Rachel's Blog: Film and Television

Review: Hancock

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:11:36 +1000

Don't even read this unless you've seen the film. Srsly. I'm not even going to try and separate the spoilers from the chaff*.

First off, I really liked Hancock. I'd see it again. Charlize Theron does good work with what is in the end, three different roles and Will Smith plays it well. Predictably, but well.

There were two points however, at which the story failed for me and unfortunately they occurred quite close together towards the end, so I came out thinking a little bit, huh?

The internal logic, if you think about it for just a minute really comes unglued. They're both Angels I think? And they both have the same powers (well, very similar). Conceived as pairs I get, yet later they are described as opposites. What about them is opposite? Male, female, black, white? But we're all taught these days that those are not very great differences at all. Not so much that when they get together they become mortal. What's the sense in that? They're conceived as pairs of great strength to come to earth and... live as humans? I don't get it. So why do they stay together? Some irresistible love for each other? But that's contradicted by the ending, where they're perfectly happy living separate lives with Ray and the eagle. (The eagle was cool. Pointless, but cool!)

More distracting for me though than broken logic was the way we were expected to keep up with Angel's (stoopid name btw) changing loyalties without any good reason. She's a committed partner and parent. Check, I bought that. Then, as soon as she's challenged she dons the Outfit of Sexy Eeevil (dark mascara, tight pants, plunging neckline). For what? Because she feels threatened? I would have believed this more if she'd stayed in her sundress and sandals and got really angry. But if we stay this course while they destroy the city around them we can only infer that she must be a baddie. So when Angel comes to Hancock in the hospital and talks at him about how great they used to be, how can I accept that change in character? I can't. They're just words! Why does he even believe her?

And here's where I indulge in one of my How to Improve a Will Smith film diatribes.

Angel has faced Hancock and they're wrecking the joint. As they do so he's becoming more and more mortal (staying with the faulty logic). He gets pummelled by a few buildings, has a concrete mixer dumped on top of him and he begins to remember. He remembers being with her in Greece, Miami or wherever. Via flashbacks we can see all that stuff that Angel spouts off in the hospital about their life together - the sword fight, the fire. We see how he gets injured whenever she's around. All this time he can believe she's his sister. Then we can still get the reveal at the same time as Ray at the house, they can still do the liquor store attack, which becomes even more pathetic because it's such a petty crime. Finally, at the hospital, she can come back, not to exposition us to death, but to apologise to Hancock for leaving him in the dark for eighty years. Then (and this is the good part) when they're both busy dying and Hancock leaps out of the hospital to save her life it Means Something. It shows that he forgives her and that he accepts the life she's chosen with Ray. I could see that his attempting to fly down the street was supposed to be the big moment in the film, with the rousing music and all, but it just didn't work because of the lack of emotional resonance behind it.

Also, the two codas were shit. Coulda lived without them.

Did I mention I liked the film? It's loads of fun. I like new superheroes and I like the gratuitous destruction of freight trains, so yay!

*I mean wheat. It's all finest quality wheat here.

Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Fri, 23 May 2008 23:00:11 +1000

Not so much a movie as a catalogue of past Lucas and Spielberg productions. You can have fun with a catalogue though, known territory and all that.

Spoiler follows in white text:

I was sitting there towards the end thinking, but what about Close Encounters? And there was the frickin' space ship! Why would inter-dimensional creatures need a flying ship?

Spin

Fri, 23 May 2008 15:20:34 +1000

Thanks, Cam!

The Ruby in the Smoke

Wed, 14 May 2008 22:11:15 +1000

I just saw an ad for a BBC production of Philip Pullman's Ruby in the Smoke that will air this Sunday on ABC1 at 8.30pm. How did I not know this had even been made? It stars Billie Piper (from Doctor Who) and Julie Walters (Educating Rita, Billy Elliot) and has been adapted by Adrian Hodges (Rome). Looks like more of the Sally Lockhart Mysteries will follow. I've only read one of the books - and not one where she plays a major role - but we all love Pullman, right? and Sally's a great character.

Anyway, could be good, could be bad. Only one way to find out.

RIP Anthony Minghella

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:20:47 +1100

Anthony Minghella is being remembered today for his directing achievements - in a not very long list of released films he has directed 5 actors to Oscar nomination and took one for himself for The English Patient. But I'm mourning the loss of his writing. Among other things he wrote the scripts for the highly acclaimed Jim Henson's The Storyteller and Greek Myths series*. Beautiful work.

*And some Grange Hill. How cool is that?

Lost Boys 2 trailer - Lost the plot?

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:02:32 +1100

The trailer for the sequel to Lost Boys, Lost Boys: The Tribe can be seen here, along with, if you can stand it, five clips of Corey Feldman telling us how great it, and in particular, his character is, in it.
How terrible is that sentence? Did you see the trailer yet?

It's either sheer genius that they have so many of the original characters and cast members in it (plus Keifer's half-brother Angus Sutherland) or complete garbage. Also worth noting is that a large chunk of the target audience for the genre were not born when the original film was released (1987 - I feel old).

It looks like a good candidate for Cheapass Tuesday.

Coraline Teaser.

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:25:02 +1100

Just making sure you have all seen this.

2008 Oscars - My word counts for nothing.

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:03:29 +1100

Helen Mirren has twinkly sleeves. They're a bit distracting. Do I even have to say that my pick is Johnny Depp? Never a genre film though...Is he chewing gum?! That's disgraceful. See? Chew gum = No prize for you.

It's now 11:52 and another ad-break. Bastards.

Best Director. I zoned out. That's the Coens again, yeah?

The Eightieth Best Picture......Atonement? Juno? Either of those is good.

No Country For Old Men. See now that's _another_ Best Picture that I haven't seen. *sigh*

Is that the end? It is officially tomorrow now, so, can I go to bed?

Sorry about all the whinging. Next year I'll do it with alcohol and increased amounts of chocolate. That'll make me feel better about the whole thing anyway.

Going now! *waves* G'night!

2008 Oscars - The last one I swear.

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 23:44:51 +1100

So what's left? Best Actor, Director, Foreign Film and Director. So that means they'll keep stretching it. I predict an 11.47 end time. Because we all know how good my predictions are.

Oh and Cimena-cinen-I can do this... Cinematography too. *crosses fingers, whispers Atonement* Still can't do it.

That's some good shoulders on Hilary Swank. Silly tizzy bit, though.

Oh, the sad bit. Worst are the actresses that died in old age, but they only show footage of their early work, so it looks like all these young things have keeled over.

See there's an ad for Run, Fatboy, Run. It's better than that, I promise.

Now they're trying to cheer everyone up again with the song that didn't win an Oscar.

Original Score - another award I forgot about. I bought the Atonement soundtrack. That says something, right? WOOOOOOH! Picks another winner!

Documentary Feature. I think my prediction of 11:47 is way off. This won't end until tomorrow.

Can't anyone make an award nominatable documentary about something uplifting?

So who's that other woman up there? Stealing limelight methinks.

My eyes have glazed over. It's Indy! Screenplay... Juno? Please? It deserves something surely? YeeeeeHaaaaaa!!! Another win for me... I mean Diablo Cody! Best onstage tatt.

My cat has lost the plot again. He's probably wanting me to turn the tv off so he can go to sleep. He's that kind of a cat.

2008 Oscars - Where are the dresses?

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 23:11:12 +1100

I know I missed the whole red carpet thing, but I'm really not getting anything from the outfits this year. Where are the kilts? The pant-suits? The tulle? It's all so tasteful.

Colin Farrell doesn't want to be there either. I wonder what he slipped on. Does Jon Stewart not get toilet breaks?

Another tame dull song. Speaking of toilet breaks...

Hey there's a voice over behind all that music. I wonder if it's saying anything good?

I have seen shamefully few of these Best Pictures. Not even Casablanca! I know! What am I doing?

I'm counting genre films - one (you figure it out!), unless you want to count Ben Hur and fantasies like Titanic. Plenty of musicals though.

Editing. Oh probably The Bourne Ultimatum again. OH YES! Picks a winner! *punches air*

Nicole Kidman: Wins the necklace award, gives a lifetime achievement award to the oldest member of the Academy yet to get one.

When Robert Boyle said "Hitch" did you all picture Wil Smith? Yes, you know you did.

Half an hour to go...but there are stacks of awards to go!

Another Enchanted song... Bit light on musicals this year?

John Travolta could be a spokesman for Grecian Formula.

Best Song....not one from Enchanted. Well of course not. Couldn't be something fun and cheerful could it?

Time to post again? Oh alright.

2008 Oscars - Nothing happens

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:39:03 +1100

The bald man on the television is telling me I've never been wealthier. What does he know that I don't?

I'm not getting any comments... I guess this means you're all far too clever and are doing something worthwhile. Like sleeping!

The "When the Writers Go On Strike Award" (ducks - no really! I jest!) Atonement should get it. Three strikes.

Need more water....I guess someone made a speech?

Oh, this is the rules part.... I hope the Ditmar committee is taking notice.

Even Jon is bored. The less funny he is the bigger his smile gets.

Song the third. This must be the song and dance routine. So sad. Balloons. About a thousand too few. Why couldn't the actress from the film do this number? Cause a Toni winner can't sing about vermin and hair in the bathtub?

I'm nodding off... the couch is so comfy.... my head is so stuffy...snore.

The Bourne Ultimatum should _not_ get the award for sound. I remember it being confusing. See that!?!?! See how I simply cannot pick Oscar winners? It's a great skill.

OK, maybe this is the one that The Bourne Ultimatum shouldn't get. Did a horse just explode? Transformers for the win. Crap, I should put money on how much I suck at this.

An hour to go? I don't know if I can do it.

Alright, let me try this another way. Ellen Page is not going to win this award, even though I want her to. I was right that time. *grins*

I think Marion Cotillard was happy to get the award, no?

2008 Oscars - This was a bad idea.

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:07:37 +1100

Have you seen the pile of books I could be reading now?

That's 178cm of books. Yet I sit here instead learning to differentiate the different colours of cleaning fluid.

OK enough with the grumpy. I just saw Run, Fatboy, Run, the new Simon Pegg movie. It's great fun! Easily on a par with Hot Fuzz. Perfect date movie too - it's a romcom, but filled with gruesome visual jokes.

Right, they're back.

See, even Jon knows the montages are not funny. Or entertaining.

Song 2. Wait. Didn't someone already do that?

Is it my speakers or is the sound off? No, it's them.

But, hey, broke out the budget with this. More than four people on the stage.

Here are the interesting films that most of us will never get a chance to see. Winner is the one with the cute kid in it. Isn't it always the way?

Ugh. Animated Seinfeld.

More interesting shorts. I'd love to see Peter and the Wolf (and the others) I had the music as a kid and I now have a version narrated by, oh, someone famous. Damn.

More montages. You really can't do anything without writers can they?

Golden Age of Cinema, alive? hmmm. I'll have to think on that one.

I call it for Saoirse Ronan. (I actually have a cheat sheet for the spelling on that one.) Another miss :-(

2008 Oscars - The cat is insane

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:44:10 +1100

My cat that is. Meowing at air.

What's with the weird shoulder things everyone's wearing?

Seeing what they actually did with the makeup is good. La Vie En Rose gets a prize! My dad'll be happy with that.

This is the "We're sorry about the Freedom Fries thing" Award.

Songs - usually a painful part of the evening. This is my pick though. Cute!

Needs dancers. Also cockroaches.

More reminscinces. I'm sure it's lovely for _them_.

Trying not to post during every ad break. Don't want to get to keen too early. Hours to go yet. I wonder if there's any chocolate.....yes! But not much. Will have to ration.

I'll have you know this is a Threadless t-shirt, Jon.

Dwayne who? Familiar face. Is he usually shirtless?

SFX. They all win, I say. But especially Transformers.

Hooray, my first miss for the evening! This is the science fiction award isn't it? Do genre films ever get anything more than FX and costuming awards?

No, cat you may not sit on me.

Art Direction. My pick is Sweeney Todd, but only because Atonement is going to win everything else.

OMG I picked it! And in case you were wondering, no, I have no idea what the results are before the telecast. What would be the point if I did?

How many shots of Johnny Depp can we fit in to someone else's result.

Oh, Cate is a dog. hilarious.

What is this _every_ past winner? *yawn*

Night of the Godawful Dress. In cinemas this summer.

Supporting actor...I pick... um... who are these guys?

2008 Oscars - Did I Miss Anything?

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:21:21 +1100

OK, I'm here. Just caught the end of Jon Stewart's intro. Was it funny? Well it certainly didn't end in hysterics. Plenty of time for him to warm up though.

Costume Design. Never going to be a controversial category. Pretty though!

George Clooney. It's long. The Oscars trot down memory lane. Cheeeapppppp. Where are the big production numbers nowadays?

Crap, I'm bored already.

So here's what I have in preparation for tonight. A glass of water, a packet of medicated throat lozenges and a sore throat. woooooh.

iPhone joke. Ugh.

I think I saw Justine Larbalestier comment earlier today that Anne Hathaway's outfit was hideous. She was right!

Scripted commentary. Less funny. Vomit joke.

Please don't give this award to Ratatouille.

Double Ugh.

Fair Warning

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 17:20:36 +1100

The Oscars telecast is on tomorrow night and you know what that means? Yep, live blogging. For those unaware, I have over-blogged the Oscars for the last two years and also in 2003. Tragically I have a free preview of Run, Fatboy, Run to go to beforehand, so the sniggering and snarking will begin a little late. Also, I think I'm getting a cold, so it may be even more incoherent than usual.

Tune in at 8.30pm to Channel Nine and I will tell you what Richard Wilkins keeps under his hair. Wooh! Bring on the frocks!

2007 Commentary - Part One, Two, Three , Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve.

2006 Commentary summary.

2003 Commentary summary.

For those reading this on the Livejournal feed, brace yourselves, there won't be any cuts.

The dreams in which I'm dying

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:08:37 +1100

Anyone else weirded out by the bedding company that's using Gary Jules' Mad World in their ads?

Atonement

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 21:40:46 +1100

I saw Cloverfield a couple of nights ago and I did not like it. I was not nauseated by the camera work - simply bored by it. But loads of other people like it, so don't mind me.

However, I do want to recommend Atonement. A lot. I didn't know much going in - only that I had a two-for-one pass that I was determined to use. So I dragged my mother off to see it. We were expecting a costume drama, which we got, thank goodness, (the clothes! the beautiful clothes!) but so much more. It's a gorgeous story, elegantly told and stunning to watch. (Too many superlatives? I say not.)

Atonement has won Golden Globes (whatever that counts for) for Best Drama and for Best Original Soundtrack, which I'm listening to right now. You don't need to know anything about the plot, only that it's the only film I've ever seen that has the worst swear word in the world in massive letters appear across the screen several times and it is integral to the plot. Infinitely satisfying.

It's only on limited release, so go soon.

Review: Blade Runner: The Final Cut on screen too big to drool on.

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 09:58:11 +1100

We went to the Astor last night to see Blade Runner: The Final Cut, which is apparently the closest thing we're ever going to see to Ridley Scott's original vision for the film. I haven't seen any version for years, so I didn't notice any great changes, but there did seem to be more flying around in DeLoreans police cars than I remembered.

But that's all beside the point really. This is the film that Sony Australia is using to show off its 4K digital cinema projection system. (Which I calculate to be roughly eleventy billion pixels.) So the Astor's ancient projection suite was, Paul Harris informed us, jam packed with technology especially shipped in for these screenings. A Sony representative said some stuff, which ended with,"Here's an example."

They opened up the curtains to their fullest width, usually only done for the 70mm screenings, the projector began it's thing and light spilled out of the screen area onto the ceiling.

Oh.
My.

I hadn't felt this kind of awe in a cinema since I don't know when. Perhaps the preview of Serenity. Maybe it was the re-release of Star Wars. It doesn't matter. I am all over this projector within five seconds of Lightning McQueen racing around his li'l animated speedway. So shiny. So colourful. So Damn Pretty.

At the end of the brief trailer you could've heard a pin drop in the audience, we were too busy reconnecting our lower jaws to our faces to say anything.

And Blade Runner with this kind of visual? Gorgeous. There are so many details in the sets that I never knew were there before. Vehicles parked on buildings, text on advertisements, costumes on the toys in J.F.'s apartment. If you like this film I highly recommend seeing it this way. There have been some "corrections" to the film that make it flow more smoothly too, a lot of trouble has been gone to to make sure these new green screened effects blend in and if you weren't familiar (really familiar) with the scenes you wouldn't notice them. Which is as it should be.

Blade Runner: The Final Cut is screening at The Astor in Melbourne until Sunday night. Get there super early for front row balcony seats like we did (nerds!).

Sil van der Woerd

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 22:30:16 +1000

M1k3y puts us onto these excellent music videos by Sil van der Woerd.
dark palette + (nature and/or technology)/atmosphere = pretty.

Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-laa and some bored backbenchers.

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 15:29:03 +1000

Image of Tinky Winky, courtesy ninemsn.

For the first time in living memory the ABC has changed the timeslot for afternoon Playschool from 3.30 to 3.00pm. If the TV was switched on early you used to catch a rerun of Teletubbies. Now it's the tail end of Parliament Question Time. But will the kids be able to tell the difference?