Oct 16

My Review of Garden State

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The plot of a twenty something man, heavily sedated for psychiatric problems, returning home after nine years for his mothers funeral, then taking a detached look at the lives of his former friends could be the basis for a very successful film.Instead of which Zach Braff (writer, director, lead male star) has written every quirky and odd thing he can personally remember from his past into the script (confirmed in his commentary shared with Natalie Portman) without any attempt to mould and fashion the material into a plot. The sets seem a forlorn attempt to give some kind of structure to the film.Desperately trying to find some rationale I discovered the film is supposed to be about the

Oct 16

The Lord Of The Rings - The Fellowship Of The Ring - Extended Version Reviewed

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The fact that the actual film is brilliant is almost irrelevant to this Extended Version DVD of the first part of the trilogy. What really makes this worthwhile purchasing or even renting are the last two disks which concentrate on the film company’s efforts in making the film. Not only was this film heavily dependant on the CGI effects, but the physical props were also made to a high level of detail. The techniques developed by Jackson to handle the crippling workload are fantastic as well (if the Cave Troll sequence looked as if it were filmed on a handheld camera, it’s because it was - sort of :-)).Oh, and let’s not forget the real life actors too, who have serious height differences to overcome :-)

Oct 16

Kinky Boots Reviewed

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What makes this film is a stunning performance by Ejiofor as Lola the drag queen. What might easily have been cheesy and one-dimensional is actually a rich and genuinely loveable character with biting wit and brilliant comic timing. And he can sing as well; the musical and night club scenes are probably the best bits of the film. There’s much that’s unsurprising about Kinky Boots - the storyline will be predictable to anyone who has seen films such as The Full Monty or Brassed Off, despite having a basis in real events; few of the (often very funny) lines are subtle or hugely original either (Lola’s the exception); the exuberant ensemble cast are all good without being brilliant, the comic talents of Nick Frost amongst others are sadly underused; the plotting is occasionally a little clunky. But this is nit-picking - Kinky Boots is a terrific film and well worth a night in.

Oct 16

Download Blades of Glory

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After a punch-up on the winner’s podium rival male figure-skaters are banned from competition but a maverick, or perhaps just mad, coach spots a loophole in the rules which allows them to return to the arena- as a pair. By any objective standard figure-skating is a ripe subject for comedy and, by exaggerating the costumes a bit, putting them on Will Ferrell and Jon Heder and getting them to skate together, this film can’t help but tickle. When it comes to the actual skating Heder is much the more convincing with Ferrell schlepping around the ice between long shots of his double but, if you’re looking for verisimilitude, boy are you watching the wrong film! This follows the standard buddy-movie formula- the duo start at loggerheads but warm to each other and there’s a perfunctory romance (not between the leads just to make that clear) before the pair have to work together to overcome various obstacles. Blades of Glory passes muster by keeping things moving briskly, not outstaying its welcome at 90 minutes or so and maintaining a high silly quotient with amusing set-pieces such as any of the skating routines or a chase that starts on ice then slows to a crawl when the protagonists won’t take their skates off to run. The characters are all in safe hands with Craig T. Nelson getting the lion’s share of the supporting work as the coach. The revelation is William Fichtner splendidly straight-faced as the adoptive father of Heder’s character, a sports mad millionaire with a string of obsessively trained athletes under his wing. Will Arnett is largely wasted as a villainous rival skater having little to do but smirk Nobody’s finest hour but funny- sometimes very funny.

Oct 16

The Omega Man Reviewed

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I was curious to see this film as I had read & enjoyed the book ‘I Am Legend’ (currently being filmed with Will Smith). It starts out very well with Heston driving around an apparently deserted LA & the reason for this is only gradually revealed. Unfortunately once the audience realises what is going on, the plot really slows down and loses its tension. You see far too much of the bad guys who are just not frightening enough. Heston is well suited to the role but is let down by the script & direction. I’m looking forward to the new version as the premise has so much potential.

Oct 16

Elephant Juice Review

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god I hated this film… I would have enjoyed seeing a scene in it where a huge nuclear bomb was dropped on West Hampstead and all of these characters were instantly vaporised… It made me feel sick to watch.. it was so obvious what was going to happen and I HATED every second of it and had to turn it off before the end. If you wrote it or directed it or had anything to do with producing this worthless turgid 90 minutes of rubbish then please, change careers and go and do something worthwhile with your life, because this SUCKS. I dont even fancy Emmanuelle Beart that much after watching this .. and I used to LOVE her.

Oct 16

Down To You DVD

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Down to You is the romantic and comedic tale of Al Connelly and Imogen a young couple whose passionate romance takes them for a ride down the all-too-powerful path of first love. Set against the chaotic and hilarious backdrop of college lifestyle in New York City, their story brings to light the ever-present conflict between true love and the temptation to wander astray from commitment. When mischievous friends enter the scene, Al and Imogen are confronted with obstacles that add to the highlights and pitfalls of their love affair. Ultimately, their journey allows them to face the future, with some unexpected results . . . OH PLEASE GOD SPARE ME THE PAIN!!!This film sucked. Freddy Junior paraded around like a walking mannequin with his trademark sleepwalker dopey grin (very Keanu Reeves-esque). He basically had no chemistry with Julia Stiles, who make an effort and manages to give the film what little life it has. If you are a Fred Junior fan, then watch this. I have to be fair. But if you are looking for a good movie, then leave this one on the shelf! About the only way to stop the cinematic juggernaut known as the teen romantic comedy is for the target audience to come to its senses and stop supporting the darn things, especially if they are not romantic or funny!!

Oct 16

My Review of Reservoir Dogs

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I simply cannot believe that anyone liked Kill Bill, but to put it above Reservoir Dogs is just insanity. This, (RD), is an excellent film. I suppose if your brain switches off after 5 minutes of dialogue Kill Bill is the one for you, but for those with more sophisticated tastes rent RD. Yes it is violent, but not just for the hell of it unlike Kill Bill. Why is it that when some people see violence (or sex, drugs or whatever) in a ‘nice’ colourful Hollywood setting with a happy soundtrack and a ‘nice’ one-liner-full protagonist, it seems to wash over their heads and fail to offend them? And yet when these things are portrayed in a dark or seedy or REALISTIC way, with the consequences of these actions shown in their full horror, they don their puritan hats. It should be the other way around.

Oct 16

Download Nausicaa Valley Of The Wind

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An outstanding visual and emotional ride. When it comes to his world view, Miyazaki wears his heart on his sleeve. How humans and animals relate to nature, and the dangers of not respecting the world we live on. The futility of war and how ultimately it destroys both sides in a conflict. Films like Pom Poko where transforming raccoons try and save their forest from developers, Princess Mononoke where a mining colony is at war with creatures from the forest their destroying, or Howls moving Castle where a war overshadows a young girls attempts to break a curse. One of the great things about Miyazaki, is that he doesn

Oct 16

Memento DVD

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I cant believe I’ve only got round to seeing this film 8 years after it’s release! Can not recommend it highly enough. It was very unpredictable and the ending was genius. Make sure you give this film your full attention as it can be a bit hard to follow with it’s backwards narrative structure. Guy Pearce is a brilliant actor.. he’s come a long way since his days in Neighbours! Although there are a lot of questions Nolan failed to answer, reading interviews with him about the movie he says he’s leaving it up to the viewer how they want to interpret the film and come up with their own answers. Add this to your list if you havent seen it!!