Recent Viewing Part IV

Yup!

Evita (1996) - Alan Parker

I love this film about that quasi fascist polit princess. Gorgeous cinematography, astonishing performance by Madonna, not quite as good a performance by Banderas. Out of this world music by Sir Andrew. Great film.

Volker

I remember seeing an early trailer for this movie where it concentrates on the goofy robot - and I remember thinking that that would be a film to look forward to because it seemed really quite funny and oddball. Then many months later I saw a second trailer when the film came out - and it looked like a completely different film: lost of annoying kids, not much footage of the goofy robot. I felt at this point that I had had a lucky escape avoiding it.

That makes me very happy Volker. Two reviews upcoming this month are Bruckner's 4th, a live recording, and Enescu's 1st. I'm happy with both of them.
Tom

Jupiter Ascending

What is there to say? You'll love it when you do, and you'll hate it when you do. There is probably not much inbetween.

Personally, I don't get this negativity about it one tiny bit. I really, really enjoyed the movie. The set and spaceship design alone is worth your ticket. Twice. The action is fun and all, but really, the design. Geez.

Think about the story whatever you think. I thought it was good, a perfect buildup for more to come, an introduction to a crazy as hell universe where the more or less immortal nobility has lived so long they all got different forms of psychosis, which explains everything about Redmane's performance to me. Tatum is just adorable, Bean is Bean, and Kunis is the cute Damsel in Distress who learns a lot about herself and what she's capable of, as a human being, by the end. Which is way more important than a lot of other stuff people would have preferred her to discover.

Do I want to see more? Hell, yeah. If I have to pay in advance for the sequels to be made, I'll do it.

And the score? Well, let's just say, I repent. This is not only Giacchino's best score. It really made this movie soar above my expectations. That, and the design. God, I love the design. Did I tell you how much I love the design?

Now tell me this, are you really willing to dismiss the beautiful, fantastic work of hundreds of obviously gifted and brilliant artists because you don't like Tatum's pointy ears? That, my dear friends, is ridiculous, and nothing else.

I really enjoyed Big Hero 6. I was rather surprised that it went down the superhero route because everything I'd seen in the trailers suggested some sort of relationship film between Hero and Beta Max. While I would have loved to see THAT story develop, I enjoyed the film nonetheless (GREAT ANIMATION... and I mean GREAT!) And Henry Jackman's score was fantastic. Yes, that same Henry Jackman who pooped out the smelly turd known as Captain America: The Winter Solider earlier in 2014. The film was a mix between How To Train Your Dragon and The Incredibles. Nothing unique but still very entertaining and my kids loved it... especially the first half of the film, which was the best part.

-Erik-

Same goes for Zimmer, IMO.

The Legacy

I do wonder sometimes if these Scandinavian shows seem better just because they've got subtitles. This Danish one - which recently finished showing over here - was another good one. No murders this time, but lots of family infighting as children squabble over their inheritance from their mother. Was surprised to see it end on a cliffhanger, will eagerly await the next series (assuming there is one).

30 Degrees in February

And here's another one, Swedish this time. I think it's a few years old but it's only just started showing over here. This one follows a few Swedes who move to Thailand to start a new life, for a variety of reasons. Extremely promising start and a superb score, which I must buy (happy to see it on iTunes).

This is a great show -- one of the best Scandinavian series I've seen in years. I think it's pretty much a one-off, though (meaning there will be no subsequent seasons), but we'll see. It may suffer the same fate as another wonderful Swedish series -- REAL HUMANS (which is now being remade in the US).

The score is wonderful, and we did in fact receive a promo to IFMCA when the series was on (no longer available).

I have. Didn't really like it. Too 'unnerving' (I've always had an issue with films that are too 'full-on' in terms of frenetic dialogue, which is why I've never liked Woody Allen, for example), and the one-shot idea was neat, but quickly wore out its welcome. Of course, I did smile on a couple of occasions, but for me it was rather mediocre overall.

Oh, God, i am morphing into a Thor.

Didn't like it either. Heavy departure from Innaritu's trademared style i so adore (21 grams, amores perros, bable). Confused, messy, overrated. The drum score improvs, oh sorry, "Score", irritated the hell out of me and i only relaxed and soothed during the pre-recorded classical piece. Academy did fine to dismiss this for Oscars' eligibility but was so fun watching the whine and rants over at the net.

The 1996 film "The Paper Brigade" (sometimes "Gunter and the" is added to the beginning).


A kind of spoiled and lazy young teen and his family move to nice surburban neighborhood. The oddball kids want to befriend him, but he just feels he's above it. But when he needs cash, he agrees to take over a paper route for one of the kids who has to go away for the summer. He soon discovers delivery papers isn't the piece of cake he thought it would be.


I didn't go in with high expectations, epsecially with a shaky start and some over-rought acting by the lead, but I was plesantly surprised by how enjoyable the film was.

The main oddball kids have their own quickiness and personallities and fun to bounce off once another. It's nicely done, kind of in the way "The Sandlot" was.

The adventurous and fun orchestral score is by Ray Calcord. I don't understand why he doesn't get more work when he can deliver efforts like this. There's some fun suites to be made of this (it's on CD).


Worth checking out if you have some free time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMVHkDcCnec

Event Horizon

The only worthy thing this awful director has done.

Probably not, no. But I enjoy it because it's a) spacey b) it has model special effects and c) Sam Neill. That's about it really.