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The Andromeda Strain (1971)
Ever wondered why films these days are poor?
The Andromeda Strain.1971.
If there ever was an argument regarding when was the golden age of science fiction movies then this movie will finally put that debate to sleep.
In the 60s and 70s a film would be released, albeit every it every so often, that would enlighten, educate and inspire or generate wonder in its audience. 2001, Silent Running, The Andromeda Strain. This film is so accurate and visually thoughtful in its depiction of the technology but it never gets boring even though its pacing is slow. A superior and intelligent film that never belittles its audience nor patronises them. It is a film that respects its viewers and grabs you from the very beginning. I fear that now scripts like this would never see the light of day let alone get green lite for production. Cinema is now fully commercialised and audiences these days will likely never get to see a film like this again. I havent aluded to the story and contained any spoilers as Im sure any interested readers can read all about this film on IMDB.
In summary a very smart, well written, well acted, brilliantly edited and extremely well thought out and designed masterpiece that should receive more acclaim that it does. If you like science fiction or are a student of film you need to watch this.
Stardust (1974)
The greatest Rock N Roll movie of all time. Warts and all.
The music business has changed and its a less cynical business than it was in the 60s ,70s & 80s. These days musician's and stars are much more savvy than their predecessors. Wether this is because the business has become more transparent, or the managers and the artists they represent are more clued up or indeed less naive? Looking back to the golden age when this film portrays it is apparent that working class English "kids" that excelled in their talent were always, at that time, exploited especially when they made it big in America. In saying that this is still the best Rock and Roll movie ever made. Simply because it has an authenticity that very few fictional accounts ever had. It follows the band The Stray Cats from their roots to their superstardom having made it big in the US. Still the biggest market to conquer as of now. The star of the band gets shunned by the rest of the band following their success but the lead singer goes on to a reluctant fame as a solo artist but he is manipulate by his his US manager, but his original UK manager (Adam Faith) becomes more or less his sole confident. Yes its stereotypical but only because the industry was like this when the film was made. From humble beginnings through to stardom and its eventual fall. Ultra realistic representation of the scene at the time and because of this its still the best film of its genre.
Casino Royale (1967)
A nonsensical mess if a film
Anyone expecting a comical version of a James Bond film can forget this. It has no plot as such and no logical characters or situations and relies solely on the brand name and the host of famous actors that appear in it. The comedy sequences are of their time and mostly fall flat. The only redeeming thing about it is Woody Allen doing his early career schtick and David Niven. The only funny moment is at the beginning of the film where the army blow up James Bonds palatial country house after he refuses to be enticed back into service. There is a sequence near the beginning set in a Scottish castle that consists entirely of woman that makes no sense what so ever. One minute the girls are Scottish then they all turn French with no reason or clue as to how and why. Silly slapstick humour that tries to play on the Bond stereotype, Nivens Bond is adverse to female sexual attention etc, that is rather tame, even for 1967. Obviously a very expensive production judging by the talent on show and the production quality but ultimately is a period piece that just doesn't translate now.
Juvenile Liaison (1976)
Now considered shocking
Watched the first part of this double documentary filmed in 1975 following two police officers in a deprived area of Blackburn in Lancashire who's role is to speak to young children who are accused of theaving and playing truant from school and to hopefully scare them into not doing similar again. Yes the methods shown here are blunt, basic and are the result of a system that used scare tactics over empathy and are a million miles away from how problem children are treated these days. In saying that you don't hear any lip or back chat from these kids. There is a scene where two kids are caught truanting in Woolworths. The first thing you'll notice is the way the kids react, totally unlike how kids these days usually do. That speaks miles regarding the effectiveness of this approach and how it installed respect for the officers.
Love Thy Neighbour (1973)
Dated but weirdly innocent and funny
Love Thy Neighbour is the film based on the British TV sitcom of the same name. The film came out in 1973 and is about two couples, one black, one white who are neighbours on the same street in London and is about both the mens attempts at one-upmanship based on their mutual dislike of each others races. Its a piece of cinematic history from a decade before pc and its not a racist film per see as the biggest bigot is the white man and usually comes off worst in both this film and the TV series it is based on. I doubt very much that today's younger audiences will fund it acceptable, let alone funny due to its subject matter and script but for those of a certain age it can be very funny in a very British early 70s way and well worth a watch as both a comedy and as a study of how Britain used to be 50 years ago.
Superman (1978)
The greatest superhero film of all time
Superman the Movie was released nearly 44 years ago at the time if this review znd in the meantime we've had a never ending series of superhero films with the Marvel films and the lesser so DC series of films. Why is this film the best of an increasingly large amount of superhero films? Simply because it has humour in abundance, the best opening 30 minutes of any film and the late great Christopher Reeves as Superman. Combine this with John Williams best work ever and the best Lex Luther portrayal by Gene Hackman and you have a classic that has not been bettered. This is a fine example of how Hollywood used to make big budget movies and sadly those days are definitely over. Watch the best quality print available on the biggest screen with the best sound system snd you'll be blown away. Or watch it on your TV and you'll still be blown away. Absolute classic.
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
An entertaining horror but unnatural
Let me start by saying as a stand alone horror film this is very good and has plenty of scares but if you're watching it thinking its accurate to the real case you'll be misdirected. The Warren's only visited for an afternoon in the real case and were not invited by Maurice Gross or Guy Playfair. They turned up one day unannounced and actually weren't received well by the Hodgson family and never returned. They never spent longer than a couple of hours and most definitely did not partake in the invedtigation of the case as the film portrays. The house is fairly accurate but the real house in Enfield, London is a lot smaller and doesn't have a basement. Most of the events portrayed in this film didn't happen, such as the tent in the hallway, the zoetrope and the final scene featuring the tree is pure Hollywood make believe. The names of the people are accurate and I'm glad to say that the exterior street used in the filming is actually in enfield and is fairly close to Green Street where the actual house still stands. I live only a couple of miles from the real house and have visited it several times and one day I might get to go inside. As I said an entertaining couple of hours if you like horror films but the film is very inaccurate.
Lifeforce (1985)
Saw this on its release in London and still the funniest cinema experience I've ever had.
So me and a friend went to a Leicester Square cinema to see this film on its release. It was directed by Tobe Hooper and starred a good few great English actors, so we were expecting a fairly scary horror/Scifi movie. The film starts and the packed auditorium go deathly quiet. Until the action goes to the UK that is. Once the space vampire sucks her first victims life-force and assumes her human form and goes on a walk about in the "facility" a few giggles started from somewhere in the darkness of the cinema. Skip forward 10 minutes when captain Cane of the SAS appears the whole cinema was erupting in uncontrollable laughter at nearly every scene. Was this film made as a serious comedy/horror/science fiction mashup? Or is its script, direction and acting just comically bad? Please don't think that this film is a poor film because it isn't. Its a rare piece of cinema genius that zips along at a good pace and is actually very entertaining. Some people remember exactly where they wee when Kennedy was murdered. I remember and will always remember where I was when I first watched Lifeforce.
The Jerry Springer Show (1991)
Greatest tv show of all time
Wow the Jerry Springer show is without a doubt the greatest tv show ever made. Is it trash? Absolutely. Is it tacky? Of course. Is it exploitative? Hell yeah! The human race is not always sensible and moral so why not see this side of humanity. So grab a cold beer and some popcorn and revel in the filth.
Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (2021)
First episode is interesting but.....
Started watching this series this weekend and seeing that Ron Howard was a producer on this series and finding the first episode interesting I continued. After nearly halfway through my opinion changed. The poor girl suffered from bipolar disorder as revealed in episode 2 and what happened to her could have been the result of a manic episode and , or the result of some form of drug she may have either ingested herself or was given either consciously or without her knowing. I guess by definition it could have been a conspiracy especially if she was spiked but I doubt she was deliberately murdered. So what we have here is a documentary about a bunch of millennial web theorists making all sorts of ridiculous claims. Not a quality series and def one that could have been wrapped up in one episode.
Unacknowledged (2017)
Very interesting but has its flaws
Just watched this on Amazon and it is good as it explains the whole history of the UFO/EBE subject from project paperclip through blue book to now. It has a wealth of scientists, ex military going on the record explaining how the deep black system works and how we the average human have been hoodwinked over the past 60 plus years by ours and the American govts. It explains the budget deficits work and where this money actually goes. My issue is with final 10 minutes when like a lot of very interesting documentary films in the "The govt are lying to you" genre it relies upon devices that become a little too sickly and I dare say pandering, especially to american audiences. The music score gets ramped up and the final message regarding humanity has the potential to live in a peaceful non discriminatory equal society if only the shady powers that be would finally relax their grip on the secrecy. The same as so many docs (Zeigheist etc) it ends with in wishy washy hippy idealism. Is it not possible to make a documentary on this subject that doesn't use this method of unsubtely hammering home the emotion and if I dare say social politics. Is it not enough to make an authoritative documentary film about this subject and to just present the facts alone? With this in mind I can only give this film a 7/10. If the ending was done differently I would have given it a 9 or 10. Shame but it's still one if the better documentaries about UFO/EBE/Conspiracy that I've seen in a long time.
Hangar 18 (1980)
Low budget but not a bad movie
Watched this today and I enjoyed it. Typical example of a late 70s, early 80s low budget film that has a made for TV quality about it, but in saying that its charm is because of this. I liked this film as it's depiction of the UFO and aliens isn't too sensational and over the top. Great afternoon film.
Cocoon (1985)
ET for adults.
Ron Howard's best film. One of the better examples of 80s positive alien films. Ron Howard keeps the acting, camerawork realistic and ditto the dialogue. Not over the top schmaltz but good honest emotion. It is very much like ET but superior in my opinion.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Who are these people saying its poor?
Great Star Wars film. Full of action, great set pieces, humour & emotion. Yes it's a bit making it up after TLJ but I don't care. I think JJ has pulled the rabbit out of the hat and produced a Star Wars movie that most hardened cynics couldn't help but like. I agree with Mark Kermode on Radio One when he said that the scenes featuring Carrie Fisher look like they were written to fit what footage they had and yes seeing her in those scenes does seem a little odd as it doesn't quite fit but it works imo. We had to have Leigh in this film and it was far more fitting & decent to have not gone down the Rogue One process of replicating her. I love this film but I need to see it again (and again and again) to see whether the emotion has clouded my judgement. In saying that, now after just seeing it for the first time, I think it's the best Star Wars film after IV & V. Wonderful. 9/10.
Argo (2012)
Solidly entertaining but another example of US historical revisionism
Let me start by saying as a piece of entertainment Argo is very good. Good acting, good editing, great music and solid direction by Ben Affleck and some great casting (The actors are almost splitting images of the real people concerned, see the films end credits) The attention to visual detail is superb. The reason I'm only giving this film a 4 star rating is the historical inaccuracies. The film only as a postscript acknowledges the Canadian input into the hostage rescue, and this was only added to the film after a test screening. OK the final tense scenes at the airport never happened in real life and that is excusable as it adds nail biting tension to the drama but to depict the rescue as solely a CIA endeavor is inexcusable. This is American cinema at its most disrespectful and nearly as bad as the historical re-write in the film U571 where the Americans claimed to have captured the German Enigma machine whereas in reality the British captured it. Entertainment is an important release in these troubled times but keeping historical accuracy in films is more important IMO. The real story is a triumph over multi national cooperation and has enough meat to make a great film, so why alter the facts? Argo is a good entertaining story but could have been a classic film without the stars & stripes BS.
Skyfall (2012)
Not sure at all.
Well I've got tickets for tomorrow to see it at the Odeon Marble Arch with the wife & a friend, but like the big kid I am I couldn't wait and saw it this afternoon at my local Vue in North Finchley.
Not sure if I love this film or hate it. It's unlike any other Bond film before it, I guess that's my problem. The plot I thought was a bit hmmm and the pacing I thought was very slow in the middle section, I kept wishing they would ramp up the action rather than all the farting around!
Should Bond be a broody almost art film experience with lots of pondering introspection/emotion, or a no brainer series of action scenes interlinked by a dodgy story involving a megalomaniac trying to take over or destroy the world, interspersed with lots of cool gadgets and good looking girls eagerly jumping into bed with our hero quicker than it takes him to drink his shaken not stirred Martini.
I really need to see it again (tomorrow) to finally decide if it's a work of genius or an over-hyped attempt in making a Bond for the 21st century that is so far removed from the previous films that they have destroyed it. The acting, photography is excellent though, but I didn't like the Thomas Newman score. Newman's scores all remind me of his American Beauty work using lots of pseudo ethnic percussion that I feel is not at all right in a Bond film.
I think the next one will be more of your classic James Bond fare which is better I think than continuing on in this style........I think?
One thing I am sure about is that it's nowhere as good as the greatest most gritty Bond film of all time............. Casino Royale. Where Bond kicks the **** out of everyone and doesn't stand around pondering his childhood.