David Cronenberg thriller. Tom Stall is a sax player in a small town in Indiana. One day he is doing a recital for a visiting dignatory when the lead in the string section has a relapse just prior to a solo - Stall steps in and does a virtuoso piece on the violin that stuns everyone and gains a round of applause. However, the display winds up on youTube where it attracts the attention of the Philadelphia Philharmonic, who seem to recognise him as a violinist called Joey who walked out on them prior to a major engagement many years before. A couple of hoods are dispatched with violin cases to make good his error.
Okay, okay, okay. Actually I wasn't mad about this film, it seems like True Lies for the intelligensia. Except there at least Jamie Lee Curtis got into the spirit of things, getting glammed up and hanging off the end of a helicopter, whereas here the wife just looks all grumpy and put out!
I didn't like the way Tom Stall
had lived a lie much of his life but then acts all come the innocent, a real poor liar when his past turns up on his doorstep
or
the way he suddenly becomes Jason Bourne-Daniel Craig as Bond in a fight when he has to be, after 15 years out of practise.
Or what the point of it all was really, was it an allegory of the US and Iraq, that it ditches its peaceful domestic agenda and gets hard and ruthless when it needs to be?
Or the way he can run home when he had been knifed in the foot onlyh recently
"This is where we leave you Mr Bond."
Roger Moore 1927-2017
LoeffelholzThe United States, With LovePosts: 8,998Quartermasters
David Cronenberg thriller. Tom Stall is a sax player in a small town in Indiana...
Nice...
Check out my Amazon author page!Mark Loeffelholz
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Lazily soporific German sexploitation film from the Seventies. Superbly lush cinematography and chic fashions - all white bikinis and huge Jackie O sunglasses.
So-so movie, but wonderful soundtrack. B-)
The last film I saw was Alan Clark’s Made in Britain, with a young Tim Roth excelling as a teenage skinhead refusing to bow to authority, even when it’s made clear to him that he’s heading for a life in and out of jail. The head of the youth department is determined to help Roth’s character, as is his social-worker, but the kid seems determined to prove that he is no good. Clark is one of Britain’s great lost filmmakers, he died young, leaving Mike Leigh and Ken Loach to pick up the plaudits for social realism, but Clark is finer than both put together.
This is similar to The Beatles' Anthology of a decade or so ago, in that the particpants are either over the hill or dead and it has a bit of an unsexy, text book feel. As with Anthology, it suffers from having its most charismatic figure largely absent: John Lennon in the Beatles' case, Keith Moon here. In fact, Moon only makes his entrance 15 minutes into the thing.
Having just read the Keith Moon biography Dear Boy, in which singer Roger Daltrey is sidelines a bit (much to his chagrin), this seemed more to take Daltrey's story as the narrative arc, showing how he felt alienated in the band but gradually came to feel accepted during the Tommy era to find his own voice, then getting to better appreciate Pete Townsend after the death of John Entwistle.
Some supefluous talking heads like The Edge, the smirking Noel Gallagher and Sting popping up for a sentence or two. I could have done with more music - there's a storming mid-60s version of 'Heatwave' - and less of the old biddies in the early part of the doc talking about the Blitz and so on. A bit of a shock to see Keith Moon's mum still alive, or John Entwistle's mum not really looking too old and totally with it bearing in mind the bassist was old and grey before his death.
There's a classic Spinal Tap moment when they're talking about who inspired them and they cut to some mouldy old Lonnie Donnegan clip which seems a million miles away from rock n roll, really square stuff.
The Orphanage. The more I think about it, the more I like it. Rather than being the usual slash-and-gore terrorfest, this is quiet, subtle, moody, and disturbing. Like the original The Haunting, this movie finds horror in the dark recesses of our minds. . .but there are a couple of good jump-out-of-your-seat moments, too!
Last Bond film seen: Licence To Kill: The older I get, the more I appreciate it. Well made and enjoyable!
Last non-Bond film seen: Get Smart: A lot of good laughs, and I enjoyed most of the cast members. But the film lacks anything resembling logical coherence, and only contains the most superficial faithfulness to the TV show. It is good popcorn entertainment, but I do hope mainstream Hollywood realizes some of us like a movie that does not rely on cultural ignorance to be successful.
Fine drama based on Jean-Dominique Bauby's memoir. Mathieu Amalric is impressive as is another Bond villain, Max Von Sydow, as the writer's father.
It is indeed a magnificent film. {[] (In case anyone is interested, I reviewed this film on page 202.)
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
I recently saw this with my girlfriend. It was an interesting experience, as she purchased the tickets on line (which in itself was unusual), but didn't tell me which film we were seeing. ) It was almost as if I had gone on a mystery flight somewhere.
Anyway, the film itself was quite good (my girlfriend choose well ). I adore Kung Fu and other forms of Martial Arts, so I was always going to enjoy Kung Fu Panda.
Much to my lack of surprise, I did enjoy it. It's not especially funny, and in no way does it compare to the great aminated films that I've seen, but it is fun. The fight scenes are really cool, the film is suspenseful and I think that Jack Black is, quite simply, a really cool actor. Plus, the film is funny at times, and I like alot of the voice work.
I would recommend this film, however do not go in expecting something of the quality of Aladdin, Shrek or Finding Nemo. Rather, just take it for what is, which is a pretty fun film. {[]
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
I got recommended this on lovefilm.com, on the back of Vampyros Lesbos - that's the thing that's a bit disconcerting, it's like after a while they can read your mind and say, "Well, you'll like this bit of filth...
I thought it would be set in the US with seedy motel rooms for some reason; in fact it's an English movie set around a Gothic-style Victorian mansion in the misty countryside, where two female vampires (hence the 'y' in the title?) flag down unwary hitchhikers. It's the sort of English horror that unintentionally feels cold and bleak - when they strip off you expect to see the goosepimples - and it's let down by bad dialogue and wooden acting... that said it's inability to do the modern thing and pander to any kind of quality control in itself becomes a bit unsettling.
A bit of reverse cowgirl that would have been ahead of its time when films like The Stud were strictly missionary, plenty of lesbian action and the finale was up there with modern bloodfests I guess. Still, very creaky and poor, the sort of 70s flick that seems stuck in a timewarp, a bit Tales of the Unexpected. Oddly, on the extras it mentioned that the blonde Swedish vampyre turned up in the film version of The Likely Lads which I do remember, it had the best joke of the movie. Terry and Bob and their resepective women are having a miserable caravan holiday, playing cards on a dark night. Terry excuses himself to go out, they sit and listen in silence to him taking a leak against the back wheel of the caravan. "I am so embarassed..." says Tel's Swedish girl in her fractured English. "Not at all..." responds Bob's Thelma tartly. "It's the only time all evening I've known what he's got in his hand..." )
Actually even 1970s comedies like that had a bleak, cold feel to them.
it had the best joke of the movie. Terry and Bob and their resepective women are having a miserable caravan holiday, playing cards on a dark night. Terry excuses himself to go out, they sit and listen in silence to him taking a leak against the back wheel of the caravan. "I am so embarassed..." says Tel's Swedish girl in her fractured English. "Not at all..." responds Bob's Thelma tartly. "It's the only time all evening I've known what he's got in his hand..." )
) That's hilarious.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
Intriguing thriller that bizarrely enough is filmed in Iceland, or Norway, or somewhere snowy, but is set in the American South. Even more bizarre is the casting of Julia Stiles as trailer trash. Brilliant actress, but no way. However Forest Whitaker is compelling as a loss adjuster who finds himself investigating a car crash that would net Stiles and her redneck boyfriend a million dollars. The aforementioned redneck is played by Jeremy Renner who's a superb, but virtually unknown actor. This guy played Jeffrey Dahmer in a haunting little bio-pic a few years ago, was the likeable US marine in 28 Weeks Later, and was part of the James gang in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. It's well worth seeing for him alone, but the sheer oddness of the film makes it rise above the generic elements of the plot.
French film from 1990. It's about a family growing up in Provence in the early 1900s, and a young lad's admiration for his teacher father. It's sort of charming, but nothing really much happens and you might expect that severe, sobering coming-of-age moment but it never really happens.
Lots of waffley narrative characteristic of French films that want to tell you what the characters are thinking rather than showing you. That's what you get from a nation of philosophers I suppose.
Lovely scenery. The pay-off is good; when the family go on a rustic holiday there's a bit of plot and drama, and a decent conclusion. Until then, however, it's a bit so-what? The father is okay but a bit of buffoon so we don't quite see him through the boy's eyes.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Well, the title sort of gives it away doesn't it? It's like calling a film
the sinking of the
Titanic or The Sixth Sense -
he's dead all along!
or Quantum of Solace -
Craig's tenure is all a dream and Brosnan steps out of the shower at the end!
I couldn't see why Jesse James would want to associate himself with such an oleaginous creep, there seemed no motive. Could it be some homoerotic attraction, like in Talented Mr Ripley? Or some sadism on James'part? Or James' vanity coming into the equation, that he likes being praised? Connery would have been good at conveying that in his 1970s roles.
Brad Pitt is no Jack Nicolson, he doesn't seem to be a larger than life, charismatic guy whose murders we can overlook. I didn't have much sympathy for either of them.
Lots of voice over narration - having slagged that off in a French film, naturally I'm caught up short by having an American tell you what's happening in this, though in fairness he's conveying information, not what they're feeling.
I couldn't figure out much of it, or why Ford turned against his leader, some of the dialogue I couldn't catch even with the rewind. James' older brother looked more like his father, a good 20 years older. Casey Affleck outacted Pitt, a wonderful hybrid of Jimmy Stewart, Hugh Grant and Henry Cavill - actually his resemblance to Grant in awkward mode proved a distraction latterly.
At some three hours, it was way to elegaic for me. It sure takes the long way round the barn.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Well, the title sort of gives it away doesn't it?(
That long title comes from the novel released in the 80s.
Most everyone, (at least in the states) knows the fate of JJ. (and who his Judas Iscariot was) There's been like a million films and fictional paperbacks on it. Not to mention history class. (if you had a cool teacher)
Check out the 1939 Tryone Power & Henry Fonda version.
I think The Assassination of Jesse James is a great film. The title is actually ironic: James's killing is hardly what we think of as an assassination, but to those who admired him it was; and Ford may be a creep but he's not a coward. But that kind of irony is worked through the fabric of the movie: we see less-than-ordinary people who lead hardscrabble lives who, through murder and robbery, are elevated to the status of legends and heroes. The same kind of publicity that turns the psychopathic Jesse James into a nineteenth century Robin Hood also turns Ford, who arguably did a service in eliminating James, into a villain of epic proportions. In watching the film you have to wonder how legends are made, reputations are ruined, and what it takes to be a hero.
As to other things: Ford turns on James because he too has bought into the legend of Jesse James. He worships the man and wants to be like him. When Jesse turns out to be like Ford's brothers--another person who mocks and belittles him--Ford's image of Jesse is destroyed. What does one do when his hero turns out to be a fraud? One destroys the hero. And I thought Brad Pitt was very good. He's not supposed to be a Nicholson-like giggling madman; he's a true psychopath whose motives are known only to himself. He could be kind and gentle one minute, then paranoid and murderous the next. I was genuinely creeped out by his performance.
I dunno: maybe you have to be an American to appreciate this one.
NP, first let me say that I love The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. I think it is a magnificent western and one of the best films of the year.
Allow me to take issue with some of the things you said: :v
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Well, the title sort of gives it away doesn't it?
I think it is an incredible title. Robert Ford doesn't simply want to kill, or even murder, he wants to assassinate Jesse James, for he would truly earn fame (or infamy) if he were an assassin, rather than a mere murderer. Similarly, Jesse James became so famous after his death, that he became a legend; someone who can only be assassinated, rather than murderer. Finally, the reference to Ford as a coward (which is debatable) may be taken from the fact that James became a legend, and so shooting this legend in the back led to Ford being regarded as a coward. A brilliant title. (BTW, I love your title for QOS. )
I couldn't see why Jesse James would want to associate himself with such an oleaginous creep, there seemed no motive. Could it be some homoerotic attraction, like in Talented Mr Ripley? Or some sadism on James'part? Or James' vanity coming into the equation, that he likes being praised?
My guess is vanity. But also arrogance in that James thought himself to be invincible.
Brad Pitt is no Jack Nicolson, he doesn't seem to be a larger than life, charismatic guy whose murders we can overlook.
That's the whole point. I don't think that Nicholson would have been appropiate as Brad Pitt played James exactly as he was; a very scary guy. That to me is what made the contrast with his after-death legend so startling.
Lots of voice over narration - having slagged that off in a French film, naturally I'm caught up short by having an American tell you what's happening in this, though in fairness he's conveying information, not what they're feeling.
Can I tell you a secret? (Well, it's not much of a secret, since it's on an open forum. ) ) I like voice-over. ;% I think it's because of Scorsese, who uses it in many of his films.
I couldn't figure out much of it, or why Ford turned against his leader, some of the dialogue I couldn't catch even with the rewind.
{[] I'm not alone. ) I also couldn't catch alot of the dialogue and had to go onto Wikepedia to look up some of the details which I missed. I still loved it though.
Casey Affleck outacted Pitt, a wonderful hybrid of Jimmy Stewart, Hugh Grant and Henry Cavill - actually his resemblance to Grant in awkward mode proved a distraction latterly.
I thought that Pitt was fantastic, however I do agree that Affleck was better. That said, I don't agree that Affleck was a hybrid of the above three mentioned actors. I'll give you Stewart, we can negotiate Cavill at a later date, but Grant? I don't think we will be able to agree on him. )
At some three hours, it was way to elegaic for me. It sure takes the long way round the barn.
But what a beautiful way around the barn it was.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
I've seen Hardboy's take on some of the imdb stuff so it's a valid opinion. But the stuff on the legend of JJ kicks in later, the Mark Chapman-John Lennon allegory is interesting if a bit heavy handed. I never felt much sympathy for Ford, so the irony of him not being a coward was lost on me (then then my irony in my review was lost on a subsequent poster... ) I didn't want a giggling Nicolson (though I feel Michael Bay's treatment of the novel should be made available at some point ) but rather a large than life Gable (who he seems to be trying to mimic at times) of the old style, a Nicolson of Chinatown variety.
BTW I am sorry for the Quantum of Solace spoiler, quite a few have emailed me to complain about that, and that I should have flagged up more of a warning...
As to other things: Ford turns on James because he too has bought into the legend of Jesse James. He worships the man and wants to be like him. When Jesse turns out to be like Ford's brothers--another person who mocks and belittles him--Ford's image of Jesse is destroyed. What does one do when his hero turns out to be a fraud? One destroys the hero.
I don't agree. I think that Ford turned on James, because what he truly wants to be is to be famous, and if he can't be famous by being James, then he will be famous by killing, or assassinating, him.
And I thought Brad Pitt was very good. He's not supposed to be a Nicholson-like giggling madman; he's a true psychopath whose motives are known only to himself. He could be kind and gentle one minute, then paranoid and murderous the next. I was genuinely creeped out by his performance.
Pitt really was wonderful. I don't know if James was a psychopath, but he was definitely a very scary guy.
I dunno: maybe you have to be an American to appreciate this one.
No, you can be an Australian as well.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
BTW I am sorry for the Quantum of Solace spoiler, quite a few have emailed me to complain about that, and that I should have flagged up more of a warning...
You're kidding, right? :v )
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
No, I meant Internet Movie Data Base. I checked out the movie on it afterwards and opinions were much as Hardyboy said, that the title was meant to be ironic.
"This is where we leave you Mr Bond."
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Mr MartiniThat nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,703MI6 Agent
Okay, so I'm a little behind the times. I just saw Iron Man for the first time today. Not knowing anything about the charector of Iron Man this movie was a lot of fun. A quick 2 hours. After the movie I came home and read up about Iron Man and his enemies and glad I didn't read about them before I saw the movie. I think I'll pick this up on DVD when it comes out and will see IM2 when it comes out in theaters. I never knew comic book movies could be so much fun. So, is there an Aquaman movie in the works ( :v ) )?
Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
This being the week of the release of Mamma Mia starring our man Brosnan, I thought I'd check out Abba - The Movie from 1977.
This has some muddy nostalgia value as I recall seeing the film as a kid at the cinema with my sister and my Dad. Dad moaned to the management about how loud the music was, then was promptly ill in bed for the next two days.
The good thing about LoveFilm is that you can just summon up memories on the past and have the DVD sent out to you, just like that! {[]
Now, even at the time, having seen A Hard Day's Night and Help! where the Fab Four are at the forefront of events and let us into their world, it seemed that this film fobs us off with the story of a hapless disc jockey trailing the band across their tour of Australia, under pressure to deliver an in-depth interview.
He misses press conferences, loses his press card, gets stuck in traffic jams. It quickly becomes tedious, repetitive and bad-tempered. All the more so because it depicts Abba as lovely untouchables at far remove.
And also because - wait for it- Abba are soon revealed as officially The Worst Band Ever. Yep. Given a chance to shine at a press conference, they exhibit the intellectual savvy of the Cheeky Girls and the energy and wit of former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson. The biggest laughs come from a question asked by a journalist. Suddenly you can see why music hacks hated them at the time. The blokes have all the charisma of John Major and seemed nervy, like they're unwillingly backing into the limelight. The sexy blonde one has a low profile and the dark one seems a bit forward, a bit OTT.
As I downed my third glass of Savignon Blanc the old Napoleon Plural roused himself and I gloomily reflected that the band resembled the hosts of a Swedish surburban swinging club where the evening would start off promisingly only to find yourself in the kitchen with Benny discussing the merits of the Yamaha synthsiser while the blonde one keeps out of sight, the evening ending with the dark one making a grab for your dick with a lascivious cackle...
But the songs! Well, yes, this was Abba at their height, but they don't make much impact, every other song being a forgotton album track sung by the blokes. All the songs are taken from the concert, which is visually repetitive and sees the girls bathed in red light; unlike The Beatles however much of their visual appeal came from their cute, quirky videos. And how I longed for the Beatles' four personalities: the knockabout Ringo, the rapier wit of Lennon, the wry sardonic wit of George and Paul's laid back, insoucient cool.
I gradually came to see the band in its imperial phase as a bunch of Nazis taking over the world, only without the drive and ideology... like the Beatles Love musical, this one will do what you never thought possible, and put you right off the band.
Oh dear, I've turned into my Dad.... )
BTW the Swedish director went on to better things; Chocalet and The Shipping News.
No, I meant Internet Movie Data Base. I checked out the movie on it afterwards and opinions were much as Hardyboy said, that the title was meant to be ironic.
Ah. . .I thought you meant that I was commenting on something on IMDb or that I had written something on IMDb. That's why I was wondering if there's an alternate meaning--"in maintaining delicate balance" or something like that. Anyway. . .
Danish drama with CR's Mads Mikkelson as a charity worker in India forced by his bosses to return to Denmark and negotiate a deal for financial aid with a rich business tycoon. But the tycoon has an ulterior motive for getting Mads back home. This starts out very well, but eventually turns into a soap-opera towards the end, with family revelations and tearful arguments.
Comments
David Cronenberg thriller. Tom Stall is a sax player in a small town in Indiana. One day he is doing a recital for a visiting dignatory when the lead in the string section has a relapse just prior to a solo - Stall steps in and does a virtuoso piece on the violin that stuns everyone and gains a round of applause. However, the display winds up on youTube where it attracts the attention of the Philadelphia Philharmonic, who seem to recognise him as a violinist called Joey who walked out on them prior to a major engagement many years before. A couple of hoods are dispatched with violin cases to make good his error.
Okay, okay, okay. Actually I wasn't mad about this film, it seems like True Lies for the intelligensia. Except there at least Jamie Lee Curtis got into the spirit of things, getting glammed up and hanging off the end of a helicopter, whereas here the wife just looks all grumpy and put out!
I didn't like the way Tom Stall
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Nice...
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
July 4th , 1963 : Great Escape world premiere {[]
Our "very own" Don Pleasence is in it too
So-so movie, but wonderful soundtrack. B-)
The last film I saw was Alan Clark’s Made in Britain, with a young Tim Roth excelling as a teenage skinhead refusing to bow to authority, even when it’s made clear to him that he’s heading for a life in and out of jail. The head of the youth department is determined to help Roth’s character, as is his social-worker, but the kid seems determined to prove that he is no good. Clark is one of Britain’s great lost filmmakers, he died young, leaving Mike Leigh and Ken Loach to pick up the plaudits for social realism, but Clark is finer than both put together.
This is similar to The Beatles' Anthology of a decade or so ago, in that the particpants are either over the hill or dead and it has a bit of an unsexy, text book feel. As with Anthology, it suffers from having its most charismatic figure largely absent: John Lennon in the Beatles' case, Keith Moon here. In fact, Moon only makes his entrance 15 minutes into the thing.
Having just read the Keith Moon biography Dear Boy, in which singer Roger Daltrey is sidelines a bit (much to his chagrin), this seemed more to take Daltrey's story as the narrative arc, showing how he felt alienated in the band but gradually came to feel accepted during the Tommy era to find his own voice, then getting to better appreciate Pete Townsend after the death of John Entwistle.
Some supefluous talking heads like The Edge, the smirking Noel Gallagher and Sting popping up for a sentence or two. I could have done with more music - there's a storming mid-60s version of 'Heatwave' - and less of the old biddies in the early part of the doc talking about the Blitz and so on. A bit of a shock to see Keith Moon's mum still alive, or John Entwistle's mum not really looking too old and totally with it bearing in mind the bassist was old and grey before his death.
There's a classic Spinal Tap moment when they're talking about who inspired them and they cut to some mouldy old Lonnie Donnegan clip which seems a million miles away from rock n roll, really square stuff.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Last non-Bond film seen: Get Smart: A lot of good laughs, and I enjoyed most of the cast members. But the film lacks anything resembling logical coherence, and only contains the most superficial faithfulness to the TV show. It is good popcorn entertainment, but I do hope mainstream Hollywood realizes some of us like a movie that does not rely on cultural ignorance to be successful.
Fine drama based on Jean-Dominique Bauby's memoir. Mathieu Amalric is impressive as is another Bond villain, Max Von Sydow, as the writer's father.
I recently saw this with my girlfriend. It was an interesting experience, as she purchased the tickets on line (which in itself was unusual), but didn't tell me which film we were seeing.
Anyway, the film itself was quite good (my girlfriend choose well
Much to my lack of surprise, I did enjoy it. It's not especially funny, and in no way does it compare to the great aminated films that I've seen, but it is fun. The fight scenes are really cool, the film is suspenseful and I think that Jack Black is, quite simply, a really cool actor.
I would recommend this film, however do not go in expecting something of the quality of Aladdin, Shrek or Finding Nemo. Rather, just take it for what is, which is a pretty fun film. {[]
Next movie is Hancock next week, can't wait to see the QoS trailer on a big screen
I got recommended this on lovefilm.com, on the back of Vampyros Lesbos - that's the thing that's a bit disconcerting, it's like after a while they can read your mind and say, "Well, you'll like this bit of filth...
I thought it would be set in the US with seedy motel rooms for some reason; in fact it's an English movie set around a Gothic-style Victorian mansion in the misty countryside, where two female vampires (hence the 'y' in the title?) flag down unwary hitchhikers. It's the sort of English horror that unintentionally feels cold and bleak - when they strip off you expect to see the goosepimples - and it's let down by bad dialogue and wooden acting... that said it's inability to do the modern thing and pander to any kind of quality control in itself becomes a bit unsettling.
A bit of reverse cowgirl that would have been ahead of its time when films like The Stud were strictly missionary, plenty of lesbian action and the finale was up there with modern bloodfests I guess. Still, very creaky and poor, the sort of 70s flick that seems stuck in a timewarp, a bit Tales of the Unexpected. Oddly, on the extras it mentioned that the blonde Swedish vampyre turned up in the film version of The Likely Lads which I do remember, it had the best joke of the movie. Terry and Bob and their resepective women are having a miserable caravan holiday, playing cards on a dark night. Terry excuses himself to go out, they sit and listen in silence to him taking a leak against the back wheel of the caravan. "I am so embarassed..." says Tel's Swedish girl in her fractured English. "Not at all..." responds Bob's Thelma tartly. "It's the only time all evening I've known what he's got in his hand..."
Actually even 1970s comedies like that had a bleak, cold feel to them.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Intriguing thriller that bizarrely enough is filmed in Iceland, or Norway, or somewhere snowy, but is set in the American South. Even more bizarre is the casting of Julia Stiles as trailer trash. Brilliant actress, but no way. However Forest Whitaker is compelling as a loss adjuster who finds himself investigating a car crash that would net Stiles and her redneck boyfriend a million dollars. The aforementioned redneck is played by Jeremy Renner who's a superb, but virtually unknown actor. This guy played Jeffrey Dahmer in a haunting little bio-pic a few years ago, was the likeable US marine in 28 Weeks Later, and was part of the James gang in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. It's well worth seeing for him alone, but the sheer oddness of the film makes it rise above the generic elements of the plot.
French film from 1990. It's about a family growing up in Provence in the early 1900s, and a young lad's admiration for his teacher father. It's sort of charming, but nothing really much happens and you might expect that severe, sobering coming-of-age moment but it never really happens.
Lots of waffley narrative characteristic of French films that want to tell you what the characters are thinking rather than showing you. That's what you get from a nation of philosophers I suppose.
Lovely scenery. The pay-off is good; when the family go on a rustic holiday there's a bit of plot and drama, and a decent conclusion. Until then, however, it's a bit so-what? The father is okay but a bit of buffoon so we don't quite see him through the boy's eyes.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Well, the title sort of gives it away doesn't it? It's like calling a film
I couldn't see why Jesse James would want to associate himself with such an oleaginous creep, there seemed no motive. Could it be some homoerotic attraction, like in Talented Mr Ripley? Or some sadism on James'part? Or James' vanity coming into the equation, that he likes being praised? Connery would have been good at conveying that in his 1970s roles.
Brad Pitt is no Jack Nicolson, he doesn't seem to be a larger than life, charismatic guy whose murders we can overlook. I didn't have much sympathy for either of them.
Lots of voice over narration - having slagged that off in a French film, naturally I'm caught up short by having an American tell you what's happening in this, though in fairness he's conveying information, not what they're feeling.
I couldn't figure out much of it, or why Ford turned against his leader, some of the dialogue I couldn't catch even with the rewind. James' older brother looked more like his father, a good 20 years older. Casey Affleck outacted Pitt, a wonderful hybrid of Jimmy Stewart, Hugh Grant and Henry Cavill - actually his resemblance to Grant in awkward mode proved a distraction latterly.
At some three hours, it was way to elegaic for me. It sure takes the long way round the barn.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Most everyone, (at least in the states) knows the fate of JJ. (and who his Judas Iscariot was) There's been like a million films and fictional paperbacks on it. Not to mention history class. (if you had a cool teacher)
Check out the 1939 Tryone Power & Henry Fonda version.
As to other things: Ford turns on James because he too has bought into the legend of Jesse James. He worships the man and wants to be like him. When Jesse turns out to be like Ford's brothers--another person who mocks and belittles him--Ford's image of Jesse is destroyed. What does one do when his hero turns out to be a fraud? One destroys the hero. And I thought Brad Pitt was very good. He's not supposed to be a Nicholson-like giggling madman; he's a true psychopath whose motives are known only to himself. He could be kind and gentle one minute, then paranoid and murderous the next. I was genuinely creeped out by his performance.
I dunno: maybe you have to be an American to appreciate this one.
Allow me to take issue with some of the things you said: :v
I think it is an incredible title. Robert Ford doesn't simply want to kill, or even murder, he wants to assassinate Jesse James, for he would truly earn fame (or infamy) if he were an assassin, rather than a mere murderer. Similarly, Jesse James became so famous after his death, that he became a legend; someone who can only be assassinated, rather than murderer. Finally, the reference to Ford as a coward (which is debatable) may be taken from the fact that James became a legend, and so shooting this legend in the back led to Ford being regarded as a coward. A brilliant title.
My guess is vanity. But also arrogance in that James thought himself to be invincible.
That's the whole point. I don't think that Nicholson would have been appropiate as Brad Pitt played James exactly as he was; a very scary guy. That to me is what made the contrast with his after-death legend so startling.
I had sympathy for Ford at the end, and James's wife and family when he was killed.
Can I tell you a secret? (Well, it's not much of a secret, since it's on an open forum.
{[] I'm not alone.
I thought that Pitt was fantastic, however I do agree that Affleck was better. That said, I don't agree that Affleck was a hybrid of the above three mentioned actors. I'll give you Stewart, we can negotiate Cavill at a later date, but Grant?
But what a beautiful way around the barn it was.
BTW I am sorry for the Quantum of Solace spoiler, quite a few have emailed me to complain about that, and that I should have flagged up more of a warning...
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Pitt really was wonderful. I don't know if James was a psychopath, but he was definitely a very scary guy.
No, you can be an Australian as well.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
I'm not sure I understand this. Does "imdb" mean something other than Internet Movie Database?
Roger Moore 1927-2017
This has some muddy nostalgia value as I recall seeing the film as a kid at the cinema with my sister and my Dad. Dad moaned to the management about how loud the music was, then was promptly ill in bed for the next two days.
The good thing about LoveFilm is that you can just summon up memories on the past and have the DVD sent out to you, just like that! {[]
Now, even at the time, having seen A Hard Day's Night and Help! where the Fab Four are at the forefront of events and let us into their world, it seemed that this film fobs us off with the story of a hapless disc jockey trailing the band across their tour of Australia, under pressure to deliver an in-depth interview.
He misses press conferences, loses his press card, gets stuck in traffic jams. It quickly becomes tedious, repetitive and bad-tempered. All the more so because it depicts Abba as lovely untouchables at far remove.
And also because - wait for it- Abba are soon revealed as officially The Worst Band Ever. Yep. Given a chance to shine at a press conference, they exhibit the intellectual savvy of the Cheeky Girls and the energy and wit of former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson. The biggest laughs come from a question asked by a journalist. Suddenly you can see why music hacks hated them at the time. The blokes have all the charisma of John Major and seemed nervy, like they're unwillingly backing into the limelight. The sexy blonde one has a low profile and the dark one seems a bit forward, a bit OTT.
As I downed my third glass of Savignon Blanc the old Napoleon Plural roused himself and I gloomily reflected that the band resembled the hosts of a Swedish surburban swinging club where the evening would start off promisingly only to find yourself in the kitchen with Benny discussing the merits of the Yamaha synthsiser while the blonde one keeps out of sight, the evening ending with the dark one making a grab for your dick with a lascivious cackle...
But the songs! Well, yes, this was Abba at their height, but they don't make much impact, every other song being a forgotton album track sung by the blokes. All the songs are taken from the concert, which is visually repetitive and sees the girls bathed in red light; unlike The Beatles however much of their visual appeal came from their cute, quirky videos. And how I longed for the Beatles' four personalities: the knockabout Ringo, the rapier wit of Lennon, the wry sardonic wit of George and Paul's laid back, insoucient cool.
I gradually came to see the band in its imperial phase as a bunch of Nazis taking over the world, only without the drive and ideology... like the Beatles Love musical, this one will do what you never thought possible, and put you right off the band.
Oh dear, I've turned into my Dad....
BTW the Swedish director went on to better things; Chocalet and The Shipping News.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Ah. . .I thought you meant that I was commenting on something on IMDb or that I had written something on IMDb. That's why I was wondering if there's an alternate meaning--"in maintaining delicate balance" or something like that. Anyway. . .
Danish drama with CR's Mads Mikkelson as a charity worker in India forced by his bosses to return to Denmark and negotiate a deal for financial aid with a rich business tycoon. But the tycoon has an ulterior motive for getting Mads back home. This starts out very well, but eventually turns into a soap-opera towards the end, with family revelations and tearful arguments.