Magic Marmalade - 45worlds

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Member	Item		Review/Comment
Magic Marmalade 30th Sep 2024		TV V: The Final Battle (1984)	Rated 6/10 Wow, this really lost it's way pretty darn fast! ....Right in front of my eyes in fact. For while the first two parter had a very strong idea at it's core, and felt like a split cinematic movie, in terms of the story, and the quality of the writing, this instantly feels less movie-like, and more tv miniseries / episodic. It feels rushed too, bouncing from scene to scene without much explanation of how it got from one scene to the other. Across the three episodes, you see a valiant attempt to match the orginal story, and take up where it left off, rapidly, and by degrees disintegrate, visibly running out of ideas, and cobbling together stories just to get it along to the finale. By the end, it gives way entirely to the most hokey, cornball hammery you can think of... It almost literally goes back in time from first episode to last in terms of quality of production, until it's virtually a spoof hippie sixties groovy buck rogers Flash Gordon spoof of love-in optimism, replete with rainbows of balloons, groovy cod-funk music, and unaccounted for space magic nonsense. Forgets all the good characters they'd previously put work into building, and summarily disposing of others, losing any interest that marked the original out for special consideration. Promising to begin with, total crap by the end. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 29th Sep 2024		TV V [1983] (1983)	Rated 8/10 I remember this being a real event back in the day, but have not seen it since. So I was pleased to find the DVD sets of both this and The Final Battle in the Charity shop the other day... ...And I've got to say it's even better than I remember it! Imagine Independence Day, but with fully rounded, non cartoonish characters, and depth of story-telling, and rather than a straight up, meat and potatoes alien invasion scenario, like War Of The Worlds, the superficially benign "visitors" have a subtle, fascistic scheme for world domination, with the story focussing on all the interpersonal relationships among the humans experiencing this, and how those character dynamics change when challenged, and what you find you have here is an excellently thought out, brilliantly written analogy for a modern fascist oppression, who's methods are more insidious than a flat out invasion, and who's true motives are far more sinister. Granted, it's very, very eighties in terms of production quality, and the effects have mostly aged pretty badly, but the story is good enough to get over that, and the telling of that story is brilliantly handled. More subtle and nuanced by orders of magnitude than said: Independence Day, as you have human collaborators, as well as Alien, human sympathisers all considered well in the writing. It's just a shame they didn't have the guts back then to go huge with this, and make a three hour, big budget movie of it (which is what this feels like... minus the budget, of course!), if they had, this would have been a landlmark in sci-fi cinema to this day, every bit the equal of the modern iteration of Dune. As it is though, it's still a cracker... and I can't wait to get going on the Final Battle set. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 29th Sep 2024		Cinema Shogun Assassin (1980)	A couple more points to note about this movie: Firstly, I noticed in the credits that one of the English dub voice artists is Sandra Bernhard! - Which seems a bit leftfield for her, but I suppose this was early in her career. Secondly, there's one of those truly brilliant, if odd scenes that get stuck in your head in here: After a confrontation by the travellers on a ferry with the Masters of death, a bit of a "to-do" occurs, and a fire breaks out, so all hands must abandon ship and swim to shore. Our hero throws the cart / baby pram in the water, and tells his son to get in it and use it as a boat... anyway, they get ashore and go into a hut there to get warm and dry off, as does the head female ninja - his mortal enemy... ...After stripping his son to bare-ass, and doing the same for himself, he turns menacingly towards this woman with his signature, gruff, yet inscrutable look, who fears the worst; As do we, the audience, as out of nowhere, you doubt this lethal yet honourable man's motives towards her - surely he's not going to rape her is he... not with his son standing there too? - the tone therefore takes a real dark, and unexpected turn. ...He grabs her, throws her down, and begins stripping her too, against not only her naturally loud protests, but her violent attempts to get him away (difficult watch at this point)... But then: ...Once she's completely naked, he turns, gathers up his son, holding him to his chest, then pulls the terrified woman near, and holds them both in his his embrace - the son between, explaining that they need the body heat. The scene lingers here, and shows she is entertaining the idea of drawing his sword from the scabbard on the ground and stabbing him, but the son gives her boob a flick, which seems to shake her out of the notion, and she gives up to just resting against him. The scene is all about the shift in tone, set against audience expectations, until you have a man holding his mortal enemy around his son, but naked for their mutual benefit. There's something sublime, and brilliant about the scene I think.
Magic Marmalade 27th Sep 2024		Cassette Single Limp Bizkit - Rollin'	Nice little find for 25p! (Not a fan of Limp Bizkit, but there you go)
Magic Marmalade 26th Sep 2024		Cinema Vampyres (Daughters of Dracula) (1974)	Rated 7/10 A winter warmer. I really liked this one, against all expectations. Don't be fooled by the DVD cover, as this is not the ultra-slick production that cover suggests; Rather this is in the vein (pun!) of the kind of ultra-low budget, atmospheric, early seventies rural England style "horrors" that Hammer and others used to make - maybe think, in terms of look, style, and feel: The Devil Rides Out, and the 1978 movie: The Legacy (Both more my kind of horror movie, as opposed to modern horrors) - This has a lot of atmosphere, and character, due mainly to the incredibly meagre budget seemingly only stretching to the hire of a couple of cars, a caravan, some charity shop find costumery, and the use of an old manor house... (Perhaps for a few mornings, where I guess they shot most scenes in a very short amount of time, to make the most of this access) ...These resources are utilised to great effect by shooting in those dank misty, autumnal / winteral mornings those of us in England are well acquainted with: damp brown, soggy leaves bestrewn among the baring, dead looking woodlands, an icy mist hanging perpetually in the air to the sound of the many ominous crowings of local rooks, ravens, and well... crows. This weakness also is this movie's strength though too, actually, as not being able to do spectacular vampire effects (supernatural powers etc.), they basically dispense with all that, and concentrate on the "off-ness" of the two main female leads: besides the mostly tastefully shot, largely inoffensive soft-focus, soft porn lesbian sex scenes, and occasional romp with their lured, and ensnared male victims, there's plenty of stomping around in the misty woodland and graveyards sporting long flowing, black and purple velvet cloaks, before stomping back again moodily. And aside form a hapless straight-laced couple in their caravan, one of the lured: the hapless Ted, who spends the movie, once ensnared, trying to free himself from their clutches, has the only real "effects" in the movie: A cosmetic cut on his arm the devilish duo extract their needed blood from. So it's all about mood, and not visual effects nonsense, or contrived variations on Vampiric folklore. In fact, it has a kind of cosy, familiar feel to it, great for a night tucked in with a little snifter when the rain's coming down outside. The only thing that really has me scratching my head is the opening scene, after the initial sex bout between the pair, they are shot by a dark figure... who? we never find out, or how this leads them to become vampires, or by what mechanisms... (I did say they dispensed with all that establishing of premise etc... and as you can see, I mean ALL of it) ...But once over that, you have a gently titillating early seventies rural English gothic mood piece. All good fun :) ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 24th Sep 2024		Cinema Shogun Assassin (1980)	Rated 8/10 Another classic tale of revenge... ...Set in motion by our (anti) "hero" defying the big cheese / Shogun, and having his wife murdered, and so setting off to basically kill everyone the Shogun has ever met, or seemingly ever even looked at! He takes with him his infant son, in a cart / pram, and they just continually travel around, dicing all who the Shogun has sent to assassinate him and his son. This includes a pack of ninjas, another group of female ninjas, and three ominous beings known as the: "Masters of death"... (Three dudes with huge hats and individual fighting gimmicks that will immediately call to mind three such individuals to any who have seen: Big Trouble In Little China!) ...But fortunately, our hero is, of course, the ultimate badass! A few points of consideration though: Firstly, this movie, shall we say, doesn't seem to have any actual resolution, which is odd. Also, while this is technically a samurai / martial arts / revenge movie... in look, feel tone and style, I would actually describe this as more of a genuine piece of 60s / 70s psychedelia... ...It has a very trippy, hypnotic, and mesmeric quality to it, further enhanced by the oddly John Carpenter-esque synth score, which I presume, of course, was not part of the original, and much earlier two parts welded together to make this single movie in 1980. And so, this odd time shifted psychedelic splatter-fest, which is not without some great story points, and poignant moments, is probably best watched whilst smoking a "cigarette" or two . (wink :). 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 24th Sep 2024		Cinema Shurayuki-hime (Lady Snowblood) (1973)	Rated 8/10 The movie that "inspired" Kill Bill. (Not that Tarantino ripped it off at all, oh no, he doesn't do that... he "pays homage to...") A child born for, and to vengeance... ...In a prison, to a mother who promptly dies after giving birth, and swearing the child to fulfil this vow of vengeance on those who killed her husband, and created the circumstances of her lifetime of incarceration. The child, of course, grows to be "Lady Snowblood", a cool, ruthless, sword wielding angel of revenge. All the beats, style, and look that you will recognise from later Kill Bill are here, but in the authentic 70s fashion: Some truly beautiful photography / cinematography, transition shots, and other innovative, and stunning visuals frame the essential fountains of blood, spewing comically all over the place, yet this is a more engrossing, easier paced, slow burner of a tale of revenge, as opposed to the more frenetic Tarantino style. The scene at the end, at a European style period ballroom dance is strongly reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's style, and I wonder if he was an influence on the moviemaking style here... it seems so. Excellent. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 24th Sep 2024		CD Album Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run	Thanks Lee. Yes, seems like I have the CD mini-lp replica from this set. Oh well, it's still nice to have as a stand alone. (Would it be shocking to confess that I've never heard this album before? >Gasp!<)
Magic Marmalade 22nd Sep 2024		CD Album Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run	Was the CD component available separately? I came across it in a charity shop the other day, with the cd inside as image at the bottom of page, with an LP gatefold replica design (it has "grooves" on the label side around the "label", and playing side is a black playstation disc), but can't find reference to this disc in this packaging outside this set.
Magic Marmalade 17th Sep 2024		Cinema Heathers (1989)	Rated 10/10 A cut above the rest. Finally took the plunge, and snagged myself a DVD copy of this - frankly exhausted waiting for it to reappear on TV... ...And having rewatched it, I can now see there is definitely very good reason for that: This is probably one of those movies that parents do not want their kids to see, and any network is terrified of showing for that reason - That in the current climate, and in this modern world where teens in particular seem to be very nihilistic, not top mention "stabby" and "shooty" - with scarcely a week going by when they are not having at each other - seriously, it seems like it's becoming a hobby or a pastime for "kids these days" (<old man speaking! :)... ...But perhaps I shouldn't make light of this topic... But then, this does exactly that. Whereas other movies deal with such issues in a lighter manner, such as Mean Girls, and The Craft (Both clearly inspired by this): A gang of popular girls set against the protagonist and making life hell for all the other kids at the school, and you may say that behind the serious frowny face they give, there's something of a wry smile, this is the opposite: having, as it does, behind the wry smile of a jet black humour, something more, well despairing and malignant. So, with the "Heathers" running the place, one girl, on the periphery of the group, uneasy about being in their clique, takes up with "rebellious", edgy new guy, played by Christian Slater, and thence ensues a Bonnie and Clyde exacting of revenge on them, but kicks up a gear in the final third when she tries to free herself now, not from their influence, but his, as her turns out to be a genuine psycho, way beyond any romantic, Romeo And Juliet visions she had or conceptions of what they were about together... and form there, it turns into a prototype Joker and Harley Quinn dynamic: She's trying to stop him manipulating her, and at the same time, stopping his psychotic, evil schemes. The one liners in this are grade A writing, my faves being deadpan nuggets like: "Well F"$k me gently with a chainsaw!", and: "Did you have a brain tumour for breakfast?" In style and tone, I can only describe it as being like a John Hughes teen drama counterpoint in the style of Mean Girls, but scripted and produced by the Coen brothers and directed by David Lynch, in one of his more "Blue Velvet" moments. Probably one of those like Joker, that powers that be are terrified it's target audience will watch, as it may strike too close to home, and makes everyone distinctly uneasy about, in case it "puts ideas in people's heads - but conversely, maybe that's the exact reason it should be watched, having grown, disturbingly, in relevance over time. Well, at least it's not a musical... that would be misguided, cynical, and truly sinister. (I hate musicals, by the way, with a fiery passion... drama, or music dude? pick a lane!) ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 17th Sep 2024		Cinema Her Alibi (1989)	Rated 7/10 Strange one this... ...I've always liked it since seeing it in the cinema, but haven't seen it again in quite few years, so wanted to see how well it held up. The essential premise is another one of those Hitchcock pastiches: A guy falls for a woman and suspects her motives, and begins to think she's out to murder him - but played for laughs, very much the same as the later Mike Myers movie: So I Married An Axe Murderer (Also good)... ...She being a Romanian accused of murder, with a strong suggestion of espionage and murky international political intrigue as her motive - Selleck, being a fading, down on his luck schlock, dime store crime fiction writer, attending court for inspiration, beholds her as she is presented to court, and is instantly smitten... So much so he puts himself forward as "her alibi", and takes her in, where all the comedic farce of suspicion ensues. Granted the premise itself is a bit creepy now, and there are more than a few "yikes" moments throughout, but otherwise it's still funny, and amusing, with a great framing device, of his narration of events (in his capacity as a writer) inspired by what's happening, and of course, placing himself as the hero in this wildly exaggerated "version" of events, contrasts wildly with the reality of his bungling, haphazard, and comical behaviour, gives it a knowing, self aware, and self deprecating tone. A fairly short movie, somewhat absurd, but still fun. ..And with the added bonus of one of those end credit songs I'd long forgotten, but instantly recognised when it played, and now can't get out of my head... that being this one, by Randy Newman: [YouTube Video] ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 12th Sep 2024		Cinema Howard The Duck (1986)	Rated 7/10 I feared the worst... and was very, very pleasantly surprised. For those younger movie fans, you will be familiar with this guy via an end credits scene in one the Avengers movies, where "The Collector" has a Duck in a glass case, smoking a cigar, and mutters something I forget (A little easter egg for all us old enough to remember Howard). I recall having seen it a couple of times on a pirate VHS back in the day, and not being enitirely unhappy with it, according to memory, although intervening years seem to have played to the cirtics opinion of the time, that it is one of the worst movies ever made. It isn't. Far from it. Granted, it is not a masterpiece, by any stretch, but great fun, and worthy of an amused smile thoughout. Duck gets accidentally transported through space form his duck homeworld, via earthman laser, which also accidently unlocks and transports a demon form nether regions of space, and Howard must become the hero. Of course, it's absurd, stupid, and surreal, but, I think, knowingly so... I must place the caveat here that my recent watch was of the "uncut" version, which internet reveals has more adult oriented humour added (nothing obscene, just more of style only adults will get), and this context allows you to enjoy it for what it is - the 12 certificate is technically accurate, but i'd say that's stretching it a bit for that age group, maybe a couple of years older might allow them to "get" the self effacing, self depredating absurdist element a bit better. I was worried about one thing, which I thing had been implanted as a false memory in my mind in the intervening years, I think through popular urban myth: That Lea Thompson's character has sex with Howard...the duck. Phew, thankfully not, but it does for a moment, seem like it's going that way, until it is revealed as a tease, or "prank" by Thompson's character, so you can rest assured on that one, but it does indicate the level of humour this movie operates at. The animatronics and effects are still top notch, and the whole production is great quality for the time, given this is a Lucasfilm production too. And the DVD I watched it from, looks cracking, really crisp, clean and spiffy, even on a big telly. Worth revisiting, and reappraising, if you've not watched it for a while. 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 12th Sep 2024		Cinema Encino Man (California Man) (1992)	Rated 7/10 Still great fun, after all these years! A really quite short movie (1hr 27 mins by my clock), that just gets straight to it, moves briskly through, in what a more highbrow critic might call "dumb fun", but suits me down to the ground. A young Sean Astin is digging a hole in his garden for a pool, in order to up his cool factor at school, and accidentally unearths (with the aid of a minor earthquake, and chum Pauly Shore) a block of ice, with a cave man (Fraser) inside... ...He goes off to school, and upon his return, discovers the Ice has melted, and said cave man is loose in his house. Astin and Shore (Dave and Stoney) befriend him decide to modernise him, and take him to school and help them become popular. The uncivilised Fraser (Link) introduces a little anarchy and lots of amusing hijinks. The basic set up of uncool kid seeking popularity, especially with childhood sweetheart, in opposition to school bully is certainly not new, and is indeed, a hang over from the eighties of the kind of John Hughes style teen drama, but for laughs. Brendan Fraser's largely mute performance, bar occasional grunting, and the odd word, is charismatic and engaging nevertheless, even, at one point, quite touching, when he realises he's been stranded out of his time. Even Pauly Shore gives a relatively muted performance, thankfully, as you can certainly have enough of that guy, and whatever that Schtick of his was back then. For fans of said eighties teen dramas, but in a comedy sense, as well as movies like Airheads, Empire Records, and other throwaway cheap and cheerful, fun comedies of the nineties. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 12th Sep 2024		Cinema Drop Dead Fred (1991)	I think a lot of this humour would have gone over my head if I had been ten years old when watching it first time, but I was - er - 16, according my reckoning, so I thing I was a bit betwixt and between, and it seemed odd, basically, like a very particular kind of British humour shoe-horned into a Hollywood production, and I don't think they matched the two elements at all well. (After all, we were all used to Rik in Young Ones, as Lord Flash in Blackadder, and later in Bottom, which is kind of the performance he gives here, which would probably leave a lot of jaws hanging elsewhere in the world, and lacking the former context, it's a little jarring.
Magic Marmalade 8th Sep 2024		Cinema Drop Dead Fred (1991)	Rated 4/10 There seems to be an attempt underway to redeem, or position this as a "cult classic". Cult... maybe. classic... no. Rewatching it after all these years, it's just as disappointing. The music, cinematography, and dialogue are cheap, and bad sub-tv standard. Effects look equally cheap, even for the time too. The real problem is Rik Mayall's manic, gross out for-kids performance looks embarrassing in this cheap environment, and the subject matter is too adult for kids, but the execution is too juvenile for adults, especially when it tries to deal with topics concerning "mental health issues", and it is therefore borderline insulting. Phoebe Cates characterisation too, of the woman who's childhood imaginary friend returns later in life when she is having a hard time in life - Overbearing mother, philandering husband, losing her job etc. is too flat, and monotone - no evident sadness when depressed, no apparent joy when happy (er), which only serves to highlight, in a negative way, how loopy Mayall is. The dialogue is grossly misjudged, seeming spiteful and psychotic , in attempting to say things kids who don't know what the meaning of what they are saying really come from the mouths of adults, which is just plain sinister. There are a couple of good points though, such as the other imaginary friends of patients in a psychiatrists waiting room can each only be seen by the people who's imaginary friend they are, so to those people, their imaginary firend appears to have an imaginary firend... which is quite original. And the end, too borders on the poetic. But it is an obvious attempt to try and make a Tim Burton style movie, by someone who isn't Tim Burton...oh dear. I can't help but imagine how truly great this story could have been if Tim Burton himself had actually made it. Remake, anyone? But this is mostly rubbish. 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 1st Sep 2024		Vinyl Album Blondie - Parallel Lines	I question the bootleg status of this, if it came from the official factory, albeit "unofficially" pressed... (Snuck out the back door by cheeky employee etc.) ...As bootleg seems to imply an entirely separate entity replicating official issues for reasons of profit, and thereby stealing from the copyright holder / label of origin, the profits which would otherwise would have been rightfully theirs. If this is extremely rare, where only a couple or a handful exist, this would seem to lend credence to the idea that it was a one time -off the books sneaky press by insider, for their own use, as opposed to a boot, as any bootleg enterprise isn't going to make only a couple, or even a few if there's no possibility of any wedge at the end of it, due to lack of numbers, surely?
Magic Marmalade 1st Sep 2024		CD Album Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Kicking Against The Pricks	Difficult on the face of it as mute has the patent, but liberation has the copyright. But looking at the mute discography, the cat numbering sequence appears consistent in pattern and style with this, so I think it looks right as is.
Magic Marmalade 31st Aug 2024		Cinema Be Kind Rewind (2008)	Rated 8/10 What it's all about. This is a deliberately cheap. low budget looking love letter to the people who love movies... but more, it's about the sense of community that comes through the medium of movies, and people's love for them. To understand this, it's best to consider the word: Media. (Physical Media being the term that is increasingly becoming the catch-all buzzword of our age, not just for the ranks of collectors of various media, be it records, CDs, or DVDs - I 'd lay money on it that this term will be entered into the Oxford Dictionary before too long!) For, beyond the specific media, or medium (VHS, DVD, CD etc.), collectively, these are a medium for something else: Social interaction, and connection, with other people. Whether it be gathering at your local record store, Blockbuster, or other, these media facilitate this reason to connect, that the content provides. Ironically, the prime thing that streaming, and the internet as a whole, has taken away from us, and the one thing we really needed from them. Now, all this pretentious waffle of mine only serves to illustrate what this movie is about, and encapsulate... the desire to reconnect with others around you in person, physically present. AS when Jerry (Jack Black) becomes magnetised after an attempt to disrupt a local power station he suspects is sending out subliminal signals to influence his mind, he returns to the desperately struggling VHS video store he works at with long suffering friend Mike (Mos Def), and owned by Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover) and his magnetic presence causes all the tapes to be blanked. Mike quickly formulates a plan for him and Jerry to make their own versions of the movies lost, and rent those out instead. Ghostbusters is their first attempt, and unexpectedly, creates a cult like stir in the community, who are soon knocking at the door for their other favourites to be "Sweded", or remade by the duo. And as things go, the ore they draw in others in the community to help them out. This is not a laugh out loud, tears streaming down your face, side splitting type of comedy, but rather a very quirky, surreal-ish eccentric smiling movie, that has you chuckling all throughout, while leaving you feeling very warm and cosy at the heart-warming, and uplifting finale. As well as making you want to immediately go out and "Swede" your own favourites :) Sweet, sublime, and really quite a beautiful little film. 2 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 29th Aug 2024		CD Album Melanie - Neighbourhood Songs	Additional Discs / Tracks can be added by going to > Add Missing Info, at bottom of page, then> Add Extra Tracks.
Magic Marmalade 24th Aug 2024		Book Mark Haddon - The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time	Rated 9/10 Brilliantly conceived novel. The narrator / protagonist is a young guy with autism - possibly, specifically Asperger's, and so we view the world through his eyes, via his mind, understanding events and happenings as related to us descriptively by him as he sets about detecting, and uncovering the truth behind titular curious incident... which a neighbour's dog is "murdered" with a garden fork in the middle of the night. But the story evolves, through this premise, way beyond it... for him, at least. The real genius though, other relating to the reader what the autistic mind comprehends, and how, is by way of his blank description of the events, that we can see, and understand, what he cannot... ...So the story being told in his descriptions is understood, in it's meaning, of what the people he is describing are doing and saying, even though, and especially, because he cannot see or comprehend those meanings. Usually, we get an insight through the protagonist, or a "God's eye view" of the story, but in this case, we get to see the story he is blind to, even though he is telling it; which is somewhat tragic and heart-breaking, in it's depiction of everyday life for those struggling with autism in their lives, both those who are autistic, and those who love them, and live with them, and their condition. (Apologies if I have been innocently insensitive in my use of terms, I don't want to come across as tone deaf or condescending here, but this is the first time I feel I've come anywhere near close to appreciating what Autism is, let alone experiencing it in anyone) I venture to suggest though, that a lot of what is written here will hit home hard for those caring for anyone like main character: Christopher, and how he drives his parents, himself, and others near to, and even past the edge sometimes, unrelenting as it is. Perfectly framed, and actually very enjoyable. >Two points though, after reading and looking online about this: 1. The "offensiveness" of some of the language and terms used, principally by Christopher, as a criticism, holds absolutely no water, as he himself, is incapable of any intent, but innocently, merely relating, and reporting the words, and deeds of others, who have no such excuse - he doesn't get it anyway, just states: "He / she said / did this / that", so it's completely contextualised. 2. I see actor-oid Brad Pitt owns the movie rights to this, but nothing has been forthcoming as of yet - but if he does eventually pull his thumb out of his ass and get on with making this happen, he needs to make it (In my opinion) along the lines of an independent, mid to lower budget affair, along the lines of, say... Juno, in tone and style, rather throwing money at it, and making some huge, toe curling, and by virtue of this - offensively, and tone deaf "Hollywood" style movie. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 23rd Aug 2024		Cinema The Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call: New Orleans (Bad Lieutenant ) (2009)	Rated 8/10 What on earth were they thinking?!!! ...Not regards the movie itself, but giving this great movie this crappy title. If you want to hamstring your movie before it's even released, why not give it the same principle title as an already cult classic movie (Starring Harvey Keitel), to make people think it's a sequel to that one... not only that, add the extra qualifiers in there too, to make it sound like cheapo, straight to DVD bargain bin fodder movie that is going to be Godawful? And I imagine it is this very thing that has put people off watching this from the get go, and why it continues to be overlooked. Of course, it shares the idea of a "Bad Lieutenant" as does the other one, but this has plenty of it's own beats. So do yourself a favour, and ignore the title! Look instead, at the fact that this has, perhaps, the most Nicholas Cage performance Nicholas Cage has ever given... in that it is all, and everything he is and does in one movie, like this is what he's been aiming at all his career, as his character begins somewhat soberly enough, although somewhat morally corrupt, but then goes spiralling out of control with ever crazier antics, and behaviour - Cage goes bouncing off the walls eventually, but it's his portrayal of a man trying to contain it at first, and then the transition to Mr. crazy man that blows you away. Add to that, it's Directed by Werner Herzog. Werner Herzog... Nicholas Cage. ....Nicholas Cage... Werner Herzog. That's the movie you're getting. ....And that's got to be worth a couple of hours of anyone's time. 5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 15th Aug 2024		Cinema Say Anything... (1989)	Rated 6/10 What a weird movie. It seems to be, on the face of it, chumming along with the kind of Breakfast Club / John Hughes, 80s teen angst / melodrama kind of audience, and yet has a more substantial, and even darker heart in the story, aimed at a more adult audience. In fact the whole teen romance bit between Cusack and Skye seems to fall by the wayside toward the end, focusing more on the relationship between her and her father's "tax troubles", with Cusack eventually receding into the background altogether. Heavy subject matter for the audience you'd expect this to be aimed at. and the kind of movie who's clothes this superficially appears to wear... ...And other than the general look of the film, the two leads and one highly oversold moment (The boombox moment), which lasts possibly less than ten seconds and has precisely zero impact on story or anything, yet has become a cultural touchstone, not least through the likes of Deadpool and Family Guy etc. referencing it, this lacks all the kind of feel of those other movies, the zing, and the dynamic eighties style editing, and so forth...indeed, I'd go as far as to call it quite...flat, by comparison. It almost feels, like this was a more seriously intentioned movie with some great, strong dramatic ideas of it's own, that was either co-opted, or re-purposed to try and shoe-horn it into a John Hughes category of movie, and for that audience. If it had gone either way more completely, it might have been a great movie on it's own: Heavily toward the Dramatic, adult aspects, and it might have been an Oscar worthy movie... treated more lightly, and it it would have been sitting alongside Ferris Bueller in the collective affections, but ends up just befuddling, and underwhelming. One moment, does not a movie make. Meh. 4 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 14th Aug 2024		Cinema Out Of Sight	Rated 9/10 I've "Seen" this twice before, but only watched it for the first time today. Well, I saw a few minutes of it back in the day, off the back of the whole Tarantino thing, but found it boring, and switched it off...then, about ten years ago, I gave it another go, and fell asleep. But now, I thought I'd give it another go, and find it is one of the best things I've seen recently. I think this is because I'm now ready for it - more mature (ish) - as can be evidenced by the fact that among the Tarantino movies, Jackie Brown is the one that has been creeping up through the ranks of my favourite movies of his, as it operates on a more slow burn, lo-fi - effortlessly cool basis, rather than all the pizazz of his other works... ...And that's exactly the kind of space this operates in; If possible, even more effortlessly cool, and lo-fi than Jackie Brown - but not boring. I've also read an Elmore Leonard novel now (Maximum Bob - quite funny!) , and so am more tuned into his intricate yet easy, and naturalistic storytelling... the vibe he was giving in his work, and which both Jackie Brown and this, both adaptations of Leonard's work capture extremely well. This tale of the Hapless bank robber, and prison escapee who comes across the cool, calm, and composed FBI agent, and sparks fly between them, causing her to question her duty to the law while at the same time, trying to catch him , is coolly, and seductively told, against a backdrop of a planned heist among some nefarious yet engaging characters does everything with ease, and without trying too hard to say: "look how cool this movie is eh!?!!!" the way some adaptations of Leonard's work do, or how the Ocean's 11 series do, which are a bit too goofy and overt for my taste. This is more straight up, and is the better for it.... more... subtle. Given I've only really just seen it, is it right that I should add it to my list of favourite nineties movies now? .... ah, what the hell, it's going on there, as I think this getting a few rewatches. (Not only that, I've ripped the movie to hard drive, and I'm keeping this DVD! :) 2 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 14th Aug 2024		CD Album Frank Sinatra - Nice 'N' Easy	This is fine linked to the others.
Magic Marmalade 11th Aug 2024		CD Album Bangles - Different Light	And a big hello to all from me :) I'll make the appropriate change tomorrow when I'm on my desktop. (Sitting in the garden with my phone... And a cold beer, right now) I always look for these tell tale signs when looking for first / early press CDs: Obviously, no barcode places it within a year or so of the first compact discs being released, but even before that, on the shelf, the prefix: cdcbs is always a good indicator (although not always, it's a Japan press. But look at the inner ring of the cd for matrix on the first disc image here, and you see the didp number, the 1a1 number, signifying a first press, and the little string of crosses ( sometimes other tiny scratchy symbols), other than the actual Japan only originals, these are the first gen after those for the wider world. If you are so inclined oldmod, take the car apart too and you might find either / or a cat number printed on the reverse of the back cover/ inlay, and if it's the original case too, possibly a patent pending mark on the underside of the grey plastic cd tray.
Magic Marmalade 10th Aug 2024		CD Album Various Artists - 25 Years Of Number 1 Hits Vol. 7 1984-85	Orignal entry maker also provided this image, and owns a copy, so assume he made this entry from his copy - it is not present with this cover on Discogs, so will say this is correct, and if not already on site, new entry can be made for other issue. (So please don't add details such as barcode etc. to this in order to make it square with the issue on Discogs, as it may well likely be wrong for this - meantime, a back cover image for this issue would help clarify things.)
Magic Marmalade 8th Aug 2024		Cinema A Private Function (1985)	Rated 7/10 Quaint British, quirky, light hearted comedy farce, concerning a village power struggle over an illegally bred pig in the time of post-war rationing... principally: Pork. Quite fun, if light, piece of comedy fluff. 2 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 8th Aug 2024		Cinema Network (1976)	Rated 9/10 Rank this among the movies it's most important for you to see... ...Alongside the likes of 12 Angry Men etc. I'd been meaning to see this for as long as I can remember, and it didn't let me down. In fact, it exceeded my expectations by a long chalk, and for one very odd, and specific reason: Irony. The irony here consists in the fact that for those, like me, who have long heard of it, but never seen it, it is notorious for the scene in which the ageing news anchor has an on air break-down, instructing the viewing populace to join him in screaming from their windows: *"I'M MAD AS HELL!!! - AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!!!!"* ...But little else substantively about the film.... Which is, of course, kind of the satirical point of the movie, that only a sensationalised moment is able to break through to the general consciousness, and all else of substance goes by the wayside. Indeed, when this was made, it was to be considered the most biting satire, but only a few years later, might have been considered purely cynical... Now, of course, it is sadly neither of these to any great degree, so much as it has become mere observation. Observation of an objective fact. A demented, desperate, scurrilous "news" network breaking free form the high minded standards of reporting of the time... (If you believe these ever really existed in this "profession" in the first place) ...In favour of playing on the most primal and primitive parts of the human consciousness: Primarily: FEAR. And so becoming the collection of crazed Disaster Porn Junkies we know and love to despise today, and indeed, duping the populace into becoming such themselves. After initially trying to push their beleaguered news anchor away from themselves like a turd on a stick, the psychopathic, and / or Sociopathic news director (Dunaway) determines how to employ it for the network's (her own, principally) advantage in the ratings war - she's practically having orgasms over stealing the numbers away based on her colleague's psychological, messiah based breakdown, and distress, while Holden, playing his friend watches on with dismay as he is made to become the hero to the masses / cult leader / prophet / seer, believing in his own righteousness. On top of all this, we get to see the various machinations of the most Machiavellian variety of the network hierarchy in attempting to exploit the situation, each of the higher ups jockeying for position off the back of it. What could possibly go wrong? This movie was, at the technical level, most impressive to me for a couple of reasons, over and above each well defined character being played brilliantly by every actor, full of breath-taking monologues and set pieces, and all to a cinematic score of.... nothing. That's right, there's no music in this film, so you just lean right into the dialogue and the scenes unaided by musical manipulation. It will shock any modern audience as to just how prescient it was, and how painfully accurate it's speculations were regarding this morally bankrupt industry. A real eye opener! 3 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 6th Aug 2024		Cinema A Kiss Before Dying	Rated 7/10 A reasonable Hitchcock clone... but lacking that certain something. Robert Wagner's character: college kid, Bud, finds himself in a dilemma when his girlfriend gets pregnant and wants to get married, so he decides she needs to have an "accident" (in particular, a fatal one), and so the first half of this is following him in his convoluted attempts to make this happen... ...The second half then turns into a kind of Agatha Christie Sleuth kind of movie, as the focus shifts away from him, and onto the girlfriend's sister, who won't take "accident" for a reasonable explanation, and begins to hunt down her killer, unknowingly coming into contact with Wagner, who then attempts to weasel his way into her affections... and, by way of marriage, daddy's mining empire. There's an odd cheeriness to the title card music which doesn't seem to fit the movie, and I was more than aware as the movie went along that if you took the music score away, the action is really rather pedestrian, and somewhat lacking in that most essential Hitchcock ingredient: Suspense. There's no real tension in this, and I couldn't help but wonder what kind of masterpiece this would have been if Hitchcock himself had actually made it! But overall, a fairly decent stab at this kind of thing. (Cinematography in places is breath-taking though.. especially the scenes where a car is present) 2 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 6th Aug 2024		Cinema Donnie Brasco (1997)	Rated 8/10 Not Goodfellas, and definitely not The Godfather! I remember being somewhat underwhelmed at the prospect of this at time of release, and so was never inspired to watch it. And to be honest, even after the first five minutes, I had a bit of a sinking feeling, as it seemed to channelling a "knock-off Goodfellas" vibe, with a somewhat hammy Al Pacino, seeming like he was way past this kind of thing, and perhaps only signing on to associate himself with the rise in cache of the then fresh, young superstar of Johnny Depp... ...But then... .....A little bell went off in my head: "Oh, I get it!" This is intentional in terms of style, as shorn of the kinetic, dynamic (some would say: Glamorous) film-making style of Martin Scorsese, this band of bozos look just like the cheap band of hoods they really are: A bunch of kids who never really grew up, and wanted to play "gangs" - bargain basement Goodfellas - scuzz-oids doing their best impression of mafia men, which makes them all seem a little sad - albeit brutal - to the extent that they even have the expression: "Forget about it!" highly emphasised, and constantly repeating as a wry running joke. The FBI surveillance team even have an actual joke about it in one scene. And now Pacino's performance makes total sense, as the older "passed over" gangster channelling a kind of Midnight Cowboy's Ratso... a quite pathetic, tragic figure at once trying to ease his way out of this lifestyle, and dreaming a little dream of a life elsewhere, while still, either by habit or compulsion, due to the dangers of stepping out of line, or character, playing the part of gangster in that cartoonish way to keep the younger guys from suspecting him. And it is this, that is Depp's FBI character tunes in on, as he allows Pacino to take him under his wing, whilst infiltrating this crew, and the broader mob. Initially Depp himself seems to be doing some kind of Erol Flynn impression, in terms of look, but Pacino gradually knocks him into shape as a wise guy, without realising he is being played by Depp. And this is what this story is, and what makes it it's own thing, rather than an attempt to imitate Goodfellas, or a cheap Godfather clone... This is about the genuine bond that develops between Pacino and Depp, around issues of trust and betrayal against a constant background of danger. ...And this is what makes this both refreshing in a gangster movie, and well worth watching. So put Goodfellas and The Godfather out of your mind, in terms of expectation when going in, else you will be disappointed, but taken for what it is, it's really rather great, as you find yourself increasingly entranced in the development of this relationship, and the anticipation how this story will play out. I would also draw attention to the incredible performance by Anne Heche as Depp's long suffering wife... I don't know what awards she got for this, but it's one of those: Should definitely have gotten an Oscar for best supporting actress performances... And reminds us of the tragedy of the career she could have had based on this. 2 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?

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