Who woulda thunk it? After the spectacular awfulness that was Nemesis, it seemed impossible for Star Trek to even recover, let alone rock our socks off, and yet JJ Abrams somehow managed it. Not only that, but he did it with that most risky of propositions; the reboot...
How to make everyone happy? You've got your die-hard Trekkies, your battle-hardened Trekkers, and the rest of the proles who either don't care, or (although the gods alone know how) don't even know what Star Trek is. The chances of pleasing even a small proportion of any one of these groups (especially the first two!) with a reboot of what is probably the most famous TV/film franchise of all time seemed pretty remote, but Abrams not only pulls it off, he literally blows the audience away.
In reality, credit should be spread around here - The writers made sure that the action never let up, the actors (all of 'em) nailed their characters, and the director managed the circus. Having a healthy (i.e. LARGE) budget helped, but there have been plenty of high-budget movies that have been absolute duds in the wrong hands.
The film never really lets up once its started; we are thrown from one situation to the next with just enough of a breather, and there is just the right balance of pathos and humour to keep us involved with the characters and their development. Oh, and the bad guy is awesome; Eric Bana as Nero is my favourite Star Trek baddie since Khan... Completely insane, and thoroughly entertaining. You can tell he was having great fun just being wicked!
More than anything else, though, it's the actors that pull this together and make it the pleasure that it is. It was an impossible task; they not only had to play their characters, they had to somehow remind us of the actors who previously played the same characters, without leaving us preferring the originals. How does anyone manage this? It's like Chris Pine is channelling William Shatner, while still managing to bring his own feel to Kirk, and Zachary Quinto IS Spock. It was even more impressive in Zachary's case, because he had to play up against the "real" Spock; his older alter-ego, Leonard Nimoy. Zoe Saldana (as Uhura) was beautiful, Simon Pegg (Scotty) was hysterical, Karl Urban (Bones) was spot on, and Anton Yelchin (Chekov) can actually act!
Perhaps the smartest move was in creating an alternate time-line. That way, when events occur (particularly in the inevitable - and eagerly anticipated - sequels) that didn't previously occur in Star Trek "cannon", they can be excused as being allowable. If they had simply gone back in time and shown Kirk and Spock growing up and becoming Star Fleet officers, they would have had to have stuck to the original timeline. Very restrictive. As it is, they can do just about anything and, so long as they keep the overall "feel" of the Star Trek universe (which was where, I feel, the last two Next-Gen Star Trek movies failed), everyone will be happy.
If you haven't watched this reboot yet, for whatever reason, pull your finger out - It really is awesome fun - A roller-coaster ride with great effects, humour, character, and non-stop action.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Død Snø (2009)
This is the reason we watch stupid movies. Not because we like stupid movies, but, because, just every now and again, one of the films we thought was going to be stupid was just great fun. And stupid. Or fun because its stupid. I mean, ya just know that a film featuring Nazi zombies is gonna be a hoot, but will it actually be any good? The good news is that Tommy Wirkola's Norwegian zombie-slasher, Dead Snow, is just great!
I've always been a big fan of the zombie genre, from White Zombie to Romero's classic series (how many is it now? 5?), and just about everything in between. While not a huge fan of the new trend towards "fast" zombies, sometimes I can look the other way, if the concept is good. And, lets face it, when it comes to the things we all love to hate the most, nazis and zombies have gotta be top of just about everybody's list, right?
So, our typical holidaying college students find themselves in a cabin in the mountains (with no cell reception, of course!), and naturally manage to piss off the local boogey-men by helping themselves to some treasure they just happen to find under the floorboards. All pretty pedestrian stuff, so far, but what elevates this film above the general fare is the sense of humour on display throughout. Much like the recent "Undead", what they lack in budget they more than make up for in imagination, and a love of their craft.
The big drawcard, of course, with Dead Snow is the prospect of Nazi zombies. There's just something about the idea which instantly appeals - I know, myself, as soon as I saw the trailer all I could think of was "I've just gotta see this film!". And I was right! And its got chainsaws! Oh joy, oh joy!
Okay, enough rapturous adulation... Don't expect any twists; there are no surprises here - It's a straightforward horror narrative, with all the obvious cliches. What you can expect, however, is to have a great deal of fun while you watch the students confront their tormentors with various improvised weapons. The characters are actually quite believable, in an over-the-top kinda way; they panic realistically, they sometimes act heroically, and they generally make the sorts of stupid mistakes I guess real people would make in the same circumstances. Much more likeable than your average monster-fodder.
The film has some really nice suspense in it, and some wonderful use of the frigid Norwegian environments. I felt cold just watching this film! Be prepared for some incredibly gory shots, though; dangling over a cliff by hanging onto a zombie's intestines, while another zombie is hanging on to you and trying to bite your throat out is one of the less gross sequences, once the body parts start flying. The effects guys certainly don't pull any punches, and the fact that one of the characters is wearing a "Brain Dead" t-shirt should be enough warning...
If you love zombies, then you can't afford to miss this film. If, on the other hand, you think that zombies are just an excuse to spread gratuitous amounts of blood and viscera around, then, well, maybe you'd be better off with the Sound of Music. At least it's got Nazis.
I've always been a big fan of the zombie genre, from White Zombie to Romero's classic series (how many is it now? 5?), and just about everything in between. While not a huge fan of the new trend towards "fast" zombies, sometimes I can look the other way, if the concept is good. And, lets face it, when it comes to the things we all love to hate the most, nazis and zombies have gotta be top of just about everybody's list, right?
So, our typical holidaying college students find themselves in a cabin in the mountains (with no cell reception, of course!), and naturally manage to piss off the local boogey-men by helping themselves to some treasure they just happen to find under the floorboards. All pretty pedestrian stuff, so far, but what elevates this film above the general fare is the sense of humour on display throughout. Much like the recent "Undead", what they lack in budget they more than make up for in imagination, and a love of their craft.
The big drawcard, of course, with Dead Snow is the prospect of Nazi zombies. There's just something about the idea which instantly appeals - I know, myself, as soon as I saw the trailer all I could think of was "I've just gotta see this film!". And I was right! And its got chainsaws! Oh joy, oh joy!
Okay, enough rapturous adulation... Don't expect any twists; there are no surprises here - It's a straightforward horror narrative, with all the obvious cliches. What you can expect, however, is to have a great deal of fun while you watch the students confront their tormentors with various improvised weapons. The characters are actually quite believable, in an over-the-top kinda way; they panic realistically, they sometimes act heroically, and they generally make the sorts of stupid mistakes I guess real people would make in the same circumstances. Much more likeable than your average monster-fodder.
The film has some really nice suspense in it, and some wonderful use of the frigid Norwegian environments. I felt cold just watching this film! Be prepared for some incredibly gory shots, though; dangling over a cliff by hanging onto a zombie's intestines, while another zombie is hanging on to you and trying to bite your throat out is one of the less gross sequences, once the body parts start flying. The effects guys certainly don't pull any punches, and the fact that one of the characters is wearing a "Brain Dead" t-shirt should be enough warning...
If you love zombies, then you can't afford to miss this film. If, on the other hand, you think that zombies are just an excuse to spread gratuitous amounts of blood and viscera around, then, well, maybe you'd be better off with the Sound of Music. At least it's got Nazis.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Un chien andalou (1929)
What the...?!? Very famous, and very weird. Directed by Luis Buñuel, and co-scripted by Salvador Dali, this short is probably most famous (or is it infamous?) for its depiction of a woman's eyeball being slit open with a razor... This occurs in the first scene, and An Andalusian Dog (its English title) just gets weirder from there!
Of course, it's not meant to make sense, and it is quite fascinating; like witnessing a dream. There's a reason Dali was later drafted by Hitchcock to design the dream sequence in Spellbound, and anyone who has seen any of his art should certainly know what to expect. After the initial shock, the film settles down into a serious of bizarre images, flitting backwards and forwards in time and making no logical sense whatsoever. The one thing I can guarantee, though, is that you won't be able to take your eyes off it!
My personal favourite image is the guy with the ants in his hand; he just stands there staring at these ants coming out of a hole in his palm, as does the audience. Really neat stuff, and extremely well done - It is obviously a fake hand, but you don't notice and don't care. The final image is classic Dali, and typically thought-provoking.
Don't let the eyeball/razor idea put you off seeing this film. While shocking, it was nowhere near as unpleasant as I expected, possibly because I'd heard about if for years and imagined it being much worse (and I have a real thing about razors; they freak me out!).
My verdict? An amazing little film, and well worth a look. It's all of 16 minutes long, and the time will just fly by... probably with you gaping open-mouthed at the sheer insanity of Buñuel and Dali's mad vision.
Of course, it's not meant to make sense, and it is quite fascinating; like witnessing a dream. There's a reason Dali was later drafted by Hitchcock to design the dream sequence in Spellbound, and anyone who has seen any of his art should certainly know what to expect. After the initial shock, the film settles down into a serious of bizarre images, flitting backwards and forwards in time and making no logical sense whatsoever. The one thing I can guarantee, though, is that you won't be able to take your eyes off it!
My personal favourite image is the guy with the ants in his hand; he just stands there staring at these ants coming out of a hole in his palm, as does the audience. Really neat stuff, and extremely well done - It is obviously a fake hand, but you don't notice and don't care. The final image is classic Dali, and typically thought-provoking.
Don't let the eyeball/razor idea put you off seeing this film. While shocking, it was nowhere near as unpleasant as I expected, possibly because I'd heard about if for years and imagined it being much worse (and I have a real thing about razors; they freak me out!).
My verdict? An amazing little film, and well worth a look. It's all of 16 minutes long, and the time will just fly by... probably with you gaping open-mouthed at the sheer insanity of Buñuel and Dali's mad vision.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Stuck (2007)
I noticed Stuck when it was first released, but was a little put off by the subject matter; mostly because I knew it was based on a real story. A couple of years before the release of this movie, I heard an item on the radio about a woman who had struck a pedestrian, the pedestrian had become embedded in her windshield, and, rather than seeking assistance, she had driven home and parked her car in the garage, with the poor bastard still stuck in her windscreen. He died a few days later, and she only ran into trouble when she called on her friends to help dispose of the boy... It was noted that, had she sought medical assistance for her victim, he may well have survived. Instead, her fear of punishment created a situation which was much worse than it might have been if she'd faced her circumstances and done what she could have from the start.
On top of the horrific nature of the real-life events of this story, the fact that Stuart Gordon was the director put me off even more; not because I don't like Stuart Gordon, but because I know him well enough to be well aware of just how horrific his work can be. Re-Animator is one of my all-time favourite films, and yet again Gordon proves that he can handle any theme with style. As with so many other masters of horror, the closer he gets to filming reality, the more horrific it gets!
The film takes some detours from reality; it never claims to be accurate, just "based on real events", which allows for a much more cinematic experience than the original story would have entailed. Mena Suvari (who also has a production credit) is suitably hapless as the nurses aide, stoned off her tits, who hits Stephen Rea on her way home from a nightclub. Her complete lack of any empathy for her victim, who we see as being just some poor guy who has found himself at the receiving end of a terrible run of bad luck, is simply astonishing. Of course, it is even harder to stomach her behaviour when you know it is probably a fairly accurate representation of the real-life driver.
Again and again we are confronted with the sheer heartlessness of the main character, while at the same time cheering on the "bum" who she dismisses as not being worth the trouble "he" has caused her! Overall, I was really impressed with this harrowing, and depressingly accurate, portrayal of inhumanity. I'd recommend it to anyone who can stomach a little gruesomeness. Definitely one of Gordon's best.
On top of the horrific nature of the real-life events of this story, the fact that Stuart Gordon was the director put me off even more; not because I don't like Stuart Gordon, but because I know him well enough to be well aware of just how horrific his work can be. Re-Animator is one of my all-time favourite films, and yet again Gordon proves that he can handle any theme with style. As with so many other masters of horror, the closer he gets to filming reality, the more horrific it gets!
The film takes some detours from reality; it never claims to be accurate, just "based on real events", which allows for a much more cinematic experience than the original story would have entailed. Mena Suvari (who also has a production credit) is suitably hapless as the nurses aide, stoned off her tits, who hits Stephen Rea on her way home from a nightclub. Her complete lack of any empathy for her victim, who we see as being just some poor guy who has found himself at the receiving end of a terrible run of bad luck, is simply astonishing. Of course, it is even harder to stomach her behaviour when you know it is probably a fairly accurate representation of the real-life driver.
Again and again we are confronted with the sheer heartlessness of the main character, while at the same time cheering on the "bum" who she dismisses as not being worth the trouble "he" has caused her! Overall, I was really impressed with this harrowing, and depressingly accurate, portrayal of inhumanity. I'd recommend it to anyone who can stomach a little gruesomeness. Definitely one of Gordon's best.
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