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Star Trek Into Darkness
Phasers set for fun again, Benedict Cumberbatch a decent grudgematch foe. Warp-level lens flare.
4th May 2013
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The Hunter
Patient, confident Australian environmental thriller that builds up to a decent climax.
28th Apr 2013
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Blow
Forget I'd seen this occasionally enjoyable, sub Scorcese coke-fest. The true-story backbone is the big problem.
27th Apr 2013
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The Amazing Spider-man
Solid, but essentially pointless remix that doesn't really add anything new to cinema.
8th Apr 2013
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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.
1st Apr 2013 - Add Comment - Tweet
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Brave
Decent fairytale about a highlands princess who can't bear tradition. Looks great, but lacks pure Pixar magic.
31st Mar 2013
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Peace, Love & Misunderstanding
Uptight Catherine Keener reconnects w Woodstock mum Jane Fonda. No surprises, good vibes.
23rd Mar 2013
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Men In Black 3
Big, brash, glitzy summer blockbuster - that's surprisingly lean, well rounded and entertaining.
22nd Mar 2013
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We Bought A Zoo
Low-effort, cookie cutter sentimental drama that has some merit.
17th Mar 2013
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Chronicle
Decent enough superhero flick that paints itself into the usual shapeless, found-footage corner.
8th Mar 2013
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Bones Brigade An Auto biography
Decent, surprisingly moving doc about the radical neon superheroes of sk8. Lance wins.
6th Mar 2013
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Jeff Who Lives At Home
Mumblecore goes main stream (ish), as quirky suburban comedy meets unexpected drama.
24th Feb 2013
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Cloud Atlas
Genre-surfing, century-hopping oddity. The more things change, the more wigs/makeup/accents Tom Hanks gets.
24th Feb 2013
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To The Wonder
The lights are on but nobody's home, as Terence Malick's stylish tone poem comes close to self-parody.
22nd Feb 2013
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Purple Rain
50% less acting than I remembered, but Prince's epic self-centred pop promo holds up surprisingly well.
22nd Feb 2013
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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.**
#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF
#Halliwell
15th Feb 2013
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Live Free Or Die Hard
Diluted actioner with plenty of decent moments + appalling finale.
15th Feb 2013
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The Artist
Classy, post modern love letter to cinema, that's a couple of reels too long and not as subtle as 'Hugo'.
10th Feb 2013
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Zero Dark Thirty
Slightly self-important and shapeless wander through the post-war on terror landscape.
31st Jan 2013
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The Grey
Stylish direction, cinematography and music help elevate this otherwise standard man vs nature movie.
30th Jan 2013
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The Bourne Legacy
Decent franchise expansion with plenty of thrills, but we've seen it all before.
25th Jan 2013
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Il Futuro
Italian drama with an orphaned teen moving her life forward. Rutger Hauer plays a retired 60s action star.
24th Jan 2013
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The Spectacular Now
Booze-tinged coming of age drama about moving your life forward. Semi-spectacular.
24th Jan 2013
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Liberal Arts
Meandering indie back-to-college romcom. A 35 yr old slacker visits his retiring prof & meets the new kids.
18th Jan 2013
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Blue Valentine
Decent character study that gets bogged down in predictable anti-plotting and self-importance.
13th Jan 2013
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Chain Reaction
Sub-Fugitive chase/conspiracy, from that guy that made The Fugitive. With added science and Keanu.
13th Jan 2013
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The Muppets
Well pitched, post-modern reboot, with added Brettie - so be warned, it is an actual musical.
6th Jan 2013
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We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen
Engaging niche documentary, featuring a punk who's-who of talking heads.
3rd Jan 2013
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Arbitrage
A late capitalism post-Wall St nightmare for NYC CEO Richard Gere to wriggle out of in a cashmere trench.
2nd Jan 2013
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Buried
Tense and inventive one-man thriller that piles on the suspense, but wears a little thin as you might expect.
1st Jan 2013
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The Bourne Legacy
Jeremy Renner runs into M Damon's shoes in this efficient franchise extension. Rachel Weisz roped in.
1st Jan 2013
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Sherlock Holmes, A Game of Shadows
Noisy, shapeless sequel, sacrificing pace and clarity for style and set pieces.
30th Dec 2012
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The Guilt Trip
Seth Rogen & Barbra Streisand drive each other a bit nuts. Amiable momcom, good chemistry underused.
28th Dec 2012
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The Adventures of Tintin
Spielberg brings a bit of mo-cap Indiana Jones action to the Belgian man-child.
26th Dec 2012
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Hope Springs
Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep learn to get it on again with Steve Carrell's guidance. Muted romcom.
23rd Dec 2012
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Men In Black 3
Time travel thrown into the MIB template, Josh Brolin makes a good 60s Tommy Lee Jones.
23rd Dec 2012
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Midnight In Paris
Light, fun time travel romcom with proxy Woody Allen Owen Wilson meeting 1920s boho greats at night.
17th Dec 2012
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Safe House
Decent coming-of-age CIA thriller, despite the usual OTT Denzel Washington.
15th Dec 2012
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Weekend
Stylish, accomplished feature about a burgeoning romance ...that gets a bit drawn out.
30th Nov 2012
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Tiny Furniture
Clinical 90s indie throwback, with lots of middle-class art students talking about themselves.
25th Nov 2012
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21 Jump St
Effective comedy reboot with @ChanningTatum making a good case to take over @Mark_Wahlberg's comedy crown.
15th Nov 2012
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Win Win
Engaging, low-key, small-town wrestling comedy-drama ...with Paul Giametti and Gyp Rosetti.
6th Nov 2012
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Haywire
Soderbergh tries action with a bare bones freelance spy thriller. Big name cast bit lost in global plot twists.
5th Nov 2012
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Crazy, Stupid, Love
Above average rom-com, with all the usual ingredients assembled in a fresh, touching way.
3rd Nov 2012
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Wish You Were Here
Compelling aussie drugs/holiday/infidelity mystery from @bluetonguefilms. Doesn't quite take off.
14th Oct 2012
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Radiohead
The O2
Uninspired show from one of my favourite bands, doing many of my favourite songs, close to my house.
10th Oct 2012
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Source Code
Plot-heavy Hitchcockian mash-up of 'Quantum Leap' and 'Groundhog Day' from Zowie Bowie.
4th Oct 2012
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Win Win
Decent riff on sports triumph. Schlubby lawyer/high school wrestling coach Paul Giamatti pulls underhand moves.
3rd Oct 2012
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The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Once you peel back the hype all you're left with is an overlong but stylish whodunit.
25th Sep 2012
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Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Thoughtful action gives way to stupidity as Caeser becomes modern day Chimp Guervara.
2nd Sep 2012
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