Watched: Inglorious Basterds (2009)

This is another power play movie from Tarantino. I am not a virgin to Tarantino films, I'm quite the addict, like a moth to a flame I search them out. This masterpiece had me, edge of my seat with my insides twisted watching in anticipation of the unraviling plot. Set in Nazi-occupied France during WWII, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis.
With some big names involved it did surprise me that Christoph Waltz was my stand out in this film. What he did with his character was just brilliant acting, absolutely amazing. I will not spoil anything in this review as I believe even the blood and gut haters need to see a film like this. Taratino, I tip my hat to you sir!

If only the war was how Tarantino pitched it!

GT 2010

pic - www.wikipedia.com

Watched: Almost Famous - 2000

Despite the claims of my uni peers, I was in fact still in nappies during the period this movie was set. That said, I have a great affection for the rock music scene as portrayed so strongly here.

The plot, a young fan gets to travel with his favourite band reporting on the tour for a magazine scoop and succeeds in getting right up close and personal with his idols. Inevitably with a movie about the rock lifestyle there are skirmishes with sex and drugs and the more serious side is links brilliantly with regular humour and great music to maintain a balance throughout.

Inevitably, this one will make you look at your elders and wonder where they fitted into this bygone era - groupie ? roadie ? tutting bystander ? - it's all here folks and anyone who has any interest in music will lap this up from start to finish. Final word to the acting - I can't find fault !! Maybe Kate Hudson's relationship with Chris Robinson assisted her ... everyone is so strong and tight here throughout and the finished product is, to me anyway, a true movie masterpiece ! (The awards don't lie !!)

PB 2010

pic - www.wikipedia.com

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Bella Swan is reunited with the love of her life, Edward Cullen. Her life is back to the way it was before Edward left, except for a major thing. Befor Edward left, Bella had not considered Jacob Black, her best friend, and shi is in vain trying to make Edward and Jacob make peace and be friends. She is torn between the love she feels for Edward and the strong friendship between her and Jacob.
Morever, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob, knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approching, Bella is confronted with the most important decision of her life.
This will be an amazing movie and will be released on June 30th,2010. Don't miss it!

pic - www.wikipedia.com

Watched: Looking for Eric - 2009

Now, for those of you who don't know - Eric Cantona is quite possibly the most gifted and inspirational footballer to ever pull on the sacred red Manchester United shirt. (and yes, it WAS him to karate kicked the fan at Selhurst Park in 1995).

The story of Eric at Old Trafford takes on a secondary role in this moving and heartwarming movie directed by Ken Loach. A separated local postman, Eric Bishop spiritually calls his out to his footballing hero (Cantona) in hard times as the lives of him and his family threaten to descend into chaos and misery.

Cantona appears and gives various down to earth insights into his inspirations and achievements throughout his career which spur postman Eric on to sorting his life out.

The movie is dark and moody and typically down to earth in true British Fashion. The acting is brilliant throughout and the result is a convincing win for everyone who checks this out

n.b. It's worth watching just to relive Erics favourite footballing moment in a United shirt ... It is not, a goal ... it is not a shot ... it is not a trophy ... It's bloody magic that's what it is !!

PB - 2010

pic - www.wikipedia.com

Watched: Gone Baby Gone - 2007

After reading a critical review of Ben Aflecks debut as a director and seeing the word 'mesmerising' prominently at the top of the page I was understandably reserved in my judgement. It has to be said though that this is a truly fantastic viewing experience.
When a youngster goes missing from a rough neighbourhood in Boston everyone fears the worst, but the hire of private detectives to help locate her begins an incredible journey which pulls on every sentimental, moral and rational fibre in your mind and body.
Compulsive viewing for the almost 2 hours running time this is a dark, mysterious and gripping movie with all of the action, drama, sudden twists and moral dilemas that you could ever need.
Casey Afleck, Michelle Monoghan and wonderful Morgan Freeman star in what has to be one of the best suspense movies ever made.
Watch it and then tell me ... what would you do ?

PB - 2010

pic - www.wikipedia.com

Watched: Clash of the Titans - 2010

Qantas legend Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson and Sam Worthington star in this new take on the mythical tale. Forget about the storyline as everyone knows what happens - son of a god (Percius - would a god really call his son Percius ?) does good, beats all the baddies, saves the world and even gets the girl at the end ... This one is all about the lavish sets and special effects incorporating huge vicious looking monsters, , heavenly settings and lots of location shooting in places as far reaching as Cambodia.

My only criticism would be that for a title of this magnitude you'd expect an epic encounter of 2-3 hours + rather than the 90 minute action packed offering we are given. The 3D viewing all adds to the occasion though and this is one that really needs to be checked out on the big screen with popcorn, cola and pick n mix in your hands !!

See it ... see it now !!

PB - 2010

pic - www.wikipedia.com

Coming soon . .. . . Iron Man 2

Now this is right up my alley! Only true young boys at heart will get as excited as me when purchasing a ticket at the cinema for this one. Iron Man 2 looks to promise a more sexy-sleek look bringing in a new babe Scarlett Johansson! With an awesome cast including Don Cheadle and Mickey Rourke this can't go wrong. The first Iron Man blew me away, taking me back to the days of reading Marvel comic books. Feeling 12yrs old again I had secretly hoped that Iron Man was real and he was out there somewhere - with all his ubber cool gadgets and awesome cars!

Tony Starks (Robert Downey Jr) reveals to the world he is indeed Iron Man - of course the US government wants to get hold of his powerful weapon, the Iron Man suit. This put aside a mysterious and dangerous foe emerges (Mickey Rourke) to get revenge on the Stark family. Will Iron Man be destroyed???

I've always had a soft spot for Robert Downey Jr and believe there is not a better character for him to play right now! Mickey Rourke is a all time favourite due to his Sin City performance which was absolutely awesome.

What will be interesting is if this will successfully link to the Incredible Hulk series.......hhhmmmm.

Breaking sound barriers near you - early MAY2010.

GT 2010

pic - www.wikipedia.com

Watched: The Hangover - 2009

Right, so I've never been a great fan of these "all American boys day out' genre of movies as they usually come up somewhere short of lame in terms of depth of character, storyline, substance and comedic moments. It was therefore with some trepidation that I viewed this one and I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised.

Cleverly, we come in at the end of the story with our heros being seeming lost, bruised and battered out in the desert - without the Buck - following a wild night in Vegas - we are then treated to their attempts to track said Buck down by retracing their steps from the previous night through various means. Booze, marriage, lapdancing, drug dealing asians, babies and even a Mike Tyson and his pet tiger feature in this rollercoaster ride which to be honest, I could have rewatched almost immediately.

The characters are warm, the pace fast and Heather Graham hot so I can think of absolutely no reason not to check this out !

Upcoming bucks beware though, there are going to be some sadistic groomsmen doing their utmost to outdo these guys in the months and years to come - the days of shaved eyebrows and the late train to anywhere are seemingly gone forever ...

PB 2010

pic - www.wikipedia.com

Watched: The Most Unromantic Man in the World - 2006

This is a spoof documentary with the camera crew following the winner of a nationwide search for 'Homo Unromanticus' - The most unromantic male in the world. The propaganda invites us into a world where "love is replaced by football, passion killed by beer, music drowned by farts and desire strangled by porn" ... what else could I do but check it out ? (despite my concerns over cutting music from my life).

Now, I've always seen myself as a bit of an unromantic slob but I would clearly struggle to keep up with David Lumley who is truly a remarkable creation and there is surely bit of him in all of us: newspaper tokens to get money off a romantic meal, anniversary gifts from the charity shop, taking sickies from work to go shopping for porn or even the boys only sofa party nights.

Sure, some of the gags used do suffer from a bit of repetition but the cringe factor and awesome soundtrack linked into what is actually quite a touching storyline more than makes up for it. Another low budget option, but highly recommended by me - if only to prove to your significant other that you're not actually THAT bad !!

PB 2010

pic - www.wikipedia.com

Coming Soon ... Robin Hood

Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchette star in this new multi million dollar take on the story of middle ages English folk hero Robin Hood. After the highly disappointing Kevin Costner effort of the 1990's (you know, Bryan Adams sang the theme tune !), this looks to be action packed - but it will interesting to see if the makers have managed to retain any of the charm of the story or buried it under a hoard of choreographed sword fights and blood letting.

It's due to open in Australia on May 13th so we'll know more then - for now, I am particularly looking forward to seeing Matthew Macfadyen's take on the evil and corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham - he will do well to match Alan Rickman or Nickolas Grace from television versions but hopefully can add something to role ...

I'll be checking it out on or soon after release and will report back ...

PB 2010

pic - www.wikipedia.com

Watched: Paranormal Activity: 2007

Paranormal Activity seems to have been around for ages and on investigation, it appears that it has - originally premiering back in October 2007 in the US but only being granted a wider release late in 2009.

Apparently created on a budget of only $15,000, the movie follows a couple who are tormented by an unseen, increasing agitated evil presence in their home. The fact that the movie is presented in a home video style and quality (technically known as 'found footage') clears gives added dimension to the feature.

The movie blurb 'guarantees nightmares' and claims to be 'one of the scariest movies ever' and whilst I can't claim to have had nightmares I was certainly tempted to sleep with the light on for a few nights afterwards.

Clearly this type of movie is not for everyone, there is none of the traditional movie goers 'feel good factor' following a happy ending and most would surely be left pretty short of words at the conclusion.

Paranormal Activity sets out as a low budget feature to capture a mood and affect viewers both during and after viewing. It delivers on all fronts and the cult status achieved coupled with upcoming sequel clearly attest to that.

Recommended viewing, but not alone ...

PB 2010

pic - www.wikipedia.com

Watched: Date Night - 2010

"A funny and surprisingly heartwarming film" was one of the many positive reviews I've seen of this movie and after an abortive trip to see Clash of the Titans we ended up at a screening here in Sydney.

The plot revolves around a couple - the Fosters - who go on weekly dates to keep the spark in their marriage. They decide on going to an upmarket restaurant, take someone elses reservation and then following a case of mistaken identity embark on a wild ride across New York being chased by gangsters and cops alike.

Steve Carell (The Office) and Tina Fey take the leads, leading to high hopes of some great comedic moments. This is where it all started to go wrong for me as the humour was lame and totally predictable at best - in fact, laughing for the first time during the closing credits.

Many times I've advised people to wait for a movie to go to DVD before viewing, I would change that in this case and advise people to wait for it to go to DVD and then choose to watch something else - anything else !!

Anyone else out there seen it ?

PB 2010

pic - www.wikipedia.com

Sucker for good animation

animation found on Daily Motion - Check it!


PIXELS by PATRICK JEAN.
Uploaded by onemoreprod. - Watch original web videos.

Watched: The Road (2009)

Spoiler alert!
Based on the apocalyptic novel by Cormac McCarthy this movie tugs hard at the father & son strings and even the husband to wife strings. I cannot for the life of me remember how the apocalypse occurred, it just seemed to have happened?!?! I enjoy this genre of movie, however I did think that it was going to be more like 28 days later with more horror. Do not expect horror out of this movie. Viggo Mortensen is the main actor with his son on screen, it is a shame that Charlize Theron did not make much of an appearance before her on screen disappearance. A well known aussie actor makes a very brief appearance and I will leave it up to you to identify him shall you choose to see this film.

I hope the other guys have seen this and can comment - if not I'm sure they have seen something probably more interesting than this!

GT.

pic - www.wikipedia.com