The 13th Warrior

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

Bahaha that's the worst trailer.

So I've never seen this one before and was greatly excited when I saw Michael Crichton's name in the opening credits. John McTiernan ain't to bad either.

Did not know what to expect after the opening in what looks like an awesome matte painting from a Prince of Persia game. But it ended up being a viking men on a mission film which was cool too.

I like the mystery menace thing they are fighting, more when they don't know if it's a dragon or a monster or an army or what. There are some nice battles and viking culture stuff. I like how he magically just starts to understand what they are saying so everyone can speak in english, even if that did mean getting rid of Omar Sharif translating everything.

It's a pretty simple viking version of Seven Samurai or Magnificent Seven uhh except there are 13. Hmm. Jerry Goldsmith's score reminds me a lot of his awesome music from The Mummy. And Antonio Banderas's accent makes me giggle.

So there wasn't any cool science stuff from Michael Crichton, just a traditional band of brothers type thing. Quite fun but not something I'll remember much of tomorrow.

The Keep

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

Some great old school creeps with Nazis, evil demonic spirits, strange haunted nightmares and a big mysterious and ancient fortress.

A very early Michael Mann film and one that doesn't appear to be readily available. It's true it is rather problematic but it looks gorgeous. It really makes a great case for film and not the grainy video-loooking digital cameras he shoots on now. The framing and lighting in this is sumptuous and beautifully composed.

Ian McKellen plays a jewish scholar who the Germans have to call in for his expertise. I think even in the old age make-up at the start it's the youngest I've ever seen him look. Gabriel Byrne is the evil German commander and Scott Glenn is creepy as, well I don't really know what exactly he is.

I really love the look of the evil entity that slowly manifests throughout the film. Although there are more than a handful of man in suit moments when it is required to move. The rest of the time these apparitions appear as smoke and dry ice and it's done pretty well. Especially when they suck the spirits out of the Nazi soldiers Raiders of the Lost Ark style. And then their heads implode. Neat.

For all the drama about the Germans and the nature of evil and religion the film surprised me and really focused more on the supernatural stuff. It's pretty slow and brooding, like a haunted house film. But they never shy away from showing the supernatural events, which might hurt the film a little.

The climax amounts to some men standing around throwing 80's fx at each other. I find a certain charm to that but must admit, as cool as I think that is, it's not that successful from an action standpoint.

The score is by Tangerine Dream. There are some places where it's ok but others where it really hurts the film and also shows it's age.

So although it's not entirely successful, for an 80's horror-ish supernatural thriller it sets the scene and builds a fantastic mood throughout the first half, looks far better than it has any right to and has enough cool fx to keep me happy.

Brick

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Amberly, Jordan

Rian Johnson makes a hell of a film debut with this. It's a beautifully crafted classic film noir only set in a modern day high school.

The most iconic thing about the film is the dialogue, it practically has its own dialect. It takes a little getting used to but it's a hell of a ride once you catch on, and it's just so damn cool.

In fact everybody in this is really cool, especially Joseph Gordon-Levitt as our detective on the case, looking for answers about his lost love. Noah Fleiss, who I just saw as a really little kid in Josh and S.A.M. plays the heavy and the great Lukas Haas who I also saw earlier in the year as a kid in Lady in White is the kingpin. The only one that didn't quite click with me is Nora Zehetner as a sort of femme fatale. But I think it's more a strange personal issue I have with the limited pitch of her voice and not based in any real reasoning.

The editing also stands out to me, it keeps the scenes moving and is slick and stylish. Especially in the brawls and punch ups and a really neat foot chase. I love me my foot chases.

Very cool music too.

All in all highly recommended. It just makes you feel cooler for having seen it. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is awesome.

The King

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Amberly, Jordan

This is a neat little film from a few years back. A great awkward tense drama that very slowly builds and turns rather dark towards the end. I do love that.

Really great cast, I love Gael García Bernal, Paul Dano and William Hurt. Particularly Bernal whos character is such a mystery, his motives are always kept very vague even at the end. But there's definitely something brooding in that noggin of his. It's hard to tell if he planned the events of the film out or just went along with them. I'm still not too sure and I don't know which would be worse either.

In contrast to the events of the film, the grading, lighting and music is all quite bright and saturated. Looks good.

Check this one out, it's neat and has a great build to the climax.

The Hangover Part II

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

So it's less of a Part 2 and more of a rehash of Part 1 in a different setting. It's quite literally beat by beat what happens in the first film so you can figure out the end now.

I think watching the first one right before this was a mistake, it doesn't compare too favourably. Yes it's still funny in parts but there is far more big broad physical gags and less actual funny lines than part 1. I think that's their idea of escalation. And once again Justin Bartha has nothing to do.

That was always going to be the case. Had they gone the other route and done something different fans would probably get upset too. But if you're going into this without the first film too fresh in your mind you'll probably have a good time.

The Hangover

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Naomi

I enjoyed this the first time I saw it. Its huge popularity is a little alarming though, enough to warrant a sequel which is released today.

The cast is good, there are enough funny lines for people that don't like the really broad physical comedy to get by as well. They take the basic concept of Dude, Where's My Car? and do it without any of the fantasy elements, although things to get pretty fantastic.

I wish Justin Bartha had a little more to do as he's probably one of my favourites of the cast. But apart from that it's an enjoyable, if not very silly, romp.

Snowtown

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

Another gritty naturalistic australian crime drama, apparently that's all we can make now, but why would you stop when they are good and keep winning awards?

This one's not a very good first date movie. It's detached and slow and the rape and murder scenes aren't your fun Tarantino style affairs. We get dragged along with the young protagonist as he's slowly groomed to be a killer. Fantastic naturalistic performances from all the cast and it just manages to avoid being another boring character study by keeping the tension building and the situations escalating throughout.

Actually I really like the music too, what little they had of it. The film doesn't call for much but when it's there it seems a little dissonant to the style of the film but it actually adds nicely, the thumping bass line driving though.

This film is based on a true story which means it has some things going for it and against it. It's probably a little more horrific to know that these events really took place. But it doesn't leave the film with much of an ending. I really don't like it when a film finishes and then you have to read 5 minutes of white text on black that explains what happened to everyone.

Also being based on what is known as the "Snowtown Murders", the film is simply called Snowtown, so anyone like me who was hoping to see a town covered in snow will be very disappointed. Once they go indoor ice skating and once there is a snow globe in the background of a shot that I reasoned could be a metaphor for the characters isolated world, but I think that's pushing it a little.

But despite the absence of snow it all looks very cold and wet and trashy. A hostile environment for a hostile little film. Bleak, brooding, tense, unpleasant and recommended.

Thunderpants

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

This was a fun game of spot the famous person. Simon Callow, Stephen Fry, Paul Giamatti, Ned Beatty and Keira Knightley, even that girl that plays Susan in the Narnia films, all popped up and left you wondering why they are in this.

It's basically one giant fart joke. But it does have really nice fantasy period production design, like a strange alternate 60s where everybody has green cloths on all the time. And Rupert Grint is bloody hilarious.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

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

WOOOOOOooooooooooooo Yeah still blows me away every time. Still seeing a heap of new details. It's unbelievable, I love this film so much. Watched it earlier in the year and this time I listened to the writers commentary.

Can't emphasis enough how much I love this film.

40 Days and 40 Nights

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

Josh Hartnett is a bit of alright. Shannyn Sossamon has always been a bit on an enigma to me though.

This film was ok too. Pretty much what I was expecting, something easy to watch while I work on other things. Has a cool cast of supporting players but they don't have much to do. The usual amount on suspension of disbelief is required and you'll have to excuse the slightly offensive generalisations for both sexes for this to work but as it seems to be taking place in a heightened reality you go with it.

I liked the very self referential meet cute in the laundromat. Who would have thought that he'd find the girl of his dreams right when he started his lent celibacy? What are the odds right?

Nothing much else memorable from this one except a dreams sequence involving a sea of breasts which may scar me for life. That was horrifying.

The Station Agent

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

Thomas McCarthy's first shot at directing. I've seen his other films but somehow missed his first and always meant to check it out, mainly because Peter Dinklage is awesome. Loving him in Game of Thrones right now.

This is another of those slower paced character studies but thankfully it's not ever too boring and has a great cast. I'll watch Patricia Clarkson read a phone book she's so cool.

It's a sweet little story that never devolves into a love triangle, despite the availabilities of characters. Instead it's the friendship that this unlikely trio make that serves as the focus. It's a pleasant little film but the specifics of it probably won't linger long in my memory.

It's Kind of a Funny Story

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

This is like an ultra light hip teen version of Girl, Interrupted with a bit more of a pop aesthetic. Ok, so it's nothing like Girl, Interrupted apart from a mental patient coming of age thing.

It's a pretty easy watch, there's no real heavy drama and things are kept pretty swift and poppy with some fun directorial flourishes. I've enjoyed Keir Gilchrist on United States of Tara and here he's front and centre but playing a similar sort of character. Emma Roberts is affable as the love interest and Zach Galifianakis, playing a much more subdued character than we are used to, is kind of like the wise mentor, although we are never really sure what's going on in his head.

So we've seen a thousand coming of age flicks before and this one isn't really that different but it's pleasant enough.

Love Ranch

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

Joe Pesci is a scary man. And probably the only tension I felt in this film was when I was worried about what might happen to Helen Mirren after she has an affair.

The rest of the film never really connected much with me. Not very involved in the characters or the story. It wasn't particularly horrible or anything, I just couldn't get into it.

Insidious

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler, Alex, Naomi

Still enjoyed this a second time. Original review is here. I might also add I really like the set up more than the last act. It's not bad or anything but the pay offs aren't nearly as creepy as the initial hauntings for me.

Still love the soundtrack but unfortunately I thought the sound was a little quite and fuzzy at this cinema, which is a shame especially in a movie like this where the sound is everything.