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September 22, 2004
The Terminal
Tom Hanks is in this film !
Catherine Zeta-Jones is hardly in this film (but Tom Hanks is !). She's
probably only got about 20 minutes total screen time which is a shame
because she's looking rather good these days. She's still an annoying bint but you just put your fingers in your ears.
So Hollywood has taken a true story and given it the Spielberg makeover (Tom Hanks is in it !). A guy from a non-existent former Russian republic lands in America only to be detained by customs because there was a coup in his country whilst he was in the air and his passport is no longer valid. Cue lots of hilarious (!) misunderstandings and scenarios where everything goes wrong for the guy (played by Tom Hanks !), he learns to speak English (I speak English. I learn it from a book !), gets a job, is adopted and looked after by airport staff, and falls in love with Catherine Zeta-Jones.
But of course it wouldn't be story without a dastardly villain waiting to thwart every move and this comes in the form of Stanley Tucci, the soon-to-be promoted head of immigration. Instead of doing anything at all to help the guy (Tom Hanks !), and I do mean ANYTHING, he tries to get him to leave the airport by various means (attempting to starve him by cutting off his money-making scheme of returning luggage trolleys) so he can arrest him and deport him even though he (Tom Hanks !) has done nothing wrong. I could actually believe American authorities would behave this way which is the sad thing, detaining a guy for bureaucratic reasons for 9 months.
Still, this is Hollywood and we all know he's going to be allowed to leave eventually. And so he does but in a shock-horror break with tradition, he doesn't get the girl. You shameless hussy Catherine Zeta-Jones ! Don't you know he's Tom Hanks ?! Or is he maybe just a little young for you ?
Did I mention Tom Hanks was in this film ?!
(I like exclamation marks btw.)
Posted by hurtling17 at 09:44 PM
September 17, 2004
Man On Fire
Denzel Washington .... Creasy
Dakota Fanning .... Pita
Marc Anthony .... Samuel
Radha Mitchell .... Lisa
Christopher Walken .... Rayburn
Giancarlo Giannini .... Manzano
Rachel Ticotin .... Mariana
Mickey Rourke .... Jordan
The story:
An ex-military man, disillusioned by his job and driven to drink, takes a job as a bodyguard to a young girl. He bonds with the young girl and, when she is kidnapped and allegedly killed, swears vengence on anyone who was involved or in any way profited from her kidnapping and alleged death.
Acting: EXCELLENT!!!
Denzel brings so much emotion out of this character. I found myself getting sad when he was sad, happy when he was happy, pissed off when he was pissed off. I was even rooting for him when he was killing everyone left and right.
Dakota Fanning got me all invested in her character, so much so that I was freaking out when she got kidnapped. I predict good things for her in the future, provided she doesn't fall into the child actor traps of either getting not so cute when she gets older, losing her money, or getting into drugs/alcohol.
Christopher Walken can do no wrong in my eyes. He had a very small part in this film but his performance was great. But then again, I have that unnatural obsession with him. Even if this had turned out to be a crappy movie, I would still love him.
Hell, even Marc Anthony gave a great performance.
Directing/Editing: Amazing.
Tony Scott doesn't insult the viewer's intelligence by putting in "rib shots" (poke you in the rib clues to see if you get the plot). Instead, he lets the story tell itself and leads you and the characters to the conclusion together.
The only nitpick I have is that it took FOREVER to get to the end once Denzel's character decided to go kill everyone. And at 2:25, this was already a long movie.
I highly recommend this movie.
Posted by xinh at 05:59 PM | Comments (1)
Texas - The Hush
Here's an old music review I found that I did for Amazon a few years ago.
Put simply, "The Hush" is a brilliant album. Texas re-invented themselves with their last effort, "White On Blonde", and this new collection continues with that great new sound. Almost every song could be a single. Sharleen's voice has never sounded better, becoming heart-breaking on the lyric "I love you to death" from "Saint". The album kicks off with the first single "In Our Lifetime", which reached number 4 in the UK. The song really grows on you, with the Oriental feel and the last chorus sounds like a hundred Sharleens on harmony vocals. Then comes the Prince-like "Tell Me The Answer". I have to admit that I didn't really like this song at first but, after repeated listening, it's now one of my favourite tracks. Sharleen sings falsetto and the song just has a really groovy (sorry - I couldn't think of a better word) feel to it. The chorus is sure to be a sing-along in concert with its "come on, come on, come on" refrain. "Summer Son" is going to be the next single and it's not hard to see why. It's a rocker with a disco beat (it could almost be Blondie" with low vocals from Sharleen this time. "Sunday Afternoon" and "Move In" are swaying, soulful songs and the breathless backing vocals make them sexy. "When We Are Together" picks up the pace again and has a Motown feel to it. "Day After Day" is another one of those 'groovy' songs. Then there's a brief instrumental interlude in the form of "Zero Zero" which sounds like something else but I can't put my finger on it. "Saint" is easily the most beautiful soung on the album (yes, I'm a sucker for slow, love songs!). The chorus to "Girl" sounds a bit like Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop (ThatThing)" but that's no bad thing. The title track is perhaps the only song that wouldn't make it as a single, although the harp is a nice touch. The album ends with "The Day Before I Went Away" which is a beautiful leaving song with space sound effects. The playing on the album is faultless, as usual. Highly recommended.
Posted by hurtling17 at 02:48 PM
September 16, 2004
Gangster No. 1
Now that the Olympics are over and I've stalled in the reading of literature, my Netflix subscription is no longer going to waste. I am now getting to the movies that have been waiting me to view for over 2 months.Last night, I watched Gangster No. 1, with Malcom McDowell (A Clockwork Orange, Hidalgo, Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius) portraying Old Gangster and Paul Bettany (A Knight's Tale, Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World, Wimbeldon) portraying Young Gangster.
Malcolm McDowell .... Old Gangster 55
David Thewlis .... Freddie Mays
Paul Bettany .... Young Gangster 55
Saffron Burrows .... Karen
The story follows the life of a young man (Bettany) who joins the gang of the infamous Freddie Mays aka The Butcher of Mayfair (David Thewlis) in 1968 and his subsequent rise to the top of the organized crime chain.
The acting in this movie was superb! I can't believe Paul Bettany wasn't nominated for anything for this movie. He is so freaking intense and scary, yet at the same time, you see his vulnerability and low self esteem. Malcom McDowell is equally as intense and vulnerable as the older version of Bettany's character. David Thewlis was excellent as Freddie Mays. You got the idea that he'd kill you just as easily as he'd kiss you. It was a little odd seeing him play a "bad guy" since the only other thing I'd seen him in was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as Professor Lupin.
The storyline got a little dry in places. When the gangsters are all just handing around and talking, it gets a bit boring. Also, character development isn't a big thing. There's no background on the Young Gangster, so you really have no idea why he's so intent on taking over Mays' operation. The cinematography was a bit jumpy in places but the acting pulled you through.
I will warn you though. This is a VERY violent movie. I mean, I'm not squeamish when it comes to blood and hacking off body parts and stuff (unless said body parts are broken and sticking out at wrong angles) but this was making me a bit uncomfortabe. That's why it's getting 3 halos (for the acting) and 2 pitchforks (violence, dry writing/storyline).
Posted by xinh at 09:32 PM
September 15, 2004
Picnic at Hanging Rock
In my " let's watch another movie about Australia" kick, I watched Picnic at Hanging Rock last night. On February 14, 1900, a party of schoolgirls set out to picnic at Hanging Rock. 3 of the girls and a teacher went missing and only 1 girl was found, alive but with no memory of what happened. There are conflicting reports as to whether or not the incident really happened or not, but this movie is based on a book of the same name.
I was interested in seeing this movie for 2 reasons: Peter Weir directed it and I like movies that present theories as to what might have happened at an unexplained event.
I was slightly disappointed in the latter case. The movie really just presents the timeline of what happened and doesn't offer any sort of theory or explanation of what happened to the girls or their teacher.
And again, I was subjected to really long shots of the Australian fauna and flora. The only shots of the countryside I enjoyed were the shots of Hanging Rock itself because it looked somewhat sinister and that made it feel like the place was alive and eeeevil.
The editing was a bit disjointed and the dialogue was a bit stilted as well.
Overall, I'd say watch the movie if you've got 1:47 to spare and are interested in unexplainable stories.
Posted by xinh at 09:10 PM
Movie: Pecker
Directed by
John Waters
(1998)
Superstars: Edward Furlong (Pet Cemetary, terminator, American history X), Christina Ricci (200 Cigarettes, Sleepy Hollow, Prozac Nation), Mary Kay Place (Sweet Home Alabama, Junk, Girl Interrupted, Being John Malkovich), Martha Plimpton (I LOVE YOU!!!), Lili Taylor (4 Rooms, High Fidelity, The Haunting)...and a million others.
If you like photography (And I know you photo-sluts out there totally do!) you'll appreciate the quirk to this movie. Plus, Edward Furlong! and CHRISTINA RICCI! And.... MARTHA PLIMPTON! I need new underpants.
Moving along now.
So Pecker (Edward) is an average Baltimore boy, just chillin' out taking photos on a used 35 mm in his spare time and working at a hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop. His girlfriend (Christina) is just your average obsessed-with-her-job laundromat gal. His family is your average... *unique* family complete with a sugarholic (Lil chrissy), a fag hag (Martha), a disgruntled bartender (dad), and a thrifty bum-loving mother (mom). Oh yeah. and Pit beef Gramaw.
Sawiiit!
Anyway... follow Pecker along the road to superstardom. He has a little 'art show' at work where lo and behold he's scouted by a really big talent scout (Lili) who buys one photo for 50 bucks. Which turns into a big show in New York, which turns Pecker into the MR. PHOTOGRAPHY THANG. SHABAM!
But fame and fortune have it's downfalls. His relationship with his girlfriend goes downhill, his sister gets fired from her job, Lil Chrissy doesn't want a soda anymore, all the New York snobs invade Baltimore AAAAKKKK!
I want the soundtrack.
whoah I got sidetracked...
Pecker, wanting everything to go back to normal declines an artshow for the whitney (wtf that is) and decides to put on an art show of his own right there in Baltimore. After all, his photos are of 'everyday life'... what can he have up his sleeve? (snicker). all the rich snobby art freaks get bussed down to dad's bar and we'll just let you finish the movie yourself.
I like movies with quirk, wit and humour and this movie is full of it. chock block full of it. If this movie was a tasty burrito I wouldn't be able to get my mouth around it cos it's just jam-packed with so much going on. Makes me kinda wanna pit beef sandwich. Or a soda.
It's definetely a good pick me up on a rainy day.
Posted by prism at 01:11 AM | Comments (0)
Movie: ELECTION
Directed by
Alexander Payne
(1999)
Superstars: Matthew Broderick (If you don't know who Matthew Broderick is shame on you!), Reece Witherspoon (Legally Blonde, Sweet Home Alabama, vanity fair), Chris Klein (American Pie).
If any of you out there have been to highschool... you will quickly recognise and remember the overachieving, psycho-maniac, perfectionist no school can live without, or escape.
PICK FLICK!
This movie is by far one of my FAVOURITE movies of all time. That aside, I am not biased, I am merely here to provide you with enough information to make you guys go out and rent it AT ONCE.
If you don't... this potted plant dies! BWAH HA HA HAHAHAHAHAH.
Seriously now.
(clears throat).
Tracy Flick (Adorably cute Reece Witherspoon), is THE SMARTEST student at Carver highschool. She's on like, every comittee and every club imaginable it's disgusting. Mr. McAllister (Superswell Matthew Broderick) is Carver High's numer one teacher (three years running). He's a bit tired of Tracy constantly winning everything. Not to mention she had an affair with his best friend and fellow teacher, causing him to lose his job and his marriage. No hard feelings right? ha ha.
Anyway, it's that time of year again and the student body is up for student government elections. Tracy is running un-opposed as student body president. She's sooo totally a shoo-in.
But wait! Mr. McAllister has sand in his vagina he doesn't think people like Tracy should be able to tramp on everyone to get to the top. Where's the democratics in that? He convinces a Jock with an injury (Chris Klein) to run opposition and in doing so.... creates quite a bit of drama.
An affair, a love triangle, broody teenage drama, a sabotaged election, WHOALLY CRAP ON A STICK MR. HAT! This movie is smack dab full of so many side details, and so much random bullshit it makes up for the fact that a lot of people don't understand my obsession with it. Also... COME ON! We all know those people who just get everything. It's funny!
Please, for the love of this potted plant. Rent the damned movie. I will freely admit it's a bit on the random, 'huh?' side of things to watch but it's worth it.
Posted by prism at 12:35 AM
September 10, 2004
Hawaii
It's time for the new Fall Season on US television and I am the biggest television junkie there is (I make up a schedule for my living room and bedroom taping of shows), so I thought I'd review one of the shows that I've seen so far.NBC, in a very smart programming move, debuted its Fall Season a week early. This meant that the viewing public was treated to the premieres of Joey (can I handle a whole season of "how you doin'?"), the second season of The Apprentice ("I'm crazy about crustaceans!"), and Medical Investigations (a veritable who's who of Hey! It's That Guy/Girl!"). But since I usually try to give a show a 3 episode viewing before deciding to trash it or keep it on the taping schedule, I can't review those. I can, however, tell you all about the new cop drama, Hawaii, since NBC has aired 3 episodes of this show already.
I hadn't really heard anything about this show until Susan and I went to Chicago. The plane was showing NBC coverage of stuff after the movies so we got a full preview of all the new shows on NBC. I was intrigued by this show because it's got Michael Biehn (Terminator, The Abyss, The Rock). If I like an actor, I tend to watch anything that person is in, even if the movie is crappy (The Seventh Sign, Jade, Cherry Falls ringing any bells there, Michael?).
Unfortunately, after 3 viewings, not even my like of Michael Biehn or the other talented actors makes me want to stick with this show. The show is full of clichés and sterotypes, all set against the backdrop of the lush tropicalness that is Hawaii.
You know what? I'm betting Hawaii doens't look like that all the time. It's just like how Hollywood portrays California: sunny all the time (except when they need it to rain) and everyone hangs out at the beach.
The show centers on two sets of detectives in the Honolulu Metro Police Department. Sean Harrison (Biehn) is the seasoned detective who's divorced with a young son and has secrets in his past. His partner, John Declan (played by Sharif Atkins, late of ER fame) is a young Chicago transplant (get it? Chicago? ER?) who's trying to adjust to the surroundings.
The other younger set of detectives (although they're probably around the same age as Declan) are comprised of Danny Edwards (played by Ivan Sergei, whose resumé shows a long list of 1 season tv shows, which doesn't bode well for this series) and Chistopher Gains (played by Eric Balfour, of Six Feet Under [which I won't hold against him because he was also in Kids, Incorporated]). Edwards is a loose cannon, mouthing off to just about anyone, and a ladies man. Gains is the local boy done good, who tries to keep his brash partner from going off half cocked.
Throw in a hot female cop named Linh (Aya Sumika) to create a love triangle with 2 of the younger detectives, a portly class clown cop named Kaleo (Peter Navy Tuiasosopo), and a hardened, gruff-on-the-outside-but-lovable-on-the-inside police captain, Terry Harada (played by Mortal Kombat's Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa to bust the balls of the younger detectives and you've got yourself a clichéd cast of characters.
The storylines aren't much better. Car jackers, drugged stuffed fish, severed heads in dufflebags, and serial killers have all been done before and better. Admittedly, the scene where Declan jumps off a dock to catch a car jacker only to fall into the water and have to be rescued by the offender because Declan can't swim was funny but it was one good scene in a hour's worth of scenes. I usually don't see the twists or the ends of storylines coming but these are so predictable, they hit me like a Mack Truck.
**side note:
During an interrogation scene, one of the extras tells Harrison that the bad guy threatened his "Ohana" and Declan says, "Your what?" And I thought to myself, "Has this guy never seen Lilo & Stitch?"
**end side note
Overall, I'd say to only watch this show if nothing else is on and then only until Lost premieres.
Posted by xinh at 09:06 PM
The Motorcycle Diaries - Diarios De Motocicleta
Before Che Guevara became a revolutionary, he took a trip across South America with a friend on a motorcycle. This is based on the diaries he kept whilst travelling.
This is a really interesting road movie, quite different from any other I've seen. The scenery is spectacular, especially the scene where they arrive at Machu Pichu. It's very eerie, almost as if you're there with them. The film does a good job of showing how he changed from an idealistic, privileged young man to one with a social conscience through scenes where he meets poverty-stricken communists searching for work and works at a leper colony. The interactions between the actors and the people have a documentary feel to them and I wouldn't be surprised if these were actually real people, not actors.
This film is about the man before the revolution and it does a great job of setting it up. I'm sure there'll be a sequel before too long. Highly recommended.
Posted by hurtling17 at 09:26 AM
September 09, 2004
Movie Review- Freddy Vs. Jason
I’ve been thinking long and hard on how to start this review. I figured out the best way to do that is to ask, “When did horror movies stop being scary?”
Ok, maybe that question isn’t entirely fair because you get the sense that Freddy Vs. Jason wasn’t supposed to be scary. You get the idea that is more of a parody of itself and its genre. But you would think that a movie with Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees would be just a tiny bit scary.
Now, granted, Freddy Krueger never really scared me. I’ve always found the Nightmare on Elm Street movies to be gory and lots of fun to watch, but I was never really scared. Jason, on the other hand, scared me shitless. There were times in my youth when I couldn’t even look out the window in fear there would be some machete-wielding maniac standing outside. But it was a good kind of scared, the fun kind, so when I got the chance to watch Freddy and Jason in the same movie, I was all for it.
The premise of the movie is this… Freddy (Played once again by the wonderful Robert Englund) is in Hell and still filled with bloodlust. However, he has no power, he can’t enter dreams anymore because no one’s afraid of him. See, the parents of Springwood have erased all memory of Freddy- no one speaks his name and everyone who has had any kind of contact with him is sent to a mental hospital where they are given drugs that keep them from dreaming. Without that fear, Freddy can’t enter dreams. So, Freddy devises a way to bring fear back into the lives of the Springwood kids. He does so by resurrecting Jason (played this time around by Kevin Kerzinger), appearing as Jason’s mother, telling him that the kids on Elm St. have been very, very bad. So, off Jason goes, to the home of Lori Campbell, whose parents are predictably absent (Mom is dead, Dad is on a business trip). We meet Lori and her friends, hear a very brief, almost throw-away mention of a boyfriend who suddenly disappeared, and soon, the bloody hijinks begin. Eventually, after Jason does away with a few of Freddy’s victims before he can get to them, Freddy gets a little pissed with Jason. So, Lori and her friends devise a way to pit Freddy and Jason against each other.
The movie does have a few redeeming qualities. There are a couple funny moments, such as the scene in which the heroes have just survived a massacre in a cornfield (complements of Jason) and one of the teenagers says, “Man, that goalie was pissed off about something!” This same teen is one of my gripes about the movie. We’ve never met this kid, he just seems to have sprung up out of nowhere… we’re not introduced to this kid at all, but suddenly he’s one of the main characters halfway through the movie.
As for the actors, well, they’re most a forgettable bunch, with a couple expections. Jason Ritter (Joan of Arcadia, also John Ritter’s son) is decent as Lori’s long lost boyfriend, Will and Monica Keena (Dawson’s Creek), who portrayed Lori, was likeable. The rest of the gang- Kelly Rowland (of Destiny’s Child), Chris Marquette, Mark Davis, Katharine Isabelle, and Lochlyn Munro (as a very naïve cop) are just what you would expect from a horror movie cast- bland and not very memorable.
Posted by bitka at 07:26 PM | Comments (1)
Party Monster 2003
Directed by
Fenton Bailey
Randy Barbato
Superstars: Seth Green (Buffy, Austin Powers... he's all over the place), Macaulay Culkin (Home Alone, broadway, RichieRich, MyGirl), Marilyn Manson, Wilmer Valderrama (That 70's show), Dylan McDermott (Three to Tango, The Practice), Natasha Leone (Amerian Pie, Scary Movie) and a billion others.
Documentary. This is the true story of one naughty bad murdering club kid (Michael Alig) and his downward spiral into drugs, parties, and glamour.
Average Joe from Indiana meets underground 80's club scene in New York City.
It's fantastic, it's glamourous, it's sparkly! The music, the lights! Oh the drugs. MMMMM the drugs.
Kid promoter goes from shitty thrown-together-barely-breaking-even raves to extravagant huge parties...EVERYWHERE.
I have found a whole new deep respect for Macaulay Culkin after watching him in this movie. He's extravagant. He's bisexual. He's half naked a lot of the time. He wears more glitter than I'd know what to do with (and we all know I love glitter). My darling Seth Green is just as glamourous and just as poofy. James St. James he is, the man who wrote the book, the man who sent Michael to jail in the first place.
When you're so high, and your ego gets so big... you think you're unstoppable. Untouchable. When Michael started bragging to everyone about murdering his drug dealer no one believed him at first. Hey. With crazy Michael around who knows what's real or fake...it could just be publicity for one of his mega parties. WOOO HOOOO I'M SO THERE! But wait. Dead body alert. Hmmmm......
I give this movie 's of sheer and utter brilliance.
If you don't like sex, drugs, raves, boys in drag and murder, don't bother with this movie.
If you'd like to see Macaulay's sweet ass, sparkly glamtabulous fabulousness, and Marylin Manson's uber (yet brief) comedic character Christina... please see this movie.
Posted by prism at 07:09 PM | Comments (2)
The Great Love Swindle
(UK) Channel E4: Monday 1030pm.
Type of Show: Reality (or is it?!)
The Great Love Swindle is a reverse reverse reality show. Like Joe Millionaire before it, it has a twist. But not one twist...two twists.
The confusion will disappear quickly, trust me, friends.
The Great Love Swindle shows us four guys, who claim to have a charm that women find irresitible.
So, they claim.
They walk around like the next James Bond, the next Casanova, and God's greatest gift to women.
And women flock.
The guys, who have never met each other before this show, are so confident (read: egotistical) that when the producers of the show said to them, 'I bet you can't get a woman to fall in love with you in 5 dates' these guys all answered 'Bring it on'.
Now, I've seen She's All That and the various movies it was based on (the 80's classic, 'Can't buy me love' also vaguely qualifies), and I can tell you from movie experience that making a bet with your friends about a girl will not end up well.
It will not end up, at all. Lots of grovelling will be involved becuase no woman (and I mean it, guys) wants to be swindled.
Hell hath no fury, Gentlemen...remember that.
So, back to the show...I'm sitting, watching, thinking, 'This has got to be the most horrible show they've put on television. I can't believe the gall of these people to embarass all these poor women who are looking for true love on national television'. At this point in the program, I would have given it a 5 pitchfork rating: 
But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the twist, my friends.
These girls know about the bet. They know, and their job is to make sure it doesn't happen. And the guys don't know the girls know.
Ha ha ha! The producers of the show have apparently decided that these fellas, and their overgrown egos, need a bit of a smacking down. So, while they're schmoozing and wining and dining these women in the hopes of getting a vacation to exotic South Florida, these women are there to put the monkey wrench in the plan.
Will one of the guys manage to get their girl to say those three little words? And will he then ditch her to go off on a one-man honeymoon to Miami?
Or will the girls manage to fend off the slobbering apes?
I now think this is the most brilliant show thought up. Talk about a swindle. Talk about drama! Talk about men getting beaten down for thinking they're God's Gift to women!
I also think that guys will appreciate the show as much as girls will. Why? Becuase no one wants to believe that there are actually men out there this sleazy. Oh yes, there's some guy out there reading this saying, 'I bet I could get her to say it, even if she is an actress.' and to that I say, 'Whatever dude. Learn the lesson.'
But for the most part, everyone will like the show. There aren't any dramatic votings...no one's getting kicked off. People aren't shagging each others' partners...the producers simple put a bunch of cats, and a bunch of dogs in the same room to see what would happen.
Hell hath no fury, gentlemen. Remember that.
Posted by calima at 11:01 AM
Ned Kelly
Directed by Gregor JordanHeath Ledger .... Ned Kelly
Orlando Bloom .... Joe Byrne
Geoffrey Rush .... Francis Hare
Naomi Watts .... Julia Cook
Joel Edgerton .... Aaron Sherritt
Laurence Kinlan .... Dan Kelly
Phil Barantini .... Steve Hart
An account of Australia's most famous Bushranger, Ned Kelly.
This movie was filmed and released overseas about a year before it made it to the U.S. The U.S. released it as an art house movie, which meant that the average American wasn't going to see it at the local AMC. It did play at a very cool movie theatre in Hollywood, but I never made it while it was in the theatre those 2 days (I exaggerate, it was probably 3 days). [Diety of choice] bless that Netflix carries all kinds of foreign films so I was able to view this film without paying $20 (the theatre it was in was a really chi-chi kind of theatre).
And thank [diety of choice] for the fast forward button. As much as I love looking at sweeping landscapes of the Australian countryside, 5 minutes of a camera lingering on a tree branch up close and personal doesn't work for me. Plus, the fast forward button worked wonders when the acting of 2 of the characters/actors in the same scene **coughNaomiandHeathcough** got too stilted and boring.
The story and plot itself wasn't all that bad. It's not easy to tell the story of a cultural icon who is both loved and reviled equally by a nation (although Ned Kelly is probably revered more than he is reviled). It's also hard to be very historically accurate when the story is more than 100 years old and eyewitness accounts weren't very accurate. Unfortunately, this leaves some of the characters flat and not fleshed out.
Overall, I'd say it's worth a rental.
I give it 2 Halos (for the cinematography and acting of most of the actors) and 3 Pitchforks (for the lack of fleshed out characters and long boring montages).
Posted by xinh at 02:38 AM
September 08, 2004
Catwoman - by the numbers
OK, your standard superhero movie - you got your ordinary person before the superpowers arrive, shy, introverted, probably a bad dresser, maybe a bit ugly too. Check.
Then you get the accident that turns them into a superhero, usually involving a vat of chemicals. Check.
Add a freaky person who seems to know more about it than they let on (in this case, a crazy cat lady played by the mum from Six Feet Under). Check.
Then superhero person starts to behave weirdly, running up walls and beating cops at basketball. First hint to dumb cop - ordinary people don't run up walls. This is suspicious.
Baddies appear, bit of sanctimonious speech-making, somebody dies. Then it's time for a romantic interlude. Second hint to dumb cop - you are looking for a catwoman, the woman you just slept with just put clawmarks down your back. This is suspicious.
Superhero gets set up by baddie, fight scenes in pyjamas. Sod Halle Berry, Sharon Stone has still got it baby !
Dumb cop finally realises who Catwoman is, he has to do the right thing and he arrests her. She manages to escape from her cell because she is anorexic and can just slip through the bars. Note to cops : get iron doors instead of bars.
Final showdown, blah blah blah, baddie gets killed, Halle gets away with it. Kiss, kiss, oh no wait, I can't be with you cos I'm a superhero now and that's the way it goes.
Cue shot of skyline and moon.
THE END
Posted by hurtling17 at 07:28 PM | Comments (1)
Garden State
Garden State - Drama/Comedy
Written & Directed by Zach Braff
Starring: Zach Braff (Scrubs, Broken Hearts Club--a fantastic movie); Peter Sarsgaard (Boys Don't Cry, Man in the Iron Mask); Natalie Portman (New Star Wars, Where the Heart Is); Ian Holm (LotR, A Life Less Ordinary)
I'm not a good reviewer by any standards, so bear with me.
Braff stars as Andrew Largeman, a Los Angeles actor who doesnt really act, so much as work at a restaurant to pay bills. He receives a call from his father who informs him that his disabled mother has drowned in the bathtub. The movie follows Largeman's return home to an ice-cold relationship with his father, his fascinating childhood friends, and a new relationship with an epileptic girl named Sam.
The film overall is fantastic. It reminded me in many ways of a Wes Anderson movie. Quirky characters, witty dialogue, excellent cinematography. I was very impressed with Braff's ability to make ordinary characters stand out and become original. Their interaction with each other was believeble, and very funny! I very rarely connect with characters, but the personalities Braff created (which were so beautifully acted out) made me care--made me want to know how it all turns out.
As I've already said, the cinematography was wonderful. Nothing was over the top or lavish--just a perfect balance of everything the scene needed to be successful.
I'll admit, at times I was confused with the storyline. There seemed to be a few plot holes that never were filled in. But perhaps it was merely something I missed along the way. Either way, the holes didn't stop me from enjoying it. I'd definitely like to see it again--see if it means as much (or more) to me the second time through.
Lastly, the soundtrack is incredible. It very much fit the style of the movie (and my musical tastes, as well). Even if you don't enjoy the movie, the soundtrack is worth checking out. From laidback Simon and Garfunkel to soothing Remy Zero, heartfelt Colin Hay (former Men at Work singer), to upbeat Frou Frou, this compilation has something for everyone.
I give it:
Posted by luminati at 01:42 AM
September 02, 2004
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
Did you see the movie? Because if you did, it is nothing like the book. Not that I expected it to be, but wow.
This is not really going to be a comparison of the movie and the book but I thought I would just get the obvious out of the way. The only things that are the same from movie and book are a couple of character names and the company name (and even that was abbreviated in the movie). Otherwise, the book is vastly different.
The book centers on Dr. Susan Calvin, a psychologist and a robopsychologist, who works for U.S. Robotics. She is being interviewed by a journalist and her recollections are what make up the book. Each short story concerns a new robot series manufactured by U.S. Robotics and the problems/concerns associated with the new robots.
I did find the writing a bit dry in parts but overall, the whole book was easily readable. Each story makes you think about the ramifications of advanced technology and each story has a moral (although some are harder to find than others). Some of the stories are humorous, some are heartwarming, some are heartbreaking, and some are a little heavy handed. However, I think it all balances itself out so that you are not overwhelmed by one emotion.
It was an odd feeling to read a book written in the 1950s that was talking about 2005 as "the future" and to know that the 2005 depicted in the book was not anything like our 2005 (unless there are amazing technological advancements made in the next year).
I give the book 3 Halos and 2 Pitchforks (for the dry writing).
Posted by xinh at 08:34 PM
September 01, 2004
Without a Paddle
I begin my maiden voyage into the reviewathonian world by giving props to the mad skillz our webmistress and fellow reviewers have. It aint easy telling people what to like all day but we do our best. Kinda like when I cook dinner. 'Just eat it and shut up'.
;)
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Without a Paddle COMEDY
Directed by....Steven Brill
Superstars: Dax Shepard (mtv-couldn't really find much more info about him), Matthew Lillard (scooby doo), & Seth Green (Buffy, AustinPowers, Party Monster...).
Let's see....
I saw this movie with two 12 year old girls and I won't lie to you dear readers...they thought it was 'really stupid'. Not me. I thought it was entirely a whole lot of 'ok'. I snickered out loud on several occasions and I do believe I got caught off guard with a lil' snort too. This in my book is a good thing.
3 friends are brought back together after a 4th adventure loving friend has a tragic parasailing (?) accident and dies. It's all memory lane from there and they all decide to go on one last adventure (for dead friend's sake).
(begin 'adventure')
Bear attack, weed harvesters, hippies, love in a cave, crazy mountian man, TREASURE. wholy shit where'd that come from? I so saw that coming a mile away. Moral fibre. Love your friends. blah blah blah. Live life don't let it pass you by.
(/'adventure')
very essence of goonies, meets I don't know what but the predicableness was made pallatable and quite frankly delicious by one Mr. Green.
I give kudos and two big fat caesarian thumbs up to Seth Green and his UBER awesomeness. This will quickly turn into a Seth Green love tribute except for the fact that he practically stole the show. I just saw him for the 3rd time in Party Monster and going from Party Monster to Without A Paddle is quite impressive.
I would see this movie for the sheer fact that Seth Green is a very admirable actor and molds himself to any character he plays.
The other lads are awesome too.
I would reccommend this movie as a group outing, or if you're in the mindset that you have some time to kill and don't care what you do. As far as 12 year old girls go they didn't appreciate it so much so I think this would be more of a male bonding kinda film.
The forests of cheese are abundant but I give my neutural 6/10 just cos it was worth it.
Oh yeah... and cos of the trailer for Team America World Police. YEAH MATT AND TREY.
Posted by prism at 12:12 AM