Film 2009

[Uncle Spielberg]

I like the sound of the Ginderdead Man, it has 3.0 on imdb, the Passion of the Crust fares slightly better at 4.4 and Saturday Night Cleaver is due for release this year.

I used to seek out low budget horror films on dvd. The best imo is

Brain Damage - a superb horror based on a slug parasite that injects a drug into the brain of his host who helps him get live Human brains

Pin - Not so much a horror, just a really fecking weird film

Re Animator 1 and 2 - classic over the top hayhem

Street Trash - a cheap dink melts those who consume it, mainly tramps and low lifes

 

[CHAPPERS]

City of Men - pretty decent, not as good as City of God but getting there. I enjoyed it though. 7.2

 

[Acker79]

Monsters Vs Aliens 3D
I loved this film. It didn't seem to rely on it's 3D scenes. I've seen some reviews say the 3D aspect is a distraction, but I think the problem with 3D is that films can rely on the effects rather than the film itself, so I guess there needs to be a decent balance.

This is the first 3D film I've seen where I've felt confident I'll enjoy the normal 2d version when I see it on dvd (I don't like the red/green 3d stuff they do for the dvd release, the real 3d is much better).

Lots of fun characters, references for adults, decent story (for a family animation film).

Don't rush out at the start of the credits though, there's a little extra scene a short bit into them.

 

[Acker79]

Oops. Forgot to post about yesterday's cinema trip:

Know1ng
I didn't have high hopes for this. I love Nic Cage in Con Air, The Rock, and Face Off, but those are the sorts of films he should do. Know1ng is one he shouldn't. It's just wrong, and he sticks out.

Having said that, I really did enjoy it, with its themes of determinism v erm.. chaos theory/random chance (I've forgotten the exact term) and religion v science. I imagine I would have enjoyed it even more if it had someone else in the lead role.

 

[Acker79]

The Haunting in Connecticut

I was very m'eh on this film. It isn't particularly bad, but whenever a ghost story presents itself as "based on a true story" I just have this cynical inner voice that stops me really taking it seriously. Still for what it was it was a decent film.

 

[Acker79]

The Boat That Rocked
Really good, great, classic music, typical Richard Curtis humour and heart, decent performances. Worth a watch.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Dark Knight - enjoyable but too long which caused me to get a little bored. Found Batman's voice annoying. Michael Caine was good though. Could have been better.

Little Miss Sunshine - yeah, pretty charming little film actually.

There you go.

 

[Mellotron]

Yes Man -

Not bad. Carrey not quite as annoying as usual, romantic story was interesting enough. Good to see Rhys Darby (Murray in Flight of the Conchords) in a support role.

Also worth noting the cameo from Danny Wallace (the original Yes Man).

7.1/10

 

[SNOOBS]

Transporter 3 - I fell asleep

 

[Acker79]

Dragonball Evolution
I've never watched any of the cartoons, so I didn't judge it as an adaptation, or with any reference to a beloved source material.

I was expecting to hate it, but I actually enjoyed it. It was simple fun, fair bit of energy. Stephen Chow often puts a lot of fun into his fights, and while it's not on a Kung Fu Hustle level, it was still enjoyable.

None of the performances were bad, or trying to hard to be serious actors in an effort to give the film gravitas, and only Emmy Rossum was slightly annoying (but I was annoyed by her before this, since she seems to show up at every premier, and ever has anything to promote)

If you're looking for an original movie, with breakthrough effects, and challenging subject matter, you're looking in the wrong place.

Though, this is getting quite slaughtered, so it may be one of those films that I'm alone in appreciating.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Took the kids to see Monsters vs Aliens today. Apart from having to put up with the scuzzy cinema at the marina a brilliant afternoons entertainment. Top stuff for kids and adults.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Changeling

An ernest Clint Eastwood fil, Does this guy know how to make a bad film ?. No

A heavyweight tale of a Woman in corrupt LA Police era of late 20/2 similar in vein to the corruption seen in the excellent LA Confidential.

Women loses Son and gets fobbed off by LA Police with a boy found reunited with her which is not her Son. Police department make out she is mad , ends up in a loony bin and her fight against the department with a linked story of mass child murderer. IS the Boy alive, was he murdered ?.

A suoerb performance by Jolie who was nominated for an Oscar. She proves she is not just a pretty face.

A good film, not as good as Gran Torino for me but pretty decent all the same.

7.6

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I watched Quantum of Solace again last night. A very decent Bond film and I am still very dumbfounded about some of the negative reviews it got.

7.7

 

[Spider]

I watched Quantum of Solace again last night. A very decent Bond film and I am still very dumbfounded about some of the negative reviews it got.

7.7

Funnily enough I also watched it again last night and have almost exactly the same thoughts about it as you. I think people were basing it too much on comparisons to Casino Royale, which is unfair considering that is one of the best in the Bond series. QoS is flawed, but it is also quite a ripping Bond film with a plot which gets much better on repeat viewings.

 

[Acker79]

Funnily enough I also watched it again last night and have almost exactly the same thoughts about it as you. I think people were basing it too much on comparisons to Casino Royale, which is unfair considering that is one of the best in the Bond series. QoS is flawed, but it is also quite a ripping Bond film with a plot which gets much better on repeat viewings.

I didn't think it was bad, I just think the marketing of the movie set up the wrong expectations. Watching the trailers and such it gave the impression the film would be about two things:

Narratively - Finding out more about the group behind the events in CR.

Emotionally - James coming to terms with Vesper betrayal, learning to forgive her, dealing with his grief etc.

What we got was

Narratively - tenuously linked alternate villain (i.e. Vesper was Brighton and Hove Albion, Quantum are the FA, we were promised an insight into the FA, instead we found out about Coca Cola - sponsors of the football league, something under the purview of the FA, but not telling us anything about the FA).

Emotionally - No cathartic moment where he clearly has some sort of epiphany, and at the end he gives a "you never lost me" completely dismissing the need for any emotional journey he was expected to make.


That bugged me. I enjoyed it, but walked out thinking the marketing lied to me and I need to watch it again without those expectations.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

I wasn't really looking forward to this but ended up quite enjoying it. There's some excellent little one liners in it and Russel Brand is actually pretty funny, though I can't see him being able to play anything other than the part he did in this. Nothing really happens at the end but it's all nice enough for an evening's viewing. Plus the bird in it is FINE.

7.0

 

[Acker79]

Fast and Furious
I did not like it. I didn't hate it, it wasn't so laughably bad, or I didn't think it was, but it was more one of those things that probably appear to late teens early twenties "typical guy" guys who like cars and such. Some people were applauding it, which seemed weird to me. Not just because I didn't appreciate it, but because it's not the sort of film genre that has an applauding audience.

Race to Witch Mountain
It was a typical disney adventure fun, not stand out or particularly special, but watchable. It had a harry potter trailer, which is the first I remember seeing at the cinema, or at least the first in a very long time.

 

[ben andrews' girlfriend]

Little Miss Sunshine - yeah, pretty charming little film actually.

There you go.

Watched that the xsame time as you i'd imagine!!! Found it very sweet also!! Not something i'd buy on dvd, but was nice to see anyway.

Watched the duchess the other day too - was really good!!! Absolutely heartbreaking too.

 

[Oscar]

KNOWING - I was expecting it to be bad but for the first 45mins I was quite entertained. Cliches aside and more than a few tongue in cheek moments, I quite liked the whole religion vs science angle. If they had stayed on this track and the concept of one man knowing his and everyone's fate it would have been a decent movie.
Then the mystery side of things fell away and the whole movie nosedived faster than the dodgy CGI passenger jet in the film. BIG jump the shark moment leaves the film limping to some of the worst final scenes I have ever seen. Look out for the hilarious burning Moose! 3.8

MONSTERS Vs ALIENS - Not nearly as funny as it could have been. I thought the Monsters (other than the blue blob) were a bit dull. Link especially. Good 3D and my 6-year-old loved it so that's the point I guess. 7.1

 

[Acker79]

17 Again
I rather enjoyed this. I had Zac Efron pegged as just another of american kids tv channel conveyor belt of kids who have been in performance school from the age of three who can sing and dance, and do kids tv type acting, but he was actually quite good. Not spectacular or particularly special, but good enough for the role. Kudos to him. Michelle Trachtenberg still annoys the hell out of me. Funny, sweet, very much Big in reverse, and I mean that as a compliment.