S K Y F A L L

SKYFALL is the 50th anniversary James Bond movie, and it's the best film they've made yet. It's filled with love of the character, his history, and all delivered in a well-paced tightly written juggernaut of an action/spy thriller.

The film is a MASTERPIECE, and here are a few of the reasons I think so...

1) Bond - By the end of this one, Daniel Craig IS the Ian Flemming character.
2) M - I love Judi Dench, and the Motherly relationship explored so well
3) M's death scene - emotional and anything but gimmicky ..very well delivered.
4) Javier Bardem's SILVA ..wow, best single Bond villain yet
5) Silva's intro scene - exceptional
6) Silva's "advances" on Bond - ballsy stuff, and watch Bond for his disappointment - extremely courageous performance matching the writing perfectly
7) CINEMATOGRAPHY - Roger Deakins is a genius - this is a BEAUTIFUL FILM
8) DIRECTION - Sam Mendes might be made for Bond ..very surprising
9) Moneypenny - yum yum.. she is one charismatic actress
10) Ralph Fiennes - Great addition, and a character well-played
11) Q - I like 'im - great chemistry with Bond
12) The Cuff - Bond fixes himself as he lands off the tractor on the train - Great Moment
13) The Casino - Beautiful, and evocative of Bond in the '70s
14) Silva's Island - too cool ..great Art Design, and a particularly nice evolution of the Bond Baddie Secret Lair - wish I could visit that crazy spot
15) The SUITS ..man, they are nice
16) Bond Assassination and FALL ...what a scene, and it led perfectly into...
17) The Titles - Gorgeous, and thematic ..very nice.
18) The Relationships - Enemy/friend - the character writing is really solid
19) The New MI6 - Stylish, and subterranean - cool
20) Silva's girlfriend - Lovely, but mysterious ..again, evoked memories of the '70s
21) Her Death - Surprising, and his line "Your lovers are here" was oddly chilling
22) The rescue by MI6 - Bond doesn't usually get "the Cavalry" but it worked
23) Silva's "monster face" and origin ..dramatic, but not ridiculous(Robert Carlyle anyone?)
24) The LIGHT FIGHT - simply one of the best staged/photographed fight scenes in Cinema History
25) Bond AGES, and we see it's effects - very human, but still the spy we love
26) M makes mistakes, and is going to be "fired"
27) Mallory's arc from "jerkoff" to "M"
28) Great Script overall
29) Bond's visit to M's house ..fun
30) The ASTON MARTIN DB7 - Glorious, and a very nice touch that Connery's car is Craig's Bond's one passion he reveals.
31) SKYFALL is a great title, and almost makes up for "Quantum of Solace"
32) Skyfall the place - Stark and beautiful - Interesting thing to finally give us some real humanity with JB
33) Good origin tale, and hey ..we knew he and Batman had similar pasts - how could they not?
34) Kincade - I love Albert Finney, and do wonder if Connery would have been asked to play this role ..regardless, he was fantastic, and it was a treat to watch he and Judi Dench flirt it up
35) Watching the three of them turn JB's family home into a "Home Alone" movie was pretty fun
36) The attack on Skyfall, and his car - rough to watch
37) The Final fight with Silva - personal, and well done
38) Almost forgot how much I liked the Adele song too
39) It was long - I love a GOOD long movie
40) The "exploding pen" comment from Q
41) The Women - far less focus on "Bond Girls" and more on making the females relevant
42) Kincade doesn't die
43) Bond on the roof/top of MI6 - nice metaphor
44) The central plot is Silva's revenge on M - Bond is simply in the way - I like that
45) THE BAD GUY WINS - Never happened before - he has one goal, and he does achieve it
46) The Moneypenny reveal
47) The Bulldog gift from M ..nice
48) A BILLION - It made over one billion dollars, and that means someone just might say "Whatever you just did - do it again". Good.
49) "James Bond will Return" - nice 50th anniv. homage to those old ones that had the next film title in a promise at the end
50) THE EJECTOR SEAT GAG!!! - I sooo love that moment "Oh go ahead, Bond - eject me - see if I care.."
What a brilliant moment, not unlike the third "Indy" movie where the first film is reduced to one sound bite joke I thought this was so Mother/Son and just so damn charming. I'll miss her in the series, but boy - what a note to go out on.

Funny, I've seen it twice but having just finished this I think I'll see it again.
How often does a franchise produce it's best work at age 50? Gives me a little faith...

The irony of Bond's "no parents" for this kid is that I've lost mine too
 ..but man I wish I could have taken them to see it.

A.

Lessons of Darkness - Herzog

Brilliant visual experience ...enlightening.

Werner Herzog has fascinated me for years, but this one really got me..
...and I can't stop watching this one DOC, for that motion of camera through the nightmare landscapes, as his voice is becoming a companion to me like a weird old German uncle ...I highly recommend it.

There's beauty, even in the horror of the situation that Herzog is drawn to, that only certain minds can see. I do believe that that is his single greatest motivation, actually - the humanity within the madness humans create...
Black beauty.

Blackbird (2012)

This is the best film of the Atlantic Film Festival here in Halifax this year.

I LOVED it, without that painful caveat of having to say "for a local film"...

It's simply one of the best movies I've seen this year. Extraordinary for it's ground-level-genius, and ultra-consistency of tone/performance.

I'll seek out Jason Buxton, and offer my limited services as a result. This, and a number of others in the fest, are the inspirations for a cat like myself over Hollywood's millions...
I choose artistry and choices as my heroes.

The Long Goodbye (1973)

Great poster - great movie..
What an interesting thing to bring the classic noir into the gritty '70s and mix it up just right.
That's exactly what Robert Altman did with his adaptation of Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlowe in THE LONG GOODBYE.
Personally, I didn't think Elliot Gould would pull it off, but this is just another of many instances when I'm happy to be way wrong. Took a while to recognize Sterling Hayden, and Marlowe's car was a very nice touch, as were a lot of the "here he is in the nineteen-seventies" moments.
Go watch it ..it's worth it.

A.

Seed of Chucky

Okay, how the fuck did this movie get made? ..seriously?
It's not that it's terrible - it's not, but it is genuinely bizarre.

I will creep you out

This is the weirdest part...












Since I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, I think I'll watch it again ..skim anyway - then attempt a review type o' thing..

ALRIGHT, it's a black comedy with a horror film pedigree, but mostly a strange and sometimes funny Jennifer Tilly movie.

"Hi, my name is Tiffany Ray. Um, you don't know me but, a few years ago I killed your husband, and I am SO sorry."

Even the trailer plays mostly for chuckles, and feels more like '70s Corman than modern Hollywood...

Fun though..

Again, very weird little film, and something much closer to '80s horror/comedy than anything recent.
I'm still not sure if I like it, but am looking forward to #6..
CURSE OF CHUCKY is coming soon...

A.

Ted Talk

YAYY!!! Ted today, and back later with a review...

Well, it's a Seth MacFarlane movie for sure, but emphasis on the movie. Cute and predictable little rom-com in the middle and Mila Kunis is pretty good, got to admit..
but the Ted/John Bennett(Mark Wahlberg) relationship is the story and it is funny. I like Mark Wahlberg best when he's light, though The Fighter is a f'ing great movie - he looks like he's having a good time, but only as much as we are, and man do I hate it when the cast is having more fun than I am ...rrrgggg ...you know that feeling - one of my comedy pet peeves.
It feels like a future classic at the moment but we'll see how it holds up. Took my GF, and her Dad - smart cat, 74 and we all howled. End credit sequence is funnny...
Like Family Guy there are jokes that fall plenty flat but it's on from beginning to end - especially the end..
The whole movie is funny Funny FUNNY ..bit stupid, but..

..TED's a BLAST!!! Go see it.

A.

Kingdom of the Spiders

William Shatner VS Killer Tarantulas - now, that's a logline..

I liked this film quite a bit when I saw it as a boy. I loved it last night as I watched it on a sweltering July evening ..munching snacks and rooting for ol' Billy 'til the sun went down. Perfect night.

Alright, yes - it's a B-movie but as one it's close to perfect. Cool beginning - good middle - great ending - I adore endings like this, and without ruining it I can guess "The Birds" was the principal inspiration. It's not without it's stupid moments, but it rolls along nicely, and I'm already a huge Shatner fan - I just plain dig him - he's hilarious and ambitious beyond even Tom Cruise's insanity. Bill Shatner LOVES being Bill Shatner, and we love him for it.

Lots of very real spiders, and a script that's not afraid to kill kill kill...

Go watch it on YouTube - it's Free!!!

And if you, like myself, love a good "Double-Feature" watch it with Dark Night of the Scarecrow - man, I wish I could get my local Drive-In to play those ..what a night.

cheers, A.

c O s M o P o L i S

WTF?

my brain after COSMOPOLIS

Alright, it forced hours of complex thought - I'll give it that, but wow ..what a weird time @ the movies.

July 10/2012 Okay, it's been a while and I suspect the film has sunk in so...  WTF!!!

It's a very odd ride, but it gave me a genuine appreciation of Mr. Pattinson - I'd discounted him for the Twilight shit, but he can act it turns out.
Paul Giamatti is always good, but boyoboy - Cronenberg - who in God's name were you aiming this bizarre experience at anyway?

I liked his car quite a bit.
A.

P r o m e t h e u s

Will I love it?

Will Will love it?

Will I be conflicted?

Will I lie to myself, and think I loved it?

33 years - will this puzzle piece fit in with the rest?

WHAT lies at the other side of the Universe today? ...we'll see in a few hours...

5 HOURS LATER...

Well, ...conflicted it is
..but good conflicted, for one really good movie lovin' reason..
I enjoyed watching it, and I can't wait to go back and see it again.

Review will be next up, but do I write it before or after seeing it a second time? ..hmmm.

On a cool aside, I'll say what a blast it was to see it tonight after all this waiting - with my GF and some good friends - big screen - center of the theatre - great 3D, and long heated conversations about what we all saw...
which ultimately was Ridley Scott's return to sci-fi..
pretty cool.

The Ghost Train

1941 was a good year for film - Dumbo, Citizen Kane, and a little British thriller called THE GHOST TRAIN.

Next time you have an hour and a half, check it out. It'd make a groovy double-bill with the much more recent Woman in Black, and on that note: I think I like moody British film quite a bit.. 

 ...but I'll have to keep diving in to make sure ..forever.. like Highlander..

Anyway, the film moves along at a perfect pace, and will leave you wondering until the ending, which is kind of clever. The characters are fun and the writing is tight - most of the movie is on one great set - very entertaining.

Arthur Askey is annoyingly excellent - obviously one of those true entertainers of the day - true multi-talented cats - I'd have punched his lights out, but hey..
What a blast - to be honest, I really can't wait to watch it again.

Cheers, A.

Chernobyl Diaries

Two pleasant horror surprises in one week. Groovy.

Where Dead Silence proved to be a homage to old horror, this one is a little ...more modern - nastier, though only for the fact that the tone throughout is about two notches into the more serious. It gets intense quickly, especially with the decision to show us so little of the antagonists - that worked.
This is a pretty decent horror movie - I'll be curious to see a sequel, that's for sure - it had a few really good jumps, and a setting that worked extremely well.

I'd guess complaints will stem from that somewhat ambiguous ending, but holy shit do I ever like those. It is a peculiar particular choice to do that with any film, but I have a damn good imagination - I like it when it has to do some work.

Certainly not hard to tell it came from the Paranormal Activity gang, but again - that's alright, keep 'em coming.

This isn't a great movie, but I'd happily watch it again ...preferably with really jumpy friends.

A.

the S H I N I N G

Where to begin.

This movie really pissed me off the first time I watched it, having just finished reading the novel.

I agreed with Stephen King - what a shitty adaptation of a brilliantly terrifying story. Who was this Stanley Kubrick, and what was he thinking?

A movie from a book is a weird thing. It inevitably draws the comparison, but the two are such different art forms, I have to look at them as works of art based on interpretation - both books and films.


This post'll be a work in progress...

Dead Silence

Pleasant surprise, this little film.
Myself and a few friends watched it probably more to have something to make fun of for two hours than as a serious movie - and as you know, dear reader, that can be great fun.
So here's the catch see ..it's kind of good.
Dead Silence features a decent script, a fun intro, a couple o' moviestars, and a few genuinely scary moments. I dug it, and it's close to the tone I'd like to get up on the bigscreen myself.

Facts being facts, I'm a huge fan of "Evil Puppet" movies - I LOVE 'em, and am now watching MAGIC with Anthony Hopkins ...fun so far, but I digress yet again.
This one is a blast, and I'd watch horror films like it every day if I could. There's a gruesomely serious tone to the "torture porn" movies that is soooo not in this one..
If you like Tales from the Crypt or Trilogy of Terror, or the Chucky movies, you might want to give DEAD SILENCE a try.

A.

i ♥ REMAKES

Don't get me wrong - I know most of 'em suck balls, but occasionally remakes are great and worthy - occasionally they're better.

What about this list for brilliant films that just happen to be remakes?

• The Thing(1982) - Quite possibly my favorite film - really just depends on the day, but it's superior to the original - FACT.
• Invasion of the Body Snatchers(1978) - Exceptional. One of the best films of the '70s ...hands down. Unique for the fact that it functions as a sequel and a remake, expanding upon the original brilliantly.
• The Fly(1986) - Speaking of Jeff Goldblum in amazing movies - again, a superior interpretation of that story, and a film many critics put on their Top 10 of the '80s.
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre(2003) - What it lacks in the dirty gruesome elements of Tobe Hooper's one true film accomplishment, it more than makes up for in honest style and true love of the original. Surprising remake.
• The Blob(1988) - Excellent '80s redo, and more fun than the '50s version.
• Dawn of the Dead(2004) - I like 'em both, but many consider this one to be better.
• Last House on the Left(2009) - Ten times more entertaining than it's first version, which I find difficult to watch. 
• I Am Legend(2007) - Third version of the story, and possibly the best film, though each of Vincent Price's and Charlton Heston's versions do have great elements.
• The Maltese Falcon(1941) - Yup, Bogey's version is a remake.
• The Wizard of Oz(1939) - Another classic un-original.
• Dracula(1931) - Considered to be the original, but nope. Everybody has a different favorite Dracula movie.

I'll stop here, and get some good suggestions from film friends..
..but I think the complaint that there's nothing original coming out of Hollywood is exactly the same as saying our Government doesn't listen. It's up to us out here to change those people who serve us, and how they do it.

A.

The A V E N G E R S directed by Joss Whedon

Right off the top I have to say I'm in low-level shock that I actually just watched a major motion based on Marvel Comics' Avengers.

It's been a long time since I watched a movie that left me wondering how they did it, but I've got to say I'm still wondering as I write this..

Joss Whedon has somehow managed to direct or produce the two best movies so far this year...
..and to think Warners pulled the plug on his Wonder Woman project ...yipes

Regardless, I suspect that the bar has been officially raised...

..if not by the overall awesome-ness of the entire thing, then definitely by the fact that the Hulk beats the living shit out of Loki.

Very very impressive.

Artie's 14 "most-watched" Movies

1. The Thing
2. Night Shift
3. Blade Runner
4. Duel
5. Citizen Kane
6. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
7. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
8. Silence of the Lambs
9. The Shining
10. Ghostbusters
11. Zodiac
12. Terminator
13. Forrest Gump
14. Batman

Pretty sure that's it. No order, and not necessarily the best - just the ones I've sat down and given two hours of my life to  ...over and over again.
Oh, '82 ...you just give and give..

Love doesn't begin to describe it.

Shock Waves 1977

It took me thirty years to finally watch this crazy little flic, but now I'm glad it did. I think I thought it'd be incredibly disappointing, but nope - what a Blast!!

Where to begin on the things I love about a B-movie starring Brooke Adams and Peter Cushing ...and oh, yeah - NAZI ZOMBIES!!!
..so fun - the whole premise is like a twelve year old's fantasy - beautiful woman in a bikini - mad scientist - and again, NAZI ZOMBIES..

As a film, it's a bit of a surprise in that the structure is a bit smarter than the average fare, though these 70s entries often "shock" me with a dash of genuinely good filmmaking.
We open on one of the coolest leading ladies to come out of that era - in a little lifeboat, clearly on the end side of some harrowing ordeal - flashback to the whole adventure with Mr. Cushing and pretty soon we forget how it opened.
I like touches like this - noteworthy for elevating the story, if even only slightly.

The FX are pretty impressive, and the choice to have so much of it take place by day was a pretty courageous one. The NAZI ZOMBIES(though not technically zombies) are kinda creepy actually - bet they were fun sequences to plan/shoot, especially in the 70s ..lots of residual Nazi fears, and some good on-set joke material.

The spooky part of the movie for me was the intro - the weird orange light, and the confused path on the ocean - evokes thoughts of The Incredible Shrinking Man - pretty cool ...strange for sure, but the NAZI ZOMBIES walking along the bottom - very cool - can't say this movie shouldn't have a remake - could be extremely fun, and big time 3-D.

There's a funny quality to a lot of 70s "endings" - not happy, but not horrific - more of a "we're all in the same shitty boat together" kind of wrap-ups ...they just don't make 'em like that anymore, and I really do love movies like this.
Long and the short of it - Brooke Adams, Peter Cushing, and NAZI ZOMBIES - if these don't interest you, yer just not the same kind of horror fan as this kid.

"we're creepy"

CABIN in the WOODS - loved it

Loved it.
Holy shit, I loved this movie ..loved it.

Can't say much, as it's not officially released yet, but you cannot guess what's waiting in the theatre for you...GO SEE IT.
"This is a movie that you shouldn’t be told about, and, if someone goes out of the way to spoil it for you, a nice swift kick to the testes would be a sufficient payment for that sort of kindness." The Kidd

I concur ...just go see it.
April 15 - Just took my GF ...and she loved it too. Second viewing is a good chance to figure out a few more things...

FUN AS HELL. GO SEE IT!!!

April 20 ...as in 4/20 - A great day to point out that the "stoner" character was the strongest, and least predictable of the cast - very nice change.

A.

John Carter ...OF MARS

As mega-failures go, I kinda liked this one.
I think it was the title change, and the crappy release date did this one in, but I don't suppose an unknown actor in an unknown property helped either.
Taylor Kitsch is a believable hero, and it's a very entertaining film, actually - reminded me of the Disney of old - Grand scale storytelling, with a somewhat old fashioned feel to it - pretty damn fun.

I think Kurt Russell would have played the lead had Disney made this about 40 years ago, but more importantly Lynn Collins should/could play a great Wonder Woman.

Overall, I'd say go see it - far superior to anything I can recall it reminding me of.
It looks great, and I bet the script will surprise you.

A.

Eighty Two Horror Films

Artie's favorites..
..and seconds..

2011 - The Thing//Final Destination 5
2010 - Tucker and Dale vs Evil//The Crazies
2009 - Anti-Christ//Zombieland
2008 - The Ruins//The Strangers
2007 - Zodiac//The Mist
2006 - Slither//The Hills Have Eyes
2005 - The Devil's Rejects//The Descent
2004 - Shawn of the Dead//Dawn of the Dead
2003 - Freddy vs Jason//Texas Chainsaw Massacre
2002 - Bubba Ho Tep//The Ring
2001 - Jeepers Creepers//Session 9
2000 - American Psycho//Dracula 2000
1999 - The Blair Witch Project//Deep Blue Sea
1998 - The Faculty//Deep Rising
1997 - Event Horizon//The Relic
1996 - Scream//From Dusk Till Dawn
1995 - Demon Knight//The Mangler
1994 - In the Mouth of Madness//New Nightmare
1993 - Army of Darkness//Body Snatchers
1992 - Bram Stoker's Dracula//Dead Alive
1991 - Child's Play 3//People Under the Stairs
1990 - Tremors//Exorcist 3
1989 - Leviathan//Pet Sematary
1988 - Halloween 4//The Blob
1987 - Bad Taste//Evil Dead 2
1986 - The Fly//The Hitcher
1985 - Fright Night//The Stuff
1984 - A Nightmare on Elm St//C.H.U.D.
1983 - Psycho 2//Christine
1982 - The Thing//Poltergeist
1981 - An American Werewolf in London//The Howling
1980 - The Shining//The Fog
1979 - Alien//Salem's Lot
1978 - Halloween//Invasion of the Body Snatchers
1977 - The Hills Have Eyes//Suspiria
1976 - The Omen//Carrie
1975 - Jaws//Trilogy of Terror
1974 - Texas Chainsaw Massacre//Let Sleeping Corpses Lie
1973 - Exorcist//Wicker Man
1972 - Tales from the Crypt//Baron Blood
1971 - Willard//Let's Scare Jessica to Death
1970 - Equinox//Dunwich Horror

The actual skulls of Golan and Globus..

Now, that was fun as HELL...

The E X O R C I S T

One of my all time favorite films, and always will be.

Like Citizen Kane, I watched this very late one night...
and it has stayed with me forever. Exorcist belongs not just to a different era in film, but to a very different time in North America. It's pretty hip to hate God these days, but not so much in 1973. Ours was a highly religious society 40 years ago, and this film suggested purely adult horror from a most frightening perspective.. not the end of the world "Damien" type of stuff but smaller, scarier, closer to home horror - real life, and real terror in places it never went before - the suggestion that evil not only exists, but can infiltrate our day-to-day human lives - It can get us - the real us out here.

The performances are 10's out of 10, and I'd be hard-pressed to pick the best chemistry..
Is it Father Karras and Chris MacNeil? Is it Kinderman and Karras ...a friendship I could watch a whole film about..
The scene with Ellen Burstyn chatting with Jason Miller ..she's at the end of her rope, and tries to subtly ask a question about exorcisms ...that moment - Karras' face in response ...brilliant.

I believe Karras' faithless-priest to be the anchor of the film - such a nuanced tightrope of a performance - just amazing.

Then there's Max Von Sydow. Love his European work  ..just one of those actors I'd watch do anything. A genius.

To be honest, the pitch throughout is so reality based it felt almost documentary style the first time watching. I adore these performances - it's such a pleasure to watch 70s movies when everyone in the film is a gifted actor, and Friedkin was an actor's director - one of the true greats of the best decade in film.

Like many of the truly great films of that era, Exorcist does actually keep getting better and better.

I truly believe this to be one of the best American films ever made, holding in it's two hours not just a brilliant story, but unmatched performances and a slice of life we will never see again.

ahhh, now I get it.. Rosemary's Baby

Hmmm...

Turns out this is exactly as good as it's legendary standing.
I figured as much, but I hadn't seen it in many years, and it was one in a string of young discoveries including The Changeling, The Exorcist, and The Omen. By compare to these, it is incredibly restrained, and definitely dramatic over horrific, but horror is what my young mind was searching for.
Now, having had some life experience, I can see where true horror lies - in the minds of men.

And make no mistake - this movie is scary.
Watch the insidious takeover of the title-character's mind by everyone else in the film - Mia Farrow's performance is Oscar caliber ..as is Roman Polanski's direction, but I'm a huge fan of his anyway.
Ruth Gordon is brilliant, and as creepy as Hannibal Lecter - love her voice.
The math of this screenplay is perfect - it's just so well-constructed.

The end scene is one of the coolest in film ever.

Fear Itself

Biiig fan of Horror Anthology TV Shows..
..and somehow missed NBC's Fear Itself when it aired a few years back(I was probably drunk) but fear not, horror fans - it's on Fearnet.com, and worth watching fer sure.

DOUG JONES in SKIN and BONES

Basically, it plays like Tales from the Crypt-esque continuation of Masters of Horror, though admittedly it's this 80's horror fan who thought the John Landis episode was the weakest..
..so yeah, there are a couple o' stinkers for sure, but overall a worthwhile watch - with pretty decent production values too. Shot in Edmonton(how freakin' weird is that?) it pulls off American locales rather well, actually.

The pilot is strong - enough to keep watching..
and New Year's Day and Circles had good basic stories, but a sloppy execution kinda diluted 'em a bit..

Noteworthily nice to see Eric Roberts as something other than a cliched villain for a change, and his episode(Spooked) is one of the more inventive - couple genuinely creepy moments..

It's fun - go get scared!!

s h e r l o c k

I like it.
Liking Benedict Cumberpatch almost as much as his name, and that's saying something.
Is that not the coolest actor name since Tallulah Bankhead?

Great 2o12 version of ACD's most amazing creation. Who doesn't like Sherlock Holmes? Losers, that's who.

..and the Oscar goes to..

The ARTIST.

It's 2012, and the Best Picture Oscar just went to a black and white silent film.
It's moments like this that renew my faith in this ...questionable industry.

Fantastic.

The GREY

"Live and die on this day."
Very intense film experience.

And a genuinely good movie for sure..
but I'm only going to talk about one scene:

"My first name is John." - Amazing moment - worth watching the whole story just to get to it.
I like writing when it's this strong, and I definitely like Joe Carnahan and Liam Neeson together - Impressive team, like the Scott brothers who produced it.

I did wonder where the crazy CG wolves from The Day After Tomorrow went when their scenes were done  ...North, it turns out.

But I jest..
This is a well-shot, well-made, primal adventure of a movie - you'd have a hard time sleeping though it - that's for sure.
Go.

 It does.

The Artist

Brilliant film.

And a good post for Valentine's Day - this film loves film - it's makers love film, film history, and ever bit of honest hard work that goes into it.
Why on earth do anything with no love in it?
"I gotta pay my bills..." - fuck that - bills get paid. Find what you love and LOVE it. Do it. Film it. Draw it. Research it. Record it. Keep it secret, or tell the world from the rooftops, but if you love something - make it your God - make it your bliss ..but find it, without fear or expectation.
Love something.
I love seeing LOVE on the screen, and it's exactly why I like writing about film.

A.

The WOMAN in BLACK

Excellent Art Design, and a damn scary film - strong, clean direction.

Great sets. 

Great mood - just a good "ghost story" movie - I wish I could watch one o' these a month. There's an economy to the storytelling - very British. I think Susan Hill might like it. Ending's a tad goofy, but works for the story.

Woman in Black is rife with genuine tension, supported by strong performances, but there's one scene that really got me..

Yowsa!   ..unrelenting goosebumps..

..and it's a HAMMER Film - Go check it out ..if you like being scared.

A.

M e L a N c H o L i A

Best film of 2o11.

P S Y C H O

My 60th post and the jewel of 1960, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.

This movie has altered the path of my life.

I was raised on Psycho, my Mother having been amongst those in attendance during it's original release. 

Now, everyone's heard of the craziness in those theatres, as terrified fans lost their collective minds - screaming, crying, fainting..

..but true story - my Mom's cousin still hasn't seen the whole thing since she ran out back in '60 - I love that.

I had occasion to watch this on mute in a noisy bar, on a busy night..

My coworker, Ashley and myself happened to glance up at the same time - Norman is standing by the lake, and turns to camera - Absolutely Chilling - no joke - goosebumps, and both of us felt it.

Supports the thought Alfred Hitchcock put forth that a good film can be watched silently, and understood clearly.

Who do you root for when you watch Psycho?

Marion? 

Norman? 

Arbogast?

Who's the "hero" and who is the "villain"?

Can you really kill your protagonist half-way through the movie? 

Yes you can.