Gyo: Tokyo Fish Attack

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

What. The. Fuck.

Aladdin

IMDB

First time viewed: No

Current Release: No

Watched With: Michael

Aladdin just came out of the vault, so I picked up the Bluray. I used to watch this one a great deal when I was younger, I remember seeing it once at the cinema with the family and once with my year 2 class on an outing, and then many more times on VHS. It looks very different in HD, you can really see all the brush strokes in the painted backgrounds. Mainly I liked the songs, but I think then and very much so now, I still preferred watching The Thief of Bagdad.

When I look at it now I cringe a little at the post modern pop culture references from the genie. It seems to have started a trend that is so prevalent nowadays in animated kids films, especially the early Dreamworks CG animation that drive me a little nuts. Never bothered me as a kid though. This film makes me miss Howard Ashman and makes me want to watch The Thief of Bagdad.

Afterschool

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

I don't think I've ever seen a film this detached. Elephant comes close though and I guess it's similar in other ways too. The framing can be abstracted, often cutting off heads or filmed from behind. We don't even get a look at our main characters until halfway through the film.

Which is one of the reasons I did not recognise Ezra Miller at all. The other being that he is much younger here than how I know him.

This is a very slow and observant film. And the character at the heart of it remains largely illusive. It can be tedious actually. But there were some interesting moments and the film certainly has something on its mind. A tough watch for not very much reward.

Sinister

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes

Write Up.

Listened to writer and Director commentary. Some interesting stuff too.

Drift

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

Write Up.

Finally saw the film in a proper cinema. It did help the sound. It's a pretty crowd pleasing film and as I said before it has some beautiful surfing photography. The actors are all fine and the script is ok too, it follows a lot of usual beats and I think the theme gets a little muddled in amongst the various plot lines they juggle but over all it was a pretty inoffensive and well put together little number.

The Invisible Man

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: No

I've neglected my Universal Monsters bluray box set. Time to get back into it.

I've always loved H.G. Wells' stories but I never got into this one. Although I did always love Hollow Man...

Given the Universal treatment it comes across as less engaging and slightly more camp Frankenstein, with a dark ending. There are some big performances here. A couple I don't think really fit in with the picture.

Some of the early invisible effects are pretty neat though.

Rachel Getting Married

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

Some great performances in Jonathan Demme's vérité experiment. At times a little too real. There are many occasions where it feels like watching a real wedding video, where we see the speeches and drunken dancing of people we don't know go on and on for hours.

Warm Bodies

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

Write Up.

Watched a digital projection this time. But you can still tell they shot it on film.

Oblivion

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

Write Up.

As expected, very pretty in IMAX. The title card had the biggest bassy rumble but the droids still sounded awesome, just not as loud as I was expecting. The film still had the problem of just not being that engaging. I guess even less so once you know all the twists and turns.

Kon-Tiki

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes

I've now seen 4 of the 5 foreign film oscar nominees. And my first official Norwegian blockbuster. It's a grand ol' adventure film and a story I was previously completely unaware of. It's a pity Life of Pi stole much of the visual thunder from this film but it still had some moments up its sleeve that left me in awe.

A very entertaining film, and if topless blondes are your thing, you'll get 5 of them for the majority of the running time. What's not to enjoy?

The Company You Keep

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

Robert Redford is still alive and making films. I like the idea behind this one, and damn if he didn't get a hell of an ensemble cast together, but the end product, though competently made, was not exactly thrilling. The twists are telegraphed well in advance so the audience has to spend the last half waiting for the film to catch up. 

Also, pet peeve, if you're gonna have that many close ups, make sure the actors eyes are in focus, not the back of their neck.

Eh, it was ok. 

Oblivion

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

Joseph Kosinski's sophomore effort feels like throwback to 70's sci-fi thrillers with a modern sheen. It's also the latest to utilise Iceland's amazing natural landscapes to suggest an otherworldly local. Between this, Game of Thrones and Prometheus and starting to get a real desire to travel there and check it out myself. Nice to see Nikolaj Coster-Waldau north of The Wall.

Kosinski's original story has an intriguing, if familiar, premise. The twists and turns the characters and plot takes after that are nothing particularly new and the relatively slow pace leave this one feeling flat for much of the running time. It's also a much smaller scale film than I was expecting. Despite being set against these massive landscapes it feels more like a play for the majority of the running time.

But one can't deny the beautiful visual design. Kosinski obviously has a knack for great world design and the uniformed look of the technology combined with the natural location shooting and looks great. Those droids are given some great and very ominous sound design.

I saw the widescreen version but I'll be checking it out again in a few days to see the full frame version at IMAX and look forward to hearing those droids on their system and those few extra pixels of imagery.

If you're into those old school sci-fi thrillers you'll recognise all the beats here. It's worth a look for the visuals but don't expect an action blockbuster or you'll be bored out of your mind.

Jack the Giant Slayer

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

Write Up.

Again, kinda less impressive than at IMAX. That shot of the horses riding across the field and the giant army bursting out of the treeline behind still sends shivers down the spine though. Quite fun.

Jurassic Park

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

Write Up.

3D Write Up.

Checked it out in a cinema where the sound wasn't as impressive and the screen was much smaller. But the audience had a lot of younger kids in it and the reactions were great. Laughs at funny bits I never really noticed and still some yelps of surprise. IMAX was definitely the way to go though.

Stolen

IMDB

First time viewed: Yes

Current Release: Yes

Nicolas Cage is gonna save his kidnapped daughter! Liam Neeson did it better.