Archive for February, 2008
Friday, February 29th, 2008
The History Boys
I didn’t believe a single second of this film. I didn’t believe in the teachers, the headmaster and the boys. I didn’t believe it was set in the eighties or in Yorkshire. I didn’t believe that only one of the boys was sexually experienced. I didn’t believe that the boys would tolerate the leching of Hector or the singing of Posner. I didn’t want to believe in its portray of homosexuals particularly in the final revelation that Posner becomes a teacher and manages that “without touching the boys”.
Platinum Blonde
Mores certainly have changed in the 70 odd years since this was made. Loretta Young and Jean Harlow were completely miscast and this was made more obvious because they could have played each other’s roles perfectly. Robert Williams was very appealing and I wondered why I hadn’t heard of him: he died of peritonitis days after this film’s première. So Jean and Robert failed to see out the thirties while Loretta saw out the century. I can’t say I liked it much mainly because of the wrongness of the two female leads so it lacked a bit of vim and vigour.
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
I liked this a lot but it just failed to be a great film mainly due to an uneven pace and a couple of odd scenes like the bald Slighcarp in the bath which didn’t go anywhere. The cast were superb with the two girls (both with very short careers) particularly good because they were resourceful, brave, sassy and funny. The set design of the laundry and the steam-powered vehicle at the climax were brilliant. The real snow and wolves gave the film an eerie quality. And who British of a certain age doesn’t say “Connie’s back!” as soon as they read Stephanie Beacham’s name?
Run Lola Run
A tremendous work of film technique including animation and a smattering of video gaming (”You failed your mission. Try again?”) but ultimately it’s a film about a woman trying to save a character I don’t have any sympathy for.
The Fountain
A pretentious Love Story and, let’s face it, that is the only way to make Love Story palatable. I was under the impression that this was written by Darren Aronofsky for his partner, Rachel Weisz, so I spent a lot of the film whining about how passive she was: a dying woman who has accepted her fate, a queen who spends a lot of time behind screens and as a tree. It turns out it wasn’t written for her but it’s still not exciting. However, she was excellent as Izzi and had oodles of chemistry with Hugh Jackman (he can kiss me in the bath anytime). Jackman, himself, was much better than his turn as Wolverine had prepared me for: he made me cry…
Posted in Films | No Comments »
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008
This is an interesting list (from Movie Poster Addict) in many ways but not least because the Best Picture winners for approximately 75 out of 79 of those years are clearly not the best picture of that year and many are quite, ahem, ordinary films (The Great Ziegfeld, The Greatest Show on Earth, Around the World in Eighty Days, The Sting, Rocky, Braveheart, etc) which perhaps shouldn’t even have been nominated.
The art of the movie poster seems to have moved from paintings to photographs which in the case of the “who is she?” poster of Rebecca seems to be a good thing.
My favourite posters are All Quiet on the Western Front, All About Eve, West Side Story and Amadeus.
Posted in Films, Images | No Comments »
Friday, February 22nd, 2008
Posted in Images | No Comments »
Sunday, February 17th, 2008
The Curse of the Cat People
I can see why people link this with Pan’s Labyrinth and are a bit cross because it’s not really a sequel to Cat People. If you treat it as a stand alone piece it works very well as a rather sad story about lonely children (of the junior and senior variety). It piles on the different elements (Cat People, imaginary friends, ghosts, the legend of Sleepy Hollow, etc) which makes it confusing. It is very atmospheric and Ann Carter is just wonderful as Amy. And, count them, six major roles for the women and only two for the men - name any other film that can boast that (but not The Women).
(Aside - why isn’t A Tree Grows in Brooklyn in print on DVD?)
Frankenstein
Seminal horror, indeed, but there are too many stilted non-action sequences with some terrible acting. The sets and the atmosphere are incredible and the sequence when The Monster throws the girl in the lake is genuinely horrific. The final set piece at the windmill is stunning.
Posted in Films | No Comments »
Sunday, February 17th, 2008
Life Serial (David Fury & Jane Espenson)
This a pretty funny episode but it’s surely no coincidence that once again in an episode written by Jane Espenson, Buffy’s friends prove to be not very good ones. Why doesn’t Tara question more where Buffy’s disappears to? Why does Xander seems care more about this job than his friend? On the other hand, in the light of the incomprehensible characterizations and motivations in Angel maybe I should be grateful for the sense that BtVS does make.
The trio turn up again and they are funny although the hilarity that is references to porn does my head in but otherwise amusing (‘Stop touching my magic bone!” and “You’re insane. You’re short, and you’re insane.”).
My favourite sequence involves Buffy as shop assistant which works on that irritating bell rift and revisits Buffy’s (SMG’s) finest physical comedy moment from “Surprise”.
“You play for kittens?!” “So, who’s gonna advance me a tiny tabby, get me started?”
I love Buffy getting drunk and her off screen bleaahs.
It’s very nice of Giles to give Buffy money but the Watchers’ Council are a bit naughty not to actually pay Slayers.
Posted in BtVS, Buffy Season 6, Television | 1 Comment »
Thursday, February 14th, 2008
Isn’t this still of Reese Witherspoon adorable?
Posted in Films, Images | No Comments »
Thursday, February 14th, 2008
When I was in my teens and early twenties I used to keep a film diary. I’d write down the date and place I saw the film (cinema or on which tv channel – not much choice back then) and a few sentences about my reaction to the film. Aren’t people lucky I have the Internet now?
I, Robot
I have no idea how this compares to the Asimov source but as a straightforward sf thriller it was reasonable although the CGI made most of the film look like a computer game (with added Audi advertising). Will Smith’s attitude was irritating and clichéd while Bridget Moynahan was very attractive but not very dynamic. I was disappointed that I didn’t recognise Alan Tudyk.
Out of the Past
There often comes a time when I feel a bit of a fraud and not really a film buff when I watch critically regarded films like this and find them boring. Really though, femme fatales are such horrible stock characters. Men can’t resist them and their evil allure and all the murder and mayhem is their fault for using their feminine wiles for such immoral purposes which is generally to get money. The men are drawn into their web and they can’t help themselves. Anyway, Robert Mitchum was a remarkable looking man – both handsome and ugly at the same time – I suspect many people would put Nathan Fillion in the same category.
Posted in Films | 3 Comments »
Thursday, February 14th, 2008
I got this from maurinsky:
Here’s the deal:
1. Grab the nearest book (that is at least 123 pages long).
2. Open to p. 123.
3. Go down to the 5th sentence.
4. Type in the following 3 sentences.
5. Tag five people.
“Don’t you get tired of wading in mud and filth? – No, I can’t do that. Y’know it. Especially this coming week, there’s too much to do. I’ve already been away too much.” - Haweswater by Sarah Hall
I tag any five people who have left a comment on this blog.
Posted in Books, Meme | 1 Comment »
Friday, February 8th, 2008
Flooded (Douglas Petrie and Jane Espenson)
The trio make their first appearance, I’m not stressed out and I even like Warren handing the M’Fashnik demon Buffy’s address and pretending he has the Force.
The episode also introduces the freeloaders. I don’t know what the writers or executive producers were thinking of by omitting any reference to how Tara and Willow were contributing financially but we can pretend that they were but were too modest to say it out loud. I find Anya’s remarks ironic about charging (were they supposed to be?) considering Angel Investigations.
The gun - “These things? Never helpful.” – chucks it away and it goes off – oh my.
How perfect is this Anya dialogue and Emma Caulfield’s delivery? “No, no. Captain Logic is not steering this tugboat. I smell Captain Fear at the wheel! God, I hate this. This tone in my voice? I dislike it more than you do, and I’m closer to it!”
And they may forget about how close Dawn and Spike were but they continue to remember Tara and Dawn’s relationship and I love Tara’s “Knock yourself out” and Dawn’s “That’s a weird place for a horn…That’s not a horn..”
And I would like to direct people to the long shot of Amber Benson in this scene and say this woman is a slender woman and the word voluptuous cannot be applied to her.
The scenes between Giles and Buffy are very well done but his concern and tenderness is at odds with what he does to her in “Tabula Rasa”.
I remember being gobsmacked by the scene between Giles and Willow in the kitchen with the two of them being so angry. It still packs a punch particularly when you know just where it is all heading: “You’re a very stupid girl.” and “Are you saying you don’t trust me?” but the scary exchange is
GILES: You were lucky.
WILLOW: I wasn’t lucky. I was amazing. And how would you know? You weren’t even there.
GILES: If I had been, I’d have bloody well stopped you. The magicks you channelled are more ferocious and primal than anything you can hope to understand, and you are lucky to be alive, you rank, arrogant amateur!
WILLOW: You’re right. The magicks I used are very powerful. I’m very powerful. And maybe it’s not such a good idea for you to piss me off.
The fight between the demon and Buffy is funny in its destructiveness and for once all that damage means something and Buffy’s “No…more…full…copper…re-pipe…” is full of more than just demon directed anger.
It is in fact a very angry and tense episode and I liked it a lot although it is uneven.
Posted in BtVS, Buffy Season 6, Television | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008
Imagine Richard Curtis lite. Can you imagine Richard Curtis lite? How lite can that be? Well, this lite and trite.
I wanted to like this because a mainstream lesbian romantic (comedy) film is sort of rare. However, the ONLY redeeming feature was Lena Headey and her lower back tattoo (and I don’t even like tattoos). Piper Perabo didn’t quite live up to her fantastic name while Anthony Head reminded me of why I initially rejected Buffy.
Posted in Films | 6 Comments »
