Download 2007 Redux

And here's the third review, it's a long one from 'the_bunster':

The Bunster’s Download 2007 Review

DAY 1
After arriving early afternoon and sorting out the basic necessities – Beer tokens and food (Damn, those Burritos were good!) – the first band we headed to see was MEGADETH on the main stage. This was a great start to proceedings and got everyone pretty well warmed up for the weekend. It was a bit of a surprise to see them on so early but I’d say they’ve definitely still got it – some would say got it back - playing a number of songs off both the recent United Abominations and Rust In Peace and leaving well alone most of the stuff in between. The 45 minutes allocated to them flew by but definitely worth catching again in the near future – the ticket price was already looking good value.

After that it was into the Tuborg tent (the smallest stage) for all-girl group THE HEDRONS. I thought these were great and the best “find” of the festival bands that I didn’t previously have much awareness of. They describe themselves as the love child of Joan Jett and the Foo Fighters and it was just the kind of high-energy punk metal that I love. The album is already on order and I suspect it will be played to death over the next few weeks. If you want a preview, I suggest visiting the site (http://www.thehedrons.com/) and having a listen for yourselves.

THINGS THAT PASSED OVERHEAD ON DAY 1: A few empty plastic bottles, a hundred planes and the lead singer of The Hedrons – If you’re going to have a lead singer crowdsurfing over you, I recommend a petite rock-chick over the beer-bellied biker every time!

As Jon and Tim stayed at the main stage to watch DRAGONFORCE (I’ll ask their opinion on that) can I say just one more time that they missed out on The Hedrons? – Yes, One More Won’t Kill Me!

After that it was back to the main stage for WOLFMOTHER and then VELVET REVOLVER. I enjoyed both of these without being blown away but then I don’t really know much material of either of them. I think Wolfmother would be good fun in a smaller arena with a crowd that knows all the stuff and whilst Velvet Revolver threw out a couple of Guns N’ Roses covers (It’s So Easy / Mr Brownstone), hearing Slash play guitar again was the high point and just made me pine for the good old days!

After this it was back to the Tuborg stage for HAYSEED DIXIE, which I enjoyed immensely. It’s the third time I’ve seen them and, yes, they are the same every time but it’s still just good fun and the old rock classics still sound great played on Banjo.

The main reason for turning up on day 1 though was for MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE. The down side of the day was to see them bottled by festivalgoers who didn’t think they were big enough to headline. [If you don’t like them, just f*ck off to the bar or one of the other stages]. Despite that, I enjoyed MCR as much as I thought I would – I love The Black Parade and they played it virtually in order with very little of the older stuff thrown in and that was always a winner with me. Were they big enough to command the main stage as headline act? Possibly not quite but I don’t know who else there over the three days could have done a better job. The set was maybe 15 minutes short of what it could have been but another album the same standard as the Black Parade (not a given!) and they will truly belong – I for one will look forward to seeing them again.

Overall, Day 1 belonged to MCR and Megadeth – big acts who went a large way towards paying back the admission fee – and The Hedrons who proved it’s worth digging around the smaller stages to listen to new bands.

DAY 2
After sorting out the Burritos and Beer for starters it was off to the Dimebag Darrell stage for AS I LAY DYING. These sounded pretty decent but were just too damn heavy for my taste. ANATHEMA were next with an alarming brand of Ginger Rock accompanied by a woman in a floral print dress – very metal!

After seeing the first half of the surreal Anathema It was off to the main stage for BOWLING FOR SOUP. These were a great act for the main stage in the afternoon as they were just out to have fun and encourage the crowd to do likewise, including the welcome request for female flesh. Hooray for Boobies!!!

Over in Tuborg it was time for LEZ ZEPPELIN. The name alone told us these should be worth seeing. They were far above a novelty act, however, playing superbly and making you wonder whether Whole Lotta Love should have had a female lead in the first place. A definite must when the album comes out next month and the only criticism was that it wasn’t long enough – I could have watched these for twice as long.

Back on the main stage and it was time for MARILYN MANSON. I’m not a great fan and it’s more theatre than Rock N’ Roll but I enjoyed it all the same and he at least looked as if he believed he belonged on the main stage playing second fiddle to the main act, something Velvet Revolver and Evanescence never really managed.

Then came the hardest decision of the Festival. I chose MOTLEY CRUE over Linkin Park because I knew without doubt I’d enjoy it and was not disappointed. It was like a greatest hits album and although it may be due to the amount of beer, I can remember only one song released later than the early 90s (Sick Love Song). Great hits like Dr Feelgood, Live Wire, Home Sweet Home (Lighters out!) and Primal Scream – to name a few – came fast and furious and were only interrupted by the need for Tommy Lee to come out from behind the drums to encourage the crowd with more than a few well placed f-words. They finished with Girls, Girls, Girls and Kickstart My Heart and you just wanted more – I’d say these guys were “still Kickin’ Ass”. Critics may say they’re milking it for all they can and to be honest they looked as if they knew they were but they didn’t try new material – just hit after hit for the festival crowd. I caught the end of LINKIN PARK and they sounded as if they were pretty good and filled the main stage well enough but sadly I can’t be everywhere at once and I’m not disappointed with my decision.

THINGS THAT PASSED OVERHEAD ON DAY 2: More planes, a few nearly empty plastic bottles and my own arse when I went A.O.T. on the way out – still, it was dark so I’m sure no one noticed, I think I got away with it!!!

For me Day 2 was about Lez Zeppelin and especially the Crue – 15 years ago they’d have been headlining which I doubt they would have got away with now but the crowd still loved every minute and the smile never left Vince Neil’s face.

DAY 3
More Burritos and new Iron Maiden T-Shirts and we were all set for day 3, which for me started with PAPA ROACH on the main stage. If all the bands on the main stage had have worked the crowd like these guys it truly would have been an amazing festival. Tireless in their efforts to get the crowd going and playing fast and loud, these were definitely for me a band that have gone up more in my estimations than any other. I wasn’t a great fan before but now I’ll certainly make an effort to listen to them more as they just acted as if they belonged – a rare feat.

A number of bands then passed by in a bit of a blur. DEVIL DRIVER was interesting. They were full of energy and very entertaining, especially the stunt of moving the crowd back only to have them charge at each other when the next song started. Remember kids – “we’re all family, so if anyone falls, pick ‘em up”. Didn’t hear of any deaths but I suspect the first aid tents got busier. Next up was ORANGE GOBLIN who I only heard from a distance though Jon was impressed. I’ve already forgotten PARADISE LOST, they made that little impression and then it was just a wait for a band I really wanted to see.

What can I say about WITHIN TEMPTATION? I love the albums, expected them to be good live but it turned out to be the biggest disappointment of the festival. Technical problems reduced the set to 15 minutes and that just wasn’t long enough. I don’t think it was really their fault and there was enough evidence in the 4 tracks they played to suggest they are worth another chance. They return to the UK later in the year and I’m sure I’ll be there – it just didn’t happen today.

Then back to the main stage for the big two acts that I came to see. First let me say EVANESCENCE didn’t disappoint. The music was well executed and Amy Lee’s voice was clear and powerful. The downside was that they seemed aware of the fact that some of the crowd were only getting into position for Maiden and seemed daunted by it. Bigger acts than these have received worse treatment at Donington in the same position and I thoroughly enjoyed the music which is what I was interested in – if only some others felt the same.

THINGS THAT PASSED OVERHEAD ON DAY 3: More planes, an inflatable penis and, in the wait between Evanescence and Maiden, a million nearly full plastic bottles. I had to explain to the young girl next to me that there was really no need to sniff the contents of the offending bottle - the fact it wasn’t warm told her all she needed to know!

So last up, IRON MAIDEN. What can we say? They started off with a number of tracks off A Matter Of Life And Death, which didn’t really get the crowd off to the flying start they could have done. I suspect most Maiden fans know what they want to hear and I suspect, like me, it isn’t most of the new stuff. By halfway though we were at full pace and from then it was relentless until the end. I’d made up my mind years ago that Number Of The Beast was my favourite album so it was pleasing to see virtually everything off this album was played, excepting, bizarrely, 22 Acacia Avenue. Run To The Hills, Fear Of The Dark, The Trooper and 2 Minutes To Midnight are always going to be crowd pleasers and they finished on my personal favourite Hallowed Be Thy Name so for that I’ll forgive them the fact that they want to play their newest stuff early. Easily the only band of the three days that could truly carry the main stage with such force and makes you wonder if the days of the big metal bands like these is coming to an end. I loved it; the rest of the crowd seemed to as well although I suspect Billy Talent didn’t enjoy playing against them in the other arena – Maiden were PURE CLASS.

Day 3 – belonged to Maiden – enough said!

Top 5ish Bands of the Festival:
Iron Maiden – Awesome.
Motley Crue – The more I look back the more I realised how much these guys rocked.
Evanescence – Great music, just need more belief.
My Chemical Romance – No great depth of material but the stuff they played was always entertaining.
The Hedrons and Lez Zeppelin – small bands, smallest stage, great atmospheres.

EDIT 23/7/07: Here's a photo of the guest bloggers. Cheers guys!

Download 2007

I spent this weekend at Donington Park at the Download Festival. Rather than write up my thoughts on the festival, I've 'employed' some guest bloggers to do their reviews of the festival.

Here's the first from Jonboy:

"Download 2007 - three days, ninety-six bands and four muppets with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of beer, donuts and burritos to bring you all the reviews...

Friday

Megadeth
So I was a bit worried about seeing Megadeth. Whilst their early stuff is still some of my favourite metal, they had recently turned out a number of really sub-standard albums. Still, the last album indicated a bit of a return to form, so I was happy to give them a go. Anyway -turns out I needn't have worried. Megadeth rocked Donnington with a mixture of mainly 'Rust in Peace' material and some new stuff - whilst deftly avoiding the numerous duds that now little their back catalog.They were awesome and the crowd loved 'em. 9/10

Dragonforce
My big concern with Dragonforce was whether their blisteringly fast playing would just end up distorted and muddied coming out of the main stage and sadly that was often the case. The guitarist from Hong Kong was amazing, and I suspect the other guitarist was too - but I couldn't hear him properly. Still - despite that they did great - I'd just like to see them in a smaller venue with better sound. 7/10

Paramour
Me and Tim's trip to get some beer lead us in to see Paramour in the Dimebag Stage. Pretty middle of the road emo punk band from the States with a pop sound that I'm sure will prove a big hit with angst ridden teenagers everywhere. Anyway - they were going down pretty well - but not really my cup of tea. 7/10

Hayseed Dixie
Having heard a couple Hayseed Dixie rock song covers in their trademark country and western style, I thought they would be a 'must see' of the festival. However, after arriving outside the tent and listening to a couple of their songs the novelty factor soon wore off and I decided to go elsewhere. A couple of rock tracks done in a country style is amusing. A whole concert? Hmmm..... 6/10

Velvet Revolver
I quite like Velvet Revolver's album - it's pretty good. But they really need to sort their stage show out. They were weak at Live 8 and they were weak here too. Lead singer Scott Weiland comes over not so much as a rebel but more as a complete prat. The world has moved on from Guns and Roses and The Stone Temple Pilots. Velvet Revolver need to move on as well. 7/10

My Chemical Romance
It's easy to see why no one likes MCR. Their manufactured image is that of the outsider, of the kid that doesn't fit in. The irony is that they seem to want to play that image alongside being an extremely successful rock band. And the result is that they just come over as being somehow phoney. And lead singer Gerard Way doesn't help with all his preaching about how he feels the pain of not fitting in. For all that the music was fine, although again they didn't endear themselves to the crowd by not playing a full set. 7/10

Saturday

Anathema
Otherwise known as 'the band that turned up by mistake' - fronted by three Mick Hucknall look-a-likes. Actually they weren't too bad, but by no feat of the imagination were they heavy metal. They did finish of the set with a rousing rendition of Hurt by Nine Inch Nails -although sung very much like the Johnny Cash version. 7/10

Lez Zeppelin
A Led Zeppelin cover band consisting of four lesbians sounds like a bit of a gimmick. But these gals from New York sounded fantastic. In fact it wasn't until I heard them that I realised how suited Led Zepplin is to a female vocalist, especially during the semi-improvised voices parts such as in the middle of 'Whole Lotta Love'. They were great and I could have listened to them for much longer than the half-an-hour they were given. 9/10

Bowling for Soup
Seems every festival has one - the average band who's inter-song banter is like a second show going on at the same time. These guys reminded me a bit of 'NOFX' at Reading - the band who famously had an argument on stage when one of the songs ground to a halt half-way through. The songs were your average punk-rock fare, but the guys infectious sense of fun and pursuit of 'boobies' had the crowd on side from the start. 7/10

Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson was pretty much exactly what I expected. And you get the impression that his shows normally involve a lot of theatrics. However, stripped of a large part of that on a festival stage you felt you were only getting a part of the Manson experienced. Still he rocked along nicely and kept the crowd entertained. 7/10.

Linkin Park
Linkin Park were a bit of a last minute decision over the "Motley Crue for a laugh" alternative. Three quite different albums had got me wondering if I actually liked Linkin Park's sound. Or indeed what that sound actually was. But their performance was excellent. And although I sensed they were a bit nervous at the start, by the end I was thoroughly satisfied that I had opted for them over The Crue. Plus the lead singer IS my mate Peanut. Great stuff. 8/10

Sunday

Papa Roach
I love Papa Roach and their set certainly didn't disappoint. Front-man Jacoby Shaddix certainly knows how to work the crowd and put so much effort in, that despite their early billing, they soon had the crowd jumping around with them. Even if some of the more elderly members of the crowd (Tim) were complaining that it was too early in the day to be doing anything energetic! Great. 8/10.

Devil Driver
Whilst being a bit heavier than I normally like, Devil Driver already had the Dimbag Stage going mental by the time we got there. Not satisfied with the two cycle-pits he had going already, front-man Dez Fafara decided it would be fun to clear a huge open area in front of the stage and then let half the audience charge into it when the last song started. Not surprisingly the ensuing mosh was carnage. Ever-caring Dez did issue a would of caution - "If someone falls over- pick them up." Thanks Dez. 7/10

Orange Goblin
I was actually outside the Dimebag stage having a drink with Tim when I overhead this band and decided to check them out. Inside the tent they sounded great, with a kind of Motorhead meets Black Sabbath type sound. Gotta say - one of the 'discoveries' of the weekend. 8/10

Paradise Lost
My mate Pit once told me that all the best Goth-rock bands come from Yorkshire. Hmm... you sure about that? Paradise Lost really need to ditch their front man Nick Holmes. He's just useless. I know it's Goth and he's not supposed to be the most cheerful bloke in the tent - but seriously - the guy has all the charisma of a soggy donut. That, coupled with the fact you could barely hear him for half the set, made his presence on stage doubly pointless. The rest of the band did fine, pumping out their middle-of-the-road goth-rock sound. 7/10

Within Temptation
...and welcome to Oly, who I guarantee has just scrolled down past all the other reviews to read this one first. (Hello BTW). Okay - here's the deal - I think they were just unlucky. What ever the technical problem that delayed them playing and reduced their set to fifteen minutes was, I am sure that would have played more if they could. I have to confess that my already battered ears couldn't pick out any problems with their sound, and indeed the songs they did play I thought sounded great. 9/10

Evanescence
Ok - here is my problem with Evanescence. Wrong band, on the wrong stage, at the wrong time. Evanescence should have headlined the Dimebag Darell Stage - that place is smaller, better suited and had a great atmosphere - and I am sure they would have gone down a absolute storm as alternative to Maiden playing on the main stage. Hell even the soggy donut front man of Paradise Lost managed to get the crowd going in there and Evanescence were waaaay better than them.

However, by going on the main stag as warm up to Maiden, they had a large, hostile crowd to win over - a large proportion of whom were there only to see Maiden anyway. And you could tell that they were on the defensive from the start with comments from Amy Lee herself about whether they deserved to be there.

That said the set was flawless and sounded great. It's just half the crowd weren't interested. Still... 8/10.

Iron Maiden
What can you say. Maiden playing at home. They rock. We loved 'em. 9/10."

A couple of points on Jonboy's review:

• Firstly, for those of us actually in the tent for Hayseed Dixie, the audience lapped it up. As the band pointed out it's unlikely that any other band would get away with playing both Download and the Cambridge Folk Festival in the same year...


• Secondly, thus far the members of Lez Zepplin have carefully avoided answering questions on their sexuality. The band's name, may just be a clever play on words...


• I have to agree with Jonboy that Evanescence would probably have been better headlining on the Dimball Stage - I for one would have chosen them over Maiden! (They and My Chemical Romance were my main reasons for attending Download. Are those cries of "Sacrilege!" I hear?)

Here's a second rundown of the weekend's acts from Tim:

"Yeah great weekend. Thoroughly enjoyed every minute. So good to let our hair down :)

Back to the daily grind today has been a shock to the system. I should have had 5 pints, 2 hotdogs and 5 dognuts by now.

Here are some comments on the bands I think I saw...

Paramore
- erm, can barely remember now but it was great to get some early atmosphere from that stage with the bar conveniently placed - nice one

Megadeth
- Job done with some precision playing and a alternate mix of new stuff and favourites from Rust in Peace and Peace Sells.... Could have done with a longer set and I would definitely like to see them on tour. Possibly deserved to be higher up the lineup.

Dragonforce
- Didn't disappoint in reproducing the fast licks from the album with some showmanship thrown in from the Hong Kong guitarist. Great vocals as well.

Velvet Revolver
- Was fairly hammered by the time they took to the stage so can't remember much. Seem to recall Slash & co. doing a good job as always.

My Chemical Romance
- A bit squeaky clean, a bit all over the place and not enough material to headline. Not particularly impressed.

As I Lay Dying
- erm, can't remember.

Anathema
- Daft name, take themselves too seriously and some dubious Mick Hucknall haircuts. Nice vocals from Mick's Mum though. They can play but I would never listen to them.

Lez Zeppelin
- oh yes. Definitely good viewing close up and you can feel the hormones coming off the stage. Great renditions of the old classics. Shame they didn't get longer. Would like to see live again....soon :) One of the Saturday highlights.

Bowling for Soup
- definitely what you need during a festival, especially after Anathema. A bit of American rock interspersed with light-hearted banter and a booby show. Great stuff.

Marilyn Manson
- Chick band.

Linkin Park
- Started off a bit ropey but definitely improved and were probably one of the best acts on all weekend. Great variety and vocals with solid backing. Damn good. The first band I listened to on the way home.

Papa Roach
- The up tempo tracks are great. Stay clear of the slower ones. 10/10 for effort though. The lead really goes for it and good to see him giving something back to the crowd.

Devil Driver
- Best orchestrated mosh up of the weekend. "If someone goes down, pick the f**ker up". Great entertainment, from a safe distance :)

Orange Goblin
- not bad. Worth a listen.

Paradise Lost
- Lost momentum in between tracks but also not bad. Didn't really entertain.

Within Temptation
- Shame they lost time up front and had to cut the set short. Despite that, were loved by the faithful fans.

Evanescence
- I guess you either like 'em or you don't. Too much of the same for my liking and a nervous performance didn't help. They did better than most will probably give them credit for.

Iron Maiden
- well you know you're getting with Maiden and they didn't disappoint. Plenty of the older stuff thrown in although it's a little predictable. Total carnage up front and managed to get within about 6 people of the barrier - I've now decided this is the only way to see Maiden. A true headline act which I think we're running a bit short of these days."

Mobile Phone Warnings

Now this is the sort of thing they should have running at the cinema before the film...

Pirates Ahoy!

Just a few days until we find out whether the 'Pirates' trilogy goes the way of 'The Matrix'...

Here's hoping not!

Eurovision 2007

With Switzerland's "Vampires Are Alive" being knocked out in the semi-finals, tonight I'll be supporting Bulgaria's offering "Voda (Water)" by Elitsa Todorova & Stoyan Yankoulov.

28 Weeks Later

I had mixed feelings going into the preview screening of "28 Weeks Later". On one hand I really enjoyed "28 Days Later" - a fresh take on the zombie movie - and I really liked the trailer for this film. On the other hand, I was aware that the original creative team (Danny Boyle & Alex Garland) were only on board as Executive Producers, none of the original cast were in the film and that the directorial reigns had been handed over to someone with relatively little directing experience - Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. It had potential disaster written all over it!

Fortunately shortly after the film started, I realised all my fears were for nought. The claustrophobic opening sequence - a group of survivors (including Robert Carlyle's Don) holed up in a cottage - sets the heart racing and lets you know what's in store... (Giving you a reminder of how terrifying the 'infected' are!) After this initial adrenalin shot, the pace slows down in order to set the scene for the film: Britain was ravaged by the Rage epidemic, the infected have died of starvation, the US Army has moved in to start clearing up the mess, in the process they've created a quarantined repopulation zone for the few survivors in London's Docklands.

However, just as everything starts to seem rosy - Don is reunited with his children (Imogen Poots & Mackintosh Muggleton) who were abroad when the virus hit - it appears that the infection isn't as dead as everyone hoped...

From here on, the film becomes one long adrenaline-fueled roller-coaster ride.

"28 Weeks Later" is to "28 Days Later" what "Aliens" was to "Alien"; there's a lot more action in this film than the original, but it still retains the feeling of being part of the same story. The film manages to crank up everything that I enjoyed from the original - the 'infected' seem more vicious (enhanced by Fresnadillo's documentary-style direction), the shots of a deserted London are much wider in scope (the main characters have to travel from the Docklands to the new Wembley Stadium avoiding packs of 'infected' and over-zealous military-types) and it's held together with John Murphy's score which replays themes from the original film. The cast are great; I have yet to see Carlyle in something I haven't enjoyed, Rose Byrne (fresh from "Sunshine") is good as an American doctor, but kudos should go to Poots and Muggleton, the film's real stars, who really shine in their roles.

Having sat through four days of horror films at 'Dead By Dawn', I can safely say that "28 Weeks Later" is as good as the best films I saw at the festival; Fresnadillo knows how to write and direct a great action horror film. Boyle has (jokingly?) talked about the possibility of "28 Months Later", if that's the case I'll be back for another visit to the apocalyptic nightmare that they've created...

Film Of The Month - April: Sunshine

This month I've been torn between 'Sunshine' and 'The Lives Of Others', both which I really enjoyed for different reasons.

Unlike the previous 'Film Of The Month' posts, I hadn't decided which was going to 'win' until I started the post. In the end I've gone with 'Sunshine' purely because it's rare that you get a well-made sci-fi film that's based around character rather than spectacle.

I had planned on catching 'Sunshine' a second time at the cinema but that never happened, I'm now looking forward to watching it when it comes out on DVD.

Dead By Dawn 2007 - Shorts

I've spent the past couple of days in Edinburgh for the 'Dead By Dawn' Horror Film Festival. Had a great time and I'll run through the highlights of what I saw in two parts, starting with the festival's short films:

Hitch - A serial killer gets a surprise... (You can see it on AtomFilms)

It Came From The West - My favourite short of the weekend mixing zombies and Westerns with puppets to hilarious effect. The phrase "weak pisser" has now entered my vocabulary. You can see more of this madness at http://www.zombiewestern.com/.

L'Instant Avant - The one short I didn't watch... This short smashed through my comfort barrier and right out the other end! Once I could tell the direction it was heading, my eyes were firmly shut... I can tell you that it involved coat-hangers and elicited quite a vocal reaction from the audience... I opened my eyes again when the applause finished. (If you're braver than me, watch it on AtomFilms. They label it 'Mature', you have been warned...)

Monster - What happens if there really is a monster in the closet? (You can see it on AtomFilms)

The Love Craft - A funny little spoof of TV's "The Love Boat" meets Cthulhu, in the same vein as the spoof trailer for "The Shining" as a rom-com that's on the net.

Far West & Carlitopolis - Two inventive shorts from French 'animator' Luis Nieto, to say any more would spoil the surprise. (You can see the latter on YouTube)

Cutting Edge - The festival's short film competition. The winning film was "The Fifth", which highlights the difficulties some people have in trying not to mix business and pleasure. There were some other great entrants including "Mime Massacre" (does exactly what it says on the tin - yay! http://www.mimemassacre.com/), "Nose Hair", "Blind Man's Alley", "Lump" and "Anaesthesia" (the last two would make you think twice about going to the hospital for surgery any time soon...)

The Lives Of Others

Directly after the visual 'excesses' of "Curse Of The Golden Flower", comes a film that couldn't be any more different... Set in 1984 East Germany, "The Lives Of Others" is full of muted browns and greys.

This critically acclaimed political thriller (meaning I won't be able to add anything about the film that you won't already have read), written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, beat "Pan's Labyrinth" - one of the films that made my 2006 Top Ten - to the 2007 Best Foreign Film Academy Award. It comments on the extent and methodology of surveillance that the Stasi employed to keep tabs on East Germany's populace during the height of the Communist era. Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe) is loyal Stasi agent who starts doubting his work when he is ordered to monitor a playwright and actress couple (Sebastian Koch & Martina Gedeck) who are suspected of having Western leanings, but then learns that they are under surveillance because a member of the Party elite is attracted to the actress and wants the playwright out of the way.

I watched this film on a Sunday afternoon, which is usually a disastrous time for me to watch films as I have a tendency to snooze through them. It's testament to the power of "The Lives Of Others" that I was engaged from the start to the end of its over 2 hour long running time, not once did I feel like 'closing my eyes for bit'. The film starts with a chilling classroom scene, where the tutor explains the tricks that can be used to prove a suspect's guilt during interrogation, from that moment I was hooked. I found the film both gripping and moving, this is largely down to Mühe's performance as Wiesler; a man who desperately tries to protect the couple that he is under pressure from his superiors to dig up dirt about.

Curse Of The Golden Flower

"Curse Of The Golden Flower" is the last 'segment' in director Zhang Yimou's wuxia trilogy, the previous two films "Hero" and "House Of Flying Daggers" were films big in spectacle and this is no different.

Set in 10th Century China, the film follows the political machinations of various members of the royal family and household as they vie against each other in a power struggle in the lead up to the Festival Of The Chrysanthemum; the Emperor (Chow Yun Fat) is slowly poisoning the Empress (Gong Li), she's having an affair with her stepson, he in turn is sleeping with one of the servants, meanwhile his brothers are being sucked in, to varying degrees, to a number of plots to overthrow the Emperor.

"Curse Of The Golden Flower" is one of the most colourful films I've seen for some time. The palace interiors are a riot of colour - vivid colours 'tastefully' contrasted with gold... The word 'garish' springs to mind! One of my big problems with "House Of Flying Daggers" was that it was slowly building towards a giant battle at the end of the film, but this disappointingly never materialised. "Curse Of The Golden Flower" goes some way towards redressing the balance by staging battles that wouldn't have looked out of place in Peter Jackson's "Lord Of The Rings" trilogy. There is a fight between soldiers and ninjas, which is quickly followed up by a battle between two armies - one in gold armour, the other in silver. Throw in some blood and chrysanthemums and you have another colourful feast for the eyes on the screen.

While the screen is bright, the film itself is dark. It feels very Shakespearean, while watching it I was constantly reminded of such tragedies as 'Macbeth', 'King Lear' and 'Hamlet' - this link is strengthened through comparisons with Kurosawa's takes on Shakespeare: "Throne Of Blood" and "Ran". As the film plays out you can foresee the bloody mess that will be left at the end. No character is truly innocent, each of them plays a part in their own downfall.

It's the strength of the lead performances that stops the film from feeling like a shallow melodramatic spectacle. Chow Yun Fat is an actor who I've liked ever since I saw John Woo's "The Killer" on video during the early 90s*, here he is utterly convincing as the ultra-cool but ultra-brutal Emperor - in fact he's so cool in this film that even his hair gets its own 'billow whoosh' moment. I've never been too sure about Gong Li as an actor before, but I've been prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt and put it down to the material rather than her; she seemed like the weakest link in "Miami Vice" as Colin Farrell's love interest - however female characters tend to be poorly served by Michael Mann - and she wasn't great in "Hannibal Rising", but then, little was... In "Curse Of The Golden Flower" she proves why Zhang has chosen her as his leading lady before, she gives a suitably understated performance as the Empress who wants to overthrow the Emperor and install her son on the throne before she succumbs to the poison slowly destroying her mind, while at the same time unable to act overtly.

If you're looking for a piece of ripe melodrama to 'brighten up' an afternoon, especially if you've enjoyed Zhang's earlier films, you'll enjoy "Curse Of The Golden Flower". You may want to take some sunglasses for the interior scenes though...


*Thanks HJ!