Page 1 of What I watched this week (w/e Sunday 19th June)

I haven't watched that many DVDs this week, as I have installed my new plasma screen and watched all of the cricket, rugby, boxing and F1 that has been on TV this week. Nevertheless, I did find time to watch:

On DVD:

Hero - A stunningly beautiful and well told film from Zhiang Yimou; in a series of flashbacks, Jet Li tells the Emperor how he defeated three assassins. The cinematography, choreography and photography are all brilliant but the Rashomon style of story telling prevents any real character development. :D

The Bird with Crystal Plumage - A well told 'whodunnit' from Dario Argento who practically tells the audience who the murderer is then waits as you watch the cast try and figure it out for themselves. :)

Big Trouble in Little China - Before Stephen Chow brought comedy to Asian action films, John Carpenter directed Kurt Russell and Kim Cattrell as two Americans in 'Little China', trying to locate two girls taken by Chinese mobsters as bizarre Chinese magicians wreck havoc - great fun! :)

Phantasm - In the days before Bubba Ho-Tep, Don Coscarelli was best known for this strange low budget horror film in which a 'Tall Man' and other aliens are busying themselves digging up graves and sending the corpses to their home planet in dustbins. Not particularly scary but atmospheric and fairly well acted; Coscarelli multi-tasks as director, producer, writer, editor and DP! :)

Fight Club - This excellent story by Chuck Pahulniuk is brilliantly directed by David Fincher and acted by Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter; the picture looks great on the plasma and the sound really gives the speakers a workout. :D

The Shining - This superb horror from Stanley Kubrick features a phenomenal performance from Jack Nicholson and some wonderful camera work; I really must read the book soon. :D

The League of Gentlemen: Series 1 - Wonderfully surreal and very dark, the 'League' announced their presence to the British public with this sharply written and well acted six episode series with a host of twisted characters and quotable dialogue. :D

Bottle Rocket - A full length version of the thirteen minute shot that Wes Anderson made two years previously, Luke and Owen Wilson are wannabe criminals who start very low whilst planning for the big heist envisioned in Dignan's (Owen Wilson) 75 year master plan. Whilst not a patch on Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums or The Life Aquatic, Bottle Rocket is a well scripted and entertaining film. :)



On cable:

50 First Dates - When Rob Schneider appeared on the screen as a Hawaiian native, I instantly began to regret starting to watch this film but decided to stick it out; it quickly becomes clear that 50 First Dates is just a rip off of Groundhog Day, only with no charm or jokes (I didn't count the 'jokes' about walrus penises, wetting the bed, gays and fat women). It is extremely predictable and my temper became more and more frayed as the film went on as my desire to punch Adam Sandler and slowly kill Schneider rose. >:(


At the cinema:

Mr. and Mrs. Smith - The weather may not say so but the arrival of Doug Liman's big budget film about two assassins who are married to each other and end up on each other's hit list signals the start of summer and the dreaded blockbusters that come with it. The script is nowhere near as sharp as I would have liked, the story drags in the first act and the film is unsure whether to go for laughs or big action set pieces; the end result is very few of either. :(

Batman Begins - A more 'mainstream' and accessible film than any other comic book adaptation, Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight is a grittier and darker film than any of the others, with the superb performance by Christian Bale and excellent direction by Nolan on his action movie debut. The best Batman movie and one of the best movies of 2005. :D

Downloads:

Tszyu vs. Hatton - The Showtime coverage of this brilliant fight gives a different perspective as the commentators concentrate more on Tszyu's counter punching than their counterparts at Sky and the interview with Tszyu shows what a great champion and fine man he is. :D

Family Guy Episode 405 - Not as good as previous episodes, Loretta and Cleveland split up after Loretta is caught sleeping with Quagmire by Peter and Brian; still full of great lines though. :D

American Dad! Episode 106 - Stan's paranoia goes into overdrive when he discovers a couple of Iranian descent living in his neighbourhood; as good as Family Guy this week which bodes well for the rest of the season. :D

Tyson vs. McBride - The once fearsome 'Iron' Mike came out looking like an average club fighter and, after trying everything, including headbutting the Irishman and attempting to break his arm, decided to quit on his stool and retire from the sport. After the fine advertisement that Tszyu and Hatton displayed last week, this was a bout that that boxing could have done without; no skill, no discipline and very little heart on show. :(



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

Wossname: Where are you getting Family Guy from? All of the sites that i frequent are not listing it. Can you mail me with the web address please?

On DVD:

Aladin: My all time favourite movie, which actually plays without any bits with no sound on DVD (my video was well over played and there were big patches where the sound had died). Haven`t had time to look at the special features yet, but I`m really looking forward to it, especially the virtual magic carpet ride (whoopy doo!)
End of Days: I like this film, but sometimes find it a bit gross so have to not watch bits of it...unfortunatly I had to go out halfway through it so I still don`t know what happens in the end (i`m gonna assume that good triumphs and the world doesn`t end.)
Starsky and Hutch:Again, at mum and dad`s, still very funny, especially the disco dancing contest bit!
Shrek 2:For the final time - I`m refusing to go round mum`s again unless she gives the video back to her friend - there really is a limit to how many times you can watch this damned movie before its just not funny any more!
Fraggle Rock:One episode of my treasured boxset of fraggle rock, "capture the moon" (one of my favourite episodes) in which the fraggles "capture" the moon in a bucket after it disappears from their pond.SPOILER:
They manage it in the end! ;)

At the cinema:

Batman Begins: The only film I have seen worse than this is "picnic at hanging rock". I have posted what I think in the "Batman Begins - what do you think?" thread, so look there if you`re interested.

On video:

Cherry Falls:I half watched it on telly last sunday and didn`t think it was very good, but watched it with dad on his video and enjoyed it much more...maybe I spent too long trying to do some detective work instead of watching it first time round.
Devils Advocate:I love this film (even though I find it quite distrubing) and hadn`t watched it for ages, I was discussing a similar film with dad and we decided to watch this one. Still as good as I remember it.

Edit: But I managed to miss the "Doctor Who" finale! Nemesis kindly videoed it so I will watch it tonight - don`t tell me what happened!

This item was edited on Monday, 20th June 2005, 10:48

whats not to like about picnic at hanging rock?



"There he goes. One of God`s own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die."

Batman Begins - Saw this at the cinema twice. Brilliant, amazing film, especially the first 90 minutes (not that I didn`t love the last part of the film... I did :D ). Definitely a very accessible film, it makes no assumptions that you "know" the world of Batman. The best film of the year.

Minority Report - I had more fun watching this film this week than I`ve ever had before, which was strange. It`s about the 3rd time I`ve seen it. The plot is full of holes, but the film is great.

Insomnia - Another great psychological film from Chris Nolan. Not as good as Memento, but still a pulse-pounding film of a man being eaten alive by his own guilt.

Citizen Kane - Such a great film, very "mainstream" and has not aged at all. It`s hard for me to judge it`s impact (I was born over 40 years after it was made) but you can still see it`s influence today. It`s a very entertaining film, and not at all pretentious.

Heh. I thought Batman was ace and I actually really like picnic at hanging rock. They never give you an ending, which I think is infuriatingly clever. Takes all sorts though!

Anyway, this week, I have only watched movies while im going to bed, on cable because ive been so busy:

Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan. Ive probably wrote about this before, but I love it! Even though its the bizarely mangled tv version (no ear slugs :() its still my favourite Trek movie, slightly edging out First Contact. Its got decent action in it, it doesnt take itself too seriously and Khan is a fantastic baddie. And spock dies. Great stuff. :D

The Mummy Returns: Can ITV2 please buy a new film. I realise there is bugger all ever on on sunday nights, but they show either this or the mummy every other week. I dont know how many more times i can see the rocks poorly CGI face. Thats said, I watch it almost every time its on because at sunday bedtime, the competition is pretty weak. And its not that bad....:¦

Some Crappy Film with Dean Cain in it: They all become a bit of a blur after a while. Hes either battling asteroids or mutants of somekind. And they show all this crap on Sci-Fi. I think Dean is the new Doug McLure (and for those at the back, I did mean Doug not Troy......)

TV:

Enterprise: A decent final run actually. The stories are strong and theres plenty of action. Trip and T`Pols on/off romance is getting on my nerves, but apart form that Im enjoying this final season. :D

Smallville: I think I watch this out of habit more than anything else. The female characters are all cliched, crap spouting arse holes and all the men are either totally good or totally evil. every now and then a decent episode crops up, but they are getting fewer and more far between. If they use the `Character x gets knocked out while clark saves the day` riff once more....... And last weeks episode was stupid. Crap story and dumbass lex and lionel plot. >:(

Revelations: I dont really know whats going on in this show. Stuff happens, they go and see someone who tells them something and then they go somewhere else. Im never quite sure what lonestar and the nun ever hope to achieve. The only characters with a clear raison d`etre are the satanists. And thats only because they are eeeeeevil (and have tattoos and dark clothes. Naughty satanists). Ive watched every episode so far and Im still really non the wiser. Although to be fair, I do tend to nod off in parts....:(

This item was edited on Monday, 20th June 2005, 12:12

Slow week

Batman Begins - The best blockbuster film of 2005 so far.

The Shining - Watched this with my nephew, still a great film, my fave scene has to be when Jack confronts Shelley Duvall who`s wielding a baseball bat.

The Omen - Watched this also with my nephew, a classic horror film of the 70s

Paper Moon - A good film about a con artist who unwillingly takes a little girl to her nan`s, but ends up teaching her the tricks of the trade.

floyd


DVD collection

Quote:
Whats wrong with picnic at hanging rock?
To be fair, I`ve never managed to watch it all the way to the end! My sort of uncle bought it for my 11th birthday and I`ve tried to watch it three times and always found it incredibly boring...just a load of girls asleep on a rock, then all but one disappears (:¦ ! Maybe I should try to watch it again now I`m a bit older, but i do still get bored very easily, so `i don`t know if i`ll fair any better now. :/ I didn`t mean to offend anyone with the comment, so apologies if i have!

Just downloads this week, barring some South Park which has been on Sky when I`ve been going to bed :D

Family Guy - I'm running out of superlatives… This week, Peter and Brian found Loretta and Quagmire having an affair. Laugh-out loud moments aplenty - my personal highlight of the week.

American Dad! - Still not as fond of this as I ought to be, given it's from the guys who do 'Family Guy'. Stan tries to be 'normal' and not be suspicious of the neighbours, but this flies out the window when he finds there's an Iranian couple living in the neighbourhood.

The Comeback - A better episode than last week, this one sees the cast go to New York to present the new show to the press. Veronica is again the outsider of the group of young, attractive actors and tries to muscle in and be 'cool' on every occasion for her reality show. Some funny moments in this, I'll keep with it for now.

The 4400 2x01 - One of the stand-out shows from last summer returns for a second series. A useful recap brings us a year since the 4400 returned. Diana's adopted Maia (who has pre-cognitive ability) and gets teamed up again with Tom; the baby is still protecting Richard and Lily, hunted by the smooth Justin Collier, among others. A feature-length episode, and a strong start to the new season. Recommended.

The 4400 2x02 - This week focused on a baseball player who was about to make it big before the abduction. Now returned and able to hear people's thoughts, the government use him to get closer to Collier and try and discover what his plan is for the 4400. Meanwhile, Richard and Lily remain on the run. Another good episode - they should make this a full season order as it's a lot better than more publicised shows.

The Dead Zone 4x01 - The long-awaited return of the underrated sci-fi drama, starring Anthony Michael Hall as Johnny Smith, a guy who can see into the future through contact with other people. A strong episode to kick this season off, with Johnny's girlfriend involved in a plot to kill the evil Greg Stillson, the man Johnny is convinced will cause Armageddon.

The Shield - Strong finale to this gritty police drama - the cops get what they want, but at a price. Ties up some stuff and leads into the next season with the Feds trying to bust the Strike Team.

Beauty and the Geek - This week, the girls had to teach the geeks about women's fashion, culminating in them purchasing different outfits for their partners, which would then be paraded on a catwalk and judged. The guys had to teach the girls about rocket science, making a miniature rocket out of a plastic bottle and various other bits and bobs - all very Blue Peter! A guilty pleasure, but not that bad.

Prison Break - A preview of the first episode of the much-hyped drama series, where a man goes to prison deliberately to break out his older brother, who is sentenced to execution. It looks good, with a good story and enough to draw in the viewer. I'm going to keep an eye on this when it airs properly in September.

The Inside 1x01-1x02 - Graphic crime drama about the FBI Violent Crimes Unit. A young Special agent with a murky past joins the team and assists in some cases, the first one involving a stalker who removes their victims' faces (nice!!) and the second one where people are killed during some S+M. Could very easily have been just a show that aims to shock and nothing else, but with people who used to work on 'Buffy' and 'Angel' involved, this is not the case. Maybe not to everyone's tastes, but I think it's really good. Recommended.

Airwolf: The Movie - Oh Dear. Time has not been good to this one, with a cheesy script, bad acting and all the big explosions in the world can't save it. I Halfway through I was like 'Why? Why am I watching this?' Ho-hum, got to take the rough with the smooth.

To compensate I've been watching various random (very random) episodes of Invader Zim, which made me laugh lots and forget the woes of Airwolf.

Chris.

The Last Vampire (1993) - a full length Jeremy Brett Holmes TV episode. An unusual tale in that there is not a lot of master detective work in evidence but it does have a creepy atmosphere and a superb performance from Roy Marsden as the man who may or may not be a vampire. One of the strangest of Holmes stories

The Black Sleep (1956) - Basil Rathbone , John Carradine, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr all together in one movie has got to be the classic horror fans dream come true. Poor old Bela has nothing much to do apart from look sinister and he would be dead not long after this film. Chaney too is suffering the ravages of his alcoholism by this time. Rathbone is great though but the film does look dated for 1956, especially when you consider that Hammers groundbreaking Curse of Frankenstein would be relased only a year later. You also get Tor Johnson in this film too. Great stuff!

Lights Out (1959-1952) - I managed to get 18 episodes of this early US TV series which was originally a successful radio show. Creepy and twisted ending tales are good fun but not in the same league as later shows such as the Twilight Zone or Night Gallery. Nice to see actors like Robert Stack and Leslie Nielson in early roles though.

Roadkill (2001) - two brothers on a road trip have fun with a CB radio and seriously p*** off a psychopathic trucker. For the first 40 mins this is quite good but after that it just has nowhere really interesting to go and becomes predictable. Clearly influenced by Spielbergs Duel it cannot provide the same degree of suspense and excitement as that masterpiece.

Nosferatu (1979) - the Werner Herzog remake of the classic silent version of Dracula. Klaus Kinski plays the lead in makeup almost identical to that of Max Shrek in the original. Some scenes are almost identically filmed as well. Some people really rate this film but I found it flat and lacking in excitement during many of the scenes despite some eerie camerawork and great location. Kinski plays the lead as a rather pathetic character who just wants to be loved. A brave failure.

Creation - Our Music Is Purple With Red Flashes - the Creation were one of the best UK sixties mod, psychedelic bands but never really got the credit they deserved in this country. This DVD has 2 reunion shows recorded at the Mean Fiddler in 1992 and 1995. The 1992 show is the best but only has a handful of songs whereas the longer 1995 show has a full set but the sound mix, particularly on the vocals, is poor. Eddie Phillips is still a superb and innovative guitarist and the songs still sound pretty fresh and new.

Andy