LOOKS:
Scott Pilgrim vs The World (Blu-Ray) - yet another visit to Edgar Wright's film adaptation of Brian Lee O'Malley's graphic novel series (which I re-read last month). It's a tall order to cram six volumes worth of material into one film; the compressed time frame doesn't leave room for the more expansive experience of the books, and Ramona is just a touch too aloof - but these are mere quibbles - the film is a jam-packed cult classic.
Storage Hunters - I've gone and got myself addicted to this 'reality/unscripted' show about people who bid on storage lockers that are being auctioned off. It appeals to the innate yearning in all of us - what's in the box?! How much will it be worth?! Will they earn a profit?! These questions simply must be answered!
Mad Men Season 6 - the welcome return of Matthew Weiner's superb 1960s-set drama. Richly textured and moreish in equal measure.
Click "READ MORE" below for the other looks, sounds, vibes & flavours of my April 2013...
Showing posts with label games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label games. Show all posts
Tuesday, 30 April 2013
Saturday, 12 September 2009
Hush...
There have been a series of low budget British indie horror flicks coming out in recent years, some very much on the indie end (such as the grim Mum & Dad - made for £100,000) and others on the bigger end of the spectrum (such as Jake West's first big calling card - Doghouse - which followed on from his other, more indie projects such as the rather enjoyable Evil Aliens).
Somewhere in the middle and here we are with Hush - a road-horror-movie in the tradition of The Hitcher or Road Games, but taking place at night on and around the rain-soaked M1 motorway and its various service stations along the way.
While the opening ten minutes that introduce you to the lead characters and their faltering relationship can at times feel a bit clunky in the dialogue and delivery side of things, the atmosphere makes up for it. A near-empty motorway, a car meandering its way through the lashing rain, and a sinister-but-average-looking lorry up ahead.
Considering the indie budget, the atmosphere afforded through the crew's dedication (lots of consecutive night shoots, a lot of rain to be manufactured) really helps spur the film along - especially when the plot takes a more sinister turn when leading man Zakes catches a brief glimpse of a naked and caged girl in the back of the aforementioned lorry.
From this point on, and with the relationship establishing stuff gotten out of the way, the film really gets into its groove and becomes quite an effective low-fi cat & mouse chase flick. Pleasingly there are a few little twists dotted throughout that really keep you guessing, and on the back foot throughout most of the flick. All-too-easily this movie could have ended up as entirely predictable, but these few turns - as well as the previously adored atmosphere - manage to keep the plot fresh enough to keep you going through the not-too-short-not-too-long running time.
There are a couple of obvious moments, where you can see what's going to happen from a mile off, but it's still bloody good fun regardless.
I wasn't necessarily expecting great things from Hush, so I was pleasantly surprised to find more than I was hoping to. A very solid debut from Tonderai, and a really enjoyable British indie, which - on a final note - has further inspired me, as a fellow filmmaker looking for a way to get my boot wedged in the door.
Somewhere in the middle and here we are with Hush - a road-horror-movie in the tradition of The Hitcher or Road Games, but taking place at night on and around the rain-soaked M1 motorway and its various service stations along the way.
While the opening ten minutes that introduce you to the lead characters and their faltering relationship can at times feel a bit clunky in the dialogue and delivery side of things, the atmosphere makes up for it. A near-empty motorway, a car meandering its way through the lashing rain, and a sinister-but-average-looking lorry up ahead.
Considering the indie budget, the atmosphere afforded through the crew's dedication (lots of consecutive night shoots, a lot of rain to be manufactured) really helps spur the film along - especially when the plot takes a more sinister turn when leading man Zakes catches a brief glimpse of a naked and caged girl in the back of the aforementioned lorry.
From this point on, and with the relationship establishing stuff gotten out of the way, the film really gets into its groove and becomes quite an effective low-fi cat & mouse chase flick. Pleasingly there are a few little twists dotted throughout that really keep you guessing, and on the back foot throughout most of the flick. All-too-easily this movie could have ended up as entirely predictable, but these few turns - as well as the previously adored atmosphere - manage to keep the plot fresh enough to keep you going through the not-too-short-not-too-long running time.
There are a couple of obvious moments, where you can see what's going to happen from a mile off, but it's still bloody good fun regardless.
I wasn't necessarily expecting great things from Hush, so I was pleasantly surprised to find more than I was hoping to. A very solid debut from Tonderai, and a really enjoyable British indie, which - on a final note - has further inspired me, as a fellow filmmaker looking for a way to get my boot wedged in the door.
Monday, 1 September 2008
Two effed up flicks...
Teeth:
It's just one of those fucked up movies, and obviously you freak out with eek-eyed shock everytime a male member gets lopped off - but then again, all such members get severed as a result of some form of sexual violence, disrespect or just plain old perviness.
Otherwise, I wasn't particularly fussed by the rest of the movie at all, and ended up skimming a magazine at the same time between the shock parts of the movie. Basically that's it, I found it to be generally "meh/alright" with moments of intense "WTF" mixed in.
Funny Games:
Finally got around to checking this one out, and yet again another fucked up film. Mind you, there's barely any violence on screen. Apparently the director is harping on at we the viewer because we should be ashamed of ourselves for watching movies like SAW and Rambo.
Ugh - roll eyes time - fair play you could say, but I think all movies have a purpose (whether it's worth while or not is a per-movie assessment though).
For example, Rambo is a great film and the greatest slice of old school, hardcore action blokery since the 1980s. Yes, it's exceptionally violent and gory - but importantly, you're shocked when said violence is descended upon the innocent, and then you're cheering when it's dished back out against the vile, scum-sucking military junta who conduct themselves in an excessively sickening manner. Plus, it does highlight the Burmese plight while at the same time providing action entertainment - what's wrong with that?
As for SAW, it was the set-up that hooked me in first of all, and then the twisting of the story. The gore in the first one is present, but far from excessive (so I'd say anyway), and it was the plight the character's faced that captured my attention - and indeed the twist had me slack-jawed and WTF-ing for a good while after the end credits. SAW II, which was based on a non-SAW script, wasn't cracked up to much. A naff story and often cringe-inducing gore gags didn't leave a good impression, but then SAW III - with it's back-tracking plot and better story - redelivered the goods. Mind you, the gore gags were far more gruesome than the first film ... and it becomes less about entertainment, than shock cinema survival.
Then came SAW IV ... which was a total load of garbage, no doubt SAW V and indeed VI will continue in the same vein as IV.
But anyway - Funny Games, which is what I'm supposed to be on about. Superb performances throughout by all involved, and as a result the simple story often keeps you gripped (even if at times the pacing felt a bit sluggish at certain points). That said, some of the quieter moments - like trying to raise the alarm seemingly after the worst is over - feels real and honest, and indeed the off-screen violence does up the power of the action, but then again so does using a target that is rarely used in film (you'll see what I mean about half way through).
So a generally impressive film, but I do object to the eye-roll-inducing, somewhat holier-than-thou preaching regarding on-screen violence ... I mean, chill out - you're making a fictional movie, sheesh.
Also - I'd much rather have mankind work out their inner turmoil, violence, hatred and all other nasty goings on in a safe medium - such as videogames, or film - rather than do what the vast minority do and take it out on real people, on the real streets and in the real homes of our real, actual world.
It's just one of those fucked up movies, and obviously you freak out with eek-eyed shock everytime a male member gets lopped off - but then again, all such members get severed as a result of some form of sexual violence, disrespect or just plain old perviness.
Otherwise, I wasn't particularly fussed by the rest of the movie at all, and ended up skimming a magazine at the same time between the shock parts of the movie. Basically that's it, I found it to be generally "meh/alright" with moments of intense "WTF" mixed in.
Funny Games:
Finally got around to checking this one out, and yet again another fucked up film. Mind you, there's barely any violence on screen. Apparently the director is harping on at we the viewer because we should be ashamed of ourselves for watching movies like SAW and Rambo.
Ugh - roll eyes time - fair play you could say, but I think all movies have a purpose (whether it's worth while or not is a per-movie assessment though).
For example, Rambo is a great film and the greatest slice of old school, hardcore action blokery since the 1980s. Yes, it's exceptionally violent and gory - but importantly, you're shocked when said violence is descended upon the innocent, and then you're cheering when it's dished back out against the vile, scum-sucking military junta who conduct themselves in an excessively sickening manner. Plus, it does highlight the Burmese plight while at the same time providing action entertainment - what's wrong with that?
As for SAW, it was the set-up that hooked me in first of all, and then the twisting of the story. The gore in the first one is present, but far from excessive (so I'd say anyway), and it was the plight the character's faced that captured my attention - and indeed the twist had me slack-jawed and WTF-ing for a good while after the end credits. SAW II, which was based on a non-SAW script, wasn't cracked up to much. A naff story and often cringe-inducing gore gags didn't leave a good impression, but then SAW III - with it's back-tracking plot and better story - redelivered the goods. Mind you, the gore gags were far more gruesome than the first film ... and it becomes less about entertainment, than shock cinema survival.
Then came SAW IV ... which was a total load of garbage, no doubt SAW V and indeed VI will continue in the same vein as IV.
But anyway - Funny Games, which is what I'm supposed to be on about. Superb performances throughout by all involved, and as a result the simple story often keeps you gripped (even if at times the pacing felt a bit sluggish at certain points). That said, some of the quieter moments - like trying to raise the alarm seemingly after the worst is over - feels real and honest, and indeed the off-screen violence does up the power of the action, but then again so does using a target that is rarely used in film (you'll see what I mean about half way through).
So a generally impressive film, but I do object to the eye-roll-inducing, somewhat holier-than-thou preaching regarding on-screen violence ... I mean, chill out - you're making a fictional movie, sheesh.
Also - I'd much rather have mankind work out their inner turmoil, violence, hatred and all other nasty goings on in a safe medium - such as videogames, or film - rather than do what the vast minority do and take it out on real people, on the real streets and in the real homes of our real, actual world.
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
Another charge through a bunch of stuff...
As I sit here re-listening to the excellent "Venus Doom" album by HIM, I figured I'd catch up on some blogging and barge out some thoughts...
1) Danny's Underground Slacker Blogcast was actually rather entertaining and enjoyable (even if I didn't get all the stuff about Japanese videogames and such), bring more on says I, it's like a UK version of SModcast, but all about nerdy media-based chit-chat.
2) Having finally tracked down "Blastazoid" online, I can now agree with many by saying that yes, it's a complete load of tosh - I think even Dico, one of the chaps behind it, thought it was pish.
3) Recently I've been on a PGR3 mish, barging through it some more after having had a brief return to the excellent Crackdown so I could jump around more rooftops and go orb collecting. However, I've suddenly had a change of heart and returned to Rainbow Six Vegas to try and get past a bit that caused me to put it on my shelf after getting stuck and huffing & puffing with frustration, dropping the f-bomb every-other-word ... and as per usual, once returning, another 3 or 4 tries and I'm past the bit that stuck me so often before, with ease (it happened at two points on Gears of War - the first Beserker and then at the petrol station). So now I'm all about R6V again.
4) The reason I'd gone back to bosh out some more PGR3 being, I wanted to get more out of it in case I decided to take the plunge and cash-out for PGR4, which does look lush, it has to be said...but now I'm figuring I might hold off, because of playing PGR3 - I'm now on the lookout for more shooting, hence a return to R6V ... but does this mean after Vegas I will go for PGR4, or does it still mean I'd fancy dropping the dosh on Call of Duty 4, which - again - looks absolutely 'tastic-groovy. It was a 50/50 for a while there, until earlier when I spied the Limited Edition, which does look tasty for an extra fiver ... so perhaps the deal is already sealed in my head, who knows ... yes I know, it's all about the major, key decisions in life with me isn't it?! HA!
5) As said recently, I've been on a scripting mish of late, but battling the lack of creative muse most of the way, well, sine last time I've actually sat down and powered out the rest (which was the majority) of the first draft of "Signing Off", a script for a short film that's kind of about zombies, but doesn't feature any zombies - it's a short that I want to make which is almost entirely based around the central performance. The idea is it would be a nice 5 minute short, something easy to achieve, but something that will look and play well and add to the over all filmmaking experience - this time I want to focus more on performance.
6) It seems to all be about text recently, either I'm writing it or I'm reading it. With the latest Total Film dispensed with, bar a couple of features I've still got to bosh through, there's been "World War Z", which I've been thoroughly enjoying (here's hoping the film adaption, should it happen, will be rather spiffing and put some much-needed thought back into the zombie genre without having to wait for George A. Romero to come back and do some good, but GAR will always be the zombie master). Anyway - then at the same time I'm pouring over "Grindhouse: The Sleaze-Filled Saga of an Exploitation Double Feature" making-of book regarding, well, "Grindhouse"...the superb, yet Weinstein-wasted, slice of underappreciated genius.
7) South Park is back - and fucking-dick-shit-blood-belchingly hilarious...not my words, Eric Cartman's words ... okay that's not true, but he did swear a shitting boat load throughout, which yes, I found absolutely hilarious, while still maintaining that tourettes is a terrible affliction (hey, Big Brother 7 - I was behind Pete all the way) ... but you know how it is, South Park nails another great episode - you've got to love a stream of unsuspecting paedophiles blowing their brains out in front of Chriiiiiis Haaaansaaaaaahhhn, roflburgers!
8) Top Gear is back! Oh yes!
1) Danny's Underground Slacker Blogcast was actually rather entertaining and enjoyable (even if I didn't get all the stuff about Japanese videogames and such), bring more on says I, it's like a UK version of SModcast, but all about nerdy media-based chit-chat.
2) Having finally tracked down "Blastazoid" online, I can now agree with many by saying that yes, it's a complete load of tosh - I think even Dico, one of the chaps behind it, thought it was pish.
3) Recently I've been on a PGR3 mish, barging through it some more after having had a brief return to the excellent Crackdown so I could jump around more rooftops and go orb collecting. However, I've suddenly had a change of heart and returned to Rainbow Six Vegas to try and get past a bit that caused me to put it on my shelf after getting stuck and huffing & puffing with frustration, dropping the f-bomb every-other-word ... and as per usual, once returning, another 3 or 4 tries and I'm past the bit that stuck me so often before, with ease (it happened at two points on Gears of War - the first Beserker and then at the petrol station). So now I'm all about R6V again.
4) The reason I'd gone back to bosh out some more PGR3 being, I wanted to get more out of it in case I decided to take the plunge and cash-out for PGR4, which does look lush, it has to be said...but now I'm figuring I might hold off, because of playing PGR3 - I'm now on the lookout for more shooting, hence a return to R6V ... but does this mean after Vegas I will go for PGR4, or does it still mean I'd fancy dropping the dosh on Call of Duty 4, which - again - looks absolutely 'tastic-groovy. It was a 50/50 for a while there, until earlier when I spied the Limited Edition, which does look tasty for an extra fiver ... so perhaps the deal is already sealed in my head, who knows ... yes I know, it's all about the major, key decisions in life with me isn't it?! HA!
5) As said recently, I've been on a scripting mish of late, but battling the lack of creative muse most of the way, well, sine last time I've actually sat down and powered out the rest (which was the majority) of the first draft of "Signing Off", a script for a short film that's kind of about zombies, but doesn't feature any zombies - it's a short that I want to make which is almost entirely based around the central performance. The idea is it would be a nice 5 minute short, something easy to achieve, but something that will look and play well and add to the over all filmmaking experience - this time I want to focus more on performance.
6) It seems to all be about text recently, either I'm writing it or I'm reading it. With the latest Total Film dispensed with, bar a couple of features I've still got to bosh through, there's been "World War Z", which I've been thoroughly enjoying (here's hoping the film adaption, should it happen, will be rather spiffing and put some much-needed thought back into the zombie genre without having to wait for George A. Romero to come back and do some good, but GAR will always be the zombie master). Anyway - then at the same time I'm pouring over "Grindhouse: The Sleaze-Filled Saga of an Exploitation Double Feature" making-of book regarding, well, "Grindhouse"...the superb, yet Weinstein-wasted, slice of underappreciated genius.
7) South Park is back - and fucking-dick-shit-blood-belchingly hilarious...not my words, Eric Cartman's words ... okay that's not true, but he did swear a shitting boat load throughout, which yes, I found absolutely hilarious, while still maintaining that tourettes is a terrible affliction (hey, Big Brother 7 - I was behind Pete all the way) ... but you know how it is, South Park nails another great episode - you've got to love a stream of unsuspecting paedophiles blowing their brains out in front of Chriiiiiis Haaaansaaaaaahhhn, roflburgers!
8) Top Gear is back! Oh yes!
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