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Surveillance
Philadelphia
Dated and bizarrely directed Jonathan Demme landmark courtroom drama that still packs a punch.
19th Jun 2011
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My Summer of Love
Accomplished Brit indie flick for the Goldfrapp generation.
19th Jun 2011
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Shanghai Express
Total class from 1932. The camera loves Marlene Dietrich & Anna May Wong in this trainbound romance.
Halliwell says: Superbly pictorial melodrama which set the pattern for innumerable train movies to come, though none matched its deft quality and few sketched in their own characters so neatly. Plot and dialogue are silent style, but refreshingly so.***
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19th Jun 2011
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The Crimson Rivers
Decent French crime mystery, Jean Reno, Vincent Cassel on grizzly form. Bonus Street Fighter nod.
19th Jun 2011
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The Tree Of Life
Even further out Malick. A giant arthouse home movie for the meaning of life. Douglas Trumball bits: 2001+.
18th Jun 2011
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The Terminator
Well-paced suspenseful original as Arnie's relentless cyborg hunts its target, spawning a franchise.
Halliwell says: Slick rather nasty but undeniably compelling comic book adventures.*
17th Jun 2011
Read more 3.5 star reviews
Super 8
Reliable JJ homage to small-town summers, home movie-making and monster-stomping. Best use of BMX since ET.
14th Jun 2011
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The War on Drugs
Future Weather
Following Kurt Vile's departure WOD seem to have shaken the Waterboys stigma.
14th Jun 2011
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The Secret in Their Eyes
Excellent Argentinian crime thriller about a retired cop haunted by an old case.
12th Jun 2011
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Winter Kills
A star studded bizarro blip on Jeff Bridges CV. Possibly a black comedy. Definitely inexplicable.
Halliwell says: Heavy-going and confusing melodrama with much flashy editing. Despite its cast, it was never satisfactorily released.
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12th Jun 2011
Read more 0.5 star reviews
Blonde Ambition
Lowest common denominator fish out of water romantic comedy. Secret Of My Success is a distant memory.
11th Jun 2011
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Predators
Inventive, but hokey, shallow sequel ...bringing Robert Rodriguez's A-Game.
11th Jun 2011
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Fragments
Ensemble drama following the effect of a shooting. Ambitious but under developed. From \#TheBoys Rowan Woods
11th Jun 2011
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Stephen Malkmus
The Senator (Single)
On-form return w Jicks in tow & Beck on deck. Love a good outro solo.
10th Jun 2011
Read more 3.5 star reviews
Film School
Brilliant Career
Thurston Moore-worshipping debut that doesn't signal the band's later clout.
9th Jun 2011
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Solitary Man
Tired retread of several previous Michael Douglas films. Made seemingly poignant by his advancing age.
8th Jun 2011
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Wolf Parade
Expo 86
Solid enough, but lacking the highs that elevated Apologies and Mt. Zoomer up a bracket.
7th Jun 2011
Read more 3 star reviews
Justified
Season 2
Based on Elmore Leonard's character US Marshall Raylan Givens, Justified is proving to be one of the more reliable shows on TV these days. Following the proven formula of the first, season two follows a few stand-alone stories, while slowly building a season arc that comes to a head with a finale spread over the last 3 or 4 episodes. Justified eschews the high-concepts of 24 or Lost and instead concentrates on good story, great character and solid production - as Timothy Olyphant's modern day cowboy marshall clears up wrong doing in redneck America.
While heroes don't come much cooler than Raylan Givens, he's frequently given a run for his money by Good/Bad guy Boyd Crowther. It's a typecast-breaking performance from ex-crony-on-The-Shield Walton Goggins, who plays the flip-side of Givens perfectly - trying his best to stay out of trouble, but just not being able to resist it. The most likeable TV criminal since Stringer Bell.
7th Jun 2011 - Add Comment - Tweet
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Husker Du
Candy Apple Grey
Mostly Bob vs Grant but it does feature "Don't want to know if your are lonely".
6th Jun 2011
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Mars Classroom
The New Theory of Everything
The worst crime Bob Pollard can commit is to be forgettable.
6th Jun 2011
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US Marshals
Decent attempt to follow up outstanding actioner 'The Fugitive'. Lacking Harrison Ford, but added twists.
5th Jun 2011
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Valentine's Day
Rom-com version of Short Cuts ....without anything like Raymond Carver or Robert Altman.
5th Jun 2011
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Bad Lieutenant Port of Call New Orleans
Unfathomable, pedestrian re-imagining from Werner Herzog, with added iguana.
5th Jun 2011
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She's Out Of My League
Disappointing, flat, meandering dirty rom com with Jay Baruchel. Judd Apatow not involved.
5th Jun 2011
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The Romantics
Unambitious old - friends - reunite - for - wedding flick, covering well trodden ground.
4th Jun 2011
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Terminator Salvation
This under rated (by me), well handled, stylish addition to the franchise has much to offer.
3rd Jun 2011
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Eddie Vedder
Ukulele Songs
Simply awful. George Formby does \#PearlJam
3rd Jun 2011
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Arctic Monkeys
Suck It And See
Disappointing plod, swapping edgy rock for 60's croon. Track 12 stands out.
3rd Jun 2011
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Yuck
Yuck
Throwback shoe-gazing indie nostalgia trip. Though it's more Family Cat than Galaxie 500.
3rd Jun 2011
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Bad Teacher
Some laughs, but Bad Santa + School of Rock + Cameron Diaz does not equal the sum of it's parts.
3rd Jun 2011
Read more 2.5 star reviews
How To Make It In America
Season 1
HBO
With Entourage winding down after an epic 7 (soon to be 8th and final) seasons, HBO have started to line up it's successor. While the no-money, Lower East Side vibe of aspiring fashion entrepreneurs Ben Epstein and Cam Calderon might seem like a million miles from the valet parking of Vincent Chase's Hollywood, there are many parallels with this East Coast cousin - following the same dreams of success and the high life, just jumping on board at an earlier stage.
Despite the opposing fortunes, lifestyle envy also plays a big part here and while the reality of always being a dollar short might not quite hold the everlasting appeal of having a dollar too much, always knowing the hippest parties and being on first-name terms with every door man in town is something many of us would have loved 15 years ago. Slow motion mixes with flash frame photography and well chosen music to beautifully capture the gritty, exciting world of opportunity of both the Lower East Side and the just-graduated student mentality.
How To Make It In America has that quick-fix vibe that gets you high in 25 minutes and leaves you wanting more. Well-rounded episodes that fly by, but the season arc stays strong and is filled out well with multiple story strands (including a career-best performance from Luis Guzman and Rasta Monsta) all staying as strong as each other, while still building the bigger picture of the show's overall themes and agenda.
Great stuff. Should be back for season 2 later on in 2011.
1st Jun 2011 - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 4.5 star reviews
X-men: First Class
Not quite 1st class but not 2nd rate. Fassbender & Macavoy have fun w brain powers; Betty Draper: real ice queen.
31st May 2011
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My Morning Jacket
Circuital
A lot more even than Evil Urges, but the title track is the only real stand-out here.
31st May 2011
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The Proposition
Keep forgetting I've seen this dry Australian western from Nick Cave ...which can't be a good sign.
30th May 2011
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Toy Story 3
A final homage as our favorite toys tug the sentimental heartstrings for one last time. Brilliant.
29th May 2011
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Robin Hood
Second, dad-supervised viewing. Some good bits, but both overambitious and under-developed.
27th May 2011
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Eddie Vedder
Ukulele Songs
Fun, one-dimensional album as Eddie jogs through old and new, adding Hawaiian vibes.
26th May 2011
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Iron Man 2
Stupid, lazy, rushed, shapeless, underdeveloped sequel - sacrificing style for pure volume.
26th May 2011
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The Bounty Hunter
Gerard Butler has to get ex-wife/bail jumper Jen Aniston back in custody. Midnight Run it is not.
20th May 2011
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Kurt Vile at Rough Trade East
A little shambolic, while the heavy sound didn't bring the best from Vile's DIY vibe.
19th May 2011
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Blitz
Valiant, star-studded mainstream Brit cop thriller. Well managed, but hampered by cliched, clunky characters.
17th May 2011
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The Way Back
The stellar director and all-star cast can't save this dull wartime road movie, lacking in jeopardy.
15th May 2011
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The Spy Who Came In From The Cold
Compelling Le Carré. R Burton total class. George Smiley cameo: just like Marvel universe .
Halliwell says: The old undercover yarn with all the trimmings of such sixties malaises as death wish, anti-establlishmentism and racial problems. As a yarn, quite gripping till it gets too downbeat, but very harshly photographed.**
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15th May 2011
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The Bounty Hunter
Aniston on the run. Gerard Butler as Mel Gibson. V 80s inflight trash .
15th May 2011
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Girls
Broken Dreams Club
Had this for ages but cant stop listening to it. Carolina is endlessly appealing. Perfect
12th May 2011
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Panda Bear
Tomboy
I'm convinced the world doesn't need Panda Bear AND Animal Collective. One's gonna have to go.
10th May 2011
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Pirates Of The Caribbean 4
Couple of ARRRRR jokes, fun all-action escapes, underused Lovejoy, no real plot. marks the spot.
10th May 2011
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The Manchurian Candidate
60's thriller with Sinatra that has lost much of the edginess it must have had at the time.
Halliwell says: Insanely plotted but brilliantly handled spy thriller, a mixture of Hitchcock, Welles and All The King's Men.***
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9th May 2011
Read more 3 star reviews
The Invention of Lying
Dry, convoluted comedy from Ricky Gervais - stretching out a drunken pub idea to 96 mins.
8th May 2011
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Get Him To The Greek
Potentially average comedy, elevated to more by @RustyRockets multiple LOL inducing performance.
7th May 2011
Read more 3 star reviews