Finally Watched the Watchmen
(best played while reading - 'tis long)Much has been written and said already about Zac Snyder's adaptation of Watchmen, so I'll try to keep this brief.
Some have said it holds too close to the novel and what works in one medium doesn't work in another. Some have said they've changed too much and lost the essence of the novel. Some have said the casting is off. Some have said Snyder's style is too flashy and much of it is over the top. Some have said it's too baffling to those who haven't read the novel or misses too much to appease the long-term and passionate fans.
I agree.
To a degree...
Yes, a lot of the dialogue is patchy and brimming with exposition - better suited to a comic than a film - but then, it was no different with Sin City ("She smells how angels aughta smell...") and is forgivable if delivered right...which it wasn't always. Malin Akerman in particular struggled quite a bit, but I don't think that was entirely down to the script. She also features in one of the most comically out of place soft-core porno scenes ever committed to film. I realise the fetishistic appeal of putting on a costume to fight crime had to be highlighted, but it ran about a minute too long (which, in non-porn movie sex scenes, is a long time). Fortunately, the punch-line took some of the cringe-worthy edge off.
In terms of what they did change, the biggest question has hung over the absence of the ‘squid’ in the climax. I understood the reasoning behind this when I first heard about it - again, it goes back to the whole ‘what works in a comic might not work in a film’ thing - but it looked from the trailers that they’d gone for a straight up nuclear catastrophe, which worried me as it would completely undermine the point of Moore’s chosen disaster. Fortunately, this isn’t the case and the new idea works within in the context of the film, without missing the point from the book (though the aftermath is taken in a slightly different direction that isn’t quite as strong).
Along with Akerman, the only other questionable piece of casting was Matthew Goode as Ozymandias. The fact is, Ozymandias is a an imposing man in his 40s, with a perfect physique. Goode is a slim man barely out of his 20s whose costume is moulded to represent a perfect physique. However, physical shortcomings aside, Goode plays the part beautifully. He has wisdom beyond his years, is always cool and calculating and is absolutely believable as the world’s smartest man.
The rest of the casting is perfect, in particular Jackie Earl Haley as Rorschach. He’s the most enjoyable character to read in the book and Haley makes him the most enjoyable character to watch in the film.
(so much for keeping this brief)
Snyder’s direction is also pitch perfect, for the most part. The aforementioned sex scene may have been drawn out, but a certain precursor to it, that could have been equally as cringe-inducing, was handled with surprising subtlety. The action, though extreme (and ridiculous) at times, fits in with the context of the film, with only a fleeting reliance on wire-work. The gore may have been out of place, but helped to contrast against the heroes’ now quiet lives, most notably in a scene where Laurie (Silk Specter II) and Dan (Nite Owl II) are accosted by (beat living snot out of) a ten-strong gang. And kudos to him for mostly restraining his love of slow-motion.
As for the question of whether the film will baffle new-comers or disappoint fans, that’s really down to the individual. The introductory montage set to Dylan’s Desolation Row does a decent job of filling in some of the back-story, but the plot still plays out in quite a jumpy fashion. It also feels like it’s moving at a snail’s pace, at times, though that is fortunately made up for.
Personally, I loved it. A brilliant and complex story, told with love (if not always with skill), and an entertaining visual feast.
I’d also like to give a quick nod to My Chemical Romance at this point. Though I enjoyed their cover of Desolation Row, I failed to see the point of it - it’s a fast, heavy-ish scream-fest that could frankly have been a cover of anything - but when it explodes into the film's closing credits, it all makes sense.
**EDIT**
The film actualy opens with Dylan's The Times They Are a-Changing.
Long Lost Movie Moments of Yester-Year
One thing I've found since coming back to university and being surrounded by 18 year-olds is that a lot of the films I consider classics, that I cannot imagine my library being without, are unheard of to the majority of my peers. The Crow, for example.Even the few that have been heard of, have never been seen. I was floored by the number of people who'd never seen Pulp Fiction. Many hadn't seen a single Tarantino film!
The upside is, it's fun to introduce people to my childhood, as I did tonight by watching the original Transformers: The Movie with a friend. Admitedly, I do cringe at some of the overboard 80s cheese, but for the most part, it still makes me giddy.
One thing I hadn't realised before was just how different the theme tune was. Obviously I knew they'd hair-metalled up the original, but only when listening to the two together did I realise what an impressive piece of musical adaptation it was:
It's even received a more modern update:
10 Years of Doctor Manhattan
Lesbian Vampire Killers
'nuff said:Could This Work?
A sci-fi alien-invasion movie set in the viking era?It features John Hurt, so maybe...
I Are Intrigued
As Promised
A more positive post. Enjoy:And On...And On...
Sorry for once again falling behind on my post alerts. I will get around to reading them, but I've been kinda busy and kinda unwell. I had a cold last week that I thought I was over, but it came back with a vengence on Tuesday.
Now my throat is killing me! I've been up since about 3:30 because of it, killing time on Prince of Persia. Speaking of which, get it; 'tis greatness. There have been a lot of complaints from people because of the ease of the game and the inability to die. Yes, it's easy, if you're just running through it to get to the ending. The challenge is in seeing everything and collecting everything. The game itself might only be about 8 hours long, but there are so many 'light seeds' to find (1,001) and so much fun to be had figuring out how to get the more elaborately-placed little feckers that you can get a good few hours more out of it.
On the subject of gaming, I also recently played through the new Tomb Raider. It's not bad but, despite there being a host of new elements, the last two were better. I wrote a full review here.
Oh yeah, and there's this one...
Wires Are For Wimps
Now excuse me while I find a rag to clean the drool from my keyboard...
Underworld 3
Yet another franchise takes a swing at the difficult 3rd film. In this age of franchise trilogies, the format seems to go one of two ways. More often than not, the first film is a breath of fresh air; original, somewhat intelligent and successful enough to have studios and audiences hankering for more. Then things tend to get a little complicated. Either the second film will improve on everything set out in the first, only for the series to fall flat in the third (see Spider-Man and X-Men), or the second will try too hard to improve everything from the first, leaving the third the difficult task of picking up the pieces (see Pirates of the Caribbean and The Matrix).Time certainly seems to be a factor in this. With the former examples, each film was evenly spaced out and treated as a stand-alone project, resulting in due care and attention being paid to the second, and ideas running sadly thin by the time they got around to the third. With the latter, the second and third films were made as one long project, meaning the focus got lost, the second is a mess, and there's barely enough time to right those mistakes in the third.
Underworld, however, is an odd one. The first film didn't enjoy the kind of critical and commercial success of the aforementioned films, but did just enough to warrant a sequel, which I personally thought was superior in every way to the first. When I read that it was infact planned as a trilogy from the start, with one of the films telling the back-story to the whole war, I struggled to see how that could work.
Nevertheless, this is promising...
JCVD
......
More to Watch
I Demand to Know Why Nobody Told Me of This!
This Really Does Look Exceedingly Cool
Let the Right One In
Staying True to Source
It's often difficult for game-to-film adaptations. Certain things have to be done to placate the fans and certain sacrifices have to be made to make a a good film.We're still waiting for someone to strike the right balance, but some decent efforts have been seen. In Tomb Raider, it was casting the perfect actress for the job (it was just a shame the story was so iffy). In Doom, it was including a full action-sequence shot in first-person perspective (it was just a shame the story was so iffy). In Hitman, it was some beautifully constructed action set-pieces (it was just a shame the story was so iffy).
The apparent supernatural bent being put on Max Payne is looking a bit iffy, but in terms of nice touches, this one is nice:
I particularly like the line, "I knew the sun would come up tomorrow, and I knew I would be alone to see it."
I Somehow Missed This
And I'm somewhat relieved:Time To Sharpen Those Claws
Yes, I know; the quality sucks and the cheering is annoying, but this looks no less cool:Well, it looks better than prior sequels...
...but then, that's not saying much:Was Surprised to See This
Who'd have thunk?
And How Do You Fight Your Demons?
I like it 'cause it's silly :D
Immortal
Earth, 2095. A pyramid appears above New York and, from it, emerges Horus, Egyptian god of the sky, released from an eternal slumber to walk the Earth for seven days; time aims to use to mate with a rare woman who can bare a god's child.Where to begin...?
This film is weird. The setting reminds me a lot of The Fifth Element with a starker colour palette. Cars float around the city, or ride around on rails. The high-rise streets are populated with a mix of humans, aliens and mutants. A lot of the designs for both vehicles and buildings have an art-deco look. It's certainly a feast for the eyes.
As is the lead, Jill; a tall, slim, white-skinned, blue 'haired' woman who can read minds, shoot people with the palm of her hand and permanently dye human skin blue with her tears.
With the exception of Jill - played by French actress Linda Hardy adopting a very convincing non-European accent - and one or two others in elaborate costume, the whole non-human cast is rendered in CGI. It seems very strange at first, given these characters are all humanoid and look as close to human as it was possible to get with CGI four years ago, but it fits with the overall odd look of the film. Because everything is coloured so starkly, and the whole thing looks so surreal anyway, the CGI characters don't look as out of place as they might've done in a more straight-forward or colourful sci-fi.
Immortal is a strange film with a convoluted plot and bizarre aesthetic, but it's captivating, atmospheric and immensely original.
Who Watches the Watchmen?
On the strength of the novel, I'm going to hazard a guess at 'lots of people'.Having finally finished the book, I can see from the trailer that many key scenes have been faithfully reconstructed, but I still wonder at how certain elements will be handled by Zak Snyder. For example, big chunks of back-story and characterisation are handled by long prose pieces - taking the form of official reports, newspaper columns, novel extracts and press interviews - interspersed throughout the novel. The story can probably be told without them, but if the writers and director are keen to remain faithful to source, then they will have to be at least alluded to in some way.
There is also something quite radical - dare I say, silly - about the maniacal scheme behind the main plot-arch. How that will translate on screen, and how audiences will react to it - especially those who haven’t read the novel - I don’t know.
Snyder and co. certainly have some tough decisions to make. However, he did bring us the excellent 300 so, whatever the result, I’ve no doubt it will be entertaining…
Ledger's Legacy
Terrry Gilliam was on the news this morning talking about the film he was making with Heath Ledger.He said he's had to recast the part with three actors.
And not just any three: Johnny Depp, Collin Farrel and Jude Law!
Why does the man have to die before we find out how good he really was?
The Night is Darkest Before the Dawn
And it seems, when that dawn is 30 days away, the night is very dark!Yes, another day, another comic-book adaptation; this time, 30 Days of Night. Josh Hartnet (who I've, till now, hated in everything he's been in except Black Hawk Down) is the sheriff of a sleepy little town in the far, frozen north that goes 30 days without sunshine. One dusk, a bunch of particularly vicious vampires roll into town and make a particularly big mess of the locals.
Continuing with Hollywood's new-found love of holding no barrs, the story-telling is kept very minimalist in favour of showing the gruesome vamps doing gruesome stuff and looking decidedly gruesome (black eyes, pale skin, long, sharp nails and a full set of very sharp teeth, covered in blood both fresh and stale throughout).
If anything, the story-telling is a little too minimalist. For example, we're never told how a nine year-old girl manages to survive almost a month in a frozen town all on her lonesome, with nothing but hungry monsters for company. Though I appreciate the idea of cutting through the crap and getting straight to fun stuff, the side-effect is certain scenes coming across as random and/or silly.
In fact, the plot movement is incredibly jumpy, with the first 20 or 30 minutes setting things up over the course of a single day, before jumping to a week into the ordeal then, without warning, 29 days.
It's also a shame the vampires aren't developed further. For all their brutality, the head of the pack is a fan of making speeches (in some undisclosed language) and everything he says and does seems to hint at some deeper story that is never told.
On the other hand, the story-telling mechanic does prevent a lot of the usual horror-movie clichés (or, at least, sweeps them aside before they wrench your gut too much) and it also helps keep the pace up, despite the number of quieter scenes, in place to crank up the tension.
All-in-all, despite its patchiness, it’s a lot of fun, with some great effects and set-pieces and masses of gore, as well as solid performances from the leads (Hartnet and the head vamp in particular).
What it lacks in qualiy, it makes up for in content...
This link will take you to an improved version of a particular bootleged trailer that has a lot of people excited.My eyes shall be wide open for the official trailer release...
What's Not to Love?
Robert Rodriguez directing Rose McGowan in a chain-mail bikini, swinging a sword. Yes please...
See More Red Sonja Event Shot at IGN.com
Warning: This Review Contains Gushing
How to sum up The Dark Knight...I'll start with the negatives. Christian Bale's growling is a bit odd and Heath Ledger's performance makes the tragedy of his death all the more sour, as we'll never get to see it again.
I'm now out of negatives.
My heart pounded, my breath caught in my throat and at one point I even jumped! I never jump, which just goes to highlight the intensity of the film.
And it is intense. There's been a trend in Hollywood over the past year for film-makers to avoid pulling-punches, and Goyer and the Nolans (that’s Jonathan and Christopher, not the 70’s girl-group) are no exception.
Another Hollywood trend in recent years, when it comes to the big franchises, has been to make a hugely successful, entertaining and innovative first film, and then go nuts with the sequel, cramming as much in as possible and ending up with something convoluted and silly. With a new suit, new vehicle, new technology, two new major villains, a ton of grand set-pieces and even some globe-trotting, it would have been easy for The Dark Knight to go the same way, but the whole thing is put together masterfully.
In fact, the writing is some of the best I’ve seen in a very long time. There are plot and character developments handled better in these two and a half hours than I’ve seen in an entire franchise. Not a single character is wasted and the innovation surrounding The Joker’s motivations in particular is inspiring.
The cast, too, are all on top form. Of course, Bale doesn’t seem to have any level other than top form and the rest of the returning cast all have their roles expanded and are all more than up to the task. Indeed, it’s a good thing Katie Holmes bowed out of playing Rachel Dawes again, because there is no way she’d have been up for the type of performance required. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Rachel was slyer, wittier, more intelligent, more intense and more passionate than Holmes could’ve managed.
As for the other newbies; I was very impressed with Aaron Eckhart. To date, the only thing I can remember seeing him in is The Core, in which he played the standard disaster movie hero, but he very much shows his acting chops as Harvey Dent who, on the surface, comes across as little more than an incorruptible do-gooder, but has layers to his personality ***POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT***even before the inevitable tragedy of his tranformation***POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT OVER***
But, let’s face it, it’s Heath Ledger who steals the show. It’s an understatement to say I was sceptical when I heard he’d been cast as The Joker. I knew him as the Antipodean, blond pretty-boy from Casanova and A Knight’s Tale. The Joker? And a Joker in a darker, grittier Batman universe? Are you mad?!
The perfect blend of twisted, crazy, savage and nutty. In the blink of an eye he can go from hilarious to horrific to unerringly calm and coherent. His physical, vocal and emotional performances perfectly tailored to the character.
Mad?
No.
Inspired.
It’s said that rumours of a posthumous Oscar nomination were a little hasty, but I struggle to see how anyone can possibly top that performance.
The bottom line is, believe the hype. This is the best ever Batman film, one of the best Batman stories ever told, the best film of the year so far and probably one of my favourite films of all time.
At the Grand Old Age of 22
Tony Jaa
Me and Piddy were talking about this dude (...maybe I do use that word a lot...) a few days ago, and I wanted to share for anyone who isn't aware:Blockbusters Galore
Seeing as I've been falling behind of late, I made not one, but two trips to the cinema today!First: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. In a word; flawed. No, not because Harrison Ford is now old enough to play Henry Jones Sr., and no, not because Ray Winstone was playing every sidekick cliché in the adventure movie genre, and no, not because there was no Sean Connery, and no, not because Shia LaBeouf looked ridiculous in his James Dean costume.
In fact, there was nothing wrong with the cast at all. Ford looked a little tired in places, but he was meant to, and the rest of the cast were fantastic, especially Cate Blanchett who proved she can play a mean badguy and even get stuck in with the action.
Indeed the action is where the film really shines. Ford might not be able to take the punches and falls like he used to, but he still gives it some. Spielberg also went old-school with the action; avoiding any CGI in favour of traditional blue-screen work, which wasn't particularly convincing, but far more entertaining than watching a bunch of shodily-animated pixels going at it (let's face it, Square Enix were doing better CG work with the Playstation 1's technology than Hollywood has so far managed with its multi-hundred-million-dollar budgets).
Sadly the film falls doing at the story, which is, I'm sorry to say, stupid. In all seriousness (and I know Dante will be preparing to stone me for this one, but hear me out), has George Lucas written anything decent since The Last Crusade? I'm sorry to say it, but in the last twenty years, he has written nothing of worth. Like everything he's written in the past two decades, the story of Crystal Skulls starts out promisingly enough, but then gets silly.
That said, it's still worth seeing, if only for the fun romp that it is.
Speaking of fun romps, the second film I saw today was Iron Man.
There's little that can be said about Iron Man, really. It's pretty much everything we've come to expect from the better Marvel adaptations of recent years: great action; great special effects; relatively faithful. As an origin story, it's a little slow in places as things are explained and developed, but it's almost as good as the first X-Men and Spider-Man films and, again, the cast is mostly great (Gwyneth Paltrow still doesn't convince as a leading lady (or even a damsel in distress)). Robert Downey Jr. is always fantastic, but the biggest surprise is Jeff Bridges, not least because I watched The Big Lebowski yesterday and his performance here couldn't be further removed. Besides which, he's barely recognisable with a shaved head and flase beard.
Next will most likely be The Incredible Hulk, then probably Wanted when I head off to Birmingham next week.
in the mean time, I've got The Bromeliad to read, the rest of Witches Abroad to listen to and Powerstone to play on my PSP :)
Speaking of Pratchett, between films I sat myself down in a café and attempted to get back into my writing groove. I think his influence rubbed off a little:
It was early autumn on the tundra and a lot of the indigenous species had already begun their southerly migration; prey and predators alike. Those that remained in the eastern region were mostly those small enough to survive on the meagre vegetation that remained (and could emerge safe in the knowledge their main predators had moved on) or the elder of the large animals who couldn’t make the journey and had chosen to see out their final winter.
And the Raeven.
It was difficult to explain the Raeven to newcomers to the region. Most who were told the story assumed they were listening to a local myth; an old-wives’ tale told to make the isolated town in its desolate surroundings seem somehow more significant. She was an elder of a pride of snow tigers, descended from the Ghost of the Tundra.
The story went that Raeven - a gentle woman from a gentle town beyond the tundra - had gotten lost on the journey to Arrunden. She was attacked and left for dead by a group of bandits, but was saved by a lonely tiger named Aegin. The two took revenge on the bandits, then chose to roam the tundra together, striking at other bands that would dare attack travellers from the south. After many years of protecting the region, the two died and their spirits joined to form the Ghost of the Tundra; an ethereal presence that could take the form of woman or tiger so that, together, they could go on protecting the region forever more.
Unto each generation since, the tigers descended from Aegin chose a female elder from the pride to take the name of Raeven and watch over the town.
The story wasn’t entirely untrue; just a rather mystical rendering of the truth. Rain wondered how his great grandmother would’ve reacted to the tale. But then, from what little he remembered of her, he wouldn’t be surprised if old Raeven en-Talath hadn’t been the one to first tell it.
The Onion: THE MOVIE
Somone on efx - I believe it is Ogre - has been know to reference The Onion on occassion. While watching last night's Daily Show, the first 10 seconds of this popped up, much to my surprise. Obviously, being a slave to curiosity, I immediately headed to YouTube and found the whole thing:I agree with the kids :)
Where Have All the Good Scares Gone?
In a previous post, a conversation as kicked up about horror movies. I had a similar conversation on one of IGN's boards not so long ago following the release of the Hollywood remake of The Eye.Why aren't horror movies scary any more? Look back at Night of the Living Dead, The Exorcist and The Omen. These films were terrifying at the time and, though dated and somewhat tame (occasionally hilarious) nowadays, still stand as great films.
Since then, however, we've had Nightmare on Elm Street (started off as mildly humorous, then gradually became camper than an all-male production of Mamma Mia), Friday the 13th (annoying American teens diced up by a pissed-off grieving mother - hurrah!), Halloween (zzzzzzzz) and now Saw and Hostel and their innumerable rip-offs, whose makers seem to think the way to scare people is to gross them out. Frankly there was more imaginative brutality in Tom & Jerry (better acting, too).
So desperate has western cinema become, film makers have had to look to the east for good ideas, but rather than take inspiration, they instead spew out ill-conceived remakes, which, compared to the originals, are truly pathetic. The first two Ring films, for example, were fantastic and very creepy (Ring 0 was tedious, tenuous and crap - they can't always get it right), while the American remakes were gut-wrenchingly dull.
Of course, there are some shining lights - The Evil Dead trilogy, The Descent, the Scream trilogy, Lost Boys, Dog Soldiers, 28 Days Later (yet to see Weeks); these are all great films - but in the last four decades, the only film produced by a western studio that was even remotely scary was Event Horizon.
I do understand that this might just be a matter of temperament. What one person finds scary, another may find ridiculous, so have any of you seen anything that has genuinely scared you or creeped you out, that you still find creepy to this day?
They Rise Again
I was very sceptical when this was first announced:Now I'm less so.
"Things are getting strange; I'm starting to worry...
...This could be a case for Mulder and Scully."And, just in case you don't get reference (shame on you):
Yet ANOTHER Batman Trailer
For Those Who Can't Wait for Sin City 2
Yet Another Batman Trailer (though not what you might think)
And You Thought Zelda Looked Good
This Looks...Original
It'll be worth it, if only to see Robert Downey Jr. blacked up.
I'd just like to say, Oooooh...
Hollywood Has Found Its Balls
It would seem 2008 is the year of Hollywood shrugging its policy of toning down its action-movie content and playing it safe, and getting back to good old bullets, blood and bad language. Rambo got things going a couple of months ago and Righteous Kill is set to continue the trend later this year. In the mean time there's this:Didn't See this One Coming
'Righteous' Somehow Doesn't Quite Cover It...
(my posting numbers are going to start catching up to pd's)
From Schoolboy Scamp to Spartan King
I wonder how many of my compatriots remember Sean McGuire.Many years ago, Sean McGuire kicked off his acting career in kiddies’ soap-opera Grange Hill, before moving on to grown-ups’ soap-opera Eastenders. As is the way with the more fresh-faced soap stars with limited talent, he then went on to have a (thankfully) short-lived cheesy pop career, before disappearing into obscurity.
A few years ago he randomly popped up in an American sitcom, which didn’t run for long and was never seen over here (at least, not as far as I remember), then went quiet again.
So, why am I rambling about this former Brit child, soap and *ahem* ‘pop’ star?
I saw this trailer aaaaages ago, but have only just found out he’s the one in the beard; a leap as random as Michelle Ryan - another ex-Eastender - landing the role of the Bionic Woman…
Hear Me ROAR!!
Be Wise
Get Smart :)Music to set the Tone
In other news, I've made a start oncatching up with post alerts. For the past week, they've been jumping several each day. I've just got it down from 32 to 25 (though pd is likely to bolster that number again before I get home tonight).
*EDIT*
Didn't even think to add this till I saw Sarai's comment:
Getting older, yet kicking just as much ass!
Crave Online: Funny Videos, Sexy Videos, Music Videos, Movie Trailers, and More!
"I thought archaeologists were all stuffy old men looking for their mommies."
The Circle is Now Complete
At some point between the releases of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, two series of Star Wars cartoons were released called The Clone Wars. As a Star Wars fan I, of course, was curious to see them, but I was loathe to pay £15 each for two hour-long cartoons.Today, I found a copy of volume 1 in a store for £3 :)
As if by some turn of fate, I also received a package in the post today from Lil' Miss Pixie Chick containing these fellas:
Gotta love the expression on youngest Obi-Wan's mug
...which, needless to say, but a rather large grin on my face :D
Thank you, Del -x-
Potter Puppet Pals
Any regular peruser of the interweb is bound to have heard of these, but my English Lit tutor felt the need to play this vid in class yesterday to celebrate figuring out how to turn on the speakers on her smart-board, and it's been stuck in my head since:Before I Play Catch-Up With Post Alerts...
This week has been something of a full one for me. Monday I finally took myself to see I Am Legend. Tuesday I got the final marks for unit 1 of my college course (I came out with two credits and a distinction overall :) and nattered to Twisty online for the first time in what seems like aaages. Wednesday I went to see Sweeney Todd and nattered on the phone to a friend for two hours. Yesterday I did very little and today I received my first university offer. All I need is to pass my course and Gloucestershire will have me. Easy...I was very surprised by I Am Legend. Big budget + Will Smith usually = over-the-top epic action romp ala Independence Day. Yes, this has its big set-pieces and Smith spends the majority of the film brandishing a gun, but that's not what this film is about. Instead it's about tension, intensity and emotion, with a few frights and a viral apocalypse set in a dead Manhattan.
I did have two issues with the film. Firstly there's the fact that Smith's character is revealed to be 52 at the end (don't worry, that isn't really a plot point). He might look a little haggared, given his situation, but he looks nowhere near 52. Secondly there's his enemy: a bunch of super-human bald albinos. The enemy themselves are a nice idea and well-woven into the plot, but they're all portrayed via CGI, and aren't particularly realistic, lessening their effect.
What really makes this film work is Smith's performance, most especially in an early scene when searching a building for his lost dog. As he steps cautiously through the darkness, breathing heavily and sweating profusely, shivering with nerves as he approaches every corner and blind-spot, I was utterly convinced by - and, subsequently, utterly felt - his dread. Similarly, during the more poignant moments, you share his heartache and frustration.
That's not to say there isn't any action, just don't be expecting too much BANG for your buck/quid. This is more 28 Days Later by way of Castaway than, for example, Dawn of the Dead.
Sweeney Todd is the absolute antithesis of I Am Legend. I was prepared for the singing (it's a musical, afterall), I was prepared for the oddness (it's Tim Burton, afterall) and I was prepared for the violence (It's Sweeney Todd, afterall). What I wasn't prepared for was the all-out sensory and emotional assault.
Loud, brazen, sumptuously monochromatic, yet vibrantly colourful. Horrifying, hilarious and heart-wrenching in equal measure. Inspired songs, very rarely drifting into the realms of cheese (there's a pretty-boy in the cast whose throat I wanted to remove every time he opened his mouth, but he had to be there for plot-movement (sadly)).
The cast are brilliant (even the kid playing 'pretty-boy' is well suited). Depp proves there truly is no genre he can't sit comfortably in. It's difficult to gauge him as a singer as he's constantly in cockney mode, but he can certainly hold a note and his voice is perfect for the role. I was nervous Alan Rickman was going to completely destroy his unwavering cool-rating by breaking into song, but he, too, pulls it off without any trouble. Even Sacha Baron Cohen (Ali-G/Borat) carries a tune with aplomb!
But it's Helena Bonham Carter who steals the show. Her kooky, flamboyant, eccentric performance of Mrs. Lovett put a constant smile on my face, but she gives her just enough pathos to make her believable and sympathetic.
Bear in mind, this is not The Sound of Music. If there were any raindrops on roses, they'd be acidic and melting the petals, and the only kittens' whiskers to be found would be sticking out the top of a meat pie.
It's gruesome, it's fun, it's shocking and it's absolutely fantastic!
Earplugs at the Ready
It's 9pm on a quiet and dull Sunday night, and I felt the need for something loud:Yes, I know I've posted this before (a version of it, at least), but it seemed somehow fitting.
Cheers!
A Sad Day for Clowns
"Actor Heath Ledger was found dead in his Manhattan apartment on Tuesday, possibly of a drug overdose, New York City police said."The full article.
The great pity is, however well established he was after A Knight's Tale and Brokeback, we was about to become an absolute icon as The Joker.
"Wait till they get a load of me...Oop..."
Yes, 'tis yet another trailer, but me thinks you might just like this one:Crave Online: Funny Videos, Sexy Videos, Music Videos, Movie Trailers, and More!
The Boy is Back in Town
Appearances can be Deceptive
It's unfortunate that something that looks potentially very cool is doomed to be a gut-wrenching pile of steaming, fly-riddled, shoe-smearing dog poo:'Why?' some of you may ask.
And I answer simply, it is directed by the infamous Uwe Boll.
Brace Yourselves, Fantasy Fans
In semi-related news: http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/84...098p1.html
A bit of lipstick and a dash of wax-paint and everyone labels you ‘a psycho’.
As many of you now know, the latest iteration of The Joker has foregone the extreme chemical peal and settled for a little makeup to achieve his trademark look. Fitting though it is with Christopher Nolan's more 'realistic' approach to the Batman mythos, I always thought it looked a bit cheap and crap compared to the original acid-soaked bleaching.However...
...I have been wrong before (and carving a perma-grin into his own face is nice touch).
My Dæmon Has Been Chosen
Blair Witch meets Godzilla?
It's looking that way to me...Southland Tales
This one looks weird, but really rather good:Review Double-Whammy
09:43, 26-Oct-2007
.. Posted in Movie Stuffs
.. Link
First, Renaissance: In Paris in 2054, a young researcher for a big name company is kidnapped and a hard-bitten cop is set on her trail. Cue mystery, intrigue, heaps of atmosphere, gunfights and car chases.
The word 'noir' doesn't really begin to cover Renaissance. Yes, it's black and white, but not in the sense of the noir thrillers of old (shot in varying shades of grey); this is literally black and white (with a fleeting dash of colour towards the end). More important to the style than the colour-palette, however, is that the film is French, which means the settings are rich, the action is graceful, the characters are varied and colourful, the melodrama is toned just right and everyone smokes.
Also worth mentioning is the cast. Daniel Craig, Ian Holm and Jonathan Pryce all have leading roles and the rest of the cast may not be recognisable names, but they're certainly recognisable voices.
Second, Best in Show: Another mockumentary from the creators of Spinal Tap, this follows an eclectic bunch dog fanatics as they prepare for a big dog show.
Improvised around a skeleton script, this film is hilarious. The simple set-ups are all played out to perfection by a cast of genii who embody a fantastic group of obsessive freaks, my favourites being the sex-starved couple who hold their dog in such higher regard than themselves they constantly fly into fits of panic and rage with each other and anyone within range over any minor pooch-related problem.
I aim to avoid any more movie watching today as I really should be getting on with some psychology revision, like I planned to yesterday (damn you, DVDs!).
Oh, the Disappointment...
08:48, 8-Oct-2007
.. Posted in Movie Stuffs
.. Link
A couple of years back, and much to the surprise of a great many people, Russia stepped forward as yet another unlikely country to show Hollywood how it should be done by releasing Night Watch; an elaborate, weird, inventive and original fantasy horror, and first in an epic trilogy.
Two years later and the second film in said trilogy - Day Watch - has been released and, oh my, does it suck >:(
Like Night Watch, Day Watch is brimming with inventive ideas and impressive set-pieces (including a pretty damned funky scene with a car driving along the side of a building (think the bike race in Ultraviolet, but far less cartoony)), but their all lost in slew of scatter-shot story-telling and unfunny, out-of-place comic set-ups.
Fortunately, Day Watch ends in such a way that the trilogy's finale, Twilight Watch, could literally be anything. My tired mind waits in hope...
Art of the Saber
If only George Lucas had these two working on Phantom Menace:From ifilm; "Music by Denez Prigent and a monologue extracted from an authentic Civil War love letter written in 1861..."
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