Good Will Hunting

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Good Will Hunting!

Original image located here. Accessed 21st July 2017

In the years since this movie, the careers of both Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have gone through ups and downs and have even become punchlines. But once upon a time, they were two young actors who figured the only way to get anywhere was to write their own script. And clearly it worked.

As for the movie itself, there's something to be said about a character who has potential but does not (or is unwilling to) realise it. There's something to be said about a movie that is clearly baiting for an Oscar that has so much cussing in it. There's something to be said for a movie that has excellent performances all around (one of which won a well-deserved Oscar). And there's something to be said about a movie that connects with it's audience. I will admit that i can see some of myself in the titular character and if a movie can do that, then it must've done something right
Also, Happy Birthday Robin T__T

Spiderman: Homecoming

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Spiderman: Homecoming!

Original image located here. Accessed 14th July 2017

Marvel may have 'borrowed' the rights to make a Spiderman movie from Sony so what now? Are they going to show them how to do it properly?
Sarcasm aside, this is the sixth Spiderman movie so is there anything that can be done with this character?

Apparently so. Yes this is the Marvel formula applied to a teen movie and yes it delivers what we all kind of expect from this studio by now, but it works! Better still, we have an interesting villain (something Marvel has often struggled with), we have Tony Stark being a mentor as opposed to an irresponsible jerk (helped considerably by RDJ's performance), and we have Spiderman taken seriously. It may be doomed to remain trapped in the shadow of the Sam Raimi films but it does it;s own thing, adds something new to the mythos and the MCU and is a decent film in it's own right - a difficult balancing act to say the least but it works.

So when's the Infinity War duology coming then?

Beauty and the Beast

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... Beauty and the Beast (2017)!

Original image located here. Accessed 7th July 2017

Hooo boy, how this one made me cautious in my approach.
Let it be known that Beauty and the Beast is my favourite of the Disney Renaissance so I wasn't exactly eager to see this new version. What was wrong with the original that warranted a second go (besides a cash grab?). Still I was open to the possibility of being surprised.....

I think it's fair to say that this movie will be one of those that will polarize people: The kind that attract detractors and supporters who will defend it with unusual fervor. Me? Well I didn't think this movie was a complete disaster, but i came away underwhelmed.
Okay, so sure the movie was visually interesting and the art direction was engaging and some of the new stuff worked (I particularly liked that Harpsichord) but there's something about this movie that leaves a nasty taste in the mouth.

You see, one selling point of this movie was that addressed some of the plot holes of the original. Not a bad choice but there were times when i felt like it was the sole point of the movie. Or, as another critic put it, it was like the movie was written by someone on the internet who wanted to say "I'm Smarter Than a Disney Movie!" - and in that case, you're still being patronized to. Thus, in the haste to correct the plot holes, it seems the script forgot to work on some of the more important elements. Consequently some of the more important parts (ie Belle's imprisonment and Beast letting Belle go) come across as abrupt - and this movie is longer than the original!

I'm also not fond of the Beast either: He seems far too much of a jerk and looks far too much like a satyr than that wonderful creation of the original. But the original was purely a creation of 2d animation so the question remains: What can you do in live action that hasn't already been done better elsewhere?
So in the end, it's not a disaster but I'll stick with the original thank you very much

Silence of the Lambs

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....The Silence of the Lambs!

Original image located here. Accessed 30th June 2017

In regards to selecting my Friday night movie, I only have one rule: The question of 'Have I seen this movie before?'. Needless to say, the movies I haven't seen are the ones that get watched. But this one is an intriguing selection: Largely because this movie has been referenced and parodied so many times that coming to the source is a challenge to say the least.

To be honest, there's not a lot else I can say about his movie that hasn't been already said. Yes that may sound like a boring answer but what else can I say? It's tense, disturbing, and it boasts Anthony Hopkins' most unforgettable role. Even if this movie has been parodied to death it still holds some considerable power twenty six years on.
Still, i doubt I've seen a movie with so many close ups XD

Taxi Driver

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

Original image located here. Accessed 23rd June 2017

There's not a lot I can say about this movie that hasn't already been said before: A major step in Martin Scorsese's career, a star-making role for Robert de Niro, Bernard Herrmann's final movie score, and a very unflattering portrayal of New York City.

What I find interesting about this movie however, is it's still relevant some forty-one years later. The main character is a guy, Travis, who is paranoid, lonely, woefully cut off from modern society and has no idea how to interact with anyone else. Thing is, such people still exist only they aren't buying firearms, they're yelling at other people on the internet.
It's quite a demand on me, the viewer, to try and connect with such a character. Travis runs the gauntlet of being pathetic, frightening and strangely sympathetic. He is just like any other socially maladjusted misanthrope that we may have encountered at one stage in our lives in one form or another. So how am i supposed to react? Judging by the eventual fate of Travis by the end of the movie, it seems the movie is just as unclear as I am.
Which is why it succeeds.

Ever After: A Cinderella Story

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Ever After: A Cinderella Story!

Original image located here. Accessed 16th June 2017

This may seem like an odd choice but I have been intrigued by this movie ever since I first heard of it: A more realistic telling of the Cinderella story? Sounds like an intriguing challenge to me (although why it took me nineteen years to see it is...oh wait we're getting sidetracked here).

But yes, this movie is actually a delight. It works for me in that it takes a story told many times before and treats it as a historical fiction, eschewing much of the magic that is associated with the original tale. I mean why have a fairy godmother when you have Leonardo da Vinci instead?

Also pleasing is the treatment of the stepsisters and the stepmother (Angelica Huston is a standout) as real characters and not being evil for the sake of evil. The Prince and the King (and Queen) also get some substantial screen time and character development that the original story didn't provide.
In fact, now that i think of it, was this the turning point for the Cinderella mythos? Where everyone started treating the other characters as actual characters? Probably not, but I can't stop thinking that....

So in conclusion this movie was a lot of fun and enjoyable for the dateless wond...sorry, hopeless romantics out there

Wonder Woman

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

Original image located here. Accessed 9th June 2017

Yeah it's all right.

Okay seriously, it's a given that DC's attempts to chase Marvel's successes are obvious to the point of painful. And such attempts have divided audiences drastically (ie Man of Steel, Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad). So what do you do when you've got your back to the wall? You knuckle down and make a decent movie, that's what.

So yeah there is a lot going for this movie. And it shows that a lot of effort has been put in the correct previous mistakes: A script with proper structure and plausible dialogue; a distinct lack of drab colors; action scenes that aren't a mess of confusion and blurry shots; And a true understanding of the character.

It's not quite on par with Marvel's finest but it succeeds because it shows DC are putting in effort and learning from their mistakes. Now it remains to be seen if DC can stop themselves from falling back into bad habits....

Return to Oz

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Return to Oz!

Original image located here. Accessed 2nd June 2017

Said it once and I'll say it again: The Eighties were a surprisingly fertile time for fantasy movies and they look very different to the movies made in a post-Lord of the Rings world. But in the case of Return to Oz, this is the one that has a rotten reputation, being disowned as being nightmare fuel for many a young child and a bastard offspring for a much-beloved family movie.

Me? I thought it was great! Sure I'm speaking from the vantage point of being an adult, but I thought the movie was inventive, creative and the practical effects look great. The sets were something to behold as well.
All of which would be enough to grant a pass from me, but I'm just pleased that, unlike the gazillion adaptations of Wonderful Wizard of Oz, someone decided to go beyond the first book. In a fourteen book series.

Gran Torino

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

Original image located here. Accessed 26th May 2017

I've always loved Clint Eastwood - one my favorite actors and he makes some great movies to boot. And here we are at what was intended to be his final hurrah as an actor.
And what do you know: He does a superb job. Clint is more or less playing an aged incarnation of one of his most famous roles, Dirty Harry, but Walt is no less charismatic, intimidating, or quick with the quip than Mr Callahan.

I've heard criticisms that this movie relied on the trope of the 'Great White Hope' to help out some oppressed Asians but I never got that impression. What i saw was a movie about a damaged man reclaiming his humanity and eventually finding redemption
But then again, that's the type of role that Clint could do in his sleep.

Alien: Convenant

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

Original image located here. Accessed 19th May 2017

I......honestly don't know what to make of this movie. Is it a rehash of Alien? Is it a lot of talking and philosophizing that I found more draining than engaging? Is it just a movie with more meat-shields than actual characters? Or is it incomprehensible to me as I've never seen Prometheus?
Still that escape sequence was pretty awesome

Excalibur

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

Original image located here. Accessed 12th May 2017

I admit I have an interest for fantasy movies in the eighties because they strike me as looking more gritty and grungy than the fantasy movies made in a post-Lord of the Rings world. I will argue that the eighties produced some solid fantasy movies (ie Labyrinth, Conan the Barbarian, Never Ending Story and this) with a unique look that has never since been replicated.

As for the movie itself, this was a decent retelling of the stry of King Arthur and indeed setting a benchmark for future adaptations. Ever since I was a young lad I'd always associated King Arthur with the stories of heroism that made them famous - so it is indeed a surprise to see this adaptation boasting lots of grittiness, blood and sex. No way around it: Excalibur is King Arthur viewed through the lens of eighties Low fantasy and is all the better for it.
Special mention must also go to the use of music with O Fortuna and Siegfried's Funeral March
Plus it's fun to see a young Gabriel Bryne, Patrick Stewart, Liam Neeson and Helen Mirren.

Guardians of the Galaxy vol.2

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Guardians of the Galaxy vol.2!

Original image located here. Accessed 5th May 2017

No way around it: This movie does face a challenge living up the original: A movie where Marvel took a risk dusting off a lesser-known property (among many other risks) and ending up striking gold. So how does the sequel hold up?
Well it may not have surprise of the original, but it still plays up to it's strengths: Witty dialogue, interesting locales and characters that play off each other.There certainly is plenty of room for some character development and, whilst this movie may certainly be buying some time until the Infinity War, one doesn't get that impression.
All in all, it's a decent film and a step up from previous Marvel sequels

The Princess and the Frog

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....The Princess and the Frog!

Original image located here. Accessed 7th April 2017

I enjoyed this one, what with it's playful animation, snappy soundtrack, New Orleans setting & art design (par for the course with Disney) and a truly glorious villain in the form of Dr Facilier (oh Keith David, is there nothing you can do?).

HOWEVER! I was enjoying the first half hour so much that (and I swear I'm going to be in the minority when I say this) when the movie moves away from New Orleans and to the swamp, I found the movie came to a grinding halt and a lot of what made the film initially interesting got shoved to one side. Needless to say, for me it took some time before it got back on track again.
Grumbling aside though, this movie did a lot right and it did it well.