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david-gregory4
Reviews
Blood Simple (1984)
not their best.........
i personally have a big problem with this movie, the problem being that i just can't stay awake past the first ten minutes! I have tried on several occasions to sit and watch it, after all i am a fan of most of the Coen's films, but this one just puts me to sleep. It's not the only film that has this anaesthetic effect on me, 'Memento', 'Shadow Makers', and 'Lost Highway', all great cures for insomnia!
Eddie Izzard: Circle (2002)
a tad disappointing.......
i was greatly looking forward to seeing this new dvd of eddie's show from New York after reading the praise heaped upon him by our american friends on this very site. I love eddie izzard's material, and have a couple of his older shows on VHS, so what didn't i like about this one? Mainly the beggining of the show itself, i thought it took him a good ten minutes to find his feet, didn't seem to know where he was going a lot of the time, which in itself is sometimes one of his endearing qualities, but too much can make me feel irritated! A lot of the show seemed way under-rehearsed, which he does actually admit to on the commentary. Too much about 'God' as well i thought, needs to get some different topics going on, like he used to. Having said all that, once he got into his stride there was some very funny stuff: 'Chimps with guns', 'Stoned olympics' and the bit about Darth Vader in the Death Star canteen, was Izzard firing on all cylinders! Once i've viewed this show three or four times i'm sure i'll love it to pieces, but that initial first view was a little shakey.
Coupling (2000)
new series
The third series of 'Coupling' just started here in the U.K. last monday. It starts off where the second series ended, well, according to an interview i saw with Steven Moffit there is about a one minute gap, so the story started with Steve and Susan arguing, then it went into split screen for most of the episode. But most important, it's still funny! Before it started, i was a bit apprehensive, you know, the third series, it's a bit like when a band make their often 'make or break' third album. But the spark is still there.
Small Time (1996)
wonderful.........
It's a good feeling when you 'discover' a great film. Especially one that due to the nature of it's budget and distribution, only you and a handful of other lucky people will ever see. Those were my thoughts after watching 'Small Time'. Costing only a couple of grand to make, and filmed on the streets of Nottingham, it follows the daily ups and downs, mainly downs, of a group of friends scraping a day-by-day living by ducking and diving and stealing anything to hand. The story leads to a grand finale, but it's the interaction and the banter between the characters that makes this film such a fun ride, they are totally believeable. The cast are mainly unknowns, but thats what probably makes the chemistry work. The music is good as well, two accoustic guitar tunes near the middle of the film are fantastic, they sum up totally how the characters are really feeling. Buy it and cherish it, Hollywood can keep all it's 'eye candy', this is proper film making.
A Taste of Hemlock (1989)
low budget thriller.........
From the maker of 'Friday 13th' comes this very low budget, probably a t.v. movie, thriller. It's about a young guy, Claud, a somewhat reclusive character scraping a living waiting on tables, bored, in need of a bit of excitement. Answering an ad for a leather jacket, he comes into contact with a group of close friends, who seem to have a hidden agenda, without realising it, he becomes framed for murder. Although it's badly lit, and there is some seriously bad acting, check out Claud's boss near the beggining of the film, the story still draws me in. It's a bit like one of those 'Tales of the Unexpected' (uk t.v. series) type stories that has a twist at the end. All in all, it'll never win any Oscars, but maybe once a year i'll watch it, if only to lap up the hammy acting and the $20 budget!!
The Big Lebowski (1998)
'you are entering a world of pain!'
i asked myself recently, out of all the four hundred or so films that i own, which ONE couldn't i live with out. The Big Lebowski was the answer. The Coen brothers are in a league of their own when it comes to quality control. Everything about this film oozes class, and style, from the opening title sequences, surreal dreams(flashbacks!) and some imaginitive camera work. Good use of colour as well, check out the bowling balls and the 'Jesus's suit. It's also very, very funny, and the whole of the cast are at their best!
'...YOUR REVOLUTION IS OVER SIR!.....THE BUMS LOST!......THE BUMS WILL ALWAYS LOSE'..!!!!!!