Chimpomatic

Star Trek Into Darkness

Phasers set for fun again, Benedict Cumberbatch a decent grudgematch foe. Warp-level lens flare.

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#Film
#chimp71

4th May 2013

The Hunter

Patient, confident Australian environmental thriller that builds up to a decent climax.

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#CSF

28th Apr 2013

Blow

Forget I'd seen this occasionally enjoyable, sub Scorcese coke-fest. The true-story backbone is the big problem.

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#CSF

27th Apr 2013

The Amazing Spider-man

Solid, but essentially pointless remix that doesn't really add anything new to cinema.

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#CSF

8th Apr 2013

Mudhoney

Vanishing Point

It was 1988 when Mudhoney put their super fuzz and big muff pedals together for first single 'Touch Me I'm Sick'…a cocky, snotty finger to the man, casting the band as full-time, half-cut losers just in it for the rock n roll. 25 years and 8 albums later, who would have guessed that they would be one of the last survivors in an industry more disposable than ever?

Since 2002 they've been back on Sub Pop, where it all began, and Vanishing Point keeps the finger raised and flag flying for noisy distortion and punk rock riffs. Drummer Dan Peters kicks off opener Slipping Away, with a reminder as to why he once kept Nirvana's drum stool warm for Dave Grohl. His pounding rolls are soon joined by Steve Turner's drunken lead and the unmistakable whine of Mark Arm. A sound perfected in '88 and not tweaked since.

On first single I Like It Small, Arm sings of the ambition that never saw them scale the heights "I've got big enough balls to admit I like it small" but is probably the reason they are still together and making music. Chardonnay is a 90 second love/hate song to "The crate that launched a thousand strippers" and I Don't Remember You is a fuck you to faces from back in the day. A day that Mudhoney, unlike most of their peers, survived. That they did so without changing their attitude or sound along the way is a small victory for those of us that don't feel that different from how we did 25 years ago either.

Killer Track: The Only Son of the Widow From Nain.

#Music
#chimpovich

1st Apr 2013 - Add Comment - Tweet

Brave

Decent fairytale about a highlands princess who can't bear tradition. Looks great, but lacks pure Pixar magic.

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#chimp71

31st Mar 2013

Peace, Love & Misunderstanding

Uptight Catherine Keener reconnects w Woodstock mum Jane Fonda. No surprises, good vibes.

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#chimp71

23rd Mar 2013

Men In Black 3

Big, brash, glitzy summer blockbuster - that's surprisingly lean, well rounded and entertaining.

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#CSF

22nd Mar 2013

We Bought A Zoo

Low-effort, cookie cutter sentimental drama that has some merit.

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#CSF

17th Mar 2013

Chronicle

Decent enough superhero flick that paints itself into the usual shapeless, found-footage corner.

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#CSF

8th Mar 2013

Bones Brigade An Auto biography

Decent, surprisingly moving doc about the radical neon superheroes of sk8. Lance wins.

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#CSF

6th Mar 2013

Jeff Who Lives At Home

Mumblecore goes main stream (ish), as quirky suburban comedy meets unexpected drama.

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#CSF

24th Feb 2013

Cloud Atlas

Genre-surfing, century-hopping oddity. The more things change, the more wigs/makeup/accents Tom Hanks gets.

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#Film
#chimp71

24th Feb 2013

To The Wonder

The lights are on but nobody's home, as Terence Malick's stylish tone poem comes close to self-parody.

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#CSF

22nd Feb 2013

Purple Rain

50% less acting than I remembered, but Prince's epic self-centred pop promo holds up surprisingly well.

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#CSF

22nd Feb 2013

Peggy Sue Got Married

Interesting time travel companion to #BTTF, held back by Coppola's pedestrian direction.

Halliwell says: It plays like and extended Twilight Zone, but with plenty of interesting details to back up and excellent leading performance.**

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#CSF
#Halliwell

15th Feb 2013

Live Free Or Die Hard

Diluted actioner with plenty of decent moments + appalling finale.

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#CSF

15th Feb 2013

The Artist

Classy, post modern love letter to cinema, that's a couple of reels too long and not as subtle as 'Hugo'.

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#CSF

10th Feb 2013

Zero Dark Thirty

Slightly self-important and shapeless wander through the post-war on terror landscape.

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#CSF

31st Jan 2013

The Grey

Stylish direction, cinematography and music help elevate this otherwise standard man vs nature movie.

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#CSF

30th Jan 2013

The Bourne Legacy

Decent franchise expansion with plenty of thrills, but we've seen it all before.

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#CSF

25th Jan 2013

Il Futuro

Italian drama with an orphaned teen moving her life forward. Rutger Hauer plays a retired 60s action star.

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#CSF

24th Jan 2013

The Spectacular Now

Booze-tinged coming of age drama about moving your life forward. Semi-spectacular.

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#CSF

24th Jan 2013

Liberal Arts

Meandering indie back-to-college romcom. A 35 yr old slacker visits his retiring prof & meets the new kids.

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#chimp71

18th Jan 2013

Blue Valentine

Decent character study that gets bogged down in predictable anti-plotting and self-importance.

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#CSF

13th Jan 2013

Chain Reaction

Sub-Fugitive chase/conspiracy, from that guy that made The Fugitive. With added science and Keanu.

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#Film
#CSF

13th Jan 2013

The Muppets

Well pitched, post-modern reboot, with added Brettie - so be warned, it is an actual musical.

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#Film
#CSF

6th Jan 2013

We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen

Engaging niche documentary, featuring a punk who's-who of talking heads.

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#CSF

3rd Jan 2013

Arbitrage

A late capitalism post-Wall St nightmare for NYC CEO Richard Gere to wriggle out of in a cashmere trench.

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#Film
#chimp71

2nd Jan 2013

Buried

Tense and inventive one-man thriller that piles on the suspense, but wears a little thin as you might expect.

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#CSF

1st Jan 2013

The Bourne Legacy

Jeremy Renner runs into M Damon's shoes in this efficient franchise extension. Rachel Weisz roped in.

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#Film
#chimp71

1st Jan 2013

Sherlock Holmes, A Game of Shadows

Noisy, shapeless sequel, sacrificing pace and clarity for style and set pieces.

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#CSF

30th Dec 2012

The Guilt Trip

Seth Rogen & Barbra Streisand drive each other a bit nuts. Amiable momcom, good chemistry underused.

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#Film
#chimp71

28th Dec 2012

The Adventures of Tintin

Spielberg brings a bit of mo-cap Indiana Jones action to the Belgian man-child.

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#CSF

26th Dec 2012

Hope Springs

Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep learn to get it on again with Steve Carrell's guidance. Muted romcom.

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#Film
#chimp71

23rd Dec 2012

Men In Black 3

Time travel thrown into the MIB template, Josh Brolin makes a good 60s Tommy Lee Jones.

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#chimp71

23rd Dec 2012

Midnight In Paris

Light, fun time travel romcom with proxy Woody Allen Owen Wilson meeting 1920s boho greats at night.

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#Film
#chimp71

17th Dec 2012

Safe House

Decent coming-of-age CIA thriller, despite the usual OTT Denzel Washington.

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#CSF

15th Dec 2012

Weekend

Stylish, accomplished feature about a burgeoning romance ...that gets a bit drawn out.

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#CSF

30th Nov 2012

Tiny Furniture

Clinical 90s indie throwback, with lots of middle-class art students talking about themselves.

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#Film
#CSF

25th Nov 2012

21 Jump St

Effective comedy reboot with @ChanningTatum making a good case to take over @Mark_Wahlberg's comedy crown.

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#Film
#CSF

15th Nov 2012

Win Win

Engaging, low-key, small-town wrestling comedy-drama ...with Paul Giametti and Gyp Rosetti.

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#CSF

6th Nov 2012

Haywire

Soderbergh tries action with a bare bones freelance spy thriller. Big name cast bit lost in global plot twists.

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#Film
#chimp71

5th Nov 2012

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Above average rom-com, with all the usual ingredients assembled in a fresh, touching way.

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#CSF

3rd Nov 2012

Wish You Were Here

Compelling aussie drugs/holiday/infidelity mystery from @bluetonguefilms. Doesn't quite take off.

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#CSF

14th Oct 2012

Radiohead

The O2

Uninspired show from one of my favourite bands, doing many of my favourite songs, close to my house.

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#CSF

10th Oct 2012

Source Code

Plot-heavy Hitchcockian mash-up of 'Quantum Leap' and 'Groundhog Day' from Zowie Bowie.

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#CSF

4th Oct 2012

Win Win

Decent riff on sports triumph. Schlubby lawyer/high school wrestling coach Paul Giamatti pulls underhand moves.

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#chimp71

3rd Oct 2012

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Once you peel back the hype all you're left with is an overlong but stylish whodunit.

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#Film
#CSF

25th Sep 2012

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Thoughtful action gives way to stupidity as Caeser becomes modern day Chimp Guervara.

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#Film
#CSF

2nd Sep 2012