July 14th, 2008 — Movies, Scrawlings
Jason Copser has managed to create an impressive single thumbnail of the entire Big Lebowski film by taking 1 screenshot every second. The original Brendan Dawes project that inspired it can be seen here with similar fingerprints for Vertigo, The French Connection, and others.
Via Boing Boing
July 10th, 2008 — Full Reviews, Movies
OK, yes I did go see the Mist, unfortunately I have no way to tell you whether it is worth seeing or not. I have never had a film so comprehensively ruined in all my years. A pair of nattering young women sat beside me in the theatre and subjected me to literally non-stop chat about who needs to die, who needs to stop talking (why I resisted to telling them so I don’t know), whatever..
Anyway, the film was in theory quite decent, a mysterious mist appears and something strange within brings death to a group of smalltown folk trapped in a supermarket. It quickly goes Lord of the Flies as people break into factions of believers in science, religious zealots, and the pragmatists. I liked how it played out but I spent most of my viewing in a rage. No verdict this time, or possibly ever a ruined film for me I’m afraid.
Maybe The Fog will cheer me up.
July 9th, 2008 — Scrawlings
I disappeared for an awesome week in Budapest but I haven’t been igonoring this place. I’m off to see the Mist tonight but I’ve also completed the huge task of porting over my many review archives. Check out my rejigged archive page with a rundown of my full-reviews.
That’s not the end of my forever updating reviewing past. There’s many more live music reviews, old best of lists, and many many mini-reviews to be added.
Anywho enough about the past, the reviewing future will see prompt reviews of Stephen King and Frank Darabont’s The Mist and in the interests of fairness John Carpenter’s The Fog.
July 9th, 2008 — Scrawlings
Directors John Landis, Joe Dante, Edgar Wright, Allison Anders, Eli Roth, and Mick Garris give commentary on various classic and not so classic cult trailers. Seems like a cool project we shall see what comes out of it.
It already introduced me to the wonderful Danger Diabolik.
Here’s some other quality highlights.
Michael Lehman on Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
Dan Ireland on Bad Day at Black Rock
Edgar Wright on the American and International Suspiria trailers
And of course you can watch all of these with or without commentaries.
June 30th, 2008 — Scrawlings
I’m taking a quick jaunt to Budapest this week and my film time has already been consumed by a music festival at the weekend (no not Glastonbury but on a lovely beach instead) and the football. So instead I have posted up an enormous batch of old reviews and movie posts, check them out below.
June 27th, 2008 — Full Reviews, Movies
While Diary of the Dead was not quite the step forward we were hoping from George Romero, it had its charm. A new 2 disc release re-enforces the missed opportunity that was. You can read my original review of the film here.
Strange after the film’s less than stellar reception it would receive such a complete DVD release. The disc is styled on youtube complete with star ratings for each segment. It contains an array of documentaries and revealing interviews with Romero made before the film was released. It makes for especially interesting viewing regardless of the end product.
June 23rd, 2008 — Full Reviews, Movies
Well I watched this again last night to check out the DVD and as I said in my original review, wow what a fantastic film. The style and nature of it makes me excited to be a film fan. I can think of few films where the viewer is treated with such respect, a lot is asked of you to pay attention to the large practical nature of the hunt while still grasping at the concepts of what this world does to a man.
June 6th, 2008 — Full Reviews, Movies
Martial Arts lost their way. The spectacle of its super human feats was ruined when things went totally digital. Wire-fu and CGI were entertaining for a bit sure but the near suicidal enthusiasm of the likes of 80’s Jackie Chan’s wins hands down every time. Of course this sort of thing becomes less attractive when more money, risk, and health and safety regulations rear their head. Some film-makers have taken that as a queue to use cgi more responsibly, using it to make a safe stunt feasible and still look good instead of sending the whole scene out to a render farm. Others such as the Director/ Writer/ Producer/ Fight Choreographer team of Prachya Pinkaew and Panna Rittikrai have made a career of reviving the real danger to their stunt teams and actors to make some spectacular movies.
May 30th, 2008 — Full Reviews, Movies
I really thought I knew exactly what to expect from this, another geek documentary which unmercifully tears apart some poor desperate souls with real social and personality issues. A heartless pish-take of those with very little to their real lives. For the first 20 minutes of King of Kong it appears that will indeed be the case. You see the stars of King of Kong are Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell rival world record holders for the classic arcade game Donkey Kong, but there’s a lot more to the heart of Kong.
May 29th, 2008 — Full Reviews, Movies
Twilight Samurai
Brilliant film, a drama not an action flick and all the better for it. It interestingly recreates the life of a low level Samurai when conflict has calmed. While the end of the West films portray rebel cowboys trying to find a place in an increasingly lawful land this film showing a similar era in Japan show the warriors becoming bean counters.
9/10
Into the Wild
Based on the true story of Chris McCandless who upon college graduation gives his savings to Oxfam and burns his cash. He cuts all ties and starts travelling through America for nearly 2 years. The film focuses on his motivations and his adventures on the road and his efforts to get to Alaska. A very interesting portrait exceptionally made.
9/10
2 Days in Paris
Julie Delpy directs herself and Adam Goldberg playing a couple on their way to Paris where he will finally meet her family and friends. The couple bicker throughout which is mostly amusing though occasionally the intensity wears. Definitely not the standard rom-com fare but on occasion very funny, well worth watching.
8/10