"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men."
Everything that Roald Dahl wrote was complete and utter nonsense. But what incredible, beautiful, bizarre, fantastical nonsense to grow up reading, and having read to you!
Charlie and the Chocolate factory was, without a doubt, my favourite book as a child, and remains very high up on my list. 'Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory' was, although not completely true to the book, still very 'Dahlian', after all, Dahl wrote the screenplay as well.
In the film, Willy Wonka runs a chocolate factory. His ideas were of a genius never seen before, and so people tried to copy them. Wonka was infuriated, and so shut down the factory. Now, decades later, Wonka is reopening his factory, and allowing five people inside to see the magic, if they are lucky enough to find a golden ticket.
This film is dark. As a child, there were scenes in it that genuinely freaked me out. Dahl's stories often have a surreal edge to them, and this has been kept in the film. Any children's film that shows the decapitation of a live chicken clearly has guts to go aganst convention.
It is very hard to find fault with this film, and so I must direct you to a peice of trivia. How much better would the film be if Willy Wonka had been played by Roald Dahl's first choice for the role? Who was that? Spike Milligan.
VERDICT - IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME, THEY ALL BECOME BLUEBERRIES.
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
Ed Wood
"My friends, can your heart stand the shocking facts about grave-robbers from outer space?" Ed Wood, 1958.
Edward D Wood JR was the worst director of all time. I am not exaggerating that, or being blazé, he was actually voted the worst by a jury of his peers.
He created films about transvestism, alien plans to make people rise from their graves, more transvestism, naked vampires, and transvestism. Since the mid-1980s, his films have gained a huge cult following, especially 'Plan 9 From Outer Space', but there is no denying that this is because they are well and truly awful.
'Plan 9 From Outer Space' (1959) Trailer
As a truly cult director of strange creepy films, who better to direct his biopic than Tim Burton? He did just this in 1994, with the film 'Ed Wood'.
The film (shot entirely in black and white) tells the story of Ed Wood, from the first script he writes, to the release of his 'best' film, 'Plan 9 From Outer Space'.
The first film Wood made was 'Glen or Glenda', a film based on his real-life struggle with transvestism, which he had been involved in since childhood, even admitting that, during the Second World War, he had parachuted into action wearing women's underwear beneath his uniform.
Tim Burton was incredibly brave to film entirely in black and white, but it worked perfectly. It had the B-Movie feel that Wood movies all had, and despite having millions of dollars spent on it, winning dozens of awards in the process, it feels like a very quaint small movie.
The film contains just the right amount of comedy, while still remaining quite moving in places, and staying true to Wood's life. Of course, it has the 'Burtonesque' feel about it, but, with this subject matter, it works.
VERDICT - CUT! THAT WAS PERFECT!
Edward D Wood JR was the worst director of all time. I am not exaggerating that, or being blazé, he was actually voted the worst by a jury of his peers.
He created films about transvestism, alien plans to make people rise from their graves, more transvestism, naked vampires, and transvestism. Since the mid-1980s, his films have gained a huge cult following, especially 'Plan 9 From Outer Space', but there is no denying that this is because they are well and truly awful.
'Plan 9 From Outer Space' (1959) Trailer
As a truly cult director of strange creepy films, who better to direct his biopic than Tim Burton? He did just this in 1994, with the film 'Ed Wood'.
The film (shot entirely in black and white) tells the story of Ed Wood, from the first script he writes, to the release of his 'best' film, 'Plan 9 From Outer Space'.
The first film Wood made was 'Glen or Glenda', a film based on his real-life struggle with transvestism, which he had been involved in since childhood, even admitting that, during the Second World War, he had parachuted into action wearing women's underwear beneath his uniform.
Tim Burton was incredibly brave to film entirely in black and white, but it worked perfectly. It had the B-Movie feel that Wood movies all had, and despite having millions of dollars spent on it, winning dozens of awards in the process, it feels like a very quaint small movie.
The film contains just the right amount of comedy, while still remaining quite moving in places, and staying true to Wood's life. Of course, it has the 'Burtonesque' feel about it, but, with this subject matter, it works.
VERDICT - CUT! THAT WAS PERFECT!
Finding Nemo
Disney have always ruled the market in children's films. People of all ages define their childhoods by what films they remember. My parents remember films like 'Jungle Book'. A friend's father told me about being introduced to jazz from seeing 'The Aristocats'.
Personally I think I grew up at the best time for Disney movies, my memories lined with screenshots from 'The Little Mermaid', 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'Aladdin', but I am sure that you always think YOUR youth had the best films to grow up with.
It is sad to think that my children won't see any new hand-drawn and coloured cartoons from Disney, but they will have a hell of a replacement with the films of Pixar.
In 1995, Pixar made the first computer-animated feature film ever, 'Toy Story', and it was a hit of epic proportions. Since then, they have become more efficient, and bring out one film a year, compared to one every two and three, that have consistently topped the box office, and taken more money than any other animated film (and often any film at all) that year.
In 2003, Pixar raised the bar for all future animations with the excellent 'Finding Nemo'.
In the film, a fish named Marlin (voiced perfectly by Al Brooks) loses his son Nemo, who he has brought up alone after his wife and other eggs are eaten by a barracuda.
Marlin, with the help of a friendly but dim-witted friend Dory, explore the entire ocean to find Nemo (now you know where the title comes from), along the way meeting sharks, jellyfish, a hippy turtle, and many other cameos played by unbeleivably famous people in parts with just a handful of lines.
Of course, being a Disney film, it all turns out okay. Marlin finds Nemo and they save the day, by freeing some fish from a net.
The film is about as good as a children's film gets. It has so many jokes delivered with perfect timing, for kids and adults, and it has plenty of important lessons to teach children without being patronising.
If you haven't seen it (and I don't know how you could have managed not to) then please do. It will make you very happy.
VERDICT - GRAB A SHELL DUDE!
Personally I think I grew up at the best time for Disney movies, my memories lined with screenshots from 'The Little Mermaid', 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'Aladdin', but I am sure that you always think YOUR youth had the best films to grow up with.
It is sad to think that my children won't see any new hand-drawn and coloured cartoons from Disney, but they will have a hell of a replacement with the films of Pixar.
In 1995, Pixar made the first computer-animated feature film ever, 'Toy Story', and it was a hit of epic proportions. Since then, they have become more efficient, and bring out one film a year, compared to one every two and three, that have consistently topped the box office, and taken more money than any other animated film (and often any film at all) that year.
In 2003, Pixar raised the bar for all future animations with the excellent 'Finding Nemo'.
In the film, a fish named Marlin (voiced perfectly by Al Brooks) loses his son Nemo, who he has brought up alone after his wife and other eggs are eaten by a barracuda.
Marlin, with the help of a friendly but dim-witted friend Dory, explore the entire ocean to find Nemo (now you know where the title comes from), along the way meeting sharks, jellyfish, a hippy turtle, and many other cameos played by unbeleivably famous people in parts with just a handful of lines.
Of course, being a Disney film, it all turns out okay. Marlin finds Nemo and they save the day, by freeing some fish from a net.
The film is about as good as a children's film gets. It has so many jokes delivered with perfect timing, for kids and adults, and it has plenty of important lessons to teach children without being patronising.
If you haven't seen it (and I don't know how you could have managed not to) then please do. It will make you very happy.
VERDICT - GRAB A SHELL DUDE!
I know, I am sorry!
Two days running with no review! I am afraid I was still recovering from the 24 hour review-a-thon. Good news is that last night I slept for 14 hours, my internal clock appears to be running at GMT for the first time in ages, and I am going to make it up to you lovely lads and lasses with two reviews tonight.
A certain someone has been bothering me to do 'Finding Nemo', so that's first up, followed by the cult Johnny Depp film 'Ed Wood'.
Enjoy!
A certain someone has been bothering me to do 'Finding Nemo', so that's first up, followed by the cult Johnny Depp film 'Ed Wood'.
Enjoy!
Sunday, 15 March 2009
It ends...
Well, that's it! A 24 hour review-fest of epic proportions. 13 films in total I beleive?
I hope you have all enjoyed, and quite frankly, if you think I am going to be doing a review tomorrow, then you can sod off.
Goodbye!
I hope you have all enjoyed, and quite frankly, if you think I am going to be doing a review tomorrow, then you can sod off.
Goodbye!
Die Hard
Well, here we are people, our last review of the 24 hour film-fest. I know many people will be thinking "hang on, this is being posted at like, 10, 10.30, that' only 22 hours!" This is because the site saves the time I STARTED the review, and so the actual film and review ends at around Midday.
Anyway, on with the review. It's 1989, and all the kids in the playground are yelling 'Yippie Kiy Yay!'. That's right boys and girls, it's time for 'Die Hard'!
In Los Angeles, a Christmas party is held on the 30th floor of the Nakatomi Plaza office building. While the party is going on, downstairs, a group of German terrorists arrive and take the entire building hostage including its employees and attempts a huge robbery of over $600 million in bonds from the building's high tech vault. The only one who eludes capture is New York City Cop John McClane who launches a one man war in an attempt to stop the terrorists and save all hostages, including his wife Holly.
What takes place in just over 2 hours of film is such a great, textbook example of no-holds-barred, balls-to-the-wall dumb but fun violent action ever put on film. John McClane (Bruce Willis) slowly but violently works his way through around 30 bad guys (Really bad guys too. They have no redeeming features. Plus, they are those dirty foreign types too!).
It's not the kind of film you watch with your mum, but if you are looking for a film for having a few drinks with your friends, and want to end up yelling and cheering at the screen, then this is the film for you.
VERDICT - YIPPEE KIY YAY MOTHERF*%±ER!
Anyway, on with the review. It's 1989, and all the kids in the playground are yelling 'Yippie Kiy Yay!'. That's right boys and girls, it's time for 'Die Hard'!
In Los Angeles, a Christmas party is held on the 30th floor of the Nakatomi Plaza office building. While the party is going on, downstairs, a group of German terrorists arrive and take the entire building hostage including its employees and attempts a huge robbery of over $600 million in bonds from the building's high tech vault. The only one who eludes capture is New York City Cop John McClane who launches a one man war in an attempt to stop the terrorists and save all hostages, including his wife Holly.
What takes place in just over 2 hours of film is such a great, textbook example of no-holds-barred, balls-to-the-wall dumb but fun violent action ever put on film. John McClane (Bruce Willis) slowly but violently works his way through around 30 bad guys (Really bad guys too. They have no redeeming features. Plus, they are those dirty foreign types too!).
It's not the kind of film you watch with your mum, but if you are looking for a film for having a few drinks with your friends, and want to end up yelling and cheering at the screen, then this is the film for you.
VERDICT - YIPPEE KIY YAY MOTHERF*%±ER!
The Breakfast Club
1985 delivered us some amazing movies. It was the year of 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off', 'The Goonies', 'Stand By Me', 'Back To The Future', 'Rambo' and 'Cocoon'....cancel that last one. It also brought us the now legendary 'Breakfast Club'.
It tells the story of five teenagers, all of whom have been given a Saturday detention for various different reasons. They are instructed by the arrogant teacher in charge to write an essay about who they consider themselves to be. Instead, they learn more than they ever thought they would. They learn about each other. The popular girl (Molly Ringwald) learns how badly she has been treating the nerd (Anthony Michael Hall), and how a troubled life has led to the bully (Judd Nelson) knowing nothing more than his attention-getting ways.
I have to say, I chose this, and the final film (Die Hard) based entirely on the fact they are two of my favourite films, and I wanted to end the marathon on a high.
This film is so funny, so clever, so touching. It really was written with teenagers in mind, and when you are growing up, there is nothing like knowing that at least one person out there understands how you feel. If you haven't seen it, please do watch it, it really does have an affect on you.
The only small criticism I have of this film is the real change for the better that occurs in the group is instigated by the smoking of a hell of a lot of weed, which doesn't really set a good example for the younger viewers!
VERDICT - MESS WITH THE BULL, AND YOU GET THE HORNS
It tells the story of five teenagers, all of whom have been given a Saturday detention for various different reasons. They are instructed by the arrogant teacher in charge to write an essay about who they consider themselves to be. Instead, they learn more than they ever thought they would. They learn about each other. The popular girl (Molly Ringwald) learns how badly she has been treating the nerd (Anthony Michael Hall), and how a troubled life has led to the bully (Judd Nelson) knowing nothing more than his attention-getting ways.
I have to say, I chose this, and the final film (Die Hard) based entirely on the fact they are two of my favourite films, and I wanted to end the marathon on a high.
This film is so funny, so clever, so touching. It really was written with teenagers in mind, and when you are growing up, there is nothing like knowing that at least one person out there understands how you feel. If you haven't seen it, please do watch it, it really does have an affect on you.
The only small criticism I have of this film is the real change for the better that occurs in the group is instigated by the smoking of a hell of a lot of weed, which doesn't really set a good example for the younger viewers!
VERDICT - MESS WITH THE BULL, AND YOU GET THE HORNS
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