Posted : 2 years, 2 months ago on 4 August 2022 04:24
(A review of
Fiver)
Movie(s): Watership DownFirst Apperance: Watership Down, a 1972 novel by Richard AdamsVoiced by: Richard BriersHow sweet and innocent is Fiver, the visionary rabbit hero of Watership Down? Well, he's voiced by Richard Briers, perhaps the nicest man in the history of Planet Earth. And that's pretty much all you need to know about a character who somehow manages to retain its innocence through the heartbreaking slog of Watership Down, through the savage dog attacks, environmental destruction and perilous journey, and somehow through Art Garfunkel's blinking Bright Eyes. Hazel (John Hurt) may be the nominal hero, but it's Fiver's visions of Watership Down that kickstart the story, and he remains the cutest and most fragile of the rabbits, even blaming himself for all the trouble the rabbits endure. Fiver, son, it's not your fault.
Stroke of genius
Imbuing Fiver with an indomitable spirit and an unshakeable belief in his brother, Hazel, that carries him through. Also, the ability to make our eyes all wet just thinking about him, and the movie. Damn those infernal rabbits!
Fun fact
His Lapine name is Hrairoo, which means "Little-five" or "Little-thousand"
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Posted : 2 years, 2 months ago on 4 August 2022 04:16
(A review of
Miles Morales (Into the Spider-Verse))
Movie(s): Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)
First Appearance: Ultimate Fallout #4 a Marvel Comics' title from writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli.
Voiced by: Shameik Moore
After a vast variety of on-screen Peter Parkers (and yes, several more show up in Spider-Verse), it's refreshing to see Miles get his shot at the starring role. The character has proved incredibly popular, showing up in animated series and video games, but the movie truly puts him on screen in layered, compelling fashion. So much so that the result was an Oscar for Best Animated Feature and two sequels on the way. Miles feels like a teenager who stumbles into superheroics and, thanks to the likes of producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, he's also very funny.
Stroke of genius
The 'What's Up Danger' sequence as Miles embraces his destiny is a highlight, though the whole of Spider-Verse is an artistic mash-up of styles.
Fun fact
Moore once wrote in his diary as a teenager that he wanted to play Spider-Man.
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Posted : 2 years, 2 months ago on 4 August 2022 03:41
(A review of
Lankester Merrin)
Played by: Max von Sydow
Film(s): [Link removed - login to see]
Years after playing chess with Death, Max von Sydow donned a dog collar and seamless old-age make-up to play Rock Paper Scissors with the Devil himself. Father Lankester Merrin is a noble, implacable soul who, unlike Jason Miller's Damien Karras, has faced demons before, and knows how deceitful they can be. It's just a shame that his flesh isn't quite as unwavering as his spirit. Merrin is, of course, the star of the film's poster and the title itself, but - prologue aside - Merrin doesn't really show up until near the film's end and, once there, he's virtually straight into compelling Pazuzu with the power of Christ. Nevertheless, the impact von Sydow makes as Merrin cannot be overstated: just check out any Exorcist parody, and there'll always be a Merrin figure there, while Karras is often overlooked.
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Posted : 2 years, 2 months ago on 4 August 2022 03:21
(A review of
Bride of Frankenstein)
Played by: Else Lanchester
Film(s): [Link removed - login to see]
English actress Elsa Lanchester only has a few minutes of screentime as the eponymous bride in James Whale's 1935 sequel (she bolsters that by starring as Mary Shelley in the framing device), but pound-for-pound, second-for-second, it's arguable that no horror character makes so much with so little. Jerking her face and body like a prototype Harryhausen creation, with her beehive hairdo streaked through with white, Lanchester is an instant icon. Such a shame that The Bride - specifically built so that Boris Karloff's Monster can have someone to love and bump really uglies with - instantly rejects her betrothed. These mail order marriages never work out.
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Posted : 2 years, 2 months ago on 4 August 2022 01:51
(A review of
The Red Shoes)
Renowned director Martin Scorsese considers The Red Shoes as his all time favourite movie, and it isn't hard to see why. The Red Shoes I consider to be the ultimate dance film, and is absolutely beautiful in every sense. The cinematography is fabulous, and the choreography is dazzling. The screenplay is excellent, and as the lovers Anton Walbrook and Moira Shearer head the fantastic cast(including Marius Goring) and do an impeccable job at it. The music was just gorgeous, and this is coming from a classical music fan, very lyrical, and just exactly what a ballet score should be like. All in all, if you see the Red Shoes on television, I advise you to watch it, even if you don't like it at first. 10/10 Bethany Cox
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Posted : 2 years, 2 months ago on 4 August 2022 01:44
(A review of
The Thin Red Line (1998))
As I said in my Tree of Life review Terrence Malick's style is one I highly appreciate rather than adore. That doesn't stop me though from liking his films a great deal. The Thin Red Line was my first Malick, and after seeing five of them it is still my favourite.
The pace is meditative, but I had no problem with that. This film wasn't only a war film, it was also a meditation of war, so the pacing was appropriate I feel, not only that I find this meditative pace is a characteristic of Terrence Malick, his films being visually beautiful yet meditative.
As is the case with his work, Malick does do a superb job directing, the visuals are astounding and the music is very haunting as well. The story may seem pretentious, but I was too transfixed and absorbed by what was going on to care, and how it treated war was interesting and different with "Every man fights his own war".
The action is genuinely tense with an atmosphere that is genuinely authentic(for example you can smell the sweat literally), and I also found some scenes quite moving. The dialogue is provokes thought and the characters are often real in a compelling sense. The acting is as good as can be, particularly from Sean Penn and Nick Nolte.
All in all, a fine film and Malick's masterpiece. 10/10 Bethany Cox
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Posted : 2 years, 2 months ago on 4 August 2022 01:41
(A review of
Red Riding Hood)
I wasn't sure whether I wanted to see this movie. I am not a fan of the Twilight movies(the first of which Catherine Hardwicke also directed) and it didn't look like my kind of film. But I saw it for the wonderful Gary Oldman.
I wasn't expecting much, and I didn't get much. Red Riding Hood(not the fairytale by the way) does try hard to be a lot of things, including introducing a number of horror, fantasy and mystery elements. But due to the sluggish pace and disjointed story structure(that is full of overlong filler, particularly the celebration scene, and the dream sequence was very awkwardly placed) the film fails at pretty much all these elements.
The script is very clunky, underdeveloped and banal as well. A lot of it did not keep my attention and I found myself chuckling into my coke at any unintentionally funny bits. The CGI is quite poor here, with the wolf looking as though it was done in a hurry. Hardwicke's direction never rises above mediocre, the editing is unfocused and frenzied and the three titular characters are incredibly dull and uninteresting with the romantic elements between them poorly written and directed.
The acting doesn't fare much better. Amanda Seyfried is pretty but bland in the title role and shows little or no chemistry with her co-stars, while Max Irons(son of Jeremy), Lukas Haas and Shiloh Fernandez show good looks but awkward line delivery. Virginia Madsen and Billy Burke are both wasted, both over-doing it in a valiant attempt to elevate their weak material(these two actors probably had the worst of the dialogue next to the leads actually). And the climax is little more than a mangled mess and devoid of depth.
Despite these many cons, there are some decent assets. The score is atmospheric enough and the costume and set design are spot on. Plus there are two good performances, Gary Oldman and Julie Christie. Oldman does chew the scenery, but he looks as though he's having a ball, while Christie is very enchanting.
Overall, not terrible, but deeply flawed and over-ambitious. 4/10 Bethany Cox
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Posted : 2 years, 2 months ago on 4 August 2022 01:38
(A review of
Kagemusha (1980))
While not in my top 5 Kurasawas(Seven Samurai, Ran, Ikiru, Yojimbo, The Hidden Fortress), it is a very impressive film in its own right. The use of colour and the camera work are absolutely wonderful, as is the delicacy and ambition of Kurasawa's direction and the hauntingly beautiful music. The last part of the film seemed rather rushed to me(though the very end is indeed powerful), but the rest of the story is very poignant, stirring stuff with a good mix of simplicity and complexity. The script is almost Shakespearean in quality, the characters are multidimensional with the relationship between the Lord's men and the thief Kagemusha's most fascinating assets and the lead performance of Tatsuya Nakadai is outstanding, as far as I'm concerned one of the finest lead performances of any Kurasawa film that isn't Toshio Mifune. In conclusion, not one of my favourite Kurasawas but still a great film with much to admire. 9/10 Bethany Cox
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Posted : 2 years, 2 months ago on 4 August 2022 01:34
(A review of
The Bad Sleep Well)
The Bad Sleep Well is one of Kurasawa's most underrated, and while not his best or one of my favourites it is towards the better end of the spectrum in regard to his movies. The movie is perhaps a little too long, but so much compensates. Such as the superb cinematography(always deliberate yet with something always to see and admire) and direction(subtle while not undermining the sombre and sometimes tense tone), and the beautifully compositioned scenery. The music is often haunting, while the story(loosely based on Hamlet) while not quite as riveting as High and Low is interesting with an astonishing sequence involving Nishi and Wada at his own funeral and a suitably bleak ending. Toshiro Mifune plays one of those characters that goes to extremes but you do feel pity for him, and Mifune acts with his usual charisma.
Overall, I can think of better films from Kurasawa but I was very impressed with The Bad Sleep Well first time on viewing and still hold it in high regard. 9/10 Bethany Cox
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Posted : 2 years, 2 months ago on 4 August 2022 01:25
(A review of
High and Low)
Not my favourite Akira Kurasawa film by all means, but for me definitely in the top 10 of his best films. Perhaps the final sequence is a little too safe, but it's not too much of a big problem compared to how good everything else is. Kurasawa's movies all have the advantage of being well made and directed, and High and Low is certainly no exception. The single-set scenery is both atmospheric and epic, and the cinematography is as ever exceptional. While Kurasawa's direction is one of his more subtle overall directorial jobs, it never undermines the riveting and tense feel of the always compelling story. The score is suitably haunting, and Toshiro Mifune's lead performance is very brooding.
All in all, a superb film and one of Kurasawa's best. 10/10 Bethany Cox
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