What I Just Watched?

I used to be a big fan of Stephen King's writings, and recall vividly reading The Mist, the novella upon which the film is based, and thinking that it would make a kick-ass horror flick. Well, I think someone was tapping into my brain, because they finally did do it! Thomas Jane stars as David Drayton, an artist living in Bridgton, Maine, a town which becomes enveloped in a strange mist following a violent storm. He and a few dozen others become trapped inside the local supermarket when the mist bears down upon them, and there's seemingly something lurking in the gloom outside... Frank Darabont adapted the story for the screen, and here he plays upon not only the supernatural horrors outside the building, but also the human horrors inside, brought upon the townsfolk by a religious zealot who manages to convince many others that this is the End of Days. Very few of King's works ever hit the mark (I challenge everyone to name five! :P), and I think this was one of them. It had me guessing right to the very last moment as to the eventual fate of those who made it out of the supermarket alive... Daz rating: :) :) :) :)

Doing Time For Patsy Cline (1st view) – Miranda Otto and Richard Roxburgh star in this 1997 Australian film. Part road movie, part prison drama, part country music film, it’s the story of would-be music star who wants to travel to America, who hitches a lift to the airport from Otto and Roxburgh. From there the film takes a Sliding Doors approach and moves in two different directions. Well-acted and with some fine music, but it’s quite a slight story – 3/5

Quantum Of Solace (1st view) – A fine follow-up to the excellent Casino Royale, and the Bond series remains refreshingly free of silly quips and wacky inventions. Daniel Craig has now firmly settled into the role and Olga Kurylenko is a great, if atypical, Bond girl. Basically one long chase film, with some astounding action scenes, but it suffers from the headache inducing editing so typical of modern action films. Gemma Atherton was a complete waste of space as well. – 4/5

Prince Of Darkness (1st view) – A Priest, a professor and a group of university students investigate a cylinder of green liquid. The liquid turns out to be Satan, and it begins to possess the group. This was John Carpenter’s 10th feature film, and it’s one of his worst. The rot began with his previous effort and he has yet to recover. Shame – 2/5

Escape To Athena (1st view) – At a POW camp in Greece during WWII, a group of prisoners break out and, with the help of local resistance fighters, attempt to destroy a nearby missile base. It’s a slightly comic boy’s own tale, and it has a great cast. David Niven, Roger Moore, Telly Sevalas, Elliot Gould. Trouble is, they’ve all been in similar, better films. Good fun though, and the opening tracking shot is stunning, puts many more famous one to shame – 3/5

Rabid (1st view) – Following a motorbike accident, Rose (Marilyn Chambers) undergoes radical new surgery. When she wakes from a coma, she’s hungry for human blood and goes on a feeding frenzy, and soon a zombie-like outbreak has occurred. A great little horror film from David Cronenberg, but don’t be eating while you watch! – 4/5

Untold Scandal (1st view) – This South Korean film is the third adaptation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses that I’ve seen (after Cruel Intentions and Dangerous Liasons). It’s also the weakest. It’s well shot and has decent performances, but struggles to keep any tension within the story – 3/5

W. (1st view) – Oliver Stone’s film about George W. Bush. I’ve heard this referred to as a satire, a straight biopic and an all-out comedy, and people’s opinion seems to differ depending on how they view it. It certainly lacks the intensity of Stone’s other presidential flicks (and the days of Stone using various shooting styles seem to unfortunately be a thing of the past as well). Josh Brolin is excellent in the title role though, and he’s backed by a fine cast, even if some actors barely get 5 lines to say – 4/5

My Wife’s Relations (1st view) – A language mix-up at a Polish courthouse leads Buster Keaton into marriage with a woman he met just minutes earlier. Her family all treat him horribly until they discover he’s about to inherit a fortune. More reliance on plot than some of Keaton’s other shoot films, this lacks the visual humour that marks him out and it feels a tad forced at times. Not bad, but he’s made much better films – 3/5 Death Of A President (1st view) – Fictional documentary that follows events before and after the assassination of President Bush. I love this kind of “what if” scenario, and the immediate aftermath of the shooting is excellently portrayed. The film loses focus once it shifts to themes of terrorism and racism, but overall this is gripping stuff – 4/5

Southland Tales (1st view) – Right then. Errm. *scratches head*. Pffft. Hmmm. Something about time travel. Er…. Mumble mumble. Eh? The Rock’s in it. Wha…? Utterly and terrifically confusing – 3/5

The Blacksmith (1st view) – Buster Keaton again, this time in a much better film. As the world’s most ineffectual blacksmith, he causes havoc with everything he comes across, whether it be covering a white horse in oil, totally destroying a car or knocking out his boss. Very funny – 4/5 The Wind and The Lion (2nd view) – A blend of real-life events and fiction, this 1975 film takes place in Tangiers with a Berber chief, Mulai Ahmed er Raisuli (Sean Connery) kidnapping an American woman, Eden Perdicaris (Candice Bergan). This sparks an international incicdent, with President Roosevelt (Brian Keith) using the situation to his advantage during re-election. If you can forgive Connery’s ever-present Scottish accent, this is a great adventure film, and all three leads are on top form. Great Jerry Gioldsmith score as well – 4/5

Gimli, what's your definition of 'just', as in 'just watched'? :D

Everything since my last post. I mean to update every day, but I always forget.

2nd time watching this,and it's still awesome... Unquestionably the best horror movie in at least 15 years,with one of the grimmest endings in Hollywood history. Why this flopped is a total mystery. Fantastic stuff. 5/5

I've no idea either. We watched it over the weekend and thought it was excellent. You could tell it was a Stephen King story :mrgreen:

I didn't realise it had flopped! I've heard nothing but praise about it. I must and will rent it this weekend.. Meanwhile...

Absolutly brilliant, I just love the way Guillermo del Toro unravels his stories, justs completes entraps you from the first scene to the last. Incredible characters who give us the best and highly convincing performances... loved it. 4.5/5

Heartwarming tale (based on a true story) about a family with an unusual pet - a cheetah named Duma. When the family has to move to the city, Duma finds it hard to adjust (naturally) and the son, Xan, decides to set his friend free. Cliched, yes, but moving all the same. And nothing moves like the bond between a child and its pet (be it dog, horse, or big cat!). Daz rating: :):):):)

Having recently re-read the book, and the autobiography of the man that the main character is based on, I felt compelled to watch this again - this time with a more objective eye. The book is a lot more raw and heavy-going, especially as the relationship between Annie and Tom develops. The film, however, cannot do this, and as such leaves a good portion of the book out of the script (especially the ending). That said, in a way, the film is actually rather good in that it doesn't get too heavy on the Annie/Tom relationship, but rather focuses more on Annie considering whether to give up on the life she's made as a busy New York magazine editor, for the simpler (yet no less demanding) life of a rancher's wife in Montana - and the decision she has to make between the two good men in her life. Having looked at it that way, I found I actually enjoyed it more than the first couple of times I watched it. Daz rating: :):):):)

Forget Batman, this is Tim Burton's classic. Edward, an inventor's creation with scissors and shears instead of hands, is adopted into a suburban family, and becomes an object of both fear and fascination to all around him. I don't think anyone else could have made the part as well as Johnny Depp - he brings a genuine vulnerability to Edward without using too much dialogue, simply expressing with his face and motions. Despite being a creature cobbled together from bits and pieces lying around the inventor's loft (a modern take on the Frankenstein story, if you like), you actually do feel very sorry for him, long before the end. You genuinely wish he could have a happy ending... Daz rating: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

Blood Simple (2nd view) - The first feature film the Coen brothers. I wonder if anyone at the time had any idea how successful they’d become further down the line? This isn’t one of my favourite of their films, but it’s certainly a reasonable debut. M. Emmet Walsh and Dan Hedaya are both suitably villainous, but it’s Frances McDormand who steals the acting limelight in her first film – 3/5

Iron Man (2nd view) - Rollicking comic book adventure, which balances perfectly its dry sense of humour with some adrenalin pumping action scenes. It's a more light-hearted affair than the likes of Hulk or Batman begins, yet far more substantial than, say, the Fantastic Four films. Robert Downey Jr. is excellent in the lead, and he's ably supported by Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard. It gets a little overblown near the end but this is great entertainment – 4/5

Eye Of The Needle (1st view) – Prior to directing Return Of The Jedi, Richard Marquand had a stab at this WWII spy film, an adaptation of Ken Follett’s novel. Donald Sutherland stars as Henry Faber, a German spy who has knowledge of the Allied invasion of Normandy, and makes his way to a Scottish island to rendezvous with a U-Boat. I’ll happily watch Sutherland in anything, and he’s good here as a murderous spook. Good support in the form of Ian Bannen as the policeman after Sutherland, and Kate Nelligan as a housewife whose family is threatened by his arrival at the island – 4/5

Priceless/Hors de prix (1st view) - Audrey Tautou and Gad Elmaleh star in this charming romantic comedy. She plays a gold-digger who woos rich men so they’ll lavish her with expensive goods. He plays a shy waiter who she mistakes for a millionaire, a mistake which leaves him penniless. The two leads are immensely watchable, and this often funny and witty film is refreshingly free of cloying sentiment – 4/5

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