Avengers, The

 

Year of release

2012

 

Directed by

Joss Whedon

Written by

Joss Whedon

Starring

Robert Downey Jr.

Chris Evans

Mark Ruffalo

Chris Hemsworth

Scarlett Johansson

Tom Hiddleston

Samuel L. Jackson

 

The Avengers

     

 

Plot – The Cosmic Cube. A device of immense power. And it's just been stolen by the God of Mischief, Loki. In conjunction with the alien race, the Chitauri, he plans to pulverise and enslave the Earth. No one man can stop them. And on that day The Avengers were born – to fight foes no single hero could withstand.

First off let me say that score will in all likeliehood drop. While I'll still probably keep it around the 4.5/4.5+ level I don't think this is one of my fabled 5 out of 5 films. So why that score just now? Well because it's still fresh in my mind and I'm still in the middle of geeking out: having a nerdgasm I believe the kids are calling it these days! If I was on twitter and was tweeting my thoughts during the film it would just have been a constant fanboy stream of “OMG!”, “Awesome Hulk moment!”, “Awesome Iron Man moment!”, “Robert Downey Jr. rules!”, “Did you see that?!!!”, “Iron Man v Thor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”, “Holy **** the SHIELD Helicarrier!” and on and on. However I shall attempt to be a touch more eloquent and loquacious here.

If like me you were left with a longing to slit your wrists following Nolan's bleak, nihilistic Dark Knight then this is the prefect antithesis. It's bright, bold, colourful, funny. What a 'comic book movie' should be in my eyes. As with the best superhero movies to date (Iron Man, Spider-Man 2, X-Men First Class, Batman Begins etc) the reason this is such a roaring success is that it really does feel like a comic book brought to life. There are so many moments that if you just froze them you'd swear you were looking at a panel in a comic book

I'll be up front and admit to being a massive worshipper of the superhero, both in comic book and movie form. And as far as comic book movies go this is just about the holy grail; getting Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk etc all in one movie? Didn't think I would ever really see that. So this will be more the thoughts of a comic loving geek, than the review of a respected critic (me respected? Yeah right! ) Perhaps it won't do much to get the respect of the high brow posters on here that I strive for at times, but I always aim to be honest about my likes and dislikes.

When it comes to selecting directors and actors Marvel Studios have made some interesting and inspired choices (Downey, Favreau, Branagh, Shane Black etc) and they have made another in Joss Whedon. While it may have seemed the perfect choice to comic book geeks like myself it was still a bit of a risk. After all his top TV shows Buffy and Angel; while landmark, touchstone shows were not exactly world beaters in terms of ratings. His last two shows lasted for just 14 (Firefly) and 26 (Dollhouse) episodes respectively before being axed. And his other foray onto the big screen, Serenity, grossed just $38.9 million worldwide; coming up just short of its $39 million budget. So handing him the reigns of a $200m budgeted film still must have been a big call, and one that other studios may have balked at.

And Whedon has more than repaid their faith in him. An incredible amount of credit is due to the script he has penned. While it's never going to go down as one of the all-time classics, or be nominated for any awards, when you take into account the potential obstacles and pitfalls for me it will most likely be one of the most impressive accomplishments of the year. As well as being full of witty dialogue it performs a terrific juggling act that not only gives every character their moments to shine, but does so in a way that doesn't feel forced or shoe-horned in. It feels like they all belong and that they are all a vital element of the Avengers, they aren't just pointless additions to stoke up the fires of fanboy excitement. Whedon is able to find time to give just about every character their own arc and story; whether it be trying to find their way in a modern world (Cap), trying to prove they truly are a selfless hero (Iron Man) or trying to control the beast within (Hulk).They entertain individually but also have a number of entertaining conflicts/relationships between themselves. Captain America and Iron Man have a bit of a bickering, odd couple relationship; Tony Stark and Bruce Banner connect over their intellect and the darkness within that they are striving to control; Agent Coulson (played winningly and with great comic timing once again by Clark Gregg) has a connection to just about everyone and is instrumental in bringing them together.

Perhaps predictably the character who benefits most from Whedon's involvement is Scarlet Johansson's Black Widow. Whedon's penchant for a strong heroine allows her to shine. While the character brings over the kick-ass element she showed in Iron Man 2, there is a lot more to her this time out. She is smart, cunning and more than feels like a worthy addition to the team. So much so that she's gone from a character I wasn't all that bothered about to someone I'd really like to see get her own film. Marvel have strayed from the safe superhero ground recently with epic fantasy (Thor) and period adventure (Captain America), and I would be really intrigued to see an espionage thriller from them. Oh and as someone who's never really been overly fond of Scarlett Johansson I found her extremely sexy with her red hair and kick-ass attitude.

The acting throughout is a big success. It's quite clear that these guys feel comfortable in the characters, and have benefited greatly from already playing and learning their character in their individual movies. Downey is still excellent, pretty much a perfect fit for Stark as he throws out one caustic line after another, frequently at the expense of either Captain America or Thor. And he would arguably be the runaway star of the piece if it wasn't for the surprise of The Hulk. Of all Marvel's A-list characters he has had the toughest ride on the bigscreen, with two entries which didn't exactly set the world alight. And they are now onto their third actor in less than 10 years. And this time they seem to have struck gold. Mark Ruffalo uses his immensely affable charms to bring heart to the character of Bruce Banner, meaning that when he transforms into the rampaging green monster we still care about him. While Stark still has the wittiest lines, Hulk is able to deliver some of the film's biggest laughs. And as with Black Widow my interest is now piqued to see another Hulk film

The opening stretch of the film actually takes a little bit of time to really get going as all the individual parts of the team are assembled. I was beginning to get a little apprehensive that it just wasn't going to live up to my high expectations, but those fears were soon allayed as soon as the team starts to come together and the film moves up a few gears. From then on Whedon just delivers one thrill after another, one great moment after another. And I'm just glad cinemas are in darkness, otherwise people would likely just have seen me with a silly grin on my face for most of the film

These days it takes a lot to really stand out in the action stakes. Thanks to the incredible special effects available to seemingly anyone and their mother we've grown accustomed to cities being destroyed, whole new worlds presented to us and battles of epic scope. That's why it's such a treat to have some incredible moments of action here which still wow and astonish. It's achieved through some creative set-pieces and the fact that we care for the characters. Highlights include the early Captain America v Thor v Iron Man battle and some of the scenes aboard the Heli-carrier. However everything is overshadowed by the jaw-dropping finale set in New York as the Avengers finally unite as one to take on Loki and the alien menace, complete with some freaky metal, serpent-like monstrosities. Oh and another occasion were the special effects shine is in Iron Man's donning of his suits, just so cool.

There are some flaws of course, though they were of the expected kind really. Flaws that just come with the territory of doing an Avengers film, at least unless you go for three and a half/four hours. Trying to rope in so many characters there are always going to be those that are sacrificed, and in this case Hawkeye is arguably that sacrifice. Under Loki's spell he is sidelined for a large portion of the film, though even he is able to recover towards the film's climax and ooze a bad ass charisma. Another complaint you could level at the film is the actual plot which is amongst the most basic you are likely to see and could have come from any 12 year old comic book fan. Loki teams up with some aliens to conquer Earth and the Avengers try to stop them. That's pretty much it. And yet it doesn't really matter. It's enough to get the team together and from then on it's just a marvellous display of energy, imagination and invention; all delivered by some excellent direction from Whedon. Oh and the aliens themselves don't exactly have any depth, feeling like little more than cannon fodder for our heroes. So thankfully Tom Hiddleston continues his fine form from Thor as the villainous Loki.

Earlier on this year I remarked how the little underdog Chronicle had laid down an admirable gauntlet to the big superhero names to come. Well The Avengers has risen to that challenge and then some, and now it's over to Spidey and The Bat. After this however to those two I wish them luck, they're gonna need it.

Think I'll leave it there. I could just keep going for another while yet but I think that's more than enough, and I'm not sure how many people will even have made it this far!

Conclusion – Whedon has delivered an incredible and rousing success of a superhero flick, full of energy, colour and a clear fondness for the characters. Is it the pinnacle of comic book movies? I'm not going to say that this early on. But it is certainly up there at the peak along with the likes of Iron Man, Batman Begins and Spider-Man 2. As well as being one of the best pure summer blockbusters of the century alonngside the likes of the first Pirates of the Caribbean, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Star Trek

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

Year of release

1976

Directed by

John Carpenter

Written by

John Carpenter

Starring

Austin Stoker

Darwin Josten

Laurie Zimmer

Tony Burton

Assault on Precinct 13

   

 

Plot - When a group of members from the vicious gang, Street Thunder, are killed by the police, the gang go on a violent spree of vengeance. After brutally killing a young girl, her father hunts down and kills the gang's leader. The man seeks refuge in a police station as the gang close in for revenge. This station however is set for closure and as a result is severely undermanned. Inside a reluctant posse is formed between a cop, a secretary and two convicts. What results is a gripping siege as the gang on the outside attempt to destroy and then storm the station, with only this unusual troupe standing in their way.

Finally got around to seeing this. As a fan of John Carpenter and cult movies in general why it took so long is a bit of a mystery. Anyway now that I have I can see just what I was missing out on.

This is a very early effort from John Carpenter, indeed it was only his second full length feature following Dark Star. As a result it's not as accomplished as some of his later work, it feels a little callow and a bit rough round the edges. In a way I actually think that's beneficial to the film however, helping to build the raw power and intensity. The same could also be said of the acting. It's certainly not the most skilled but as a result it feels quite genuine and honest. It makes the actors resemble underdogs, and that transfers to the characters, just making them more relatable in such a dreadful situation.

With no real budget, no big stars and no great ground-breaking ideas, the film is brilliant in its simplicity. This is impressively economical, taut film-making. It's a lean film that benefits greatly from a tight plot, and from Carpenter's creativity, who seems like he is just taking great joy in creating the chaos. He has laced the film with some classic, colourful dialogue; delivered an extravaganza of shattering windows and non-stop bullets and offered us some rich, lively characters; the pinnacle being convicted killer turned hero, Napoleon Wilson.

With a running time clocking in at less than 90 minutes the film doesn't have a lot of time to waste. In the opening seconds we are with a series of gang members who are gunned down by the police in a tight alley; a real case of shooting fish in a barrel. After such a blistering opening, the ensuing 20/30 minutes are actually a bit of a slow build, and slightly on the weak side. I was starting to get a little worried that this wasn't going to live up to my expectations. And then four members of the gang get into a car and everything starts to ratchet up. Driving along, one of them pulls out a rifle and catches a number of people in the crosshairs. Holding their lives in his hands it is very chilling. They then begin to stalk an ice cream van, going back and forth along the street. And then everything just explodes with a truly shocking moment. A young girl; a picture of innocence, is violently blown away by a gunshot to the chest. It's a real 'woah' moment and really shows what these guys are capable of. That was the moment that really made me sit up and take notice of this.

From there on in it is pretty much a relentless and ruthless assault on our nerves and senses, as well as the precinct. We are given brief interludes, or a touch of humour which allow us to briefly relax before the next shock or volley of ammunition come hurtling our way. The pace is frantic, the developments unpredictable, the action coming in furious bursts. Breaking from the norm is one respect however is the gunfire. While in most films it would be a deafening cacophony throughout, here Carpenter has the gang predominantly using silencers. As a result we get a unique ping from each shot, which creates a slightly offbeat, even eerie atmosphere. It all adds up to an extremely tense and suspenseful experience, amplified I think by the setting of the police station. No matter what happens we can always see the police as an escape, a reliable source of help. Well if even they are powerless against such terror what hope do we have?

Now while I like to think I can appreciate a movie score as much as the next film fan, it's only on rare occasions that I would list it amongst my absolute favourite elements of a film. Well Assault on Precinct 13 is one of those rare films. Carpenter's self penned, moody synthesised score is just a joy to behold. As a device to ramp up the tension during the siege it is an extremely effective tool. However it was the theme tune used for the opening and closing credits which was just absorbed by mind, and that I've been playing over and over ever since. There was something about it that made me feel as if I were transported to a dark, grimy video arcade; and over in the corner that tune is emanating from a side scrolling beat-em-up. But maybe that's just me! What I'm saying is that it's fantastic. Will most likely register as one of my favourite scores.

While it is quite common knowledge that the film is inspired by Howard Hawks' classic western, Rio Bravo, that's not the genre that I was most reminded of. Instead it was of a horror film, a zombie flick in particular. The way the gang members emerge from the shadows, and slowly advance upon the police station certainly evoked images of shuffling zombies closing in like a pack of wolves. Add to that the way they try and stumble in through the windows, crashing into the blinds as they do so, in an almost mindless manner. And the fact that throughout the gang members remain nameless, pretty much faceless and almost wordless, and it just builds up their surfeit of malevolence and viciousness. They are brutal and merciless; and no matter how many of them are killed more just seem to appear out of the woodwork.

Though did I just pick it up wrong or should this actually be called Assault on Precinct 9?

Conclusion - Compared to much of the other 70s fare I've been enjoying of late this certainly isn't as subtle, nuanced or cerebral. But who cares? It's fast, furious balls out fun! Despite it's meagre budget it's a film that certainly stands the test of time, and with this out there as great educational material as to how you make a riveting, thrilling action film, how is it still so much better than most recent entries in the genre? A B-movie it may be, but that doesn't mean it can't be brilliant. A film truly deserving of it's cult classic status.

Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

first viewing

 

Director - Andrew Dominick

Starring - Brad Pitt/ Casey Affleck/ Sam Rockwell

"Can’t figure it out: do you want to be like me or do you want to be me?"

Jesse James was an outlaw. A robber of trains and banks. A gang leader. And a murderer. And yet somehow many people still idolise him as a great anti-hero. An almost mythical American outlaw. This film attempts to answer the question of why this is. And it does a very good job of helping us understand it.

The main strength of the film is undoubtedly the two lead performances of Casey Affleck and Brad Pitt. Though they are playing two very different characters both give very effective showings. Brad Pitt as James proves to be one cold bastard! It's a performance that reminds me a touch of Tom Cruise's turn in Collateral; all piercing eyes and glowering stares, which he occasionally interrupts with an insincere laugh or smile. It's a character that really is flirting on the edge of sanity, seemingly ready to cross over at any point. And when the wheels come off Pitt delivers a truly terrifying, cackling laugh. For all his movie star looks and squeeky clean, nice guy image these seem to be the kind of roles that actually suit Pitt best, at least for me. Up to this the most impressed I had been with him was in Twelve Monkeys and Fight Club. Again two characters who were slightly unhinged

As good as Pitt is however, for me he is outshone by Casey Affleck. His Robert Ford is a twitchy, neurotic oddball; a bit of a weakling who at the same time comes across as quite cunning and calculating at times. It really is quite an impressively layered performance. I have to say I found myself having great empathy with the character of Robert Ford (a lot of it due to Affleck's performance), and as such found it a really quite sad, melancholic film.

Following my recent viewing of No Country for Old Men, cinematographer Roger Deakins yet again produces some truly stunning work. The landscapes and horizons he shows us are truly beautiful. They just come across as such desolate and sad places. The muted and at times washed out tones give the film the look of those old, faded photos that exist from the time of the Old West.

The film also works as an early example of celebrity. You have the charismatic and famous James, the obsessive fan in Ford and what eventually happens between the two, as the fan turns on the man who once idolised. We then see the classic 15 minutes of fame play out, the waning of celebrity. Ford goes from packing out houses where the audience rapturously applaud his actions, to being called a coward. As he himself says, “You know what I expected...applause.” The fact that Jesse is played by celebrity superstar Brad Pitt, and Ford by the relatively unknown Casey Affleck just works perfectly for it.

The psychology between James and Ford is really quite fascinating. James seems to come to the realisation that he is not long for this world. With all the enemies on his tail and even a lack of trust in those around him he knows he is a hunted man, he knows his fate. And as such it seems like he wants to be the one who engineers his death. He pokes and prods at Ford, almost encouraging him to take matters into his own hands, in a way moulding him. And then he sets up his actual death. He lays down his guns and allows himself to get shot in the back, ensuring that he would be remembered as a sympathetic martyr, and Ford a cowardly villain.

The film frequently takes on an almost dreamlike state The camera goes to soft focus, the clouds move across the sky in time lapse, the ethereal mournful score plays as the lyrical narration plays over. It all feels very fitting for a film about a man who has crossed that threshold into something of myth and legend. It all feels very meditative and languid, evoking the feel of a Terrence Mallick picture.

The film generated minuscule business at the box office and was not universally adored and I can understand why. It certainly takes its time to tell its story (or is painfully slow depending on your view ) and has a distinct lack of action when compared to many westerns, and other versions of the Jesse James story in particular. I think that actually helps to get across the idea that these killers, and Jesse especially, were able to go on and become something of a mythology. It would be hard to understand it if every five minutes you saw him blow away some helpless innocent.

Conclusion - An impressive, laudable film. Perhaps not the action-packed feature some may originally thought they'd get when they heard about Brad Pitt starring in a Western as Jesse James, but it turns out for the best. In terms of the 2008 Oscar ceremony for best film I'd have placed this second behind There Will Be Blood, but ahead of No Country for Old Men.

 

Apollo 13

 

Year of release

1995

Directed by

Ron Howard

Written by

Al Reinert

William Broyles Jr.

Starring

Tom Hanks

Kevin Bacon

Bill Paxton

Ed Harris

Gary Sinise

Apollo 13

    

 

Plot - The true story of the ill-fated Apollo 13 space mission. In 1970, NASA has scheduled its third lunar landing on the moon. The crew selected are astronauts Jim Lovell (Hanks), Ken Mattingly (Sinise) and Fred Haise (Paxton). When Mattingly is removed by the flight surgeon after being exposed to measles, he is replaced by back-up Jack Swigert (Bacon). The initial shuttle launch is successful but a mechanical fault causes an explosion which leaves their mission scrubbed and their hopes of returning home slim. Back at Mission Control, Mattingly, flight director Gene Kranz (Harris) and the ground crew pull out all the stops to ensure the men can return home. A mission which was almost completely ignored by the American public suddenly becomes the biggest story in the world.

Ron Howard brings history to life with this commendable film. The whole event is remarkably recreated, particularly taking into account the fact that there is not a single piece of documentary or archival footage to be found in Apollo 13. This is all original material. So the special effects; the models, CGI etc that go into recreating the events, especially the shuttle launch itself are highly effective. With some sweeping camerawork and a stirring piece of music it's quite a grand, triumphant scene. While to recreate the effects of zero gravity the actors were flown in an airplane which can create the sensation of being weightless for 23 seconds at a time. And with Howard really concentrating on the minutiae of the whole operation the film really does have quite a docudrama feel to it.

The acting is very solid across the board. Though as a result of what is required of the characters I didn't feel there were really any big, attention-grabbing performances. Taking its cue from the real events which unfolded they are never really asked to perform in a showy or grandstanding manner. If this were a piece of fiction I imagine that the film would have given them ample occasions to show off; characters panicking and freaking out, fights between the crew etc. So while they are admirable in their own ways it's not a great surprise that none of the cast portraying members of the shuttle crew were nominated for any awards at the time. And as a result perhaps the most impressive aspect of the acting on show is the chemistry and camaraderie that the performers build between the cabin crew. Star turn amongst them for me would still belong to Tom Hanks however. And I think that's largely down to just what a perfect piece of casting it is. To become an astronaut has got to be just about the most American of pursuits, so who better to cast than Tom Hanks; the all-American everyman, the man of the people. Also very impressive to me were Gary Sinise, Ed Harris and Kathleen Quinlan as Lovell's wife.

Film Trivia Snippets - NASA regulations dictate that Tom Hanks could not actually become an astronaut in real life. The maximum height for an astronaut if exactly six feet, while Tom Hanks is 6'1”. /// Due to his portrayal of Jim Lovell in the film, Tom Hanks was honoured by having an asteroid named after him; “12818 Tomhanks” /// Before Tom Hanks came on board John Travolate turned down the role of Lovell, while Brad Pitt also turned down an offer to star in the film to make Se7en instead. /// There's a scene in the film where the NASA engineers are challenged to come up with an improvised solution to a problem on the shuttle using only items that the astronauts have on board. This scene proved the inspiration for Cathy Rogers to create the TV shows Scrapheap Challenge and Junkyard Wars.

I felt that the film accomplished a few nuances rather nicely. I think it captured the boyish sense of wonder very well when it comes to space and astronauts, the moon etc. There's a great little moment just after the shuttle has been launched and they've entered zero gravity. The crew begin to remove pieces of their equipment and allow them to float around the cabin, knocking them up into the air and laughing, really taken by the whole childlike novelty of it. Another thing I felt it handled well was the apathy that quickly set in when it came to space exploration. I think I touched on this a while back when I reviewed Capricorn One, but I'm absolutely amazed at how quickly people, particularly Americans, got bored with NASA and the moon and space shuttles etc. In 1969 when man landed on the moon it was one of the biggest events the world had ever seen. And yet just one year later and the launch of Apollo 13 generated barely no interest whatsoever, at least not until it was in peril that is. In the film, even one of the employees at NASA is more interested in watching a baseball game on the TV than experiencing the adventure of the crew. After I watched and reviewed the film I had a little look around at some other reviews for the film and really loved this little bit that Roger Ebert wrote on this phenomenon of indifference - “When I was a kid, they used to predict that by the year 2000, you'd be able to go to the moon. Nobody ever thought to predict that you'd be able to, but nobody would bother.”

The film really does help you to understand just how heroic these guys were, and perhaps just how insane they were! At one point Tom Hanks' character extols the computer at NASA which “fits in one room”; a computer which probably had the same amount of power as this little laptop I'm typing away on right this moment. And then there's the makeshift, ramshackle repairs that the men have to implicate if they are to make it home alive. It's like a damn arts and craft project from primary school. To willingly volunteer to take part in such an undertaking is an incredible feat of bravery and derring-do; really pioneering stuff.

While I admired the numerous qualities of the film it struggled to really involve me to a great degree. I think the fact it's such an enclosed and contained story certainly played a part in that, giving the film quite a stuffy atmosphere. As a result the scenes set in Mission Control or at Lovell's home provide a nice break. It's also a touch on the patriotic and sentimental side of things which you'd probably expect given the subject and Howard's involvement, but it does a decent job of just about keeping it in check.

Conclusion - This is certainly a prime example of fine film-making when it comes to creating a crowd pleaser, but one that just did not quite get my juices flowing like I hoped it would. With an excellent story as its source it had the potential to be something special, but personally I just felt that it was sabotaged a touch by its sentimental side and occasionally too obvious sense of storytelling. Though I do feel I'm perhaps being a touch harsh on it. Perhaps I was in a bit of a grumpy mood when I watched it. It wouldn't exactly be a rare occurrence.

Apocalypse Now

 

Year of release

1979

Directed by

Francis Ford Coppola

Written by

Francis Ford Coppola

John Milius

Michael Herr

Starring

Martin Sheen

Robert Duvall

Marlon Brando

Frederic Forrest

Apocalypse Now

    

 

Plot - Vietnam, 1969. A Green Beret Colonel, Walter Kurtz (Brando), has gone insane in the eyes of the United States army. So concerned are they by his actions that they delegate a Special Forces officer with a covert mission - to find and assassinate Kurtz. That officer is Captain Willard (Sheen). Sent up the Nung River on a US Navy patrol boat, Willard investigates Kurtz's military history and discovers he is one of the most decorated officers in the army, making him question his mission. As Willard and the crew descend deeper and deeper into the jungle they begin to fall prey to the insanity all around them.

Apocalypse Now is an occasionally splendid, but frequently flawed film in my eyes. I guess it's pretty much what you'd expect given the struggles that occurred during its infamous production. I just felt the film had more than an occasional air of pomposity and pretentiousness. This was achieved through a mixture of things; beats on the soundtrack, the continuous narration, the ponderous pace, some forced and overwrought moments such as when a soldier lies dead as a recorded message from his mother plays telling him to watch out for bullets. I just found it to have quite a grand sense of self-congratulation.

The boat that Willard and his fellow soldiers are aboard meanders very steadily along the river towards Kurtz; and it's a suitable representation of the film's pace as whole, just meandering along. It really is quite a curiously paced film. After some thrilling sparks of action early on, more often than not the film seems content to settle into a slow trudge towards its destination. I just felt the story lacked direction, which may sound strange given its straight-ahead linear nature, but the main crux of the story didn't greatly interest me, and I failed to really engage with any of the characters. I also felt that the film didn't really tie itself to the Vietnam war in a way. I want a war film to really place me in the war its tackling and the issues that went along with it. This felt like it could have taken place during any war.

Martin Sheen I think gives a very solid performance, but I feel that he is sabotaged from giving a truly great performance by the style of the film itself; he's sent up the river if you will. He is handed an almost continuous amount of narration to deliver, meaning that on screen he is left with little more to do than glare menacingly. Some of his fellow soldiers on the boat I felt were created with some hammy performances but were generally solid. The real star for me would have to be Robert Duvall, even in his limited role. He just absolutely pops off the screen when he appears as Bill Kilgore, the terrifyingly colourful Lieutenant Colonel with a penchant for surfing, and for napalm in the morning. Considering what, and who they find at the end of the river I was left wishing that the film had just dropped us off with Kilgore; I imagine it would have made for a much more interesting and entertaining experience.

So indeed quite a few flaws, but even then it was still going along rather well. The real nail in the film's coffin however in terms of my really liking it? It's third act. Drawn out and just flat out dull. After so much build-up to meeting this apparently monstrous god of a man, what do we get? A fat, bald guy who hides in the shadows and recites poetry. It fell tremendously short of what my mind had been creating. And it was most certainly not helped by Brando's hammy mugging. The film tries to sell the repugnance of Kurtz's character with his lair. I get they were going for horrific with all the bodies dotted around the temple like buildings, but for me personally it felt pretty gaudy and pulpy. I wondered whether Sheen had been on that damn river for so long that he had ended up arriving on the set of Conan the Barbarian or Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I just found the whole thing to be a spectacularly underwhelming conclusion.

One place where I can have no criticism whatsoever however is in the film's visuals. The sheer scale of the canvas that Coppola told his tale on is epic, leading to some truly spectacular scenes and striking images. I can just picture Coppola's way of thinking at times - “why settle for just a few helicopters when we can have ten of them?”, “why have dozens of extras when I could have hundreds?” The ultimate culmination of this occurs during the tremendous Ride of the Valkyries sequence. Further heightening the visuals is some absolutely beautiful cinematography from Vittorio Storaro. The scenes with the boat floating down the river, the orange sun bouncing off the water with lush wilderness all around are gorgeous. And its the visuals which also prove the saving grace of that conclusion; the use of lighting is terrific, creating a cavernous setting that makes it feel like the characters are down in the very depths of hell itself. Even if the lack of lighting was merely a device to try and hide Brando's immense weight gain!

Conclusion - Overlong, self-indulgent and with a weak finale that leaves a sour taste in the mouth, I found this very far from the masterpiece that many people paint it as. In terms of numerous technical aspects (direction, editing, cinematography) however I do think that it is an exceptionally well-made film; it's just that I wasn't particularly taken with the film that ended up getting made. However some of the extraordinary visuals mean that I certainly wouldn't have a problem recommending people give it a try.

Andromeda Strain, The

 

Year of release

1971

Directed by

Robert Wise

Written by

Nelson Gidding (script)

Michael Crichton (novel)

Starring

Arthur Hill

David Wane

James Olson

Kate Reid

The Andromeda Strain

 

Plot - A satellite has crash landed on Earth, in the small town of Piedmont. Bringing with it a virus of extraterrestrial origin, it leaves everyone in the small town dead. All that is except for a young baby and an old man. For the scientists recruited to work at Wildfire discovering why these two escaped unharmed could provide the answer that will save everyone.

While I may be greatly enjoying my 70s thriller season I've came across a problem. I've never felt so paranoid in my life! I feel myself constantly looking over my shoulder and eyeing up shifting-looking people. And that cough/runny nose I thought had been caused by everyone cutting their grass of late? Turns out it's an alien virus!

For people raised only on modern sci-fi films this may not be for them. There aren't any explosions, little action and a real lack of any special effects. This is certainly a film that would fall into the category of 'adult sci-fi'. While it may be science fiction (and let's hope it remains so) it is presented in a very factual manner. It's a film that depicts scientists as scientists. These aren't unlikely action heroes, they are just intelligent people doing the job they're meant to do, using their logic. It presents an accurate portrayal of their process in its methodical and precise, even tedious manner. While the catastrophic event may seem to call for great urgency the process to solve it can be meticulous. In that sense it reminded me of both the journalists process in All the President's Men, and the investigation displayed in Zodiac.

Right from the off I found myself gripped. With little information as to where we are, or what's going on we are dropped right into the middle of a disastrous event. Over the radio we hear two men describing the situation they are seeing. We are shown nothing, which means that right away our brain is engaged, imagining and picturing the scene. And then we see what they see and it is truly haunting, dozens of people cut down right in the middle of going about their lives.

The film is shot in a fairly simple, unflashy way which does create quite a cold, clinical atmosphere. The result is similar to what I mentioned for Day of the Jackal I think in that it comes across as a bit of a docu-drama. The one element that veers off from the simple is a number of examples of a multi shot, split screen technique. Now while this may purely be for show, and nothing more I saw it as a way of showing the sheer complexity and copious amount of the work involved, and just how much of a team effort it is.

For those who do stick with it through what they may find it's slow pace, the final act of the film does move off into more traditional Hollywood ground as the virus begins to break out of the centre and the scientists find themselves in a race against the clock. It is a thrillingly tense finale. After such a long and ponderous wait the eventual burst of action really does capture its frantic and desperate nature. We watch as Hall frenziedly attempts to get to a terminal where he can stop the self destruct, all the while trying to avoid security lasers and poisonous gas.

At times the film does feel very dated, especially in terms of the technology on show. However as part of the impressive production and set design (quite reminiscent of 2001's space station if memory serves me right) the technology is still well constructed. very well done and well shot. And as a piece of 70s cinema it wouldn't feel quite right without a touch of anti-authority sentiment. And we are not disappointed as late on in the film a degree of government conspiracy is unearthed.

With no real background given for any of them, the characters don't have a great deal of depth, frequently coming across as just thinly sketched characters who are slightly different from each other just to present slightly varied actions and reactions to developments. That said the actors are still able to provide solid performances in a restrained fashion; of particular note are Kate Reid, Athur Hill and Paula Kelly.

To keep the suspense going there are a couple of slightly contrived events, essential to prolong the situation. The first, that one of the scientists has epilepsy which proves integral to the plot, at least has an attempted explanation as to why she would cover it up. The second however, that a little piece of paper almost brings everything to a crashing halt, feels a bit thin.

The biggest example of the disaster actually comes right in those opening moments. We don't see anything close to that scale again throughout the next two hours. What we are given however are a number of very striking images which punctuate the action throughout. Whether it be the sight of blood pouring out like a green sand, the melted face mask of a pilot struck down by the disease or the various test animals who we see in distress before they fall still there are a number of powerful moments which mean they threat is always at the forefront of our minds. The animal deaths in particular are very distressing in how realistic they seem, so much so that I actually went and googled to see if they had actually killed any animals on set.

While the slow pace may be off-putting for some I felt like it actually added to the tension. If the film had been Hollywood-ised (by today's standards) there would likely have been more action, more heroics and probably an ill-fated romance between two of the scientists working on the cure. It may have been fun but the tense atmosphere would have been put on the back burner. The meticulous pace and heavy attention to detail make the whole premise more plausible, and as a result a good deal more chilling.

Conclusion – An intelligent, absorbing piece of paranoia-inducing cinema. While it is a great film, it's so cold and calculated that I'm not sure it's a film I could ever truly fall in love with.

 

An American Werewolf in London

 

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

first viewing

"Beware the moon, lads."

I'm not really a big horror fan. There are only a few I own on DVD, and they have to have a dark streak of comedy or satire in them for me to enjoy them. Thankfully this falls into that category.

Two American backpackers are attacked on the English moors by a wild creature. One of them, Jack, is killed but David survives, but not before being bitten. In London he experiences one of life's great highs by falling in love with the nurse treating him, Alex. And also the unfortunate lows of being haunted by a decomposing Jack, and turning into a werewolf. Don't ya just hate when that happens?

It's the classic werewolf tale; but infused with a slick script, engaging performances, excellent choice of music, some big laughs and suspense-filled moments and scenes, it rises above your standard fare to become something rather wonderful.

And then on top of all that there are the effects. Revolutionary in their time and still damn impressive today, the effects help bring horror and comedy to proceedings. The transformation scene is truly something to behold as David's body stretches and elongates, with gruesome sounding bone cracks which made me wince with each snap. It really captures the horror and pain of what is happening. I also enjoyed the effects used to create the ever changing face of Jack. And while I'm not sure if I was meant to or not I found the continuing decay of Jack's face to be morbidly entertaining!

A number of scenes stood out and made an impression, either for the tension or laughs they generated. There were those that were actually happening – the gloriously weird patrons and behaviour at the Slaughtered Lamb pub, a commuter being hunted through the tunnels of the London Underground and the incredible finale set in Piccadilly circus. And then there were David's enthralling nightmarish dreams. The horrifying Nazi demons in particular is one of the more wow-inducing scenes I've seen in quite a while.

The film is also quite a sexy thrill, mostly as a result of Jenny Agutter's alluring turn as Alex. She is something rather special. Alongside David Naughton's charming performance as David they make for a great combination.

Conclusion - A ghoulish treat. A film that is just wonderfully entertaining. Hats off to Mr John Landis. If there were more horror films like this it would be a genre I would most likely fall in love with.