Posted on September 29, 2009 by Darren
Maybe there’s a reason I’ve got ghosts and ghouls on my mind despite the fact that Halloween is approaching and the first Nightmare on Elm Street trailer was just released. I happened to catch The Mummy playing on Sky movies on Sunday night and it was one of those rare films that the family just dropped everything and started watching, despite the fact we’ve seen it before. Ignoring the law of diminishing returns that affected the sequels, The Mummy is solid action-adventure-horror romp that stands equally well as a companion to Raiders of the Lost Ark as it does as a subconscious herald of the coming wave of remade creature features.
Oh, mummy!
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: brendan fraiser, egypt, film, monster movies, Movies, non-review review, rachel weisz, review, stephen sommers, the mummy, universal horror movies, universal monster movies | 1 Comment »
Posted on September 29, 2009 by Darren
This is a movie that ends with a rendition of the classic Bowie pop number Let’s Dance, because it couldn’t fit it anywhere in its linear narrative amid all the time-specific pop and rock tunes. The movie has quite a bit in common with that most financially successful of songs from the Thin White Duke. It’s light, it’s breezy and it’s catchy, with just a hint of some extra darkness that is rarely found among its light and fluff compatriots. It’s also the work of an intensely talented artist (and, indeed, artists) who probably should be doing more innovative and important work, but we almost can’t blame them because it’s so much fun. Almost.
Quite a board walk...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: bill nighy, british cinema, comedy, emma thompson, kenneth branagh, Movie, music, nick frost, non-review review, philip seymour hoffman, pirate radio, radio, review, rhys ifans, richard curtis, rock, the boat that rocked | Leave a comment »
Posted on September 27, 2009 by Darren
Ah, the good old conspiracy thriller theory movie is alive and well, it would appear. For those not quite up-to-date on Hollywood’s fascination with sequels, remakes and adaptations, State of Play is a remake of the classic BBC miniseries of the same name. Following an old-fashioned investigative reporter as he attempts to investigate the death of a Congressman’s aide, he finds himself getting drawn closer and closer to a lion’s den of corruption and defense contractors. It’s a solid conspiracy movie elevated by superior performances that doesn’t really live up to its potential.
Russell Crowe attempts to explain the plot twists of State of Play to a confused Ben Affleck...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: ben affleck, conspiracy, defense contractors, films, helen mirren, jason bateman, jeff daniels, journalism, Kevin Macdonald, Movies, non-review review, rachel mcadams, review, robin wright penn, russell crowe, state of play | Leave a comment »
Posted on September 24, 2009 by Darren
I picked up Cliffhanger on bluray because it was €9 and because I’d never seen it before. My aunt and uncle both suggested that the film would look absolutely stunning in high definition – and they were right. Say waht you (and even I) will about Renny Harlin’s storytelling ability or his difficulties with actors, he does shoot good scenery. The scenery gives the best performance in the film, with the aerial photography give a huge sense of scale to proceedings. Nice mountains, shame about the movie.
No, don't let go! Being in the movie isn't THAT bad...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: action movie, cinematography, cliffhanger, films, john lithgow, Movies, non-review review, renny harlin, review, stunts, sylvester stallone | 1 Comment »
Posted on September 23, 2009 by Darren
That was fun. Really, pure unadulterated fun. A skewed trip through the Sergio Leone Westerns with the ingenuity of Raiders of the Lost Ark thrown into the mix, filtered through a modern Tarantino-esque filter of pop cultural awareness and thirst for action and violence. It’s a jumble of a million and one different things, a fresh and mostly original cocktail that leaves a rather pleasant taste in the mouth. If it doesn’t quite measure up to the classics it seeks to emulate, it can take great pleasure in the fact that it is a much more fitting tribute than anything Hollywood has produced in the last two decades.
Naked gun...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Byung-hun Lee, film, Ji-woon Kim, Joheunnom nabbeunnom isanghannom, Kang ho-Song, korean cinema, Movies, non-review review, review, sergio leone, the good the bad and the ugly, the good the bad and the weird, the good the band & the weird, western, world cinema | Leave a comment »
Posted on September 20, 2009 by Darren
That was depressing. Really depressing. Soul crushingly depressing. What we have here is a good movie that flirts with greatness but never really comes to life. Perhaps Mendes is trying to evoke the dull lifelessness of suburban life, but the movie just doesn’t sparkle enough to engage the audience. Still, it holds two of the best performances of last year, and is never less than intriguing in its exploration of 1950s America.
Yep... Anyone want to bet things are going to work out better this time around?
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: 1950s, 1950s america, american beauty, drama, film, kate winslet, Leonardo diCaprio, Movie, non-review review, review, revolutionary road, richard yates, sam mendes, suburban, suburbia | 2 Comments »
Posted on September 19, 2009 by Darren
Romantic comedies generally suck. They’re predictable and formulaic. They don’t reflect the reality of relationships. They involved hackney cliché and coincidence. They never actually deal with any of the hurdles that real couples do. Sure, every once in a while there’s an exception like Chasing Amy or As Good As It Gets, but for the most part, I can’t stand the trite conventionalism of the romantic comedy genre. So, last night – as payback for dragging my girlfriend to District 9 – we saw (500) Days of Summer. Now I’m going to use four words I never saw myself using together in this combination: an innovative romantic comedy.
After the boys of Summer are gone...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: (500) Days of Summer, film, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, marc webb, Movie, non-review review, review, romance, romantic comedy, the summer effect, zooey dreschanel | 2 Comments »
Posted on September 18, 2009 by Darren
I caught Burn After Reading last night and sat down with my aunt and uncle to watch it. Sure enough, it was as divisive among us as it was among everyone else – my aunt hated it, my uncle enjoyed it and I loved it. My aunt claimed nothing happened and the cast was full of over-actors, my uncle was relatively satisfied with his viewing experience and I was delighted to see the funnest Coen Brothers film since The Big Lebowski.
Artist's interpretation of Darren enjoying this film. Note: Hunkiness may be exaggerated.
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: brad pitt, burn after reading, cia, coen brothers, comedy, ethan coen, film, frances mcdormand, george clooney, intelligence, joel coen, john malkovich, Movies, no country for old men, non-review review, review, the coen brothers | 1 Comment »
Posted on September 17, 2009 by Darren
21 is a solid middle-of-the-road coming-of-age tale. It isn’t something as deep or insightful as Good Will Hunting or The Dead Poets Society, but it doesn’t aspire to be. It sets its ambitions relatively averagely: it wants to entertain and amuse rather than stimulate or provoke. Does it succeed at these somewhat modest ambitions? Somewhat.
"You know what I'm capable of... You seen se7en, right? 21 is three times se7en. You do the math."
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: 21, blackjack, casino, counting cards, film, hollywood history, kate bosworth, kevin spacey, las vega, laurence fishburne, MIT, Movie, non-review review, review, true story, vegas | Leave a comment »
Posted on September 14, 2009 by Darren
I love it when the movie channels have an unexpected treat for me. Like coming home from work on Saturday and finding Star Trek: First Contact playing in high definition on Sky movies. Also known as “the only good Next Generation movie”, the film stands the test of time well and is – thus far – the only movie in the franchise that all my family can agree on. It is awesome.
"You're all astronauts... on some kind of... Star Trek?"
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: borg, enterprise, first contact, james cromwell, jean-luc picard, jonathon frakes, non-review review, patrick stewart, review, science fiction, star trek, star trek: first contact, star trek: the next generation, the borg, the next generation | 2 Comments »
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