Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart

IMDB

First time viewed: Yes

Current Release: Yes

This french animation has really beautiful visuals, a strange dreamlike style to the story telling. I watched the english dub and you can see they had a hard time making the copious amounts of songs (and rapping?) work with english phrasing but on the whole it's an admirable effort. It's a whimsical little tale and the Burton-like gothic style works well. On the whole, a really curious piece.

Open Windows

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

Nacho Vigalondo's latest is a cat and mouse thriller that takes place entirely on a computer desktop, with various windows to webcams popping up and edits made by panning between them. Elijah Wood once again finds himself in the centre of a low budget thriller with a very restrictive setting however unlike Grand Piano, the cinematic potential here is far less and they make some pretty big technological jumps to make things work. 

Surprisingly the visual style was not a problem for me. I guess it's how we're used to seeing the world now anyway. The story becomes very convoluted and the big twists at the end were real head scratchers. The film manages some genuine tension and the way action plays out in this environment is really interesting. 

The suspension of disbelief the film is asking for may just be too large. But it's a fascinating concept and there's definitely parts that work well. 

Ginger Snaps

IMDB

First time viewed: Yes

Current Release: No

Ok I finally got around to watching this. I love how it has that late 90's film look. We've all seen the werewolf teenager parallel before but I guess it's nice to see it with girls this time. Ginger really does snap. 

Swamp Thing

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes

I knew that Swamp Thing was a comic, and that at some stage there was a movie, and Alan Moore had something to do with the guy, but nothing more than that. Its arrival on Bluray prompted a viewing.

I just gotta say off the bat,  Adrienne Barbeau is a badass, always has been and always will be.

So this is another Wes Craven film that I had no idea existed. And by the looks of that trailer it's a satire but it doesn't really play out like one, or at least it doesn't commit enough. It's basic, superhero origin story stuff. In a swamp. Ray Wise is in it at the start. And there's some funky prosthetics. Some good stuff, some bad.

Zombeavers

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

Oh Zombeavers. Yes, it's really terrible. It's also really funny. And some parts a genuinely funny to boot. Wonderfully fake and low budget and full of stupidity. As you'd expect from the title. Throw in a classy end credit song and an unexpected coda and you got yourself a sure fire cult shlock horror hit.

It's Such a Beautiful Day

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

I am big fan of Don Hertzfeldt's hilarious and ponderous stick figure animations and this film is actually three new short films that together form a whole story about a poor guy named Bill. Just like his previous animations, Hertzfeldt created the entire thing by himself. It features his usual dry, dark humour and whimsy. There's also some different animation techniques used in this one, using footage and photos in different ways.

As this story progresses it becomes increasingly clear that there is real sadness behind everything that's happening. His production company is Bittersweet films after all. And the end of this film truly is beautiful and absolutely gutting. Everyone should give this one a try. Amazing work from one of my favourite independent animators.

The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

Part of the Ghibli festival, This is a documentary about Hayao Miyazaki making his latest and apparently last film, The Wind Rises. It's an interesting portrait of the man and of the studio he helped create, at what appears to be the end of an era. It's pretty long, but fans will appreciate the look behind the curtain and the strange and tough balance between economics and artistry.

Short Peace

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

Thought I'd jump from the Ghibli festival to an anime at the Japanese film festival. Unfortunately I've missed the majority of it this year but managed to squeeze this anthology in on the last day.

After a brief and trippy introduction we're presented 4 short animated works, using combinations of CG and 2D in a variety of different styles. First of the bat was Possessions, which I thought had some of the more beautiful imagery of the bunch. I've also always been fascinated by the very Japanese idea that objects have spirits as well. It's an idea I've seen a few times before and it's done well here too.

Next up was Combustion presented as a traditional scroll with movement slowly being incorporated and eventually ending up as a more traditional edits but keeping the painterly style. Old school firefighting and a forbidden love with a tragic ending. It's simple and quite beautiful.

Gambo was next, playing out like an old school monster movie. A giant white bear with a good natured spirit who helps fight off a demon terrorising a local village. Some gory stuff here, but I do love the ancient setting.

A Farewell to Arms was last and probably the longest and most developed of the shorts. We see a team cleaning up after some massive war, taking out weapons and robotic fighting machines that have been left behind. The modern style of warfare on display here is really impressive and there's some awesome moments.

Interesting stuff and great visuals.

Grave of the Fireflies

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

Write Up.

The Ghibli festival is on and I was eager to check this one out on the big screen. It looks beautiful, hopefully I'll get to see the rest as well.

Horns

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

Alexandre Aja has made many horror films before and yet each one has had a remarkably different tone. This is no exception, it plays out like one part romance/drama, one part mystery with some strange supernatural comedy/horror sprinkled over the top. A hard film to catagorise but a hell of a lot of fun to watch. 

It helps that he has a great cast to work with, led by Daniel Radcliffe who looks like he's having a lot of fun. The conceit of the horns and what they can do is wonderful, but it's only a part of the story. There's a lot going on here and you an see how adapting this from the novel might be hard because they struggle to find a good rhythm with the flashbacks that are interspersed throughout to bulk deliver exposition. 

But it's a minor quibble. Things pick up towards the end and it was a lot of fun to watch these strange events unfold. Definitely one to check out.

Halloween

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

They had a special screening of this at the cinema. Great to see on the big screen. Noticed a few little details. The digital restoration looked pretty shmick. It's been ages since I've seen it. So much Steadicam. So many long shots. I forgot how simple it is too. I think I saw some crew on the very edges of frame I hadn't seen before as well.

The Best of Me

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

I was lamenting that there were no good horror films released for this Halloween. Boy was I wrong.

John Wick

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

Really good B-Grade action movies are a rare thing today. This one thankfully is a lot of fun, if you view it with the right attitude. It has the most basic bare bones plot, one we've seen a thousand times before and it shamelessly parades this front and centre which is hilarious in and of itself. It has a few quirks involving the assassin underworld which are fun and the actors all do their job with a self aware sense. It's not outrageously comic book like Wanted, but it's just as fun.

Basically everything revolves around making John Wick this legendary character. They are not at all subtle about it and I'd say they succeed. It also helps that the action in the film is great fun, violent and brutal but swift and well choreographed. I suppose that's what you get when you have two former stunt men turned second unit action directors eager to prove their worth with their own film.

It's ridiculous but really enjoyable.

Gone Girl

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

Write Up.

Third time through and I'm still noticing thing that perhaps registered subconsciously before or tiny tiny details that were missed. Fincher packs so much information into every frame of this.

Octopus and Scrabble. Everyone's idea of a dignified good time in Greece.

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: No

Well why not? Again, a very silly film, this one feels a little more like an early Zucker Bros. comedy, only not as smart or outlandish. Still, there's some strange and wonderful things here. And a lot of head scratchers. Glad I've finally seen it I guess. Dunno about watching all the others...