Posted in My Movie Year on March 27, 2012| 29 Comments »
The date is set. We are going live on Sunday 15th April. As mentioned before all you have to do is pick your favourite year for movies and back I up with five classics from that year, no more no less. You can do as much or as little as you want with your selections; a simple list, images and posters, reviews, trailers. Or anything else you can think of.
If you would like to take part leave a message below or email fandangogroovers@gmail.com
Posted in Film Reviews, tagged Donald Sutherland, Elizabeth Banks, Josh Hutcherson, Katniss Everdeen, Liam Hemsworth, Paula Malcomson, Stanley Tucci, Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games, Woody Harrelson on March 26, 2012| 8 Comments »
Around five years ago a book that I love was made into a $200million movie that I hate. While I wouldn’t go as far as to say I love Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games Books but I do like them and hope they don’t go the way of The Golden Compass the mess that was made of Northern Lights, the first part of Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy.
In a dystopian future version of the United States, the country of Panem is split into twelve districts whose only purpose is to serve the people of the decadent capitol. In response to an uprising many years before, each year, two young people from every district are chosen to for the Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death. When her sister is chosen, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers to take her place, and is sent to the capital along with her and fellow District 12 “tribute” Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). The skills Katnis has learnt as a hunter and poacher may be the thing that keeps her alive in the games.
A faithful and loving adaptation that successfully traverses the tightrope of what to cut and what to include. But it takes more than being faithful, it needs to be good, and The Hunger Games is very good. It is most likely helped by the fact that original author Suzanne Collins is amongst the script writers. The greatest challenge is how to adapt the first person narration of the novel to something more cinematic. This is achieved effortlessly with the addition of a pair of commentators (Stanley Tucci and Toby Jones) who provide exposition and explanation for those who haven’t read the books.
The casting is perfect; it is possibly because of the parallels with Ree Dolly, her character from Winter’s Bone but I can’t think of anyone other than Jennifer Lawrence who could have played Katniss. But it goes beyond that, Stanley Tucci, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland and Paula Malcomson (who was great in Deadwood) are all perfect. I struggled to imagine Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, but as always with Harrelson he pulls it off. But as with the book it is all about Katniss, Lawrence’s performance is note perfect showing fear and emotion as a reluctant hero. The filmmakers aren’t afraid to make our heroine socially awkward and sometimes cold and distant. It is this that humanises the character making her more likeable.
A film about kids killing each other in was never going without violence and it is very much in evidence but a 12A (PG13 in America) certificate is needed for the target audience. This is achieved by not showing the audience quite as much as we think we are seeing, it is a tried and trusted and surprisingly effective trick. Coupled with a minimum use of blood it works and the movie gets a teenage friendly rating without feeling watered down. There are couple of pacing issues, there is a lot to fit in and it does rush through parts of the story then sags a little in the middle, but this is quickly forgotten when the games begin. When it comes, the action is well constructed and paced but not as plentiful as the trailer would have you believe. It is a surprisingly thoughtful movie spending little time talking about the immorality and unfairness of the class structure leaving the audience to draw its own conclusions.
A resounding success that is better than the first two Harry Potter movies and all the Twilight adaptations to date. A film that should satisfy fans of the books and newcomers alike.
With a budget of around $100million the movie needs to be a financial success for parts two and three to be made. With an opening weekend that could exceed £200million (worldwide) it’s a safe bet that we will be seing Catching Fire and Mockingjay in the next few years. My only fear, the first was by far the strongest of the books with the last been the weakest. To create a successful and memorable trilogy they are going to have to get creative with the script and possible invest a bit more money on the effects for parts two and three.
Posted in Film Reviews, Movie Blog, tagged A Princess of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Flash Gordon, Gods of Mars, John Carter, Lynn Collins, Robert Rodriguez, Taylor Kitsch, Under the Moons of Mars, Willem Dafoe on March 18, 2012| 3 Comments »
What follows is more a selection of rambling thoughts on how John Carter fails as an adaptation of a book rather than a review. It does however contain plot spoilers:
I have never been one to go for the universal fallback criticism of a movie “its not as good as the book”, neither do I believe a movie should slavishly follow the plot of its sauce material. However, my biggest problem with John Carter is how much it differs from the book. Let me reconcile my contradiction, the plot or structure of a book may not lend itself to a movie, the script writers may have better ideas than the author, or in the case of previously filmed novels they may just want to do something new. None of these is true of John Carter. Now a century old having been first serialised as Under the Moons of Mars in a pulp magazine in 1912 and then later published as A Princess of Mars by Tarzan author Edgar Rice Burroughs has never been seen on the big screen (there was a direct to video version a couple of years ago, I suspect a chance to cash in on this movie). As mentioned in a previous article I read A Princess of Mars when I was at school and enjoyed it without being enthralled by it. The plot is relatively solid if a little disjointed in places.
The movie uses most (possibly all) of the main characters from the book, however the changes in plot drastically changes their actions and motivation. The character who suffers most is Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins), the movie gives her little to do and less screen time than you would expect. Far more criminal than this is the complete lack of chemistry with John Carter (Taylor Kitsch). How the pair suddenly declare their love for each other could be written off as love at first sight if they had just a little chemistry. The same is true of the “bromance” between Carter and Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) that isn’t given any time to develop (despite the long running time). The movie also introduces characters not present in the book, most notably the Therns, a group of self-proclaimed gods who are actually introduced in the second book Gods of Mars. There introduction changes the whole dynamic of plot, this in itself wouldn’t be a problem and viewers who haven’t read the book would never notice, however the simpler plot of the book involving wars and conflicts between the Martians natives is a far better one.
On a positive note the acting isn’t too bad despite the appalling dialogue (that makes George Lucas sound like William Shakespeare). The film also often looks sumptuous and has some imaginative production design that seems to combine some original ideas with Flash Gordon and ideas from the book. 3D is a pointless gimmick that almost never works, true to form, it doesn’t work here. So poor is its use here that more often than not I actually forgot I was watching a 3D movie. The plot is simplified too far then drawn out to over two hours making it dull and tedious. At least it doesn’t use found footage. How could it have been better? According to IMDB Robert Rodriguez was attached as director with a reported budget of $100 million (the actual budget of the movie is believed to be somewhere near £300million. In the hands of Rodriguez it could have been what it should have been, a movie, a high budget B movie.
Lets hope The Hunger Games, the nest of the “2012 Movies Based on Novels I Have Read” is better.
Posted in Movie Blog, tagged 24 frames a second, 3D, Celluloid, cinema, digital projection, Luddite, monochrome, Supper 8, synchronised sound, three strip Technicolor on March 12, 2012| 3 Comments »
My local cinema has recently moved over almost totally to digital projection. The images are brighter, more clear and in focus (thanks to auto focus). However I still miss something, the warmth and magic of celluloid. The truth is celluloid in its true sense has not been in regular use for a long time. Safer alternatives were developed in the mid twentieth century and most film prints have used polyester film stock for over a decade, however the term celluloid is still often used in relation to all types of film stock. Celluloid is a thermoplastic first developed in the nineteenth century, its great advantage and the reason it was used for film stock is the ease with which it can be moulded and shaped. The downside, it is highly flammable and prone to decomposition. This is why safer alternatives were developed.
Cinema isn’t an art form, it is the coming together of many of the art forms that went before; combining the writing and performance of literature and theatre with the composition of painting and the sound and emotion of music. Beyond the invention of synchronised sound in the 20’s things haven’t really change much in over a hundred years. Sure, colour took over from black and white and gimmicks like 3D come and go but it all boils down to a thin strip of film passing through a projector at 24 frames a second. As the film runs through the projector, thanks to a lenses, a bright light, an optical illusion and the magic and imagination of cinema we forget that we are watching a series of still images. We are captivated by the glorious colour of The Red Shoes or the stark monochrome of The Third Man and get lost in the images and the stories they tell.
I have always felt that monochrome and three strip Technicolor films from the thirties through to the sixties look better than modern movies, both on film and digital. But it goes deeper than a preference for how things look, it is a matter of detachment. Before I ever stopped to think about how the image we see is reconstituted from a series of ones and zeros in a computer I knew there was something alienating about them. It first hit me when I saw Michael Mann’s Public Enemies (2009), the modern clinical look is in stark contrast to the period setting of the movie, It just didn’t fit. Made more than thirty years after it is set, Arthur Penn’s Bonnie and Clyde (1967) is far from contemporary but it feels so much more authentic than Mann‘s film. This has nothing to do with the subject matter or when they were made, it is just the medium with which they are projected. Bonnie and Clyde uses the same principles of projection that was used at the time both it and Public Enemies were set, this is reassuring an immersive, no in a conscious way, as soon as you think about it the illusion is broken and that’s what I get with digitally projected movies. There will be a time in the near future when a whole generation of moviegoers will know no difference just like the kids today who can’t remember a time before mobile phones and the internet.
It isn’t just about how the film is projected, it is also how the films are being shot. I had a thought after seeing Supper 8 last summer. The kids in the film are making a super 8 movie; when the have finished a take they have to wait days for the film to be processed, not knowing how it has worked out. Similar minded kids in the present day could shoot a movie (of better quality) on their mobile phone and edit it on a PC or Mac or even on the phone itself and upload it to the net. More importantly they get an instant replay allowing them to know if they should re-shoot the scene. This you would think would be a good thing from an artistic point of view, but is it? Visionary directors from previous generations have had to strive to make the most of the limitations of the medium and with this have learnt their trade and created not just movies but art. Limitations and the imagination required to overcome them is what makes great art. Having the technology and budget that mean you are only limited by your imagination can result in tedious rubbish, look at the work of Michael Bay, James Cameron and George Lucas this century for evidence of that! As what is new becomes the norm new limitations will always challenge film makers and this is a good thing but as with all things in life, embracing the future is always more positive if it is done without forgetting what has gone before. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a total Luddite, the advantages of digital projection make up for a lot of the deficiencies and artists will be artists regardless of the medium. The problem, I just miss Celluloid.
Posted in Iconic Movie Images, Lists and Top 10’s, tagged Bulitt, Memento, Nikita, Platoon, Pulp Fiction, Raging Bull, Run Lola Run, The Exorcist, The Red Shoes, The Wild One on March 9, 2012| 5 Comments »
Posted in Movie Blog, tagged 3D, A Princess of Mars, Battle Royale, Baz Luhrmann, Beat Generation, Breaking Dawn, Carey Mulligan, Edgar Rice Burroughs, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Francis Ford Coppola, Jack Kerouac, Jennifer Lawrence, John Carter, Koushun Takami, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mia Farrow, On the Road, Robert Redford, Suzanne Collins, Tarzan, The Great Gatsby, The Hunger Games, The Lost Generation, The Motorcycle Diaries, The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 2, Tobey Maguire, Twilight, Walter Salles, Winter's Bone on March 8, 2012| 114 Comments »
I read the book A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs many years ago when I was at school although I enjoyed it at the time hadn’t given it a second thought until the trailers for the movie John Carter appeared a few months ago. Judging from the trailer it is a lose adaptation at best taking characters and ideas but not the plot from the novel originally published nearly a century ago (1917). Given the number of versions Edgar Rice Burroughs other creation, Tarzan it surprising to learn this is the first big screen outing for John Carter and “Barsoom” series of novels. Tomorrows releases got me thinking about other books I have read that will be hitting the cinema this year:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: From a novel I read a long time ago to one I have only just read. I saw the box set of the three Hunger Games novels while Christmas shopping last year, having seen the movie trailer I purchased the books and read them over Christmas. Although it loses its way in the third book and isn’t as good as Koushun Takami’s Battle Royale with which it will be forever compared (despite Suzanne Collins insistence that she was unaware of the Japanese novel) it is still worth reading. The casting looks to be perfect most notably Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, a character with clear parallels with Ree Dolly, her Oscar nominated role in Winter’s Bone. Release date: 23rd March.
On the Road by Jack Kerouac: The adaptation of this seminal novel of the Beat Generation is a bittersweet one for me, I have often thought it could make an excellent movie but my anticipation is tempered by fear that it will never live up to the book. It is in short, one of my all time favourite novels. Fortunately producer Francis Ford Coppola (who has owned the rights for many years) has chosen a perfect director in the shape of Walter Salles who did a fantastic job with The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) and has assembled a talented young cast. Release date: 21st September. 
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2: The startling revelation, I have read the Twilight books. As for the movies, the first and third actually aren’t bad. Depending on your point of view, spitting Breaking Dawn into two movies is the only way to do justice to the epic final novel or a cynical attempt to extort the maximum amount of cash from the franchises loyal following. I’m going for the latter. Still as with the final part of Harry potter, Part two promises to better than the dull part one. Release date: 16th November
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: With four adaptations to date do we need another? The 1974 version staring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow is a good film but is somehow lacking, it fails to capture the mood and the magic of the novel that is as important to “The Lost Generation” as On the Road is to the “Beat Generation“. I was a little dubious of the casting of Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire but actually think it could work. It is a novel that deserves a great adaptation, Baz Luhrmann could be the visionary director to give it to us, but why does he have to make it in 3D? UK release TBA, USA: 25th December
Posted in My Movie Year on March 4, 2012| 2 Comments »
You may have previously taken part in or read A Life In Movies and/or Desert Island DVD’s. Its that time of year again! So what do I have planned this time?
Bloggers often comment on it being a good or a bad year for movies, but which was the best, or even your favourite year? For “My Movie Year” all you have to do is pick you favourite movie year and back it up with five movies that support your claim for example:
Once you have your list you can do as much or as little with it as you like. Reviews, images, trailers or just a simple list.
As before we will all publish on the same day (date TBA, it will be late March, early April) . I will also publish a list of links to all participants.
If you are interested in taking part please email me at: fandangogroovers@gmail.com with the following information:
Alternatively you can respond (with the same information) in the comments section below
Finally, the more people who take part the better so please invite any blogger you think may be interested in taking part.
Posted in Film Reviews, Lists and Top 10’s, tagged 50/50, Game of Thrones, Game Of Thrones My Week with Marilyn, Haywire, Hugo, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Moneyball, My Week With Marilyn, Shame, Take Shelter, The Artist, The Awakening on March 3, 2012| 1 Comment »
I see a lot of movies at the cinema, on average two a week. I know for many people DVD (and now Brue-ray) is their first experience of many movies. With this in mind here are ten recommendations of films set for release in the next few months.
My Week with Marilyn: The true story of 23-year-old Colin Clark’s experience on the set of The Prince And The Showgirl starring Marilyn Monroe and Sir Laurence Olivier (who also directed the movie). Directed with a light touch reminiscent of the best of Monroe’s movies but the best thing about it is the fantastic acting, Kenneth Branagh is brilliant as Olivier, Michelle Williams is even better as Monroe.
Moneyball: With a screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Brad Pitt’s second great performance of last year does for sports movies what The Social Network did for Facebook. A true testament to the quality of the movie is that it is equally as enjoyable regardless of if you are a baseball fan or not.
Take Shelter: As a regular family man starts having apocalyptic visions he prepares for the impending doom and questions his own sanity in equal measure. A haunting movie that will stay with you long after it ends, elevated by the performances of Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain.
The Awakening: An old-fashioned ghost story, if you know my thoughts on horror, you will know that “old-fashioned” is a compliment not an insult. There are a few twists and turns in the plot but nothing spectacular, the real draw is Rebecca Hall who caries the movie virtually on her own proving her star credentials.
50/50: Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as a young man who is given a 50% chance of surviving his recently diagnosed cancer. A touching and funny movie inspired by a true story and having a perfect blend of genres and styles. The whole cast is great with a special mention for Anna Kendrick who makes every movie she is in a little bit better including the Twilight movies.
Hugo: Martin Scorsese’s love letter to cinema is quite possibly his best movie since Casino (1995). The young stars are fantastic and the movie looks amazing.
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol: Tom Cruise is back for a fourth impossible mission. The surprising thing, it could possibly be the best movie in the franchise so far. It has been suggested that Jeremy Renner’s character Brandt is intended as a replacement for Ethan Hunt when Tom Cruise retires the character.
The Artist: The black and white, (largely) silent movie has just picked up five well deserved Oscars including best picture. With two months to go until its video release there is still time to catch it at the cinema, something I highly recommend you do if you haven’t already.
Shame: Beautifully shot and brilliantly acted tale of sex addiction. Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan are devastatingly good.
Haywire: Steven Soderbergh’s version of a revenge B thriller stars former cage fighter Gina Carano and is amazingly the second best movie I have seen this year (after The Artist). 
The five disc box set of season one of HBO’s epic Game Of Thrones is set for release tomorrow (5th March). Based on George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels about the seven kingdoms of the mythical land of Westeros and the families who fight for control of them. With the second season set to premier in America next month what better time to catch up on one of the best new shows of recent years.
A note on the selection: I have no knowledge or interest in the special features these discs contain (I usually purchase “vanilla” versions), my recommendations are based purely on the movies.
All dates refer to UK release dates are are correct to the best of my knowledge.
Posted in Movie Of The Month, tagged A Dangerous Method, Carnage, Charlize Theron, Christoph Waltz, Chronicle, Daniel Radcliffe, Diablo Cody, Elizabeth Banks, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Genesis Rodriguez, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Jamie Bell, Man on a Ledge, Nicolas Cage, Rampart, Sam Worthington, The Woman in Black, Woody Harrelson, Young Adult on March 1, 2012| 3 Comments »
New movies seen at the cinema this month:
Chronicle – Three highs school students develop telekinetic abilities, but what will they do with them? A surprisingly good low budget movie, the found footage element is unnecessary and holds the narrative back especially in the finale.
Carnage – Two New York couple meet in one of their apartments to discuss a fight between their eleven year old sons. The amicable facade soon fades and is replaced by outright hostility. There is some great acting particularly from Christoph Waltz but the movie fails to rise above its theatrical origins.
Young Adult – Following her divorce, a “young adult” fiction writer returns to her Minnesota hometown aiming to hook up with her high school boyfriend who is now happily married and has a newborn daughter. A fantastic script from Diablo Cody gives Charlize Theron a platform resulting in an outstanding performance.
Man on a Ledge – A police psychologist is sent to talk an escaped convict (who claims to be innocent of the crime he was convicted for) off the ledge of a Manhattan hotel. If you have seen the trailer you probably know the rest of the story. Unoriginal and predictable but generally good fun. The only real problem Jamie Bell and Genesis Rodriguez in supporting roles are far more interesting than Sam Worthington and Elizabeth Banks.
The Woman in Black – Daniel Radcliffe breaks from Harry Potter with an old fashioned haunted house movie that is notable for been the best movie from the resurrected Hammer. Atmospheric and haunting movie with a well balanced threat of melancholy running through it.
A Dangerous Method – The origins of psychoanalysis told through the relationship of pioneers in the field Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud. Intriguing and interesting with fantastic performances but lacking purpose, direction and depth.
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance – The sequel to 2007’s Ghost Rider is a slight improvement on the terrible original but is still an incoherent mess. Nicolas Cage’s over the top performance is fun but the film falls flat as does the poor and pointless 3D.
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close – A socially awkward nine-year-old searches New York for the lock that matches a mysterious key that belonged to his father, who died in the World Trade Centre. Not as bad as some reviews you would have you believe but certainly not deserving its pest picture Oscar nomination.
Rampart – Set against the Rampart scandal in late 90’s LA and telling the story of an old school cop who doesn’t let the law get in the way of his way of doing things. A week narrative, a sloppy structure and lack of focus hinder what could have been a compelling watch. As it is, the main reason to see the movie is a fantastic performance from Woody Harrelson.
I am honestly torn this month as there are three movies I loved. Chronicle, I had no expectations for but really enjoyed. The Woman in Black, a supremely well made chiller that dispels the myth that they don’t make them like the used to. But just edging it to be the movie of the month: Young Adult, largely for the Oscar worthy performance from Charlize Theron.
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