Raising Arizona

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

Catching up with some early Coens. Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter are a great couple. This is one of the most light hearted of their films and it's probably not consistent as their later stuff but it has some great moments. I like the chase scene in the middle in particular.

And it has their typical style of off beat humor and some more outlandish comic beats. John Goodman and William Forsythe consistently screaming cracks me up.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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

Sam Rockwell, you show up in some odd places. 

The first CD I ever owned was the soundtrack to this film. Consequently I remember the music from it more than the actual film. But the small parts of dialogue that were sampled in the songs I know word perfect.

Jim Henson's workshop and there creations are just magical. Even today, this is some of the best looking puppets around. It helps that the characters are pretty fun. Well they have that nostalgia from the cartoons I used to watch going for them too. 

Nice to see again, this revisit wasn't nearly as heartbreaking as nostalgic childhood rewatchings have the potential to be.

Killing Zoe

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

A bank robbery goes wrong. Violence ensues. Pretty neat.

Early work from Roger Avary and in the lead up to the heist, there's some great trademark dialogue. Eric Stoltz is our everyman and Julie Delpy our femme fatale, although not so fatale.

I forgot much of how this played out so it was great watching again. When stuff goes bad here it REALLY goes bad. IT's not exactly a fun ride but the gratuitous violence is kinda funny to me now.

The Running Man

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

I never though I'd say a Paul Verhoeven film had subtly but compared to this, the social satire in his films is almost elegant.

So, years before The Hunger Games we had Running Man. A film I have not seen in a long time and only vaguely remember the premise. It's a gloriously 80's dystopian future. I see Paula Abdul was the choreographer for those dancers, hah.

Spandex.

Excalibur

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

Oh man, such an odd film. But pretty great. This has some great British thespians going nice and big. Everything is either shouted or whispered. And is it just me or do they spend a great deal of time performing scenes waist deep in water or mud?

The lighting is pretty trippy too. A lot of very bright green, pink and blue highlights. But it's really only as off-kilter as the rest of the film. I don't really quite know what it is about it, perhaps the very theatrical performances, or the dialogue. In any case it certainly has a unique feeling to it.

Many consider this the best telling of Arthurian legend. It smashes through it pretty quick but ultimately I think it works. If you can get on board with the style.

I think I saw this once when I was much younger but as the whole film feels a little like a dream it's hard to be sure. Good to see again.

Prometheus

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

Full write up to come after IMAX screening. No spoilers here, for now I'll just say, yeah, it's pretty neat!

Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark

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

Write Up.

The most delightful new horror film I've seen in a while. Lovely.

Haywire

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

Steven Soderbergh has made a new film with ALL THE PEOPLE in it but it isn't getting a release in Australia? Must be terrible? Actually no, it's pretty fun an has some nice action in it, Roadshow are just being dicks again. 50/50, Chernobyl Diaries and Cabin in the Woods all films I really wanted to see in a cinema but will have to make do now. (Well except Cabin in the Woods, because, you know, we totally saved that one...)

Soderbergh is not who you'd think of to make a b-movie action flick as a vehicle for an MMA fighter. Besides those few shoot outs in Che, he hasn't really done many extended fight sequences. He shoots them in his very restrained style, no shaky cam, very classically framed. Often without score. I can see why this turned a lot of action fans off, but I really like the change of pace. 

And he made the decision to surround Gina Carano with some really great male actors to play off. I love it when Michael Angarano unexpectedly shows up.

The story is very basic, told in a slightly convoluted way to try and make it seem more interesting, but it's really just a typical double crossing and revenge scenario, working her way up the chain of command taking famous actors out. Very b-movie action premise.

If this was trash all the way I don't think anyone would have a problem with it but Soderbergh bringing his artistic sensibilities to it to class it up a bit probably threw people in both markets. I thought it was pretty fun though. I.e. it looked pretty and was trashy fun too.

The Way Back

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

Write Up.

Nice to watch again, such great cinematography in this, great story.

What to Expect When You're Expecting

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

They gave Anna Kendrick the dramatic stuff, she's probably best suited for the job out of this cast anyway.

There are some good looking people in this film. They talk a lot about babies. I hate babies. Don't watch the film.

The Road

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

Doing some visual research for a job and thought I give this a spin. This is probably my favourite film for getting a great looking post-apocalyptic world. The place is just dead and grey, covered in ash and cloud. Not a pleasant place, not a pleasant film. Great visuals though. Even betting on bluray projected on the big screen.

Slightly episodic in nature, the film has a variety of moments, the majority being pretty gloomy and depressing. Sometimes I wish they'd go a little darker but I like that they never resort to any big action set pieces, instead choosing to always focus on character.

I haven't read the book but for the film at least, I keep alternating on how I feel about the way they end it. Tonight, I liked it though.

Nice to watch again, loving the production design.

Predator

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

I first saw this when I was very young and the idea of something invisible trying to kill me gave me nightmares for months.

Watching it again now, even with the commentary track on, you can see the way the structure works to build the dread of this creature. Another of Stan Winston's masterpieces. An the invisible fx are just as iconic.

There's also a lot of that typical 80's action and of course, the action dialogue. John McTiernan doesn't seem too proud of that when he talks about it.

But definitely fun to watch again. Looks great on bluray, or at least the version I had. I hear there is one with a noise reduction pass on the print that went a little overboard. I think I have the original transfer though.

The Muppets

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

Write up.

I watched the commentary today, the only place on the bluray they actually reference the Muppets as being puppets. The rest of the extras are more like their web shorts.

Most of the commentary is spent name dropping some unexpected movie and tv shows as references and Jason Segel making subtle jabs at Disney. Nice to watch again though.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

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

Write up.

Silly movie, but it has 2 things I love. Alan Tudyk and that building collapse sequence. Plus it's a great way to test out the new speakers and projector set up. The detail comes up great. Too bad ILM doesn't have a story department too, they would be the most detailed scripts ever.

Sucker Punch

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

Write up.

Great film to put on whilst working. Pumping soundtrack and pretty visuals. Extended cut, all the way. More Jon Hamm and a burlesque number. Why not.

Addams Family Values

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No

Watched With: Jordan, Tyler

Again, a very thin plot that's a mere excuse for the gags, nevertheless it's probably even funnier than the first film. I think a big part of that is Joan Cusack as the villain. A perfect addition to an already great cast. (There are a few change ups from the first film but still great choices.)

Christina Ricci as Wednesday at summer camp steals the show. And a romance with little David Krumholtz! That's the best thing ever.

It's very sad Raul Julia passed away and we didn't get more of these. (Well, there is the DTV film The Addams Family Reunion but let's not count that.) They are both very fun and great looking films with some delightful performances and memorable lines. Great to catch up with them.

The Addams Family

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

Watching Men in Black again recently made me want to go back and check out Barry Sonnenfeld's other film series, also based on comics and of course the famous tv series adaptation. I never really watched the show but was somehow aware of it. Who doesn't know that theme song?

Once again, a very long time since I last watched the film, I don't think I have seen it since the early 90's when they came out. I have very vague memories of them both and remember enjoying them. And I enjoyed rewatching them, they are a lot of fun. I wonder if you could get away with that much fake blood in a kids film today?

The thin plot is basically there to support the gags but as silly as they are I found them funny, so I shouldn't complain. They do manage to slid in some darker humor in the mix as well which seems appropriate, and muchly appreciated.

The lighting is impeccable, you can tell this was directed by a former cinematographer. I love the way Anjelica Huston's eyes are always lit like a femme fatale from a noir.

Those fx done for Thing are great too.

The best thing about the film besides the humor and the look is the casting. Everyone is fantatsic.

Chinatown

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

Write Up.

This just felt like a great follow up to Blue Velvet. Especially since I had just watched the commentary and wanted to see it again. And this time, projected on my big screen I was really able to take it in.

After Fincher pointed it out in the commentary I really noticed all the motivated camera moves this time. It really is just clever blocking with actors and camera. And it was really fun to watch with a vocally speculative audience that had no idea what the famous reveal was. Glorious.

Blue Velvet

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

Finally a chance to watch the bluray that arrived some time ago. It has been a very long time since I last watched this one.

There are some crazy characters in this film. It has that typical David Lynch air of dark mystery, awkward humour and surrealism. And I really love the cast and what they are doing. I always think it must be hard to slip into that tone for a Lynch film, it seems so specific but they all feel of a piece.

Some particularly overt symbolism going on. Especially hilarious at the end when that robin shows up on the windowsill.

Dennis Hopper was one damn creepy guy in this film. It's an iconic performance. Likewise for Isabella Rossellini. 

The film still manages to be unsettling at times. Looks great in HD and I can't wait to dig into some of those new extras. 

The Son of No One

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

Channing Tatum has a moustache. ut that's nothing compared to:

Al Pachino shares the dramatic climax with... Tracy Morgan.

That's something I'd never expect to see. And it's odd seeing Morgan in a serious role, his history really works against him.

The film follows two timelines, a mystery in the present drawn out by uncovering the characters past. It was ok, but a bit slow. Every scene was shot in tight close ups and the focus was rarely correct. Despite forcing actors faces down your throat, the drama rarely connected for me. The story was ok though.