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almagill
Reviews
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005)
Tough, gritty and moral tale.
I'd been looking forward to seeing this film ever since reading an interview with Tommy Lee Jones in the press and I have to say I wasn't disappointed.
The characterisation, not just the lead characters but the support roles as well, and the portrayal of an apparent 'easy come easy go' modern morality set off against an incredibly old world 'honour' just lends the story so much flavour that you can forgive the slightly overlong middle passages.
The story in itself reminded me of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner with the young border guard being the unfortunate who is saddled, literally, with the consequences of a moments actions.
One to watch again and just let it flow over you.
Supernatural (2005)
Waiting for more.
Nicely written, stylishly filmed, borrowing from urban legend and the stock baddies of countless B and teen horror flicks.
The boys themselves provide one level of tension, the straightforward sibling rivalry, uniting in the face of evil. They share a common history, obviously, but the fact that they've been apart for a while at the beginning of the series allows for their to be differences in perspective on issues etc.
Like Cancerman in X-Files the father is there, in the background, keeping us wondering what his big secret is. There are hints of supernatural activity all around, just under the veneer of 'normal' that we're used to and by not having towns over run by zombies, vampires and random demons we don't have to do too much suspending of disbelief.
I'm thoroughly enjoying the series and looking forward (hoping) there's a series 2. And 3. And that they don't decide to go all Buffy on us later ;)
Boogeyman (2005)
Where did the other half of this film go?
I've never seen a mainstream cinema release with so many plot holes.
No. They're not even plot holes, they're just plot lines that get forgotten about completely. And the sad thing is, the film ALMOST hangs together despite them so would have been a fantastic film if things hadn't been done so sloppily.
Tim's dad disappears from his life when he's a little kid. So, did he dream up the Boogeyman to help explain the missing father figure and then embellish the idea with nightmares and childhood fears? Or was Dad really hauled into the closet by the legs of his pants by some smogmonster? We don't know! If he just dreamt it all up and its all a manifestation of his mixed up mind, then who are/were all these other kids? Why didn't it take their folks? Why did nobody say, when Tim decides he's heading home to go thru Mom's stuff, "Hey, be careful up there, that town's lost dozens of kids this past 15 years..." Seems nobody had noticed.
If the Boogeyman was 'real' then why were folk so coy about his fathers disappearance? "he just left..." Meh.
Didn't the local motel get a bit suspicious when they found a blood spattered bath and a girls discarded clothes? Or if the body hand't been 'vanished' by the Boogeyman, wouldn't they be wondering just why there was a dead girl in their tub? And poor old Saran Wrapped Stabbed In The Neck... come on!!! Tim's leaving a trail of carnage that'd make Jack the Ripper look like a part timer and so far the local sheriff hasn't even called round for a quick chat? There was so much in that scene, the blood on the blade of the craft knife / fingerprints, weird bondage implications of the saran and the chair, and then it just sort of gets forgotten about.
And then, at the end, he vanquishes the demon / imagined monster / projection of his own guilt by destroying some key items, opens the windows, lets the sun shine in and....
they're rolling the credits? Hang on... I must have missed huge chunks. Surely the cops should be driving up just as he thinks he's got away with being the towns 'closet' serial killer?? Or did the producers just lose the will to live, never really finish the film and then hack 'something' together for the teen-flick market? Anyway, like I said, a pity that an opportunity to make a great horror film was fumbled and turned into (hey, if they can leave things 'unsaid', so can I ;) )
The Hole (2001)
Dark, darker, darkest..
Not having paid a great deal of attention to the trailers for this film the first thing that made me sit up and take notice was the English accents.. well, apart from the compulsory American leading (?) man..
Four thoroughtly obnoxious teenagers get locked in an underground shelter.. only one comes out. Who did it.. was it the mad as a hatter, but thankfully NOT acted with rolling eyes and gibbering survior.. or the geeky outsider friend?
I'm not telling. you'll have to go see it for yourself..
Until now I was convinced that only Ridley Scott could do "dark" films, but this is a cracker..
Meet Joe Black (1998)
Death has a holiday romance
This really is a feel good movie, well, right up until the compulsory happy ending where the guy from the coffee shop... no, I won't spoil it for you if you haven't seen it yet. And if you haven't seen it, go, now, get a copy and prepare yourself for a big blub! I really felt sorry for Death, poor soul just wanted to see what it was all about. Well, he found out alright.
No cheesy special effects, absolutely marvellous scene outside the coffee shop.
Oh,I'm away to watch it again!
Blade (1998)
Ripping yarn, Spike Lee meets Jacky Chan in Hammer Horror?
Terrific film, imaginative story line (well, sort of Buffy the Vamoire Slayer meets Rosemary's other baby?) great visuals.
The really jerky jumpy sequences, odd angles, brilliant soundtrack, an overdose of special effects and some odd sequences make for an enjoyable evening, and I'm waiting for Blade 2, subtle telegraphing of another film in the closing scenes.
Was it me or did anyone else expect the Ghostbusters to storm in at the end, in the odd tower that no-one seemed to have noticed on the skyline?
And was the uber-vampire / Frost supposed to turn into a giant heamorhoid?
Antz (1998)
What an introduction to Woody Allan!
I got this film out for the kids and ended up sitting through it and watching it on my own after they had finished with it!
Excellent film, and what an intro to Woody Allen.
The animation is terrific, you forget you're watching a "cartoon" and the characterisation is spot on.
Sly Stallone really must have some sense of humour to hae taken on the part of Weaver, and I didn't realise that the Princess was voiced by Sharon Stone till I checked on here.
That Sinking Feeling (1979)
Weirdly funny surreal comedy
Full of (then) unknown actors TSF is a great big cuddly romp of a film.
The idea of a bunch of bored teenagers ripping off the local sink factory is odd enough, but add in the black humour that Forsyth & Co are so good at and your in for a real treat.
The comatose van driver by itself worth seeing, and the canal side chase is just too real to be anything but funny.
And for anyone who lived in Glasgow it's a great "Oh I know where that is" film.
Belle maman (1999)
hilarious farcical fun
Starting with a "My Name is Joe" like scene in Alcoholics Anonymous tBM careers into a mad spiral of infidelity, double standards and clandestine affairs. but what do you expect from a family of lawyers?
A genuinely funny film, with some of the most outrageous characters since The Birdcage, plot and subplot are intertwined with surreal scenes of decadent Parisian life (ever been to a wedding reception in the gents toilet where the brides grandmother and her deranged girlfriend are smoking dope and cracking blue jokes? No, me either!) leading to a final scene of almost Arcadian symbolism.
Excellent.
The Debt Collector (1999)
Powerful if bleak view of human nature
An excellent film, though what a bleak view of human nature. Connolly's character is trying to live a good life and the psychotic policeman is determined that it won't happen.
Real Shakespearian tragedy, the wilful misunderstanding of the others characters motives by virtually everyone in the film made the outcome inevitable. The fight in Edinburgh Castle was a wee bit on the unbelievable side, but definitely fitted into the dramatic tradition.
At the end you were left wondering who had actually benefited from the whole sordid mess?