CGI Overdose: Wrath, John Carter, Ghost Rider

Firstly, a little positivity.  Saw Chronicle at the cinema last night.  Liked it.  Nice use of the 'characters with cameras'/'found footage' technique taken to interesting new levels.  Pushed it a bit far with having a female video blogger added into the story to give a new perspective but the all-action climax was brilliantly realised using every possible camera the filmmakers could think of from tourist camera phones to police-car dashboard cameras and CCTV.

But the main thing that made me happy was the restrained use of CGI.  The trailers before the movie were for three films that bombarded my eyeballs with lashings of CGI.  By the time Chronicle came on, my head hurt and my nose was bleeding from this assault so it was a relief to have human characters in real locations.

 First up: feel my wrath at the Wrath of the Titans trailer starring Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes.  It feels like the only thing real here is the faces of the actors.  Ok so I never bothered with the Clash remake but I don't think I heard anything positive about it.  So why did it get a sequel?  How many people went to see it?  Didn't they warn people about it?  And what a waste of acting talent.  Neeson and Fiennes taking the money and running.  Worthington probably wondering when he's going to get to act opposite anything but a green screen.  Poor fella.  Anyway take a look at the trailer.  At least it has cool music.

Next up is Disney's John Carter.  A sub-Avatar battle of opposing forces on a faraway planet, one side being lead by a human savior.  Taylor Kitsch looks like a male model rather than an action hero and though the film was shot in Utah, the special effects created aliens and enhanced landscapes look completely over the top and unengaging.  Saddled with cheesy dire-logue and far too many CG creatures, it looks to me like director Andrew Stanton should go back to making completely animated pictures like Wall-E.  Watch the trailer.  It's got less good music than the last trailer though.

Finally comes Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, the sequel to another film I never bothered with.  It's got some actual people in it and some actual locations and even possibly the odd bit of real action.  But then on top of all that is the ridiculous CGI fire, flaming skulls, and Nicholas Cage just being Nicholas Cage.  They might actually be doing the audience a favour by replacing him with CGI.  Here's the trailer, cover your eyes!




Perhaps I'm being too harsh.  Perhaps the blame doesn't fall with the abundance of CGI and more on the choice of stars, the weak characters and the uninspiring stories.  What are any of these films about?  Not sure I care.  Cage, Kitsch and Worthington?  Not sure any of them are the finest actors of their generations.  Will I go see these films?  No.  Will my next blog be more positive and stop moaning?  I hope so.

Anyone looking forward to any of these?  Put me back in my place with your words...

Films on a Plane, I can't complain

Travelling to New York on Virgin Atlantic has made me realise what I'm missing out on every time I've taken a Ryanair or Easyjet flight.  Endless Pepsi's and a huge list of films to choose from on demand to be watched on a little screen embedded in the chair in front of me.  Good times!  Never has seven hours on a plane flown (haha) by so quickly.  And that's coming from the world's most (understandably) nervous flyer. 


I had the choice of Drive, Tintin, The Ides of March, The Inbetweeners, The Skin I Live In, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and many many others.  Some I'd already seen and many more I was desperate to see.  Having waited this long to see Drive, there was no way I was going to have it spoiled by interruptions from the pilot, a crappy small screen or one of the 31 students on board freaking out and requiring assistance.  Instead I went for films that I hadn't hyped out of all proportion and that would hopefully not lose much of their impact on a very small screen.  So on the way way to New York, here's what I watched and a short review:

Contagion (Steven Soderbergh, 2011)

Killing Oscar winning actresses left, right and centre is one way to make a story unpredictable and Soderbergh does his fair share here.  When a deadly virus sweeps the world, an ensemble of acting talent deal with the threat of infection in different ways.  Winslet tackles it head on, Paltrow just dies, Damon protects his daughter by locking her indoors and Law blogs about the possibilities of a cure.  Realistically creating the near-apocalypse and the government response but also finding time for quieter, sweeter moments as ordinary people struggle to survive, Soderbergh makes a pretty conventional movie that is both entertaining and engaging.

Martha Marcy May Marlene (Sean Durkin, 2012)

Another indie with a bit of a non-ending (see also Like Crazy), this demands to be seen for Elizabeth Olsen’s brave and committed performance as a young girl, Martha, who is struggling to come to terms with her former life in a cult.  With a wonderfully non-linear narrative that flashes back and forth in time between Martha’s life in the cult and the time she spends later with her sister, it never feels confusing and finds consistently excellent ways to cross the time gap.  Olsen is perfect and the script is ambiguous in its portrayal of the leader and members of the cult and the more ‘normal’ characters that Martha ends up with.  Haunting and beautiful with great performances, the final scene might annoy even the most devoted indie fans of open endings.

Tower Heist (Brett Ratner, 2011)

Deeply average caper about the service workers in a tower block who are scammed out of their pensions by the rich bastard who lives at the top of the tower.  Rarely funny enough to warrant belly-laughs and not emotional enough to make you really care for the characters, it is predictable and mildly entertaining.  However it is a total waste of the talent (Stiller, Affleck, Alda, Sidibe) and a disappointing ‘come-back’ for Murphy.  At least while in New York we got to see the Trump tower which was used for the exterior shots of the building where the heist takes place.  So that was nice.

Then on the flight home I was too knackered to watch anything except Moneyball.  Great film but what a shame I wasted free access to all the other films I wanted to watch.  Overall what I have learnt is that if you are a nervous flyer, go with Virgin and enjoy all the cinematic fruits that they have to offer!

And is it me or do they not cut films for planes anymore? I thought they all had to be PG rated when shown on planes but this seems to no longer be the case or I just made that up in my head.  You decide...

Scraping the Bottom of the Found Footage Barrel

In my attempts to watch every found footage horror ever made, I have started to really stare down into the deep, dark abyss of straight-to-dvd clag.  Hopefully there will come a point where I can stop this masochistic punishment as sometimes it feels like I'm battering my own head with a video camera and then forcing myself to watch it back like some extreme form of happy slapping.

On the bright side, I think in January I've gotten through the worst and in February I can take pleasure in recent success stories Apollo 18 and The Troll Hunter.

But for now here's a round up of the found footage horrors I watched last month:

The St. Francisville Experiment (Ted Nicolaou, 2000)

 

Notable for being the first I’ve seen where (SPOILER) the characters with cameras actually survive.  Other than that, adds very little to the sub-genre.  Stuck in a house where past atrocities took place, the completely unmemorable characters are terrorized by spooky goings-on that aren’t that scary.  

Monster (Erik Estenberg, 2007)

Worst film I watched this month and for that matter, in quite a long time.  I hate to criticise but I can't believe that much effort actually went into this one at all.  Dreadful, penniless attempt to re-create Cloverfields’ thrills with no budget, even less story, passable acting and virtually no effects shots.  Something attacks Japan and two documentary makers stumble about the city not really filming anything of any importance or significance until they finally bumble into an anti-climactic ending.

Evil Things (Dominic Perez, 2009)

Students go to a house in the middle of nowhere for a birthday bash but are followed by a mysterious van.  This one actually has some creepy moments and features a nice addition to the sub-genre in that the killer is also using a camera to capture the events from his own perspective.  The character with camera antics feel very real and natural and the unseen menace provides plenty of suspense.  It’s always good when you actually want the characters to survive and not just get killed so all the bloody screaming and shaky camera will stop.

Paranormal Entity 2 (Anthony Fankhauser, 2010)

Apart from the unnecessary tits and limited acting abilities of some of the cast, this sequel from the cheapo rip-off studio Asylum is pretty good.  When a ghost-hunting TV crew set up their cameras in the house of infamous serial killer John Wayne Gacy, they capture everything they hoped for and more.  Like with the Paranormal Activity films, a little special effects go a long way and the use of multiple cameras in this film keep the action interesting and eliminate the need for characters to keep justifying their continuing filming.  The use of a thermal camera adds thrills and the inclusion of Gacy as the ghostly presence adds a real sense of menace to proceedings.  Recommended for found footage fans (if there are any left).

Best of the bunch: Evil Things and Paranormal Entity 2.  DISCLAIMER: That's not a recommendation, just an observation.  Has anyone else seen any of these? 

Question Time with Considine

Paddy Considine is a legend.  Director, writer and actor.  Dramatic roles and comedic roles; he is outstanding at everything he attempts.  And tomorrow I have a couple of tickets to a free screening of his award-winning directorial debut, Tyrannosaur, starring Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman.  So I have a few questions in mind but I'd love to know what anyone who reads this would like to ask the man.  If you have better questions than I've got, I'll be sure to try and get them answered.  Who loves Paddy in comedy?  Submarine and Le Donk had me in stitches.  But Dead Man's Shoes blew me away.  What do you think are his best roles?  Please give me some questions... Over to you...

 

Bruce's Big Year

I love Bruce Willis.  I'm not ashamed to admit that.  Forget that he offered a real life bounty to anyone who could provide information on the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden and his outspoken support for the Iraq war and focus on the fact that nobody does kick-ass, smart-ass action as well as the almighty bald one.

I've had a healthy crush on him ever since I first saw him stomping bare foot over broken glass, wise-cracking and killing terrorists with feet the same size as his sister in Die Hard.  But this year my Brucey fix is going to be like a syringe full of adrenalin straight to the heart with not one, not two but five movies coming to the screen in 2012.  And to add to that, while I get to feast on these, I know that Willis is working on a promising sounding video game adaptation and the next installment in the Die Hard franchise.

So here's the lowdown on Brucie's bonuses for 2012:

The Cold Light of Day: Bruce has been lying to his son (new Superman Henry Cavill).  Guess what; Big Daddy Willis doesn't just work for the government... no he's a motherf*cking CIA agent dumbass.  So shit hits the fan on holiday because Willis has been stealing briefcases and Cavill's gotta sort it out.  Not sure how much ass kicking Bruce will be doing but this still looks like big dumb fun... especially with Sigourney Weaver thrown into the mix.

Fire with Fire: I'm just going to go with IMDb here and tell you that the story goes something like this; 'A fireman takes an unexpected course of action when he's threatened by a man who he's been ordered to testify against'.  It's got Willis paired up with another young buck, this time Transformers' Josh Duhamel.  It's also got 50 Cent but don't let that put you off.  Seeing as Willis and Mr Cent already worked with each other on Setup, I can smell some kind of relationship in the air and I'm not going to deny that it makes me a tad jealous.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation: After sitting through the original G.I. Joe film and the trailer for this sequel, there is truly only one thing that makes me happy about the whole sad, sorry, sordid affair.  No not the casting of The Rock and not the wierd dubstep remix of The White Stripes but the moment when Brucey appears firing a machine gun, face all screwed up in his inimitable style and delivering the only interesting line in the whole trailer. 

The Expendables 2: This time Willis gets a gun.  For that matter so does Schwarzenegger.  And Stallone has roped in Chuck Norris and Van Damme for round 2.  Didn't think much of the first one but then again, Willis didn't get a gun in that one.  So here's hoping.  And I love that Stallone can't be bothered with the whole subtitling sequel thing.  So it's not The Expendables: Bigger, Badder, Balder or The Expendables: Out for Justice.  It's just old school The Expendables 2.  Yeah it's a sequel now piss off.

Looper: Made by the guy that gave us Brick, reteaming with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and featuring a plot that involves time travel and killing people from the future, this is one of the most exciting prospects of 2012.  Yes and Bruce Willis has a gun in his hands again which is always a promising sign.  And the word is he's playing JGL's future self who JGL has been ordered to kill.  Sounds vaguely silly but also brilliant fun and with potential to be smart and twisty.

If all that hasn't got you licking your lips and rubbing your hands with glee, then IMDb also has Willis down for video game adaptation Kane & Lynch and fifth in the franchise, A Good Day to Die Hard, both to be released in 2013.  So while I devour 2012's little treats from the king of kicking ass and cracking wise, I know that somewhere out there, Brucey has a gun in his hand waiting for the director to yell action.

Review of CORIOLANUS (Ralph Fiennes, 2012)

Voldemort does Shakespeare

8/10

After targeting concentration camp inmates and a boy wizard in some of his darkest acting roles, Ralph Fiennes sets his sights on a lesser known Shakespearean tragedy for his film directing debut.

John Logan’s screenplay takes the Bard’s original script as a foundation for a contemporary re-telling of General Coriolanus’ rampage of war, oppression, family strife and political wrangling.

Old Shakey’s wordplay might be as  impenetrable to many younger viewers as the ‘youth-speak’ of last year’s Attack the Block was to many older viewers, but Fiennes lets the performances and violent set-pieces do much of the talking in this confident and clever adaptation.

Unlike Baz Luhrmann’s flashy 1996 Romeo + Juliet update that featured heartthrob Leo DiCaprio swooping Claire Danes off her feet to a modern soundtrack, MTV style editing and hyperactive camerawork, Fiennes’ direction is far more restrained and less likely to grab a teen audience.

However, Shakespeare’s theatrical language for the most part translates well to the screen.  The themes of power, politics and the rule of the people versus leadership and authority feel particularly relevant with comparisons easy to draw with contemporary movements such as Occupy Wall Street and the Arab Spring.

As well as calling the shots, Fiennes takes the lead role of Caius Martius Coriolanus.  Amidst riots in his home, the general of ‘A Place Calling Itself Rome’ leads his army against the Volscians and their leader, Coriolanus’ sworn enemy Tullus Aufidius (Gerard Butler).  

After a successful battle but failing to kill his nemesis, Coriolanus returns home to great praise and his loving family.  His mother (a breathtaking performance from Vanessa Redgrave) encourages him to run for consul and despite briefly winning the support of the Roman Senate and the commoners, a pair of scheming senators bring about the general’s downfall as he rails against the idea of the rule of the people.

Coriolanus is banished but joins forces with the Volscians and with the help of his old enemy Aufidius decides to bring ruin to his former city and its people.  The only folks who can stop him are his family and old friend Menenius, a standout performance from the ever reliable Brian Cox.  

With a cameo from Channel Four’s news anchor Jon Snow and the use of what could easily be actual footage from war zones, the contemporary relevance of Shakespeare’s tragedy is easy to digest.  Fiennes uses modern locations, weapons, and details such as televisions, cameras and mobile phones to bring his modern re-telling into the 21^st century.

Despite the script’s use of Shakespearean language, fans of writer Logan’s screenplay for Gladiator will be gripped by Coriolanus’ similar mix of violent battles and political drama.

It might slightly over stay its welcome but the film packs enough mighty performances (Fiennes, Redgrave, Cox) and verbal and physical confrontations into the two hour running time to keep both Shakespeare devotees and newcomers alike entertained.

Great start to the year

January had 31 days and I'm proud to say that I managed a very pleasing 26 films this month.  4 found footage horrors for my PhD, 3 watched on a plane to New York, 3 at preview screenings, 2 documentaries, only 4 in the cinema, 3 classics, 1 animated.  Stay tuned in the next few days for a more detailed breakdown.  For now, here's my best and worst of the month:


Best of the month:

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (Brad Bird, 2011)

Better than Bond, better than Bourne.  In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Ethan Hunt could take out Batman and The Avengers after watching this.  After uninspiring efforts from De Palma, Woo and Abrams, finally this is an impossible mission to truly savour.  Cruise control is switched off as the foot is placed firmly on the gas for mad stunts, huge explosions, great gadgets and one of the biggest stars in the world hanging off the biggest building in the world.  Pegg, Renner and Patton are welcome additions, but Cruise and his super spy Hunt keep the most nail-biting and incredible set-pieces focused.  And Hunt is really off the chain this time.  Best action movie of 2011?  Mission Accomplished.

Worst of the month:

Monster (Erik Estenberg, 2007)

Dreadful, penniless attempt to re-create Cloverfield's thrills with no budget, even less story, passable acting and virtually no effects shots.  Something attacks Japan and two documentary makers stumble about the city not really filming anything of any importance or significance until they finally bumble into an anti-climactic ending.  Avoid like the plague.

New York at The Movies

The city so nice, they named it twice.  Concrete jungle where dreams are made.  The Big Apple.  The city that never sleeps.  There's only one New York.  Capital city of the world.  Home to the Bronx, Manhattan Island, Queens, Wall Street, Tribeca, the Knicks, Woody Allen, what was the World Trade Centre, the Empire State Building, Times Square, The Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn and Central Park.

Taking 31 media and performing arts college students to the great city on Monday presents many challenges but it's always a priviledge to walk the streets of one of the most filmed cities in the world.  With a 3 hour tour of film and TV locations, it's also a chance for me to reflect on some of my favourite 'New York' movies.

The French Connection (William Friedkin, 1971)  Working class, alcoholic, determined but bigoted New York cops Vs gentleman French upper class drug dealers in an incredibly gritty New York of the early 70s where you could walk in a bar and every guy in there would be carrying knives or drugs.  Gene Hackman gives a great un-starry performance as Popeye Doyle giving full commitment to the role including doing much of the driving for the still nail-biting celebrated car chasing a train sequence.  Very unexpected ending too.

Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976) More scum needing sweeping from the streets with another icon of the 70's doing the dirty work.  This time De Niro gets tooled up, shaves his head, taunts a mirror and takes on the pimps to save a young prostitute.  So far, New York looks like a pit of depravity so let's move on.

Manhattan (Woody Allen, 1979) The first Woody film I've actually really liked.  How things have changed in the few years since Taxi Driver with this tale of middle class, intellectual art buffs bed hopping to the sounds of Gershwin.  New York is suddenly transformed in my eyes to a beautiful, wealthy playground for the priveleged few who only have to be concerned about the next art gallery they will visit and the next partner they will screw.  Great opening shots of the city and Allen at his most witty and honest.  Self-indulgent but romantic, funny and moving.

Ghostbusters (Ivan Reitman, 1984) Featuring the opening in the New York public library that also provides refuge for the cast of The Day After Tomorrow and ending with the giant Marsh Mallow Man trashing the streets of New York, this film and it's sequel are filled with iconic New York imagery.  The Statue of Liberty is even made to walk the streets in the sequel.  What could be more New York?

Do The Right Thing (Spike Lee, 1989) One hot, hot summer day in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn as temperatures and tempers soar and racial tensions simmer before boiling over.  Mostly complex characters, a difficult message and challenging represntations for many viewers, it's a film that requires repeat viewings to appreciate it's depth.  Apart from the 'evil' cops, there are no good guys or bad guys here, just ordinary people figuring out what the 'right thing' to do is.

Kids (Larry Clark, 1995) Shocking, depressing look at the lives of New York kids wandering the streets, spreading Aids, taking drugs, screwing each other literally and figuratively.  It's a diffincult and at times disgusting watch.  Director Larry Clark is a strange director who lingers on young flesh in disturbing ways and there is often the sensation that his documentary style is revelling in the antics of his young cast.  Nevertheless the film has a powerful, shocking end that delivers a hard-hitting message.

Requiem for a Dream (Darren Aronofsky, 2000) Set around the former glory but now decaying sights of Coney Island, the cinematography and editing in this film grip you from the very start even if the downright depressing tale of the downward spiral of a group of drug addicts doesn't.  Bleak but beautifully shot, it makes Coney Island look worth a visit. 

Elf (Jon Favreau, 2003) The typical representation of New York as a pretty hostile place, especially when it's people are confronted by a bit of a wierd looking outsider (see also Borat) is clearly demonstrated here.  Buddy arrives to find out his Dad (who works at the Empire State Building) is on the naughty list, the yellow cabs don't stop, the gum on the sidewalk isn't free candy and snow fights and horseman rangers are a risk in Central Park.  This list had to include a Christmas in NY movie.

Enchanted (Kevin Lima, 2007) I hate musicals but when Amy Adams' lost princess breaks into song, it's enchanting, hilarious and the sequence in Central Park is a spellbinding showcase of what makes this oasis of green in amidst the grey jungle of the rest New York so truly wonderful.  Amy Adams is sweet, funny and beautiful and Central Park becomes a magical place when she sings and the crowds dance along to her tune.  It's enough to make the hardest New Yorker's heart flutter.  Check it:

Cloverfield (Matt Reeves, 2008) Shamelessly riffing on 9/11 imagery, this could easily be seen as a tasteless 9/11 exploitation movie.  And it is.  But unfortunately for any people still senstive to the tragedy, it's also a great little monster-movie that shows New York under attack from God-Knows-what.  The handheld camera technique is used brilliantly and the destruction of New York is incredibly visceral and frighteningly real.



Honourable mentions must go to; Spiderman and particularly the original trailer that had Spidey catching crims with a web slung between the Twin Towers, and Wall Street and the greed is good excesses of two Sheens and Michael Douglas' still relevant evil bastard Gordon Gekko.

Also a quick shout must go to Rage Against The Machine's Michael Moore directed music video for Sleep Now in the Fire in which they occupy Wall Street way before it became the in-thing to do.  See it here: