expatpaul
http://www.flixster.com/user/expatpaul
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| Movie: | Barbarella, Brazil, Monty Python's Life of Brian, Perdita Durango, Tetsuo, Pan's Labyrinth, The Good The Bad and The Ugly, Desecration, Horror, Ju-On, The Evil Dead, Lilja-4-Ever, Mars Attacks!, Metropolis, Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, V for Vendetta, Rollerball, Tears of the Black Tiger, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Pervert!, An American Werewolf in London, Fay Grim... |
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Brian: Look, you've got it all wrong! You don't need to follow me, you don't need to follow anybody! You've got to think for yourselves! You're all individuals!
The Crowd (in unison): Yes! We're all individuals! |
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Paul's Recent Reviews
El Alambrista: The Fence Jumper
Unrated
The life of El Alambrista (Fausto Olmos Rentería), an aspiring luchador, changes drastically when his father dies in a mining accident. Taking on the responsibility of being the chief breadwinner for his family, he heads for the US border in search of work. This is not an easy life and, once over the border, he discovers just how hard it can be for an illegal immigrant. The constant fear of deportation leaves these people unable to turn to the authorities for help and, consequently, vulnerable to exploitation and abuse at the hands of dishonest employers, racist thugs and worse.
Not one to stand back and let his people suffer, and having no family fearing deportation, El Alambrista starts to step in to protect his people and to stand up for their rights.
El Alambrista: The Fence Jumper a bit of a rarity. While it is a low budget action film that harks back to the Mexican masked heroes of the 1960s and 1970s, it is also a modern film with a social conscience and one that attempts to address some of the issues surrounding illegal immigration and border control. That it manages to achieve this without falling back onto obvious stereotypes makes it a film well worth seeing.
Full review
Kung Fu Panda
PG
It has to be said that Kung Fu Panda does not have the most complex plot ever set in celluloid, nor does it have the most rounded characters and the animation (apart from a superbly stylised opening sequence) is pretty much your bog-standard Dreamworks CGI. What the film does have in abundance, though, is a huge sense of fun.
Po, voiced by Jack Black, is an overweight panda working in his father's noodle shop. He is accidentally named as the Dragon Warrior and suddenly finds himself on a crash course in kung fu so he can face the ferocious, and recently excaped, Tai Lung.
What we get is a stream of slapstick silliness that really is a joy to watch.
While the film does affectionately mock some of the stereotypes of the martial arts genre, there is a refreshing lack of ironic winking at the audience. The film is also thankfully free of trite moral platitudes or irritating attempts to be anything more than it is.
Kung Fu Panda makes no attempt to be anything other than a film about a panda that does kung fu. It's not the most ambitious film ever made, but it does do a very effective job in achieving the goal that it has set for itself.
Gunheavy
Unrated
It's a pretty big claim to say that Gunheavy has more firepower than any other film in history and writer/director, Angelo Lopes is certainly ambitious, claiming on the back of the DVD that the film proves ?that inside the digital film making revolution, very impressive special effects don?t need massive budgets.? This post-apocalyptic military dystopia is certainly an audacious film and in many ways it's this sheer audacity that is the most impressive aspect of the film.
The film's background, as described and hinted at, certainly has a great deal of potential and I would like to have seen more done with this. Lopes, however, largely ignores this in the rush get to the action and to maintain an often frenetic pace.
Gunheavy does work as an action film and will certainly satisfy anyone looking for ordnance heavy thrills. The real strength of the film, however, is in the darkly stylish atmosphere that Lopes manages to bring to the screen.
Full review here
Society
R
Gloriously over-the-top satire.Weird, surreal and totally unlike anything that had gone before. Well worth a watch.
The Horror Vault 2
PG
This second film in the Horror Vault series of anthologies nimbly avoids retreading old ground by grouping the films around a theme that is very different to that of the first film. While the focus of The Horror Vault was on stories of madness and cruelty, The Horror Vault 2 turns this around to give us five darkly humorous tales with an emphasis on the absurd.
The Horror Vault 2 is a very strong anthology in its own right, boasting a collection of films that range from the good to the very good. The writing, the direction, the characterisation and the performances are consistently strong across all five films and the result is an anthology that not only deserves a place in any horror fan's collection but also one that is very rewatchable.
Moreover, the change of theme from the first film in the series to this one allows it to make the most of the anthology format while retaining a freshness for the series as a whole.
Full review here
Fighter (Aicha)
Unrated
Fighter is a very different film to your average Martial Arts flick. While the combat and training scenes are plentiful, these are not the point of the film. Fighter is a film about Aicha, a teenage girl of Turkish origin trying to find her way in Danish society. It's a coming of age story that looks at modern European cultural conflicts in a mature and intelligent way.
The script is densely packed and rich with the complexities of different cultures and generations trying to find how best to get along with each other. There are no pantomime villains here and Aicha's family really does come across as a real family trying to cope with real difficulties.
The acting is strong across the board and the fight scenes are unvarnished and suitably spectacular.
This is one of the best martial arts films I've seen in a long time and one that works very well on a range of levels.
Paul's Favorite Movies
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1.
Perdita Durango
R
On the face of it, this film has no likeable characters and a black humour that is often sick. But the lead characters, Durango and Dolorossa, are treated sympathetically and their characters do develop as the film progresses so that you find yourself really caring what happens and, at the end of the day, that's what matters.
Paul's Movie Scrapbook
Paul's Talk
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I recommend you see...
Milk
by Eduardoposted 1 day ago -
I recommend you see...
Seul Contre Tous (I Stand Alone) (One Against All)
by DimitrisMore than a sequel to the butcher's short in Carne,Nahon methodically shares with us fears and loathings in a Miserere of illusions.Perhaps the downwardness of it all.
posted 2 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Watchmen
by DimitrisAnarchy's drastic "genitalia" was rarely shown as a stupefied emotion in mainstream productions and Snyder's crematory is not to be taken for granted!So we fill our bellies with top notch trampolines,Matrix remnants,sex scenes like kitchen tapestry and the soundtrack comes and goes from Mozart to Dylan.
Moore must immediately ban all studios from ever adapting (again) a creation of his on the big screen.For what it's worth,I won't neglect the well-portrayed characters of Comedian and Rorschach.sorry for the ones who liked it but:
A: read Alan Moore and
B: it's as stupid as the adaptions of Constantine and V for Vendetta...
seriously,what's with all this messing around of great comic books?huh?????
but who am i to judge the millions who loved it...
Snyder should start eating his own semen..please mr Snyder,don't show us ur ego too much...at least McTiernan knew how to embrace action and detail...posted 2 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Ghostbusters III
by DimitrisWhat a sell-out..."who you gonna call"???Certainly NOT the old-timers Bill and Dan.Ramis' directorial career was long buried underground before his acting was....and I'm still chattering about this movie,somebody stop me!!!
hey,hey,it's my non-recommendation!!!
pathetic,i feel pity for the ones who will pay for this..
i however won't even bother downloading this...sheesh..posted 3 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Once Upon a Time in the West
by xGaryA newlywed arrives to find her adoptive family murdered and makes an alliance with a bandit and a mysterious drifter to unite against their killer. Sergio Leone's "dance of death" is probably his most artistic film; what doesn't happen on screen is just as important as what does. It is almost an examination of a difference in the mindset of the sexes. The only female protagonist, played by Claudia Cardinale, is the only one who truly embraces life, and is willing to do whatever it takes to survive. Robards' bandit, Bronson's revenge driven gunman and Fonda's steely eyed assassin not only expect death, but almost welcome it. This film is not about a bullet riddled slam bang finale; it's about a series of events and circumstances leading up to a single point in time, and is all the more powerful for it. Reeking atmosphere and tension, Leone's visuals have never been better and Fonda who is the true central character of the film is perfectly cast against type, his piercing blue eyes almost the opposite of Bronson's emotionless slits. The soundtrack is perhaps a little heavy handed in places and the 2hr 40min running time may seem a little daunting to some, but it's the perfect western for people who prefer them arthouse rather than action packed.
If you've already seen the Man With No Name trilogy, this is your natural next stop.
posted 3 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Samson and Delilah
by JeremyProbably 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.
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. See this movie!!!
posted 4 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Into the Wild
by LadyA film that has completely blown me away on many levels.
A true story of a journey of self-discovery and search for identity, living a simplistic lifestyle, travelling a Nomadic adventure. A film of rebellion and anti-conformity.
This film is beautifully made in every sense of the word. The views of nature were captured in great detail, the acting was of high standard and very natural, the relationships between people and their relationships with the material world were completely in depth.
Excellent work here by Emile Hirsch who jusifyably portrayed this true life character's journey and of course Kudos to Sean Penn for the Screen play and Direction in this film and for choosing a project with such human insight.
Although a short role, it has to be said that the older guy in this film (whose name I can't seem to get at the moment) played a blinding role and a totally believable performance.
Inspirational, breathtaking, liberating and one hell of a life experience. The best film I have watched for a long time and this has instantly become one of my favourite films of all time. I shall now be buying the book..Hey, you should really see this!
posted 7 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Irreversible
by LadyTold in the tradition of that in "Memento" i.e the storyline is played backwards, the film opens with a very visually dark scene accompanied by a pretty bizarre sound (that's still running through my head!! ha ha), along with some very dizzy filming, the viewer isn't particularly aware of what is going on straight away, but within the first couple of scenes the storyline developes and of course you are intrigued to know, how it all began.
The married couple, Cassel and Bellucci are great together on screen in this unique, bizarre and very entertaining film. One scene in particular is very daring and controversial.
Another great performance from Cassel who seems to manage to express every emotion possible throughout the process of the film.Hey, you should really see this!
posted 7 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Full Metal Jacket
by LadyStanley Kubrick?s ?Full Metal Jacket? is one of the best war films made in my opinion. It?s very much a film of two parts, which I feel is the secret of the films' success. In the first part we see the training of the recruits, in the second we see them go to war, I've not seen any films from this genre that show both.
Admittedly I preferred the training part to the war part, but enjoyable throughout regardless. I felt Matthew Modine who played Joker was a great character in the film.
Many of the action shots of injury etc were very well done and apart from the colour of the blood were fairly realistic.
Glad I finally got around to watching this film, had many reviews for it and everyone else seems to have already watched it.Hey, you should really see this!
posted 7 days ago -
I recommend you see...
8 Mile
by LadyThere will no doubt be many people who have passed this film up either because they do like Eminem or they do not like the Hip-hop scene in general and I would say that would be a fair reason, you would at least have to like the Hip-Hop scene a little to enjoy this film.
What this film does show is the reality of how a rapper goes about making a name for themselves and the seriousness of competition in trying to be the best.
In fairness those who expect Eminem to be loud, brash and egotistical in this film will be proved wrong, he actually takes on the role with almost a shy inward persona and although there may be similarities to his own journey to the top, the plot is ficticious and an interesting story.
For fans ? The extras are worth taking a look at if it's possible, as it shows all the behind the scenes, plus battles whereby Eminem takes on some of Detroits local freestylers.As many people have already watched this film and many would have avoided it due to the subject matter and main star, this one is only recommended to those of you who have WANT TO SEE IT on your rating.
If you've already seen it, then you haven't updated your rating.posted 7 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
by AmeetaI went in expecting a simple plot and lots of autobots fighting and that is exactly what i got.
Sam Witwicky: BUMBLLEEEBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!I had mixed feelings about this. But i decided at the end of 120minutes, that overall, i liked it. Give it a go.
posted 9 days ago -
I recommend you see...
am not used in suggesting docus or even short films except on some occasions(or maybe if am heavily insomniac after a night-out :P )
according to my spontaneous research,Flaherty is considered amongst the greatest U.S. directors of all time,larger (in certain points) than the iconic filmogaphies of Ford or Capra...
and am asking myself..why didn't i know this when i first watched this pre-Dogme docu during my 18 years of age?????sigh...was i ignorant or what?
p.s.: on my third Flaherty,i'll write down a proper review...posted 9 days ago -
I recommend you see...
i'm only sending this for the primary reason that my expectations were pretty low...i mean to the bottom!!!!
truth be told,i anticipated one of Burton's worst films...
i don't know abt u but this is probably one of the scariest films i've ever watched,spooky stuff man...
"There's no basement at the Alamo!"
:PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPposted 11 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Key Largo
by xGaryA ruthless mobster and his gang hold a group of hotel guests hostage during a hurricane on the Florida Keys. Another Noir from John (The Maltese Falcon) Huston featuring the classic pairing of Bogart and Bacall, this film does not quite live up to the promise of these ingredients, but that's a hell of a pedigree to live up to. Making Bogart a do-gooder war hero and Bacall a doting widow takes the edge off their usual cynical, hard-bitten sparring and this overly wholesome approach means that the crackling chemistry they have shown in their other films is compromised. Robinson and Claire Trevor as his soused moll provide the best moments, and his sneering diatribes against Bogie's moral stand are great. The hurricane enclosed setting makes for a nice pressure cooker environment in which the protagonists show their true colours and puts an interesting spin on the usual Noir ingredients. Maybe not the most original or inventive examples of the genre and it misses the firecracker dialogue of the likes of The Maltese Falcon, but it is still effective, atmospheric and constantly entertaining.
Not quite as good as The Big Sleep or The Maltese Falcon, but still great.
posted 13 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Yozhik v Tumane (Yozik in the Fog) (The Hedgehog in the Mist)
by DimitrisWho would've thought that an extraordinarily wanton mist would become a frightening adventure for a weary little hedgehog?We're dealing with fictional reality,harmonious clearings and yet,the premise turns up into a bizarre Blake poem juxtaposed with examples of a Grimm fairytale..I think I need some cognac...
posted 14 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Unbreakable
by AmeetaIs it possible to get a little too carried away with all this talk about heroes and villains? But then, what makes the distinction between a hero and a villain? Typical of all Shyamalan movies, we had the supernatural element, where Bruce Wilis, plays a character that does not seem to be susceptible to illness and injury. I was impressed with Samuel L Jacksons' role, Mr.Glass, a fragile and delicate person who has a well developed passion for comics and watching how his relationship with Wilis' character develops.
Pay attention to the play on colors. Progresses a little too slowly but other than that, you should give this a go.
Elijah Price: Your bones don't break, mine do. That's clear. Your cells react to bacteria and viruses differently than mine. You don't get sick, I do. That's also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We're on the same curve, just on opposite ends.
...
Elijah Price: You know what the scariest thing is? To not know your place in this world. To not know why you're here... That's... That's just an awful feeling.
David Dunn: What have you done...?
Elijah Price: I almost gave up hope. There were so many times I questioned myself...
David Dunn: You killed all those people...
Elijah Price: But I found you. So many sacrifices, just to find you.
David Dunn: Jesus Christ...
Elijah Price: Now that we know who you are, I know who I am. I'm not a mistake! It all makes sense! In a comic, you know how you can tell who the arch-villain's going to be? He's the exact opposite of the hero. And most times they're friends, like you and me! I should've known way back when... You know why, David? Because of the kids. They called me Mr Glass
Progresses a little too slowly but other than that, you should give this a go.
posted 15 days ago -
I recommend you see...
On the Waterfront
by xGaryA longshoreman and ex-boxer has a crisis of conscience when the gangsters who control the union murder a fellow dock worker. On The Waterfront is one of those films that is almost famous for being famous. Nearly everyone can recite Brando's most quoted line, but this infamy means its reputation precedes it which can obscure just how good a film is. And this is not just a good film, it's an incredible one. Brando's powerhouse performance has also overshadowed those of the other members of the cast, but Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger and Eva Marie Saint are all worth far more than just an honourable mention, and the classic "I coulda been a contender"scene is just one amongst many memorable and powerful moments; Karl Malden's speech that provokes Terry's change of heart, the discovery of his brother, the confession to Edie in the boatyard...the list goes on. Examinig many themes in a multi-layered story of corruption, redemption and one man standing up for what is right, On The Waterfront is one of the true greats of American cinema.
One of those films a true cinema lover just HAS to see.
posted 17 days ago -
I recommend you see...
The Escapist
by LadyBrian Cox, Steven Mackintosh and Liam Cunningham are just a few talents who star in this British prison Drama.
Set at a fairly slow pace, yet a high standard of acting that keeps your interest throughout. The flashbacks keep your mind focussed on the story at hand and this allows for a chance to get to know the characters individually.
There was an element here which I feel was risky and brave, in that some of the Actors cast for the roles of the characters were in some senses, out of their usual comfort zones, particularly in the case of Damien Lewis, who seems an unlikely choice to play the King of the prison and yet all the characters worked really well and it was a risk which paid off.
I would love to think that this one will be widely enjoyed and that, I will have to wait and see.Hey, you should really see this!
posted 20 days ago
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