December 2009
18 posts
REVIEW: SHERLOCK HOLMES
This is definitely a Guy Ritchie movie. Any lingering doubts as to whether he would be able to combine a big Hollywood budget and big Hollywood stars with his own directorial style are firmly laid to rest in the opening scene, a no holes barred punch up with Holmes and Watson acting as a tag team against their foe Lord Blackwood and his accomplices. Not quite what I was expecting from a detective...
ESSAY: the beauty of the b-movie
Now I presume that you have seen the atrocity that is this trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa7ck5mcd1o
Roger Corman must be turning in his grave. I mean this metaphorically as the film-maker nicknamed the ‘King of the Bs’ is still alive and well, it‘s just to emphasize how laughable this overly-tacky trailer really is. I just assumed that it was another piss-take movie off the...
geek film excitement no.2 ; inception’s second trailer.
http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/inception/
to be honest, i am very excited by the prospect of inception. it is directed by chris nolan who has a 100% record, and showed everyone with The Dark Knight he is one of the kings of the blockbuster. it has an amazing cast. the trailer, doesn’t decrease or increase it. parts of...
Inside the actor's studio
This is just a quick publication of something I have recently discovered and that is the “Inside the Actors studio” interviews, originally founded by the world famous Actor Studio school and the New School University. Any actor worth their salt has been interviewed by its host James Lipton, from Penn to Newman, Depp to Jolie, De Niro to Pacino and from Redford to Radcliffe (not quite...
top ten of 2009
i love doing this.
The Wrestler
Let the Right One In
The White Ribbon
Public Enemies
Avatar
Goodbye, Solo
The Hurt Locker
A Serious Man
Watchmen
The Cove
there were so many more really, really good movies this year. it was great.
joe
ESSAY: the other side of film-making
As the year comes to a close, it feels about right to give a moment to all of those films released this year that didn’t have the luxury of multi-million dollar budgets à la Cameron, Abrams etc with which to fund and advertise their work. In November, Sheffield hosted its annual documentary festival, where a wide-ranging selection of home-grown and international film-makers had a chance to show...
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REVIEW: THE WHITE RIBBON
“I must tell of the strange events that occurred in our village,” claims the narrating school teacher at the start of the film, “because they may cast a new light into the goings-on in this country.” And so begins the disquieting immersion into the life of a small north German village in the years leading up to the First World War. From the outside the village looks...
Ed Harris - a tribute
There are many great actors and actresses in film and theatre today. Some are rewarded with success, and some don’t quite make the mark for some unfortunate circumstance regardless of talent. There’s one guy however, who in my eyes has always been consistently brilliant in his performances, (although I’m certain it’s not said enough) and that’s Ed Harris. He has this...
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the greatest documentary of all time?
probably not. regardless, i saw hoop dreams for the first time a few weeks ago and i can safely say it is my personal favorite. this post has little to say other than a recommendation of a great movie experience.
the prospect of a two and a half hour plus film about basketball (something i know nothing about) and set in the entirely unglamorous world of inner-city chicago is not a particularly...
ESSAY: a year to remember
This year has been remarkable in many ways in the film world. The majority of Hollywood’s biggest and most promising directors have stepped up to the plate with their newest works. While some have re-established or enhanced their already burgeoning credentials, others have fallen by the wayside (with such great expectation comes a greater risk of failure) or have simply re-visited old pragmatic...
REVIEW - Avatar
“This, this is our land!”
There has been much speculation in the press over the past few months discussing James Cameron’s budget for Avatar, whether it was hundreds of millions or not. However none of this will matter within the first few seconds of this sc-fi epic, you see a shot of the planet Pandora in the distant realms of space that will get you the closest and most realistic gaze at the...
At the risk of turning this blog into a q magazine-style collection of banal top ten lists because I have nothing better to write about, here’s my top ten films of 2009 (based on UK release dates):
1. Let the Right One In
2. The Wrestler
3. Fish Tank
4. The Hurt Locker
5. The Cove
6. Goodbye Solo
7. Paranormal Activity
8. Moon
9. ...
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REVIEW: The Box
The Box
It’s been a long time coming. If you disregard his unremarkable and overly ambitious 2007 sophmore effort Southland Tales, fans of Richard Kelly have been made to wait for a follow-up of any note since his weird yet wonderful debut effort, the cult favourite Donnie Darko, released back in 2001. In true Donnie style, his new feature The Box, adapted from the short story Button, Button by...
worship and tribute
that was my first post, this is my second. this blog will be dedicated to film (85%), the collected works of jj abrams (5%) and self promotion/deprecation (10%). tell all your friends. peace. joe.
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REVIEW: 2012
2012
When the eschaton approaches, if it is anything like Roland Emmerich’s latest offering of destruction, 2012, I think I would like to be around to see it happen. Never has an apocalypse been so much fun. For all that is missing from 2012, the sense of fun and energy is most definitely alive. Monuments are toppled, cities are crushed, tectonic plates are flipped upside down and what would...