Caricatures Ireland » movies

“I’ll just say my secret magic word. Which is Midi-chlorians”

Allan — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 10:31:27 +0000

When it comes to Star Wars, I fall so hard into the “prequels never happened, Special Editions never happened” camp I actually scuff my knees and elbows and burn my chin on the campfire. They’re appalling, I think we can all agree. But there’s been something bugging me about those Trade Federation ships ever since seeing The Pooping Menage or whatever it was called, that I could never quite put my finger on.

Last night it hit me.

George Lucas even ripped off SuperTed.

Leap Year: The Exorcism

Allan — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:21:00 +0000

It’s very rare I see such crap and it has a bad effect on me. Enjoy the massive catharsis that is my review of Leap Year over on Culch.ie.

Ireland’s first mass-tweeted movie!

Allan — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:12:53 +0000

That was great craic. Pressing play at the same time was like deciding who’s watch to use for the midnight countdown on New Year’s Eve, but it didn’t matter, we all got there in the end and there was even a late showing for those that couldn’t make the 8 o’clock.

Great idea Damien. I’m backing Spinal Tap for the next one. #goesupto11

Don’t Forget #asyouwish!

Allan — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:16:12 +0000

People all over the country will be simutaneously watching and tweeting about The Princess Bride tonight at 8pm sharp. Join us on Twitter or Scribble.
Masterminded by the glittery pirate genius of Damien Mulley.
UPDATE: join us here!

Watchmen- Don’t Bother.

Allan — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:31:40 +0000

You would think that with 3 hours of screentime Watchmen would render some sense of sweeping narrative. Unfortunately while you do feel every minute go by, Watchmen is about as sweeping as a vacuum cleaner.
There was no mystery or tension. It was like seeing a collection of Old Masters out of their frames and hung by thumbtacks- they largely look the same but there is an obvious warping at the edges, and the original nuanced expressions have been pulled into rictus grins in every one. Director Zack Snyder has failed to grasp that the background characters are as important as the principals, and has excised them completely. The human scale is therefore missing, a vital ingredient of the original: this is the device that allows the tension to build throughout the book, pivotally in the newstand scenes between the two Bernies.
Dr. Manhattan serves as little more than exposition writ thirty feet tall. He has this amazing new power where he can stick his fingers in your head and make you remember shocking details from your past. Quick and convenient for helping Laurie have her Luke Skywalker moment, and in case she didn’t get it, and assuming the audience didn’t either, he tells her as well.
Snyder also eschews the mystery story completely in favour of ridiculous set pieces that allow Nite Owl and Silk Spectre to beat the shit out of people. In the book, Moore carefully dangles the reader morsels of the plot against the masks, and we get the sense of something huge brewing, something other than the dreadful mounting of Cold War tension that fuels the fear of the ordinary mortals. The only tension in the film is the clenching of Daniel’s buttocks as they work him up to a simultaneous fake orgasm with Laurie. Really, did we need to see such a close up of his arse? And obviously Nite Owl packed everything but the emergency prophyaltic.
The CGI is shockingly bad, and you’d wonder why they bothered with Bubastis at all. I’ll always forgive ropey special effects if there’s been an investment in story and character, but clearly here any such investment has been of the Bernie Maddock variety. Action sequences indulge in pointless slow motion, at one point almost becoming an action shampoo ad. All that was missing was an exploding bottle of Timotei.
And, they changed the ending. It now makes no sense. At all.
Save yourself the price of admission and buy the book instead. If you’ve got it already, send the money to Alan Moore’s local and ask them to put up a few pints for him behind the bar.

Watchmen Review

Allan — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:59:16 +0000

UPDATE: I have my own review posted here.
Rick has a safe review up that has NO SPOILERS! Apart from that, I’m avoiding all mention of it until I see it next week.
Of course I could just teleport to the premiere…

Remember this? NBS Nightly News with Ted Philips, March 11th 1970

Allan — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 03:23:35 +0000

Via I Watch Stuff.

Not looking forward to the Watchmen movie then?

Allan — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:32:30 +0000

Found here.

Incredible that they thought this Hulk would be better than Ang Lee’s.

Allan — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:29:36 +0000

My son brought me to the Incredible Hulk yesterday for Fathers’ Day. I paid for the tickets and he paid for his cola and popcorn. I’m just adding it to the running total I’m going to hit him with when he gets his first job.
Anyway the ‘requel’. Any film that demanded a neologism was going to be in trouble. I’m still in the dark about why they couldn’t just make a straight sequel to the Ang Lee version with the same cast. If what I saw yesterday was supposed to address the criticisms of the Lee version (ropey CGI, unbelievable bad guy/poodles, too much backstory) they missed the goal by turning up at the wrong pitch on the wrong day for the wrong sport. The Incredible Hulk foregoes backstory in favour of montage, avoids characterisation as if it were something requiring an embarrassing visit to the doctor, and has a bad guy that goes on a rampage of destruction for no apparent reason than he wants a fight. How motivating.
It’s no spoiler to say Hulk beats the Abomination but stops short of killing him at Betty’s whimpering behest. Alrighty then, there’s a fragment of the man that can be reached when Bruce is transformed. So let’s conveniently forget that Abomination has incredible regenerative powers as well as strength and can just return to the rampage as soon as he gets his breath back because the time is up, the three acts are done and it’s time for Tony Stark’s pointless cameo. So where were you when New York was getting destroyed, Iron Man?
Hulk smashes a car in half to wear as steel gloves. Nice of them to include gratuitous special moves from the game. This isn’t a standalone film. It’s the film of the game.
Also good review in the Guardian. Via Unarocks.

New Hulk Design vs Old Hulk Design

Allan — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:02:19 +0000

There’s a nice post on Screen Rant about the upcoming Hulk movie, including the above comparison of the new design with the Ang Lee version (left). I have to say, first impressions of the new design aren’t good. There’s something very odd going on with the skin texture, it looks like plastic, and the musculature makes him look like he’s bound in old rope. All in all it looks like the quintessential rubber costume from low budget monster movies. The smaller head and simian features of the newer version (compare the jawlines and noses) look odd. As for the Abomination, well, I think that’s going to live up to its name.

Still I know I’m going to end up going to see it, and I’ll probably enjoy scenes. It can’t be as bad as Spiderman 3 (can it?). And let’s face it, the real quandary these conflicting versions is putting me in is choosing between Jennifer Connelly and Liv Tyler. Would that I ever had that choice to make…
UPDATE: I’ve reviewed it here.