[Locke]

Today's viewing is The Worlds End, the final part of the Cornetto trilogy and hopefully better than the similarly titled 'This is The End'. Like many films this year, this was one I was following for a long time, and was very excited for, before it came out and life moved on before I even realised as such, and missed my opportunity to watch it on the big screen, so I had to wait for home releases. Thankfully though, it was worth the wait!

The great thing, about films like this, is if you're of the right age, they are just so relatable. Gary King himself is a despicable sleezeball (intentionally so, and utterly sympathetic by the end), but when you get to a certain age, it's true that you're expected to grow up and also know what growing up actually means. You get to a certain age and you can no longer really define where home is. You get to a certain age where you either pull ahead of old friends, or simply get left behind. And if you do watch your friends disappear onto the horizon of six figures a year and a nuclear family, you can't help but to retreat further into your past, a time where we can pretend it was the best and conveniently edit out the bad - and live a life of what ifs, and regrets.

Most impressively, is just how well the whole thing works. As it moves from a piece of social realism (that errs on the side of melodrama that totally works because that is how all of these films have always been) into all out sci-fi blockbuster, it seems like it would be a jarring affair, like watching two halves of separate movies. Instead however, the film slips between these two genres with such ease of back and forth exchange that you can't help but believe that these two genres were always made for one another. And as the film reaches a head, and has to bring the whole thing together, it's utterly brilliant.

Also. What a cast! This is an ensemble of English talent held together by a ridiculously sharp screenplay. It isn't quite a laugh out loud affair, but it's bound to have you chuckling near constantly. Especially Nick Frost, who steals the show of every one of these movies.

Plus, the fight scenes are kick ass.

[Locke]

It's quite possible that Maniac is not only the best horror film of the year, but possibly one of the best horror films of the decade. Why is Maniac so good? Largely because it never takes the easy option, even though it has constant opportunities to do so.

Modern horror is driven by novelty, novelty has surpassed the importance of all other aspects of modern horror cinema, so when Maniac promised a slasher from the point of view of the killer, that would have been enough.

Sure it wouldn't have gone down as a classic, but the novelty would have appealed to the teeny boppers until the next fad came along. But that wasn't enough for Franck Khalfoun. We don't just wear Frank's shoes during the hour and a half of the run time, we become him. For an hour and a half, we're in his world, we are killers. And that is what makes this film so bonechilling.

Perhaps most scary of all, is the world Frank lives in is gorgeous. Frank appreciates true beauty, and sees art everywhere he goes and in all he does. To reflect this, this film bleeds style, but style that never feels like it's in place of substance. It's just that no shot is conventional, Khalfoun truly understands his medium and tries to use it to its maximum potential.

And most important of all? The effects are fantastic. Frank's scalping may feel a little simplistic when compared to the theatrical carnage of modern horror cinema but the effects are so convincing, the scalpings are terrifying all the same.

It's ultimately an incredible experience, watching a film that can be artistic, beautiful, sexy and grotesque all in the space of a single scene, often switching on a heartbeat, it shows masterful film making that it all works. And as Frank spirals more and more into pure madness, the surrealist beauty of the twisted piece only grows. Gorgeous.

[GoseiWonder]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

It's quite possible that Maniac is not only the best horror film of the year, but possibly one of the best horror films of the decade. Why is Maniac so good? Largely because it never takes the easy option, even though it has constant opportunities to do so.

Modern horror is driven by novelty, novelty has surpassed the importance of all other aspects of modern horror cinema, so when Maniac promised a slasher from the point of view of the killer, that would have been enough.

Sure it wouldn't have gone down as a classic, but the novelty would have appealed to the teeny boppers until the next fad came along. But that wasn't enough for Franck Khalfoun. We don't just wear Frank's shoes during the hour and a half of the run time, we become him. For an hour and a half, we're in his world, we are killers. And that is what makes this film so bonechilling.

Perhaps most scary of all, is the world Frank lives in is gorgeous. Frank appreciates true beauty, and sees art everywhere he goes and in all he does. To reflect this, this film bleeds style, but style that never feels like it's in place of substance. It's just that no shot is conventional, Khalfoun truly understands his medium and tries to use it to its maximum potential.

And most important of all? The effects are fantastic. Frank's scalping may feel a little simplistic when compared to the theatrical carnage of modern horror cinema but the effects are so convincing, the scalpings are terrifying all the same.

It's ultimately an incredible experience, watching a film that can be artistic, beautiful, sexy and grotesque all in the space of a single scene, often switching on a heartbeat, it shows masterful film making that it all works. And as Frank spirals more and more into pure madness, the surrealist beauty of the twisted piece only grows. Gorgeous.

I'm still waiting for a "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" movie where Leatherface and his family are all tortured and murdered by average Joe Texans or maybe a series of films where classic slashers (Freddy, Jason, the schmuck from Scream, Jigsaw, the Creeper, etc) are hunted down and killed by cops, citizens with shotguns, and anyone else who is a normal person.

Or horror films that are character studies. Like John Carpenter's "The Thing."

[ryan]

finally saw Thor 2 The Dark World last night.

I loved it. I'm not quite sure it's my second favorite, after Avengers, as many people are saying, but it's at least tied for third with IM3 and Captain America. really really great film. saw it with my cousin, definitely want to take my wife to see it soon.

[RiderSkyward]

Finally watched Pacific rim. Was alright.The doctors were freaking annoying though. And what is it with helicopters? Completely pointless and a waste of the animators(?) time.

So yeah, pretty good action scenes save it, other than that it was meh...

[Locke]

Finally got around to watching the Way, Way Back. It's nothing special, but it's well written, well acted (Sam Rockwell especially seems to be having the time of his life and Steve Carell plays the biggest douche of his career) and I'm pretty sure a lot of us can see ourselves in Duncan. So it was really enjoyable overall.

[Dr Kain]

Assault on Precinct 13 - This was my first time seeing it and it was very good. I loved how the whole movie comes together for its first half and then becomes a siege movie afterwards. As usual, Carpenter is a master of his own work as both the score and cinematography were as incredible as the movies that came after this one. In fact, I am going to say this straight up, but he is the Quentin Tarantino of the 70s and 80s. I love the dialog between the characters. I really enjoyed seeing how it does not matter if you are a cop or a criminal, you are all pretty much equal when it comes to being fodder. My only complaint about the movie is how emotionless the cop lady was. Of course, it did make for a great scene inside the holding cells when she is shot in the arm, just stands there, and then kicks the crap out of the thug. Overall, I'm giving this movie a nice 8/10.

Assault on Precinct 13 - Holy crap, as a remake, this movie sucks ass. As a movie, this movie sucks ass. What the hell is going on here? There is absolutely no build up to siege on the police station. The characters are cliche and boring. The music is bland. And between the two, it is kind of sad that an unruly gang of thug lowlifes were better organized for an assault on a police station on a whim to take out a man who fled to it over trained military personnel who planned to take out one prisoner. What the hell?! Another thing that made the original unique is that there was no main leader. They were there just for the sake of being there. Here, we have to have some big man giving orders with a complete reason for doing what he is doing. The acting in this movie was down right atrocious, especially from the police lady and her sex addiction. I am not sure what the director was going for, but it came off as annoyingly laughable more than anything else. WIth that said, I want the $4 I spent to rent this movie back because this piece of **** was not even worth a penny. It gets a 1/10 from me.

[Locke]

So I just watched Prince Avalanche.

My biggest criticism is Paul Rudd, don't get me wrong, I love this guy. But he's playing the same character he does in every movie, and that character works fine in the context of movies like 'I Love You, Man' or 'Role Models' as they are simple minded (but enjoyable still) comedies.

Prince Avalanche however is a deep, thoughtful, incredibly emotional and utterly beautiful little art film, leaving Paul Rudd to feel completely out of place and woefully miscast. He hits all the right notes in the comedy scenes (as expected) but this isn't a straight comedy, this is a dramedy and so I just found him distracting in every single scene that wasn't about the laughs (and there are a lot of those), especially as he takes part in pretty much every crucial scene in the movie (which are rarely comedy scenes). And he does try, bless him, but a strained performance is in many ways worse than a weak one.

I never thought I'd see the day where I can claim something like Emile Hirsch is the strongest actor in the piece, who puts a surprising amount of gravitas into a very simple, kinda pathetic character.

And honestly, it's surprising just how much Hirsch saves the movie. When Rudd has to carry a dramatic scene on his own, he fails, but with Hirsch there with him it's like Rudd rides his wheel. The chemistry between the two actors is wonderful, and they only seem to better one another's performance.

It makes surprisingly good use of its setting, as well. The film rests on the notion of solitude, something that hasn't really existed for fifteen years now. With the world of the internet, smart phones and tablets we are never truly alone, ever. Social networking connects us to the entire planet, and that is beautiful, but we've somehow lost the importance of space and room because they are two things that no longer really exist. Pretty much none of the events in this movie, could have transpired if they set it today, and I found that really kind of awesome. Which kinda sums up the whole movie for me, easily one of the best films released this year.

[Locke]

Finally got around to watching Iron Man 3. The weirdest thing about Iron Man Three is it feels nothing like an Iron Man movie. Stark is rarely in a suit, and even when he is, he is quickly taken out of it. Some of the biggest action scenes involve him out of a suit all together, and who takes down the big bad? Pepper. Honestly the Iron Man suits just sort of feel like cameos in their own movie, there to please the audience rather than be part of the narrative.

I wouldn't have minded that if the character stuff in this movie was good, but the movie is far too stupid to create a compelling character drama. Stark having panic attacks doesn't count as a character study, it counts a novelty and a cheap one at that.

I guess at least The Wolverine wont be getting the title of 'closest thing to a boring superhero film' title this year.

[Locke]

The Kings of Summer is better than Way, Way Back? Are you mad?!

The Kings of Summer is technically two narratives running side by side, the primary narrative involves three young tens running away from home and making reality a fantasy that was only ever in our childhood dreams. This fantasy world is constantly draped in menace, as fantasy isn't supposed to exist in reality.

Oddly enough though, the breakdown of the utopia all starts with a girl, which has troubling implications. And the primary bromance is so half baked that the ultimate breakdown of it isn't really all that compelling until right at the very end, where it seems the movie finally catches up to how much of an asshole Joe is and punishes him for it, as reality comes in to clean up what is left of their broken dream. The only point of satisfaction in the whole of the primary narrative.

Overall, I'm really not a big fan of the primary narrative of the film. Minus Biaggio who is loveable in how utterly oddball he is, the other two primary boys are both assholes. I know their brattiness is something we all experience at one stage in our teenage years, but that doesn't make it right, and that doesn't make them enjoyable to watch on screen. Unless your tastes are 'to see how much you relate to the biggest asshole on the screen', then this movie is made for you. It's a shame because the cinematography is beautiful, and the core wish fulfilment aspect is nice.

The secondary narrative though, is where the movie really shines. The secondary narrative is basically a reactive narrative to the primary one. The brats may not think about anyone but themselves, or the consequences of their actions, but that doesn't mean the reverberations do not exist. As such, the parents left behind wondering where their children are, are left to look into themselves to try and understand why their children ran away, and what their flaws always were. Are they really bad people? Or is it just hormones? Nick Offerman being the highlight of the entire movie, playing the equally hilarious and equally sympathetic Frank - who is also a bit of a bastard.

Sadly though, when the film has to wrap up and bring all the narratives together, you pretty much hate everyone who isn't Frank or Biaggio so it's pretty much impossible to enjoy the climax. So although you'll appreciate Frank's jokes, and his heroics, you then have to sit through a load of lovey dovey shit with a bunch of bratty twats, joy! At least it's the loveable Biaggio who is saved, if Joe got bitten by the snake I'd have left him there.

As much as I loved Offerman's performance, and Frank's character arc, I still don't think the movie is really worth sitting through, which is a shame.