Wolf Creek
Greg McLean 2004 Australia (3rd time; DVD)
Three backpackers, an Australian male and two English tourists, get stranded in the Outback, and take the offered help of a seemingly genuine local.
Effective, confident piece of filmmaking; it looks marvellous, presenting beautiful images of the Australian landscape as if from a postcard, which are contradicted by the brutal violence. The opening hour is a subtle lesson on how to absorb and ultimately wrong-foot the audience; the second hour is a tremendously sustained gore-fest reminiscent of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974).

Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Alfred Hitchcock 1941 US (1st time; TV)
A happily married couple find that their marriage is illegitimate, and must rediscover their love for one another.
Short enough to be watchable, slight enough to be missable, the character motivations are a little distractingly, unnecessarily ambiguous, and the writing could have been a lot sharper.

Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan's Conspiracy ***
(First Viewing)

I liked the narrating and some of the shots from this film. Sonny Chiba plays a decent samurai and Toshirô Mifune even makes a cameo.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Tobe Hooper 1974 US (4th time; DVD)
A group of travelling friends are killed one-by-one by a masked maniac, and the final victim-to-be is terrorised by his cannibal relatives.
Despite the reductive opening voice-over, this is effectively realised throughout, to be, firstly, a surreal build-up to something not quite right, secondly, a series of deaths as shock treatment, and thirdly, a repelling sequence of bizarre, cannibalistic horror. The effect the sound has on the whole feel is incredible, with, when things are quiet, a radio announcer telling constantly bad news, and, during the final torture sequence, expressionistic use of non-diegetic ambience, such as, among other things, a drill on a worksite. Fantastic stuff.

The Kid
Charles Chaplin 1921 US (1st time; DVD)
A tramp happens upon an abandoned baby, and brings it up as his son.
"A film with a laugh - and perhaps, a tear", so the opening title claims. Chaplin was often guilty of applying his pathos on thickly and sweetly, but there remains something irresistible about this, not least due to Jackie Coogan's performance as the title character, who compliments Chaplin's bumbling, carefree but loving tramp with a charm rarely matched by a young actor since. Two sequences stand out: that in which Chaplin finds himself fighting the tough neighbourhood bully, and the climactic dream sequence, which is at once an insightful dissection of the human condition and a wonderfully realised idea.

BACK TO THE FUTURE PART III (1990) - ***1/2

After the electrifying (pun intended) finale of “Back to the Future Part II,” Marty McFly (Fox) is stuck in 1955…again. Using directions left by Doc Brown’s 70-year old letter, he finds the buried De Lorean time machine and reactivates it. However, he learns that Brown was mysteriously murdered back in 1885. Thus our traveler from 1985 is determined to travel to the Wild West to save him, but now he may instead become the sole victim of time travel…

“Back to the Future Part III” is opposite of its previous sequel. It’s slower-paced and its obviously not interested in trying to be creative with the genre film concept of time travel. Really its like Zemeckis and Gale basically had the urge to make a western picture, and with the opportunity of this mega-hit franchise, they simply used the opportunity to fulfill their desires.

If anything, it’s like those episodes of “Dr. Who” or “Star Trek” where both programs had dozens of pulp episodes where the protagonists explored various historical time periods and geographical locations in-between the serious fan-loved “personal” episodes that centered on certain characters. The first “Back to the Future” picture was a serious episode built within this ever-decreasing margin of error to a timely finale. The sequel wasn’t as emotional, but more action-oriented in the editing narrative.

The third film is simply an all-out adventure film in the likes of Dr. Who traveling to Victorian England or the U.S.S. Enterprise fighting Nazi-inspired aliens. No real poignant connection to the original film’s universe.

Not that it’s a problem. This is a pretty slick, disposable form of entertainment to where Zemeckis and Gale have fun with their homage to the cinematic westerns of Hawks, Leone, and Ford, along with the conventions of such genre-TV fare of the past.

While Fox is trying to avoid being gunned down by the Tanner family clan, the movie’s real focus is on Lloyd and his romantic subplot with Mary Steenburgen, a casting that is an obvious homage in itself to her work in Nicholas Meyer’s “Time After Time”.

I really enjoyed this picture, but questions come to mind. How does a kid from 1985 suburban California, who probably never seen a horse in the flesh save for dog food, be able to horseback ride like a pro overnight? How does the “Doc” create his machine in the film’s ending? Why is ZZ Top in the Wild West? Do trains really explode into a giant fireball like a car crash?

Think about that last sentence when Michael Bay gets around to helming a $120+ million western-action movie….

Village **
Interesting premise, but becomes ridiculous and unintentionally funny as the movie progresses. After you have mentally prepared yourself that logic should be kept aside to enjoy the movie, shyamalan tries to end the movie with logic and reasoning, which makes it silly.

Training Day *
Routine hollywood cop drama along the lines of "recruit", mediocre stuff - avoid it.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
David Lynch 1992 France/US (1st time; DVD)
Two FBI agents investigate the murder of Teresa Banks in Fargo; a year later, in Twin Peaks, agent Dale Cooper predicts the killer is about to strike again…
Frustratingly imbalanced return to Lynch's own TV series, a prequel which, if considered in solitude, reaches highs comparable to other work, but feels as if it has been cut down drastically; as a result, the opening twenty minutes are humorous and bizarre, but hardly relevant to the narrative. The scene in the flashing, erotic nightclub is awesome, and the final half-hour or so is increasingly gripping as it spirals into a deeply psychological nightmare - the credits come as a relief, which must say something of Sheryl Lee's central performance, undeservedly panned by all at the time of release.

The Gold Rush
Charles Chaplin 1925 US (1st time; DVD)
During the 1898 Alaskan Gold Rush, a lone prospector (the little tramp) arrives in a mining town and falls in love.
Tedious, though it generally gets better as it goes on - the scene near the end, in which Chaplin and a burly man from earlier in the film struggle to escape a cabin on the verge of falling off the edge of a cliff is wonderful. For the most part, it offers little that his other work doesn't, though the change in location is welcome.

Spider
David Cronenberg 2002 Canada/UK (2nd time; DVD)
A mentally disturbed man arrives at a half-way house, and is left free to roam the local streets, where he pieces together his childhood memories.
A multi-layered character study of interweaving fictions and Cronenberg's most visually impressive work; a slow, carefully constructed film with a sparse, grim mise-en-scene, and an intimate, introverted psychology - the title character, through whom we see all of the events, has nowhere to go, and so the narrative is a kind of strained web of present horror, with no future, and an imagined past.

Monsieur Verdoux
Charles Chaplin 1946 US (1st time; DVD)
A suave gent in Depression-era Paris puts money on the table by marrying rich women and murdering them.
"A comedy of murders", so the first title says, only without the laughs and few deaths. Agonisingly long and with an unconvincing moral at the end; of vague interest is the script, based on an idea by Welles, but ultimately missable.

I thought this was a funny review of Miami Vice courtesy of JoBlo

I watched 'Ray' tonight. I downloaded it from Sky By Broadband, as I always seem to miss it when it's on Sky Movies. I expected great things as I've heard some very good reports about the film and I wasn't disappointed.

I'm not a fan of Ray Charles's music, in fact I've only heard a few of his songs (I Got A Woman, I Can't Stop Loving You, Hit The Road, Jack) and I loved his turn in The Blues Brothers (Shake Your Tailfeather), but the music was superb. Jamie Foxx was outstanding in his portrayal as Ray Charles. I understand he did his own piano playing and vocals and was given the seal of approval by Ray Charles himself prior to his death. There are some inaccuracies in the film, for example Ray was never banned from performing in the State of Georgia and there are some issues with his marriage, but apart from that it's a decent biopic that keeps you hooked for the two hours plus.

It was also good to see a familiar face pop up in the film - Curtis Armstrong, who played the inept Bert Viola in the latter seasons of Moonlighting, appears as the man who signed Ray to Atlantic Records in the early fifties.

For those who haven't seen it, I would definitely recommend it, if nothing else but for the wonderful soundtrack and Jamie Foxx's superlative turn.

****

Not surprised, considering JoBlo is one of the most mindnumbing critics on the net.

Not surprised, considering JoBlo is one of the most mindnumbing critics on the net. [/b][/quote]Why? Just because they disagree with you or what?

Beerfest ** 1/2
(First Viewing)

Too drunk/tired to write a review right now

Butterfly Effect ***
Excellent movie. It starts with the premise that a small flutter of a butterfly wings somewhere can cause a big typhoon elsewhere. This movie has the main character with a memory problem, similar to that in Memento. Novel concept and interesting throughout.

Coach Carter *
Yet another sports movie where the coach (Samuel Jackson) trains a losing team to victory. There must be a hundred movies identical to this. Very predictable and uninteresting.

No, because they're reviews are moronic. MEWR AKSHUN~ 2 MUCH DRAMA.

It might as well be a 12 year old writing them. I love how he butchers Last Days and praises fucking Vin Diesel movies.

Meh, I enjoyed that observation when Ray Bradbury thought of it. I hated The Butterfly Effect and all 4 or 5 of it's endings.

Why did you hate it? I didn't care so much about any of the specific endings, but I thought it was a very novel concept, just as memento was.

I agree with DV. Go read Ray fucking Bradburry's "A Sound of Thunder" short story. Hell, SIMPSONS parodied it in one of their Halloween specials years ago.

Why did you hate it? I didn't care so much about any of the specific endings, but I thought it was a very novel concept, just as memento was. [/b][/quote]I didn't think it was anything special. I thought it was melodramatic with a horrible Kutcher leading the whole thing. It's completely cliche. I remember cartoons from my childhood who had the same based plot with a It's a Wonderful Life hint in it, with different choices ruining one specific loved one's life. Nothing was special about it at all, it was a weak film.

SPOILER
As for the endings. The whole he passes her on the street thing is ridiculous and looks like it was sampled from a Romantic Comedy, along with it's variations. The alternate suicide in the womb ending is also stupid because it brings up a self-sacrifice piece that is meaningless. It has nothing to say other then this character who we're supposed to connect with simply can't exist without harming someone's life. Plus, the only reason it exists isn't to be thought-provoking, but simply to manipulate the audience in a negative way by going a tear-jerker route.
SPOILERS

Hagen, I have a hard-on for commentary tracks. Hell, the fact that new BLADE RUNNER DVD next year will have a Ridley Scott commentary at least means a guarantee buy on my front.

Same with me and the FFC tracks for APOCALYPSE NOW.

BTW, saw BEERFEST. Funny shit, especially if you like to waste time and get wasted. Hell, its funny even to those that don't bother with alcohol.

BEERFEST (2006) - ***1/2

Broken Lizard, the premier American comedy troupe of well-executed frathouse humor, return for their 4th feature film...and I think its their best movie yet. That's right, better than even the hilarious SUPER TROOPERS or the slasher movie-saavy CLUB DREAD.

"Since then, I shit pancakes"

"I'm extracting frog gamet..."
"You jerking it off?"

"My wife left me and took the kids!"
"Oh my god....you had kids?!?"

"Oh shit, he's got the Eye of the Jew!"

The Sentinel ** 1/2
(First Viewing)

Irish, is SENTINEL actually a nice rental, or a generic-ass picture?

BTW, Keifer Sutherland chasing Michael Douglas? Umm, Jack Bauer would have captured and tortured him within the first 30 minutes. :p

I was waiting for a clock to appear on the screen everytime I saw Agent Jack Bauer, I mean, Keifer Sutherland onscreen. I'd say it's a decent rental. I wasn't buying the whole Eva Longoria works for the Secret Service thing, but luckily for her she was a rookie in the movie. Michael Douglas and Keifer Sutherland were both entertaining.

Imagine if Jack Bauer was President.

"Sir, what about the situation in Iraq...."

"SHUT UP and give me what I need!"

Repeat response for every situation and question.

Miami Vice **
Great visuals and music. Otherwise, a generic FBI narcotics drama/thriller that hollywood churns out every now and then.

Apocalypse Now (Redux) - Complete Dossier **
The two star rating is for the Dossier version and not the movie, which I consider as the greatest. The commentary is good, but no where nearly as good as the Hearts of Darkness documentary made by his wife. The good part is that the content of Dossier is totally exclusive of the things covered in Hearts of Darkness. The extra features are mostly to do with the sound and color used, editing etc which are very interesting to me. If you have the Dossier and the Documentary by Eleanor Coppola, it is pretty much covers the entire thing.

I wouldn't call Miami Vice generic but that's just me. If it was directed by a generic director most of the script would be edited for more action.

King Kong (1933) *** 1/2
(Third Viewing)

After watching Peter Jackson's remake of this film, I've come to appreciate the original even more.

Son of Kong ***
(First Viewing)

Not as bad as the original King Kong although this one had a "bit" more humor to it. However, Helen Mack doesn't have a thing on Fay Wray.

Spellbound
Alfred Hitchcock 1945 US (1st time; DVD)
The new head of a psychiatry asylum turns out to be an amnesiac imposter.
Amusing in the wrong ways now: the jargon is meant to impress, and it may have done at the time, but today it's an obvious attempt to sound serious and grown-up. What may have had potential as a clever, visual film is marred by the talky narrative, which acts as a kind of running commentary to Dalí's dream sequence, which forms the basis of Peck's character arc.

Scratch
Doug Pray 2001 US (2nd time; DVD)
More or less, the history of the DJ and his/her role in hip hop music.
A comprehensive list of notable hip-hop DJs - Q-Bert, Mixmaster Mike, Jazzy Jay, Z-Trip, Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark and Shadow, among many others - discuss their influences and approaches to their art, and what emerges is a celebration of turntablism as a kind of celebration in itself, a dedication to music in general.

My jacket's gonna be cut slim and checked, maybe a Touch of seersucker with an open neck, I ride a G.S. scooter with my hair cut neat, I wear my Wartime coat in the wind and sleet."

"But I never thought I'd be let down by being a mod!"...

Brilliant film about the british culture of the 60's,Mods vs Rockers fighting on the beach in brighton,great soundtrack.

A must see

Don't Look Back
DA Pennebaker 1967 US (1st time; VHS)
1965: Bob Dylan tours England, upholding a mask to the press and those wanting answers from him.
Genuinely fascinating stuff throughout, the most interesting scenes being those in which Dylan verbally spars with people: a Time magazine interviewer, a science student, and a drunken man and his entourage who threw a glass out of a window in the same hotel in which Bob is staying. Filmed mostly in extreme, hand-held close-ups, there is a sense of claustrophobia around Dylan, a pressure which finds relief whenever he lets his tongue roll.