Awkweird Me

Upstream Color (2013) I was quite keen to see this film, as I...

Sun, 19 May 2013 23:22:08 +1200

I was quite keen to see this film, as I was really impressed with the director’s first film, Primer (2004). I’m not sure how I felt about it. It has very little plot, and I think I spent too long searching for one. That’s one piece of advice I’d give for someone watching this - don’t look for the story too much. The visuals and sound design were beautiful. I’ve rarely seen such a unique understanding of image and audio, actually. It’s very easy to make comparisons with Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life (2011), except this is more abstract. I’ve been reading some interpretations of the film, which seem to make sense, but I’m not sure I understood much of it while watching. It’s definitely something I should watch again sometime. I wouldn’t recommend it to a lot of people, but it was good.

[REC]³ Génesis (2012) I really liked [REC] (2007) and even...

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:29:04 +1200

I really liked [REC] (2007) and even thought the second one was decent. Unfortunately, this is what made me kind of hate this film. It largely ignores the first two films, and goes off on its own tangent. It abandons the found footage style after the first act, which would be fine if the direction was any good, but it isn’t. I held out hope for the film, right up until the suits of armour came into it. The whole thing just devolves into a below average zombie flick. The comedic elements were totally lame and unnecessary. All of the characters are idiots, and the actors aren’t any good either. I found myself simultaneously amused and angered at how incredibly stupid the entire movie was. I truly hope the series can redeem itself with the final film.

The Devil’s Advocate (1997) I thought this was a really...

Thu, 16 May 2013 00:22:05 +1200

I thought this was a really cool film, for the most part. I liked how it started off quite innocently, and grew more and more bizarre. It reminded me a lot of Roman Polanski’s Repulsion (1965) and Rosemary’s Baby (1968). It’s too bad they didn’t have a stronger lead, as Keanu Reeves doesn’t really cut it. Al Pacino is awesome though. I was rather disappointed with ending - I wish it had been far more dark and bleak. Overall, though, I’d recommend it.

Room 237 (2012) This is a documentary which contains a whole...

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:42:42 +1200

This is a documentary which contains a whole bunch of theories and ideas about the possible meaning/s behind The Shining (1980). I’m a huge fan of that film, and consider it one of Kubrick’s masterpieces. So, in some ways, I enjoyed watching this to see elements I hadn’t noticed before. However, some of the bullshit these basically conspiracy theorists come up with is kinda ridiculous. Some of them do make good arguments to where I could almost buy what they’re saying, but others just sound like they’re mentally unstable. On one hand, I do believe that Kubrick was a genius and probably layered a whole bunch of underlying themes and thoughts into his works. On the other hand, I think people will see whatever they want to see. In any case, I at least found the film entertaining.

The Phantom of the Opera (1925) I thought this was a really good...

Sun, 12 May 2013 23:04:26 +1200

I thought this was a really good and impressive silent film. Some of the sets and production design were amazing. Lon Chaney is great, of course, especially with that make-up. However, the other performances were melodramatic in that typical silent film way. And the story itself felt a little thin, particularly towards the end. Regardless, it’s totally worth a watch.

Quiz Show (1994) This was good. Very much Oscar bait, but still....

Sun, 12 May 2013 22:55:26 +1200

This was good. Very much Oscar bait, but still. It’s based on an interesting true story. I enjoyed watching stuff about the early days of television, and the power (perceived or real) it had. All the performances were good. Yeah, it was a little by-the-numbers, but I liked it. Also, Martin Scorsese’s cameo was odd. But cool, I suppose.

Secrets & Lies (1996) Mike Leigh’s films have been a...

Fri, 10 May 2013 17:51:09 +1200

Mike Leigh’s films have been a little hit and miss for me so far - I really liked Naked (1993), but I had a lot of problems with Another Year (2010). Thankfully, I liked this one a lot. It felt very realistic, which was good, even if I found it painful at times. Some of the characters are so awful, I found it a little hard to watch. The performances are great all around though, with Brenda Blethyn giving a particularly brilliant one. Some of the dialogue wasn’t so good. I think it might have actually been better as a mini-series, as I felt there were aspects that weren’t as explored as they could have been.

Movie 43 (2013) This movie is such a shame. The idea of a comedy...

Thu, 09 May 2013 01:42:15 +1200

This movie is such a shame. The idea of a comedy anthology with a whole bunch of stars in it is a great idea. This end result is godawful. Were some of the shorts better than others? Of course. But were any of them actually good? No. Not a single one. There were small bits that weren’t a complete waste of time, but not many. Far too much immature, lame humour without a bit of taste. I imagine most of the actors involved regret doing this. I know I regret watching it.

The House Bunny (2008) This wasn’t nearly as bad as I...

Tue, 07 May 2013 18:14:45 +1200

This wasn’t nearly as bad as I feared. I mean, it was a pretty terrible film, sure, but it’s far from the worst comedy I’ve seen. I laughed more times than I care to admit. The humour came mostly from Anna Faris and Emma Stone, who were the primary reasons I watched it anyway. They’re very funny women. It was an okay time-waster.

The Last Stand (2013) This was a decent action film, I guess....

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:19:47 +1200

This was a decent action film, I guess. I’m not sure anybody would’ve really bothered to see it if it wasn’t being hyped as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s comeback. It was kind of cool to see him doing action again, I’ll admit. He’s still pretty badass for a 65-year-old. I felt that the tone was a little all over the place. The stuff with Forest Whitaker was all super-serious, and the other scenes with Schwarzenegger and Johnny Knoxville and all that were pretty silly and comedic. The plot wasn’t great or original, and the dialogue left something to be desired, but the direction was fine and it was harmless fun.

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) This is the first part of...

Sun, 05 May 2013 23:30:26 +1200

This is the first part of Chan-wook Park’s Vengeance Trilogy. I’ve already seen (and very much enjoyed) the second part, Oldboy (2003), but they’re not related story-wise, so it’s fine. I thought this film was really good too. The direction and cinematography were perfect. I liked how they kind of changed who the protagonist was over the course of the movie. It was dark and tragic and I thought it was good, if not quite as good as the next part in the trilogy. Still, I look forward the final part, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005).

The Heiress (1949) I kinda loved this movie. It went to places...

Sun, 05 May 2013 23:15:26 +1200

I kinda loved this movie. It went to places and said things I didn’t expect. I thought it seemed quite ahead of its time, especially in terms of female empowerment. The lead actress, Olivia de Havilland was fantastic, and so was Ralph Richardson. I don’t have all that much more to say about it - it’s just great. I can easily recommend this to everyone.

Titus (1999) I’m a fan of director Julie Taymor and I was...

Fri, 03 May 2013 00:01:00 +1200

I’m a fan of director Julie Taymor and I was interested in seeing another Shakespeare film by her, as I quite liked the underrated The Tempest (2010). I wasn’t familiar with the play Titus Andronicus, but I thought the story was pretty cool, as well as rather dark and twisted. I really enjoy Taymor’s visual style, and while not as grandiose as her subsequent films, it was definitely on display here. I also thought the deliberately anachronistic elements were nice. All the performances were good, and I especially enjoyed Alan Cumming. I thought it was great, overall.

Sinister (2012) I had some hope for this one, but it was just...

Wed, 01 May 2013 23:21:43 +1200

I had some hope for this one, but it was just disappointing. I’m a fan of the horror genre, but there are very few movies in that genre that are any good these days. I’m really tired of the ghosts and demons stories that seem to permeate it recently. This film probably wasn’t the worst example of this, but it wasn’t good movie. It did have a couple of creepy images or moments, but I definitely wasn’t scared at all. Ethan Hawke is decent, but his character and all the rest of the characters were pretty one-dimensional. The first act was kinda intriguing, but I lost interest as it went on. It was pretty empty-feeling overall.

I just finished season 5 of Sons of Anarchy. Thoughts: I think I...

Wed, 01 May 2013 23:01:08 +1200

I just finished season 5 of Sons of Anarchy. Thoughts:

I think I already said it on my review of season 4, but it’s such a shame how mediocre this show is now.
The first couple of seasons were great, but it’s lost whatever it was that it had then.
I don’t even know what happened this season, because I just didn’t care.
I don’t really care about any of the characters anymore, or what happens to them.
All that being said, I think this season was perhaps a bit better than the previous one.
You can at least tell the writers are trying, even if they don’t succeed.
I’ll watch the next season, but I hope it’ll be the last.
Oh, actually, there was one absolutely amazing part about this season: Walton Goggins’ cameo. It was unexpected, hilarious and brilliant. I very much hope they bring his character back again.

Gangster Squad (2013) Oh man, what a disappointment. Like many...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:51:25 +1200

Oh man, what a disappointment. Like many people, I was pretty excited about this film when the first trailers came out last year. It looked so cool. Unfortunately, it turned out to be pretty bad. It’s really too bad, with the amount of great actors in it. I thought Ryan Gosling was absolutely awful in this. He didn’t even seem like he was trying at all - really phoning it in. Whereas, Sean Penn was trying too hard. It’s hard to blame the actors, though, when the script is just no good. The dialogue is lame and tired, and they really loved to spell out the message for you. The writers clearly didn’t understand the “show, don’t tell” rule. The best thing I can say about it was that the cinematography was quite nice. I love film-noir and depictions of this era can be brilliant, but this movie is a failure.

The Blob (1958) This film is incredibly 50s-esque, and I can see...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:36:45 +1200

This film is incredibly 50s-esque, and I can see why it’s a cult classic. I wish they had a bit more plot, because even at its short running time, not a whole lot actually happens. Still, the effects are pretty neat sometimes, and Burt Bacharach’s theme song is awesome. It’s also cool to see Steve McQueen in an early role, even if he doesn’t look anything like the teenager he’s supposed to be. It’s very silly and cheesy, and fun because of that, but I wouldn’t really call it a good film.

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) This was a well-made film, but...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:24:06 +1200

This was a well-made film, but I can’t say I found it all that entertaining. The plot just wasn’t all that interesting to me. Maybe that’s just because I’ve seen similar stories before, but yeah. It was a bit longer than it needed to be, too. Still, you can’t fault Alfred Hitchcock’s work in this. This film has a scene that truly highlights why he’s the master of suspense. It’s not my favourite Hitchcock film, but it’s still good.

Iron Man 3 (2013) Simply: I liked it a lot! I thought it was...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 23:08:27 +1200

Simply: I liked it a lot! I thought it was easily better than Iron Man 2 (2010), and very possibly better than Iron Man (2008) too. Having Shane Black direct this one was an inspired idea, as we’ve already seen how well he works with Robert Downey Jr. in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005). While his wit doesn’t quite equal Joss Whedon’s work in this franchise, there were a lot of great lines which Downey Jr. delivered perfectly. Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle were good again, and Ben Kingsley and Guy Pearce were awesome additions. I thought the plot of this one worked quite well, and was interesting enough even without Tony Stark’s involvement. It all looked very nice, with good visual effects. One of my favourite things about it was how it continued on from the events of The Avengers (2012), and provided a nice continuation for Downey Jr.’s character. Yeah, it was just a funny, enjoyable movie with a bunch of really cool action scenes and likable characters. Also, although it hardly needs to be said for these movies by now, make sure you stay after the credits.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) I was never really interested...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:31:16 +1200

I was never really interested in seeing this film, but with the recent sequel, I figured I’d give it a shot. I was expecting a lot of dumb action and bad dialogue, but I was kind of expecting to enjoy that. I like a little mindless action once in a while. But man, this movie is so goddamn stupid. I guess they were sort of going for that in a way, but for me, it was just boring. All the performances were bad, except for perhaps Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s. The CGI was sometimes okay, sometimes absolutely awful, and sometimes so ridiculous that it was kinda awesome. I don’t even really know what happened in the film now, because it just didn’t make me care enough to pay attention. I can’t really recommend it.