My thought process upon hearing the BDO lineup announcement: 1) Blur! Blur! Ever since their reunion in 2008, I’ve been desperately hoping for these guys to come to our shores. Their name alone has me buying a ticket. 2) The Herald Sun “leak” that wasn’t …actually was! Arcade Fire, Pearl Jam and Snoop Dogg/Lion all…
It’s astounding how effortless Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise and Before Sunset feel. Each captures a miraculous authenticity that could be derailed by a moment of artifice: a clunky line of dialogue here, an unconvincing line-reading there, even a showy shot that draws attention to itself could scuttle the film’s immersive realism, the unbroken illusion that…
There’s a certain smell to Splendour in the Grass. There’s that earthy bush smell – part grass, part manure, a distant hint of the sea, the scent of fresh mud baking in the late afternoon sun. There’s that people smell – that warm sweat pong that’s so overwhelming it’s almost pleasant, the shared burden of…
This is the End isn’t the greatest comedy I’ve ever seen. There are funnier comedies, smarter comedies, comedies that will reward rewatching – something this comedic take on the apocalypse is less likely to do, reliant as it is on surprises. But, dammit, it’s been a long, long time since I’ve walked out of a…
It’s perhaps too easy to compare Magna Carta… Holy Grail to Yeezus. Beyond the two men being the pillars of modern hip-hop (and these records being their first solo work since Watch the Throne), Jay Z practically demands comparison when he describes himself as a god or mentions listening to “Strange Fruit” (prominently sampled on…
The Conjuring feels very old-fashioned. That’s not surprising, given the 1971 setting and accompanying huge sideburns, but (aside from some obvious J-horror influences) this is a film that could have been produced decades ago, with the personality and pacing of classic horror. Director James Wan has commendable patience, slowly developing an ominous atmosphere before breaking…
The Place Beyond the Pines is a difficult film to rate; it’s undeniably exciting and innovative, but its reach often exceeds its grasp. The film is a significant departure from Derek Cianfrance’s last film, Blue Valentine, which was an intensely intimate experience filmed in a grubby, shaky vérité style. His new film is more expansive,…
“Outbreak” has many of the same problems of earlier, middling episodes of Under the Dome. The large cast limits character development, relying on actors to flesh out characters we spend little time with. Sometimes it works (Dean Norris as Big Jim), but mostly we end up with teenagers who don’t act like teenagers or characters…
Watch the first half hour of Orphan, and you could be forgiven for thinking you’re watching a family film about a mother overcoming a miscarriage through the adoption of a nine year-old orphan girl. Early scenes are brightly light, full of primary colours. The titular orphan, Esther, seems perfect – bright, talented, friendly – if…
(Note: this post does not follow the normal 200-word word limit of this blog) First up – I’ve been pretty slack when it comes to posting these awards. This is mostly because I’m still venturing my way into the blogosphere (if that’s even a word), and partly because it was basically impossible to do an…
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