So if you have not seen it, do not read any further. Mind you, it is bleeding obvious, so feel free to read on.
I managed to get to this latest M Night Shayamalan piccy without knowing much, which was hard given my daily trawl through horror websites. I guess I quite liked it, but during the following week I heard so many bad things about it I feel my opinion has been derailed. Back on trak, Zooey Deschanel should be banned from acting, as she looks crazy for most of the film. Yes, I have thought about director guidance, but I go with her bad skills.
Mark Wahlberg on the other hand, I am not so sure about. He acts like a simpleton (being a devout christian (him not me) I can believe it). I am not sure he is the best choice as a science teacher, as he seems a bit parrot-like when performing some of his lines.
At the end of the movie, all I wanted to do was rush home and hug my family.
The fact that I didn't is a fact of family life (I had to go to Tesco), but once home I was chuffed.
Friday, 27 June 2008
Saturday, 14 June 2008
Lady not dead in the water
Now I know this has been out for a while now, but what with babies, job, crazy Yakuza films to watch, I have not got round to it. Any how, a recovery day from work gave me the opportunity to take in this M. Night Shyamalan joint after a small amount of persuasion with Mrs Mick.
Trepidation filled my bones, as I had heard a lot of bad comments about this addition to the MNS oeuvre. I need not have feared however, as Mr Indian pulled another monster out of the closet. I guess if you would not buy into the whole "fairy-tale" scenario then the film would be problematic. But hey, I am hard to please, just not a fanboy-with-a-stick-up-my-arse. The film moved me, engaged me, made me cry (not too hard to do), put my hackles up, and generally did everything a good movie should.
Given the negative stuff I had heard from various podcasts, and read through various genre publications, I was almost overwhelmed by the whole experience.
I think I am probably a fan of Mr Shyamalan, having liked Sixth Sense, liked Unbreakable, almost loved Signs (apart form the Gibson factor), and really quite liked The Village, but headed in to this viewing with fear in my heart. Stuff the nay-sayers I say.
I am off to see The Happening tomorrow with a bit of luck and child good behaviour.
I can't wait.
Trepidation filled my bones, as I had heard a lot of bad comments about this addition to the MNS oeuvre. I need not have feared however, as Mr Indian pulled another monster out of the closet. I guess if you would not buy into the whole "fairy-tale" scenario then the film would be problematic. But hey, I am hard to please, just not a fanboy-with-a-stick-up-my-arse. The film moved me, engaged me, made me cry (not too hard to do), put my hackles up, and generally did everything a good movie should.
Given the negative stuff I had heard from various podcasts, and read through various genre publications, I was almost overwhelmed by the whole experience.
I think I am probably a fan of Mr Shyamalan, having liked Sixth Sense, liked Unbreakable, almost loved Signs (apart form the Gibson factor), and really quite liked The Village, but headed in to this viewing with fear in my heart. Stuff the nay-sayers I say.
I am off to see The Happening tomorrow with a bit of luck and child good behaviour.
I can't wait.
Sunday, 25 May 2008
Hit me with your rhythm stick. And your walking stick. And your car. And your hand grenade. Ooh, and lets make sure with a nuke!
Bloody hell, I'm glad I have not seen Crash. Well the Paul Haggis version anyhow. Just watched In the Valley of Elah and yes, it was well written well directed and all that cobblers, but bloody hell, talk about beat you senseless with the main point. War is hell, blah-blah, it makes devils of us all, blah-blah, when we return we are still devils, blah-blah.
Ooh, look at all these evil phone videos. Ooh, lets make the culprit blank-faced with PTSD. Ooh, lets put this flag upside-down. Ooh just in case anybody didn't get it, lets dedicate it to the children.
Perhaps if more Americans dedicated their lives to not shooting children in their own country, the world would be a better place. But God probably told them to shoot the suckers.
It all comes back to the fact that even post 9-11, more Americans have been killed by their own kind than by terrorists. Go figure. Or as Paul Haggis would say:
Bam! with a fist!
Bam! with a stick!
Bam!! with a knife!!
Bam!!! with a gun!!!
On a more parochial note, at least Donny got promoted today!!
Ooh, look at all these evil phone videos. Ooh, lets make the culprit blank-faced with PTSD. Ooh, lets put this flag upside-down. Ooh just in case anybody didn't get it, lets dedicate it to the children.
Perhaps if more Americans dedicated their lives to not shooting children in their own country, the world would be a better place. But God probably told them to shoot the suckers.
It all comes back to the fact that even post 9-11, more Americans have been killed by their own kind than by terrorists. Go figure. Or as Paul Haggis would say:
Bam! with a fist!
Bam! with a stick!
Bam!! with a knife!!
Bam!!! with a gun!!!
On a more parochial note, at least Donny got promoted today!!
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
Blinded by the (evangelical) light.
I chuffing hate evangelical Yanks.
On a completely separate topic, I recently watched another fantastic documentary from Errol Morris. The Fog of War "stars" Robert McNamara, a former Secretary of Defense (sic) talking about his life and experiences in the diplomatic big-brain corps. He has eleven lessons that he has learnt, and which he feels we could all benefit from by using his experience. I think he is pretty much right really. The film is one of Morris's "let them talk but add a bit of archive footage" jobs which I prefer, as his earlier stuff like Vernon, Florida and Gates of Heaven left me a bit cold, with just the odd character standing out as worth watching.
The subjects discussed seem highly topical given the fact that Iraq is having the crap blown out of it and the USA (with the UK as it's lapdog) seems to be lining up Iran. Lessons obviously not learned. It beggars belief that the USA can once again see the only way forward for a slightly misguided bit of the world being to embrace free-enterprise and the dubious benefits of consumerism. Don't get me wrong, I love buying stuff as much as the next bloke (have you seen my on-line DVD catalogue?), but not everybody in the world has to sign up to the shallow vacuous existence promoted by American TV (and the Administration, to keep the rednecks in check).
Line up at the doors of the out-of-town shopping mall to buy your plastic effigies of Jesus nailed to the cross.
I chuffing hate evangelical Yanks.
On a completely separate topic, I recently watched another fantastic documentary from Errol Morris. The Fog of War "stars" Robert McNamara, a former Secretary of Defense (sic) talking about his life and experiences in the diplomatic big-brain corps. He has eleven lessons that he has learnt, and which he feels we could all benefit from by using his experience. I think he is pretty much right really. The film is one of Morris's "let them talk but add a bit of archive footage" jobs which I prefer, as his earlier stuff like Vernon, Florida and Gates of Heaven left me a bit cold, with just the odd character standing out as worth watching.
The subjects discussed seem highly topical given the fact that Iraq is having the crap blown out of it and the USA (with the UK as it's lapdog) seems to be lining up Iran. Lessons obviously not learned. It beggars belief that the USA can once again see the only way forward for a slightly misguided bit of the world being to embrace free-enterprise and the dubious benefits of consumerism. Don't get me wrong, I love buying stuff as much as the next bloke (have you seen my on-line DVD catalogue?), but not everybody in the world has to sign up to the shallow vacuous existence promoted by American TV (and the Administration, to keep the rednecks in check).
Line up at the doors of the out-of-town shopping mall to buy your plastic effigies of Jesus nailed to the cross.
I chuffing hate evangelical Yanks.
I'm nearly back! (like you cared)
I know it has been nearly a month, but I have been writing stuff, just in my log book, not up here. I have seen a stack of stuff, so expect an avalanche at the first sign of work going slack.
Thursday, 17 April 2008
Barbie-licious
A crazy 70's sub Charlie's Angels, secret-agent mix, The Doll Squad is a colourful cheeseball with poor dialogue, acting, sets and plot. Lots of semi-naked "beauties" with heaving bosoms toting big machine guns, chopping and kicking their way through dozens of men. It tries, but never quite gets to any state of respectability, but is nevertheless good for a chuckle. There is a lot of blood and thunder and quite callous cruelty which surprised me a bit.
Pretty thin James Bond style plot - evil megalomaniac wants to take over the world then spills the beans in time for our heroes to save the day. Wonderfully dodgy special effects (the same explosion is repeatedly shown throughout the film, just coloured differently or flipped around.
The most convincing member of the cast is Tura Satana, mainly due to her martial arts expertise (have I just made that up?), so you get the deal here.
Pretty thin James Bond style plot - evil megalomaniac wants to take over the world then spills the beans in time for our heroes to save the day. Wonderfully dodgy special effects (the same explosion is repeatedly shown throughout the film, just coloured differently or flipped around.
The most convincing member of the cast is Tura Satana, mainly due to her martial arts expertise (have I just made that up?), so you get the deal here.
Yum-yum
A hard to find Canadian production (I got it from eBay), Blood & Donuts is a small, character-driven horror-based film that was a refreshing change from the previous day's Horton debacle.
A vampire is woken from a 25 year sleep by a stray golf ball hit from a rooftop. He was sleeping to try and get away from the complexities of co-existing with the humans about him, but he seems to decide to give it another go. It is not really a vampire-flick, just an awkward outsider trying to fit in style job. From that point of view it is pretty good, with the vampire trying to resist his addiction (to blood, dummy) and using his powers (super-strength, big scary vampire face) to help his new-found friends. Fine performances from Currie and Clarkson as the romantic leads offset by a bizarre accents from his cabbie friend which takes you out of the moment every time he is in a scene. Sinister cameo from big Dave Cronenberg is great, the best of his I have seen.
Overall, a gentle (apart from the blood!), easy watch.
A vampire is woken from a 25 year sleep by a stray golf ball hit from a rooftop. He was sleeping to try and get away from the complexities of co-existing with the humans about him, but he seems to decide to give it another go. It is not really a vampire-flick, just an awkward outsider trying to fit in style job. From that point of view it is pretty good, with the vampire trying to resist his addiction (to blood, dummy) and using his powers (super-strength, big scary vampire face) to help his new-found friends. Fine performances from Currie and Clarkson as the romantic leads offset by a bizarre accents from his cabbie friend which takes you out of the moment every time he is in a scene. Sinister cameo from big Dave Cronenberg is great, the best of his I have seen.
Overall, a gentle (apart from the blood!), easy watch.
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