Chris' Talk

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

My absolute fav A&C. A classic. Luv Bela & Lon always.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas)

A beatufully simple story of the unlikely friendship between two boys during the holocaust. Powerful, thought provoking and while it's far from the 'feel good' movie of the year, it will leave you with plenty of moments to ponder. A welcome return from David Thewlis, but it's the pure charisma and innocence from the two boys that really makes its mark. It's that innocence which can come off as ignorance that really sells the story and the cinematography is quite spectacular too. Well worth a look!

Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan

An incredible outing since 'Star Trek - The Motionless Picture'. In the wonderfully campy original series, there was an episode called 'Space Seed' that introduced Kahn. This incredible features follows the path of revenge and brings us more campy dialogue, but an amazing story as well. Totally quotable and ultimately a bit tearjerking in the end. A brilliant piece of cinema that proves the small screen can go big and do an amazing job. The sequels are hit and miss, but 'Wrath of Kahn' nails all the right buttons.

Transporter 3

I love the Transporter movies. Yeah they are ridiculously over the top and quite silly but My God they're entertaining. The addition lacks the ingenuity of the first two, but is good for a laugh nonetheless. Some wicked stunts and driving scenes elevate it above your average action fare, but seriously do not go looking for anything even vaguely intelligent. This one is strictly a watch with brain entirely disengaged, but when it's this entertaining, you just dont care. Sit back and enjoy the mindlessness.

The Wild Man of the Navidad

Valkyrie

Well tolk story of the true life assassination attempt on Hitler by a group of German insiders. An impressive supporting cast back up an equally impressive Tom Cruise, who proves he still makes an impression on screen. A thoughtful performance which manages to capture your attention and run with it. Bryan Singers confident direction is a welcome departure from comic book movies and is well written and executed. Don't miss the great documentary on the DVD, telling the tragic true story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg...... riveting.

Milk

Sean Penn knocks it out of the park with an outstanding portrayal of political activist and crusader for gay rights, Harvey Milk. The story itself is interesting, if not completely riveting all the time. Quite inspirational in the journey Milk takes, but again, it's all due to the outstanding performance from Sean Penn. A decent supporting cast do well and the direction of Gus Van Sant shows a confident hand behind the wheel. Inspirational and tragic, it's well worth a look for the non-homophobic.

Milk

Sean Penn knocks it out of the park with an outstanding portrayal of political activist and crusader for gay rights, Harvey Milk. The story itself is interesting, if not completely riveting all the time. Quite inspirational in the journey Milk takes, but again, it's all due to the outstanding performance from Sean Penn. A decent supporting cast do well and the direction of Gus Van Sant shows a confident hand behind the wheel. Inspirational and tragic, it's well worth a look for the non-homophobic.

Deadgirl

Road Games

A total diamond in the rough. Stacy Keach is amazing. Direction and cinematography are both top notch. To quote a friend "It's like Hitchcock and Tarantino had an Australian film baby."

Seven Pounds

Will Smith proves once again that he really can do anything in this obscurely titled melodrama. This astounding piece of work has no shame about pulling at your heart strings and it does so in a surprisingly witty way that will leave you devestated. More than just a story of redemption, it's depth is almost biblical in nature and provokes the audience to ask some shocking questions about ourselves and the world we live in. Wonderfully deep, with some truly original twists and a very touching finale. Just see it!

Next of Kin, (Hell House)

Imagine The Shinning and Suspiria had an Australia film baby and you'll start to get an idea of what Next of Kin is like. While the film has it's flaws, it's use of atmosphere is unbelievable. Great elegant cinematography and really amazing slo-mo.

A true undiscovered gem. I'm not going to lie, it's a little hard to find. I had to buy a used, out-of-print, German, region 4 bootleg off ebay.

Slumdog Millionaire

Utterly captivating 'best picture' winner from the ultra-talented and incredibly versatile Danny Boyle. The clever storytelling style and touching performances from a cast of unknowns draws you in from the beginning and never lets go. The powerful message of the pricelessness of life experience (no matter how harsh) really hits home and the loyalty displayed by the lead character is nothing short of trul endearing. Highly recommended viewing to anyone and everyone. A visionary work from Boyle.

Slumdog Millionaire

Utterly captivating 'best picture' winner from the ultra-talented and incredibly versatile Danny Boyle. The clever storytelling style and touching performances from a cast of unknowns draws you in from the beginning and never lets go. The powerful message of the pricelessness of life experience (no matter how harsh) really hits home and the loyalty displayed by the lead character is nothing short of trul endearing. Highly recommended viewing to anyone and everyone. A visionary work from Boyle.

Deadgirl

The Room

One of the best worst movies ever. I can hardly believe I've seen what I've seen.

In the Valley of Elah

Paul Haggis' powerful follow-up to "Crash" is a very deep and moving affair, with a typically great performance from Tommy Lee Jones. Not afraid to delve into some touchy issues, this topical thriller asks some genuinely confronting questions about the role of society in modern warfare and ultimately where should loyalty lie. Well written and engaging, though not really appealing to everyones taste. Certainly a more mature and multilayered effort from Haggis, I can't wait to see what he does next.

Seven Pounds

Will Smith proves once again that he really can do anything in this obscurely titled melodrama. This astounding piece of work has no shame about pulling at your heart strings and it does so in a surprisingly witty way that will leave you devestated. More than just a story of redemption, it's depth is almost biblical in nature and provokes the audience to ask some shocking questions about ourselves and the world we live in. Wonderfully deep, with some truly original twists and a very touching finale. Just see it!

The Warriors

Do you have one of those movies that has been available for ages, but you just never seem to have gotten around to it? Well, Walter Hill's classic post apocalyptic gang movie falls into that category for me. After all these years, finally I caught it and I'm glad I did. Raw, exciting, violent and with a nice sense of justice, theres plenty to like about this one. Yes, it looks a bit dated, but since it was made in 1979 you can forgive the visual failings and just enjoy the originality of story that Walter Hill presents.

Henry Poole Is Here

The underrated Luke Wison is captivating in this surprisingly 'feel good' and yet very quirky little film. The message of religion and faith can get hard to swallow, but is still reminiscent enough of the magical elements of 'Field Of Dreams' that you can't help but be a bit enamoured with the premise. That said, the whole story does feel a bit padded and gets a tad boring at times, even though a well selected cast so a fine job all around. Perhaps more overlooked than it should be, but still comes off as more 'preachy' than its predecessors.