Movies | the m0vie blog

Non-Review Review: The Warriors (1979)

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Darren

The Warriors remains something of a curiosity. Its cult stature has only grown in the three decades since its original release, and the sense of young urban disenfranchisement that director Walter Hill tapped into remains as potent as it ever it was. That said, the film remains a bit of puzzle, and it is never quite sure what to make of its protagonists. Does the movie want us to root for the wayward Warriors as they navigate the urban jungle in a quest to get back to Coney Island, or does it instead remain passively amoral amid all the violence and nihilism? It’s hard to really say, but it remains a potent piece of cinema.

“Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals…”

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Agriculture and Forestry, American Civil Liberties Union, Artificial turf, astroturf, Bronx, business, Clothing, Coney Island, film, Gang, Grass, Horticulture, luther, Movie, new york, New York City, New York City Police Department, non-review review, review, School, Shopping, Sol Yurick, Sonny Fai, Sports, Uniforms, Union Square, Walter Hill, Warrior, Warriors | 9 Comments »

Win! Tickets to the Jameson Cult Film Club Screening of Jaws (27th November)

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Darren

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water… JAWS swims into town.

Jameson Cult Film Club is coming to Dublin’s ‘Amity Island’ for a spectacular screening of Spielberg’s iconic shark thriller, JAWS on Tuesday 27th November 2013.

Attendees lucky enough to hook tickets to this event will be treated to much more than a typical screening, as actors, live theatre and special effects timed perfectly with on-screen action help to create an electric atmosphere throughout the screening.

Re-live the suspense, fear and drama of this cult classic from the moment you arrive on ‘Amity Island.’

If you would like to join Chief Brody at this exclusive Jameson Cult Film Club screening of JAWS and win some tickets for you and three of your mates, then simply complete the below quote from the movie:

This competition is now closed. The winner will be notified shortly.

Check out www.jamesoncultfilmclub.ie for details and register for the chance to win free tickets to the screening on 27th November. If you are not lucky enough to bag tickets to the screenings, you can buy the newly released JAWS on Blu-ray now.

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: Amity Island, Blu-ray Disc, Brody, Cult following, dublin, jaws, Record label, Screening (medicine), Special effect, steven spielberg, Universal Studio | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: The Deep Blue Sea (2011)

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Darren

The Deep Blue Sea has two reasonably solid leading performances and some nice enough direction, but it suffers because it can’t convince us to are about any of its central characters. We don’t have to like any of the three characters involved in the central love-affair, but there does have to be some hook that grabs us and convinces us to emotionally engage and invest in this post-War exploration of several broken characters. That connection simply isn’t there, and the rest of the movie collapses as a direct result of that absence.

Yeah, she wants to dance with somebody…

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Battle of Britain, britain, Britishness, Deep Blue Sea, Esther, film, Flight lieutenant, Freddie, Hester, London, Movie, non-review review, rachel weisz, review, romeo + juliet, Royal Air Force, Samuel Barber, Supermarine Spitfire, tom hiddleston, world war ii | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: Narc

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Darren

Joe Carnahan’s Narc is a visceral and powerful film. It’s less concerned with plot and character than it is with mood, crafting a suffocating visceral aesthetic that seems to almost smother the viewer. Set in snow-bound Detroit, it creates a world that feels closed in upon itself, the white sheets of snow clearing into dirty mounds to allow passage within the city, but suggesting that there’s nothing but white space beyond the world we explore. While Narc tells a story we’ve seen many times before, practically revelling in the familiar plot points of a police movie about the drug trade, Carnahan’s direction gives the movie a bit of an edge – and a powerhouse performance from Ray Liotta makes it much more engaging than it might otherwise be.

That’s a whole Liotta gun…

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Brian Williams, Carnahan, Detroit, filml, Gargling, Health, Joe Carnahan, Jon Stewart, Kinect, miami, miami vice, michael mann, Movie, Narc, non-review review, ray liotta, review, Steve Doocy, University of Georgia, Xbox | Leave a comment »

Kubrick, The Shining & Eating My Cinematic Greens…

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Darren

I always feel a slight pang of guilt whenever I find myself discussing the work of Stanley Kubrick. Don’t get me wrong – I have a massive amount of respect for the director. I think he’s one of the very finest cinematic minds of his generation, a very shrewd and sophisticated cinematic intelligence who carefully constructed a series of masterpieces that exemplify some of the finest aspects of the medium. However, I always feel a slight hint of shame when asked to name my favourite Stanley Kubrick film. I’ll try to deflect, but if the matter is pressed I’ll answer honestly: The Shining is the Stanley Kubrick film that I love the most.

It feels like a bit of a cheat, a bit of an evasion. As much as people like The Shining – and people do adore the film – I feel a pang of guilt that I immediately go to the most populist film on Kubrick’s filmography. The Shining is saturated with meaning and depth, as is all of Kubrick’s work, but it seems like the most shallow or the least profound work in the Kubrick canon. And yet I love it more than Kubrick’s more philosophical, bolder, more challenging pieces of work.

I feel vaguely like I’m skimping on my cinematic greens.

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: 2001: A Space Odyssey (film), Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, Barry Lyndon, barrylyndon, Clockwork Orange, Eyes Wide Shut, Golden Raspberry Award, kubrick, los angeles, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Shelley Duvall, shining, stanley kubrick | 11 Comments »

Despicable Me 2 Trailer

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Darren

Universal Pictures Ireland just sent on this trailer for Despicable Me 2, the sequel to the very soldi animated film starring Steve Carrell. This time, Carrell is joined by Al Pacino, which I am actually quite excited about. There’s no denying Pacino’s contributions to modern cinema, but at this point in his career Pacino is at his best when he’s gloriously chewing down on the scenery. Given his voice can be downright bombastic (“HOOO-ah!”) at times, casting him as an over-the-top supervillain in an animated film seems pretty ideal.

The trailer doesn’t offer any hints to Pacino’s role. Instead, like the Ice Age trailers, it focuses more on the engaging supporting characters – “the minions.” I like the minions, if only because they lend themselves well to broad physical comedy, in a way this isn’t really all that challenging but is quite effective. The trailer doesn’t really offer anything new in that regard, but it’s still charming enough. Silly golf clothes are always funny, and Tubular Bells always brings a smile to my face. Check out the trailer below.

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: al pacino, animation, despicable me, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, russell brand, Steve Carell, universal studios | Leave a comment »

Requiem For a Genre Star: Michael Massee and Familiar Faces In Small Roles…

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Darren

With Jamie Foxx in contention to play Electro in the sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man, I got thinking about the teaser in the middle of the credit sequence. In the small scene, a mysterious visitor confronted Curt Connors about what Peter Parker did or did not know about his father. He got a single line, and was couched in shadow. My less cynical side suggests that this was an attempt to play up the mystery of the character so his inevitable appearance in the sequel would make sense. My more pragmatic side figures that it was to leave the role open for the production team to hire a big-name actor for the character’s appearance in the next film in the series. That is, after all, why all the shots of Norman Osborn in The Amazing Spider-Man were careful not to reveal any facial features. Perhaps they can be digitally reinserted into the first film when the role is cast next time around?

However, this short sequence is a bit disappointing, if only because I was able to recognise the actor appearing, only for a second, cloaked in darkness. He was Michael Massee. And I feel a little sad that this means he likely won’t be playing a significant role in the sequel.

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: Alien Resurrection, Amazing Spider-Man, batman forever, bone collector, electro, green goblin, jamie foxx, Leland Orser, lizard, marc webb, Mary Jane Watson, Massee, Michael Massee, Shailene Woodley, spider man | 2 Comments »

Jameson Cult Film Club: Jaws (November 27th)

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Darren

If you’re a regular visitor, you’ll know that I’m a massive fan of the Jameson Cult Film Club. They stage screenings of classic films in unconventional locations, enhancing the experience and even occasionally bringing scenes from the film to life. They’ve announced that their next film will be Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, screening on the evening of the 27th November at a top secret city centre location. The event promises all the fun of a day on the beach at Amity Island – with barbecues and refreshments, and a fantastic atmosphere. The best part, though? Is that tickets to the event are absolutely free. Coupled with their sponsorship of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival, I think that Irish film fans have a lot to be thankful for – they really do a great job supporting the love of film in the city. (And outside it to boot.) Just head on over to their website to apply for free tickets.

If you don’t make it along, the film is now available on blu ray and I hear (from reliable sources) that the picture and sound quality of the original summer blockbuster is absolutely astounding in the format.

If you aren’t familiar with the Jameson Cult Film Club, check out some photos from past screenings: Alien, The Blues Brothers, Reservoir Dogs and Silence of the Lambs. It really is all top notch, and comes very highly recommended.

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: Amity Island, arts, Blues Brothers, jaws, John Williams, Movies, Reservoir Dogs, steven spielberg | Leave a comment »

Non-Review Review: Conan the Barbarian (1982)

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Darren

The 1982 Conan the Barbarian is one of what might be described as the “pop culture epics” of the eighties, a decidedly cheesy and campy take on an epic mythology – like Masters of the Universe or Flash Gordon. To be fair, John Milius’ adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s pulp hero holds up considerably better than most similar efforts to get an epic pulp product to screen. It’s still more than a little campy and cheesy, and more than a little dated. It still takes itself, perhaps, a little too seriously. However, it’s also a more thoughtful and considerate film than most give it credit for, and exceptionally nuanced in its portrayal of themes and ideas that most critics and pundits casually dismiss.

Steeling himself…

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Arnie, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Conan, Conan the Barbarian, Crom, doom, film, Flash Gordon, Homoeroticism, John Milius, Movie, non-review review, review, Robert E. Howard, Valhalla | 2 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Argo

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Darren

Argo might not seem like it, with the action unfolding amidst the Iranian embassy siege and the stakes involved in the rescue of six hostages, but it is something of an affectionate love letter to cinema from Ben Affleck, who is emerging as one of the most talented actors-writers-directors of our time. From the moment that the grain scratches across the retro Warner Brothers logo to the closing credits where fact and fiction compare and contrast, Argo feels like a celebration of movie magic. Perhaps it’s a little tooself-congratulatory at points, as films made by Hollywood about Hollywood tend to be, but Affleck’s direction keeps the movie surprisingly focused. The film maker does an exceptional job wringing real tension from a true story – no small accomplishment, and a testament to his ability.