Thoughts and developments...

Have no fear, the blog is not changing merely evolving. One of the key problems with film reviews these days is that I find more often than not they do not take into account the genre and try to judge the film against all the other films out there. From now on I will try to rectify this. Each film will have a genre label attached to it, so you can have a quick and easy access to searching through my blogs quicker for what you are looking for. On top of that the review will reflect the genre that it is meant to be in more than I have done in the past! :)

Comments and appraisals are most welcome!:)

Drag Me to Hell

Drag Me To Hell (2009) starring Alison Lohman, Dileep Rao, Lorna Raver and Justin Long.

Before...I had heard very good things about this film. Said to be one of the scariest films ever and in reading the back I had to agree. All about curses and spiritual stuff...it made me scared of What Lies Beneath! So i was looking forward to hiding behind a pillow for this one, quite apart from the fact that it's a new horror film from the legendary Sam Raimi!

A loan officer (Lohman) ordered to evict an old woman (Raver) from her home finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse, which turns her life into a living hell. Desperate, she turns to a seer (Rao) to try and save her soul, while evil forces work to push her to a breaking point.

My wife's view...she did not have one as she cleverly left me and a friend to watch this one!!

Where to start...before I begin this review I feel it is necessary to let the reader know that I am not one of those "quiet horror movie viewers". I don't sit there in silence and take the film in. I will talk to the TV set. I will say to the characters (some people have said I shout) "Don't go in there" or "Don't open that door" or as was used last night effectively "NOOOOOOOO". Already from this piece of information you will realise that this definitely was a scary film. It wasn't pant changing in it's scariness like What lies Beneath but it was up there. Anyway onto the review...

As Julie Andrews once said "Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start". What Raimi is really good at is building up tension. Fiercesomely and violently he plunges straight into the horror with a brilliant sequence of a small boy being dragged to Hell. Then after the opening credits we are quickly introduced to Christine Brown and soon before we know it she is cursed. The great thing about this film is that it is tense and keeps you tense for 93minutes.

You are fearful about what is to come and yet at times it flies off into a comedic vein. I know Raimi's past films with the Evil Dead franchise had comedy but it was not until this morning in reading the reviews for Drag me to Hell that i realised that this too was supposed to be a comedy horror film.

It is such a rarity in the film world for someone who can balance pure horror with such hilarity. Yesterday when watching it I feared that Raimi had lost the plot and there was too much cliché and silliness in it, however this morning, in doing my research for the film I found that these comedic elements are very deliberate on his part. Looking back I realise that it is an excellent device to lull the viewer into a false sense of comfort only to scare you half to death a second later.

The performances are chilling and you definitely sympathise with both Lohman and Long (her boyfriend in the film). The woman is horrifying and I hope she doesn't haunt me in my dreams, last night I was free of her and I hope it stays that way! Last night I was going to give this film 3 stars, but armed with the information that Raimi's comedy genre is deliberate I cannot help but have a more compassionate view of this film. It makes me like it more...and so I am going to give this...

★★★★☆

Beowulf

Beowulf (2007) starring Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright-Penn, and Angelina Jolie.

Before...One of my favourite poems of all time. I was looking forward to seeing this adaptation of the film, as I don't really think it could be done without being in CGI.

In 507, a monstrous troll wrecks havoc in the mead hall of the Danish king and Queen, Hrothgar (Hopkins) and Wealthow (Wright-Penn). He offers rewards for the death of Grendel (Crispin Glover), so Beowulf (Winstone, a great and boastful Geat warrior, arrives with his thanes. Beowulf sets aside his armor and awaits the monster; a fierce battle ensues that leads to Beowolf's entering the watery lair of Grendel's mother (Jolie), where a devil's bargain awaits. Beowulf returns to Herot, the castle, and becomes king. Jump ahead many years, and the sins of the father are visited upon Beowulf and his kingdom. The hero must face his weakness and be heroic once again. Is the age of demons over?

My wife's view... "Bleeeurgh-WOLF. A hideous attempt to try and merge cartoon and something more real. I know it's from a classic but this won't encourage anyone to read it. Painful to watch! If I never cross paths with this film again I will be quite happy. ☆☆☆☆☆"

Where to start...I knew that Laura would never like this film. It is a CGI masterpiece and Laura doesn't like CGI films at all. However part of my heart completely belongs to this film because I studied Beowulf at school when I was younger and this was one of my favourite poems. The thing that I annoyed me about the film was that it decided to distance itself from the film by making some key changes that altered the feel of the poem. It is disappointing and yet at the same time in taking this different angle it propels it into challenging our views of it. Thinking about the characters in new ways. The scriptwriters claim they were able to do this because the narration in the poem is flawed and therefore they can take some rather contraversial angles on the poem.

However, even though they have taken a different angle to the poem, this action packed and glorious CGI film is truly wonderful. It is visually stunning and filled with some amazing action-packed sequences. Also, the CGI shows some trul fantastic images, with it sometimes hard to see whether the actors are actors or whether they are CGI, it really is that impresive in my view.

All in all although visually stunning and action-packed it did disappoint me in way of the big changes it made. Although challenging it takes away the essence of the poem. So this leaves me with giving the film...

★★★☆☆

Behind Enemy Lines

Behind Enemy Lines (2001) starring Owen Wilson and Gene Hackman.

Before...I remember watching this a few years back on DVD, but I don't remember what I felt beforehand. I know I wasn't too impressed after watching, so here's hoping I will enjoy it more this time.

Fighter navigator Chris Burnett (Wilson) wants out: he was looking for something more than the boring recon missions he's been flying. When he fights with Admiral Leslie Reigart (Hackman), he quickly finds himself flying the lone Christmas day mission over war-torn Bosnia. But when he talks pilot Stackhouse into flying slightly off-course to check out an interesting target, the two get shot down. Burnett is soon alone, trying to outrun a pursuing army, while commanding officer Reigert finds his rescue operation hamstrung by politics, forcing Burnett to run far out of his way.

My wife's view..."Well having thought for a week this was actually Enemy at the Gates (which I love), when I sat down to watch it I was thinking it was Spy Game (which I don't understand). I was delighted to find out what it actually was. I saw it a month or two ago and forgot. I love this film. Gripping from start to end. A boy film designed for girls. It's not a classy film but it is excellent entertainment and so I am giving this ★★★★★"

Where to start..."A boy film designed for girls" I couldn't pin why this film didn't work until a few seconds ago when my wife dictated her review. It's not the fact that it needs gratuitous action set pieces it's the fact that it being a boy film it has no plot...which is fine. What the girl film side decided to do was give it characterisation and empathy for the characters, but when you put that together with a plotless film it just doesn't gel right. I'm not saying I don't like, cause I do but it needs a bit more raison d'etre for me.

I think if I had watched it when it first came out, it would have been a clever political piece, but now it kinda fumbles and falters it's way through the tense bits of the film...which brings me back to another gripe, the tension of the film is non-stop. I just couldn't take it really, the constant tension...that combined with no plot made me confused about why I was tense.

All in all even though I have destroyed this film in this review I quite enjoyed it. The acting isn't amazing but the action sequences and the tense sequences of the film work. Slick and stylish it is not but it is enjoyable, in a weird sort of way. So i will give this film...

★★★☆☆

Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice (1988) starring Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, and Jeffrey Jones.

Before...I can't remember a time before this film. But I think it was one of the first films I watched when I was slightly older. It is a film that is close to my heart, but I haven't seen it in a while, so I hope it doesn't spoil my memories!

This is the story of Adam (Baldwin) and Barbara (Davis) who live in a beautiful house in New England. One day while driving home they are involved in a terrible auto accident. They manage to walk home only to discover later that they have died and now haunt their house. When their house is purchased by an out of state family (O'Hara, Jones and Ryder), they feel their home is threatened by the over-the-top artists wife and real-estate idea-man husband. Their only relief is the Gothic daughter of the family. Their attempts at scaring the family out of the house are ignored or laughed at. Finally they fall to the temptation to use the people-exorcizer Beetle Juice (Keaton). When they find his tactics too dangerous, they attempt to contain him and save the family they were trying to boot.

My wife's view..."Worse than I remembered (which is saying something). Won't be watching it again anytime soon. Really dated, acting was poor. ★☆☆☆☆"

Where to start...well, to put it bluntly, my memories were shattered. It just hasn't aged well since I last saw it, as it's definitely stuck firmly in the 1980's! From the haircuts to the clothes, all of it screams the 80's, unfortunately not in a good way.

The one thing that lifts this films from the doldrums for me is Keaton, he is fantastic in the titular role of Beetlejuice...which leads me onto one of the most confusing elements of the movie. Why, o why, did they alter the name of the movie. In the film Keaton's characters name is written down numerous times, and it is written as "Beetlegeuse". It confuses me to no end.

Anyway, as I said...rewatching this film disheartened me. It made me realise that some films are best left as memories, which is why I am giving this film...

★★☆☆☆

A Beautiful Mind

A Beautiful Mind (2001) starring Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer and Paul Bettany.

Before...previously Akiva Goldsman had written some true stinkers like Batman Forever, Batman and Robin and Lost in Space. All in all this made me very nervous. How could a man like him produce a good script?? Sufficed to say I really needed to be convinced.

A brilliant but somewhat arrogant and antisocial man, John Nash (Crowe) preferred to spend his time with his thoughts, which were primarily of seeing mathematical formula associated with everyday occurrences, than with people. Two people he did make a connection with were Charles (Bettany), his roommate at Princeton, and Alicia Larde (Connelly), one of his students when he was teaching at M.I.T. in the early 1950's. He and Alicia eventually marry. As time goes on, Nash lives more and more within himself which causes major problems in his life. But Alicia stands by her husband to his redemption to the Nobel Prize win. Nash learns that his graduate school colleagues, with whom he had a cordial but somewhat distant relationship, are closer friends than he imagined, although in his later life he really does miss Charles' company more than anything despite knowing that spending time with Charles is not in his or anyone's best interest.

My wife's view..."Fantastic. Russel Crowe is a genius. I love Paul Bettany, so that helps. It's a very clever film and I always cry, without fail. It's kinda sad and scary, but I do love it. I think it is very unique as well. It's a must watch for me. ★★★★★"

Where to start...a dark and wonderfully crafted film. Akiva Goldsman has created a true masterpiece with this script and it was a true suprise to me that he wrote something so truly brilliant. Not only is the script brilliant but the direction is also fantastic. Ron Howard is a true genius of his craft. All of his films are either fantastic summer blockbusters or really dramatic masterpieces. It is brilliant and this film truly shows off his talents.

Crowe is also fantastic in this film. It is a true stand out performance by him and not only that but he is backed up by a stellar class. Ed Harris as a Government Agent, Bettany as Nash's room mate, and Connelly as Nash's wife, all of them are wonderful in this film.

That for me is the best way to describe this film, it is simply wonderful. Clever and scary, dark and brooding, there is nthing about the film that I don't like. Which is why I am giving this film...

Batman Begins

Batman Begins (2005) starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, and Ken Watanabe.

Before...a reboot of one of the most legendary comics that had long been languishing in ignimony and comedic failure. I was very excited about this film. Especially as it was going to be a complete reboot. GO BATMAN...that was my thought...:D...let's see if it is unchanged.

As a boy a young Bruce Wayne (Bale) watched in horror as his millionaire parents were slain in front of his eyes, a trauma which led him to become obsessed with revenge but his chance is cruelly taken away from him by fate. After disappearing to the East where he seeks counsel with the dangerous ninja cult leader known as Ra's Al-Ghul (Watanabe), he returns to his now decaying Gotham City overrun by organized crime and dangerous individuals manipulating the system whilst the company he inherited is slowly being pulled out from under him. The discovery of a cave under his mansion, and a prototype armored suit leads him to take on a new persona, one which will strike fear into the hearts of men who do wrong - he becomes, Batman with the help of his Butler Alfred (Caine). In the new guise, and with the help of rising cop Jim Gordon (Oldman), Batman sets out to take down the various nefarious schemes in motion by individuals such as mafia don Falcone (Wilkinson), the twisted doctor/drug dealer Jonathan 'The Scarecrow' Crane (Murphy), and a mysterious third party that is quite familiar with Wayne and waiting to strike when the time is right.

The wife's view..."Scary Scarecrow definitely requires a pillow to hide behind. I really liked it. The characters are better and just generally a classy movie. ★★★★☆"

Where to start...This film sets the Batman films up for an awesome reboot of movies. They are darker, and even more sinister. Nolan has created a universe that no longer is comedic, instead it is a dark and sinister world that has no room for jokes. In watching this film I realised that actually Batman shouldn't be the guy who makes the jokey remarks, which is why Christian Bales version of Batman is so brilliant. Ruthless and brooding his Batman is man out to save Gotham from itself and along the way brings a true tragic side to the character.

The surrounding cast don't simply just act as a supporting cast. Each character plays a key role in this from Oldman, the new Gordon, to Holmes, Wayne's childhood friend Rachel. Each character has a key role to play in the film, there are no cameo'sby famous actors that do not have a role to play.

The brilliant thing about this film is that it does not shy away from the scary and psychological nature of Batman and all the people around him. It is brilliantly done and sets the scene for the new dark and horrible Gotham City that is created for this reboot. This film is what made me so excited about The Dark Knight. All in all the only problem I have with this film is the fact that it is an origin story and it takes a while to get going, though that is a good thing as there is so much background for future films there. All of this leads me to give this film...

★★★★☆