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Reviews
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
A weak effort by all involved
The first two Spiderman films, the second especially encapsulated everything that a superhero film should. Drama, excitement, incredible action scenes, good triumphing over adversity and so on. The third failed on all of these levels. Firstly it took ages to get going and was overly sentimental, secondly it had too many villains and as a result failed to develop any of them fully, thirdly the action scenes were poorly choreographed and confusing, fourthly...you get the picture.
It seems as though Raimi wanted to include as much as possible in as short amount of time as possible which resulted in glaring inconsistencies, weak character development and many unexplained occurrences. However all, yes all of these things stand pale in inadequateness when compared to the strutting "emo" Peter Parker, which, was the moment when I utterly gave up on the film.
Someone please annihilate this film from existence and do it again...please.
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Not a patch on the original
I rented this film after having seen a preview of the first ten minutes when it came out in 2004 (something Channel 4 were doing at the time). Having seen this preview I was expecting an atmospheric and chilling film, I should have stopped it after ten minutes. There are many things wrong with this film without even comparing it to the original, firstly is the 'slick' new metal/ Jonny Cash soundtrack which merely cheapens any of the atmosphere promised by the prologue - 28 Days Later wins hands down on this front. Secondly the characters are too many in number and too transparent to care about, in the original one had a sense of empathy for the characters. Thirdly the film was not scary in the slightest or indeed tense, the zombies in the original were within touching distance of the characters not 'safely' contained outside only to become a problem when one of the idiot characters goes on a suicide mission to rescue a dog. Finally this film has nothing of the sub-textual relevance of Romero's original which made a satirical swipe at consumer culture and made one question who was worse, the zombies or the humans. Overall a big, big disappointment except for the zombie baby which actually made me laugh - so bonus points for comic entertainment I guess.
The King of Comedy (1982)
Uncomfortable viewing at its most cringe worthy
This Scorsese/De Niro collaboration is often forgotten under the likes of Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. Like the former it is unforgettable, disturbing, and yet unlike Taxi Driver it is also hilarious if very black in its humour.
The film follows the unshakable attempts of stand up comedian Rupert Pupkin (De Niro) to make it onto the Jerry Langford show (Langford is played by but not a parody of Jerry Lewis). Pupkin is essentially a loser, an outcast like Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver. Indeed the two characters share much in common in this respect, unable to conform to the accepted social norms, suffering from societal alienation and isolation. Whereas Bickle's isolation results in a terrifying and violent conclusion Pupkin's isolation, whilst still very creepy is hilarious.
Some of the best scenes in this film are indeed cringe worthy as Pupkin is told repeatedly that Mr Langford is not in, Pupkin replies by saying he will wait until eventually he is removed. Another disturbing scene sees him sat with cardboard cut outs in a hideous simulation of a talk show only to be interrupted by his mother who he still lives with.
The climax to the film is both hilarious and disturbing and I shall not spoil it for anyone except to say watch out for Pupkin's gun as he gets out of the car to confront Langford.
A superb and underrated film, De Niro is very believable as the central character, Jerry Lewis is also convincing and Sandra Bernhard brilliantly forms the other half of a strained and disturbed comic duo with De Niro.
A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
Prophetic, imaginative and ahead of it's time
This has to be one of the finest films of all time. Emeric Pressburger and Michael Powell's imagination has no boundaries, indeed some of the set designs and Jack Cardiff's cinematography look as new and imaginative as the day they were filmed. But as well as the obvious aesthetic appeal of this film the well acted story is uplifting, whose final moral asserts that love conquers all, be it heavenly or mortal.
The film is also prophetic in some of the topics it covers such as ancestry and race, take for example the scene in which Dr. Reeves orders a new, all American jury be created. The jury is multi-racial in ancestry but all American in nationality, which plays a part in the downfall of Farlan's outdated and racist views. Such a subtext is highly relevant today and may explain why at the time this film was somewhat underrated.
Everyone should see this film, it is timeless and universal in its message, and as such will suit anyone regardless of their inclination.
Kick Ass Miracles (2006)
Don't be put off by the terrible title
Writer and host Chris Crudelli, himself a martial arts expert, travels the world assessing the validity of miraculous claims and people and despite the ill-advised title this series has a lot going for it.
Throughout the course of the series Crudelli visits various Eastern cultures in an effort to either explain or be amazed by endurance feats, 'miracles', and martial arts, some of which are stunning others of which may make viewers wince.
One thing viewers may notice is Crudelli's unusual style, he tends to bring his brand of terminology (exemplified by the title)to situations which demand a more intellectual approach. Having said this his enthusiam for the series and the subject is very apparent making an already exciting premise more interesting still.
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
Superb Silliness
The first of the three Naked Gun films sets the tone for this insanely silly series. The film essentially takes the unfairly short TV series, Police Squad, to the big screen often merely lifting jokes and scenarios from the latter. The manner in which this transition succeeds must largely be thanks to the lead actor Leslie Nielson who plays Lt. Frank Drebbin the unwittingly chaotic police officer.
The storyline doesn't really matter (an assassination attempt on Queen Elizabeth II using mind control), it merely contextualises the Zucker and Abrahams format of incessant humour - indeed such is the barrage of jokes that one needs to watch it several times to get the often interwoven layers of slapstick, innuendo, smut, and wordplay on offer here.
The aforementioned Nielson is cast superbly as the lead role as he was in Police Squad but unlike the TV series I believe the supporting cast in Naked Gun is better chosen. Simpson, Pressley and Kennedy all play off the lead, who is in almost every scene, and the result is a fabulously funny spoof film that retains its humour nearly 20 years on.
Der Untergang (2004)
Shockingly Realistic and Moving
Downfall launches the viewer head-on into the last moments of the Reich in Berlin, 1945. It doesn't patronise the viewer with an explanatory voice over it is unflinchingly real. Ganz's performance as Hitler is terrific he manages to capture the sense of terror and awe that the real-life counter part had. The supporting cast are also superb portraying the sense of utter loss and crushed belief as the seemingly invincible idea of Germania collapses around them. This film has been criticised for humanising the Nazis, particularly Hitler but I find this to be it's strongest point. Unlike most war films the Germans are shown as human, they have emotions, they weep as their children die and their leader weeps as his monstrous scheme dies. The film really portrays the manner in which the German people were swept up with National Socialism, they lived and died for it. It also captures the terrifying will to power which the Nazis used so inhumanely over the 'weak' which even turn out to be the German civilians after a while. All in all a moving and shockingly realistic portrayal of a legacy which still haunts us to this day.