Out damn spot

Ok My list of films to catch up on is overwhelming me and the obsessive compulsive in me is dreading this never ending story. So I'm going to just break it down. I'm going to write some brief reviews. Aside from Inception.... most of the next 8 films didn't grab me OR are just old ones that I watch over and over again. Ok so here goes.....

Before Edward Cullen........

Rourke and Dillon. Rumblefish.

Pic of the Day.....Dennis Hopper, Natalie Wood, James Dean. 3 rebels resting in peace.

DON'T DO THIS TO ME.

Rumour has it a 'Back To The Future' remake is in he works. Can you Fricken believe it?????? WHY? TELL ME WHY??? This is really really making me angry. DON'T remake films that DO NOT need remaking!!!! AND. It get s worse. GUESS who is in talks to star as the IRREPLACEABLE Marty McFly. Justin fucking stupid hair child star Justin Timberlake wannabe idiot head Bieber!!!!!!!! Justin Bieber. I'm lost for words. Lost. 

From my pal Ellen...

My Bestie Sarah suggested I review this. I suggest you watch it. Oh and my review: 'Joyous'

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

Earth's Mightiest Heroes...

Mark Ruffalo is set to play 'Bruce Banner' aka 'The Hulk' in the upcoming movie The Avengers. I am so happy about this. It is about time someone gave this guy a massive role. He's one of those great warm, heartfelt, natural actors who has done a bunch of great supporting roles. With people like Heath Ledger and Robert Downey Jnr bringing much more depth (and fun) to comic book characters. I can't wait for this movie. Nerds a go go. P.S. Sorry Eric and Edward....you both sucked.

Have you ever seen a one trick pony in the field so happy and free? If you've ever seen a one trick pony then you've seen me Have you ever seen a one-legged dog making its way down the street? If you've ever seen a one-legged dog then you've seen me

4 hours to kill?

This Sunday I feel like Lying on a sofa, eating icecream and chocolate chips and watching this:

The dictionary of Imaginary Places......

I can't help but want to watch movies I love again and again. If I had the ultimate film library, I would pull out these winners.
/>

It's a good movie innit Jason?

I have 6 more movies to write up and then I am up to date.
There are so many movies I want to see. have you seen any of the following?...
Le Concert, starring the beautiful Melanie Laurant from Inglorious Basterds
Scott Pilgrim Vs The World by the people who made Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz
Im Still Here, a doco about Joaquin Phoenix's foray into Rap made by Casey Affleck
Kick-Ass (Im behind I know)
The Secret's In their Eyes which won 'Best Foreign Film' at last years oscars.
The Runaways with stupid Bella and weird old person child actor Dakota fanning.
Oh and I'm sorry but I want to see The Expendables. It looks terribly radical: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis and Arnie "Get to the chopper" Schwartzenegger.
I'm also slightly tempted to see The Girl Who Played with Fire despite not loving The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
Movie date anyone?

What movie am I reviewing? Interview with a twilight Legend?

Legends Of The Fall.
Director: Edward Zwick
Starring: Brad Pitt, Brad Pitt's hair, Aiden Quinn, Henry Thomas, Julia Ormond and the lovely Anthony Hopkins.
Ok this movie is pretty cheesy. It is one of my guilty pleasures, I must admit. I read the book as a teenager and was always very much in love with Tristan Ludlow. And yes Tristan Ludlow is played by Brad Pitt. The thing is today, I am not a fan of Brad Pitt. He seems to posture about as'Brad Pitt' and has forgotten how to lose himself in a role. He's a movie star who I find self aware and quite painful to watch. (I did, however, enjoy him in Inglorious Basterds). When Legends Of The Fall came out, Brad had just done Interview With A Vampire. It is no secret that my obsession with vampires as a wayward teen far proceeded the latest Twilight Saga. I was obsessed. I loved Anne Rice and LOVED the tales of Lestat and Louis.As a result: I loved Brad. I have a vivid memory of my 16 year old self driving my Mum's car on a stormy night. I looked outside at the raging Wellington wind and WILLED Interview With A Vampire to be true. I promised myself I would seek out real vampires! What a teenager. What a loser!! Back to Brad: In the mid 90's he was a promising and gritty actor. Brad's run of films at this time was Kalifornia, Interview With The Vampire, Legends Of The Fall, Se7en & Twelve Monkeys. All great performances.
Brad (and vampires) aside I have also always been such a big fan of Anthony Hopkins who play's the three Ludlow boy's Father. He reminds me of my late Granddad Bernard Smyth. Granddad used to read children's stories on the national radio and Anthony Hopkin's voice has always reminds me of him. Legend Of The Fall's plot is epic and the tragedies never end. it's a good old melodramatic romp with a pretty impressive cast. Don't rent it, but if it comes on the telly give it a watch and imagine knocking Brad off, drinking his blood and turning him back into Louis de Pointe du Lac. Yum.

THIS......IS......$9.95!!!!!

300
Director: Zack Snyder
Gerard Butler, David Wenham, Dominic West, Michael Fassbender

I bought this film. It seems an odd one to buy really but sometimes I find myself in a DVD shop because A: I have burnt every bridge with every dvd rental facility and B: I feel impulsive and they are so cheap these days. So yes, I bought this & Metal Skin & Raging Bull. Rad. I love this film. How could you not love it? I was a fan of Sin City and was keen to see Frank Miller's next graphic novel brought to life. The film tells the story of the battle of Thermopylae. Led by King Leonidas, 300 Spartans defend their beloved Greece. An army of Persians led by the ridiculous King Xerxes (who is straight out of a Right Said Fred video clip) approach and plan to enslave all of Sparta and expand their Persian borders. Plot wise, that's it. And that's all we need people. The rest is just blood thirsty highly stylised and totally RAD fighting. I dare you to watch it without gritting your teeth once or making some sort of sound like OMFF or OUCH or YEAH! Michael Fassbender is a standout (in a sea of Abs) and David Wenham does Aussie proud (aside from a rather weak voiceover). I'm not a Gerard Butler fan but he does Leonidas well, I think he needs to drop romantic comedies and pop back into the gym. I like Zack Snyder and look forward to his future films. His other graphic novel adaptation The Watchmen was brilliant. I watched that in Budapest. It was dubbed inHungarian which was interesting. I'm sure i'll watch this again. It'd be a good one to pop on after a night out with a kebab. I'd also feel compelled to work that kebab off the next day with the '300 workout' which is completely brutal.

Sometimes I wish I could climb into a movie screen and stay there.

What's Pharrel's group called?...

Found this on one of my nerd sights. Gosh the original ideas are so much better....Damn you and your franchise brain George.

Ready to reignite the George Lucas fury that's been slowly dwindling since whenever it was you last saw one of the Star Wars prequels? Then read this LA Times interview with Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back producer Gary Kurtz. In it, he basically labels Lucas a toy salesman first, filmmaker second, and calls him out on the bullshit of acting like the whole thing was always planned as some massive franchise. That's all fairly common knowledge, but of particular note is Kurtz's description of the original talked-about ending of Return of the Jedi--a rejected finale George Lucas didn't think had enough cute animal characters in it:

“We had an outline [for RotJ] and George changed everything in it," Kurtz said. “Instead of bittersweet and poignant he wanted a euphoric ending with everybody happy. The original idea was that they would recover [the kidnapped] Han Solo in the early part of the story and that he would then die in the middle part of the film in a raid on an Imperial base. George then decided he didn’t want any of the principals killed. By that time there were really big toy sales and that was a reason.”
The discussed ending of the film that Kurtz favored presented the rebel forces in tatters, Leia grappling with her new duties as queen and Luke walking off alone “like Clint Eastwood in the spaghetti westerns,” as Kurtz put it.

Kurtz said that ending would have been a more emotionally nuanced finale to an epic adventure than the forest celebration of the Ewoks that essentially ended the trilogy with a teddy bear luau.

Werewolf House

Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Rose Byrne, Sean 'P Diddy' Combs

Russell Brand was everywhere in the UK. Everywhere. I hated him. I knew nothing of his rise to fame and just witnessed his loutishness (is that a word? Russell the wordsmith may not approve, he is after all an accomplished linguist!). I initially had no intention of seeing this film. I sometimes like to escape the drama in my head (it's dramatic in there) and see something silly so off I went to this film to have a giggle.
This film is very funny. I would go as far to say it MAY go into the vault of films I quote on a regular basis with my pals Sharryn and Victoria. It could become a Step Brothers for me. The storyline is silly: Aaron Green (Jonah Hill) works for a record label run by P-Diddy and is instructed to get the brilliantly unpredictable Brand from London to L.A to perform in a 25th anniversary concert. Brand's character Aldous Snow is Brand. He really doesn't push his acting boundaries very far but surprisingly, I found him hilarious. There is a scene in this film that has to be seen to be believed: The 'Jeffery' smoking scene is quite indescribable and totally hilarious! I literally shrieked with laughter. Jonah Hill on Adrenalin was brilliant. "no no no no no no no no no". ha ha ha ha ha.(make sense? Didn't think so). These new directors and producers like Nicholas Stoller and Judd Aptow are great at showcasing some seriously funny people. I thank them for Seth Rogan, Michael Sera, Jonah Hill, Bill Hader and Jason Segal. And now I thank them for Russell. I still think he's a lout. But he's a damn funny one.
Memorable quotes:
"When the world slips you a Jeffrey, stroke the furry wall".
"What you did was very spiteful, but it was also very brave and very honest and I respect you for doing that. But the content of what you said has made me hate you. So there's a layer of respect, admittedly, for your truthfulness, but it's peppered with hate. Hateful respect. "
" I was watching the news one day and I saw footage about, uh, war, and I think it was in Darfur, or Rwanda, or Zimbabwe, or one of 'em, and I thought, 'this isn't right, is it?' And I made some phone calls and it turns out, it isn't."

On the Telly now. Thank you.

"Don't talk like one of them, you're not...even if you'd like to be. To them, you're just a freak, like me.
They need you right now, but when they don't...they'll cast you out.
Like a leper.
See their morals...their code... it's a bad joke, dropped at the first sign of trouble.
They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you...when the chips are down these, uh, these civilized people...they'll eat each other.
See, I'm not a monster.
I'm just ahead of the curve."

Babz' Boyfriend.

Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Robert De Niro, Cybill Shepard, Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel.
Travis Bickle Travis Bickle Travis Bickle. One of my favourite characters of all time. I love him and I feel so sorry for him and I must say I am on his side from beginning to end. What does that say about me? I own too many movies that aren't actually in my possession. I have movies in storage in Melbourne, movies in a flat in London and Movies at my Mum's in Wellington. I'm sure there is a copy of Taxi Driver in each of those locations. It didn't stop me from buying it again recently. What can I say about this film that you don't already know? It is a different movie every time I watch it. I just love it. The infamous scene where Bickle talks to the mirror "Are you Talkin' to me?......it was all improvised! The script just described Bickle looking in the mirror without any dialogue. Isn't that brilliant! De Niro spent a month doing 12 hour shifts driving cabs. That's dedicated preparation. On a costume note, I love Jodie Foster's outfits. The mixture of pretty florals with super tight hot pants and goofy sunglasses perfectly capture a child playing dress-ups in an all too adult world. I love this film. I heart you Bobby D.



Taxi Driver.

Just popping out to the shops to get some clothes.

Vanishing Point.
Director: Richard C. Sarafian
Starring: Barry Newman, Cleavon Little, Dean Jagger

Have you seen Death Proof? The Girls in it talk about a movie called 'Vanishing Point'. They also track down the same car, a 1970 Dodge Challenger and take out Stunt Mn Mike in it. So Rad.. Since seeing 'Death Proof' I had been meaning to see 'Vanishing Point'. Tarantino is such a film geek and I am always interested in seeing the films he loves. I have recently been staying with my lovely friends Beth and Glenn. Glenn put this on and despite being quite tired and delerious from work- I managed to get through it and really enjoyed it. 'Vanishing Point' tells the very simple tale of a man called Kowalski who works for a car delivery service. He is given the job of driving the fore-mentioned Dodge Challenger from Colorado to San Fransisco. Kowalski makes a bet (with a drug dealer in a fabulous floral shirt) to get the car there in less than 15 hours. The highway patrolmen soon witness Kowalski's reckless driving and take chase. So begins a 2 hour chase movie filled with some of the most hilarious and random scenes. Along the way, Kowalski is guided by a man called 'Supersoul' - a blind DJ with a police radio scanner. Favourite scene: Kowalski purchases some speed off a passing hippy and the hippy's girlfriend shows up....nude....on a motorcycle. Pure cult classic.

Sandra I do like you and I feel bad for you but really?

The Blindside
Director: John Lee Hancock
Starring: Sandra Bullock.
Ok. Get in you car. Drive to McDonalds. Go to Drive-thru and order a double cheeseburger with extra cheese. Drive to a church and walk that cheeseburger through the church. Drive back to McDonalds and complain that there wasn't enough cheese on the burger and get more cheese. Wrap the burger in an American flag. Eat it.
That's 'The Blindside'.

Bardem and Innaritu.

When do I get to see this? When When When?

Please don't zoom in.

Stupid And The City
Director: An Idiot
Starring: Raisons.
I promised myself I wouldn't see this film. I got on a plane to NZ and low and behold the film on show was 'Sex And The City 2'. After sitting through the first movie (and paying money to see it), I decided not to ruin one of my favourite TV shows with this embarrassing, insulting and quite frankly 'OLD' gig. But I love a plane movie so I watched it. What a shocker! The show was so brilliant in it's day. So witty and well written. What the HELL happened??? I can't actually put into words how much I hated it. This movie was utterly despicable on every level.
After every movie I see, I read the NY Times review as I find them quite thorough and funny. I couldn't say it better so Im going to leave my rant and post the review instead. If you've seen the film (poor you) read it. But for the record.... I will NEVER get drunk and toast 'Mum's without nannies'. I will NEVER create a storyline revolved around man getting a TV installed in the bedroom. I will NEVER walk into a room of devout Muslim women to find them reading "Susan Sommer's guide to Menopause'. I will NEVER sing 'I am Women' to a room full of token stereotypes. I will NEVER pick the top 5 most obvious boring and cliched issues that women face and plop them into a shallow soulless script. Miranda and your sexist boss, Samantha and your visit to a fuck free country, Charlotte and your too hot nanny and Carrie and your god forsaken imaginary problems......please go away and leave me to my dvds of your once great show.
http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/movies/27sex.html


http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/movies/27sex.html

Time machine required for Beethoven Gig.

Immortal Beloved
Director: Bernard Rose
Starring: Gary Oldman.
Have you seen this movie? See it please.
Just a taste of it's tragic Love and beautifulness......
A Letter from Beethoven to his 'Immortal Beloved':
Though still in bed, my thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved, now and then joyfully, then sadly, waiting to learn whether or not fate will hear us - I can live only wholly with you or not at all - Yes, I am resolved to wander so long away from you until I can fly to your arms and say that I am really at home with you, and can send my soul enwrapped in you into the land of spirits - Yes, unhappily it must be so - You will be the more contained since you know my fidelity to you. No one else can ever possess my heart - never - never - Oh God, why must one be parted from one whom one so loves. And yet my life in V is now a wretched life - Your love makes me at once the happiest and the unhappiest of men - At my age I nedd a steady, quiet life - can that be so in our connection? My angel, I have just been told that the mailcoach goes every day - therefore I must close at once so that you may receive the letter at once - Be calm, only by a clam consideration of our existence can we achieve our purpose to live together - Be calm - love me - today - yesterday - what tearful longings for you - you - you - my life - my all - farewell. Oh continue to love me - never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved.
ever thine
ever mine
ever ours

Faith Restored

Animal Kingdom
Director: David Michoed
Starring: Ben Mendhelson, Guy Pearce, Joel Edgerton, Sulliivan Stapleton, Jacki Weaver, James Frencheville, Anthony Hayes.
I saw this movie shortly after returning from O.S. I had been very negative about Australian cinema for a while and was just about ready to give up on watching anything. Which was sad as I know so many of the people in the industry and see talent around every corner. It just doesn't seem to fall into the right hands and the funding bodies don't seem to have faith in good solid dramatic scripts that don't involve taking the mickey out of us. And then along came 'Animal Kingdom'. What a movie. I was literally on the edge of my seat for the entire film. The performances were incredible! Jacki weaver as the Matriach of the movie's crime riddled family made me squirm. Her long held kisses with her sons were simply chilling. Guy Pearce's measured collective cop was brilliant. I always enjoy watching his performances and think it's great he still comes home to perform in Australian films. But for me the performance that stuck with me long after the film finished was Ben Mendelsohn's.
He was completely terrirfiing. What got me was so much of his character's terror and power was completely restrained. A simple glance, an uncomfortable silence, even a harmless gay joke all harnessed his gripping power over his family. I really loved this film. Im not going to go into the plot as it is best to just watch it. I could almost go as far as saying it is my favourite film of 2010 so far (no batman's this year yeah?). Congratulations to everyone involved. The rewards will keep coming and will be well earned.

Toothache.

Marathon Man
Director: John Schlesinger
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier, Roy Scheider.
I watched this movie with my Mum who recommended it. She is a Laurence Olivier fan and loves to tell me how she got his autograph at the theatre in London when she was young.
Marathon man is a great murder mystery about a young history graduate who gets caught up in a jewel heist that is connected to Nazi war crimes and it's survivors. Again, I'd rather not go into the plot too much. I knew very little about this film watching it and I think the less known the better. Laurence Olivier is frightening in it. I've never been a huge fan of Olivier. I would have loved to see him on stage but generally I find his performances too theatrical for the screen. I did love him in Wuthering Heights however. I have always been slightly enamoured with his marriage to Vivien Leigh as she is one of my all time favourites. They must have been such a powerhouse couple. I would have loved to have seen them together in their hey day- very Brad and Ange. I read a funny story about Olivier: When presenting at the Oscars in 1984, he forgot to name the Best Picture nominees. He simply opened the envelope and proclaimed, "Amadeus". Ha ha ha. So silly.
Dustin Hoffman is such a great actor. I really love so many of his films. One of my absolute favourite performances by him is in 'Kramer vs Kramer. I suggest you see it if you haven't already.

Amo Amor

How Exciting. There is talk a movie version of one of my favourite books 'On The Road' is going to be made. Viggo Mortenson and Amy Adams are linked to it. I'm a big fan of Viggo. I read 'On The Road' when I was about 21 and it was a compelling read. Kerouac's most famous novel beautifully captures the feeling of being swept up in the time and the surroundings. It made me want to get in a car and drive across America. I have a tattoo inspired by this book but I like to claim it as my own. "I LOVE love" said a wayward mexican girl to Jack. I can't wait for this film. I don't quite know how Jack's tripped out monologue will translate to screen but I'm excited all the same.

Sorry Wicket.

Ok so the next film I watched is up there with the best. As I have mentioned I was recently working on a film and had little to no time to watch films. After working close to an 80 hour week in 6 days I woke up quite early on Sunday morning. I was in a very very "Im doing whatever I want today" mood. So what did I do? Watched Return Of The Jedi of course! It rules EVERY TIME. Every time I get to the end I am ready to forgive Darth (Who I secretly love the whole time and dont care who he kills) and feel so so sad when he dies. In later years my Favourite of the Trilogy is definitely 'Empire Strikes Back' but as a kid 'Return Of The Jedi' was it. The Ewoks were pretty much my favourite things ever and it actually PAINED me that I couldn't have one. My Mum did get me a big soft toy Wicket but I accidentally set him on fire.

I love this poster.

There Will Be Daniel.

Daniel day Lewis has been cast as the villian in the upcoming sherlock Holmes 2. How Rad. It will be good to see him in something a little more light-hearted. He's brilliant.

You should listen to your friend Billy Zane. He's a cool guy.

Titanic
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Leonardo Dicaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates.
I'm not sure what possessed me to rent this movie. I think I was thinking about the biggest movies of all time and couldn't remember what all the fuss was about with this one. When I saw Titanic I did love it. I loved Leo, I loved Kate and I got completely wrapped up in the tragedy of it all. I remember going to see it with my Mum and leaving the cinema with a killer headache. I often get headaches in sad films. I remember being terribly upset that the life boats didn't go back and pick up more people. I also remember dyeing my hair red shortly after seeing it as I loved Kate's long red locks. That was a mistake. I recall holiday snaps at my pals house in Taupo. I was sunburnt with Kate Winslet red hair so I actually looked like a tomato. Oh that song....the Celine Dion song. I think that is quite possibly one of the worst songs of all time. It is Ear rape.

Titanic