The Killing

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....The Killing!

Original image located here. Accessed 27th January 2017

I have been asked how I choose the movies to watch on a Friday night. In this case, it was down to two reasons.

The first reason it was an early film by Stanley Kubrick - someone whose work i have held an interest in for a long time. And in the sense that each of his films is a separate entity onto itself, The Killing shows Kubrick to handle a crime movie pretty well. Sure it may be dated (it was made in 1955 after all) and I'm not sure about the use of the narrator, but the movie had enough clout to maintain my attention and have me see it through to the end.

The second reason are the alleged similarities between this and Reservoir Dogs. Although Quentin Tarantino has credited the Killing as an influence and dismissed claims of trying to do a rip-off, it did not stop similarities arising - even to the point where some TV channel in the UK showed both movies back to back. Personally i don't see the similarities beyond the basic plot of 'a bunch of guys pull off a heist and it goes wrong'. I think what separates both films is the Killing is BEFORE the heist and Reservoir Dogs is AFTER the heist.
So yeah, I enjoyed the Killing a lot because it had my attention - which is what a movie should do.

Moana

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Moana!

Original image located here. Accessed 20th January 2017

It would seem now that every Disney Animated feature is doomed to remain in the shadow of Frozen. Such a thing would be unfair to say but if Frozen changed the rules of being a Disney princess, and subsequently became a runaway hit, it remains to see what will be done in a post-Frozen environment.

That being said, with regards to Moana, there is a lot going for it: I like the characters, the songs, the art direction (the art direction!) and the very high quality of animation. Maui is a riot (especially when one considers who's voicing him), Tamatoa is a hilarious channeling of David Bowie and the climax/resolution is truly a thing of beauty.
Some people are saying that the movie is falling back on Disney's tried-and-tested formulas and not pushing the envelope but I really enjoyed this movie. And, in the terms of portraying Polynesian cultures, this movie is indeed a success.

Chopper

And this week's Friday night move has been.....Chopper!

Original image located here. Accessed 13th January 2017

So this was the movie that pretty much launched Eric Bana's star into the stratosphere. And I will agree he alone makes the movie. But get past that I'm not sure what to make of the movie itself. Is it cautionary tale? A character study? An attempt to beat Tarantino at his own game?

Still, I've seen plenty of Australian made films and this is, hands down, one of the most memorable. So something must've worked.

Rogue One

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Rogue One!

Original image located here. Accessed 6th January 2017

Ever since i saw Force Awakens, I've come to regard it as the 'Apology Letter for the Prequel Trilogy'. But now that Lucasfilm/Disney have got it out of their system, they can return to making proper movies now, right? And can we tell a story that doesn't involve the horrifically dysfunctional Skywalker family?

Apparently we can. Now, speaking as a fan of both Star Wars Rebels and Knights of the Old Republic, I welcome any opportunity to see the Star Wars universe from a different angle. And I certainly got it here. Great action, gripping set pieces and a truly exciting climax. I also like how the Jedi/Force stuff took a backseat, to make way for a grittier look at the rebellion and the Star Wars equivalent of the Dirty Dozen. Rogue One is certainly different to the regular Star Wars flair but it's all the better for it
Incidentally, did anyone else think that Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus deserved their own movie? Because I'd watch that!