[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8WO7smtc8k]
Tag: film
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review: i saw SAW 6
yup – i went and saw it. the latest installment of SAW, that is. (in case you thought i was loosing my mind. then again, that might be proof enough…)
it was horrible. better than 5, but horrible.
the acting sucked – none more so than that of Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor). the man has the depth and range of a gnat.
the gore was pretty much the same as anything before. nothing is left of the (for lack of another word) genius of the original move. even the “traps/games” feel rehashed and regurgitated – in some cases to the extent where boredom sets in.
and the twist that everyone talked about? utterly predictable.
the only thing that really got to me – and boy did it ever get to me – was the opening sequence. now THERE’s some horror right there! not so much for the visuals, as for the audio.
THE SCREAMING!!!whomever cast the first two “players” should be congratulated,
and closely monitored!
THAT scene worked: my stomach turned, i broke out in a cold sweat, i felt nauseous and…
i passed out…
on my way to the bathroom…
two-thirds into the scene.yup. my biological operating system crashed.
sensory overload.on reboot i was still sweating, but no longer nauseous.
i returned to my seat for what turned out to be a boring film.so here’s my advice:
if you want to see it for a gut-wrench – be on time, leave after 10 minutes. it’ll be the best movie-experience you’ve had in a while!
if you’re a bit more sensitive but want to watch it for the story – be 10 minutes late. skip the hot dog.
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list: top 10 anime movies
Ben mentioned, not too long ago, that he still wanted to ask me for some recommendations when it came to anime movies. i was flattered, seeing as how Ben is THE movie buff in my books. i was also a little nervous. true, i love anime – but i’m no buff by any stretch of the imagination.
anyway, he got me thinking about it and,after a little research, i can finally present what i believe to be the Top 10 Anime Movies:
10: 5CM Per Second (2007)
the movie is really three stories that deal with love between people separated by distance. kids might not get the subject matter – but Makoto Shinkai’s amazing artistry (best.scenes.ever.) makes this one of the best anime films out there.
9: Cowboy Bebop (2001)
based on the hit tv-series Cowboy Bebop (which has had a cult following since the invention of the term),the movie lives up to all expectations and is a great introduction to newbies.
8: Tokyo GodFathers (2003)
Satoshi Kon’s masterpiece is really a social comment on Tokyo’s urban minorities. the story follows three homeless friends, who find a baby in a dumpster and try to return it to its parents. did I mention that one of the friends is pre-op M2F?
7: Princess Mononoke (1997)
Princess Mononoke was Hayao Miyazaki’s breakthrough movie in the Western world. take whatever you know about the genre, go to your warm and fuzzy place and prepare to be enchanted.
6: Paprika (2006)
you’ve heard of vivid imaginations, right? prepare to experience a visual orgasm. the plot is centered around a “dream machine” — which allows doctors to see a patient’s dreams — that is stolen by a thief who uses it to enter people’s dreams. Paprika and her team set out to recapture the device. shifting between reality and dreamworld continuously, you’ll definitely want to watch it again to get all the details.
5: Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Miyazaki’s second film on the list was developed from the book by Diana Wynne Jones. a girl is cursed with a spell that makes her look old. her only hope of becoming young again lies with a wizard and his giant, walking castle.
4: Ghost in The Shell (1995)
the Watchowski brothers reportedly showed Ghost in The Shell to producer Joel Silver and told him, “We wanna do that live action”. then they made the Matrix. enough said.
3: Grave of The Fireflies (1988)
the film that made everyone realize that anime can be used to tell serious, heart felt stories. It centers on a boy and his young sister who struggle to survive in WW2 Japan after their mother dies during a US bombing. Roger Ebert called it “the most powerful anti-war movie of all time”. newly remade as a live feature film, it’s a gift that keeps on giving.
2: Akira (1988)
the movie that pretty much defined the whole genre: from its art style, to its realistic portrayal of violence, to its ability to tell several stories at once. Akira is the hallmark of anime for the past 20 years.
1. Spirited Away (2001)
in all probability Miyazaki’s masterpiece. this is the story of a girl who stumbles into a land where witches, gods and spirits rule. she struggles to keep her own spirit, while fighting to release the spirits of her parents. the film won dozens of awards, including an Oscar for best animated feature. it even surpassed Titanic to become the highest grossing move of all time in Japan. that in itself is enough to make me grin like an idiot ;0)
so… the next time movie night comes around, why not grab a few of these? it’s guaranteed to delight, inspire and educate. -
truth or lies – all stories should be told
true – if china didn’t force this movie out of Taiwan by increasing the numbers of missiles pointed at us, i would probably have missed it.from common room productions:Synopsis:THE 10 CONDITIONS OF LOVE is a love story – of a woman, a man, a family, a people and a homeland. It is the story of Rebiya Kadeer, China’s nightmare – the woman it accuses of inciting terrorism.
It is also the story of the other Tibet, the Muslim Tibet – the country its people call East Turkestan, but which the Chinese call Xinjiang Province – the other stain on China’s moral character.
It is a big story: a story of the ruthless oppression of 20-million people; of the global politics of energy; of Super Power politicking over the War on Terror; and of the pain of a deeply loving family torn violently apart.
Exiled in the US, Rebiya Kadeer is fighting for the human rights of her people, the Uyghur (pron. wee-ger), China’s oppressed Muslim minority. But Rebiya Kadeer’s campaign condemns her sons to on-going solitary confinement in a Chinese prison. Having done six years solitary herself, she understands the appalling consequences for them of her actions – but she will not relent.
Twice nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, once the richest businessperson in China, Rebiya Kadeer is a remarkable woman who pays daily a terrible price for patriotism.
And it will never be over.
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were the world mine
one thing i absolutely adore about the Sundance Film Festival, is how it surprises you every time! i happened upon one of the 2008 features to shine at Sundance, quite by accident. to tell the truth, i’m not exactly sure how it came about… maybe the faeries had a hand in it ;0)
the film that has me glowing from within, today, is called: “were the world mine” and is directed by Tom Gustafson. i got a copy, thinking it was a basic retelling of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream – albeit with a queer twist. we watch a lot of movies at home these days, and i was looking forward to watching something a little less shock-shock-horror-horror or skop-skiet & donder* for a change.
Literally "kick, shoot and thunder" in Afrikaans, this phrase is used by
many English speakers to describe action movies or any activity which is
lively and somewhat primitive. Clint Eastwood is always good for a skop,
skiet en donder flick.Peter, however, wasn’t interested in watching it at all. maybe he has opinions about Sundance that i don’t know about… anyhoo – that’s another post entirely.
suffice to say that i watched it by myself, this morning, while he was still sleeping off his late night session of Taiwanese talk-shows. (which, by the way, look like bucket-loads of fun – if you understand the language.)
but back to the film: it was awesome! i laughed, i cried, i held a pillow for comfort and i felt all sorts of warm and fuzzy. it might not be the best produced musical in the world – but it’s way up there in my books!
in short, it tells the story of an openly gay teenager in an all-boys school, in a conservative town – who gets cast as Puck in the school’s rendition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. add a touch of magic and mischief – and voila! you’ve got one heck of a premise.
oh, and let me not forget the singing! the singing and the dancing… *sigh* i think it’s officially taken the place of Priscilla in my heart. sorry girls, but this time i identify. and i’m gettng the soundtrack!
*sings: o timothy… timothyyyyyyyy*
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songs of power
there are songs in the world, that are more than the sum of their parts.
sometimes the lyrics make no sense on their own.
sometimes the melody is downright dreary.
but sometimes – unexpectedly
there is magic!Clive’s brilliant post about the movie “As it is in Heaven”, gifted me with a YouTube clip of one of my all time favorite, soul-revitalizers: Gabriella’s Song.
many have raised eyebrows after listening to it, some have even questioned my sanity. thankfully – there are others who also sparkle when it plays :0)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGAHflzfACo&hl=en&fs=1&w=425&h=344]
if you still haven’t seen this movie – i think it’s time.
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Saw V
i went to see the latest installment of the SAW franchise on friday – under protest, to be sure. i’m not all that big on blood and gore – but i do like a good psychological thriller.in one word – the movie was: disappointing.
apart from leaving me a bit queezy, there was nothing to the movie. to be clear – i didn’t see any of the previous movies. but if this was anything to go by, i’m glad i didn’t.
sure – people get decapitated, blown to bits and mutilated in various ways – but there’s no real story to it. gaps in the plot irritated the heck out of me – and what passed for character development or unraveling of the “mystery” was seriously under-cooked.
it seems that Saw V had a few intriguing ingredients, but these were merely slapped together with no thought or cohesion. like making a club sandwich by taking a day-old, white bread crust, piling on some steamed chicken and drowning it in ketchup. dress it with fried sweet potato peels and a 1000 island sauce.
what makes it a club sandwich?
exactly.
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WΔZ
this is not a review.
The Price equation (also known as Price’s equation) is a covariance equation which is a mathematical description of evolution and natural selection. The Price equation was derived by George R. Price, working in London to rederive W.D. Hamilton‘s work on kin selection.
Running time: 104 mins
Starring: Stellan Skarsgard, Melissa George, Ashley Walters, Selma Blairnow i’m probably not the best movie critic in the world – but there’s something about this movie that makes me want to tell you about it.
WΔZ is brittish film noir where i least expected it. if you like your movies to be largely self-explanatory, you’re going to hate this one. Tom Shankland (director) doesn’t breast feed you with his feature film debut. i’m not exactly sure what he does. but it’s still preying on my mind.
there’s some blood, some gore, grime and questionable acting – but the implication i picked up on at the end of the movie threw me completely.
no, i don’t think it’s the best movie ever. in fact, a few minutes into the movie i was convinced that i’d thoroughly hate it. you’ll probably think so too – even afterwards. watch it, though. because i want you to.
