North By Northwest

Okay no creative title... Sorry.

The famous Hitchcock classic, North By Northwest. If you've seen this film or not you'll know the crop duster scene. Everyone does!

Lets start with the director, Alfred Hitchcock. One of the best directors of all time, if not the greatest. I have huge admiration for this man. His dress sense, his habits, his films, his way of getting things done and his wicked sense of humour. And these aspects are clearly visible. Note his protagonists in suits despite what their doing.

Cary Grant is incredible. A cocky advert exec mistaken for a spy who doesn't exist. Thrown into the deep end of life, he has to fight for his life against evil Vandamm's (James Mason) games. His line delivery is brilliantly funny and his slow turn from cocky exec to almost a spy is believable and precise. Eve Kendall as Eva Marie Saint is incredible. Considering actresses in the 70's were often hired by looks but Hitchcock made sure he had talent in his films. James Mason is always worth a mention. His fun loving criminal mastermind plays games with Thornhill (Grant) like trying to mow him down with a crop duster.

Carry Grant Was Feeling A Bit Run Down Today.

Brilliantly edited together with some crazy, crazy action scenes, (Climbing down Geroge Washington's face anyone?) and a brilliant plot. It's such a good film and very clever and very funny. Its humour is often overlooked but it is incredibly amusing.



Watch it. Watch it now.





Best bit?
The Cropduster scene and.....

[Thornhill climbs into hospital window]

Woman: [Shocked] STOP!

[Turns light on and puts on glasses. Looks at Thornhill]


Woman: [Seductevely] Stop....


[Thornhill Pauses]


Thornhill: [Pointing at woman] HA!


[Leaves]

Things On My Mind Now.

No Batman 3 this time. (Though I may talk about Christopher Nolan's Superman reboot.)

Firstly, two remakes of brilliant foreign films. I'm not sure why Hollywood has to remake these remarkable films though I suspect ti has something to do with people being too lazy to read subtitles. Timecrimes (Los Cronocrimenes) is set to be remade for 2011 with Tom Cruise strongly linked to it. As you know by reading previous posts, I adore this film. Timecrimes is an amazing creation, innovative and clever. I really worry that it will loose the things that make it great with an American remake. The simplicity, the slightly porky everyman protagonist, the point.
Also another film I am in love with, Let The Right One In. I reviewed this a little while back and boy is it stunning. I certainly have more faith in this than in Timecrimes. Mainly because of the awesome casting. Kick ass' Chloe Mortez and The Road's Kodi Smit-McPhee as our protagonists; sounds good. I still can't believe it would be as magnificent as the original but I hope for a good turn out. Also it will be called Let Me In.

Also, director Christopher Nolan has bounced around my mind a lot in the last few hours. His stunning take on Batman has left millions comparing him to Kubrick or Hitchcock. Others may know him from The Prestige or Insomnia but everyone will soon know him from one of his three upcoming movies: Batman 3, Superman and Inception. He has claimed that he will focus on Superman's character to create the world around him. Thats how he created his gothic Gotham. So what is Superman's character? Strong, powerful and mighty. He's also a lovely chap... Perhaps less of the grouchy need-a-soother voice from Batman.

Inception being the most expected film of the year (coming out July 16th) I advice everyone to see it. That's all I have to say about that.

Anyway that's all from me :)

Stay tuned for reviews on North By Northwest, 17 Again, Mean Machine, A Few Dollars More, Iron Man 2, The Notebook and The Good The Bad The Wierd.

Peace out ya hear!

Wrestling Is Fake?!?!?!

Is it better to say BAFTA winning or Oscar nominated?

Of course I'm talking about Mickey Rourke's performance as Randy 'The Ram' in The Wrestler.

And that's what we're talking about today. The Wrestler. A remarkable film... really.. it is.

A Wrestler who suffers a serious knock back, a heart attack, and his life, portrayed on the big screen with real heart. Rourke is magnificent. When you see a fully grown man who is a wrestler for a living break down into tears... It gets to you. Evan Rachel Wood also puts in a stunning performance as Stephanie, Randy's daughter. I think I mildly fell in love with her.

The Ayatollah's new 'Shout-in-the-face' hit Randy hard.

The story line is very simple but effective. It shows the glamour of wrestling but also the sad empty world it could leave you with. Its easy to sink into and easy to follow. So the less intellegent of us can also enjoy it. BUT it says wrestling is all planned! This may be a shock for those less intellegent i mentioned... Wrestling is fake.. Sorry.



Really Really Really worth a watch. Something for everyone, romance, comedy, emotion, fighting, being sick on the floor, blood. Yup it's all there.





Best bit? Randy's improvisation and using a metal, false leg as a weapon in a fight. Genuis.

Till Death Do Us Departed

This is my 20th post. Should I do something special? Nah.

The Departed. Starring two of my favourite actors and directed by one of my favourite directors; it's gotta be good.

Jack Nicholson is my favourite actor of all time and even at 70 he still rocks this film. Playing Irish mafia boss Frank Costello, he shows that he hasn't lost his triple Oscar wining talent. I can't imagine anyone else playing this part especially considering his part was heavily improvised, (which made some classic moments.. Throwing coke on prostitutes... Wearing a strap-on to the cinema.) He is a weirdo. Leonardo DiCaprio was also amazing starring as a police rat in Costello's mafia. A lack of a real identity drives him mad but he keeps with his job. A man with a identity complex pulled from side to side and portrayed amazingly.

You're doing WHAT at the moment?

Matt Damon is another rat but he's inside the police working for Costello.. Confusing? He's also suburb and highly underrated. He struggles between keeping his secret and keeping his girlfriend happy while trying to find out who the rat in the mafia is. Mark Wahlberg was incredible and really deserved his Oscar nod the angry cop who runs the ship, hates Damon's character and loves his job. Also worth a mention are Vera Farmiga and Alec Baldwin in smaller but equally amazing parts.


In case you haven't guessed, every actor was magnificent. As was the direction. Martin Scorsese is one of the best directors of all time and he continued that reputation with 'his first film with a plot.' Don't even get me started on the soundtrack. It was so brilliantly used. The sudden cuts, the choice of songs... It's all so good. The camera work is stunning. Everything is just awesome.

"What drink should I have with my breakfast? Wine? Coffee? OJ? Tea?"

The action keeps you on the very edge of your seat and the emotional moments/ breakdowns are emotional. The plot is complex yet understandable. The acting and direction are amazing. It's just an amazing film. Watch it.

Best bit? The nail biting finale. All the way to the last second.

The Good The Bad And The Okay Looking.

Poor old Eli Wallach... Being classed as 'The Ugly.' He's not that bad... Could be worse.

The Good The Bad And The Ugly. 9.0 on IMBD... Number 25 on Empire's top 500... One of the best films ever?? It is very good. I'm just stuck on how good.... Lets review it first.

FYI (For your information.) Blondie is The Good, Tuco is The Ugly and Angel Eyes is The Bad

The plot is brilliant. Blondie (Clint Eastwood) and Tuco (Wallach) have a little (illeagal) buisness going but when Blondie leaves Tuco in the desert, revenge is called for. When the pair stumble across a wagon full of dead soldiers they discover there is $200,000 buried somewhere. The twist? Blondie and Tuco hear different halves of the secret. Neither of them can get their hands on the money alone. Through out twist and turns, Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef) discovers Tuco's half of the secret and the race is on.

Tuco was a bit tied up with the race for the money.

Eastwood is the coolest man from the 60's simply from this film. (Paul Newman comes a close second.) Wallach was Oscar worthy and Van Cleef was... Great. These guys really put their lives into this film. I mean it! Eastwood and Wallach could have died! Imagine it! The last 40 years without Gran Torino, Million Dollar Baby or any other Clint Eastwood film! You see, during an explosion, Eastwood is taking cover in some sand bags with Wallach and some wreckage slammed inches away from his head. Wallach on the other hand, was almost decapitated by a train while lying along side the rails. (These are parts of the film but the threats were real.)

"Looking hot today Eastwood"

The cinematography was excellent. The soundtrack is iconic. Sure the film is only just shy of three hours but still is shorter than The Godfather Part II. The drama doesn't stop and due to the sassy one liners from Tuco and simple coolness of Blondie every second is watchable. The pair are enjoyable to watch and Van Cleef is a brilliant villain. The rough nature of the west is thrilling and exciting.

Overall this film is brilliant. This review has helped me make a decision on the rating. If you have three free hours, watch this. You won't regret it.


Best Bit? The last half an hour. Pure brilliance.

Dial M To Drag The Right One In

It seemed far too much effort to write three separate reviews so here's three in one.

First, Dial M For Murder. Another brilliant turn from director Alfred Hitchcock. Set almost entirely in the space of a single apartment, just like Hitchcock's own 'Rear Window,' this film focuses more on the characters due to the simplistic nature of the setting.

The premise? The perfect murder is planned out but doesn't play out right. Following this is confusion and deceit. Someone knows the truth but how can they cover it up? A genius plot with amazing characters. The acting is suberb and the directing is almost unmatchable. So worth a watch. Not Hitchcock's best but still very good.

Best Bit? The very very end... No spoilers here ;)



Yes that was a short review; have another.

Drag Me To Hell. Argh a modern horror! But wait! It's actually okay? Good even? It's definately creepy and un-nerving.... But it's also quite hilarious. Oh, and disgusting. Take it 100% seriously... you'll either be scared or disappointed... Take it as a horror-com. and you'll be happier. But I said previously that horrors are a good chance to show acting chops, Alison Lohman and Justin Long really show what they can do. Going from casual couple to crazed and and panicked slowly over the film.

Often funny and scary and constently disgusting. Worth a watch even if just for Alison Lohman.


Best Bit? Alison Lohman digging up a body. She's angry, soaking wet and bloody hot.





And now my important review.

Let The Right One In


A film starring child actors that is stunning in every sense. It truly is beautiful and touching. Twilight? Bah! Vampires can be beautiful and scary. This film manages both unlike *Shudder* Twilight.


A 'young' vampire, Eli, befriends Oskar, a twelve year old boy who struggles with bullying, split parents and a lack of friends. A tale of friendship, hardship and trust portrayed brilliantly by two 13 year olds . Never work with children or animals they say... Forget that! Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson will be Oscar winners in no time if they keep performing like this! They were stunning. I cannot describe enough how amazing they were!

Knife crime was really on the rise

Director, Tomas Alfredson, knows what he wants. Every camera shot is beautiful and perfectly angled. The minimal score is used to maximum effect. Every scene brings what it can to the film in a unique way. I can only describe it as beautiful...

There is so much I want to say but I can't think of how to word it apart from beautiful, and I don't want to get too repetitive. It's also genuinly chilling and creepy. You will connect with the characters and be on the edge of your seat.

A definite must see. Whether you're a fan of forigen language or not (It's Swedish.) Also Empire said it was the best film of 2009. Gotta be a good sign.

Best bit? It's a spoiler.... Fire in a hospital is involved.

Dail P For Phone Booth

First let me get this out of the way. OMG COLIN FARRELL!!!! OMGOMGOMG <3

Okay that's done. Phone Booth today. Unfortunately this film hasn't always been well received! I think this is an utter shame as it is very good. Though the important critics (Empire, Elbert) gave it good reviews and it has stocked up 7.2 stars on IMBD, along come the trolls *evil look.* You know the people that don't understand the suspension of disbelief and pick holes in those little bits. Even though everything in this film is perfectly possible, be it very very unlikely at times, these trolls still complain that, 'there's no way they could've seen that coming or planned for that in advance.' The film is about a creepy genius on a phone! He's smarter than you, deal with it.

Colin Farrell, Forest Whitaker and Kiefer Sutherland's voice star in this awesome thriller. Stu (Farrell) is a cock, a publicist and trapped. After popping to the phone booth for his daily call to his young lady friend, Pam, the phone rings. On the other end of the call is a psycho with a gun and he's watching every little move Stu makes. Stu is trapped. If he hangs up, BANG! If he leaves the phone booth, BANG! What does the caller want? For Stu to admit his mistakes, to tell his wife, Kelly, the truth... Or does he? After a fight with prostitutes and a pimp, the police come and believe Stu is the 'bad guy.'

Understandably, there was a queue for Colin's love booth.

Colin Farrell is, without a doubt, one of my favourite actors. Sure he's in bad films now and then but come on! Have you seen 'In Bruges?' No? Go see it. This film also brings out his acting ability. His descent from a cockish asshole into a selfless, repentant blubbering heap is slow and phenomenal. Remember I criticised Last House On The Left because the character's decent into madness was too sudden? This is the opposite. Whitaker is also great though he doesn't really have a lot to do.. But we'll forgive that because of his role in Last King Of Scotland. Kiefer Sutherland is brilliant! His voice is smooth, calm and dripping with murderous venom. His laugh is truly psychotic and his orders are precise and controlling. 24? Pfffttt kids play for him. This is where he shines.

But alas! What's this? Joel Schumacher directed? The same person who directed Batman + Robin? But that film was awful? But this film isn't awful. Schumacher shows that he is a good director here with brilliant camera angles, amazing vision and wonderful direction. 12 days this film took to film! 12! That's amazing! But he did have a great cast so whatcha expect? Supposedly Colin Farrell got a round of applause at doing his long, emotional speech in one take. Oh and the extras didn't have scripts! Their reactions were genuine. No wonder the film was so good and had a realistic sense.

Leon didn't like Colin stealing his buisness

This film is totally worth a watch. It's only 80 minutes and is really worth it. And you can watch it again; that's the beauty of it. It's not one of those films you say, 'okay I've seen it. Never again." It leaves you wondering and you go back to watch it again.





Best Bit? "You're bringing back memories of my horrid childhood Stu, stop it! I'm just kidding. I had a great childhood." Classic