Movies
Stranded
July 21st, 2010 | Published under Movies | No Comments
From the many, many documentaries I love and enjoy, Stranded is one of my favourites. The documentary follows the survivors of the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, a flight in which 45 rugby team members crashed into the Andes Mountains. Those that survived the impact found themselves in the snow with little food, heat or shelter to keep them alive. The ordeal lasted a staggering 72 days.
Hearing on radio reports that the search for them had been abandoned; the survivors of the plane crash were faced with no choice but to eat their fellow dead passengers who had been preserved in the snow, or otherwise face their own deaths. In a decision that took the world by shock, they took the plunge and begun to consume the corpses of their teammates, friends and family.
It sounds a bit crazy, and definitely sickening, but that’s not all you’ll find in this documentary. With interviews of the survivors, returning to the site of the plane crash for the first time since the accident, the true bravery and emotion of these survivors is revealed. Seeing the location really shows the harsh truth of what 72 days in this climate would mean, and that they survived is a miracle in itself.
To find out exactly what happened straight from the mouth of the survivors, make sure this documentary is the next on your list.
Available at JB H-Fi and other popular DVD stores.
Westall ’66: A Suburban UFO Mystery
June 3rd, 2010 | Published under Movies | 1 Comment
It happened 15 minutes away from my own home nearly 45 years ago, but there are many who still recall the strange occurrence on that April day long before I was ever brought into this world. But what happened exactly? According to over 100 witnesses, what happened that day was the possible sighting of a spacecraft from outer space, which hovered low to the ground and observed our Earth for about 20 minutes as school children, teachers and other bystanders caught a glimpse of one of the most famous UFO sightings in Australia’s history.
It sounds almost like a movie: crop circles, men in black, military cover-ups and disappearing evidence. It’s Australia’s version of Roswell, and tomorrow a documentary surrounding the strange incident will air for the rest of the world to see. Many people who saw the event are still demanding an explanation after all these years. What did the RAAF investigation say? And more importantly, where did the record of the actual investigation go, if it ever existed?
Despite no records of an investigation, locals remember an investigation of the scene that continued for days after the incident. Witnesses say the Defence Force and the Police Force were involved. Some even say the area was torched after it was cordoned off and soil samples were taken. And although no one had their memory erased (that we know of), a school assembly shortly after had the principal telling students that what they saw simply was not true, and they would be best to keep quiet on the matter indefinitely.
Government reports are said to exist, but none have ever been officially released. Further to the possible cover-up, a Channel 9 report who interviewed a student about what he saw that day disappeared mysteriously from the TV station’s archives. You certainly don’t have to travel to Area 51 in Nevada or Roswell, New Mexico to visit a place where something from light years away may have paid us a visit. It’s right around the corner in our own backyard, and who knows when it will come again?
The documentary Westall ’66: A Suburban UFO Mystery will premiere tomorrow on the Sci-Fi Channel at 8:30pm.
Paranormal Activity
May 21st, 2010 | Published under Movies | No Comments
This review is awfully late, despite being written awfully late as it is. Still, here it is:
It’s the movie everyone’s been talking about, and is quickly becoming the newest ‘scariest movie ever’ to hit the horror movie scene. I took the challenge and watched Paranormal Activity one quiet Sunday night.
So basically the movie is shot in a home movie-type setting, kind of like Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield. The good thing is it’s not full of motion sickness inducing film, which means you can actually watch the movie without feeling like you have to throw up.
The film follows a woman who has been having ‘hauntings’ since she was 8-years-old – seeing shadows in her room, hearing whispers and her name being called and general creaks and scary sounds around the house. Now older and living with her partner, her boyfriend has bought a video camera and decides to film their nights sleeping to catch whatever it is that is causing her to experience this ‘paranormal activity.’
The film is very low budget, and was directed by Oren Peli with a budget of $15,000. It grossed over $150 million, showing what a true success this film was despite a lack of the usual special effects we’re so used to today. The film was originally seen at the Screamfest Film Festival in 2007, and it took until 2009 to be released to mainstream cinema audiences.
Meet The Robinsons
March 25th, 2010 | Published under Movies | No Comments
Another Pixar movie. I went in with the usual expectations of lively characters, comedic lines and generally exciting and fun storylines. And there’s nothing wrong with that, as this usual Pixar recipe makes for an enjoyable film that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.
And so I started watching Meet the Robinsons and was introduced to Lewis, a young boy living in an orphanage after being abandoned by his mother as a baby. Despite being a bright and overly intelligent child, his attempts at inventions that are quite amazing for his age is exactly the same thing that scares away potential adoptive parents. Frustrated with being left without parents for so long, he endeavours to use one of his inventions to recall his one memory of his mother, who abandoned him for reasons unknown.
The movie was released in 2007 and is the forty-seventh animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics. The film is based on a book called A Day with Wilbur Robinson, written by William Joyce. The film received a satisfactory reception, but nothing spectacular. The film has a pretty average 6.9 stars on IMDB (out of 10).
The storyline reflects this reception, being a classic Pixar storyline but still a story that is interesting, fun and also includes an element of mystery. As the film develops though, things become more complex and it is truly a film that needs to be watched to the end to be appreciated. Although I would say this film has quite an average ‘plot’, the conclusion is what really sets this movie apart from other Pixar films. I don’t want to reveal too much, but the film brings in a fantastic moral element and includes a great inspirational element to it.
If you like the ‘Futurama’ element of time-travel based storylines, you’ll appreciate this film. So if you want a simple movie for a quiet night-in, give this one a go.
Avatar
January 17th, 2010 | Published under Movies | 4 Comments
What kind of a blog would I be without a review of the latest Hollywood hit, Avatar? It seems like everyone’s discussing the film, which doesn’t make it a surprise when you hear it’s the second-highest grossing film of all time, after 1997′s Titanic.
So for those who haven’t seen it, Avatar is set in the future and follows a paraplegic former marine, Jake, who joins the expedition to a Earth-like moon which has been chosen to mine an element called unobtanium. Jake is sent in as an ‘Avatar’ which is basically a physical body that mimics the natives of the moon and is controlled through humans minds remotely. They use these host bodies to explore the planet and hopefully mix with the natives to discover more about the strange and unique ecosystems of the moon, the people and other plants and animals.
Jake is being pushed by both the scientists to find out more about the secrets of the tribe and their ecosystem, and at the same time he is under pressure by the miners and their military-like regime to get the natives to move out of their sacred village so the corporation can start mining the precious resources. Jake’s Avatar becomes one of the tribe and he becomes sympathetic towards their land rites, but struggles to find a way to stop the destruction that his fellow humans are threatening the tribe and their land.
The film is directed by James Cameron, the former director of Titanic, a range of other science fiction and action movies, including several Terminator productions. One of the films major attributes to its success is it’s use of 3D, which James Cameron in fact delayed the film’s production for until the technology was advanced enough to meet his desired needs. The 3D uses polarized 3D, as opposed to the traditional ”green and red” 3D. The polarized technology gives a much more crisp and realistic picture, without the color distortion that earlier 3D has brought us. The film is also available in 2D for cinemas where the projectors are not 3D capable. Some of the future films to utilise 3D will be Alice in Wonderland, Dragon 3D, Toy Story 3 and A Christmas Carol.
The film has a clear story line that is explained and presented very well, although on further analysis you are presented with missing background information and many plot holes in the technology, ecosystem and land. But, being an alien landscape, maybe this is intended. Aside from that, the film carries a classic love story and therefore is quite predictable. The directing of Cameron James is very evident, to the extent of being a Titanic on another planet.
The winning point for the film is definitely its use of 3D and it’s interesting development of an alien world, with creatures having common characteristics to Earth animals past and present, but also so diverse in other ways. Some elements of the landscape, such as floating islands and lit up forests, are a bit far-fetched and have no reason given for their existence, let alone their operation.
Despite not a very strong plot, with no surprises or twists whatsoever, I don’t think this will be the type of film to make your jaw drop or give you endless analysis to discuss with your mates. But as a new sneak peak into the future of 3D and the capabilities they carry for film, I think that alone is enough to recommend anyone to go see this film, even if its just so you can see the beginning of the possible future of cinema technology.
Stargate – The Ark Of Truth and Continuum
October 23rd, 2009 | Published under Movies | No Comments
With my recent completion of the Stargate SG-1 series (all 10 seasons, check out the Top 10 here), I also watched the further two movies which were made in addition to the series. This joins the original Stargate movie, Children of the Gods (which served as the first two episodes of Season one) and soon the currently untitled film to be released in 2010. So what did I think?
The Ark of Truth
The Ark of Truth continued the Ori side of things from the SG-1 series. If you finished SG-1 feeling that your questions were unanswered, then this movie answers at least half of them. It picks up right where SG-1 left off, with the Ori at centre stage. Once again we see Adria continuing her war on our galaxy and Earth’s call for help to the ancients and the weapons they have left behind for us.
The Ark of Truth is one that relies on viewers to be familiar with the Stargate story, characters and SG-1 series. I think without this you are likely to be confused or not completely familiar with what is going on. Having watched SG-1 is definitely a prerequisite, not an option, to gain enjoyment from this movie.
The movie follows SG-1’s attempt to recover a device known as the ‘Ark of Truth’, a device made by the ancients that will reveal the truth to the followers of the Ori once they look into it. SG-1 embarks on the journey, thinking they’ve made the discovery early on, they find out that the Ark they have is a fake, which begins their journey of capture, war and the threat to the whole human race, and the drive to discover the true weapon to defeat the Ori.
I found the movie to carry the quality of a real full-length motion picture, really displaying itself as a movie and not an ‘extended episode.’ It brought a great conclusion to the series and presented it in a way that was a true finale, and not a quick fix. The movie doesn’t lack in any of the original Stargate style we love so much, but at the same time adds to it a new edge that brings upon a storyline that doesn’t falter. I really enjoyed this movie and recommend it for any SG-1 fan.
Ben X
May 31st, 2009 | Published under Movies | No Comments
Ben X is an amazing movie made in 2007 in Belgium and The Netherlands. Although we non-Dutch speakers can only watch the film with the aid of subtitles, it’s well worth it. The movie follows a teenage boy who suffers from autism and is bullied at school regularly. To escape being bullied, he turns to the world of online gaming and enjoys the company of a friend he only sees in the virtual world, a girl called Scarlite.
Although it’s hard to say much about the movie without giving it away, the bullying turns Ben to his only option of committing suicide. He meets the real Scarlite at the last moment, who helps him to find a better way of ending his life, one that will make a huge impact on those who drove him to doing it.
It’s a film you’ll have to watch to truly understand and get its full effect. I don’t think any review can define this movie. The film won three awards at the 31st Montreal World Film Festival – the Grand Prix des Amériques, the Prix du Public for the most popular film, and the Ecumenical Jury Prize for its exploration of ethical and social values. It is based on the novel Nothing was all he said by Nic Balthazar, who also directed the film. The novel was inspired by the true story of an autistic boy who committed suicide because of bullying. (Wikipedia 2009)
Go see this film!
Luke’s Top 10 Horror Movies
May 5th, 2009 | Published under Movies, Top 10 Lists | No Comments
Horror movies are a unique genre of film that have the capabilities to affect you mentally, not only during the movie but when you get home and turn out the lights. Done well, they’re a thrilling piece of work that sticks in your mind and pops up at the worst of times. Done poorly, they become a comedy or simply a bore. Here’s my top 10!
10 – House on Haunted Hill
“It’s going to be a long night.”
This was one of the first horror movies I really got in to and watched several times. Therefore, although not really remembered as a high-rating horror movie, still remains one of my favorites. It follows six contestants who can win $1 million each by staying in the house on haunted hill for one night.
09– Black Cadillac
“Revenge in the driver’s seat.”
It may be an old, overused concept, but the first time I watched Black Cadillac I liked it, and, although it wasn’t the scariest thing I’ve ever seen, it did bring with it some thrills and mystery as to what was behind the drivers seat of the Cadillac hunting down a group of boys visiting town to get some action.
08– Shutter
“Revenge never dies.”
Shutter’s a recent horror film which is a bit similar to “The Ring”, being another adaption of a Japanese horror. The girl in the film is somewhat similar in scariness to the girl from The Ring, but, the film also has a good underlying plot to me explain the haunting.
07 – Pet Semetary
“Sometimes dead is better.”
It may be a little bit dated, but, along with the book, this is one I really enjoyed. A family moves in to their new home and discovers that behind their house lies a pet cemetery to bury the various pets killed by the busy road. But the powers of the Pet Semetary extend beyond just burying childhood pets.
06 – Untraceable
“Kill with me?”
This is a bit similar to Saw, playing games with a person’s life. But here the participants and the viewers on the Internet, watching, and helping the victim die just by watching. Who’s behind this sick act? And who will be the next victim? Not only is the gore and suspense great, but it’s also a good mystery/crime film.
Life After People
April 27th, 2009 | Published under Movies | No Comments
What would happen if all the humans on Earth were to be wiped out tomorrow? What would happen to your house, your work, your pets? Would they be able to survive? Would a future visitor be able to read your books or things you have written, or the files stored on your hard drive?
It’s an interesting question, and a somewhat scary one to really stop and think about. To consider everything you know and own will one day be left abandoned being the victim to animals looking for a meal, mould or other natural disasters.
Life After People is a very cool documentary about just this. It is directed by David de Vries and gives a view into what our world will be like at different time periods after humans are no more.
It comes complete with many scenarios, as well as CGI representations and examples of current abandoned places and processes.
And best of all, you can watch the whole documentary free on You Tube, via the link below.
Hope you enjoy it!
Luke’s Top 10 Movies of 2008
January 5th, 2009 | Published under Movies, Top 10 Lists | No Comments
2008 has been a big year of movies for me, working at a cinema for part of the year. Now that the year’s past, I thought it might be a time for reflecting on what were my favorite movies of last year. Now the list is a bit flawed, as I didn’t see some of the bigger releases of the year, but it’s a top 10 from my view from the ones I did get to end up seeing.
10 – Cloverfield
Cloverfield, filmed in the classic point-of-view style with plenty of motion, was a popular one for people throwing up from motion sickness. It was another ‘end-of-world’ type film with the Earth being attacked by an outer-space enemy. Its full of action, lots of stuff being blown up and plenty of people screaming and full of fear.
9 – The Happening
The Happening is a psychotic thriller about a strange phenomenon virus, which causes mass groups of people to commit suicide. The movie centres on people on the run from the virus, where they are constantly met with this strange virus taking out its effects on the people around them. They search for what the mystery virus is, and find out its much closer to them than anyone could have imagined.
8 – Shutter
Thanks to Japan we get plenty of these horror films in their American-ised versions. Shutter was one of the scarier ones, being a really creepy Ring-type movie centered on killings and general spookiness from cameras and the photos they make. Definitely a scary one, but also has a good plot to outline what was happening and why.
7 – Untraceable
Untraceable is a bit like Saw crossed with CSI. It has continuous and gripping action, with a plot that never lets down all the way through. The movie is about a killer who uses the Internet to show live feeds of the people he’s killing, and the more viewers, the quicker they die. Of course, people can’t resist, and this crime squad is out to catch the killer and risk becoming the victims themselves along the way.
6 – Iron Man
There’s nothing like a good MARVEL movie, and one of the top ones of 2008 was Iron Man. With his strong (and awesome looking) suit and a whole host of powers, this action filled movie is a heap of fun along with a great superhero and villain plot. Although not one of the best MARVELs I’ve seen, it was still a big release and among my favorites for the year.
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