Happy New Year

Hope everyone is having a good NewYear, Was in Edinburgh with friends and walked out into a main street and there was millions of people with flaming torches and crazy viking people...was rather confused and scared ... four year olds waving flaming sticks about :l 

When is it we go back btw? 12th Jan.?

Sunshine

Having seen this movie before a long time ago, I remember it being a decent movie, and my memory didn't lie. Having just watched it again on SkyMovies, all I can say is 'wow!' but I shall try say more for the purpose of this review.

As early as the opening scene you can tell this isn't your average 'Save the Earth' movie, it didn't go into detail about why the sun was dieing, or who these crew members were or how they had come to be on the space shuttle. Something which you see in near every other 'Save the Earth' action movie, but I think the director knew you just don't need to spoon feed the audience this, it doesn't matter why the sun is dieing or why the crew members were picked, you just know it is and they are their. 

This skips a-lot of unnecessary scenes and pointless dialog, which just wastes time and there is no need be spouting off a-lot of technical talk about the science behind the sun dieing and how the mission is going to stop it, because unless you are one of the select group alive able to understand such talk, its pointless. 

The opening scene just really grabbed me, it delivers so much in just a few shots.

From getting about half way into the movie it occurred to me, there wasn't fancy explosions and effects mashed into every shot, this again taking the viewer not to be a complete 'brain dead' it was far more about the story of the crew and the narrative. This makes this movie unique in my view. It really grabbed me and made me unsettled at some parts, the way it was cut together really put me on edge. The flicker of the crew member photos and the sometimes choppy edit cut, mixed with the sound effects really made for a suspenseful viewing.

I really liked the look of the whole movie it wasn't a cold pale space movie, their was a warm glow in near all the shots and just some of the framing of the shots were brilliant. Which gives this movie its unique look.

The characters in the movie are actually believable, they actually feel human and not just the imagination of a script writer on how a hero should be. I'm also glad their aren't any huge actors in this movie, again making it feel more real. Yes there is a-lot of leave me behind, save yourself in the movie, but it doesn't feel so outrageously in your face as in most movies. 

The whole movie is slow working building upto the event, it doesn't give much away in clues for the viewer to decode, which makes for a more suspenseful viewing.

  

You could almost feel some spark of connection between two of the crew members, but when I came to think where I got this from, I couldn't point it out. The characters were that believable I found myself thinking about their past, had these crew members been together before? did something happen their? A real credit to the narrative, this film almost knows it doesn't need to prove anything to anyone and just tells a believable gripping story from start to finish. It really doesn't take the audience for granted and really delivers in the form of story and narrative.

All I can really say is if you haven't watched this movie I would advice you to get a copy, it really is a fantastic watch. Even if you hate the story you will love the cinematography of this movie. It's a true piece of truth on how to deliver a story visually as-well as in narrative.

TV ?

I've just noticed, having been with out a TV since I moved to Glasgow on the 1st September, I don't miss it. I gave this some thought and well, Its because TV is far over rated these days. Their are no shows that I can think of that have grabbed me recently. You might ask how do you know, not having a TV and all. Well I go home at weekends and I sit and watch a bit there, but all I find myself doing is flicking from channel to channel. Is there actually anything else on apart from how to decorate your house with £5 ?
And me being lazy I see it as the TV companies job to get to me via marketing about any new amazing tv series coming out, they have failed in every way. Having been in Glasgow for months now, I haven't seen one internet advertisement, poster, or any form of viral marketing to get me to go out my way to watch any TV show. If this was done I might pay to see it via iTunes or such. They are really failing really badly at this new fangled internet thing arent they.

Channel Four got it right with 'Dead Set' they had lots of advertisments on the social site Bebo, which I go on about everyday. So that got me interested and most importantly ... aware of the show in the first place. And after looking at the Dead Set site and trailers they had on it of the show, I decided to dip into my pocket and pay to watch it on iTunes, since everyone hates Macs and their watch TV online thingy doesnt work on a Mac. But again, they done this and they got money from me. Why is everyone else failing to catch on?

Quantum of Solace

Quantum of Solace to me was a confused film, at the start the car chase as Andy had said was film geography gone wrong, I was lost in who was chasing who, where each person was or where they were heading to.
The first large part of the film was, fight scene shot from about every possible angle which again confused me on where each person was, or who was chasing who, then followed by a random scene with M with some random MI6 people talking about something random then back to another fight/chase scene.

The characters through out the film, were dare I say it again ... 'Random' was random scene after random character after random fight/chase scene. I was confused on what the hell was going on until the last leg of the film. Even then it was a stretch, I really had to think about it.
It wasn't a bad film by any means, it just wasn't good either. A agent hopelessly lost after his only love having died, sure gets over it fast.
The film was playing the fact that he was after revenge and would kill any one to get to those responsible, but he went from this to casually getting with another woman, yeah its bond he's supposed to be like this. But that just ruined any credibility on the plot of him being motivated by revenge and he was some sort of 'dark knight' then it went from that back to him being revenge driven again, was just all a tad unbelievable.

And for anyone who knows me, my memory isn't my best feature, and for a large chunk of the viewing audience they don't want to have to think about what their watching, and in this bond it was playing on alot of things that happened in Casino Royale. The whole way through I was like, I kinda recognize that guy from the first one but who is he again? ... It didnt go to any length to remind the viewer of who these people were, or what they had done. The end scene I was just plain confused. It didn't make any sense to me, which ruined a film that had regained some momentum in its closing acts.

Over all, the word of the day is 'Random' its a randomly put together film and doesnt go to any length to properly resolve anything in fact. Having just watched it, im struggling to remember what happened in it. Probably due to the fact it was all glued together by fight scene after fight scene after chase. I felt I was watching a marshals arts movie, the narative surely took a back seat in this movie.

From the looks of it

Why am I getting the feeling that the new Terminator is going to be another disappointing action movie? ... by all looks of it, it looks really good, but that isn't making this nagging feeling that its going to be so bad go away. By all means I should be looking forward to it, the trailers...posters...marketing are all showcasing it to be amazing. Is this Andy's classes telling me not to go on first looks?
From the trailer it shows alot of action and, well alot of things getting blown up .. Yay! But there's almost to much action in it, that's whats making me suspicious, they usually chuck in all the action bits into trailers to make people think waw! then when the films swings along, theres no more action in it than from the trailer. I just really hope this isnt going to dissapoint, 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' has made me look twice at trailers since that fooled me to go see it.
Dam them and their hippy ways!

Also noticed that a new film with Nicolas Cage 'Knowing' trailer is out, To be perfectly honest, I'm not even going to look at it. The last 4 films I've seen with him in them have been laugh out loud ridiculous. Where does that dude get his hair cut? He has some dodgy hair doo's on the go in every movie he's in.

Wall-E

I watched Wall-E this afternoon, after being let down by a number of past animation films I wasn't aspecting much from it. The studios have got to ... well good at animating these days and they think they can churn out an animated film with no storyline or thought behind it and we will like it anyway for the pretty effects.

But after getting 5 or so minutes into Wall-E I knew this was different. I actually laughed a few times...yes I do laugh. It was such a simple idea, a small trash compacting robot, the last one left on earth going about his business each day. Because it was so simple and with no dialog in the first act it was more about the character, and not the animation. The character Wall-E was brilliant, he had so much personality to him, and to achieve this with no dialog was nothing less than brilliance by the studio.

I found myself completely drawn into the movie the whole way through, there wasn't a stage were I thought it was getting thin at any point. Again I think this is down to it being so simple of a film. It didn't try to be something it wasn't, it didn't go for the oblivious gags a jokes that other animations go for ... such a 'Shrek' yeah didn't that one get old soon?

Although Wall-E lands himself getting beaten up pretty bad a few times through the movie you just knew he was going to be alright in the end, which is just fine for a kids movie, I wouldnt aspect anything less to be honest. I wouldn't want anything less from a animated film. You watch these movies to lift your mood and make you smile and laugh, which is exactly what Wall-E does.

Overall a perfectly crafted animated film, which has made me think twice before reffering to toy story being the best animated film ever.

The day the earth stood still

Looking at the trailer this film looked OK, It didnt look amazing by any means. But I did aspect more from this film.

I really dont know what to write about this film...because to be honest not alot happened to write about. The whole films plot and characters just didnt sit right with me. From the very begining I could tell it was going down hill. It was a typical American action movie, at the start something is about to come in contact with the earth so they send for all these top scientists.

Just like in all the action movies...why? Its like your a doctor, you have a fancy title you must know something about aliens. But they didnt even ask them about it, it was kind of like heres the biggest discovery of the history of the Earth...stand back and watch how I shoot at it. Nice eh...that missile just there added a nice touch dont you think?

It was all abit of a bosched job, I completely disengaged from it early on. From what I could see there was alot of running about and not much action...god dammit I payed to see an action movie, where is it? Far too much mono tone acting and just plain silly plot lines.
Yes that robot thingy over there...how's about we put it in a really, really big box and drill a hole in it? Can we shoot at it a few more times though?...urm OK if you must.

From what I could tell the 'Aliens' came, they saw then walk about for awhile...not before destroying a few buildings in the process. What? there was no point in that what so ever. Also about 12 product place ments per shot, was really getting distracting. I swear some of the shots where stolen aswell...those shots of empty New York I swear were near exactly the same as the ones in 'I Am Legend' and the last scene of hiding out in the tunnel...Cloverfield people?

All together as Paul put it 'I felt like I havnt seen a movie and I've just been in a coma' That pretty much sums it up for me too. The characters have near no development, the kid gets anoying after awhile. All together just making for a poor movie.

Resident Evil:Degeneration

Just finished watching the Japan made CGI Movie 'Resident Evil:Degeneration'
What can I say apart from it makes the American made Resident Evil Movies look like something from the straight to DVD section at BlockBusters.

From start to finish it was non-stop action, there was never a point I thought nothings going on or anything interesting. This happened ALOT in the American version. I mean a invincible woman army destroying zombies .. I think the term WTF?! would be somewhat of an understatement.

The CGI was typical of Japan, Amazing .. at no point did I ever think you can tell thats CG, I meen you can tell ... but its so good that you just never think about it.

The storyline from start to finish was superb, it kept unraveling and changing as it went along. It kept me guesing the whole way. Which I think is a key component of any good movie, the ability to keep the audience guessing. Im tired of these American Action movies you can clearly tell the ending from about 30 minutes into the movie.

If your a fan of Resident Evil the Game and were disapointed by the recently made tosh RE movies, then give this a watch. It restored my faith in Capcom again. This movie felt like the game, maybe thats where the Americans went wrong with at the first step. By making it a real movie and not CGI. It was never going to feel the same. But because this was CG it did feel like I was back in time watching my brothers play Resident Evil all over again.

I like how they brought back in all the characters the game fans reconise and not some two-bit model. Leon and Claire, as soon as I heard they were in it I imidently wanted to see it, and they don't disapoint.

Leon was his typical self, self stlyed action hero. Being able to kill two million zombies with the one hand gun. And Claire the seemingly vonrable girl, but actualy just as capable as Leon.

All I can say is, if you loved Resident Evil the game...watch this. It heals the wounds that was Resident Evil 1,2,3 the movie (If you could call them that) I've personaly wiped them from my memory .. they don't excist in my world.

Just learned that there making a new Resident Evil...the Americans I mean. WHY! just leave us alone and don't release upon the world a movie that is obviously going to fail and just make me want to cry in shear horror that their allowed to destroy such landmark games like this! There really should be a law against it! Get this...she goes to Tokyo with her army of..her-selves, and goes to kill the umbrella directors.

Com-on! are they being serious!? At what ... point does anyone see any of this in the game?! They had the job done for them! a brilliant storyline already made!...a huge fan bass! all they had to do was remake the game as it was....why change it!? If it aint broke don't fix it!

Someone really should just walk up to the director and just give him a healthy slap, and say no...just no! go home..no one likes you or your films.

Pitch Black

After making it home from the Academy feeling somewhat ill, I decided to put on a movie. The choice was Pitch Black. I don't know if it was because I was feeling ill but I remember liking this movie alot? This time round I got 40 or so minutes into it and just turned it off again. It was just boring me to all hell. All they seemed to do was walk about in the first act looking for Riddik.

It could be one of those movies when you know the plot you can never watch it again..? the whole first act is looking for Riddik giving a few clues that there's something not quite right with this planet. But even the clues it throws at you every now and again...just wasn't enough to keep me interested, yeah I knew what was going to happen as I've seen it before but there's many scary movies I will watch hundreds of times and shout at the T.V why are you doing that your gonna get eaten you idiot! 

But Pitch Black just wasn't interesting at all the second time round for me. I gave it some thought for some more reason's why I didn't like it anymore...and something clicked in my head that made me laugh out loud. It was something thats been on TV for that past few years that I gave so much time to and got no answers from...Lost! Think about it, there both set on a strange place that they didn't know existed. There both set on the idea of a group of contrasting strangers being thrown into a situation together, and weird things unfolding and having to find a way to survive together. Looking for a way off the setting.

Yes alot more happens in Pitch Black people being ripped apart and such...but that first 40 minutes was just torture I was bored silly. I found myself texting and phoning people not caring about what was happening in the movie.

I just don't think it has a big enough hook to keep me interested in ever watching it again.

History footage

Today we watched a series of short two minute films shot around the time of the bore war. At first I didnt think I was going to enjoy it atall, but after seeing them I found them to be really interesting. It was strange to see that they didn't react to the camera atall. If you shot the same footage today you would have chavs and such in the shot mucking about. Because it looked all so natural it was almost like going back in time and viewing it for yourself.

It was also interesting to see how cinema first started off as a mear short bit of entertainment for the workers finishing work. It wasnt like today having lots of graphics and special effects the just stood the camera up in a random location and filmed for 3 minutes. Its weird how it was meant for entertainment but has become a short documentary over time.

The shot of Glasgow was particularly interesting as it showed how far we've come in a hundred years from horse drawn buses to buses fitted with Wi-Fi and such.

Over all I found it all really interesting as I've never really seen footage shot that far back, It was and education to see how its all changed so much.

The Happening .... Ridiculous

Well...I really don't know why I chose to watch this, was told it was rubbish and it looked really weak. But I was bored on sunday night so I thought I'd give it a chance. What a mistake that was.

The whole film is just ridiculous so many times over, non of it makes much sense at all, the characters are unbelievable and fake. Non of what they do in the film is what any normal person would do in a apocalypse situation. 

From the out go Mark Wallbergs acting was about sending me to insanity, I don't know what type of pills he took that morning on shoot, but his voice doesn't go above a tone of voice of that of a four year old. 

The whole situation of mass seemingly murders happening and then it cuts to a calm street with some random asking the cop about the weather...is it just me or is that just not what you'd see happening. If this so called 'Happening' was really happening.

And why does EVERY one in the park get caught by the force of the happening...apart from one random person? Its just doesn't make sense in anyway what so ever. It gets worse...the way the film attempts to reveal whats making it happen, is by introducing a hot dog loving, plant talking hippy. Why Why Why? there are so many ways they could have spun this out, but that? are they being serious?

From start to finish its just ridiculous in every way, non of the dialog makes much sense, the scenes are laugh out loud silly. The character build up is done so poorly you feel no empathy for anyone in the film. Even the young daughter just gets annoying, she has next to no lines in the entire film. 

The ending is much much worse...Im not going to spoil it for anyone, but its just so bad I feel like I should sue someone for actually making this movie. 

Do I need to summarise how I felt about this film?

Choke

Choke Review

Michael Maxwell

 

 

Choke was a movie that certainly did entertain, but it didn’t almost know itself how it was going to do that. It seemed too much a comedy stapled onto … well something else. It seemed misguided; it should have stuck to the one original idea/concept. Instead it appeared that it was almost written as they were going along.

 

It’s a film that doesn’t know quite what it was trying to be or to prove what points.  I did find myself thinking…just why? Why was that scene or piece of dialog needed? It didn’t add anything to the film, space filler?

 

Although saying all that yes it did entertain, it did make me laugh a lot. Which is hard for films to do. I like how original the idea was, a sex obsessed guy searching for who he was. But with out knowing it himself.

He uses sex as a drug to numb out life, so he doesn’t have to face life in a way. Maybe in a way saying that we are all looking for someway to look at life and ourselves in perfect clarity. To make life more simple than it is. 

Dead Set

Tonight I watched Dead Set, downloaded off iTunes. I took Adam advice and hooked my computer up to my 5.1 surround sound system. I went into the show expecting it to be a 'joke' a show about zombies in Big Brother?
After waiting 40minutes for the dam thing to download off the dam snail speed internet they so kindly lock us into at the Unit Flats, I sat back in my darkened room and tapped the play button. After watching about 10minutes of it, I found myself looking over my shoulder alot down the cavernous dark empty room.

Its nothing like I've ever seen on E4 before in my life. Every time I watch E4 its some bunch of 20 year old kids pretending there still in high school and dreaming of being basketball players...not zombies ripping the side of peoples throats off!
The effects and general set up of the show in my view is brilliant, its what resident evil the movie can only ask, how did they do it better....on TV!

I like how they've added in the typical "prick" producer for a comedy slat to it. When he pushes the guy in the wheel chair towards the on coming zombie...was brilliant.

Overall I found it to be very entertaining and has alot of potential to do so much more and to expand on alot more from what was the bitter taste of Resident Evil