Livid

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

Thought I could throw this on late night and watch an entertaining and intense french horror film. I think I was hoping for more something more along the lines of Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury's first film Inside. I love that film dearly. This one had much higher ambitions though. And I have to admit I was starting to nod off a little as the film itself became more and more dream-like. A trippy experience to say the least.

As a consequence I can't tell for sure that I fully grasped all the thematic relevance of what was going on in that last segment, or perhaps the film just lost the plot, but I think the former is more likely. Absolutely fascinating though. Did not see it coming.

And the whole set up was great, got me really excited. The crank up the creep factor well and you're never really sure exactly where the film is heading, which keeps you on your toes.

Beautifully shot, really gorgeous. Brilliant make-up effects. Some great gags and a different take on a tried and true horror classic.

I need to watch this one again to clarify a few things. Hopefully that will happen soon. But glad to see French horror is still going strong, they make great stuff.

Looper

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Michael, Alex, Rowan, Tim, Paul, Matt, Harriet

Write Up.

Twice in a day. So yeah, thoughts haven't changed much. People seem to be trying to read more into the ending than is intended I think. Chill out, it's not that complicated.  Johnson seems to like his bitter-sweet tragic endings. Just look at Brick and Brother's Bloom. He also likes his noir or western iconography. At least it felt that way to me watching it again.

Detention

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

Write Up.

This movie makes me so happy.

Looper

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

Rian Johnson finally has his new film out! And it is a lot of fun. I have to take issue with the time travel though, you should all know where I stand on this. Paradoxical. That's a no no. But you know what, despite what the trailer leeds you to believe the whole looper time travel thing is pretty much just a first act set-up for a slightly different conundrum. 

Yeah yeah, Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Bruce Willis make-up is a little trippy. But he does act and sound a hell of a lot like him. That's kinda fun. Paul Dano, didn't I just see you in Ruby Sparks? I literally just saw Emily Blunt in Your Sister's Sister. Save some for the other guys, geez. Also, Garret Dillahunt, I love seeing you show up in supporting roles in all the cool films. Your characters seem to always have the most unfortunate bad luck though don't they?

I must take a moment to point out the score. Because it is pretty awesome. 

Ok so I don't know how much I should say about what happens in the 2nd half of the film but I will say that little kid is great. The film has a very odd structure, that's to be expected in films dealing with time travel I guess, but this film still plays out very linear and doesn't use the time travel for much else except the set up. It has quite a few things to juggle and I don't think all of them fit together as well as they could but overall it's an entertaining film. I think I expected it to be more tricky with it's time play given 

Rian Johnson and Shane Carruth's involvement. But it's pretty straight forward. And Bruce Willis kills people with guns. What's not to like?

Your Sister's Sister

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

Lynn Shelton's follow up to Humpday, a mumblecore love triangle which follows all the beats you'd expect but has charming actors and an free flowing natural style that you don't mind too much. Actually to call this mumblecore might be a disservice, it is all improvised but no-one is actually mumbling. 

It's pretty much just the three cast in a cabin and we watch the drama unfold. I enjoyed it alright but thought the obvious resolution was dragged out far too long, as if we didn't know if it would all work out in the end or not and they were milking it for some non-existant suspense.

But the performances are good and it's a pleasant change of pace from the studio produced rom-coms. 

Super

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

Write Up.

Watching this just after the announcement that James Gunn is writing and directing the next big Marvel comics movie, Guardians of the Galaxy in the lead up to the Avengers sequel. What an inspired choice. I know they won't be able to let him rip loose like he does here but as long as he keeps some of that glorious insanity, we could be in for something special.

Really love this film. Delightfully corrupt.

Bait

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

Sharks in a supermarket. Should have been more fun for such a b-grade concept. The script was extra b-grade. And the accents alone were enough to make me throw up in my mouth a little. Please be Australia OR American, just pick one.

I don't know what Dan Wyllie thought he was doing but he seemed to be going with a completely different tone to everybody else. If he was purposefully trying to make his deliveries as bad as possible like I think he was, then he succeeded.

It's nice they went to the effort of shooting in 3d, but if they have to use 2d cameras for outdoor water scenes, they needed a much better post conversion plan in place. After watching 3 films in 3d at the cinema in a row, nothing was a problem except for the handful of shots in this film that were obviously given fake 3d in post.

I wanted to like this film, but it just wasn't fun or scary and with few exceptions, every character was horribly written and far too few of them died. I wish Piranha 3DD was getting a cinema release rather than this...

Resident Evil: Retribution

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Sam, Paul, Matt

What even was this? After the 4th film I wasn't expecting any miracles but this just really takes the cake. Yeesh.

Well the fx have gotten better. But pretty much everything else got worse.

Hotel Transylvania

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

Genndy Tartakovsky finally gets a chance at making a feature. And It's a good thing he went to Sony, who have once again proved they are masters at translating the hyper rubbery cartoon style of uniquely 2d graphic designed characters and translating them into 3d. Although why they couldn't have just made it a 2d animated film is beyond me. But the 3d was nice I guess. 

You can see his usual design style coming through in the characters and more importantly, in the camera, editing and direction. At the moment the layout feels pretty 2d as well but the striking imagery it creates gives it a great stylised look. The snappy single frame pose transitions he uses in his cartoons are on full display here too. 

As for the story, it's not too bad but nothing that wowed me. Still perfectly enjoyable though. It's certainly the best thing Adam Sandler's been involved with for a very very long time. 

Ruby Sparks

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

A break-out for Zoe Kazan in more ways than one. She's great as the title character and has to navigate some tricky stuff but I didn't know until now that she wrote the film as well. Good for her.

It's one of those romantic comedy dramas with a slightly magic premise at the heart of it. And if you don't question the logistics of it too much and go along with characters, you'll have a great time. It's sweet and enjoyable and hits all the right beats and never feels much like a chore doing it.

I'm always a little iffy with the whole magical realism thing but I went along with this one just fine. I feel like it's stuff that's been tread before but it's perfectly sweet and the actors are all having a good time and I did too, so that ain't bad.

Rogue

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

Greg Mclean's follow up to Wolf Creek was a monster movie. One I quite liked actually. A bit part of that is the score by Frank Tetaz, which is one of the more beautiful and melodic scores for a horror film I've seen in a while. Really sells the majesty and beauty of the outback. 

Actually so the the visuals. This is a very beautifully shot film.

Populated by a host of recognisable actors, many of whom are far more famous now than when this was made. I didn't even remember Mia Wasikowska or Sam Worthington were in this. 

And I am still impressed by the effects. But probably only because I know it's a low budget Australian production and I just keep expecting them to be really shit. 

The set up here is a lot of fun but the fear never works as well as in Wolf Creek. Completely different films tonally though. This is a popcorn horror movie. I always want a bit more from the climax though. Still it's not often you get a good croc film with halfway decent production value so I'll treasure it for that. 

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

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

Gotta admit, this one surprised me. Especially after the 2nd film in the franchise. It felt like it should just be left to die. Perhaps Noah Baumbach, who's name I spied as writer, had something to do with it. Or perhaps it's because they felt like there were no expectations and they could just have fun with it. Because that's what it feels like. They have abandoned all pretexts of trying to develop these characters and their story beyond bare essentials and instead have focused on creating wildly cartoonish, fast paced 3D eye candy and I thought it was most entertaining.

This film has the BEST use of 3d I've seen in an animated film this year. A must see in 3d. They really use every inch of the depth and even use it for gags.

Now when the obligatory dramatic story beats in the 2nd and 3rd acts kick in it does get very ho hum. They try to brush past it as fast as they can but it doesn't change the fact that it feels like the fact they were trying to tell a story at all kills everything else that was working so well about it.

But the 3rd act circus sequences completely abandon any semblance of reality and go fully stylised into a hyper coloured 3d acrobatic animated assault and it's neat. It made me giddy, like a good sugar hit should. I think it was just what I needed today.

Won't stand the test of time but I actually quite enjoyed watching this one. Because it knows how to be fun.

Get Ready to Be Boyzvoiced

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

I caught this on TV late one night when it first came out and was smitten. This Is Spinal Tap for 90's boybands. And every bit as funny and authentic. How could I not love something like that. The songs and music video's are spot on and absolutely hilarious and it's been far too long since I last saw it. Except now I'm going to have them stuck in my head for another few months.

Unfortunately not being hip to all things Norwegian pop I'm afraid a lot of the in-jokes and celebrity cameos were lost on me, but there's still plenty to enjoy here.

Unfortunately it's pretty hard to get a hold of here but it's well worth the effort.

Snow Cake

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

This on slipped under the radar a few years back but it was one of my favourite dramas from 2006.

Alan Rickman is always just awesome and Sigourney Weaver just blows it our of the water. Watching the two of them play off each other is great. And the supporting cast are all fine too.

Immensely watchable, beautifully photographed and really nice writing sprinkled with moments of great humour that ease out all the sadness. Just a brilliantly constructed drama and one I loved catching up with again. Seek this one out.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

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

Going through the series again and up to where chronologically the film story takes place (according to most sources on the internet) so it was time for a watch. Like the rest of the series I only had vague memories of watching it through the first time but really am enjoying diving back into this world. It's like a funky version of Firefly, only made a decade before and without live action budget limitations for design and effects.

And if we are keeping with that analogy, then you'd think that the film is a bit like what Serenity is to that series. But not so, this is more like an extended episode that takes place in the middle of the series. Most of the stories in the show are pretty self contained and radically different in style anyway, part of the appeal, so I don't understand criticisms that the tone is so different from the series. It's got the action, the sci-fi, the wise-cracks, the cooler than cool characters, a central mystery and the plaintive existential drama, all elements used thought the show.

And like the show, awesome soundtrack. Watching it inbetween episodes like this, well, it fits right in. Can't wait to conclude the series again, such a cool world.