Not much happening in the real world, so here's some semi-sci-fi and a classic ad:
Archive for the '@ the movies' Category
Chalk up another one
Another item for the "these things could have been managed if only I had mentioned them" list...
Old Habits Die Hard
Last night we went to see the latest Die Hard offering. In parts it was somewhat reminiscent of Skyfall (indeed, there's even a James Bond reference thrown in for good measure) - plenty of car-trashing and yet another mil-spec chopper totalled in the final scenes - but it's still a fairly good movie in its own right with plenty of improbable action and a dubious storyline. In fact, it's just what we've come to expect of late from the DH franchise.
That said, there was something odd about the choice of end-credit music. "Doom and Gloom" by The Stones didn't really cut it, it seemed strangely out of place, tacked on as nothing more than a gratuitous extra.
IMO, it really needed this:
Let it Snow (Vaughn Monroe)
p.s. We saw the trailer for Into Darkness, it looks like it'll be a brilliant "sprequel".
Last treat of the year
Just got back from the flicks, went to see this brilliant movie about cars 'n stuff. "Skiffle", I think it was called, although the background music didn't sound like Lonnie Donegan had had any part in it.
Anyway, they had James May getting shot dead on a train, then he was alive again and, totally out-of-character, he even pulled a bird in the shower, before having a spate of bad luck trashing vehicles just like he does on Top Gear. He didn't like driving his mum's posh car so he ditched it in favour of an old Austin Martin that he'd been doing up in his garage. He and his mum used that one to get away to a bothy, in what's left of Scotland's wild countryside, for a bit of a shooting holiday. Then he got that car trashed too. Come to think of it, he's not really that good with cars.
I don't usually go in for James May films but I thought I'd catch one of the Craig David ones before he gets replaced by Idris Elba.
I'm giving it a 10/10 rating despite the misleading title.
They can’t both be telling the truth
More Prometheus stuff...
Do you remember the following?
Fox studio chief TOM ROTHMAN: "This I can tell you and I can tell all the fans, not one frame will be cut. The movie will be what it should be. We will not cut a frame of the film," he promised. "We will stand behind it 100 percent and if that means it's an R, then so be it, because not an ounce, not a percentage are we going to compromise the film."
Well, now director RIDLEY SCOTT is talking about an extended version...
SCOTT: This is fundamentally the director’s cut. But there will be half an hour of stuff on the menu because people are so into films - how they’re made, how they’re set up, and the rejections in it. That’s why it’s fascinating. So this will all go on to the menu.
Well I’m curious about the deleted scenes. Specifically in this film, Noomi Rapace mentioned maybe there was a fight scene... [I've omitted the next bit as it's a spoiler]
SCOTT: The [spoiler] fight scene was pretty good. It will definitely go on the menu. It won’t go on the long version... [I've omitted the next bit as it's a spoiler]
You’re going to do an extended cut on the Blu-ray/DVD. Is it a lot longer?
SCOTT: Twenty minutes.
Of course, they could both be telling porkies.
There's a fair few in-movie and promo references to the epic Lawrence of Arabia movie, maybe Rothman and Scott should give thought to Mr. Dryden's words:
"A man who tells lies, like me, merely hides the truth. But a man who tells half-lies has forgotten where he put it."
Prometheus… 8/10
A movie with brilliant effects but this great opportunity was spoiled by a less-than tense ending following after a plot that was a tad weak. Not as good as Alien or the much-better Aliens, probably on a par with 3 and much better than Resurrection. Mind you, of the five it's the only one not rated "18" so maybe we should have expected less anyway. The AvP stuff isn't canon so there's no comparison.
I should mention that the scenic shots of Skye and Iceland were excellent.
I'll not post any more so as to not let loose any spoilers, but I'd guess that most of the folk at the same screening as us left during the credits and so would have missed the easter-egg at the utmost end... the Weyland logo followed by the words "Building Better Worlds since 10.11.12"... I suppose I'll have to get sad and find out what that's all about, after I've sussed if the date format's UK or Yankee.
On the bright side, the trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey looked good.
