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RV over the Christmas days:

Doctor Who Christmas Special 2007 (I missed this year's so a re-run had to do ).
Preceded by the excellent and ever so charming short piece Time Crash (taped specifically for the Children In Need charity) where the 5th Doctor (Peter Davidson) meets Doctor no. 10. Great interaction and excellent dialogue.
The piece proper is just a charming piece of work with the Doctor meeting...well, The Poseidon Adventure (with added homicidal robots) ...and Kylie (who is still cute as a button ...and so petite! ). The action and drama weigh in less heavily than the Doctor's banter (with "Allons-y Alonso!" as maybe the best line) and -again- the dialogue in general which was written really well.

3.5 out of 5


Gia
Angelina Jolie's debut in a made-for-TV real-life rags-to-riches-to-ruin story about a supermodel's trials and tribulations. Not bad (and man, can Jolie act!), but ultimately rather superficial.
3 out of 5


Night Of The Hunter (1955)
Never saw this classic 1955 film before so this seemed and excellent time to remedy that.
Bankrobber dad hides his spoils with his children before being apprehended and executed in last century's early thirties. Psychotic conman-cum-serial killer priest Harry Powell (played by Robert Mitchum) catches wind of it and, through charm and manipulation marries the man's widow to find out where the money is hid. Then the nightmare truly begins for the children.

This film, the only one ever directed by famed actor Charles (Mutiny On The Bounty) Laughton is just excellent, excellent, excellent. Moody, troubling, taut and, especially during the children's flight, disturbingly expressionistic and dreamlike.

Super acting by all involved with a young Shelley Winters as the troubled and naive mother (whose grisly fate is seriously graphic and disturbing, especially in those days), Mitchum as the priest (almost, but not quite, as evil as his portrayal of Max Cady in Cape Fear) and former star of the silent screen Lilian Gish just shines as the angel protector the children can turn to.

5 out of 5

The score by Walter Schumann features two strong themes, both of 'em children's ditties that are well and truly haunting. Yes, the epiteth is over- and misused a lot, but I do not hesitate to use it here: haunting to me is a tune that immediately evokes a mood of estranged detachment following or juxtaposing against the visuals completely. These tunes are just that to the best effect I've heard in a long, LONG time.

5 out of 5


A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
I did see this classic film, based on the Tennessee Willilams' play, before, but I think I was too young or naive to fully appreciate it (I think I may have been 17 or 18). NOW, however, the troubling tale of psychologically shattered Blanche (Vivienne Leigh) moving in with her sister (Kim Hunter) and her brutish husband (Marlon Brando, in his nastiest role ever) in a rundown backstreet Louisiana neighbourhood, and the utter psychological destruction she is faced with in circumstances that are never kind or even merciful, hit home at full force.

One of the saddest films I have ever seen, with absolutely stellar acting we just don't get to see much these days, and dialogue that is so well written, with such an insightful and wonderful turn of phrase that I seriously doubt we will ever see the like again.

Vivienne Leigh portrays the lead character with such pain and fragility that, even through Blanche's theatrical personality and annoying traits, her damaged mind and -ultimately- utter loneliness breaks your heart beyond repair. I'm choking up again even writing this down.

I am SO glad I decided to try this film again.
Without any effort whatsoever it has jumped right into my personal Best Films Ever Top 10.

6 out of 5

I am no fan of Alex North, but the avantgarde jazz-like influence of the music in this film support both the Louisiana setting and the psychological drama with a musical insight that is the mark of a true craftsman.

4 out of 5


Now well into Battlestar Galactica: Season 2, where they are getting more and more into religious righteousness (which annoys the snot out of me), but also more character-driven and action-oriented which is excellent. The few references to the old 1978 series (the Battlestar Pegasus and the "colonial march" (which IS the old Battlestar Galactica series' main theme)) are cute as well.

Gregg Bear's minimalist & middle east oriented score really, really, really gets annoying at points.

No, it doesn't.

Transporter 3

What a pile of crap. A shame Jason Statham (an actor with charm and charisma IMO) is acting in such horrible films (the only good film with him I remember is Snatch). I´ve watched TV movies with better set pieces (the only reason to watch a film like Transporter 3 is the action), and the editing and direction are a total mess.

Two good things though: Robert Knepper (Prison Break´s "T-Bag") playing the bad guy and enjoying every single second (at least when he is on screen you can enjoy his performance) and Alexandre Azaria´s Tyler-esque score (at times directly ripping off Brian Tyler´s action writing). Oh, and the russian chick is quite hot (what´s with russian chicks lately in american movies though? )

1 out of 5

Night of The Hunter and A Streetcar Named Desire!?

Brilliant viewing, sublime even.

Jason Statham is the Chuck Norris and Van Damme of the new era. The same pile of crap, only updated, imo.

Actually I think that action heroes are history, part of the 80´s and 90´s movies history.

No, Statham actually can act.

The CD that's available is a "Story of..." type of recording that's taken from the original soundtrack with a narration from Charles Laughton himself. There's dialogue as well but it's possible to hear the score under all the talking. And, of course, there's several renditions of The Preacher's creepy song..."Leaning, Leaning. Safe and secure from all alarms..."

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-N9LnkKQfuc

I need to hunt this movie down.

Just watched Superman Returns for the first time...and it will be my last! It took ages to get going, the plot wasn't up to much and it was just too corny in several places.

RV: Kung Fu Panda

Excellent, hilarious film! Great score too!

I didn't really care about any of the characters by the end of the movie. Maybe the impact of the original Superman movie (and the actors' contributions to each of the characters) was just too much of a hurdle to climb for me to accept this new version.

I think that it was more than that. The story just wasn't very engaging.

Singer's mistake was trying to emulate the first two films, rather than pay hommage to them. Luthor, Supes and Lois were notably different characters in the late seventies from what they are now. To try and relive that specific glory thirty years later without even a hint of an update simply won't do it.

What a missed opportunity.

There's no comparison imo. The "Returns" flick was nothing more than a big pop-corn hollywood trick. No depth, no essence. Quickly forgettable.

That should be good i guess, i am definitely looking forward to watching it! Tell us how it's like, Tom.