No One Can Outrun Their Destiny

Mel's next installment has been delayed till December, but this teaser poster makes me think it might be worth the wait!

DVD | ER S3

I watched the first episode of Season three of ER last night. The whole of Season three got sent to me by mistake by Warner Bros – a simple typo/data entry mistake meant that instead of Third Watch Season One, I get to see the best medical drama in the world again. (of course Warner Bros corrected their error and sent me Third Watch – It just means that I have far too much TV on DVD to watch now!)

It was weird watching the beginning of season three – I’d given up on ER a few years back, when they really ran out of imagination and became just another TV programme that, because of it’s popularity, had been farced to run too many seasons.

But back in 1996, ER was still in it’s prime, and it had all the good players still. A woefully young Looking Dr Carter begins his internship. Dr Peter Benton is the same hard ass that he always was – but now you can see (in hindsight) what he was doing to Carter. But the really refreshing thing was the Doug Ross and Mark Green was there. I don’t now that Ross was all that – the ladies man was certainly a hit with the female viewer and went on too much bigger and better things, but it was refreshing to see the original cast all there.

The only downside to watching something that you’ve already seen well into the future of, is that, well you know what’s going to happen. You see the starting of a relationship that could soften Benton – but you already know it’s goanna end in a whole lot of pain. But it never was the relationships (at least not for me) that made the programme; it was the drama and action of the day-to-day life of the hospital. And ER had it in bucket loads.

It was still an enjoyable, watch able and addictive as it was 10 years ago.

DVD | My Name Is Modesty

“…thrilling adventure about a sexy spy who’s skilled in the art of deception and revenge…”

Interesting claim, but one that fails to deliver. More a character driven drama with some action then anything else, Modesty does nothing more then set the scene for what could become a great TV series.

But alas, this ‘Quentin Tarantino presents’ is a standalone movie that promises much but delivers little. Based on the Modesty Blasie graphic novels, it may be interesting for fans, but I wouldn’t know how close they’ve kept to the real story line.

DVD | Downfall

Downfall is a fascinating look at the final days of the Third Reich as Hitler and all the usual suspects hunker down in their no-expense-sparred bunker below the Reich Chancellery, whilst outside the forces of the Red Army draw a noose around Berlin.

While the main feature is undeniable the portrayal of Hitler, the movie as a whole is written around the views of Traudl Junge, Hitler’s Secretary, and is indeed given an air of authenticity by including clips of an interview with her at the start and conclusion of the movie, similar to what Spielberg did with Band of Brothers.
It shows both a compassionate side of Hitler along with his familiar evil side. But it’s his compassion that really shows what a disturbing character he was, and his momentous swings of emotion as portrayed in this movie show just how far gone Hitler may have been in his final days. This is a portrait of a man in his final decent into madness, both physically and emotionally. He is but a shell of his former self, with signs of the onset of a debilitating disease.

The movie also rightly shows that not everyone in the Nazi machine was bent on destruction and vengeance, but clearly underlines the type of almost religious fanaticism some of Hitler’s main players had in their dedication to him.
When their world was clearly at an end, they still blindly believed and followed him, even when those around were acutely aware and vocal of their imminent demise.

The Da Vinci Code "Code"

I stole this from BJ. It's quite funny. But then of course it is, if it was boring I wouldn't have stolen it...

So I went to the see The Da Vinci Code last night. I somewhat enjoyed it - I suspect the book is a little more believable, otherwise I'm afraid I don't see what the fuss is all about.

What was most interesting was the Da Vinci Code Code. These are small hints during the movie that help us unravel some really important truths:

• Finally, we are all wiser about what monks really wear under their cassocks
• Oh the irony that the last living relative of Jesus, doesn't believe in God! "I believe in people and that they can sometimes be kind". Now, there's a mantra to live by!
• Robert Langdon is not as smart as he seems: "Sophie: Do you have eidectic[photographic] memory? Robert: Not really, I just remember most of what I see [translation: I have eidectic memory]."
• Always beware of albinos and other strange people - they are inevitably murderers and religious psychos - remember Blade Runner?!
• The disciple John was obviously late getting to the Last Supper - count the other disciples in Da Vinci's "Last Supper"
• Is it just me or is "Leigh Teabing" a really odd name? Or does it have something to do with the fact that Richard LEIGH and Michael BAIGENT (try rearranging the letters and see what happens) wrote the original conspiracy theory: Holy Blood, Holy Grail????!!!
• I get that Club Med would normally be a great honeymoon destination for a happy couple, but why would two Jews head for pagan Gaul with their Aramaic:French phrase book to make a fresh start? I can't see Asterix and Obelix being that welcoming (or that eager to induct them into the royal family?)
• Leaving aside whether it impacts Jesus' divinity or not, you just know his great, great, great...granddaughter would be truly divine!
• Speaking of Sophie, the French Jew, why did her French faux grandfather, Sauniere, leave her anagram clues in ENGLISH - was this to stop the French police from catching on or is this another example of so dark the con of man
• However, the most biting commentary of them all was from Tom Hanks. Clearly, this was a personal statement from the man himself on the efficacy of the whole Da Vinci Code conspiracy. I refer of course to his Mickey Mouse watch! Strange but true...

Anyways, I give the movie, as a piece of film, 4/10. It was better than Highlander III (2/10) but not as good as most movies I've seen in the genre. Now the big question: should I read the book?

Hellblazer: All His Engines

I had to take my kids to the school dental clinic and the only parking was at the Library. We were early so I decided to have a look around the Library and spotted a Hellblazer Graphic Novel. Cool. I’ve always wanted to read some of the original stories that inspired Constantine, and now I didn’t have to fork out huge amounts of money to do so – or so I thought. Sadly after taking the kids to the clinic and getting back to my car, the Manukau City council had slapped a parking ticket on my car for being there slightly over an hour.

So hold on, the Library is the ONLY parking available for the Dental Clinic, and it’s only an hour long. Hhhhmmm, so lets leave the Dental Clinic out of it and think about taking a visit to the Library with the family. You’ll going to want to make the most of it – my kids love to read and would lounge around on the large floor cushions reading books for hours whilst I was able to browse slowly though isles of books at my (quiet) leisure.

Of course, if I did take advantage of the Library (isn’t that why we have them?) then I’d have to have a stopwatch with a loud alarm so that I could get back to my car 55 minute after arriving to make sure I don’t get a ticket. Nice.

Ok, rant over, cause I’m still happy that I found All His Engines:

When a hideous, inexplicable plague starts stealing children's souls and leaving the victims in a coma all across London, who else but the "antihero" John Constantine can stop it? The punk-rock magician is called in by his sidekick, Chas, when Chas's niece, Tricia, falls inexplicably comatose. To save her, the two men must go all the way to Los Angeles, where some of the world's more ambitious demons have emigrated from hell to set up a satellite office.

Oh yes…

10,000 Sheep

10,000 sheep created by online workers. Why? I have no idea…

Mac Humour Meets Da Vinci Code

Someone’s made a parody of the Apple site and The Da Vinci Code. Click here and don’t forget to read the small stuff as well.

DVD | A Love Song For Bobby Long

John Travolta and Scarlett Johansson face off in this meandering adaptation of ‘Off Magazine Street’. Travolta seems to be having fun, whilst perfectly capturing the character of Bobby. It’s not the usual Travolta and may disturb some, but it’s a re-frshing change.

Johansson plays Pursy Will, an 18-year old moves to New Orleans to take possession and sell her childhood home after the death of her mother. But upon arrival finds the place habited by vodka soaked looser Bobby Long and his apparent protégé Lawson.

What ensures is more a character study (or several) rather than a traditional story driven movie. It’s a coming of age piece that is mature, well acted but lacking any get up and go. It’s a sombre, grandiose Southern tale.

Lost: The Game

Hit TV Series LOST is going to be made into a game, yawn...

"We are delighted to work with Bryan Burk, one of the biggest producers in Hollywood and with Touchstone Television," said Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer of Ubisoft. "That they have chosen us for the adaptation of the cult series 'Lost' is the best homage that a producer can make to the creativity of Ubisoft."

"This deal is another example of how truly powerful the 'Lost' brand is," said Bruce Gersh, senior vice president, business development, ABC Entertainment and Touchstone Television. "We are excited to work together with Ubisoft to create a gaming experience that will allow fans to further immerse themselves into the mysteries and intrigues of the series."

Monday Morning Fun

Ever wanted to give someone the finger but were to scared? Then download one of these and email it to them!

DVD | Millennium Actress

Millennium Actress is a complex and sometimes puzzling anime movie. The story is one of lost love, but it is told over the course of a lifetime, primarily through flashbacks.

With the focus on the theme of lost love, there is none of the usual action and suspense. What there is, is a very finely crafted, complex plot that will have you riveted as you follow the heartbreaking story to its conclusion.

DVD | Four Brothers

Four Brothers is an interesting look at revenge and family bonds.

The story goes like this; four young problem kids are taken in by a lady, who raises them as her own. Three out of the four keep to the path they were on, but one tries to make an honest living. None of this matters though as the story starts many years later when their ‘mother’ is gunned down in an apparent robbery.

The four brothers re-unite for the funeral, and the leader (Mark Wahlberg) decides that they have to find out who killed their mother and seek retribution. But in the shady world of Detroit, all is not as it seems, with one of the brothers not being upfront with his involvement with the people behind mums killing.

Whilst there are some interesting plot twists, most are stolen from other movies. The action is ok, with a great shoot out scene. But the violence overall is a little unnecessary. Wahlberg’s character seems to enjoy killing a little too much, especially as he’s supposed to be one of the good guys.

DVD | Narnia

To be honest I wasn’t looking forward to seeing Narnia - I mean it’s a movie about a bunch of kids and a silly wardrobe, right?

Well despite my apprehension, I actually enjoyed it – I was swept away by the magical land of Narnia. I can’t claim to have read the book, but as with many people knew the general idea behind the story. Not that this titbit of information aided or took away from the movie – the movie was an experience in its self.

The magic no doubt helped by the spectacular effects that bring not only Aslan, but a huge range of forest creatures to life, each with a character all f there own.

A nice mixture of drama, action and occasional humour make fro a great all round movie, ideal for all ages.

Has The Xbox 360 Already Won?

Murmurs out of E3 are pointing to a Microsoft victory over the might Sony Playstation. Even Nintendo’s Wii is looking like a contender for second place.

The problem? First up, the 360 has a 12 month lead. But the real killer is Sony’s reliance on Blu-ray as the next big technology breakthrough – all their money is being put on this competing next gen DVD technology, and it doesn’t come cheap. The PS3 is expected to debut worldwide in November for US$600 (NZ$1,200?). That’s a lot of money for a gaming machine that some say doesn’t out perform the 360 in any way.

Add to that Rockstar’s announcement that they will be sitting on the fence with the next GTA game – no exclusivity, it will be available on both the 360 and PS3 at the same time – though the 360 is rumoured to have exclusive content.

And lets not forget the Wii. Nintendo are leaving the digital hub concept to Microsoft and Sony to duke out over – their little console won't be playing DVDs of any kind – it’s a small, unobtrusive games machine, with a small, unobtrusive price tag: US$150 (NZ$300?) and at that price it’s almost an impulse buy.

And you could probably pick up a 360 and a Wii for the price of the PS3 – you do the math on who’s gonna win this race.

DVD | Godzilla: Final Wars

The plot: Evil Space Aliens called the Xilians unleash all the Earth's monsters to lay waste to most of the world's major cities, including Tokyo, New York, Sidney, Shanghai and Paris. It is up to Godzilla and the Earth Defence Force to vanquish the monsters and aliens to rescue the world in the ultimate "Save the Earth" battle.

With a plot line like that you really can’t go wrong – especially if you’re a fan of the B-Grade Japanese Godzilla movies - and with 28 movies, not including the Hollywood attempt, there must be plenty of fans out there – then you’re gonna love this final instalment.

It’s a mixture of cutting edge graphics, wirework and of course, some very old and laughable monsters. And it’s this combination of the old and the new that gives Final Wars it’s quirkiness which in the end is what you’re either gonna love or hate about this movie.

If you’re looking for some serious Hollywood action, or just a serious movie then stay away – but if you want some unintentional laughs, mixed in with some great action and bad acting, then Final Wars is for you!

Make The Effort

I know it can be hard just to get out to the movies some days – especially if you have a family. But I think the Human Rights Film Festival is well worth the effort – even if you only get to see one movie, it’ll be good.

You’ll not only be supporting the festival, and helping spread the word on Human Rights, but you’ll (hopefully) have your eyes opened to the reality of what goes on in the world.

The festival runs from 3-10th of May in Wellington, 11-18th May in Auckland and finally 17-21st May in Christchurch.

Click on the banner advert at the top of the page for more information on the movies.

DVD | The Truth About Love

British comedies are generally funny because of the effort put into writing the script (and possibly because Brits do have a sense of humour). The trouble with this movie is it tries to hard to be a British comedy, but constantly falls flat on its face. Director John Hay really hasn’t done anything of note prior, and this is writer Peter Bloore’s first outing. I don’t know if it’s just that these two are destined for early retirement or that it’s the casting of Jennifer Love Hewitt as the lead Brit girl.

Yes, that’s right; Hewitt plays the whole movie with an awfully dubbed sounding accent. This combined with music that intruded rather than complimented, made for a rather awful experience.

The movie could have been done better had Hewitt been an American girl living in London, but the lack of any real laughs or romantic warmth (though Dougray Scott made the best of a bad situation) makes this movie experience similar to that of kissing a wet fish.

Renaissance

Ok, you have to check out this trailer for Christian Volckman’s Renaissance. Oh, sure, it’s a French film, and the trailer has no subtitles, but it’s still a damn cool looking movie. Think Sin City meets A Scanner Darkly and you’ll have a sense of the visual style.

Go on, it’ll be worth your while. You’ll thank me for it later.

Bond, James Bond

Another month, another poll, and in May we’re celebrating the impending release of the new Bond movie Casino Royale. Ok, so November may be stretching the ‘impending release’ but it’s Bond for crying out loud, everyone’s hanging out for this, right?

So the poll is simple, who is the best Bond, and yes I know that Daniel Craig hasn’t actually yet played bond, but he’s the new one, and he’s gonna kick some… um, villains. So I’ve put him in ‘cause I like him. If you can’t make up your mind, you can vote for more than one actor, and you can come back day after day to vote…

Violent Video Games Are…

It’s official! Violent video games are ok to play – but only for mature gamers!

DVD | Elizabethtown

What starts out as being a neurotic quirky love story turns into something heart-warming and real. Elizabethtown is far from your usual gushy romantic comedy – in fact it has some rather interesting things to say about our consumer based economy – but even though it does break the stereotypes, it also manages to stay somewhat true to it’s genre.
Drew (Orlando Bloom) is a hot-shot shoe designer, but when his latest design fails on a massive scale, causing his company to loose almost a billion dollars, the only thing he can think off is suicide.

Then he gets a phone call from home – his dad has died, and he needs to go sort out the mess. Along the way he meets Claire (Kirsten Dunst) whose stalker mentality finally breaks through Drew’s walls and allows him to take a fresh look at his life and what he bases his worth on.

An insightful, uplifting if somewhat quirky movie.

New Bond Poster

Not sure if this is the real deal or just some fan art, and I'm not sure that I'm loving it either as it looks more sinister than Bond...