Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts

Friday 14 July 2023

Back To The Future - Future Proves Past

Monday 7 November 2022

The Rest Is History




It's a terrific time to be alive. An hour and twenty minutes plus 8 seconds from the BBC podcasts department on French Cinema? 

Sweet as.... 

Long form content is not only here, but it looks like it's a trend should we be of the right humours to seek it out...

And yet, in this manner an audio Princess nebulously, yet unmistakeably Lumiere in the face of blindness, co-opts the mise-en-scene, by parting the curtains and purposefully wondering on stage. 

While nobody is looking.

Who among us could have predicted an English woman, Muriel (Zhaga) speaks flawless French more beautifully and with a greater command of language, than any other French women you care, or dare not mention.

Her Giggle is melodic. Flawless timing too.

Sunday 31 October 2021

The Madness of King George - 1995



The most recognisable landmark in Southampton is a grade 1 listed building called the Bargate. It's part of the Norman walls in the centre of the town, intersecting the middle of the high street. The walls themselves are considered top three in the country. 

Above Bar is Upper High Street and Below Bar is Lower High street, with the Bargate itself acting as a divider for the two. Below Bar heads down to Southampton Water and Above Bar heads roughly northwards to London via the Avenue.

Nestled in the Southside of the Bargate is a curious statue of George III in Roman Emperor regalia, donated by the Marquis of Landsdowne. It's so odd to see a king who went mad, dressed like Caesar. It turns out the Marquis was quite a colourful character but the motivation for the design is still a mystery so I watched the 1995 movie about King George III.


It's worth pointing out to the 'I fucking love my country' crowd (what a brain dead and banal thing to declare), that the House of Hannover/Georgian Dynasty were as German as it gets, but by the time the Royal family are changing their name to Windsor, most English are so out of their depth on basic history that it's sensible to leave them rambling about a ball sport to outline their grasp of events including WWI, WWII and the EEC.

All it takes to fool the average Englishman on history is to rebrand the problem and they'll be on their knees licking the Royal shoe and turning a blind eye to their child raping mates like Lord Mountbatten of Romsey who introduced Sir James Savile to the Royals, or Archbishop Peter Ball and Jeffrey Epstein.

George III comes across as probably one of the finest kings I've dived into historically. Naturally, he's a typical royal and also tainted with losing the American colonies, but other than that he seems to have been a servant of the people, and aware enough to know his son, the Prince Regent wasn't up to the job. A bit like Queenie, soon-to-die, if she isn't on ice already, and Prince Charles who has global ambitions for his next promotion.

George III goes a bit mad and the best royal physicians are reluctant to inspect his stools and urine, even though they were the best indicators of the day. Fortunately for George a new physician is introduced and the tough-love method of care has quite an effect on the King who makes a recovery, thus preventing his obese and gluttonous son from grabbing the throne.

There's a lot to recommend in this film, but the high point for me are the costumes which are among the most varied and finest I've seen.

Sunday 17 January 2021

Beatriz at Dinner




In the past, I've lamented the lack of really good activist or pro-human movies

Beatriz at Dinner is a rare exception to the prevailing narrative and is a powerful movie starring Salma Hayek who we know in the past has broken the cardinal rule of Hollywood which is to never mention the genocide and land thieving in Palestine by the Israeli colonisers.

I was enjoying the expected tension of a woman's car breaking down and her wealthy massage client insisting she stay for dinner with the kind of people who are so impoverished that they only know how to compare their net worth. 

All this while boasting of their exploits living in a world of extraordinary wealth compared to the ordinary hard working families that prop up much of the rich.

There's an interesting philosophical morality question that flips the script at the end of this terrific movie, and though it didn't catch me by surprise, it did offer a shockingly stark contrast to the gentle Reiki healer, spiritual female and woman who only gives her energy to relieve the pain of others.

I like to point out from time to time that wealth creation is a key driver of human development and I'm fully in favour of that. However, there's a lot of creepy parasites at the top who only know that he who dies with the most toys, wins.

Tuesday 29 September 2020

New Extended Documentary - 2 & 1/2 hours of Kubrick



Warner Brothers, like every Hollywood studio is in deep trouble. 

When the masses discover how Hollyweird works it will tank, along with it's celebrity spunkdom, Faustian pacts and child raping directors including Spielberg and Woody who both appear in this new documentary, but obviously to airbrush Stanley's legacy when there's so much more to the man.

Kubrick was the Illuminati's film director and had access to a lot of information unavailable to most people before the internet. In this documentary I was reminded that Adrenochrome is mentioned in Clockwork Orange, in addition to the main theme of MK Ultra programming.

Kubrick took a lot of risks and may have paid the highest price. Or he might have just run out of being useful and thrown under a bus. One day we'll know.

Saturday 18 July 2020

Hollyweird - Obituary




It's been around 9 years since I first learned about the degeneracy and concentrated evil that props up Hollywood, or Hollyweird if you wish.

I had an inkling I might see the fall of the magic machine in my life. I hoped that would be coupled with exploding consciousness of the heinous practices that permeate the military, industrial, scientific, congressional and entertainment complex, but it was never a sure bet, and it has been a lonely journey.

Soul crushing for the greater part.

That's all changing now, and while it wont be on the horizon of mass media consumers, it will soon be on their doorstop and impossible to ignore.

I dedicate the Zapatilla track above to Hollywood and more importantly their unconscious consumers who are entertained to death for a wee while longer, as the gravity of how it really works sinks in.

Wednesday 1 April 2020

What Kind of Sophistry is this? - Man on the Moon - Jim Carey/Andy Kaufman





That Jim Carey, he's awesome said some, but by the end of the movie even lovable Jim Carey was just too damn weird. I enjoyed it thoroughly. It seemed to me that Andy Kaufman's entire schtick was to bleed real life onto the stage and the stage into real life.

By the end we're left wondering if everyone is a crisis actor in a hair brained scheme that has gone totally right or wrong, depending on your point of view.

Tuesday 31 March 2020

The Joker - 2019






We were disappointed.

Over hyped but still excellent.

A Man For All Seasons - 1966





Four and a half years ago I asked my Facebook connections for their best non Hollywood, film suggestions. One excellent proposal from Juanita Ann Richards, who has since deactivated her account is the above film.

It's an Henry VIII/Thomas Cromwell/Thomas More historical play that did well in the theatre till it was made for the cinema. Even then it went on to win a substantial amount of Oscars, but what captured my imagination was the Kubrick-esque baroque lighting (not Baroque lights) in the opening scenes which really are extra special.

As an historical piece, A man for all seasons, is an excellent education of the impending English reformation (and counter reformation after that).

Sunday 29 March 2020

The Irishman - 2019





About ten minutes into the movie I realised it was not going to satisfy me, but as I wasn't alone I thought I'd let it run and see if I could make it interesting. At first I concentrated on the sets, cars and costumes, but about 2/3 into the movie I could see it was an historically interesting movie given the mobs' involvement in JFK, Nixon and general affairs of the USA from the early forties through till the early 80's when mobster and Union chief Jimmy Hoffa went missing (murdered by the Irishman)

The film is populated with all the old stars of previous mobster movies, including Pacino, Keitel, Pesci and the degenerate scum Robert de Niro who wont be remembered fondly by the end of Trump's presidency. 

You can take that to the bank.

It does coalesce into and interesting narrative towards the end but in my view, this is the swan song to Italian mob movies as the informed researcher will already understand that Hollywood is largely responsible for portraying the mafia as Italian when the real handlers were the likes of Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel, The Bronfmans, Mossad, Sayanim and associated Israeli Terrorist Gangs and Politicians.



Saturday 28 March 2020

How The West Was Won - 1962




It's been quite a while since my last movie review in July 2019, but after an illicit walk in the New Forest yesterday, we settled down to 'one of the best Westerns ever made'. It's a star studded cast including Henry Ford, Henry Hathaway, James Stewart, John Wayne, Gregory Peck, George Peppard, Debbie Reynolds, Caroline Jones. Both women particularly fine examples of great looking actresses.

The musical score won an Oscar and demonstrates why a cracking score can uplift a great movie to another level.

"How the West Was Won", was one of the last movies shot in 3-camera Cinerama and is a screen ratio I enjoyed although we watched it in 16:9 ratio as we needed a bigger screen for older eyes to enjoy the detail and in a cinema it's designed for a curved screen, that projects sensational picture quality.

There are some scenes that are almost inexplicable in terms of special effects. I'm familiar with front and back screen projection techniques. The bison stampede is like nothing I've ever experienced on the big screen without CGI and lastly the train wreck scene uses back screen projection to a degree I don't think has ever been matched.

The principal nature of the plot is about the kind of doughty spirit that went westward finally settling in some of the most amazing scenery in the United States after many travails and tribulations. One family in the narrative is more city dwelling and the other has a more rural mindset. It's clear the genes of both these groups is evident in today's USA genome pool.

I never used to but since Q, I've believed in American exceptionalism for reasons that are relevant to this post but outlined elsewhere.

Tuesday 5 February 2019

The Man Who Wasn't There




We all know people who are curiously detached from empathy, and yet get on with their daily lives with little turbulence or commotion. It's not quite psychopathy, though technically or diagnostically it's not far off. 

I guess it's less predatory. Psychopaths are ever-vigilant for opportunities to exploit. 

Particularly people.

The Man Who Wasn't There is an excellent portrait of just such a person. It's not perfect in terms of logical progression of the script, but it's yet another Coen Brothers gem of a movie.

Thursday 31 January 2019

VICE




The movie VICE commences with the big lie. It's a lie so big that it's a back handed compliment to conspiracy researchers.

Most people wont know that on 9/11 Cheney didn't instruct the military to shoot down a plane headed for The Pentagon. In fact he did the opposite. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta heard Cheney say the following:


My initial impression, was that the movie was going to be a whitewash.

Not so.

VICE is an excellent portrait of the man. Cheney comes across as ruthless and single minded about war profiteering. No surprises there...

In contrast to this, it's clear he is also a loyal family man, who stood by his daughter, Mary Cheney, when she declared her lesbian proclivities in the 80's. In those days this was anathema to Conservative policy, as the transgender agenda was yet to commence.

VICE is an excellent movie with lots of little details that I wasn't previously aware, such as it was Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia who nixed the Florida vote in the Bush vs Gore election.

That decision had a huge impact on the subsequent history of the USA, although I have since heard (purely hearsay you understand) plan A was for Al Gore to resign post 9/11, ushering his VP pick, Joe Lieberman into power.

Wednesday 30 January 2019

Sling Blade (1996)





A mesmerising performance from Billy-Bob Thornton. His character looks nothing like the actor above, but I'm assured he played the lead role. I'm reminded of Leonardo deCaprio's role in What's eating Gilbert Grape, except Sling Blade is much more tightly written.

I thought this Coen brothers movie might depress me, but it had the opposite effect. 

Tuesday 29 January 2019

Intolerable Cruelty

Image result for Intolerable Cruelty
Billy Bob Thornton & Catherine Zeta-Jones


Continuing the Coen Brothers movie reviews, (forgive the passive voice opening), I got to see Intolerable Cruelty.

As in O Brother where art thou? , the Coens are great at getting a comedic performance out of Clooney, playing on his vanity. In this case it's his flossing-teeth action, whereas in O Brother it's combing his hair.

Catherine Zeta-Jones is one of those people who looks even better on moving film than any still shot. I can see why Michael Douglas fell for her. 

This is a great movie, and I enjoyed it hugely, with all its plot twists and turns. 

Very funny indeed.

Sunday 27 January 2019

O Brother, Where Art Thou





I'm unable to type much, as I have a partially paralysed hand. The accompanying pain has diminished but full movement has yet to return.

I've spent my convalescence re-viewing Coen Brother movies and discovered that no two film reviewers agree on which movies are their best. For what it's worth, Raising Arizona, Blood Simple and Millers Crossing didn't make the grade for me, but O Brother, Where Art Thou reminded me of how funny George Clooney is under their direction.

I also found the Siren scene seen above, reminiscent of Christopher Knowles posts on the subject, although in this instance, the timing lacks synchronicity, and thus a cigar is just a cigar.

More on that later.


Sunday 29 October 2017

Badlands - 1973




I don't think I've ever *discovered* a movie before, but if there is one it's Badlands with Sissy Spacek and Martin Sheen. I only came across it as I'm working my way through Sissy Spacek's career, and it gets so few mentions in contrast to its startling quality, I feel I've uncovered a gem.

If you're an old git like me that was too young to enjoy this or just missed it on the film map in the 70s and onwards, but now looks to relax and enjoy good movie making with great screen presence and credible scripts, I think this might work.

I had a lot of enjoyment watching this last night and I'm looking forward to seeing what other work Terence Malik has directed.

There's an amazing Youtube of Martin Sheen telling the story of how he came to be cast in the lead role of Charles Starkweather who was possibly the the United States' first charismatic serial killer.