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Grandma's Boy (2006, Nicholaus Goosen) Comedy. When a game tester is forced to live with his grandmother, he finds more than three dead cats under the sofa This was a tonic. The kind of film Hypocritewood doesn't make anymore. In that I actually laughed at the situation this weed addled chap finds himself in more than once. Recommended.
__________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] [B] "... the days ahead will be filled with struggle ... and coated in marzipan ... "[/B] |
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FRIDAY THE 13TH: PART 3 – I think the series starts to change a little with ‘Part 3’. A different tone comes through in quirky characters, odd encounters and gags that work. It’s not going for comedy exactly, but you might be forgiven for thinking otherwise – how else would you frame those not-very-authentic-seeming bikers, one of whom pops up at the most convenient moment to ‘lend a hand’? Or the hobo who flashes a freshly emancipated eye at the camera, just so punters could get it in the face through their 3D goggles? The whole 3D thing is worth mentioning because it’s where ‘Part 3’ either wins or loses really. The whole film is littered with excuses for things to stick out and thus strike the audience with “oh my god – the power of the third dimension!” Unfortunately, instead of making these opportunities count narratively or poetically or whatever, they go for the most mundane choices possible – weapons come flying at times alright, but you’re more likely to find yourself caught off-guard by a jutting broom handle - big f*cking deal! But for all that, I actually quite like it. The extra dimension brought to proceedings is not of space, but of silliness itself. It gives the thing a really wonky feel that I couldn’t help but get into. When the film’s not bamboozling us with oddballs and strange gimmicks, it’s played pretty straight, adding another layer of tonal disconnect that seems to work for me. There are eerie windswept bits, nice visuals like those billowing sheets near the beginning, stuff set in that creepy barn. There’s a fair amount of gore, although the kills are frivolous rather than obnoxious. The beginnings of self-referentiality give us a knowing wink when blood spatters an issue of Fango. Maybe the real reason I prefer it to its predecessor is that the pace is so much better, brisker. It’s a strange concoction, but I really like ‘Part 3’. To me, rather than a sequel, it actually feels like a ‘Friday The 13th’ rip-off that doesn’t quite descend into parody. That’s kind of a compliment, in that I prefer those third and fourth tier slashers that take a tired formula and, often out of simple desperation rather than any true vision, do something a bit strange with it. Not sure what Steve Miner would think of that, but either way he gets a pat on the back for giving Jason, and us, that hockey mask. FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER – ‘The Final Chapter’ is often lauded as the best of the series. I’m not sure about that, but it’s pretty strong. I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as ‘Part 3’, but I can kind of see what works. The script and the performances step up, I think; the dialogue’s sharp and snappy, the interactions feel rounded, there’s a sense that you’re among humans who happen to possess personalities, rather than dumb teen ciphers. Case in point – Crispin Glover. I’m a big Glover fan, so it was nice catching an early appearance where he’s only just beginning to demonstrate his nascent tendencies. He might not be going full Glover, but that’s incidental really because it’s just a performance that flows. Otherwise, I like the tone of ‘The Final Chapter’, it’s dourer and more ominous than the seemingly carefree ‘Part 3’, but it makes room for a lot of the kind of strangeness that the series would increasingly call upon – look no further than the arbitrary-seeming discovery of 1920s nudie reels and that jaw-dropping moment when Corey Feldman flummoxes Jason with a sudden bout of hilarious and terrifying microtherapy. Highly enjoyable really, an instance of the series getting it right whilst still remaining in straight(ish) slasher mode. As an aside, it was whilst watching ‘The Final Chapter’ that I noticed for the first time the series trope of people crashing through windows. That happens a lot in this. |
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A Dandy In Aspic (1968, Anthony Mann) Spy caper. Laurence Harvey and a load of British stalwarts muck around in Berlin trying to oust some traitors on both sides. Had fun with this one, another of those Bond pretenders, though more in line with H Palmer and that without all that filing ahem. All with a wonderful score by the ubiquitious Quincy Jones. Recommended to those who like that sort of thing.
__________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] [B] "... the days ahead will be filled with struggle ... and coated in marzipan ... "[/B] |
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Mulholland Drive (2001) If you've ever looked upon Hollywood from Mulholland Drive you'd definitely remember it. I have and it's quite something, although not as iconic as the view of downtown Los Angeles from the Griffith Park observatory it's still impressive. It's a view of a place of hope, a place of opportunities, a place of ideals, a place of identity, a place of obsession, a place of illusion, a place of dreams and a place of nightmares. It's also a place of intoxicated liberation from rhyme and reason which also sums up Mulholland Drive the movie. A film that is easy enough to do a synopsis of but to understand it, well that's something else entirely. |
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65 (2022, Scott Beck/ Bryan Woods) The stooooopidest film that I've seen this year. It literally beggars belief, try and suspend it if you can, as there was some fun what with the situation in hand. The underlying silliness tipped the balance for all that. Lawdy. Might even make Boxing Day this one
__________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] [B] "... the days ahead will be filled with struggle ... and coated in marzipan ... "[/B] |
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