Running Scared (2006) September 4, 2006
Posted by gproject in : Recently Viewed , add a commentDirected by: Wayne Kramer
I haven’t expected much of Paul Walker movies in the past. It’s not so much the guy himself, but his choice of roles that has never really caused me any excitement. Running Scared was different – the trailer looked stylish and gritty, his character appeared desperate, dark, even human. So throw aside your Into The Blue preconceptions, and brace yourself for a shockingly brutal thriller.
Joey Gazelle (Paul Walker) works for the mob. After a failed drug deal results in some dead cops he is given the responsibility of getting rid of the offending gun. But things go off-track when Oleg, the boy next door, gets hold of the weapon and shoots his abusive father. With Oleg on the run it’s up to Joey to find him & the gun before the police do, or else risk bringing the whole gang down.
Writer / director Wayne Kramer serves up the story in an extremely visual cinematic style, possibly a little over-styled at times, but certainly not boring. The camera is literally all over the place, with an interesting use of time-rewinding in some sequences. Also, the action is extremely violent, in fact it’s one of the more violent movies I’ve seen this year rating high on both deaths and gore. Evil is a main theme in this movie, and Oleg’s tour of the night finds him encountering some of the worst characters humanity has to offer. I don’t think it’s spoiling anything to say that along the way we meet drug dependants, a prostitute, a vicious pimp and the creepiest pair of paedophiles ever, who feature in the films most disturbing scenes. It’s the kind of content that always leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
This movie was a surprise, and probably exceeded my expectations of it slightly. The relentless nature of both the action and the visuals really help lift what is essentially a cat & mouse movie, above the norm. Letting it down however is the script, which packs in more profanity than anything of actual substance, and an unnecessary last-minute character change that is entirely implausible & unrealistic. If you can stomach movies like this (Tony Scott haters stay away), then it’s certainly worth checking out. Don’t expect Se7en-like darkness or a thought-provoking story, just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Superman Returns (2006) September 2, 2006
Posted by gproject in : Cinema, Recently Viewed , add a commentDirected by: Bryan Singer
It’s been 28 years since the Christopher Reeve classic first hit our theatres, and 19 years since he was last seen on the big screen. After much failed pre-production on various versions, and falling into the hands of numerous directors, it was looking as if nobody would ever get the chance to believe a man could fly again. Then came Bryan Singer. And if 2006 means one thing to fans of the man of steel, it’s this: Superman Returns.
After leaving Earth to find the remains of his home planet of Krypton, Superman is drawn back to Metropolis on discovering his birthplace is now nothing but a wasteland. In the meanwhile, the world has moved on in his absence. The Daily Planet still runs as normal, but Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) has both become a mother, and found herself a man (fellow reporter Richard White, played by James Marsden). Lex Luther is up to his old tricks too, swindling a dying woman out of her cash and going on an expedition to steal the crystals sent to earth with Superman. He plans to use the crystals’ power to create new land in the middle of the ocean, eventually overtaking the current mainland and creating a Luther-owned continent. And to make it Superman-proof – Kryptonite, effecting the crystals so that the land will be infused with it.
The story is good for the most part, and although continuity issues arise with the previous movies, it’s hard to think of a way this could’ve been avoided. Brandon Routh is a great casting as the red-caped wonder, managing to carefully tread the line like Reeve before him as both a gawky Clark Kent, and a heroic Superman. And there’s no doubt that Kevin Spacey is great fun as Lex Luthor, adding the right amount of sarcasm and venom into a role that demands both. The Clark / Lois / Superman love story is quite prominent throughout and sometimes it feels a little forced, but considering its importance towards the end, entirely necessary.
Bryan Singer left the X-Men series to direct this movie, effectively swapping with Brett Ratner who left Superman over casting disagreements and then went on to direct X-Men 3. Singer is a very capable director, and despite a long list of possibles for this project (it almost got made by Tim Burton and McG, and was offered to Michael Bay and Robert Rodriguez), I think he was probably the best man for the job. But that’s not to say that it’s a complete success.
The high points include the CGI-heavy air rescue (although if you watched the trailers you’ve seen some of the best visuals), and the Luther-Superman confrontation, which is also the most brutal scene. All the CGI is excellent actually, and there’s plenty of it to enjoy during the 154 minute running time. I also liked Sam Huntington as Jimmy Olsen, it’s not a big part, but he plays it exactly how I imagine that character should be. Despite this, I can see why for all it’s good attributes the movie has not seen the success that was expected.
With an ending that kind of trips over itself, and a controversial plot-twist, it’s not a movie that’s going to satisfy all Superman fans. Unlike last years Batman Begins, it fails to instil a complete sense of realism to the character, which is a shame because that is what good modern comic-book movies do well. Signer did a fantastic job on the first two X-Men features, which shows he’s familiar with the genre. So it’s a shame to discover that this film doesn’t quite hit the same highs either character-wise, or on the action front.
This is a difficult film to sum up, because it’s going to mean different things to different groups of people. Many of the older fans have commented on how hearing the original John Williams score really fired them up, but of course it holds no memories with the younger audience. I think the decision to not completely retread the origin story was probably a good one (there’s enough in there to understand what’s going on), but it may leave non-fans slightly unclear on certain plot points – I’m thinking of the crystals, and how Luther knows so much about their whereabouts and power. This is still an entertaining comic book movie however, and certainly not gimmicky (unlike some). There’s plenty to enjoy, so grab some popcorn and prepare to see the most expensive ($270 million) two and a half hours of the summer.
August DVD Purchases: Part II September 1, 2006
Posted by gproject in : News , add a commentSince August was a particularly good month for me DVD-wise, I can now present part 2 of my August DVD purchases feature. My normal months aren’t this good by the way – especially in terms of getting DVDs off ‘the list’ and onto my shelf. All I can say is thank goodness for eBay and in-store special offers – they make me happy.
Hellboy: Director’s Cut
UK Region 2
Music Zone: Two for £10 deal
This 3-disc set took a bit of time to make the leap from Region 1 to Region 2, but I’m glad I waited since the UK version comes packaged in a in nicely designed digipack. There’s a whole host of special features, as well as a collectors booklet included. Director Guillermo del Toro has a great affinity for the DVD format, and having watched the entirety of the (extremely) in-depth ‘Blood Pact’ documentary on the Blade II DVD, I can’t wait to see the ‘Seeds of Creation’ documentary on the making of this movie. It’s 142mins long. That’s insane. Side note: £5 is a biggest bargain for this set I’ve ever seen.
Phoenix Nights: Series Two
UK Region 2
Music Zone: Two for £10 deal
Although the Hellboy DC is by far the best thing in an otherwise mediocre ‘Two for £10’ sale, I had to find something to accompany it so as to take full advantage of the deal. I got lucky. Series One of Peter Kay’s genius Bolton-situated comedy has sat alone on my shelf for a long time, so a purchase of the concluding 6 episodes was well overdue. I’ve seen the actual series plenty, but the special features – mainly the commentaries over every episode & on all the deleted scenes – make this a must-own.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Collector’s Edition
Canadian R1
eBay: £7.20
I remember looking at this set in a store while I was living in Canada - I’d just seen the movie, and I thought that it would be a great DVD. I didn’t buy it at the time though, and I’ve regretted it ever since because this version is never on eBay! Was even going to buy it off an e-tailor at one point, but the expense put me off. It’s really nice though, the main differences over the R2 two-discer being the great digipack packaging (which I’m a sucker for as you may have noticed), and the commemorative booklet. I also hear that there are problems with the DTS on the UK R2 disc, not that I can play DTS though. Can’t wait to watch this again.
The Office: Series 1 /
Arrested Development:
Season 1
UK Region 2 / US Region 1
Second Hand £9.99
Another wonderful BOGOF bargain here - I think because the Arrested Development set was NTSC they had to sell it cheap. I’ve heard great things about this series, so I’m really looking forward to checking it out soon. Hopefully it won’t disappoint. And even if it does, it only cost me £5! It comes in three slim DVD cases too, which I actually prefer to the R2 versions ‘big plastic box’. There wasn’t much else of any worth to pair up with this set so I grabbed series 1 of The Office for two reasons: 1) I don’t own it (*gasp*, but I’ve been holding out to buy the ‘Complete Office’ black box set) and 2) It was a good condition version of the original digipack release, now replaced by a plastic amaray case. The original digipacks aren’t too hard to find, but getting one in a decent condition can be a trial.