Page 1 of What I watched this week (w/e Sunday 22nd May)

On DVD I watched:

The Simpsons: Season 5 - Possibly the best season so far with storylines that are still fresh, original and do not stretch the realms of plausibility too far and more guest stars that you could shake a stick at - excellent stuff. :D

21 Grams - A beautifully told story of three strangers whose lives become entangled following separate but connected events; Paul (Sean Penn) requires an urgent heart transplant and one becomes available when Jack (Benicio Del Toro) kills Cristina's (Naomi Watts) family in a hit and run. The three main actors all put in excellent performances and are ideally cast, the direction and non-linear structure of the film draws you closer in to the story. :D

Dogville - With almost no props and white lines indicating roads, paths and rooms, Dogville feels like a televised stage play and, as there is little or no emphasis on CG effects or set dressing, the actors are very much at the forefront of the film. Paul Bettany and Nicole Kidman are both superb, as is Lauren Bacall in a story of how a remote community reacts when a stranger/fugitive enters their town and disrupts the status quo. :D

Big Fish - Edward Bloom had always told 'tall tales' and doesn't break the habit of a lifetime when he is visited on his deathbed by his son who has heard them all before. The film is visually brilliant but Tim Burton tries to fit too many stories into this film for its own good and ends up over egging the pudding. Ewan McGregor is very good as the young Edward with a pretty believable southern accent and the ever reliable Albert Finney doesn't disappoint. However, I expected more from this film and, in particular, Tim Burton but was left with a 'flat' feeling at the end. :¦

The Man Who Would Be King - Michael Caine and Sean Connery seek to emulate Alexander The Great by travelling to Kafiristan where they hope to be greeted as Kings and showered with riches and given their choices of wives. The superb screenplay is based on a book by Rudyard Kipling and John Huston's direction is spectacular; a wonderful film. :D

Team America: World Police - Consistently funny and with well aimed and justified jabs at Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer, Team America doesn't know where it stands politically, saying that the UN is wrong and ineffective, 'Team America' is too gung-ho and trigger happy with those who criticise 'Team America' are also wrong and pussies. The 'dicks, pussies and assholes' speech is very funny but rather than criticise everyone, Matt, Trey and Pam might have been better offering at least some constructive criticism. :)
Special Features - Excellent 'making of' documentaries but it's a shame there is no commentary. :)

The Stepford Wives - I have still yet to see the remake of this dark and suspenseful story of a woman who moves to the seemingly perfect town of Stepford but starts to suspect that the women of the town are being manipulated and changed. :)

Looney Tunes: Premier Collection - 207 minutes of cartoon gold with excellent cartoons featuring Bugs Bunny, Sylvester, Tweety, Elmer Fudd, Speedy Gonzalez, Wile E. Coyote and The Roadrunner. :D

The Pink Panther: Jet Pink - Only a short DVD at 51 mins. but it's excellent stuff and the Pink Panther collection is now on my wishlist. :)

All The President's Men - Even though the story and the ending is part of contemporary U.S. political history, this dramatisation of Woodward and Bernstein's investigation into the Watergate break in is so well handled that it remains a tense drama which keeps its momentum throughout. :)

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story - Very funny with excellent performances from Ben Stiller, Rip Torn and Vince Vaughn. :)

Fanny And Alexander - At over 300 minutes long, this is a very hefty film but as Bergman structures it into sections (5 acts, plus a prologue and epilogue), I did not find myself straining to concentrate on following the story development, the acting and the subtitles. This is as good as any of Bergman's other films with superb direction and narrative and excellent performance from all the cast, particularly Jan Malmsjö as the strict and authoritarian Bishop Vergerus. :D



On cable:
Solaris - 90 minutes in which practically nothing happens apart from some smart visual effects when I could have been watching a DVD instead. >:(

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace - Complete rubbish; George Lucas returns to the director's chair to produce this clunker of a movie with terrible dialogue, appalling direction and Jar Jar Binks. >:(

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope - As far as I am aware, the last time I saw this film it was called simply 'Star Wars' and it has not improved with age; Lucas shows his early flair of bringing the worst out in actors and much of the dialogue is so bad its amazing this movie ever got distributed. The effects, for 1977, are pretty good but Lucas tends to overuse them in what will become one of his most annoying traits. :¦



At the cinema:
The Jacket - Interesting concept for a time travel movie but I felt the film was let down by weak characterisation and gaping plot holes; Adrien Brody and Kiera Knightly are both very good but I can't help feeling that Brody has now cornered the market in undernourished men with mental problems. :¦

A Good Woman - Based on Oscar Wilde's play Lady Windermere`s Fan, A Good Woman is very well written with all of Wilde's wit and, with very good performances from Helen Hunt, Scarlett Johansson and Tom Wilkinson, this merchant ivory period drama was surprisingly enjoyable. :)



I also saw downloaded episodes of:
24 - Episode 4.22; brilliant as usual, I can't wait for next week's finale. :D
Family Guy - Episode 4.03 is as good as I have come to expect. :D
American Dad - Episode 1.04 proves that this show has legs and may continue to improve. :)
The Simpsons - Episodes 16.20 and 16.21 have, between them, a new blackboard opener, two new couch gags and decent stories, proving that Matt Groening et al. haven't completely run the show into the ground. :)


My Top 20 Horror Movies ---- My DVD Collection ---- My Gremlin

This week I watched:

On DVD:
Star Wars: Episode 1 (only redeeming feature is the lightsabre three-way)
Star Wars: Episode 2 (better, but the love scenes are bad);

At the cinema:
Star Wars: Episode 3 (Good but not perfect, the best of the new ones however and truly epic in scale);

On download/Divx:
Family Guy (laugh out loud funny :D )
Malcolm in the Middle (not bad, but like the previous season, not been at it`s best)
The Simpsons (good, always better when they`re taking the p*** out of something)
Kojak (Not brilliant, but I thought I`d give the series a shot. The USA Network airs much better stuff usually, like the 4400 and the Dead Zone, which return in June :D )
American Dad (Getting better after a wobbly start. Still not in the same league as Family Guy though)
24 (Wow. Loving this season, can`t wait for the 2-hour finale this coming week)
House (Interesting episode concerning his backstory and how he got the limp)
The Shield (Good, liking Glenn Close as the take-no-crap boss)
Lost (When`s this going to air on C4? I keep telling other people how good it is :D )
Desperate Housewives (Liked this one, nice mix of comedy and tension)
The Apprentice 3 (It was pretty clear who the winner was going to be, wonder how the Yanks would take to Sir Alan Sugar?)
Star Wars: Clone Wars (A little hit and miss, but a good way of covering events between Eps 2 + 3. Notable segments include Anakin vs the Sith and General Grievous)
Dr Who (OK, but not as good as some of the others. I like this series as a whole, let`s see how the finale pans out next week).

Glad the US networks are winding down now, might actually have to think of something else to do other than watch stuff on my computer :p

Liking the new format of this thread (was going to post last week, but couldn`t remember everything I`d watched). Hopefully it`ll inspire other people to check out some of the shows that fellow users are watching.

Cheers,

Chris.

This item was edited on Monday, 23rd May 2005, 00:44

On DVD

Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace - first step in preparation for Revenge of the Sith on the Wednesday night. I still like the film, some bits drag but it delivers as an action film, and also is strengthened once viewed after seeing Sith. The lightsabre fight is still the best bit though.

Star Wars Episode 2 Attack of the Clone - Brilliant. Bad acting and some awful acting aside, this film is loaded with good moments (and bad). But it`s good where it needs to be. And there is a lot setup in this film that I didn`t realise was going to be used by Episode 3. Such great action and the story of the beginning of the Clone Wars is great. This film stands up to repeats viewings more than Episode 1.

Star Wars Episode 4 A New Hope - Wonderful. Just perfect. Can`t think of a more pure joy experience than this film. Hits all the right notes, the effects are still fantastic and the music simply breathtaking. This is visual storytelling at it`s best, and it will only get better...

Star Wars Episode 5 The Empire Strikes Back - What can you say? It`s another perfect film (well, it used to be before they changed Boba Fett`s voice :p ). Instead of trying to remake the first film, it focuses on the characters journey`s rather than the Rebellion. And what a bastard ending! :o

Star Wars Episode 6 Return of the Jedi - Ok. First step in the wrong direction for the Star Wars franchise... shame that it`s the finale. The Vader/Emperor/Luke scenes are all classic. The space battle is still the best dog fighting put to film (Sith doesn`t feature dogfighting, they are only there to get to the Chancellor ;) ). But they waste far too much precious screen time rescuing Han Solo, who becomes completely limp. The acting and dialogue gets worse. Leia is Luke`s twin? What the f***? I love this film, but to me it`s got the same problems that people level at the prequels. But as with all the Star Wars films, the good out-weighs the bad many times over. Funny thing was, it was my favourite film as a child...

Cinema

Star Wars Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith - I`ve seen this 4 times at the cinema in the space of 4 days. I can`t say anything at the moment, other than it`s definitely better than the first two prequels and ROTJ. The script is much improved... ok, a few clunkers here and there, but the cast notice them this time and deliver them with a more fun vibe. The acting, and I`m sure this is going to split people down the middle, but I really dug it. McGregor is great, he has improved with each film. Natalie Portman, looks more comfortable than in the previous two. Hayden Christensen is so much better here. I really dug it when he turned to Vader, he delivers some great lines (and some not so great ;) ). Ian McDiarmid is viciously OTT, and it completely worked for me. Again, I`m sure some people won`t like his performance, because it completely redefines the meaning of Over-The-Top. The lightsabre fights? Amazing. Fast and furious. But after four viewings, I still want to see it again tomorrow. These films are the ones that make me happy to have the UGC Unlimited pass :D

Quote:
But as with all the Star Wars films, the good out-weighs the bad many times over. Funny thing was, it was my favourite film as a child...

Call it the ewok effect... I know a lot of kids who loved TPM.

The Empire Strikes back is by far the best film, its a shame it was so long between seeing that and ROTJ as I built up too much expectation(I don`t think I saw it until about 4 years after the special edition re-releases and I first saw ESB 2-3 years before that).

I watched at the cinema Revenge of the Sith.An excellent film I`d put second only to the empire strikes back.

On DVD I watched
Fargo
Platoon
And a couple of episodes of Firefly
I attempted to watch ATOC but I got too embarrased by it.
On TV I watched TPM and the shocker of an FA cup final which summed up Man Utd`s season.

This item was edited on Monday, 23rd May 2005, 08:44

This week i have mostly watched:

Return of the Sith: (I can see quite a few cross threads for this one) My main sort of review is in the anticipation thread. In summary it basically says the same as Chewies ROTJ review above. Lots of Bad bits, Lots of Good bits with the latter outweighing the former. I liked it, but I went to see it after a horrendous day at work and an even worse drive up to birmingham, so I think I was more critical than I normally would have been. :)

Spaceballs: My personal Episode 7. After we got back from the flicks we whacked the new release of this on. Still very funny and just as relevant. Apparently the most expensive film produced that year. The DC is mel brooks laughing at his own jokes, which is pretty funny in its own right. :D

The Fith Element: After a heavy, heavy weekend, I put this on C4 as I was going to bed last night. I really like this film. Heavily stylised, funny and 90% of the actors are british. Oh and the story isnt bad either! LeeLoo Dallas Multipass!! :)

TV

Enterprise: Still following the new series. After a few decent arcs, an episode of `Are`nt humans great` that could have been straight out of TNG. b-o-r-i-n-g.

Smallville: Probably the best episode of the series so far. Double lex mania. He`s much better as a bad guy than the dictionary swallowing philanthropist he`s become. One of the few epsiodes this series not to fall into the Dawsons Smallville trap. And for that im thankful.

Revelations: Better than I thought it would be. Predictably hokey, like the omen crossed with the xfiles..... But worth a watch since Celebrity Pig F***ing has pre-empted CSI miami

Lost: One of the only american shows im *whisper it* torrenting at the mo. Very good all in all. I wont go into it too much as spoilers for this would be unforgivable. But suffice to say, its great!

This item was edited on Monday, 23rd May 2005, 09:51

DVD

Rebecca - Well made and with fine performances from Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontain yet not quite up there with Hitchcock's best work. Too much romance and not enough suspence for my taste I think. Good supporting cast featuring George Sanders and Nigel 'Dr Watson' Bruce. :)

The Invisible Woman - This came out the same year as Universal's first sequel to the Invisible Man but while that film played it straight this one has the series deteriorating into slapstick and silly comedy. And unlike the first sequel there's no direct tie to the other films. :(

I Spy - 'Danny Was A Million Laughs' Maybe Danny was but this episode wasn't. :( 'A Cup Of Kindness' An episode that plays it straight for the most part and is all the better for it. The opening where Kelly decodes a message telling him the man who delivered it is a double agent is particularly good and even the predictable ending is quite well done. :)

100 Years of Horror - Christopher Lee narrates this documentary that tries to fit to much into it's 100 minute running time. It's at it's best with the older films featuring vintage interviews with Karloff and Lugosi as well as more recent interviews with there children. There's also some outtakes and screen tests. :¦

Key Largo - Bogart and Huston team up for the second time in the same year (the first was Treasure of the Sierra Madre) and while this isn't as good as the earlier film its still a classic. The film shows it's origins as a stage play, being set mostly in a few rooms in a hotel, but this is no bad thing as it allows the performances to shine. Bogart and Bacall again make a great team but its Edward G. Robinson and Claire Trevor who really shine. :D

Suddenly - Superb thriller that was withdrawn for many years at the request of star Frank Sinatra after he found out that Lee Harvey Oswald watched it before assassinating President Kennedy. Sinatra gives his best performances as the unstable leader of the hired assassins out to kill the President and Sterling Hayden is great as the small town cop trying to stop him. At only 77 minutes it's a short film but due to the claustrophobic nature of the film (it's set mostly in one room) the emphasis is on the characters rather than action. :D

The Passion of The Christ - Finally got around to watching this. It's well acted (Caviezel is particularly good) and well directed but, despite the title, I found it soulless and lacking in passion. I also found it a bit of a downer, after watching it I was more convinced than ever of man's basic inhumanity to man but that could be because I have no belief in god. :¦

Bad Day At Black Rock - A superb cast - Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Walter Brennan, Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin - and expert direction from John Sturges turn this simple tale into a masterpiece. The best scene is where the one armed Tracy demolishes Borgnine in one of Hollywood's first uses of Martial Arts. :D

Read or Die Episodes 1 & 2 - Strange anime about a secret organization with super powered agents. The Lead character is Yomiko Readman codenamed 'The Paper' because she has control over, you guessed it, paper. :¦

Downloaded

Smallville Season 4 Episode 5 - This series appeals to the comic geek in me and this episode more so than most. :D

C.S.I. Season 5 Episode 12 - The usual murder stuff but with a nice little scene between Gil and Sara. :)

24 Season 4 Episode 8 - Slower pace this episode but still gripping stuff. :)

Eyes Season 1 Episode 1 - Mid-season replacement series and it's already been cancelled. Had almost decided not to bother watching anymore episodes but then it got to the last 5 minutes and now I've got to get the second one! :)

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3 Episodes 9-15 - My normal one episode a day continues and the series keeps getting better. This batch includes the classic 'Yesterday's Enterprise' that gives Lt. Tasha Yar a second, more heroic, death. :D

Really enjoying the new format.


************************************************************
`.....be nice until it`s time to not be nice`

This item was edited on Tuesday, 24th May 2005, 13:40

Darth Who? This weekend I have mostly been watching my little daughter take her first steps... ;-)

Nothing as monumetnal as watching my kids first steps! Congratulations!

On Video (VHS or whatever you wanna call it):

Star Wars Episode 4: Because we were going to watch the first five before seeing the new one, but went out after this one instead!
Aladin: Beacuse it was one of my favourite films as a little kid and still is! Somehow it is one of those films for me that the magic never seems to die from, and I still think the animation is better than lots of the rubbish that comes out now.
Little Mickey: Because it makes us all laugh and its my little brothers favourite film. I also like Rhys Ifans and Adam Sandler coz I think they`re very funny, and this film is another excellent example of this!
Gone in 60 seconds: Because I like Nicholas Cage, I think it is an excellent movie and the soundtrack is great...real feel good music. I love the bit when they`re getting ready to go on the boost and they have to wait while the older thiefs get psyched up to that song! I only wish that Sway wasn`t played by Angelina Jolie, because she really irritates me.

On DVD:

Day After Tomorow: Because Nemesis never seems to realise that we watched it last week! A good film but I really am getting a smidgeon bored with it now (I think we`ve watched it once a week for the past month or so!)

At the Cinema:

Star Wars Episode 3: Which I thought was very good. It did turn my stomach when Anakin died, a little bit too graphic for me...made the kid in front cry tho, tee hee hee.

On TV:

Fifth Element: on Channel 4 because I love this film, but Nemesis and I never watch it on DVD because the chapter where he orders chinese and the junk boat comes to his window always jumps and it drives us made...especially as when it tries to correct the error by skipping 2/3 of the disk.

On TV, not a film, but I thought it was worth mentioning, this week`s Doctor Who: Scary! I`m not at all keen on the little boy looking for his mummy! Almost had me hiding behind the sofa - Definatly had my little sister under the duvet!

This item was edited on Tuesday, 24th May 2005, 10:34

I will just stick to movies for this week

The Wild Angels (1966) - Roger Corman movie with Peter Fonda playing the leader of a gang of California Angels with the ludicrous name of Heavenly Blues. An early biker movie so to me most of the gang look like hippies/beatnicks rather than proper Angels. There is the obligatory "party" scene which was probably risque for the time but looks pretty tame and embarassing now. Worth watching if you are into this type of movie but better things would come along with Easy Rider and the spate of tougher biker films

Hells Bells (1969) - another biker movie but in essence this is really a western on wheels, in fact it looks to be heavily influenced by Winchester 73. A moto cross rider wins a prize bike in a competion but has it stolen. He pursues the thieves accross the Arizona desert. Quiite enjoyed this one - desert locations are excellent and the music by Les Baxter is really good. Not much really happens but the storyline is an interesting one. The tittle tries to market it as a chopper chicks film but it isnt.

Perfume Of The Lady In Black (1974) - a psychological Italian giallo with Mimsy Farmer as a woman who sees visions of her troubled past - are they real or imaginary. Fairly restrained in terms of violence but the ending reveals all and is both shocking and a bit ludicrous at the same time.

Ringo - Face Of Revenge (1966) - spaghetti western with the fairly wooden Anthony Steffen excellently supported by Eduardo Fajardo in a sidekick role which is very unusual for him. A fairly routine story about a search for missing gold located via maps tattooed on the backs of a couple of criminals. If you have seen as many spaghetti westerns as I have this is all very predictable. Nice score and good to see Frank Wolff in the cast too.

Year of the Sex Olympics (1969) - this was a BBC play written by Nigel Kneale. An undetermined time in the future sees the population divided into lowdrive and highdrive individuals. The lowdrives are fed a constant diet of banal TV and live sex shows - the idea is that over exposure removes any interest in personal sex and keeps the population down. All of the highdrives we see are programme makers who lead equally sheltered lives and speak in a strange transatlantic reduced version of English. A fascinating play - particularly now as you can see Big Brother etc was clearly in the writers imagination long before the programmes started to appear on out screens. A very downbeat ending too. A bit wordy in places but well worth watching.

Andy

Tru Calling - review already up

The Hunting Of The President - detailed documentary on the Whitewater scandal and Kenneth Starr, review coming shortly.

The Fog Of War - taped off TV, just got around to watching it. Fascinating film with former US Secretary of Defence Robert McNamara.

XXX - State Of The Union - better than the original in my view, not a big Vin Diesel fan tho...

-------------

News Editor and Reviewer
www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk

Go that way, really fast. If something gets in your way, turn...

And those who dance will spin and turn,
And those who wait will wait no more,
And those who talk will hear the words,
And those who see will fade and die,
And those who laugh will surely fall,
And those who know will always feel their backs against the thin wall...

This item was edited on Tuesday, 24th May 2005, 13:44