Going into the film I was more concerned with how the movie was going to live up to the knowledge that the director of this is going on to direct the new Star Wars movie. I know J J Abrams is an amazing director and have enjoyed most of his work, but I sometimes find it very flashy (no pun intended) and somehow lacking that Star Wars heart that the original three films had. It made me worried that his take on Star Wars could be more like the empty George Lucas Prequels than the originals which are so special. This might have been a bad pane to be looking at the new Trek through but I think it served me well. Most people would be watching the flick with their pre-conception of what Star Trek is and how does this movie fit into the ethos, whereas I was watching it very closely to see how well it was put together and what made it work, in the hope those same mechanisms will work for Star Wars VII. I am glad to say that it not only allowed me to enjoy this film immensely by not getting annoyed with any fanboy crap, but has also satisfied me that Abrams should be able to deliver a spectacular Star Wars in a couple of years. The heart and soul of Trek seems to be those characters on the bridge: Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Scotty, Bones, Sulu & Chekov. I see a direct correlation to the heart and soul of Star Wars being: Solo, Skywalker, Leia, Chewie, C3PO & R2D2 and am therefore very happy to say that Abrams absolutely nailed their chemistry. It was a joy watching that group of people interact in the midst of trouble and just plain fun seeing the banter and arc of each character and how much they count on one another. If Abrams is able to do the same with whoever is in Star Wars VII (little Solo, little Skywalker, mini Chewie, C3PO and R2d2 perhaps?) that movie is going to be awesome. Towards the end Abrams went pretty full on with heart string tugging and Spock and Kirk almost started to feel like gay icons but that to me was so tongue in cheek and in line with the somewhat silly sort of vibe much of the old Trek had that it just worked. The style of the film was so perfect and layered with the brilliant cast it moulded together to make a movie with a story line, characters and situations you actually cared about. The villain of the film is a secret and so I wont reveal it here, but apparently this movie has taken an old classic and twisted around the plot to make it into a fresh new idea. Thankfully I went to the cinema with a couple of friends who knew more about the old Trek than I did and filled me in. That to me made the movie even sweeter, and I hope those that know Trek found it a fun and interesting take on things. The other amazing thing about the new Trek is Kirk. I mean how hard a role is it to step into the shoes of William Shatner and play such an iconic character! But Chris Pine just gets it, owns it, and makes the character fresh. I love the way he presents the reckless, loving, womanising, charismatic Kirk and the movie would be nothing without him. It astounded me then when Benedict Cumberbatch blew onto the scene as the baddie only to put Kirk in his place and diminish his character so effortlessly and fluently. Every scene with Benedict was top notch. He is one amazing actor and I cant wait to see where this new found mega fame takes him. At this point I think he could play anything he wants to and I hope he picks wisely. All in all the film is the perfect popcorn (American) summer blockbuster. It has everything you want and also makes you care about the people and the plot at the same time. If Abrams is perfecting his movie making skill as he goes on, and it seems he is, then I really cannot wait to see his Star Wars. Until then I cannot wait to see this Trek again when it comes out on Blu-ray in a few months. SCORE: 8/10 IMDB Info for Star Trek Into Darkness
Star Trek Into Darkness
Going into the film I was more concerned with how the movie was going to live up to the knowledge that the director of this is going on to direct the new Star Wars movie. I know J J Abrams is an amazing director and have enjoyed most of his work, but I sometimes find it very flashy (no pun intended) and somehow lacking that Star Wars heart that the original three films had. It made me worried that his take on Star Wars could be more like the empty George Lucas Prequels than the originals which are so special. This might have been a bad pane to be looking at the new Trek through but I think it served me well. Most people would be watching the flick with their pre-conception of what Star Trek is and how does this movie fit into the ethos, whereas I was watching it very closely to see how well it was put together and what made it work, in the hope those same mechanisms will work for Star Wars VII. I am glad to say that it not only allowed me to enjoy this film immensely by not getting annoyed with any fanboy crap, but has also satisfied me that Abrams should be able to deliver a spectacular Star Wars in a couple of years. The heart and soul of Trek seems to be those characters on the bridge: Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Scotty, Bones, Sulu & Chekov. I see a direct correlation to the heart and soul of Star Wars being: Solo, Skywalker, Leia, Chewie, C3PO & R2D2 and am therefore very happy to say that Abrams absolutely nailed their chemistry. It was a joy watching that group of people interact in the midst of trouble and just plain fun seeing the banter and arc of each character and how much they count on one another. If Abrams is able to do the same with whoever is in Star Wars VII (little Solo, little Skywalker, mini Chewie, C3PO and R2d2 perhaps?) that movie is going to be awesome. Towards the end Abrams went pretty full on with heart string tugging and Spock and Kirk almost started to feel like gay icons but that to me was so tongue in cheek and in line with the somewhat silly sort of vibe much of the old Trek had that it just worked. The style of the film was so perfect and layered with the brilliant cast it moulded together to make a movie with a story line, characters and situations you actually cared about. The villain of the film is a secret and so I wont reveal it here, but apparently this movie has taken an old classic and twisted around the plot to make it into a fresh new idea. Thankfully I went to the cinema with a couple of friends who knew more about the old Trek than I did and filled me in. That to me made the movie even sweeter, and I hope those that know Trek found it a fun and interesting take on things. The other amazing thing about the new Trek is Kirk. I mean how hard a role is it to step into the shoes of William Shatner and play such an iconic character! But Chris Pine just gets it, owns it, and makes the character fresh. I love the way he presents the reckless, loving, womanising, charismatic Kirk and the movie would be nothing without him. It astounded me then when Benedict Cumberbatch blew onto the scene as the baddie only to put Kirk in his place and diminish his character so effortlessly and fluently. Every scene with Benedict was top notch. He is one amazing actor and I cant wait to see where this new found mega fame takes him. At this point I think he could play anything he wants to and I hope he picks wisely. All in all the film is the perfect popcorn (American) summer blockbuster. It has everything you want and also makes you care about the people and the plot at the same time. If Abrams is perfecting his movie making skill as he goes on, and it seems he is, then I really cannot wait to see his Star Wars. Until then I cannot wait to see this Trek again when it comes out on Blu-ray in a few months. SCORE: 8/10 IMDB Info for Star Trek Into Darkness
Maniac
If an incredibly creepy guy scalping women to dress his mannequin's is your sort of bag... then Maniac is the movie for you!
I saw a trailer for this movie a while back and was really excited about a horror movie starring Frodo Baggins. Elijah Wood is a great actor and I knew he would be perfect for a "creepy" role with his unique voice, pale skin, thin physique and evil blue eyes!
Pretty much the entire movie is filmed through his character's (Frank) eyes which I've seen in bits and pieces in other movies but never the entire thing. Although you would imagine it to be quite a restrictive technique, Maniac pulls it off really well to create the "Inside the Killers Head" vibe with little frustration. In fact there are some fantastic scenes when Frank is stalking his victims where the technique really adds a whole extra level of tension - for me these are the highlight of the movie.
Another highlight is the sound and score. It has a very 80's feel to it with great use of dark synth creating a constant feeling of despair and familiarity with the older style horrors. The sound has been cleverly muffled and altered to further pull the viewer into Franks migraine plagued head. Speaking of migraine's - use of some great high pitched wails felt like I was suffering the migraine with him.
I didn't realise until now that this is a re-make of an 80's slasher film of the same name. I have not seen the original so cannot draw any comparisons there. I would like to see the original "Frank" though to compare with Woods' performance. I doubt he came close though as Elijah Wood is really, really good. You can't fault him at all. It almost acts as a negative for the 'through his own eyes' technique as you want to see more of his face and emotions. Luckily there's enough mirror shots and pan arounds which provide a view of his horrifically scary expressions. *Shudder* creepy... Maniac really is the perfect title.
Be warned though the movie is very violent and there are a few stomach churning moments along the way. It's not a constant feature though and a lot of the time we are just enjoying the secret life of Creepy McManiac and the super awkward social interactions both with him and his imaginary friends. Again....*shudder*.
To be honest I still don't know what to feel about it all. I think as a portrayal of a maniac I would give the movie 10/10 but I rate more on enjoyment and was left a bit weirded out by the end. Don't think I'll be watching it again but horror lovers definitely give it a go at least once. Full credit to them, just not my mannequin.
6/10
IMDB Info
I saw a trailer for this movie a while back and was really excited about a horror movie starring Frodo Baggins. Elijah Wood is a great actor and I knew he would be perfect for a "creepy" role with his unique voice, pale skin, thin physique and evil blue eyes!
Pretty much the entire movie is filmed through his character's (Frank) eyes which I've seen in bits and pieces in other movies but never the entire thing. Although you would imagine it to be quite a restrictive technique, Maniac pulls it off really well to create the "Inside the Killers Head" vibe with little frustration. In fact there are some fantastic scenes when Frank is stalking his victims where the technique really adds a whole extra level of tension - for me these are the highlight of the movie.
Another highlight is the sound and score. It has a very 80's feel to it with great use of dark synth creating a constant feeling of despair and familiarity with the older style horrors. The sound has been cleverly muffled and altered to further pull the viewer into Franks migraine plagued head. Speaking of migraine's - use of some great high pitched wails felt like I was suffering the migraine with him.
I didn't realise until now that this is a re-make of an 80's slasher film of the same name. I have not seen the original so cannot draw any comparisons there. I would like to see the original "Frank" though to compare with Woods' performance. I doubt he came close though as Elijah Wood is really, really good. You can't fault him at all. It almost acts as a negative for the 'through his own eyes' technique as you want to see more of his face and emotions. Luckily there's enough mirror shots and pan arounds which provide a view of his horrifically scary expressions. *Shudder* creepy... Maniac really is the perfect title.
Be warned though the movie is very violent and there are a few stomach churning moments along the way. It's not a constant feature though and a lot of the time we are just enjoying the secret life of Creepy McManiac and the super awkward social interactions both with him and his imaginary friends. Again....*shudder*.
To be honest I still don't know what to feel about it all. I think as a portrayal of a maniac I would give the movie 10/10 but I rate more on enjoyment and was left a bit weirded out by the end. Don't think I'll be watching it again but horror lovers definitely give it a go at least once. Full credit to them, just not my mannequin.
6/10
IMDB Info
Perfect Sense
Ewan McGregor and Eva Green star as two central characters who happen to fall in love just as the world starts to collapse into something like Armageddon. Their onscreen chemistry seems real (which might be due to the fact Ewan would have been very happy shooting the multiple nude scenes with Eva and her assets) and the way they aren't typical American stereotypes but deeper and somewhat existential people co-existing through a very strange time. This coupled with the realistic yet dreary world makes the movie and its theme's feel more genuine. Because of this real feeling and believable characters, when the scenes of collapse are shown and the violence, riots and mayhem flash across your screen it hits a sharp note and sometimes takes your breath away.
The flip-side for me though was the aftermath of those collapses. The way the narrator guides you back into familiar, if new territory, and soothes you as the viewer that everything is ok for your favourite characters was amazing. As the film went on and things got harder and harder for our characters I was almost holding my breath each time something else was lost, waiting for that narrator to come back and tell me "its ok, everything is ok."
I absolutely loved this film. It has some serious balls with some serious actors and an amazing screenplay/story to boot. There is part of the film that is absolutely silent for about 10 minutes, and I found it breathtaking not gimmicky. The communication of the senses and how we rely on them is done to perfection and the filmmaking is top quality. I picked the final scene of the film about three quarters of the way through and normally that absolutely kills a movie for me, but this time I found myself waiting. Waiting, desperately, for it to come because I knew the moment after it hit the screen that that same narrator would come on and tell me "its ok, everything is still ok."
SCORE: 9/10
Sound City
Best known as the creator of the Foo Fighters and drummer from Nirvana (for those of you who don't follow great music) he has also starred in some of the best music video clips, been on countless interviews and has one of the best personalities of any famous person I've ever been privy to. So apart from being one of my favourite people in the world, a brilliant musician, and an astounding stage and screen personality, he has also become a director! Since I heard this was in the works a year or so ago I have been on tenterhooks waiting to be able to see it.
The doco is about a sound recording studio in California called Sound City where many a famous band has recorded a platinum or multi-platinum album. It started up in the late 60's and was made famous by Rick Springfield when he broke out with his song Jessie's Girl. From there it boomed for a decade or so until the 80's rolled around offering digital music making. Suddenly spending lots of money on analogue recording sessions became a thing of the past and the studio almost went under. At the last minute a group of misfits rolled up at the door and recorded a little album called Nevermind and everything changed once again.
Suddenly it was back! Rage Against the Machine, Queens of the Stoneage, Nine Inch Nails, Red Hot Chili Peppers and other amazing bands all recorded there in the coming years and it was once again a booming studio. After the 90's ... well, we all know where Top 40 music has led us to since then ... it finally reached time to close its doors. Yes, in the world we live in now: an Auto Tuned YouTube Katy Perry world, there is no place for a studio without a computer in it.
Given its historic and significant past Dave decided to film a Doco about the studio and purchase the famous sound board used there for all those years. He and the Foo Fighters recorded their last album Wasting Light on it aswell as the new Sound City album released along with the doco. The last part of the film is a love letter to writing music and standing in a studio just playing music and recording it all onto tape. It also serves to cover the recording process for making the new album. At first I didnt like the change in direction away from the interviews and recolections of such an amazing place, but by the time the credits rolled and the music was pumping I was jumping around the living room like I was at a concert. Watching people like Trent Reznor, Paul McArtney, Krist Novoselic, Josh Homme and others working together to make music is really one of the amazing things about the world we live in. That normally hidden and idolised existence is now on full display to the world, and I guess thats one good outcome of this mass media consumption, YouTube kinda world we live in.
SCORE: 7/10
The Innkeepers
Saw this one on a "Best Horror Movies of 2011" list so gave it a go. Very glad I did!
Made for a very low 750k you do get some B Grade elements but generally the movie bats well above it's grade especially in cinematography and audio. It's directed by Ti West who is responsible for some pretty decent horror titles such as "The House of The Devil" and "V/H/S".
We are introduced to a pair of hotel workers preparing for the final weekend before the hotel is shut down. During their time they have experienced some strange paranormal experiences so want to use this remaining time to attempt to capture some proof on tape.
This story is obviously neither original or clever but it doesn't matter as you are instantly entranced with the 'mood' of the film. The creepy old Inn, the creepy music and a few cheesy intro scares all work together to create a great eerie atmosphere that a lot of modern horrors lack.
The movie manages to maintain this atmosphere for virtually the entire duration and as it is basically filmed only in and around the Inn it also feels quite claustrophobic. The introduction of some intriguing 'guests' keeps the creepy vibe rolling.
Another positive is in the modern age of graphic gore and violence in our horror films, Innkeepers manages to succeed with a minimum of both. (Or am I just getting old??)
The only real criticism I can make is with some of the acting, but with that budget it's to be expected. It's not terrible, in fact quite good when it matters but there are a couple of groan moments along the way. That said I don't feel this detracted much from the movie as a whole.
A great little film - watch it on a cold winters night with a glass of red (always!). Great to see a low budget horror worth watching - they are few and far between. Last great one I can recall was Session 9.
7/10
IMDB Info
Made for a very low 750k you do get some B Grade elements but generally the movie bats well above it's grade especially in cinematography and audio. It's directed by Ti West who is responsible for some pretty decent horror titles such as "The House of The Devil" and "V/H/S".
We are introduced to a pair of hotel workers preparing for the final weekend before the hotel is shut down. During their time they have experienced some strange paranormal experiences so want to use this remaining time to attempt to capture some proof on tape.
This story is obviously neither original or clever but it doesn't matter as you are instantly entranced with the 'mood' of the film. The creepy old Inn, the creepy music and a few cheesy intro scares all work together to create a great eerie atmosphere that a lot of modern horrors lack.
The movie manages to maintain this atmosphere for virtually the entire duration and as it is basically filmed only in and around the Inn it also feels quite claustrophobic. The introduction of some intriguing 'guests' keeps the creepy vibe rolling.
Another positive is in the modern age of graphic gore and violence in our horror films, Innkeepers manages to succeed with a minimum of both. (Or am I just getting old??)
The only real criticism I can make is with some of the acting, but with that budget it's to be expected. It's not terrible, in fact quite good when it matters but there are a couple of groan moments along the way. That said I don't feel this detracted much from the movie as a whole.
A great little film - watch it on a cold winters night with a glass of red (always!). Great to see a low budget horror worth watching - they are few and far between. Last great one I can recall was Session 9.
7/10
IMDB Info
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