Archive for August, 2008

I’m one of the few who liked Paul W.S. Anderson’s Alien Vs Predator, so maybe I’ve got a higher than normal tolerance for crap films but this follow-up makes Anderson’s film look like a classic. It takes the slasher film mentality, i.e. spend the first half of the film introducing the victims and the second half killing them off, the only difference here is the bogeyman is extraterrestrial in origin. Whereas the first film had the Predator as (sort of) the good guy, here it’s a free for all with the humans caught in the middle, so think Freddy Vs Jason without the humour.

Full of stereotypical characters who follow predictable story arcs anyone who’s seen Friday the 13^th or any of its ilk will be able to predict who’s going to die. In fact we had more fun predicting who would be next to croak than we did watching the film. A lot more.

The Strause Brothers direction generates no tension or suspense, the action is poorly choreographed and it doesn’t even deliver on the gore front (even in this Unrated Cut). It’s sad to see just how far these once mighty monsters have fallen, let’s hope they leave them in peace now.

And the ‘twist’ ending was complete bollocks and made no sense at all.

For Dipa’s equally negative review click here.

This is the 2001 of ant movies! Part alien invasion part Animal Planet it has Nigel Davenport and Michael Murphy out in the desert trying to understand recent changes in ant behaviour and, in the end, find some way to communicate with them.

Director Saul Bass is best known for his revolutionary credit sequences, particularly for some of the Bond films, but here he crafts an intelligent SF film, with some amazing footage of the ants. In fact the ants are almost like characters themselves, and this is the only film I can think of where one cast member literally eats another.

 Davenport steals the acting honours, going a tad bonkers after one of the ants gives him a bite on the hand while Murphy is too emotionless, perhaps unsure what the hell it’s all about. Just what it is all about is open to interpretation but I’d love to see Bass’ original version with its trippy 2001 style ending. As it is though I’m just glad I’ve had to chance to see this again.

For a bugphobe’s perspectve read Dipa’s review here.

This original Godzilla film will come as a shock to anyone who’s only seen later entries in the long running series. The main difference is that the Big G we see here is very much the villain rather than the reluctant hero he would become. It’s also a much more serious film, with Godzilla an analogy for the American atomic bomb. It also asks how responsible a scientist is for his creation, coming down in favour of culpability.

There’s some good old-fashioned Godzilla mayhem too but it’s not as much fun as later films, we get to see the affect it has on people rather than just wholesale mass destruction. A worthy film but not one I’d consider a true masterpiece.  

You’ll find Dipa’s less enthusiastic opinion here.

Richard Matheson’s Tom Thumb for the atomic age is part character study, part action movie. The first half of the film focuses on Scott Carey’s gradual disintegration, both mental and physical and gets the audience to empathise with Carey, thanks to a terrific performance from Grant Williams. Then we’re thrown down the cellar with him, into a primal world where food must be won and life is threatened by a creature as fearsome as any horror movie monster, before ultimately reaching a philosophical climax that leaves the film with a note of optimism.

The set design is amazing, Matheson’s script, from his own novel, is literate and moving and Jack Arnold’s direction fuses them together to create a true science fiction masterpiece. This is probably my favourite ‘50s SF movies and one I never get tired of watching. Given how good he is here I’ve never understood why Grant Williams got stuck in B Movies and TV.

I think this is also the film that’s responsible for my fear of spiders.

You’ll find Dipa’s view here.

The day kicks off with a real classic. Groundbreaking special effects that still look good today, a unique score that’s more electronic bleeps than music but fits the film perfectly, and a cool monster – what more could you ask for? How about Leslie Nielsen as a proto-Kirk, he’s even got James T’s eye for the ladies, or Walter Pidgeon as mad scientist Doctor Edward Morbius, or one of cinemas most memorable robots in Robby? The only bum note is Anne Francis who lacks the innocence to make the Altaira character believable, coming across as a bit of a flirt.

You’ll find Dipa’s thoughts here.

Fast cars (and bikes) are the subject of this weeks viewing journal.

Torque
A film so over the top that it feels more like a spoof than a genuine attempt to do for motorbikes what The Fast and the Furious did for cars. Problem is it’s silly but not funny and ends up just being tedious.

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
Am I alone in thinking Lucas Black is cool? Maybe I am but he’s definitely the best thing in this second sequel to the 2001 hit, although it’s a sequel in name only, having no ties to the other films in the series (save for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo right at the end from Vin Diesel). Aimed at a younger audience, with a cast of twentysomethings playing high school kids, it’s The O.C. on wheels on holiday in Japan. If you’re under twenty you might love it, for anyone older it has little to offer but it’s still far better than John Singleton’s deadly dull 2 Fast 2 Furious.

The Diver
This is a great thriller from Walter Hill. Yes it could have been better, the part of The Driver has Steve McQueen written all over it, but it’s got some cracking car chases and a gripping game of cat and mouse between The Driver and The Detective. Ryan O’Neal, while lacking the McQueen cool does a good job in a part that’s a world away from the romantic dramas and light comedies that made his name. Bruce Dern, for a change on the right side of the law, is great as the cop who’ll stop at nothing to get his man. It may not be big on character but this is one of the best car movies ever made.