I don't think this weeks top film will surprise anyone, it comes with a high degree of pedigree, a top notch cast and a solidly entertaining trailer. That said there are plenty of other films out there this week that might be worth a look, from the return of Dante to black comedy from Bobcat Goldthwaite so feel free to investigate. Film of the week is Ben Affleck's The Town.
Anjanna Anjaani
The usual plotless Bollywood movie that self describes as a comedy musical romance. Appears to involves a lot of bars from reading the cast list - including a gay bar and a stripper club.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Confucius
The life story of the world's most famous philosopher lumbers into theatres having cleared up in it's native China. As much as I admire the great man himself, as well as leading actor Yun-Fat Chow, I can't see this filling up the local mulitplex.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Eat Pray Love
I think I'm overscoring Julia Robert's latest vehicle, the big screen adapatation of Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir/self-help guide but let's be honest however simperingly naff this looks there is an inbuilt audience and the travelogue aspect looks pretty. Look out for Viola Davis, Richard Jenkins and Javier Bardem in supporting roles.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
Enter the Void
I want to be more interested in Gaspar Noe's latest avant garde release, following the soul of a murdered teen as he watches over his sister, but I think the artiness of the concept might make it a marmite movie.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Frozen
High-concept thriller (I know, the jokes keep coming don't they) with three faceless twenty somethings marooned on a ski-lift for no real reason other than it makes a nice set up. Watch as they slowly succumb to frostbite and insanity.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
The Hole
Joe Dante, the viosionary director behind Gremlins, has returned with this family horror about a bottomless pit (filmed in 3D so it might feel bottomless) underneath the basement of a couple of teenagers. Weird and PG rated scary stuff comes out. Bruce Dern hams it up in the supporting cast.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Peepli Live
It's that vry rare thing - a Bollywood movie that's been screened to the critics. It's story of poor farmers who threaten to commit suicide in defiance of court orders to give up their land and then become the centre of a media storm seems fascinating too. Probably worth seeing.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
The Town
It might be pure genre, but Ben Affleck's bank robber follow up to the assured and measured Gone Baby Gone is impressing critics and audiences alike with it's grounded characterisations and edge of the seat action.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●●○○
True Legend
If you fancy some more action to go with your Chinese history lesson than Confucius is providing than this Qing dynasty revenge drama may just be for you. Man Cheuk Chiu and Michelle Yeoh are among the high kicking cast.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest
Delayed part documentary, part reenactment of George Mallory's illfated expedition up the worlds most famous mountain. Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson are among the voices.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
World's Greatest Dad
Robin Williams is the failed writer - who fakes a suicidal journal for his son after he's killed in a autoasphyixiation erotic act that goes wrong - and then finds himslef in the centre of an outpouring of unwarranted grief. Possibly the dictionary definition of black comedy.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Given that I've hardly been around the last couple of weeks it's unsurprising that I've missed the odd release but before I go into those I will just point out that last weeks Devil managed a final score of 3 on the excitometer, none of the other provisional scores have changed and there was no effect of Winter's Bone as the top film.
From 17 September 2010
I'm Still Here
I think I can be forgiven for missing this infamous faux-documentary which was only outed as a performance piece in the last couple of weeks. Joaquin Pheonix has spent the last 18 month pretending to go off the rails and trying it out as a rapper. We'll see what this actually does to his career, though, before judging it's success.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
10 September 2010
Dabangg
Corruption in the Utter Pradesh police forces is the focus for this Bollywood thriller.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Swansong
Subtitled the Story of Occi Byrne I haven't been able to find much out about this Irish drama, other than it's Irish, it had a limited release in Ireland where there were enough fans to give it an average rating of 8 on imdb. Go Occi Byrne, I say.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Saturday, 25 September 2010
Cops and Robbers (Out this week - 24/09/10)
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
Robin Williams
Happy Birthday to
Robin Williams
59 today
Few actors generate as much positive and negative opinions as former stand-up Williams. Positive because he is a rarely talented comic actor who can easily project the turmoil inside (just watch his performance in Good Morning Vietnam if you want any proof) and negative because his back catalogue is stuffed with saccharine monstroscities that waste that talent. Next up is some voice work in Happy Feet 2 - it might not be Aladdin good but the original did showcase his talent well.
Friday, 4 June 2010
Out this week (04/06/10)
Unbelievably, out of nowhere, this is a really exciting week. Honestly the overall standard of releases is really quite good, and I didn't see it coming. If you ignore the first film (so I list alphabetically, who can blame me) and read the rest of the post you'll find thrillers, comedies and dramas. I've been trying to second guess which film will be the box office champ and frankly I'm stumped - feel free to guess in the comments but the film of the week, and there must be a choice for film of the week, goes to The Brothers Bloom. 
Bear
As the trailer starts we're told that Grizzly bears, the largest land mammal in North America, will attack when it's territory is being invaded. Then four annoying looking late 20's start screaming and panicking. I don't think the bear just wants a cuddle.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Brothers Bloom
Rian Johnson's follow-up to the amazing neo-noir Brick is a far less sober affair, with con-artist brothers Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo trying to pull the wool over Rachel Weisz's eyes, only to find the set-up is a little too close to believable. Also starring Rinku Kikuchi and Maximillian Schell.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●○○○
Death at a Funeral
You might ask what the point of remaking the middling Frank Oz comedy from just 3 years ago is? Could it be because you can take the exact same story with a cast of African-American stars and make it more profitable? The US box office receipts may not totally agree with that but I sniggered during the trailer so that's something.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
4.3.2.1
Noel Clarke has made a couple of very successful, very respected struggling British youth movies, where the mostly male characters are surrounded by escalating violence and sink estates. Here he's trying to appeal to the ladies with four leading female protagonists, with the underwear fetishes and obligatory lesbianism in the trailer I suspect it'll be the lads that go for it in a big way.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Girl on the Train
Respected French drama about a girl who reports a fictitious anti-Semitic attack on a train and how her life is transformed. Catherine Deneuve plays her torn mother who know the truth.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Kicks
As a Liverpool football star is about to leave for Real Madrid two obsessive female fans bump into him one night and invite him home to say goodbye. There are pluses and minuses to their way of saying it. Odd timing as Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez leaves the city today - unlikely the same will happen to him.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
The Killer inside Me
Michael Winterbottom's latest movie may be generating headlines for the alleged misogyny and uncomfortable violence it's fair to say there are few directors who could craft such a beautiful looking movie from it's pulpy source. Casey Affleck is perfectly cast as the serial killing deputy with Kate Hudson and Jessica Alba as two of his victims.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Rajneeti
Bollywood epic surrounding a major political election (oddly I'd jump at this if it were English language) with a selection of unlikely candidates fighting for public support. Inspired by the Mahabharata, one of the major sanskrit epics of Ancient India.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
She's out of my League
Jay Baruchel, who you probably don't remember being in a bunch of films, gurns his way through this film with the tag line: How does a guy, who's a 5, keep a girl, who's a 10? How will this sell any tickets.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Shrink
Kevin Spacey, oh how we've missed you from serious films, play a celebrity psychiatrist on the verge of an emotional and physical breakdown. The trailer is stuffed with cliches, but it looks smart and pacey enough to get away with it. Celebrity cameos include Robin Williams, Robert Loggia and Saffron Burrows.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
Sunday, 4 April 2010
Out These Weeks (19/03/10 - 02/04/10)
Yes, I have been away, which means I have missed out on previewing a good three weeks of films (whther that's three weeks of good films is perhaps more relevant). To tell you the truth I have been deliberately lazy with this. I could have popped into an internet cafe during both of the last couple of weekends, but I just couldn't face it. The overall quality of releases has been so poor I haven't wanted to make the effort to make it to a cinema. Nevertheless I feel I must catch up and tell you my picks for the film of the week, so in reverse order:
Released on 02 April 2010:
Kick-Ass
Released on 26 March 2010:
The Blind Side
Released on 19 March 2010:
I Love You, Philip Morris
Read on for the film synopsis' which I will try to kep within one sentence - now there's a challenge.
02 April 2010
Arjunan Kadhali
Hindi love film.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
City of War
Or the story of John Rabe who ensured the survival of 250,000 Chinese peasants during the Japanese attack on Nanking in 1937-8.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Clash of the Titans
On of Antiquities more exciting tales adapted again for the big screen with Perseus slaying Medusa and the Kraken. Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and Pete Postlethwaite turn up as Shiny Gods playing with us mortals.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Double Take
Rare documentary making it onto my list, as Alfred Hitchcock's obsession with doubles is deconstructions through clips and some fake reconstructions.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
How to train your Dragon
Laugh out loud cartoon from Dreamworks with a nerdy viking making friends with an injured dragon which leads to a massive culture clash.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Kakera: A Piece of our Life
Lesbian dabblings at university in this Japanese drama.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Kick-Ass
The superhero genre gets deconstructed in this tale of a adolescent who puts on a cape to fight some bad guys, the 12 year old fould mouthed violent Hit Girl is bringing the publicity, Nicolas Cage has actually picked a decent project this time.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
Paiyaa
The usual mix of action and love story in this import. I'm sorry I can't be bothered with anything I'm not already interested in.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Remember Me
For the Twilight fans R Pattz tries something different. I expect someone major in the plot dies horrifically hence the title. Chris Cooper and Lena Olin have supporting roles.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Sadiyaan
Based on actual events during the partition of India and Pakistan. Still involves singing and dancing.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Samson and Delilah
Lyrical account of a developing romance between two aboriginal teenagers. Critically lauded.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
26 March 2010
Angardi Theru
Moved back again, look through previous posts to see if I had anything interesting to say last time...
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
The Blind Side
Sandra Bullock's Oscar winning performance as a uptight stinking rich white woman who adopts a homeless black teen - based on a true story. Kathy Bates co-stars.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●○○○
Cok Filim Hereketler Bunlar
Turkish version of Valentine's Day - I think it's a big screen spin-off of a popular TV series in Turkey (not completely sure).
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Hum, Tum Aur Ghost
Love story played between two people with opposing views on nearly every subject. Ho hum.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell
I think they call this a comedy, about a best man whose antics at the stag do are so notorious he's disinvited to the wedding.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●○○○
Lad Gaya Pecha
Man falls in love wit a ghost - not your typical love story from the sub-continent.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Lion's Den
Brizilian Women's prison drama with no cliche left unturned as we are invited to watch children taken from their mother, guard brutality and incidental lesbianism.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Lourdes
Medidation on the ideas of faith and miracles that follows when a paralysed atheist is cured on a pilgrimage.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang
All star sequel (Emma Thompson, Ralph Fiennes, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Maggie Smith) to the hit anti-Mary Poppins children's film. The whole cast are clearly having a ball whilst keeping a stiff upper lip in the war years.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Nightwatching
Peter Greenaway direct Martin Freeman's cock in this dramatisation of Rembrandt's life around the time he was painting The Night Watch.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
No One Knows about Persian Cats
The Persian Cats are an Iranian pop group trying to maintain their identity and the band where the idea of Western inspired music is considered sacriligious.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Not the Messiah (He's a very Naughty Boy)
Concert film of the oratoria based on Monty Python's Life of Brian as performed in the Royal Albert Hall in 2009. Probably not as good as the orginal film.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Perrier's Bounty
Cillian Murphy is on the run from loan shark gangster Brendan Gleason, accompanied by his coffee guzzling father Jim Broadbent and romantic interest Jodie Whittaker - better than your average gangster pic.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Romantik Komedi
If you couldn't guess from the title it's Turkish, and if I hadn't already described another film above as the Turkish Valentine's Day I'd be using that line here - so now I'm stumped.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Shank
No, not the gay happy slappers film which came out last year, but a completely unrelated movie about teenage gangs in a apocalptic vision of a future Britain.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Storm
An attempt to dramatise the legalistic procedures and diplomatic pressures when trying a mass murderer through the European Courts.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
19 March 2010
Bounty Hunter
Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston both demonstrate how unfair the Hollywood system is that let's talentless shmucks like them headline. And they drag Cathy Moriaty down with them.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Ditching
More post-apocalyptic angst, this time set in Northern Ireland.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Dorothy
Irish suspense movie involving psychiatrists and ghosts and false allegations of child abuse.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Happy Ever Afters
Delayed comedy about mix-ups at two weddings taking place in the same venue.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
House of the Devil
Now that irony is dead teenagers can once again babysit in scary houses and get picked on by malevolent spirits.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
I Love You, Philip Morris
Jim Carrey goes gay and falls in love with his cell mate Ewan MacGregor in this ribald comedy from the writing team behind Bad Santa.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
My Last Five Girlfriends
We are treated to a parade of the last five girlfriends of our protagonist as he tries to figure what he's doing wrong. The clue's in the title.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Old Dogs
John Travolta and Robin Williams together at last. Naturally the film is a pile of rotting flesh which no amount of cameos with Ann-Margret and Matt Dillon can save.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Salvage
British suspense actioner as a contained is washed up in a sleepy cul-de-sac making the hitherto quiet neighbours a violent and distustful mob.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Scouting Book for Boys
Thomas Turgoose continues to shine in this film about a teenager falling in love with his best friend as he hides her from here distructive family.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
The Spy Next Door
Or Jackie Chan babysitting in this kids comedy. Given the righ audience I expect this will do well.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Staten Island
Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio and Seymour Cassell play a septic tank cleaner, a deaf mute and a mob boss in the titular New York suburb. I don't know which is which.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Zonad
A rehab escapee manages to persuade a naive Irish Community that he's a visitor from outer space.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
And two films missed from 12 March 2010
The Ape
Norwegian film about a man waking up to find his entire life has been erased.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Ay Lav Yu
Amazingly this is a Turkish film that manages to cast Steve Guttenburg and Mariel Hemingway as a visiting US coupl. I didn't even know Steve was still alive.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Monday, 21 July 2008
Robin Williams
Happy Birthday to
Robin Williams
57 today
1951 was a good year, wasn't it? Unfortunately Robin hasn't had a good year since 2002. Once upon a time he was able to be wacky with an emotional punch (see Dead Poets Society and Good Morning Vietnam), however since the mid nineties he forgot how to do that and is now only effective when playing bad guys like Sy Parrish.
