minervasolo | Entries tagged with film review

Yesterday, the original King Kong was on TV. Toast and I decided to see the new one yesterday evening.

Watch the original. It's not only a better film, but you have two extra hours of life left at the end.

( ranty spoilers ahoy )

The original: 8/10
The new: 3/10 (and that's mostly because of the source material)

Not all of the changes were bad, but very few made it better. With a good, hard editor, it could be a much better film. It couldn't surpass the original, but it could have equalled it, if it had wanted too.

Two hours later, we have internet. Our modem seems to have caught whatever was bothering

enyay's, though this morning was the longest down time I know of.

Wallace and Gromit! Oh my good, so brilliant. Need that film on DVD. Need all the Wallace and Gromit. And a plasticene bunny. There is nothing quite so cute in this entire world. Except many baby gromit, who's in a photo at the start of the film. There's so many little things to look out for in the backgrounds (another reason to get it when it come out on DVD and watch it over and over and over), like all the saints with their hands over their ears in the church window, and the 'middle aged spread' on toast.

There are no words for how cute those rabbits are. When the film ended I was clapping and squealing in joy, and bounced and sang the theme tune all the way home. Everyone must see this film! I decree it!

Meanwhile, I'm going to go and raid various libraries for the others, and also for some books on Medieval Numerology, now I have an idea for an essay.

Tron. Wow. Tron.

Brain Esplodey.

That's certainly an... 'interesting' film. I wonder if it would have made more sense if I'd actually seen the beginning? It's all so concepty and surreal (the graphics are obviously old, but because there's nothing but the graphics, they look real enough). Like the Matrix inside out. No wonder it's a cult film.

I love Half Term TV ^_^

Just found Superman III on TV. Christopher Reeves remains one of the best Supermen I've seen, able to pull of the Clark/Super thing better than the comics. You can honestly understand why other characters don't work it out immediately. Also, the costume is perfect. You don't need to make it dark and edgy. Superman is meant to be a bright, cheerful character. Okay, so in films the need to have contrasts between all of the different heroes (Batman is the most obvious here) is hardly as important, but it's still part of the original lure of the character. Batman seeks revenge and repression of his own dark side, Superman wants to express his light side and general goodness.

I also woke up to Candleshoe this morning, a 70s Disney film. Family fun adventure about a girl pretending to be the granddaughter of a kindhearted English noblewoman. The Butler is brilliant, pretending to be all sorts of different people to hide just how broke they are, and the random selection of kids (taken in by the old woman after the childrenshome closed) can act reasonably well and actually add to the plot. Wonderful climax with the kids attacking a bunch of hardened criminals. I love that whimsical element of kids films, where the kids are smarter and faster than the criminals, when it's handled well. It was established that they'd grown up in the sort of enviroment where they were capable of doing that. As Radio Times pointed out: this is the kind of family entertainment that everyone seems to have forgotten how to make - good story, fine acting and no special effects. Seriously, compared with the mess that was the live action 101 Dalmations, I'll take films like Candleshoe and Pete's Dragon anyday.

Though I'd love to see an accurate adaption of 101 Dalmations, maybe as a Saturday Evening serial or something. It's one of the best books I've ever read, and the only film which ever came close to giving me the same sense of community and kind strangers is Finding Nemo.

I'm working 3 days this week now, which is nice, so I might actually order some stuff of amazon. I'm now very tempted to get 101 Dalmations. Because what I really need are yet more children's books (I'm ordering Milly-Molly-Mandy). Went on another walk to day and found the place I like again. I discovered you can see no roads or buildings from there, and there's all these little meadowy bits among the allotments. It's such a grogeous day.

I feel like I ought to express my opinions on RotS. Watched it on wednesday, and the OT last night. The majority of the OT is still infinitely superior, though compared with the other prequels RotS is pretty good.

( spoiler cut )

Biggest pet peeve right now is The Builder Who Spits. Every day. Often several times, just below my window. That hacking up lungs kinda spitting. That really really gross to listen to kind. Argh!

I spent far too much money yesterday. And completely failed to buy food. And I don't think I can be arsed to go shopping today, and Saturday will be too crowded as will Sunday. By which point I will be living off dry pasta, dry rice, and frozen peas. Oh, and possibly mayonnaise. On the other hand, I have new jeans, and many comics, and a CD play and a Happy Songs CD (which impressed me with its cheerfulness) and new shoes for work that rub, but I'm ignoring that last fact.

Might be going to see Team America tonight, if the tickets don't run out. Woo. In hte meantime I will remain addicted to

metaquotes and watch this (Fredy versus the ghostbuster).

HitchHikers is brilliant. I don't understand all the critics who mocked it at all. It's not 100% true to 'source material', but all of the previous incarnations have varied, so why shouldn't the film? It's even got marvin from the TV series in it.

I also declared my love of the popcorn at that cinema. So perfect. And got nervous and distant because Toast's ex was there, and it's the first time they've met since the breakup. I got nervous because he was, and also because I would have been anyway. She's a really nice girl, and I feel bad that it was only 8 days (I think, I can't remember any more) after they broke up that Toast and I got together. Still, all went well, so that's okay.

Apparently they've started cutting hte rapeseed, which explais why I've been feeling guh today. Hello, hayfever. Sore eyes, occasionally sniffling and a headache. Nothing major, but enough to make me hate being outside. Which, of course, is why I'm going shopping again tomorrow. Still need to return this apparently blank Bryan Adams CD (the best kind, I know, Toast).

I seem to have developed a small AMV addiction. I think I've downloaded about 12 in the past few hours. There are some absolutely brilliant ones out there, especially an extremely well timed Another Bites the Dust/Noir, and a technically stunning Spirit Never Dies/many animes. I'm happy to gmail the ones I think are the best to people who are curious. And if there are any AMV making type people on my flist, 'Life's Gonna Suck' and WK has not been done, that I've seen, and is just too perfect a match ("You're going to have to shoot a nun...")

Evangelion.

0.o

The first 24 episodes make sense. 25 and 26 are gratuitous psychology and philosophy. Death and Rebirth seem to have no point, other that to condense the original. End of Evangelion... Okaaaaay. I liked the imagery, but Shinji was more likeable in the series, and Rei is just... yeah. Kaoru is cool, though. Wish we'd seen more of him, but he makes a great final angel. Really, Evangelion works perfectly up until the end of his episode. After that is when you need the 'do not watch if you are mentally unstable' warnings.

So that's the end of my weekend of anime. I need to reset my brain now, I think. Also watched Puni Puni Poemi this morning, which is the ultimate in sensory overload. And yeah, I've eaten way too much junk. I've had some real food too, but a whole cartoon of Phish Food kinda cancels that out. That's two tubs of B&J's to my self in the past three days. Not something I reccomend.

I guess I'll go read now. Though I've half tempted to get one of the final scenes of EoE (if you've seen it - the one with the giant half of Rei's head and the sea of blood and hte glowing people-crosses) as my desktop wallpaper, just to freak people out.It's jsut a question of whther I'd bee able to deal with it first thing in the morning ^_^

Plan for tomorrow: perscription, book hair cut, book opticians, buy things I need (maybe even food, if I'm lucky), maybe buy doll's house, mail people to see how their exams went. In the mean time: good luck!

All those plans to write stuff went right out the window. I have to start thinking about essays again now. Oh well.

Watched My Beautiful Laundrette. Rather disappointed, really. Daniel Day Lewis is one of the only ones who can act, and things seem to happen with little or no build up, so plot elements appear from mid air. And then it just ends. All gone.

Anyway, Withnail and I tomorrow, and watched the Blackadder, which leaves Dangerous Liaisons. I've finished Dead until Dark, so I really ought to be getting stuck into Hardy now, but I'm still putting it off. Spent a large chunk of yesterday rereading Glamourlust (I love the various All Rites Reserved etc at the bottom) but failed to have a go at Arcana again. One of these days I'm going to distract myself from some vital piece of work be reading Grayling straight through and seeing if I can keep all the different plot arcs and time shifts in my head. Otherwise it's like reading the Silmarillian at a page a week.

If I throw in any more comic links

toasty_renfield will never get his essays done. Actually, Grayling alone is enough to accomplish that.

Mac Hall

Scandal Sheet

Ghastly's Ghastly Webcomic

Slightly Dammned

Frightmoore University

Hee! ^_^ And now I have to run off to a lecture. And then another one. Then a tutorial. Then the library. Then to ~~Hardy~~ SFX.

First time I've got online all day. Yup, been one of those. So.

Anna's Party - much fun. Drunk on Pimms early, and hence didn't get at all hungover. Chatted to many people, though everyone I knew left before me (seeing as I was the only one staying over, not surprising). Don't know who the guy was who was last to leave, but he made me giggle in a sounding-still-drunk way, but I've been giggling a lot ever since so it's probably not actually alcohol related. Anyway, those "I'm going to make like a ___ and ___" always crack me up. "I'm going to make like Tom and Cruise" had me giggling, so he offered me "I'm going to make like a Donkey's willy and hit the road" which had me laughing more at willy than anything else. I swear that's a word I associate with being about eight. And that Lem guy was cute too. Definitely some cute guys there, and Helem from my English class was very drunk by the time she left (one of the last people I actually knew there) and gave me a bottle of Bud. Can't stand teh stuff, but was all over with the awww!

Work - good, nice people, spent a lot o time in hte fitting rooms being hungry and bored. Note to self: don't try assume that just because you're still full from the food you ate the night before (four sausages, a chicken leg, two borwnies, two halves of french bread, multiple strawberries and other Pimms conidmments and a chocolate mousse) at teh beginning to the shift doesn't mean you will be at the end. Anyway, many nicey people who's names I am fuzzy on (girl who works in Shoes and is at Uni in Wales??) and a need to buy more comfortable sandals.

Harry Potter - This was sprung on me just as I was about to ask mum for a lift home after work. So much better than the first two. It took me most of the film to notice, but damn, Hermione learnt to act!! And Daniel Radcliffe is getting frighteningly attractive. And I giggled stupidly throughout the film, even fo the Demntors in the carraige. And the gay subtext of Lupin is hitting bang smack in the face. If only he was more attractive. Scary moustache. And it's all a bit surreal, with the innappropriate music and the random choirs. Oh, and my sister's friend Gina apparantly didn't think being an extra in the first two movies was exciting enough to mention to anyone. Naturally must now torture self with Hermione and Harry when they couldn't act to go and track her face down.

Anything else? Nah. Oh, no dreams sleeping over at Anna's. That was odd. Gorgeous bedroom though, very cheerful.

(damn, I'm not amused. That's like the only mood I ever pick on here. help!)

Current Mood: mellow

So, I managed to buy the same magazine twice.

I plead innocent, though, since the first time it was just, you know, a magazine, nd teh second time it was obscured by free gifts. So really, I bought a magazine and some 'gifts' and got the second magazine free.

That doesn't make much sense to me, either.

( troy )

Current Mood: blah

( Last Samurai spoilers )

And once more I want to see Troy. It's not an Orlando Bloom thing (though I think Paris was famously pretty, so he's a good choce, though that might have been a later Paris named after the Tojan Paris) but a 'wooo, boats," thing. So many boats. Oh, I should read the Iliad before I see it. Since it doesn't even have a release date yet, I've got time. Apparently the battle is more impressive than the one in RotK, which didn't impress me hugely anyway, in the same way I don't get why everyone found RotK so emotional. Not that sad, surely? Any, boats + boats + obats + boats + a few more shitloads of boats = adrenline rush.

Tired and headachy and my computer is dying a death. The screen is flickering madly and crackling. Just getting into writing as well. Bath instead, I guess.

Current Mood: aggravated

Saw ROTK last night. At some point, when i can be bthered, I'll post a rant about people who use 'Tolkien neded an editor' to excuse not reading the books on fanficrants. Tolkien had to pay to get his books published and got almost nothing back! Everyone did those days. No onelived off writing, unless it was for a newspper.

To cut or not to cut? Probably not. The thing is, Tolkien's writing was never meant to be seen. This means, as Tor pointed out, the film feels like it ought to end many many tims before it does. It climax's too often, which is easier to get away with in a book because there's a lot of stuff in between, where as in the flim there wasn't time for that. And yes, it does go on for hours... Needed an intermission, really.

And then there are the songs. I love the songs in Tolkien, and they were well used (except Aragorn's at the end). it's just, well, why? There have been plenty of songs in hte other books that could have been used in exactly the same way, but only doing this for one film makes it rather jarring.

Ayway, good film,. strayed les form the books than hte others, though PJ seemed to feel Frodo and Sam needed yet ,more angst (i still think hte last film should haev ended with Shelob, as it did in the book), though I am now thoroughly convinced Sean Astin in the best actor in the series, and has almost converted me into liking Sam over Legolas (him being my favourite character over five years before the films came out, thankyouverymuch, nothing to do with Orlando whatsoever).

Liked it better than TTT, missed Christopher Lee (you can tell where they're going to put him in in the extended version though), but preferred the first one. Heh, it stayed closest to the books and had a gorgeous Shire. Pity they didn't bother withhte scouring of the Shire in this one, since it would have had a hell of a lot of emotional impact after all the "Remember the shire, mr Frodo?" But hey.

Oh, must see Troy! Aparantly the battle in it is better than hte one in RotK, and from the looks of hte advert it's not all CGI in hte battles either. Boats are bloody marvellous. And then htere's Peter Pan, which looks fun, and something else which i have since forgotten not only the name of but what it was about and who was in it, but I'm sure it was going to be brilliant.

Current Mood: bitchy

( league of extraordinary gentlemen spoilers )

Is there anyway to ensure only vertical scrollbars in a frame? I keep getting horizontal ones, and no matter what i do to the page content they don't go away. I've increased the margins, changed tables, changed test alignment... nothing workd. It's really irritating me. Last thing to sort out before Fleursdelamort update, and I just can't get it working.

Current Mood: pleased

Who would have thought it, Underworld has a plot. Some of the dialogue is a bit trite, and there's huge space left for a shite sequel (it's a sequel, of course it's going to be shite. Look at the odds), but the plot isn't nearly as cliche as the adverts make it look like. And I love the lighting and the outfits.

About six months ago, and wrote all of my friends names in a circle, and drew lines to show who fancied who. Looked like the spider was on acid. Sounds pretty complicated, don't it? But oh no, it just wasn't complicated enough. A few lines move, a few new ones spring up, and voila, and even more twisted web. And the irony is I could draw a very similar one for who hates who, just a few lines moved about a bit. Funny thing is, we all hang out at lunch, quite often, and if someone were to join us, they'd have no idea. Wouldn't see the hate, or the lust, or all the othe elements that make our lives look like some teenage sopa opera. But as gRosie and I discussed, by this time next year chances are we'll never seak to each other again. That's the advantage of college only lsating two yeas. Thanks to lj, I'll amost certainly stay in touch with Anria (which i prolly would have done anyway), but Tor and Roz will be at art school, Sel and George will still be at college, Jaime will be in America, Jacobi hopefully at Surrey U, and I've no idea where gRosie is planning to go. So will anyone be bothered to keep in touch with more than one person? I doubt it.

Everything seems so much smoother when looked at long term. As for short term: hope you feel better soon, Anria. ::huggles:: Poor ill child. she enjoyed Underworld though ^_^

Shiny leather ass. Because it would be blasphemy to call that an arse.

I wsa up til 1:30 am last night watching 1984, since I couldn't work out how to record digital. Dan good flm. I briefly entertaied the thought of what a remake would be like, but then it occured to me that grainy black nad white actually suits the film, and you'd never find anyone as perfect for Winston Smith as Peter Cushing now anyway.

Went to Oxford today, now have blistered feet. It's a really pretty city (I'm told Cambridge it prettier), though the random industrial intrusions in amounst the 15th century colleges look a bit out of place. Everyone rides bicycles. No, literally. Every building has a bike rakc oustie, and evey bike rack was full. Next to the college's over a hundred bikes would be iled against each other. Cheap, envirometnally friendly and fast. I like it.

Back to college tomorrow. I'm going to miss my empty days. I won't get to watch call my bluff any more ^_^ That show is oddly addictive.

Anyway, I must away to bed, since I'm shattered as it is after 7 hours sleep last night, and thoughts of colelge will keep me up for at least an hour

ttfn

Current Mood: sleepy

( Hey, it's a long post. Too make up for all the little short ones recently )

Pure maths this afternoon. I think I should be more worried. I have decided that I'm good at pure, relativie to stats and mechs, but that doesn't necessarily mean I am. Still, revise in a minute. Yeah right.

Current Mood: anxious

Matrix was kickass. The humour was spot on too, which I didn't expect. And seeing George Dubya Bush on the screens when Neo and - were discussing the 'grotesque' history of mankind made me smirk. The Wachoski rothers also have a real knack for making characters honestly likable and engaging, even if they say almost nothing.

Okay, that's the most spoilery statement you'll get from me. Well, apart from these ones:

( May contain traces of nuts. Oh, and the odd Matrix Reloaded spoiler. )

Currently trying to organise a party/gathering thing tomorrow. Feel I have perhaps left this a bit late, but my sister's already invited a load of friends, so I've got to see who I can round up. I think fJ's still in America. Hm.

ttfn

Current Mood: cheerful

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