Close Encounters of the Third Kind

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First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Myself

I find it hard to think of many other films that can capture me and instil me with a sense of wonder and awe, even on repeated viewings. Perhaps maybe Totoro. Both films have a stillness about them, something special and mysterious presented as if watching from a distance and being witness to a unique and rare event.

I'll admit the new trailer for Super 8 that was just released at the Super Bowl succeeded in getting me nostalgic for vintage Spielberg. You can see his influence on J.J. Abrams, the tone, the Anamorphic photography and flares and the use of music. John Williams' score in this is as iconic as the images from the film. Especially thanks to the repeated 5 tone signal through the film that works its way into the score. To think that he wrote Star Wars in the same year is incredible.

This score start out very atonal and abstract, like the scenes in the film. We see various characters in different parts of the world and there is never any exposition or explanations as to what we are seeing or how it connects. This is revealed slowly thought the course of the film until it all comes together in the end. That's also when the score takes off and soars into the heavens.

There's also that broken family undercurrent that's in many of his other films. Teri Garr's character has always been troublesome to me. Sometimes I think she comes off as annoying and sometimes I sympathise with her just not being able to cope with Richard Dreyfuss going crazy.

The film looks great on Blu-ray. You can see where all the matte painting edges are and everything. I watched the Director's Cut version which has the few extra scenes in the middle but cuts out the Special Edition ending where you see inside the mothership. There's heaps more to say but if you are a fan you already know how good this is. And if you haven't seen it, put aside a few hours to check it out. This has to be seen from start to finish in one sitting or it will ruin the build up IMO. It was great to revisit this classic, it's been far too long.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire

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First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Mum

I've been on a bit of a disney bend lately. This is another one that doesn't really fit into the idea of classic disney animation. It's actually more of a Jules Verne style adventure film, like Journey to the Centre of the Earth or Around the World in 80 Days. As such, there are types of characters in this film that are unusual for disney animation too. An old eccentric funds a young scientist and a team of explorers to find the lost city of Atlantis. There are some great actors providing the voice talent and it's a much more serious tone with only minimal annoying comedic relief.

I do love these old adventure movies this one is modelled after and they get the tone and characters spot on. It's an exciting ride and thankfully it's never interrupted by show tunes or talking animals. As the crew slogan read "Fewer songs, more explosions." I believe with this and Treasure Planet, Disney was trying to get boys to come back to watch animation who refused to sit through princess stories. Apparently they are going to continue to head in that direction now. If they can be as good as Atlantis, that's fine with me. I didn't like Treasure Planet that much.

What this film has going for it that the old adventure movies didn't is the imaginative and beautiful scope of the backgrounds and sets and some awesome large scale destruction. I think with animation it's easier to make the backgrounds and fx work feel part of the whole than with live action, especially in the 60's and 70's when many of these films were made. There is a great design aesthetic to the look of the film and a very detailed and though out mythology providing the backdrop of the story, for those willing to look.

Most importantly, it's fun and entertaining. There's some cool actions set pieces and the expected character double crossing and romance. James Newton Howard provides his usual level of awesomeness with the music. I love the fx design of the lazer blasts and Atlantian magic stuff. If you're ok without the princesses and songs, this is another fine work of animation.

Stuck

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Current Release: No
Watched With: Myself

I love me my Stuart Gordon films. But instead of his usual Lovcraftian horror, here he is telling a story based on some unnerving true events, of a girl who ran into a homeless person with her car. He got stuck in the windshield and she drove him home and left him to bleed to death in the garage. It's a simple (and economic) set up but in typical movie fashion the problems just keep escalating, the tension builds until the the films climatic final moments.

Mena Suvari and Stephen Rea are great. They are both so sympathetic, well at the start anyway. You don't want to see either of them in this mess and they just keep making things worse for themselves. It's agonising and exhilarating at the same time. I love uncomfortable films like this, that twist the knife ever so slowly...

Stuart Gordon has been taking some interesting script choices in the past few years. He also made Edmond based on the Mamet play. He's flexing his drama muscles and he does it brilliantly. But there is still always a very dark undercurrent in his work that I love. Like Edmond, this film is a simple set up, they don't needlessly complicate things and it doesn't overstay it's welcome. He does film making on a budget very well.

I just hope he gets more work and continues his Lovecraft films too.

To Sir, With Love

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First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: No
Watched With: Myself

The ol' motivational teacher movie. Was this the first? I don't know, probably not. It's is definitely not the last though. There's bloody thousands of them.

I guess by today's standards this is a slight film. Those rebellious teens don't seem too rebellious. I don't have the luxury of knowing the context in which this film was released so I can only judge it by the countless other films that came after it. By their standards, it's very straight forward.

Holy crap this is the first time I've ever seen Sidney Poitier act in a film. (besides The Jackal remake, but I don't even remember that, let alone him in it.) How can this be? I always wondered who that dude was that got that lifetime achievement Oscar in 2004. He was a black school teacher in England somewhere.

So, when teaching rebellious teens, I don't recommend having a boxing match with them. I do recommend field trips told with funky 60's photo montages. That was awesome. I do love British fashion in the 60's.

I'm afraid that's all I took away from this film. It wrapped up then kept going for half an hour. They also managed to work in a pop song. Good for them.

No Strings Attached

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First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

This was extremely average. A shame since they started out so great in the first 15 minutes. They had the best female supporting cast in this (male, not so much) and they were all wasted.

There just wasn't enough here to make a feature film. This is like a short film concept that has been padded out. The whole film is so happy, it seems like they really struggled to find any conflict to make the audience at all interested in what was going on. It's pretty much, two people having a good time: the movie. I'm struggling to think of things to write about, that's how little there was to this movie.

Cary Elwes shows that he can still look damn hot though.

Hereafter

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First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

Clint Eastwood, just because you are old doesn't mean your films have to be boring.

Truth be told I mainly went to see this because of its Visual Effects Oscar nomination. That this beat out something like Scott Pilgrim for effects is very sad. There is one disaster sequence that opens the film, and it is the best thing in the film. The effects work IS stupendous though. But that seems to be it. I guess they don't rate on volume of effects or style and design.

Anyway after the awesome opening we follow a bunch of separate stories with character we don't care about dealing with some death issues. It's all in the trailer. They bring them main three threads together at the end in climatic meeting that is neither emotional nor earned.

Lots of good actors here just walking through the paces. Bryce Dallas Howard why was your character even in this film? To pad out the running time? The film is far too long as it is. And contains the two worst child actors I've ever seen. Granted they are also given the worst child dialogue I've ever heard to.

You can immediately tell Clint Eastwood composed the music too because it sounds just like the only one song he can write that he has used in all his other movies.

But the screening was filled with a whole bunch of old people, who no doubt will see anything this man makes, and might enjoy it a little too. Not for me.

Troll Hunter

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

I have been trying to see this film for a long time. I'm pleased to report it was every bit as fun as I hoped it would be.

Lots of people are sick of the whole amateur shaky cam mockumentary style movie. I happen to love the device, especially when it's done well. While I understand it wasn't for everyone, Cloverfield was my second favourite film of 2009. I think you can do a lot with the it if you know what you are doing.

This time, not being Norwegian, I found it harder to pick up the subtext, if any, of the Troll attacks and any metaphors or cultural significance this might have. I feel like they were in there but I just don't know enough about Norway to pick them up. Apparently there were a few famous Norwegian comedians that made cameos in this. I didn't recognise anyone, I think the only other norwegian mockumentary film I've seen that comes to mind is the hilarious Get Ready to Be Boyzvoiced. This film is funny but there are a few sequences that are surprisingly tense as well.

You don't see too much of the Trolls, there are 4 attack sequences, 5 if you count the first one where you don't actually witness anything. The trolls themselves are beautifully designed and executed. They look like very old fashioned original designs from folklore books. Each one is unique. Sometimes their animation is a little stiff but who the hell knows what 50 ft trolls move like anyway.

The rest of the time we are following some University film students trying to make a documentary originally on bear hunting that turns into something much more dangerous and interesting. There is a sequence where they become trapped in a mine that was equally tense and hilarious. It really manages to suck you in but when you check yourself and realise they are hiding from TROLLS you can't help but laugh at how seriously everyone is taking it.

And that's the key here, everyone in the cast is completely committed to selling these trolls and it did succeed for me every now and then. It's definitely a fun movie so keep an eye out for it in the future!

Black Book

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First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Dad

Chocolate saves the day!

This film is so goddamn entertaining. I love this so much, it is probably my favourite war-time film. This is a thrilling spy film filled with suspense and double crosses and some saucy sex by the master of classy exploitation Paul Verhoeven. Here he returns to film in his native land after a long absence in Hollywood and the change serves him well. Although the tinges of exploitation still linger blissfully.

The script is brilliantly structured, it's just one dilemma after the other and each one leads to more severe trouble. And you never know who to trust. It's a hairy ride but one that is very satisfying. And it is never bogged down lingering on the atrocities of the war like so many oscar baited films. Instead it's just the backdrop that surrounds the story and these characters. It plays out a lot like a noir spy-adventure film. There's something very old-fasioned feeling about the film making and I love it.

Carice van Houten is at the centre of this film and she is stunning to watch. It's no surprise Hollywood snapped her up right after the film came out. It's a fantastic role and she performs wonderfully. The rest of the cast a great, I only recognise a few of them from other films but that makes such a nice change, none of them have any baggage.

The costumes and locations are filled with period detail, nicely shot. The music is just this side of melodramatic and fits in nicely with the noir feeling of the whole piece. If you missed out on this film a few years back and love a good spy action thriller be sure to check this one out.

Braindead

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First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Jordan, Tyler

There's a lot of gore in this one. And creative gore too.

From the makers of Lord of the Rings! They should put that on the cover.This film is a hilarious cartoonish romance/drama that happens to feature a lot of zombie action. But at it's heart, it's a coming of age story and it's very sweet.

Jackson shows he's got what it takes with this one. Although he does really favour the wide angled lens ala Terry Gilliam. It's a little rough around the edges but it's all there, the skills that would lead to bigger and better things. This was his third feature, the first two are equally hilarious and shlocky. Here though he's refined the structure and writing a little more and also, most importantly, created Weta Workshop so they had someone to do all the gore fx.

Many claim this is the goriest film ever made. It's had not to argue with them. It's certainly one of the funniest zombie films I've ever seen. It's up there with Shaun of the Dead, not just with laughs but with heart too. I love this film.

The Shawshank Redemption

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Current Release: No
Watched With: Jordan, Tyler

Infamously overlooked at the Oscars and on just about everyone's top films of all time lists, what can you say about this film? Umm, it's great? It IS great. If you haven't seen it *coughjordantylercough* then shame on you and you should fix that right away.

Frank Darabont, the schlocky horror writer and script doctor got his chance to write and direct a little film based on some Steven King short story. He knocked it out of the park and consequently made The Green Mile and The Mist with the same formula. And only one of them was actually a horror! Good for you Frank.

This film has some of the most dependable actors ever assembled in one film. The guys that often play the bit parts in other films, they all get a chance to shine here. The writing is fantastic, Roger Deakins' work is essential and I was once made fun of in year 10 for saying I loved Thomas Newman's score in this film. It's ok though, the teacher asked the boy if he knew what a score was and when he replied in the negative the teacher told him to "shut up then." Take that Jamie.

It's a movie about hope, that is not overly sentimental or sensationalised and leaves you feeling great. It's a long film but completely satisfying. Most of you know this already so I won't go on, those that don't need to see this now.

Paprika

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Current Release: No
Watched With: Mum

Speaking of crazy Japanese movies...

Satoshi Kon is one of the giants in Anime. Sadly we lost him last last year and this was his last film completed before he died. It's a shame because you can see in this film that he's still have a ball playing around with these concepts of film conventions and constructed realities.

His work has also obviously had a big influence on Aronofsky, you can see it in Requiem for a Dream and big time in Black Swan, that plays out just like Kon's earlier work Perfect Blue but with ballet instead of acting.

The blurring of reality and fiction is a constant theme in his films so it's no surprise to find him writing a story based around dreams. Much like Inception or the Cell, dreams can be shared through technology but someone has taken over and is controlling them and it is up to our heros to dive into these dreams and sort out the mess.

And what a joyful mess it is. The dream imagery in the film is like nothing that could be done in live action (without a lot of work and billions of dollars) and is always creative. I find the narrative gets lost somewhere in all these images and concepts but getting lost along the way was no-doubt the intention.

It's a lighter film from his filmography and it still felt like he had one more heavy hitter left in him. Perhaps his half finished final film will be completed soon. But for now this playful film will cap his great legacy.

Survive Style 5+

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First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Ali, Dan

I do love my crazy japanese films. This one also makes a great christmas film. It follows 5 different stories of people all struggling in various way to define who they are and what they want to do in the life. There's a guy who just can't keep his wife dead, 3 street kids trying to go straight (in more ways than one), an advertising executive with concepts no-one appreciates, a family dealing with a permanently hypnotised dad who thinks he is a bird and, oddly enough, Vinnie Jones as an International hitman with his hilarious sidekick/translator.

As the title might suggest, style is everything in this film. It is beautiful to behold, immaculately framed a filled with some interesting design concepts from set to costumes. It's no surprise the director worked in commercials first before making this his first feature. The editing and use of music is also great. It's a very slickly produced production.

The actors are all great in their roles and the various stories, although all funny, each have their own little conflicts that let us connect to the characters and their dilemmas, as strange as they are. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes violent, sometimes sad, most times absurd and usually always enjoyable.

My one real problem with this film is the pacing. I can understand a slower pace at the start, but after things pick up the film stop dead again just before the end. I can feel it trying to get to the punchline at the end but at this late in the game the pace dying out like it does can make one impatient. The stories are for the most part separated form each other but they do connect in some unusual and hilarious ways at the very end that make it much more satisfying than if they remained apart.

So if you love that absurd, sometimes abstract, sense of japanese humour, check this film out. It's been a favourite of mine for a few years and has now finally just been released on DVD in Australia.

Waking Sleeping Beauty

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First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

I don't watch many documentaries but I can't turn down an opportunity to have a look behind the scenes of Disney Animation from the golden age of 1984 - 1994. Disney is famous for it's wholesome image and how protective it is of that, so this surprisingly candid documentary was a refreshing change of pace from all the behind-the-scenes featurettes on their recent home video releases.

The highlight for me was watching Howard Ashman tutor Jodi Benson on how to sing Part Of Your World. The story of his passing is heartbreaking to watch unfold.

Disney seems to have been coming out of it's shell of late. Interviews and making-of's on recent blu-ray releases a slightly less guarded than before and with the announcement of the Disney Archives being made public for the first time, we are truly getting to peek behind the artistry of one of the most important studios in the world. Any fan of Disney animation or even film in general owe it to themselves to seek this out. It provides a fascinating look behind the suits that run a huge movie studio.

My Soul To Take

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First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Jordan

I dunno Wes Craven, this formula worked in the early 90's, dunno how well it holds up now you can see the twists coming. I guess all we are left with are the death scenes, which weren't that great.

I can't comment on the 3D because apparently this film isn't getting a cinema release in Australia. I can say that even if the film was in 3D it wouldn't stop it from being a very run of the mill script.

It's not badly made or acted, but it would only really work if you've never seen one of these teen slashers before. As I have, I found it rather average.

And what's with all the condor stuff?

Faster

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

This is your standard unstoppable badass that was wronged and left for dead and is now out for revenge flick. With a few exceptions.

The bad exceptions:
• There are two other sub plots going on, one following the cops that are after him trying to stop him and the other following an assassin that has been hired to kill him y one of the men who wronged him. Despite nobel efforts on the part of the actors, and even some serious fleshing out of characters, these segments are just never as compelling as the main narrative. And they spend so much time on them too.
• There is a bit of a twist at the end that didn't feel needed. It's not that it wasn't done well, it's just that it takes you out of the movie in what was otherwise a more believable film. It's just such a movie moment, my suspension of disbelief couldn't take it.

The good exceptions:
• The badass is Dwayne Johnson and he is great. There's actually a tortured soul behind this guy, not just a killing machine. He doesn't has much but it's all written on his face. I think Dwayne Johnson is actually a pretty good actor. You may disagree, but he got me invested in the action.
• Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje is just the best. The scene between him and Johnson is tense and dramatic and had me on the edge of my seat. Did not expect that going into this film.
• Oliver Jackson-Cohen play the assassin and he is very handsome.

The two side storylines of drug abusing cop with a troubled past and the assassin with a success complex aside, this was a better-than-expected ol' fashioned revenge flick.

Fatal Instinct

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: No
Watched With: Myself

Eh, this kind of comedy is always hit and miss with me. Unfortunately there were more misses in this one the hits. I can appreciate that it's just a silly film making fun of various thrillers but the glue between the gags just doesn't hold together enough.