Yeah that one is very enjoyable

Yeah, I should have worded it so that it didn't sound like - but thats is what I think ground-breaking is. 'Avatar' was not ground-breaking. 'Avatar' still looked fake and looked like any other CG Movie but with slightly more money put into it. I know they invented an on-the-spot-rendering program or something like that, but in my opinion 'Beowulf' was visually far more ground-breaking. When I saw the trailer, I didn't know that it was entirely CG, and only after ten minutes did I eventually realise I was watching CG. They moved like real people, Sean Bean was literally cloned down to every single wrinkle, and it was only later on when they started definitely looking like CG people. I had never seen anything like that...and I haven't seen it since. 'Avatar' has more polished textures, but it looked pretty much the same but just with a bull-crap environment (I cant believe people want to live there. Yes, I really want to live in the land where EVERYTHING IS TRYING TO KILL YOU!!).

But I digress. The corridor scene honest to god looked real. I mean - it literally looked like the world was turning. In 'Avatar' I never thought that I could just step into Pandora. With this, it dis-orientated me, and made me have a really creepy dream about the world tuning upside down and everyone falling into the sky - which is what SHOULD have happened in Level 3....

Slumdog Millionaire

Believe it or not, this has been sitting on my DVD Shelf for almost two years. I know my parents have watched it (they also saw it at the cinema - because I wasn't 15 when this came out. I want them to create a '20' rating just so that I can keep having the excitement of a new world of movies opened for me to explore at my leisure) but I just have not got round to it. I was almost anxious because of the huge praise it has gotten, and usually when that happens it is never fulfilled. But it was not on this day....

I should hate it. A landslide of Academy Awards, and orgasmic following, a clichéd 'he gets the girl' happy ending, and enough Dutch angles to make 'Battlefield Earth' jealous. But, it just works. After hearing 'The Kings Speech' being bashed and branded as an 'Oscar Bait' movie (which it is, but its still an excellently put together film), I was wondering why this isn't criticised in a similar fashion. 

Because its genuine escapism. Even in the grittiest and harshest moments, I was captivated by the movie, and when the DVD ended I for the first time in ages felt reality come crashing back to me. This has not happened since I began to take a more critical view on movies.

Also, I'm English - and it makes me proud whenever we make globally recognised movies of this quality. Everyone has a soft-spot for their own country *COUGH*THE BEIJING OLYMPICS WAS THE MOST BIASED SPORTING EVENT IN THE HISTORY OF SPORT*COUGH* and I am no exception. Although, I still hate the Government for firstly taxing us up the a$$, then raising University Tuition Fees making my chances of going to University (that's 'College' in the US) without being in the slums less than winning a TV Talent Show - plus meaning that Universities have to stop several courses including a Scriptwriting course at the TOP MEDIA/FILM UNIVERISTY IN THE UK WHICH HAD MY NAME ALL OVER IT!! F**K YOU CAMERON!! BOTH DAVID AND JAMES!!! YOUR BOTH ARROGANT DWEEBS WHO I WANT TO BEAT TO DEATH WITH AN AVATAR DVD CASE!!!

*One viewing of 'Batman: The Movie' later*

Where was I? Oh: And finally abolishing the UK Film Council - making 'The Kings Speech' the last Lottery-Funded film in the UK and thus seriously endangering the UK Film Industry.

So there - that's two consecutive 'reviews' on movies that I liked. So, if you think I hate everything because of minor nitpicks: I dont and never have (No, I didn't just put in Coalition Government and Avatar hate to stop it from looking like I praise everything....)

Last edited by Max Butcher (February 12, 2011 (10:20am))

Well, still being relatively new here, that's the first time I've ever seen a Max Butcher rant. And, well... nice.

I'm in agreement about Cameron and Clegg being idiots. Sure, you politicians can spend thousands buying stuff like kennels with the tax payers' money, but oh no, you can't keep things like libraries open?
-That is all.

I saw quite a few movies in Santa Barbara. They're all independent so you won't have heard of any of them.

Piché: The Landing of a Man
A true story about a pilot from Quebec whose plane ran out of fuel mid-flight, and his life before and afterwards.
A really beautiful film. The whole thing is so perfectly shot, it makes The Social Network look like Buddies. The flashing between pre-flight and post-flight gets a bit confusing but other than that, I can find no faults.

Nostalgia for the Light
A documentary about astronomy and massacre in Chile and the relationships between the two.
This felt far too artsy to be a documentary. The hook of the film was the astronomers are forever searching the depths of space and there are women who are forever searching the entire desert to find the remains of their dead husbands. It wasn't as clever as it played itself to be, and, while I sympathised with the widows, I didn't learn anything and I went away feeling a bit empty.

Simple Simon
A Swedish film about a boy called Simon who has Asperger Syndrome, and his quest to find his brother a girlfriend.
Such a charming movie. I know several people with Asperger's so this was quite close to my heart. Simon is just so loveable, even though he's sometimes really really annoying (just like real Asperger's! See? It's written so well.)

Exporting Raymond
A comedic documentary about Phil Rosenthal, the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond, trying to pitch and create a Russian remake of his sitcom.
I didn't laugh that much (American humour) but the rest of the audience was in stitches. A good insight into the world of international television, but it wasn't really my thing.
(Phil appeared afterwards to do a Q&A sessions with the audience - he said he edited the 85-minute movie down from 200 hours of footage. ya rly.)

The Illusionist
A hand-drawn animated silent film about a French illusionist whose craft is becoming less and less popular.
Another stunningly beautiful movie. The plot is more like real-life, so there's no real build up, no climax, and the ending is somewhat melancholy. It's utterly engrossing and very enjoyable. You won't forget it either.

Good For Nothing
A 'kiwi western' - a cowboy film made in New Zealand. It's about a rogue cowboy who's got a problem with his *ahem* and captures a lady to see if he can fix it.
I actually met the lead actors for this one before I saw it. They were really nice people who seemed rather proud of what they had made. It's entertaining, but riddled with flaws. There's very little dialogue, which the director chose because he knew the actors couldn't do the accent very well. The amusement-factor of subject matter is debatable (it's introduced by the deviant mumbling to a doctor that "My !@#$'s broke,") but it ticks all the boxes of a western and I don't regret going to see it. It's good, when compared to nothing.

A Deeper Shade of Blue
A documentary about surfing - its history and its stars.
I wouldn't have chosen this one myself, but I met the director in the filmmakers' lounge and he talked me into it. He said that he wanted this film to be accessible to surfers and non-surfers alike, and he succeeded. The perfect surfing movie. It's a shame that a pair of surfing brothers featured in the film wouldn't shut up during it.
WOOOOOOOOOOO!!! YEAH!!!!

I've heard of The Illusionist (watched it) and heard of Good for Nothing.

Simple Simon sounds good. My brother has Asberger's syndrome.

I enjoy the ending.

Wow, way to sink your reputation on this site even lower. Stop ranting. Nobody wants to put up with the annoying way you rant about movies. Keep your bad movie taste to yourself.

I saw Class of Nuke'em High

A wonderful and hilarious movie from Troma entertainment.

No need for that. Everyone is allowed an opinion on this site, as long as you don't force it upon others. I actually rather like reading his rants (though I am kinda weird for that sort of thing). Also, no one has a 'bad' movie taste. Simply because he doesn't/does like one thing that you do/don't like, doesn't mean to say he has bad taste. Leave his opinion alone.