The Quiet Family

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

Original image located here. Accessed 27th October 2017

Has anyone heard of this? It's a Korean film from 1998 which piqued my interest largely it through it described as a hybrid of Fawlty Towers and the Addams Family. Sounds like a bonkers idea if ever I did hear one - I'm in!
Now I will be the first to admit my sense of humour can be best described as pitch-black so this movie would be a natural fit right?

Well to be honest I didn't find this movie a laugh-a-minute funny movie or a horrific movie. No, i found it more bizarre. Okay so the situation is strange and the comedy very black but somehow, this comes across as more tame than the stuff I've seen previously.
Can't win 'em all

Tucker and Dale vs Evil

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Tucker and Dale vs Evil!

Original image located here. Accessed 20th October 2017

As mentioned last week, I have no love for slasher movies but I am prepared to make an exception if said movie takes the tried & tested tropes and makes fun of them. Because seriously, the slasher genre is definitely a genre in need of being mocked.

That being said, coming to this movie was somewhat inevitable. And to be honest i can't recall watching a movie that made me laugh so hard. On paper, a comedy of errors shouldn't work as a slasher movie, but here it does!
Highly recommended - if anything just for the wood-chipper scene

There's Nothing Out There

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....There's Nothing Out There!

Original image located here. Accessed 13th October 2017

Has anyone heard of this? It's a B-Movie / Slasher Movie from the early nineties (although it looks like it was made in the previous decade).
I am not a fan of Slasher movies. Largely because they are populated by idiots - the type that don't fight back and instead do ridiculously dumb things. Granted, seeing such idiots getting hacked to bits is kinda the whole point of slasher movies but I will only indulge in a slasher movie if it does something different on a formula that, let's face it, has been well and truly run into the ground.
Which is where There's Nothing Out There comes in: I was drawn to it on the premise that's a parody with horror movie tropes pointed out. It's the film that did Scream's schtick well before Scream - and, according to some, did it better.

As for the movie itself, yeah it was all right. Getting past the B-Movie nature of it I found it to be entertaining. The jokes were dead on and it certainly is welcome to see people in this type of movie who aren't complete idiots.
So I went in to see a kick in the balls for the slasher genre and I sorta got it. That's good enough for me

Hunt for the Red October

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Hunt for the Red October!

Original image located here. Accessed 6th October 2017

It's been said that this movie is the last of the Cold War thrillers - largely because this came out the same year that the Cold War...y'know.....ended. So yes it's a given that this movie is a product of it's time but does it hold up nearly three decades later?

Actually yes. It's gripping, it's suspenseful and Connery is as a commanding presence as ever (even if his accent is puzzling - but then again all the Russian accents in this movie are all over the place). Sam Neill is also awesome in this but then again he's always awesome.
But the real MVP goes to the soundtrack: It's nothing short of epic. In fact, next time i charge into battle in some RPG, i want a full Russian choir going with me every step of the way XD

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

The Dark Tower

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

Original image located here. Accessed 25th August 2017

In a word: Disappointing. I knew this was based on a series of fantasy books written by Stephen King but therein lies the main problem: It's a series squashed into a seventy minute movie. As a result, i was confused by this movie and left feeling it should've gone for much longer, Apparently this movie was trying to present something new for the both those familiar with the source material and those unfamiliar with the source material (ie me) but me? I was left feeling flat out baffled.
There's certainly some good ideas to be sure but as a pitch for something larger? No thanks.

An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power!

Original image located here. Accessed 18th August 2017

Well I saw An Inconvenient Truth so watching the follow-up is pretty much a given. And if there was a documentary that needed a followup it is certainly this one, just to show the changes that have been wrought since the first movie.

Sadly this follow-up turned out disappointing. One would think Al Gore would take the opportunity to refute the challenges of sceptics and deniers but he doesn't. One would think Al would bring up the improvements made but he doesn't spend enough time on them. But he certainly does spend plenty of time bringing up the the disasters that have occurred and the persuasion of world leaders to take action.

And that is the problem with the film: It seems aimless. It can't be denied that An Inconvenient Truth may have brought awareness, and changes, to the mess that has been made of this planet but I came away feeling we still have a long way to go. Is that truly the reality?
Is it likely that ten years from now we'll have another sequel to An Inconvenient Truth wherein an aged Al Gore talks about more dangers of the environment in a manner that suggests progress has been moving at a glacial pace?

An Inconvenient Truth

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....An Inconvenient Truth!

Original image located here. Accessed 11th August 2017

Those who follow this series will know that the only rule for my Friday night movie is that it has to be something I haven't seen before. Thus it seems a travesty that this movie has slipped my notice, considering the impact it has and the ripples it has throughout the world since. Still, the prospect of a sequel may be a good enough reason to get off my lazy arse and see it.

Thing is, the information presented here is over a decade old. This information has been repeated over and over across the years since. It's not a bad thing as the mess we've made of this planet has been terrifying to say the least but it can't be denied that this documentary has motivated a lot of action. Thus it would be interesting to see the changes that have been made since this documentary was made - hence the need for a sequel.
Oh wait, is said sequel now out in cinemas?

Five Deadly Venoms

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Five Deadly Venoms!

Original image located here. Accessed 4th August 2017

Has anyone heard of this? It's a Hong Kong kung-fu movie from the late seventies. I only heard about it largely through reputation and it being referenced in Kill Bill. So what did I think of it?

Well, there are some goofy moments, some odd sound design and a scene that utilizes the intro music to Monty Python and the Holy Grail but seriously, the only reason people watch kung-fu movies is for the action. And this movie delivers the type of action that is no laughing matter. The action is astonishing, even with the passage of four decades, all held together by the six leads.
Can i think of a better martial arts team assembled on film? No I don't think i can XD