I haven't seen 'carnival of souls' which some reviewers have suggested this film imitates. But this was a pretty diverting hour and a half of cinema. Full of atmosphere, great visuals. Some elements recall David Lynch, others 'Don't Look Now', others various horror movies and devil movies from the seventies where paranoia is the overarching theme. A good film to get lost if one has a couple of glasses of wine and a desire to flirt with the dark side. Last couple of minutes are a bit of a disappointment but they don't ruin the overall effect. Probably a 'cult' film eventually... Oh - I've just been told that my review doesn't contain enough lines so here is another line. And this is another one. Is that enough?
Reviews
4 Reviews
Summer Hours
(2008)
Dull people with empty lives talking about objects
10 June 2011
Warning: Spoilers
It's a shame that we are required to write a minimum of 10 lines when reviewing a film because I cannot think of 10 lines worth of comment to make about this extremely dull film. My friend and I left half way through.
A bourgeois family get together after their art collecting mother has died, and proceed to discuss various 'beautiful' objects she has left behind. This is presented without any irony whatsoever, as though initially at least, we are supposed to identify with these empty people or care about their useless objectified lives. I kept waiting for something to happen which would seriously disrupt proceedings - maybe there would be a revolution or one of them would get seriously maimed by an anarchist bomb.
Unfortunately not.
A bourgeois family get together after their art collecting mother has died, and proceed to discuss various 'beautiful' objects she has left behind. This is presented without any irony whatsoever, as though initially at least, we are supposed to identify with these empty people or care about their useless objectified lives. I kept waiting for something to happen which would seriously disrupt proceedings - maybe there would be a revolution or one of them would get seriously maimed by an anarchist bomb.
Unfortunately not.
Green Street Hooligans
(2005)
No more authentic than a Hugh Grant movie
22 December 2010
Warning: Spoilers
A middle class American journalism student is caught up in the exciting world of British working class violence. The brits are a bit sceptical that he is man enough but after proving himself in a few brawls he's accepted as a proper geezer.
The problem with this film is not that it "glamorizes violence" but that it serves up the 'violent English working class' as a cultural artifact for US consumption. America famously 'has no working class' and US audiences are therefore fascinated by a society where a combative working class is part of the culture, along with the Queen and red telephone boxes. But the version of UK life given here is in fact no more authentic than that found in those other films designed for US export starring Hugh Grant and his floppy fringe (4 Weddings, Notting Hill etc..)
The problem with this film is not that it "glamorizes violence" but that it serves up the 'violent English working class' as a cultural artifact for US consumption. America famously 'has no working class' and US audiences are therefore fascinated by a society where a combative working class is part of the culture, along with the Queen and red telephone boxes. But the version of UK life given here is in fact no more authentic than that found in those other films designed for US export starring Hugh Grant and his floppy fringe (4 Weddings, Notting Hill etc..)
Dog Soldiers
(2002)
Truly dreadful
9 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Truly dreadful movie concerning group of soldiers pitting their wits against werewolves. What makes the film so awful is the terrible, terrible 'gung ho', "do it soldier" style dialogue accompanied by the worst sort of macho sentimentality and posturing. This is a film for young boys who want to be soldiers. If only the whole bunch of them would get eaten by Werewolves (thankfully most of them do.)
The film is devoid of any attempt to explore character or human relationships in anything but the most perfunctory way. People are just there to embody qualities such as ruggedness, loyalty, determination etc Sub themes include some ridiculous 'man's best friend' stuff about dogs (the hero of the film at one point refuses to shoot a dog and is later rewarded by a dog coming to his aid) and some crap about football - one of the soldiers is a football obsessive (cue lots of remarks like 'I should be watching the match'.) Tellingly the villain of the movie doesn't like football or dogs - a sure sign he is not to be trusted. The worst scene involves the hero killing the last werewolf whilst spouting the line "You think it's all over - it is now"
It's sooooooooooo bad..
The film is devoid of any attempt to explore character or human relationships in anything but the most perfunctory way. People are just there to embody qualities such as ruggedness, loyalty, determination etc Sub themes include some ridiculous 'man's best friend' stuff about dogs (the hero of the film at one point refuses to shoot a dog and is later rewarded by a dog coming to his aid) and some crap about football - one of the soldiers is a football obsessive (cue lots of remarks like 'I should be watching the match'.) Tellingly the villain of the movie doesn't like football or dogs - a sure sign he is not to be trusted. The worst scene involves the hero killing the last werewolf whilst spouting the line "You think it's all over - it is now"
It's sooooooooooo bad..
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