Rodney Ascher's documentary looking at hidden meanings behind Stanley Kubrick's cult film The Shining. Various theories are presented using stills, diagrams and clips from the film, with commentary dubbed over the top by a number of different fans/experts/nutters. A range of ideas is explored including the film's connection to The Holocaust, slaughter of Native Americans, sexuality, history, the Moon landings, the meaning behind the number 237, etc. The film is suitably timed to coincide with the forthcoming special edition release of The Shining (2nd November) featuring extra 20 minutes of footage never before seen in UK cinemas.
I must have watched The Shining at least a dozen times over the years, it's a stunning horror film and something about it always draws me back, so I was very interested to see this documentary. I didn't expect much but I really enjoyed it (probably for all the wrong reasons though!). Some of the theories presented are intriguing, others are a little far-fetched or pointless, and one or two are definitely insane! But there's never a dull moment, it's all very entertaining to watch, and it's clear that the people who contributed to Room 237 are huge fans of Stanley Kubrick.
You can't help but be impressed by their dedication even if some of them are obsessively looking for explanations and subliminal messages in just about anything and reading too much into things. Can you see Kubrick's face in the clouds? I can't. Ever felt the urge to watch the whole film backwards? Well some guy did
and unsurprisingly had little of interest to say about the experience. And so it goes on but the most bizarre is the idea that Kubrick faked the Moon landings on behalf of the US government. It's beyond ridiculous and claiming that Danny's Apollo 11 jumper in the film somehow proves it is just laughable. But that's conspiracy theorists for you!
Some minute details pointed out are admittedly things I'd never noticed before (the wallpaper, pattern on the carpet, continuity errors, etc.) so in that sense this will make future viewings of the film that much more interesting. Have you ever noticed the hotel manager's "hard-on" when he shakes Jack's hand? Me neither! Look out for it next time, though it's not what you might think! It's a shame no cast or crew who actually worked with Kubrick were interviewed for this documentary, their input certainly would have been useful. Even so, Room 237 is definitely worth watching, for entertainment value if nothing else.
UK release date: 15th October 2012
(Revolver Entertainment)
Following her successful debut with Caramel in 2007, this is the second feature film from Lebanese actor & director Nadine Labaki. It tells the story of a group of women determined to ease the rising tensions between the Christian and Muslim inhabitants of their village, by any means neccessary.
With the blessing from their religious leaders, the women fake a miracle in the church, hire Ukranian belly dancers and bake hash cakes in the hope of keeping their sons and husbands pre-occupied with more lighthearted matters. They also sabotage the radio and TV reception, and newspaper delivery to the village in the hope of keeping the lid on the news from the rest of the country where the sectarian violence is on the increase.
An uncomfortable mix of comedy and serious drama, with random musical interludes scattered throughout, it feels like Labaki tries to cram too many things in one film. The shifts in tone are drastic, going from laugh-out-loud moments to personal tragedy, then back to a cheesy song-and-dance number in the blink of an eye. Sticking with one genre and mood throughout would have made for a stronger, more cohesive film.
Using a voiceover intro, Labaki's intention was to present the story like a fairy tale without a specific time/place setting, and certainly the film's overall strong message regarding the need for tolerance and the pointlessness of violence is worthwhile, and will resonate in many places around the world where there is conflict.
Somewhat dubious however is the fact that all women in the village are shown as a peace-loving, intelligent group acting in unison, while the majority of men (however true this may be in real life) are portrayed as prejudiced, easily manipulated morons. Only the village priest and imam come out of it looking civilised.
There is a hint of inter-faith romance between Amale (played by Nadine Labaki herself) and the village painter Rabih, they even sing a song to each other, but all that is soon forgotten about and never gets resolved. The sudden willingness of women to change religions and remove their head scarves is hard to swallow, as is the abrupt ending without much of a conclusion other than to pose the obvious question in the title, can we ever just live together as neighbours, in peace?
It's interesting to learn that a lot of the cast used were amateur actors. I wouldn't have known any different, they all came across perfectly fine and natural on screen, only one or two of the Ukranian "strippers" appeared a little stiff.
One very moving performance worth noting came from Claude Baz Moussawbaa. She plays a mother stricken with grief, after one of her sons is caught in the crossfire and killed. When her older son seeks revenge, she is forced into a desperate act to keep him safe and to prevent further bloodshed. Convincing portrayal by an actress who hopefully we'll get to see more of in the future.
Yvonne Maalouf's comedic timing was also a hoot, her scene where she's relaying messages from the Virgin Mary had me in stitches. Indeed there is great potential for laughs in the story, and it's a shame Labaki didn't go for an all-out comedy. I would have loved that.
Overall, Where Do We Go Now is still worth checking out on DVD, despite the flaws in the script. It's a well-intentioned, engaging and often very entertaining effort from a talented filmmaker.
Feature-length stop-motion animation
remake of Tim Burton's 1984 short film about a boy named Victor who
brings his dog Sparky back from the dead with a bolt of lightning. It's
Burton's best work in years, an absolute delight. A tender love story
and a loving homage to old b-movies and horror legends, it's
action-packed, very funny, and looks great in black & white. One of
my favourite films of the year!
UK release date: 17th October 2012
Rating: 5/5
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted3D
Fun
family
adventure and best of the three Madagascar films so far. On the
run from Monaco's animal control, the gang join a travelling
circus, revive its show and make new friends along the way.
Fast-paced and entertaining, it has a lot of heart and humour, 3D
effects are very good especially in the flying "Trapeze
Americano" part, and hilarious Stefano the sea lion (voiced by Martin
Short) steals the film.
UK release date: 19th October 2012
Rating: 4/5
Hotel Transylvania3D
Over-protective
single father Count Dracula invites all the famous monsters to his
daughter's birthday bash, but chaos reigns when a backpacking dude
stumbles in and steals her heart. This has some funny gags including a
neat Twilight put-down, the animation is nice, but the full-on slapstick and the predictable
storyline about finding true love bla bla bla drag it down. Awful Dracula rap song too.
After the success of Spielberg's War Horse, here's another Michael Morpurgo book adaptation. It's a rites of passage, anti-war drama about two
brothers who fall for the same girl, at the onset of World War One. It
has a low budget, made for TV look, but the performances are excellent,
including support from Frances de la Tour and Richard Griffiths.
UK release date: 12th October 2012
Rating: 3/5
On The Road
Difficult big screen adaptation of Jack Kerouac's cult
novel. It's a long and tedious journey, there's plenty of sex, drugs,
alcohol and great 40s jazz, and yet it feels tame and boring at times.
Garrett Hedlund is really good as the free-spirited Dean Moriarty, but
I'm not sure the film really captures the book that well.
UK release date: 12th October 2012
Rating: 2/5
Hit & Run
Another poor attempt at a "crazy" road comedy genre, written and co-directed by Dax Shepard. It's littered with annoying and idiotic characters, including the lead couple (Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard)
and is just painfully unfunny. Even Bradley Cooper and Beau Bridges
can't save this banger. Nice muscle cars but it ain't no Smokey and the
Bandit!
Ten years after achieving great success with his first novel, Calvin (Paul Dano) is under pressure to produce his next masterpiece with huge expectations from his fans and publishers. He is also terribly shy and lonely, and struggles with writer's block. His only piece of inspiration comes from a dream where he meets his ideal woman, named Ruby Sparks (Zoe Kazan). Encouraged by his therapist Dr. Rosenthal (Elliot Gould), he writes about her. Then one day she magically appears in his house just the way he saw her in his dreams. Is she real or a hallucination? Has Calvin gone mad?
Directors Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton finally follow up their hit Little Miss Sunshine with this delightful indie fantasy / psychological drama / love story, written by Zoe Kazan who also stars in the film as Ruby. Kazan's script is a beautifully written, smart piece of work that looks at the difficulties of the creative process as well as the dynamics of a new relationship, controlling behavior fuelled by insecurity and jealousy, and learning to accept people for who they are.
Calvin gets his wish fulfilled and wakes up to the "perfect" girfriend who worships him, but as soon as Ruby displays a personality trait he doesn't approve of, he seeks to manipulate her by literally typing out what happens next, with often humorous and at times unsettling consequences. At his whim she speaks French, barks like a dog, etc. Without spoiling the rest of the story, I'll just say it keeps you guessing all the way along. It builds to a frenzied climax, followed by a more conventional, perhaps crowd-pleasing, resolution.
Dano and Kazan's on screen chemistry is excellent, no doubt helped by the fact that they are a couple in real life, four years together at the time of filming. Elliot Gould, Annette Bening and Antonio Banderas breeze through their supporting roles, Chris Messina is very good as Calvin's suspicious sibling (though he looks nothing like him!) and only Steve Coogan's slimy author Langdon is a bit of a distraction (couldn't help but think of Alan Partridge in one particular scene!) Overall, it's hard not to fall in love with Ruby Sparks. It's a charming little film and it easily makes my top 10 of the year.
Small-time London drug dealer Frank (Richard Coyle) gets a chance to do a big money heroin deal with a new customer. His supplier and good friend Milo (Zlatko Burić) provides the drugs but the deal falls through when police are tipped off. On the run, Frank dumps the heroin in the nearby pond destroying the evidence, and the cops let him go. Milo however is not amused and still wants either his drugs back or the promised cash from Frank. Meanwhile Frank's junkie pole-dancer girlfriend Flo (Agyness Deyn) piles on the pressure demanding a more serious relationship from him. As Frank's life spins out of control he becomes more and more desperate to make some money quickly and pay it back, before Milo's henchmen catch up with him.
There have been several Scandinavian remakes in recent years, from Let the Right One In, to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, all pointless in my opinion. And here's another one, the English language "update" of the first Pusher film, directed by Luis Prieto and exec produced by Nicolas Winding Refn, Danish filmmaker who made his name with the original Pusher trilogy.
Something about this just didn't grab me, like a fake ecstasy tablet, it has the looks but not the desired effect. The plot is dead simple, and when it runs out of plot there's a hefty amount of drug-taking and violence to fill the time. I was bored by the end and wished I'd taken some chemical to keep me interested. A valiant effort by Richard Coyle in the lead role, but as things keep going pear-shaped for Frank, the unluckiest and most inept criminal in London, you don't feel much sympathy for him and just want to see him put out of his misery.
Paul Kaye appears briefly as one of Frank's customers, and Bronson Webb (Frank's sidekick Tony) provides a bit of humour to start with, but sadly all that quickly goes out of the window, and things turn darker and more violent. Drug lord Milo is the nicest baddie ever, highly entertaining thanks to the brilliant Croatian actor Zlatko Burić, who weirdly enough played him in the original film back in 1996. An odd casting decision but you can't argue with Burić's screen presence and charm.
As for Agyness Deyn, she is bland and distant, with the personality of a metal pole. Was she cast due to her "celebrity" status, instead of giving genuine acting talent a chance? Someone like Carey Mulligan for example, who added so much depth to Drive? Oh well. On the plus side the score by British electronic band Orbital is pretty good, but overall this is a mediocre crime thriller not worth bothering with. Have a couple of beers and rent the original instead!
Nostalgic drama / rom-com from Josh "How I
Met Your Mother" Radnor. Gently paced, bittersweet and
thought-provoking, though it offers no great revelations. Elizabeth
Olsen shines, Zac Efron's campus drifter is amusing and Allison Janney's
cynical maneating professor steals every scene she's in! Didn't like
how it ended.
UK release date:5th October 2012
Rating: 3/5
Sinister
A
pretty decent chiller featuring Ethan Hawke, neat set-up, but didn't
scare the pants off me unfortunately. Pants still fully intact. Only
jumped a couple of times when there was a sudden loud noise, oldest
trick in the book! I liked the score, I didn't like the very noticeable
Apple product placement.
UK release date: 5th October 2012
Rating: 3/5
The Knot
Screenwriters
Noel Clarke, Geoff Carino and Davie Fairbanks should hang their
collective heads in shame. The Knot is a dire attempt at comedy. A
series of unfunny sketches, pranks and toilet humour as we follow the
bride and groom on their big day. Utter shit.Possibly the worst film of the year.
A wonderfully bizarre French arthouse curveball from writer / director Leos Carax, in which the enigmatic Monsieur Oscar (played by Denis Lavant) is chauffeured around Paris in a white limo by his driver Celine (Edith Scob), as he attends "appointments" in various disguises over the course of one day. Using his dressing room in the back of the limo, he transforms himself as required into different characters, first an old lady begging in the street, then a motion capture actor performing an erotic dance with a female counterpart, then a one-eyed ginger-haired tramp gatecrashing a fashion shoot, and so on. The beauty of it is that we never quite know what the hell is going on, or what's coming next!
Featuring an amazing central performance by Denis Lavant, Holy Motors is a surreal, hypnotic two-hour head scratching experience, all the way to the end with the hilariously bonkers final scene involving the limousines and a supernatural twist. It's magical and awe-inspiring, baffling and disturbing, and guaranteed to leave you with more questions than answers in the same way recent films like Kill List and The Tree of Life may have done (i.e. "WTF just happened?").
Eva Mendes gets one of the coolest segments as the speechless supermodel, kidnapped by a grotesque figure and dragged back to his filthy cave. Kylie Minogue's brief cameo / musical interlude on the other hand is probably the lowest point in the film, but at least she makes a swift exit in the most satisfying manner.
Undoubtedly there will be impatient multiplex regulars who will sneer, call it pretentious crap and walk out. It's their loss. Holy Motors may be an audacious and infuriatingly cryptic cinematic puzzle, but it's a welcome change of pace. To try and make too much sense of it is perhaps missing the point. Just sit back and enjoy the ride, one like this doesn't come around too often!
A gritty gangster thriller from director Andrew Dominik, based on the 1974 crime novel Cogan's Trade by George V Higgins. A pair of junkies, Frankie (Scoot McNairy) and Russell (Ben Mendelsohn) hold up a Mob-protected poker game run by Markie (Ray Liotta). Previously unreliable Markie becomes the prime suspect and soon Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt) is in town to arrange retribution, along with the heavy-drinking assassin Mickey (James Gandolfini) and the Mob's messenger Driver (Richard Jenkins).
This is a bleak, violent, slow-burn thriller, quite talky with a lot of cynical dialogue infused with black humour, and some patience is required as the film takes its time to get to the admittedly rather awesome pay-off in the final third. By the time Brad Pitt delivers the last crushing line, you'll be enthralled. The direction is assured, the cinematography stylish, with memorable slow-motion executions while sweet old-fashioned music plays gently in the background. It's just a shame Andrew Dominik leans a bit too heavy on the symbolism and political satire to ensure the message is understood. Less is more Andrew!
Brad Pitt brings his usual charisma to the role of a smiling assassin, with a subtle, nuanced performance that should see him collect a few acting nods come the awards season, while Ray Liotta is also very enjoyable bringing back his best Goodfellas persona to the proceedings. In fact the entire cast is fantastic. Bloody and gripping, Killing Them Softly may not be perfect but it's still worth the gamble!
Wealthy quadriplegic widower Philippe (Francois Cluzet) lives in his luxurious Parisian mansion with an adopted daughter and an army of servants. Paralysed from the neck down and confined to a wheelchair after a paragliding accident, he requires round the clock care. While interviewing new applicants for a live-in carer position, he meets Driss (Omar Sy), a Senegalese ex-con from the ghetto. Driss expects rejection and just wants his social security papers signed, proving he's looking for work. He doesn't mince his words, joking with Phillipe about music and flirting with his female assistant Magalie (Audrey Fleurot) during the interview. His sense of humour and direct no-nonsense approach is a breath of fresh air for Philippe and just what the jaded and lonely millionaire needs. Tired of pity and bland politically-correct professional nurses, Philippe employs Driss on a trial basis despite warnings about his criminal past.
Strangely it has taken ten months for this film to reach our shores, having come out in France last November. Since then it has become a worldwide hit, and it's easy to see why. Based on true events and wonderfully acted by the two male leads with superb chemistry, this is a moving and heartwarming story about friendship, second chances and new beginnings. It exceeded all my expectations, even if the concept of two people from entirely different backgrounds becoming best buddies and learning life lessons along the way is nothing new (Driving Miss Daisy, The King's Speech, Trading Places, etc).
The old pro Francois Cluzet (Little White Lies, Tell No One) puts in another great performance as Philippe, but it's Omar Sy who steals the film with his natural charm, deservedly winning a Best Actor César last year for his troubles. Life-affirming, uplifting and incredibly funny, this is a feel-good comedy you should make every effort to see. Don't wait for the inevitable Hollywood remake!
Another week, another reboot. This time it's the much loved 1970s cop TV series that gets the big screen makeover with the all-new cast, featuring detective partners Ray Winstone as Jack Regan and Ben Drew as George Carter. As members of London's Metropolitan Police "Flying Squad", Regan and Carter are tasked with investigating an armed robbery that results in a seemingly needless murder. Owing to their unorthodox methods, the team are also facing an internal investigation led by Ivan Lewis (Steven Mackintosh), whose estranged wife Nancy (Hayley Atwell) is Regan's secret squeeze. Blimey Guv'nor, there's gonna be some conflict there!
Set in present day London, this feels nothing like the original TV series. Still, all the usual police drama cliches are there: the rogue cop who plays by his own rules, the loyal sidekick eager to prove his worth, the police chief breathing down their necks and the cartoonish baddie we all want to see go down for "a long, long time, sunshine". Ray Winstone's Regan is a more ruthless Cockney beast but one which lacks the charisma of the late John Thaw, the original Jack Regan. The ever-so-serious Ben Drew fares even worse as Carter, with his sleepy monotone delivery.
The film looks glossy and dark, action scenes (including a frantic Trafalgar Square shoot-out) are handled fairly well, and there's even a dash of humour to start with, but the script is a regular by-the-numbers procedural with minor plot holes and no surprises. Lorne Balfe's intense score is good but at times ill-fitting, sounding like out-takes from Hans Zimmer's Inception (which Balfe produced!). An unlikely love affair and a drawn out final act seal the deal, and sadly this "update" amounts to no more than forgettable brainless entertainment.
It was a real privilege to be present at a very early Dredd 3D screening at Soho Hotel last Thursday, hosted by 2000AD. About a hundred or so very lucky fans crammed into the small screening room and watched the film in the presence of Dredd co-creators John Wagner & Carlos Ezquerra. Support actor Domhnall Gleeson was also hiding somewhere in the corner of the room, and following a brief intro by writer/producer Alex Garland and Judge Dredd actor himself Karl Urban, the film got under way.
In this new adaptation of the iconic comic book (thankfully unrelated to Stallone's '95 film), legendary Judge Dredd (played by long-term Dredd fan Karl Urban) is given the task of evaluating Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), a rookie cop with powerful psychic abilities. When they answer a call to investigate a gruesome triple murder at a 200-storey vertical slum, they stumble upon a ruthless drug lord Ma-Ma (Lena Headey) and her gang. Trapped in the tower and low on ammo, they must battle against the odds to survive and bring the criminals to justice.
Combining the oppressive vibe and claustrophobic tower block setting of The Raid, with dystopian crime-ridden metropolis of Escape From New York and Robocop, along with a dark foreboding Terminator-style score, this is a gritty, brutal and fast-paced Sci-Fi thriller that ticks all the boxes. It's super-violent and unapologetically old-school, and I loved every minute of it.
Made on a modest budget, it's a beautifully shot film with stunning action scenes, vertigo-inducing high above ground shots and excellent use of 3D and special effects (watch out for bullets ripping through flesh in slow-motion). The violence is relentless but not that shocking (I've seen much worse 18 cert. films!), and although the plot is fairly light, Dredd-heads out there should be satisfied. A definite must-see!
Karl Urban (Dr. Bones McCoy in Star Trek XI) perfectly captures Judge Dredd with the grizzled cold-blooded grimace, husky voice and the sarcastic humour. He keeps his helmet on and delivers those crushing one-liners in style, channelling Snake Plisken and Dirty Harry. Olivia Thirlby is also very good as Judge Anderson, an academic failure but youthfully optimistic and determined to make a difference, a positive change in the world. Lena Headey's horribly scarred ex-prostitute drug lord Ma-Ma makes for a suitably menacing villain, with good support from Domhnall Gleeson as her terrified tech wizz-kid assistant.
Should this first instalment prove to be successful, there is certainly plenty of material to inspire further films or even a TV series. I certainly hope so.
Set in the 1920s during the Prohibition era, this true story follows the three Bondurant brothers who run a successful bootlegging operation in Franklin County, Virginia. While the local police turn a blind eye, Jack (Shia LaBeouf), Howard (Jason Clarke) and Forrest (Tom Hardy) produce and distribute their illegal alcohol all over the county earning themselves a fearless reputation, but it's not too long before other gangsters and corrupt authorities, led by Special Agent Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce) attempt to muscle in on their profits.
Mixed feelings about this one. On paper it looks like a good story based on true events, with a great cast (apart from LaBeouf!), but in reality it's somewhat of a disappointment. At 115 minutes, the film meanders along slowly and unevenly, jolting between violent drama and teen romance in an odd way, until we reach the clumsy climax without really feeling involved or caring how it all ends. Lack of chemistry between the brothers is an obvious problem. The youngest one (Jack) is an unlikeable cocky brat, the middle one (Howard) is sketchy at best, and only the eldest one (Forrest) manages to ellicit some emotional investment from the audience. To be fair, there are moments of enjoyment but they are few and far between. A bottle of moonshine in fact might have made this a more fun experience!
Performances are all pretty decent though. Tom Hardy quietly growls and grunts through his lines (not unlike Clint Eastwood might do) in his usual charismatic way, adding a dash of much-needed humour when you least expect it. Not sure how accurate his Southern drawl is, but it takes a while to get used to. Guy Pearce plays the sadistic evil baddie pretty well, even doing his best scenery-chewing Gary Oldman impression at one point to much amusement. Oldman himself is sadly underused, reduced to only a couple of scenes, a mere cameo. What a waste! Jessica Chastain notches up another solid supporting credit despite having to strip naked inexplicably, while Mia Wasikowska's preacher's daughter is sweet and captivating for the little screen time she gets. Shia LaBeouf does just enough not to be too irritating but also fails to garner much sympathy, and is a painfully wrong choice for a lead role. He's giving up "acting" in blockbusters but honestly I do wish he would give up appearing in films altogether.
The atmospheric soundtrack (by Nick Cave and other artists) is very good, the cover of Velvet Underground's "White Light/White Heat" being one of the high points, and the period sets/costume designs all look authentic. But overall this is still a second-rate gangster non-thriller that won't last too long in the memory. Much like alcohol consumption often proves - it seemed like a good idea at the time!
Certified 18 (some very graphic violence, f-bombs and ooh... a pair of boobs on display!)
Kay and Arnold (Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones) have been married for 31 years, they live alone (their kids moved out long ago), and sleep in separate bedrooms with no intimate contact in years. Unhappy with the situation, frisky Kay books them a vacation in a seaside resort of Great Hope Springs in Maine, which includes intensive marriage counselling with Dr Bernie Feld (Steve Carell). Grumpy Arnold grudgingly agrees to go but will Dr Feld's probing questions be too much for him? Or will they get the spark back, and get it on? Argh, the suspense is killing me! (Not really.)
So the story may not sound too appealing but the stellar cast makes it interesting! Meryl Streep is her usual excellent self as the lonely wife longing for some action with her husband again, while Carell holds back his wise-cracking face-pulling persona playing the understated and reserved counsellor. But it's Tommy Lee Jones who deserves the most praise for his performance as the cynical and hilariously deadpan husband, breaking the daily routine to attend the counselling sessions even if grappling with Dr Feld's personal questions and "sexercises" is proving to be quite a challenge for his ego.
The film hits the spot when Kay and Arnold face up to the problems in their relationship and attempt to rediscover the passion, often with awkwardly humorous results. But the overbearing soundtrack soon kicks in, several musical montages bluntly enforcing the point already made, as Kay storms off in one scene, and Arnold wanders alone on a beach in another, until finally we're clobbered with that dreadfully dreary song "Why" by Annie Lennox. Major downside. This is where things go downhill, as the writer chickens out and we're left with a cosy, neatly wrapped-up resolution. Overall, Hope Springs is a watchable comedy drama thanks mainly to its cast and their chemistry. Like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel earlier this year, it will find its (more mature?) audience and probably do reasonably well. But couples beware, you may squirm in your seats and/or need some tissues, depending on how rosy things are in your bedroom!
Firstly, hats off to CBS and Paramount for embarking on this huge project of remastering all seven seasons of ST:TNG onto Blu-ray. That's 178 episodes altogether! It's a monumental task (and no doubt a costly one too!) but the outcome is guaranteed to delight sci-fi fans around the world. At the beginning of 2012 we had the three episode sampler Blu-ray "The Next Level" which I loved, and now the restoration of entire Season 1 is complete. Great way to celebrate TNG's 25th anniversary!
While I'm a fan of the original Star Trek series, and I liked Voyager, DS9 and even the recent Enterprise, it's The Next Generation where my interest in Star Trek began, and as such it will always have a special place in my heart. I watched it as a little boy when it first aired and have always gone back to it, whether through repeats on TV or the pile of VHS tapes and DVDs I've collected over the years. The quality of the material varies throughout the seven seasons, there are a few duff episodes here and there, but for the most part this is a well written science fiction series with a memorable ensemble cast, led by the legendary Sir Patrick Stewart.
Season 1 may have suffered a little bit from inconsistency, underdeveloped characters and occasionally some stiff dialogue, but overall it's a solid first season with some great storylines. Both cast and crew were still finding their feet and getting to know each other, as well as their own characters, so teething problems were to be expected. Still, it got off to a good start with the double pilot episode Encounter At Farpoint, which introduced the all-new cast and also featured the wonderful John de Lancie as Q. Fans will pick different episodes as their highlights but one thing's certain, you've never seen any of the them looking this good!
All 25 episodes from Season 1 (first broadcast in 1987 and 1988) are included on this six-disc set, all newly transferred from the original film elements (not upconverted from video!). With the restoration complete, comparing the old video with high definition Blu-ray, your jaw will hit the floor (see video clip below). The difference is amazing, and I don't use that word lightly. Though it may look a bit grainy in places, the vivid colours and the overall picture clarity are impressive, considering the technological limitations of when the show was filmed. Where the old broadcast versions may have looked faded and murky, here there is noticeable sharpness, texture and detail in 1080p resolution. A feast for the eyes!
Digitally recreated from the source material, the visual effects are just awesome. Thanks to advances in software in recent years, everything looks so damn beautiful, from the phasers, photon torpedoes, the shimmering transporter lights, to the stunning Crystalline Entity (see pic below). Star Trek expert Mike Okuda points out that nothing was changed, respecting the decisions made by the original effects team. Back in '87 when the series began there were no widescreen TVs and the show was presented in full frame 4:3 ratio. Rather than giving us a fake widescreen presentation by zooming in on the full frame and re-imagining the shots, producers wanted to keep true to the original and preserve everything as intended by the filmmakers. I'm so used to seeing TNG in 4:3 anyway, so it's not an issue at all.
The remastered 7.1 audio sounds pretty sweet too. Just listen to the crisp opening title theme, and little things like the whoosh of the turbo lift doors, the ambient hum of the engines, the clicks and bleeps in the background, Worf's deep voice, etc. Going through the whole season's worth of remastered sound effects will be a voyage of discovery in itself. You may need to adjust your audio settings to get the best results depending on your home cinema set-up.
The six discs come packaged in a standard sized slim Blu-ray case with a slipcover (artwork is identical on both). Menus on all discs are styled to resemble the LCARS computer interface as you see on the show. Original air date and stardate are shown for each episode too. I like that a lot! Each disc contains original episodic promos and there is also a teaser promo for Season 2 Blu-ray, showing the TNG cast reunited for the first time since Nemesis to film a group interview (this will be one of the extras on S2 box set).
Aside from the technical upgrade, what I really love about this Blu-ray are the special features (found on Discs 1 and 6).
On Disc 1, Energized! shows the restoration team at work, and it's a real eye opener. The amount of effort put in is incredible, when you hear what each team member was responsible for. Just finding the original reels for each scene was a huge challenge considering there are literally thousands of boxes of TNG footage in a giant warehouse to go through. For those of you who bought The Next Level Blu-ray I'm glad to report the 13 seconds of missing footage from Sins of the Father have been found so when they get around to remastering Season 3, that episode will be complete. Also on Disc 1, from the TNG archives we get the launch footage and several promos from '87 although some of this may have been previously included on DVD box sets.
Disc 6 has the new three-part documentary Stardate Revisited, roughly 94 minutes long and featuring all new cast and crew interviews combined with never before seen moments discovered on the reels.
In Part 1 (Inception) we find out how Patrick Stewart was chosen to be the new Captain (and how he auditioned wearing a wig!), how the new Starship Enterprise design was chosen from original illustrations by Andrew Probert, and how Roddenberry even briefly considered not having a Starship at all.
Part 2 (Launch) continues with original wardrobe and makeup camera tests (choosing LeVar Burton's visor, Data's facial colour, Troi's outfit, etc), and various cast members talk about their auditions and first days of filming. It's truly fascinating stuff! We find out that Jonathan Frakes wasn't the first choice for Commander Riker, why Michael Dorn thinks they cast an African-American as a Klingon, why Patrick Stewart signed his contract and how he beat the feeling of insecurity he felt first day on set, etc. Marina Sirtis is very funny talking about her hair and costume, Brent Spiner explains how the pronounciation of "Data" was decided on, and LeVar Burton tells us about The Perceivers!
Part 3 (The Continuing Mission) delves into the pressures of doing a TV show within the budget, Gene Roddenberry's conflict with various script writers, cast members leaving the show (Gates McFadden, Denise Crosby), and the challenges the visual effects team faced when building different ship models (look out for the Enterprise conference room pencil animation during the title sequence!).
The 8-minute gag reel on Disc 6 is also pretty good, with cast members fluffing their lines, giggling, swearing, falling over, getting caught in turbo lift doors, etc. Brent Spiner's brief James Stewart impersonation is a gem. Some clips are of poor quality here and some have no sound but generally it's enjoyable to watch. Then there's some more old previously released footage in Archival Mission Logs, roughly an hour altogether, of cast discussing the show, their characters, favourite episodes and anecdotes.
In conclusion, this is an excellent Blu-ray I would recommend wholeheartedly. To see The Next Generation in all its glory, in true HD is an absolute delight and the extras are really good. If you're already a TNG fan, this is a must purchase. Make it so!
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1 Blu-ray is released on Monday July 23rd (CBS/Paramount, rated 12).
As a lonely Boston child growing up in the '80s, John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) makes a Christmas wish that his teddy bear Ted would come to life. His wish comes true and they become best friends ("thunder buddies") forever. Ted (CG animated and voiced by Seth MacFarlane) briefly becomes famous before fading into obscurity. Fast forward to present day, and Ted and John are still living together. Ted has become a lewd, irresponsible pot-smoking layabout, while John (now an immature 35-year old) struggles to maintain his 4-year relationship with the girl of his dreams Lori (Mila Kunis). Things come to a head when Lori gets fed up with Ted and John's lifestyle and asks John to choose between her or his best friend!
This is a directorial debut for Seth MacFarlane and if you've ever watched Family Guy, you will know what kind of crude, boundary-stretching, politically incorrect style of comedy to expect. No-one is safe, and the script pokes fun at various religious groups, races, celebrities, pop singers, gay people, fat people and even children, inducing a few gasps from the audience along with the laughter. Admittedly, a lot of it is just very funny and you can't help but laugh.
Underneath it all however is a surprisingly sweet story of childhood friendship, with John still holding on to his teddy bear and refusing to grow up and act like an adult. Mark Wahlberg plays it brilliantly, with great support from Mila Kunis as the unhappy girlfriend whose patience is running out. The film zips along at a steady pace, only faltering towards the end when the creepy father (Giovanni Ribisi) and son subplot comes into play. But this is a minor quibble.
Already a huge hit in the US, this looks set to be one of the comedies of the year and is perfect for a fun night out at the cinema with your friends. Not suitable for the prudish and easily offended though! Look out for nostalgic nods to various 80s films/songs, some fantastic cameos (including Sam Jones of Flash Gordon fame) and the excellent voiceover intro from Sir Patrick Stewart.
I was very lucky to grab a ticket to the "regional" premiere of the new
Spider-Man film that took place a few days ago. Although it meant a lot of waiting around
and nearly 4 hours of sitting down in the cinema, I was well chuffed to
see the film before its official release. While the actual premiere was
taking place in Leicester Square, selected Cineworld cinemas (Greenwich
O2 in my case) welcomed Sky customers, freebie-hunters and comp winners
alike to watch the relayed red carpet footage live on the screen before
showing the film simultaneously. Alex Zane quizzed the cast, director
and producers on our behalf and thankfully didn't throw in his own
spoilers (because he has already seen the film, as he likes to point
out). We were treated to various clips from the new film (yes the one
we're about to see, so much for avoiding trailers!) and we watched Emma
Stone and Andrew Garfield heroically sign a thousand autographs, before
finally sometime before 8pm the lights went down and the film got under
way.
Spider-Man is 50 years old this year and this is a fresh
start with a new cast, but certain things
will have been covered previously in the 2002 Spider-Man film. Shy teen
Peter Parker lives with his aunt and uncle, gets bullied at school,
secretly fancies a girl (a different one this time - Gwen Stacy not Mary
Jane), and wonders why his parents disappeared when he was a child. One
day he discovers his father's briefcase containing some secret
documents which lead him to Dr Connors, his father's old buddy. Dr
Connors meanwhile is a one-armed genetic scientist at OsCorp desperately
trying to find the right formula to re-grow his missing arm. OsCorp is also
where Gwen Stacy just happens to work part-time, and when Peter sneaks
into the building to have a snoop, he stumbles upon a room full of
spiders. Elsewhere, Gwen's father, a Police Captain soon has to deal
with
a masked vigilante and a mysterious reptilian creature wreaking havoc
around New York. Can you guess
how this all ties together?
Unlike the super-hyped Prometheus and The Avengers earlier this year, I had
low-ish expectations for this Spider-Man reboot especially as it comes
so soon after Sam Raimi's trilogy. But I was pleasantly surprised. Was
it amazing? Well it certainly was good fun, it had several decent action
scenes and plenty of humour, and despite the lengthy running time of
136 minutes, it didn't drag at all. The plot involving The Lizard didn't
provide much in the way of surprise, but I still enjoyed seeing it
unravel on screen. But... the film overall didn't blow my socks off in the way The
Avengers did. Amusing but not quite amazing! The CGI effects and the 3D
were hit and miss, and the score by James Horner though suitably
dramatic felt a little overblown and distracting in places. As for the
intriguing "untold story" relating to Peter's parents' disappearance,
well it was partially touched upon but not fully dealt with so we'll
have to wait for the next Spidey film to see it explored further.
I
wasn't initially sure about Andrew Garfield being cast as Peter Parker
but pretty soon he won me over. Although I liked Tobey Maguire, I think
Garfield nails Parker's character better, especially the vulnerable
side. Spidey's love interest by comparison is a no-brainer in this case,
Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy looks smarter and cuter, and is generally more
likeable than Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane. Having said that, Stone wasn't
that stretched in this role and could have sleepwalked through it with
ease. Compared to Sam Raimi's films, I feel the Garfield/Stone combo
works better than Maguire/Dunst, so it's a definite plus point. It was
great to see Martin Sheen and Sally Field in supporting roles as uncle
and aunt Parker, but the casting highlight for me was Rhys Ifans as Dr
Connors/The Lizard. He was excellent, even if his crazed lizard
alter-ego is somewhat ridiculous.
While director Marc Webb did
reasonably okay I can't help but wonder
what Matthew Vaughn (Kick Ass, X-Men: First Class) or Joss Whedon (The
Avengers) might have done with Spider-Man! We'll never know. Still, I
look forward to the inevitable sequel! The Amazing Spider-Man opens in a
couple of weeks' time on July 3rd, and I'm sure Marvel fans will mostly
be happy with the reboot. As per usual, watch out for the Stan Lee
cameo and the extra scene during the credits!
Armando Álvarez (Will Ferrell) is a simple man, he lives on his father's ranch in Mexico, and hangs out with his two buddies, riding horses and dreaming of some day finding a perfect woman. The ranch is facing financial problems and when his successful little brother Raul (Diego Luna) returns to the ranch with a glamorous woman Sonia (Génesis Rodríguez) to claim his land, the family's troubles appear to be over. Though initially suspicious of Sonia's motives, Armando takes a shine to his brother's hot fiancée. Meanwhile, a dangerous drug lord Onza (Gael García Bernal) gets involved in the turf war with Raul, along with some corrupt local policemen, and an American DEA agent. It's down to Armando to save his family, the girl, and the ranch, with a little help from his friends and a talking stuffed white lion (this makes perfect sense, right?).
I've had the pleasure of watching Will Ferrell's new comedy Casa de mi Padre twice now so I guess I should jot down some thoughts, ahead of the film's UK release next Friday. I thought this was like Sergio Leone and Mel Brooks getting together to make a fun Mexican soap / Western spoof, deliberately amateurish, fully aware of its extremely low budget and thin plot, with loose editing and non-existent special effects. Whether you find the film funny largely depends on whether you find Will Ferrell and his deadpan face funny. He has played similar dumbo characters before, but this time he speaks Spanish!
I'm happy to say he pulls it off with some success, and owns every scene, eliciting continuous laughter from the audience whenever he speaks. The off-the-wall humour works well, but in places it feels like it's the same joke being repeated. After a few beers it all makes sense though, including the above mentioned stuffed lion that speaks, and the "missing" action scene (involving the said lion, a tiger, a coyote and some crew members) with an on-screen note of apology from 2nd camera assistant. Watch out for the musical interludes (one song consisting of only "la la la la") and a night-time bum-pinching love scene by the camp fire! Funny as hell. Overall, Casa de mi Padre is not great but it's certainly something different! Stay for the extra post-credits scene.
So it's finally here! The film that Marvel fans have been dreaming of for years. The Avengers (or "Marvel's Avengers Assemble" as it's officially called here in the UK) had its European premiere in London last night. The apocalyptic weather couldn't have been more perfect, there was thunder and lightning over London, as if Loki and Thor had just arrived for the event! Lucky stars didn't assemble for me and I failed to get a ticket for the actual premiere (boo!) but there were simultaneous screenings of the film in five other cinemas around the country ("regional" premieres?), and I went to one of those, in Greenwich.
Written and directed by Joss Whedon, The Avengers hardly needs introduction. Briefly, Thor's naughty brother Loki fancies ruling planet Earth, and it's down to S.H.I.E.L.D. boss Nick Fury to gather our favourite superheroes to fight back and save the world!
In one word, the film is phenomenal. It's everything I had hoped for, and more! The action is superb, all main characters get their time in the spotlight, the dialogue is sharp and funny (hilarious in places), special effects breathtaking (heck, even some 3D effects were good, and I don't say that very often), and the end result a fantastic blockbuster that will take some beating for years to come. I couldn't pick a favourite cast member as they all did a brilliant job, but do also look out for cameos from some familiar faces along the way, and not just Stan Lee!
Running time of 143 minutes might seem long but it wasn't long enough. I sat through the end credits (which of course you must do!) and wanted to watch it all over again immediately. I'll have to wait until April 26th when the film finally comes out in the UK, and I recommend you go and see it too. In fact, I can't say this loud enough: YOU MUST SEE IT.
Two young police officers, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum), make a mess of their first arrest and as punishment are sent to join the secret unit at 21 Jump Street. For their first assignment they are to go undercover in their local high school posing as students in order to infiltrate a drug ring. But school turns out to be a lot different to what they left only a few years ago and going back will stretch their friendship to the limit!
I never watched the TV series so I'm not sure what fans of the original 21 Jump Street will make of this film. It feels like a loving homage and at the same time a knowing piss-take. I guess going in with low or no expectations is the best way to approach it. I was excited about it being a new Jonah Hill comedy and was hoping for a few laughs. And I got more than that. The film is hilarious! Consistent laugh out loud moments, even if some of the jokes are recycled, they still somehow work. It's a crude, tongue in cheek, hectic non-stop action / buddy comedy that is fully aware of its own ridiculousness.
Jonah Hill (who also co-wrote the script) and Channing Tatum make a good team, with Tatum surprisingly funny and less wooden than usual. It took me a while to realise one of the high school kids in the film was James Franco's little brother Dave, he looks and sounds so much like him! Ice Cube gets some juicy lines as the tough talking police captain, Brie Larson provides the gentle romantic interest, and there's a great cameo by a star actor towards the end, which hopefully will come as a surprise if you haven't read spoilerific reviews elsewhere.
Set in 1999 in the aftermath of the Rampart scandal, corrupt LA cop Dave Brown (Woody Harrelson) struggles to hold on to his job after being caught on video beating up a suspect in broad daylight. His peculiar family set-up is also falling apart despite Dave's efforts to keep it together. With investigators on his tail and past abuses of power returning to haunt him, he faces a desperate fight for survival in the searing heat of California sun.
Directed by Oren Moverman, this is a dark, suspenseful & gritty character study of veteran renegade cop gradually losing grip on reality. Superbly portrayed by Woody Harrelson, Dave is a complex character, troubled by guilt and past sins, he's a paranoid control freak who bends the law to serve his own tough justice. Yet he stubbornly refuses to change and eventually has to face up to consequences of his actions.
Fantastic supporting cast features Robin Wright, Sigourney Weaver and Ben Foster, with Steve Buscemi's appearance sadly reduced to a mere cameo. But this is primarily Woody's film, arguably his best role in years and a powerful performance that deserves to be seen!
My pick of today's cinema releases is Steven Spielberg's epic adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's novel and of course the huge stage hit, War Horse. Most likely you'll know the story already, but briefly it's set just before and during World War I, and it's about "Joey", a very special horse, and Albert, the boy from a poor Devon family who trains him. When the war starts, Albert's father sells Joey to the army, leaving Albert devastated. Joey fights his way through the battlefields of Europe, touching many hearts along the way, but Albert never gives up hope of finding him again.
As you might expect from Spielberg, this is just beautifully filmed, it's spectacular and breathtaking in places, and features a very good cast, from newcomer Jeremy Irvine who plays Albert, his parents played by Emily Watson and Peter Mullan, to Benedict Cumberbatch (who seems to be in everything these days!) and the fantastic Tom Hiddleston as Captain Nicholls. The look in Hiddleston's eyes, riding Joey mid-battle, is just crushing! Underpinned by a reliably excellent score from John Williams, this is a very moving tale of friendship and loyalty, courage and sacrifice, and even if it does get a little too sentimental at one point, it's still very much worth seeing on the big screen.
