Redline

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

Technically I saw this 2 years ago at film festival and It's certainly something on the big screen but I consider it a current release as the bluray has just come out.

THIS IS A MUST SEE!

I'd forgotten how batshit insane and joyous this film is. It's nothing but pure inventive fun and the most stylish and eclectic anime I've seen in forever.

I've been watching all the Ghibli titles so this is a nice change of pace. In the same way those film are slower and poignant, this is fast, loud and has some element of pretty much every major anime classic thrown in. It would make a great double with Speed Racer.

It's hard to describe the pure joy experienced watching this. Just watch it and you'll see, your life will be better after you've experienced this.

Princess Mononoke

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Morgan, Louisa

It's hard to choose a favourite Ghibli film but if I had to, I will usually come back to this. It's is epic, the music sweeping, the visuals stunning and I'm pretty sure it's the longest and more adult than many of their work. It's also the last film animated traditionally on plastic animation cels.

This feels like a fantasy version of a Kurosawa samurai classic. Waring faction, neither presented in black and white. And once again, some amazing fantasy creatures. This also has the most action out of any of the Ghibli films and as is usually the case a strong environmental message.

And the english dub is written by Neil Gaimen, that's pretty neat. Definitely a must see.

Spirited Away

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Morgan, Louisa

This is the Ghibli film that most westerners saw first. It's pretty spectacular too. Miyazaki's stream of consciousness style of writing is on full display and you never quite know where the story is heading.

Filled with fairy tail and fantasy, a bunch of quirky creatures and sequences and all very Japanese, it's one of my most favourite films from the studio.

I really love the English dub produced by John Lasseter and I think some of the performances work better in that dub. I also love the few little lines they've added to help clarify things or just to add humour.

And I love the radish spirit.

Snowtown

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

Write up.

Another commentary. I'm getting a bunch of work done though, so it's all good. This one's a tough watch but hearing about crafting these scenes was interesting, especially how much improvisation there was and how trusting director Justin Kurzel was of these people he just found on the streets. They all turn in legitimately amazing performances.

Animal Kingdom

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

Great Australian crime drama from a few years ago. I'm not that into crime stories but this one hooks me in with great characters, performances and a threatening tension throughout the whole film.

I listened to the Director's commentary today and he has a few interesting things to say, mostly about how much he loves his cast and how it is always raining in Melbourne.

If you haven't seen this one yet check it out immediately.

Cowboys & Aliens

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

Brief write up.

I listened to the commentary today while I was working and you can tell Jon Favreau had a good time making this. Even he acknowledges that Olivia Wilde's character is a hard sell. It really hurts what is otherwise an okay film.

The Rocketeer

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

Write Up.

My bluray recently arrived and hearing Joe Johnston speak about it in the Captain America commentary had me itchin' to watch it again. So cool.

Rabbit Hole

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

Write up here and here.

It's pretty cool.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

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

The third in the series and quite probably the last, after Disney canned it and Fox decided to have a go. Much like the other two film there's something very hollow and empty I find about this one. Admitantly this is probably the hardest of all the books to adapt because it's so episodic and they have changed a lot of things to try and streamline the action and invent an overarching villain.

What I do like about the film is all the cool fantasy locations. I was listening to the director and producer commentary this time and it was a little disheartening to hear they never once filmed out at sea with the Dawn Treader, it's all faked. But I guess that's just a testament to all the invisible effects work in the film.

In fact the whole commentary was basically spent saying, oh that's just digital set extension, we didn't make any of that, this is all digital, none of that is real, etc. It then becomes a little frustrating to hear about all the hard work of the few hundred crew on set filming and absolutely no time spent talking about the thousands that did all the hard work getting the majority of the film actually made in post production. Some of the stuff in this film is incredibly tricky and not all of it works either but it seems to be so foreign to these ageing filmmakers that they wouldn't even know where to begin discussing it. It also probably wouldn't interest anyone but me.

I didn't really like the 3D post conversion so It was good to see for the first time at home in 2D. Surprisingly the first thing they talk about is the aspect ratio. I din't remember the cinema release format but I'm pretty sure the home release is fuller. I certainly noticed some effects that didn't go right to the top of the frame which makes me think they cropped it for widescreen and then didn't bother to add back in some fx for the bluray.

There's a lot of great technical work, creature design, prosthetics and fx work done in this series. Dawn Treader features a very cool dragon vs sea monster battle I particularly like. But for something that looks so expensive it never feels grand. Everything about the series is so calculated and factory made it seems to lack the heart it so desperately needs to succeed.

Attack The Block

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

Write up.

Listened to one of 3 commentaries on the bluray. Joe Cornish and Edgar Wright having a chat. Good stuff.

Lake Mungo

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

I think I was one of about 5 people that managed to see this in it's brief and unpublicised theatrical run in Australia. It hit just before the Paranormal Activity reality horror wave became so prevalent and although I don't find it overtly scary per se, I do think it's one of the most successful at creating realism and an extraordinarily sustained tone of unease.

While it would be simple to lump this into the "found footage" category, it's structured as a documentary and a well made one at that. It's very convincing and when things start to get a little supernatural they immediately debunk it which only serves to suck you in even more.

And what I love most about it is once debunked it becomes less about a ghost story and more about a grieving family unable to cope with the loss of one of their own. More than the horror, the drama worked for me.

Things eventually get back on the horror track and this will be more successful for some than others. Their big scare is very understated and while it was creepy as heel in the cinema it's never captured that again at home.

Still I find this a great overlooked Australian Horror gem. It's well put together and especially the sound design and music work wonders. This one's all about the atmosphere.

Phantoms

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

Write Up.

Hahaha oh man, what fun.

Punch-Drunk Love

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

This is the best romantic comedy, for three reasons.

1. It's the Funniest.
2. It's the most romantic
3. It's the best.

One of the few things I can watch Adam Sandler in. I just love everything about it.

The Darkest Hour

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

Yeah it's not so great. I mean, I really love the band of survivors in an apocalyptic scenario films so I probably am predisposed to love this kind of film but even I had some trouble with how bland most of it was. Right at the start I picked who would die AND in what order and I was right on all accounts.

Chris Gorak's first film Right At Your Door is absolutely brilliant. In many ways it's the same sort of set up but done in a much smaller scale and much smarter as well. This has all of Timur Bekmambetov's big fx blockbuster hands all over it though.

Now there are some cool things about the film. There are a few places where they build suspense well. The invisible foe has always been particularly effective at getting me on the edge of my seat ever since I saw Predator when I was waaay too young. And apart from a select few very badly post converted shots, the 3D is really good, in fact I'd say it's essential in the way the creatures are rendered on screen seem as they are invisible and only recognised by the distortion they leave. In 3D you can actually see this distortion occupy a specific space and it's a really great effect.

Unfortunately they reveal this as a shield protecting an alien underneath and when you see their design it kind of ruins any fear you might have had of these things.

The actors flub their way through it. Well they look like they are having a good time filming in Moscow anyway. They are all doing everything they possibly can to sell this story but it's not gonna work. And I really can't tell anymore if someone is a really bad actor or I just can't stand a lone Australian accent in amongst a bunch of Americans. Perhaps both.

I do love the premise, I love the idea for the enemy (but not the reveal) and I liked the 3D but that does not a good movie make. The rest is rather terrible. Although nowhere near Skyline level bad.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Amberly, Jordan, Tyler, Josh

I saw the original version a few years ago when it played in cinemas and never felt the desire to return to it or the rest in the series. For me, I didn't understand what all the fuss was about, it played out like just another BBC midsummer murder style episode but with some rape and a whole bunch of character stuff that just made the film feel overly long.

I felt exactly the same way with David Fincher's version. The biggest discernible difference between the two and what I like most about the new version was the opening title design. That was awesome.

Of course this new film has immaculate technical polish and for all the reports of it being "cold" I thought it actually softened our main characters somewhat. The structural problems are really felt when you see this at a late session and are already tired, it feels like it doesn't really start until halfway through and then there's a whole extra film on the end of the film. Perhaps all this extra character stuff will come in handy if and when they make the next two and continue the story but as a stand-alone it's very annoying.

There are some great moments in the film and Fincher manages to get suspense out of sequences where I already know the outcome. He also shows once again that people on computers doing research can be cinematic.

It's a troublesome film for me because while I haven't read the novel, having seen the original I didn't much care for the story going in. I do love Fincher's style, I just wish it was used one something else.

Porco Rosso

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

This is another Ghibli I haven't caught up with in a long time. The story of a Pig-headed (literally and figuratively) Italian pilot who defected the air force after the first World War to become an air pirate chasing bounty hunter in the some of the most beautiful landscapes ever depicted in animation. It's very pretty.

It's a simple little tale and one of their funnier titles speckled with moments of poignancy. There seems to be a lot of delightfully Misogynistic characters, especially one of the young girls, which is kind of surprising. But I guess this is set in early 1930's. Great to see again.

Only Yesterday

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

Another Ghibli, although not a Miyazaki, it's one of their more reality based dramas but still filled with their usual quota of charm and sincerity.

It follows the coming of age story and mid life crossroads of the same woman told half in present and half in flashback to her childhood. The schoolyard scenes and family life are designed with beautifully minimalistic watercolour backgrounds that fade into white and give the m a dream like appearance.

The present day scenes aren't as engaging for me but I do love the ending and how they bring everything together. Like The Muppets film we saw yesterday it resolves everything during the closing credits, which feels like a bit of a cheat but it works I guess.

It's a sweet film and one I always enjoy revisiting.

Arrietty

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Amberly, Jordan, Michael, Tyler

Ghibli Marathon!

So excited to finally see their latest. I opted to see this at the multiplex because I wanted to hear the english dub. I'm really curious not for the home release so I can compare the American dub too. It's fascinating to me that they did both but the story really does feel more British so I'm glad Australia got that dub.

Annoyingly the dub is only showing for one session very early in the morning. Which means the frozen coke machines haven't had time to warm up properly. And you get stuck in a cinema with a bunch of kids. But unlike the unruly screaming, running around and general carrying on that was so abundant in the agonising screening of The Muppets yesterday, these kids shut up and were completely memorised by the images before them. That is the magic of Ghibli. On a slightly more disturbing note I overheard one of the kids ask if the film was in 3D. The animation lover in me cringed a little at this but hey, that's the world we live in. I'm sure he enjoyed it just the same.

I remember a BBC adaptation of this story with Ian Holm that I used to watch after school when I was a kid. When the big American film version came out I was excited but horrified to see how much they bastardised it. This is much more like the quaint little story I loved. I really enjoyed it.

It's a little strange seeing all the bugs with cute cartoon eyes. They made bugs cute. I also noticed that they did much more depth of field than they normally do but it does help to sell the scale a little. And by doing the story in animation they can do things, I'm specifically thinking about the scale of the water and how it behaves, that they haven't managed in live action before.

First time director Hiromasa Yonebayashi does a fine job and this fits in nicely with the other Ghibli titles.