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The movie blog that really wants you to buy HITCHOLOGY
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
London Film Festival: The Tillman Story
Documentary time again at the LFF, and this one's got a war face.
That impossibly lantern-jawed fizzog will be recognisable to any fans of American Football out there (obviously there's a natural crossover between film blog readers and NFL enthusiasts), but for the benefit of everyone else it belongs to Pat Tillman, who played for the Arizona Cardinals, whatever they are, before enlisting in the army and being booted off to Eye-rack and Afghanistan, where he was apparently killed by the Afghan militia in an ambush.
That's right conspiracy fans, there may or may not have been a cover up in the investigation into Pat Tillman's death that goes - yes, I'm going to say it - RIGHT TO THE TOP.
While the Tillman story is fascinating, The Tillman Story is only quite good - it's clumsily structured, goes on a bit and doesn't properly address the issue that it hints at - the peculiar need that people, countries and governments have for heroes. However it does reveal the farcical tragedies of war and the shameful actions of governments, and leaves you in awe of Tillman's formidable mother, who has all but devoted her life to getting an apologetic drop of blood from a decidedly stony US administration. It also features a soldier called Bryan O'Neal, which is challenging not to chuckle at when the subject matter is so sombre.
And just so you don't spend the entire film trying to work out who's doing the voiceover like I did: It's Josh Brolin, who only recently played George W Bush in Oliver Stone's biopic W.
The Tillman Story is showing at 6.30pm on Wednesday 20th October and 3.30pm on Thursday 21st October at Vue Leicester Square, and at 9.00pm on Saturday 23rd October at the Ritzy in Brixton.
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While the Tillman story is fascinating, The Tillman Story is only quite good - it's clumsily structured, goes on a bit and doesn't properly address the issue that it hints at - the peculiar need that people, countries and governments have for heroes. However it does reveal the farcical tragedies of war and the shameful actions of governments, and leaves you in awe of Tillman's formidable mother, who has all but devoted her life to getting an apologetic drop of blood from a decidedly stony US administration. It also features a soldier called Bryan O'Neal, which is challenging not to chuckle at when the subject matter is so sombre.
And just so you don't spend the entire film trying to work out who's doing the voiceover like I did: It's Josh Brolin, who only recently played George W Bush in Oliver Stone's biopic W.
The Tillman Story is showing at 6.30pm on Wednesday 20th October and 3.30pm on Thursday 21st October at Vue Leicester Square, and at 9.00pm on Saturday 23rd October at the Ritzy in Brixton.
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Monday, 18 October 2010
Just When You Thought You Couldn't Love Bill Murray Any More
He turns up at an awards ceremony wearing this:
I love my Dad but I wish he was Bill Murray.
To wish Bill Murray was your Dad, click here
To wish Bill Murray was your Dad, click here
London Film Festival: It's Kind Of A Funny Story
- Hopeless loser protagonist inexplicably fancied by at least two beautiful girls
- Peer group of shallow idiots including female object of desire
- Kooky female with less make-up than female object of desire
- Dysfunctional family
- Supporting cast of "offbeat" characters
- Mainstream comedy star proving dramatic chops
- Actor(s) from popular TV series, pref. Lost or 24
- Frequent references to hip indie bands
- One musical number, usually highlight of film
- One animated sequence
- Scene towards end in which protagonist runs through corridors of an institution releasing feelings of repression and frustration to soundtrack of obscure indie pop
I would also like to request that everybody going to see It's Kind Of A Funny Story cuts out and wears The Incredible Suit's patented Zach Galifianakis Face Of Hairy Wonder:
It's Kind Of A Funny Story is showing at 6.15pm on Tuesday 19th October, 12.30pm on Wednesday 20th October and 2.45pm on Thursday 21st October at Vue Leicester Square.
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Sunday, 17 October 2010
London Film Festival: The Peddler
Wondering what to see at the London Film Festival next? Of course you are. You'd be crazy if that very thought wasn't occupying your every waking second. Well, you could always go and see The Peddler. It's quite good.
The trailer doesn't really do it justice in all honesty but at least it teaches you how to say "I'd sooner die" in Spanish, which might come in useful if you're ever in Spain and someone invites you to watch a bullfight or go to an English bar.
The Peddler is showing at 9pm on Sunday 17th October and at 4.15pm on Tuesday 19th October at the NFT on the South Bank, and at 6.45pm on Wednesday 20th October at the ICA.
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A documentary about an avuncular old geezer who breezes in and out of rural Argentinian villages making rubbish films, The Peddler is the kind of sweet, cockle-warming film that you might see late one night on Channel 4 but may as well go and check out at the LFF so you can say you've supported both the British and Argentine film industries.
As unlikely movie mogul Daniel Burmeister bimbles about the town of BenjamÃn Gould shooting his unepic Let's Kill Uncle, he successfully unites an entire community, some of whom barely knew each other until they became actors in his VHS non-masterpiece. The fact that he doesn't even own a camera is the least of his problems, but he's a resourceful chap, carrying out constant running repairs on his death-trap car and building his own props from scratch.
The trailer doesn't really do it justice in all honesty but at least it teaches you how to say "I'd sooner die" in Spanish, which might come in useful if you're ever in Spain and someone invites you to watch a bullfight or go to an English bar.
The Peddler is showing at 9pm on Sunday 17th October and at 4.15pm on Tuesday 19th October at the NFT on the South Bank, and at 6.45pm on Wednesday 20th October at the ICA.
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Saturday, 16 October 2010
Saturday Playlist #9: James Bond In The '80s
As Roger (83 this week!) Moore's moobs - and career - continued their downward trajectory and his corset grew ever sturdier, the 1980s Bond films saw musical contributions from Bill Conti (loyal viewers will recall the happy day when he was crowned The Incredible Suit's favourite Conti) and John Barry. When Timothy Dalton took over and LITERALLY BLEW MY MIND, Barry bestowed upon us his final Bond score, and Michael Kamen did the honours for Dalton's second and final 007 flick.
Sadly Spotify has failed miserably in the For Your Eyes Only score-providing department, so you'll just have to go and buy a copy. But you were going to do that anyway, right?
So make love to a woman half your age, embarrass yourself, then get serious, don't have as much casual sex, crack less jokes and be possibly the greatest person ever to play James Bond as you...
Sadly Spotify has failed miserably in the For Your Eyes Only score-providing department, so you'll just have to go and buy a copy. But you were going to do that anyway, right?
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO
SATURDAY PLAYLIST #9:
Friday, 15 October 2010
The Social Network
David Fincher had a lot of making up to do to me after the personal disappointments of the overlong, unengaging Zodiac and the plain cheddary awfulness of The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. Se7en (pronounced 'Sesevenen') is one of my 15 greatest films of all time and Fight Club isn't far behind, so I've spent the last ten years waiting for a worthy Finchgasm.
The Social Network isn't it.
What The Social Network is is an excellent film made by a genuine genius. Every frame is beautiful, whether you're staring at Andrew Garfield's fascinating hair (how is he going to fit it all into his Spidey mask?) or Jesse Eisenberg's contemptuous chops. It's impressively scripted, shot and edited in order to successfully make two hours of people talking entertaining, the score is outstanding and it treats the viewer with enough respect not to simplify its technobabble without getting bogged down in jargon.
What The Social Network isn't is the 21st century's Citizen Kane, or the best film of the year (though it is in the top ten), or the second coming of Alfred Hitchcock. It's a great film but it's not a great story: some guys have an idea, make it work, then argue about whose idea it was. I didn't expect explosions, car chases, robots or aliens (although that would have been fun) but for me to soil myself over a film I expect something memorable, something thought-provoking, something surprising. Yes, I expect something unexpected.
That it remains a great film despite that is testament to everyone who made it. Everyone, that is, except the person responsible for the CG breath in the outdoor scenes. Apparently we can flawlessly transplant one actor's face onto another's so that he can play twins, but that exhaled vapour is no more convincing than it was in Titanic.
The Social Network is an extraordinary achievement and God knows if almost any other director had made it it would be unwatchable. I'm just still waiting for David Fincher to blow my mind again, and it looks like I'll be waiting a while.
In other news, look at the thickness of the press notes I was given:
*Not literally
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The Social Network isn't it.
That it remains a great film despite that is testament to everyone who made it. Everyone, that is, except the person responsible for the CG breath in the outdoor scenes. Apparently we can flawlessly transplant one actor's face onto another's so that he can play twins, but that exhaled vapour is no more convincing than it was in Titanic.
The Social Network is an extraordinary achievement and God knows if almost any other director had made it it would be unwatchable. I'm just still waiting for David Fincher to blow my mind again, and it looks like I'll be waiting a while.
In other news, look at the thickness of the press notes I was given:
I literally* thought they were handing out the script or something.
*Not literally
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