Archive for the 'Film' Category

Iconic film scenes revisited

Published on 5 February 2010 in Film. 0 Comments Tags: charles bronson, once upon a time in the west, sergio leone.

The opening standoff in Once Upon A Time in the West

After writing my earlier post about the most memorable scenes in films I decided to watch Sergio Leone’s Once Upon A Time in the West and nearly punched myself afterwards for not including the above scene. At the start of the film you’re not greeted with grandiose credits or title cards but rather 3 seedy looking cowboys that proceed to stake out a railway station. There’s no dialogue, only the sound of a fly, a rusty windmill and the odd gust of wind. After 8 minutes of this (its seen as the longest opening sequence in film) a train approaches and the 3 cowboys jump into action and start watching the train intently. As the train starts to pull away without anybody disembarking from it they begin to turn around and leave only to stop in their tracks as they hear the sounds of a harmonica. As they turn around they find themselves facing Charles Bronson’s character who then asks if any of them are a character named Frank he is after. They shake their heads and smile ruefully at him while preparing to gun him down. After an opening with hardly any sounds or dialogue there are a several loud shots as they all draw their guns with Bronson gunning them all down but not before one gunmen manages to wound him with a sawn off shotgun, causing him to fall to the ground as well. This juxta positioning of silence and violence is beautifully constructed by Leone and manages to set the tone of what is the greatest Western film ever made.

Iconic movie scenes

Published on 19 January 2010 in Film. 5 Comments Tags: Blade Runner, lord of the rings, the good the bad the ugly.

Being a film fan I’ve come to realise that there are certain scene in movies that stand out in one’s mind as being representative of what the film stands for. Many times that picture is imprinted in your mind long after you’ve forgotten the film’s name. With this in mind I though I’d list a few of the scenes that stand out in my mind with a short description of each.

Blade Runner LA cityscape

When you first enter the world of Blade Runner you’re greeted with a site that looks anything but futuristic. The Los Angeles cityscape is polluted and drenched in rain and manages to convey the idea that Earth is a desolate place with blimps floating overhead proclaiming that a better life awaits people off world. It’s no wonder that Rick Deckard is determined to quit the police force.

Blade Runner city scape

Up close the city in Blade Runner looks even worse and seems to look strikingly like modern-day Tokyo with gigantic neon advertising boards and crowded sidewalks all winding their way through the film’s future version of Los Angeles. It’s unlike any other film noir setting out there but it manages to fit the characters and plot as perfect as a glove.Futurist Syd Mead’s vision of a futuristic LA has to be applauded and many modern-day director’s have paid homage to it from music videos through to animé.

The Battle of the Pelennor Fields

Most of the scenes and settings from the Lord of the Rings movies are superlative to say the least but it was really the Battle of Pelennor Fields that stands out in my mind as the defining scene from the film. Bringing to a head all the film’s separate plots and characters to battle it out in one huge battle between the forces of good and evil is always enough to get the adrenaline flowing but it is especially great when the special effects and computer generated wizardry all combine to create one of the most memorable big screen battles in recent memory.

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Mexican standoff

At the end of The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Sergio Leone makes use of a widescreen shot to capture all three the film’s protagonists as the face off in a duel to see who walks away with the treasure they have hunted for the whole film. Where this scene excels is that it lingers over the fighters and carries on for several minutes intercut with extreme close-ups of the characters’ eyes as they look at each other to see who will draw firs, all the time upping the anxiety levels of both viewer and character. Add in a track from Ennio Morricone that perfectly matches the tempo and feel of the scene and this is one of the best 5 minutes in cinema.

The A-Team returns

Published on 16 January 2010 in Film. 0 Comments Tags: a-team, liam neeson, sharlto copley.

Being a kid in the 80s meant I grew up watching one of the all time cheesy action shows, The A-Team. Following a group of Vietnam veterans who were on the run from the Army for a crime they didn’t commit as they helped anyone who could afford to hire them. It was perfect to watch as a kid with explosions and gunfire that never seemed to kill anyone and with almost no blood shown even though almost everyone had a gun of sorts. It also seemed as though every show had some point in it where the A-Team would get captured and locked up, only to bust out in a home-made tank they built from seemingly innocuous odds and ends that they found lying around.

Fast forward to 2010 and you have the new movie attempting to bring back the A-Team with Liam Neeson starring as the team’s leader, Hannibal and Sharlto Copley playing the part of Howling Mad Murdock in his first big role since District 9. While I was initially a bit worried at the idea of seeing a beloved show from my childhood getting the Hollywood treatment my fears have been silenced by the first trailer for the movie. The last 10 seconds of the trailer make this film a must watch for the year

Phillip K. Dick on Blade Runner

Published on 29 September 2009 in Film. 0 Comments Tags: Blade Runner, phillip k dick.

Blade Runner Final Cut

As a huge Blade Runner fan you can imagine my joy when I found the following link posted to a letter written by Phillip K. Dick to the Ladd Company after he had seen a short clip of Blade Runner. It’s interesting to read as it gives a unique insight into Dick’s views on the film’s impact of sci fi as a genre and it also shows that he’s views on the film would pan out in the long run. So if you’re a fan of sci fi or Blade Runner then be sure to read the full letter here:

http://www.philipkdick.com/new_letters-laddcompany.html

An open letter from David Hayter

Published on 13 March 2009 in Film. 1 Comment Tags: david hayter, Watchmen.

I thought I’d post an open letter from David Hayter, voice of Solid Snake and screenwriter for Watchmen and X-Men amongst other films.

So it has been five months since I saw my first rough cut of WATCHMEN, and eight days since the premiere of the film I’ve been working on since late in the year 2000.

The reviews are out — Some outstanding, others rankly dismissive, which can be frustrating for the people involved, (though I can only speak for myself,) because I firmly believe that WATCHMEN, the novel, must be read through more than once to even have the faintest grip on it. And I believe the film is the same.

I’ve seen it twice now, and despite having run the movie in my head thousands of times, my two viewings still don’t’ allow me to view the film with the proper distance or objectivity. Is it Apocalypse Now? Is it Blade Runner? Is it Kubrick, or Starship Troopers? I don’t know yet.

All I know is that I had a pretty amazing experience the two times I’ve seen it. And both viewings produced remarkably different experiences. The point is, I have listened for years, to complaints from true comic book fans, that “not enough movies take the source material seriously.” “Too many movies puss out,” or “They change great stories, just to be commercial.” Well, I f***ing dare you to say any one of those things about this movie.

This is a movie made by fans, for fans. Hundreds of people put in years of their lives to make this movie happen, and every one of them was insanely committed to retaining the integrity of this amazing, epic tale. This is a rare success story, bordering on the impossible, and every studio in town is watching to see if it will work. Hell, most of them own a piece of the movie.

So look, this is a note to the fanboys and fangirls. The true believers. Dedicated for life.

If the film made you think. Or argue with your friends. If it inspired a debate about the nature of man, or vigilante justice, or the horror of Nixon abolishing term limits. If you laughed at Bowie hanging with Adrian at Studio 54, or the Silhouette kissing that nurse.

Please go see the movie again next weekend.

You have to understand, everyone is watching to see how the film will do in its second week. If you care about movies that have a brain, or balls, (and this film’s got both, literally), or true adaptations — And if you’re thinking of seeing it again anyway, please go back this weekend, Friday or Saturday night. Demonstrate the power of the fans, because it’ll help let the people who pay for these movies know what we’d like to see. Because if it drops off the radar after the first weekend, they will never allow a film like this to be made again.

In the interests of full disclosure, let me also point out that I do not profit one cent from an increase in box office, although an increase in box office can add to the value of the writers’ eventual residual profits from dvd and tv sales.

But I’m not saying it for money. I’m saying it for people like me. I’m saying it for people who love smart, dark entertainment, on a grand, operatic scale. I’m talking to the Snake fans, the Rorschach fans, the people of the Dark Knight.

And hey, if you hated the film, if you think we committed atrocities, or literary mistakes of a massive, cephalopodic nature. If the movie made you a little sick to your stomach, or made you feel bad about your life. If you hated it for whatever reason, that’s cool too. I’m not suggesting you risk gastro-intestinal distress just for the sake of risky filmmaking.

But if you haven’t seen it yet? Well, I’ll just say this…

It may upset you. And it probably will upset you.

And all along, we really meant it to.

Because face it. All this time…You there, with the Smiley-face pin. Admit it.

All this time, you’ve been waiting for a director who was going to hit you in the face with this story. To just crack you in the jaw, and then bend you over the pool table with this story. With its utterly raw view of the darkest sides of human nature, expressed through its masks of action and beauty and twisted good intentions. Like a fry-basket full of hot grease in the face. Like the Comedian on the Grassy Knoll. I know, I know…

You say you don’t like it. You say you’ve got issues. I get it.

And yet… You’ll be thinking about this film, down the road. It’ll nag at you. How it was rough and beautiful. How it went where it wanted to go, and you just hung on. How it was thoughtful and hateful and bleak and hilarious. And for Jackie Earle Haley.

Trust me. You’ll come back, eventually. Just like Sally.

Might as well make it count for something.

David Hayter

I have to agree with him on most of his points. Watchmen is the type of film that will need several viewings to appreciate many of the subtleties it presents. So if you loved or hated the film, try and catch it again and let Hollywood know that these are the types of films we want to see more off.

Watchmen review

Published on 9 March 2009 in Film. 5 Comments Tags: Watchmen.

I’ve just come back from seeing Watchmen and can say that I’m very impressed with Zack Snyder’s take on the graphic novel. Other than Ozymandias, the rest of the cast was a perfect fit and the story and dialogue both stuck closely to the graphic novel so any fans out there thinking the movie is nothing more than a casual cash in will be pleasantly surprised. The look of the novel has also been captured perfectly with the cold war era being prominent throughout the movie. The soundtrack certainly came as a massive surprise to me. At no point did I think that the use of music could impact so favourably upon the movie. There were definitely some awesome choices made in selecting the licensed tracks here. The only slight deviation from the graphic novel was the ending, but it manages to fit more appropriately into the context of the universe for the purposes of the big screen so its not that major of an issue (although it can be taken to change the meaning significantly depending on how you interpret it).

Overall I really enjoyed the film and at no point did I feel bored during the almost 3 hour running time which for me is the mark of a well paced script. My only hassles with the film comes with Snyder’s obsession with slow-mo scenes in every fight. While this may have worked for a film such as 300 where style was more important than substance, it just doesn’t fit right in watchmen. Hopefully it won’t become too overused in his future films and overshadow some of the good work he’s done here in Watchmen. One caveat is that this film will be far more enjoyable to those of you that have read the graphic novel. Others may find that the film drags a little in the beginning and might not see the grander message the graphic novel and film are trying to convey. Is it a great superhero movie? No, Dark Knight manages to meld a story with action in a far more palatable way than Watchmen. Does that make Watchmen a bad film? No, Watchmen is not and should not be seen as a superhero film. Its more than that, its a depiction of humanity and all its foibles as we come to terms with our ability to destroy ourselves and that is merely the beginning of a wonderfully crafted and presented film. do yourself a favour and watch it and if you haven’t had a chance yet try to read the graphic novel.

Keanu Reeves = Spike Spiegel?

Published on 22 January 2009 in Film. 0 Comments Tags: Cowboy Bebop, Keanu Reeves, Spike Spiegel.

One of my all time favourite animé series, Cowboy Bebop, is receiving the Hollywood treatment and initial signs are that this Western version is not going to win any Oscars. The casting of Keanu Reeves as Spike Spiegel doesn’t bode well. While he may have been suited to Neo, Spike is a far more complex character with noir leanings and unfortunately I don’t think Keanu is up to the task. So far he is the only confirmed cast member so hopefully we hear some better news regarding other fan favourites like Jet Black (my gravatar on this site) and Faye Valentine. Let’s hold thumbs that Cowboy Bebop isn’t made into a run of the mill action romp.

For those of you unsure of what precisely Cowboy Bebop is, here’s the breakdown from Wikipedia:

Cowboy Bebop is a Japanese animated television series. Directed by Shinichirō Watanabe and written by Keiko Nobumoto, Cowboy Bebop was produced by Sunrise. Consisting of 26 episodes, the series follows the adventures of a group of bounty hunters traveling on their spaceship, the Bebop, in the year 2071. It is considered one of the best anime series ever made.

Cowboy Bebop has been strongly influenced by American music, especially the jazz movements of the 1940s-60s and the early rock era of the 1950s-70s. Many of its action sequences, from space battles to hand-to-hand martial arts combat, are set and timed to music. Following the musical theme, episodes are called Sessions, and the episode titles are often borrowed from album or song names (“Sympathy for the Devil”, “Honky Tonk Women”, or “My Funny Valentine” to name a few), or make use of a genre name (“Mushroom Samba” or “Heavy Metal Queen”) indicating a given episode’s musical theme.

RIP Patrick McGoohan

Published on 16 January 2009 in Film. 1 Comment Tags: Patrick McGoohan, The Prisoner.

On the 13th of January Patrick McGoohan passed away at the age of 80 after a brief illness. He’ll be fondly remembered as the lead actor and man behind the cult television series, The Prisoner. While he may not be an all too familiar name to many people these days, it was his early work that found him a legion of fans that are still as strong as ever today. The Prisoner still manages to be screened throughout the world today with fan clubs and avid fans flocking from all around the world to experience the show for themselves. The Prisoner dealt with a British agent who upon resigning is kidnapped and taken to a mysterious island run by someone calling themselves Number One. The show revolves around the island’s rulers trying to break him down mentally and physically to learn his reasons for resigning while he matches them in a battle of wits to retain his individuality and right to choice. For a show that was made in the 1960s this was very far ahead of it’s time and is still riveting viewing. In McGoohan’s own words,

I think progress is the biggest enemy on earth, apart from oneself… I think we’re gonna take good care of this planet shortly… there’s never been a weapon created yet on the face of the Earth that hadn’t been used…

…We’re run by the Pentagon, we’re run by Madison Avenue, we’re run by television, and as long as we accept those things and don’t revolt we’ll have to go along with the stream to the eventual avalanche… As long as we go out and buy stuff, we’re at their mercy. We’re at the mercy of the advertiser and of course there are certain things that we need, but a lot of the stuff that is bought is not needed…

…We all live in a little Village… Your village may be different from other people’s villages but we are all prisoners.

Rest in peace Patrick McGoohan.