My Favourite Films Of ALL TIME! #18

Closer [2004]
Starring: Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Clive Owen
Directed by: Mike Nichols

"Lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off"

Holding hands, kissing by the beach, finding your one true love...............the perfect mix that goes into a romantic movie. We see it a lot, not that it's a bad thing, i'm a sucker for them just as much as the next person, but what happens when you take away all the fantasy bullshit, and actually LOOK at real life relationships?. Are they as picture perfect as our imaginations like to make them?.
If you're looking for a movie to show you the humorous ups and downs of love, you're not looking in the right place with Closer. In fact, Closer may force you to run for the hills
screaming in terror the next time a possible relationship heads your way!.

Closer is about 2 couples, Dan [Jude Law] and Alice [Natalie Portman], and Anna [Julia Roberts and Larry [Clive Owen]. Dan is a writer, and Alice [who is much younger]
is a waitress [and ex stripper]. Anna is a photographer, and Larry is a doctor.

It's complicated how these 2 couples cross paths, but basically........Dan meets Alice after she gets hit by a car, after starting a relationship with her, Dan then meets Anna who is hired to take his publicity photo, he falls in lust with her, and then Anna bumps into Larry when an online sex chat between Dan [who pretends to be a woman] and Larry accidently places him in Anna's path, Larry and Anna start a relationship. Eventually, Anna and Dan begin an affair, and the interaction between both couples gets more intense and personal as each relationship begins to crumble. By the midway point of the story, everything escelates into a mess, as each person struggles to deal with lies and betrayel.
What grabbed me most when i first watched Closer was how honestly the film was written. There's no sugar coating, no unrealistic concepts about what love is or how relationships work. People can fall out of love, and couples can be very cruel to each other.
For a serious drama, Closer is surprisingly easy to watch repeatedly, mostly due to how quickly the story moves along. We get no obvious time frame of the events that take place in the story, it all unfolds so fluidly with no need for obvious time frames.

The acting in Closer is what stands out the most after the AMAZING writing. In fact, you've never seen such FILTH come out of Julia's mouth before!. Jude is good in his role, but his character is so unlikeable, you'll spend most of the film wanting to punch him in the fucking mouth. The stand outs for me however were Natalie and Clive. Both of them share a scene in the the movie set in a strip club that features one of the most badass exchanges of dialog put on screen EVER!. The amount of sexual chemistry between them both will make your TV melt.

Salt [2010]

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Liev Shreiber.

Directed by: Pillip Noyce.

3.5/5

A CIA agent goes on the run after a defector accuses her of being a Russian Spy.

I enjoyed Salt, it was a decent little spy thriller that had some pretty cool moments. The storyline was fairly basic, but it was the "twists and turns" that kept it fresh along the way. The main problem with Salt was that it was TOO SMALL. The movie ends with an obvious lead in to a sequel, but the first film suffers a little for that, because the movie feels more like a teaser than an actual complete movie. It really felt split in half, so the abrupt ending was a bit random and i felt like i had just watched an 80 minute lead into an epic 2 and a half hour movie or something. I think it will benefit from a sequel [or part of a series] to give it a more complete feel, which was really lacking in my opinion.
There was also a lack of scale and excitement that really made the movie pack some punch. It all moves along nicely, and it's entertaining, but it all seems to just be bubbling over a little, rather than exploding with energy. I guess that may also come down to the short running time and "introduction" feel of the storyline [like i mentioned earlier], which could be bettered in a second movie.

Angelina Jolie as usual was fantastic. She's a great action star, tough, believable and incredibly beautiful. You can't take your eyes off her, and she really helped the whole thing hold together a bit more. She looks like she could kick your ass really hard, she was great.
The rest of the cast were good too, Liev did well and i liked his interaction with Jolie, they had good chemistry, but sadly that wasn't explored as much as i would have liked because Salt goes on the run so early into the film. I also think Salt and the other CIA agent who was tracking her had some good chemistry too, i hope we see a stronger relationship established between the two of them future films.

Reviews for this have been mostly steady, but some have criticized the story for being a little over the top, especailly when it came to Salt' abilities as a spy. I dunno, it didn't really bother me to be honest with you, she claimed she was the only one like her in the world, so maybe she was just a complete badass who had amazing skills. I did think her lift leap was a tad far fetched though, is she Spider Man? lol. Anyway, no biggie, it is a movie after all, and there were some other really great action moments. Salt's chase from the interrogation room, through to her scaling her apartment building and then jumping between trucks on the freeway was pretty badass.

It's nothing you need to run to cinemas to see, and it doesn't reach any major heights, but it is entertaining enough and i'd recommend it in between waiting for films you're dying for. What it needs now [if it happens], is a really big sequel, really branch it out, give it wings and go nuts with it. Send Salt around the world, give her mission more scale, then maybe we will have something a little more memorable on our hands.

My Favourite Albums Of ALL TIME! #4

Marilyn Manson Mechanical Animals

Out of every Manson album out there, i think this one really showcased how creative and conceptual he could be as an artist. Although the previous album 'Antichrist Superstar' was strong, 'Mechanical Animals' proved he could do more than just hard metal.

There's a more glam rock vibe to the songs mixed in with Manson's token thrashy rock. Songs like 'Rock Is Dead' and 'Dope Show' sound like trademark shouty Marilyn, and 'Fundementally Loanesome' is probably the most unique track on the record, with obvious inspiration taken from old skool glam David Bowie.

As great as the faster songs on the album are ['Posthuman' has a bit of a Prodigy vibe to it], it's the slower tracks that really stand out for me. 'Coma White', 'The Last Day On Earth' and 'Speed of Pain' are probably my three favourite songs from the album. All 3 of them are beautifully produced with eerie synthy verses and big sweeping choruses.

As far as image goes, Manson played a lot of with gender reversal during this era. He's depicted as an androgenous alien with breasts and no genitals on the album cover, and he dropped the the darker gothic look he'd been carrying for years and coloured it up with silvers and bright colours in his costumes. It was all very Ziggy Stardust.

His popularity and relevancy has wained over the last decade, but i'm still a fan of his current music. He knows how to write a good hook, and that's not an easy thing for me to find when it comes to metal. Say what you will about how "done" he is now, but Mechanical Animals is a masterpiece, and a good representation of the highest point of his career. I love it.

Scott Pilgrim vs The World [2010]

Starring: Michael Cera, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick

Directed by: Edgar Wright

4/5

Scott Pilgrim must defeat his new girlfriends 7 evil exes in order to win her heart.

I haven't read the comics this film is based on, so i won't be doing any comparisons to it in my review. I am familiar with the artwork and general vibe of the comics though, so i can see how it does look like a loyal adaptation based on what little i know. From what fans have said, its a good translation from book to screen, so if you're worried about that, don't be.

As a stand alone movie, Scott Pilgrim is REALLY entertaining, in fact, it turned out a lot better than i expected. I thought i'd go in experiencing cool action and quirky scenery with not much else, but i was wrong. The characters themselves were really great, and the dialogue is odd, but funny. The movie is borderline pretentious with it's quirk factor, but not in an "i'm an asshole, punch me" way. It's nothing like 500 Days of Summer, which was so tedious to sit through with it's moronic characters and fuckified take on love. Scott is much more light hearted, and really doesn't take itself all that seriously. It does however take it's pop culture references and video game throwback visuals seriously, so that may rub some people up the wrong way, i didn't mind though, i liked how it was all put together.

Michael Cera who plays 'Scott' is an actor i'm starting to get a bit bored with, but in this, i thought he did an AMAZING job. I'm sure it's due more to the writing of the character, but still, he was matched perfectly with Scott and he was adorable and funny in the role. Everyone else was good too, with other standouts being Keiren Culkin as Scott's gay room-mate, and the female drummer from Scott's band, Sex Bom Omb [forgot her name].

Visually the movie is incredible, and when the action starts you won't ever get bored. The fight scenes are all creatively put together and each one is very different to the last. You may feel like you're on a sugar high watching the film, because it runs on A.D.D. from the very first scene,but that just adds to the fun of it all. The 8-bit soundtrack and other songs featured in the movie were great too.

The only couple of faults i can give the film are, the running time, which i felt was a tiny bit over long [thankfully the fantastic finale made up for any lagging], and one scene involving the theme music from Seinfeld with a laughing track thrown in, it just didn't make any sense and i wasn't getting the joke. Maybe there was nothing TO get, i'm not sure, but it felt so out of place.

There have also been a few comparisons between Kick Ass and Scott Pilgrim. As much as i liked Scott, i think it's Kick Ass that will hold up longer down the line. What Scott lacked that Kick Ass had was an emotional impact, Scott also didn't have 'Hit Girl'. Kick Ass also offered more with it's story, whereas Scott was entertaining, but lacked any sort of real point at the end of the day.

If you like video games and comics, you'll most likely love this. I thought it was one of the coolest things i've seen all year, and i can't wait to check out the 'making of' for the film once it hits blu-ray, i may even check out the comic at some point.

Splice [2009]

Starring: Sarah Polley, Adrian Brodey

Directed by: Vincenzo Natali

3.5/5

Two young, rebellious scientists, defy legal and ethical boundaries and forge ahead with a dangerous experiment: splicing together human and animal DNA to create a new organism.

This movie really divided audiences when it came out earlier this year, and i can sort of understand why. It certainly presents a very strange set up as a storyline, which can border on a little over the top and sometimes kinda gross. For me though, those were the qualities that added to the films charm i think, and since it IS a sci fi movie, suspension of belief should pretty much automatically happen when watching Splice.

With all it's melodrama, there's still no denying how entertaining the whole story is. This isn't just "fun" either, the movie is actually really interesting at times.
In the earlier parts of the story we get to see Dren [the creature] grow and learn how to adjust to her surroundings. Not only is Dren cute, but it's interesting to see how she adapts to her life and how her "parents" bond with her. As she grows into more of an adult, we see the story go from an entertaining "creature feature" to more of a layered film about relationships and morals. Dren isn't a kid anymore, and with that comes hormones and a whole mix of other problems. This is where Splice seemed to make viewers a bit grossed out, because a bit of hybrid/creature and human....erm....RELATIONS start to make things a little freaky. I admit, the movie is very strange at times, if i wasn't raising my eyebrows over the sexual themes of the story, then i was staring at Dren and trying to come to terms with how her face looked, she was so weird looking, while still being kinda...pretty, it was odd.
None of this turned me off the movie though, i still found it to be a really interesting direction to take the story in. I thought the film would have been a little more straight forward than it was, so i was surprised to see that the film makers really tried to give us something with actual ideas behind it.

Another great thing about Splice was the cast. Brody and Polley carry the film well, and they come across as genuinely caring "parents". There's a realistic feel to their relationship with Dren. As for Dren [Played by Delphine Chaneace], the design behind her is pretty cool, and i found myself liking her a lot. There are moments where you feel bad for her, and other times where she comes across as creepy. I liked seeing her evolve as the film went on.

My only major gripe with the movie would be that it could have pushed it's themes a little further. The sex part of the story was taken far enough, but Dren herself should have been explored more. It felt like there was so much more to her than they showed us. She is kept as a prisoner throughout the story, and her freedom is something she brings up a few times. Just ONCE i would have loved to see her break loose like crazy and go nuts. It NEARLY happens at one point during a roof top scene [my favourite scene in the movie], but they quickly reel her back in, and it doesn't go any further than that.
Don't get me wrong, i'm sure the restrained feel of her character was intentional. Dren is kept as a prisoner [for her own safety] , so it makes sense the viewer feels just as tied down as she was. Still, it would have been cool to see her abilities REALLY showcased.

Some people could find Splice a bit too weird, especially if they are squeamish, but i personally liked the fact that the film made me a little uncomfortable. I thought it was a fascinating movie, both this and Inception are two of the most unique things i've seen this year. I think a lot of people on here would get a real kick out of this.

DVD Roundup: JULY 2010

The Craft [Blu-ray]

Who grew up in the late 90's and didn't see or love this?. One of my favourites.

Closer [Blu-ray]

2nd fav film ever. Fact.

Predator [Blu-ray]

"GET TO DA CHOPPA!"..............epic classic action movie. Don't bother with Predator 2, skip that shit, just watch this and then check out the new one, Predators.

Claymore [Blu-ray]

My favourite anime ever, and about 100 times more awesome in crispy HD. The look of this is mouth watering.

Sold Out: A Threevening With Kevin Smith

Hilarious. This man can talk for hours on end and never bore me.

Degrassi Junior High & Degrassi High: The Complete Series

Imma tease ma hurr and wear ma fluro parachute pants when i watch this. High school 80's fuckery, MINE.

Inception [2010]

Starring: Leonardo Dicaprio, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page.

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

4/5

In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption which involves executing his toughest job till date, Inception.

If you're expecting an easy watch with this film, you'll end up with a big punch in the head, because this isn't your basic summer blockbuster style of movie, and if you go in wanting to "switch off your brain", you may end up leaving with a sever headache.

The basic storyline of the film is fairly easy to follow, some people are saying they had NO idea what the hell happened even though they liked it, but if you pay attention it's not that hard to understand. The movie does throw everything at you in one big maze like mish mosh though, and you can lose track of what's going on a few times if you aren't focusing on where the story is going, but that's what's so fun about watching this, it makes you pay attention and try and keep up. Plus, it has huge replay value, because there's so much to pick up on. The movie will definitely need a few watches from me.

Christopher Nolan is an incredible director, his style of film making is very hard and fast. There's real MEAT in the way he captures action and suspense. I remember seeing The Dark Knight for the first time and being completely immersed in how he shot everything. The same goes for Inception, it looks really cool. The action scenes are fun and the editing and cinematography are perfect.
Another thing Nolan is good at is making MUSIC a big part of his films. The score by Hans Zimmer is really powerful at times, and similar to The Dark Knight, it kind of becomes a character in itself because it's so prominent during the movie.

The cast were all good. Leonardo Dicaprio seems to be invincible when it comes to picking movie roles, has this guy ever made a truly shit movie????. Ellen Page was an odd choice for this, but she ended up fitting in nicely with the rest of the cast and i liked her relationship with Leo's character. Joseph Gordon Levitt is always a favourite of mine, he's a great actor, and Marion Cotillard was well cast as Leo's tragic, but kinda creepy wife.

There has been some comparisons to The Matrix with this, and there are some similarities with the themes of alternate realities, going into peoples minds, and being hunted by "Agent" like enemies, but that's about as far as it goes with how much alike they are. Inception is a lot more layered, mostly because the way it's told is like a puzzle that you need to piece together, whereas The Matrix presented an intelligent storyline, in a more accessible way.

As far as originality goes, the movie definitely wins over any other film this year. It's probably the most interesting thing you'll see in a long time. Is it my personal favourite film of the year though?...............no, it's not. It didn't BLOW MY MIND like it has for everyone else, but i thought it was well made and entertaining. It's the type of movie i'll need to sit with for a while actually, similar to something like Blade Runner, i'll need to revisit it a few more times over the next few years to really appreciate it on a more "deeper" level i think. I don't mean that in a negative way though, like i said, it has major replay value. The Dark Knight left me breathless at times, it was SO engaging, Inception didn't have exactly the same sort of heavy impact on me.
The only small gripe i had with the film was that i felt it was a little overlong, mostly around the snow scenes near the end.

It's a cool movie, if you liked The Matrix or Dark City, you'll enjoy this. It has bits and pieces of those scattered through it, but offered in a more complex package. I think Christopher Nolan is one of the best directors we've got at the moment, i look forward to seeing this again at some point.

M.I.A.

MAYA [Deluxe Edition] [2010]
4/5

I wasn't sure what to expect from this album, not because i was worried about it being weak, but the few songs that leaked prior to the albums release didn't give me a strong indication of what this album would sound like. I figured we'd be offered the same sort of heavy electronica we always get from her, and we do for the most part, but when 'Born Free' hit the internet with it's epic 9 minute music video, it was obvious MIA was dabbling in a few new sounds.

The electric guitar that bashes it's way through 'Born Free' was a nice indicator of how loud and angry this album was going to be. We hear more of the rockier sound in songs like 'Steppin Up' and 'Meds and Feds', the latter also having the heaviest bass she's ever used in a song. It makes your ear drums explode.

Once the first official single hit, 'XXXO', there were even more signs of experimentation. The track is heavy on the electronica, but it was also very commercial sounding, which isn't very usual for MIA's music. With a bit more tweaking, the track could be given to a number of pop stars to sing. Some fans started complaining about MIA "selling out", frankly, i couldn't give a shit. The song was fantastic, and the more mainstream sound was a welcome change in my opinion. She isn't completely foreign to more commerical songs anyway, 'Paper Planes' is her biggest hit to date, and that follows a more accessible sound.

The album isn't too much of a departure though. There's still plenty of tradmark MIA in the songs, with some nice newer sounds and instruments introduced to freshen things up. The hypnotic 'Lovealot', and anthem sounding 'Tell Me Why' could have come off one of her previous albums, and you can't get anymore token MIA than the epic, 'Teqkilla', which runs for 6 minutes, and sounds like MIA amped up to 100, with every sound effect and beat thrown into a trippy none stop dance masterpiece. It really fucks with your head.

The only weak point in the album for me is the Carrabien sounding, 'It Takes A Muscle'. It's just boring. Reviewers seem to be name dropping it as a highlight though, so i'm in the minority on that one.
The deluxe edition comes with 4 extra songs, the stand outs for me being 'Illygirl' and 'Believer'.

Overtime, this may end up becoming my favourite MIA album. It's certainly her easiest one to listen to, and i like that she's given us a few new sounds to enjoy. I really like it.

Predators [2010]
Starring: Adrian Brody, Laurence Fishburne, Topher Grace.
Directed by: Nimrod Antal
4/5

A group of elite warriors are hunted by a relentless alien race known as Predators.

I thought it was as enjoyable as the first Predator film, except this time they are given a bit more to play around with thanks to expanding on the Universe of the Predator, so everyone has a bit more to do.
The story itself was exciting. The earlier section of the film is very reminiscent of the original Predator with all the tension build up they give us as the characters try to find out where they are while hearing strange noises and seeing weird figures through the trees. Once it all kicks into gear though, it's none stop action with each member of the group being picked off one by one.

I actually preferred this cast to the first film. Adrien Brody is no Arnie of course, but he was an interesting choice for the lead role, and he did surprisingly well with the character. He was believable and likeable. The rest of the cast were your typical "bad boy" bunch, with one chic thrown in. She wasn't anything exciting, but her chemistry with Adrian was a nice addition to a mainly male dominated cast. Topher Grace was given a few nice comedic moments and Laurence Fishburn had a cool cameo. Danny Trejo however, was sadly wasted in this. Why did they get rid of him so fast???

The Predators themselves were badder than before, mainly due to the fact that we are introduced to a more "dangerous" species of Predator, as well as the same sort we saw in the first movie. The rivalry introduced between both species was a nice addition also, but wasn't explored all that much outside of a quick fight scene. The rabid alien "dogs" were a cool addition to the film as well.

I agree with Digi that the twist at the end probably wasn't needed, but kudos to them for trying to keep things happening within the story and not just fading into a long winded end battle with no "oooh" moment. The planet itself wasn't all that exciting either, outside of a few "weird" plant moments, it didn't look too much like another world. Maybe that was the look they went for though, something close to Earth?............either way, it wasn't a major issue or anything.

If another film is made, i'd like to see a bit more about the Predators history. I know that was touched upon with the Alien vs Predator films, but lets GET SERIOUS, we all ignore those fun, yet disposable movies when it comes to referencing the original franchises both monsters came from. We all enjoy a bit of Alien/Predator dumbery, but really, who actually bothers with those when we get the chance for NEW additions to the already existing series? especially when they're done as fun as this.

Offered everything i expected, with a few nice surprises thrown in.

DVD Roundup, June 2010

Precious [Blu-ray]

Poor brave Precious. Always getting told to take her fat ass to the Welfare, always having to steal fried chicken because she can't afford to pay for food, always being hated on by everyone, especially her pig foot eating Momma. Poor poor Precious.

The Doors [Blu-ray]

Wow, man, i'm like....tripping out. Oliver Stone's trippy arty interpretation about Jim Morrison's life. Love it.

The Dark Crystal [Blu-ray]

Cute movie, mainly got it for the features. I own Labyrinth on Blu-ray as well, and you can't own that one without this.....gotta complete the "childhood" series!

Leon: The Professional [Blu-ray]

Badass. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favour and watch it, BUT, make it the director's cut, because it's so fucking more amazing than the theatrical version.

Mean Girls [Blu-ray]

It was time this was added to my collection in HD. Best teen comedy EVER.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Directed by: David Slade

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner

4/5

Bella, whose high school graduation is fast approaching, is forced to choose between her love for vampire Edward, or her friendship with werewolf Jacob, all while trying to stay alive from the clutches of hell bent vampire Victoria, who wants her revenge on Bella and The Cullen family.

The Twilight series has finally come full circle with Eclipse. As i've mentioned before, i found the first 'Twilight' film to be enjoyable, but it's very uneven most of the time and i still find it to be the weakest of the series. 'New Moon' improved on the first film A LOT and i was very happy with the final product [minus ONE hideously cheesy forest frolic scene].

Eclipse is hard to fault though, not because it's a perfect film, but because it's ironed out a lot of the issues that have plagued this series so far.

Director David Slade does a great job bringing the book to life. In fact, i would have liked to have seen him direct all the 3 of the first films, he has a more darker take on the story which i think would make the movies more appealing to a wider audience. Not a big deal though, i still like the fact that each film has had a different style.

The cast FINALLY settle into their characters properly. I'm not sure if playing a punk rocker lesbian in 'The Runaways' had anything to do with it, but Kristen Stewart loosens up a lot in this, and she isn't stuttering and moaning her way through the whole thing. Granted Bella is less annoying anyway, but still, Kristen seemed to look like she was comfortable being the character. The same can be said for Robert Pattinson as Edward. Less constipation face, more smiling and relaxing face. Jasper and Rosalie get nicely beefed up roles in this film, and both actors did great with their scenes.

The new cast members were all decent. Riley, Victoria's newly born right hand man was a strong addition to the cast, and even Bree Tanner had a small role in the film. As we all know, Rachel Lafavere was replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard in the role of Victoria for Eclipse, and that would be my only minor gripe about this movie. I didn't NOT like Bryce in the role, in fact, i thought she did well, i just preferred Rachel as that character. There was a maturity and strength about her that Bryce lacked. Bryce was way too girly looking. That blank stare and deep voice Rachel had was perfect for Victoria, it was a shame she couldn't finish up the character properly.

The make up on the cast is still over the top, why hasn't anyone from the town the vampires live in asked why on Earth they all have the most fucked up eye colour ever, lol!?..........to David's credit though, he did pull back a lot on making Edward look like a butter face, and Jasper lost his Spaghetti hairdo. Bella was given a wig throughout the film [Kristen had cut her hair for another role], most of the time i actually liked it, but every so often it would change shades of brown and sit a whole bunch of different ways. Random. Overall though, everyone looked a lot better.

The pacing of the film was a lot faster than the previous movies. There's no need for introductions anymore, so we get right into the action from the first shot of the film. The character arcs have become more interesting, Bella actually has more to think about other than Edward, she's facing a decision that would change her life forever, and that brings in a whole bunch of issues about where she wants her life end up in the future. The flashback scenes a few of the Cullen's get in this film flesh out the Cullen history well, especially with Rosalie, which sets up her character nicely for the next couple of films. Hopefully we get to see the remaining Cullen's history in the next two movies.

I think most fans would agree that the series is going from strength to strength, and it's been interesting seeing a different director have their own take on each film.

If you've hated these movies from day one, you may get some more enjoyment out of this movie, i wouldn't hold my breathe though. For Twilight fans, it's perfect and for the casual viewer who doesn't have any bias opinion of the series, it's enjoyable.

I loved it, and i can't wait to see it again. Now all i have to do is wait for 'Breaking Dawn part 1', it's only a year and a half away [sad face].

My Favourite Films of ALL TIME! #17The Rules of Attraction [2002]
Starring: James Van Der Beek, Jessica Biel, Ian Somerhalder, Shannyn Sossamon
Directed by: Roger Avary

"Since when does fucking somebody else mean that I'm not faithful to you?"

This comes from the same people who gave us American Psycho and Pulp Fiction, so you have a fair idea of what style of movie i'm talking about when i try and describe this to you. I remember reading the book a few years back before the movie came out. I found myself laughing out loud on the train while reading it, so once the movie hit screens, i was glad to see it lived up to the enjoyment i got out of the book. They needed to make this fucked up, it needed to be done a specific way. Luckily the right team got behind it.....

Rules follows the lives of a group of college students, and the "interaction" they have with one another during their mundane day to day lives. It deals with relationships, sex and drugs. Most, if not all the characters are dealing with all 3 of those things at one point or another. There's a whole collection of quirky characters. There's the main guy, Sean [James Van Der Beek], who spends his solitary days selling drugs and trying to find as much pussy as he can. He develops a crush on Lauren [Shannyn Sossamon], who has her eyes set on her teacher, and can't stop thinking about her ex boyfriend Victor [Kip Pardue]. Then we meet Paul [Ian Somerhalder], a gay student who has a crush on Sean, but doesn't know how to go about once they become friends. Then there's Lara [Jessica Biel], who is Lauren's roommate. She spends her days being the resident slut, and becomes the object of Sean's lust when he can't get his hands on Lauren. Sean actually hates Lara, but feels she'll do in the meantime while he tries to get Lauren to fall for him.
In the midst of all that we have a whole bunch of other misfit weirdo characters who try not to get murdered by drug dealers, try not to overdoes, try to deal with obsession, and a whole mix of other angsty issues. Basically, it's a mess!.Two things stand out the most when you watch Rules. The first is the direction by Roger Avary, the guys got some style and nifty camera techniques. The movie is scattered with lots of cool editing and camera shots. You see it right away once the movie starts during the 'End of the World' party. Out comes the vomit [you'll need to see the movie to know what i'm talking about], and back in it goes as the entire party scene is on backwards replay. There's also a great split screen meeting between Sean and Lauren, which is broken down in detail in the special features of the DVD. There's also some GREAT camera work during a suicide scene, and a fast paced Europe trip montage made up of hundreds of photographs and a quick voice over. I imagine this movie would be a film students wet dream. You could sit and talk about the camera styling all day.

The second thing that will stand out to you is James Van Der Beek in the title role. When i think of James, i think of that shit Dawson's Creek show, his giant forehead and that stupid wavy hair. You'll soon forget all about that once you watch him in this. Talk about a polar opposite of what you're used to seeing him play!.........he eats up this role like crazy. You can tell he loved every minute of it. He's really good in the role. It's such a departure for him. Have you ever wondered what Dawson would look like fucking? well you'll see that. Have you ever wondered what Dawson would look like taking a dump? well you see that too! haha!
He's not the only one trying to break away in this film either. Jessica Biel sheds away her WHOLESOME 7th Heaven tv show fuckery by slutting around in her underwear and getting gang banged by footballers. There's also a cameo from The Wonder Years kid, Fred Savage, who's credited as The Junkie Named Mark, ha!. He's certainly changed since his childhood star years in this.

It's s dark comedy, so it's funny, but with a fucked up twist. You'll be laughing at the character shenanigans and then be really focused on the more serious aspects of the story. The movie goes between the two easily. See it, if only for how fucked up everyone is, ha!.

The Runaways [2010]

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning

Directed by: Floria Sigismondi

4/5

No idea when this will get a indie cinema run here, but i managed to catch an early screening of it at the Sydney Film Festival last night. I'm glad i did, because the movie was fucking badass!.

First time movie director Floria Sigismondi is best known for her music video work. She's directed a lot of rock videos [including collaborations with singers like Marilyn Manson], and has even thrown a couple pop videos into her portfolio as well [both with Christina Aguilera]. Her slick music video style is PERFECT for this type of film. Not only does she KNOW how to shoot rock and roll and make it look cool, but she captures the feel of the 70's really well. It looks authentic. She has a good eye for colour and editing as well, there's some great camera work in this, and she gets very up close and wild with the live performance sections of the film.

The story isn't anything we haven't seen or heard before. Band gets created, band gets big, singer gets all the acclaim, other band members get pissed off, and drug habits and sex antics run rampant. What really makes this film move beyond a predictable plot however are the lead performances. Talk about a 360!!!! Dakota and Kristen are both FANTASTIC in this. I've been vocal about Kristen's shaky acting in the Twilight films on many occasions, and although she's been perfectly fine in her other films, this is the first time we REALLY get to see her actually BECOME someone else and show off her acting ability. She really surprised me in this, and she looked like she loved every minute of it. Butch dykey rockstar suits her very well.
We all know Dakota can act, she's been tackling adult roles she was a kid. She really steps it up a notch in this though. She is completely magnetic on screen, she has a great presence for such a young actress and she stole every scene she was in. I absolutely loved her in this. Michael Shannon as their eccentric manager was good in this too. He got some good laughs out of the audience i was with.

The band may not have been around for too long, and they may only be famous for one song [Cherry Bomb, they did have a few albums though], but it wasn't their hits or record sales that made such a big impact. They were the first EVER all girl rock band, and not only were they all girl, but they rocked it out like THE BOYS too. They changed the rules, and it was after them that a window for female rockers really opened up.
Also, it was the early starting point for Joan Jett, who as we know, later became one of the most iconic female rockers in the history of music. Their short lived run certainly made a special impact.

If you like rock, if you like music bios, or are a fan of either Dakota or Kristen, you'll find SOMETHING to like in this movie. It may not offer anything original, but it still has some great performances, direction and music that's bound to entertain you. The audience of aged hippies and young punks only made my viewing experience even MORE special than it already was!.

It's my second favourite film of the year so far. I loved every minute of it.

My Favourite Music Videos #3

The White Stripes - I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself

Sex & The City 2 [2010]

Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker & her usual crew

Directed by: Michael Patrick King

3.5/5

Carrie Bradshaw decides to run away to Dubai with her "girls" to try and think through her stupid and insignificant marriage problems. Wacky adventures and lots of high heels soon follow.

I'm a big fan of the tv show, and the first movie. I think the series finished a little too open ended, so it was nice to see lose ends tied up with the first film. At this point though, i think they have taken these characters as far as they possibly can with their story lines, and S&TC 2 is showing the cracks of an over long stay.

I'm all for care free comedies, and the tv series certainly had A LOT of that. However, the more serious side of relationships that the show used to get into have now become really banal. There are only 2 series plots in the film, one revolving around Miranda and Charlotte and their struggles with motherhood, and the other revolving around Samantha and her uncontrollable vagina in a very conservative country. Although, Samantha's story line is supposed to be comic relief, so they don't go too crazy with making a statement. It is the highlight of the movie though, so it didn't bother me that they handled the issue of women's rights with inappropriate comedy. Deep down, we all agree with her on the matter anyway, even if we know it's a......touchy subject.

The rest of the movie revolves around Carrie and her ever growing shrinking brain. I like Carrie, but she really is one of the dumbest women i've come across on film ever. The woman cries about finding a man for 7 years on tv, finds one, gets married, lives in a nice place, has a guy who worships her, and STILL.......she has something to complain about. Turns out Carrie doesn't want to sit on the couch at night with her HARD WORKING HUSBAND, she'd rather complain about the fact that she can't go out at night and party. Wow, Carrie, your marriage issues are just.......so awful. The writers need to focus more on making this woman GROW UP, because she's a damn immature moron. And don't even start me on the AWFUL metaphor for finding the SPARKLE in her marriage through a bloody black diamond ring. What kind of stupid retard woman relates to that mess of a character? Awful.

Minor gripes about stupid women aside, the movie is entertaining from start to end. It's hugely unrealistic, over the top, gay to the extreme, and slightly annoying in parts, but i did have a blast. The girls are just way too funny.

If another film is made, i'd happily see it again, but after the reception this film has gotten, i think maybe it's time Carrie said goodbye.

See it if you're a big fan. Avoid it if you've never liked anything about it.