| Movie | Rating | Review | Date | Your Rating | Match | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Metal Jacket - R | Stanley Kubrick turns his attention to Vietnam in this bleak and emotionally draining representation of a conflict that was the perfect subject for which to turn the accepted war movie cliches on their heads. It throws you in the deep end of marine boot camp where conscripts are stripped of all sense of individuality to be turned into killing machines, a process ferociously undertaken by one of the most evil and hateful characters you're ever likely to see on screen. You do not grow to admire and respect this man as you do in most militaristic flag wavers; he is a ruthless sadist who punishes every tiny error with the kind of physical and emotional abuse that would be deemed unconscionable in any other environment. He even holds up a mass murder and assassin as figures to be admired and only considers private Pile, the subject of his systemic humiliation, worthy AFTER he has reached psychological breaking point. Once the action shifts to Vietnam, Kubrick's unsentimental documentary style places you in the thick of the battlefield where the slightest hesitation, act of compassion or humanity is punished by death and he makes no attempt to emotionally manipulate or preach simplistic anti-war messages. In his inimitable style he exposes the ugly truth about war; without their monstrous drill sergeant's brutal teachings they wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes in this environment so within the context of war, cruelty is RIGHT. Cruelty WORKS. And any society that was built on militarism has this fact as its foundation; even one whose figurehead is a lovable cartoon mouse. | January 7, 2010 | N/A | |||
| Leap Year - PG | January 6, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| Youth in Revolt - R | January 6, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| Daybreakers - R | January 6, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| Tôkyô Zankoku Keisatsu (Tokyo Gore Police) - Unrated | In the near future the Tokyo Police Force has been privatised and face a new enemy in the shape of a gang of shape shifting cyborgs who can turn their bodies into deadly weapons. This is one of those films that could've been fantastic if it hadn't been written and directed by someone with the emotional maturity of Comic book Guy. There are some inventive make up effects and costumes and Eihi (Audition) Shiina is still smoking hot, but the plot was clearly written by a pair of teenage death metal fans who preceded every concept with the phrase "Wouldn't it be, like, way cool if THIS happened a-hyuk a-hyuk...!" The whole thing is just an excuse to dress up hot girls as hookers and schoolgirls in bondage gear and throw buckets of fake blood over them. The characters and plot are next to non-existent and it rips off the visual style of Tetsuo, the TV inhabiting host from Battle Royale and the satirical adverts from Robocop but forgets to include any semblance of their wit or sophistication. All Yoshihiro Nishimura really brings to the table is the idea that the human body contains garden sprinklers for a circulatory system and some incredibly ham fisted direction. Think Planet Terror if it wasn't funny and had been directed by Rain Man. | January 5, 2010 | N/A | |||
| Inglourious Basterds - R | Quentin Tarantino returns with the story of the Basterds, a group of Jewish soldiers performing guerilla warfare and terror tactics behind enemy lines to strike fear into the hearts of German soldiers during World War II. Inglourious Basterds is a very difficult film to pigeonhole. It's part Jewish revenge fantasy, part gung ho war film, part knowing parody of patriotic flag wavers and 100% Tarantino. His trademark patchwork of styles and references is as evident as ever, but somehow Inglourious Basterds doesn't gel together half as well as his best films. The opening scenes are pure Leone, it turns into The Dirty Dozen, and then zig zags off on tangents all over the place. It's impossible not to enjoy a film with this premise (unless you are a closet Fourth Reicher or member of the BNP) and Brad Pitt's hilarious send up of a hick war hero is almost as good as Christoph Waltz's high camp evil Sherlock Holmes (complete with pipe). But I'd have to say much of the film that does not feature these two could've stood for some judicious pruning. Some of the scenes are utterly irrelevant (the one featuring Mike Myers in particular) and the build up of the film premiere FAR too long and convoluted. And very oddly for a Tarantino film, the soundtrack sometimes just did not work. Unlike the likes of Lucas and Cameron, Tarantino is a pure film fan's film maker so when he gets too self indulgent, it is with the direction, dialogue and characters rather than visual bullshit, and so even at their worst his films are always interesting and of merit. But I'd have to say that before he releases his next film he needs to take a long, hard objective look at the editing process otherwise he'll find himself trudging the long, dark road up his own ass. | January 5, 2010 | N/A | |||
| Crossfire - R | When a Jewish man is beaten to death in a hate crime, police detective Robert Young finds his suspicions as to the culprit difficult to prove. Although it has many of the visual trappings of Film Noir, Crossfire is more of an examination of prejudice and its repercussions in society. The crux of the film is Young's "hate is a gun" speech that highlights the dangers of blind hatred, and as such it's a very well meaning as well as well written film. Young gives a solid performance as the sardonic cop, as does Robert Mitchum as a soldier caught up in events although his dominating presence is a little too thin on the ground. The ever reliable Gloria Grahame also appears as a bitter vamp and Paul Kelly is an interesting supporting character but it's Robert Ryan's show all the way whose chilling portrayal of a racist psychopath was nominated for an Oscar. Perhaps lacking a focal character, Crossfire is still a very interesting and thoughtful detective story with a timeless message. | January 1, 2010 | N/A | |||
| The White Ribbon (Das weisse Band) - R | January 1, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond - PG-13 | January 1, 2010 | N/A | ||||
| The Big Combo - Unrated | Cornel Wilde stars as detective in love with society girl and gangster's moll Jean Wallace whose suicide attempt gives him the name "Alicia"; the clue that could be the break he needs to bring the sinister kingpin down. The Big Combo is the kind of Film Noir that feels like it's trying a bit TOO hard to be Film Noir. It has much to admire, mostly from a stylistic standpoint and has some excellent visual moments, but underneath it feels a little stale. The plot is simplistic and rather episodic, it misses the witty, literary dialogue of the best of the genre and Wilde and Richard Conte as his evil nemesis make for rather bland protagonists. What makes the film are some superbly directed scenes of gritty violence that invariably lack these two characterless adversaries; the joy of the film is definitely to be found in the supporting cast. Best of all are the two sexually ambiguous assassins played by a young Lee Van Cleef and Earl Holliman and Wilde's burlesque queen love interest, someone I wished we'd seen a lot more of. If you're a fan of Noir it's well worth it for the highlights and cinematography but if you're new to the genre, there are much better starting points. | December 30, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The Big Easy - R | The Big Easy is an 80s noir set to the colourful backdrop of New Orleans in which Assistant District Attourney Ellen Barkin is sent to investigate police corruption only to be seduced by morally dubious detective and local lothario Dennis Quaid. The biggest weakness of The Big Easy is its over reliance on the afore-mentioned "local colour", which means that the film is wall to wall chicken bones, hillbilly music and bizarre accents (Grace Zabriskie in particular sounds like a rastafarian with special needs after a stroke). This fact combined with the workmanlike plot and gratuitous 80s pyrotechnics at the end conspire to make it feel like a made for TV pilot episode for "New Orleans Vice". What can be admired about the film however is the chemistry between the cast; Barkin's fiery girl next door paired with Quaid's believable turn as a man finally meeting a woman that makes him want to re-examine himself makes for a charming and sexy couple and the amusing squadroom antics make for a very likable set of characters. Very formulaic but it avoids the usual 80s macho excesses and is still an entertaining, if rather dated detective story. | December 30, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Stan Helsing - R | December 29, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| One Dark Night - PG | December 26, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Appleseed Saga: Ex Machina - Unrated | The Appleseed saga continues as Deunan and cyborg sidekick Briareos are joined by a bioroid created from his genetic template and fight to prevent an evil scientist from taking control of the entire population with an insidious communications device. The first Appleseed film was a visual feast that perfectly captured the essence of the Manga it was based upon. The story here is rather predictable and derivative, involving the usual stereotypical mad scientist having megalomaniacal designs on the human race, but it was never really the plot that the original was all about. This sequel obviously concentrated on upgrading the visuals, and they are a lot slicker and more up to date than the originals; but that does not necessarily mean that they are "better". Everything has a glossy sheen on it that lacks the gritty, dark style that made it so good, and they manage to make it look more like a cut scene from a Final Fantasy game rather than less. The action sequences are far less intense and exciting as a result, and the simplistic characterisation means there is little in the way of emotional involvement. There's still some gorgeous images and fantastic manga-style production design, but as a whole it's another case of a franchise becoming a glossy shadow of its former self. | December 26, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The Incredibles - PG | When superheroes are outlawed by a government sick of lawsuits and compensation claims, Mr. Incredible finds himself stuck in an dreary insurance job pining for the good old days. Expecting The Incredibles to be a witty, satirical parody of the superhero genre I was slightly disappointed to find it a more an affectionate homage than anything else. The best sequences are definitely the ones showing Mr. Incredible's frustration with his dead end job, but at the end of the day, this is a kids film so I was probably just expecting too much. It has that plasticky quality that CGI films always have, but it has some nice Gerry Anderson/James Bond themed images and the usual mix of references and in-jokes that are common to this type of thing; the Return Of The Jedi chase sequence probably being the most fun. I can't say I laughed out loud at any point during the film because it lacks the sly wit of Toy Story, but it's always amusing, pretty to look at and above all, fun. I could've lived without the inevitable touchy-feely "be everything you can be" message that infers that as long as you love yourself, everyone else will love you too that kids films ALWAYS have but otherwise, it's all good, clean family entertainment. | December 26, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Watchmen - R | Based on the Alan Moore graphic novel, Watchmen is set in an alternate reality where costumed "heroes" were created as state sanctioned vigilantes to fight the mob and who helped the US win the Vietnam war and get tricky Dicky elected for 5 successive terms as president. Another superhero movie with a difference, it sticks firmly to the moral grey areas, showing these "heroes" as human and fallible. The core of the film is provided by Rorschach's noir style investigation into the murder of fascistic black ops hero The Comedian, set to the backdrop of a skewedhistory and political situation. It all makes for very interesting viewing and tinges the usual stylized action and spectacle with a nicely grimy undercurrent. Snyder's overly stylized visuals which I found rather empty and irritating in 300 work perfectly here with some meaty characters and plot to back it all up and Rorschach makes for an interesting and charismatic anti-hero. Definitely up with the best of the modern style hero movies, Watchmen is intelligent, dark and although I wouldn't describe it as "exciting", it's perfectly paced over its 2 and a half hour length. Considered by most to be unfilmable, Snyder has managed to pull off a bit of a coup with this one and created a superhero film that ranks amongst the best. | December 24, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel - PG | December 23, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - PG-13 | December 23, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Closer - R | Mike Nichols directs a well observed and witty study of relationships based on the love quadrangle between two couples. Far from the usual sentimental drivel you'd expect from Hollywood style films about "romance", this movie which although can seem a little overly self conscious in places, does have the kind of brutal honesty that superficially seems the antithesis. These lovers are in turns selfish, manipulative, spiteful and pathetic; just like real people. Jude Law is the perfect choice for playing a smug, self-involved asshole, Owen treads the fine line between likability and self righteous nastiness as does Portman's beautiful but emotionally needy bimbo. And Julia Roberts is inevitably Julia Roberts. At the end of the day you're still just watching a bunch of pretentious, priveleged, pretty people back stab each other and as such is not really my kind of thing, but if you're ever emotionally blackmailed by your other half into having to sit through a film about *cringe* "relationships" then this is far from the most painful. I am a man, after all... | December 22, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Tombstone - R | Hollywood once again retells the story of the legendary lawman, this time in the guise of Kurt Russell. Add Val Kilmer, Sam Neill, and Bill Paxton into the mix and what you get doesn't exactly scream "A list" but what you do have is an ensemble cast that gels particularly well; this is one of those films that manages to be more than the sum of its parts. The bond of brotherhood and friendship between the Earps and Doc Holliday feels genuine and Kilmer clearly relishes the scene stealing part of sickly gentleman adrenaline junkie Holliday. Powers Booth and Michael Biehn also make charismatic villains, the scenes between Biehn and Kilmer being particularly sharp and the Peckinpahesque shoot outs extremely well staged. In fact the shoot out at the OK corral is one of the best versions yet filmed. It does occasionally slip into melodrama (Morgan's death being the prime example) and the climax is a little montage happy and feels a little rushed as a result, but it's a great slice of old school popular entertainment that's a lot more engaging than Kevin Costner's pompous yawnfest released the same year. | December 22, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Sherlock Holmes - PG-13 |
Here's the review by The Financial Times: "Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes (1 star rating) won't do for anyone, anywhere. The Baker Street sleuth is played by a Robert Downey so preoccupied with his English accent (which he bases on the principle that you clip or eliminate every other vowel) that it is like watching a man try to act with his talent tied behind his back. Jude Law's Dr Watson is slightly better. But the overblown plot (world domination conspiracy, villains returning from the dead) reminds us that all the best Conan Doyle stories had an atmospheric, even seedy particularity of place and event. The script here is a pretext for fatuous action pyrotechnics, misfiring comedy, the inevitable star from Central Crumpet Casting (Rachel McAdams) and CG jiggery-pokery evoking Ye Olde London. In short: Doc, Sh'lock and Every Scraped Barrel." Doesn't sound very promising does it...? The trailer doesn't help either. It looks like Van Helsing! |
December 21, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Enter the Dragon - R | A Shao-Lin monk is recruited to infiltrate a tournament held by a corrupt martial artist to recruit new members to his organisation. Enter The Dragon was Bruce Lee's final completed film, and this reason alone was enough to make it pass into legend, and it is a monument to Lee's incredible skill and potential. If you look at the film objectively however, it's more difficult to see as a great film in its own right. Take away Lalo Schifrin's excellent score and Bruce and it's 70s exploitation pure and simple; the characters (Jim Kelly's be-afroed black power stereotype sticking it to the man and John Saxon's adrenaline junkie playboy) are cartoon characters,and the crude photography and gratuitous female nudity are all standard elements of the trashy crowd pleasing flicks of the era. The plot also does not stand up to scrutiny; did Han (with his metal hand, cat stroking and secret base making him look like a Frankenstein's monster made up of old Bond baddies) really think that holier than holy Lee whose sister's death was caused by the lascivious advances of his evil henchmen would want to throw in with him and his drug running, white slave trading buddies...? Please. The upshot of all of this is that every second of screentime devoted to anybody but Bruce is screentime wasted, and you spend ALL of it waiting for him to reappear and strut his stuff. But when he does, he is simply incredible. Worth it for Lee and Schifrin, but anyone expecting a cinematic classic will be disappointed. | December 18, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The Shining - R | A writer and his family move in as caretakers to a secluded mountainside hotel for the winter, but a presence inhabiting it causes his mental disintegration leading to the urge for bloody murder. I'm not a fan of Stephen King. In fact, I'd go as far as to describe him as "a bag of cock". But what Kubrick did was to strip away the hokey nonsense of King's original novel, and create a masterclass in haunting imagery and suspense. In fact, the supernatural elements of the story are almost irrelevant. The horror lies in the subtext of domestic violence; it's difficult to see a plaid wearing, balding middle-aged man as a terrifying monster, and Nicholson is hardly the most physically formidable presence. But in the classic scene in which he finally snaps, it is easy to see why waif-like Shelly Duvall (or anyone like her) would be incredibly intimidated. Without resorting to unnecessary gore Kubrick's visuals are disturbingly intense, and complimented by one of the eeriest soundtracks ever written, the sense of unease is as creepy and atmospheric as any created. Far from being dated, compared to what passes for "horror" these days The Shining has actually improved with age. Another example of Kubrick being Jack of all trades and master of all. | December 18, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Did You Hear About the Morgans? - PG-13 | December 17, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Crazy Heart - R | December 17, 2009 | N/A |
15709 ratings
2138 reviews
