Screen Addicts Anonymous

I’m watching the Baftas and is it just me, or did David O. Russell look thoroughly disgusted at Emmanulle Riva winning the Leading Actress award? I know he wanted Jennifer Lawrence to win but he could have hid it a little better.

This is a bit of a combined post (it has been a long, long while since my last one so I think you lot deserve a double-helping). On one hand it is a review of the recent Quentin Tarantino film Django Unchained. On the other hand it is a plea to Quentin Tarantino to stop making films and then putting himself in them.

I suppose we should start with the film itself and build up to the bit about Quentin being a crap actor. The film, much like its predecessor Inglorious Basterds, plays fast and loose with history and has been criticised by some for playing with what is an incredibly bloody and shameful point in American history. The film revolves around Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) and Django (Jamie Foxx), a German bounty hunter and a recently freed slave, as they collect bounties all across the Southern states. They eventually come up against Calvin Candie (Leonardo Di Caprio), an obnoxious (aren’t they all) plantation owner with a penchant for all things French, who is in possession of Django’s wife Broomhilda. Together they hatch a plan to get her freedom.

Slavery is not a particularly funny subject but Django is one of the funniest films I’ve seen in a while. A scene involving KKK members before a raid had me laughing all the way through and some of the interactions between characters are inspired. Tarantino has brought together a great cast with Jamie Foxx, Leonardo Di Caprio (in his first role as a proper villain) and Samuel L. Jackson turning in strong performances but in Christoph Waltz, Tarantino has found a man that makes his words sound like a song. Waltz, who won an Oscar for his terrifying portrayal of ‘The Jew Hunter’ Hans Landa in Basterds, has the perfect delivery of Tarantino’s words. The script flows beautifully out of his mouth and he is probably deserving of another Oscar.

The film is horrifically violent but often comically so. This is most evident in a climactic gunfight in which there is a running joke of one of the gunfighters getting repeatedly injured but surviving. There are moments when the violence is not comical (and I know that some of you will find none of the violence at all funny but I did) and gets very brutal indeed. However the violence is at its worst when inflicted on those that ‘deserve’ it; the baddies. When violence is directed at the ‘good’ or ‘noble’ characters it is more tasteful and restrained.

Compared to Basterds this is a much more even film. Basterds had several amazing scenes that were held together by just ‘stuff’. There were even a few bits that didn’t make sense and several characters disappeared halfway through with no explanation. The soundtrack also didn’t fit as snugly as we are used to in a Tarantino film. That criticism cannot be levelled at Django, whose soundtrack works brilliant for the film. It’s a mixture of hip-hop, classic ‘western’ music and folk that blends seamlessly into the picture.

Django as a whole is a smooth, well shot, well made film that had me engrossed from start to almost end. I say almost end because it is in the last part of the film that Quentin lumbers into view like a hippo with dyskinesia. As soon as he appears on screen you are immediately taken out of the film and when he then opens his mouth and produces what he thinks an Australian accent sounds like it almost ruins the film as a whole. Why oh why, Quentin? I know other directors have put themselves in their own films, but they often do it subtly (see: Alfred Hitchcock) or are really shit (see: M. Night Shayamalan).

You should know better Quentin. You’ve crafted a fine film with a great cast and a brilliant script, just don’t fuck it up with your face.

The Evil Deadis one of my favourite horror movies. I’m not really a fan of horror movies because I am, what some might call, a total pussy. However, I can appreciate it when horror is done well and correctly. Building suspense and tension, being able to effectively unnerve someone and leave them with a strange feeling for days afterward and do it all without using loud noises to startle your audience are key skills. The originalDeadfilm does all of these things (although it does have its fair share of ‘jumpy’ moments). This is the red-band trailer (so expect naughtiness and gore) for the remake ofThe Evil Dead. It certainly looks like it has the gore down and the trailer shows several moments that mirror those of the original (including the infamous tree scene). One can’t help but think though that it will be yet another unnecessary horror remake along the lines ofHalloweenandNightmare on Elm Street.

I’m kinda just posting this trailer because it features one of the cast of one of my favourite shows on television (Community). Alison Brie and Lizzy Caplan are sisters who have different views on sex, marriage and love in general. Caplan finds herself in a love triangle and much quirkiness will surely ensue.

I present to you the trailer forIron Man 3. It’s been on the net for a little while now and it present a much darker looking Iron Man story. There is jeopardy, sombre music, slow-mo and much destruction. Will Tony Stark be alright?! (Probably, seeing as he’s going to be a big part of the next Avengers movie)

Good to see Guy Pearce being added to the cast and also Sir Ben Kingsley, although we can only hope that he doesn’t try and ham it up like he ususally does.

The filmtells the story of the Battle of Mount Austen during World War II. It follows a huge cast of characters and features (occasionally ramblin) narration from many of them. The cast is of the highest calibre, with the likes of Sean Penn, John Travolta, Woody Harrelson and George Clooney popping up for various lengths of time. The two acting standouts though are Nick Nolte (at his snarling, angry best) and Elias Koetas as two officers at loggerheads. The films greatest asset though is the stunning scenery, which director Terence Malick and company capture so excellently.

In just over 45 minutes I will be presenting the Radio Verulam Film Guide on 92.6FM. It’s also online so I’ve posted the link so just click ‘Listen’ and you’ll here me from 6.30pm talking all about films. 

Hugh Jackman plays a former boxer-turned robot fighter who gets lumped with the custody of a son he doesn’t want. Turns out the son is a dab hand at robot fighting and they both teach each other important lessons about life.

Sure, it all sounds very cliché (and it is) but Real Steel is a very well made, entertaining movie with some likeable and engaging performances from Jackman, Evangeline Lilly and especially Dakota Goyo as Jackman’s son. The Oscar-nominated effects are impressive and while it does get a bit saccharine in places it is still good family entertainment.

Rating: B-

Yep,Screen Addicts Anonymousis back! What do you mean that you never noticed we’d gone in the first place? Never mind, we’re back after a long time away because our HQ moved and we were without the Internet for quite sometime. We’ve seen a tonne of films, a mass of television and played a swathe of games in the mean time so we have plenty to write up. Stay tuned!

The Expendables is utterly ludicrous, but in a good way. Sylvester Stallone assembled a cast of action or fighting stars from days gone by (many of whom seemingly cannot speak English, and that includes the American actors) and got them to fight each other. Occasionally they speak words but no-one cares what they are because we, as an audience, are just waiting for them to hit each other. Also, the words that are being spoken are mostly mumbled and/or dumb. There are explosions galore and the plot doesn’t make much sense, but bring on The Expendables 2! More Arnie!