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Reviews
Screen Two: The Grass Arena (1991)
Haunting!
This is a fantastic story, I watched it on TV in 1991, and I haven't watched it since, but it still scarred into my mind, memory and I can never forget it. I'm reminded of it today, as Mark Rylance won an BAFTA award today, for his acting in "The Government Inspector". The story is quite, sad, but the truly amazing thing is the acting of Mark Rylance, who's a very established actor on the UK stage in Shakespeare. He's I think probably the first actor that made me realise how crucial a role acting is, and real actor can transport you into real worlds. Mark Rylance transports into a very real world or Alcohol Abuse, Street Tramps and chess being a shining light. Quite Amazing. Don't watch this, if you do it will change your outlook on life and haunt you forever. The writing is also amazing, and it so crazy it could only be from a true story, the old saying Truth is Stranger than fiction is just so true!
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Don't Watch This Movie!! (Unless you want to Cry)
I knew about this movie for a long time.
Heck, prison movies, don't turn me on so I have very negative impression, hence not watching it. I watched it today (Oct 2005) as it was on TV, and I thought, it's got good rating, so I'll watch it, least this way I won't be watching it alone. Might as well get it over with.
Well, any movie than can render a grown adult to tears and whirl up an emotional minefield, has to be respected. This movie has my utmost respect.
This is truly a great film, even with all my negative baggage, and seeing clips, and reading people raving about it, I still avoided it.
To render a grown man to cry even with all the baggage, has to be a really amazing film.
This film transcends cinema, to what it's truly about - to move you. So technically, it's pointless, you can go about actors, direction, shots, music and so on, and to analyse this film purely on that level would be one very stupid mistake. A mistake many have used while writing reviews.
The book or film, is simply a mechanism to get a message across, it can be flawed and still work perfectly. That's not the point.
The message here is clear and works perfectly, on many unconscious levels, it really would be stupid to try an figure it out.
You can't as its so simple.
We all have hope dreams and desires, and want freedom and a better future. Every person does. It's actually why we exist.
Not to have hope, dreams and desires and goals, is truly not to live. Not doing so, there is no meaning to life.
No matter what happens, keep positive, have hopes dreams and desires, that is your purpose here on this planet this is what this film is about, everything else is just mechanics to get this across?
Are you Positive?
Do you have hopes?
Do you have dreams?
Do you have goals?
Have you helped your fellow man, just for the beauty and pleasure of making someone happy, in a totally unselfish way, without any personal gain?
If you haven't and don't have hopes, dreams, desires and goals, you are not alive, you have no meaning to your life.
In conclusion, you can avoid this film as long as you want like I did, but when it does catch up with you... you better be ready, very ready.
If you aren't or don't understand what you are watching, and what really is going on between the lines and mechanics of the imperfect mechanism of cinema you are dead, truly dead, and you might as well end it now.
So my advise to you?
Don't Watch this film.
If you've read this far, and not got what I've been going on about you are a lost cause already, and you might as well go into your miserable life, and causing misery to yourself and others. Heck, it'll take you several lifetimes probably to get it.
So, remember DON'T WATCH THIS FILM, you don't deserve it.
Hitch (2005)
Hollywood - Bollywood ???
I rarely comment on movies, only ones that really move me. This is a 21st century classic, for reasons people don't even realise.
This has that 80s good feel all over it! The 80s classics had great dance numbers, nice to see people trying it again.
The amazing thing is that, people don't realise this movie has "bollywood" all over it. Bollywood is all about, love, and people falling in love... The dancing at the end??? Bollywood.
This is why bollywood works, and they don't *EVER* change the formula. Not ever. The formula? Here it is!
Guy Meets Girl.
(dance,comedy number)
Guy Falls for Girl.
(dance,comedy number)
Guy Chases Girl, Girl eventually falls for Guy.
(dance,comedy number)
Stuff happens to mess it up.
(dance,comedy number)
Guy/Girl get together.
(dance,comedy number)
Girl and Guy get married and live happily ever after.
It works OK? So why change it?
Hitch is the same, works perfectly, will smith appeals to everyone, great cast.
The only problem is it could have done with more dance numbers..! ;-)
Watch it. This is true American Bollywood at it's best, because this is what life is all about ultimately. Falling in Love, being happy and having a good time. Simple Really. Hollywood should just take a leaf out of Bollywood, just churn more of these out - They hit the buttons every time!!!!
Now you know why bollywood movies are 3 hours long. I mean, it's too short, or appears that way.
10/10
JFK (1991)
Masterpiece
This is surely Oliver Stones' tour de france, which shows he is a film-making genius.
To turn such a complex topic into entertainment has to be admired, great cast.
Amazingly the film stands the test of time - I had forgotten how old this film was! It still looks and edited as if it was made now!
I only have one statement regarding the politics, there are some very strange things going on.
All I can say:
"The truth is out there"...
If our world is based on lies, there really is no point to anything.
I think like everyone else, we are forcefully put into a rat-race to even care, and as time goes by, we will even care less.
Oliver Stones' film will probably all that is left. Everything else will have died, or been destroyed.
The Butterfly Effect (2004)
Fantastic Film!
Well, there are films, and there are films. Many films are made for entertainment purposes, and many because the writer/director has something to say, and really doesn't care what people think of it - the journey and the experience of making the film is enough to reward the writer and director. I would say 100% of films in Hollywood are just made to make money, hence the sequels, and great ideas come from determined people elsewhere with a vision - Hollywood leaps on these and foreign films, for ideas to make money.
This film is something personal, but fits in the "middle-ground" it wouldn't have been made without the potential to make money for it's investors.
So films come and go, you don't really care, it's a bit of fun and that's it. Then, films do come along that have something special, or just come at the right time. The Butterfly Effect is one of those films, you will either be really affected by it in some way or another, or you will think it's nonsense.
I luckily, watched the film without any preconceptions, to me they were all unknown actors, I didn't really recogonise or re-call any films they were in. To me it wasn't about the acting and that type of thing - perhaps I'm one of the lucky people to see it in it's "Pure" form, not having any baggage with the actors from previous films, which may have spoilt it.
It truly is a wonderful film that works on many levels, it will be entertainment fodder for most people, but I don't think it was made purely on that level - fantastic films rarely are.
There just aren't many films that can truly affect you, and make you think if you "get it". The Butterfly Effect is one of those rare gems, that can really move you.
For someone who's always known the term "The Butterfly Effect" from chaos and Fractal theory, and generally subscribe to the theory of parallel worlds. I've always loved the idea of "The Butterfly Effect" generally applied to the weather. In reality it applies to everyone and everything. This films pushes that point pretty well. It also is about time, we all have photos and think about the past.
Is there something you did you wished you didn't do? Is there times when you've had a "deja vu"? Have there been times when you knew the future to some extent, or had
feelings, about things, which perhaps you mind had in a dream?
Is this The Butterfly Effect? I think it is. It's something we have all experienced, but generally brush off and ignore.
That's what it's about. There is no "score", it simply doesn't fit into a film you can box a number out of ten - it truly transcends that.
The way you behave, what you say, and what you do, has a profound effect in your life. You have one life here, think a little, and try to make the best of it, and treat people with respect. A reminder of that important lesson, to me makes it quite simply as one of the best films I have ever seen. It's probably the most hardest lesson to learn, and if anything that reminds people to be less like robots, and take control, the better.
This film is like meditation - it can have a profound affect, depending what you believe, can actaully change your life. It's certainly made me think and behave and have a slightly different view on life.
Arlington Road (1999)
FANTASTIC THRILLER
This is one of thrillers that stands the test of time, with events of sept 11 2001 still in our minds, it's plot is not so unreal.
It's based on a lot of films, The Parallax View to name one, which really is a better Thriller.
These films are cool because the ending are downbeat and not the general hollywood fare.
Hollywoord shies to downbeat endings (remember all the full about the film Brazil?) and any film that has one has got to be praised!
Hence Arlington Road gets a 10/10 from me.
Why?
Because this kind of thing *is* really happening, we the public are hoodwinked into believing a completely different set of facts, and different people to blame.
Yes, we are being set up.
We have been set up.
Arlington Road, looking beyond the story tells you exactly how to do it, watch it with that in mind and it's disturbing indeed.
Not Convinced? Watch the film.
Then e-mail me and tell me who killed J F Kennedy.....
Are you so sure?
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
YODA KICKS ASS!!!
Well the Phantom menace was a massive disappointment to me, bar the pod race. Whatever anyone says, it's pants.
Good News.
George Lucas was just warming up.
He'd just lost lost his flow.
Well it was his fault, the idiot had like a 100 year break celebrating in the glory that star was and is still today. We love you Luke Skywalker. Well, you can't blame him wouldn't you do the same?
For Attack of the clones, George gets back to BOLLYWOOD emotional basics (you know, people die right on cue) and SPACE OPERA for the modern CGI MTV generation.
He's figured out now, what computer graphics are and how they should be used, TO TELL THE STORY. (obvious really, but he was a bit rusty)
For the title George clearly understand what's going on in our society today and our deepest fear. While we ridicule the now super cool retro title, George knew all along, "You'll See".
Or greatest fear and success in science so far is cloning.
Remember Dolly the sheep? Well George Lucas got it. I just did.
It's cool, the Jedi are the modern day equivalent of Knights with swords and ethics and morals.
We see how Ani enter the dark side while in morning and grief stricken. Come on, you'd do the same thing, I know I would.
It's this kind of emotion, coupled with the most slickest CGI sabre fighting battles scenes ever, which you can watch again and again there is so much going on.
And? Yoda? Well, we see why he is the most powerful Jedi of all.
Ok, it's funny cool and wicked at the same time!!
The Matrix? Why live in a fake world when you can live in the real world and be a jedi and a light sabre? You don't need to be in a fake place to jump around all over the shop, just be jedi.
Make your choice.
The magic is back again.
Just when I couldn't feel the force and lost the faith, George bring it back.
About time too....
If you into sci fi go watch it and be awed.
I was. I went with a mindset to leave trying to hate it.
Imagine if you liked the first movie, I think you'd faint with a massive orgasm.
Spider-Man (2002)
MARVEL COMES TO LIFE!
Well it's finally happened.
Just when I thought it could never happen it did.
Spiderman, truely turned out to be a Comic Book come to life.
Perhaps the wait and the quality of CGI was worth the wait, the spiderman moves should be this way, after all superheros are supposed to be fantastic and move in fantastic ways not humans just dressed up in costumes.
This film is really exciting as it brings back all those feeling I had when I read comic books like this when I was a kid.
Amazingly we see it on the screen how it should be, super-heros in our modern day world (not a fake world comic book like Bat Man) it's cool.
It's really as if we see Stan Lee's imagination on the screen. What better person than Raimi to bring it to life.
This truly is up there with the greats like The Matrix of recent times.
Even my wife said..."Wow cool I wanna be like that"....
So can we please have Spiderwomen in the next movie? You never know it could turn into a fantasy! Now, I wonder if they still sell spiderman costumes?
Do yourself a favour, relex let go and watch the movie. It's cool.
Great Casting, Great Direction, Great Atmosphere, Classic story.
I just can't believe Comic Book are still so cool today. The start of the Movie had a HULK advert, looks like we are in for a bunch of great comic book movies!!
Note: other comments about the Green Goblin Dressup - it's supposed to be a power costume! That's explained earler in the film, what you really wanted two superheros in tights fighting it out? It's 2002 for God's sake - wake up! William Dafoe does a great job here.... as always...
Collateral Damage (2002)
What's Your Problem?
He's back.
Arnie normally has very small sarcastic lines, so I'll keep this simple.
This is an Arnie movie like his others, and gives you exactly what you expect. Arnie kicking Ass. Not complicated, not deep, just good old fashioned Action Arnie at his best.
The theme of the movie is quite current also, I'm sure we'd all like to be Arnie in this one kicking some terrorist Ass.
Don't watch this film with any other expectations and you'll love it. It's up there with Eraser, Total Recall, Predator and The 6th Day.. Look forward to it, you'll be watching it like 20 times over on DVD..Cable..TV... in the next fives years like everything else of Arnie's... 10/10.
Put is this when they show it on cable or TV etc.. you won't be changing channels...! Just like Terminator and Predator now...
Shallow Hal (2001)
Fantastic Film
The Farrelly brothers are quite unique, bringing toilet humour to the mainstream movies. It works because we all secretly do laugh at toilet humour on a subconcious level, the problem is the jokes are simplistic.
But, humans are not, and I don't think any person is going to go all the way and say these are Geniuses. People aren't gonna boast about the depth and meaning of their previous films, even boast about owning them. But you've got to admit some scence in previous movies are literally side splitting, but a few scenes don't make a meaningful movie.
I'm not quite sure where they are coming from, but *reading between the lines* there is a very important moral in this film.
It has many faults, and very difficult to talk about, most people will reject it, and pick it faults, which it has many.
I can list them, put they are so obvious what's the point?
Put it this way, I read between the lines, and got what they were trying to say, people shouldn't be based on their looks. We live in a world that in ever increasing in this kind of bad attitude.
Unfortunately we do live in a shallow world, and anything that make people think about disabled, obese or burn victims in a better way has to be a good thing. This film believe me if it makes one shallow person 1% less shallow, and if it makes the world a better place by a tiny billionth of a fraction it's worth it.
I got it, looked over it's crassness and got the message. I hope you do. But it's nowhere near the toiler humour of the previous movies, infact perhaps they heading in a new direction here in this movie.
(99.99999% of people won't trust me won't on that one...)
Anything that brings almost a tear to a grown man, has got to get 10/10 no matter how shallow people are and put it down.
Planet of the Apes (1968)
FANTASTIC!!!!!
This has simply got to be the most fantastic science fiction film ever made. Shockingly it was made the same year that I was born, I watched it when I was a kid, and simply just blown away. IT REALLY MADE ME GET INTO FILMS. This is a very RARE movie, it really takes you on an emotional roller coaster ride, AND STILL DOES IT TODAY, beats the new version hands down in every way. Every film director should watch this movie, and tell me how it's done.
Is it in the screen Play? The Set Designs? The Director? The Actors? It's a bit of everything that Creates a MAGICAL VIRTUAL WORLD YOU CAN FEEL. This just has to be in the top 50 films of all time.
Watch it. If it doesn't touch you, your still an APE!!!!
Quintet (1979)
Totally Cool Brain Movie
Imagine the scene. Your a kid, love sci-fi, (like star wars battle star galactica) your sat in bed, very late at night and Quintet comes on. I suddenly realised Science Fiction was a very cool way of telling any kind of way of telling any story or ideas.
All the critisms here about this movie are wrong. If your into Hollywood blockbusters fine, but if your into Art Movies and something that requires the use of your brain, and not just pure entertainment, watch Quintet. At about the same time I started to get into David Lynch and a whole new film universe opened up to me, Quintet is one of those movies. A complete HeadF**k Movie like Eraserhead, the parallels with similar seventies movies like Zardoz. Trying to do so much with so little, this is compelling. I would love to talk to Altman about this...
I grasp the plot now, and for it's time it really was way ahead of the game. The world it describes is fantastic - you can really imagine it could be like this in a desolate frozen future world. I like this in some ways, as films now don't spend much time on the scenery and backgrounds more on action. It's a trippy plot, I really would like to know more what the director was trying to get accross here. He's created a very bleak icy desolote future with a deadly board game at the centre of it. The thing is, you watch it you really feel cold, the world it presents comes accross exceptionally well, you could close your eyes and clearly imagine being in that world, and it's scary indeed. OK, it's slow with very weird unexplored characters, this could have been easily lifted into an absolute classic, the world is creates is very compelling and very believable. The soundtrack is just as trippy and weird, but you wouldn't expect anything less!
The film would have come across much better as a TV series, like Twin Peaks.
This film has haunted me for years, and I've only seen it once when I was a kid on TV. There are not many movies that can claim that. I've watched in again recently. Watch It. It's a masterpiece. You won't probably like it at first, but IT WILL NEVER LEAVE YOUR MENTAL IMAGERY AND MIND. Remember, this film has not dated one inch, if it was released now it would still work. Any one that can create a timeless piece has gotta be a genius, don't enjoy it FEEL IT. Watching this film like starting half way through or just parts of it are JUST TRIPPY!
David Lynch Please do a remake!