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badblokebob's 100 Films in a Year project is a fascinating read. With an aim of watching a film every few days, this Journal is a great journey through one aficionado's film-watching habits.
Directed by: Christine Jeffs This latest independently-spirited comic drama comes directly "from the producers of Little Miss Sunshine" [review], and bares more than a passing resemblance to the Oscar winning jewel in this particular genre's crown. Not least the title, which may at first glance may seem like subliminal messaging gone awry, but...
Slate Scrawl 02-07-2009 23:38
Cal, Here is the biggest problem with this film. I watched it in January of this year and other than the beginning time has made it quite forgettable in my memory. Flash Point has one of the best action sequences I have seen in years. The plot is so-so but oh such excellent fight scenes. Such a great mixture of MMA, Judo and Kung Fu. Here...
Posted by Shawn "Masterofoneinchpunch" McKenna 01-07-2009 23:41
Five weeks ago (crikey, time flies) I began my series of reviews of the Alien, Predator and Alien vs Predator franchises with my thoughts on Alien: The Director's Cut and the original Predator, both of which I'd seen before. Over the past few days I've moved on to the remaining Alien films, all of which I viewed in their original theatrical cuts an...
100 Films in a Year 29-06-2009 21:00
Director: Wilson Yip Main cast: Donnie Yen; Nicholas Tse; Shawn Yu Territory: Hong Kong Childhood friends Dragon (Donnie Yen) and Tiger (Nicholas Tse) reunite as adults on different sides of the Dragon Tiger Gate, a place where youngsters are taught to become heroes. While Tiger has become an upstanding citizen, Dragon has become the top mus...
Heroes of the East 29-06-2009 16:34
There is a subject which just will not go away in Blu-ray world, threatening to become the anamorphic/black bars debate that would often dominate conversations on the then new movie format, DVD. I'm talking: Grain The recent release of Ghostbusters on Blu-ray has divided fans and film restorers alike. Robert Harris, perhaps the most promine...
The Dark of The Matinee 29-06-2009 15:36
Just a couple of movies in three weeks. I've been reading books instead, specifically the works of David Peace, one after another, one after another, relentlessly, specifically, one after another. Blu-ray movie is marked with a †. Little Miss Sunshine (2006) † People say to me, they say, what do you mean, you haven't seen Little Miss Suns...
Nobody Knows Anything 28-06-2009 19:45
Perpara disa muajsh, pata shkruar per nje film shume te mire algjerian ("INLAND"). Tani : nga filmi i i algjerianit, do te hidhem shkurtazi tek ata te Jean-Marie Straub & Danielle Huillet, apo te Pedro Costes : edhe filmat e ketyre regjizoreve, shikohen nga nje numer shume shume i kufizuar spektatoresh, ne rastet me te mira zor se kalohet n...
AUTORI 28-06-2009 07:34
I feel shock and disbelief. It's hard to believe someone bigger than life is gone. For me he was and always will be a big slice of 80's culture. Growing up in the 80s when Michael was a solo artist and releasing hits was truly an Honor. I feel so fortunate that I grew up during that time where I could hear his music so often and where his fame w...
All of this has happened before 26-06-2009 20:35
Like most people my first experience of animé was Akira. At the time, the film was simply astonishing. Animated features were in decline in the West, the glory days of Disney decades gone. Akira was vibrant and lush; visually it was as arresting as Star Wars had been back in 1977. It was also dark, violent and somewhat ambiguous, a far cry from ...
Musings of the Ghost Of 82 26-06-2009 18:17
Much as I enjoy all the gadgetry and technology that seems to have become part and parcel of the espionage film over the years it's refreshing nevertheless to watch something where the spy uses nothing more advanced than a pocket camera to accomplish his goal. 5 Fingers (1952) is just such a film, a slow burning suspense yarn that concentrate...
Riding the High Country 25-06-2009 22:02
After the relative high of Star Trek, I have found some of this season's new movies to be rather flat and disappointing. Perhaps it's the curse of the sequel, beginning with the leaden Night at the Museum 2, which retreads virtually the entire material of its prequel (including many of its gags!) presumably in an effort to squeeze more money out of...
The Big Whatsit 22-06-2009 17:44
The R3 DVD I've got has a slipcase with a metallic sheen. The tattoos, I think, are the three symbols of Yen's, Tse's and Yu's characters. It maybe a limited edition - I got the dvd when it first came out for £9.99....
Posted by Shaun 01-07-2009 10:00
Missed this review when you first wrote it... Part of the reason why Predator was so successful (and this goes for Alien too) is that the creature was mostly primal with hints of a much richer background. The aliens appeared to be simply insects with a hive-mind, but occasionally show far too much intelligence on their own - even outwittin...
Posted by Gavin Bollard 01-07-2009 02:04
I've still not seen Flash Point! I really do have to get that soon. I've got the Region 3 2-disc edition of DTG too, but I didn't get any tatoos :( ....
Posted by Cal 30-06-2009 22:02
I realize these are not the movies that are written about on these blogs but yesterday (6/29) was the anniversary of the birth Frank Loesser. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WGUt6xaKO0&fmt=18...
Posted by Whit 30-06-2009 21:11
I realize these are not the movies that are written about on "these" blogs but yesterday was the anniversary of the birth Frank Loesser. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WGUt6xaKO0&fmt=18...
Posted by Whit 30-06-2009 21:09
With that hair, it took me a long time to recognise Donnie Yen! I think he is underrated though - check out the fight scenes in Flash Point - but I can't remember much about DTG - I've got the 2 disc Region 3 DVD and will watch the film again, but haven't got around to using the free tattoos though!...
Posted by Shaun 30-06-2009 10:01
"The core conceit of Ripley returning was the biggest mistake, Someone should have told them “Ripley is dead, and anyway, it’s the Alien franchise, not the Ripley franchise”. And yet Sigourney Weaver is probably the best thing in it, which shows how bad the rest of it is." Ghost of 82, you've just sparked an imaginary film that's much much...
Posted by Matthew McKinnon 29-06-2009 21:17
Thanks for everyone's comments on these reviews over the past few days. As I said on Aliens, it's always great to read well-put differing perspectives. At some point I'll post reviews of the two AVPs. No Resurrection-style verdict for them though....
Posted by badblokebob 29-06-2009 19:46
Lots of terrific ideas here, especially the idea that the Ripley clone has elements of the Alien in it, and there is genuine pathos for the hybrid creature at the moment of its death. Fabulous visual design and good direction from an offbeat choice of director. Sadly, the script is as flat as a pancake, and banal. It has the same crap cliched ...
Posted by Rick Curzon 29-06-2009 19:35
No interest in ever watching this film again, which is probably the most damning verdict I could give on any film, considering how many films I rewatch over the years. Anytime I see the DVD case and consider watching it, I just think why bother when I can watch the first film again... The core conceit of Ripley returning was the biggest mistake...
Posted by ghost of 82 29-06-2009 15:59
