LOOKS:
Kick Ass (Blu-Ray) - still a great flick. I'd forgotten how thrilling the action set pieces were, too.
Scott Pilgrim VS. The World (Blu-Ray) - three of the four commentaries and another viewing on top, plus all the special features. I must have heard the menu music a hundred times by now.
Inception (Blu-Ray) - Nolan's mind-bender blockbuster is still as spiffing as it was in the cinema, if not more so.
The Expendables (Blu-Ray) - Ultimate Recon Mode is quite impressively done, and one of the best Picture-in-Picture tracks I've seen so far. While I generally prefer Rambo to this, it's still a bloody good time and I look forward to a sequel.
Black Books - years late to the party, but we barged through the rest of the complete box set.
Boardwalk Empire - it took a couple of episodes to get into it, but you find yourself becoming really quite invested in the characters and the complexities of their relationships. Plus the re-creation of the 1920s is superb.
Clarkson: The Italian Job - I think his DVD from 2009 was better, but it was still good for a bit of a Top Gear-like fix. The best sequence was the race at the end.
Lost: Season Three & Four DVD Extra Features - now I just need to get my mits on the last two seasons.
Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide - 3 discs of video nasty goodness, and surprisingly informative. Definitive, most definitely.
SOUNDS:
The Black Angels "Directions To See A Ghost" - I love their first album (Passover), and I've come to really dig this second outing too.
Daft Punk - Tron: Legacy Soundtrack - the flick was the visual and aural treat of 2010, so Daft Punk's superb soundtrack has been in my CD autochanger ever since.
Sex Bob-Omb, Metric "Black Sheep", and Nigel Godrich "Hillcrest Park" - there's been a distinctly Scott Pilgrim flavour to January, so that naturally extended to the aural world too.
Kick Ass OST - not only was it a great action superhero movie, but it had a cool score to boot.
Black Spiders "Just Like A Woman" - as recommended by a fellow fan of Airbourne.
Bo Diddley "Hey, Bo Diddley" - as heard during one of the Mafia 2 cutscenes.
VIBES & FLAVOURS:
Cold - I haven't had one since January 2009, so that was a rubbish few days. I do maintain however that some people who say they have "the flu" actually have a cold, and they're just trying to sound tough. Cold or Flu, they both suck. As if the time of year when you're packing away all the festive decorations wasn't depressing enough, eh?
Script Writing - working on the new version of the short version of zombie mini-epic "The End" (working title), as well as working on an idea to enter for a Public Information Film.
The Big Book of Top Gear 2011 - it's just a bunch of silly old nonsense mostly, but I do love Top Gear.
Cyanide & Happiness Vol. 2: Ice Cream & Sadness - my favourite online webcomic in book form for a second year running.
The Walking Dead Vol. 5: The Best Defense - I continue to make my way through the trade paperbacks for the first time, and while the dialogue is still needlessly filled with unrealistic exposition, the scenarios are intense and gripping. By the end of this volume I was gagging to read the next.
Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life (Vol. 1) - the Scott Pilgrim feel to January extended to the first two (of six) volumes of the graphic novels.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (Vol. 2) - it's interesting to see that volumes 1 and 2 basically make up an hour of the movie (which runs for an hour and 50 minutes), but it's also cool to see further exploration of the characters and entire sequences that never made it to the film version (such as Ramona and Knives' library battle).
Call of Duty: Black Ops - the second time around, like with the previous CoD, it's not about the hype and all about playing the game on its own level. It also helps that you know what to do, so you don't have moments where the action gets too confusing, which has been the case with first-runs for the last couple of CoD games.
Mafia 2 - I fancied some 1950s gangster action, so I gave this another spin. It's no GTA IV or Red Dead Redemption (essentially being a linear game in a sandbox world), but I still found myself really enjoying it as the story continues to make you invest in the characters. I even got to nab some more achievements and collectibles I'd missed the first time around.
Jeremy Klaxon - Driving Us Insane (A Parody) - just a bit of fun, and one of those pleasant surprise gifts you get at Christmas.
Showing posts with label kick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kick. Show all posts
Monday, 31 January 2011
Monday, 3 January 2011
My Chronological Top Ten Films of 2010:
The Book of Eli (17/1/2010):
More of a movie apocalypse than the realism of The Road, with arse kicking action, superb visuals, and a great soundtrack. It's not perfect, and the central theme might turn some away, but I really quite enjoyed it from start-to-finish.
Shutter Island (27/3/2010):
A B-Movie genre flick with the talent and budget of an A-Movie. Scorsese excelled at forboding atmosphere and paranoid asylum-bound mystery, while DiCaprio delivered yet another quality performance.
Kick Ass (4/4/2010):
Superheroes that aren't so super, but who cause a lot of violent havoc and have filthy mouths. Pure, unrestrained entertainment. Sequel please.
Inception (19/7/2010):
A mind-bending blockbuster with a thunderous score, the best trailer of the year, and the ability to mix wow-factor visuals with huh?-factor smarts.
The A-Team (1/8/2010):
One of the pleasant surprises of the year. I thought it was going to be a disaster upon first hearing about it, but it grew on me gradually, and then proved to be an thoroughly enjoyable action romp.
The Expendables (22/8/2010):
I prefered Rambo, but the sheer bad-assery of this 1980s throwback actioner employing modern techniques provided an addictive dose of adrenaline. Plus Terry Crews' shotgun was amazing.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (28/9/2010):
It's a shame it didn't do a bit better at the box office, but it was clear from the first frames that this was going to be a cult hit all the way. This unappologetically niche flick has kept coming back into my mind over the months since its summer release, and I look forward to delving deeper into the Pilgrim universe with the graphic novels.
Jackass 3D (7/11/2010):
The whole 3D thing hasn't evolved beyond a flashy visual gimmick, and I doubt it ever truly will, so a bunch of idiots hurting themselves and flinging various bodily fluids at the camera was an ideal use for this technology. An ideal audience participation experience, filled with absurdly gross-out moments.
Toy Story 3 (Blu-Ray) (23/11/2010):
Perhaps the best one of the three, but certainly tied with the original, this series closer provided guffaws and lumps-in-throats in equal measure. A visual treat with a heart-felt script to match. It tugged on your heart strings with Pixar's perfected storytelling skills and was a definite 2010 Top Five moment. That sequence in the final act alone was enough to earn it endless kudos.
Tron Legacy (2/1/2011):
The script could have used a touch more shading for certain aspects, but as a visual and aural experience it was second-to-none for 2010. The 3D wasn't employed to particularly involving effect as the neon glitz of The Grid overtook any depth-of-field snazziness with ease, and the soundtrack by Daft Punk was pulse-poundingly perfect. I really enjoyed this flick, and while the original was a very important moment in cinematic history, this sequel really delivered the goods for me.
The Road (31/1/2010):
This is exactly how the apocalypse would be in real life - unlike The Book of Eli's darkly entertaining movie-apocalypse - a harrowing and tough experience. It didn't quite have the hauntingly memorable quality of Cormac McCarthy's superb book, but the heartfelt father/son tale translated perfectly to devestatingly moving effect. It's a film for fathers to deal with the fact that one day they'll be gone and their offspring will have to fend for themselves, and it's a film for sons to deal with the realisation that one day their guiding light will be extinguished. Like I said - devestatingly moving.
Machete (28/11/2010):
Perhaps I had amped it up in my head too much since the release of the thoroughly enjoyable Grindhouse, but Machete didn't quite fire on all cylinders after an uproariously entertaining opening. However, despite the slight disappointment, it was filled with that gleeful grindhouse vibe and I'm sure I'll enjoy it time-and-again on home video.
The Town (26/9/2010):
Ben Affleck's heist thriller might have treaded similar boards to many other heist thrillers, but it's honest and detailed approach to Boston's criminal class, and the three superbly crafted heists made it stand above its peers who have come out in the wake of influential flicks like Michael Mann's Heat.
Back to the Future (re-release, 3/10/2010):
I didn't include this in the 2010 Top Ten as it's a re-release, but it was easily one of - if not the - best cinema-going experience of 2010. The movie is perfect already, so it was glorious to see this life-long favourite on the big screen, but more than that it was heart warming to see young parents bring their young children to see this film that had been so important to them and successfully pass their enjoyment onto their offspring.
More of a movie apocalypse than the realism of The Road, with arse kicking action, superb visuals, and a great soundtrack. It's not perfect, and the central theme might turn some away, but I really quite enjoyed it from start-to-finish.
Shutter Island (27/3/2010):
A B-Movie genre flick with the talent and budget of an A-Movie. Scorsese excelled at forboding atmosphere and paranoid asylum-bound mystery, while DiCaprio delivered yet another quality performance.
Kick Ass (4/4/2010):
Superheroes that aren't so super, but who cause a lot of violent havoc and have filthy mouths. Pure, unrestrained entertainment. Sequel please.
Inception (19/7/2010):
A mind-bending blockbuster with a thunderous score, the best trailer of the year, and the ability to mix wow-factor visuals with huh?-factor smarts.
The A-Team (1/8/2010):
One of the pleasant surprises of the year. I thought it was going to be a disaster upon first hearing about it, but it grew on me gradually, and then proved to be an thoroughly enjoyable action romp.
The Expendables (22/8/2010):
I prefered Rambo, but the sheer bad-assery of this 1980s throwback actioner employing modern techniques provided an addictive dose of adrenaline. Plus Terry Crews' shotgun was amazing.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (28/9/2010):
It's a shame it didn't do a bit better at the box office, but it was clear from the first frames that this was going to be a cult hit all the way. This unappologetically niche flick has kept coming back into my mind over the months since its summer release, and I look forward to delving deeper into the Pilgrim universe with the graphic novels.
Jackass 3D (7/11/2010):
The whole 3D thing hasn't evolved beyond a flashy visual gimmick, and I doubt it ever truly will, so a bunch of idiots hurting themselves and flinging various bodily fluids at the camera was an ideal use for this technology. An ideal audience participation experience, filled with absurdly gross-out moments.
Toy Story 3 (Blu-Ray) (23/11/2010):
Perhaps the best one of the three, but certainly tied with the original, this series closer provided guffaws and lumps-in-throats in equal measure. A visual treat with a heart-felt script to match. It tugged on your heart strings with Pixar's perfected storytelling skills and was a definite 2010 Top Five moment. That sequence in the final act alone was enough to earn it endless kudos.
Tron Legacy (2/1/2011):
The script could have used a touch more shading for certain aspects, but as a visual and aural experience it was second-to-none for 2010. The 3D wasn't employed to particularly involving effect as the neon glitz of The Grid overtook any depth-of-field snazziness with ease, and the soundtrack by Daft Punk was pulse-poundingly perfect. I really enjoyed this flick, and while the original was a very important moment in cinematic history, this sequel really delivered the goods for me.
Honourable Mentions:
The Road (31/1/2010):
This is exactly how the apocalypse would be in real life - unlike The Book of Eli's darkly entertaining movie-apocalypse - a harrowing and tough experience. It didn't quite have the hauntingly memorable quality of Cormac McCarthy's superb book, but the heartfelt father/son tale translated perfectly to devestatingly moving effect. It's a film for fathers to deal with the fact that one day they'll be gone and their offspring will have to fend for themselves, and it's a film for sons to deal with the realisation that one day their guiding light will be extinguished. Like I said - devestatingly moving.
Machete (28/11/2010):
Perhaps I had amped it up in my head too much since the release of the thoroughly enjoyable Grindhouse, but Machete didn't quite fire on all cylinders after an uproariously entertaining opening. However, despite the slight disappointment, it was filled with that gleeful grindhouse vibe and I'm sure I'll enjoy it time-and-again on home video.
The Town (26/9/2010):
Ben Affleck's heist thriller might have treaded similar boards to many other heist thrillers, but it's honest and detailed approach to Boston's criminal class, and the three superbly crafted heists made it stand above its peers who have come out in the wake of influential flicks like Michael Mann's Heat.
Back to the Future (re-release, 3/10/2010):
I didn't include this in the 2010 Top Ten as it's a re-release, but it was easily one of - if not the - best cinema-going experience of 2010. The movie is perfect already, so it was glorious to see this life-long favourite on the big screen, but more than that it was heart warming to see young parents bring their young children to see this film that had been so important to them and successfully pass their enjoyment onto their offspring.
Sunday, 11 April 2010
Kick Ass...
I've been slacking off a bit on the movie musing front of late, but then again the cinema-going has been a bit slack of late, what with it being a surprisingly sporadic start to the year film wise. That said, despite the on-off nature of our cine-trips so far this year, there have been a number of gems - and Kick Ass has certainly kicked off the summer season early with a bang.
Gleefully grown up in its approach, it never stops having fun, cherry-picking from genre heavy weights such as Spider-Man out of respect on one hand and parody on the other. Surrounded by a 'moral panic' storm-in-a-teacup (mainly because of Chloe Moretz's part as Hit Girl), it's not as gory or mouthy as you might have thought from the "rabble rabble" approach of some killjoys in the tablod 'meeja'.
Mind you, there's a gut-load of violence and a mouth-ful of bad language on offer ... Peter Parker's achey-breaky-heart for Mary-Jane this is not ... it's ruder than that. It's a balls-out-swinging-in-the-breeze kind of a flick, a riotously entertaining experience which is quite simply a bloody good fun time to be had.
It's also an impressive offering from Matthew Vaughn, who kicked Guy Ritchie's arse with Layer Cake ... but I never bothered with Stardust; it's not my bag ... Kick Ass is a big budget indie that scared the big name players who came begging once they saw the Comic-Con crowd lapping up the preview footage. Vaughn's direction has a confidence to it that is often lacking these days - the action sequences in the second half are particularly well put together. Perfectly paced in the editing room, perfectly shot on set, and presented with clear-cut direction, the wham-bam of the latter half can leave you unsure of how it's all going to turn out with curve balls galore (plot wise, visuals wise, editing wise), switching you from an audience-wide knowing-chuckle to audience-wide gasp of "ooh, ouch, ahh". Backed up with some choice cuts from the John Murphy music catalogue (tracks from 28 Days Later and Sunshine were put to utterly thrilling, skin-chilling use), the arse kicking of Kick Ass really does deliver.
To cut a long story short, and in-keeping with the no-nonsense approach of Kick Ass, the flick is a seriously fun time and I'll be hoping for a features packed, just-as-entertaining double disc DVD experience in a few months time.
Gleefully grown up in its approach, it never stops having fun, cherry-picking from genre heavy weights such as Spider-Man out of respect on one hand and parody on the other. Surrounded by a 'moral panic' storm-in-a-teacup (mainly because of Chloe Moretz's part as Hit Girl), it's not as gory or mouthy as you might have thought from the "rabble rabble" approach of some killjoys in the tablod 'meeja'.
Mind you, there's a gut-load of violence and a mouth-ful of bad language on offer ... Peter Parker's achey-breaky-heart for Mary-Jane this is not ... it's ruder than that. It's a balls-out-swinging-in-the-breeze kind of a flick, a riotously entertaining experience which is quite simply a bloody good fun time to be had.
It's also an impressive offering from Matthew Vaughn, who kicked Guy Ritchie's arse with Layer Cake ... but I never bothered with Stardust; it's not my bag ... Kick Ass is a big budget indie that scared the big name players who came begging once they saw the Comic-Con crowd lapping up the preview footage. Vaughn's direction has a confidence to it that is often lacking these days - the action sequences in the second half are particularly well put together. Perfectly paced in the editing room, perfectly shot on set, and presented with clear-cut direction, the wham-bam of the latter half can leave you unsure of how it's all going to turn out with curve balls galore (plot wise, visuals wise, editing wise), switching you from an audience-wide knowing-chuckle to audience-wide gasp of "ooh, ouch, ahh". Backed up with some choice cuts from the John Murphy music catalogue (tracks from 28 Days Later and Sunshine were put to utterly thrilling, skin-chilling use), the arse kicking of Kick Ass really does deliver.
To cut a long story short, and in-keeping with the no-nonsense approach of Kick Ass, the flick is a seriously fun time and I'll be hoping for a features packed, just-as-entertaining double disc DVD experience in a few months time.
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