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Fido
Andrew Currie 2006



Fido has a bone to pick with convention.

When George A. Romero made the seminal 'Night Of The Living Dead' in 1968, then subsequently followed it up ten years later with the equally classic 'Dawn of the Dead'. He set the ball rolling for a genre that during the next decade, would spawn dozens of imitators. Only a tiny minority of these films would be any good though. Most of them infact would be so irredeemably bad, that the very mention of the words 'zombie movie' would send a collective shiver down the spines of mainstream cinema goers, the censors, and critics alike. Not because these films were so nerve janglingly scary, oh no, but because (with a few choice exceptions) they were micro budgeted and gratuitously violent rip offs, with no artistic merit whatsoever.

Still, with notoriety came fandom, like its shuffling on screen subjects, the genre just wouldn't die. Nobody seemed to care that all these movies were essentially just the same story spun out over and over again, they just wanted more of the same. Romero's fans seemed to multiply with each passing year, and eventually it must have dawned on the big studios that the lowly zombie was a potential goldmine.

Now the zombie movie is enjoying a renaissance period, Romero has added two more films to his series. His original trilogy has been remade, the '28 Days' franchise is hugely popular, hell we've even had some originality with Edgar Wright's comedy 'Shaun Of The Dead'. All these films however have still stuck to the age old zombie formula, all except 2006's 'Fido' that is...

'Fido' is set in the alternate 1950s suburb of Willard, it's your usual white picket fence kind of neighborhood, appart from the domesticated zombies that is. Ever since the 'zombie wars' a conglomerate called Zomcom (get it?) has been running things, helping to protect from, and keep the population vigilant against 'wild' zombies. Zomcom has developed an electronic collar that suppresses the zombies cravings for human flesh, and as a result they've been reduced to nothing more than slavery. We follow Timmy (K'Sun Ray), who when his parents (Carrie Ann Moss and Dylan Baker) purchase a house zombie, strikes up a touching friendship with the creature (Billy Connelly), whom he names Fido.

I'm going to say this right off, 'Fido' is a minor masterpiece. Before the opening credits had even begun to roll, I was still reeling with laughter from the black and white Zomcom 'educational film' that preceded them. The film is laced with such razor sharp satire, that takes standard zombie film conventions and completely reinvents them with wonderful results. 'Fido' leaves no stone unturned, managing to parody every aspect of the Romero template without ever disrespecting it. The film is unbelievably charming, jam packed with so many creative touches and memorable characters, that it flies by in one great big joy filled blur.

The cast are all great too, television actor K'Sun Ray is definitely one to watch, Moss is delightfully deadpan as his mum, and Connelly manages to inject real soul into Fido despite having no lines. Dylan Baker does his usual edgy turn as Timmy's father, and Henry Czerny is right on the money as fascist head of security at Zomcom. Deserving of special mention though has to be Tim Blake Nelson as Mr. Theopolis, the hilarious neighbour with a live in zombie girlfriend, he stole the movie for me.

'Fido' is like watching 'Pleasantville', 'Edward Scissorhands' and 'The Burbs' with zombies. There's not much gore here, and it's all the better for it, in fact if it wasn't for the odd head shot and severed limb this could pass for wholesome family entertainment.

To sum up this is a charmingly classy and unique take on the zombie film. Make no mistake though, it's a satirical comedy, not a horror, those looking for Romero with one liners, or another 'Shaun of the Dead' won't find what they're looking for here. Fido may be rotten, but this film is fresh. Recommended.





A system of cells interlinked
Hmm

My father rented this and said he quit half way through, because it was so ham-fisted with it's propaganda. I might have to give it a shot after reading this.
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“It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.” ― Thomas Sowell



Hmm

My father rented this and said he quit half way through, because it was so ham-fisted with it's propaganda. I might have to give it a shot after reading this.
It's definitely worth a look, I really enjoyed it, gonna look for a copy on ebay.
I forgot to thank you for coming up with the title for my thread by the way, I wracked my brain and couldn't come up with a better one,
so thanks



I will definitely be picking up Fido if I ever run across it, nice review. I still say that you've got Doomsday all wrong but I'm willing to let it slide, not everybody is me (thank god for that!).
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We are both the source of the problem and the solution, yet we do not see ourselves in this light...



A system of cells interlinked
It's definitely worth a look, I really enjoyed it, gonna look for a copy on ebay.
I forgot to thank you for coming up with the title for my thread by the way, I wracked my brain and couldn't come up with a better one,
so thanks

No problem at all.

Thread looks great so far, and, again, thanks for the content!



The Notorious Bettie Page
Mary Harron 2005



T&A sadly lacking the Q&A.


Whenever I see or even think about Bettie Page, I turn into a perverted caricature of Frank Spencer complete with internal cries of 'Ooh Bettie!'. She does it for me ok, she gets my drool covered tongue flapping in the breeze, like one of those hungry dogs from the Pedigree Chum adverts. I'm at her mercy, I'm a naughty boy; I'm about to shut the hell up before I say something I regret, then disappear off to surf 1950's fetish sites for the rest of eternity.

Get the picture? good then I'll begin.

'The Notorious Bettie page' is Mary Harron's third feature film. She debuted with the extremely underrated 'I Shot Andy Warhol' in 1996, and went on to make the more commercially (though not critically) successful 'American Psycho' in 2000. Indeed most of her work has been in television, and it's a grounding that serves her very well here.

The film is as the title suggests, a biopic of Bettie's life from shy preacher's daughter, to bondage pinup superstar. We follow Ms. Page on a journey through unhappy marriage, amateur modeling and subsequent fame, to her eventual religious conversion, and disappearance back into obscurity. Bettie (Gretchen Mol) is accurately portrayed as care free, almost apathetic when it comes to her profession, clearly looking upon it as 'just a bit of fun'. We discover that in reality she was the complete antithesis of her magazine persona, and it is here that the film loses alot of it's edge...

Before watching this film I didn't really know anything about Bettie's back story. I was like alot of men, just someone who 'likes to look at the pictures'. I was persuaded to go and see it by a friend and lifelong Bettie Page devotee, who was insistent that I'd enjoy it. He was right, I did, but mixed in with the enjoyment was a distinct feeling of disillusionment, that I'd been tricked in some way.

A clue to this is in the title, 'The Notorious' just didn't ring true with me, the publications were notorious, but Bettie most certainly wasn't. With the films protagonist lacking so much of the expected venom, the end result, although entertaining and well made, felt decidedly thin. 'The Notorious Bettie Page' clearly aims for a lighthearted, gentle approach, shying away from dark areas of Bettie's past that would have shed more light on her naivety and chosen career. It becomes clear that she was most likely raped at a young age, but this aspect of the story is quickly brushed under the carpet in favor of mild titillation, thus removing any depth.

Despite this rather fluffy approach, the film still has alot to offer. Grechen Mol as Bettie is undeniably superb, considering she had to act many of the scenes semi and fully nude, she perfectly conveys Bettie's uninhibited aura. The support is also top notch, as Lili Taylor (always watchable), Chris Baur, and Jared Harris all do a good job of fleshing out their characters. The film is visually impressive too, we watch the first half in beautifully shot black and white, which authentically captures the 1950's ambiance. Before moving into glorious technicolor for the films Miami set third act.

Overall 'The Notorious Bettie Page' doesn't break any new ground when it comes to biopics. Those looking for an in depth exploration of the motivation that lay behind Bettie will feel decidedly let down by this film. Fans of Bettie on the other hand will no doubt love it, the film is an entertaining and loving portrayal of her life, accurately filled with the iconic imagery so revered by todays goth, psychobilly and fetish subcultures. Though sadly in opting for such a fun easy going tone, 'The Notorious Bettie Page' loses most of its bite.
.




Thanks for the reviews have added a few to my bigpond movies list
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Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.
Buddha



The Dark Knight
Christopher Nolan 2008



Ledger's swan song lights up Nolan masterpiece.

Superheroes are like sports teams, in that most people have a favourite, one they follow, idolize, and root for. My crusader of choice has always been Judge Dredd, the leather clad lawman and fascist anti hero, who appears to of recently had his motorbike stolen. Ever since Danny Cannon made a complete pigs ear of the Dredd film back in 1995 however, I've become bitter, I've developed a beef with the superhero movie, I'm jealous. Why should Spiderman, The X-Men, and Batman have all the fun? Well I suppose it's because like Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Liverpool, they've simply got the most fans.

Sigh
...life is just too cruel sometimes...but on with the review...

For those of you who've been living under a rock for the last six months, 'The Dark Knight' is Christopher Nolan's eagerly anticipated follow up to his 2005 success 'Batman Begins'. That film completely reinvented the Batman franchise, in that it effectively fleshed out the origins of the character, without sacrificing a climactic story arc. It was Nolan's dark and gritty approach however, that was most welcomed by the fans. A style all too lacking in Joel Schumacher's campy 1997 fiasco 'Batman and Robin', a film that nearly put an end to the series.

'The Dark Knight' picks up the story some time after the events of 'Batman Begins'. Gotham has a new hero in Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), an Elliot Ness like whiter than white DA, who's taking down the mob piece by piece. The city also has a new enemy, The Joker (Heath Ledger), a criminally insane lunatic who we're introduced to in the films opening sequence; an elaborate bank robbery. Batman (Christian Bale) is conspicuously absent, still viewed on with suspicion by the public, preferring to stay in the shadows, watching on approvingly as Dent clears house. But when the Joker strikes up an uneasy alliance with the mob, his criminal activity escalates threatening Dent's progress, and Batman is forced to intervene.

To call that the tip of the iceberg would be an understatement, 'The Dark Knight' is complex and multilayered, with a depth of narrative rarely seen in todays action pictures. Christopher and Johnathan Nolan's script juggles numerous character and plot threads with jaw dropping virtuosity. Indeed this is a film that demands your undivided attention, and most likely multiple viewings in order to fully grasp its magnitude. The film presents some profound moral dilemmas, satirizes political and media manipulation, and asks serious questions of the motivation that lies behind Batman, Dent and The Joker. The fact that it does all this, and still manages to be thrillingly entertaining, is wherein lies its genius. You'll want to see this movie again, I already do, and as I hinted earlier, I don't even like Batman.

When it comes to the performances, looking at the list of actors involved is like a casting director's wet dream. With the likes of Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman providing assured support, the leads are allowed free reign to shine, and shine they do, 'so very very brightly'. Aaron Eckhart really impresses as Harvey Dent, a character that undergoes a radical transformation during the film. He perfectly captures Dent's gradual slide into despair, and is never less than completely convincing. Christian Bale is always worth the admission, he's given less to do here, but when the story calls for Batman's intensity, he's right there like a vice cranking up the tension.

Radiating charisma brighter than all of them though, is the late Heath Ledger, no review of this film would be complete without a neck straining nod in his direction. His interpretation of the Joker is quite simply mesmerizing, and shows up Jack Nicholson's turn as the exercise in mugging it really was. Ledger owns this film, he injects a gleeful sense of mischief into the character, whilst maintaining a ruthless edge that's deeply unsettling. When he's not on screen, you miss him, when he is, you hope he stays there. A group of teenagers sitting behind me in the cinema would giggle and joyfully murmur amongst themselves every time he appeared. I know exactly how they felt. Ledger's Joker lives up to, and smashes apart the hype, he's undoubtedly a shoe in for an oscar, and will be sadly missed.

In an era where many people are complaining about the dumbing down of mainstream cinema, 'The Dark Knight' is a rare thing indeed. It's an engrossing sprawling crime story, like 'Heat' or L.A. Confidential' with superheroes and bigger explosions. You need to see this film, you owe it to yourself.





Will your system be alright, when you dream of home tonight?
Gotham has a new hero in Arthur Dent (Aaron Eckhart), an Elliot Ness like whiter than white DA, who's taking down the mob piece by piece.
I thought it was Harvey Dent
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I thought it was Harvey Dent
Indeed well spotted,

Arthur Dent is the main character in 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy', I was writing this quickly and confused the names.

thanks for letting me know,

Now you've gone and 'Dent'ed my ego lol.



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
I also liked Fido, I loved how the atmosphere was a total opposite for the subject matter of Zombies.
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Suspect's Reviews



I also liked Fido, I loved how the atmosphere was a total opposite for the subject matter of Zombies.
Yeah,

I really love zombie films, but as the review suggests, I think the genre has run out of ideas. Seeing Fido was like a breath of fresh air if you pardon the expression, as in reality he probably stinks .



Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.
I watched Fido yesterday, and I liked it a lot. I'm out of town right now though, but when I return, I'll rewatch it and post my thoughts. The beginning "educational film" reminded me of the "Duck and Cover" film in The Iron Giant, another film about an alternate 1950s. Actually, the film also reminded me of Frankenweenie. Future, if you still don't know what it is, you can watch it here.
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The Idiots (Idioterne)
Lars Von Trier 1998



You'd be an Idiot not to give this film a chance.

Back in 1995 a group of filmmakers based in Copenhagen decided to go about making feature films in a new and challenging way. Not just challenging to the audience, but to the filmmaker, and ultimately themselves. Their goal was to remove the illusion from cinema, to challenge the ever growing trend of special effects and trickery, and give the audience some reality, or as real as they could make it. They drew up a mandate called 'The Vow of Chastity'* a set of rules by which their films would be made. It was a new movement...a collective...they gave it a name...'Dogme 95'.

'The Idiots' is the second film made using the Dogme mandate, (there are close to three hundred of them in all). The first, Thomas Vinterberg's (who was uncredited) 1998 film 'Festen' aka 'The Celebration', dealt with shocking family revelations at a 60th birthday party, and was well received by critics. Though despite the film's often disturbing subject matter, it simply couldn't prepare audiences for what was coming next...

With that said however, anyone who had seen Lars Von Trier's 1996 debut feature 'Breaking the Waves', might well have had an inkling that his follow up wasn't going to be an emotional walk in the park.

'The Idiots' follows a young woman called Karen, we are told nothing of her history, but quickly discover that she is a lost soul, naive, and easily led. In the films opening restaurant scene, Karen falls in with a couple of intelligent and self assured twenty somethings, one of whom pretends to be mentally disabled in order to avoid paying the bill. After sharing a cab ride with the couple, Karen meets the rest of their circle and it's controlling leader, Stoffer. They allow her to accompany them on a series of stunts where they feign mental and physical disability, in order to provoke varying emotional reactions from the public. Karen is at first disgusted by this, and questions the morality of their behavior. She nevertheless stays with them, and gradually comes to accept their philosophy of discovering ones 'inner idiot'. The group gradually begins to implode however, as Stoffer's demands become more and more extreme. In the end it's only Karen who is willing and able to meet his final test, the culmination of which has powerful and harrowing consequences.

This is a film that has undoubtedly provoked divided reactions, indeed on the surface it could be dismissed as immoral and manipulative exploitation. The idea of people pretending to be disabled for self gratification at the expense of others, is in disgustingly bad taste. The fact that you will find yourself belly laughing at such behavior will almost certainly leave you with feelings of guilt, and force you to question your own moral scruples. Yes this film is hilariously funny, one of the funniest I've ever seen, but Von Trier doesn't let you get off that easily. 'The Idiots' is as much about group dynamics, power and idealism as it is about the laughs. The groups behavior has serious repercussions on their friendship, as their trust and self assurance is gradually whittled away by the nature of their actions. We are privy to all of this, as the realization dawns that it is only through great insecurity that these people ever got involved with such behavior in the first place. Ultimately they really are disabled, and Von Trier drives this point home with a deft intelligence and subtlety that is both challenging and beguiling.

Those familiar with Dogme films will know what to expect in terms of production values. The focus here is on the acting, and it really pays off. The entire cast are excellent in this film, particularly Bodil Jorgensen as Karen, and Jens Albinus as the power crazed Stoffer. So If you're afraid the film may be hokey or insincere in any way, don't be, it's a class act from start to finish.

All that really leaves me to do is sum things up by saying that I'm a big fan of this film. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something original and thought provoking. Though I do advise discretion, as the film features some very shocking footage, including a graphic scene containing real sex. Watch it with like minded friends and discuss afterwards, just don't expect to agree with each other.


* - Follow the link below, select manifesto, and click on 'The Vow Of Chastity' link for full details.

http://www.dogme95.dk/menu/menuset.htm




Cloverfield
Matt Reeves 2008



Read all about it! New York attacked by monster...again.

What is it with giant beasts and New York? why not Washington, L.A. or heaven forbid London? If it's not a giant gorilla, it's a humungous dinosaur or winged south American god. What's their problem? are all monsters disgruntled architecture buffs with a grudge against the Empire State and Chrysler buildings? is there a secret monster training camp deep in the Middle East somewhere? Or has Area 51 security been running a little lax lately?

Those monsters should just bugger off to Tokyo again, they used to like Tokyo, why don't they like Tokyo anymore?

Plus you'd think New York would have a contingency plan for this kind of thing by now. But no, the Big Apple still has a large 'BITE ME' invitation pinned to it's ass, well they've only got themselves to blame.

'Cloverfield' really needs no introductions, the films ad campaign was possibly the most savvy in cinematic history. It played the classic 'don't show them the beastie' rule to the absolute hilt. Fan boys and girls were left foaming at the mouth in anticipation, and speculation. 'What the hell is it?' was the proverbial question on everyone's lips. By tapping into contemporary fears of terrorism, and impending global disaster, J.J. Abrams and co delivered an absolute master stroke. Unsurprisingly on the films opening weekend bums hit seats like it was national musical chairs day.

Once the veil of mystery is lifted however, 'Cloverfield' turns out to be a pretty straight forwardly plotted monster movie. The real draw is the films hand held first person perspective* a style that typically has it's roots in low budget horror cinema. Cloverfield's unique premise is to show a monster attack from the average Joe's perspective with no expense spared.

The films plot begins with a twenty something group of yuppies throwing a leaving party for their friend Rob. We get the usual soap opera relationship guff, given some extra back story by remnants of the footage they're recording over. It's your typical bog standard party sequence until the building is rocked by a huge explosion. The realization quickly dawns that New York is under attack from an unknown assailant. We follow Rob and a small group of friends as they attempt to rescue his trapped sweetheart and escape the city.

'Cloverfield' lives up to the hype, I definitely enjoyed it, but it's far from perfect. Let me start by saying that with the exception of Rob and his girlfriend, I didn't like any of the characters in the film. In short they were dull and predictable, and in Hud's case (the guy filming) downright moronic. Visual style aside, the opening party scene could have been plucked from any run of the mill teen slasher. The characters here are clearly designed to pander to a teenage audience, and I must be getting old because I found them extremely irritating. Secondly, Hud's desire to film the events lacked any credibility for me, in reality that camera would have been dropped as dead weight. If they'd have been journalists fair enough, but they weren't, they were scared as hell running for their lives. People in that situation don't make home movies.

On the plus side the action is expertly handled, it's tense and frightening with a real sense of urgency. The camera jerks around alot but you quickly get used to that, it looks authentic and effectively conveys the chaotic atmosphere. Director Reeves for the most part only shows you glimpses of the monster and it works a treat. By leaving the scale of the creature to the imagination he cleverly accentuates the fear factor. What is happening seems beyond comprehension, the situation terrifyingly hopeless, and ultimately thrilling. When Reeves finally does lay his cards on the table with an aerial shot from a helicopter, the illusion is shattered. It's impressive but the film loses it's edge and thankfully ends soon after.

'Cloverfield' is a worthy blockbuster in that it treats its audience with the respect they deserve. The acting may only be moderate, but it's the spectacle you've come to see, and the excitement that satisfies. It's accomplished, tightly paced stuff with plenty of scares, and most importantly it feels contemporary. Hell you might even like the characters too.


* - See my review of '[REC]' for more details.



A system of cells interlinked
I was pleasantly surprised by Cloverfield. I really did not expect to like it much, but I felt like they nailed it, for the most part.



Yeah, I still haven't been able to watch it again. The shaky cam thing was a little too much. Plus it wasn't a great flick. Cool monster though from the little that we actually get to see of it. I'm sure we'll see it plenty in the 2 or 3 movies that follow.





This movie really was torture.

Eden Lake
(James Watkins 2008)
+
I really shouldn't waste my time on this, but feel it's only fair to post my thoughts seen as so many people are raving about it at the moment. Eden Lake is one of those derivative psycho's-in-the-back-woods 'torture porn' flicks masquerading as a social message movie. It's got the kind of gritty stylish realism and sadistic ultra violence that everyone likes at the moment (i.e. sickos who enjoy watching human suffering). It's also got one of those mundane, generic musical scores that sounds like it was lifted directly from an episode of Silent Witness.

Now before we go any further I anticipate some of you reading are at this very moment scratching your heads. 'But Future isn't this exactly the kind of twisted garbage you love?' ...No!...no no and thrice NO! Sure I like trashy monster horror flicks, campy exploitation and recently the odd bit of Pinku eiga, but those films are retro cool baby, hence often laughable. I hereby state for the record that I do not get off on torture, rape and general human suffering. I do on the other hand like 70's cartoon gore, empowered chicks who kick ass, and slimy monsters that vomit to death after munching on cancerous human livers. Errr yeah...anyway back to the movie...

The Plot? A young middle class couple go on a weekend trip to a secluded lake and bump into a particularly nasty group of chavs (young hoodlums). Instead of doing the sensible thing and leaving, the guy, Steve (Michael Fassbender) decides to have an altercation with the yobs instead. Naturally they tell him to f**** off, intimidate his girlfriend Jenny (Kelly Reilly) with their Rottweiler, and give his swanky landrover a puncture. So what do Steve and Jenny do? they leave right? Nope they toddle off into town for a fry up, then head back to the exact same spot at the lake for a second night. Similar bullsh*t character decisions, duff stolen plot twists/contrivances, and extreme nastiness follows...

I hated nearly everything about this movie, it was just so painfully average, and with a level of sadism that'd make Lucio Fulci blush. I really don't understand why everyone thinks it's so poignant that the bad guys were young thugs deserving of asbos (anti-social behavior orders). Sure the youth of today are out of control in the UK at the moment (or at least that's what the media want us to believe), but haven't teens always been a bit unruly and rebellious? They're not such a bad lot are they? After all I used to be one you know. Then I hear, 'Oh but it's really about bad parenting and the social underclass'. Well I'm sorry, but if you want to make a poignant movie about the social underclass, don't make sensationalist crap like this. We've already seen this dozens of times before and done much better; I'll be sticking with Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange thank you very much. So I guess I should really say something nice about Eden Lake...err...errm...uh... like the acting was good from all ensemble, there, that's all you're getting from this horror fan Mr. Watkins.