In a Nutshell. Mini reviews of movies old and new. No fuss. No spoilers. And often no sleep.

Tuesday 30 April 2013

THE HANGOVER PART II [2011]

Todd Phillips' second instalment of the Hangover series lacks the element of surprise of the first and fails to bring anything really all that funny to the screen.
If not for the relocation from Las Vegas to Thailand the story would be an exact copy of the first one, only a bit more violent and grittier.  There's a few scattered laughs throughout the film but in the end, you can't help but feel that it's a result of screenwriting laziness and Hollywood producers eager to shit out a cash cow before it's fully cooked.

1 night in Bangkok out of 5

Clockwise (1986)

A British comedy starring John Cleese as a public school headmaster with a poker wedged firmly in his ass. His day starts well, but slowly spirals into a first class Basil Fawlty style nightmare.
Cleese’s ability to personify an emotional breakdown is unsurpassed. I love how he clings to his dignity like a puppy with a stick, even when it’s clear the stick is chewed beyond recognition.

3 timetables out of 5

The Brood (1979)

A film that explores the manifestations of Rage and the violent impact it has on society, particularly the family unit, in an unconventional way.
It’s a candid blend of autobiographical realism and fantastical psychological horror that turns the intimate into something perverse, as only David Cronenberg can.
Ollie Reed is perfectly cast as a doctor that dabbles in some rather odd therapy techniques. His primary subject, Samantha Eggar, gives a performance that will shock and repulse most viewers.

3 bumps out of 5

Sunday 28 April 2013

MARS ATTACKS! [1996]

As much of a hugely unfocused mess Tim Burton's sci-fi comedy Mars Attacks! is, it's still one of my top five favorite films of his.
Inspired by 1960's Topps' trading cards of the same name, the film is more of a homage than a satire of 1950's sci-fi b-movies and 1970's ensemble cast disaster films.  Beneath all the goofiness and scattered chaos is a ruthlessly funny dissection of American society and culture that ultimately hurt it's popularity in the States but was a great success in the rest of the world.  It's colorful, loud, hilarious, tremendously corny and occasionally shocking, all of which makes for one of Burton's craziest films to date.  

3 peace doves of war out of 5

THE HANGOVER [2009]

It's a strange time when a vulgar & stupid film like Todd Phillips' fratboy humored The Hangover receives the critical adoration & awards one wouldn't expect it to.
I like to believe they gushed over it because it is pretty damned funny but sadly I'm willing to bet it's the box office intake that did it instead.  It's pretty much a fast-paced version of Dude, Where's My Car? set in Vegas and thankfully without Ashton Kutcher.  The characters are insanely underdeveloped, the premise and actions are overly outlandish and it will probably offend anyone who takes too much pride in their intelligence but if it's a buddy buddy film you're looking for then this is a good place to start.  

3 men and a baby out of 5

WIN WIN [2011]

I love how the harmless simplicity of Thomas McCarthy films leave room for the characters to flourish in a funny yet realistic manner like in The Station Agent or Pixar's UP.  The Paul Giamatti led drama Win Win continues this wonderful tradition.
The premise doesn't really stand out as anything amazing but it's the writing, characters and performances that make the film memorable and worth recommending.  It occasionally stands on the edge of sappy schmaltz but somehow manages to narrowly avoid it with well-timed humour and believability.

3½ noisy hot water heaters out of 5

Click To See Budarc's Nuts

Crimes of Passion (1984)

A Ken Russell drama with Kathleen Turner as a prostitute named China Blue, and Anthony Perkins as a religious nut wanting desperately to save her from her own vices while having plenty of his own.
It’s typical Russell, with religion, blasphemy, sex and bad acting alongside great acting, deeply metaphorical imagery and surreal editing, etc.
Most of the cast are laughable, as is some of the dialogue, but the scenes between Turner and Perkins are fantastic, staged and presented like a one-man and one-woman play. It’s those moments that kept me hooked, and a knowledge that even when Russell is dropping the ball there’s always something wonderful just around the corner.

3 peep holes into intimacy out of 5

Saturday 27 April 2013

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

Austin’s first flirtatious outing is an effective slice of James Bond parody and irreverent comedy sketches that never feel like they’re separate from the larger whole, but it’s dragged down by one thing: Liz Hurley. She sure looks good in clothes, but as an actress she’s worse than useless. It's Mike Myers as the paradoxically auspicious Austin that holds the attention and keeps the laughs coming.

3 conveniently placed objects out of 5

The Big Sleep (1978)

Robert Mitchum's second outing as Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe was poorly received at time of release, but that doesn't stop me loving it.
Director Winner transposed events from California to London and updated it to a modern setting. I think it works. It shows that Noir storytelling can be effective even when bastardised by a pompous Brit. It's also much more graphic than the earlier Howard Hawks version.
Mitchum's intensity is restrained but his methodological effectiveness isn't; he's no time for fools and he makes every word count.

4 long drives out of 5

LOST HIGHWAY [1997]

David Lynch's 1997 psychological thriller Lost Highway is loosely inspired by Ambrose Bierce's short story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and a strange intercom call Lynch received one fine morning.
It explores themes of memories, identity, madness and distrust using a surreal linear style of feverish storytelling.  The initial viewing will leave you baffled and most likely disturbed, however with a closer attention to detail and deceivingly pointless lines of dialogue, you'll figure it all out pretty quickly.  With it's fantastic soundtrack, unsettling photography & sound design and a particularly frightening performance from Robert Blake, Lost Highway is sure to please fans of Lynch's neo-noir films.

3½  mysterious videotapes out of 5

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES [1990]

Sticking to the darker tone of Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman's original comics, Jim Henson's Storyteller director Steve Barron makes a pretty decent live-action film out of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  
It's packed with goofy one-liners, plenty of kicks & punches and general all around silliness that one would expect based on it's subject material.  The voice actors involved provide some great work, particularly the always entertaining Josh Pais as Raphael, however it's Elias Koteas as Casey Jones that chews up any scene he's in.  From a nostalgic point of view it's perfect, from a critical point of view it's a bit of a mess but still pretty damned entertaining for what it is.

3 lost sais out of 5

Friday 26 April 2013

The Missionary (1982)

Michael Palin is the Reverend Fortescue, a simple, bashful dog collar chap who, when sent to bring ‘fallen ladies’ of the night back to God, gets into a game of licentious give and take for which he was ill-prepared.
Palin was also the writer, but it’s far removed from the kind of surrealism he’s known for with the Monty Python team. Its strength is in playing on the conventions of the traditional British period drama, but it succumbs to the same failings, too, and it never dares to go to the places it should’ve gone; it’s much too tame.

2 new positions out of 5

CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE [2011]

Glenn Ficarra & John Requa (the writers behind Bad Santa) direct this surprisingly good romantic comedy-drama Crazy, Stupid, Love.
I was expecting cliche after cliche and a number of generic songs played over "dramatic" scenes, which it occasionally resorts to but it mostly focuses on developing the conflicts and faults of the ensemble cast of well-written characters. It's a wonderfully harmless character study balanced with the right amount of comedy, romance and drama to make it bearable, if you're prepared for the unlikely "happily ever after" ending.  

3½ "A"'s for assholes out of 5

Thursday 25 April 2013

THE COLLECTION [2012]

The second instalment (and probably not the last) of Marcus Dunstan's Collector series, titled The Collection goes for bigger and bolder.  Sadly that almost never makes it better.
It neuters the terrifyingly unsettling ending of the original and twists the story into something resembling Abbot & Costello meets Saw II with it's goofy house of endless passageways of tricks and traps.  The dialogue is atrociously bad, the camerawork is dull and the characters are flatter than Olive Oyl's chest.  I can't even believe it's made by the same folks who worked on the first film.  

2 broken, broken arms out of 5

Wednesday 24 April 2013

THE COLLECTOR [2009]

Marcus Dunstan steps away from the Saw and Feast films to write and direct this surprisingly effective piece of home invasion torture porn.
The Collector (nothing to do with the 1965 psycho thriller of the same name) started out as a prequel to the Saw series but was fortunately rewritten to become something oddly unique.  Aided by a simple yet wonderful setting, fascinating camerawork and an intelligent protagonist, the film rises far above the other films in it's genre before it.  Sure it's got some gaping plotholes and some wonky writing here and there but all in all it's an enjoyable, vicious little film that packs some great surprises.

3½ giant spider-webs out of 5

PETER PAN [1953]

Disney's adaptation of J.M. Barrie's stageplay Peter Pan, Or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up is a classic that doesn't quite hold up compared to today's flashy animated films.  
It's beautifully animated with strong voice acting and filled with all sorts of colorful characters but doesn't quite have enough flair to really stand out.  With it's themes of growing up, responsibility and eternal recurrence, the story might not immediately click with the kids but will certainly fascinate those in it for the storytelling.  There's several moments of questionable sexism and racism, so be prepared to fast forward or explain it to the little ones.

3½ clocks in a croc out of 5

Tuesday 23 April 2013

Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)

Snake in the Eagle's Shadow was Yuen Woo-ping’s directorial début. It stars Jackie Chan as an abused Kung Fu school dogsbody who befriends an old beggar (Woo-ping's father) and begins to learn self-respect; it’s a role that changed Jackie’s career forever, for the better.
It’s an old school Kung Fu flick, so expect plenty of silly exaggerated sound effects, crazy zooms, and comedy that's dated badly, but the finesse, timing and physical ability of the cast members is astonishing. The training scenes in particular are classic stuff.

3 animal strikes out of 5

2000 AD (2000)

aka Gong Yuan 2000 AD

There's some crap about Y2K bugs, espionage, murderous secret agents and then I nodded off (not literally). And the 'bleak vision of cyber-terrorism' that the blurb promised was a lie.
I don't like Hollywood in my HK films; I'd rather they play to their strengths instead of trying to ape the work of a soulless machine.

1½ Heavenly King fails out of 5

Thursday 18 April 2013

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON [2009]

The Golden Compass director Chris Weitz replaces Catherine Hardwicke & her horrendously boring direction for the second instalment of the uber-popular Twilight Saga, New Moon.
The film starts off with a potentially interesting concept but quickly kicks that into the dirt after 10 minutes and finds itself moping around for what seemed like a lifetime.  A breath of life is sloppily forced into the story taking a turn into something far more interesting about one hour into the film.  Michael Sheen is an absolute delight to watch in a small yet vital role which makes me want to see more of him.  I know I'm not a teenage girl and won't find much in this, but bad storytelling & filmmaking is just plain bad and I know for a fact there is far more better films out there for the insecure, broken emo girl looking for quality entertainment.

2 shirtless injuns who cut there silly long hair out of 5

Wednesday 17 April 2013

Society (1989)

A wonderfully grotesque allegory wrapped in a B-Movie skin that achieved classic status for one very good reason: because it deserves it.
The acting of the supporting cast pendulums from creepy to crappy throughout, and the camera-work occasionally stumbles over first year film school hurdles, but it’s forgiveable because the message is handled perfectly.
It takes longer than I remembered to hit the high numbers on the ick scale, but when it does get there it’s hilariously perverted.
Society is a film for all the people that at some point in their life have felt like they just didn't fit in with their peers.

3½ social shuntings out of 5

9 [2009]

Producers Tim Burton & Timur Bekmambetov lend a hand in adapting director Shane Acker's award-winning animated short film 9 into a feature length production.
It follows the story of bizarre little ragdoll beings brought to life in a post-apocalyptic world run by terrifying machines, so as you can guess, the film is heavy on imagination and design.  However it falls completely flat on character development and boring voice acting, which doesn't leave a whole lot to care about by the time the third act comes around.  To be fair I was enjoying it quite a bit but found myself becoming restless and waiting for it to end by the one hour mark after the wow-factor from the unique imagination wore off.

3 missing eyes out of 5

THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT [2012]

Director Nicholas Stoller adds another predictable yet charming funny film to his resume with the romantic comedy The Five-Year Engagement.
The chemistry between Jason Segel and Emily Blunt is great and never gets too mushy, with the help of some great supporting roles from Chris Pratt and Alison Brie.  With enough laughs and down-to-earth situations the film is a pretty safe bet for anyone that vomits at the the mere mention of rom-coms and needs something with just enough flair and attitude to ease the pain. 

3 Bunny Days out of 5

Tuesday 16 April 2013

House of Flying Daggers (2004)

HoFD excites because it has Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro acting side by side, but repeated viewings reveal a film that’s less than it seems. When it ceases trying to seduce your eyes with colour, splendour and physics bending CGI weaponry it remembers that your heart also needs to be moved, and it’s there that it comes up short. It’s primarily a love story, but the romance that’s supposed to tie the threads together lacks spark and is only really believable in a short scene near the end. It's still an enjoyable film, but it could have been so much more.
Zhang Ziyi is convincing as a blind girl; it’s not often I get to praise her.

3 bamboo ninjas out of 5

Monday 15 April 2013

LOVELY MOLLY [2011]

Eduardo Sánchez, director of The Blair Witch Project, sets out to creep us out again in Lovely Molly.
Carried by a particularly convincing performance from Gretchen Lodge, the film starts out like a run of the mill Paranormal Activity wannabe but slowly escalates into something far more weirder and unsettling.  I'm still not entirely sure what actually happened, partially due to far too many minor plotlines that had absolutely nothing to do with the bigger picture...I think.  Horses?  Deer?  Heroin?  Ghost rapes?  Your guess is as good as mine.  I really didn't expect anything at all with this film but was pleasantly surprised with frightened confusion and bizarre twists that might not mean anything at all.

3 painful kisses out of 5

Sunday 14 April 2013

Hanzo the Razor: The Snare (1973)

Hanzo’s second film delivered the same kind of samurai action and sexual exploitation as his first, but it feels more aggressive and therefore more offensive. It’s easy to see why it was banned for so long.
When a young woman turns up dead the detective seeks the perpetrator by relying on his own warped morality and sense of justice.
Zatoichi fans will already know the kind of excellence that Shintarô Katsu brings to a role; as Hanzo he’s equally impressive. Furthermore, the production values and care put into staging and lighting each scene is a lot higher than this particular kind of cinema usually gets.

3½ peep shows out of 5

Saturday 13 April 2013

TRANCE [2013]

Based on a 2001 TV film of the same name, Danny Boyle's latest psychological thriller Trance is like a stylistic throwback to his days of Shallow Grave & Trainspotting with just a hint of Chris Nolan's Inception.
It's loud, abrasive, violent and filled with hypnotizing music all of which, when mixed, comes off quite smoothly with distorted beauty and allure.  At times the complicated plot is distracted by Boyle's sometimes overly stylish camera shots.  Never the less, it's a well-acted, trippy experience that will at least please fans of his work.  

3½ palettes drenched in red out of 5

Shogun Assassin (1980)

An amalgamation of the first two parts of the six-part Lone Wolf and Cub film series into one westernised cut. It was difficult for me to watch because I love the originals so much, and normally I'd stay away from such things, but it has a reputation that I wanted to explore. It's been re-edited and re-scored, with emphasis on the violence at the expense of almost everything else.
The English dubbing is bad; the only exception is young Daigoro's voice over, which is really great. His memories, coupled with the new music gives everything a more sinister tone. It even works for about twenty-five minutes, but then a lack of coherence drags it down. Curiosity kept me watching to the end. It was interesting viewing, but I'll never watch it again.

2½ bastardisations out of 5

Iron Maiden: 12 Wasted Years (1988)

A feature length documentary that explores the evolution of Maiden over the first 12 years of their career (1975-1987). Candid interviews with members past and present are interspersed with music performances. It contrasts home-made video of an early gig with Di’Anno at the Ruskin Arms with the multi-camera spectacle that was the World Slavery Tour. If it’s all just an excuse to showcase rare footage, then I applaud it. Fans of the band will likely lap this up; I certainly did.

4 Errol Flynn shirts of 5

Friday 12 April 2013

Hero (2002)

A visually stunning film filled with colour and grace that was unfairly compared to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) upon release. Both films are about honour and sacrifice, but beyond that they're very different.
While Hero is technically a part of the martial arts genre, there's much more to it than mere spectacle. The feelings and motivations that fuel the fighting are of more importance, so if you choose to ignore that side of it, then you'll be getting less than half of the full story.
It gathered together some of the best actors in China, all of whom gave subtly different performances for each of the interconnected stories.
Composer Tan Dun's score is as beautiful as Yimou's imagery.

5 flickering flames out of 5

Cause: The Birth of Hero (2002)

A documentary by Gan Lu about the making of Zhang Yimou’s Hero (2002) that’s almost twice as long as the film it documents. It’s a tedious, amateur film with no thought put into construction or presentation. The audio drops in and out frequently and the organisation is appallingly bad. It fails to capture the essence of its subject. It feels instead like a cheaply made wedding video, replete with wind noise and half-assed framing. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to watch it more than once.

1 wrap party out of 5

Hulk (2003)

Marvel may have publicly distanced itself from Ang Lee’s version of Hulk, but that doesn't mean it’s a bad film. It’s a very brave film.
It’s an art house/blockbuster hybrid that’s as schizophrenic as its titular character. Using the film frame like a comic panel, adding wild transitions and an abundance of split screen effects made audiences uneasy. Ang broke the rules and for that he got criticized harshly, but cinema needs that kind of disruption and daring every now and again.
The film crumbles under the weight of if its own weirdness long before the end, but it was a worthy effort. I may be alone in liking it better than The Incredible Hulk (2008) film that came after.

3 metaphorical doors out of 5

Thursday 11 April 2013

WILD AT HEART [1990]


Director David Lynch makes his own twisted Wizard Of Oz vision in an adaptation of the first of Barry Gifford's Sailor & Lula pulp novel series, Wild At Heart.
A modern romance struggling to survive in a violent world, this road trip film introduces us to large number of bizarre, seedy characters I'd rather not know.  Nicolas Cage & Laura Dern are great in their roles but their white trash, one-track minds make it difficult to like them.  At times the trademark Lynch weirdness seems overly forced but occasionally works in his favor, making for a number of scenes doused in hilarious surrealism.  

3 snakeskin jackets that represents a symbol of individuality and beliefs in personal freedom out of 5

City Hunter (1993)

Watching a Wong Jing film is almost like gambling. You’ll either turn up something great and feel like a winner, or end up with a hand of crap like City Hunter. Chingmy and Joey are as beautiful and talented as always, and Jackie, a Private Investigator with his own theme tune, is his usual kinetic self, but the shit-fest, slap stick (shit-stick?) comedy had me cringing every few minutes. It’s packed with interesting characters but they’re watered down into comedy clichés that'll leave anyone over the age of five feeling short-changed.

1½ hadoukens that didn't hit out of 5

Wednesday 10 April 2013

THE THEATRE BIZARRE [2011]

Horror film anthologies have a tendency to be real hit & miss with each segment and the 6-part The Theatre Bizarre is no exception.  
Inspired by the concept of the terrifying Grand Guignol theatre that frames the individual stories, it's hosted by the always creepsome Udo Kier and is actually quite effective.  Then we go into the first segement which is atrociously terrible, followed by 2, 3 & 4 which are painfully predictable but serviceable and followed by the unique, gruesome and twisted 5 & 6th segments which couldn't have come sooner.  

2½ cocks for breakfast out of 5

THIS IS 40 [2012]

Billed as the "sort-of" sequel to 2007's Knocked Up, writer/director Judd Apatow's This Is 40 is a funny and touching comedy about hitting middle age while in a marriage with kids and an "insane" family.  
Gifted with a fantastic charismatic cast, contemplative observations and a heavy dose of funny, the film is unfortunately dragged down by a ridiculously long running time as it wastes it time on a few aimless plot points and minor characters.   In the end, I was left completely satisfied with just being able to laugh for 2 hours and thirteen minutes.  

3½ episodes of LOST out of 5

Mushishi (2006)

A mysterious and occasionally eerie live action adaptation of the long running manga. The film follows Ginko, a Mushishi (bug master), as he travels the land healing ailments, restoring the natural order where he can.
The bugs of the title aren't your typical garden variety creepy crawlies, they’re an ethereal essence that exist tenuously, visible to certain people.
Ginko’s story has relevance to the stories of the people he meets on his journey, and by helping them he begins to help himself.
It drifts off course a little but always finds its way back. I was fully enchanted by the fairytale nature of it all.

3½ healing lights out of 5

ELECTRIC APRICOT: QUEST FOR FESTEROO [2006]

Backed up by National Lampoon's Production, Primus frontman Les Claypool writes & directs the rock mockumentary comedy Electric Apricot: Quest For Festeroo.  
Taking inspiration from This Is Spinal Tap, Claypool creates the world of rising stoner-rock jam band Electric Apricot and their journey to a spot in the esteemed outdoor festival Festeroo.  The film does a fantastic job at creating a very realistic band and the people the surround it, making for a number of musician in-jokes others might not understand.  However, it's fairly short on laughs beyond that and doesn't rise to the occasion.  

2 scents of Hendrix out of 5

Monday 8 April 2013

CAST AWAY [2000]

Robert Zemeckis directs Tom Hanks and a volleyball in the desert island drama Cast Away.  
Most of the credit has to go to Hanks for being able to emotionally carry the entire film all on his own, with next to no score music to cue the emotions until the final 20 minutes.  It's beautifully shot with an astounding sound design, while never really becoming the special effects bonanza most Zemeckis films tend to be.  It lags here and there but the story about fear, hope and the will to survive packs a powerful punch by the time it wraps up.  

3½ angel wings out of 5

Sunday 7 April 2013

THE MIST [2007]

Frank Darabont's adaptation of Stephen King's novella The Mist is a social commentary and dissection of Western humanity, thinly disguised as a creature feature b-film.
Mixing elements of Night Of The Living Dead and Lord Of The Flies, Darabont pieces together an impressively faithful adaptation of King's work, with the exception of the completely new ending which delivers an even more powerful punch than the original.  It suffers from some awkward pacing but still manages to please as a fan of horror films and the disgusting things they do.

3 Gunslingers out of 5

Woman of the Year (1942)

I’ll watch anything starring Katharine Hepburn; she’s fantastic. Woman of the Year is no exception. It’s a romantic comedy drama about two journalists working in the same building but existing in different worlds.
When hate turns to love they have to each decide what it is that’s important, and have a laugh along the way. It’s predicable stuff up to a point, but there are moments where I was surprised at the turn of events.
It was the first film to pair her with Spencer Tracy. They'd go on to make another eight pictures together and fall in love in real life.

3½ breakfasts out of 5

Saturday 6 April 2013

EVIL DEAD [2013]

Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell & Roger G. Tapert, the lunatics who brought you the camp cult classic The Evil Dead give their producing stamp of approval on director Fede Alvarez's psychotic remake, simply titled Evil Dead
Overflowing with shockingly gory sequences and disturbing violence, the film surprisingly has a wickedly dark, DARK sense of humour I found absent in the trailers.  It's been a long time since a horror film has been this bloody and fun, without sacrificing it's substance over style.  Like the original, it aims to shock and it does so with flying colors, pleasing this gorehound who was cautious going into this remake.  Apparently Raimi wants to combine the character of Ash with the surviving character of this film into a future story, which makes me wonder if this is really a remake or sequel.

3½ "drug withdrawls" out of 5

THE CROODS [2013]

How To Train Your Dragon director/screenwriter Chris Sanders & Kirk DeMicco crank up the fun in the CGI animated comedy The Croods.
Aided by some great voicework (particularly Ryan Reynolds hilariously perfecting smug bastard), some colorful heart-racing action scenes and composer Alan Silvestri doing his best work since The Mummy Returns, the film is light on substance but high on fast-paced entertainment.  The first 15 minutes might be a little too boring but I think it's intentional to polarize the ride you're taken on afterwards.  It's really goofy but the heart of the story wins you over with laughs and action.

3½ mother-in-laws out of 5 

ROOM 237 [2013]

A variety of conspiracy theorists (or a bunch of nutty bunnies as I like to call them) dissect Stanley Kubrick's classic horror film The Shining in Rodney Ascher's fascinating documentary, Room 237.
Broken up into 9 segments, these fanatics bring up some interesting points & ideas as to what it all means and some completely ludicrous theories are tossed into the mix as well.  It's strangely executed, never showing any of the speaker's faces and instead opts to edit in clips from the film and other Kubrick works to go along with the subject matter at hand, which makes for some humorous moments featuring Tom Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut.  Even if they're all wrong (which I suspect they might be) you can't help but admire the love and obsession these folks have for film.

3 skiing minotaurs out of 5

Friday 5 April 2013

Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning (2004)

The third and last Ginger Snaps film is a prequel to the other two.
It’s set in 19th century Canada and features the antecedents of the original Fitzgerald sisters; they look and act the same so there’s no jarring acceptance to overcome. It connects to the other films in an interesting way, which puts a new slant on how you view them.
The production and casting are good; everyone is believable even if they are mostly stereotypical, but unlike parts one and two the film doesn't have anything unique to say. It's generic but fun.

2½ useful leeches out of 5

URGH! A MUSIC WAR [1981]

Urgh! A Music War is a collection of live performances by a variety of alternative music acts from the early '80's.  
Director Derek Burbidge manages to round up The Cramps, Dead Kennedys, Oingo Boingo, Devo, Echo & Bunnymen, XTC and a number of lesser known acts that probably didn't live to see 1985.  Without any narration or any banter in between songs, the film acts as a noteworthy time capsule of the type of musical acts that went against the stadium rock mainstream in those days.  In it's 2009 DVD release, the film is neither restored or remastered, therefore maintaining the gritty quality of the VHS tape, giving it a nostalgic feel.  Sure there's a lot of filler crap during it's 2 hours running time but the standout numbers more than make up for it.

3½ coked up nerds in a moshpit out of 5

MAY [2002]

Director Lucky McKee's May is an unnerving, darkly humorous character study that slowly creeps under your skin with twisted delight and tragedy.
Angela Bettis is absolutely fantastic as the title character who blends vulnerability and frighteningly fucked up without ever missing a beat.  It's aided by some bizarrely suiting supporting performances, a quirky yet intoxicating soundtrack and delicately executed storytelling that unravels like the loose strands barely holding May's sanity together.  This unique little horror film sneaks up on you and leaves you in traumatized awe.  

4 kitties on ice out of 5

Thursday 4 April 2013

WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT [1988]

Director Robert Zemeckis does an astounding job at adapting novelist Gary K. Wolf's Who Censored Roger Rabbit? into a big screen bonanza seamlessly melding classical animation with live action.
A definitive landmark in visual effects, Who Framed Roger Rabbit plays like a whacked-out golden age detective story where cartoon characters live side-by-side with the real world.  Filled with hilarious cameos from famous cartoon characters, well-paced action & storytelling, a Carl Stalling-esque jazz-infused orchestral score from Alan Silvestri, a delightfully twisted performance from Christopher Lloyd and jokes both obvious & buried deep in subtext that will please the whole family.  Movies like this don't come around often enough but that's what makes it all the more special.

5 booby traps out of 5

Wednesday 3 April 2013

Raising Arizona (1987)

A Coen Brothers comedy filled with outlandish shenanigans.
Nic Cage can be a lead weight sometimes, but he doesn't overact and ruin this one. His character exists in a surreal mid-point between responsible husband and habitual offender with a thing for convenience stores. It's the husband part that gives him the most trouble.
It's definitely style over substance, but it's Coen style, which means wonderful dialogue and a fantastic chase scene.
If you still need convincing, it also stars Holly Hunter and John Goodman!

4 new babies out of 5

Tuesday 2 April 2013

Burzum: Dunkelheit (1996)

The one and only video release by Burzum was directed By David Palser.
It was quickly bought by fans, myself included, and just as quickly divided them. Sure, you could've made it yourself with a camera and a meagre knowledge of video editing, but wasn't that the point? The shaky imagery perfectly suited the music, and the music was all about mood and the dark duality of nature. It was mesmerising minimalism wedded to harsh experimentalism.

3½ chills from the soil out of 5

Ed Wood (1994)

A ‘mostly true’ biopic of film maker Ed Wood, known affectionately as the world’s worst director. It’s one of the many Tim Burton films starring Johnny Depp, so you’ll likely know right off the bat if you’re going to love it or hate it. Depp occasionally acts like Christian Slater, which is a little irritating, but mostly he’s on fine form.
What makes the film extra special for me is Martin Landau; his performance as a crotchety old washed up horror actor is filled with a deeply tender pathos that gives the film much needed heart. Seeing him act alongside his daughter Juliet was also fun. I like her.
Is Burton’s wife in it? Yes, of course she is. Stupid question.

4 painted pie plates out of 5