Out this week (21/08/09)

After a few weeks where European films have easily won the film of the week races it's good to see Hollywood pulling out the big guns. Of course in order to get the top spot it takes a film almost exclusively set in France; an international cast speaking in French, German, Italian and English; and a director revered as an auteur by the Cannes selection committee. Of course any Tarantino film might have won this week, but it's Inglorious Basterds that's making me itch to get to the cinema.



Afterschool

Interesting looking American indie from first time director Antonio Campos sees a web obsessed teenage boy accidently capture the death of two of his fellow students on film. The film hits it's technical marks, but a little less navel gazing may be needed for Campos' career to blossum.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○



Chiko

German film focussing on the lives of Turkish immigrants as they balance the duties of family and the Mosque, against the lure of drug crime. Grimy and realistic.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○

Dance Flick

You. Yes, you. You went to see Scary Movie 26, and Noir Movie and you only encourage to make this sort of rubbish. I should make you sit in the cinema and watch it on rotation until you're driven insane.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●○○○○○○○○○

I Love you, Beth Cooper

Wish-fulfillment fantasy where the uber-geek admits his love for the cheerleader, only for her to feel the same way - or at least enough to show him the time of his life one night. The natural progression of the rise of the nerd. Starring Hayden Panettiere who's clearly unafraid of typecasting.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○

Inglourious Basterds

It's finally here, Tarantino's long awaited foray into WW2 complete with Jew-hunting Nazi's, Nazi scalping rednecks, countless double bluffing agents and re-writing history. The definition of unmissable cinema.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●●○○

Kanthaswarmy

Pulled back from last week. I'm still none the wiser about the trailer, so it still gets a 2. Robin Hood meets 21st century gangsters in a comedy. The trailer blends a potent mix of wire-fu, flourescent cock fighting, sex in the back of a limo and makes no sense whatsoever. Watch it here.

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○

Shorts

And finally Robert Rodriguez makes another film for kids. I know of no other director who so easily jumps from his adult to under 12 audiences. Maybe's it's because his adult films are really kids films with bullets? Anyway this looks fairly harmless. With the interesting techniques of non-linear storytelling, working almost as a collection of... "Shorts".

Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○