David M. Brown's Blog, page 73
January 17, 2013
Film Review: Arrietty
[image error] Arrietty is the latest release from Studio Ghibli, based on the classic children’s book The Borrowers. Tiny 14 year old Arrietty lives under the floorboards of an old house with her father and mother. Their peaceful life is dramatically changed when the ever curious Arrietty accidentally allows herself to be seen by Sho, a poorly and lonesome 12 year old human boy. The fledgling friendship between the two lonely children causes Haru the housekeeper to become aware of the borrowers’ existence. The family of little borrowers are forced to choose between staying in their well-established home or leaving for the uncertainty of the great outdoors.
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Olivia Colman, Mark Strong
Directed by: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Runtime: 91 minutes
Studio: Buena Vista
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Review: Arrietty
Based on the Mary Norton’s novel, The Borrowers, Arrietty is one of the latest efforts from renowned animation wizards – Studio Ghibli. I’m used to reviewing the works of Hayao Miyazaki or Isao Takahata but with this film the reins were handed to Hiromasa Yonebayashi and he has done a great job as director.
Arrietty tells the story of Sho, a teenager sent to stay with his great aunt, Sadako, and the maid, Haru. Sho has been told to rest due to his bad heart but no sooner does he arrive at the house than he encounters Arrietty, a Borrower, who lives with her parents – Pod and Homily – beneath the floorboards. Now a teenager herself, Arrietty begins heading out at night with her father and borrowing items from the house such as sugar cubes, while evading the many threats such as the household cat, Niya. Despite her father’s warnings, Arrietty finds herself striking up a friendship with Sho but can the Borrowers remain out of danger?
This is another beautifully animated piece from Studio Ghibli. My previous experience of them was with the disappointing Ponyo, which remains the only anime from Miyazaki that has left me feeling disappointed. I’ve never lost my faith in Studio Ghibli despite that minor blip but Arrietty has consolidated the quality of these illustrious animators.
The storyline is an effective one with the resourceful Arrietty following in her father’s footsteps as a talented Borrower but the future of her family is thrown into jeopardy with the arrival of Sho. Becoming friends with the boy, Arrietty is young and misguided in the threat the boy may inadvertently pose. What with the nosy maid and the cat always nearby, the Borrowers begin to question whether it is safe for them to remain in the house long-term. Sho is a fragile boy, severely reduced by his delicate heart, but despite this setback he is tender and caring, only wanting to befriend Arrietty and help her.
Arrietty has some great set-pieces as the Borrowers traverse the household in search of items to replenish their wilting supplies. We only have a small cast of characters here but they’re all memorable including the taciturn Spiller who appears in the latter stages and is clearly drawn to Arrietty but has a strange way of showing it. This film marks a welcome return to form for Studio Ghibli after the disappointment of Ponyo. All the family should find something to enjoy here despite some poignant moments, especially the ending.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Arrietty | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: The Resident
[image error]Juliet (Academy Award-winner Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby), a beautiful doctor, has found the perfect New York apartment to start a new life after separating from her husband. It’s got spacious rooms, a spectacular view, and a handy, handsome landlord. But there are secrets behind every wall and terror in every room as Juliet gets the unnerving feeling that she is not alone. She is being watched. She is being stalked. And no one is safe when she discovers the relentless horror on her doorstep. But how do you stop an evil that you can’t see…until it’s too late? Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Grey’s Anatomy) and screen legend Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings) costar in this pulse-pounding shocker from famed horror studio Hammer Films (Let Me In).
Starring: Hilary Swank, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Christopher Lee, Lee Pace
Directed by: Antti Jokinen
Runtime: 91 minutes
Studio: Image Entertainment
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Review: The Resident
Double-Oscar winner Hilary Swank is one of Hollywood’s best and it would be no surprise if she added to her tally later in her career, in my opinion. Antti Jokinen’s The Resident tackles a very serious problem affecting society today – stalking. Not often taken seriously, stalkers have sadly been allowed to harass their victims unopposed and even kill them. Making a film about this subject had to be done sensitively so does The Resident pull it off?
Juliet Deverau (Hilary Swank) is a surgeon in search of a new home after splitting up with her unfaithful boyfriend Jack (Lee Pace). She finds a decent apartment with the only problem being the noise and vibrations from a nearby subway. Juliet’s landlord Max (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his father August (Christopher Lee) seem initially welcoming but then Juliet begins to suspect someone is stalking her. Her initial suspicions are the old and lonely August but when Juliet becomes close to Max only to push him away as she addresses her broken relationship with Jack, Max shows he has something of a dark side.
The Resident spends its first half hour with Juliet’s search for a new apartment, meeting Max and August, finding flowers outside her door and later meeting Max again at a party. There is mutual affection and it seems a relationship is on the cards but then the film rewinds back to the beginning and we witness events from the perspective of Max. What we assumed was Juliet’s first meeting with Max at the apartment was anything but. Max and August were at the hospital when Juliet was on call and seeing her, Max immediately becomes obsessed. He learns her name, telephone number and orchestrates a way for her to come to the recently renovated apartment. When she moves in Max is watching her, through peepholes and even sneaking into her room at night to watch her closely.
When Juliet and her ex Jack get back in touch, Max gradually turns nasty. We witness some very uncomfortable examples of stalking such as sneaking into the apartment to lie in the same bath, use the same toothbrush, drug Juliet so he can watch her sleep without detection and even more unpleasant things. Although these are realistic depictions of the levels some stalkers will go to, the film does gradually lose its way as it approaches the conclusion. Juliet inevitably gets wise to Max and confronts him and things do turn pretty violent.
The Resident just doesn’t really work for me. Swank is okay but nowhere near at her best while Morgan does a better job as her stalker. Christopher Lee is underused and has no real purpose other than to briefly throw us off the scent of who the stalker is but within the first half four of the film we’re shown the real culprit anyway so why bother? The final exchange ends very abruptly and given the damage that has been done to Juliet and to those around her you would have expected she might be a bit more upset about the experience as the final credits loom but she seems strangely in control. This had the potential to be a really great film but it’s a pretty pointless experience in the end which is a real shame.
The Resident is a far cry from Swank’s two Oscar winning turns in Boys Don’t Cry (1999) and Million Dollar Baby (2004) and I can only hope she chooses her scripts more carefully in future. A legend like Christopher Lee should not be in films like this either, while Morgan at least comes out of the film with the potential to do other things, much better things I might add.
Verdict: 2/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: The Resident | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
January 16, 2013
Book Review: 3 Heads & a Tail – Vickie Johnstone
[image error]When nature lover Josie moves into a house share with two pals, dreamer Ben and model man David, she sees it as a short stop and doesn’t bank on an attraction developing with one of them. Meanwhile, Ben’s dog, Glen, has the hots for Miss Posh, the beautiful golden Lab in the park. When dog meets dog it’s puppy love, but a complication leads to Glen taking matters into his own paws. In this comedy of errors, romance and walkies, it’s anyone’s guess who is going to win the girl/dog and live happily ever after.
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Review: 3 Heads & a Tail
Ever wondered what our pets are thinking? Vickie Johnstone attempts to get into the mind of a dog, Glen, in this highly amusing comedy romance. The story focuses on Josie who moves into a house with two new friends – Ben and David. It isn’t long before we have an awkward love triangle with model David and the more reserved Ben both taking a liking to Josie but which one will she choose? Then there is the small matter of Ben’s dog, Glen, who falls in love with Miss Posh, a golden Labrador he sees at the local park. Will love find a way for someone?
Johnstone wrote this book as part of NaNoWriMo and it’s a good example of why this annual event is such a worthwhile one for writers.[image error] Josie has come out of one relationship and is somewhat lost to begin with. The attentions of both Ben and David are unexpected but they are very different people. David is both a model and a musician who keeps in good shape and thinks he is God’s gift to women, while Ben is the nice guy who looks destined to lose out to his house mate. Then there is Glen who has the best moments in the book. Johnstone devotes some sections of the book to Glen’s thoughts and these range from incredulity that Josie would consider David over Ben to excitement about the park and, of course, dog treats. Glen also falls in love with a dog at the park and is determined to be with her.
This is a delightful and funny read throughout. David is the guy the readers will love to hate while Ben is the one that we will all want Josie to be with and not just because he owns one very cool dog. Whether she ends up with either house mate or no one at all is not for me to say. The story takes a fascinating turn in its second half with Glen being the star of the show. His thoughts are wonderfully conveyed and you may never look at your dog the same again after reading this.
3 Heads & a Tail is a warm, funny and entertaining read from start to finish. It has a great bunch of characters, some sharp dialogue and one very special dog tying all the characters together. What more could one ask for?
Verdict: 5/5
(Book source: reviewer received a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review)
Book Review: 3 Heads & a Tail – Vickie Johnstone | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
January 15, 2013
Book Review: Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops – Jen Campbell
[image error]‘Can books conduct electricity?’
‘My children are just climbing your bookshelves: that’s ok… isn’t it?’
A John Cleese Twitter question ['What is your pet peeve?'], first sparked the “Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops” blog, which grew over three years into one bookseller’s collection of ridiculous conversations on the shop floor.
From ‘Did Beatrix Potter ever write a book about dinosaurs?’ to the hunt for a paperback which could forecast the next year’s weather; and from ‘I’ve forgotten my glasses, please read me the first chapter’ to ‘Excuse me… is this book edible?’
This full-length collection illustrated by the Brothers McLeod also includes top ‘Weird Things’ from bookshops around the world.
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Review: Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops
This is a book that should come with several warnings, including making strange “Nooooo!” exclamations in public, not being able to breathe for laughing and regularly wanting to smack yourself upside your head with the book to see if you really are still in the world you thought you lived in or if you’ve slipped into another dimension, where people are fundamentally lacking in common sense.
This is a hilarious book but I suspect a little less funny if you were on the receiving end of some of these comments. Such as the man who got berated by an old lady for refusing to leave the shop and buy a stamp for her! Or the shop owner who had to try and find a book from a vague ‘It has a green cover’ style of description.
I would have loved this book to be longer and I suspect there are many more stories that could be included. Paving the way for book two? Perhaps. Certainly this book – and presumably subsequent volumes – would make a fantastic gift. Just don’t forget to share the above warnings…
Verdict: 5/5
(Book source: reviewer’s own copy)
Book Review: Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops – Jen Campbell | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
January 14, 2013
Film Review: Red Sorghum
[image error] RED SORGHUM marked the directorial debut of internationally acclaimed director Zhang Yimou and the acting debut of Gong Li. With its lush and lusty portrayal of peasant life, it is now considered a modern classic of Chinese cinema.
Starring: Gong Li, Jiang Wen, Teng Rujun
Directed by: Zhang Yimou
Runtime: 88 minutes
Studio: Drakes Avenue Pictures
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Review: Red Sorghum
Zhang Yimou is one of my favourite directors, responsible for some truly stunning films. The chance to return to the late eighties and witness his debut effort was too good a chance to resist. The film also heralded the debut performance of actress, Gong Li. The film is set in Shandong, China, during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-45) and tells the story of Jiu’er (Gong Li) who is forced into a pre-arranged marriage with Li Datou who owns a distillery but is suffering with leprosy. Along the way Jiu’er is being carried in a sedan when it comes under attack from bandits. One of the carriers (Wen Jiang) not only fights off the bandit but falls in love with Jiu’er, attempting to claim her for himself. After Jiu’er’s husband mysteriously dies, she inherits the distillery which has fallen on hard times but somehow she manages to inspire the workers there to stay on the property and make it flourish once more.
Despite being the debut effort of Zhang Yimou, Red Sorghum is stunningly beautiful to watch. The opening scenes are calm and colourfull, Jiu’er being transported by the tireless sedan carriers who engage in song and taunt her until she begins to cry, prompting them to continue in silence. The film is narrated by the grandson of Jiu’er and the main sedan carrier that becomes her lover. After taking charge of the distillery, Jiu’er’s relationship with her future lover is a strained one, especially when he shows up drunk and boasts to the men there that he has deflowered Jiu’er in the sorghum fields, which is true, but as you can imagine this doesn’t go down well with her.
The narrator’s grandparents eventually come to love one another and despite the threat of bandits at one stage the film seems to settle into a pleasant story such as Yimou’s later masterpiece – The Road Home. However, the second half of the film takes away all the pleasantness. The Japanese arrive and round up the Chinese workers. By this point the narrator’s father has been born but the horrors he and his parents have to face are appalling. The violence is implied rather than seen but the film takes a very dark turn and culminates in Jiu’er wanting to take on the might of the Japanese army. How it ends though is not for me to say.
Red Sorghum is a beautiful film, beginning with the lush sorghum fields, the pleasant singing of the sedan carriers, throwing in some amusing moments such as the narrator’s drunk grandfather spending three days sobering up in a liquor vat or urinating on the wine, but the film leaves behind the romance and rural idyll its opening reels promise, plunging us into the horrors of war. That final scene is powerful with the narrator’s grandfather and father standing together beneath a red eclipse. There are no happy endings in war and Red Sorghum is no exception. Not Yimou’s best film, that honour goes to House of Flying Daggers, but this is a fabulous debut all the same.
Verdict: 5/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Red Sorghum | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
January 13, 2013
Tweedlers’ Jukebox Song of the Week: 74-75
Released in 1993, The Connells’ most famous song only peaked at #14 in the UK charts but it remains an undoubted classic today. I distinctly remember hearing this at university, around a decade after the song’s release but my best friend and I never knew who the artist was. I thankfully found out a few years ago and it’s been a personal favourite ever since.
The meaning of the song is difficult to interpret. The music video shows images of school photos from the class of 1974/75 at Broughton High School followed by images of the students as adults. The song sounds like one of nostalgia and regret surrounding the years 1974/1975. The lyrics, “I was the one to let you know, I was just sorry ever after,” may suggest a romance that went wrong and still affects the narrator two decades later.
The Connells have released many songs since this one but 74-75 struck a chord with many music fans and it continues to fascinate fans to this day. I enjoy artists that can convey genuine emotion and tell tales of regrets from the past and The Connells fit the bill here perfectly. An absolutely wonderful song.
Tweedlers’ Jukebox Song of the Week: 74-75 | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
January 12, 2013
Book Excerpt: Cherokee Talisman – David-Michael Harding
Today David-Michael Harding stops by to share an excerpt from his book, Cherokee Talisman.
Excerpt from Cherokee Talisman
Autumn comes late in the Carolinas. Summer willfully drags her feet which pleases some and riles not but a few, including the trees which are anxious to change their hues, rid themselves of summer’s trappings and rest in the coolness of the fall. Flies are permitted by the lingering summer heat to continue harassing the horses and livestock who have waited out the long season in anticipation of the cold that will drive the insects into hiding. The whitetail deer, browsing beneath the impatient trees, are also tormented by the flies and without the long tails of their domesticated neighbors are given to sprints through the thick brush to escape. These rushes and the pestering insects can give way to doom as the deer’s concentration on the flies and escape coax their senses away from high alert. Then a hunter, his body wrapped in the tanned hide of his quarry, slips on silent feet through the disgruntled trees. His black hair hangs loose around his cinnamon brown face shielding it from the flies like a horse’s mane. When the breeze is right, when the distance is right, he sends an arrow carefully honed under his own hand from a bow that was his father’s into the deer’s distracted heart.
The flies that gather gorge themselves on the blood that is pulled by gravity alone down the quiet deer’s side. The heart is still. The hunter comes upon the body and sits several feet away watching for signs of life. When there are none he moves to the deer and rests his bow across the soft brown hair of this animal that has given the hunter’s family continued life. He crouches at the deer’s head and cups his hand under the dead mouth. Water from a leather bag pours into the hunter’s hand and to the deer’s lips.
“Thank you, my friend,” he says tenderly. “This will help you on your journey.” And the flies walk across the hunter’s hands leaving the blood that has collected on their feet.
About Cherokee Talisman (2012)
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They were blood-thirsty savages – superstitious, dirty animals.
They were thieves and killers who burned houses to the ground and kidnapped women and children.
They were protectors of a Nation – guerrilla fighters serving their country.
They were husbands and fathers who built homes in lush valleys for their families.
They were – the same men.
In 1775 perspective came with the color of your skin.
An orphan boy, Totsuhwa, is taken under the wing of legendary Cherokee war chief Tsi’yugunsini, the Dragon. But even under a dragon’s wing isn’t safe when a covetous nation forms around them.
Amid the battles, Totsuhwa fights the reoccurring pain of loss until he meets Galegi, who becomes his wife. Trying to raise their son in a peace the new world won’t allow, they teach him the strictest Cherokee traditions while white assimilation, encroachment, and treachery grows. General Andrew Jackson wages war against tribes across the southeast and the toll is high. With his people gradually losing everything, Totsuhwa must find a way to save his family — and the Cherokee Nation — before all is lost.
Cherokee Talisman recreates the neglected history that existed when one nation was born and another almost died.
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About David-Michael Harding
[image error]David-Michael Harding is a life-long writer whose last novel, How Angels Die, received critical acclaim. A former semi-professional football player, his writing is hard hitting and passionate. He holds a master’s degree in education and is an adjunct professor of writing. His respect and admiration of Native American culture inspired this novel. Most of his days are spent writing from the cockpit of his sailboat, Pegasus, somewhere off the Nature Coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico.
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Book Excerpt: Cherokee Talisman – David-Michael Harding | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
January 11, 2013
Film Review: Wolf Creek
[image error]Welcome to Wolf Creek, where the suspense of The Blair Witch Project meets the horror of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Inspired by Australia’s “Backpacker Killer” who murdered seven backpackers in the ‘90s, Wolf Creek won wide acclaim from critics, filmmakers and audience members alike at the Sundance Film Festival. Three unsuspecting hikers take off for a drive across Australia. When the trio returns from a four-hour hike to Wolf Creek National Park, they find their car is dead. Help comes in the form of big, back-slapping bushman Mick (John Jarratt). Since Mick appears to be more Crocodile Dundee than Freddy Krueger, the trio trusts him…which proves to be a grave mistake. Quentin Tarantino said, “Jarratt delivers a performance that’s destined to go down as one of the greatest film heavies of the last 25 years. “Not since the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre has terror felt so real.” Ken Fox, TV Guide
Starring: Nathan Phillips, Cassandra Magrath, Kestie Morassi, John Jarratt, Gordon Poole
Directed by: Greg McLean
Runtime: 104 minutes
Studio: Weinstein Company
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Review: Wolf Creek
In May 2008 I went travelling for a month taking in Singapore, Thailand, New Zealand and Australia and was blessed with the fortune of having no major incidents save being left behind by a tour bus at a night safari! The backpacker life can be a dangerous one which is why I opted for an organised tour. Greg McLean’s Wolf Creek depicts a rare but very real threat that faces any travellers on foreign soil. Said to be based on a true story, the film is loosely linked to the death of Peter Falconio in 2001, but is it any good?
Set in 1999 two English girls Liz Hunter (Cassandra Magrath) and Kristy Earl (Kestie Morassi) are at a party in West Australia when they meet Australian Ben Mitchell (Nathan Philips). The trio decide to travel together from Broom to Cairns which will see them head through Outback. Along the way stop off at Wolf Creek, a large crater formed by a falling meteor, but on returning to their car they find not only have their watches stopped but their car won’t start! Help arrives in the form of local Aussie Mick Taylor (John Jarrat) who offers to tow the trio’s car back to his home near a mining shaft and repair it free of charge. It seems a good offer and on arrival Mick gives the group water while he tends to their vehicle. Little do the trio know that the water is drugged and when Liz wakes the following day she finds herself tied up but that is nothing compared to what her two companions are going through!
We have a bit of build up at the outset of the film as Liz and Kristy have to contend with leering men in bars making unsubtle remarks but their meeting with Ben is something positive, especially for Liz who falls for him. We have a bit of will they/won’t they to contend with which is seemingly settled at Wolf Creek with some passionate kisses but thankfully that’s all you’ll have to sit through before the story gets going. Mick Taylor soon makes his appearance and seems polite and helpful in his dealings with the group right up to the point they are back at his isolated home and sitting round a campfire. Ben makes a less than tactful remark about Crocodile Dundee which draws a very long and uncomfortable stare from Taylor who speaks no words, simply stares at Ben, most likely judging what to do with him. When Taylor hands the group some water many audiences will likely be suspicious and they’d have good reason to be. Liz wakes the following day and struggles to release her bound wrists and gag. Once free she explores Taylor’s home and soon hears Kristy screaming! She then witnesses Taylor toying with Kristy who is tied up, with her jeans removed and blood all over body, likely a combination of physical and sexual violence given the remarks of Taylor. Liz manages to orchestrate an escape for her and Kristy but the ordeal is far from over.
Rather than adopting the same approach Hostel in having the trio tortured for the duration of the film we can enjoy a tense cat and mouse chase as the resourceful Liz flees with Kristy but Taylor is in hot pursuit. He takes on both Liz and Kristy on separate occasions which I can’t really detail here as it will spoil things but let’s just say the exchanges are bloody and dramatic to say the least. Liz shoots Taylor while initially escaping with Kristy and after he is floored by the gunshot she tries to fire at him again while he is lying prostrate only for the gun to be empty. This is crucial as a second gunshot would have finished Taylor off but instead he is able to hunt down his prey with a wounded neck for his trouble but this only spurs him on to demonstrate what a ruthless monster he is. The audience will be left speculating if any of the trio manages to get out of their predicament.
Wolf Creek is probably too bloody for some people with severed spines, crucified victims and gunshot fatalities to contend with before the end. The bulk of the film focuses on the plight of the two girls and only when their stories have resulted in death or freedom so we move onto the fate of Ben. It seems a strange way to approach the narrative having us suddenly switch to him after everything we’ve experienced before. Although this is a tense film there aren’t many scary moments, more gory ones really which will suit many audiences. The film is portrayed as a true story, with some blurb at the end about the outcomes for the trio but this seems pointless given that the authenticity tag was merely for publicity reasons. That said this is the sort of film that will make some people wary of seeing the Outback if they head for Australia on their next holiday. I can safely say I’m glad I saw Wolf Creek after my holiday in Australia which also included an excursion of two in the Outback!
Wolf Creek is a decent but bloody horror film that will probably make some people think twice about backpacking. The narrative suffers a little especially with the elimination of Ben halfway through only to bring him back in at the end. Compared to many horror films I’ve seen this year this is a very good one but at the same time not spectacular.
Verdict: 3/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Wolf Creek | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
January 10, 2013
Film Review: Shark in Venice
[image error] Traveling to Venice to investigate the mysterious death of his father, David (Stephen Baldwin), a famous archaeologist and diver, unearths a killer secret that lies beneath the Venetian waters. When a ruthless mob boss discovers his findings and kidnaps his girlfriend, David must brave the dangerous, shark-infested waters once again to recover the treasure and rescue his girlfriend. A dark and mysterious chase ensues and secrets are revealed in this sci-fi thriller.
Starring: Stephen Baldwin, Vanessa Johansson
Directed by: Danny Lerner
Runtime: 88 minutes
Studio: First Look Pictures
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Review: Shark in Venice
Danny Lerner’s Shark in Venice is one of the more recent attempts to recreate the magic of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. To my mind, I don’t think I’ve seen a decent shark film since Jaws, but I have seen many shark films. What can I tell you other than what the title suggests? Well, there is an attempt at a story here. David Franks (Stephen Baldwin) and his girlfriend Laura (Vanessa Johansson) head for Venice to find out about David’s father who has gone missing during a diving expedition in Venice’s intricate canal network. It isn’t long before sharks start appearing and picking people off one by one. Where have they come from and what was David’s father searching for?
I’m not a marine biologist but even I can come to the conclusion that sharks in Venice is somewhat implausible. There is an explanation where they have come from which is equally improbable for as far as I am aware sharks do not keep very well in captivity. David’s father was searching for some treasure linking back to the days of the Crusades. It turns out some artefacts have been brought back to Venice from the Holy Land and hidden in a place accessible only by diving into the canals. You’ll be pleased to know the Crusaders are not responsible for setting sharks up in the canals to guard the treasure. My relief when that storyline failed to materialise was palpable.
After one nasty encounter with a shark, David and his girlfriend decide enough is enough and they want to leave. They don’t count on the local mafia though led by Vito Clemenza (Giacomo Gonnella). Those names were both used in the Godfather films if I’m not mistaken but this mafia group are certainly not at the same level as the Corleone family. Of course, we get the inevitable request of I want you to bring me the treasure and I will kidnap your girlfriend to facilitate your acquiescence to my foolhardy venture and so on.
Shark in Venice is dreadful. I try to hold back but although this isn’t the worst shark film out there it isn’t one of the great ones either. The treasure storyline is akin to the adventures of Indiana Jones, while the Italian police with their insistence that there are no sharks in Venice are just bizarre. The film falls short of 90 minutes which is a great relief. Any longer and you will be tempted to throw yourself into the canal uttering a pitiful cry of “Make it stop!” I believe it is possible to make a good shark film even though Jaws will take some beating but this is another example of how not to do it.
Verdict: 1/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Shark in Venice | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: Easy Rider
[image error]Experience the real ’60s counterculture in this compelling mixture of drugs, sex and armchair politics. Academy Award®-winner Jack Nicholson (Best Actor, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, 1975; Best Supporting Actor, Terms of Endearment, 1983; Best Actor, As Good As It Gets, 1997) stars with Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper (who also directs) in this unconventional classic which Time Magazine hails as “one of the ten most important pictures of the decade.” Nominated for an Academy Award® (1969) for Best Original Screenplay (written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Terry Southern), Easy Rider continues to touch a chord with fans everywhere.
Starring: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson, Tita Colorado, Warren Finnerty
Directed by: Dennis Hopper
Runtime: 95 minutes
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
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Review: Easy Rider
One of the most famous road movies, Dennis Hopper directed and starred in Easy Rider along with Peter Fonda and the film has built up a great reputation ever since. I’ve wanted to see this one for years but, like many films on my list, it’s taken me a while to get round to it. So, I got my best helmet, hopped on my motorbike and took to the road as the winter of the sixties played out.
The film follows the road journey of Wyatt (Peter Fonda) and Billy (Dennis Hopper) who smuggle cocaine from Mexico to Los Angeles at the outset and earn a large sum of money for their trouble. Stashing the money in the fuel tank of Wyatt’s bike, the two friends hit the road and head for New Orleans to see the Mardi Gras. On the journey they have many encounters, some of them hostile, meet a myriad of characters and reflect on their desires for freedom in an American society that will simply not tolerate it or them.
Wyatt and Billy are contrasting characters. Wyatt is more assertive and trusting of strangers but Billy is often aggressive and wary of new people. Theirs is a journey that shows off some of the fabulous American landscape but at the same time the overall feel of the film is of the death of the sixties, not just time-wise but spiritually. At one point the friends stop off at a hippie commune where free love and drugs are still practised but life is hard and not as carefree as the Summer of Love in 1967. Wherever Wyatt and Billy go there is hostility. A motel refuses them entry because of how they dress and passing through a small town they jokingly take part in a parade only to be arrested. They meet drunk lawyer George Hanson (Jack Nicholson) who hooks up with them for the journey to New Orleans.
Nicholson has some of the best dialogue in the film with his lament about America as a whole being a high point. He questions the freedom Wyatt and Billy long for, arguing America is afraid of those that are free. It’s a powerful message that reverberates throughout the film. On reaching the Mardi Gras, Wyatt and Billy enjoy the luxuries money can buy, including prostitutes, and share LSD in a graveyard which leads to some hallucinogenic moments in the film which may confuse and dazzle in equal measure. The film’s ending is abrupt and surprisingly brutal. It won’t be what the audience necessarily wants but somehow it’s very apt in hammering home the reality of this dying age of sixties freedom.
Easy Rider is slow and ponderous in places which won’t suit some audiences but I never found I was bored. Fonda and Hopper are both great in the leads but it’s that man Jack Nicholson who really shines, displaying some of the talent that would later see him pick up three Oscars and many nominations. This will always be an important film for conveying American society in the sixties but it’s also an effective and always interesting road movie at the same time.
Easy Rider is what I was expecting. Some parts of it are a bit slow, yes, but watching this is enough to make you want to hop on a motorbike and just cruise around America and indeed the rest of the world. The freedom and money to do such a wonderful thing is not something all of us will get to enjoy sadly but that might be a good thing in some respects given the unforgiving nature of society as it is depicted here.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Easy Rider | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
