(art: Tomer Hanuka)
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Animal Kingdom (2010)
A seventeen year-old navigates his survival amongst an explosive criminal family and the detective who thinks he can save him.
Intense and at times harrowing study of a criminal family, cast and production succedd in creating a very bleak world.
Maltin***: "Tough, uncomprimising drama always has one more surprise up its sleeve."
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
New Stuff: Led Zeppelin
After trying to avoid Led Zeppelin for 40 years I decided to give and take a chance.
Red Rock West (1993)
When a promised job for a Texan Michael fails to materialise in Wyoming, he is mistaken to be the hitman hired to kill an unfaithful wife.
Playful and highly artificial Neo Noir has its moments, especially when spiced with irony, and some great cinematography but hardly ever evokes a Noir feeling.
Halliwell*: "Enjoyable, blackly comic thriller with plenty of twists and turns."
Maltin***: "Rock-solid little thriller, crammed with twists, turns and suspense...Nothing that occurs is logical or probable, but the film is so good (and so funny) that you are willing to go along for the ride. Hopper aficiandos will savor his performance as "Lyle, from Dallas," the smarmiest of psychos, who is the real hit man."
New Stuff: The Last Shadow Puppets
I enjoyed their first album very much, so I got the new one, too.
Suffragette (2015)
In early 20th-century Britain, the growing suffragette movement forever changes the life of a working wife and mother.
Old-fashioned, but efficiently produced period movie that manages to stir up the emotions on a key issue of 20th century history; the cast is excellent.
Ordinary Decent Criminal (2000)
A brilliant, flamboyant master criminal Michael Lynch is more interested in his image and his posterity than the actual profit from his ill-gotten gains.
Covering the same (true) story as John Boorman's brilliant The General this version sucessfully manages to emphasize the humourous aspects and entertains quite well.
Halliwell (no star): "Partly based on the true-life exploits of Martin Cahill, this is a run-of-the-mill thriller with some unconvincing cast."
Maltin*1/2: "The main character is so arrogant and and unlikable that it isn't fun to watch him taunt authority. Fiorentino and Spacey fumble with their brogues in this otherwise forgettable film."
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
New Stuff: Hawkwind
Quite a monumental (and reasonable) 11 cd box set that covers Hawkwind's 197-74 years only.