David M. Brown's Blog, page 44

Film Review: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

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About Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)[image error]Paul Newman and Robert Redford set the standard for the “buddy film” with this box office smash set in the Old West. The Sundance Kid (Redford) is the frontier’s fastest gun. His sidekick, Butch Cassidy (Newman), is always dreaming up new ways to get rich fast. If only they could blow open a baggage car without also blowing up the money-filled safe inside… Or remember that Sundance can’t swim before they escape a posse by leaping off a cliff into rushing rapids… Times are changing in the west and life is getting tougher. So Butch and Sundance pack their guns, don new duds, and, with Sundance’s girlfriend (Katharine Ross), head down to Bolivia. Never mind that they don’t speak Spanish – they’ll manage somehow. A winner of four Academy Awards (including best screenplay and best song), here is a thoroughly enjoyable blend of fact and fancy done with true affection for a bygone era and featuring the two flashiest, friendliest funniest outlaws who ever called out “hands up!”

Starring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross, Strother Martin, Henry Jones

Directed by: George Roy Hill

Runtime: 110 minutes

Studio: Twentieth Century Fox

 

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Drawing on the true story but also adding a little Hollywood glamour, George Roy Hill’s film tells the story of Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman), the intelligent leader of the Hole in the Wall Gang. Butch’s closest friend is the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) who is renowned as arguably the fastest gunman in the West. Butch and Sundance specialise in robbery be it banks or trains but their latest plan goes a little wrong when Butch uses too much dynamite and blows up one of the train carriages rather than the safe holding the money. The gang have little time to collect the stray money as a small group of law enforcers appear and begin to pursue them.

What Butch and Sundance take to be just a typical group of law enforcers reveal themselves to be experts with one of the members being a famous Indian tracker. It takes some pretty risky planning to shake off the group. Sundance’s girlfriend, Etta (Katharine Ross), informs the two outlaws that men have been hired to hunt them down and not stop until both are dead. With life in the West proving more risky with each passing day, Butch, Sundance and Etta head south for Bolivia to begin a new life but will they survive or will the law catch up with them?

The reputation of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid certainly precedes it. With a fabulous script from William Goldman, creator of the masterpiece that is The Princess Bride, you are guaranteed some witty exchanges and it doesn’t disappoint. Butch is the resourceful optimist of the duo while Sundance is more level-headed and utterly deadly with his gun. Newman and Redford make a terrific double-act here, one of the best you are ever likely to see. While the story is mostly serious there are some amusing moments in there, especially when our two outlaws try to rob a bank in Bolivia but their lack of Spanish proves somewhat problematic. Iconic moments hit you thick and fast and although some moments seem a little whimsical this remains a quality Western.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid certainly isn’t the best Western I have ever seen but it’s still a good one. With Newman and Redford both on great form and a script to match their respective talents you will be in good company as you follow Butch and Sundance through their career as outlaws and will be left to speculate just a tiny bit about the conclusion.

Verdict: 4/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

Film Review: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave

Film Review: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

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About Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)[image error]Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy finds George Smiley (Gary Oldman), a recently retired MI6 agent, doing his best to adjust to a life outside the secret service. However, when a disgraced agent reappears with information concerning a mole at the heart of the service, Smiley is drawn back into the murky field of espionage. Tasked with investigating which of his trusted former colleagues has chosen to betray him and their country, Smiley narrows his search to four suspects – all experienced, skilled and successful agents – but past histories, rivalries and friendships make it far from easy to pinpoint the man who is eating away at the heart of the British establishment.

An acting masterclass from the crème de la crème of British film (Colin Firth (The King’s Speech), Tom Hardy (Inception), Mark Strong (Kick Ass), Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) and inspired direction from Let the Right One In’s Tomas Alfredson make this gripping and tense adaptation of John le Carré’s classic spy novel essential viewing.

Starring: Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Kathy Burke, Benedict Cumberbatch

Directed by: Tomas Alfredson

Runtime: 128 minutes

Studio: Focus Features

 

Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Tomas Alfredson’s adaptation of the novel by John le Carre is set in the 1970s with the world in the midst of the Cold War and rival sides watching each other carefully through intricate spy networks. The film begins with Control (John Hurt), head of British Intelligence, sending an agent Jim Prideaux (Mark Strong) on a mission to Hungary that goes badly wrong. Prideaux’s cover is blown leaving him to be shot and captured by Soviet agents. Control is forced into retirement along with his right hand man George Smiley (Gary Oldman) following this incident. Though Control soon dies, Smiley is called back into the service to investigate a claim from a rogue MI6 agent that a mole is somewhere within British Intelligence and it is down to Smiley to flush them out.

Assisted by Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch), Smiley begins interviewing former members of British Intelligence that left the service around the same time he and Control did following the disaster in Hungary. It turns out Control has suspicions about a mole in the service and he narrowed down the list to a handful of suspects, all of them still in operation. Tarr (Tom Hardy), an MI6 agent believed to have defected, suddenly appears at Smiley’s home with further information after a mission in Istanbul to observe a Soviet agent. Tarr is the suspected rogue agent responsible for raising the alarm about the mole in British Intelligence but it seems not all of his communications have been picked up. The mole is apparently ahead of everyone so how will Smiley locate the guilty party?

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is one of those films where you need to stay alert and listen carefully. Some films often warrant a second viewing and I think it’s fair to say this is one of them. As thrillers go this is a tense and fascinating experience with Oldman putting in a fine performance in the lead. The likes of John Hurt, Colin Firth, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Hardy, Benefict Cumberbatch and Mark Strong all provide excellent support as well. You’ll be kept guessing to the very end about who the mole is and once uncovered will Smiley be able to bring them to justice?

Tinker Tailor Solider Spy is a well-acted and compelling Cold War spy thriller. While not always the easiest film to follow, this is still a fascinating journey from start to finish. Oldman received belated recognition from the Academy for his performance here and although it’s not his best it is still top draw. If you enjoy a mystery thriller then this one shouldn’t disappoint.

Verdict: 4/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

Film Review: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave

Film Review: A Film With Me In It

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About A Film With Me In It (2008)[image error]Starring stand-up comedian Dylan Moran of Blackbooks fame. A darkly comic tale about a dissolute scriptwriter and a dejected actor who become unwittingly drawn into a labyrinthine mess when several people experience bizarre accidental deaths in their flat. Fearing that they will be unfairly pegged as murderers they attempt to escape their predicament by re-writing the day’s events as if it were a film. As the body count mounts, they pitch ideas back and forth desperately searching for a way out. Stars Dylan Moran, Mark Doherty, Amy Huberman and Keith Allen.

Starring: Dylan Moran, Mark Doherty, Amy Huberman, Keith Allen

Directed by: Ian Fitzgibbon

Runtime: 83 minutes

Studio: Element Pictures

 

Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: A Film With Me In It

It’s a tough old life for struggling actor, Mark (Mark Doherty), in this dark but amusing comedy. Not only is he not landing acting jobs, his relationship with his girlfriend Sally (Amy Huberman) is fragile to say the least, while their landlord, Jack (Keith Allen) is breathing down their necks for rent. Mark also has to look after his disabled brother David (David O’Doherty) so let’s say he has a lot on. Mark and Sally need many repairs to their flat but Jack refuses to do anything until he gets the rent. Things take an amusing if somewhat macabre turn when a ceiling light falls and kills David. If that isn’t bad enough, Jack finally turns up to do some repairs, and proceeds to fall off a stool while changing a light bulb and ending up dead with a screwdriver in his neck. It doesn’t end there. Sally returns home, sees David, collapses and also ends up landing awkwardly and killing herself!

Mark is in serious trouble now with three bodies in the flat but he has a friend and neighbour, Pierce (Dylan Moran), to turn to for help. Pierce is a screenwriter and sees this bizarre sequence of events as implausible to say the least, even if it happened in a film. Drawing on his knowledge of how films with death and murder in should go, he and Mark try to orchestrate a story to explain away these three accidents. Even though we know Mark has done nothing wrong you will sympathise with him when eventually faced with a police officer that unexpectedly turns up at the flat. How will Mark and Pierce find a way out of this scrape?

A Film With Me In It is very dark but it is also funny as well. Doherty and Moran are a great team with Moran delivering a far more resourceful character than the incompetent Bernard Black from the wonderful comedy, Black Books. Though the three deaths stretch credibility somewhat, even Mark and Pierce can’t believe it, the film just becomes funnier with each scene and you start to fear for anyone that comes near Mark’s flat. This is akin to Shallow Grave but without anyone of Christopher Eccleston’s cunning in disposing of bodies.

A Film With Me In It was a pleasant surprise. I hadn’t heard anything about it when it was first released but I think it hasn’t earned the plaudits it deserves. It is very dark in the subject matter and won’t be to everyone’s tastes but seeing Mark go from struggling actor to potential triple murder suspect without lifting a finger is just bizarre and hilarious. Doherty and Moran make a memorable double act and carry this one home with some assurance.

Verdict: 4/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

Film Review: A Film With Me In It | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave

Film Review: Insidious

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About Insidious (2010)[image error]Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) are a happily married couple with three young children who have moved into their idyllic new suburban home. When tragedy strikes their young son, Josh and Renai begin to experience things in the house that are beyond explanation. Before long, their lives are turned upside down by demonic forces, hell-bent on terrorising their very existence. Forced to seek help and protect their family, they learn the terrifying truth…… it’s not the house that’s haunted but something far worse…

Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye

Directed by: James Wan

Runtime: 103 minutes

Studio: Film District

 

Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: Insidious

Written and directed by the two friends that gave us the Saw series, Insidious tells the story of the Lambert family made up of Renai (Rose Byrne),  Josh (Patrick Wilson) and their three children. One day one of the sons, Dalton (Ty Simpkins), is in the attic and falls from a ladder. He witnesses something lurking in the shadows and after going to sleep that night he does not wake. Dalton remains in a coma in hospital but when he is brought home, Renai and Josh witness strange things in the house such as hand prints on the bed sheets and strangers appearing in the bedroom. They decide that the house must be haunted so move elsewhere.

A fresh start is just what the Lambert family need while they await Dalton’s recovery. However, their new home proves far from the sanctuary they yearn for. No sooner have they moved in than Renai and Josh are at the mercy of ghosts once more. Turning to Elise Reiner (Lin Shaye), a paranormal investigator, the Lambert family are horrified to learn that the house isn’t haunted at all, it is their son Dalton who is haunted. Elise has some ideas on how to save Dalton but it will involve risk not only to Dalton’s life but to the Lambert family as well. Can Elise save Dalton or will he remain haunted and comatose for the rest of his life?

I did have reservations about Insidious but I’m pleased to say many of my concerns proved unfounded. As haunted house tales go this one has some good moments and even had me on edge once or twice as well, which takes some doing these days. There is a back story involving Josh but I won’t go into detail here for fear of ruining the plot. All I’ll say is it’s interesting. Many elements of this film will not be new to you but the performances are decent with good effects to match. As horror films go this one has many positives though it doesn’t stand out as exemplary.

Insidious is a good little horror tale of a family torn apart by malevolent spirits that have targeted their son. Boasting a good cast and a story that will keep your interest for the film’s duration, this one is certainly worth your consideration but compared to other horror films it’s never going to trouble the masterpieces of this genre.

Verdict: 3/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

Film Review: Insidious | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave

Film Review: Arachnid

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About Arachnid (2001)[image error]A viral outbreak on a remote South Pacific island lures a secret expedition to investigate. The natives there are dying from a lethal cocktail of neurotoxins and the most likely cause is a venomous spider bite. The suspect – a previously unknown species of arachnid.

Now, a terrifying predator with a voracious appetite and a killer instinct is hunting ex-Navy pilot Lauren Mercer and her team of soldiers and scientists. To make matters worse, the thing is multiplying at a ferocious rate. And when Mercer’s team finds the wreckage of a crashed spaceship, it becomes clear that the extraterrestrial arachnid is more than just a new species of spider.

From Brian Yuzna, the producer of horror fan favourite Re-Animator and Jack Shoulder, director of sci-fi classic, The Hidden comes Arachnid, a movie for anyone who’s ever been scared of spiders! With eye-popping special effects from the team behind Species and The Abyss.

Starring: Chris Potter, Alex Reid, José Sancho, Neus Asensi, Ravil Isyanov

Directed by: Jack Sholder

Runtime: 92 minutes

Studio: Mosaic

 

Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: Arachnid

It seems that most horror films I watch of late have giant reptiles or insects on a remote island and Arachnid is no exception. At the outset we witness a soldier being attacked in a forest on said “remote island” before the scene moves on a year. Mercer (Alex Reid), the sister of the man who is killed at the start, is a pilot that takes a small group, led by Valentine (Chris Potter), to the island to do some investigating after a man dies in Guam from some mysterious insect bites. Amongst the group is Henry (Ravil Isyanov), an arachnologist, who is soon in his element when they uncover a giant spider that is terrorising everyone on the island leaving few if any survivors.

Of course our group end up stranded on the island and are soon being picked off one by one by the hungry spider. Inevitably, Henry is keen to learn more about the giant arachnid and gets himself into all sorts of scrapes, while Mercer and Valentine, initially at loggerheads, soon find common ground and almost romance were it not for the eight-legged menace that wants them on its menu. Being stuck together by a spider web is just one of may embarrassing moments you’ll have to contend with. The question is why is a giant spider running around on the island and can the group escape back to civilization or will they be left to perish in a spiderweb?

Arachnid is the usual giant monster horror that follows a similar storyline to others of this type. The spider isn’t hugely impressive when it makes its first appearance and the feeling doesn’t change when it keeps coming back to either eat or poison the hapless survivors. The cast have forgotten their acting lessons in this one as well, I’m afraid, not atrocious but hardly awe-inspiring either. By the end it’s a simple case of been here before on many occasions and the journey doesn’t feel any different.

Arachnid is another poor attempt at a modern B-movie. While the oldies have a distinct charm I’m just finding their modern counterparts to be so badly acted, filled with awful effects, terrible scripts and monotonous storylines. It is possible to make a monster movie good, it’s been done countless times before, but the likes of Arachnid are films that are missing the many key ingredients. Some may get some laughs from this but within a few months you’ll have forgotten all about it.

Verdict: 1/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

Film Review: Arachnid | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave

Film Review: As If I Am Not There

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About As If I Am Not There (2010)[image error]Set during the Balkan war of the 1990s, As If I Am Not There is based on true events and tells the story of Samira (Natasha Petrovic), a young woman from Sarajevo whose life is shattered the day a soldier walks into her apartment and tells her to pack her things. Rounded up with the other women from the village and imprisoned in a warehouse in a remote region of Bosnia, she quickly learns the rules of camp life. However, the day she is picked out to entertain the soldiers, the real nightmare begins. In a final act of courage or madness, Samira decides to make one last stand: to dare to be herself. And this simple act saves her life. Based on Croatian writer Slavenka Drakulic s real life experiences overseeing the proceedings of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia at The Hague.

Starring: Natasa Petrovic, Feda Stukan, Stellan Skarsgard, Miraj Grbic

Directed by: Juanita Wilson

Runtime: 106 minutes

Studio: Element Pictures

 

Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: As If I Am Not There 

Juanita Wilson’s portrayal of events in the Bosnian War (1992-5) focus primarily on women and girls as opposed to men or soldiers fighting in the conflict. The central character is Samira (Natasa Petrovic) who leaves her parents and younger sister to take up a teaching post in a remote rural village. She settles in well to her new life but one day smoke is on the horizon and gunfire can be heard. The Bosnian War has begun and soldiers descend on the village separating the men from the women and children. While the men are executed, the women and children are transported to camps where they remain prisoners throughout the war.

While it’s clear that many of the prisoners are subjected to labour, we follow Samira’s own path as she is one day chosen to live with a small group of women, sealed away in a remote building and summoned at regular intervals to be raped by groups of men. Women of all ages and even young girls are subjected to this ordeal and Samira’s first experiences sees her both beaten and raped by a trio of men. The title of the film resonates in this scene as Samira reflects on her ill treatment and how she is just a plaything rather than a human being. Samira remains strong though and catches the eye of the camp commander (Miraj Grbic) who takes her as his lover and she comes to receive some preferential treatment. The question is can Samira survive the war and will she make it back to her family?

As If I Am Not There swaps the bloody conflict of war for the suffering of the innocent civilians, in this case the women and children. After a pleasant opening it becomes a gritty and often unpleasant drama with the prisoners being shown no mercy, especially a young girl who Samira comes to care for. Petrovic is excellent in the lead, conveying a remarkably strong and independent woman in Samira, one who somehow withstands everything that is thrown at her and she emerges as something of a leader by the end. Though we witness the end of the Bosnian War it is only the start of a new battle for the women and children that have lived through it. There are no real happy endings, no magical cures here, simply harsh reality. The only downside to the film is it feels somewhat unfinished in its conclusion but perhaps that is an apt reflection of the scars war leaves on a nation and its people.

As If I Am Not There is a brutal but well-acted film that looks at the lives of civilians caught in the middle of a war they did not desire or start. The mass rape that was prevalent during the Bosnian War is explored here and we have victims that we will both pity and admire for their strength and resolve in surviving such a terrible ordeal. While the conclusion may seem to be missing something, this is still a compelling drama about a dark period of modern history.

Verdict: 4/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

Film Review: As If I Am Not There | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave

Book Excerpt: Arabelle’s Shadows – Fleur Gaskin

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Today Fleur Gaskin stops by to share an excerpt from her book, Arabelle’s Shadows. 

Excerpt from Arabelle’s Shadows

My day started off okay. I had a casting at Emporium, a shopping centre near Rompo. I’ve always loved being in Emporium. Outside it’s all hot, dirty and crowded but as soon as you walk through the entrance everything’s cool, spacious and sparkly. And it’s welcoming, even though it’s full of lavish designer stores. It’s not like other stuffy malls for the wealthy, which always make me feel uncomfortable like, since I don’t have a platinum credit card, I shouldn’t be there.

After the casting I saw my friend Ying Thompson walking towards the escalator. She broke off from the group she was with and came over to give me a hug. “Hey Arabelle, what are you doing? Come sit with me while I get my makeup done.”

“Are you doing a fashion show?” I asked her thinking of all the models that’d been with her. “Nope. The others are, I’m hosting the event. Come on!” Without waiting for me to reply she linked her arm through mine and led me downstairs towards a backstage area in the basement. Ying’s a very popular singer in Thailand. As we walked through the mall you could hear people saying her name and giggling. Ying paid no attention to all the turning heads. She was on the phone, in the middle of a fierce monetary negotiation with a client. They want her to become the face of their rice crackers.

The concrete room we entered was full of people bustling around getting ready for the fashion show. We found an empty space and sat down amongst everyone else’s handbags, shawls and bottles of water.

“So what’s been happening?” She asked in a strong Kiwi accent (her Dad’s from New Zealand, her Mum’s Thai-Chinese). “I think I…” I was bursting to tell her about Naak but Ying’s assistant interrupted and started asking a lot of questions in Thai. “Sorry,” Ying said focusing her attention back to me, “what were you going to say?”

“I was out at Bed the other week and… well… I think I’m dating Naak!”

Ying pursed her lips together in a frown, not the look of excitement I’d been expecting. “No you’re not.” Ying said flatly, “Naak has a girlfriend. She left to study in the States a couple of weeks ago.”

Looking away from Ying I caught sight of my reflection in the makeup mirror opposite me. My face was stuck in the smile I’d worn when I was telling her I had a boyfriend. Except now the lines around my mouth were strained. With bulging eyes my smile looked more like a grimace.

“I think they’re dating because her family owns a lot of the property on Sukumvit Road,” Ying continued. “You know, she’s only eighteen!” Naak’s thirty.

“Okay,” I murmured. I searched desperately for something else to say in response. Luckily the brand new mobile on Ying’s lap began to vibrate. With her perfectly manicured fingers, a tiny crystal heart in the centre of each nail, Ying set about replying to the text message. Ying hates all unpleasantness and it appeared that, as far as she was concerned, the issue was settled.

I’ve had plenty of experience detaching myself from my wretched weeping soul and by the time Ying put her phone down I’d rearranged my face into neutral. My robot body looked at my mobile and told Ying, “Sorry, I’ve got to go see the agency now,” it hugged her goodbye. It smiled and acted like Arabelle didn’t care that Naak had a girlfriend.

My insides died and disintegrated the whole journey home. I paused the tears right up until I exited the elevator. When I found no one in my shared room I blinked, allowing them trickle down the sides of my face and jump to the floor.

Arabelle's Shadows (2012)[image error]Everything in Arabelle’s life is coming together. She has confidence, great friends, she’s even dating Naak, a wealthy Thai socialite. But there are too many models in Bangkok. Arabelle’s broke, she can’t find an agent in New York, and Naak isn’t as wonderful as he first appears.

Slowly the Shadows creep back into Arabelle’s mind, bringing with them thoughts of hopelessness and despair. The vile Shadows know something Arabelle’s refusing to remember and, if she’s not careful, they’ll use it to destroy her.

Based on a true story, Arabelle’s Shadows takes us on a journey through the struggles of growing up, not quite making it as an international model, and attempting to overcome a crushing depression.

 

Amazon USAmazon UKiTunesB&NSmashwordsGoodreads About Fleur Gaskin[image error]Fleur Gaskin is from New Zealand. She was an international model for six years, working in over ten countries, mainly in Asia and Europe. She has been in TV commercials, walked on runways and appeared in many magazines including Elle, Marie Claire and Vogue.

She presently lives in Shanghai, China with her fiance.

 

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Book Excerpt: Arabelle’s Shadows – Fleur Gaskin | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave

Film Review: Yojimbo

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About Yojimbo (1961)[image error]The incomparable Toshiro Mifune stars in Akira Kurosawa’s visually stunning and darkly comic Yojimbo. To rid a terror-stricken village of corruption, wily masterless samurai Sanjuro turns a range war between two evil clans to his own advantage. Remade twice, by Sergio Leone (A Fistful of Dollars) and Walter Hill (Last Man Standing), this exhilarating genre-twister remains one of the most influential and entertaining films ever produced. Criterion is proud to present this Kurosawa favorite in a new, high-definition digital transfer.

Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Eijirô Tôno, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yôko Tsukasa, Isuzu Yamada

Directed by: Akira Kurosawa

Runtime: 108 minutes

Studio: Criterion

 

Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: Yojimbo

My latest experience of Akira Kurosawa tells the story of a wandering ronin (Toshiro Mifune) who comes to a town that is divided between two rival gangs. Once peaceful, friendships have broken down and sides have been taken with many of the young men taking up arms to defend their respective leader. Some of the townspeople try for peaceful co-existence and advise the ronin to be on his way so as to avoid any trouble. Rather than leave, the ronin decides that the town will only enjoy better times if both gangs are dead. This skilled warrior is more than a match for the townspeople but though he is good with a sword, he’s also pretty intelligent as well.

The ronin decides the best way to end the war in the town is to play both sides off against one another. He offers his services to one side and then to the other, gaining insight into each respective enemy before initiating many clever schemes to bring them both to ruin, liberating prisoners, blaming murders on opposing sides, all of it fuels the rage of both factions. The gang led by Ushitora (Kyu Sazanka) proves far deadlier than that led by Seibei (Seizaburo Kawazu) but neither side comes across as innocent. Initially drawn to helping Seibei, the ronin is disgusted when he overhears his employer’s plan to have him wipe out Ushitora and then orchestrate the ronin’s death so they don’t have to pay him! The more risks the ronin takes in ending the two sides, the more suspicious they become of his intentions. The question is can he restore peace to the town or will one gang prevail over the other?

Yojimbo is another expertly directed film with an intriguing story of rival factions and one man that exposes their respective weaknesses before seeking to exploit them. Mifune, a regular in Kurosawa’s films, is fantastic as the brilliant and cunning ronin. You will be rooting for him as soon as the full extent of corruption on both sides of the town is revealed but his is no easy task. This isn’t an epic in Ran style, more a lower scale and intimate film much like Rashomon. It’s hard to decide where this one falls in the Kurosawa pantheon but I have to say it must be in my top 3 films from the Japanese maestro, probably with Ran and Ikiru.

Yojimbo complements the excellent range of Kurosawa films I’ve witnessed so far. This influential film may have a simple story on the surface but it is executed with some finesse by its director. The rival factions, the cunning undermining of the leaders, it all builds up to a terrific conclusion. If you ever try any of Kurosawa films do not overlook this one.

Verdict: 4/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

Film Review: Yojimbo | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave

Film Review: The Dinosaur Project

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About The Dinosaur Project (2012)[image error]While on an expedition in search of the African Loch Ness Monster, a team of explorers happen upon a Jurassic world that is inhabited by creatures which civilization has thought extinct for millions of years. These carnivorous dinosaurs prove to be territorial and more clever than expected in choosing their prey.

Starring: Natasha Loring, Matt Kane, Richard Dillane

Directed by: Sid Bennett

Runtime: 83 minutes

Studio: Vivendi Entertainment

 

Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: The Dinosaur Project

It’s been twenty years since Steven Spielberg wowed the world with Jurassic Park. In the two decades that have passed there should have been plenty of lessons in how to make a decent dinosaur movie. Sid Bennett’s film takes the now overused idea of footage being discovered of an ill-fated expedition, this one being in the heart of the Congo in search of the African equivalent of the Loch Ness monster. The group leader is Jonathan (Richard Dillane) who is ably assisted by his long-term friend Charlie (Peter Brooke) as well as a young medic Liz (Natasha Loring). Jonathan also has to contend with a stowaway which turns out to be his disobedient son, Luke (Matt Kane). When the group fly over the Congo they are attacked by large flying creatures they can’t identify though it’s clear they’re pterodactyls. Now stranded in the Congo the group must investigate what the hell is going on and then find a way out of there.

It doesn’t take the group long to find an abandoned village with traces of blood splatter suggesting a not so pleasant ending for the locals. Attempts to shelter in the village don’t go well when the group are attacked by a group of creatures during the night. Only in daylight do they comprehend they have stumbled upon an undisturbed land of dinosaurs. Like you do! The usually adventurous Jonathan wants to lead the group to safety immediately and plan a return expedition but Charlie breaks rank and wants to stay and get footage of the dinosaurs in all their glory. Silly, silly man. While some of the dinosaurs are herbivores, many are not and have no qualms about adding humans to their menu.

The Dinosaur Project is riddled with issues. First off, the group are attacked by pterodactyls who force them to crash. This is fine but the idea that these dinosaurs have spent 65 million years in the Congo without migrating is just ludicrous to say the least. That said, the effects that have put them together may explain their inabilities to progress very far. Twenty years on and the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park look better than they do here. Away from the survival and filming dinosaurs shenanigans we have the inevitable father-son bonding to contend with. If this sort of theme makes you roll your eyes have a sick bag on standby. That said, it’s not as bad as in Sanctum. 

The Dinosaur Project is a nice idea but it falls badly in its execution. The effects are not great, the acting is sadly lacking and it has nothing to offer as an experience that three Jurassic Park films haven’t covered already. Location wise, it looks pretty good but everything else makes this one a miss for me.

Verdict: 1/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

Film Review: The Dinosaur Project | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave

Film Review: Humanoids from the Deep

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About Humanoids from the Deep (1980)[image error]Something evil is happening in the sleepy fishing village of Noyo. Fishlike humanoid creatures, spawned by mutant DNA, begin rising from the ocean looking to mate with the local women. Scientist Susan Drake (Ann Turkel) along with local fisherman Jim Hill (Doug McClure, The Land That Time Forgot) seek to investigate the cause of this invasion of creatures from the ocean floor. But when the annual Salmon Festival begins, some unwanted guests are about to crash the festivities. Also starring Vic Morrow (Message From Space), Cindy Weintraub (The Prowler) and Denise Galik (Dont Answer The Phone).

Starring: Doug McClure, Ann Turkel, Vic Morrow

Directed by: Barbara Peeters

Runtime: 82 minutes

Studio: Shout! Factory

 

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This 80s B-movie takes place in the fishing village of Noyo. At the outset a group of fishermen catch something in the water but one is dragged under the waves and killed while another tries to shoot his assailant with a flare gun only to hit the gasoline on the boat instead and kill everyone on board. Fools! Bizarre creatures are in the water and they are coming ashore to murder the men and to mate with any women they can get their hands on. Horny teenagers on the beach are soon picked off, well, the boyfriends are anyway but the women are left alive.

Jim Hill (Doug McClure) witnesses the explosion at the start of the film and becomes our hero of sorts, trying to figure out where these bizarre humanoid creatures have come from. He is aided by Dr Susan Drake (Ann Turkel) who works for a company called Canco and they may have the answer to what is terrorising the people of Noyo. With the village having a huge gathering at a carnival on the horizon, can Jim and Susan stop the humanoids before they mate with more women?

The synopsis for this film didn’t sound particularly great and the actual result does nothing to detract from that. The acting is pretty bad, the script isn’t great and the humanoids themselves are far from scary though I can understand why the local women don’t wish to have sex with them. Stopping these monsters from the water proves to be not that difficult while the denouement tries to surprise but just left me feeling like I’d seen it all before.

Many eighties movie are cheesy, badly done but still great with their own distinctive charm. Humanoids from the Deep does not fall into that category. Whether purposefully bad or not, this one is utterly atrocious and though I may have laughed on occasion it was more out of embarrassment than anything else. With any luck these humanoids will return to the water and never surface again!

Verdict: 1/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

Film Review: Humanoids from the Deep | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave