February 2010
46 posts
5 tags
REVIEW: THE CRAZIES
The Crazies is a horror remake. For many, this immediately sets off alarm bells and dread. I have never really been a fan of this purist form of thinking that denies any legitimacy or credit to a remake. This, added to the fact that I have never seen the original by George A.Romero and am a big fan of Zack Snyder’s adaption of his classic Dawn of the Dead meant that I was actually...
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the second feature from the BAFTA award-winning director Duncan Jones, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Vera Farmiga. Another sci-fi pic, this time about a soldier who wakes up in the body of a witness of a terrorist attack. Slated for a 2011 release.
The 80’s was a ridiculous time for US cinema. When I say ridiculous, I mean this in the most awesome way. Films such as Top Gun, Footloose, Lost Boys, and Dirty Dancing (amongst many others), made it cool to use hair spray, wear tight t- shirts which tuck into your tight levi denim, completed with a worn out pair of high rising Nikes - an outfit any vintage whore would die for. The...
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THE DARK KNIGHT
J
AVATAR SHOULD WIN BEST PIC.
The prospect of an Avatar worshiping Academy Awards this year has been met with derision and cynicism amongst a multitude of film fans and critics. No one wants another ceremony of Hollywood praising itself and its financial achievements. And certainly nobody wants another agonisingly pompous acceptance speech from James Cameron (“I’m King of the World!” he somewhat boldly declared when receiving...
Crazy Heart
Scott Cooper makes an astounding directorial and screenwriting debut with ‘Crazy Heart’. The way in which the film is directed, capturing breathtaking shots of New Mexico, paired with a script which evokes such emotion and realism, boasts the intelligence of an accomplished filmmaker rather than a young first timer.
It seems Jeff Bridges on screen career which hasn’t always been given the credit...
the best film of all time
REVIEW: A SINGLE MAN
Tom Ford is a fashion designer. That much is obvious from the trailer of his debut film A Single Man. It’s cool, sharp and polished, everything a Gucci suit should be. The full length offering begins as the trailer means to carry on, characterized by production design which flawlessly evokes the setting of 60s California during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Yet it’s the highly stylized approach of...
Lucid dreams.
BIUTIFUL
“The film tells the story of Uxbal and his fight to recover emotional and spiritual balance and face the past after a failed love affair” - typicallyspanish.com
A new film written and directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (Amorres Perros), accompanied by the talented cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (Broken Embraces, Babel), and the Oscar winning film composer Gustavo Santaollala...
“I believe that the purpose of drama is not to let you go home feeling reassured....”
– Michael Haneke (October 2009)
“all great fiction films tend towards documentary, just as all great...”
– Jean-Luc Godard
“A hell of a place to make your fortune”
Complicated, realistic and confusing multi-layered story lines, countless shots of whisky, liberal use of swearing, brothels, native funerals, humans devoured by pigs, inaudible accents, creative facial hair designs and angry chinese butchers…..you have to love this show.
the ultimate Valentine's Day movie
Sixteen Candles (1984)
Westerns and Gangster films
Public Enemies, Jesse James, The Proposition, 3:10 to Yuma. All good films. Limited commercial success. Why is this? Does no-one love the genuine hero-saves-the-day storylines anymore that are prevalent in gangster flicks and epic westerns? Let’s hope this year’s adptation of Robin Hood (which tenuously straddles the two genres) can put an end to this debacle. Do it for the kids...
the luzhin defence
Cruelly neglected on release and still somewhat elusive among most people’s home dvd collections, The Luzhin Defence (2000), an adaptation of the Nabokov novel, is a stylish and engaging 1920s film about love and chess. This was my first John Turturro experience, and it set the tone for my unwavering opinion that he is one of Hollywood’s most underrated actors. He produces...
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REVIEW: INVICTUS
A number of eyebrows were raised when Invictus did not receive one of the ten “Best Picture” Oscar nominations last week. Such is the expectation behind Eastwood and his remarkably consistent output of films in recent years, Invictus is no exception. It is certainly not a bad film but it fails to reach the heights of some of Eastwood’s recent greats such as Gran Torino or Mystic...
Snow & Ashes
It’s hard to judge whether a film will be good just from a trailer, there are exceptions though (Inception). ‘Snow and Ashes’, definitely has something about it, the interesting story which takes place between Eastern Europe and Canada along with the way it’s shot completely captured my attention, and so did the fact that Entourage’s Billy Walsh...
Academy award nominations usually nominate the films of the past year that have stormed the box office, and/or have a string of A-list actors/directors and producers attached the project. “The Hurt Locker”, has surprisingly snatched nine Oscar nominations. The film contains a relatively unknown cast and a credible Kathryn Bigelow as its director, however even she wouldn’t be considered of the...
