February | 2012 | the m0vie blog

Non-Review Review: Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace (3D)

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Darren

In 1999, after decades of anticipation, George Lucas unleashed Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The response was… less than enthusiastic. After years of heightened anticipation, during which the original trilogy had been built up to near mythical status, anything less than the second coming was going to disappoint viewers. I think it is reasonable to say that The Phantom Menace fell well short of that particular target. That said, I’ve always felt a bit of sympathy for the first of the prequel trilogy. Not enough to label it as a good film (it really isn’t), but enough to argue that the fairly fundamental and central flaws do mask a number of virtues. Those virtues don’t quite redeem the film, but they do make the end result a lot more fascinating than most would concede it to be.

Schindler’s miffed…

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: avatar, Darth Vader, george lucas, Jar Binks, Jar Jar Binks, John Williams, Lucas, Luke Skywalker, martin scorsese, Naboo, non-review review, Oedipus complex, Palpatine, Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon Jinn, review, star wars, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Trade Federation | 29 Comments »

Tony Bedard’s Run on Green Lantern Corps – Revolt of the Alpha Lanterns & The Weaponer (Review)

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Darren

As with Green Lantern and Emerald Warriors before it, Tony Bedard’s run on Green Lantern Corps feels like it’s trapped between two larger events, flowing out of Blackest Night and into War of the Green Lanterns. I think Bedard suffers a lot more than Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi from this, merely because he’s new to the franchise – he did great work on R.E.B.E.L.S., but this is first time working with the cast of characters from Green Lantern. So, while Johns and Tomasi fall comfortably into their familiar routines, Bedard seems to struggle to find his feet, while telling his own story and managing the obligatory set-up for the next large-scale event.

That's the last time Sinestro calls Kyle a second-stringer...

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: batman: arkham city, Bedard, comic books, dc universe, Ganthet, geoff johns, green lantern, green lantern corps, Guy Gardner, Hank Henshaw, john stewart, Kyle, Kyle Rayner, peter tomasi, Power ring (DC Comics), Revolt of the Alpha-Lanterns, sinestro, The Weaponer, Tony Bedard, war of the green lanterns | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: The Woman in Black

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Darren

The Woman in Black is a stately, old-fashioned horror film – the kind of Victorian era ghost story that I honestly feared had vanished from the multiplex. James Watkins’ adaptation of Susie Hill’s cult 1983 horror novel revels in the classic horror conventions, complete with jump scares, a stylish atmosphere and a hyperactive orchestral string section. It’s very much a loving resurrection of the type of classy conventional scary movies that have been replaced by serial killer or found footage films. There are moments when the movie might stick a little bit too close to that classic formula, and it feels a little brisk in the middle, but it’s a hugely enjoyable and thrilling experience.

Potter at the gates at dawn?

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Christopher Lee, daniel radcliffe, film, Hammer Film Productions, harry potter, Horror fiction, Horror film, James Watkins, Movie, non-review review, Peter Cushing, Radcliffe, review, the woman in black, Victorian era, Woman in Black | 7 Comments »

BAFTA Best Picture Brochure Covers…

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Darren

It’s a shame that the Oscars can never do something quite as a nice as this. Indeed, looking at the BAFTA Best Picture nominees, I can’t help but think that the British Academy of Film and Television has crafted a far more representative list of the best films of 2012. As with years past, the august group have crafted a unique piece of art around each of their five nominees, each intended for their awards brochure, and trying to capture the essence of the nominee in question. Arguably they manage to do a better job than most of theatrical posters for these films. Check them out below and click to enlarge.The five covers below have been designed by Eda Akaltun & StudioSmall (heartagency.com & studiosmall.com)

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: Academy Award, Academy Award for Best Picture, art, BAFTA, British Academy, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, martin scorsese, Movies | 2 Comments »

Is It Just Me Or Does The Artist Backlash Seem a Little Half-Hearted?

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Darren

The annual Oscar race is a process so predictable that it could be a movie formula all of its own. You have your initial race to nominations, with various films falling at certain hurdles, leaving you with a fairly well-spaced field. You have the frontrunner surging ahead, but a dark horse waiting in the wings. And, every year, you have a very eager publicity industry ready to launch a very vehement attack on that frontrunner simply because it has the tenacity of pulling ahead. This year is no different, and The Artist seems to be seeing its share of controversies. However, these seem to be unfolding simply because it’s expected at this point in the race. I can’t help but feel like any of the attacks on The Artist are anything more than half-hearted.

Barking up the wrong tree?

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: Academy Award, Academy Award for Best Picture, arts, avatar, backlash, Dujardin, film, france, Jean Dujardin, Michel Hazanavicius, Movies, oscar, oscars backlash, paris, poster, slumdog millionaire, Sports, the artist backlash, Woody Allen | 6 Comments »

Non-Review Review: The Blob (1958)

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Darren

I’m surprised that The Blob doesn’t get more love as a late-fifties creature feature. It has all the right ingredients, from a compelling monster, a clever central metaphor and a dashing lead in Steve McQueen. Sure, the special effects haven’t aged well, and the movie occasionally veers into the realm of cheese, but it is a wonderful example of type of monster movies American studios used to churn out during the fifties – seemingly disposable little horrors that ended up a lot smarter and more sophisticated than most viewers took them for.

It came from outer space...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: 1950s, Binary large object, Blob, business, Database, Drinkbox Studios, Earth, Google App Engine, Jeff Sharlet, non-review review, PlayStation Vita, review, Special effect, Star jelly, steve mcqueen, Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack, The Blob, United States | 4 Comments »

For the Love of Film 2012: Alfred Hitchcock Film Preservation Blogathon

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Darren

I’m delighted to announce that I’ll be taking part in this year’s For the Love of Film blogathon, organised by the Self-Styled Siren, Ferdy on Films and This Island Rod. A celebration of classical cinema, the event hopes to raise money to preserve and restore classic films that would otherwise be lost to the ages. This year, from the 13th May through to the 18th, bloggers from around the world will contribute articles on classic film, hoping to raise awareness and to raise $15,000 to make The White Shadow available to stream live for anybody with internet access. I am honoured to announce that the m0vie blog shall be proudly participating.

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: alfred hitchcock, art, Birds, film, Filmmaking, Graham Cutts, hitchcock, Movie, North by Northwest, steven spielberg, The White Shadow, Tippi Hedren, White Shadow | 5 Comments »

Does Whatever a Spider Can: Do Chronicle and Kick-Ass Render The Amazing Spider-Man Moot?

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Darren

We still have a few months to wait before Marc Webb reboots Sony’s Spider-Man franchise with The Amazing Spider-Man. Despite some tonal worries, I’ll admit Webb has quite a talented crew assembled – Andrew Garfield is on the cusp of stardom, and Emma Stone is a bit ahead of him. However, I can’t help but wonder if Webb’s film might be a few months too late. After all, haven’t Kick-Ass and Chronicle offered a fairly solid deconstruction of the iconic web-slinging superhero? Is there really enough left to be said in the Spider-Man origin story when we’ve already seen it picked apart and subverted so often and skilfully?

Webb's Spider...

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: Amazing Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield, batman, bryan singer, clark kent, Emma Stone, fantastic four, Gwen Stacy, kick-ass, lizard, marc webb, mark millar, Peter, peter parker, sam raimi, sony, spider man, stan lee | 4 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Wayne’s World 2

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Darren

I have to admit I have a soft spot for Wayne’s World 2. It’s not a patch on the original film, but there’s something so charming about Mike Myers’ creations that it’s hard not to enjoy the film, even if the number of misfiring jokes is compounded by a sense of “been there and done that.” More than that, though, the sequel features any number of original and hilarious moments that have managed to bleed out into wider popular culture. While it’s nowhere near as brilliant as the first film, it’s a still a fairly entertaining watch.

There's no need to feel down...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: christopher walken, film, Mike Myers, Movie, non-review review, party on wayne, review, Rob Lowe, Saturday Night Live, Village People, Wayne, Wayne's World, wayne's world 2, World | 2 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Man on a Ledge

Posted on February 3, 2012 by cimooney

I was at the launch of the Jameson Film Fest last night, so Ciaran bravely jumped in to review Man on a Ledge for me. What a ledge(nd).

Man on a Ledge has a fairly simple premise. Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington), a former policeman, is pushed to the ledge of a Manhattan hotel in an attempt to clear his name after he was convicted of stealing a 40M$ diamond from David Englander (Ed Harris), a well established real estate investor. Nick demands to talk to officer Lydia Nercer (Elizabeth Banks), who was unsuccessful in her last negotiation with a suicidal cop, in order to form a large crowding the street below. This crowd acts as a distraction while Nicks brother, Joey (Jamie Bell), and Joey’s girlfriend Angie (Genesis Rodriguez) break into one of David Eglander’s buildings, which is located across the road. The plan is to steal the diamond and prove Nick’s innocence.