Cinema - Comments / Reviews by Magic Marmalade

Cinema - Comments / Reviews by Magic Marmalade

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Member	Item		Review/Comment
Magic Marmalade 15th Dec 2024		Cinema While You Were Sleeping (1995) (1995)	Rated 9/10 The first of my Christmas movies. ...For I have now promoted this to it's proper place as a Christmas movie, not just a rom-com, and in fact, it foes that same thing that Moonstruck does for the summer: It's not just a two person rom-com, it's as much, if not more a family rom-com, in the sense that it is a family romance, about a lonely train ticket booth worker who falls in love with the man she saves from the tracks one day, but, being in a coma, he is unable to clarify things for his family, who visit him in hospital, about the fact that she is a total stranger to him, and so they mistake her for his fiancé, and the rest of the movie is about her being welcomed into their family, and she falling in love with the family vibes. Very warm, cosy Christmas themed farcical gem that gets better every year, and so it is the first one I watch in the season. (And it has Sandra Bullock.... :) ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 15th Dec 2024		Cinema Ford v Ferrari (Le Mans '66 ) (2019) (2019)	Note: In the UK (And elsewhere) this is just called: "Le Mans 66", and if you go looking for "Ford Vs Ferrari" on a shelf of DVDs, you will easily overlook it, as I did the first couple of visits to my local charity shop, where it had been sitting for I don't know how long, perhaps for this very reason.
Magic Marmalade 15th Dec 2024		Cinema The Meg (2018) (2018)	Rated 7/10 Big stupid fun! I really enjoyed this piece of polished, B-movie, creature feature nonsense... I think, because, as with the likes of Sharknado etc. I couldn't be disappointed, as I knew what I was going to get going in: It ain't Shakespeare, and it is not trying to be so, and you feel everyone involved is entirely aware if just what it is they are making... very self aware, and unapologetically so. To sum up: It's Jurassic Park, grafted onto The Abyss, doing a "mega" riff on the obvious inspiration of Jaws. (Jurassic Shark?:) Billionarie bonehead funds deep see exploration into an Abyssal trench, beyond the apparent sea floor, discovers massive shark-a-lodon thing, that then follows them to the surface, and commences eating everyone and everything in sight. Only uber-gruff stereotypically chiselled and troubled hard-man Jason Statham can save the day! (The movie itself is his saving grace here, as for once, he's not taking himself too seriously) There are pretty much all of the key scenes / beats from Jaws played out here, but overtly so, and not pretending it's thought of these ideas itself, and oddly, given the carnage going on, there's actually not much gore in this, thanks to the judicious use of the timely spray of water, or a plume of bubbles at the most timely of moments, that obscures the majority of the blood and horror, and so like any good horror movie, allows the audience to imagine what would otherwise have been seen. It took care of my Saturday night's entertainment, with a light piece of hokum fluff, that I didn't have to think too much about, but could just sit back, relax, and be very amused with a nice ale and some dry roasted peanuts. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 15th Dec 2024		Cinema The Nice Guys (2016) (2016)	Rated 7/10 I concur with Dr D. on this one. ...It's fun, but if played straight, and all the zany, wackiness and random - out-of nowhere-for no-reason-plot-elements etc. were ditched , this could have been an all time great, set alongside the likes of L.A. Confidential, Chinatown, and the like. (Having seen Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang a while back, it's seems this confirms what I wrote in my review of that movie, about Shane Black: He seems obsessed with those two movies, but doesn't have the courage to play it straight up, and feels compelled to drench it in wry humour, and make jokes all the time because he feels he needs to apologise for himself... You feel like these two movies, more earnestly treated, could have been dripping with Oscars!) The obsession of his with L.A Confidential is more all but confirmed here, due to the presence of both Russell Crowe and Kim Basinger. This is, however, more even, and coherent than Kiss Kiss, and does have a couple of genuine laugh out loud moments, but is mostly, at best, mildly amusing, and only light fun... and altogether a wasted opportunity to do a brilliant, retelling of a seventies set L.A. Confidential. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 9th Dec 2024		Cinema The Last Starfighter (1984) (1984)	Rated 7/10 Player one was born ready! I finally gave in, and ordered this DVD from Amazon, as it never turns up on telly, and for some reason, is really rare on DVD here in UK... (A recent Blu-ray / 4k seems to be available, but the DVD editions are pretty hard to come by, and are slightly elevated in price) ...And it's odd, as it seems to be one of those movies who's impression that it made on memory is much greater than how good the movie actually is, watching all these years later. This is mostly I think, due to a couple of factors: Firstly, being of it's time, and like near contemporary movie: Tron, was way ahead in terms of visual effects for that era, and like Tron, tapped into the early arcade game culture which would massively appealed to us kids at the time. Secondly, the sweeping, majestic, and truly memorable score, which complements the aesthetic presentation, is very reminiscent of a kind of John Williams / Indiana Jones (possibly Superman too) adventure style, giving it a real sense of grandeur and scale. But... strip away these factors, this tale of a kind of Superman in reverse - where Alex Rogan, a normal smalltown kid from a trailer park at the ass end of nowhere, is recruited via an arcade machine which tests his abilities to pilot a Stargun starfighter, and is whisked off to fight an alien scourge an save the universe in the depths of the Galaxy - is actually a lot thinner than I remember, with only a couple real space combat scenes, and the alien scourge is not so numerous or intimidating as all that. Switching back and forth between his recruitment and engagement with the good aliens, and his trailer park family and friends, where a robot body double has been left to cover for him, this isn't as epic as the music etc. would suggest. Not that it isn't great fun, and is still a very good film, worthy of the cult-classic status it has attained in the intervening years... I just see now how the presentation does a lot to cover it's short-comings, and leave a bigger footprint that the foot alone can make. The effects, as viewed form this distance of time, are oddly, and paradoxically, simultaneously painfully dated and stunningly impressive, even now... the computer generated modelling: The shapes and geometry of the images are still incredible, on occasion, making even newer CGI look a little shonky in this regard, not to mention the tracking and movement through space, as the virtual camera see these objects, is truly astounding... but the surface rendering - absence of textures, reflections, and other window dressing is sorely lacking, and shows the severe limitations of the time (There's only e few such rendered objects on screen at any one time too)... ...But, fortunately, using my pre-millennial upbringing, I am able to use that estimable faculty of the "Imagination", so that mind can envision what the eye can't necessarily, literally see, by what is merely suggested by what is actually shown, so I can forgive these dated effects. Still great fun though. 3 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 3rd Dec 2024		Cinema Warlock (1989)	Rated 7/10 Rewatched, finally, after several years... sometimes through my fingers! I was all about this movie back in the day, but this must have been on the cusp of my coming to know what a good movie looked like... ...I always knew this was one to file under: "So bad it's good", but now I see it's so bad it's... yeah, still pretty bad, in retrospect. It has a great central premise, that still captures my imagination: Demonic witch-man Julian Sands, captured by witch hunter Richard E. Grant (Dressed and performing as a Scottish caveman, for reasons best known to himself :) back in the 17th century, before Sands is swept up by some sorcerous jiggery-pokery, and swept forward in time to the 1980's, along with Grant, where they will do battle anew in the future... Grant trying to stop Sands getting all three parts of the devil's bible in order to unmake creation. ...Taking up, and Tagging along with grant is Lori Singer who has an ageing hex put on her, which only catching up with Sands' witch-man will fix. But let's be frank... the effects, especially after all these years, are... yikes! There's some pretty wonky acting on occasion, and a heap of convenient plot devices and happenings, but... the two leads are pretty great, in a hammy way, what with perhaps Sands' most iconic role, and Lori Singer is actually rather good at the deadpan comic delivery, and has some real zingers here and there... (Why did she not do more of this in her career? She has a bit of a talent for it!) ...And overall, still a sterling piece of campy, hammy, cult-classic nonsense, that remains entertaining. (Perhaps , though, not as entertaining as I remembered it.) [Note: A reasonably hard one to find on DVD, this original movie, but I've noticed of late, Film4 in the UK is sneaking the odd cult movie in the dead of night, at the end of the schedule, where I got to see this one again from... so keep your eyes peeled to the listings here for some gems you might be struggling to get on disc!] 3 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 3rd Dec 2024		Cinema The Other Guys (2010) (2010)	Rated 6/10 Mostly amusing, but one of those that feels like it's trying too hard to press home the jokes... I smiled, rather than laughed. 4 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 1st Dec 2024		Cinema Ford v Ferrari (Le Mans '66 ) (2019) (2019)	Rated 8/10 Usually I find motorsport boring and tedious, but this story of odd couple Matt DAamon and Christian Bale as Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles building a car (Ford GT40) under the auspices of automotive monolith Ford, in order to unseat the perpetually reigning Le Mans Champions Ferrari was very energetic and thrilling... ...A bit of a "Top Gun" style movie, and even the mechanics and engineering elements were engaging. The central relationship, between Shelby and Miles is the focus of the story, and what propels the movie along, about hanging it all out there on the line for each other, and trusting each other to come through. If you like cars, especially those of the period, such as these Ferraris, Fords, AC / Shelby Cobras, or even if you don't, it's a great movie to keep you entertained for an evening watch. 4 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 1st Dec 2024		Cinema Along Came Jones (1945) (1945)	Rated 7/10 This was a great, fun pastiche / satire of the western tropes of the times, with the hapless, bungling Gary Cooper spoofing the traditional "tall dark stranger / hard-bitten / super-tough / man of few words" type... ...Can't handle a gun for toffee, bit of buffoon, but with a good heart, who gets mixed up in the affairs of a tough outlaw, and mistaken for him, which he tries to use to his advantage, and probably wishes he hadn't... luckily, he's got his ald friend at hand to help him out various fixes, and beautiful prospective love interest / femme fatale who is entirely in control of the whole situation, being smarter than the lot of them! :) Really enjoyed this western prototype of a kind of Forrest Gump kind of movie. 2 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 25th Nov 2024		Cinema Slap Shot (1977) (1977)	Rated 9/10 Are you not entertained!?! Yes sir, very much I am! If you go into this expecting a pretty standard Hollywood, inspiring underdog sports movie, you may be disappointed, as although the elements are there, this is not what this movie is about... not really. In fact, it is only superficially a sports movie, let alone an Ice Hockey one. ...You could almost call those elements a "Macguffin", as this setting only serves to set the stage for a cynical, acerbic, bitingly satirical piece of social commentary. In tone, and what's clearly under the surface here, it is to Ice Hockey and sports, what M.A.S.H. is to war movies, and it has the exact same satirical humour and sensibility about it, so if you liked M.A.S.H. for those reasons, you'll like this. And what it is satirical of, is a trend, particularly in American culture of the time where they were on the cusp of becoming more sensationalist, shallow, superficial, and indeed cynical, in moving away from the purity of ideals to chase the Yankee dollar by pandering to an ever more shallow and fickle public. A small industrial American town, discovers that the local mill, around which it's existence is essentially built, is being closed down, and with the it, the local half-assed hockey team, pretty much the only other thing the town seems to live for, to make their lives there in any way bearable, is to fold too... ...The over the hill player / coach, senses shenanigans regarding some background, higher up exploitation and manipulation of the situation, and begins to manipulate the situation himself, to combat these predetermining forces. He does so by abandoning a more straight up, pure form of the game, and opting instead, to wind up his players, and turn it more in to a violent spectacle, (The acquisition of three semi-psychotic brothers really helps this plan!) tapping into the local frustrations, to satisfy the more basic elements of the crowd's nature... and make the team so popular that the dark financial and economic forces can't shut them down. And so this, appropriately enough, has Paul Newman playing his patented "Hustler" role again, working the angles, playing everyone against each other, almost attempting a sport set "Sting", albeit, for the locals own sakes, and resorting to dirty tricks to do so. This is, naturally, very cynical (the point), very violent (The necessary means to the point), and is decidedly un-P.C... (This last point may be taken at face value by some, regarding the litany of homophobic slurs all throughout the film as the product of a "less enlightened time", but they couldn't be more wrong, as this is entirely self aware, even though it does these things deadpan, and never offers a hint that it is doing so as part of the cynicism, it is proven in the sublime and brilliant finale) ...I can only conclude that this has probably never been more relevant than now, and not just regarding sports, but even in the worlds of economics, and (heaven forbid :) politics. This will chime more with a modern audience than the audience of the time when it was released, and it is an audacious, witty, acidly funny, subtle piece of pure brilliance. Not just an Ice Hockey movie. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 22nd Nov 2024		Cinema An Angel At My Table (1990) (1990)	Rated 8/10 The unfortunate child. This is a brilliant bio of Writer and poet Janet Frame, which depicts an odyssey of a young, talented girl who's gifts and general disposition render her odd, in the eyes of the conventional world around her, in Austere pre-war New Zealand, and basically crushed by those conventions, which constantly seem to persecute her for being born different. And while she has a loving family around her, tragedy is always present. No greater tragedy threatens her life than the fact she, being crushingly shy, and awkward, begins to believe that there is something wrong with her, as the world she lives in convinces her that this is so... to the extent that she is committed, on the strength of an autobiography she wrote, to a psychiatric institution under the mis-diagnosis of schizophrenia... her great suffering in this period of her life sets this fragile and unprepared (now) young woman out into the world where she learns a few things about herself. It's a long movie, divided into three parts, as the subtitle: "A trilogy" denotes, based, as it is, on a trilogy of autobiographies Janet Frame herself wrote... ...But it is thoroughly engrossing, if, at times, a hard watch... but this journey of self discovery and affirmation will resonate with many, I'm sure, who feel they have been made to believe such things about themselves because they may happen to look, think, or feel different than the rest. And on the strength of what I heard in this movie, I think I want to seek out some of the real Janet Frame's work now, it seems truly brilliant. 3 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 20th Nov 2024		Cinema Metoroporisu (Metropolis ) (2001) (2001)	Rated 8/10 Somewhere in time and place... ...Although it's difficult to place exactly where and when. It seems equally inspired by older older sci-fi classics, as it seems to have inspired others that came after... ...From the off, this tale of city populated mainly by robots who are eliminated when they step out of their allocated zone, gives very heavy Blade Runner vibes, as does the depiction of a grimy, beaten up, decrepit looking cityscape, albeit through some truly stunning background art, as well as use of the old-time jazz score, interspersed with a more frenetic noodly, avant-garde jazz... It even ends with a head-scratching, yet wonderfully effective use of the Ray Charles song: "I Can't Stop Loving You". And all this seems couched in a broader context of a Fritz Lang Metropolis social commentary and world design, with the grimy futurist industrial layers and zones of social hierarchy, from the highest level, or zone, where some robots intermix with human society, before gradually going deeper underground to progressively more slave robot exclusive levels. There also seems to be a little of the old Sam Spade detective trope in there too. On top, and indeed, even beneath this, there is a lofty human political faction battle for the rule of the city and the world, while down below, a robot uprising threatens at any moment to break out... and through all this, the adopted jealous, and zealous human son of Duke Red, head of one of the political factions, relentlessly hunts down his adoptive father's greatest creation: A Robot designed to save the world, by taking the throne of the city. And although the world depicted is grimy looking, it is also, by turns, lurid, neon, and eye popping to look at.. I can strongly feel The Fifth Element in this regard, both in the vibrant look, but also that weird jazzy score, as well as the general eccentricity and eclecticism of the designs. This is a really bizarre mix of earlier CGI animation, overlayed with traditional animation of a seeming mix of styles, form Tin-Tin-ish basic animation, to more Akira-Manga style, through to Ghibli. It is not exactly pacy, more meandering and bobbing and weaving in the story telling, but it certainly is engrossing, captivating even, and you eventually fall into it's world, and immerse yourself in the mood and vibe. All of which, would have gotten a rating of about a seven from me, but for the last half hour, where it really pays off, tying all those threads together, and raising it's game to a degree where it is bordering on brilliant, worthy of the eight. It's like a Sci-fi smoothie: Little bits of everything chucked in there, blended up, and what comes out, shouldn't really work on it's own, but does. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 20th Nov 2024		Cinema Planet Terror (Grindhouse Presents: Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror) (2007) (2007)	Rated 7/10 The other half of that Grindhouse double feature, along with Tarantino's "Death Proof"... ...I didn't really go much on that one, it being a little too creepy and tedious for me. And while this still is creepy (In light of the whole We----ein / McGowan thing), it is, at least, bags more fun. A great, super gross-out, gory, absurd, ridiculous slapstick-ish zombie action festival, following the best tropes of the old Romero Dawn / Day Of The Dead, and some cool practical effects like in The Thing, and so on. And more a great sequel to From Dusk Till Dawn than it is a companion to Death Proof. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 17th Nov 2024		Cinema The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) (1968)	Rated 8/10 One of those that I'd always put off watching, because it was always around. (If that makes any sense) ...Which is to say, that what with a mountain of movies to be seen, some, I see, seem always to be on TV or turning up on DVD etc. so I get to prioritise others, and never seem to get around to this one, which is perpetually knocked to the back of the queue. So anyway, I finally decided to bite the bullitt... er sorry, I meant bullet (chuckle), and give it a watch. And it turns out it's a brilliant prime slice of ultra-cool McQueen-ery, every bit the equal of Bullitt. Very groovy split-screen late sixties set up credits, with cool jazz score and the immortal "Windmills of your mind" song, which then gives way to the tale of the bored millionaire playboy type (McQueen) who knocks over banks purely for kicks, being hunted by, not only pretty sharp police detective, but also the ultra-sharp, and super seductive bank insurance investigator (Dunaway), who quickly takes up with him, and a tale of cat and mouse ensues. ...But which is the cat, and which the mouse? It's essentially what every super-cool hustle / heist movie since has clearly been inspired by (Ocean's 11, etc.), except this is has more of an effortless cool about it, as well as the sexiest game of chess ever committed to screen. Excellent stuff. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 8th Nov 2024		Cinema The Counselor (2013) (2013)	Rated 6/10 The world's longest set up for a movie that never plays. This is another I picked up from the charity shop on the basis of having a somewhat bad reputation that put me off, but intrigue compelled me to see for myself. It seems to be Ridley Scott's venture into the kind of tonal world that Sicario, or No Country For Old Men conjures, or inhabits... A simultaneously seedy, yet sophisticatedly lo-fi awfulness world of cartels and too highly polished, deluded sophisticates being too coolly criminal for their own good. Michael Fassbender's "Councelor" is involved with some distinctly nefarious types, and wants a piece of action on the side for himself, to set himself up with new fiancé (Penelope Cruz) involving him with yet more seedy characters, and of course, a downward spiral into the quagmire ensues. I could also mention movies like Scarface, or any Michael Mann style movie, to give you an idea of what this intends to be, but there is something distinctly lacking here... it's too monotone, too dull, even. And on top of that, it's too subtextual for it's own good. I usually appreciate, and pick up on such things well, but this is way too abstract, and many, if not most, will get to the end thinking like I was: "I think I got it at one point, but then.. no. In fact, what the hell just happened?!" It feels like some of those aforementioned movies where there's lots of threads set up at the start that you don't get, and are not really supposed to, in order to be bowled over by the gradual unfolding of the plot by way of little deposits of key information, leading to s sequence, or even one revelatory twist that leaves you breathless... except, here it never arrives, like the movie after this, if it were made, would be what this were leading to. It's not a bad movie, as as such, it just ain't great, or even really good. The plot, as said is too abstract, like an in-joke that all the characters are in on, but being an outsider as a viewer, you feel like: "...What?", and Ridley is too tuned into the more naval gazing aspects of the story to worry about the audience. Much of the more philosophical leanings are a bit much to be expected in reality from such low life characters, and feel a bit naïve from a director who doesn't get this kind of world. I suspect, as this is based on a Cormac McCarthy novel (Much as with Elmore Leonard), the more subtle stylings and subtextual elements would be more apparent in the reading, or rendered by some other director as a movie, but here, it just feels obscure, and lacking the kind of charisma that say, a Tarantino would offer. It's a shame, as the performances from all the central cast are excellent (if you can get over Bardem's hair!), especially Cameron Diaz's suitably convincing icy snake-lady, and they are all doing their best, it just doesn't really come together the way those others do. An intriguing, at times fascinating watch, even engaging at times, just a bit too random, and dull to really hit home. 2 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 28th Oct 2024		Cinema The NeverEnding Story (1984) (1984)	Rated 8/10 Still completely wonderful! I have not seen this since I was made to go and see it at the cinema with my mum's co-worker, who took me and her - as it turned out - not only sickly, but terminally ill son when it came out... (Let's see... I would have been nine years old at the time) ... And as if this fact was not bummer enough, there are some emotionally stretching moments here that for children of that age, as anyone already familiar with this movie will know, can be devastating to younger hearts and minds. And for both of these reasons, I've wilfully avoided watching it since. But now, as the nights draw in, and I feel exhausted watching new (to me, at least) movies, I feel I'm in the season where I need a little nostalgia, and something cosy and familiar, as well as being prompted by the urge to see if itwould still "get me" the way it it did first time around. And while I do come to this now, with adult mind and soul, a little more objectively, this wonderful, magical fable of the relationship between fantasy and reality has lost none of it's imaginative potency, and still elicited a tear or two... or maybe there was just something in my eye. While one particularly devastating scene (You know the one!) didn't quite reduce me to a blubbering mess the way it did when I was nine, it still made me go: "Ooh, that's a bit heavy to handle for kids!". But the tale of a magical book, discovered by a bullied child who has lost his mother, and can't connect, or be sympathised with by his matter of fact father, and which causes him to escape into the world of magical fantasy still resonates to this day... more so, perhaps, in such all too real times as these. Great practical effects, animatronics, and puppetry, well shot, and the story well told, in the finest traditions of the most earnest, un-cynical and non-meta fairy-tales of old, and time immemorial, still help to push aside the self referential, cynical , or all too real times in which we live. So if, like me, you may be older now, or not having seen this for a good long spell, or think, even, that maybe you've grown out of this kind of thing a long time since... I'd urge you to revisit it again, perhaps for old time's sake, or even Auld Lang Sine. Consider it a guilty pleasure, or even a much needed, long neglected treat. Go on!... you deserve it! :) (It maybe that you need it too :) 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 28th Oct 2024		Cinema Lawman (1971) (1971)	Rated 9/10 Absolutely brilliant! Those of us in the UK who were only familiar with Michael Winner being on the telly often, and principally known only (it seemed) for those God-awful Death Wish films, would never suspect he was capable of making anything like this! This, on first impressions, seems like it's going to be pretty standard western fare... a vehicle for established Hollywood star to be the hero... roll into town, clean up the bad guys, before riding off into the sunset after a job well done... ...Except here, they've turned the whole thing on it's head, the titular "Lawman" is more the bad guy than the supposed baddies. Subsequent research reveals that the inspiration for the script for this was a quy read a quote to the effect that: "The only real hired killers in the west were the Lawmen" (paraphrased / misremembered), and that they often caused more trouble than they solved, if not actually were the source of the trouble in the first place. It jumps straight in with the incident that causes all the hoo-ha from then on, as a bunch of cowboys get drunk in a town, shooting all over, as is the common trope and an old man gets accidentally killed during this incident. But then we get to the ranch owner played thoughtfully, meditatively, even philosophically by Lee J. Cobb, who contrary to the usual pure evil overlord type you see in this role, is perfectly willing to make reparations to the townsfolk, for what his ranch-hands have done, as are the, again, counter-to-trope cowboys in his employ - all fully fleshed out characters, and proper humans, as opposed to the ye-ha! types we usually see here, and it even seems the townsfolk are willing to go along with it to. All very reasonable, so far. ...Except, then Burt Lancaster, who gives an excellent performance as a coldly indifferent "lawman" shows up to see the law has it's pound of flesh. - He is all, and exclusively duty, and by the book, and is deaf to all other considerations, even if it would defuse this whole situation from the outset, and he is constantly advised to do so by all and sundry, but nothing is going to dissuade him. The whole thing spirals out of control, with the Townsfolk deciding to do something about him administering the law, even at the expense of justice, and even the local Marshal (Played brilliantly by Robert Ryan) tries to talk him out of making a mess by pursuing this course, but Burt ain't having none of it... he's almost like the Anti-Terminator, fighting for what he sees as the good, ruthlessly relentlessly, and without a grain of compromise. In the end, it's a tragedy, of how being too "by the book", and un-merciful can see justice, in the true sense, fall by the wayside. A real Winner. 4 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 20th Oct 2024		Cinema Last Tango In Paris (1972) (1972)	Rated 9/10 A movie with a bad reputation, for all the wrong reasons. One I've been meaning to see for some years, mainly to see what all the fuss was about. General, common cultural consciousness will hold this in a place of infamy due to proclaimed obscenity, and lately, a controversy over one of it's most infamous scenes, and the making of that scene. And while I find myself on that side of the fence where if I know something icky has happened on the set during the making of it, it colours my view of the movie as a whole, in this case, and quite in spite of myself, I come out the other side if this convinced it's a masterpiece.. as a movie, and as a piece of storytelling. The story of a lost man who's wife has recently committed suicide, for reasons he can't understand, leaving him broken, confused, and kind of in freefall, meeting a much younger woman / girl in a flat, as she is looking for a place, and setting in motion almost instantly a questionable, and purely sexual relationship is, it seems, now that I have seen it, wholly misinterpreted, and the reputation it has for "obscene" scenes wildly over-exaggerated. Admittedly, the opening scene of their meeting and first sexual encounter would surely be considered rape, as would the scene with the butter stick (I'll say nay more on that!), as well as the scene when she sticks her fingers up Brando's ass, but as with the shower scene in Psycho, it's more about what we know is going on, than what it actually shows... (The girl is frequently nude, but only ,mostly from the waist up, and you only get the brief glimpse of Brando's flabby ass, but not in any sexual context) In fact, the movie is deeper than that, and the sexual element is only a cipher for deeper meanings, concerning loss and tragedy, the broken-ness and desolation of a person when their world falls apart. A refuge, you might say, when nothing seems to matter any more. It seems a bit shonky and third rate at the beginning, camera-work, directing, the whole shebang, but thoroughly engrossing as it goes along, and not for those sexual reasons. The last half hour or so are positively brilliant, as, after a key scene where Brando visits, and has a stunning monologue at the bedside of the corpse of his dead wife, as she lies in state (Tom Cruise's best performance in Magnolia is a straight lift of this scene) , the tone suddenly lifts, like he's got something off his shoulders, and it becomes quite a charismatic affair, full of life and zest, even optimism... ...For him, at least. And having raised you up in such a way, it abruptly drops you emotionally down a metaphorical elevator shaft right at the end. Seriously, I don't think a creeping grin has dropped so suddenly from my face in any movie. breathtakingly tragic. You can feel the influence of this movie in many modern movies, like Blue Is The Warmest Colour, and one scene is shot where (Now) Elliot Page's dream architect does that thing with the mirrors under the viaduct in Inception (I bet Nolan just wanted to film there because of the aesthetic from this). So if you can get over the reputation and disturbing elements of the movie's production, you have a brilliant move here. 3 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 20th Oct 2024		Cinema Fluke (1995) (1995)	Rated 6/10 MGM tries to do Disney, and misses the mark, somewhat. Fans of James Herbert's novels will acknowledge this, while not being his greatest novel, does hold a place of deep affection in their hearts... as it is, not his usual horror fare, but more of a poetically tragic tale of a man who, once he dies after a tragic car accident, is resurrected as a puppy, born to a stray, and form there, haunted by memories of his former life as a man, tries to find his way back to his human family. Already you can see this is a little too heavy for what the DVD cover here suggests. That seems to present the idea of a more: "Turner and Hooch", or "Beethoven" style "Awww!"-fest. And I think that was what MGM was aiming for: That those kinds of movies were killing it at the box office at the time, tuned in superficially to this novel, as "being in the ballpark" of that kind of story, and so went with it. But while it may be among the more earnest, even tragically sentimental of Herbert's work, it really isn't Disney material, and a little strong and odd for kids. I made the mistake of watching with headphones on, so all I could see in my head while the voice overs for the real dog's thought dialogue was the image of Samuel L. Jackson in a booth, with fag on the go and a glass of whiskey while he phoned in this afternoon's work for a fat paycheck / paycheque (as you will)... That really breaks the illusion. (Still better than a modern CGI talking dog effect though... at least it's honest!) It does engage you more in the last twenty minutes or so though, and is, on occasion there, touching... but that's due to James Herbert's story, rather than the mis-matched Disney style movie presentation, which even that, could not entirely dispel. I would therefore encourage people to give the movie a miss perhaps - or go into it with no expectations at least - and instead, read the book... It's pretty lo-key great. 3 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 20th Oct 2024		Cinema One Night At McCool's (2001) (2001)	Rated 3/10 This is a deeply weird and and unpleasant movie. It aims for the kind of black humour that War of the Roses had, but it's aim is wildly off. Imagine The Farelly brothers trying to do a Tarantino movie, and creating only a mess. Greatest of respect to John Goodman (Legend), but I do not need the thought of him lusting after Liv Tyler in my head, let alone having sex with her... And that's basically what this movie is: Three guys scraping their knuckles after Liv Tyler, while she plays them to get what she wants, but she is essentially exploited for her sexuality at this time, and fetish-ising her, and dressing her up in various sexual fantasy wardrobe choices for horny teens. Now this would be ok, if the movie was at all funny, but it isn't. It produced only two mild chuckles from me, which isn't enough to forgive the movie's trying too hard, but failing too hard awfulness. The only good things in this movie are Michael Douglas's "hair" (a wonder to behold!), and Reba McEntire... Everything else is a cringe-fest. 3 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 17th Oct 2024		Cinema The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (2008) (2008)	Rated 6/10 This is one long-ass movie! Finally plucked up the courage to watch this, thinking, since time of release, that it was absurd and hokey in concept... a bit of mock-worthy fluff. I never imagined that what I was actually in for was a positively Tolkienian 2hrs, 45 mins of funerial, languid, bordering on the morbid, depression, and all n David Fincher's signature murky tones, minimalist direction and glacial pacing. ...I mean, it's actually a better story than I had expected, and better handled than the cringe fest I thought awaited me, but with all those previously mentioned factors at play, it just exhausts the viewer, so that by the end, I found myself drooping, and thinking: "Dude, I don't really care how this ends now, so long as it does end... at some point... soon!" Subsequent research reveals something I didn't know about the story: That it was based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald... I repeat: *short* story, of some only 45 pages long. How on earth do you spin out a 45 page short story to heading toward three hours of movie? And this tale of a man who ages in reverse, set against the fable like device of a clock that was built to run backwards by a man in grief at the loss of his son to war certainly does have an appealing notion at it's heart, and which should have made for a more engaging, and crucially, compelling tale. It actually feels like one of those short stories great novelists write from time to time, where they get a cute notion in their heads, and so jot it down... for fun. I think what's happened here then, is whoever made this happen had too long to think about that notion, and all it's extensive implications, and spun the yarn out way too long. Another odd thing, is when a particular director makes a movie not in his accustomed style, or of a different kind of genre, it often begins to look like another director's work slightly. Here: it has a faint whiff of Wes Anderson or the kind of magical fable telling of Guillermo del Toro, but alas, these allusions wilt under the weight of it's Finchery. (Also, in this sense, Martin Scorcese's: Hugo, sprang to mind, except that is quite enjoyable) So if you fillet this movie, and look at the bones of it, it's like Forest Gump minus the joy, emotional impact, fun, engaging quality, or entertainment value... and it should have been handed to a Zemeckis or a del Toro to make a better movie. Drab, soul crushing, depressing... and ultimately disappointing, in that it could have been such a magical movie if someone else had done it... with a shorter runtime! 2 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 15th Oct 2024		Cinema Timecop (1994) (1994)	Rated 7/10 A fairly decent slice of sci-fi action spectacular hocum, typical of it's age, and among the better movies of JCVD's, that holds up better than most among his filmography. 3 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 15th Oct 2024		Cinema SpaceCamp (1986) (1986)	Don't know why, but whenever I see the title for this, I always see: "Space-chimp" (And admit, for a moment, I'm actually a little disappointed it isn't! :)
Magic Marmalade 15th Oct 2024		Cinema Banlieue 13 (District 13) (2004) (2004)	Rated 8/10 Hardcore Parkour! This is one of those frenetic thrill rides that jumps straight into the action from the off, and rattles along to the end without letting catch your breath much. From the age when Parkour was, culturally speaking: "a thing" on everyone's lips, so naturally you get all these brain bending parkour set pieces and fights, but it also has a great premise, and fairly decent story to boot: So, a local lad defies, and goes up against the local drug lord / warlord in his district, which, along with others, have been deemed "out of control" by the authorities, and so a wall has been built up around it to keep the mayhem in, and away form "decent folks" outside... Said lad fails in his attempt (though has a decent stab at it!), and is locked away by the corrupt police when he is delivered to them by said warlord... and to make matters worse, his sister is being held captive inside by the warlord and his crew. But then... an action man / super cop is recruited to go into district 13 and retrieve and defuse a bomb that the warlord has stolen, and which will go off in a few hours, so naturally employs the help of the incarcerated local lad to guide him in, which also gives him the chance to recover his sister... Naturally, both are supremo Parkour super- bendy people, made of springs and general boing-y-ness, so that helps! This is an absolute masterclass in how to cram a complete action story into just 1 hour, 24 mins without missing beat. A super thrill ride actioner, great for a Saturday night in. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 10th Oct 2024		Cinema City Of Angels (1998) (1998)	Rated 7/10 I'd always avoided this believing it was an over-wrought, schmaltzy, sugary-sentimental, overly earnest affair, leaning a little too heavily into the whole Hallmark card angels business... ...And to some extent, it is, but not schmalzy or over sugared. Certainly, they don't beat you over the head with the emotional manipulation I expected in true Hollywood style, but to such an extent that they may have gone a little too far away from any sentiment, so that it felt a tad... sterile, emotionally for me. What they have done with this romantic fantasy tale of an angel who falls in love with a doctor, and wants to become human for her sake (plot taken care of!) is actually opted, wisely, and to my great delight and surprise, for a more sparse, almost minimalist tone, where everything is very lightly handled and done, from the photography, acting, story and dialogue. This gives the whole feel of the movie a more haunting, ethereal tone, so as not to damage it's poignancy. ...But, as I said, I think it goes a little too far in this direction, making it feel a little thin, and fragile, and as with the footprints in the sand as the angels walk on the beach at sunset, it barely leaves any emotional impression... at least on first viewing. It could have done with, let's say, more emotional punctuation - The odd scene where they did amp it up a little more, just to sell the rest of the story a bit more, rather than, therefore, emotional monotone through out. Of course, it does kind of elevate it a little towards the end, and may have suggested a tear or two (but only to my right eye! :), but I feel it needed a little more of something in there. Finally, I must take issue with the key scene in the finale, which, rather than deliver the emotional punch it was aiming for, was poorly staged, weakly, and meekly acted, and was inclining slightly toward the curling of the toes (but only on my left foot!). All told, this does have the feel of a movie that needs more than one viewing, as many who have seen it the once, will likely hold the same opinion as me, but, I suspect, will grow on you, or into you the more you see it... Eventually to become one that is held with great affection. So I'm going to keep this one about the place for a while, then watch it again sometime, to see if it's worked on me in the meantime. (I am certainly inspired, on the strength of this, to seek out the movie it was based on: Wings of Desire - a German film, I believe) ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 9th Oct 2024		Cinema On The Beach (1959) (1959)	Rated 7/10 There's still time.. Brother. Well, this is a pretty bleak movie! In fact that's why I've been meaning to see it for a while, to see if it was as depressing as it's reputation suggests, and yup, it is pretty grim. It's not graphic, or horrific to watch, obviously, due to the time it was made, primarily, as well as the stars who appear in it would never do anything like that...It's just the whole setup, the whole premise, and situation is quite a lot to invite into your brain, especially in times like these... But perhaps that's exactly what may make this the most timely movie to watch. So, humanity has destroyed itself globally in a nuclear war, with only Australia surviving, and an American sub, captained by Gregory Peck is heading in there as their last resort... what with home being destroyed... but nobody in this part of the world has truly escaped, and are in fact, doomed anyway, as the global fallout radiation is heading their way in just a matter of months, when they will all die from that. (Happy thoughts everyone!) But this is not a Mad-Max type of post-apocalyptic mutant wars scenario; Rather this is a character study of people who, though they all know what is coming, are trying simultaneously to carry on as normally as possible - after all, what else can you do? - while trying to push such thoughts of impending doom aside. Peck's Captain lives in denial that his wife and children have perished at home, and so refuses the attentions of a barely-holding-it-together Ava Gardner, who just wants companionship, and connection in her final months. Fred Astaire's scientist has invested his remaining time in building a Ferrari to race, and enjoy what remains to him, and bleakest of all, Anthony Perkins is trying both to keep composed, while planning for the end for him, his unaccepting wife, and baby through the procurement of certain pills to speed them painlessly on their way when the time comes. The doom and uncertainty means there's no happy ending here, and the movie was clearly intended at the time to shock audiences into abandoning the lunacy of nuclear proliferation, by painting a very effective portrait of the un-survivable aftermath of such a final devastation. All performances are strong, including Fred Astaire in a straight up dramatic, non-dancing or singing role, but especially Ava Gardner, who steals the whole movie with charm and charisma. One of those movies that's perhaps important to watch, but once would probably be enough. Otherwise a very powerful, haunting movie, who's pointedly significant motif lingers long in the memory after it's ended: There's still time.. Brother. 2 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 7th Oct 2024		Cinema Prey (2022)	Rated 8/10 The best one since the first one! In pantheon of infamy which is the Predator franchise >gag<... (I always feel unwell using that word, along with other tummy bugging terms like: "IP" and the like) ...This is way above all the other sequels, and for one clear and obvious reason: They actually had a story to tell, in which the Predator appears, rather than: "Let's make a Predator movie, then tack "a story" on after. For it's primarily an inspired coming of age tale for a young girl / woman of a Native American tribe who just wants to be a hunter, rather than just a home-maker etc. And so, the whole first 45 mins is about establishing her character, her world, and her relationships to others in the community, with only the brief scenes of Predator arriving and being Predator-y interspersed ere and there until their paths really cross, and she must prove herself, as well as survive. Great storytelling, beautifully shot in some stunning countryside (Cinematography looks and feels more of the calibre of something like The Revenant crossed with Dances With Wolves than the usual mega CGI / green screen fare we've come to expect. I rank this alongside the likes of Blade Runner 2049 and others of this rare breed of truly getting a sequel / prequel right. Truly excellent. (I'm sorry I was so dismissive of it when it came out... I just thought it was going to be another cruddy movie in the series) 2 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 7th Oct 2024		Cinema Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) (2024)	Rated 7/10 Great fun of course, but it feels a bit too much "Comic book nerd material" for me now, and while it is enjoyable, it's all gone way too meta. Ultimately, a sugar rush of a movie, nice instant hit, but ultimately disposable pap that won't really bear repeated viewings. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 4th Oct 2024		Cinema The Barefoot Contessa (1954) (1954)	Rated 8/10 A very "talkie" drama. Not much by way of cinematic pizzaz with regards dramatic visuals and scenes, mostly interior dialogue scenes, but very mesmerising nonetheless. The story of a poor Spanish girl plucked from her hometown and transported to Hollywood to be transformed into a star by some mega-rich wannabe Howard Hughes type, with the intention of working with Bogart's down on his luck director. Alas, she won't play the game the way Hollywood wants exactly, being strong willed, self possessed, yet lacking a certain something in her life. Her story is told through the narrations of three principal characters at her funeral (not much of a spoiler, as that's where the movie begins!), as this tragic tale unfolds. One impressive thing about this is the relationship between Bogart and Gardner's characters... initially threatening to be of a romantic nature, it then progresses and continues throughout the rest of the movie as a purely platonic relationship, in the manner of allies, confidants, and friends, although you do feel a strong love between them... not something you often see in a movie like this, or of this time, but it's excellently handled. So a nice, easy paced, engrossing tale of a rise and fall of a tragic heroine. 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 1st Oct 2024		Cinema Hells Angels On Wheels (1967) (1967)	Rated 7/10 Better than I had been led to believe, if a little odd. This always seemed to dwell, reputationally, in the long shadow cast by it's near contemporary: Easy Rider, and always seemingly readily dismissed as a bad movie. But it's not that bad actually; In fact, in many ways, it's really rather good. The problem it has, I think, is that people don't really know what to make of it, have gone in perhaps, with one set of expectations about what it is, and finding it's mostly something else. Begin with that title, which leads you to believe this is a biker movie, in the style of what our more recent, and more modern understanding of what Hell's Angels are, and any movie about featuring them would be... And while there certainly are those elements present: Riding around en masse, fights, trouble with the law etc. What it really is, is a typically sixties psychedelic art movie, like an Andy Warhol movie, with zany, amateur-ish spiralling handheld camera views of crazy arty orgies, strange set piece scenes of mucking about on motorcycles and other trippy nonsense, all set, not to any expected hard rock soundtrack you may associate, but all the groovy, psychedelic, far out Hollywood approximations of the music of that specific era. All of which, gives it a weird vibe: A psychedelic movie featuring Bikers? ... eh? Like chocolate and cheese. Two things that you may like on their own, but would never consider putting together. The "plot" consists, at least for the first hour, of a wash, rinse, repeat cycle of psychedelic orgy and love scenes, followed by a fight, followed by some riding, followed by another love / orgy scene, followed by a fight...etc. Once petrol station attendant Jack Nicholson ditches his job and takes up with the Hell's Angels. And frankly, this first hour seems aimless, and pointless, and going nowhere... which is, as it turns out the point the movie is consciously making... the excellent song in this: Moving Going Nowhere, by a band called The Poor, makes this evident, in case you missed it! ...But the last 25 mins / half hour is where it all begins to make sense, and you go: "oh!.. I get it!" And as such, it turns out to be a commentary on an itinerant, rebellious lifestyle. And given that this point was very much against the prevailing "free" spirit of the time it was made, it's actually quite bold, and ahead of it's time, in re-appraising the late sixties even while living it. In fact, Jack Nicholson delivers the most salient line once he realizes he's dropped out of societal norms only to adopt, contrary to his expectations, a new set: "I won't wear your uniform!" (A bit like when everyone and their dog gets a tattoo in order to be "different from everyone else", and express their "individuality" - Life Of Brian, anyone? ((Chuckle)) Not the greatest movie ever, but really rather good, nonetheless. 4 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?

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