Shane

And this week's Friday Night movie has been... Shane!

Original image located here. Accessed 27th January 2023

Yep its one of the classic westerns (not least for it's unforgettable closing scene). And given my love for the genre it was inevitable that I would come to this.

In a way this movie surprised me: I went in expecting a standard good vs evil tale where the distinction between the good guys and the baddies couldn't be defined clearer. But what I got was something with some surprising depth.
The gunfights aren't shown in an attractive light (perhaps pointing the way to the ultra-violence of westerns in the 1960s). The mysterious past of Shane isn't elaborated on save for a few tantalising clues (did he and Wilson clash previously?). The scenery is shown in a staggering light. And I will certainly admit that this movie makes a hefty contribition to the romanticisation of Wild West, showing a Wild West outsiders like myself have seen many times before (compared to the likes of, say, The Wild Bunch).
So yeah, a decent movie all round.

Hoop Dreams

And this week's Friday Night movie has been... Hoop Dreams!

Original image located here. Accessed 20th January 2023

Sports movies are not one of my favourite genres. Because to me they are seem so formulaic. Seriously, you see one 'Struggling team of no-hopers guided by equally troubled coach achieve against-the-odds success' movie you've seen them all. And when formula is involved, as is often the case, it can be difficult to break away from.
But I will give props to any movie that attempts to do so. So what we have here is a (very long) documentary that follows two kids, who are keen on basketball, trying to make their passion work for them.

Over the course of the documentary we follow the kids, William Gates and Arthur Agee, go from playing basketball in school to doing what it takes to make the NBA tryouts. Along the way, they face challenges such as poverty, injuries, race, getting an education, troubled family lives, finding employment, and staking a lot on eventual success.
Personally whilst my knowledge of basketball may be very limited, I have to admit that the sport itself isn't really the focus here: It's about two kids trying to achieve success despite a whole range of obstacles coming at them. It really showcases what it means to have a dream and the blood, sweat and tears that are involved to make them happen. And to that end the movie succeeds.
Guess it is possible to break the formula.

Gravity

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

Original image located here. Accessed 13th January 2023

I've been wanting to see this for quite some time. I like my science fiction to be hard but I will admit it is something of a rarity. Because science fact and dramatic tension don't make the best of bedfellows. Still, I will take my hard science fiction anyway I can.

I guess with this kind of film you will have some grumps complaining that it is completely inaccurate to the will of science. But such an assessment would sell this film short: It is nothing less than astonishing. The weightlessness is incredible, the camera work is jaw dropping and some sequences (such as the 13 minute opening scene) are staggering in their accomplishment. Furthermore, this is a very beautiful looking film with some amazing space shots. I also like the use of silence (after all, there's no air in space and therefore no means of sound to travel) and the protagonist is a compelling one, anchored by Sandra Bullock giving the performance of her career.
Not much to add really: This movie is incredible and worthy of sitting next to the giants of the sci-fi genre.

The Apartment

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

Original image located here. Accessed 6th January 2023

Once again, I approach a movie that has the reputation of being one of the undisputed classics of cinema and being capable of standing steadfast against the ravages of time. And once again, the problem that a such a reputation may not live up to it persists. Still, I am willing to give it a go.

Given that this movie is from 1960, I am surprised that the premise is quite risque: A guy rents out his apartment to swinging couples? And said couples originate from his workplace which gives him leverage to climb the corporate ladder? That sound tremendously out of place for it's time. But what is truly surprising is that the movie itself seems to apply restraint: Anyone else would think such a scenario would be grounds for a farce but not here. It is however, is a thoughtful film, treating it's subjects in an empathetic light. Sure there are laughs but it's the characters put before us that is the real meat of this movie.
Not much to add except that it seems that this movie does indeed still work 63 years later. Which is more than can be said for a fair number of movies that have won the Oscar for Best Picture.

Paddington 2

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Paddington 2!

Original image located here. Accessed 30th December 2022

I saw the original back in 2020 - and as I recall, thoroughly enjoyed - so seeing this was pretty much inevitable.

It may be easy to dismiss this movie as more of the same but personally, as it worked so well the first time around that is by no means a bad thing. Considering that the trick of 'kids movie adults can watch without their kids' is a very difficult one to pull it off, that they managed to do it a second time around is a damn near miracle. It is funny, heart-warming, never once condescending and the cast are clearly having an absolute ball. Needless to say, I don't know what the creative team behind this did to have to pull out something this consistently good but it's worked gangbusters.

And it's always nice to end this year on a positive note. So thank you, dear reader, for joining me on this year's clutch of weekly movies and I hope to speak to you again on the other side of 2023

The Muppet Christmas Carol

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Muppet Christmas Carol!

Original image located here. Accessed 23th December 2022

Yeah I've already seen this one but it still ranks as my favourite interpretation of Charles Dickens' tale. That may sound absurd but I stand by it because:
a) Muppets are awesome
b) it retains Dickens' prose via Gonzo (as crazy as that sentence reads)
c) Michael Caine gives his all and is magnificent, proving that his insistence on doing it seriously paid off incredibly
d) It actually shows Scrooge learning from what the Spirits showed him
e) It has the scariest Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

So yeah, I may have seen this before (multiple times in fact) but it never gets old and it has never been ravaged by the passage of time, 

Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Miracle on 34th Street (1994)!

Original image located here. Accessed 16th December 2022

Back in 2019, I saw the 1947 original. So why not watch the update?
I suppose it will be inevitable that comparisons will be made between the two. But I am willing to give this film a chance and allow it to stand up on it's own two feet.

That being said, one change made is the sub-plot the makers added with Bryan and Dorey. And in all honesty it didn't do that much for me. But what DID work for me is Richard Attenborough's performance as Kris Kringle. The man owns every scene he is in and gives the role plenty of gravitas. Indeed, you could make the argument that he is exactly how one expects Santa Claus to act.
I will also admit that, compared to the original, the winning argument is handled more successfully. So one-up to the remake.
So yeah, not a bad movie

Whiteley

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

Original image located here. Accessed 9th December 2022

For the uninitiated, this is a documentary on the Australian artist Brett Whiteley. Interestingly, I know nothing of the man or his artwork, but I did know that when he died there was a massive media sensation and the press were running stories about him for months afterward. So maybe this could be an introduction to him?

Unfortunately no. Sure a lot is revealed about Brett: His artwork, his methods and his way of thinking. Sure there is plenty of use of his letters and eyewitness accounts. Sure a lot is revealed about his passions. But to me, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Simply put: I found this movie dull. But, as mentioned above, it shouldn't have been. But if I can find my interest drifting away, which honestly happens rarely when i watch a movie, then something has gone wrong.

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Her Majesty Mrs Brown

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Her Majesty Mrs Brown!

Original image located here. Accessed 2nd December 2022

Anyone heard of this? It's a movie from the late-nineties that I've been waiting to see for a very long time. Because at first glance this shows a tonne of promise: A film about the bond between Queen Victoria and her Scottish servant John Brown? Well that's something different. And the cast: Judi Dench (who never disappoints), Billy Connolly (doing one of his serious roles), Antony Sher, Geoffrey Palmer, and Gerard Butler (in his film debut). And we have director John Madden? Well I'm sold.

It should be noted that I knew of Madden through the wonderful Shakespeare in Love (and I am more than prepared to die on that hill) and a lot of his skills are at work here: The handling his cast and the use of humour is great. The bond between the two leads is built up well and while John may have potential as a Manic Pixie Dream......Jack there is enough to him to be more than that. And whilst Dench is fantastic as always, the real treat is watching Connelly taking on a serious role.
So yeah, a lot of talent on both sides of the camera makes for a superb movie

Angel's Egg

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

Original image located here. Accessed 25th November 2022

This past couple of months I have been watching really lesser known movies - and no doubt confusing my audience in the process. So I did consider watching something more well known but then, for whatever reason, I changed my mind.
So we head back to the anime well to tackle this movie. Now I knew of this movie as it has a reputation with anime fans in that a) it was an early effort from director Mamoru Oshii (the man who would later give us Patlabor 1 & 2 and Ghost in the Shell), b) it is something more of an art piece than a movie and c) is near incomprehensible. Still, I'm game.

And it would seem that this movie's reputation is well deserved. Sure the animation is impressive and the art direction is stunning, but there is a lot of symbolism being put to work here - and one can understand how it may be off-putting. It should be noted that, in regards to this movie's puzzling nature, it was built around a loss of faith. And there is certainly a lot of Christian symbolism throughout this movie although whether or not it works is anyone's guess (it should be noted that Oshii himself still seems puzzled by the finished product). Personally, this is certainly a visually striking movie but what one gets out of it is up to them.
As for next week? I think I have exhausted this run of lesser known movies - so i think i will go for something more familiar..

Persistence of Vision

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Persistence of Vision!

Original image located here. Accessed 11th November 2022

Two weeks ago i watched The Thief and the Cobbler: the Recobbled Cut - a fan edit of an unfinished animated film. This then led me to this evening's feature: a documentary of the original work itself.

It should come as no surprise to see a documentary on this topic as the story behind it is a fascinating one. This is, after all, telling the story of a movie that was never completed. But even if the destination was never reached, the journey is all we have.
And what a journey it was: The goal of animator Richard Williams to keep pushing the boundaries of what animation can accomplish; the decades long production time with backers dropping in and out; the battle between the creative genius and business side that never seems to reconcile; the seemingly endless pursuit of perfection; that the film originated as a 'side-hustle' in-between doing commercials; the success of Who Framed Roger Rabbit leading to Warner Brothers stepping in (and out).
Indeed it is fascinating to see something develop that will remain unfinished. Guess nothing holds sway like the notion of What Could've Been.

The Roxette Diaries

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

Original image located here. Accessed 11th November 2022

Anyone heard of this? This is a collection of footage taken of Swedish popstars Roxette during their late 1980s/early 1990s heyday - all taken in the 'home video' style. And I only knew of it once it showed up on my streaming service.
Personally, when i was a kid in the late eighties, Roxette seemed to me like the biggest stars on the planet: They had multiple hits that got tonnes of radio play and a constant presence on early morning rage. Of course in the years since, Roxette's material may come across as dated but to be one of Sweden's biggest pop exports (second only to ABBA) is nothing to sniffed at. And besides it's unlikely that Savage Garden would've existed without them.

So what this movie is a whole bunch of footage captured on (presumably) camcorders shot by both Roxette themselves and friends. We see footage of live shows, goofing around backstage, store appearances, music video shoots, gold record presentations, and generally, Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle being themselves. Granted this is nothing new given we have YouTube and TikTok, but the fact that it was utilizing the tech of the time is impressive.

Thing is, I have to wonder: What is the point of this? The obvious answer is, as mentioned above, showing Marie and Per as themselves. I won't fault that that - it is even spelled out in a statement at the beginning - but a lot of the footage i found to be arranged in such a haphazard manner: There is little to no context of the footage. And the pace is VERY hurried, with some sequences moving on just as soon as they arrive. And such editing choices do indeed seem at odds with the mission statement.
So yeah. a great idea handicapped with some strange editing choices. Damn...

The Thief and the Cobbler: The Re-cobbled Cut

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Thief and the Cobbler: The Re-cobbled Cut!

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2022

Some background: In the 1960s animator Richard Williams commenced work on an animated film that would later be dubbed The Thief and the Cobbler. Williams would then spend the next twenty eight years (!) working on it. And in that time, he would make a herculean effort into the quality of animation, he would keep adding bigger and grander ideas, would see backers come in & out and miss multiple deadlines. Eventually, Williams would lose control of his work to liquidators and the film would be completed under different hands, becoming two separate films: The Princess and the Cobbler and Arabian Knight.
But it didn't stop one dedicated fan, Garrett Gilchrist, to make a fan edit of the movie using what resources they had.
Now with this series there is one concrete rule: I must watch a movie I haven't seen all the way through. However fan-edits can represent something of a loophole. But in any case, this edit has quite the story behind it and is enough to grab my interest.

In the terms of fan edits, this is impressive: Using what animated footage he could find, Garrett put it all together with the support of those who worked on the original and incorporated test footage and work prints into the edit. Some footage was even corrected of animation errors. Impressive? Yes. A staggering amount of effort? Of course. But is the finished product any good?

Given so much time was spent on the animation, it should come to no surprise that it is of very high quality. The artwork is very beautiful, boasting an arresting art direction and an extraordinary sense of movement that leaves more recent animation for dead. If Williams wanted to make this movie to show what animation can do then I don't doubt it.
But unfortunately that's all there is. The plot is all over the place, there is a lot of random scenes and some sequences just simply drag on. Sure there is style but no much in the way of substance.
Still this film exists as a monument to animation and what a dedicated fan can accomplish. So I will give it that