Chimpomatic

News

Reviews

Articles

Surveillance

Don Jon

Thoughtful, confident first movie from Joseph GL. Doing his best take on Jersey Shore as he navigates girls.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

20th Sep 2014

Read more 3 star reviews

Nebraska

Classical indie movie. Chained to the tripod, but anchored by some good performances.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

19th Sep 2014

Read more 3 star reviews

Search

Big Sur

Stiff, lifeless, disengaging Kerouac adaption, complete with bad wigs. And only 81 mins long.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

15th Sep 2014

Read more 2 star reviews

X~Men

Days of Future Past

Text book comic book time hopping antics. Clever twists and a heathy franchise future.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

15th Sep 2014

Read more 3.5 star reviews

Edge of Tomorrow

Smart sci-fi mashing Private Ryan with Groundhog Day. 3rd act wobbles before a strong finish.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

13th Sep 2014

Read more 3.5 star reviews

Millenium Falcon Lands in Greenham Common

A man taking publicity shots for a flying school accidentally bagged a shot of the Millennium Falcon and an X-Wing at Greenham Common, Berkshire from the Episode VII set.

#chimpx
#Film

12th Sep 2014 - Add Comment - Tweet

Magic Magic

Foreboding, tedious US-enhanced Chilean psycho thriller that's decidedly half-baked in the thrills dept.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

5th Sep 2014

Read more 2 star reviews

Ali

Michael Mann's kaleidoscopic biopic is a technical masterpiece, but it plays out like a 3 hour montage.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

4th Sep 2014

Read more 3.5 star reviews

The Butler

Powerful race biopic, painted in broad brush strokes. Forrest Gump without the wit or subtlety.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

31st Aug 2014

Read more 3 star reviews

Decoding Annie Parker

A powerful subject neutered by a shoddy script, poor direction and diabolical photography.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

31st Aug 2014

Read more 2 star reviews

Drinking Buddies

Off hand improvisational mumblecore rom-com with solid performances and many charming moments.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

29th Aug 2014

Read more 3 star reviews

Parker

Forgettable take on the well worn character, blending him seamlessly into Statham's narrow character database.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

28th Aug 2014

Read more 2 star reviews

Behind the Candelabra

Damon and Douglas raid the dressing up box for Soderbergh's unrevealing Liberace biopic.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

28th Aug 2014

Read more 2 star reviews

The Rover

Disappointing, drawn out second film from David Michôd. Style over substance and a dud turn from R Pat.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

27th Aug 2014

Read more 3 star reviews

Blood Ties

Cliched, pretentious, utterly derivative wanna-be-Scorsese gangster pic. Forgettable.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

26th Aug 2014

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Night Moves

Slow pace and a dry execution let down this promising environmentally friendly indie thriller.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

25th Aug 2014

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Up

If you like being punched in the emotional face you'll love this Pixar tearjerker. One of the best openings ever.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

25th Aug 2014

Read more 4 star reviews

Short Attention Span Theatre: Between The Planet of the Apes

Here's three quick shorts to bridge the gap between the and Rise the Dawn of the P.O.T.A.

One / Two / Three

Funded by 20th Century Fox and produced by Vice's Motherboard.

#CSF
#Film
#ShortAttentionSpanTheatre

24th Aug 2014 - Add Comment - Tweet

Enough Said

Smartly-scripted romcom that flips a lot of tropes for analysis through the middle-aged divorcee lens.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

24th Aug 2014

Read more 3.5 star reviews

Godzilla

Underwhelming monster pic that's surprising similar to the '98 model. The trailer promised a more suspense.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

24th Aug 2014

Read more 3 star reviews

Gravity

Without the 3D or IMAX, this visually impressive space flick stretches a little too thin.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

23rd Aug 2014

Read more 3.5 star reviews

2 Guns

Good concept and smart-ass but derivative script, hampered by two of the least subtle actors in Hollywood.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

21st Aug 2014

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Lone Star

Thoughtful, multi layered modern cowboy pic, examining division through the generations of a Texan town.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

18th Aug 2014

Read more 3.5 star reviews

The Impossible

Intense tsunami drama. Well meaning and powerful in places, but essentially not serving a purpose.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

18th Aug 2014

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Rust and Bone

Complex French indie favourite that fails to completely engage.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

17th Aug 2014

Read more 3 star reviews

The Washington Snipers

Accomplished feature debut from Sundance '13. Stylish, beautifully shot, but underdeveloped.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

17th Aug 2014

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Saving Mr Banks

Forgettable, plodding Mary Poppins-related biography. Full of stars, but a bit low on magic.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

16th Aug 2014

Read more 3 star reviews

Thor

The Dark World

Star Wars meets LOTR for a forgettable entry into the Marvel universe.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

16th Aug 2014

Read more 2.5 star reviews

The Fisher King

Erratic, wacky morality tale from Terry Gilliam. Uneven, but elevated hugely by Bridges & Williams.

Halliwell says: Enjoyable more for its director's extravagances than for its attempt at modern myth-making, and finally too diffuse to be taken seriously.**


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF
#Halliwell

12th Aug 2014

Read more 3 star reviews

The Sessions

Gentle, old-fashioned indie drama. Coming of age with a twist.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

11th Aug 2014

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Locke

Pretentious, boring gimmick movie that unfolds like a tedious, drunken anecdote in a joke Welsh accent.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

9th Aug 2014

Read more 2 star reviews

The Lady In The Lake

Glacially paced Raymond Chandler mystery, hampered immensely by the peep show camera style.

Halliwell says: Complex private eye yarn which makes the original Chandler dialogue sound childish by over-reliance on the subjective camera method: we see the hero's face only when he looks in a mirror. An experiment that failed because it was not really understood.*


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF
#Halliwell

8th Aug 2014

Read more 2 star reviews

Are you Mike D or Spike Jonze

Some good stuff in the latest Mike D-edited edition of Monster Children magazine, including the film below and a double edged driving playlist, curated by Mike D and Spike Jonze. I've only got two of the tracks in the Mike D playlist, but pretty much everything except Rock Lopster for Spike Jonze'.

THE SUBURBAN
Mike D, Kassia Meador, Rob Machado, Photographer Morgan Maassen
THEIR PLAYLIST
Frank Ocean, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Diplo - Hero
Portugal. The Man - Work All Day
Jai Paul - BTSTU (demo)
Can - Sing Swan Song
Silver Apples - Lovefingers
T Rex - Life’s a Gas
Neil Young - Journey Through the Past
Led Zeppelin - Good Times Bad Times
Soko feat. Ariel Pink - Monster Love
MIA feat. The Weeknd - Sexodus
Major Lazer - Get Free
Jai Paul - Jasmine (demo)
Cassius - I <3 U So
Brian Eno - Some of Them Are Old
Christian Tiger School - Various cuts
Darkside - Golden Arrow
Chromatics - Tick of the Clock
Kanye West feat. Bon Iver - Lost in the World
Chief Keef - Citgo
Kanye West - Blood on the Leaves
EPMD - You Gots to Chill


THE JEEP
Spike Jonze, Ford Archbold, Alex Knost, Tanner Rozunko and cinematographer Alex Kopps
THEIR PLAYLIST
Billy Joel - The Longest Time (start a 6am drive with this and everyone is feeling pretty good)
Jane’s Addiction - Summertime Rolls
Girls - Summertime
Guided by Voices - A Salty Salute
David Bowie - Five Years
Pavement - In the Mouth a Desert
Future Islands - Seasons (Waiting on You)
The Strokes - Someday (As we got closer to the spot, we would start picking it up…)
Minor Threat - Salad Days
X - Los Angeles
Television Personalities - Part Time Punks
Velvet Underground - Lady Godiva’s Operation
Pavement - Gold Soundz
The B-52’s - Rock Lobster

#CSF
#Film
#Heroes
#Music

5th Aug 2014 - Add Comment - Tweet

Last Ride

Stylish, forgettable small aussie drama about a bad fella bonding with his young son while on the run.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

4th Aug 2014

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Mistaken For Strangers

Intriguing self-referential rock doc about The National ...that quickly runs out of steam.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

3rd Aug 2014

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Ad Nauseum: Every Day Is Day One

Despite the underlying Samsung sponsorship, this is essentially a beautiful promo for how great surfing is. Shot by one of my favourite DOPs - Grieg Fraser.

More info here.

#CSF
#AdNauseum
#Film

2nd Aug 2014 - Add Comment - Tweet

Not Waving But Drowning

Decent debut from Devyn Waitt, capturing a solid old school 90s indie vibe.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

2nd Aug 2014

Read more 3 star reviews

Captain America

The Winter Soldier

Solid sequel that manages to stay away from too much CGI hokum for a 70s vibe.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

2nd Aug 2014

Read more 3 star reviews

Night Moves

Classy slice of 70s film noir, with a fantastic, effortless script and a star turn from Gene Hackman.

Halliwell says: Apparently a Chandlerish mystery, this is really a Pinterish audience-teaser with obsessions about communication and the meaning of life. A smart-ass entertainment for eager trendies.*


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF
#Halliwell

31st Jul 2014

Read more 4 star reviews

RIPD

Disarmingly competent - despite being an utter derivative of Men In Black, Ghostbusters and more.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

31st Jul 2014

Read more 2.5 star reviews

Sorcerer

Dull 'existential' 70s remake of tight 50s classic. Friedkin remains one of the most over-rated directors.

Halliwell says: Why anyone should have wanted to spend $20 million on a remake of The Wages Of Fear, do it badly, and give it a misleading title is anybody's guess. The result is dire.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF
#Halliwell

30th Jul 2014

Read more 2 star reviews

Love

Interesting low-budget sci fi, that has much to offer despite the ambition outstripping the execution in places.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

29th Jul 2014

Read more 3 star reviews

Medium Cool

Confident genre-bending 60s cult classic, that's running a little low on plot.

Halliwell says: Stimulating if overlong comment on the quality of life in the sixties, immaculately made and with a rather effective though obvious twist ending.**


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF
#Halliwell

28th Jul 2014

Read more 3 star reviews

Blue Jasmine

Literally the best Woody Allen film in 20 years. Solid script and several great performances.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

27th Jul 2014

Read more 3.5 star reviews

Trailer Park: Nightcrawler

Full trailer for Jake Gyllenhaal's new TV news thriller, looking forward to this one.

#chimpx
#Film
#TrailerPark

27th Jul 2014 - Add Comment - Tweet

Mud

Classy, slow burning character drama from Jeff Nichols, full of decent performances.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

20th Jul 2014

Read more 3.5 star reviews

Searching For Sugarman

Outstanding, intriguing, moving documentary about a deep black hole in the music industry.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

20th Jul 2014

Read more 4 star reviews

Trailer Park: Nightcrawler

Jake Gyllenhaal in a teaser for Dan Gilroy's LA noir Nightcrawler.

#chimpx
#Film
#TrailerPark

20th Jul 2014 - Add Comment - Tweet

Promised Land

Smart, thought provoking drama from a Matt Damon/John Krasinski script. Well handled by Gus Van Sant.


#JustWatched
#Film
#CSF

19th Jul 2014

Read more 3.5 star reviews