October's update (linked below) includes not only a list of what I watched last month, but also sections on reaching #100, reaching 900 reviews, a ponder on the best fairytale-inspired films, and more!
Before that, five brand-new reviews were published this week:
Inseparable (2011)
I’m a great advocate of tonally-mismatched films. When others are moaning that there’s too much darkness mixed in with their light fluffy film, I’m the one saying, “um, guys, have you ever lived in, y’know, real life?” Which probably explains why most of the internet reacts with anything between ambivalence and hatred towards Inseparable, whereas I really enjoyed it.Read more here.
Marvel One-Shot: All Hail the King (2014)
Set sometime after the end of Iron Man 3, we catch up with ‘villain’ Trevor Slattery (Sir Ben Kingsley) to see how his prison life is going. As you might imagine from the chosen lead character, it’s primarily a comedy.Read more here.
Spanking the Monkey (1994)
Spottily entertaining, history has rendered Spanking the Monkey merely an early curio from a now-famous director.Read more here.
The Sweeney (2012)
Despite a mediocre pedigree and TV-scale budget, this re-imagining of the iconic ’70s cop show is a solid thriller.Read more here.
Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)
Riffing on the “evil hillbillies” horror sub-genre, a pair of simple country folk on a fishin’ holiday encounter a gang of college kids who, through a series of unfortunate coincidences, mistake them for murderous psychos — and decide to fight back.Read more here.
Finally, six reviews were new to the new blog...
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
You can’t help but wonder if there’s a more faithful remake to be done, but how would that sit with those who idolise Hepburn’s take on Holly Golightly? Not well, I suspect. But faithfulness aside, in the hands of director Blake Edwards any grittiness disappears in a wave of pastel-coloured humour and frivolity.Read more here.
Brief Encounter (1945)
a very British affair — all awkwardly repressed emotions, discussion of the weather, fear of society’s opinions, stolen passionate kisses, guilt, indecision, true love and endless cups of tea.Read more here.
Grindhouse (2007)
a double-bill of exploitation movies, more-or-less with a horror bent, with grainy, dirty, decrepit prints that are missing shots, scenes, and even whole reels, and complete with trailers for similar films and ads for local restaurants.Read more here.
Piglet's Big Movie (2003)
Mildly amusing at times and with a positive (if predictable) message about friendship and self-worth, this would undoubtedly entertain young children — which, to be fair, is its intended audience.Read more here.
Traffic in Souls (1913)
Silent movie about white slavery in America. You don’t expect that from a 1913 film, eh? Of course, the issue is handled in a suitable way for the period: why the women are kidnapped is never alluded to (in reality it was for prostitution) and all the Bad Men are brought to justice.Read more here.
Witchfinder General (1968)
what’s truly horrific is how real it is. I have no idea if the torture and execution methods are historically accurate, but the opening hanging is nasty due to the woman’s distress, the later burning tortuous because we know that, at some point in history, for whatever reason, this kind of death penalty was dolled out… If it’s horrific or scary it’s down to the threat of violence, or the cynical sadism with which people are tortured, rather than gory special effectsRead more here.
More next Sunday.
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