The Movie Hack

Ones To Watch 2011: Cowboys And Aliens (TRAILER)

2011-01-06T16:20:00.000-08:00

Last seen camping up Ironman 2, director and Swingers money-man Jon Faveau is back with Cowboys And Aliens later this year, where a spaceship arrives in the Wild West, and is faced off by cowboy gunslingers. Yes, it's very much the 'Snakes On A Plane' / Ronseal of its day, and will be out in July in the UK. Aiming for the big summer blockbuster market, see? Oh, and it stars unemployed Bond star Daniel Craig, and Harrison Ford, with Olivia Wilde. Enjoy.

The Writers Guild Awards 2011 Nominations: The List

2011-01-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

And so, Hollywood's back slapping red carpet season cranks into gear, as the Writers Guild announce their list of nominees for their annual awards.

There are no surprises in the nominations for Original Screenplay of Oscar Baiting movies like Natalie Portman much lauded lesbian ballet flick Black Swan and highly rated Christian Bale's The Fighter, while lesser known Please Give also gets a nod. Last year's highly grossing, thinking man's action movie Inception also makes the cut.

Though not as prestigious as the Oscars, the WGA are highly respected industry awards, and this year's ceremony will be held on Saturday, February 5, 2011, while simultaneously taking place at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel-Grand Ballroom in Los Angeles and the AXA Equitable Center in New York City.

In the adapted screenplay category, it's notable to see recent Oscar winner Danny Boyle get his new movie 127 Hours listed (surely a contender), while the gay theme continues with Jim Carrey / Ewan McGregor love story of I Love You Philip Morris. The highly critically rated The Social Network also gets into the list, perhaps a chance to gain early momentum as the season inevitably marches towards the Golden Globes and Oscars.

The full list of movie nominees is below. The TV nominees, and further details can be seen at the WGA site.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Black Swan, Screenplay by Mark Heyman and Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin; Story by Andres Heinz; Fox Searchlight

The Fighter, Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson; Story by Keith Dorrington &Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson; Paramount Pictures

Inception, Written by Christopher Nolan; Warner Bros.

The Kids Are All Right, Written by Lisa Cholodenko &Stuart Blumberg; Focus Features

Please Give, Written by Nicole Holofcener; Sony Pictures Classics

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

127 Hours, Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy; Based on the book Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston; Fox Searchlight

I Love You Phillip Morris, Written by John Requa & Glenn Ficarra; Based on the book by Steven McVicker; Roadside Attractions

The Social Network, Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin; Based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich; Sony Pictures

The Town, Screenplay by Peter Craig and Ben Affleck &Aaron Stockard; Based on the novel Prince of Thievesby Chuck Hogan; Warner Bros.

True Grit, Screenplay by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen; Based on the novel by Charles Portis; Paramount Pictures

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

Enemies of the People, Written, Directed, Filmed and Produced by Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath; International Film Circuit

Freedom Riders, Written, Produced and Directed byStanley Nelson; International Film Circuit

Gasland, Written and Directed by Josh Fox; HBO Documentary Films and International WOW Company

Inside Job, Produced, Written and Directed by Charles Ferguson; Co-written by Chad Beck, Adam Bolt; Sony Pictures Classics

The Two Escobars, Written by Michael Zimbalist, Jeff Zimbalist; ESPN Films

Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him)?, Written and Directed by John Scheinfeld; Lorber Films

VIDEO: Pete Postlethwaite RIP

2011-01-04T05:07:00.000-08:00

Veteran British screen and stage actor, Pete Postlethwaite has died at the age of 65, from cancer, it has been announced. The seasoned Shakespearean stage performer, once referred to by Steven Spielberg as "the best actor in the world", appeared in a host of movies, including The Usual Suspects, Brassed Off, A Private Function, In The Name Of The Father, Distance Voices, Still Lives, and Inception.

Some of his most notable performances have been in Brassed Off, where he plays the leader of a brass band in a beleaguered Yorkshire mining community (see his standout speech from teh movie, below) , and Distant Voices, Still Lives, which has been described as "Britain's forgotten cinematic masterpiece".

Here we include a selection of clips and trailers from these films, as well as a Guardian interview relating to one of his final movie appearances, The Age Of Stupid. Postlethwaite's final screen performance will be in the forthcoming movie, Killing Bono, which will be released later this year.

Review: Cemetery Junction

2010-05-05T15:11:00.000-07:00

I didn’t grow up in a cold, grey, wet council estate in inner city Manchester in the 80s dreaming of escape. In the world of my imagination, I in fact grew up in a small town in America, in the 70s, far cooler than I actually was, driving round in a souped-up car, smoking Lucky Strikes, pulling girls who wore flares and listening to Led Zeppelin. And so it is for so many of us here in Britain. The world of our youthful imaginations find affinity in the depictions of Americana’s finest coming of age movies, be it the small town of Richard Linklaters’ Dazed and Confused, the rebellious New York nightlife of Saturday Night Fever, the angry, misunderstood cool of James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause, or the mourning of lost childhood innocence and freedom in 80s flick Diner. And of course, the are the high school movies of John Hughes, classics like Ferris Beuller Day Off, the Breakfast Club and Pretty In Pink. Nowadays, there’s Judd Apatow, of course. I could go on, but you get the idea....

We don’t do that here. Youthful rebellion, escapism, struggling to hold onto one’s dreams in the face of a cruel, uncaring world have always been depicted in grim, tragic terms, the “kitchen sink” dramas of the 60s, like Saturday Night, Sunday Morning (think Shameless without the comedy and sense of fun), or, more recently, Shane Meadows’ This Is England. For Americans, growing up can feel good, but on this side of the Atlantic, does growing up always have to be grim?

For the makers of Cemetery Junction, Ricky Gervais and his lanky cohort Stephen Merchant, the film came out of a sense that we could compete on an equal footing with the Americans. Thankfully, the results are beautiful, and joyous. The story revolves around three friends, first of all, Freddie Taylor (Christian Cooke), a handsome, sincere young man whose life is changing as he starts a new job working in door to door life insurance sales, after escaping from the factory his dad (Gervais) works in. Then there’s his friend, good looking bad boy Bruce Pearson (Tom Hughes), an angry young man who is popular with the ladies, quick with his fists, and likes a drink, not unlike his alcoholic father, with whom he often clashes. Finally, there’s Snork (Jack Doolan), the loveable loser of the bunch, who is a big miss with the ladies, and provides a lot of the comedy with his efforts.

While they go out, chasing girls, and getting into fights, their lives are changing, as Freddie realises he needs to leave the larking about and “grow up”, taking his new job seriously if he’s to have any chance of escaping his humble working class background. Things take a turn for the unexpected when it turns out the bosses daughter is none other than his childhood sweetheart, Julie, who is engaged to his new mentor at work, Regional Manager Matthew Goode, an evil misogynist who prays on the fears of the people he sells life insurance to.

As for Julie, she’s trapped in the backwards sexist attitudes of the time, given the old-fashioned values of her parents and husband to be, so when she shares her dreams of seeing the world with Freddie, sparks fly for both of them, and Freddie realises he needs to leave Reading to follow his dreams, rather than spend 40 years in a job he despises.

While the couple provide the romance of the piece, it’s Bruce that provides the heart, as his carefree demeanour hides a great deal of anger. While he spends his days working the factory, outside work his childish antics often take a turn for the worse. He constantly clashes with the local police, regularly ending up in the cells, while constantly taking his anger out on his father, all because he did not standing up to the man who his mother had an affair with.

Bruce dreams of leaving his dead-end life, but never does anything about it until Freddie says he’s had enough. Meanwhile Snork, dreaming of meeting foreign girls who won’t understand his terrible chat up lines, and leaving his job at the local railway station, Cemetery Junction, agrees. But will they, or won’t they find the courage to leave their small town lives behind?

While Cemetery Junction provides these likeable, familiar characters, who we care about, and a plot that feels familiar, there no major surprises or upsets, it’s the experience that makes it worth watching. In the end, Cemetery Junction is like those train journeys on sunny days you experienced as a child. Nothing unexpected or bad happens, the sights are nice, and it leaving you with a warm, good feeling inside. And given that, in Britain, the feelgood movies we do have usually involve the affluent, upper middle class world inhabited by characters played by bumbling toffs like Hugh Grant, to see the lives and dreams of ordinary people celebrated in a joyous, glorious manner, is very refreshing indeed.

Hack Rating: 4/5

Liveblogging :The Oscars, 2010!

2010-03-07T16:45:00.000-08:00

Hi People,

It's only the early hours of Monday March 8th here in England, and I may lose interest in this bullshit, but I'm going to do a bit of Oscars coverage.

00.42 GMT: The cunts covering this on E!Online are totally gaying out, and banging on about dresses, styles, and that sort of stuff.

00.44 Ryan Seacrest is talking to some bird from Ugly Betty, who is helping to present. He's dropping a huge, clunking hint that somebody who appears at a lot of awards ceremonies, including one this year, might be making an appearance. My gut instinct says RICKY GERVAIS.

00.47 US TV is on ad breaks. They keep showing adverts highlighting the tragedy of cervical cancer experienced by women, and advising that people go and see their doctor. What about the 40 million people in the US who don't have medical care cos they can't afford it?

00.48 We're back to the gayfest.Ugly Betty woman and her camp friend are complementing Meryl Streep on her dress. Sanity, in the form of Gerard Butler, prevails as the action switches to Seacrest interviewing him. Butler is explaining what a "moonie" (showing your arse) is to Seacrest.

00.50 Now it's turn for Jason Bateman. I'm off for a piss.

00.52 Finally he's interviewing someone decent. The Dude.

00.54 It's all too fleeting, and we're back with the cretin twins. They have some phone in result, suggesting George Clooney will win over Jeff Bridges for best actor. Having seen Clooney's performance in Up In The Air, I say, furry muff.

00.59 Cameron Diaz is on. Looking incredible, but she's more than just crumpet, fair play to her. Doing a cheezy skit about the Hollywood extended family of beautiful people, mind.

01.02. Switching now from the celebrity cuntfest on the red carpet stream, to the actual ceremony inside. Hopefully better returns.

01.04 Montage time. Following Sky movies coverage, with Claudia Winkleman. Man, she is hot.

01.05. I am being spoiled. She is joined by comedian / intellectual David Baddiel (not as shit as he is often depicted to be), Ronnie Ancona (just incredibly beautiful, and well spoken, and stuff), and some other cunt I don't know or care about. Oh no, actually, he does some movie stuff on British telly. He's half decent.

01.07 A VT tonight's Oscars are to be presented by Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. Both fairly decent blokes.

01.13.The panel are discussing the politics of Avatar vs Hurt Locker, and A Serious Man, etc.

01.15 Another VT, more analysis. Jeff Bridges for best male? My take, the Oscars are so out of touch, it takes them years to get round to recognising people. Jeff should have won for the Big Lebowski, so I think he'll get it now, fucking years later. The Travesty that was Mickey Rourke not getting it last year is mentioned.

1.22 I'm off for a piss again. Angela Griffin is looking hot and is on telly. She is "so in love" with Sarah Jessica Parker. I'd like to see that. Off for a piss. Again.

1.28. Ronnie Ancona does a great impression of a generic young female actress accepting an award in a histrionic style. Everyone around her responds with complete indifference and just moves on. Bloody fools.

1.30. Finally. That annoying, trashy no-business-like-show-business musak. It's showtime, ladies and gennelmen!

1.33 A fucking Song and dance musical theatre number with Doogie Houser MD. Fucksake.

1.35 End of the dance. The Double Act begins. They introduce each other.

1.36. Apparently 6,000 members of the Academy are polled for the awards. The duo seemed to be putting on their best Anglicised accents. Why is that?

1.42 The duo introduce most of the main contenders with a series of lame insults. The manage to set up the Cameron vs Bigelow battle, amongst other things. Alec Baldwin keeps putting on a faux English accent, for no good reason. A stream of lame gags, taking in the usual suspects. None of them particularly funny, and all within the accepted Hollywood conventions and parameters.Where is Ricky Gervais when you need him?

1.46. I saw Invictus recently and I can hardly remember it. They're showing the VT. I like Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, and Nelson Mandela for that matter but it was just not very good. Christopher Plumber is up there at the ripe old age of 80. I like that dude. Give it to him. Actually. I want Christopher Waltz to get it. He must. He will.

1.49 He Does. Surprise.He is incredibly kind and verbose as he thanks everyone else who was in Inglorious Basterds. Then off, according to this new rule limiting time. Fact is, he carried pretty much everyone in that movie, including Quentin Tarantino.

1.54. We're back with the Oscar panel here in England. I've just noticed this bunch are wearing tuxedos and dresses. I guess these award ceremonies bring out the social climbing, try-hards in everybody.

1.56. Steve Carrell, and Cameron Diaz present Animated films, I think. Diaz loses her way with the teleprompter. I shall skip the blonde jokes, as I think Diaz is pretty intelligent, and hell, who wouldn't be a bit flabbergasted by Oscar nite?

1.58. Shit VT with lots of animated pricks going on about being nominated for an Oscar.

1.59. I've seen fuck all of this, movie wise. Up wins. Fair play.There's something vaguely indie movie and alternative and rebellious about this category and the dude and the movie that won it. More of that, please.

2.01. Myley Cyrus is soooo hot. Jailbait.

2.05 It's good to see a VT of District 9, and to see Incvictus nominated, and Christoph Waltz win. Course, Slumdog sweeped the boards last year. It's good to see Oscars reaching out into the world, and go beyond the confines of the US, it makes them more relevant, I feel.

2.13 Vaguely mistifying fake Anglo accent from Baldwin, then the yummy Tina Fey comes on with Robert Downey. I refuse to call him Junior. There's just no need for it, frankly.

2.14. It strikes me as I see Brad Pitt's role in Inglorgious Basterds briefly in the VT for nominees that the horror of the violence-hungry character he plays is probably lost on US Audiences. Mark Boal wins for his script of The Hurt Locker. this was the only movie that escapes any moral evaluation of the US presence in Iraq made by Hollywood, and it is a huge critical success. What does that tell you?

2.18 Molly Ringwald and Matthew Broderick introduce and give their take on a memorial to John Hughes. Amen.

2.20. He captured the pain,the anger, the confusion, and the wonder of being young so beautifully. Probably better than anyone before or since. What a waste. Incredible VT.

2.23 Some of his most famous actors get on stage to thank him. MacCaulay Culkin has me breaking up, as he pauses. Wow.

2.24. Samuel L Jackson presents a VT. Maaaayn.. I need me a taaaasty Buuurger.

2.36 Some poor fucker is getting his 45 seconds of fame hijacked.

2.40 Ben Stiller is totally weirding me and everyone else out with his makeup as a Nav'i, with some dialect to match. completely WEIRD.

2.42. Star Trek wins for Makeup and stuff. Who 'king cares.

I am getting the feeling I'm on to diminishing returns. Plus, I've run out of booze. That's it for now.

Should the Brightest Female Star in the Hollywood Sky really be 19?

2010-02-06T08:34:00.000-08:00

Emma Watson, star of the Harry Potter movie franchise was yesterday named the highest paid female star in Hollywood, making £20 million including endorsements and advertising. The figure puts her above seasoned such as Angelina Jolie and Sarah Jessica Parker.

She came 14th in the Vanity Fair list of Tinseltown's highest earners.For me, looking at the list provides a shocking insight into the priorities of the film industry. Looking at the top 5 male earners, it includes Michael Bay ($125 million), and Steven Spielberg ($85 million), and is entirely comprised of producers and directors, men with gray hair, beards and paunches. The top 10 women in the list are incredibly beautiful, all actresses, all have fashion endorsments, and all make a fraction of what the men earn. While I wish the best of luck to the lovely Watson, I cant help but think her star will fade with age, and that is terribly, terribly sad.

If It's a sign of any kind of progress, the fact that Kathryn Bigalow has gained an Oscar nomination for her work as Director on The Hurt Locker, since the it appears the big money is behind the camera, shows that things are changing, albeit painfully slowly, in Tinseltown. Her nomination makes her only the fourth woman in history to gain this accolade, while she won the 2009 Directors' Guild of America's award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures, the first woman to win this prize, a further sign of progress. Here's to hoping that Hollywood goes further down the path of enlightenment sooner rather than later.

Vanity Fairs Top Male Earners in 2009:

1. Michael Bay, producer-director ($125 million)

2. Steven Spielberg, producer-director ($85 million)

3. Roland Emmerich, producer-director ($70 million)

4. James Cameron, producer-director ($50 million)

5. Todd Phillips, director ($44 million)

6. Daniel Radcliffe, actor ($41 million)

7. Ben Stiller, actor ($40 million)

8. Tom Hanks, actor ($36 million)

9. J. J. Abrams, producer-director ($36 million)

10. Jerry Bruckheimer, producer ($35.5 million)

Vanity Fair's Top Female Earners in 2009:

1. Emma Watson, actress ($30million)

2. Cameron Diaz, actress ($27million)

3. Sarah Jessica Parker, actress ($24million)

4. Katherine Heigl, actress ($24million)

5. Reese Witherspoon, actress ($21million)

6. Angelina Jolie, actress ($21million)

7. Jennifer Aniston, actress ($20million)

8. Sandra Bullock, actress ($20million)

9. Kristen Stewart , actress ($16million)

Best Movies Of The Noughties Pt. 1: Films 1 to 25

2010-02-04T14:46:00.000-08:00

So, with a new decade stretching before us, and a host of end of decade polls, I figured I'd add my own 2 cents on the subject. After scooting around, and reading various lists of the best films of the noughties (rubbish word for the decade, but it's all we have), I noticed a few glaring omissions.

The Times published a very popular list, which ranks highest in the google search. No 24 Hour Party People? No Igby Goes Down? Ahem. Ok, the latter is my a person fav of mine rather than a general classic, but a British list should surely include a film which documents the most important musical and cultural movement of the past 30 years in the post war UK.

Anyway, this is my list of the best movies from the past decade, and in it I have tried to balance what I think are objectively the best movies, while adding a few of my own personal favourites, and including some of the incredible contributions of world cinema, the likes of City Of God, and Infernal Affairs (though to be honest, I'm still learning and discovering the wonders that foreign language films have to offer, and consider myself an ignoramus on the subject, despite knowing a bit). Bear in mind, this is IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, and please feel free to let me know what you think, what I've missed and what I've clearly over-rated! Thanks guys...

1. The Departed: Scorsese directs, and an ensemble cast of amazing actors compete for his affections in a brilliant remake of the original Jap flick 'Infernal Affairs'. The result finally got the veteran moviemaker his first Oscar, after 3 decades of trying. Watch out for a prequel in the pipeline.

2. Training Day: Denzel Washington gives an Oscar-winning performance as corrupt LAPD narcotics detective Alonso, uttering the immortal lines "King kong ain't got shit on me", and, my person favourite, "this shit ain't checkers, it's chess". With a man shouting lines this good, it's surely a Scarface for the 21st century?

3. The Beach. Essentially flawed, but I couldn't help fall in love with this movie, as it captured a beautiful moment in the early noughties, when lots of young western people were discovering the wonders of South East Asia, and trying to capture a dream. I was one of them, so it meant something to me...

4. The Wrestler: It came late on, but Mickey Rourke's career-reviving portrayal of a washed-up wrestler was both tragic and moving, with excellent supporting performances including Marissa Tomei as an ageing lap dancer with a heart. It was robbed at the Oscars.

5. Avatar: Not much needs to be said about this billion dollar epic, which came right at the tail end of the decade, and will probably go onto define Hollywood aesthetics and special effects for some time to come, in the way that the first Matrix movie did a decade earlier.

6. LOTR Trilogy: Another special effects extravaganza, Peter Jackson's epic retelling of the J.R. Tolkien classic combined wonderful storytelling with compelling performances, and, erm, a little fella called Gollum. you'll never look at New Zealand the same way again.

7. Amores Perros. 3 cleverly intertwined stories taking place in Mexico city, exploring the manifold ways that love is indeed a bitch, and including a wonderful performance by a young Gabriel Garcia Bernal.

8. Igby Goes Down. A personal favourite of mine, Kieran Culkin, Macaulay's brother, in a brilliantly caustic social satire on the East coast upper classes, it has quite a resemblance to Catcher In The Rye, and a brilliant soundtrack. A cult classic of the decade, and one that it bound to be revived in the years to come.

9. In the Loop. Last year's first cinematic effort by Armando Iannucci and the team behind BBC's The Thick Of It. This has to have an award invented especially for it, for Best Swearing In A Movie Ever.

10. Bowling For Columbine. The noughties was surely the decade of the documentary, and Michael Moore's contributions were exceptional. Never less than highly polemical and partial, they drew criticism and praise in equal measure, but you could never doubt his sincerity.

11. There Will Be Blood. Young director Paul Thomas Anderson produced one of the greatest movies of the late 20th century when he made Magnolia, for me, and so it was always going to be a difficult job to top that achievement, but he managed it with this critique of American capitalism in the Wild West goldrush of the nineteeth century, with a brilliant performance from Daniel Day Lewis, and an approval rating of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.

12. Pan's Labyrinth. Guillermo Del Toro produces an exquisitely beautiful, dark fairytale of a movie, which works on so many levels, telling the story of a young girl who discovers a fantastic parallel world while in desperate circumstances after the Civil War in Franco's Spain.

13. Ratatouille. A Pixar movie about a rat who dreams of being a Parisian Chef. It sounds insane, but as a story, it's perfect, winning a near-perfect score of 96 on Metacritic.

14. City Of God: This 2002 movie took me to a world I'd never seen before, it's gritty documentary style and gripping narrative reveals how desperate and dangerous life is in the favellas of Rio De Janeiro. Based on a 1997 book by Paolo Lins, it won several international film awards, and for me, it's one of the best films of all time.

15. The Lives Of Others: This German-language thriller about life in Cold War East Germany deservedly won the 2007 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. Based on a true story, it tells the story of playwrights, actors and creatives living under the scrutiny of the Stasi in East Berlin. Any resemblance that Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds has to it is purely coincidental, ahem.

16. Anchorman :The Legend Of Ron Burgundy: The tale of a pusillanimous 70s TV news anchorman played by the delightfully idiotic Will Ferrell, whose world it turned upside down when the first ever female news reporter (Christina Applegate) joins the team in the macho world of News.

17. 28 Days Later: Danny Boyle may have come to the attention of much of the world with his Oscar smash Slumdog Millionaire in 2009, but he was building a reputation well before that. This 2002 zombie / post apocalyptic movie became a sleeper hit, and was famous for it's opening scenes, which show a deserted inner city London, and it's pioneering use of digital video cameras.

18. Children Of Men: Clive Owen and Julianne Moore inhabit a London of the near future where there has been a world crisis of fertility, and the populace live in a totalitarian state, when an illegal immigrant suddenly, mysteriously becomes pregnant. This film is worth watching for the way it looks alone, with the constantly moving documentary-style camera work and rich detail of a dilapidated England of the future, as well as a mean-ass cameo from Michael Caine as a weed-growing hippie.

19. The Dark Knight: Heath Ledger won all the plaudits for his disturbed, brilliant portrayal of The Joker in this Batman Begins sequel, but the film is so much more than that, including an interesting allegory with the War On Terror, and excellent direction from Christopher Nolan.

20. Lost In Translation: Romantic comedies are notoriously uncool, but Sofia Coppola's dreamy story of 2 very different strangers who fall in love in Tokyo was entrancing and enchanting, and it was the film that turned Scarlett Johansson into a worldwide star.

21. Gladiator: Blade Runner director Ridley Scott revived his critical fortunes with this "swords and sandals" historical epic, which harked back to a golden age of movie making. Oh, and Russell Crowe shouts a lot and looks scary.

22. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kaazakhstan: Sacha Baron Cohen's comic creation Borat exposes bigotry and anti-semitism in this documentary-style comedy which was followed by a trail of lawsuits and controversy, which just added to its' huge box-office success.

24. Casino Royale: Daniel Craig's ruthless, steel-eyed Bond swapped campness for killer instinct in this brilliant reboot of the indefatigable James Bond franchise, with a captivatingly seductive performance from Eva Green, though the follow up, the disappointing Quantum of Solace was more a coda than a movie of its' own.

25. No Country For Old Men: the Coen brothers sucked hairy balls with their comedy Burn After Reading, but more than made up for it with this cat-and-mouse chase across the desert, with cold-blooded Javier Bardem managing to be menacing, despite having a silly Emo Philips haircut.

Oscar Nominations 2010

2010-02-03T10:40:00.000-08:00

So, the nominations for this years' 82nd academy awards have been announced, and as usual, there are few surprises. Not much in the way of comedy, and there is a preference for worthy, preachy movies with lots of hammy acting (you know who you are The Blind Side and Precious). But the odd decent film, like Armando Iannucci's caustic political satire In The Loop has thankfully managed to sneak through.

Reaffirming Hollywood's ability to win stuff on it's own turf after last years' big shock with Slumdog Millionaire, I predict a big sweep by James Cameron's Avatar. As previously predicted by myself, The Hurt Locker's gritty documentary style portrayal of life on the front line of bomb disposal in Iraq has won fans in the Academy, setting up a rather juicy confrontation for director Kathryn Bigelow with her former husband James Cameron. And of course, there's a big noise going for Sandra Bullocks' performance in The Blind Side.

I'm glad to see Austrian Christoph Waltz in there for his show (and heart) stopping performance as Colonel Landa in Inglourious Basterds, and District 9, with its' South Africa location taking it outside the usual Academy Award territory.
Here are the nominations in full, with a 'H' for my Hack bet for who will win:

Best Picture

Avatar 'H'

The Blind Side

District 9

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

A Serious Man

Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

Up in the Air

Best Director

Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker 'H'

James Cameron – Avatar

Lee Daniels – Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

Jason Reitman – Up in the Air

Quentin Tarantino – Inglourious Basterds

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart as Bad Blake

George Clooney – Up in the Air as Ryan Bingham

Colin Firth – A Single Man as George Falconer

Morgan Freeman – Invictus as Nelson Mandela

Jeremy Renner – The Hurt Locker as Sgt. William James 'H'

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock – The Blind Side as Leigh Anne Tuohy 'H'

Helen Mirren – The Last Station as Sofya Tolstoy

Carey Mulligan – An Education as Jenny Miller

Gabourey Sidibe – Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire as Clarieece "Precious" Jones

Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia as Julia Child

Best Supporting Actor

Matt Damon – Invictus as François Pienaar

Woody Harrelson – The Messenger as Capt. Tony Stone

Christopher Plummer – The Last Station as Leo Tolstoy

Stanley Tucci – The Lovely Bones as George Harvey

Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds as Col. Hans Landa 'H' (pictured)

Best Supporting Actress

Penélope Cruz – Nine as Carla Albanese

Vera Farmiga – Up in the Air as Alex Goran 'H'

Maggie Gyllenhaal – Crazy Heart as Jean Craddock

Anna Kendrick – Up in the Air as Natalie Keener

Mo'Nique – Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire as Mary Lee Johnston

Best Original Screenplay

The Hurt Locker – Mark Boal

Inglourious Basterds – Quentin Tarantino

The Messenger – Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman

A Serious Man – Joel Coen and Ethan Coen 'H'

Up – Tom McCarthy, Bob Peterson and Pete Docter

Best Adapted Screenplay

District 9 – Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell

An Education – Nick Hornby

In the Loop – Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Ianucci and Tony Roche

Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire – Geoffrey Fletcher

Up in the Air – Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Best Animated Feature

Coraline – Henry Selick

Fantastic Mr. Fox – Wes Anderson

The Princess and the Frog – Ron Clements and John Musker

The Secret of Kells – Tomm Moore

Up – Pete Docter 'H' (pictured left)

Best Foreign Language Film

Ajami (Israel) in Arabic and Hebrew – Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani

El Secreto de Sus Ojos (Argentina) in Spanish – Juan José Campanella

The Milk of Sorrow (Peru) in Spanish and Quechua – Claudia Llosa

A Prophet (France) in French, Corsican and Arabic – Jacques Audiard 'H'

The White Ribbon (Germany) in German – Michael Haneke

'Moon' Review (Dir Duncan Jones) 2009

2010-02-03T02:28:00.001-08:00

There's nothing like a bit of old-fashioned futurism. Back in the 70s and early 80s, cinema produced a series of science fiction movies that not only excited the eyes and ears of the public, but captured their imagination, dealing with powerful, challenging issues raised by the anticipated shock of man's mastery of the physical and biological universe, environmental disaster, and the rapid advancement of technology. Whether it was Alien, Kubrick's 2001 or Ridley Scott's poetic visual masterpiece Blade Runner, moviemakers were capturing a golden (space) age of cinema. Sadly it wasn't to last.

Roll on today, to the execrable crashes and bangs of Michael Bay's Transformers, and people, or at least movie executives that call the shots, prefer pure spectacle to being challenged to ponder the big questions of mans' place in the big scheme of things. James Cameron's Avatar being the billion-dollar exception that proves the rule, of course.

Child of the 70s Duncan Jones (and son of the Man Who Fell to Earth and original space cadet, David Bowie) has created what in many ways is a love letter to that lost age of sci-fi. The action sees Sam Bell (played by Sam Rockwell, pictured), an employee of Lunar Industries alone working a 3 year contract on the far side of the moon, extracting a rare, precious mineral required for clean energy back on earth. His only company is the a robot voiced by Kevin Spacey, whos reassuring voice nannys Sam like Red Dwarf's Kryten, while at the same time appearing to manipulate him, like 2001's Hal 9000. What is he hiding?

The story begins with Sam coming to the end of his time on the moon. He is like a spacebound Robinson Crusoe, having forged a life for himself building matchstick models to entertain himself and occupy his mind, when he begins experiencing a series of visions, which raise his suspicion, causing him to investigate matters, and, well, I can't share much more without giving the story away, but suffice to say, the situation, and indeed, he himself, is not who he thinks he is.

A recurring theme of movies this type is the corrosive effect corporate greed can have, rejecting the sanctity of life for the cold comfort of the financial bottom line, and in this sense, Moon is very much reminiscent of flicks like Blade Runner, and Alien : large economic forces are at work, abusing technology at the expense of social norms, forcing people to act in ways that are contrary to their human instinct, and regardless of the cost of human life. in Blade Runner, Deckard is made to "retire" replicants despite emerging understanding that they are capable of something approaching humanity, in Aliens - corporations want to capture and use the aliens for biological warefare, as a product to be researched, harnessed, and sold, irrespective of the expense of human lives lost in the process. Here, minerals from the moon must be mined at minimum cost to the business, even if it means repeatedly (*****PLOT SPOILER HERE***) cloning the one individual trained and capable to do the job.

There's little in the way of overt "action", but Moon still manages to be completely engaging for its' entirety. The on screen interest lies not in explosions and effects, but in an incredible performance by Sam Rockwell, which must surely be worth of an Oscar nomination. He has hitherto ploughed a furrow in indie flicks (he pops up in Blow and Frost/Nixon), and the odd big budget movie (remember Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?), but largely as an unremarkable, but excellent character actor in secondary roles. Here, he is the movie, and what he achieves is incredible. (***MORE PLOT SPOILING***) Through his exploration of the various iterations of the character of Sam Bell, he explores brilliantly the nature of the human experience, provoking existential questions. What makes us who we are? Is it our memories? Our emotions? Our relationships with other people? Or our experiences?

In conclusion then, Moon is a truly wonderful movie, and though I suspect the Oscar interest this season will go the way of movies like The Hurt Locker, Up, and Up In The Air, for me this is by far more superior to any of the obvious candidates.

Hack Rating 5/5

Best Films of 2009 : Moon (Dir. Duncan Jones)

2010-01-31T12:34:00.000-08:00

Best Movies of 2009

2010-01-16T17:05:00.000-08:00

So, 2009 was a fascinating year in the movies. It ended spectacularly with Avatar, with some light relief from In the Loop there in the middle, and so much fun with Funny People. Notice I deliberated didn't mention summer turkey Transformer 2. Oh balls, I did. With my eye on the Oscars and the Golden Globes (to be presented by our very own Ricky Gervais, pictured), here's my top flicks for the last year of the noughties....

1. The Hangover: Not quite as good as it could have been but nevertheless one of the most fun movies of the year, a Vegas caper tale with lots of hi jinks thrown in.
2. In The Loop : Malcolm "shouty bloke" Tucker wonders round Whitehall tearing his hair out at Minsterial incompetence, with the bonus of a stateside cast including James Gandolfini in the run up to a fictional war somewhere in the Middle East. Lots and lots of joyous, emphatic and wonderful swearing.
3. Avatar: Special effects extravaganza from James Cameron turned out to not suck despite looking like a giant turkey in the trailer. He didn't scrimp on the script either, and the result is probably going to be the biggest grossing movie ever, beating the record he set with Titanic.
4. Funny People: Surprisingly insightful character drama described as a comedy, with a bit of satire on Hollywood thrown in, all about a hit Hollywood comedian-actor, who's life is turned upside down when he is diagnosed with cancer. No, it's not depressing, but Judd Apatow is going to have to stop going over familiar ground soon......
5. State Of Play: Classy US remake of the brilliant BBC drama minseries, turning into a movie on the grand tradition of Washington-based political conspiracy movies.
6. Taking Of Pelham 123: Somewhat underrated by reviews, this actually didn't suck, and John Travolta made a pretty good, scary baddie.
7. The Wrestler: a bravura acting performance from a broken down ol' piece of meat.
8. The Damned United: Sheen Does it again, this time with a quip-perfect Brian Clough, in movie of Dave Peaces' novel about Ol Big Ed's disasterous spell as manager of Leeds United.
9. Up In The Air: George Clooney satirises his off screen persona in this recession comedy about an executive who loves corporate loyalty cards, air miles and travellling first class more than he loves people. Quite likely to win something in this awards season....
10. Frost/Nixon: Michael Sheen plays slippery, lightweight David Frost in out of his depth, in this Ron Howard directed flick that was described as being "Rocky" for journalists, giving "Tricky Dicky" the trial he never had.
11. Moon: Brillant throwback sci-fi movie, harking back to the likes of 2001, Blade Runner, Alien, and Dark Star, directed by Duncan Jones (son of David Bowie), and with a truly incredibly performance from Sam Rockwell, who carries a whodunnit/ghost story/character drama. Totally different from anything else that came out this past year, and refreshing for it.

I also enjoyed Star Trek, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Gran Torino and District 9. My money's on Up In The Air, The Road, Up, and perhaps Inglourious Basterds. I'm also now realising that there's a distinct lack of foreign movies in my list, something I shall endevour to rectify this year! Anyway, best of luck, especially to Ricky Gervais with presenting the ceremony tomorrow, despite the fact that The Invention Of Lying sucked....

Best Films of 2009: The Hurt Locker (Dir. Kathryn Bigelow)

2010-01-02T13:19:00.000-08:00

The Hurt Locker is the most recent attempt at capturing events in the current US / Allied occupation of Iraq, following the toppling of Saddam Hussein from power in 2003. Depicting war is a tricky and difficult task, always raising questions of authenticity: It takes years, sometimes decades, for an accurate appraisal of the war as a political, moral and historical event, and perhaps we're too close to events in this recent middle east altercation to really get to the truth.

What I've been hoping for, if I'm honest, in relation to this current conflict, is an angry portrayal of it as the poorly thought-out, badly executed, and morally vacuous action it is, leading to the death of over 100,000 Iraqis. It would be good to finally see the implicating of political leaders like Bush and Blair as power-hungry Neo-Con meglomaniacs, and the true motivation being a cash bonanza for oil companies and defence contractors, the old military-industrial complex that was at fault for Vietnam, not the non-existent "weapons of mass destruction".

The Hurt Locker isn't that movie. One of last year's most critically acclaimed movies was written by freelance writer Mark Boal, who spent time emedded in an American bomb disposal squad in war-torn Iraq. The result is a mixture of action thriller and cinema verite. It follows a bomb disposal unit as they are sent out each day to diffuse bombs, praying to come back intact, and counting each minute until make it to the end of their tour of duty. When their much admired leader (a brief, excellent cameo from Guy Pearce) dies on a disposal mission, Lt James (Jeremy Renner, pictured above) is drafted in to take over as their leader and disposal expert. But James is unstable, and rather than wanting to stay alive, he's a "wildman", more intent on going for glory, and living off the heady intoxication of enemy contact, and the dangers of being blown up. His wreckless ways put him at odds with his team, and Sgt JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) in particular, as they put themselves at risk with each mission, coming closer and closer to death each time.

While there are stabs at putting the actions of these aggressive, macho grunts in a political context (Lt James arrives to base to discover it has changed names from Camp Liberty to Camp Victory), it is the madness of humanity in these insanity-inducing conditions that becomes the point of focus, the kind of stuff well-captured in Apocalypse Now. War is seen as a dangerous lark for boys, an exciting rush, "fun", as one soldier calls it on the one hand, but the reality of constant fear, mistrust of every foreign face, and death is never far away. It's a disturbing but exhilerating experience, and the attention to detail by Boal and Bigelow is to be applauded, as the personalities of the actors ring true as they clash, as risks are taken, tempers fray, and people die.

However, The Hurt Locker ends in an unsatisfactory manner for me, incomplete, one that would not satiate the publics' desire for a jingoistic action thriller, nor mine for a moral inventory of the conflict. Having said that, it's the most compelling, authentic portrayal of the Iraq war and its' aftermath to date, to be viewed as experiential rather than moral, and for that reason, it warrants viewing, and if predictions are to be believed, it's certainly worth watching out for at this years' Oscars.

Hack Rating: 3.5/5

The Hurt Locker - Trailer
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The Movie Premiere Of The Year : AVATAR

2009-11-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

Some movies come with a bit of hype. This one comes with so much, you might think it was the second coming of Christ. Well, sort of. But after seeing the trailer for the James Camerons' new movie Avatar, it looks like it might actually justify the hype.

Cameron is the director that bought us Aliens, the second movie in the Alien quadrilogy, and considered by name critics to be the best. Add to that the first two Terminator movies, and the enourmous commercial success of late 90s Winslet/Decaprio vehicle Titanic, and you have a master of big budget, visual extravaganzas.

Avatar is his first venture into directing since Titanic, with a whopping budget of $200 million dollars, and the prospect of it being shown in 3D in some theatres. The movie will make use of a modern version of motion capture techniques similar to those used by Robert Zemekis in The Polar Express, and the director, who originally wrote an 80 page script for the film back in 1994, has insisted he had to wait until now for the technology available to be true to his artistic vision. As well as being visually stunning, and full of action, Cameron, will be exploring themes of the kind that made his previous movies such a special combination of action and thought-provoking sci-fi. From what you can see in the trailer, the movie can be viewed as a metaphor for American Imperialism, and a comment on man's greed and the current climate crisis, as humans seek to mine a planet with precious mineral resources, intending to infiltrate and kill the native population who stand in their way, as he explained earlier this year at Comic Con 2009, "the humans in the film, even though there are some good ones salted in, represent what we know to be the parts of ourselves that are trashing our world and maybe condemning ourselves to a grim future.". It's also refreshing to have a central character in Australian Sam Worthington (last seen in Terminator Salvation), who is wheelchair bound, playing a marine called Jake Sully who has been wounded in combat on Earth. While this all sounds great, and the trailer looks good, let's hope it's a triumph of moviemaking, and not a hilarious big budget turkey in the vein of Battlefield Earth or The Postman.

Official Avatar Movie

London Film Festival Roundup

2009-10-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

As the 53rd London Film Festival winds up today, it announced the winner of it's inaugural Best Film award to be french prison flick Un Prophete (starring Tahar Rahim, pictured), which follows the story of a young Arab man who ends up spending six years behind bars. The forthcoming adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's post apocalypic novel The Road, which stars Viggo Mortsensen and Charlize Theron was also shown at the festival, was also singled out, recieving praise from a jury which included Angelica Huston and Jarvis Cocker.

Best British Newcomer went to Jack Thorne (formerly a writer on Channel 4 program Skins), the screenwriter responsible for coming of age story The Scouting Book For Boys.

Tonight, the closing night, includes a showing of Nowhere Boy, a biopic about John Lennon's childhood, and his difficult relationship with his aunt aunt and mother, as well as his friendship with a certain Paul McCartney. The movie stars David Morrisey and Kristin Scott-Thomas.

This year's Festival has been bigger than ever, screening over 200 films, with appearances by the likes of George Clooney, the Coen Brothers, John Hurt (who was awarded a BFI fellowship), and Bill Nighy, as well as a host of newcomers. On receipt of the award, Hurt told journalists, "For me, the BFI is the heart of British cinema," Hurt said. "I consider it the highest honour possible to be awarded a Fellowship."

The All New A-Team

2009-10-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

However unlikely it may be that the remake lives up to the original, the first press images of next years' A Team movie have been released (click the piccie to get up close and personal). Starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper (from the Hangover, reviewed below), Quinton Jackson and Sharlto Copley (District 9), shooting for the movie got underway last month, and the team, who, as you may remember, escaped from a maximum security stockade while under arrest for a crime they didn't commit, will be joined by Jessica Biel. It remains to be seen if B A Baracus will forced to get in a plane, but chances are, he probably will, though writer Michael Brandt has suggested a less camp, more serious, character driven movie, referencing The Bourne Identity, Die Hard, and Casino Royale. Watch this space.

FlashForward

2009-10-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, autumn, autumn. The leaves are going brown and falling from the trees, the days are shorter and colder, it's back to school and college for many of us, and the festive hat trick of Bonfire night, Halloween and Xmas awaits. Oh, and everyone is indoors, huddled around their TVs to enjoy a packed autumn schedule, which , aside from the X-Factor and Strictly, this year once more bring us another raft of big US TV dramas. This time it's Generation Kill (C4) from the makers of The Wire, ultra-cool vampire series True Blood (C4), Stargate Universe (Sky 1), with the return of much loved series Heroes and Lost to follow next year.

Then there's FlashForward, a new series premièring on Monday nights on Channel , which is based on a 1999 novel by Canadian writer Robert J Sawyer who devised the show along with co-creator David Goyer (writer of The Dark Knight, and Blade: The Series, amongst other things), and and Brannon Braga (24). The major league pedigree is complete with a cast which includes top notch British actors, as usual, this time in the form of Joseph Fiennes who plays FBI agent and recovering alcoholic Mark Benford, his wife Olivia (Sonya Walger, an escapee from Lost), somewhat bizarrely, Jack Davenport, best known to older viewers as posh toff Miles from ground breaking nineties drama This Life, and more recently the Pirates of The Caribbean movies. With American John Cho (last seen rolling an enormous joint as Harold in the Harold and Kumar movies), and, somewhere in the first season, an appearance by former Hobbit and hairy-faced Mancunian Dominic Monaghan also in the cast, the list of vaguely familiar faces is complete.

The show is clearly a contender hoping to follow in the footsteps of the televisual behemoth that is the ratings and critical success of Lost, and as such, it is centred around a “high-concept” premise ; everyone in the world has blacked out for precisely 2 minutes and 17 seconds, with many experiencing a dream like vision, which turns out to be a “Flash Forward” to where they will individually find themselves 6 months from now, at 10pm on 29th April 2010. Such an inscrutable mystery poses countless questions, which will no doubt be strung out over countless episodes with not much resolution and more questions than answers. Thankfully, frustrated fans of Lost will be glad to know that the makers promise it will be nowhere near as convoluted as the show it hopes to replace in their affections.

In the early shows, we have already found that the central character of Mark Benford has envisioned his descent back into alcoholism, the collapse of his marriage, and his future role as an investigator of the mystery posed by these visions. As the FBI officers struggle to make sense of the ensuing global crisis, they have set up a website, Mosaic, for people to describe and compile their visions, to see if they correspond. Meanwhile, Marks' surgeon wife Olivia is disturbed to find the man with which she has had visions of having an affair walk into the hospital where she works, and Benfords' partner Dimitri (Cho) is troubled that he has no visions at all : in this future, is he alive? Are these visions of the future “real”? And who is the mysterious man clad in black, caught on CCTV walking through a baseball stadium in Detroit, while all around him, and the world over, everyone else has blacked out?

Flash Forward continues on Mondays, 9pm on Five.

'The Hangover' Review

2009-10-04T01:12:00.000-07:00

Another bromance movie following in the Hollywood tradition of recent years, The Hangover stands at the crossroads between 2 hollywood genres - the "what stays in Vegas" movie, and the road trip movie, as 4 male friends go away for a weekend of pre-wedding debauchery, but end up losing the groom and the plot. Indeed director and co-writer Todd Phillips' first feature was in fact 2000's Road Trip, and his second was the hilarious 'Old School', and it particularly shares the latters theme of misbehaving buddies old enough to know better.

The girls are an afterthought, either villains, super bitches, or sweet caring and perfect like Heather Graham's hot stripper/mom. But the accusations of mysogyny are missing the point. This movie's not about the girls, but the friendships between the dudes.

If the territory is familar, the execution is not without its' charms. In particular, the charming weirdness of Alan, Tracy's brother, with his fat Jesus appearance and his sweet, innocent yet insane personality (Zach Galifianakis) a counterpoint to the worldly cool of Bradly Cooper's Phil, and geeky dentist Stu (played by Ed Helms). These 3 musketeers spend most of the movie trying to piece together what happens the night before (when Zach's character accidently slipped them all a date rape drug instead of Ecstasy), which somehow involves a real life tiger, an actual baby, a missing family heirloom/wedding ring belonging to Stu, and the mysterious disappearance of their friend and husband-to-be Doug (Justin Bartha).

As road movies go, The Hangover is a fun ride, hitting all the right notes with such fun ingredients, including a cameo from an air-drumming Mike Tyson, but the film never quite lives up to its' potential, and is likely to provoke laughter among the more literal-minded American viewers at which it is aimed, as the US reviews of this movie largely confirm. For the more discerning British viewer, however, some goofy ingredients like a tiger, a hooker with a wedding ring and date rape drugs will not compensate for the hit and miss humour of the movie, and a slight shortage of wittier banter or richer characterisation. For me, Phil isn't enough of a bastard, Stu isn't enough of a dork, and Alan could be just a touch weirder - in the directors' similar former movie Old School, the characters played by likes of Owen Wilsion, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn are just bigger and brasher, making for more fun.

The Hangover, then ; like a great breakfast with some awesome ingredients after a great, messy night out, only slightly undercooked.

Hack Rating 3/5

It's Been Too Long!

2009-07-16T15:18:00.001-07:00

Ok, it's not you, it's me. I have been away, pursuing another of my passions for the past few months, and neglected this fine blog, started with such enthusiasm. Shame to waste all that effort....

I have however, diligently been watching films throughout the year, and I'd like to give you a flavour of what I've been seeing and loving....

1. Magnolia (1999). Intrigued by the movie since I caught a moment of it on TV a few months ago, I was absolutely blown away by this, and particularly Tom "Respect the cock" Cruises' killer performance as a angry, mysogynist self help/sex guru, at the heart of the movie. With an ensemble cast and something like 12 different, connected narratives, this is ambitious film making from a young director (Paul Thomas Anderson) who had just completed Boogie Nights to much acclaim. There's much more to it than just Cruises' performance though. The sheer ambition, confidence, and balls of the film making is worthy of props, with a randomly interspersed musical number in the middle, and a bravely arbitrary, yet poetic ending "shit happens" ending. As the movie says "We may be through with the past, but the past ain't through with us".

2. Total Recall (1990). I know. An Arnie movie surely doesn't deserve respect? Well, my opinion of the man is being reformed as I reconsider his work now, as an adult. With limited acting ability, he made the most of his skills in Terminator, and, a couple of years later, this similarly futuristic / sc-fi dystopia flick. Based on seminal writer Philip K Dick's "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale", as a kid I completely missed the subtle moments of symmetry in this, where dream and reality are played off against each other throughout, and the duality keeps you guessing what's really going on. This got me thinking that Dick's contribution to Hollywood has been massive, from Blade Runner, To I, Robot, Minority Report, the list goes on. Genius, even if it looks hugely date now.

3. Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). I made it my job to sop up the last of the big movies I had missed from Oscar season, and finally got round to this one, which failed at the last hurdle against Slumdog Millionaire, which ended up sweeping this years' awards - it seems like a lifetime ago already. Having seen both, Slumdog is clearly the better movie, though both are somewhat flawed, the latter is less so. Watching Brad Pitt, a major handsome Hollywood star do "ugly", like so many Oscar hunters before him, isn't enough.

The essential premise of a man who is born old and grows young as those around him die is in some ways pointless - it would have made no difference if he had lived his life forwards, the poignant moments of the story would still work the same, and the themes of bereavement, love, and value of each human life would still come through. Still, an enjoyable movie. and worth it partly for the exquisite aesthetics, courtesy of David Fincher, who previously worked with Pitt on mutually their most famous flick, Fight Club.

4. Hard Eight (aka Syndey) (1996). Paul Thomas Anderson's low key debut, I chased this up since, after Magnolia, I'd seen and enjoyed everything he's done in his career, from the seedy glamour of Boogie Nights, to 2008 Oscar winner There Will Be Blood. I'd began to draw some conclusions, self evident stuff. Each film is ultimately a dissection of family, and a critique of patriarchy. Magnolia in particular is the work of someone who is very, very angry at Daddy.

Hard Eight sees a young John C Reilly taken in by father figure Phillip Baker Hall, a classy retiree who teaches him how to work the slot machines and tables in Vegas to find a day's food and board. Hall though, isn't as benevolent as he seems, and behind his kindness lies a guilty secret, in this noir-ish tale, which sees Gywyneth Paltrow and Samuel L Jackson play against type. Paltrow is a cocktail waitress who moonlights as a prostitute, while Jackson is intriguing as as insecure, easily slighted low-level hood who lives among the seedy motels and darkened restaurants of Vegas. A big ask, particularly as only a year earlier in Pulp Fiction he had played possibly the cockiest, coolest, afro-wearing, gun slingin dude in movie history. Hard Eight is a subtle pleasure, slow moving, and compelling.

Well, it's getting late. This past few months, I also enjoyed:

1. Sunshine (2004, Danny Boyle). 7/10
2. The Lives Of Others (2006) 9/10
3. The Wave / Die Welle (2007). 7/10
4. Gran Torino (2008). 8/10
5. Groundhog Day. 8/10
6. Step Brothers. 7/10
7. Role Models. 6/10.
8. Punch Drunk Love. 6/10.
9. RocknRolla. 5/10.
10. The Wrestler. 9/10.
11. Tyson. 6/10.
12. He's Just Not That Into You. (2008). 4/10.
13. Frost/Nixon. 7/10.
14. Paths Of Glory. 8/10.
15. On The Waterfront. 8/10.
16. Slumdog Millionaire 7/10.

Best Movies Of The Nineties : Pulp Fiction

2008-12-09T06:45:00.000-08:00

Quentin Tarantino's sophmore 1994 outing has become an iconic, much quoted reference point of an ironic, self-aware decade. Much like Nirvana did in the world of music, it's indie excellence spawned a host of inferior imitators for many years after (Lucky Number Slevin, anyone?), and proved that a great movie could be made outside of major studio patronage.

While the former video store geek turned film maker rejuvenated the film career of John Travolta (a middle aged white man rarely looked so cool) and, to a lesser extent, Bruce Willis, Pulp Fiction also made household names of Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson with their excellent performances, allowing us to forgive a brief execrable turn from the writer-director himself. Oh, and Christopher Walken delivers a hilarious cameo as a former Vietnam vet who goes to far beyond the call of duty to deliver a very special watch.

Key to Tarantino's unique directorial voice was his purposeful use of non-linear narrative, sparkling, witty dialogue and obsessional attention to detail, particularly with reference to the canon of both great movies like the work of Hitchcock, and the pulp, genre movies that formed his filmic education and give the movie its' title. While we are introduced to a world of small-time hired thugs, drug dealers, thieves and other stock low-life, they behave in unexpected ways, from verbosely discussing the meaning of a foot massage, to quoting the bible when executing a foe.

And whether it's Jackson chomping on a Big Cahuna Burger, or Travolta ordering a pack of Red Apple cigs in a bar (both fictional brands appear in other movies by the director), there is evidence throughout of a revelling in attention to detail in every aspect of Pulp Fiction that shows it to be a labour of love by Tarantino, and since the film routinely charts highly in best movie of all time lists, it seems to prove that the geek shall indeed inherit the earth.

Best Movies Of The Nineties: 'Fight Club' Review (1999)

2008-11-25T03:10:00.000-08:00

The final year of the nineties spawned several movies which consciously or otherwise, attempted to capture the zeitgeist, and Fight Club, alongside The Matrix, is perhaps the most pre-eminent in this respect. David Fincher's study of masculinity and alienation from consumer culture set new boundaries for aesthetics and effects in cinema, bringing the visual stylistics familiar to MTV audiences to a bear on the major spiritual and philosophical questions of the day. "We have no Great War, no Great Depression," insists Brad Pitt's infamous, violent but verbose character Tyler Durden. "Our great war is a spiritual war, our great depression is our lives” in a clarion call that spoke authentically to a generation who would go on to question the impact of modern capitalism on the environment and the developing world in the decade followed.

Described by the director and cast as a black satire, the action begins with Edward Norton as a
bored, insomniac insurance loss-adjuster, who gets bonuses the less his companies pays out to the injured, going about his job, as he begins to question his meaningless existence. A chance meeting with soap salesman Tyler Durden (Pitt) leads to a close friendship which shakes him out of his alienation, while Helena Bonham Carters' crazed goth chick strikes up a relationship with his newfound friend, leading to a confounding love triangle that isn't what it seems.

The release of the film was distracted by concern and controversy over copycat “Fight Clubs” being started across the US, in much a similar fashion to the media debacle that accompanied the release of Stanley Kubricks' A Clockwork Orange two decades earlier. An underwhelming box office performance and mixed reviews on the film's release were however later reappraised in light of the film's second life on DVD as the story found a cult audience, going onto become of the most loved films in recent years. Some of the most quotable lines in movie history helped, as did a highly unique visual style developed by Fincher, which went on to influence countless directors in its' aftermath. Oh, and you'll never look at a bar of soap the same way again.....

Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Review

2008-10-31T03:21:00.000-07:00

Harrison Ford returned to the big screen this summer as the daring adventurer/ part time archaeologist to much anticipation, after, wait for it, a 19 year hiatus since the last installment of the franchise, back in 1989. I was still in school. Happy days. A generation of movie goers have grown up without the joys of seeing the old-fashioned hero escaping at the last minute, beating unreasonable odds, and confronting other-wordly terrors. It's time they got an education, and Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford and George Lucas have not disappointed.

I have a confession to make at this point. Truth be told, I grew up on Indiana Jones. I probably watched Raiders of The Lost Ark over 50 times when I was between 9 and 13. The Temple of Doom was a poor follow-up which didn't grab me as much, but the third instalment with its' Nazis and saving the world plot had me gripped again. To have been deprived of the series for the last 2 decades has left me feeling cheated, but I was certainly not disappointed on seeing Ford return in the eponymous role of my boyhood dreams.

So, I'm probably a little biased when I say that I loved this new episode. For fans, it has all the familiar aspects that one would expect, but with some fun twists and subtle differences. There is the Crystal Skull – a mythic object with untold powers. However, although it is linked to an ancient civilisation in the form of the Myans, this time it's ultimate source is from outer space, a theme in keeping with the fifties, that forms the background for this new story. As such, the bad guys this time are Russians, rather than the Nazis that made such compelling baddies in earlier episodes. Taking place in a decade upon which the spectre of nuclear holocaust loomed large over America, the film also touches on this tricky subject and makes it clear that the great world war has now been replaced by a cold war.

With Ford back in the title role at the age of 64, it's fascinating to watch how he carries it off, drawing attention to and having fun with the comic possibilities of his ageing frame, rather than glossing over it. Shia Leboef also holds his own as Jones' heir apparent, styled in the image of Marlon Brando in The Wild One, simultaneously signalling to the viewer that it is a decade since WWII, and the world is moving on. The tension between the two characters provides a great deal of the films' conflict, as the older figure struggles to accept the young upstart, and vice versa. Lucas always said that Jones was a partly a tribute to the matinee shows of the 30s, and part James Bond. Given the ongoing nature of the latter, it seems only fitting that the film clearly leaves open the door for the younger actor to take on the mantle of the great adventurer over from Ford in future films.

The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is also fascinating for kids who grew up on in the eighties on a diet of Spielberg and Lucas movies for the way in which it ties together major themes from their movies. By bringing together their fascination for sci-fi seen in movies like Star Wars and Close Encounters with the fascination with ancient cultures depicted in earlier Indiana movies, this film provides an interesting commentary on their previous work, uniting it in an unexpected and interesting way.

In the end, while Lucas worked hard on the three Star Wars prequels in the past decade, I felt that they were largely poor and diminished the franchise. In the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull on the other hand, Lucas, Spielberg and Ford have made us wait two decades for a film which, while not perfect, is the belated ending that fans deserved. Although I wonder how the old-fashioned cinematic values and narrative will be percieved by a younger audience, as a fan myself, I loved every minute of it.

Life On Mars....US?

2008-10-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

So, last Thursday US Network ABC broadcast the American version of the British made international hit series, Life On Mars. As a fan of the time travel story / police procedural, I thought I'd sneek a peek at their version, especially given that no less than Harvey Keitel is in the much loved Philip Glenister role of no nonsense 70s cop.

On the whole, the first episode was largely faithful to the original to a great degree, sharing pretty much the same plot, similar dialogue (minus some of the more extreme stuff that, while ok for hardened UK audiences, probably doesn't cut it with sensitive US advertisers and their sensibilities), and even a lot of visual similarities. Some of the same camera shots at key moments, Sam Tyler's natty leather jacket, and the office of the police station were identical. Makers must have been keen to capture and distill the magic that made the original so loved by audiences across the world.

Sam Tyler is played by Irishman Jason O'Mara in this version, who does a creditable performance as the confused policeman who is run over in a car accident in 2008, and mysteriously wakes up in 1973. The local references of 70s Manchester were transferred to flower power Noo Yawk faithfully, with a background of Vietnam, beautiful people and a funk-soul soundtrack. The pace kept up as the first episode set up Tyler's predicament for the audience.

I understand that in the second episode the story will depart from the original, which seemed to clearly suggest that Tyler was in fact in a coma in a hospital bed in the present day. The remake will be far more ambigious in the variety of possibility of explanations for the detective's apparent predicament, with him writing down 13 different reasons on a blackboard, and each of these being explored over the rest of this first series.

With Life On Mars being a ratings success on its first outing last week, the series is likely to make its way to our shores soon enough. For those who can't wait, here's a taster.....

http://http//uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1GBHvkoDnOE

The Dark Side Of Fame : Mickey Rourke

2008-10-09T12:56:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, while experiencing some rather frustrating technical problems (my computer was totally stuffed), I was privaledged to see an episode of the BBC's The Dark Side Of Fame With Piers Morgan. I'm no fan of the former Daily Mirror editor, as he and his tabloid brethren are responsible for the misery, and descent into self-destruction of many a talented actor or musician, and for me he represents the ugly, envious gossipy side of English culture.

But at any rate, this Monday's episode featured the great lost eighties icon and heart-throb Mickey Rourke. The weather-beaten star looked sincerely fragile and broken as he talked about a difficult childhood and a descent into self destruction that saw him go from being the brightest potential star in Hollywood into a washed up boxer who had burned all bridges professionally and personally, and was left with virtually no one.

Now on the mend with a recent appearance in 2005's Sin City, he looks like he could produce a prodigal son performance to match his making peace with Hollywood in forthcoming movie The Wrestler, which will be out in December. Anyway, enjoy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00dw8pk/b00dw8p3/The_Dark_Side_of_Fame_with_Piers_Morgan_Mickey_Rourke/

Start Here : An Essential Taster of...Blaxploitation Horror

2008-10-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

Blacula (1972)

To most people, Blaxploitation conjures up images of big black dudes with afros, in loud, natty clothes, and a cast of pimps, drug dealers and ladies of the night, all set to a funk/soul soundtrack, set in the ghetto. The US movie genre which began in the early 70s was born out of a new self confidence from the emancipation of a minority, and was kitsch, and definitely loud, black and proud, with notable movies like Shaft, and Sweet Sweetback's Badass Song leaving an indelible mark on popular culture.

A lesser known strand in this genre was the reinvention of existing horror narratives, which began with the release of 1972's Blacula, a commercial success which has since gained status as a kitsch underground classic of the decade that taste forgot.

The story begins with an African prince, Mamuwalde, who calls upon the help of Count Dracula in countering the slave trade. It emerges that Dracula is in fact a racist, and so the evil Count turns the prince into a vampire, christening him with Blacula, and imprisons him in a coffin. Years later, the box is then transported to 70s LA where it has been bought by two gay interior decorators, where it is opened and all hell (literally) breaks loose, and the body count begins piling up.

The film was so successful that it spawn a sequel, and effectively, the whole genre. As the story shows, Blaxploitation's contribution to the history of horror movies is an interesting take which highlights a decade when racial tensions were still rife, where the bogeymen are misunderstood black men, who are typically victims of white society. More importantly, they're a bit silly, and lots of fun.

Next Stop: Dr Black, Mr Hyde (1976) , Blackenstein (1973), Bones (2001).

Pan's Labyrinth : Is It actually any good? Really?

2008-09-30T05:38:00.000-07:00

Controversial. Sacrilege, you might say. The Spanish language film directed by acclaimed Guillerme Del Toro in 2006, and released to widespread critical praise won countless awards, including 3 Oscars, and rose to the top of many "Best Of" lists for films that year.

Now the thing with praise is that it can sometimes disguise the reality. A Chinese whisper effect takes place as journalists communicate to one another that x film is the coolest thing ever, and they fall over themselves to heap superlatives upon it. The problem with this? Ever heard of the Emperor's New Clothes? There are films which you're told you will like, that you must like because everyone else does are often a disappointment. The best films often one where one has the least expectations or foreknowledge, discovered by accident while flicking channels, or taking a punt on a movie we've never heard of at the cinema. Perhaps it's something to do with consciously trying too hard, engaging the mind instead of letting the experience of a film hit you.

So, it was with trepidation that I sat down to finally watch Pan's Labyrinth on Sunday night. Suffice to say I was not disappointed. The story in set in Spain in 1944, as the battle to rid the country of rebels against the fascist rule of Franciso Franco is taking place, in this post-civil war period. Ofelia, a young girl of 11 who is in love with fantasy tales and literature, accompanies her pregnant mother to her step father, a ruthless captain working to wipe out the resistance to Franco's regime.

As they join Ofelia's new step father in the mountain ranges of North West Spain, the young girl discovers a Labyrinth, stealing away at night to follow a cricket which turns into a fairy, to find a mythical Faun creature in an underground lair who tells her that she is in fact Princess Moanna, giving her 3 tasks to complete before she is allowed to return to the underworld.

This magical world of mythic creatures and quests is counterpoised, as it unfolds against the harsh backdrop of a world in which the battle between the fascists and the rebels continues, as Ofelia also discovers a housemaid, Mercedes, and the resident doctor in the barracks are also assisting the rebels who hide in the hills, with brutal consequences.

The tale is in a sense like a modern day Peter Pan, with the young girl choosing to renounce the evils of the adult world for a fantasy which may, or may not actually exist. The ambiguity of the fantasy reminded me of the programme Life On Mars, and to a lesser extent, films like Fight Club and A Beautiful Mind, in the sense that the spectacle we are witnessing may or may not be real, but we are participating in a version of reality through the eyes of someone who is either crazy, or has visionary insight into another, fantastical reality, and is confronted with a choice.

It was a visceral experience, moving and highly emotional. You'll see in my earlier reviews from this summer, that I found Hellboy II to be over-rated, due to the presence of Del Toro as director. Visually stunning but lacking in a strong, engaging narrative. After seeing this earlier film I can now appreciate where the critical praise has come from. So, do believe the hype, after all.

Hack Rating 4/5