Andy's Talk

The Brothers Grimm

As I was watching The Brothers Grimm, I knew I'd find it interesting to see how the best fairy tales ever originated with their travels from village to village while pretending to rid them of "enchanted creatures". When the French government investigates a haunted forest and the mysterious disappearances of girls, they find an evil sorceress that parallels that of the folklore and fables that the Grimms were searching for. I can say that this is a great fantasy film that is worth watching for: the special effects (SFX) are so well made, and they looked real to me - check out the great action sequences, too. Starring the impressive acting performances by Matt Damon and the late Heath Ledger.

Gake no ue no Ponyo (Ponyo) (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea)

Best Movie of 2009 so far, You have never seen anything quite like Ponyo. Not as dark as Spirited Away but definately a comparable Miazaky Masterpeice! See it now.

La Ley de Herodes (Herod's Law)

Correctly reflects contemporary society in Mexico under the Institutional Revolutionary Party.

Munich

Not a bad Spielberg work.

Walk the Line

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Songwriters Hall of Fame. Country Music Hall of Fame. But that's not what made him a legend. Johnny Cash's rise to fame with such hits as "A Boy Named Sue" and "Ring of Fire" was battered by his brother's accidental death and an abusive father, who blames him for the incident. His instability, both financial and emotional, leads to the failure of his first marriage; he also struggles with amphetamines, barbiturates and alcohol. June Carter - whose radio programs helped Cash's unhappy youth - later becomes Cash's salvation as her path crosses with his.

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Directed by James Mangold, Walk The Line features very great acting performances from the following cast:
1.) Joaquin Phoenix (Johnny Cash)
2.) Reese Witherspoon (June Carter)
3.) Ginnifer Goodwin (Vivian Cash)
4.) Robert Patrick (Ray Cash)

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Walk the Line is a good re-telling of the career of the American music legend Johnny Cash as it dramatically covered his personal life, relationships, and struggles well. I may not be a big country music listener or fan, but when I watched this biopic I fully understood it as if it's like I'm reading a biography so I could see how the Man in Black (and to dress in an all-black suit, he was more likely to go to a funeral than to perform live) rose to fame and fortune. Nice to see the great acting performances here, including our leading stars, Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, in their respective musical roles; when I heard them singing their voices kinda resemble their original artists. With such a memorable musical biopic the real Johnny Cash and June Carter would have been proud.

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."

Traitor

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.

Samson and Delilah

Probably one of the best Australian film ever, certainly one of its most powerful, dealing with the nation's elephant in the room, the indigenous Australians. A harrowingly confronting film about youth, indigenous culture, disadvantage and poverty ultimately turns into a subtle but extremely moving love story. A quietly beautiful film that gets under your skin and shakes you too your core. Particularly powerful from an Australian perspective the film looks hard at a shameful fact of Australian society, without moralizing or pointing blame, the film transcends the subject matter and creates a powerful love story. But be prepared for its slow style and its ability to emotionally drain you.

The Room

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

The Matrix

2001: A Space Odyssey

Slumdog Millionaire

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Amarcord

Fellini's classic. What else can I say?

Donkey Punch

Gritty and harsh, this graphic little horror/thriller is not an easy watch due to it's reckless sex and violence. But it does have its merits and proves to be quite a good little slasher flick by the end. Perhaps the most shocking moment (that of the intriguing title) is enough to surprise even the most hardened horror freak. Not a great watch, but theres plenty to entertain and it certainly highlights the dangers of being young and over-indulging in sex and drugs.... as if we didn't already know that was a naughty thing to do.

Repo! The Genetic Opera

Completely original and innovative. This dark, futuristic, sci-fi, musical, horror has it all! Very different and certainly not for everyone, but I loved it! Truly operatic storytelling, about a billion musical numbers and the only thing I've ever seen Paris Hilton in where she didn't entirely suck! Very gory and dark, but filled with 'holy shit' moments and some incredible singing ability from Paul Sorvino and Anthony Head. The graphic novel style backstory scenes are cool and if you want something very different... here it is!