The Messengers

I had really hoped to see "The Messengers", being a fan of The Pang Brothers' earlier work (they wrote and directed the Hong Kong horror film "The Eye" - and its sequels - and Danny Pang worked on the "Infernal Affairs" series). However, time constraints got in the way of me getting around to see it.

Upon reflection this may have been a lucky break, as I received the following review from a friend, who didn't mind me posting it:

"Word to the wise…. caveat emptor!!

IMHO even using your ‘free’ unlimited card you will regret the loss of 1¾ hours of your life with this incredibly poor film. I appreciate that many ‘horror’ films follow well worn genre templates but you would expect the writers/directors to at least attempt a new angle on familiar plot themes or some clever visuals etc. This film didn’t have anything to lift it out of soul destroying mediocrity. It wasn’t even remotely scary, mainly relying on occasional shock tactics (sudden edits with pumped up sound etc) to wake you out of your stupor. And the lame ‘plot twist’ could be spotted a mile off!"

The Hills Have Eyes II

A squad of National Guard trainees are dispatched to deliver supplies to a group scientists working on a top secret mission in the New Mexico desert. They arrive to find the scientists missing...

Over the next 90 minutes, the soldiers are slowly picked off one by one in a series of gruesome ways by the mutants that live in the desert.

There isn't any depth to this sequel of a remake, despite the script being co-written by Wes Craven (the writer and director of the 1977 original). The direction is pretty bland, in fact the teaser trailer has more directive creativity than the film. The majority of the enjoyment comes from guessing who's going to die next and who is going to survive.

[SPOILER] It came as no surprise to find that the cute blonde and the 'anti-war' soldier made it through the film, while the sergeant was one of the first to die. [END SPOILER]

Sunshine

"Our Sun is dying; mankind faces extinction. Sixteen months ago I, Robert Capa, and a crew of seven left Earth frozen in a solar winter. Our mission: Reignite the Sun before it's too late."

That's the basic premise and introduction of 'Sunshine', the new film from Danny Boyle ('Shallow Grave', 'Trainspotting' and 'The Beach') and Alex Garland; the team who previously brought "28 Days Later" to the screen. The crew of the Icarus II are on a mission to create a new star by detonating a stellar bomb in the heart of our dying Sun. Once outside of radio contact with the Earth, the crew pick up a distress signal from the Icarus I, the craft sent out to carry out the very same mission seven years earlier but which mysteriously disappeared. After some discussion, the crew decides to divert from their mission and dock with the Icarus I - two bombs are better than one - with disastrous consequences...

'Sunshine' has similar tropes to 'Alien' and 'Event Horizon' (sci-fi horror) but with the emphasis on sci-fi rather than horror, while at the same time it bears similarities with sci-fi disaster films such as 'Armageddon' and 'The Core' (a team of people out to save the planet). There are many things you can point at from other films - computer with soothing female voice, abandoned spaceships, mysterious distress signals - the influence of 'Alien' is writ large throughout this film. However, what rescues 'Sunshine' from being utterly derivative is its execution. In the same way that '28 Days Later' wasn't 'just another zombie movie', 'Sunshine' isn't 'just another sci-fi horror/disaster movie'. The Icarus II is beautifully realised both internally and externally; the film often cuts from exterior shots of the craft in the darkness of space to the bright but claustrophobic interiors. The sound of the film is great from both the sound design (which generated some great rumbles from the cinema's sub-woofers) to John Murphy & Underworld's score. The performances are uniformly strong, with honours going to Chris Evans, proving he can do more than his brash Johnny Storm in 'The Fantastic Four' (in fact I didn't recognise him initially behind a beard and long hair), Rose Byrne, who provides the film's 'heart', and Michelle Yeoh in a nicely understated performance as the biologist in charge of the ship's 'oxygen garden'.

I found 'Sunshine' a really enjoyable and tense film, from the point where the Icarus I's distress signal is picked up the tension in the film keeps building; I had high expectations going into the film and the filmmakers delivered on them. It may lose its way a little at the end (going into any more detail here would spoil the film), but the journey there by far makes up for its final reel failings.

War, Inc. Trailer

I stumbled upon a trailer (and teaser poster) for a film called "War, Inc."

Starring John Cusack this looks like it might be the much vaunted 'unofficial sequel' to "Grosse Pointe Blank". I'm hoping "War, Inc." will be as enjoyable as "GPB", only time will tell...

See what you think.

Film Of The Month - March: 300

After last month, where I was spoiled for choice for 'Film Of The Month', March has proven a little easier in that I didn't see much that really inspired me...

However, despite its flaws - most notably a Spartan politics subplot that didn't appear in the original comic - I enjoyed the visual and aural spectacle that was '300', so I'm making it March's 'Film Of The Month'.

(If it were 'Trailer Of The Month' things would be a lot tougher with 'Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End', '28 Weeks Later' and 'Sunshine' all looking really good!)

300

Based on Frank Miller's graphic novel of the same name, "300" tells the story of the Battle of Thermopylae, where a small force of Spartans battled against a Persian army that vastly out-numbered it. Although the Spartans were ultimately defeated, their sacrifice bought time for the Greeks to mass an army that would be able to stand up against the Persians.

Like "Apocalypto" earlier in the year, "300" is an action movie with a historical setting. And like "Apocalypto", it makes no pretense about being 100% historically accurate (although some of the film's more 'memorable' lines - "Tonight we dine in Hell!" for example - do come from classical sources). The film is stronger on action than it is on characterisation - the original comic is not Frank Miller's strongest piece of work when it comes to depth of character; it's partially inspired by the 1962 'sword & sandals' film "The 300 Spartans" which he saw as a child.

Director Zack Snyder (who previously brought us the remake of 'Dawn Of The Dead' - Romero's original concept of 'survivors in a mall' collides with the zombies from '28 Days Later') brings a visceral visual feast to the screen; heads and limbs are removed in glorious slo-mo, the Persian King Xerxes has a tent full of exotic sirens (rarely do you see credits for 'Transsexual Asian 1' or 'Long Neck Woman' at the end of a film), the Spartans are armoured in little more than leather thongs and cloaks. '300' has a 15 certificate, I'd be interested to know how violent a film has to be for an 18 certificate these days...

"300" is filmed using a technique that proved effective for an earlier adaptation of a Frank Miller graphic novel "Sin City". Actors were shot in front of a bluescreen and other visual elements were generated digitally and added in post-production, thus enabling the filmmakers to capture the distinctive feel of Miller's imagery. This give the film an appropriately 'other worldly' feel to it.

Although no flawless masterpiece, I enjoyed '300' for what it was; a big-screen blockbuster.

One thing I should add was that every time I saw (and heard) Gerard Butler as the Spartan King Leonidas I was reminded of Sean Connery's King Agamemnon in "Time Bandits", which has prompted me to give it a long-overdue repeat viewing.

Le Doulos

Took the opportunity to watch a 'rarity' on the big screen. Made in 1962 and described as an existential gangster film (or 'angster'* film), "Le Doulos" is a story of betrayal and revenge from Jean-Pierre Melville (who also made "Le Samouraï"); mixing together French new wave cinema and film noir.

Without going into too much detail of the plot (and thus spoiling it), Melville has concocted, from a novel by Pierre Lesou, a tale of two criminals trying to outwit each other with tragic consequences. "Le Doulos" (or "The Finger Man") has all the familiar trappings of film noir - men in hats and trenchcoats, dark shadows, double-crosses, femmes fatales - but has a certain French style to it, for example, every trenchcoat is immaculate and worn tightly fastened.

"Le Doulos" was an enjoyable evening's viewing and it was good to see a film of this age presented in the medium it was made for rather than on TV.


*Thanks Sam

Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End Trailer

Roll on 25th May!



(Assuming the film is as good as the trailer...)

Grain & The Dirty Backbeats

A night of local talent at The Maze.

Grain: I first saw Grain at last year's Drop In The Ocean - they played at Dogma wearing nothing but aprons! - this (if my addled memory serves me correctly) was the third time I've seen them live. Their musical style is described as "Kung fu hillbilly funk". As ever a fun and enjoyable set from them.

The Dirty Backbeats: First seen supporting Grain at The Maze last year, this time they were headlining. Watching The Dirty Backbeats play is "like going to the circus on acid!" Their lead singer needs to be seen to be believed - his performing style means that you are ever fearful that he'll topple off The Maze's minute stage! It's probably close to six months since I first saw them, but they left such an impression that their songs were instantly recognisable.

If you get a chance to see either of these acts, I'd wholeheartedly recommend it.

Quote of the night: "They ain't mainstream, but they're f**king brilliant!"

Sleeping Dogs

"Sleeping Dogs" is a black comedy about relationships and families. Amy (Melinda Page Hamilton) gets engaged to John (Bryce Johnson) and in the spirit of honesty - spurred on by her mother and a co-worker, neither of whom know the details of her secret - tells him of a teenage sexual indiscretion. The film then deals with the fallout of John's inability to deal with Amy's past.

What starts out as a comedy gets progressively darker; the laughs are slowly replaced with smiles and soon even they are a thing of the past. The film was overly long - it could have been covered in half the time just as effectively - and as it progressed I started being distracted by Goldthwaite's direction which, once the laughs had dried up, had a day-time soap 'quality' to it. Hamilton is engaging and sympathetic as Amy; had her performance been weak, the film would have been unbearable as she is in nearly every scene. However, the performance that lingers in the memory is Brian Posehn as the stoner Randy, who has some really nice lines including a bit about monkeys and midgets.

Moral of the film: Don't tell anybody about your teenage sexual experiments if they involved pets!