The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)!

Original image located here. Accessed 29th September 2017

As promised last week, I am tackling the remake Hitchcock did of his own movie. Funny thing is, I have found some cinephiles find the remake the superior of the two. Indeed, i found it quite telling that the remake was easier to find whilst the original required some effort to track down.

As for the movie itself, well, it some areas it is superior to the original: The pacing is more natural and less abrupt. There are less characters so more time is devoted to seeing them develop. The movie is more engaging and less dull. And there is certainly a sense that Hitchcock is in fair greater control on his second attempt.

However, not all is good news: The villains are boring and the climax was better handled in the original.
Still, Hitchcock did what he set out to do and he wanted to improve on his original. And to that end he succeeded. Now if other remake-obsessed film producers would take notice....

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)!

Original image located here. Accessed 22nd September 2017

Whenever someone brings up to the topic of remakes I always think of this movie. For you see, this was a movie made by Alfred Hitchcock when he was living in the UK. Then, in 1956 when he'd moved to Hollywood, Hitchcock remade his own movie. And why did he do it? Well, he thought he could've done a better job the second time around.

I will eventually watch the remake but for now, what did I take away from the original? Well, to be honest I found it kinda dull. I could write this down as the movie showing it's age but somehow it just didn't engage me.

That's not to say it wasn't without highlights namely Peter Lorre stealing the show, the fight scene in the chapel and the concert scene proving Hitchcock's status as The Master of Suspense is well earned.
That's my take on the original but how will the remake turn out? Tune in next week....

My Name is Khan

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....My Name is Khan!

Original image located here. Accessed 15th September 2017

Has anyone heard of this? It's an Indian movie from 2010 which tells the story of a Muslim man with Asperger's Syndrome - and how his eccentric behavior gets him mistaken for a terrorist.
It may sound like a situation for a comedy but thankfully that movie refuses to go down that route. I will admit that yes this movie may be a bit long, somewhat melodramatic, has a few eye-rolling moments, and has a stronger first half than second half. But at the same time, there is still a lot going for it.

A lot of it rests on the shoulders of it's lead, Shah Rukh Khan, and his very convincing performance - stand out moments for me was when Khan reconnects with his estranged brother and the scene in the mosque. Also pleasing is the amount of heart this movie has and how it has a lot to say about both Muslims (particularly in a post-9/11 world) and humanity in general.

And speaking as a Aspergan, I found the portrayal of Khan quite the relatable character. And Shah Rukh Khan certainly knows his stuff without once being patronizing.
So in the end, the movie does it's job and does it well.

Oliver and Company

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Oliver and Company!

Original image located here. Accessed 8th September 2017

My reasons for watching this movie are twofold: Firstly, I am, at time of typing, am currently involved in a stage production of Oliver!. Secondly, THIS was the movie I really wanted to see when I was a little boy. I remember at the time this movie was advertised a lot on TV accompanied by Why Should I Worry (*shakes fist* Curse you Billy Joel!) and it sucked me in (of course). I drove my family nuts at the time but once it's time in the cinemas was passed, I never got around to watching it. At least until now....

Alas the passage of time can be cruel: watching this as an adult turned out to be underwhelming. Okay the art direction and the animation is both top notch but its a given seeing this is a Disney movie. But beyond that, I found the connection to Oliver Twist tenuous at best. I'm puzzled by the setting of New York (even if it does look great) and ultimately I found the thing far too short: I could see some possibly of stretching it out beyond the seventy minute running time but sadly it never came about.

So in the end, this movie had some potential and glimpses of brilliance (the fate of Sykes comes to mind) but sadly, it didn't leave much of an impression on me.
Sorry six year old me

Walkabout

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

Original image located here. Accessed 1st September 2017

Behold! Scenery Porn: the Movie!
Okay seriously, much has been written about how this movie was a major milestone in Australian cinema, how it portrayed the Australian wilderness and the improvisational nature of the movie (ie the script was just 14 pages of hand-written notes). What can i add to it?

Well it was a passion project of Nicholas Roeg to make a movie that shows off the Australian landscape and to that end he succeeds. Sure there are some odd directorial choices and some puzzling diversions but I felt the movie was at it's strongest when it focused on the three primary characters and the journey they take, discussed the conflict between civilization and nature and, again, the photography.

Mind you, being an Australian, I have seen this type of imagery a gazillion times before as depictions of what Australia is. Therefore it is nice to know that this was where such advertising began.
So in the end, it was a peculiar movie but strangely hypnotic