In the DVD player...

[Hitman]

Ken Park



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0209077/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Park

Finally got around to watching this, seeing as it's banned in this country (I bought a copy off eBay). Some of you may remember Margaret Pomeranz off the Movie Show almost getting locked up for having a public screening at some town hall a few years back...

From the makers of Kids, another phenomenal film, Larry Clark and Harmony Korine (Also wrote and produced Gummo, a freakish fucked up film that is a definite must see, and one of my favourite films of all time).

Real situations, portrayed in a sensual, intimate, almost organic manner. Sometimes extremely confrontational, taboo even, yet never taking it's audience for granted or condescending them in any manner.

Larry Clark sure copped a lot of shit for this film. It's a mystery to me, as I honestly loved this until recently undiscovered gem...

*****

[Hitman]

A Scanner Darkly



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405296/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Scanner_ ... %28film%29

FINALLY watched this.

Fucking outstanding adaptation of one of my favourite novels by one of my favourite writers. The rotoscoping works a fucking treat too...

Robert Downey Jr was awesome. Easily stole the movie. Woody was perfectly suited to being an idiot. Keanu, again perfect, with his trademark eternal bewilderment blending splendidly with PKD's ideals...

*****

[Hitman]

Flags of our Fathers

Letters from Iwo Jima





Clint Eastwood's WWII masterpieces, one from the American perspective, the other from Japans...

I watched these back to back a couple of weekends ago. It's probably the better way to do it too...

Iwo Jima was definitely the better of the two. Absolutely stunning, in visual style, acting, and just the overall tension embedded within the script and setting...

Flags was way too cheesy, and too...American (obviously) for my liking. The battle scenes were spectacular though, and it's saving grace...

Flags: ***
Iwo Jima: ****

[Ozzy]

Ken Park is downloading. I have a feeling I've seen A Scanner Darkly in passing; the name rings a bell. Probably download that too. I never finished watching Flags of our Fathers. I'm really not one for war movies, and this one just couldn't keep me interested. Iwo Jima sounds interesting though, I'll give it a look. Can't say Ive seen something from the Japanese perspective of WWII before.

[Hitman]

Sweet!

Let me know how you go with those dude...

I must warn you though, Ken Park and A Scanner Darkly are fairly left of centre stuff...

[Hitman]

The Prestige



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482571/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prestige_(film)

Great stuff. Loved everything about it.
I usually abhor David Bowie, his acting and his music, but I thought he really nailed Tesla.
And Christian Bale shined yet again.

MILES ahead of that piece of drivel The Illusionsit...

****

[Untermensch]

Saw it at the cinemas. Great stuff. Haven't seen the Illusionist. Is it similar?

[Chantel]

The Illusionist bored me senseless. I really didn't care at all about anything in that film. Which is a shame because I usually love Ed Norton. Even his acting was extremely monotone and shallow...

Christian Bale...well....what can I say?





Even when he plays a complete and utter fuckwit in that other movie we watched the other night... The Hard something???

[Hitman]

Pan's Labyrinth



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457430/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan's_Labyrinth

Hauntingly beautiful masterpiece by Del Toro, that resonates on a grand scale with just about every tangible emotion.

Stylish and intelligent, with so many layers, the ending in particular will leave you scratching your head, trying to decide if you 'believe in magic" to get the happy ending, or if you believe that it was all in Ofelia's head, giving an ending as brutal as the rest of the movie.

Fantastic film. One of the best I've seen in a long time, and easily the best of the year...

*****

[Hitman]

Saw it at the cinemas. Great stuff. Haven't seen the Illusionist. Is it similar?

In many ways (Period, Protagonists=Magicians etc), but The Prestige is far superior...