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coreyj72
Reviews
Just to Get a Rep (2004)
Good film dwarfed by the shadow of Style Wars
A good documentary that probably suffers from the shadow of Style Wars. Had I not seen Style Wars, I think that Just to Get a Rep would be the best documentary on graffiti going around.
Some interviews with graff legends like Stay High 179, Blade, Comet, Zephyr and Futura 2000; as well as a visit to London, France and Milan to find out when and how graff spread their way, make JTGAR worth seeing. But if you haven't seen SW, I'd wait until after JTGAR.
This doco definitely deserves a wider release than it has received in Oz (with just two screenings during the Perth Revelation Film Festival), but it doesn't contain anything that really blows you away. I got the most enjoyment from seeing the pieces from the Subway Art book that I had poured over as a 15yr old writer in 1987.
I'm still basking in nostalgia after tonight's viewing. It brought to mind memories of Tuxtan cans,black books, Public Enemy, Eric B. and Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and BDP - the reason why I don't go for the movies assertion that Hip Hop and Graff don't mix.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
A stunningly shot and well performed portrait of love across the years.
ANG LEE's Brokeback Mountain (cited constantly as the "gay cowboy movie" by journos, critics and people who haven't seen the film) is a haunting and wind swept story of forbidden love.
The film's protagonists meet and fall in love, but can not be together for various reasons. They happen to be sheep herders / cowboys of the same gender, but could just have easily been a white girl and a black boy in 60's America, or any two married people a point seemingly missed on the "bible-bashers".
A shoe-in for Best Cinematography and Best Supporting Actor, Brokeback Mountain uses the performances of its two leads and the rugged beauty of its setting to "rope" viewers in and tug at their heart strings like a lasso.
I was not one of those disappointed by Ang Lee's Hulk (where his use of split-screen was refreshing and faithful to its comic source), but this is far superior and close to his "Crouching Tiger
" masterpiece.
King Kong (2005)
Overlong but Brilliant
I will admit to being a little skeptic when going in to King Kong. I mean, seriously, how do you make a movie about a giant ape go for more than 3 hours? Those of us who have been with Peter Jackson since Bad Taste and Meet the Feebles, often wonder where the airs and graces have come from. However, I was pleasantly surprised; and the over-indulgence of King Kong's 3+ hours was limited to a few choice scenes.
Art design on the lush set pieces is wonderfully accurate and vivid. Several shots early in the film are obvious references to iconic photos of the time. The look at 1930s Depression era America, however, was only a sideways glance in terms of substance, and didn't really warrant the time spent on it.
Superfluous scenes include a stampede of dinosaurs that, while thrilling, doesn't seem all that real anyway; and bugs in a cave. Whole subplots could have been lost and several action scenes on the island seemed drawn-out.
Having said that, King Kong is a rarity - a BDAM (Big Dumb Action Movie) with a giant heart - 25 ft tall to be exact. The CGI of Kong is so incredibly life-like that his snorting, sighing and roaring have us completely sympathetic to him I found myself cheering as he threw bi-planes around the sky.
The look and feel of the film are extravagant and incredibly satisfying. Jack Black is great as usual and Namoi Watts is stunning. Jackson's direction is admirable, but editing could have been a trifle more extensive.
While you want to be upset with Jackson for his growing pretentiousness, it is hard to overlook that King Kong is a giant film that deserves to be seen. I sincerely hope this film eclipses the box office take of Titanic, because it is far superior as a film.