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15/08/07 The Bird with Crystal Plumage - (D) Dario Argento

I've heard it said that Italian director Dario Argento has somewhat of a cult following. 'The Bird with the Crystal Plumage', his first feature film, seemed like as good a place to start as any. This film promised to be a 'Hitchcock-esque' thriller with an Ennio Morricone soundtrack...we were sold!

Our hero, Sam, witnesses the attempted murder of a glamorous art gallery owner, played by Eva Renzi. After further murders, for some reason, Sam decides to 'go detective' in order to discover the killer's identity.

There are some pretty amusing characters to be found along the way, such as dangerously effeminate antique dealers, cat-eating artists and hitmen running around in hi-vis clothing (not very stealth, dude)!

What ensued was, in my opinion, a fairly run of the mill serial killer/slasher movie, with a highly improbable ending. It should have ended about ten minutes before it actually did. Its as if they got to the end, it made sense, but the cameras kept running so they had to keep making more end up, until it ended up making no sense whatsoever (if you see what i mean). All in all, watchable, but by no means outstanding.

Corporal Tench

08/0/07 Hiruko the Goblin / The taking of Patty Hearst

Synopsis from IMDB: "A school was built on one of the Gates of Hell, behind which hordes of demons await the moment they will be free to roam the Earth. Hiruko is a goblin sent to Earth on a reconnaissance mission. He beheads students in order to assemble their heads on the demons' spider-like bodies."

I sat down to this film expecting a weird-out Jap fantasy/horror extravaganza like only the Japs can do! But after the first few minutes, having been encouraged to feel thrilled by the cut 'n' thrust world that is modern archeology, I knew I would probably be unable to suspend my disbelief for the duration...a fairly run-of the mill 'scary movie', but with a slightly impenetrable plot, loads of (unintentional) laughs, but worst of all....no god dam goblin! We waited and waited...we were teased! But goblin appeared there not.

Note to Japan: see picture above...this is what a goblin should look like!

The main feature was followed with a (short, eh? hmmm...) documentary, 'Guerilla - The Taking of Patti Hearst', about the 1970s kidnap and subsequent return of the wealthy socialite. A fairly interesting story for those who are unfamiliar with it...I'll leave it up to you to decide whether the crazy cat knew what she was doing, or was sooo spaced out on acid she thought it was all a nice dream...

Corporal Tench

01/08/07 : Bad Boy Bubby

This film was preceded by its reputation as so many people I know had seen it, loved it, hated it, recommended it, condemned it !

I needed to make up my own mind

The tag line reads - 'he's been in his room for 35 years - and it time to let him out'.

Infamously pushing the boundaries of good taste and dealing with taboo topics such as violence, incest and atheism it's not surprising that some people feel like their eyeballs have been violated after watching this 1993 Australian classic.

Whilst the above is certainly true - BB Bubby is also hilarious, clever and a must see film. It's interesting to know that due to budget constraints and lack of funding - the film was made over a 15 year period and involved 10 different producers. Subsequently - the feel and look of the film changes drastically throughout - its almost like one of those figures that you make with everyone drawing a different body part and then folding the paper over.

The director 'Rolf de Heer has since revealed that the dialogue was recorded using Binaural Microphones which were sewn into the wig of the leading actor to give a unique sound to resemble what the character would actually be hearing.

25/07/07 The Swimmer 1968

The Swimmer (1968)

Neddy Merrill (Burt Lancaster) decides to swim home across all the swimming pools in his exclusive neighbourhood. Along the way we discover that Neddy has been away for some time - and not everyone is pleased that he's back.

I had seen this film years ago and was pleased to watch it again. It stylishly done and the dialogue is great. At times its more like a play than a film and each scene unfolds another layer to Neddys background.

No car chases, not much action - but the script and performances mean that this doesn’t matter. A subtle portrayal of a man falling down!

18/07/07 Even Dwarfs Started Small (1970)

Another offering from the clubs director of choice 'Werner Herzog'.

In a nutshell : 'Incarcerated dwarfs run riot'

This is without doubt one of the strangest, yet most intriguing films I have ever watched.

The film raises lots of questions and by the end not many have been answered. We were all struck by the obvious lack of scripting or direction involved. The best way to capture 'dwarfs going mad in a prison' - is undoubtedly to stick a load of dwarfs in a prison and ask them to 'go mad'. .. you get the impression that Werner didn’t foresee that they would start throwing live chickens at each other but decided 'hey - keep rolling'

There are so many hilarious moments in this film - my favourite being the 'wedding party' made from a collection of petrified insects. The beetle wearing a top hat still makes me smile as does the grasshopper in a veil.

Its got to be seen to be believed - so see it and believe it !

11/07/07 Les Valseuses ( 1974 )

Les Valseuses ( 1974 )

Ooh la la ! Everyone's favourite Frenchman Gerard Depardu is joined by Patrick Dewaere as a couple of merry chancers up to no good. The film follows their 'sexploits' and general mis behavings which involves various women entering reluctantly into a ménage et tois - but then loving it really!

It was undeniably terrible - but then also quite funny in places and the general stylish ness of the French helped immensely. If it had been made at the other side of the channel it would have undoubtedly have included Robin Askwith in the cast - so we were thankful it wasn’t !

I liked the soundtrack that sounded very 'Francoise Hardy meets Serge Gainsbourg ' ( no surprises there ). Whilst I wouldn’t particularly recommend this film to anyone - I wouldn’t say I didn’t enjoy it either.

We think that the title translates as THE TESTICLES

04/07/07 : Once upon a time in the West

This is not just the best western ever made - its one of the best films ever made. Its almost too much to take in on one sitting - as its just one fantastic scene after another. Subsequently - we have all watched this numerous times - andim sure will be watching it many more




There were three men in her life. One to take her... one to love her... and one to kill her.

27/06/07 : Kontrol

I don’t think I have ever seen a Hungarian film before. I certainly could not have named you a Hungarian director.

Now I have ……. and now I can - the film was Kontrol and the director Nimrod Antal.

If this is a yard stick for Hungarian cinema then I shall definitely be watching more!

It’s a fictitious tale set on the Budapest subway system and the film actually starts with a disclaimer from the real-life subway chief assuring the viewers that the staff employed there are nothing like the agoraphobic, adrenaline addicted mavericks depicted in the film.

It’s a dark tale revolving around a gang of undercover ticket inspectors and a spate of mysterious killings or people jumping in front of trains.

There were moments where I was reminded of Escape from New York as you get the impression that this is set at some point in the future - but the not too far distant.

As someone who loves the whole look and feel of underground systems I found this film easy and enjoyable viewing. I'm not going to say its 'amazing', but as a first film by a new director it certainly not disappointing and the stuff that’s good certainly out ways the few weak moments.

Coincidently the film shares its name with a night club in Doncaster, a town where shops and bars are particularly keen on using the letter K to replace the letter C in a generally KRAZY way. The difference here is that the film is Hungarian and so they actually spell KONTROL in this way. I just felt it was important to make that distinction.

Captain Haddock

20/06/07 : ‘El Mariachi’

‘El Mariachi’(1992 ) is the low-budget debut from cult director Robert Rodriguez, famous for ‘From Dusk ‘til Dawn’ and a previous selection for the SYNW film club, the excellent ‘Sin City’. Allegedly made for only $7,000, Rodriguez apparently donated his body to medical science to finance the film.

Set in Mexico, the film follows the misadventures of a travelling mariachi who is mistaken for a vengeful gangster on the rampage in small town Mexico. Cue chase scenes, guns and mindless bloody violence a-plenty!

The film uses humour to make quite a serious point too. In one hilarious scene, Rodriguez comments upon the dying art of the traditional musician in Mexico. A bartender in one downtown drinking hole ‘treats’ the mariachi to a session from his ‘in-house’ band (literally a dude in a sombrero with a cheap Bontempi style keyboard). The irony of the bartender’s statement, 'if you want to earn real money, get yourself a real instrument' is not lost on our hero!

I thought there were some real stylish touches to the film and moments of genuine laugh out loud humour. This film shows what can be done on raw talent and a minimal budget.

It’s brimming with audio and visual effects, such as speeded up/slowed down shots and exaggerated sound effects that render it quite cartoon-esque in places. It’s a film that never bothers to take itself too seriously.

An ultimately enjoyable and watchable flick...if you don’t mind the 'low-budget' look and feel to it. Reviewed by Corporal Tench

13/06/07 : The Audition

The Audition 1999

After what can only be described as an excessive length of time spent deliberating over our choice of film for the night we ended up opting for 'The Audition' described as a Japanese 'Perverse Horror'. After all - no one does 'perverse horror' quite like the Japanese. The basic plot is as follows:

A middle aged widower is persuaded by his son to look for a new wife.

He enlists the help of his film producer friend who sets up a series of 'mock auditions' to try and find the perfect match. As you may have guessed - his choice of beau turns out to be far from perfect date and as described on the packet - things take a turn for the perversely horrific in the last 30 minutes.

I was less keen than the rest of the club on this choice. It wasn’t really the perverse horror that bothered me - though granted - its pretty fxckin' twisted at points. It was more that in the second half it becomes 'deliberately abstract' and I guess I just 'didn’t get it!' I must confess to feeling a tad moronic compared to my learned brethren who all seemed to appreciate this film on all sorts of different levels that I couldn’t see. Anyway - make up your own mind..but be warned. This is film is not for the faint hearted or easily offended!

06/06/07 : The Vanishing

The Vanishing (1988)

'The Vanishing' tells the story of the mysterious abduction and disappearance of Saskia, and the subsequent efforts of Rex, her lover, to trace her. His quest continues long after her disappearance, his tirelessness ultimately prompting Saskia's abductor to approach Rex with the promise of revealing to him exactly what happened to her...

We are shown the lead-up to the abduction, first from the perspective of the couple and then the abductor; his meticulous planning contrasts with the random and opportunistic way Saskia ultimately becomes his victim.

Much of the film focuses on Rex’s refusal to call off the search for his lost love. Early in the film, we see Rex abandon a hysterical Saskia in a road tunnel, after their car breaks down. Saskia makes him promise to never abandon her again and it is I think this incident and the promise he makes to her that informs Rex's obsession following her disappearance.

In one scene, where we see his current lover walking out on him, unable to deal with living in Saskia's shadow, we get the impression that this is not the first lover that Rex has sacrificed in his quest for the truth. It is this obsession that ultimately leads him...well, I wont say where, but its not the same place it led Kiefer Sutherland in the Hollywood remake thats for sure!

We were all in agreement at film club that this film was excellent. There are lots of plot twists right up the big one at the end and lots of red herrings along the way just to keep you on your toes. The assembled cast does a great job too. An understated, low-budget, European classic.

Posted by Corporal Tench

30/05/07 : Battle of Algiers

This was the first official outing of the SYNW film club and we swam out of the safe confines of the pond into the unfamiliar territory of waters new.

The battle of Algiers was a film that until this point I was unfamiliar with but would now certainly rank it within my top 10 films ever ! High praise indeed.

Allow me to elaborate:

Made in 1966 it chronicles the period between 1954 - 1962 during the Algerian war of independence against French rule. I read a review which described it as

‘A film commissioned by the Algerian government that shows the Algerian revolution from both sides A surprisingly unbiased account of the bloodiest revolution in modern history which has once again become relevant. A look at war as a nasty thing that harms and sullies everyone who participates in it.’

This just about sums it up better than any words I could provide, and I was struck by how it managed to remain objective with no real heroes or villains, unlike the majority of other films in the ‘war’ genre. Ennio Morricone ( everyones favourite ) composed the soundtrack and according to Corporal Tench ( our resident expert on the BOA ) advised us that he deliberately used the same music for both the French and Algerians but at a slightly different tempo in pursuit of this aim.

As you might imagine - there’s not many laughs to be had but then hey ‘war aint funny man’ and laughter is merely slaughter without the S !

There are some stunning visual moments and the soundtrack is superb. Check out this trailer courtesy of our brethren at YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca3M2feqJk8

Captain Haddock

16/05/07 : Sin City

Sin City, based on Frank Miller's novels, is quite a dark and sinister film, depicted in a stylish crime genre comic book fashion. The look of the film adds well to it's tales of urban, pulp fiction styled violence and depravity. Miller directs the film (mostly in black and white, with generous spatterings of red rouge and occasional yellow stinkiness) along with Robert Rodriguez and the noir obsessed Quentin Tarantino.

It is sectioned off into three stories which host a number of gnarly characters and scenarios all set in Basin City, a sort of x rated, down low and dirty Gotham City, full of villains, prostitutes, crooked cops and murderers mostly hell bent on vengeance or redemption of some sort.

First off, Bruce Willis plays a straight laced cop who has one more assignment to solve before retiring as he attempts to rescue a young girl from an evil child molester. Then we encounter Marv, played by Mickey Rourke, who is possibly the hardest, most grizzly looking dude the silver screen has ever seen. Marv goes on the rampage when he finds out his favourite hooker Goldie has been murdered right under his nose. Marv, ever the true romantic, (he hates when guys mess with broads) encounters the sadistic and psychotic natured Kevin, (played by Elijah Wood) who dismembers his victims, has a little brain on toast and feeds the remains to his dog, which is ironically how he meets his own timely death, giving a new meaning to the saying "bite the hand that feeds you".

The last story has Dwight, played by Clive Owen, as a private investigator who gets tangled up with the hard nosed, gun toting prostitutes in the old town and a bent and nasty cop who loses his head (literally) in yet more all out gruesomeness. All three stories come heavily doused in ultra violence and menace with a shadowey undertone that will leave you slightly disturbed but equally engrossed.

Reviewed by Bombardier Burbot

16/05/07 ; V for Vendetta

We watched this film having all heard a lot of negative reports about it, but in the spirit of film club decided to make up our own minds about it.

I know that some of my learned colleagues were disappointed, and Bombardier Burbot actually gave it a 0.3 out of 10 declaring it (quote' 'the biggest load of pap I have seen in years') personally I felt this was a little harsh. We all conceded that visually it could have been done better ( for example : a la sin city ) and as a graphic novel it was probably far more powerful, but having never read the book and coming into this with no preconceptions I enjoyed the story and general 'philosophy' behind it.

For anyone who has no idea what the film is about :

V for Vendetta is a comic book series written by Alan Moore and illustrated mostly by David Lloyd, set in a dystopian future United Kingdom imagined from the 1980s about the 1990s. A mysterious anarchist named "V" works to destroy the totalitarian government, profoundly affecting the people whom he encounters.
The series is set in a near-future Britain after a limited nuclear war, which has left much of the world destroyed. In this future, an extreme fascist party called Norsefire has arisen. "V", an anarchist revolutionary dressed in a Guy Fawkes mask, begins an elaborate, violent, and theatrical campaign to bring down the government. There is an emphasis on technology, especially closed-circuit television monitoring in the mode of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and modern Britain.

Unlike most 'comic book' heroes it would be difficult to imagine that hordes of kids across the country will be asking for some V for Vendetta pyjamas or slippers this Christmas. He is basically a guy that dresses up as Guy Fawkes (the original Anarchist!) who tells riddles in a flowery 'ye olde English' type way. As this was not at all what I was expecting there were times that I struggled with his character but he has some great lines such as 'People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.'

If nothing else this film has inspired me to hunt down the graphic novel - though it's interesting to note that Alan Moore completely disassociated himself from the film and refused to be even credited at the end. Its one of them. I think you should make up your own mind!

09/05/07 : The Enigma of Kasper Hausen

Another offering from the clubs 'director of choice - Werner Herzog' who once again did not fail to come up with the goods.

As seems to be the case with many of the Werners films its based on a true story. In 1828 a man appears in Nuremberg holding a letter that explains that he has been raised in captivity ( a darkened celler to be precise ) since birth and has never seen a tree, the sky or met another human being ( apart from his captor ) Whilst able to read and write he can only speak one sentence.

The film revolves around Kasper trying to 'integrate into society' with occasionally comical but usually quite tragic circumstances. The first line of the film was …do you hear that dreadful noise all around ? that’s the sound that screaming men call silence'.

As someone who thrives in company but feels a bit lost on my own - this line sort of appealled and has remained with me.

After doing some background reading I discoved that Werbner actually cast a non actor for the lead role - Bruno S, who had been institutionalised for 23 of his first 26 years, to convey the characters general awkwardness and unfamiliarity with the world.

After the main feature we watched another werner 'short' , a documentary called 'wings of hope' about the sole survivor of a Peruvian plane crash Juliane Köpcke.

02/05/07 : The Big Heat

'The Big Heat' (1953)

A cop suicide opens this story of corruption, murder and hot coffee in the face! Starring a villainous Lee Marvin, Gloria Graham as the spunky femme fatale with a burns problem, and Glenn Ford as the cop trying to unravel the corruption that he suspects is at the heart of his department. When a bomb planted for him kills his wife instead, he begins to fight back....but i forgot how it ends :(

Well it was a few weeks ago, so my stoned little brain is having trouble remembering this film! But as far as 'film noir' goes, I'd say its up there with classics such as 'Double Indemnity', so for fans of Noir I'd say it was worth a punt.
.

Corporal Tench

25/04/07 : Countryman

Countryman is a film I had seen at least twice before in my rebel rousing days. It was known as a must see for all the pot heads and reggae lovers and though it's now a bit dated in style, it still brings an irie smile to the face. The scene is set when an American woman and her boyfriend borrow her dad's aeroplane (like ya do) to smuggle some ‘erbs and end up crashing it on a small uninhabited part of Jamaica. Suddenly broken leg Bobby and his missus find themselves confronted by a big gnarly gator who looks like he wants his supper, but just as the beast is about to strike, enter Countryman to save the day. Our boy performs some Tarzan style moves on ol' snappy jaws and ends up tying the woman’s t- shirt round it's choppers... hooray for countryman, and hooray for the woman who reveals her ample sized mamalian protruberances in this act of kindness. What a start...are you hooked...we were…lol. The plot thickens when some government agents and the local bad boy colonel concoct a story about the plane being linked to the C.I.A. and filled with uzis n tech 9's in an attempt to gain support in the upcoming elections and are soon hot on the trail of countryman and his new Yank chums. Countryman, blessed with the gift of summoning lightning and other such voodoo trickery, fends off the various attempts to find and capture him and his stowaways with some mind altering trance states as well as some nifty Kung Fu moves incorporating a deadly dingy oar and eventually manages to get them to safety. Even the evil colonel (the Jamaican equivalent to boss Hog), gets his timely comeuppance and is slain with many bucks to the chest on the steps of the local jailhouse...pure justice. So if you like your itals rolled fat and your Mangos fresh not to mention Voodoo hexes, beach Kung Fu, government plotting and open shirt motorbike riding, Countryman's for you. Not forgetting to mention the soundtrack, which was good too, with mostly Bob and Toots anthems generously sprinkled with top notch analogue squelching and Bionic Man style sound effects from the keyboards of none other than Mr. Chief Inspectah himself, Wally Badarou. Smelling a bit of Stilton but all in all an old school classic that will have you singing Row Fisherman Row all the way home....seen.

Reviewed by Bombardier Burbot

18/04/06 : The Constant Gardener

The Constant Gardener (2005) It would appear that the continent of Africa has been saturated with film crews these past couple of years! After 'Shooting Dogs', 'Hotel Rwanda', 'Blood Diamond', 'The Last King of Scotland' (to name but a few), 'The Constant Gardener' is another offering with an African setting. I should firstly say that I thought the film was visually stunning (courtesy of Fernando Meirelles) and tries to introduce some sort of social comment about drug company profiteering in conjunction with the love story...but... What really spoiled the film for me was quite simply, Ralph Fiennes! He sure rubs me up the wrong way with his posh twat persona. I struggled to watch him for over 2 hours, and I have to admit, my favourite scene was the one where he gets the living shit kicked out of him. Though I thought Rachel Weisz's performance was worthy of the Oscar nomination it received, I felt there was a definite lack of chemistry between her and Fiennes' character. At times I felt the film bordered on excessive sentimentality; you could feel your emotions (guilt?) being manipulated with all those cute shots of African children. It was yet another film about Africa, where Africans are relegated to bit parts. In my opinion, film is art. Painting by numbers is not art. And this I feel was ultimately an exercise in filmmaking by numbers. Corporal Tench

11/04/07 : Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets (1971)

Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets (1971)

'TAYBRITS' can best be described as a 70s Japanese 'Counterculture' movie from cult director Shuji Terayama. As such, you can expect an exploration of 'youth' themes such as social alienation, sexual liberation, inter-generational conflict and political disengagement, set to a rock soundtrack and with the requisite psychedelic visuals and cinematographic experimentation.

I'm finding it difficult to write this review as I'm afraid the film largely left me indifferent. I struggled to give a damn about any of the characters (especially the female ones who just seemed to be one-dimensional whores) and found the plot weak. I lost interest pretty quickly once the impact of the visual experimentation wore off (and started to give us all a headache!)

The film is also very lengthy, arguably sending it into the realms of extreme self-indulgence. It could well have benefited from a further trip to the cutting room. The more aggravating the scene (remember that 5 minute 'screaming' scene?) the longer they seemed to be able to stretch it out!

Again, opinions are probably divided on this one and I welcome comments from my fellow film-clubbers!

Oh and one last thing - can I propose a film club embargo on scenes of an 'Oriental gang rape' nature? I've kinda hit my limit for this year.

Corporal Tench

04/04/07 : Casino Royal

Casino Royal

A change of venue this week for the club as our hosts were off camping in the woods. One of the circle stepped into the breach and provided his flat as a fine venue to convene for our weekly gathering of mindszzz

OK - Let's start with the positive. Daniel Craig gives the character a much needed dose of attitude and I liked this new mean, maverick style bond who is generally a fairly unlike able character. In the opening scenes you were left in no doubt that the old bond is dead, make way for the new.

Whilst I appreciated the toughness that he brought to the role (which bond purists tell me is much more true to the character created by Ian Fleming), I did feel at points that it was a shame that he had lost some of the class and 'Englishness'. Although I am not a big bond buff I found myself at moments feeling nostalgic for the cheesy lines and stupid gadgets.

The new bond is undoubtedly more realistic, gone are the days of stepping unscathed from a huge explosion with a slightly skew whiff dicky bow. I suppose in a silly way it felt like a part of my child hood had died (sniff) and the kitsch ness that defined this genre had been lost.

To end on a positive - the opening chase scene is incredible and features the free running champion Sebastien Foucan

28/03/07 : Pans Labyrinth

Pans Labyrinth is set around the tail end of the Spanish civil war and revolves around the fantasy world created by an 11 year old girl as an escape to the grim reality of her ‘real life’ living with her step father – a captain in Francos army and undeniably ‘nasty bastard’.

I enjoyed this film although it was not what I was expecting at all. The ‘fantasy’ certainly did not dominate the plot, and an equal amount of focus was given to the relationships within the camp and generally what was going on in the ‘real world’.

At first I slightly wished that there had been more of the fantasy stuff – as the characters and effects were spot on and left me wanting more, but in retrospect I think that the phrase ‘quality rather than quantity’ certainly applies. I felt glad that the director was not tempted to include the rather predictable ‘talking tree‘ and managed to keep it generally quite ‘darkside’.

My favourite character was the dude with the eyes in the palms of his hands (pictured). Difficult to find sunglasses that would fit - but useful when checking if you’ve got enough change for the bus.

That would be a thumbs up from me ….

21/03/07 : Street Mobster

Street Mobster ( Gendai Yakuza ) : Hito Kiri Yota 1972

The tone of this film is set within the opening credits which role over various street fights, a gang rape and someone being punched in the face with a fist full of razor blades. Street Mobster is undoubtedly shocking - but not really much else. The film club seemed split in its opinion on this one - and I found myself seated in the not liking it camp. I found the plot weak and non of the characters appealed in anyway whatsoever. Im not saying that you have to necessarily have to like the characters to enjoy a film - but they should at least be on some level - interesting to watch which I felt non of them were. The fight scenes ( of which there were many ) were predominantly filmed in low lit alley ways with a single shaky camera. Intended to make the film gritty ? instead it just looked shitty !

So that would be a thumbs down from me ! Not really much else to say on this one.

14/03/07 : For your consideration

'For Your consideration' (2006)

'For Your Consideration' is the latest offering from Christopher Guest and his regular ensemble cast. In this feature, Hollywood is the target of their derision. ‘For Your Consideration’ follows the film-within-a-film format, the action focusing on the set of a tawdry Jewish period drama called 'Home for Purim'. Academy awards buzz around three of the cast members gives vent to their desperate and fragile egos as they begin to believe the hype (whether real or imagined).

At the insistence of the Studio head (a cameo role from Ricky Gervais) who complains that the film is ‘too Jewish’, ‘Home for Purim’ is ultimately stripped of all its cultural specifity, becoming just another blandardised Hollywood feature, remarketed as 'Home for Thanksgiving'!

My favourite part of the film is when we see the actors whoring themselves around the Hollywood promotional circuit, evidently after visits to the stylist or plastic surgeon - Victor’s painfully embarrassing appearance on teen show 'Chillaxin’ is a thing of beauty'!

One criticism of the film could be that perhaps Hollywood is too obvious and easy a target for this kind of parody. I would argue however that Hollywood provides us with a seemingly limitless amount material ripe for satire, and we are perhaps more familiar with the clichés that abound, possibly more so than with Guest’s previous film subjects? Ultimately I found this a cruelly funny film in its ridicule of the fickleness and vacuity of the Hollywood production line.

Corporal Tench

07/03/07 : CLOCKERS Spike Lee 1995

Clockers was one of those films that we all thought we had seen, but couldn’t quite remember the exact plot. The opening sequence immediately catches you off guard as the camera pans back from a bullet hole in someone's forehead and moves into a montage of graphic images of gunshot victims - just in case any of us were thinking of pursuing a career in clocking after watching the film!

The central character is a low level dealer (or 'clocker') called strike, who is persuaded to 'take someone out' by his boss in an attempt to move himself 'up the ladder'.

Inevitably - it's not that easy and the film follows the chain of events that follow as strikes situation moves from fairly crap to completely shite.

The stand out performance for me was by Thomas Jefferson Byrd who plays a dangerous crack head nut case called Errol Barnes.

This is undeniably a great film - with good actors, script, dialogue etc, but for some reason I wasn’t left feeling quite as blown away with it as perhaps I should have been. This partly may have been due to the fact I was tired and not in the best frame of mind to start off with. I wouldn’t say I didn’t enjoy it but just felt a bit non plus - ed at the end. Not really sure why.

Anyway - please don’t let my apathy put you off seeing this film. Compared to the majority of stuff that’s shown on television or available in the video shop this is miles ahead.

28/02/07 : Aguirre, the Wrath of God

Aguirre, the Wrath of God ( 1972 )

This was another offering from our old friend Werner Herzog ( see grizzly man review ) and stars Klaus Kinski as Aguirre, leader of a rebel band of Spanish conquistadors who are travelling down the Amazon river to find Eldorado- the legendary 'city of gold'.

The party weave their way across treacherous mountain paths, through swaps and overgrown rainforest dressed in full body armour, dragging cannon and carrying Aguirre's 15 year old daughter in a sedan chair.

As ever Kinski makes for compulsive viewing - just because he's such a mad looking enigmatic fxcker ! .. but aside from this the film is good anyway. Like fitzcaraldo, the only way that this film could be made was for Werner to get the actors to actually as the conquistadors did. The treacherous mountain paths were real, and so was the huge iron cannon that they dragged along it. This was a film made before the days of digital effects when the only way to get these amazing shots was to go on location and shoot them.

'Futility' was definitely the buzz word of the film and seems to be a subject dear to Werner's heart. The whole mission is inevitably doomed to failure and steeped in ridiculousness.

21/02/07 : The Host

The Host

2006 Director : Bong Joon-Ho

All toxic waste should have the following warning message printed in large letters down the side of the bottle:

'WARNING: FAILURE TO DISPOSE OF THIS MATERIAL CORRECTLY CAN RESULT IN THE CREATION OF TOXIC MUTANT MONSTERS'

Its seems obvious - and you would think that by now, after the numerous films made on the subject scientists would have twigged onto this simple fact of life! Unfortunately, this does not appear to be the case as the latest SYNW offering 'The Host' opens with some chump pouring 100s of bottles of Formaldehyde ( well past its sell buy date' down the drain which feeds into the han river. Have you not seen Fxcking Godzilla ? Evidently not!

This 2006 Korean 'Monster Movie' wastes no time in moving straight into the action. On the down side - at a lengthy 2 hours we all felt that it would have benefited from a visit to the cutting room to bring it down to a slightly more palatable 90 mins. On the upside - the monster kicks ass. It's big enough to slap buses and cars around, but small enough to be surprisingly agile, swinging from bridges with its tail and pulling off some impressive back flips into the water.

As is often the case with this type of film I was slightly left with the feeling that I wished there had been a bit more of the monster. Call me shallow - but im not that bothered about the human interest or learning the back stories behind the characters. I just want to see the monster. Whens the monster coming back on ?

I hope my slight moan does not deter others from seeing this film. It’s a good watch and I am glad to have added it to the list…..ends

14/02/07 : Playtime

In 'Playtime' (1967), legendary French director Jacques Tati performs in his trademark role of 'Mr Hulot'. The bumbling Hulot is perhaps best described as a French 'Mr Bean' (see Tati's earlier films 'Mon Oncle' or 'Mr Hulot's Holiday' for further examples of the character). The premise of the film is simple; Hulot is supposed to meet up with a nameless official in Paris, but instead becomes lost amongst events taking place around him (at one point he becomes entangled with a gaggling brood of middle-aged female American tourists).

'Playtime' eschews classical Hollywood film narrative in favour of ambitious, episodic set pieces, where Hulot and a huge cast of extras interact (often simultaneously) with the futuristic sights and sounds of the modern world, its sterile and alienating effects providing the main source of comedy. The camera rarely focuses for too long on one particular character in a scene and dialogue is often relegated to background noise.

Playtime is renowned for its enormous set, 'Tativille', constructed on the outskirts of Paris in 1964 specifically for the film and considered to represent a microcosm of the modern French capital. The overriding greyness of the set design is punctuated from time to time with flashes of vibrant colour, whether it be from the chaotic traffic jams, or a flower seller on a street corner.


The result is a subtle, yet visually and aurally stunning film and is arguably Tati's masterpiece.

Reviewed by Corporal Tench

07/02/07 : The Shout

The Shout (1978)

This is probably one of the most 'British' films that I have ever seen. In terms of categorizing it into a 'genre' is a difficult task. I suppose that some would term it 'horror' but that’s in the same way as something like the wicker man (and were not talking Nicholas Cage version!). In some ways - its undeniably awful but in a strange way, its faults also make it compelling and essential viewing (at least once anyway!)

Alan Bates plays the world worst house guest (Crossley) who invites himself for dinner at an unsuspecting couples house played by John Hurt and Susannah York, and then just won't go.

Crossley reveals that he has spent 18 years living in the Australian outback and has become a master in the art of aboriginal magic! His best trick is a shout that kills anything within earshot. I liked the way that despite his years learning the secrets of these mystical people - crossley has decided to use his powers for nothing more imaginative than shagging women and getting a free meal.

There were plenty of good unintentional laughs to be had in this film - mainly at the eccentricities of the English and bates' generally inappropriate behaviour.

The main feature was followed by BIG FUN IN BIG TOWN (another Richie discovery) which is a Dutch documentary made in 1986 about the New York rap scene. I don’t know where Richie tracks down this stuff but (like the broken glass documentary) it was fantastic viewing and unique in capturing the feel of a new scene all those years ago. I felt honoured to be watching some of the pioneers caught on camera in the hey day.

Ends

31/01/07 : Grizzly Man

Internet Review : Timothy Treadwell spent thirteen summers in Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Over time, he believed he was trusted by the bears, who would allow him to approach them, and sometimes even touch them. Treadwell was repeatedly warned by park officials that his interaction with the bears was unsafe to both him and to the bears. "At best he's misguided," Deb Liggett, superintendent at Katmai and Lake Clark national parks, told the Anchorage Daily News in 2001. "At worst, he's dangerous. If Timothy models unsafe behavior, that ultimately puts bears and other visitors at risk." Treadwell filmed his exploits, and used the films to raise public awareness of the problems faced by bears in North America. In 2003, at the end of his thirteenth visit, he and his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, were attacked, killed and eaten by a bear.

For Grizzly Man, Herzog used sequences extracted from over 100 hours of video footage shot by Treadwell during the last five years of his life, and conducted interviews with Treadwell's family and friends, as well as experts and authority figures. Herzog also narrates, and offers his own interpretations of the events. In his narration, he depicts Treadwell as a disturbed man who may have had a deathwish toward the end of his life, but also refuses to condemn him for this.

Lukes Review : This documentary style film certainly supports the old acolade 'theres nowt so queer as folk'. Despite the tragic story behind the film there were certain moments of 'spinal tapness' throughout. At times we questioned if it was real as some of the characters interviewed and comments that they made sounded just too good ( or bad ) to be true.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film.. perhaps more than some of the other film club members.
Im giving it a 9/10

24/01/07 : Neighbours

I have been unable to include the usual internet review, or images for this film as i struggled to find anything about it on the internet. Indeed – before its screening at SYNW I had never even heard of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZC2LqjU7RU

To compensate - I have included the above link which takes you a trailer on you tube ! Check it out.

This is a 1981 film featuring Dan Akroyd and John Belushi (made 1 year after the blues brothers ). I was struck that despite the fact that this film is over 25 years old, its still a great deal funnier than many of the comedy 'family' films that are around today. Dan Ackroyd as the ‘neighbour from hell’ is excellent and we had a good laugh watching this film.

Its not an AMAZING film – but we didn’t really expect it to be so in terms of scaling this against some of the others its only receiving a 7/10. Still worth checking out ! A good Sunday on the sofa after a late Saturday night type of thing !

17/01/07 : 13 ( Tzameti )

Internet Review : Tzameti is written and directed by Georgian director Gela Babluani. Tzameti is the georgian word for 13. The film follows twenty-two year-old Sébastien, as he struggles to make money for his Georgian immigrant family in a small French coastal town. He is hired to work on the house of a man called Godon, a morphine addicted criminal. After Godon dies , his widow informs Sébastien that she is unable to pay him.

Sébastien then overhears the widow talking with one of Godon's friends, describing to him a "job" that he had lined up before his death. Unaware of what it is, the destitute Sébastien steals the envelope containing the instructions for the job. All the envelope contains is a train ticket, a hotel reservation and a sign with the number 13 on it.

When he arrives at the hotel, he receives a phone call giving further instructions to catch a certain train and alight one stop before the destination on his ticket. Once there he is collected in a car, the driver showing him a similar sign with the number 13.

Once they arrive at their destination Sébastien quickly learns what the job entails, and tries in vain to back out.

Lukes Review : Don't really want to give too much away regarding the plot of this film - as it holds some good surprises which would best enjoyed if left till you watch this film.

All I will say is that its WELL worth seeing. Its dark, raw in places and nicely unpredictable and if that don't sell it to you then you shouldn't be reading this blog !

This was actually the second time that I have seen this film but its definitely got the 'rewatchability factor'. My only criticism would be that at 86 minutes it seems quite short - but then I suppose I would rather that this be the case, than too long. There are rumours of an 'American Remake' which would be tragic. Half the appeal is that it doesn't include a car chase, love interest or a 'happy ever after' type ending which the Americans seem to have to include in everything that they produce - so please please, just let it be !

I well deserved 09/10 from me !