Archive for December, 2011

Spotlight On….Remakes part 3

Posted by David On December 27, 2011 ADD COMMENTS

Godzilla (Gojira)

Released: 1954

Directed by: Ishiro Honda

Starring: Akira Takarada, Momoko Kochi, Takashi Shimura

Plot: A giant lizard monster, mutated by nuclear radiation, wrecks havoc on Japan

For: A not very subtle analogy for the devastating affects of nuclear weapons, Godzilla is a landmark film and classic of sci-fi. Serizawa is cool.

Against: Very slow to start.

Favourite Scene: Serizawa sacrifices himself to kill Godzilla and ensure his terrible weapon is lost forever

Rating: 4 Lukes

Godzilla

Released: 1998

Directed by: Roland Emmerich

Starring: Mathew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo

Plot: Following a nuclear incident in French Polynesia, a lizard’s nest is irradiated by the fallout. Decades later this lizard has grown to gigantic size and attacks New York.

For: While not as cool as the original, the Godzilla re-design is not all bad / the SFX are also ok

Against: Everything else. This movie is an insult to the original film, as well as all other films. It is boring, nonsensical, over the top rubbish and should have been the point when people realised that Emmerich had no talent (but no, they still let him do 10,000 BC). It is also has the 2nd worst tag line I’ve ever seen – Size Does Matter. Need I say more?

Favourite Scene: Godzilla vs the submarine!

Rating: 0.5 Lukes

Winner: The original stomps all over the piece of crap remake (sorry about that, I had to go there)

Halloween

Released: 1978

Directed by: John Carpenter

Starring: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis

Plot: 6 year old Michael Myers kills his sister and is placed into an institution for life, but 15 years later he escapes and returns to his home town to kill again. His psychologist Dr Loomis follows in order to try and stop him.

For: Often cited as the original ‘slasher’ film (along with Black Christmas), Carpenter’s tale of holiday horror still holds up today. And despite its reputation for violence and gore, it actually shows very little, preferring to use the ‘what you don’t see’ method. And that poster is awesome!

Against: Some scenes a little boring / Pleasence over acts.

Favourite Scene: Laurie vs Michael round 2

Rating: 4 Lukes

Halloween

Released: 2007

Directed by: Rob Zombie

Starring: Tyler Mane, Roddy McDowell, Scout Taylor-Compton

Plot: 10 year old Michael Myers kills his family and a local bully and is placed into an institution for life. 15 years later he escapes and returns to his home town to kill again. His psychologist Dr Loomis follows in order to try and stop him.

For: Although not really necessary for the plot, I quite like the new scenes explaining Michael’s insanity. Also, McDowell is quite good as Loomis.

Against: Zombie throws ‘less is more’ out the window and revels in the gore. It’s a shame because otherwise this isn’t that bad.

Favourite Scene: The opening scenes.

Rating: 3 Lukes

Winner: The original has more class and is actually creepy.

The Omega Man

Disclaimer: I know that there was an earlier version of Matheson’s novel  – 1964’s The Last Man on Earth with Vincent Price, but I haven’t seen it 🙁

Released: 1971

Directed by: Boris Sagal

Starring: Charlton Heston, Rosalind Cash, Anthony Zerbe

Plot: Biological warfare between China and the Soviet Union wipes out most of the world’s population, leaving behind albino mutants called The Family, a group of young people who are slowly succumbing to the plague, and Robert Neville, the only person immune to the disease.

For: Heston is always over the top fun / Has one of the first on screen interracial kisses

Against: Deviates so far from the source material it might as well have not even bothered crediting it / The Family are terrible villains / I know it’s a classic but I just don’t like it 🙂

Favourite Scene: Neville slowly going mad in his apartment

Rating: 2.5 Lukes

I Am Legend

Released: 2007

Directed by: Francis Lawrence

Starring: Will Smith, Alice Braga

Plot: A proposed cancer cure mutates into a deadly virus that wipes out the majority of the population, as well as mutating the few survivors into monsters. But Robert Neville is immune and is trying to find a cure before he goes mad from loneliness.

For: Will Smith is terrific and I’ll watch anything he is in / The first 30 mins are great – the sense of loneliness and isolation are well done

Against: Deviates from the novel even more than Omega Man does / The villains are terrible CGI creations / I like the dog, but having it takes away some of drama and lessens the impact of Nevile’s loneliness

Favourite Scene: Neville loses it in the video store

Rating: 3 Lukes

Winner: I Am Legend by a nose, and only because it has Will Smith.

Let the Right One In

Released: 2008

Directed by: Tomas Alfredson

Starring: Lina Leanderson, Kare Hedebrant, Per Ragnar

Plot: 12 year old Oskar is bullied at school and leads a lonely life without friends and divorced parents. Then he meets new neighbor Eli and everything changes.

For: The young actors are terrific / Beautifully shot / More romantic and endearing than any of that Twilight rubbish

Against: The ambiguity of whether Eli is in fact a boy or a girl is a bit weird, and with the rest of that sub plot removed from the film it becomes pointless / The cat attack scene is pretty silly

Favourite Scene: I can’t have just one – Oskar meets Eli for the first time / Oskar taunts Eli into entering the apartment without being invited / the boyfriend/girlfriend discussion

Rating: 4.5 Lukes

Let Me In

Released: 2010

Directed by: Matt Reeves

Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Grace Moretz, Elias Koteas

Plot: 12 year old Owen is bullied at school and leads a lonely life without friends and divorced parents. Then he meets new neighbor Abbie and everything changes

For: An almost perfect remake

Against: Remaking a film just because a majority of your audience is too lazy to read is lame / The 2 stars of the original had no acting experience before making their film and I think it helps their performances, however both Kodi and Chloe are professional actors and it shows. Not a major problem, but an interesting difference.

Favourite Scene: Owen meets Abbie for the first time / Owen buys Abbie some candy / the boyfriend/girlfriend discussion

Rating: 4.5 Lukes

Winner: A tie! Both brings something to the table and are both excellent films

Next up, a special triple review!

King Kong

Released: 1933

Directed by: Merian C Cooper & Ernest B Schoedsack

Starring: Bruce Cabot, Fay Ray, Robert Armstrong

Plot: Carl Denham convinces actress Ann Darrow to accompany him and his crew to a mysterious island to film a movie. But when they get there Ann is captured by villagers and offered as sacrifice to a giant ape-man called Kong. Instead of killing her, Kong falls in love with her and takes her back to his cave. She is eventually rescued by the remaining crew and Kong is captured. Back in New York Kong is placed on display but breaks his bonds, grabs Ann and climbs to the top of the Empire State Building, where he is attacked by planes and killed.

For: The stop motion is great and once they get to the island the action is full on. It also has one of the best endings in cinema.

Against: Boring as hell before the island.

Favourite Scene: Kong vs the planes

Rating: 3.5 Lukes

King Kong

Released: 1976

Directed by: John Guillermin

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Jessica Lange, Charles Grodin

Plot: An oil tycoon finds out about a mysterious island he believes is rich in oil. He sets out to claim it and on the way deals with stowaway Jack Prescot, and Dwan an aspiring actress, who they find adrift in a raft. At the island they discover the oil is useless and Dwan is captured by the locals for sacrifice to their god Kong. Kong is revealed to be a giant ape-man, who takes Dwan but instead of killing her is bemused by her rambling and falls in love with her. Dwan is eventually rescued and Kong is captured and taken to New York and put on display. During the commotion Kong sees Dwan being jostled by reporters, breaks free of his bonds and kidnaps her. Kong eventually ends up at the top of the World Trade Centre, where he is attacked by military choppers and killed.

For: Although very clunky by today’s standards, the FX was top stuff then and you can see why. Some cool scenes and always good to see Jeff Bridges / great score by John Barry / Better than 1998 Godzilla

Against: Seriously, ‘Dwan’ (I know she explains that it is really ‘Dawn’ and she changed it to be memorable, but come on) / The campness is sometimes over the top

Favourite Scene: Kong vs the military

Rating: 2.5 Lukes

King Kong

Released: 2005

Directed by: Peter Jackson

Starring: Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Andy Serkis

Plot: Carl Denham convinces actress Ann Darrow to accompany him and his crew to a mysterious island to film a movie. But when they get there Ann is captured by villagers and offered as sacrifice to a giant ape called Kong. Instead of killing her, Kong falls in love with her and takes her back to his cave. She is eventually rescued by the remaining crew and Kong is captured. Back in New York Kong is placed on display but breaks his bonds, grabs Ann and climbs to the top of the Empire State Building, where he is attacked by planes and killed.

For: Serkis’ performance as Kong is magnificent / Naomi Watts is lovely / very moving and some breathtaking cinematography

Against: Its way too long / Ann and Kong on the frozen lake

Favourite Scene: Kong vs the 3 T-Rexs & Kong vs the planes

Rating: 3.5 Lukes

Winner: It’s a tie between the original and Jackson’s remake! Controversy? 🙂

Next I’ll have the fourth and final part.

It’s a Nerd Culture Christmas!

Posted by David On December 25, 2011 ADD COMMENTS

The Nerd Culture Crew would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas / Hanukkah / Kwanzaa / Winter Solstice / Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, and a safe and happy New Year.

As mentioned in our last episode (#14) we are on an extended break over the holidays and will return for episode #15 on January 8th, with a rundown of our highlights from 2011.

Enjoy your presents, and try not to eat too much!

Spotlight On….Remakes part 2

Posted by David On December 20, 2011 ADD COMMENTS

Continuing my look at film remakes- good and bad 🙂

 

Rear Window

Released: 1954

Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock

Starring: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Raymond Burr

Plot: Professional photographer Jeff (Stewart) has a broken leg so spends his time observing his neighbors through the window. But when he starts to believe that his neighbor has murdered his wife he enlists the aid of his beautiful girlfriend Lisa (Kelly) to help investigate.

For: My favourite Hitchock film and a master class of suspense, drama and humour.

Against: Nothing

Favourite Scene: Too many to mention, probably Lisa in Thorwald’s apartment.

Rating: 5 Lukes

Disturbia

Released: 2007

Directed by: D.J Caruso

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, David Morse

Plot: While serving house arrest, teenager Kale (LeBeouf) becomes convinced that new neighbor is a serial killer.

For: It’s become fashionable recently to bag Shia LeBeouf. I can see why, he does appear to be in every film released in the past few years (a friend of mine has a tshirt saying Enough LeBeouf! on it!), but I’m not ashamed to admit I like the guy. He is in some woeful films, but he has a screen presence I seem to like so I’m willing to give him a go, and in this he doesn’t disappoint. Decent performances / always good to see David Morse.

Against: The first two thirds of this film are ok (2.5 Lukes) but then it turns into a piece of rubbish teen ‘horror’ film so common these days. Also, not having the decency to admit you’re a remake just so you don’t have to pay royalties is lame.

Favourite Scene: Kale thinks his friend is trapped with the killer

Rating: 1.5 Lukes

Winner: Its not even a contest – Rear Window

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Released: 1951

Directed by: Robert Wise

Starring: Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Gort

Plot: An alien, Klaatu, comes to Earth with a warning, ‘Live in peace, or we’ll take over.’

For: Brilliant stuff. One of my favourite films of all time. Its message is no less relevant today than it was then.

Against: Nothing, even the kid doesn’t annoy me 🙂

Favourite Scene: Klaatu is shot and Gort is activated / All electrical devices around the world stop at once.

Rating: 5 Lukes

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Released: 2008

Directed by: Scott Derrickson

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Jaden Smith

Plot: An alien, Klaatu, comes to Earth with a warning, ‘Stop destroying the Earth, or we’ll kill you all.’

For: Although different, GORT is still cool. The spacecraft is a visual treat. Jennifer Connelly is lovely as always.

Against: The story is aimless / I wanted Jaden Smith’s character dead within the first 5 minutes / Keanu takes robotic acting to a whole new level.

Favourite Scene: Klaatu’s arrival on Earth

Rating: 2 Lukes

Winner: The original will always be remembered as the classic it is, long after the pretender fades away.

Dawn of the Dead

Released: 1978

Directed by: George Romero

Starring: David Emge, Ken Foree, Gaylen Ross

Plot: As a zombie apocalypse hits a group of survivors hole up in a local shopping mall.

For: For most zombie aficionados there is no substitute. Human vs Zombie, Human vs Human and the ultimate statement of the insanity of man’s consumerism.

Against: Some of the characterisation is one dimensional.

Favourite Scene: The final stand

Rating: 4 Lukes

Dawn of the Dead

Released: 2004

Directed by: Zack Snyder

Starring: Sarah Polly, Ving Rhames, Jack Weber,Ty Burrell

Plot: As a zombie apocalypse hits a group of survivors hole up in a local shopping mall.

For: Zombie Baby! (they had the balls to do it). Believable characters, the Anti Zombie bus

Against: Zombie Baby! (they actually did it). Modern Family’s Ty Burrell as a bastard – Noooo! Going after the girl who ran after the dog – screw that, let her die!

Favourite Scene: Celebrity look-alike zombie shoot

Rating: 3 Lukes

Winner: Although I quite enjoy Snyder’s effort, the original is clearly the better film.

The Fly

Released: 1958

Directed by: Kurt Nuemann

Starring: Vincent Price, David Hedison, Patricia Owens

Plot: A scientist has a horrific accident when he tries to use his newly invented teleportation device and is fused with a fly.

For: Although a bit subdued and campy at times, the original Fly is a classic of the man/monster genre.

Against: A bit subdued and campy at times and the usually brilliant Vincent Price sleepwalks through the film.

Favourite Scene: Help Meeeee!

Rating: 2.5 Lukes

The Fly

Released: 1986

Directed by: David Cronenberg

Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis

Plot: A brilliant but eccentric scientist begins to transform into a giant man/fly hybrid after one of his experiments goes horribly wrong.

For: A re-imagining of the original story that focuses on the horror of losing your humanity through the degeneration of your body. The characters are more likeable and situation more believeable. Jeff Goldblum is a legend.

Against: The ending becomes a bit silly.

Favourite Scene: The arm wrestle / the Brundle-Fly video documentation

Rating: 4 Lukes

Winner: Not all remakes are bad. Cronenbergs’ The Fly is a classic of ‘body horror’ and takes the concept to a new level.

Fright Night

Released: 1985

Directed by: Tom Holland

Starring: William Ragsdale, Chris Sarandon, Amanda Bearse, Roddy McDowell

Plot: For young Charlie Brewster nothing could be better than an old horror movie late at night. But when he discovers that his new neighbour is a vampire he turns to Peter Vincent, the host of  TV show, Fright Night and former film vampire hunter. Together they overcome their own fears to battle the handsome vampire.

For: A fun 80’s teen comedy horror with likeable performances and a great idea. It also had some impressive FX work for a film of its time.

Against: Charlie Brewster isn’t very likeable, Amanda Bearse looks annoyed to be in the film.

Favourite Scene: Peter learns that Charlie was telling the truth

Rating: 3.5 Lukes

Fright Night

Released: 2011

Directed by:

Starring: Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, David Tennant, Imogen Poots

Plot: Charlie Brewster wants nothing more than to be with his gorgeous girlfriend, hang with the cool kids and pretend that his nerdy past never existed. So when his former friend Ed tells him that a vampire is killing people in the neighbourhood he brushes him off. Then he learns the truth and asks Peter Vincent, the star of a Vegas show called Fright Night, to help him. Together they overcome their own fears to battle the handsome vampire and protect Charlie’s family.

For: Actually not bad. Farrell is clearly having fun and the makers are respectful of the source material without being slavish to it. It moves along at a solid clip and is never boring.

Against: Charlie Brewster is a douchebag. How he gets Amy to like him is beyond me. The change to Peter Vincent’s back story is terrible. I wont spoil it here but it is a bad choice.

Favourite Scene: Charlie gets Jerry beers and is finally convinced that his friend Ed was right.

Rating: 3 Lukes

Winner: The original by a nose!

 

More in part 3!

The title of this post comes from a comment by the awesome Larry on the latest episode (#88) of NonCanonical, a weekly comic podcast. It is the culmination of a running gag from the preceding episodes dealing with the ‘creative’ forces behind Marvel Comics at the moment, and is pure comedy gold. In fact, it is so awesome that I laughed out loud on the train and immediately decided that I had to post about it, and the show, here.

As I mentioned NonCanonical is a weekly podcast from Australia that focuses on comics. It features News, reviews (The Pull List) & a featured topic discussion (like our War Room). It has a rotating roster but is mainly hosted by Josh, Joe, Larry & Kane. I have been listening to it since episode #4, when Jarrod and Looch from Classic Comics got me onto it, and have loved it ever since. It is a great mix of comedy and informed opinion and has steered me in the direction of some great comics. I don’t always agree with some of their opinions, but they always have valid arguments for them and that is what makes listening to them so enjoyable.

We also feature comic based content on here, and I’m especially proud of our coverage of DC’s the New 52, but their entire focus is on comics and they cover items we simply don’t have the time or resources to. Not only that, but Their show entertains me every Monday morning on the way to the start of a new working week, so for that alone they should be thanked. And lets face it, everyone needs a Larry in their lives!

Podcast – Episode #14

Posted by David On December 18, 2011 1 COMMENT

Episode #14 features:

Dust Jacket: Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

War Room: Australian Comics, with special guest Jason Franks

We also announce the winner of our iTunes competition!

 

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Click More for the Show Notes

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