TV

Vicious
2x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

Films

Apollo 13 (1995)
[2nd or so watch]

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
[2nd watch]

this week on 100 Films

Five brand-new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...


21 Jump Street (2012)

the film’s best material revolves around the changing face of high school. Tatum and Hill’s characters grew up in an era of the traditional mould, where jocks ruled and nerds were bullied. When they return undercover, the tables have turned: getting good grades and caring about the environment is cool.

Read more here.


Hummingbird (2013)

might sound like your standard Statham action-thriller. It really isn’t. Knight’s focus is primarily on the relationship between Joey and Cristina, two people who are both lost, struggling with events from their past, trying to help people, in search of something. It’s a bigger acting challenge than Statham usually has to face. To be honest, he’s probably not wholly up to the task, but he makes a good fist of it.

Read more here.


The Interview (2014)

As with so many comedies, your mileage will vary on whether what follows is indeed hilarity or merely inanity. For me, it contained a weight of obvious ‘gags’ and crass ‘humour’, but also enough genuinely amusing bits to keep it ticking over.

Read more here.


The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Katharine Hepburn is the high society heiress getting re-married to someone dull from daddy’s company. Cary Grant is the husband from her tempestuous first marriage. When he turns up uninvited, screwball hijinks ensue.

Read more here.


Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

The debut feature from the director of all-conquering box office behemoth Jurassic World, Safety Not Guaranteed is a small-scale indie comedy that may or may not have a sci-fi twist. Inspired by a real newspaper ad (actually written by a bored editor), this fictional version sees three journalists from a Seattle magazine tracking down the guy who placed the ad in order to find out the true story behind it.

Read more here.


Plus nine archive reviews were reposted on the new blog...


Bringing Out the Dead (1999)

The storyline, which follows Nicolas Cage's paramedic across three nights in New York, is a mixture of short episodic medical incidents with longer threads that continue throughout. These connect and fall apart, feeling as episodic as the rest, and most of them don't really lead anywhere.

Read more here.


Evangelion: 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone. (2007/2009)

The pace is surprisingly good throughout, a well-considered balance between action, character and mysteries. Anno and co have retained some of the original’s light and shade — this isn’t just a plot recap, but includes some of the humour and character-based subplots.

Read more here.


Evangelion: 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance. (2009/2010)

This is very clearly a second part. It hits the ground running, with no thought for those not up to speed on the characters and events so far. Indeed, there’s perhaps little regard for those who may be familiar with it anyway: certain significant events rattle past, the storyline spewing mysteries via dialogue we barely understand, so dense is it with references and allusions.

Read more here.


Garden State (2004)

Zach Braff of Scrubs fame writes, directs and stars in this coming-of-age-style comedy-drama, his first feature as writer and director.

Read more here.


Gigi (1958)

a film about largely horrid people doing morally dubious things. But of course it’s a musical from the ’50s, so it all has a veneer of loveliness and respectability.

Read more here.


Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth (1997)

There are answers, revelations, some great sequences, and a great cliffhanger! Unfortunately this is also the start of the next film, which ultimately renders this as just one thing: a fan-only curio.

Read more here.


Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997)

don't even attempt this if you haven't seen all of the (excellent) TV series -- it won't even vaguelly make sense. Sadly, if you have seen the series, it's a disappointing climax. Promising a clearer ending than the original arty philosophical one, it winds up delivering something that's almost as bad.

Read more here.


On the Town (1949)

Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra lead the cast in this musical comedy about three sailors who have 24 hours of shore leave in New York. The plot is sometimes predictable, but at least it's not as standardised as many. Equally, none of the songs are truly memorable but most are fun while they last.

Read more here.


Play Time (1967)

I know some people love the work of Tati, just like there’s always someone who loves everything; personally, I find his films largely dull. His character, Monsieur Hulot, is like Mr Bean but less funny

Read more here.


More next Sunday.