Went to see Gran Torino the other day. What can I say? An absolutely phenominal film. Clint Eastwood at his best more so as a director than actor and his performance is also fantastic. The great thing is no matter how many films he plays in, the man has just got great on screen persona. The characters he plays in every film are similar but somehow he just pulls it off so well. Best thing about this film is the amount of issues that it brings up about modern america. Religion, racism, prejudice, creed, it's all there. Truly my favourite film of the year and in my opinion one of Eastwood's finest pieces of work. Been watching a lot of My Name Is Earl recently. Do really like this program, pretty well shot and I think this is a great example of just how far you can stretch a good idea. The story is so simple but can keep going forever. Definite viewing for days were you night be hungover.

Watched Gone Baby Gone which I really enjoyed. Plot was excellent as was Casey Affleck's performance. I was sceptical about this one so I was pleasantly surprised. Kept me guessing throughout the story and the outcome is a good payoff. Have been watching a few good ads online recently as I'm still interested in shooting ads when/if I graduate. Honda Cog one is still one of my favourites. The banned Xbox baby advert is also good and so are some of the ads shot by David Fincher, the roller blade one for coca-cola in particular. If anybody is interested in this branch then I really urge you to check out some of his advertising work, and look into other directors and DOPs you like to see if they have shot some commercials. Often directors pioneer or experiment with visual ideas or particular shooting styles and techniques in advertising before they apply it in a film so they are comfortable with the technological demands. As as a side note, webpages/blogs from good Directors/DOPs are really worth a read.
Also saw Taken with Liam Neeson. Fairly entertaining but I'd seen the story, plot and characters in loads of other films so I was quite bored throughout. Surprising coz I usually quite like these sort of films. Work to do. Bye Bye

Today watched In the heat of the night. An enjoyable and noteworthy film. Excellent performances from Sydney Portier and Rod Steiger. First time a black slaps a white man in the face on camera I believe. What else? Oh yeah, watched Ricki-oh, a korean gore horror about some convict in a prison run by a militant warden with a fat stupid son. Entertaining but a terrible film, gore was laughable and a true low budget 80's film, nevertheless I actually liked watching this.
Also watched some mystery science theatre, a hilarious low budget TV show from the states, ithink from about a decade ago. A nice guy smart presenter with two foul mouthed crude talking robots. In the show they watch the worst film ever made and sort of make their own dialogue. I don't think many people would like this but I thought it was great!

Recently saw Step brothers for the second time, what a comedy. Will Ferral and John C. Reilly are a fantastic comical pair and are brilliant as manchild characters, good idea and well executed. As a result of this I watched Talladega Nights, the ballad of Ricky Bobby for the second time also. Loved this one too, especially the extended edition, some brilliant dialogue, especially from Ricky's dad (the actor's name escapes me). Liked these films coz they are ultimate feel good films and it's nice to occasionally have a break from all the serious stuff i sometimes watch. Also checked out the extended editions of the lord of the rings trilogy. Can't believe how much extra background is in these cuts, it makes the story much fuller and to me, more enjoyable. The making of documentaries are great to watch especially if you are studying film, I was especially intrigued by the script development process, which had some extensive work and high levels of stress from what I gathered.

I havnt written since term ended so there will be more posts to follow to review the things I watched during the holidays. Recently, watched Morgan Spurlock's Where in the world is osama bin laden? which I really enjoyed. There is a cartoon like humour to his documentaries that I enjoy, especially because he still makes a very strong point at the end of them. Hugely entertaining and always a pleasure to see the situations that he gets involved in. Also watched a documentary called sharkwater, which I recommend to anyone who has not seen it. (might have mentioned this doc in a previous blog, apologies) The guy who made it is annoying, especially when he talks about himself, but he really knows his stuff and you can tell he is passionate about sharks. The great thing about this doc is that it starts off being a doc about sharks and it ends up uncovering a huge sharkfin illegal market, and the guy gets involved in some seriously dangerous situations and he meets some fascinating people on the way. Grips you from start to finish and will really leave you thinking when it's over. I've also been watching the extended editions of lord of the rings, great to see the stuff that wasn't in the final product, much more story and detail that I missed from the book than in the released cuts of the films. The making of documentaries are also and excellent insight into the sheer scale of the project and I find it inspiring to see how Peter Jackson dealt with the films. Ocassionally repetetive though, and also a lot of material that made me press the fast forward button. Over the holiday I also watched Dodgeball with my mum who, bless her, is pretty much oblivious to modern filmmaking but has a vast knowledge of other world cinema. Was a good laugh to see her reaction and shows that a good comic idea can still make the older generations laugh hysterically. Have class now so have to get going, more blogs soon!

Only watched two films so far this week. First is the new sci-fi film The day the earth stood still. Don't think that the writers were considering to have any coherance in the plot. First it was about one thing, then another and at the same time it was trying to tackle some of life's big questions. Parts were enjoyable but most of the time I was annoyed by the poor plot and poor dialogue. The idea is great though, and I hope that it will be remade by somebody with an interest in the story rather than the turnover. This led me to watch K-PAX for the second time, which I think is excellent. A convincing story about an alien visiting earth simply to learn about it's being. Brilliantly shot and great performances from Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges. Watch it. Should leave you pondering some interesting questions. Also saw Four christmases, which at parts had me in stitches. It wasn't funny very often but when it was it was hysterical. Fairly well executed this film, though a lot of comedies seem to forget that it is comedy they are writing, as many comdies of recent end up being too serious towards the end. Guess this is to bring across the moral of the story and the like, which works. Go and see this for a laugh, should let you think of some interesting premesis of your own if nothing else.

Watched seven samurai in class. Still one of my top films ever made. A classic samurai story, and the basis for many other film ideas. Slightly overacted but not in a bad way. I dare say that the long takes this film uses would give a challange to any modern day actor. Considering the time it was made, superb action sequences too. Epic for the time. The thing that i really like is the characters and how they meet, the build up towards the final battle and the comic parts. An absolute milestone in cinema, that really demonstrates the ability of Akira Kurosawa as a director.
Also watched Seventh Seal, which has to be one of the coolest concepts ever. A guy playing chess with death to prolong his journey to see his family after coming back from the crusades. Great cast and really leaves you pondering death when it finishes. Fantastic dialogue too, especially from Max von Sydow's squire Jons. (dont know the actors name). If anyone has come up with an idea as brilliant as this one and made it into a film that has the brilliance of Seventh Seal, I have yet to see it.
Saw Pineapple express at my mate's house. Fantastic and hilarious situations that are made funnier by the fact that the two main characters are constantly stoned out of their mind. Didn't see the end because we spent too much time talking but really enjoyed it regardless. James Franco has redeemed himself with this performance, and the two main characters play well of each other. In addition to its comic value i think it makes a great point about relationships. Recommend this one especially if you enjoy a smoke yourself!
Also saw Rushmore, comedy about an eccenteric student at an academy from which he gets expelled. One of those films you don't hear about. Sometimes funny and Bill Murray's performance saves the film from boredom. Not a bad idea but not a good film, might make a better TV sitcom if done well.
If anybody has not seen the new Frankie Boyle DVD then go and watch it, the best scottish comedian ever! Was in stitches the whole way through the act.