C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America!

Original image located here. Accessed 26th September 2025

Anyone heard of this? This is a mockumentary, presenting an alternate history where the American Civil War was won by the South. As such, it tracks a path where events go differently and the world as we know it looks very different. The views of the Confederacy still remain but in a more modern setting - further reinforced by ads that proliferate through the documentary.

Yes, this is quite vicious in it's satire and dark in it's hilarity. Yet the vision it presents is quite nasty, in that a) it's ideals of the Civil War being presented in a modern context and b) how disturbingly similar it looks to the racism that exists in the U.S. of today. Just when you think we had advanced from bleaker times...
Nevertheless, the facts are well presented and the level of research that went into this speculation is staggering. And no matter how uncomfortable viewing this may be, it still manages to generate some laughs.

Still, as I watch this, I am reminded of my own country and it's own brand of racism. Makes me wonder how long it will be before someone comes up with their own mockumentary presenting an alternate history where the arrival of the First Fleet went a little differently.....

Million Dollar Baby

  And this week's Friday night movie has been... Million Dollar Baby!

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 77 (2004)

This one has been a long time coming. 
I guess comparisons to Rocky are inevitable as both are built around boxing and tells the story of an underdog giving it their all. The difference this time however is Clint Eastwood is in the director's chair and he is, for me, a favourite: This is due to the fact that Clint has proven time and time again he can eschew flashiness for taking what he has and doing a lot with it. 

Actually, I feel there this is one important similarity between Million Dollar Baby and Rocky: Both resemble a boxing movie but they aren't really about boxing. And that is the case here: Sure it's a compelling watch but it's only in the final half hour that it shows it's hand. I won't give too much away but throughout the movie there are meditations on poverty, striving to obtain a better life, knowing one can do better than their current situation, and dealing with those who try to disparage - and leech off of - one's success. 
It's a compelling watch with great acting all around, superb direction and a punch-in-the-gut finale. 

Truly a well-deserved winner of Best Picture.

Kamikaze Girls

Recently I saw Kamikaze Girls (Shimotsuma Monogatari: Yankī-chan to Rorīta-chan)!

Original image located here. Accessed 5th November 2024

For me, there are three kinds of Japanese cinema. There's the first which is anime. There's the second that says it's own thing to an attentive world (ie the films of Akira Kurosawa). And there's the third kind: one's that dedicated to throwing as much weird/random stuff as it lay it's hands on.
But the most fascinating thing I have found about the third kind is that it's relationship to the other two: It seems to be a cousin of the first kind whilst trying to distance itself from the second kind as much as possible. 
And Kamikaze Girls belongs firmly in the third kind. And belong it does with mad colours, weird hair, randomness, a celebration of Japanese sub-cultures and a truly off-the-wall sense of humour. Needless to say, it's the kind of movie that takes a particular mindset to be appreciated.

It should be noted that I watched this movie in the company of some Lolitas so it's fair to say that this movie is one that knows its audience exactly.

Van Helsing

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

Original image located here. Accessed 20th October 2023

And with this post we have reached 400 posts on this blog - and what better way to acknowledge such a milestone then to finally have a movie reviewed for every letter in the alphabet (Thanks The Quiet Family and X-Men First Class!).
Once again we have a movie that I have been putting off for a long time. This can attributed to the fact that I recall when this was released, it was mauled by the critics. Still, may be the distance of nearly two decades may give way to a more fresh approach.

It is interesting to see this movie in the wake of the failed 'Universal Monsters' shared universe. Because I can see a lot of said monsters present. Was this an attempt to get a film franchise going? Perhaps - but it does mean I have to assess this movie as it's own entity as opposed to being part of something larger. 
Certainly there is a lot working against this movie: The CGI is practically lifting this movie entirely on it's shoulders, Richard Roxborough is completely ridiculous and the whole thing is kinda silly.
But was this movie dull? Of course not. It may be all style and no substance but there are some great action sequences and keeps an exciting pace throughout. And that is enough.

50 First Dates

  And this week's Friday night movie has been... 50 First Dates!

Original image located here. Accessed 29th September 2023

If there has been a theme with my film selection of this year, it is the notion that I have been going through my 'To Watch' list and clearing some of the titles on it. Some of which have been on there for so long that I may have forgotten why I put it on there in the first place.
So why this movie? Beats me.
It's not much of a stretch to say that Adam Sandler is something of a punchline making crummy movies, through his production company Happy Madison, that are notorious for some really lousy humour. I can't say I have actively sought out his work but Still I was at least willing to give this film a chance. After all, if Adam Sandler can form a production company, Happy Madison, so he and his friends can make the movies they want then that is no different than Margot Robbie forming a production company, Lucky Chap, so she and her friends can make the movies they want.

It seems that when you watch a Happy Madison movie, you know exactly what you're getting in for: Dumb jokes that both repulse and age like milk. So given that these jokes are present in this movie, I should hate this movie. Likewise, this movie has become disreputable in recent years for it's depiction of a guy manipulating a woman with short term memory loss into making her fall in love with him. 
Major strikes to be sure but what works in this movie works wonders. Sandler and Barrymore make for an engaging on-screen couple, clearly Sandler is trying something different compared to the rest of his oeuvre, the tragic angle of living with someone with short term memory loss and certain moments that hit hard.
So yeah, when the movie works it works great. And almost makes the uncomfortable stuff excusable.

...........Almost

Downfall

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

Original image located here. Accessed 9th March 2018

I recall when this film originally came out: it was subject to a lot of controversy due it's approach of humanizing Hitler. However such controversy seems inconsequential years later, when one considers the life this film gained as a YouTube meme.

Make no mistake: This was not an easy movie to watch. What made it so challenging to watch was we are watching the collapse of government: Where everyone is facing impending doom and/or getting out (in more ways than one). Still, the effort put into the art direction and the historical accuracy is impressive and the acting is frighteningly accurate - it's easy to mistake it for the real thing.
So yeah, good movie