Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Coming up on the next podcast...
The latest movie news, reviews of the DVDs (Region 2) of Perfume: Story Of A Murderer, The Fountain and London & Brighton, and the next film in the David Fincher marathon, The Game. Up Friday afternoon...
Monday, May 28, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Coming up on the next podcast....
Hey folks, apologies for the lack of updates of late, work has been oh so very hectic and my movie watching has been lessened very much as a result. BUT in 3 weeks I got 2 weeks holiday (again) so that is certainly getting me through it. So yes, on the next episode of the Cinema-Rama podcast, I'll be looking at the latest news to hit the movie world (Rodriquez's new annoucement has me very interested), a review of the new Pirate's film, At World's End, a review of the first "midnight movie", Alejandro Jodoworsky's El Topo and the second part of the David Fincher marathon, Seven. Let's get the feedback in please! cinema-rama@hotmail.co.uk
Ian out.
Ian out.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
aintitcool.com has the first footage of John Rambo, it is brilliant quite simply. Harry is taking the footage down sometime tomorrow, go over there and watch it, soooooo good.
Ian out.
Ian out.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Podcast is up...
Those of you who subscribe via iTunes should be able to download around now. Everyone else, please go to cinemarama.podbean.com The file size is less as I downed the quality a bit, its still perfectly listenable though! Its also 15 minutes shorter which I hope you guys find a more manageable listen. cinema-rama@hotmail.co.uk for any feedback at all. Hope you enjoy it.
Ian out.
Ian out.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Coming Up On The Next Cinema-Rama Podcast...
Coming up on Friday, the new Podcast featuring the hot movie news of the week, a look at the Cannes Film Festival, a review of David Fincher's Zodiac (in competition at Cannes) and the first film in our first marathon, Alien 3 part of the David Fincher marathon. Look for it tomorrow evening.
Oh yeah.
Ian out.
Oh yeah.
Ian out.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
DVD Review: Stranger Than Fiction
OK, podcast is going very well, I have had a fair few downloads and it is now officially up on iTunes so you can get it from there. I really wish I had the time to review this on the next podcast but its going to be pretty long anyway.
DVD Review: Stranger Than Fiction (Marc Foster, 2006, USA).
Will Ferrell has always had a rather interesting career. Starting off as one of the best things to ever hit Saturday Night Live, he then hit movies first in supporting roles, notably in the first two Austin Powers movies. He soon broke out into leading man status in both comedy gold like Anchorman or Wedding Crashers and real crap like Kicking & Screaming. Lately he has tried balancing his more wacky roles with serious work. He got good reviews for his role as a Woody Allen substitute in Melinda & Melinda and now follows his biggest hit to date Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby with Stranger Than Fiction.
Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) is a man who lives his life doing the exact same things at the exact same time every day. His life changes when he starts hearing a British woman's voice in his head, a voice who turns out to belong to an author, Karen Ifill (Emma Thompson). With the help of a literature professor, Harold starts living his life unpredictably to try and stop what the voice calls in his head his "imminent death".
Right from the start, you know that this film is going to be special. The visual effects in the opening sequence do not feel annoying as they could well be, but they feed the plot. This follows through throughout the whole film. Everything in it is to add to the plot, it is rare that you see a film where you feel that nothing is extraneous, that nothing could be cut out. This film is full of wonderful little moments, right from the start. While at the start it feels like Will Ferrell's sense of comedy could overwhelm the film, this is soon reined in. Ferrell delivers a wonderfully understated performance, rather like that of Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine.., and this is likely the best role of his career so far in terms of pure acting. His quest to discover what is happening also works on many levels. Not only are we intrigued by whether Crick will die or not, we also see him start to live life, be it learning to play the guitar, or fall in love (with Maggie Gylenhall, which has got to be easy!). Not only this but the question of the life of art beyond those who are involved in its creation and whether it means more than the value of the individuals lives is also raised in a suprising and intensly pleasing way.
The supporting roles are also incredibly well cast and performed. Dustin Hoffman strikes a perfect balance between intelligence and kookiness and is able to move this somewhat unbelievable plot forward in an entirely real way. Emma Thompson as the writer brings the right amount of pathos to a character who has to deal with struggle after struggle. Maggie Gylenhall is also sassy, sexy and believably rebellious in a stronge role in what is a good film for strong female roles. Marc Foster must also be congratulated for creating an intelligent and yet really pleasing piece of cinema.
This film is a pure joy from start to finish. It may sound hyperbolic but I feel it is the kind of film which reaffirms that cinema can show us truly great things which can inspire emotions in us that many other artforms can only dream of. A real treat of a film and one I cannot recommend highly enough.
Video: Fine, slightly sharp, looking forward to seeing the Blu-Ray version.
Audio: Nice DD 5.1 soundtrack, never gets too involving but this isn't the type of film that calls for it.
Extras: Haven't seen them yet, look a bit disapointing.
Great, great film, enough said.
DVD Review: Stranger Than Fiction (Marc Foster, 2006, USA).
Will Ferrell has always had a rather interesting career. Starting off as one of the best things to ever hit Saturday Night Live, he then hit movies first in supporting roles, notably in the first two Austin Powers movies. He soon broke out into leading man status in both comedy gold like Anchorman or Wedding Crashers and real crap like Kicking & Screaming. Lately he has tried balancing his more wacky roles with serious work. He got good reviews for his role as a Woody Allen substitute in Melinda & Melinda and now follows his biggest hit to date Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby with Stranger Than Fiction.
Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) is a man who lives his life doing the exact same things at the exact same time every day. His life changes when he starts hearing a British woman's voice in his head, a voice who turns out to belong to an author, Karen Ifill (Emma Thompson). With the help of a literature professor, Harold starts living his life unpredictably to try and stop what the voice calls in his head his "imminent death".
Right from the start, you know that this film is going to be special. The visual effects in the opening sequence do not feel annoying as they could well be, but they feed the plot. This follows through throughout the whole film. Everything in it is to add to the plot, it is rare that you see a film where you feel that nothing is extraneous, that nothing could be cut out. This film is full of wonderful little moments, right from the start. While at the start it feels like Will Ferrell's sense of comedy could overwhelm the film, this is soon reined in. Ferrell delivers a wonderfully understated performance, rather like that of Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine.., and this is likely the best role of his career so far in terms of pure acting. His quest to discover what is happening also works on many levels. Not only are we intrigued by whether Crick will die or not, we also see him start to live life, be it learning to play the guitar, or fall in love (with Maggie Gylenhall, which has got to be easy!). Not only this but the question of the life of art beyond those who are involved in its creation and whether it means more than the value of the individuals lives is also raised in a suprising and intensly pleasing way.
The supporting roles are also incredibly well cast and performed. Dustin Hoffman strikes a perfect balance between intelligence and kookiness and is able to move this somewhat unbelievable plot forward in an entirely real way. Emma Thompson as the writer brings the right amount of pathos to a character who has to deal with struggle after struggle. Maggie Gylenhall is also sassy, sexy and believably rebellious in a stronge role in what is a good film for strong female roles. Marc Foster must also be congratulated for creating an intelligent and yet really pleasing piece of cinema.
This film is a pure joy from start to finish. It may sound hyperbolic but I feel it is the kind of film which reaffirms that cinema can show us truly great things which can inspire emotions in us that many other artforms can only dream of. A real treat of a film and one I cannot recommend highly enough.
Video: Fine, slightly sharp, looking forward to seeing the Blu-Ray version.
Audio: Nice DD 5.1 soundtrack, never gets too involving but this isn't the type of film that calls for it.
Extras: Haven't seen them yet, look a bit disapointing.
Great, great film, enough said.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Getting the podcast on iTunes
I have had a bit of feedback saying that people cannot get to the podcast within iTunes. I have dealt with this issue, it may take up to 24 hours apparently but from tomorrow, you can get to it via iTunes. For now, and all the time if you want, go to cinemarama.podbean.com
Tintin???
So Variety has reported this morning that Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson are teaming up to make a computer generated trilogy of Tintin movies with each helming one of them. Reports are that Weta Digital have made a 20 minute test reel showing what it will look like.
Eh??
This is such a random pitch! I know Spielberg has been thinking of a Tintin movie for years but roping Peter Jackson in for what will be for both of them their first fully CG projects, and Tintin is such a niche characfter that I really can't imagine it appealing to an audience outside of little kids. Sorry just had to get that out, such bizarre news. Kudos to chud.com for their headline for the story, nearly spat some coffee out at reading it.
The podcast is up as I am sure you will know, I have had four downloads of it in less than 24 hours which I must say I am really pleased with. As of the next one, I am going to put a running order with times for each section so you can skip if you want, I will also be posting shownotes here too. Please give it a listen if you can. I will be posting my review of Stranger Than Ficiton up here tomorrow as the next podcast will be about an hour long as it is and that it is the top end of what I am aiming for with time.
Ian out.
Eh??
This is such a random pitch! I know Spielberg has been thinking of a Tintin movie for years but roping Peter Jackson in for what will be for both of them their first fully CG projects, and Tintin is such a niche characfter that I really can't imagine it appealing to an audience outside of little kids. Sorry just had to get that out, such bizarre news. Kudos to chud.com for their headline for the story, nearly spat some coffee out at reading it.
The podcast is up as I am sure you will know, I have had four downloads of it in less than 24 hours which I must say I am really pleased with. As of the next one, I am going to put a running order with times for each section so you can skip if you want, I will also be posting shownotes here too. Please give it a listen if you can. I will be posting my review of Stranger Than Ficiton up here tomorrow as the next podcast will be about an hour long as it is and that it is the top end of what I am aiming for with time.
Ian out.
Monday, May 14, 2007
THE PODCAST IS UP!!!!
head over to cinemarama.podbean.com to listen to it on the page or (do this!!!!) click the subcribe via itunes link to get every episode as soon as they are posted. It will usually be up on Friday otherwise Saturday's. This week includes a review of 28 Weeks Later, a Top 10 Summer Preview, and a look at the impact made by 28 Days Later.. Enjoy and any feedback to cinema-rama@hotmail.co.uk
Sunday, May 13, 2007
PODCAST!!!!!!!!!!
Not just yet lol. I am officially working on it. On the first show I will be doing a look forwrd at my 10 most anticipated films of the summer to come (UK release date wise), a review of 28 Weeks Later and to accompany this a look at 28 Days Later and the effect it has had. I will also be reviewing the DVD of Stranger Than Ficiton. I will be using the blog for my thoughts on movie news and also show notes until I can get a mailing list up together. Look for the podcast on Tuesday...
The winner of my first competition has been drawn. Well done to Mark Tworsk from Arizona in the good ole US of A who correctly guessed my second and third most anticipated films of the summer. They will be revealed on the podcast.... Really hope you enjoy the show, see you Tuesday.
The winner of my first competition has been drawn. Well done to Mark Tworsk from Arizona in the good ole US of A who correctly guessed my second and third most anticipated films of the summer. They will be revealed on the podcast.... Really hope you enjoy the show, see you Tuesday.
Friday, May 11, 2007
DVD Review: Black Christmas
DVD Review: Black Christmas (Bob Clark, 1973, CAN).
I'm on a real horror kick at the moment for some reason. I had gone off it for a long while after finishing my dissertation for which I watched some classics but also some real shit. This one completely passed me by though, I just forgot it and I do not know why. Although many cite John Carpenter's Halloween as the first slasher movie, this is incorrect, and this title goes to Bob Clark's low-budget Canadian made Black Christmas.
Just before christmas, a sorority house full of female college students starts receieving prank calls from a rather twisted individual. After one of the girls is killed and hidden by a mysterious figure (Don't flame me, it happens in the first 10 minutes), the girls start to become concerned for the safety of each other and themselves.
A pithy little summary like that is all that is needed. All slasher films rely on one major setting, a series of characters, most female, getting picked off one by one and indeed Black Christmas started all this. It also began the killer POV shot which Halloween made truly famous in its opening scene. Many of the scares are also fairly predictable but before you criticse you have to realise that this was the film that started it so of course we are used to it, but audiences at the time would not. The girls can all be lifted from stereotypes which we take for granted in these films, the strong willed "final girl", the girl who likes to party, the girl who is constantly scared et al. All of these roles are performed admirably by the actresses involved. They all also seem to be of the age they play which considering films like Scream, is a refreshing change.
So then, for all the cliches which audiences today know very well, what does this film bring to the party by itself? What makes it worth watching now? The prank calls made are really some of the most unsettling things I have heard in quite some time. I watched this at 1pm on a Friday afternoon with it being light outside, but I was by myself in what is essentially a student house where I actually left the back door open all night a couple of nights ago, and I really started skecthing out. The noises made, at first weird but soon more and more intense are a crazy mishmash of different voices, animal noises and straight up screaming. This is something I have not seen or heard in a film made since. Sure we have had prank calls in many horrors, but certainly not this freaky. The other major refreshing thing this film brings is the killer himself. We areq neqveqr giveqn any solid facts about him and what his motivation is but theq diffeqrenceq beqtweqeqn this and theq killer from say Wolf Creek is that we are given someq information but nothing fully formed. All we have to go on is theq ramblings of the killer, his talking of Billy, Agnes and their parents. The body in the sttic and his fetting of her seems to suggest that he is renacting himself and Agnes but he seems to have some sort of incestual obsession with her. This lack of information feeds into the misunderstanding that drives the end of the plot in that these girls never try to find the prankster and indeed they wouldn't. In later films, the protagonists have become more pro-active (see the difference in the "final girls" in the original Texas Chainsaw and the remake), but these girls quite rightly rely on the police, who themselves are only human and prone to mistakes. This makes for an incredibly dark ending and one even I was shocked by. The lack of real resolution lingers with you after the film is over and there is no respite from this darkness. Many horrors made nowadays either settle for the happy ending or go looking for a sequel. While this ending, if done today could be seen as the latter, this can not be said for this film. This just adds to the unsettling atmosphere the film carries throughout.
A true masterclass in tension and plain darkness, this film rightly inspired many to come and it would be nice to think that people will lookf for this rather than the remake, which while I haven't seen and will review when I do, seems like it could piss over the memory of this (the director of the remake, James Morgan himself has said he doesn't like the final result). This film I know will influence the screenplay I am working on and I urge all those interested in the slasher genre to seek this out. A true classic of the horror genre.
Video: As good as I suppose the source material is going to be made. A soft transfer with no notcieable problems but a real made low-budget look which kind of takes away from the experience.
Audio: Original 2.0 audio or 5.1 soundtrack. I chose the 5.1 and while obviously artificially created for the DVD, it does some interesting stuff with the sound, but not as creepy as it could have been made.
Extras: Haven't watched them, I think I am going to be buying this at some point so I'll post an update when I do.
Really do recommend this film and the extras look good, the director's commentary particularly.
Right, think I'll have something up tomorrow or I may take the weekend out to work on the podcast.
Have a great Friday folks, going to see The Sunshine Underground tonight which I am very excited about. Good album, but made so much fucking better live.
Ian out.
I'm on a real horror kick at the moment for some reason. I had gone off it for a long while after finishing my dissertation for which I watched some classics but also some real shit. This one completely passed me by though, I just forgot it and I do not know why. Although many cite John Carpenter's Halloween as the first slasher movie, this is incorrect, and this title goes to Bob Clark's low-budget Canadian made Black Christmas.
Just before christmas, a sorority house full of female college students starts receieving prank calls from a rather twisted individual. After one of the girls is killed and hidden by a mysterious figure (Don't flame me, it happens in the first 10 minutes), the girls start to become concerned for the safety of each other and themselves.
A pithy little summary like that is all that is needed. All slasher films rely on one major setting, a series of characters, most female, getting picked off one by one and indeed Black Christmas started all this. It also began the killer POV shot which Halloween made truly famous in its opening scene. Many of the scares are also fairly predictable but before you criticse you have to realise that this was the film that started it so of course we are used to it, but audiences at the time would not. The girls can all be lifted from stereotypes which we take for granted in these films, the strong willed "final girl", the girl who likes to party, the girl who is constantly scared et al. All of these roles are performed admirably by the actresses involved. They all also seem to be of the age they play which considering films like Scream, is a refreshing change.
So then, for all the cliches which audiences today know very well, what does this film bring to the party by itself? What makes it worth watching now? The prank calls made are really some of the most unsettling things I have heard in quite some time. I watched this at 1pm on a Friday afternoon with it being light outside, but I was by myself in what is essentially a student house where I actually left the back door open all night a couple of nights ago, and I really started skecthing out. The noises made, at first weird but soon more and more intense are a crazy mishmash of different voices, animal noises and straight up screaming. This is something I have not seen or heard in a film made since. Sure we have had prank calls in many horrors, but certainly not this freaky. The other major refreshing thing this film brings is the killer himself. We areq neqveqr giveqn any solid facts about him and what his motivation is but theq diffeqrenceq beqtweqeqn this and theq killer from say Wolf Creek is that we are given someq information but nothing fully formed. All we have to go on is theq ramblings of the killer, his talking of Billy, Agnes and their parents. The body in the sttic and his fetting of her seems to suggest that he is renacting himself and Agnes but he seems to have some sort of incestual obsession with her. This lack of information feeds into the misunderstanding that drives the end of the plot in that these girls never try to find the prankster and indeed they wouldn't. In later films, the protagonists have become more pro-active (see the difference in the "final girls" in the original Texas Chainsaw and the remake), but these girls quite rightly rely on the police, who themselves are only human and prone to mistakes. This makes for an incredibly dark ending and one even I was shocked by. The lack of real resolution lingers with you after the film is over and there is no respite from this darkness. Many horrors made nowadays either settle for the happy ending or go looking for a sequel. While this ending, if done today could be seen as the latter, this can not be said for this film. This just adds to the unsettling atmosphere the film carries throughout.
A true masterclass in tension and plain darkness, this film rightly inspired many to come and it would be nice to think that people will lookf for this rather than the remake, which while I haven't seen and will review when I do, seems like it could piss over the memory of this (the director of the remake, James Morgan himself has said he doesn't like the final result). This film I know will influence the screenplay I am working on and I urge all those interested in the slasher genre to seek this out. A true classic of the horror genre.
Video: As good as I suppose the source material is going to be made. A soft transfer with no notcieable problems but a real made low-budget look which kind of takes away from the experience.
Audio: Original 2.0 audio or 5.1 soundtrack. I chose the 5.1 and while obviously artificially created for the DVD, it does some interesting stuff with the sound, but not as creepy as it could have been made.
Extras: Haven't watched them, I think I am going to be buying this at some point so I'll post an update when I do.
Really do recommend this film and the extras look good, the director's commentary particularly.
Right, think I'll have something up tomorrow or I may take the weekend out to work on the podcast.
Have a great Friday folks, going to see The Sunshine Underground tonight which I am very excited about. Good album, but made so much fucking better live.
Ian out.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
DVD Review: Re-Animator: Special Edition
At 2pm I finished my shift at work and now won't be back in till Monday 21st May. I am a happy bunny. 10 days of holiday, fucking yes. Expect far more content up here and the podcast should be up early next week too. So to start my holiday, Herbert West had a very good head on his shoulders, and one on a dish on his desk too!
DVD Review: Re-Animator: Special Edition (Stuart Gordon, 1985, USA).
The 1980's horror films often seemed like a backlash against the serious pieces of the 70's. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, Black Christmas (reviewed tomorrow probably) et al were all examples in sustained tension and horrific imagery (real or imagined). The 1980's gave us such treats as Street Trash, the first two Evil Dead films and possibly the most ridiculous of them all, Stuart Gordon's frankly fucked Re-Animator.
Herbert West (Jeffrey Coombs) is a promising yong medical student who is completely dedicated to his profession and has just discovered something incredible, he can bring back the dead. Well kind of bring back. After getting kicked out of his previous residency upon discovery of what he was doing, he finds a new place of study where he boards with fellow student Dan (Bruce Abbot). Dan is dating the Dean's daughter Megan (Barbara Crampton), who conflicts with Herbert straight away. Herebert enlists Dan on his quest to perfect reanimation, but comes across trouble when Dr Hill (David Gale) decides he wants to steal Herbert's discovery. The things get screwed big time.
Re-Animator is pure cheese through and thorugh. Made on a shoestring budget, actors, sets and effects cobbled together for as little as possible, Re-Animator has a low budget feel that reminds of all these kinds of films from the 1980's. However, where this stands out is simply the craziness which begins right at the start and doesn't let up. From an old man with melting eyes at the start, joined with the pure Psycho rip-off score, you know this film is going to be ridiculous. Indeed the overacting which follows in the plot exposition scenes which follow certainly keep up with this. All of these actors were apparently theatre trained. Indeed the director also was. This lends a heigtened theatricality which means that while all the actors overact terribly, it just adds to the mood of the piece. When you have a film in whcih a cat is reanimated and immeadiately leaps on the nearest person to attack needs people to act ridiculously. This cat by the way is possibly the worst effect I have ever seen, it looks like random black fur shaking violently. And god bless the effects crew for thinking it could work.
While the plot is fairly unoriginal, there is one aspect I do love. When the Dean becomes reanimated he is mistaken for a mad man and is committed. This was an original idea and I do not believe I have seen it since. The switch in villains is also an admirable plot choice also. West is a disgusting excuse for a human being, filled with egotistical, arrogant rage which makes him use all those around him for his own gain. But then we are introduced to a character who is even worse, and then he becomes the villain of the film while also being a bodyless head! What he does in the film is truly shocking and indeed made it be cut until very recently. My girlfriend flat out hates this film because of this scene, and I have to say, my taste barrier is fucked but even this is just too far gone for me.
I knwo this has been a short review but I believe most reading here have seen this. My thoughts are merely a guide stating if you like the sound of this, give it at least a rent. Its an inventive little thing it has to be said. And hey it won at Cannes so it could be arthouse!!
Video: Anchor Bay specailise in restoring old prints and this is no different. A cracking little transfer, not amazing as the source material does originate in the 1980's. A great job though.
Audio: DD and DTS 5.1 soundtracks. Funny directional effects, nice bass, clear dialogue. Nice stuff, like the video not ground breaking but it helps the proceedings.
Extras:
Only saw a couple, I don't have all the time in the world unfortunately.
Documentary: Back slapping, self-congratulatory stuff which is only periodically interesting. Disappointing in the extreme.
Trailer: Funny, pun-tastic trailer which matches the tone of the film completely.
Commentaries, interviews etc are also included but not watched.
If you love the film, a fine disc to have. If you have never seen this, give it a shot! Thanks to Al for lending it to me, really appreciated.
Back tomorrow with 28 Days Later/Black Christmas/Something else entirely!!
Ian out.
DVD Review: Re-Animator: Special Edition (Stuart Gordon, 1985, USA).
The 1980's horror films often seemed like a backlash against the serious pieces of the 70's. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, Black Christmas (reviewed tomorrow probably) et al were all examples in sustained tension and horrific imagery (real or imagined). The 1980's gave us such treats as Street Trash, the first two Evil Dead films and possibly the most ridiculous of them all, Stuart Gordon's frankly fucked Re-Animator.
Herbert West (Jeffrey Coombs) is a promising yong medical student who is completely dedicated to his profession and has just discovered something incredible, he can bring back the dead. Well kind of bring back. After getting kicked out of his previous residency upon discovery of what he was doing, he finds a new place of study where he boards with fellow student Dan (Bruce Abbot). Dan is dating the Dean's daughter Megan (Barbara Crampton), who conflicts with Herbert straight away. Herebert enlists Dan on his quest to perfect reanimation, but comes across trouble when Dr Hill (David Gale) decides he wants to steal Herbert's discovery. The things get screwed big time.
Re-Animator is pure cheese through and thorugh. Made on a shoestring budget, actors, sets and effects cobbled together for as little as possible, Re-Animator has a low budget feel that reminds of all these kinds of films from the 1980's. However, where this stands out is simply the craziness which begins right at the start and doesn't let up. From an old man with melting eyes at the start, joined with the pure Psycho rip-off score, you know this film is going to be ridiculous. Indeed the overacting which follows in the plot exposition scenes which follow certainly keep up with this. All of these actors were apparently theatre trained. Indeed the director also was. This lends a heigtened theatricality which means that while all the actors overact terribly, it just adds to the mood of the piece. When you have a film in whcih a cat is reanimated and immeadiately leaps on the nearest person to attack needs people to act ridiculously. This cat by the way is possibly the worst effect I have ever seen, it looks like random black fur shaking violently. And god bless the effects crew for thinking it could work.
While the plot is fairly unoriginal, there is one aspect I do love. When the Dean becomes reanimated he is mistaken for a mad man and is committed. This was an original idea and I do not believe I have seen it since. The switch in villains is also an admirable plot choice also. West is a disgusting excuse for a human being, filled with egotistical, arrogant rage which makes him use all those around him for his own gain. But then we are introduced to a character who is even worse, and then he becomes the villain of the film while also being a bodyless head! What he does in the film is truly shocking and indeed made it be cut until very recently. My girlfriend flat out hates this film because of this scene, and I have to say, my taste barrier is fucked but even this is just too far gone for me.
I knwo this has been a short review but I believe most reading here have seen this. My thoughts are merely a guide stating if you like the sound of this, give it at least a rent. Its an inventive little thing it has to be said. And hey it won at Cannes so it could be arthouse!!
Video: Anchor Bay specailise in restoring old prints and this is no different. A cracking little transfer, not amazing as the source material does originate in the 1980's. A great job though.
Audio: DD and DTS 5.1 soundtracks. Funny directional effects, nice bass, clear dialogue. Nice stuff, like the video not ground breaking but it helps the proceedings.
Extras:
Only saw a couple, I don't have all the time in the world unfortunately.
Documentary: Back slapping, self-congratulatory stuff which is only periodically interesting. Disappointing in the extreme.
Trailer: Funny, pun-tastic trailer which matches the tone of the film completely.
Commentaries, interviews etc are also included but not watched.
If you love the film, a fine disc to have. If you have never seen this, give it a shot! Thanks to Al for lending it to me, really appreciated.
Back tomorrow with 28 Days Later/Black Christmas/Something else entirely!!
Ian out.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Competition Update
Had over 60 entries so far, to say I am stunned is an understatement. The comp is open to US residents also by the way. cinema-rama@hotmail.co.uk by friday please!
Been watching some older stuff recently, saw Marathon Man for the first time yesterday, what a film! Andrei Tarkovsky's Stalker is currently making my head hurt and I am very much looking forward to exploring the Re-Animator 2-Disc Special Edition which I have been loaned by my good friend, Al. I'll have a review of that up in the next couple of days and 28 Weeks Later will be reviewed later in the week. Look for the podcast, first one up, hopefully through iTunes early next week.
Been watching some older stuff recently, saw Marathon Man for the first time yesterday, what a film! Andrei Tarkovsky's Stalker is currently making my head hurt and I am very much looking forward to exploring the Re-Animator 2-Disc Special Edition which I have been loaned by my good friend, Al. I'll have a review of that up in the next couple of days and 28 Weeks Later will be reviewed later in the week. Look for the podcast, first one up, hopefully through iTunes early next week.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Addendum...
Bruce Campbell steals auite an important scene. Lazy scripting? See the scene of chat between Venom and Sandman and the pivotal Butler scene. Fucking atrocious.
Review: Spider-Man 3
Most anticipated movie of the summer for me is the first one. Here comes summer...
Review: Spider-Man 3 (Sam Raimi, 2007, USA).
The Spider-Man films have a very special place in my heart. I absolutely adore them. Spider-Man was at the time the best superhero film ever (Yes I include the original Superman in that). It has only been bettered by Spider-Man 2, a film with actually perfect pacing, fantastic action and sympathetic heroes and villians. Sam Raimi's love for the universe shines through every single frame of these movies. And anything with Bruce Campbell in interests me immeadiately. So Spider-Man 3 comes with BIGGER villains, BIGGER special effects, BIGGER plot, BIGGER portions of Bruce Campbell goodness. After the middling pre-release reviews, the public can make their own decisions. Mine? Read on.
Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is having the best time of his life. New York now loves him, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) loves him, and he is about to propose to her. Trouble is afoot though. Harry Osborn (James Franco) has revenge on his mind, Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), an escaped convict with a connection to Peter becomes the Sandman and a strange alien presence becomes drawn to Peter and changes his life forever.
Spider-Man 3 comes with maybe the same amount of fanboy anticipation as Star Wars: Episode 1 and so for many, disapointment is inevitable. The problem with Spider-Man 3 is that with some slight changes, it could have been a great, rather than very good film. Many of my problems with it have been sited by previous reviews so while I may sound like a skipping record, I do believe these opinions are my own. For those who know, the addition of Venom is an odd one as Sam Raimi has publicly stated that he does not like the character. The use of Venom in the film seems to validate this view. While the presence of the black goo from space is an excellent way of propelling the character of Peter Parker into unchartered territory, but the prsence of Venom towards the end of the film feels like an afterthought when if this was a Spider-Man made by a different director, he could easily be the main/only villain in the entire film. Instead he becomes the least focused, least thought about, and most weakly dealt with character in the fim. A real shame which could also be explained by the fact that this film has to achieve a 12a/PG-13 rating.
The 12a/PG-13 rating brings me onto my next point. While the first two had these ratings, actually 2 was a PG in the UK, the subject matter didn't feel tamed at all. However, in a plot where all is supposed to be dark, you need the darkness to truly appreciate the light when it comes. Instead of turning Peter Parker into a truly dangerous dark figure, he becomes Pete Wentz (Bassist/Narccissist of Fall Out Boy). This material is funny and also ever-so-slightly depressing, do not get me wrong. Seeing Peter Parker go all emo on us (which incidentally is going to date this film more than anything in the first 2 films), with his comb over and eyeliner is a sight to be hold. Flirting outragerously and becoming a bit of a cock, Maguire and Raimi pull this off well. Also well executed is the jazz club sequence which does make us believe that Parker has reached a point where he knows he has to stop. However, much of this being played for laughs feels strangely out of place. We have been promised darkness, a more adult take on Spider-Man and instead we get the potrayal of a boy who has listened to to much emo.
The script is also an interesting piece. Co-written by Raimi himself, this film becomes both a throughly interesting look at how boyish pride needs to be overcome to become a man, and also a bloated mess. The central relationships in the film are dealt with with the same amount of care given to them in the first 2 films. Parker and Mary-Jane's relationship feels strangely real, Mary-Jane facing a world of disapointment and Peter believeing too much of his own press and the friction this creates feels quite real. Harry Osborn becomes the most crucial character in the film, his personal struggle of his feelings is well executed and thought the first half of the film deals with him with one of the oldest tricks in the book, his character becomes the most interesting towards the end of the film and his arc is the most satisfying of the entire film. This streches to Sandman too. While purists will argue his caharcter is a betrayal of the one in the comics, his connection to Parker works as a plot devide and as a satisfying way for Peter to defeat his inner demons. Saying all this, there are massive problems. I have already talked about the treatment of Venom but Gwen Stacey is absolutly pointless. Such an intergral person in the comics, she becomes little more than a plot device used to create tension. Eddie Brock is also ridiculously underwrtitten and this ties in with Venom nicely. Captain Stacey also feels like a waste of time. If these charcetrs were ina different film, they could propel the whole thing by themselves, not just as additions to a bloated film.
The actions and the special effects are incredible, far better than the first two films. The Sandman's transformation reaches a point of visual poetry. Venom is also a work of scary beauty. Goblin Junior's fight sequences also look incredible. All the cast pull off their roles well, Kirsten Dunst in particular seeming far more comfortable than before. What I will say though is that this generation of filmmakers should end it here. There will be more films, but the ending while oddly subdued, feels like a natural conclusion for the characters but I hope Maguire/Dunst/Raimi end it here, lest they truly soil what they have achieved.
A truly good film, this really is. There are many highs to the piece. And then there is Emo-Man. A mixed bag if ever there was one and a slightly disapointing start to the summer season. I will watch it again and again however!
Back in the week with DVD reviews and my cinema review of the week will be the kind-of strangely anticipated, 28 Weeks Later.
Ian out
Review: Spider-Man 3 (Sam Raimi, 2007, USA).
The Spider-Man films have a very special place in my heart. I absolutely adore them. Spider-Man was at the time the best superhero film ever (Yes I include the original Superman in that). It has only been bettered by Spider-Man 2, a film with actually perfect pacing, fantastic action and sympathetic heroes and villians. Sam Raimi's love for the universe shines through every single frame of these movies. And anything with Bruce Campbell in interests me immeadiately. So Spider-Man 3 comes with BIGGER villains, BIGGER special effects, BIGGER plot, BIGGER portions of Bruce Campbell goodness. After the middling pre-release reviews, the public can make their own decisions. Mine? Read on.
Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is having the best time of his life. New York now loves him, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) loves him, and he is about to propose to her. Trouble is afoot though. Harry Osborn (James Franco) has revenge on his mind, Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), an escaped convict with a connection to Peter becomes the Sandman and a strange alien presence becomes drawn to Peter and changes his life forever.
Spider-Man 3 comes with maybe the same amount of fanboy anticipation as Star Wars: Episode 1 and so for many, disapointment is inevitable. The problem with Spider-Man 3 is that with some slight changes, it could have been a great, rather than very good film. Many of my problems with it have been sited by previous reviews so while I may sound like a skipping record, I do believe these opinions are my own. For those who know, the addition of Venom is an odd one as Sam Raimi has publicly stated that he does not like the character. The use of Venom in the film seems to validate this view. While the presence of the black goo from space is an excellent way of propelling the character of Peter Parker into unchartered territory, but the prsence of Venom towards the end of the film feels like an afterthought when if this was a Spider-Man made by a different director, he could easily be the main/only villain in the entire film. Instead he becomes the least focused, least thought about, and most weakly dealt with character in the fim. A real shame which could also be explained by the fact that this film has to achieve a 12a/PG-13 rating.
The 12a/PG-13 rating brings me onto my next point. While the first two had these ratings, actually 2 was a PG in the UK, the subject matter didn't feel tamed at all. However, in a plot where all is supposed to be dark, you need the darkness to truly appreciate the light when it comes. Instead of turning Peter Parker into a truly dangerous dark figure, he becomes Pete Wentz (Bassist/Narccissist of Fall Out Boy). This material is funny and also ever-so-slightly depressing, do not get me wrong. Seeing Peter Parker go all emo on us (which incidentally is going to date this film more than anything in the first 2 films), with his comb over and eyeliner is a sight to be hold. Flirting outragerously and becoming a bit of a cock, Maguire and Raimi pull this off well. Also well executed is the jazz club sequence which does make us believe that Parker has reached a point where he knows he has to stop. However, much of this being played for laughs feels strangely out of place. We have been promised darkness, a more adult take on Spider-Man and instead we get the potrayal of a boy who has listened to to much emo.
The script is also an interesting piece. Co-written by Raimi himself, this film becomes both a throughly interesting look at how boyish pride needs to be overcome to become a man, and also a bloated mess. The central relationships in the film are dealt with with the same amount of care given to them in the first 2 films. Parker and Mary-Jane's relationship feels strangely real, Mary-Jane facing a world of disapointment and Peter believeing too much of his own press and the friction this creates feels quite real. Harry Osborn becomes the most crucial character in the film, his personal struggle of his feelings is well executed and thought the first half of the film deals with him with one of the oldest tricks in the book, his character becomes the most interesting towards the end of the film and his arc is the most satisfying of the entire film. This streches to Sandman too. While purists will argue his caharcter is a betrayal of the one in the comics, his connection to Parker works as a plot devide and as a satisfying way for Peter to defeat his inner demons. Saying all this, there are massive problems. I have already talked about the treatment of Venom but Gwen Stacey is absolutly pointless. Such an intergral person in the comics, she becomes little more than a plot device used to create tension. Eddie Brock is also ridiculously underwrtitten and this ties in with Venom nicely. Captain Stacey also feels like a waste of time. If these charcetrs were ina different film, they could propel the whole thing by themselves, not just as additions to a bloated film.
The actions and the special effects are incredible, far better than the first two films. The Sandman's transformation reaches a point of visual poetry. Venom is also a work of scary beauty. Goblin Junior's fight sequences also look incredible. All the cast pull off their roles well, Kirsten Dunst in particular seeming far more comfortable than before. What I will say though is that this generation of filmmakers should end it here. There will be more films, but the ending while oddly subdued, feels like a natural conclusion for the characters but I hope Maguire/Dunst/Raimi end it here, lest they truly soil what they have achieved.
A truly good film, this really is. There are many highs to the piece. And then there is Emo-Man. A mixed bag if ever there was one and a slightly disapointing start to the summer season. I will watch it again and again however!
Back in the week with DVD reviews and my cinema review of the week will be the kind-of strangely anticipated, 28 Weeks Later.
Ian out
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
DVD Review: Kingdom of Heaven: Definitive Edition
First off, after all the bluster back at the end of last year, I am finally getting around to getting a podcast up and running. I would like to ask your good self a favour though. I want feedback about anything you have thought about my ramblings and I will attempt to read out as many as I can on the podcast. You can either email me or, if you want I would love it, record your own feedback as an audio fail and email it to cinema-rama@hotmail.co.uk Oh yes, I have set-up an email account for the blog/podcast! I am really serious about this and your feedback would be so appreciated. Also, my competition I mentioned in my Spider-Man 2.1 review is very much up-and-running but with no entrys yet! Email the above address with your guesses of my 2nd and 3rd most anticipated films of the summer and of those who get it right I will pick a winner who will recieve a DVD! Not a shit one either, it will be your choice of a few! I am setting a closing date of next Friday the 11th May. Have a go, it won't cost anything. And please remember, I want your feedback! Right on to the review...
DVD Review: Kingdom of Heaven: Definitive Edition (Ridley Scott, 2005, USA).
Ridley Scott is most likely the director who has used DVD to his advantage the most. The original Gladiator DVD was one of the first to really deliver on the promises DVD could offer with a commentary, an amazing DTS soundtrack and featurettes a plenty. The "Extended Special Edition" (Note, not director's cut) adds some nice moments and features a documentary almost as long as the film itself and a very entertaining commentary with Sir Scott and Russell Crowe. He has been tinkering with a Blade Runner DVD for years now and apparently when it comes, it will have 4 versions including a brand new one. The orignal Alien DVD is also the first DVD I ever bought and includes some fantastic features also, most with direct input from Sir Scott. He knows that DVD can be used to provide material as detailed as the fan wants and can also give the viewer something we would not experience if DVD were not around. This director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven must surely be one of them.
For those who don't know there is a bit of background to this cut, if you know the story you may want to skip a couple of paragraphs for my specific thoughts. This film was originally designed to be an epic, taking what Gladiator had done and pushing it even further. Gladiator had shown that epics could work for modern audiences and so Ridley Scott was given the chance by Fox to make this film. With a script by William Monahan, one of the most respected screenwriters in Hollywood, they started filming what would be both an epic and a hit. When filming was finished and a 3 hour 5 minute cut was shown to Fox, they got cold feet and insisted on the film being cut down. Troy and King Arthur had both been critical and commercial failures (at least based on what was expected of them) and Fox was worrtied that people wre getting bored of these films. Instead of trusting the filmmakers, they turned out a botched 2 hour 15 minute edit to cinemas, aiming at the summer movie crowd and failing, making only 40 million dollars at the US box office. This edit was a mess and was quickly forgotten. However, rumblings from Scott were that he was not happy with this edit from the start and that he had a more coherent piece with plenty of room to breathe. Here it is.
Balian (Orlando Bloom) is a blacksmith whose wife recently committed suicide. At his lowest ebb, his long-lost father Godfrey (Liam Neeson) invites him to become part of the Crusades. Upon arriving in Jeruselam, he soon finds himself the protector of the "kingdom of heaven" from the outside and the inside.
The first cut of this film was a patectic rush job which screamed of studio interference and wsas an utter mess. Not only that, it was incredibly boring. This cut however, is something resembling a truly great film. While it may seem somewhat unfeasible that a film can be made that much different by a different edit, this really is the case. The fact is this film is 45 minutes longer than the theatrical version. While this was also the case with The Return Of Tke King extended edition, what is taken out here is not extra little bits which add to an overall feel when put back in, here we have vital scenes which make what were previously murky plot points into something which creates a truly epic feel. An entire plot is added which makes Sylbia (Eva Green) a character who is not just a perfunctory love interest but a fully realised character who makes the entire film a rather bittersweet affair. A simple addition such as the discovery of a caharcter actually being Bloom's brother also allows us to more fully realise the depths to which he goes before he can be redeemed.
The film also retains fully the only real redeeming point of the original cut, the quite incredible action. Scott's pefect way with handling huge battles was demonstrated in Gladiator, here it is realised to its full potential. The battle which is set over the course of days truly allows us to see how devatstaing a war of this type could be to both the individuals and the buldings they are fighting in and around. The room for this aspect of the film to breathe also improves another element, Orlando Bloom's perfomance. In the original cut, he seems little more than a moody bloke who decides to fight and inexplicably people follow. In this cut, we are shown many more character beats as he converses with those around him and really do make you believe that this "perfect knight" could inspire so few to battle so many. Bloom's peformance fares far better in this cut and it is to Scott's credit that my perception of his character is changed so much. All the perfomances are great work and unlike the previous cut where many characters felt empty and useless, all are given purpose here.
This may all sound hyperbolc but this cut really is a great work. The feel is timeless, and it says a lot for this film that it can have an overture and get away with it. Scott has done everyone involved with this production proud and I truly hope that this is the version that lives on in people's minds. Even if you did not like the original cut, I have no hesitation in recommending this.
Video: Extraordinary stuff. Scott's use of colour timing and lighting gives the film a look all of its own. I would love to see the Blu-Ray in action but this really will do for now.
Audio: You may get a DD 5.1 soundtrack but the DTS 5.1 is thunderous. From the start the bass booms out and sound blasts from all the speakers, and this pretty much does not stop. Always clear sound, with great directional effects and is truly a refernce disc for an audiophile. Again, the Blu-Ray is a tempting beast what with a lossless track retaining the quality from the original mixing desk. Drooling now.
Extras: Have only watched the Director's Cut featurette which is diminshed by the lack of Sir Scott axction. Saying that he seems to be all over this edition and I really do look forward to learning more about this film.
Truly great film, incredible video and audio with features I know will be well worth a watch. This edition is avaliable for around a tenner online and I say go buy it!!
Thoughts on this or any of my posts to cinema-rama@hotmail.co.uk please!
DVD Review: Kingdom of Heaven: Definitive Edition (Ridley Scott, 2005, USA).
Ridley Scott is most likely the director who has used DVD to his advantage the most. The original Gladiator DVD was one of the first to really deliver on the promises DVD could offer with a commentary, an amazing DTS soundtrack and featurettes a plenty. The "Extended Special Edition" (Note, not director's cut) adds some nice moments and features a documentary almost as long as the film itself and a very entertaining commentary with Sir Scott and Russell Crowe. He has been tinkering with a Blade Runner DVD for years now and apparently when it comes, it will have 4 versions including a brand new one. The orignal Alien DVD is also the first DVD I ever bought and includes some fantastic features also, most with direct input from Sir Scott. He knows that DVD can be used to provide material as detailed as the fan wants and can also give the viewer something we would not experience if DVD were not around. This director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven must surely be one of them.
For those who don't know there is a bit of background to this cut, if you know the story you may want to skip a couple of paragraphs for my specific thoughts. This film was originally designed to be an epic, taking what Gladiator had done and pushing it even further. Gladiator had shown that epics could work for modern audiences and so Ridley Scott was given the chance by Fox to make this film. With a script by William Monahan, one of the most respected screenwriters in Hollywood, they started filming what would be both an epic and a hit. When filming was finished and a 3 hour 5 minute cut was shown to Fox, they got cold feet and insisted on the film being cut down. Troy and King Arthur had both been critical and commercial failures (at least based on what was expected of them) and Fox was worrtied that people wre getting bored of these films. Instead of trusting the filmmakers, they turned out a botched 2 hour 15 minute edit to cinemas, aiming at the summer movie crowd and failing, making only 40 million dollars at the US box office. This edit was a mess and was quickly forgotten. However, rumblings from Scott were that he was not happy with this edit from the start and that he had a more coherent piece with plenty of room to breathe. Here it is.
Balian (Orlando Bloom) is a blacksmith whose wife recently committed suicide. At his lowest ebb, his long-lost father Godfrey (Liam Neeson) invites him to become part of the Crusades. Upon arriving in Jeruselam, he soon finds himself the protector of the "kingdom of heaven" from the outside and the inside.
The first cut of this film was a patectic rush job which screamed of studio interference and wsas an utter mess. Not only that, it was incredibly boring. This cut however, is something resembling a truly great film. While it may seem somewhat unfeasible that a film can be made that much different by a different edit, this really is the case. The fact is this film is 45 minutes longer than the theatrical version. While this was also the case with The Return Of Tke King extended edition, what is taken out here is not extra little bits which add to an overall feel when put back in, here we have vital scenes which make what were previously murky plot points into something which creates a truly epic feel. An entire plot is added which makes Sylbia (Eva Green) a character who is not just a perfunctory love interest but a fully realised character who makes the entire film a rather bittersweet affair. A simple addition such as the discovery of a caharcter actually being Bloom's brother also allows us to more fully realise the depths to which he goes before he can be redeemed.
The film also retains fully the only real redeeming point of the original cut, the quite incredible action. Scott's pefect way with handling huge battles was demonstrated in Gladiator, here it is realised to its full potential. The battle which is set over the course of days truly allows us to see how devatstaing a war of this type could be to both the individuals and the buldings they are fighting in and around. The room for this aspect of the film to breathe also improves another element, Orlando Bloom's perfomance. In the original cut, he seems little more than a moody bloke who decides to fight and inexplicably people follow. In this cut, we are shown many more character beats as he converses with those around him and really do make you believe that this "perfect knight" could inspire so few to battle so many. Bloom's peformance fares far better in this cut and it is to Scott's credit that my perception of his character is changed so much. All the perfomances are great work and unlike the previous cut where many characters felt empty and useless, all are given purpose here.
This may all sound hyperbolc but this cut really is a great work. The feel is timeless, and it says a lot for this film that it can have an overture and get away with it. Scott has done everyone involved with this production proud and I truly hope that this is the version that lives on in people's minds. Even if you did not like the original cut, I have no hesitation in recommending this.
Video: Extraordinary stuff. Scott's use of colour timing and lighting gives the film a look all of its own. I would love to see the Blu-Ray in action but this really will do for now.
Audio: You may get a DD 5.1 soundtrack but the DTS 5.1 is thunderous. From the start the bass booms out and sound blasts from all the speakers, and this pretty much does not stop. Always clear sound, with great directional effects and is truly a refernce disc for an audiophile. Again, the Blu-Ray is a tempting beast what with a lossless track retaining the quality from the original mixing desk. Drooling now.
Extras: Have only watched the Director's Cut featurette which is diminshed by the lack of Sir Scott axction. Saying that he seems to be all over this edition and I really do look forward to learning more about this film.
Truly great film, incredible video and audio with features I know will be well worth a watch. This edition is avaliable for around a tenner online and I say go buy it!!
Thoughts on this or any of my posts to cinema-rama@hotmail.co.uk please!
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Heavenly kingdoms and angular rocking...
Ok, it has taken me a while but I have finally started watching the Kingdom of Heaven: Definitive Edition. It is split in two parts and as now is around the time the housemates want to watch TV and I finished Part One, I will finish for now and watch the rest tomorrow. Its going to be a positive review I will say that much for now.
Was going to watch t all in one go yesterday but I got out of work late (again) and I had a gig to get to, the mighty Maximo Park at Bristol Academy. Fucking awesome stuff, really on top form and it has made me really appreciate their new album, the at first hard to get into, Our Earthly Pleasures. They played for a good hour and a half and were jumping about throughout, although I will say the lead singer, Paul Smith, was out of breath a bit too much for a guy of his size. Quality stuff through and through.
Back tomorrow with my review of KoH and I may well do a little Spider-Man v Spider-Man 2 action in preparation for what I hope will really be the best superhero film ever, Spider-Man 3. 3 days to go...
Was going to watch t all in one go yesterday but I got out of work late (again) and I had a gig to get to, the mighty Maximo Park at Bristol Academy. Fucking awesome stuff, really on top form and it has made me really appreciate their new album, the at first hard to get into, Our Earthly Pleasures. They played for a good hour and a half and were jumping about throughout, although I will say the lead singer, Paul Smith, was out of breath a bit too much for a guy of his size. Quality stuff through and through.
Back tomorrow with my review of KoH and I may well do a little Spider-Man v Spider-Man 2 action in preparation for what I hope will really be the best superhero film ever, Spider-Man 3. 3 days to go...
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