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  #29741  
Old 26th September 2014, 12:14 PM
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Three randoms-

Dillinger - the 40s version, a bread and butter bio pic with little visual flair but worth it for the sadistic edge Lawrence Tierney brings to the title role - this is no glamorisation of crime, John Dillinger was an utter psycho, as his revenge on a snotty waiter proves - at 70 mins this is safe bet.

High Sierra - large chunks of this movie have irredeemably dated - the 'comical negro' eye rolling routine, the performing dog hogging entire scenes, Bogies faintly creepy pursuit of the teenage cripple - however, much of it still shines fresh as ever - Bogart and Lupino front and centre and what a great last 15 minutes up in the, eh, High Sierras.

Night Moves - Odd one - jazzy, meandering 70s neo-noir. Gene Hackman searches for a girl (Melanie Griffiths as jailbait) while his marriage disintegrates. That's pretty much it for 70 minutes, I was wondering whether to start painting the hall - hold on though, the plots pay-off in the end and there's a couple of highly memorable scenes, including the Herzogian final one. Worth checking out, but only when your in a wide awake frame of mind.

Another tip - the TV show Enlightened - absolutely fantastic, Laura Dern is amazing -don't miss this one- it's on Sky Box Sets just now.
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  #29742  
Old 26th September 2014, 09:23 PM
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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) Ok, the first movie was alright, nothing great, but this? This just about has everything wrong with it! From Megan Fox and her vacuos expression to the 'comedy' that really did the picture no favours! Every single character was a stereotype, Glenn Morshower and his take no shit general, Fox and her 'oh so beautiful face' not too mention her short shorts and the less said about Turturro the better. I understand that its a film for the masses so plays on the stereotypes and comedy but come on, it really didn't try to be serious did it. What also annoyed me was as the 'Devastator' was attacking the main pyramid, (which has a pretty distinctive cap), you had Turturro observing it face front towards you....but the pyramid that was being ripped apart was behind him with no giant CGI robot on it and still intact! Sloppy filmmaking.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) Slightly better than its predecessor, but not by much! Fox has been replaced but only by another blank faced piece of eye candy. The comedy has been toned down....ish. One of the main problems for me at least is that during the fight scenes between the 'bots' so much is going on with so many moving parts its a little hard to tell whats going on. Another wasted opportunity!

Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) Better than 2 & 3, its lost the original cast and the comedy has been dumbed down but it still makes the mistake that the previous three have made, that of being overlong, 2h45m!

Just goes to show that no matter how much money you throw at these big budget blockbusters it dosen't mean that you going make a great movie!
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  #29743  
Old 26th September 2014, 10:21 PM
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You can stop punishing yourself now Joshua.

Your sins must now be absolved.
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  #29744  
Old 26th September 2014, 10:25 PM
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Maps To The Stars - Vicious, vicious, vicious. Basically a vivisection of the Hollywood machine, nobody comes out unscathed. Probably the closest Cronenberg will ever come to a comedy, albeit one you won't laugh at in polite company. Absolutely loved it, his best film since A History Of Violence. First film in Hollywood, pretty sure it'll be his last. Loved it.
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  #29745  
Old 27th September 2014, 08:38 AM
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'The Signal' (2008)
Loved the first 'transmission', hated the second, loved the third. Overall, very, very good - I just wish they had of kept the same tone throughout. Acting and direction was very good, and the low budget didn't show that much.
If I rewatch, I'll be skipping the middle section.
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  #29746  
Old 27th September 2014, 09:22 AM
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This weeks Sat morning film was so good it needs a post of its own - The Desperate Hours, William Wyler, 1955 - a proto home invasion flick that delivers non stop tension . So many reasons, big and small, to recommend this film. Let's start with Bogart - this is the first time I've seen him out and out vicious, no puppy love or humorous asides here - he's brutal, bitter and terrifying. Up against him, representing 50s suburbia is Fredric March, again amazing performance - echoes of his definitive Drs Jekyll & Hyde in the way a straight Joe is driven to the limits of his dark side. How far? That would be telling! Support cast excellent, especially Robert Middleton as a huge, simple minded psycho who hints at even darker levels, unthinkable for the time (talking about rape folks). Horror maven bonus - Arthur Kennedy as a police character who could very credibly have become the punch drunk one he played in the Manchester morgue 20 years later. Finally, it's the consummate direction that makes this a stone cold classic. One tiny example - a scene in a cafe kitchen, conveying some routine plot info - this done, you would expect a quick cut, let's move on, except Wyler holds the camera for 5 seconds after the police have left, just enough time for a toothless old kitchen porter to turn round, eyeball us and cackle insanely. Pointless detail but brilliant, just like this entire film.
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  #29747  
Old 27th September 2014, 08:53 PM
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Wishmaster (1997)

4/10.
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  #29748  
Old 27th September 2014, 09:42 PM
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A couple of cinema visits in recent days. First up a rare opportunity to see Nudes on the Moon an early 1960's nudie cutie which uses the discovery by U.S. astronauts of a nudist colony on the moon as an opportunity to spend 75 minutes or so oggling breasts. Brilliant!

Tonight I had the opportunity to see Spanish silent film Blancanieves with a live music accompaniment. Despite the fact it was a solo performance we still heard piano, guitar, drums and some rather convincing fireworks sound effects. Brilliant! This is the way to see the film.
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  #29749  
Old 29th September 2014, 07:08 PM
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Lawless (2012)

Set in Depression-era Franklin County, Virginia, a trio of bootlegging brothers are threatened by a new special deputy and other authorities angling for a cut of their profits.

An ultra violent period piece from writer Nick Cave and director John Hillcoat, the team behind the excellent Outback thriller The Proposition. Begining with a staggered narrative it almost felt like watching a documentary for the first hour as we get to know the characters, and it's not until the second act did i find it an enjoyable storyline. Hillcoat regular Guy Pierce is outstanding as the unscrupulous Special Deputy Charles Rakes, a man with no morals and a brutal way of going about his business. Shia La Beouf in his best performance that i've seen and Tom Hardy play the two more memorable brothers.

Excellent photography and a fine period score by Cave and regular musical cohort Warren Ellis add to this interesting thriller.
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  #29750  
Old 29th September 2014, 08:49 PM
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Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)

A more than solid giallo from Argento but not one that turns me into an Argento fan.

7/10.
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