Chimpomatic

State of Grace

Early 90s gangster pic - with juvenile Penn, Oldman and Reilly doing a dry run for 'The Departed'.

Halliwell says: Dull and plodding gangster movie.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF
#Halliwell

28th Feb 2012

The Eagle

Roman action/drama that covers the same ground as 'Centurion', with twice the style and half the pace.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

25th Feb 2012

The Company Men

Thoughtful unemployment drama, filled with solid performances and classy cinematography.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

25th Feb 2012

Walking Tall

Fun smalltown actioner with a plot The A-team would be proud of except The Rock didn't know who to call.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

25th Feb 2012

Married To The Mob

Tight, multi-layered comedy in Jonathan Demme's best film - and the antidote to 'Goodfellas'.

Halliwell says: Effervescent comedy-thriller that bubbles merrily along.**

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF
#Halliwell

23rd Feb 2012

Scarface

Shapeless pacing and shoddy production values make for one of the most over-rated film school favorites.

Halliwell says: Absurdly brutalized version of the above, with detailed violence and a superabundance of foul language. Scarface has now become an emigre Cuban, and the film seems to want to make a political statement.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF
#Halliwell

20th Feb 2012

No Strings Attached

Devastatingly transparent and unambitious romcom-by-numbers with Natalie Portman.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

19th Feb 2012

London Boulevard

Surprisingly acceptable mockney caper. Think The Long Good Friday with flashes of Only Fools & Horses.

#Film
#CJ

18th Feb 2012

Luck

A strong cast and confident direction get this Michael Mann show off to a strong start. Let's hope it grows.

#TV
#CSF

18th Feb 2012

Tomorrow, When The War Began

Heartbreak High meets Red Dawn in this bland teen Aussie box office smash.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

17th Feb 2012

Rush

Disappointingly dated, wooden, melodramatic undercover-cops-go-too-far movie. With added Eric Clapton noodling.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

15th Feb 2012

No Man's Land

Surprisingly stylish slice of 80s action with @CharlieSheen ...like Point Break, without surfboards.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

14th Feb 2012

June Tabor and Oysterband

Chichester Festival Theatre

West Sussex based organisation “Roots around the World” have organised a music festival "The Britfolk Footprint" as part of their efforts to promote both new and established artists. This was the headline evening of the festival with veterans June Tabor and Oysterband top of the bill. Their act was largely based around their two collaborative albums, the folk rock classic "Freedom and Rain" and their current much acclaimed "Ragged Kingdom".

The performance got off to the best possible start with the rousing traditional "Bonny Bunch Of Roses" modified to blend folk diva Tabor's smooth and melodious voice with the stomping backing of the Oysterband. However it was not all folk based music as they worked their way through PJ Harvey’s "That Was My Veil", Dylan’s "Seven Curses", Joy Division’s "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and an excellent duet between Tabor and John Jones of the soul classic "Dark End of the Street". The finishing number was the powerfully delivered Jefferson Airplane 60’s classic "White Rabbit".

On the 8th February, the artists scooped four awards at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, including Best Singer, Best Group and Best Album (Ragged Kingdom), making our attendance very timely.

The support acts for the evening were provided by talented and gimmick free English folk trio "Pilgrim’s Way", and singer guitarist Sean Taylor.

#Music
#Gig
#Puskas

13th Feb 2012 - Add Comment - Tweet

The Lincoln Lawyer

Matthew McRomcomedy gets semi-serious in this tricksy courtroom drama ...an updated Jagged Edge.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

13th Feb 2012

Chalet Girl

Unambitious @UKFilmCouncil drivel starring many of the usual suspects. I'm talking to you \#BillNighy.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

12th Feb 2012

Battle Los Angeles

Stylish, directionless, underdeveloped video game shoot 'em up. Black Hawk Down with aliens.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

11th Feb 2012

I'm Not There

This novel, stylish, pretentious biopic fails to make the most of its biggest asset...Bob Dylan's music.

#Film
#CJ

10th Feb 2012

The Ghost

Clumsy, inefficient thriller. Was going to say wannabee-Polanski, then I noticed Polanski directed it.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

1st Feb 2012

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

More mindless big budget tentpole antics. Nothing new to report, Cap'n.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

30th Jan 2012

Ironclad

Shapeless medieval actioner. The medium calibre cast is let down by the shoddy production quality & script.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

28th Jan 2012

Paul

Turgid alien bromance comedy. Disappointing turns from Rogan/Frost/Pegg/Mottola.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

26th Jan 2012

True Grit

Sumptuous, beautifully shot, stylish western. Its slowness is saved by a couple of great set pieces.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

23rd Jan 2012

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Improved op, Simon Pegg lightens Cruise control. Overlong, vertigo stunts IMAX-ready.

#Screened
#Film
#chimp71

23rd Jan 2012

127 Hours

Bold, confident filmmaking from @DannyBoyleFilm. 57 Hours might have worked better.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

23rd Jan 2012

The Adjustment Bureau

Unsteady retro sci-fi with religious undertones - that once might have starred Jimmy Stewart.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

21st Jan 2012

True Grit

Jeff Bridges saddles up for a manhunt w Matt Damon & Hailee Steinfeld. Nobody does ornery better: true great.

#Screened
#Film
#chimp71

21st Jan 2012

Reds

Portentous historical epic from Warren Beatty. Ambitious in scale and production, it sadly fails to get going.

Halliwell says: Interminably long but full of quality, this immensely detailed work was a most unlikely project to succeed in the eighties, but its very strangeness enabled it to break even.**

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF
#Halliwell

21st Jan 2012

The Good The Bad And The Ugly

Newly extended scenes only highlight how good every scene is in this masterful western.

Halliwell says: Intermittently lively, very violent and interminably drawn out western with a number of rather hilarious stylistic touches.*

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF
#Halliwell

19th Jan 2012

Midnight Run

Note perfect action comedy from Martin Brest. Movies don't get much better than this.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

18th Jan 2012

Limitless

Expensive, psychedelic student film exploring sci-fi drug dependency.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

16th Jan 2012

Limitless

Well-shot, pacy NYC fantasy about a wonder drug that gives you ultra clarity/turns everything into fisheye.

#Screened
#Film
#chimp71

15th Jan 2012

It's Kind of a Funny Story

Disappointing blend of Cuckoo's Nest and 500 Days. @Galifianakisz saves the day again.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

14th Jan 2012

Leon

It seemed derivative at the time, but Luc Besson's hit man flick brought some edgy originality to Hollywood.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

13th Jan 2012

Sinoia Caves

The Enchanter Persuaded

Moody synth soundscapes from @_blackmountain_ 's Jeremy Schmidt.

#OnRotation
#Music
#CSF

12th Jan 2012

Fallen Angels

WKW's Chungking Express follow-up sacrifices charm for extremist style that has rarely been equalled.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

11th Jan 2012

Hereafter

Bizarre exploration of the afterlife from Clint. Hot on the heels of What Dreams May Come and Lovely Bones.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

7th Jan 2012

The Green Hornet

Dull big screen outing for a second rate superhero - wasting considerable talent and money.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

7th Jan 2012

Mesrine Part 2: Public Enemy No 1

More expensive, directionless French gangster antics. With added Almaric.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

4th Jan 2012

Betrayed

Detailed, absorbing thriller from Costas Garvas, as Debra Winger goes undercover with the KKK.

Halliwell says: Heavygoing piece with Something to Say, but not much to watch.*

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF
#Halliwell

3rd Jan 2012

Ratatouille

There's a rat in the kitchen, what can Pixar do? Serve up a MasterRat toon. Hard sell, but it works.

#Screened
#Film
#chimp71

3rd Jan 2012

Tootsie

Still great 80s drag comedy w Dustin Hoffman scoring a soap job in heels. Bonus: Bill Murray as his flatmate.

Halliwell says: As with Genevieve and Whisky Galore, an unlikely comedy subject makes an instant classic. It's all in the handling.**

#Screened
#Film
#chimp71
#Halliwell

3rd Jan 2012

What Just Happened

Dark, stylish, humorous dissection of the movie biz ...that only makes me want to live in LA.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

2nd Jan 2012

Gulliver's Travels

Unambitious, child friendly update to the classic tale.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

2nd Jan 2012

Drive

Still derivative. Still borderline pretentious. Still enjoyable.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

1st Jan 2012

Cool World

Early 90's car crash, as Ralph Bakshi's kaleidoscopic fountain of ideas collides with the mainstream.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

30th Dec 2011

Beginners

Assured, personal, touching, refreshing exploration of love and relationships from Mike Mills.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

29th Dec 2011

Megamind

The superior rock OST is virtually all that distinguishes this from 'Despicible Me'.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

27th Dec 2011

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Super fast paced, thoughtful action movie - that stretches things a little too far.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

27th Dec 2011

Breaking Bad Season 4

This show just gets better and better, with S4 providing the tightest, most rivetting twists yet.

#TV
#CSF

26th Dec 2011

The King's Speech

A touching, powerful story. Well acted and adequately told.

#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

26th Dec 2011