on elements from several different genres. We have a stoner comedy, romance and drama. What it does well is merge all three of these so that there is a little bit of something for everyone, with the biggest emphasis on the comedy. Rogan is his typical chaotic self. A man possessed of constant verbal diharrea, who bumbles through life in his own little world. Rogan is so adept at playing this part I almost believe he is like this all the time. If you were to go around his house now you might expect him to really be smoking weed with his head in a goldfish bowl or boxing with giant flaming gloves on (see the intro to this film to see what I mean)!
Aside from the usual humour from Rogan and his gang of friends we have a story about a woman struggling to come to terms with an unexpected pregnancy and a new relationship (more out of duty at first) with a man with little prospects and even less of a clue! There is always an air of inevitability with the storyline but there are enough laughs here to make that unimportant. As a bit of a film geek there was also enough film references made to keep my eyes glued to the screen. Everyone will spot the Back to the Future and Star wars references but will they notice Swingers or Taxi Driver?
I thought this was a very well made film despite the obvious story. It effortlessly rises above being a vulgar comedy (which it is in places and a bloody funny one at that) with moments of real clarity. The novelty of it is that it has people dealing with things that any parent can relate to. Not so much in the 'having a baby with someone you just met' way but in the many other hopes and fears that come along with pregnancy or simply growing up. More than once I found myself shaking my head with embarrassed recognition at Ben's antics. Rogan's immensely likeable performance and the often brilliant script really make this a film worth watching.
7/10
Thursday 15 September 2011
Lost in Translation (2003)
I wish I had seen this film in the cinema. There have been some wonderful scenes in cinema history but I can think of nothing better than the opening shot of this film: Scarlett Johansson's perfect behind, 40 foot across, dominating the screen. The gentle curve of her hip, the transparent pink knickers that hide just enough to make the shot all the more alluring. The slight crease formed by subtle movement where her bum ends and leg begins. The film title rolls across the screen just below the line where her legs and cheeks meet. Seriously though this kind of lingering cinematic shot is just what makes this film such a joy to look at. Honestly it’s not just because Scarlett Johansson spends a lot of time walking around her apartment in her knickers, this is a really beautifully made film.
Lost in Translation is set amid the lonely neon cityscape of Tokyo. Charlotte (Johansson) is a newlywed, left to entertain herself as her husband is working constantly (how could he! Idiot!). She strikes up a friendship with famous actor Bob Harris (Bill Murray) who is similarly lost and lonely while filming a commercial there. Sofia Coppola (on her directing debut) captures the feelings of boredom and isolation felt by her characters magnificently through the cinematography. Many early scenes look out at Tokyo from Charlotte's lofty hotel room as she mopes around (the fact that she spends most of these scenes in her underwear helps if I'm honest) hinting that there is a whole world out there waiting to be explored. There are many symbolic moments like this where feelings are conveyed through the images rather than dialogue. The effect is a bitter-sweet film full of beauty and melancholy.
Bob and Charlotte's friendship develops to the detriment of the nakedness. They rouse each other from their coma like states and begin to enjoy the craziness of a foreign culture. I hate Bob for making Charlotte get dressed and get out of her apartment. On the plus side Tokyo makes a fantastic backdrop, taking in lots of Japanese traditions as the film progress. We see Ikebana, temples, karaoke in a glass room miles up a skyscraper, sake drinking, strip clubs, quirky night clubs and games arcades. One shot of Bob playing golf on a deserted course with the silhouette of Mount Fujiyama in the background is especially stunning.
One criticism of the film is its slightly dismissive attitude to Japan. This is really highlighted by Bob's attitude to the locals, he looks on bemused as people fuss over him and playfully mocks people as they cannot understand what he says. It might just be a case of the film showing how people react to a foreign culture. That aside Bill Murray is fantastic as the jaded star selling his soul for a big payday as he films a commercial. He wears the ravages of a tiring world on his face perfectly. Johansson too is brilliantly believable as a young woman unsure of her place in the world.
Please don't watch this film as a will they/won't they romantic drama, you will be missing the point entirely. THIS IS NOT ABOUT SEX!!! Much has been said about the enigmatic final scene but I don't want to give too much away. Suffice to say the film is more concerned with how it makes you feel rather than the dialogue. I really liked that it shows us two troubled characters and does not try to find resolutions and fix them. This film is about a fleeting moment in time where two lost souls find each other. Appreciate it for what it is or bugger off and watch something with Jennifer Lopez in!
8/10
Lost in Translation is set amid the lonely neon cityscape of Tokyo. Charlotte (Johansson) is a newlywed, left to entertain herself as her husband is working constantly (how could he! Idiot!). She strikes up a friendship with famous actor Bob Harris (Bill Murray) who is similarly lost and lonely while filming a commercial there. Sofia Coppola (on her directing debut) captures the feelings of boredom and isolation felt by her characters magnificently through the cinematography. Many early scenes look out at Tokyo from Charlotte's lofty hotel room as she mopes around (the fact that she spends most of these scenes in her underwear helps if I'm honest) hinting that there is a whole world out there waiting to be explored. There are many symbolic moments like this where feelings are conveyed through the images rather than dialogue. The effect is a bitter-sweet film full of beauty and melancholy.
Bob and Charlotte's friendship develops to the detriment of the nakedness. They rouse each other from their coma like states and begin to enjoy the craziness of a foreign culture. I hate Bob for making Charlotte get dressed and get out of her apartment. On the plus side Tokyo makes a fantastic backdrop, taking in lots of Japanese traditions as the film progress. We see Ikebana, temples, karaoke in a glass room miles up a skyscraper, sake drinking, strip clubs, quirky night clubs and games arcades. One shot of Bob playing golf on a deserted course with the silhouette of Mount Fujiyama in the background is especially stunning.
One criticism of the film is its slightly dismissive attitude to Japan. This is really highlighted by Bob's attitude to the locals, he looks on bemused as people fuss over him and playfully mocks people as they cannot understand what he says. It might just be a case of the film showing how people react to a foreign culture. That aside Bill Murray is fantastic as the jaded star selling his soul for a big payday as he films a commercial. He wears the ravages of a tiring world on his face perfectly. Johansson too is brilliantly believable as a young woman unsure of her place in the world.
Please don't watch this film as a will they/won't they romantic drama, you will be missing the point entirely. THIS IS NOT ABOUT SEX!!! Much has been said about the enigmatic final scene but I don't want to give too much away. Suffice to say the film is more concerned with how it makes you feel rather than the dialogue. I really liked that it shows us two troubled characters and does not try to find resolutions and fix them. This film is about a fleeting moment in time where two lost souls find each other. Appreciate it for what it is or bugger off and watch something with Jennifer Lopez in!
8/10
Tuesday 13 September 2011
Forrest Gump (1994)
There was a time when I was younger that going to the cinema was a real event. Maybe it was the fact that I was young, maybe it is looking back through rose tinted specs, but the early to mid nineties left me with great memories of going to the giant UCI cinema in Swansea. 10 screens, that’s right 10 screens for your viewing pleasure. Now I can't quite remember but I'm sure they weren't all playing superhero movies or rom-coms. I look back on this as a mini golden age for cinema going. In the space of a few years some truly fantastic films were released including Jurassic Park, Independence Day, Terminator 2 and Braveheart. All are pure Hollywood blockbusters to the core, and I mean that in the best possible way, no sarcasm intended for once.
It really feels that Hollywood has lost the knack for producing these movie 'events'. I especially felt this on re-watching Forrest Gump. Tom Hanks plays the unlikely hero, a man with an IQ of 75 but a heart bigger that anyone's. This is a touching and often funny tale, a life story told by Forrest as he sits waiting for a bus to take him to see Jenny (Robin Wright), the troubled girl he has always loved. This central relationship is the main focus of the film but there are also some brilliant lesser characters, none more impressive than Gary Sinise as the angry Lieutenant Dan. For a film that packs in so much story it always impresses me how much depth these characters have.
I also forgot how original this film was. It places Forrest at the scenes of countless historic events. He teaches Elvis how to dance, meets JFK, fights in Vietnam, Meets Nixon and starts the Watergate scandal, inspires John Lennon to write Imagine, the list goes on and on. Many of these meetings are cleverly achieved by putting Hanks into old film reels with effects that do not look old even today. Even if you are a cold hearted monster that has no time for Forrest you would still be caught up in the 'spot the famous person' game the film seems to play. When you add to this cultural miscellany a soundtrack of some of the best songs of the eras depicted you get a film that never feels dull or slow. Jimi Hendrix's version of All Along the Watchtower playing as they patrol in Vietnam is perfect.
It was also a film that launched a host of iconic catch phrases, none more so than 'run Forrest run!' OK it probably was used in a mean way in a playground near you but it just shows how much this film passed into the public consciousness. Other notable efforts include 'life is like a box of chocolates' and 'stupid is as stupid does'. My point is that despite being a big budget, star studded film, Forrest Gump was brave and original. Despite this it achieved the success it deserved and became a film watched by almost everyone. What does Hollywood do with big budgets these days? Makes f*$*%*g Transformers 3 of X-Men 5 that’s what! Who is going to look back on films like that in 15 years time with fond memories I wonder?
9/10
It really feels that Hollywood has lost the knack for producing these movie 'events'. I especially felt this on re-watching Forrest Gump. Tom Hanks plays the unlikely hero, a man with an IQ of 75 but a heart bigger that anyone's. This is a touching and often funny tale, a life story told by Forrest as he sits waiting for a bus to take him to see Jenny (Robin Wright), the troubled girl he has always loved. This central relationship is the main focus of the film but there are also some brilliant lesser characters, none more impressive than Gary Sinise as the angry Lieutenant Dan. For a film that packs in so much story it always impresses me how much depth these characters have.
I also forgot how original this film was. It places Forrest at the scenes of countless historic events. He teaches Elvis how to dance, meets JFK, fights in Vietnam, Meets Nixon and starts the Watergate scandal, inspires John Lennon to write Imagine, the list goes on and on. Many of these meetings are cleverly achieved by putting Hanks into old film reels with effects that do not look old even today. Even if you are a cold hearted monster that has no time for Forrest you would still be caught up in the 'spot the famous person' game the film seems to play. When you add to this cultural miscellany a soundtrack of some of the best songs of the eras depicted you get a film that never feels dull or slow. Jimi Hendrix's version of All Along the Watchtower playing as they patrol in Vietnam is perfect.
It was also a film that launched a host of iconic catch phrases, none more so than 'run Forrest run!' OK it probably was used in a mean way in a playground near you but it just shows how much this film passed into the public consciousness. Other notable efforts include 'life is like a box of chocolates' and 'stupid is as stupid does'. My point is that despite being a big budget, star studded film, Forrest Gump was brave and original. Despite this it achieved the success it deserved and became a film watched by almost everyone. What does Hollywood do with big budgets these days? Makes f*$*%*g Transformers 3 of X-Men 5 that’s what! Who is going to look back on films like that in 15 years time with fond memories I wonder?
9/10
Sunday 11 September 2011
Cherry Tree Lane (2010)
For some people a good horror film involves something supernatural, things going bump in the night and a bit of demonic possession thrown in. For others there is nothing scarier than a dose of reality. Cherry Tree lane plants its flag firmly in this territory. It joins the tradition of films that attempt to put you in the characters shoes in a very believable setting. Christine (Rachael Blake) and Michael (Tom Butcher) are a middle aged couple sitting down to dinner like any normal people when the doorbell rings and starts a terrifying series of events. Their son Sebastian is out at football training while three lads come calling for him. Forcing entry and holding Christine at knife point, they bind the couple and settle down to wait for the son to return.
This really is no frills film making. The opening is shot in eerie silence, the camera slowly zooming in on their front door. This is the only shot of the outside world, the rest of the gut churning events all take place within the house. There are no distractions from the very simple story here. All attention is focused sharply on the characters reactions. I really liked the bravery of it. I did find it slow at times but no doubt this was the intention as the three young lads wait for their target to come home. The effect is a very tense waiting game interspersed with action.
The acting throughout is very believable, Christine and Michael wear their fear on their faces (they have to as they spend a lot of time gagged to be fair). Much of the action is shot in extreme close up, bringing the audience as close to facing their fears as possible. It really is one of those films that makes you think what if that was me? What would I do? The attackers are also very good, carrying on the tradition of British cinema taking raw youngsters straight from stage school to the big screen. Jumayn Hunter as the leader Rian is particularly chilling. He fills the screen with his brooding presence, lurching from cold and calculating to rampant anger.
I found my heart racing as the film reached its climax which is always a sign of a good horror in my opinion. Too many big budget horrors just seem to leave me cold, with a real sense of 'seen it all before'. There is an element of that here as I found myself thinking back to The Strangers, which was a fine example of this style of claustrophobic film making. Despite its limitations I still enjoyed this but would not recommend it to anyone with a short attention span or who prefers loud explosions to subtle acting.
6/10
This really is no frills film making. The opening is shot in eerie silence, the camera slowly zooming in on their front door. This is the only shot of the outside world, the rest of the gut churning events all take place within the house. There are no distractions from the very simple story here. All attention is focused sharply on the characters reactions. I really liked the bravery of it. I did find it slow at times but no doubt this was the intention as the three young lads wait for their target to come home. The effect is a very tense waiting game interspersed with action.
The acting throughout is very believable, Christine and Michael wear their fear on their faces (they have to as they spend a lot of time gagged to be fair). Much of the action is shot in extreme close up, bringing the audience as close to facing their fears as possible. It really is one of those films that makes you think what if that was me? What would I do? The attackers are also very good, carrying on the tradition of British cinema taking raw youngsters straight from stage school to the big screen. Jumayn Hunter as the leader Rian is particularly chilling. He fills the screen with his brooding presence, lurching from cold and calculating to rampant anger.
I found my heart racing as the film reached its climax which is always a sign of a good horror in my opinion. Too many big budget horrors just seem to leave me cold, with a real sense of 'seen it all before'. There is an element of that here as I found myself thinking back to The Strangers, which was a fine example of this style of claustrophobic film making. Despite its limitations I still enjoyed this but would not recommend it to anyone with a short attention span or who prefers loud explosions to subtle acting.
6/10
Whip It (2009)
For those of you that don't know (and why the hell would anyone know this!) a roller derby is a sport. Two teams of 5 skaters move around an oval track trying to get a designated skater past the finish line first. Oh and they can hit each other apparently. In Whip It the teams are all girls, dressed in scanty outfits with dodgy wrestler style names. Ellen Page plays Juno except Juno is not pregnant but is a reluctant beauty pageant competitor forced into makeup and posh frocks by her pushy mum. She is desperate to leave her small town life behind and find her identity. On a shopping trip to the big city of Austin, Texas she is captivated by a gang of girls on roller-skates, picks up a flyer for the derby and is soon sneaking off to watch with her best friend Pash (Alia Shawkat).
This is Drew Barrymore's debut as a director and I think it is fair to say she decided to play it safe by sticking to some very established formulas. Not only do we have the cliché of a teenage coming of age drama, but we have all the regular clichés of a sport drama too! There is approximately 1 cliché every 5 minutes. Totally relentless. Juno works in a diner, is picked on by the jocks, is nagged by a pushy mum that only wants the best for her, meets a boy, falls for the boy, argues with the boy and makes up with the boy. Phew, but I'm just getting warmed up. Tries out for a team, gets in the team (worst in the league obviously!), is picked on by the best player in the league (Juliette Lewis dressed as a school girl called Iron Maven!), several musical montages later Juno is their best player (Babe Ruthless), the team of misfits come good, compete in 'nail biting' finale against the best team in the league and of course Juno has to battle with Juliette Lewis in order to win while maintaining her relationships with her parents and boyfriend.
That is just the tip of the ice-berg. I did wonder if Barrymore realised how clichéd the film was and thought, 'bollocks to it, in for a penny, in for a pound' and tried to break the Guinness world record for most clichés in a film. Her achievement should be applauded; she crams the combined clichés of 2 genres into one film while managing to include the Radiohead song 'No Surprises' on the soundtrack. To be fair I laughed my ass off when that song played. Touch of irony perhaps? I really hope so.
On the plus side this film is easy to look at. The girls are entertaining enough. Drew Barrymore casts herself as a particularly violent member of the team (Smashley Simpson), who gets herself thrown out of every game for pinning some poor wretch down and pummelling them. And despite my previous bitching I do enjoy a good sports montage set to music. Rocky IV this is not, but would you want to see Sylvester Stallone in hot pants and roller-skates? The soundtrack is decent too which adds to the feel that Juno is an 'alternative' girl in an Indie movie. But make no mistake, this is no independent film, just another formulated Hollywood movie tapping into the same audience it has successfully milked before.
5/10
This is Drew Barrymore's debut as a director and I think it is fair to say she decided to play it safe by sticking to some very established formulas. Not only do we have the cliché of a teenage coming of age drama, but we have all the regular clichés of a sport drama too! There is approximately 1 cliché every 5 minutes. Totally relentless. Juno works in a diner, is picked on by the jocks, is nagged by a pushy mum that only wants the best for her, meets a boy, falls for the boy, argues with the boy and makes up with the boy. Phew, but I'm just getting warmed up. Tries out for a team, gets in the team (worst in the league obviously!), is picked on by the best player in the league (Juliette Lewis dressed as a school girl called Iron Maven!), several musical montages later Juno is their best player (Babe Ruthless), the team of misfits come good, compete in 'nail biting' finale against the best team in the league and of course Juno has to battle with Juliette Lewis in order to win while maintaining her relationships with her parents and boyfriend.
That is just the tip of the ice-berg. I did wonder if Barrymore realised how clichéd the film was and thought, 'bollocks to it, in for a penny, in for a pound' and tried to break the Guinness world record for most clichés in a film. Her achievement should be applauded; she crams the combined clichés of 2 genres into one film while managing to include the Radiohead song 'No Surprises' on the soundtrack. To be fair I laughed my ass off when that song played. Touch of irony perhaps? I really hope so.
On the plus side this film is easy to look at. The girls are entertaining enough. Drew Barrymore casts herself as a particularly violent member of the team (Smashley Simpson), who gets herself thrown out of every game for pinning some poor wretch down and pummelling them. And despite my previous bitching I do enjoy a good sports montage set to music. Rocky IV this is not, but would you want to see Sylvester Stallone in hot pants and roller-skates? The soundtrack is decent too which adds to the feel that Juno is an 'alternative' girl in an Indie movie. But make no mistake, this is no independent film, just another formulated Hollywood movie tapping into the same audience it has successfully milked before.
5/10
Cry Baby (1990)
I said I was going to do it. I promised I would watch a musical and here it is! This film was handed to me by a very drunk Miss Jenkins, who then proceeded to bully me via the medium of Twitter until I watched it. Odd barely begins to cover this.
Any film that feels the need to erupt into song at any possible opportunity is usually enough to rile me. Why do it? Aren't words good enough? I love music in films (proper songs I mean) but I hate it when they fill every other scene with a Broadway like production of people singing average songs with smiles pinned to their smug faces! Arghh I'm getting angry just thinking about it. When one character feels the need to soil my eardrums with their bleating a whole host of random extras soon join them, full of stage school eagerness. I find myself searching for my shot gun, and then I remember I don't own one. I have seen perhaps two musicals in my life I could tolerate, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Little Shop of Horrors.
Thankfully Cry Baby follows these into a very exclusive club. A musical that didn't make me want to move to America and join the NRA! Johnny Depp stars as Wade 'Cry Baby' Walker, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, known in this crazy film world as a 'Drape'. He meets Allison (Amy Locane) who is the social opposite, a 'Square', so of course they want to be together despite the class divide. Sound familiar? This is very much a parody of Grease. It is set in the 50's, has two opposing gangs and even a drag race between hormonal teenagers.
Right from the opening scene this film started to surprise me with its irony. A school hall full of suspiciously old looking 'kids' queue up to get their immunisation jabs. The overacting is brilliant and is kept up throughout, really sending up the musical genre. The script is cheesy but always knowingly so. One hysterical scene sees Allison singing 'Teenage Dream' to a group of squares and imagining Cry Baby's head on all their bodies. All the typical musical conventions are mocked here, from the lusty beginnings of their relationship, to the inevitable fall out and a climax in which all their problems are solved through the power of song.
The film is full of crazy characters. Cry Baby's group of Drape friends includes a pre-diet Ricki Lake (who we see heavily pregnant and playing drums... I'm not even making this up!), porn star Traci Lords (who reacts in a horrified way when a sleazy bloke asks her to pose naked) and Hatchet-Face (a rubber faced girl with zombie eyes and a fondness for licking knives and terrifying squares). Cry Baby's family are an even stranger mix of hillbilly biker Goths. Everyone overacts as the story tumbles from one hectic scene to the next. Every shot seems full of people crashing and bumping into each other, which really adds to the sense of frenzy.
I still got a little bored with some of the songs dragging on, but that is my prejudice against musicals resurfacing and doesn’t change the fact that this made me laugh. There is a lot to take in as things rush along barely giving the viewer time to register the mental story or weirdness of some of the characters. If you doubt that Americans know what irony is then you could do a lot worse than watch this to debunk the myth.
7/10
Any film that feels the need to erupt into song at any possible opportunity is usually enough to rile me. Why do it? Aren't words good enough? I love music in films (proper songs I mean) but I hate it when they fill every other scene with a Broadway like production of people singing average songs with smiles pinned to their smug faces! Arghh I'm getting angry just thinking about it. When one character feels the need to soil my eardrums with their bleating a whole host of random extras soon join them, full of stage school eagerness. I find myself searching for my shot gun, and then I remember I don't own one. I have seen perhaps two musicals in my life I could tolerate, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Little Shop of Horrors.
Thankfully Cry Baby follows these into a very exclusive club. A musical that didn't make me want to move to America and join the NRA! Johnny Depp stars as Wade 'Cry Baby' Walker, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, known in this crazy film world as a 'Drape'. He meets Allison (Amy Locane) who is the social opposite, a 'Square', so of course they want to be together despite the class divide. Sound familiar? This is very much a parody of Grease. It is set in the 50's, has two opposing gangs and even a drag race between hormonal teenagers.
Right from the opening scene this film started to surprise me with its irony. A school hall full of suspiciously old looking 'kids' queue up to get their immunisation jabs. The overacting is brilliant and is kept up throughout, really sending up the musical genre. The script is cheesy but always knowingly so. One hysterical scene sees Allison singing 'Teenage Dream' to a group of squares and imagining Cry Baby's head on all their bodies. All the typical musical conventions are mocked here, from the lusty beginnings of their relationship, to the inevitable fall out and a climax in which all their problems are solved through the power of song.
The film is full of crazy characters. Cry Baby's group of Drape friends includes a pre-diet Ricki Lake (who we see heavily pregnant and playing drums... I'm not even making this up!), porn star Traci Lords (who reacts in a horrified way when a sleazy bloke asks her to pose naked) and Hatchet-Face (a rubber faced girl with zombie eyes and a fondness for licking knives and terrifying squares). Cry Baby's family are an even stranger mix of hillbilly biker Goths. Everyone overacts as the story tumbles from one hectic scene to the next. Every shot seems full of people crashing and bumping into each other, which really adds to the sense of frenzy.
I still got a little bored with some of the songs dragging on, but that is my prejudice against musicals resurfacing and doesn’t change the fact that this made me laugh. There is a lot to take in as things rush along barely giving the viewer time to register the mental story or weirdness of some of the characters. If you doubt that Americans know what irony is then you could do a lot worse than watch this to debunk the myth.
7/10
Saturday 10 September 2011
The Monster Squad (1987)
A little known fact about me is that as a child I was one of the founder members of the Monster Club. It was junior school; I had an imagination unblighted by social conformity and a group of friends (I hope they won't mind me saying!) equally as geeky. We would meet up in the playground and argue about who was the toughest monster, how we would kill them if they attacked and most importantly we made badges! Other kids might have thought they were cooler, playing football or kiss chase but we knew that our little club was the best thing in that playground.
Our inspiration came from my friend’s parent’s easy going attitude to allowing us to rent any film we wanted from the local video shop. Invariably they would be horror films. The Monster Squad was one of my absolute favourites. It acted a bit like a gateway drug, as cannabis might lead to heroin, this light film led us to Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street and anything else we could scare ourselves with.
Our Monster Club was ripped straight out of this film. The story revolves around a group of friends who meet up in a tree house, the door is brilliantly marked 'no girls allowed', to discuss all things monstrous. I loved the script, even on rewatching this many years later, the cast of kids do a top job of arguing with all seriousness about monster's powers. Then Dracula begins to gather a dream team including Frankenstein's Monster, the Mummy and Wolfman in order to take over the world. Of course the job of stopping them falls to the unlikely heroes and a strange old German bloke from down the street. Why this takes place in suburban America I'm not sure but let's not let this little detail spoil the magic. The film is like a who’s-who of men in Holloween costumes! All very kitsch and very 80's.
It is this kitschness that adds real charm. Some people might find it ridiculous to see the strings on Dracula's bats as they bob up and down, or mock the zip wire just visible as he is sucked into a dodgy looking vortex. But you would be wrong to do this! Before CGI and mega budgets a film had to rely on any effects available to tell the story and needed a script capable of keeping your attention. While the story is tenuous at best the film is packed with enough nice touches (keep an eye out for the homage to the original Frankenstein film as Frankie meets the little girl) and the kids bring enough charm and likeability here to make up for the faults.
The Monster squad doesn't have quite enough charm to make it a classic but it works brilliantly as a light hearted kid’s movie. Never a rival to The Goonies or Stand by Me in the 'kids having a big adventure' film tradition, it still made me smile despite all the cynical years that have passed since I first fell in love with this. Oh and check out the rap which plays over the end credits courtesy of some genius on Youtube!
6/10
Our inspiration came from my friend’s parent’s easy going attitude to allowing us to rent any film we wanted from the local video shop. Invariably they would be horror films. The Monster Squad was one of my absolute favourites. It acted a bit like a gateway drug, as cannabis might lead to heroin, this light film led us to Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street and anything else we could scare ourselves with.
Our Monster Club was ripped straight out of this film. The story revolves around a group of friends who meet up in a tree house, the door is brilliantly marked 'no girls allowed', to discuss all things monstrous. I loved the script, even on rewatching this many years later, the cast of kids do a top job of arguing with all seriousness about monster's powers. Then Dracula begins to gather a dream team including Frankenstein's Monster, the Mummy and Wolfman in order to take over the world. Of course the job of stopping them falls to the unlikely heroes and a strange old German bloke from down the street. Why this takes place in suburban America I'm not sure but let's not let this little detail spoil the magic. The film is like a who’s-who of men in Holloween costumes! All very kitsch and very 80's.
It is this kitschness that adds real charm. Some people might find it ridiculous to see the strings on Dracula's bats as they bob up and down, or mock the zip wire just visible as he is sucked into a dodgy looking vortex. But you would be wrong to do this! Before CGI and mega budgets a film had to rely on any effects available to tell the story and needed a script capable of keeping your attention. While the story is tenuous at best the film is packed with enough nice touches (keep an eye out for the homage to the original Frankenstein film as Frankie meets the little girl) and the kids bring enough charm and likeability here to make up for the faults.
The Monster squad doesn't have quite enough charm to make it a classic but it works brilliantly as a light hearted kid’s movie. Never a rival to The Goonies or Stand by Me in the 'kids having a big adventure' film tradition, it still made me smile despite all the cynical years that have passed since I first fell in love with this. Oh and check out the rap which plays over the end credits courtesy of some genius on Youtube!
6/10
Thursday 8 September 2011
The Scouting Book for Boys (2009)
Emily (Holly Grainger) and David (Thomas Turgoose) seem like two of the luckiest kids in the world. They live in a caravan park in Norfolk, free to run riot as their parents are caught up in their own lives. Following a run of glossy American films, this came as a nice change for me during my one year mission to watch a film every day. This starts off as a feel good British film, a beautiful opening scene shows off the excellent camera work that continues throughout (thanks to director Tom Harper). The young pair leap across caravan roofs, silhouettes against the sunset. It captures the innocence and mischievousness of youth delightfully. Noah and The Whales song '5 Years Time' plays to compliment the images of cartwheels on the beach, kite flying and ice-cream cones. It really made me reminisce to those glorious summer holidays at the seaside.
David and Emily have an oddly touching relationship that really drives the story. He is clearly besotted with his slightly older and reckless friend. They constantly jostle and tease each other, their playful banter adds to the charm. Grainger and Turgoose are fantastic as two friends treading the fine line between innocence and adulthood. The real world intrudes on their happy bubble as Emily is told she needs to leave their world to go and live with her father. She hatches a plot to hide in a small cave on the seafront while things settle down. David, ever the love struck boy enables the deception by lying to her mother, the police and the older man she seems to be having a fling with.
I love how British films never allow themselves to get too sugary sweet as it would have been all too easy to do here. Infact this film goes down a very different path. The main characters have an air of tragedy about them from the start and from these hints the film soon begins to twist in some very strange ways. The huge emotions they deal with as their innocence slips away delivered some very surprising and shocking moments. As Emily's disappearance drags on we see David begin to crack under the strain of keeping up the deception. His feelings for Emily also come to a head as she comes to rely on him more and more.
This film contained more truthful emotion than any Hollywood film I have seen in a long time. From a distraught mum turning to drink to cope with her daughter’s disappearance, to David realising how much his friend means to him as he speaks at a police press conference, there are some very convincing observations made. Big emotions are explained in simple words, plain speaking tongues explore their problems as they leave youthful innocence behind and begin to tread dark paths.
Several pretty big twists do keep you guessing as to where this story will end up. Proving to me again that you have to leave the mainstream of film making to find something capable of surprising you. Whether you will enjoy this journey is hard to say as the charm of the early scenes subsides as things begin to turn serious. Its ability to captivate does diminish but there is still a lot here to keep you interested until the very end.
7/10
David and Emily have an oddly touching relationship that really drives the story. He is clearly besotted with his slightly older and reckless friend. They constantly jostle and tease each other, their playful banter adds to the charm. Grainger and Turgoose are fantastic as two friends treading the fine line between innocence and adulthood. The real world intrudes on their happy bubble as Emily is told she needs to leave their world to go and live with her father. She hatches a plot to hide in a small cave on the seafront while things settle down. David, ever the love struck boy enables the deception by lying to her mother, the police and the older man she seems to be having a fling with.
I love how British films never allow themselves to get too sugary sweet as it would have been all too easy to do here. Infact this film goes down a very different path. The main characters have an air of tragedy about them from the start and from these hints the film soon begins to twist in some very strange ways. The huge emotions they deal with as their innocence slips away delivered some very surprising and shocking moments. As Emily's disappearance drags on we see David begin to crack under the strain of keeping up the deception. His feelings for Emily also come to a head as she comes to rely on him more and more.
This film contained more truthful emotion than any Hollywood film I have seen in a long time. From a distraught mum turning to drink to cope with her daughter’s disappearance, to David realising how much his friend means to him as he speaks at a police press conference, there are some very convincing observations made. Big emotions are explained in simple words, plain speaking tongues explore their problems as they leave youthful innocence behind and begin to tread dark paths.
Several pretty big twists do keep you guessing as to where this story will end up. Proving to me again that you have to leave the mainstream of film making to find something capable of surprising you. Whether you will enjoy this journey is hard to say as the charm of the early scenes subsides as things begin to turn serious. Its ability to captivate does diminish but there is still a lot here to keep you interested until the very end.
7/10
Wednesday 7 September 2011
The Other Guys (2010)
Watching Step Brothers the previous night got me in the mood for another Will Ferrell film. The Other Guys is his fourth collaboration with director Adam McKay so I had high hopes for this. Also I never thought I would see the day my partner sat down to watch a film with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in it but here we are!
The Other Guys is a parody of the tired genre of buddy cop movies, you know the type: Lethal Weapon, 48 Hours, Beverly Hills Cop. All the clichés are here ready to be ripped into. The Rock and Samuel L Jackson play two hero cops. An all action intro throws them into a car chase that sees their car lodged in the side of a bus then catapulted from it, flying at the bad guys, Jackson blasting away. This brilliantly sends up the over the top nature of action films. The macho jock characters they play provide some of the best moments in their knowingly dumb action scenes.
Allen Gamble (Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) are the polar opposites or the 'other guys'. A police pairing so bad that they are the joke of their force. Events conspire to put them on a huge case that could salvage their reputations. They constantly bicker throughout, providing Ferrell the opportunity to indulge in his usual random style, never more so that an argument over who would win in a fight between a lion and a tuna fish! My main gripe with this is Wahlberg's acting. Is there a worse actor than him in the mainstream? This is a man so wooden I did begin to think his style was intentional, part of the parody maybe. Then I remembered watching him in The Happening and realised that this is as good as it gets from him. That aside he does have some good lines but I think they could have been so much better delivered by someone else.
There are some fantastic scenes where this film mocks the genre, like the good cop/bad cop routine where Ferrell fluffs his part as the good cop and plays the mental cop. However after a good start it deteriorates into a fairly dull police investigation starting with scaffolding regulations and moving onto some embezzlement. The laughs do thankfully continue throughout, with some good supporting performances from Michael Keaton as the police chief and Eva Mendez as Ferrell’s impossibly hot wife.
I did feel that this film tries too hard to be random. It never quite has the magic of previous films by the pairing of Ferrell and McKay. Some scenes felt very unnecessary as they try to stick to the pattern of cop movies laid down by this genre. Yet it does deliver a good parody overall and has some fantastic one liners. Ferrell seduces his wife at one point by shouting "I'm gonna do you grandpa style" and "I'm gonna break your hip!" Well worth a watch but sadly not quite up to the standard of what has come before in my mind. I hope this does not mark a decline in Ferrell's career as he starts to get a bit 'old for this shit'.
6/10
The Other Guys is a parody of the tired genre of buddy cop movies, you know the type: Lethal Weapon, 48 Hours, Beverly Hills Cop. All the clichés are here ready to be ripped into. The Rock and Samuel L Jackson play two hero cops. An all action intro throws them into a car chase that sees their car lodged in the side of a bus then catapulted from it, flying at the bad guys, Jackson blasting away. This brilliantly sends up the over the top nature of action films. The macho jock characters they play provide some of the best moments in their knowingly dumb action scenes.
Allen Gamble (Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) are the polar opposites or the 'other guys'. A police pairing so bad that they are the joke of their force. Events conspire to put them on a huge case that could salvage their reputations. They constantly bicker throughout, providing Ferrell the opportunity to indulge in his usual random style, never more so that an argument over who would win in a fight between a lion and a tuna fish! My main gripe with this is Wahlberg's acting. Is there a worse actor than him in the mainstream? This is a man so wooden I did begin to think his style was intentional, part of the parody maybe. Then I remembered watching him in The Happening and realised that this is as good as it gets from him. That aside he does have some good lines but I think they could have been so much better delivered by someone else.
There are some fantastic scenes where this film mocks the genre, like the good cop/bad cop routine where Ferrell fluffs his part as the good cop and plays the mental cop. However after a good start it deteriorates into a fairly dull police investigation starting with scaffolding regulations and moving onto some embezzlement. The laughs do thankfully continue throughout, with some good supporting performances from Michael Keaton as the police chief and Eva Mendez as Ferrell’s impossibly hot wife.
I did feel that this film tries too hard to be random. It never quite has the magic of previous films by the pairing of Ferrell and McKay. Some scenes felt very unnecessary as they try to stick to the pattern of cop movies laid down by this genre. Yet it does deliver a good parody overall and has some fantastic one liners. Ferrell seduces his wife at one point by shouting "I'm gonna do you grandpa style" and "I'm gonna break your hip!" Well worth a watch but sadly not quite up to the standard of what has come before in my mind. I hope this does not mark a decline in Ferrell's career as he starts to get a bit 'old for this shit'.
6/10
Tuesday 6 September 2011
Step Brothers (2008)
I suppose I should just say I am a bit of a Will Ferrell fan before getting in to this review. If like me you thought Anchor Man was one of the funniest films you had seen in ages then you should stop reading and go watch Step Brothers now. NOW! If you like random comedy involving grown men acting like angry teenagers then you will find this funny. Ferrell has teamed up with director Adam McKay for the third time here (previous films were Anchorman and Talladega Nights). Anyone who has seen their other efforts will know just what to expect.
Step Brothers is a story of two 40 year old men, Brennan (Ferrell) and Dale (John C Reilly) who live with their parents. They sit around in their fantasy worlds, indulged by parents that cannot say no to them. That is until these parents get married to each other and move in together, forcing Dale and Brennan to share a room. Yes the plot is stupid, yes the main characters are idiots, and yes the humour is puerile. The plot does wander down some fairly pointless parts that take away from the laughs, but the madness of Ferrell and Reilly more than carry the shortcomings.
Imagine two teenage boys forced into this situation, hating each other at first but eventually realising that they have lots in common, including some of the following: doing karate in the garage, building bunk beds, reading porn mags and hating Dale's younger brother Derek. Ferrell and Reilly throw themselves into the parts worryingly well; their bickering and one-upmanship alone make this film worth watching. Derek (Adam Scott) is fantastic as the over achieving ego maniac, so sadistic he makes his family sing an A Cappella version of Sweet Child 'O Mine in their car! The madness of these characters is given perspective by their sane parents who try in vain to turn them into responsible adults.
The story does fall flat in places where the story tries to play itself out. However this film is so filled with the random one-liners and toilet humour of the previous McKay/Ferrell collaborations that I was more than happy to put up with it.
7/10
Step Brothers is a story of two 40 year old men, Brennan (Ferrell) and Dale (John C Reilly) who live with their parents. They sit around in their fantasy worlds, indulged by parents that cannot say no to them. That is until these parents get married to each other and move in together, forcing Dale and Brennan to share a room. Yes the plot is stupid, yes the main characters are idiots, and yes the humour is puerile. The plot does wander down some fairly pointless parts that take away from the laughs, but the madness of Ferrell and Reilly more than carry the shortcomings.
Imagine two teenage boys forced into this situation, hating each other at first but eventually realising that they have lots in common, including some of the following: doing karate in the garage, building bunk beds, reading porn mags and hating Dale's younger brother Derek. Ferrell and Reilly throw themselves into the parts worryingly well; their bickering and one-upmanship alone make this film worth watching. Derek (Adam Scott) is fantastic as the over achieving ego maniac, so sadistic he makes his family sing an A Cappella version of Sweet Child 'O Mine in their car! The madness of these characters is given perspective by their sane parents who try in vain to turn them into responsible adults.
The story does fall flat in places where the story tries to play itself out. However this film is so filled with the random one-liners and toilet humour of the previous McKay/Ferrell collaborations that I was more than happy to put up with it.
7/10
Sunday 4 September 2011
The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
Have you ever wondered if there is such a thing as free will? Do you believe that every decision you make is your own and that your destiny is yours to shape. Or do you feel that no matter what you do you will end up following a path through life that has been chosen for you? Deep eh? The Adjustment Bureau explores this idea intriguingly as Matt Damon plays David Norris, a politician who falls in love on the eve of his possible election into the US Senate. He meets crazy British girl Elise (Emily Blunt) in the men's room as he prepares a gracious speech accepting his defeat. A simple meeting of two strangers allows this film to begin exploring the idea of free will.
David is soon visited by four mysterious men in suits. We first see them looking down on New York from the top of a sky scraper like Greek Gods on Mount Olympus. Their job is to ensure that humans do not deviate from the 'plan'. I loved the idea of such a divine task being carried out by civil servants. Angels with pay grades perhaps. The agents turn out to be men with flaws and weaknesses just like the people they watch over. The film does a good job of questioning the idea of a divine plan and how it could be enforced without being too over the top. Much of this must go down to the book the story was taken from, "Adjustment Team" by the genius sci-fi author Philip K. Dick. You might not know the name but you have definitely seen his stories adapted by the film world. Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report and Next among others is not a bad achievement.
Aside from the fascinating story there is also a top performance by Matt Damon. He is at his best in this film with a great confidence and easy charm that make you wish he was a real politician. It made me think that if screen writers can create such likeable public figures then they are really wasted writing films. Why didn't Gordon Brown have 15 of them kidnapped and locked away in Downing Street writing him a personality? Why didn't George Bush have a team of writers, producers and directors dedicated to stopping him looking witless? Emily Blunt provides a believable partner to Damon and despite some questionable scenes towards the end I found myself hoping they could overcome the odds stacked against them. I was a little frustrated that such great idea was reduced to a romance but I found myself happy to forgive its flaws.
7/10
David is soon visited by four mysterious men in suits. We first see them looking down on New York from the top of a sky scraper like Greek Gods on Mount Olympus. Their job is to ensure that humans do not deviate from the 'plan'. I loved the idea of such a divine task being carried out by civil servants. Angels with pay grades perhaps. The agents turn out to be men with flaws and weaknesses just like the people they watch over. The film does a good job of questioning the idea of a divine plan and how it could be enforced without being too over the top. Much of this must go down to the book the story was taken from, "Adjustment Team" by the genius sci-fi author Philip K. Dick. You might not know the name but you have definitely seen his stories adapted by the film world. Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report and Next among others is not a bad achievement.
Aside from the fascinating story there is also a top performance by Matt Damon. He is at his best in this film with a great confidence and easy charm that make you wish he was a real politician. It made me think that if screen writers can create such likeable public figures then they are really wasted writing films. Why didn't Gordon Brown have 15 of them kidnapped and locked away in Downing Street writing him a personality? Why didn't George Bush have a team of writers, producers and directors dedicated to stopping him looking witless? Emily Blunt provides a believable partner to Damon and despite some questionable scenes towards the end I found myself hoping they could overcome the odds stacked against them. I was a little frustrated that such great idea was reduced to a romance but I found myself happy to forgive its flaws.
7/10
Saturday 3 September 2011
Predators (2010)
I sat down to watch this film with a mixture of dread and curiosity. I loved the first Predator film, where Arnie and a team of commandos (including WWF's Jesse 'The Body' Ventura!) are hunted through a jungle by a menacing alien foe. It was loud, dumb and fun. The film introduced us to the mythology of the Predators, giant animalistic hunters with laser guns mounted on their hulking shoulders and enough gadgets to make Batman feel inadequate. For a kid watching films with his mates this was a genius idea! Many years later this franchise is on its 5th incarnation, so I was really worried this might be another lazy money spinner, a film with nothing to say and no new ideas. Can a franchise that has lived so long produce any magic or will it end up being a sad parody of itself?
While I'm on the subject there is no word I hate more in the movie world than franchise. It translates to: Greedy attempt to cash in on a good idea by producing endless amounts of films of decreasing quality that will continue to be churned out until they do not make any profit. There are some exceptions of course (The Dark Knight maybe?) but in general a film which just revisits the original with new actors and one or two additions to the source story is just f***ing lazy. It’s like genetics; if nothing new is introduced into the gene pool then you end up with the hideous results of years of inbreeding like some of the European royal families.
So is this film as disturbing as a 10th generation monarch parading his idiocy around trying to grab everyone’s attention, or can it add to the Predator mythology with some style and new ideas? The plot is hardy groundbreaking, a collection of seasoned killers from Earth's various warzones are deposited on an alien planet used as a hunting ground by the Predators. The mob struggle to make sense of where they are and what is happening as they are killed off one by one. No surprises there then. I found this to be little more than a remake of the 1987 film, but instead of having Arnold Schwarzenegger and a collection of likeable but stereotypical jocks we have Adrien Brody as the group’s leader! That’s right, Adrien Brody. I didn't believe it myself and I'm not sure Brody ever quite believes it either. It seems as realistic as casting me as the hot female lead in a chick flick. One of the highlights of this film had to be Brody's gruff commando voice!
Another unintended positive had to come from the good ethnic mix of the characters. Most creeds and colours are represented in the Predator's prey, which fills me with hope that discrimination is a thing of the past among alien cultures. The main problem with this group however is that there are no likeable characters among them. I couldn't wait for our hero (yes I am now referring to the murderous monsters as heroes) to point his laser at someone’s head and make it explode all over my HD TV! There is a surprise cameo from a perfectly crazy Laurence Fishburn which was the only real highlight for me.
I also failed to understand what this film wanted to be. It takes an eternity for the action to begin, making me think it wanted to play on suspense like Ridley Scott's Alien. Yet it is clearly an action film as there is no mystery to the plot. So why give the pretence of suspense when you can go straight into some balls out action scenes and grip the audience from the start? Why bore me for 30 minutes before anything of note happens? Life is far too short!
There are some positives to be found for fans of the Predator mythology as a little more is revealed about their culture but is it worth enduring a dull rehash of the original film to discover perhaps 2 new pieces of info? Not for me I'm afraid.
4/10
While I'm on the subject there is no word I hate more in the movie world than franchise. It translates to: Greedy attempt to cash in on a good idea by producing endless amounts of films of decreasing quality that will continue to be churned out until they do not make any profit. There are some exceptions of course (The Dark Knight maybe?) but in general a film which just revisits the original with new actors and one or two additions to the source story is just f***ing lazy. It’s like genetics; if nothing new is introduced into the gene pool then you end up with the hideous results of years of inbreeding like some of the European royal families.
So is this film as disturbing as a 10th generation monarch parading his idiocy around trying to grab everyone’s attention, or can it add to the Predator mythology with some style and new ideas? The plot is hardy groundbreaking, a collection of seasoned killers from Earth's various warzones are deposited on an alien planet used as a hunting ground by the Predators. The mob struggle to make sense of where they are and what is happening as they are killed off one by one. No surprises there then. I found this to be little more than a remake of the 1987 film, but instead of having Arnold Schwarzenegger and a collection of likeable but stereotypical jocks we have Adrien Brody as the group’s leader! That’s right, Adrien Brody. I didn't believe it myself and I'm not sure Brody ever quite believes it either. It seems as realistic as casting me as the hot female lead in a chick flick. One of the highlights of this film had to be Brody's gruff commando voice!
Another unintended positive had to come from the good ethnic mix of the characters. Most creeds and colours are represented in the Predator's prey, which fills me with hope that discrimination is a thing of the past among alien cultures. The main problem with this group however is that there are no likeable characters among them. I couldn't wait for our hero (yes I am now referring to the murderous monsters as heroes) to point his laser at someone’s head and make it explode all over my HD TV! There is a surprise cameo from a perfectly crazy Laurence Fishburn which was the only real highlight for me.
I also failed to understand what this film wanted to be. It takes an eternity for the action to begin, making me think it wanted to play on suspense like Ridley Scott's Alien. Yet it is clearly an action film as there is no mystery to the plot. So why give the pretence of suspense when you can go straight into some balls out action scenes and grip the audience from the start? Why bore me for 30 minutes before anything of note happens? Life is far too short!
There are some positives to be found for fans of the Predator mythology as a little more is revealed about their culture but is it worth enduring a dull rehash of the original film to discover perhaps 2 new pieces of info? Not for me I'm afraid.
4/10
Friday 2 September 2011
North by Northwest (1959)
My second Alfred Hitchcock film of the year is North by Northwest. Cary Grant plays Roger Thornhill, a suave advertising man caught up in a case of mistaken identity. His normal life is thrown into turmoil when he is kidnapped by two men working for the mysterious Vandamm (not the muscles from Brussels unfortunately). The thugs think he is a government agent called George Caplan and he is soon plunged into a cross country chase as he tries to prove his identity and save himself from his pursuers. Hitchcock is normally a director famed for horror and suspense, but this film is far more similar to a modern spy or action movie.
At its heart this is a chase movie, with Grant as the undoubted star. He strides about in a sharp suit as the film sprints across some of America’s most famous locations. New York is a great backdrop for much of the film, taking in the UN Building, the Plaza Hotel and Grand Central Station. But most famously of all, the climax takes place on Mount Rushmore. If this film had no script at all it would still be fantastic to look at. Fortunately it has a script full of wit and humour, really putting most modern thrillers to shame (see my review of Knight and Day!).
Right from the beginning this film surprises and delights the viewer with its playfulness. The opening credits see the director make a sneaky cameo as he tries to catch a bus only to have the door slam in his face. All throughout there are little moments of light humour that cut the perfect tension that builds up as Roger's situation becomes ever more perilous. Grant meets every obstacle with charm and sophistication, the classic gentleman. At one point he reports on his treatment by his abductors, "They poured a bottle of bourbon down my throat... no they didn't give me a chaser!"
The laughs are never at the expense of the story however. We have secret meetings, murdered diplomats, decoy agents and even a femme fatale crammed into the 2 hour run time. Despite it being among the longest of Hitchcock's films this never drags. There is always something to keep the viewer's attention whether it be the script, the chase or the mystery. Perhaps best of all are the little mistakes which left me struggling to decide if they were intentionally left in or not. Keep an eye out for a police man that misses his cue only for Grant to give him a gentle reminder!
Aside for a few scenes, especially in cars where the characters are clearly being filmed infront of a green screen, this feels as if it was made yesterday. It also contains some of the most iconic scenes in cinema history, with the above mentioned Mount Rushmore Scene but also the crop duster chase. One scene in particular epitomises all the good things in this film, as Roger tries to escape his pursuers when he is cornered in an auction room. This really has the feel of a film made by a director at the top of his game, a thriller that has definitely stood the test of time.
9/10
At its heart this is a chase movie, with Grant as the undoubted star. He strides about in a sharp suit as the film sprints across some of America’s most famous locations. New York is a great backdrop for much of the film, taking in the UN Building, the Plaza Hotel and Grand Central Station. But most famously of all, the climax takes place on Mount Rushmore. If this film had no script at all it would still be fantastic to look at. Fortunately it has a script full of wit and humour, really putting most modern thrillers to shame (see my review of Knight and Day!).
Right from the beginning this film surprises and delights the viewer with its playfulness. The opening credits see the director make a sneaky cameo as he tries to catch a bus only to have the door slam in his face. All throughout there are little moments of light humour that cut the perfect tension that builds up as Roger's situation becomes ever more perilous. Grant meets every obstacle with charm and sophistication, the classic gentleman. At one point he reports on his treatment by his abductors, "They poured a bottle of bourbon down my throat... no they didn't give me a chaser!"
The laughs are never at the expense of the story however. We have secret meetings, murdered diplomats, decoy agents and even a femme fatale crammed into the 2 hour run time. Despite it being among the longest of Hitchcock's films this never drags. There is always something to keep the viewer's attention whether it be the script, the chase or the mystery. Perhaps best of all are the little mistakes which left me struggling to decide if they were intentionally left in or not. Keep an eye out for a police man that misses his cue only for Grant to give him a gentle reminder!
Aside for a few scenes, especially in cars where the characters are clearly being filmed infront of a green screen, this feels as if it was made yesterday. It also contains some of the most iconic scenes in cinema history, with the above mentioned Mount Rushmore Scene but also the crop duster chase. One scene in particular epitomises all the good things in this film, as Roger tries to escape his pursuers when he is cornered in an auction room. This really has the feel of a film made by a director at the top of his game, a thriller that has definitely stood the test of time.
9/10
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