DVD | Bullitt
Steve McQueen is the king of cool. There was just something about him. Charisma I suppose. But having only seen him in 2 prison break movies I wasn’t sure what to expect in a cop movie.
Now a word of warning, classic movies can seem tired at times, especially to a generation spoilt by special effects blockbusters, but I think Bullitt manages to stand the test of time somewhat. The story line is pretty basic, with a bit of a twist, but it’s good enough to keep the story moving along.
The real highlight of the movie though is the car chase scene, and it’s got to be one of the best. Looking for realism, there’s no 200 cop car piles ups as seen in the Blues Brothers, in fact this is purely a two care chase, with no special effects. And you know what, not having all the candyfloss of exploding cop cars actually makes for a refreshing change, and an edge of your seat ride.
All in all the movie rides on weather or not you like Steve McQueen movies or a good car chase, as the plot has some glaring holes, an gets a little confusing in places.
DVD | Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
I wasn’t expecting much from this movie and I still ended up being disappointed. But it was for different reasons that I expected.
Knowing that the entire movie was done on blue screens with no real sets – just like the hideous Episodes 1 & 2 of Star Wars – was for me what was going to let the whole movie down. I figured that after George Lucas tried unsuccessfully to do an ultra-realistic movie this way, and failed, Sky Captain would suffer the same fate.
In this I was dead wrong. Instead of trying to make the movie ultra-realistic, the soft focus, tonal range and colouring of this movie all lend itself to more of an animated feel than a live action movie. From just a visual perspective this movie is awesome.
So what lets it down? I was expecting a superhero type action adventure movie, with huge battle scenes that would blow me out of my seat. Instead what I got was a very cool looking, but slow paced drama. Hell, The Incredibles was more an action movie than this was.
But maybe it was just my expectations that ruined the movie for me. If I knew it was going to be a period drama (albeit a fantasy period drama) then I may have been pleasantly surprised. So who’s to blame for my miss-choice of movie type? Did I not investigate the movie enough before ordering, or was the movie wrongfully promoted as an action flick?
Hhhmmm, let me see…. “innovative… special effects that will thrill you and amaze you right through to the action-packed finale.”
I guess they just figured that angling it as an action movie would sell it better than a drama…
Knowing that the entire movie was done on blue screens with no real sets – just like the hideous Episodes 1 & 2 of Star Wars – was for me what was going to let the whole movie down. I figured that after George Lucas tried unsuccessfully to do an ultra-realistic movie this way, and failed, Sky Captain would suffer the same fate.
In this I was dead wrong. Instead of trying to make the movie ultra-realistic, the soft focus, tonal range and colouring of this movie all lend itself to more of an animated feel than a live action movie. From just a visual perspective this movie is awesome.
So what lets it down? I was expecting a superhero type action adventure movie, with huge battle scenes that would blow me out of my seat. Instead what I got was a very cool looking, but slow paced drama. Hell, The Incredibles was more an action movie than this was.
But maybe it was just my expectations that ruined the movie for me. If I knew it was going to be a period drama (albeit a fantasy period drama) then I may have been pleasantly surprised. So who’s to blame for my miss-choice of movie type? Did I not investigate the movie enough before ordering, or was the movie wrongfully promoted as an action flick?
Hhhmmm, let me see…. “innovative… special effects that will thrill you and amaze you right through to the action-packed finale.”
I guess they just figured that angling it as an action movie would sell it better than a drama…
DVD | Carnivale
Carnivale is a period drama for people like me how don’t like period drama. It’s dark and brooding. It’s a tale of good and evil, darkness and light. But it never lets you know which is which. It keeps you on your toes.
Superbly filmed, acted and thought out, it’s one of the most original TV series I have seen in a while. Though it’s based around the lives of a travelling Carnivale (hence the name) it’s really about two people – one a young man trying to come to terms with his supernatural ability to heal, who takes a job in the Carnivale after his mother dies. The other is a preacher who gets a very clear mandate from God, but to fulfil this mandate, people start to die.
Both it seems are on a journey of discovery, and it’s unlikely that they will meet, at least in this the first season. But it’s a journey that’s both compelling and sad. The Carnivale is a place where the weird and wonderful find solace in their own company – who make money by having people come gawk at them, A strong subplot is the way prejudice was rampant, and how these people are treated as outcasts, just because they are not the societal norm.
The twist is that the preacher’s (played with an air of sinisterness by Shawshank’s most hated guard, Clancy Brown) mandate is to another group of outcasts, immigrant workers. So we’re left rooting for both sides of this eternal conflict. Only time will tell which side we should to cheering on. For the time being I’m going to enjoy the ride.
Trailer | V For Vendetta
I’v been raving about V For Vendetta for a while now, and finally the trailer is online. I’m not sure what to think, I’m still optimistic about this movie, but after seeing the trailer admit to being a little bit worried that it may turn out cheesy. Hell, what am I saying, it’s gonna rock.
Grand Sex Auto
So Rockstar did it. Big deal. So the US Video Game Industry changed the rating for GTA San Andreas to AO, what for? Sure the game has hidden explicit sexual content. Content that was apparently to risqué to Rockstar to have as part of the final game, but in a twist of fate was left in the code, so that some Dutch computer geek could discover it and promote a little bit of software HE WROTE that gives gamers access to it.
So hold on, the sex isn’t available unless you download third party software? So what’s the big deal? Wouldn’t it be easier to ban the third party software? And why act surprised – this is after all the most loved and most hated game franchise ever. It’s known for it’s violence and sexual content.
And why don’t we blame the media, websites and blogs (yes, me included) ‘cause if some Dutch geek found it, it would only have a limited life, but now the media and governments are blowing the whole thing out of proportion, EVERYONE knows about it. It’s been given a life of its own – it’s huge.
And lets not forget one thing, it’s an R-18 game – it’s designed for adults. So what’s the big deal? Adults have sex. Adults watch porn, Some adults even hire prostitutes (apparently). But sex hidden in a game and discovered by a Dutch computer geek – oh my goodness, that’s a national emergency. What if little Johnny gets to witness two computer generated characters having sex? Well, what the hell is little Johnny playing GTA for in the first place? Huh? GTA isn’t a kids game.
And whilst I’m ranting, yes I have played GTA SA. And yes, I ENJOY it. Not for the violence and not for the sex (sex isn’t a necessary part of the game) but for the FREEDOM that this game gives you. Most games are story driven and don’t let you go and do your own thing.
But GTA SA lets you do just about anything. You can earn money, you can buy cloths, eat food, get fat, work out at the gym, go for a swim, get a pilots licence, walk around, explore, drive cars, you can even get a mechanic to upgrade your car. But all we hear about GTA SA in the media is how you can drive down the footpath and kill people, or more recently have sex with people. Sounds like a media bias to me.
So what’s a good Christian boy like me doing playing such an evil game? Probably because I enjoy blobbing out for a few hours one night a week and playing games. Probably because it’s one of the best games available. But most importantly, I like most other gamers can tell the difference between a game and reality.
That’s it, ranting over. Just a little something for y’all to masticate on over the weekend.
So hold on, the sex isn’t available unless you download third party software? So what’s the big deal? Wouldn’t it be easier to ban the third party software? And why act surprised – this is after all the most loved and most hated game franchise ever. It’s known for it’s violence and sexual content.
And why don’t we blame the media, websites and blogs (yes, me included) ‘cause if some Dutch geek found it, it would only have a limited life, but now the media and governments are blowing the whole thing out of proportion, EVERYONE knows about it. It’s been given a life of its own – it’s huge.
And lets not forget one thing, it’s an R-18 game – it’s designed for adults. So what’s the big deal? Adults have sex. Adults watch porn, Some adults even hire prostitutes (apparently). But sex hidden in a game and discovered by a Dutch computer geek – oh my goodness, that’s a national emergency. What if little Johnny gets to witness two computer generated characters having sex? Well, what the hell is little Johnny playing GTA for in the first place? Huh? GTA isn’t a kids game.
And whilst I’m ranting, yes I have played GTA SA. And yes, I ENJOY it. Not for the violence and not for the sex (sex isn’t a necessary part of the game) but for the FREEDOM that this game gives you. Most games are story driven and don’t let you go and do your own thing.
But GTA SA lets you do just about anything. You can earn money, you can buy cloths, eat food, get fat, work out at the gym, go for a swim, get a pilots licence, walk around, explore, drive cars, you can even get a mechanic to upgrade your car. But all we hear about GTA SA in the media is how you can drive down the footpath and kill people, or more recently have sex with people. Sounds like a media bias to me.
So what’s a good Christian boy like me doing playing such an evil game? Probably because I enjoy blobbing out for a few hours one night a week and playing games. Probably because it’s one of the best games available. But most importantly, I like most other gamers can tell the difference between a game and reality.
That’s it, ranting over. Just a little something for y’all to masticate on over the weekend.
Movie | War Of The Worlds
Ok, first up I’m assuming that most people already know the basic story, so I’m not gonna worry about putting spoilers in here.
In 1975 Steven Spielberg invented the ‘Summer Blockbuster’ genre with Jaws. Whilst most summer blockbusters occur in winter for us lucky Kiwis, the blockbuster season should be a well known phenomenon for all movie goers, as movie studios fall over each other trying to get the best release for their blockbuster thrill ride.
But in recent years, sure fire hits have missed the mark and cinema ticket sales have been steadily falling. Movie studio’s have been blaming movie piracy for this down turn, but that’s just wishful thinking. Most people will recognise the slump for what it is – there’s a lack of really good movies recently, that added with rising ticket prices, the grotty state of most cinema complexes and the rise of home theatre and the drop in DVD prices all add up to one thing: falling ticket sales.
So what makes WOTW so good? Well I’ll be honest, I decided to give the local Village Cinemas in Manukau a miss – the place is in need of a complete make over. The joy of going to the movies has long gone from that place. Instead I gave Berkley Cinemas a go.
All I can say is wow – welcome back to room dominating huge cinema screens of my youth. The screen was huge. The seats were impressive and the sound sharp. Ok, so it wasn’t perfect (there were huge problems whilst the trailers were being played) and I’d like to see how it measures up in about 5 years. But hell, it gave me back a love for going out to the movies.
So possibly the venue made the movie bigger than it is, but I’m guessing it’s the return of the true Summer Blockbuster. It had everything going for it. Based on a great story is a good start, the story was given a modern do over. The acting was great – Ok, I don’t really like Tom Cruise, but he rocked in Collateral, and he did a good job in WOTW. And then there’s my man Tim Robbins, playing a flipped-out conspiracy theorist that plays a key role in the story.
But story line and acting alone can’t produce a blockbuster – as with jaws there has to be believable special effects. WOTW has awesome CGI by the truckload, all done in a gritty, realistic way. It also has that other compulsory component: the freak me out time and time again factor. This is one hell of a ride. Sure the movie slows down form time to time, but the War kicks off within the first 15 minutes, and once those badass aliens come up out of the ground, they are constantly there, if not visually, then they can still be heard or felt. It’s a scary ride.
Ok, spoiler warning, I’m about to give away the well known ending and a not so well known part of the plot.
The ending was great, stayed true to the original, and the voice over by Morgan Freeman was great. The unstoppable alien force was stopped by a common organism that as Freeman states, was created by God just to ensure the continued survival of man. Now this is cool on two different levels: Firstly we have a Hollywood blockbuster where God is given the credit for saving mankind, and in the same instance we have Hollywood blockbuster that doesn’t have America saving the world, all over again. Did you hear me? It’s an American movie where the superiority of Americans over every other country, saves the world. God did.
But there was another way to stop the aliens that our all American hero discovered, and I’m not sure how the movie would have turned out had this theme been explored more. But at one point in the later stages of the movie Tom Cruises character is captured by one of the alien machine as a kind of fuel source, and though he is saved at the last minuet by some very Finding Nemo team work, he was prepared by destroy the alien machine by a method of warfare most feared by Americans (and more recently, Londoners): The suicide bomber. Tom just happened to have a couple of grenades on him, and as he was being sucked up into the machine, he pulled the pins. When he got pulled back out Nemo style, he left the grenades in the machine and boom – the only human way to kill the killing machine was discovered – it’s weakness was laid bare.
In 1975 Steven Spielberg invented the ‘Summer Blockbuster’ genre with Jaws. Whilst most summer blockbusters occur in winter for us lucky Kiwis, the blockbuster season should be a well known phenomenon for all movie goers, as movie studios fall over each other trying to get the best release for their blockbuster thrill ride.
But in recent years, sure fire hits have missed the mark and cinema ticket sales have been steadily falling. Movie studio’s have been blaming movie piracy for this down turn, but that’s just wishful thinking. Most people will recognise the slump for what it is – there’s a lack of really good movies recently, that added with rising ticket prices, the grotty state of most cinema complexes and the rise of home theatre and the drop in DVD prices all add up to one thing: falling ticket sales.
So what makes WOTW so good? Well I’ll be honest, I decided to give the local Village Cinemas in Manukau a miss – the place is in need of a complete make over. The joy of going to the movies has long gone from that place. Instead I gave Berkley Cinemas a go.
All I can say is wow – welcome back to room dominating huge cinema screens of my youth. The screen was huge. The seats were impressive and the sound sharp. Ok, so it wasn’t perfect (there were huge problems whilst the trailers were being played) and I’d like to see how it measures up in about 5 years. But hell, it gave me back a love for going out to the movies.
So possibly the venue made the movie bigger than it is, but I’m guessing it’s the return of the true Summer Blockbuster. It had everything going for it. Based on a great story is a good start, the story was given a modern do over. The acting was great – Ok, I don’t really like Tom Cruise, but he rocked in Collateral, and he did a good job in WOTW. And then there’s my man Tim Robbins, playing a flipped-out conspiracy theorist that plays a key role in the story.
But story line and acting alone can’t produce a blockbuster – as with jaws there has to be believable special effects. WOTW has awesome CGI by the truckload, all done in a gritty, realistic way. It also has that other compulsory component: the freak me out time and time again factor. This is one hell of a ride. Sure the movie slows down form time to time, but the War kicks off within the first 15 minutes, and once those badass aliens come up out of the ground, they are constantly there, if not visually, then they can still be heard or felt. It’s a scary ride.
Ok, spoiler warning, I’m about to give away the well known ending and a not so well known part of the plot.
The ending was great, stayed true to the original, and the voice over by Morgan Freeman was great. The unstoppable alien force was stopped by a common organism that as Freeman states, was created by God just to ensure the continued survival of man. Now this is cool on two different levels: Firstly we have a Hollywood blockbuster where God is given the credit for saving mankind, and in the same instance we have Hollywood blockbuster that doesn’t have America saving the world, all over again. Did you hear me? It’s an American movie where the superiority of Americans over every other country, saves the world. God did.
But there was another way to stop the aliens that our all American hero discovered, and I’m not sure how the movie would have turned out had this theme been explored more. But at one point in the later stages of the movie Tom Cruises character is captured by one of the alien machine as a kind of fuel source, and though he is saved at the last minuet by some very Finding Nemo team work, he was prepared by destroy the alien machine by a method of warfare most feared by Americans (and more recently, Londoners): The suicide bomber. Tom just happened to have a couple of grenades on him, and as he was being sucked up into the machine, he pulled the pins. When he got pulled back out Nemo style, he left the grenades in the machine and boom – the only human way to kill the killing machine was discovered – it’s weakness was laid bare.
DVD | Ladder 49
Ok, first up, this isn’t an action flick. If you’re looking for another Hollywood action fest then Ladder 49 will possibly disappoint. What it is, is an action packed drama.
The movie kicks off in the present time as our hero Jack Morrison (played by the ever capable Joaquin Phoenix) gets himself into a difficult situation whilst saving lives in a huge fire.
Most of the movie however is played through flashbacks, as we follow Jacks journey from rookie fire-fighter, to husband, father and onto hero. It’s a story that is full of clichés, but more importantly it’s well acted with plenty of drama, emotion and laughs. It portrays the reality of life as a fire-fighter, and draws you into the lives of the people involved.
The emotional levels are ramped up as we follow Jacks life, whilst he is trapped and alone in a burning 20 story building. We’re propelled toward an ending that we know has only two possible outcomes, and for the most part it’s impossible to know what the ending is going to be.
It’s a very credible look into the life of a big city fire-fighter and should give any viewer an appreciation for what fire-fighters do, even in smaller countries like New Zealand.
DVD | Elektra
Ok, I admit to not expecting much from this movie, after all it is a spin off from the less that lovable Daredevil.But I was pleasantly surprised with all aspects of this movie. Jennifer Garner does a good job at continuing the role of Elektra, this time being the leading character in a superhero movie. This is a darker movie where good and evil fight in the shadows, sometimes in epic battles and sometimes in the souls of individuals.
In this movie, the battle is not only for the soul of Elektra but also an exceptionally talented young girl, who is known as The Gift.
With some great action, a fast paced plot and great CGI, it’s a movie that will appeal to action fans. For me though, it went a lot deeper than your average action flick. It had a very strong spiritual side.
Spiritual Aspects
So it’s not hard to see the spiritual aspects of this movie – at least not the supernatural abilities of the evil characters, the followers of the hand. But the spiritual connections go deeper than that.
Stick, played by Terence Stamp is an almost Christ-like figure. Not only does he raise Elektra from the dead, but he also lets her go her own way so that she can discover her true vocation; clear her heart of revenge and embrace her new life, ‘some things cannot be taught but have to be lived to understand’.
He never actually leaves her – he’s always watching her and waiting for the time when she is ready to meet him again. When she’s ready to discover the truth, to let go of her past, he comes to her aid.
Evil is also portrayed exceptionally well through the character of Typhoid, played by Natassia Malthe. She has been cursed with abominable twist on the Midas touch – instead of gold, everything she touches dies. In one scene she comments that she was once considered The Gift, and didn’t like the new competition. This hints that she was once a good character who has been seduced by the dark side, and has been slowly decaying ever since.
The main battleground in the movie is for the souls of the two main characters, with the dark side deciding that if they can’t have them, they would kill them and the light side only concerned for their life.
All in all a great movie from both and action/escapism point of view and an emergent Christian point of view.
PS2 | Street Racing Syndicate
Street Racing Syndicate is pure and simply an arcade racer. It doesn’t try and be a simulation: its focus is fun.
But it’s fun with add-ons. More than just your standard arcade racer, this is street racing – you get to put money down on every race, and more importantly you are racing for kudos. And how do you win races? Sure, good driving is a must, but its how you tune your car that matters – what additional parts you purchase and install can give you the edge over the competition.
Other factors come later in the game such as trying to impress girls, racing for your opponents car and avoiding the cops.
It’s an easy to get into game, and this may be its weakest point, as it may be a little to easy to keep serious race fans hooked.
But it’s fun with add-ons. More than just your standard arcade racer, this is street racing – you get to put money down on every race, and more importantly you are racing for kudos. And how do you win races? Sure, good driving is a must, but its how you tune your car that matters – what additional parts you purchase and install can give you the edge over the competition.
Other factors come later in the game such as trying to impress girls, racing for your opponents car and avoiding the cops.
It’s an easy to get into game, and this may be its weakest point, as it may be a little to easy to keep serious race fans hooked.
DVD | Ruby & Quentin
Ruby, a ruthless criminal is thrown into jail after stealing someone else ill got gains. All he wants to do is get out, take a little revenge and get to his money. Unfortunately he is put in a cell with Quentin – the world’s dumbest thief.
Together they somehow manage to escape and are on the run from both the police and the people Ruby stole off. Despite his best attempts, Ruby just can’t shake off Quentin.
It’s hard to explain why, but this is one of the funniest movies I’ve seen for a while – I think its because the French, for all their faults, know how to use humour in a visual way so that it transcends the problems of translation.
Together they somehow manage to escape and are on the run from both the police and the people Ruby stole off. Despite his best attempts, Ruby just can’t shake off Quentin.
It’s hard to explain why, but this is one of the funniest movies I’ve seen for a while – I think its because the French, for all their faults, know how to use humour in a visual way so that it transcends the problems of translation.
DVD | Ong Bak
Apparently Tony Jaa is the new Bruce Lee/Jackie Chan.
Can’t say that I’ve seen any Bruce Lee movies, but I can see the similarities to early Chan movies. Only his movies seemed lighter.
Back to the movie at hand, some one has stolen the head of Ong Bak (A local village god) and it’s up to local Muay Thai fighter Ting to travel to the dark and violent underworld of Bangkok and fight for it’s return.
Darker and more violent that most Jackie Chan movies, Ong Bak does contain some funny and very well done Chan-esque set pieces that leave you wondering just how the hell he just did that. But set pieces does not make a movie, and if you took these away and removed the fighting you wouldn’t have much of a movie.
A movie like this is of course all about the fighting – and the fight scenes are great – with no wire use or CGI it’s amazing to see just what Tony Jaa can do. But for me it comes back to the fact that with wire work, the fight scenes in movies like Arahan and Hero add a unreal almost humorous feel to the movie that lightens the mood.
Now don’t get me wrong, I do like dark movies, but sometimes I want more that just violence.
Having said that – given the right scripts, Tony Jaa will be some one to look out for.
August/Spetember release.
Can’t say that I’ve seen any Bruce Lee movies, but I can see the similarities to early Chan movies. Only his movies seemed lighter.
Back to the movie at hand, some one has stolen the head of Ong Bak (A local village god) and it’s up to local Muay Thai fighter Ting to travel to the dark and violent underworld of Bangkok and fight for it’s return.
Darker and more violent that most Jackie Chan movies, Ong Bak does contain some funny and very well done Chan-esque set pieces that leave you wondering just how the hell he just did that. But set pieces does not make a movie, and if you took these away and removed the fighting you wouldn’t have much of a movie.
A movie like this is of course all about the fighting – and the fight scenes are great – with no wire use or CGI it’s amazing to see just what Tony Jaa can do. But for me it comes back to the fact that with wire work, the fight scenes in movies like Arahan and Hero add a unreal almost humorous feel to the movie that lightens the mood.
Now don’t get me wrong, I do like dark movies, but sometimes I want more that just violence.
Having said that – given the right scripts, Tony Jaa will be some one to look out for.
August/Spetember release.
DVD | My House In Umbria
This made for TV HBO drama is a delightful, if somewhat erratic tale of four survivors.
All four meet for the first time on a train, and with the exception of Emily, they each loose someone close in the explosion that destroys the carriage they were in. Whilst they are recovering in hospital, Emily decides that it would be good to offer her house in Umbria as a place to recuperate when they are released from hospital.
As it turns out the house is an ideal setting, and emotional wounds start to heal. It’s a slow process, and Emily is able to help through her own past experience with pain. The story has a few twists and turns; some elements aren’t followed and leave you wondering what was happening, but all in all, a fairly solid story, with a cunning twist.
Well, not so much a twist as a concept. After watching the movie, and thinking about certain scenes, the way the movie was set up, and the ending, you’ll be left wondering if the whole story wasn’t just an idea for one of Emily’s next novels.
Truth they say is stranger than fiction, so who knows!
What is evident in this movie is some great acting and beautiful surroundings make this an ideal movie for fans of intriguing dramas.
All four meet for the first time on a train, and with the exception of Emily, they each loose someone close in the explosion that destroys the carriage they were in. Whilst they are recovering in hospital, Emily decides that it would be good to offer her house in Umbria as a place to recuperate when they are released from hospital.
As it turns out the house is an ideal setting, and emotional wounds start to heal. It’s a slow process, and Emily is able to help through her own past experience with pain. The story has a few twists and turns; some elements aren’t followed and leave you wondering what was happening, but all in all, a fairly solid story, with a cunning twist.
Well, not so much a twist as a concept. After watching the movie, and thinking about certain scenes, the way the movie was set up, and the ending, you’ll be left wondering if the whole story wasn’t just an idea for one of Emily’s next novels.
Truth they say is stranger than fiction, so who knows!
What is evident in this movie is some great acting and beautiful surroundings make this an ideal movie for fans of intriguing dramas.
Movie | Appleseed
Visually stunning, Appleseed is a fusion of traditional Anime style with 3D computer generated images, running at breakneck speed. It’s an action movie exploding out of the constraints of both Hollywood and Animation. It has the imagination and the attention to detail of a Peter Jackson blockbuster. It stars out dark, with a foreboding warning from the book of revelations. But it promises a bright future in utopia.
The only problem with utopia, as one character notices in the movie, is that it’s only a self-imposed prison. And with any prison, someone is running it.
This is where the story kicks in. Our heroine has been rescued from the bad lands, from a life of war to one of peace in a perfect city. But she can see the hairline cracks in a society that is blissfully un-aware that there is a power struggle going on.
As the movie continues, our heroine finds it increasingly difficult to figure out who she can trust, ultimately having to face her past in order to find her future.
With themes of love, forgiveness and racial harmony this movie has plenty of great themes running through it. Complex at times, and with a pace that can be hard to keep up with, it’s ultimate statement is that we have to learn to live with each other if we’re going to survive.
Appleseed can be seen at the Telecom International Film Festival in Auckland tonight, but I’m not sure if it will follow the festival around the country. There will however be plenty of other great movies on offer.
News | London
I was going to watch a movie titled Fidel & Che last night and post my thoughts today, but just before putting the DVD on, news broke of the London bombings, and I was glued to my TV for the next couple of hours. With family and friends living in and around London my DVD watching took a back seat and was soon forgotten.
It’s a shame when groups think the only way to get their message across is to use violence against weak targets, but that’s the world we live in. No political comments from me on this, this is after all a DVD/Movie review blog.
On to something nicer, I won’t be posting on Monday as I will be enjoying a day in the city with my wife and some complimentary tickets to see Appleseed as part of the Auckland International Film Festival. If anyone is going to be in Auckland over the next couple of weeks I’d urge them to check out some of the great movies on offer. Take a break from Hollywood blockbusters and find a hidden gem. You’ll love it.
It’s a shame when groups think the only way to get their message across is to use violence against weak targets, but that’s the world we live in. No political comments from me on this, this is after all a DVD/Movie review blog.
On to something nicer, I won’t be posting on Monday as I will be enjoying a day in the city with my wife and some complimentary tickets to see Appleseed as part of the Auckland International Film Festival. If anyone is going to be in Auckland over the next couple of weeks I’d urge them to check out some of the great movies on offer. Take a break from Hollywood blockbusters and find a hidden gem. You’ll love it.
DVD | Suspect
Ok, so Tom Cruise might be nuts, but these guys are insane. But in a good way.
Suspect: Ill Mannered Hooligans is a film by Ryan Gibb. And I’m using the term film very loosely. Basically it’s some of the best extreme mountain biking you’re ever likely to see. These guys are nuts. In one chapter, titled The Struggle they talk about their injuries; ‘snapped my ankle joint in half’ ‘broke my left leg and my right leg in the same season’ ‘my femur was forced into my tibia’ Ouch.
As I said, these guy are crazy – but in a good way. It’s awesome to see what they can do on a good day, and the whole thing is set to a rocking soundtrack that includes one of my favourite groups; Thousand Foot Krutch.
So if you’re into mountain biking and want to be inspired to be suicidal, or you love extreme sports then this is for you. If not, check it out anyway, ‘cause its cool.
News | Is Tom Cruise Nuts?
According to one website the answer is a definite yes. And from what I’ve heard in the media, I’d have to agree.The first sign of nuttyness was when Cruise fired his long-time publicist, Pat Kingsley last year, and replaced her with Lee Anne DeVette.
And who is Lee Anne DeVette? Cruise’s real-life sister and fellow Scientologist. Well, hello! No wonder he’s become a nut, spouting everything Scientology, he’s being managed by a fellow nut!
Is their any hope for cradle snatching Cruise, or will his ranting actually make studios scared of him?
Only time will tell. In the meantime we can only hope that Cruise comes back down to earth, soon.
DVD | Arahan
Sang Hwan is probably the only honest policeman in South Korea. Trouble is he’s also clumsy and timid – not exactly what you’d expect from a policeman – especially on the mean streets of South Korea.
When Sang stumbles onto something totally over his head, he is taken under the wings of a mysterious group calling themselves the Seven Masters. These masters see in Sang a power that they them selves have and decide to train Sang, and help him understand who he really is.
Whilst his training is going on, an evil force is released from captivity and wants to seek revenge on the Seven Masters and ultimately the world.
As you can guess, in the end it comes down to Sang to save the world, and the girl. Oh yes, there’s a girl. But she’s a girl that wants to kick his butt (at first) so it’s all good.
It’s not an easy road for Sang, along the way he has to discover his inner strength and struggle with the desire for revenge over the need to stay focused on good.
The fight scenes are awesome with some imaginative wire work, and the mood is kept fairly light with plenty of humour.
Overall this is a very entertaining mix of laughter and action.
DVD | Saved!
Now this is an interesting mix. It’s basically a clichéd teen comedy, about perfect girls trying to find their place in the world. But throw into the mix the setting; American Eagle Christian School, and you have something quite unusual. In places this is a very funny movie. It’s honest look at charismatic Christianity is unnervingly close to the real thing, and it doesn’t look good on screen. It would make great viewing fro some Christians, the only problem being that the Christians I’m thinking of are the very ones portrayed in this movie, and I doubt they would be amused!
But from my lopsided Christian view, I found it to be a real eye opener, and although it’s a light hearted comedy, the not-so-subtle plot showed that being perfect is far from what we should be. Perfect is a far cry from acceptance. Perfect is a world away from grace.
And more importantly, perfect people are only ‘perfect’ on the outside. It’s what’s on the inside that matters, and as the film shows, it’s only when we start being honest with ourselves that we really discover who we are and who are friends are.
As I said before, a clichéd teen comedy, but with a great message.
DVD | Stealing Beauty
This interesting movie has a pre-Lord of the Rings Liv Tyler as a nineteen year old virgin who travels to Italy to discover who her real father is, and to re-kindle a relationship with an Italian boy.
It’s another of those movies that will bore the crap out of most people, but if you give it a chance, actually turns out to be a delightful little gem.
It’s a hard movie to tie down, but essentially a coming of age movie, with some superb acting by Liv. Set in a bohemian world of an artists community, the movie focuses on relationships. Relationships on many different levels and reasons. It’s here that the movie really shines, with some interesting commentary no modern relationships, and the disruptive influence of casual sex.
An interesting movie if you have the stomach for a story that demands your concetration.
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