Change Your Image
chriskooter
Reviews
Deadwood (2004)
Just amazing..........
Well my girlfriend got this off my folks for Christmas on reputation alone and it exceeded its promise, tenfold! We actually sat down to watch one episode, six hours later we decided we really must go to bed! The acting is outstanding (the whole cast), the humour is great, the characters well drawn and the drama fresh and original (and as a Limey c##ksucker I have NO problem with the language, we love our swearing here in the north!!). I'm so pleased Ian Mc Shane has been given a chance to show his class, as he's someone whose career started so promisingly then trailed off in to mid afternoon guest spots on banal/safe TV dramas. Check out Freelance, Villain or Sitting Target for some early appearances in gritty British crime films, they're all good! This isn't a partisan review though, the American cast is just as strong, Brad Douriff is incredible and I think Timothy Olyphant is excellent too (come on it's harder to play a convincing good guy than a meaty villain). All the female characters are especially well played to (Robin Weigert's Calamity Jane is Emmy worth!!), and I expect their influence will develop with the show. Credit to HBO again, I really didn't think they could top The Sopranos or Band of Brothers, I hope they have a slate of this kind of drama lined up!!!
Still Crazy (1998)
Could've been a lot, lot better........
I really wanted to like this film, the premise was pretty good, decent cast, and very early on it was earthy and believable. As it progressed it really started to become so painfully self-conscious and cliché ridden I breathed out heavily with disappointment. I even liked the early songs (they were at least kind of believable, 'All Over The World' was actually pretty good), but the rose tinted view of rock'n'roll maaan, the lazy stereotypes, left a bitter taste in my mouth. Then, about half way through, everyone became so earnest and noble and pretty much any hope of this film expressing any genuine emotion disintegrated (It became the visual equivalent of listening to a Bono speech). These are also the qualities which I've always found the least attractive in real music. It became an obvious ego-trip for certain parties (JImmy Nail?, you bet) and the fabulous talents of Stephen Rea and Bill Nighy were all but wasted. The comedy became pretty thin too, the writers (who have been brilliant in the past) just refused to stretch themselves, resorting to every cliché in the book... Worst of all tho'? THE song, 'Flame Still Burns'!! It's about the worst song I've ever heard (how I'm supposed to be pleased a group of 60's trailblazers turn out a hideous AOR power-ballad song like this I really don't know?)... It's even worse than 'Wind of Change' by Scorpions.... Horrible, middle of the road 'power ballad with meaning' rock, eight!!... I guess if you love music like that your gonna love this, so that's fair enough... Personally this dreadful song just made me wish these fictitious fruits had died in a plane crash in '73........
Hosszú vágta (1983)
Genuinely touching and noble story
Really enjoyed this little movie. It's a moving film about struggle, sacrifice and especially the bonds of friendship between different peoples (the child actor who plays Miki is especially good). There's so many large scale impersonal films set around WW2, that this convincingly told little story is a real break from the norm, and an original one at that. I'll also add that this film is far from boring, very far!! Of course the Horses are wonderful and the scenery breathtaking. To anyone who really treats their animal as part of the family (I do), you'll find this film especially rewarding. Recommended to movie fans who look for something a little different.
Sutjeska (1973)
Highly watchable WW2 drama
If you have an interest in WW2 and especially movies related to that conflict, this might make an interesting change from the usual Hollywood epics from the 60's. I had to see this having been impressed with 'The Battle on the River Neretva', another entertaining and well produced 70's film from the former Yugoslavia. I've also seen some poor Italian efforts that generally lack decent direction and are half-baked cash-ins on the Hollywood epics they attempt to imitate (there are a few decent ones). Like 'Neretva' you can tell this was made in a former communist country with an emphasis on the common struggle, with sentiment sometimes contrived and also overbearing a little too much (a few scenes are genuinely moving). However, this is a story told with much truth, and the braveness and courage of the Yugoslavian resistance to the Nazi's is nothing to mock. As a story it's a little too episodic but is nevertheless a gripping watch. What's impressive also is the budget involved, you'd seriously struggle to find any WW2 movie with as many extras as this (and 'Neretva') and the props (vehicles, weaponry etc) are all excellent for this era. The direction is fine (not exceptional), the scenery is fantastic. Burton as Tito is pretty stiff, he plays the man as if he were being portrayed in a propaganda description (probably exactly what was required) and the other actors are generally all good. Overall this is a highly entertaining film and deserves a better fate as it portrays one of the lesser known struggles of WW2. Not that easy to find, here in the UK it was released on tape in the early 80's (The fairly rare Videomedia label, same as 'Neretva') with a bright, decent quality, slightly letterboxed print. Maybe a DVD will surface that's not just a rip from tape!! One fault with this UK release was the fact the subtitles are missing from the German speaking scenes, a shame, but it doesn't spoil the film too much.
Legends of the Fall (1994)
Souless, overwrought drivel.... Highly recommended!!!
This is in my top 3 worst films of the 90's (maybe all time!!), no contest!!! It's easily one of the most overblown, stagnant, and unintentionally hilarious movies ever produced.... The cinematic equivalent of a Gillette advert if scripted by Danielle Steel, it's that superficial!!!! Hi-camp of the first order, by people who should know better.... To be honest, I find myself enjoying it in the same way people will always love Plan 9 from Outer Space!!! If you miss Dr Quinn Medicine Woman or think those black and white posters of muscly guys holding babys are beautiful, I strongly advise you to see this movie, you'll love it!!! I think a lot should rest on the shoulders of Mr Zwick who is proving to be (along with Mr Chechick) one of the new hopes for provoking some sort of cinematic revolution!!!!
Confessione di un commissario di polizia al procuratore della repubblica (1971)
Blew me away!!!
The other reviewer here is spot on , this is a fantastic film by any standards... Forget any prejudice you may have for imported or dubbed films (the main actors dub themselves) and enjoy this intelligent and intense movie. Damiani who directed the amazing 'Bullet for the General' is a fascinating and serious film maker and a real class act when on top form.. Add Franco Nero in a great performance and Martin Balsam, one of the finest character actors ever and you've got a little known classic.. I'm currently tracking down other 70's Damiani movies on the strength of this!!!
Gente di rispetto (1975)
Unusual and intriging..
I saw this under the title The Masters on video in the UK. I've seen a lot of Italian movies from this time and if you allow for the limitations of dubbing and budget this film is actually pretty special. The idea of one man manipulating a whole population of a small town is brilliantly handled, and acted by James Mason. Franco Nero and Jennifer O Neal both give decent performances as pawns in a much larger conspiracy. It also has some great inexplicable moments, the frozen bodies on the motorbike, the revelation of what James Mason keeps in his backgarden, the superstitions of the townspeople. This all adds to the intrigue of this fascinating film. Somewhere between exploitation and art this film represents just what I personally look for in Italian movies from the 70's. Recommended, but not for everyone.