Piranha: DVD Review
Piranha
Released by Roadshow
Entertainment
Rating: R18
You want a plot? It's all there in the title - well, aside from the
gratuitous nudity and gore.
It's spring break in
Arizona and with thousands of randy ready to party teens heading to town and on
Lake Victoria itself, local sheriff Julie Forester (Elisabeth Shue) has her
hands full.
But matters are made worse when an
earthquake rips open a prehistoric cavern where thousands of vicious death fish
live&.can the sheriff save the day?
B grade at
its very core and very finest, this exploitation flick has its tongue in its
cheek (even if the director won't admit it). While the cinema release benefited
from the novelty of 3D, this DVD version adds little - and with a lack of 3D
feels somewhat flat; so much so that the plot starts to drag.
File Piranha under guilty pleasure and bloody good fun - if you like
countless deaths, gratuitous nudity and B movie acting (and have had a few beers
with some mates) this is the film for you.
Extras: Commentary, deleted scenes and the trailer - not
much trawled up in this net.
Rating:
6/10
Friday, 7 January 2011
Thursday, 6 January 2011
Mademoiselle Chambon: Movie Review
Mademoiselle Chambon: Movie Review
Mademoiselle Chambon
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Vincent Lindon, Sandrine Kiberlain
Director: Stephane Brize
The ever present Vincent Lindon crops up as Jean in this new film.
Jean's a happily married man, a loving father whose wife is expecting again and whose life is filled with the routine of the construction site, his father's ailing health and his son's school days.
And it's at that school that when picking up his son, Jeremy, he meets alluring Mademoiselle Chambon (Kiberlain).
Mesmerised, Jean starts to wake from his perfectly happy life and ponders whether he should take a chance on another life altogether...
Mademoiselle Chambon is one of those restrained, engrossing French dramas which is artfully directed, well acted and guaranteed to leave you swooning in its path.
Thanks to the rugged charm of Lindon, it's not an unpleasant film to watch - thanks to plenty of restrained looks, glances and daring eyes, there's a nice build up to the dilemma he faces.
Kiberlain is also good as Chambon, a woman whose flitting from school to school lifestyle attracts Jean - it's easy to understand the attraction and the reason for Jean's dilemma.
However, it's also down to restrained direction; it's kept plausible with the build up and not just seen as some rushed situation aimed at titillation - there's an emotional core to this. And while that core may not attract all, there's certainly something here for people to lose themselves in.
Mademoiselle Chambon
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Vincent Lindon, Sandrine Kiberlain
Director: Stephane Brize
The ever present Vincent Lindon crops up as Jean in this new film.
Jean's a happily married man, a loving father whose wife is expecting again and whose life is filled with the routine of the construction site, his father's ailing health and his son's school days.
And it's at that school that when picking up his son, Jeremy, he meets alluring Mademoiselle Chambon (Kiberlain).
Mesmerised, Jean starts to wake from his perfectly happy life and ponders whether he should take a chance on another life altogether...
Mademoiselle Chambon is one of those restrained, engrossing French dramas which is artfully directed, well acted and guaranteed to leave you swooning in its path.
Thanks to the rugged charm of Lindon, it's not an unpleasant film to watch - thanks to plenty of restrained looks, glances and daring eyes, there's a nice build up to the dilemma he faces.
Kiberlain is also good as Chambon, a woman whose flitting from school to school lifestyle attracts Jean - it's easy to understand the attraction and the reason for Jean's dilemma.
However, it's also down to restrained direction; it's kept plausible with the build up and not just seen as some rushed situation aimed at titillation - there's an emotional core to this. And while that core may not attract all, there's certainly something here for people to lose themselves in.
Morning Glory: Movie Review
Morning Glory: Movie Review
Morning Glory
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Jeff Goldblum, Patrick Wilson
Director: Roger Michell
So it's into the heady world of breakfast television we go with this frothy light comedy piece from the director of Notting Hill.
McAdams stars as Becky Fuller, a producer on a television news show. Fired from her current role, she ends up being offered the job as a producer on a failing show called DayBreak.
Single and not tied down by relationships or family, Fuller lives for the job and seizes the opportunity thrust her way by Jeff Goldblum's laconic TV exec Jerry Barnes. On her first day she fires weird co-anchor Paul McVee (played brilliantly by Modern Family's Ty Burrell) and suddenly finds she needs a co host for Diane Keaton's Colleen Peck.
Enter Harrison Ford's prickly and slightly bitter former news anchor Mike Pomeroy. Once a newsmaker and a newsbreaker, Pomeroy's in the twilight of his career and not willing to sacrifice news values for fluffier breakfast time pieces.
However, when Fuller's told DayBreak's on the verge of being cancelled, she realizes she has to do everything she can to get Mike into the swing of things to save all their jobs.
Morning Glory is as fluffy as the genre it's parodying but it's kept alive by the performances of both McAdams as the annoyingly perky and optimistic Fuller and Ford as the gruff and irritable co anchor Pomeroy. In fact it's probably fair to say it's more Ford's film as he has endless fun refusing to do stuff, compromise his ideals and values as well as be opposed to everything. He also gets the lion's share of the best lines too - with bon mots like "News is a sacred temple" and "Half your audience has lost the remote control - and the other half are waiting to be turned over by the nurse." It's that kind of sarcasm which pervades the script and keeps things going.
Diane Keaton is a little sidelined in this unfortunately - but it's a solid performance from her too.
Unfortunately the end of Morning Glory sinks into a schmaltzy mire (perhaps, inevitably) and the whole thing leaves a bit of a saccharine taste in your mouth - overall, Morning Glory may well appeal more to those in the television industry and the media who'll recognize the egos, the debates and the problems; the rest of us may well be wondering what else is on the other channel.
Morning Glory
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Jeff Goldblum, Patrick Wilson
Director: Roger Michell
So it's into the heady world of breakfast television we go with this frothy light comedy piece from the director of Notting Hill.
McAdams stars as Becky Fuller, a producer on a television news show. Fired from her current role, she ends up being offered the job as a producer on a failing show called DayBreak.
Single and not tied down by relationships or family, Fuller lives for the job and seizes the opportunity thrust her way by Jeff Goldblum's laconic TV exec Jerry Barnes. On her first day she fires weird co-anchor Paul McVee (played brilliantly by Modern Family's Ty Burrell) and suddenly finds she needs a co host for Diane Keaton's Colleen Peck.
Enter Harrison Ford's prickly and slightly bitter former news anchor Mike Pomeroy. Once a newsmaker and a newsbreaker, Pomeroy's in the twilight of his career and not willing to sacrifice news values for fluffier breakfast time pieces.
However, when Fuller's told DayBreak's on the verge of being cancelled, she realizes she has to do everything she can to get Mike into the swing of things to save all their jobs.
Morning Glory is as fluffy as the genre it's parodying but it's kept alive by the performances of both McAdams as the annoyingly perky and optimistic Fuller and Ford as the gruff and irritable co anchor Pomeroy. In fact it's probably fair to say it's more Ford's film as he has endless fun refusing to do stuff, compromise his ideals and values as well as be opposed to everything. He also gets the lion's share of the best lines too - with bon mots like "News is a sacred temple" and "Half your audience has lost the remote control - and the other half are waiting to be turned over by the nurse." It's that kind of sarcasm which pervades the script and keeps things going.
Diane Keaton is a little sidelined in this unfortunately - but it's a solid performance from her too.
Unfortunately the end of Morning Glory sinks into a schmaltzy mire (perhaps, inevitably) and the whole thing leaves a bit of a saccharine taste in your mouth - overall, Morning Glory may well appeal more to those in the television industry and the media who'll recognize the egos, the debates and the problems; the rest of us may well be wondering what else is on the other channel.
Tangled: Movie Review
Tangled: Movie Review
Tangled
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Zachary Levi, Mandy Moore, Donna Murphy
Director: Nathan Greno
It's Disney's 50th animated film.
And to celebrate, they're rolling out an animated version of Rapunzel for 2011.
Mandy Moore stars as the erstwhile long haired princess Rapunzel, who's trapped in the tower by the evil Gothel (Murphy). You see, Gothel knows that Rapunzel's hair has the power to turn back time and make people young again - and in true evil, godmother fashion she wants to keep that power all for her own.
However, as Rapunzel reaches her 18th birthday, she decides what she wants to do to celebrate is to leave the tower and see the lights which appear every year without fail on her birthday. (Unbeknownst to her, those lights are floating lanterns, launched by her parents as they try to find her.)
Gothel says no - but Rapunzel (and her pet chameleon Pascal) finds her life changed by the arrival of thief Flynn Rider (Chuck's Zachary Levi) who is looking for a hideout.
Flynn is coerced into helping - and together, the duo set off into the kingdom&
Tangled is a good ole fashioned Disney film - with songs within minutes of opening (complete with catchy lyrics such as 'Don't risk the drama, stay with Mama' and 'I could be called deadly from my killer show medley') it's clearly aimed at provoking a bit of nostalgia within the audience.
But there's a sharp deftness to the script which sees it veer from being a little too old fashioned - and it's enlivened by great performances from Zachary Levi and Mandy Moore who give their characters a real boost from their subtle vocal tones.
There's also good old fashioned Disney fun to be had from the animals of the piece; the chameleon and a horse from the palace guards known as Maximus. Neither says anything but again, it's their antics which will amuse the kids both young and old.
There's also unexpected moments of adult humour dotted throughout - such as when Rapunzel leaves the tower for the first time, she veers between deep joy and numbing guilt - it's fun touches like this which add to the overall feel.
It's no crime to say Tangled is nothing spectacularly new on the story front or when it comes to the songs- but thanks to a warmth and engaging charm as well as some good solid animation, it's a great family time out at the cinema.
Tangled
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Zachary Levi, Mandy Moore, Donna Murphy
Director: Nathan Greno
It's Disney's 50th animated film.
And to celebrate, they're rolling out an animated version of Rapunzel for 2011.
Mandy Moore stars as the erstwhile long haired princess Rapunzel, who's trapped in the tower by the evil Gothel (Murphy). You see, Gothel knows that Rapunzel's hair has the power to turn back time and make people young again - and in true evil, godmother fashion she wants to keep that power all for her own.
However, as Rapunzel reaches her 18th birthday, she decides what she wants to do to celebrate is to leave the tower and see the lights which appear every year without fail on her birthday. (Unbeknownst to her, those lights are floating lanterns, launched by her parents as they try to find her.)
Gothel says no - but Rapunzel (and her pet chameleon Pascal) finds her life changed by the arrival of thief Flynn Rider (Chuck's Zachary Levi) who is looking for a hideout.
Flynn is coerced into helping - and together, the duo set off into the kingdom&
Tangled is a good ole fashioned Disney film - with songs within minutes of opening (complete with catchy lyrics such as 'Don't risk the drama, stay with Mama' and 'I could be called deadly from my killer show medley') it's clearly aimed at provoking a bit of nostalgia within the audience.
But there's a sharp deftness to the script which sees it veer from being a little too old fashioned - and it's enlivened by great performances from Zachary Levi and Mandy Moore who give their characters a real boost from their subtle vocal tones.
There's also good old fashioned Disney fun to be had from the animals of the piece; the chameleon and a horse from the palace guards known as Maximus. Neither says anything but again, it's their antics which will amuse the kids both young and old.
There's also unexpected moments of adult humour dotted throughout - such as when Rapunzel leaves the tower for the first time, she veers between deep joy and numbing guilt - it's fun touches like this which add to the overall feel.
It's no crime to say Tangled is nothing spectacularly new on the story front or when it comes to the songs- but thanks to a warmth and engaging charm as well as some good solid animation, it's a great family time out at the cinema.
Unstoppable: Movie Review
Unstoppable: Movie Review
Unstoppable
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Chris Pine, Denzel Washington, Rosario Dawson, Ethan Suplee
Director: Tony Scott
A hero with a buzz cut, a runaway vehicle and the potential for disaster.
Haven't we heard that somewhere before? Well, that and Denzel in another Tony Scott train film too&
In this latest from Tony Scott, Chris Pine stars as Will Colson, a newbie in the rail industry - and one who, according to older work colleagues has gained his position as a conductor on the rails in rural Pennsylvania because of nepotism.
Denzel is Frank Barnes, a long time employee of the rail roads who's seen it all before and is now just doing his job and training Colson.
However, their spiky training run is broken by the news another train's broken loose and thundering on the tracks, complete with a chemical payload and no driver because of an accidental mess up from a fellow employee Dewey (Ethan Suplee).
As the owner of the railway tries to work out how best to avert the disaster of a train ploughing into civilization, Barnes and Colson work with yardmaster Connie (ever dependable Rosario Dawson) to try and save the day.
Apparently inspired by true events, Unstoppable is actually better than the premise makes it sound - and thanks to some restrained directing from Tony Scott, it's actually more watchable than you'd believe.
Sure, there's plenty of swooping, circling aerial camera shots and continuous angled camera moments as the train continues on its path of destruction; but Unstoppable also throws in some decent characters and some commentary about old timers being forced out of jobs for young upstarts who know nothing of the industry.
Granted, Colson and Barnes have emotional baggage (Colson's got family problems - and whaddya know, so does Barnes) but thanks to believable, underplayed performances from both Pine and the ever sage Washington, you find yourself sucked into their world - even if you know exactly how it will play out. With dialogue such as "We're not talking about a train - we're talking about a missile" the whole thing seems as if it could swerve dangerously into over the top out of control hysteria.
However, thanks to Scott's assured leadership, this train stays firmly on the tracks - and destined for entertainment.
Unstoppable
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Chris Pine, Denzel Washington, Rosario Dawson, Ethan Suplee
Director: Tony Scott
A hero with a buzz cut, a runaway vehicle and the potential for disaster.
Haven't we heard that somewhere before? Well, that and Denzel in another Tony Scott train film too&
In this latest from Tony Scott, Chris Pine stars as Will Colson, a newbie in the rail industry - and one who, according to older work colleagues has gained his position as a conductor on the rails in rural Pennsylvania because of nepotism.
Denzel is Frank Barnes, a long time employee of the rail roads who's seen it all before and is now just doing his job and training Colson.
However, their spiky training run is broken by the news another train's broken loose and thundering on the tracks, complete with a chemical payload and no driver because of an accidental mess up from a fellow employee Dewey (Ethan Suplee).
As the owner of the railway tries to work out how best to avert the disaster of a train ploughing into civilization, Barnes and Colson work with yardmaster Connie (ever dependable Rosario Dawson) to try and save the day.
Apparently inspired by true events, Unstoppable is actually better than the premise makes it sound - and thanks to some restrained directing from Tony Scott, it's actually more watchable than you'd believe.
Sure, there's plenty of swooping, circling aerial camera shots and continuous angled camera moments as the train continues on its path of destruction; but Unstoppable also throws in some decent characters and some commentary about old timers being forced out of jobs for young upstarts who know nothing of the industry.
Granted, Colson and Barnes have emotional baggage (Colson's got family problems - and whaddya know, so does Barnes) but thanks to believable, underplayed performances from both Pine and the ever sage Washington, you find yourself sucked into their world - even if you know exactly how it will play out. With dialogue such as "We're not talking about a train - we're talking about a missile" the whole thing seems as if it could swerve dangerously into over the top out of control hysteria.
However, thanks to Scott's assured leadership, this train stays firmly on the tracks - and destined for entertainment.
Monday, 3 January 2011
Splice: Blu Ray Review
Splice: Blu Ray Review
Splice
Rating: R16
Released by Madman
Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley team up in this flick about two scientists who splice human and animal DNA together.
But despite a lack of morals and ethics at the start as they're caught up in the heady excitement of the experiment,the pair are quickly divided when the resulting creature is born.
Polley's Elsa wants to keep the female creature but Brody's Clive, despite wanting to be a dad, wants shot of it.
There's little really of the legal and ethical debate but it becomes quite a curious mix of horror and unsettling incest toward the end-but thanks to a sensitive performance from Delphine Chaneac as the creature (who's a mix of Gizmo and the bald chick from Star Trek 1) it's really quite an impressive piece of film and not a bad entrant into the mad scientist/ abhorrent experiment genre.
Sure there's the icky moments and the slightly disturbing moments, but this is sensibly put together scifi horror which is watchable - even if occasionally that is from behind the sofa.
Extras: Interview with director; featurette, behind the scenes and trailer - nothing outstanding but nothing too disappointing either.
Rating: 7/10
Splice
Rating: R16
Released by Madman
Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley team up in this flick about two scientists who splice human and animal DNA together.
But despite a lack of morals and ethics at the start as they're caught up in the heady excitement of the experiment,the pair are quickly divided when the resulting creature is born.
Polley's Elsa wants to keep the female creature but Brody's Clive, despite wanting to be a dad, wants shot of it.
There's little really of the legal and ethical debate but it becomes quite a curious mix of horror and unsettling incest toward the end-but thanks to a sensitive performance from Delphine Chaneac as the creature (who's a mix of Gizmo and the bald chick from Star Trek 1) it's really quite an impressive piece of film and not a bad entrant into the mad scientist/ abhorrent experiment genre.
Sure there's the icky moments and the slightly disturbing moments, but this is sensibly put together scifi horror which is watchable - even if occasionally that is from behind the sofa.
Extras: Interview with director; featurette, behind the scenes and trailer - nothing outstanding but nothing too disappointing either.
Rating: 7/10
Sunday, 2 January 2011
Triangle: DVD Review
Triangle: DVD Review
Triangle
Rating: M
Released by Warner Bros
A mindbender, riangle is the tale of Melissa George's Jess who one day goes sailing with 5 friends.
Out on the water, they end up capsized when a storm passes by.
From out of nowhere, a ship appears and the remaining survivors jump up on it-finding it deserted, they try to see who's onboard and how they can get home-but soon, one by one, they're dying.
All except Jess...
Triangle is a superior piece of film; it draws out the tension by leaving it for quite a while before the horrors begin to unfurl.
But if you're expecting horror on the boat of the nutter on the loose kind, you're on the wrong track as director/writer Chris Smith throws in a time travel plot as well.
It's really smart, suspenseful stuff and holds you right until the very end. Sure you may guess some of the tricks(if you've seen the marvellous TimeCrimes)but the pieces don't fall into place until the very end.
Mindblowing and head-scratching, this needs your love and time.
Extras: Making of doco, story boards, look at the special effects for the storm, deleted scenes and audio commentary with the director - a decent bunch for a good film.
Rating: 8/10
Triangle
Rating: M
Released by Warner Bros
A mindbender, riangle is the tale of Melissa George's Jess who one day goes sailing with 5 friends.
Out on the water, they end up capsized when a storm passes by.
From out of nowhere, a ship appears and the remaining survivors jump up on it-finding it deserted, they try to see who's onboard and how they can get home-but soon, one by one, they're dying.
All except Jess...
Triangle is a superior piece of film; it draws out the tension by leaving it for quite a while before the horrors begin to unfurl.
But if you're expecting horror on the boat of the nutter on the loose kind, you're on the wrong track as director/writer Chris Smith throws in a time travel plot as well.
It's really smart, suspenseful stuff and holds you right until the very end. Sure you may guess some of the tricks(if you've seen the marvellous TimeCrimes)but the pieces don't fall into place until the very end.
Mindblowing and head-scratching, this needs your love and time.
Extras: Making of doco, story boards, look at the special effects for the storm, deleted scenes and audio commentary with the director - a decent bunch for a good film.
Rating: 8/10
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