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It used to be that I’d have to endure a media blockout through an entire Monday so I could enjoy the Oscars telecast. As it happens live on a Sunday night in the States, it’s actually around 10AM Monday morning in Australia, and in the past the TV network screening the event wouldn’t do so until the prime time slot later that evening, usually 8 or 9 pm. This meant having to avoid all computers,...
Ordinarily, getting my wife to watch a film with me simply because I state: “it’s supposed to be really good, it’s up for an Oscar!” isn’t enough to get her keen on viewing it. She has good reason to doubt my judgement, and once you’ve done the house duties and put the kiddies to sleep, what precious time you have left in the evening should not be spent on a dud film. In the...
If you asked a group of people in their twenties what films come to mind when you hear the word “Disney”, you’d most likely get responses along the line of The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King.
These films have managed to stand the test of time with all of them having reached, or nearing, their 20th anniversaries (how old does that make you feel?). But what is it...
Way back in the beginning of December, in our first week of existence, I posted a list of the five most anticipated films of the summer. Now that it is officially autumn (even if the weather obstinately refuses to accept this incontravertible truth), it’s the perfect time to look back over the past three months and put the summer releases in perspective. There were a few surprises, some hits and some misses,...
[Writer's note: This review was originally written when Up was in theatrical release and my thoughts on it haven’t changed since then. I’m thrilled to see it nominated for both best animated feature and best picture at the Academy awards. When reading over this, I found it funny that I compared it to District 9 and Inglourious Basterds in quality, both of which have also been nominated for best picture...
Ah, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts: Britain’s answer to the Academy Awards. I don’t think I know any people who speak of the BAFTAs (or the Golden Globes, for that matter) when comparing the calibre and critical worth of films; it’s always the Oscars that everyone talks about ten years after the fact. But the Oscars are weird and unpredictable, especially when it comes to Best...
Remember the first time you watched The Sixth Sense? Perhaps you were lucky enough to not know the ending upon your first viewing – making the twist all the more powerful. I remember hearing about the film long before I saw it, there was always someone at school talking about how they went with their older brother and it scared the shit out of them. ‘The ending is amazing’ was a phrase I found myself hearing...
From Paris With Love reeks of squandered potential. Charlie Wax could have been an iconic, entertaining character in his own right, and John Travolta’s performance is desperately trying to push the character in the direction of success, but something about the film’s script and direction really drags the otherwise entertaining character into the inescapable realm of mediocrity. How does this happen,...
Shutter Island is a strange movie, but not in the way it intends to be: it’s strange because it’s bad. Martin Scorsese isn’t the critical and commercial king he is today because he makes movies that suck. But he’s managed the impossible here — he’s made a bad film. ”But the trailer is awesome,” you say, tears running down your trembling face in denial. Well, the...
I can appreciate the extra-exhilaration an American citizen might experience when watching The Hurt Locker. While the film speaks for any human soul with a will to live, it remains incredibly patriotic and makes sure to put things like ‘the American way of life’ and ‘The American Dream’ in the spotlight. Without getting overly political about the actual situation in Iraq and why...
Thoughts on a ground-breaking Oscars ceremony (82nd Academy Awards)
THE BLIND SIDE: Hollywood’s default setting
Posted by JonBoy on Mar 3rd, 2010 in Featured, First Impressions, Reel Thoughts, Uncategorized | Comments
WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY promises to shed light on unsung Disney heroes.
Summer review round-up: the good, the bad and the ugly
Posted by JonBoy on Feb 24th, 2010 in Featured, Reel Reviews, Reel Thoughts, Uncategorized | Comments
UP secures both Best Animated Film and Best Picture nominations and it totally deserves it.
BAFTA awards snub AVATAR, earn my respect
A personal reflection on M.NIGHT SHYAMALAN
FROM PARIS WITH LOVE review: return to sender
SHUTTER ISLAND review: let me off the island
THE HURT LOCKER review: Universal themes cloaked in the American flag
SHUTTER ISLAND: Let me off the island
THE HURT LOCKER: Universal themes cloaked in the American flag
DISTRICT 9: Brains, brawn and prawns
State of the art: 3D and the "Avatar effect"
The Super Bowl TV spots of 2010
Limitations can help filmmakers and George Lucas is insane
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