Saturday, May 18, 2013
Grabbers
IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Michael, Jordan
Write Up.
Really love this film, such a good time. Great FX, good characters, really hits that sweet spot. Check it out!
Star Trek Into Darkness
IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Michael, Jordan
Write Up.
Sometimes you just end up seeing a film 4 times at the cinema. I certainly liked the movie but 4 times is a little excessive. You start to just look at the background acting and pick up all the plot holes. Still fun to see with a receptive crowd. Especially after just watching Wrath of Khan.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Michael, Jordan
Just a refresher. This is one of the handful of Star Trek films I'd actually seen before. But only once and besides the major beats I forgot the rest. There's much more of this film in Into Darkness than I previously thought. I guess to be complete I should go back and watch the Space Seed episode too. Apparently by 1993 Khan had taken over 43 countries on Earth before we him and his people frozen into deep space. Heh.
Khan actually has a 2nd in command that looks surprisingly like Benedict Cumberbatch.
Kirstie Alley as a Vulcan.
Some very early CG. I remember recently seeing the Genesis planet transformation demo on a Pixar documentary last month when they were talking about terrain generation. Pretty neat.
And James Horner's score is remarkably similar to his awesome Krull score. Actually I think they are the same score. They would have been written at pretty much the same time anyway.
This film really shows its budget. I.E. it has none. Lots of shots and sets being reused from the previous movie and the TV show. It's pretty contained. And after having seen the new film so recently I'm struck by how little action or excitement there is. I guess in those days story and character were enough.
The Dungeonmaster aka Ragewar
IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: No
Watched With: Michael
Oh man. I saw the trailer on a compilation reel and just had to see it. It's every bit as terrible and hilarious as it looks. The plot is very confusing and vague but a dude either dreams, or is sucked into a computer or is summoned by an evil sorcerer, to battle various enemies to save his girlfriend.
It feels very much like a computer game. Each level, or segment, is designed and directed by a different director and it results in quite a schizophrenic film. It's got everything but the kitchen sink.
I did like the guy that played the evil Mestema, mainly for his voice. I also liked the gratuitous but seemingly obligatory scene establishing the girlfriend as a dancer. They make us watch a whole routine with girls gyrating in very 80's leotards.
I guess there are some nice ideas in the segments but really this makes a much more interesting trailer than a film
From Beyond
Friday, May 17, 2013
The ABCs of Death
IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler, Jordan
Write Up.
A is my favourite I think. L is intense. T and H are delightful. F is kinda ridiculous but also kinda amazing. X is really great too.
I just read that they have announced a sequel. Hope the ratio of good to bad is the same or better.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
The Call
IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Brad Anderson sure knows how to ratchet up the tension. This is a really great closed quarters thriller premise. Abigail Breslin trapped in the trunk of a car and Halle Berry powerless to do anything but talk on the phone.
The trailer gives away some third act scenes, and I thought those moments would really strain credibility. They do I guess, but the the film had been so darn great up until that point I didn't mind as much.
However the last 2 minutes really trashed all the good will the film built up. Very unfortunate as the rest of the film is probably the best tense thriller I've seen at the cinema in a very long time. I'd highly recommend going to see it, but only if you can ignore the very last bit. Maybe just leave at the first sign of resolution.
A Place for Me aka Stuck in Love
IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Yeah, for some reason this film had a name change for the Australian release.
Since I first saw Lily Collins I though she reminded me a lot of Jennifer Connelly. I hasn't taken long for someone to cast them as mother and daughter together.
If you look at that trailer you'll see it's just a bunch of indie drama catch phrases. Almost like a parody. Well the film is just as standard. The cast all do fine but the writing is very obvious. Especially for a film all about writers, it really draws attention to it.
Meh, it's okay I guess.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Struck by Lightning
IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Chris Colfer from Glee wrote a movie. He managed to get a pretty good director and an amazing cast to be in it too. It's a solid indie drama, funny moments and can get quite dark. It's not exactly uplifting but it's well put together. Enjoyed it.
High School
IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
This one just slipped under the radar rather unceremoniously. It's not bad though, I do love the set up. There are some funny moments and the cats do well. Quite a fun diversion.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Snitch
IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler
It seems Dwayne Johnson is racing to be in as many films this year as possible. This time it's not an action blockbuster but a drama, based on a television documentary of the same name about new harsh drug laws in America.
The Rock handels himself very well and while the film treads some familiar ground, it makes its point and is engaging doing it. Not outstanding but a solid little low budget drama, good cast, well put together.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
The Weather Man
Star Trek Into Darkness
Shadow Dancer
IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
This is a good little thriller. Andrea Riseborough, whom we recently saw in Oblivion, is great. She's playing a tricky character whose motivations are often unclear.
It's more subdued than bombastic hollywood thrillers but the tension is always there bubbling under the surface and it has a nice kick to the end.
Director James Marsh, who made one of my absolute favourites from 2005, The King, does a fine job here.
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