This one wasn’t on my radar but with the comedic stylings of Jack Black, Michael Cera, Paul Rudd and David Cross it’s now got my attention.
Archive for the 'Movies' Category
As 2008 comes to an end it’s good to know that there is something to look forward to in 2009.
Crank 2 is one of those things. Check out the badass trailer below.
Yes it looks shit and low budget but you have to admit it does look awesome.
It looks like Kevin Smith is back to making decent films. Some people may be getting Seth Rogen overload but I’m still enjoying it all. Check out the trailer for Zack and Miri Make a Porno and let me know if your looking forward to it.
On Monday I saw my second MIFF movie called Not Quite Hollywood. This time my trick of arriving a little earlier was to no avail as one of the ‘organisers’ -a loose term as they didn’t know what the fuck was going on- told us that the movie was delayed by about 15 min and just to rub it in she then condescendingly added that we should enjoy our time in the line. Thankfully this film was well worth the final 30min delay as it turned out to be one of the most funny & entertaining documentaries I’ve seen. As an added bonus there was even a Q&A session from it’s director and two others that had films featured in the doco.
As mentioned in my previous post it follows the rise & fall of the Australian made ‘Ozploitation’ movies that were released in America during the 70’s & 80’s. It’s best described by it’s director, Mark Hartley as containing “lashings of gratuitous sex, violence & fuel injected muscle car mayhem”. Throughout the documentary everything is told from the enthusiastic viewpoint of the actors & the maverick directors that really pushed the envelope within this period of films. The lack of droll voice overs and boring movie snobs (with the exception from one hilarious critic), also lends this film a real infectious fun quality to it.
The rock & roll credits -reminiscent of the film noir setting in Sin City- really got things off to a great start with the best looking opening credits I’ve ever seen. It then heads straight into the first set of movies from the 70′s appropriately subtitled under the category of boobs,tubes & pubes. It’s easy to see why these films were often labeled as exploitative as they really took advantage of the lax censorship board at the time and featured as much gratuitous sex & nudity as they could get away with (making all of today’s American Pie type movies look lame in comparison). This section of the doco is full of funny anecdotes – all the sections featuring Barry Humpheries are hilarious – and is definitely the highlight of the movie.
With self deprecating humor, full frontal nudity & exsessive doses of smut it wasn’t really surprising to find out why movies like Stork, Alvin Purple and The Adventures of Barry McKenzie, did so well at the box office. It was also interesting to hear that these unsung movies actually provided the funding and paved the way for the seminal classics that Australian film critics still rave on about today (Sunday Too Far Away, Picnic At Hanging Rock, My Brilliant Career, Breaker Morant, etc).
The next section of the documentary that obviously interested me the most was the focus on horror movies of the 80′s. While a lot of these definitely fit under the schlock category, some of them have a ‘so bad they’re good’ appeal including Turkey Shoot & The Howling III which have to be seen to be believed. In contrast I found it surprising to see how well some of these other genre films still stand up today, including Patrick which was the biggest selling movie in Italy at the time and includes a scene that was directly ripped off by Quentin Tarantino in Kill Bill. There was also the thriller Roadgames featuring Jamie Lee Curtis and the nature fights back genre established with Razorback & Long weekend. The later film contains a hilarious scene were a man gets attacked by a possum. Watching the footage from these films has definitely made me want to track down some of these hidden gems. In particular I can’t wait to get my buzz on while watching The Night after Halloween which features a maniac goes on a killing spree in a Mr Whippy van. This story obviously has nothing to do with John Carpenter’s massive hit, but by keeping with the exploitation theme it was obviously trying to cash in on it’s popularity.
The documentary then discusses the action genre films of the 80′s which features stories of renegade directors & ridiculously dangerous stunt scenes. These memorable instances of chaos were prevalent during the filming of Mad Dog and involved Dennis Hopper always being blind drunk on set, an Aboriginal actor that disappeared for days in the outback & multiple scenes that involved shooting live rounds of ammo next to actors heads. Another particularly entertaining story revolved around the directors of Stunt Rock who spent most of the films budget at the bookies. Since they had run out of time & money they couldn’t afford to get a real rock band for the lead part and just ended up hiring stage magicians instead.
Up next is the muscle car genre that obviously gave birth to the iconic classic Mad Max’ and ‘um’…. BMX Bandits? Personally this was the only part of the documentary that slightly lost my interest but this could just be a combination of the late running time and the fact that I’m not a rev head. Paraphrasing Tarentino’s words the cars featured in these cult film were ‘Orgasmic’ and therefore this segment of the film will undoubtedly be more appealing to those that dig their car chase films, which only seem to be making a comeback again with the likes of Death Proof and Death Race.
Final Verdict: I could keep going on about the other interesting stories featuring in this fantastic documentary but they’re much better told in the movie. If you’re a fan of dodgy and/or cult films this is a must see documentary. If fact even if you’re just a movie fan in general do yourself a favor & check this one out. Keep an eye out for it’s release on the 28th of August.
90 / 100 Pennies
On Saturday night I was lucky enough to attend the Australian premier of the Diary Of The Dead at the Melbourne international film festival. On the night, all horror fans were in for a real treat as the legendary director of horror, George A. Romero was there in person to give a short introduction & 15 min Q&A at the end of the film.
This may explain why the movie line was spread out all the way down Swanston St & around the corner, 10 min before it was even set to begin. Thankfully the time was quickly passed by watching some dress up zombies nonchalantly smoking cigarettes & chatting with staff (some of the makeup nearly looked as impressive as the effects from the movie). After bypassing some pools of blood on the stairs I finally made my way into the near full capacity of the Capitol Theater & took a seat near the back, ready for the fun to begin.
The film starts with the general premise of the outbreak (someone gets bitten, turns undead, eats flesh,etc) and a voice over then explains that a bunch of student film makers are capturing the experience of the aftermath on camera to help depict the true nature of the events surrounding them. Rather than focus on the overall how & why of the zombie breakout, the films narrow viewpoint on these seven individuals is rather fitting as it helps you make up your own mind about what really happened
This filming method serves as an analogy for todays media which is the ‘white noise’ (Paraphrasing Romero’s words) that divides opinion, alters perceptions and obscures the truth to the public. This subversive message is particularly apodictic in the initial scene, when the original footage of the first outbreak ends up being altered by the media to allay public concern.
While the rest of the straightforward story – a bus load of people trying to make their way home – does rely on staple horror cliches (a scene near the end taking the piss out of these elements is particularly funny) all is forgiven when you remember that this film was made by a director that practically invented the zombie genre. As with all of Romero’s work there’s also some political & cultural undertones at play but their subtle integration can easily be ignored if you just want to view the film as a simple horror movie.
When the shit blood hits the fan, there’s also plenty of fun to be had with the usual terror stables. The inclusion of memorable death scenes (which are a must for any, unique horror film), will either have you squirming or laughing in your seat. These inventive death scenes are a lot of fun & range from someone stabbing themselves in the head with a scythe, a zombie that gets its brains melted away by sulfuric acid and another that has it’s eyeballs melted via some CPR electro shock paddles. In particular there’s also one scene involving a mute Amish man that’s almost slapstick in it’s delivery (similar to Dawn Of The Dead) & yet still doesn’t get in the way of building up the tension & horror.
While the camera work brings to mind Blair Witch & the recent Cloverfield (which was made after this movie), Romero makes maximum use of the digital medium without the usual camera shake phenomena that seemed to plague the above mentioned movies. Close up shots & reliable acting from the unknown cast also help to really build up a creepy atmosphere & pull you straight into the claustrophobic setting. While the ending is fairly open to interpretation it fits in with the overall theme of the film and ends up turning the camera upon ourselves & asking the question if we really are worth saving.
Final Verdict: Considering Diary Of The Dead was made in just under 4 weeks on a relatively minuscule budget (~$20 m) it’s impressive how overly tight it feels. The fact that it’s got George A. Romero’s touch to it, gives the film a unique viewpoint on the nature of todays media and helps to distinguish itself from the usual zombie fare. While it doesn’t quite have the same dramatic buildup and punch of his earlier works, its still a bit early to tell if his latest film will stand the test of time and achieve cult status. If your a fan of the old style horror film mixed with the new age of hand held filming then I would heartily recommend you check this one out.
80 / 100 pennies
Yes it’s that time of the year again, where Melbourne is host to it’s very own International Film Festival (MIFF). This 17 day event will be kicking off next Friday (25th July) and up run until July the 17th.
Since I’ve got a short attention span it took me a while to sort through the usual tedious arthouse listings, but the following is a list of the movies that I’ll be hoping to check out at the Festival. For a detailed list of film times & locations scroll to the bottom of the post.
First up on opening night is the Australian documentary Not Quite Hollywood, which follows the rise & fall of the Ozploitation movies that were released in America during the 70′s & 80′s. Best described by it’s director, Mark Hartley as containing “lashings of gratuitous sex, violence & fuel injected muscle car mayhem” it features interviews with Quentin Tarantino and sounds like an informative yet entertaining piece on a relatively unknown part of Australian cinema history.
If this doco whets your appetite then you’ll definitely want to head over to the ACMI which will be featuring a focus of six Ozploitation films. The 1971 horror Razorback, directed by Russel Malcahy (of Highlander fame), is a ‘nature gone wild’ film with a story that sells itself ‘a giant boar goes on a killing spree in the outback claiming an animal rights activist in the process’. Nuff said.
If this cult movies is too lowbrow for you then there’s the UK/Belgium produced In Bruges. This movie has been labeled by the Hollwood Reporter as “an audacious combination of old world grace & modern ultra violence”. Starring Colin Farrell & Ralph Fiennes this flick looks like it will deviate from the usual brooding hitman formula by combining both action and comedy (ala Shoot Em Up). Judging from the preview, this movie could be a lot of quirky fun (It features a midget punching someone in the balls. Funniest home videos eat your heart out).
There’s also the 70′s influenced The Bank Job, starring ever reliable Jason Stratham (just don’t mention the Transporter) which is described by Eye Weekly as “Chockablock with Cockney hardcases, bent coppers, kinky politicians, shadowy M15 fixers, black radicals. a Soho sleaze merchant and a bevy of topless birds”. Following in the vein of Guy Ritchie movies Snatch & Lock Stock, it’s story will probably contain more twists & turns than a set of plumbing pipes and should keep you puzzled long after the credits have rolled.
However the feature that’s got me most excited this year is the inclusion of the George A. Romero Retrospective. If you haven’t heard of this legendary horror director before (shame on you), then you should check out Dead On: The Life and cinema of George A. Romero. Featuring interviews with Stephen King, John Carpenter, Quentin Tarantino, Guillermo Del Toro & many more, this documentary should bring you up to speed with Romero’s previous body of work.
Horror fans are in for a real treat as the festival will be screening nine of his movies dating from the 1968 Black & White Night Of The Living Dead through to the 2007 film Diary Of The Dead which was fuilly filmed with HD cameras. Beneath the blood & guts storyline of the ‘Dead’ series Romero has managed to depict subversive themes capturing the American Zeitgeist. This includes the civil rights movement of the 60′s (Night Of The Living Dead), the capitalistic consumerism of the 70′s (Dawn Of The Dead), the big brother military paranoia of the 80′s (Day Of the Dead), the anti capitalism stance of the 21st century (Land Of The Dead) through to the media propaganda of today (Diary Of The Dead).
It’s therefore no wonder that this series has had such an impact on the horror genre and has also influenced a wide range of media including pop culture references in TV (Buffy, Simpsons), movies (28 days later & Shaun Of The Dead), video games (Resident Evil, Dead Rising) and even music (The Gorillaz have featured sample clips in their material).
The Crazies also looks like a lot of fun (yes I’ve got a weird sense of fun) and involves a toxic spill in the water supply which leads to an outbreak of aggression & death. To rectify this situation Washington sends in the clean up crew which results in an all out war between an infected community and the military (this apocalyptic storyline is really an allagory for the ’73 Nixon ethos).This film also seems to have influenced the latest M. Night Shyamalan flick The Happening as it includes some familiar scenes of chaos in the face of environmental disaster (like an old lady stabbing a rescuer with a knitting needle & a priest who sets himself on fire).
If you’re into cult movies you’ll definitely want to check out at least one of these classic films on the big screen during the running of the festival. Tickets can be purchased here or from the Forum theatre box office (crn Russel & Flinders Street).
If your planning on hitting the movies right after work and looking for a bite to eat, check out the 20% off Chinatown offers available here. To receive this great discount spend $30 or more at a number of restaurants in the CBD area.
Not Quite Hollywood
25th July (Fri) 7.30pm @ Hamer Hall
28th July (Mon) 9.15pm @ Hamer Hall
The Bank Job
26th July (Sat) 7.15pm @ Greater Union
Diary Of The Dead
26th July (Sat) 9.15pm @ Capitol
7th August (Thu) 9.15pm @ Greater Union
Day Of The Dead
26th July (Sat) 11.45pm @ Greater Union
Dawn Of The Dead
27th July (Sun) 9.15pm @ Greater Union
4th August (Mon) 9.15pm @ ACMI
Dead On:The Life and cinema of George A. Romero
28th July (Mon) 7.00pm @ ACMI
10th August (Sun) 5.15pm @ Capitol
The Crazies
28th July (Mon) 9.30 @ ACMI
10th August (Sun) 3.15 @ Capitol
Night Of The Living Dead
29th July (Tue) 7.00pm @ ACMI
In Bruges
29th July (Tue) 7.00pm @ The Forum
8th August (Fri) 5.00pm @ Kino
Razorback
6th August (Wed) 9.30pm @ ACMI
I think I just pissed my pants a little. Harrison Ford looks like he’s getting pretty old but from what I saw in the trailer above, he’s still got it.
This took me back instantly to the fun that was had when watching the previous three Indys and I just can’t wait for this one.
By the way, how the hell did Shia LaBeouf get in there?
This year the usual assortment of big blockbuster sequels arrived but generally received underwhelming responses. Pirates Of The Caribbean and Spiderman 3 both disappointed with convoluted or lackluster story lines and by trying to fit in too many superfluous characters. In contrast other sequels like The Bourne Ultimatum and Die Hard 4 kept audiences enthralled with over the top action scenes and car chases.
This year we were also lucky enough to receive a number of movies with original or wacky story-lines including Sunshine, Stranger Than Fiction, Zodiac, No Land For Old Men and the mind-fucking Inland Empire. Other movies that stood out from the crowd included Hot Fuzz, Eastern Promises and Superbad which all managed to successfully pay homage to previous cult favorites such as Bad Boys, Die Hard, Godfather or American Pie.
While most people chose to download or watch movies at home, there were still a few offerings that benefited from the big screen such as the surprise hit The Transformers. Who would have thought that something based around a 23 yr old cartoon and toy range would have been so popular? The snappy dialog and enthusiastic cast moved things along at a energetic pace while the 40 minute climactic robot battle offered one of the most exciting movie endings of the year. The Zack Synder movie 300 also dilivered plenty of bloodthirsty action but the nonexistant storyline and poor script dissapointed those who were expecting a true sword and sandels epic. While the same could be said for the movie Beowulf it really shone on the IMAX screen in 3D. The breathtaking action scenes, brilliant stop motion SFX and effective 3D effects perfectly showcased what movies are capable of and what we can hopefully expect in the future.
On another note the screen writers guild of America got in a pay dispute with their movie distributors this year. Since script writers don’t receive royalties for their content displayed on the internet they ended up going on strike until the problem is resolved. While this will mainly affect TV shows it will also impact the release of new movie scripts. It will therefore be interesting to see whether this development will affect any movies being released in the next year.
1. 28 Weeks Later: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
2. 300: Zack Synder
3. Beowulf 3D: Robert Zemeckis
4 The Bourne Ultimatum: Paul Greengrass
5. Die Hard 4.0: Len Wiseman
6. Eastern Promises: David Chronenberg
7. Harry Potter :David Yates
8. Hot Fuzz: Edgar Wright
9. The Illusionist: Neil Burger
10. Inland Empire: David Lynch
11.The King Of Kong: Seth Gordon
12. No Land For Old Men: Joel & Ethan Coen
13. Pirates Of The Caribbean: Gore Verbinski
14. The Simpsons: David Silverman
15. Spiderman 3: Sam Raimi
16. Stranger Than Fiction: Mark Forster
17. Sunshine: Danny Boyle
18. Superbad: Greb Mottola
19. Transformers: Michael Bay
20. Zodiac: David Fincher
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