Yearly Archives: 2015

My Week in Movies, 2015 Week 11

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This week has had a shadow looming over it for me, in the form of the passing of Terry Pratchett, my favourite author. His death on Thursday wasn’t a shock, considering he’s been very public with his health issues for the past few years, but it left me in a kind of fugue state for a good while. Also, Mother’s Day ate into my weekend quite a bit this year (love you Mum, so I don’t mind that much) so I didn’t watch/write as much as I’d have liked. Hence, last week’s mission to get at least one green mark on the tally below wasn’t overly successful. I’m also going to change one of my aims for the year. I’d initially aimed to see 25 movies in the cinema this year, averaging a little less than one a fortnight. For reasons of both availability and finance, I’m going to change that to watching a quantity of 2015 movies, but not necessarily in theatres. Last year I saw 58 movies from 2014, so this year I’m aiming to watch at least 59 movies from 2015. This actually puts me even further behind than I was, but is somehow a more manageable target, or at least it will be once movies from this year start hitting DVD and I can rent them through LoveFilm. Anyway. here’s what I watched this week:
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The Outlaw Josey Wales

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This review was originally written as part of my USA Road Trip series over at French Toast Sunday. It was also a suggestion for something I should watch from the 1001 Movies list from fellow French Toast Sunday member Nick “The Rehak” Rehak.
the-outlaw-josey-walesJosey Wales (Eastwood) is a small time farmer with his wife and young son, living a peaceful existence in their Missouri home. That is until one day when, whilst Josey is out ploughing the field, he hears a ruckus at his house and arrives to find a gang of hoodlums attacking the place. Josey is knocked out in the fray, and awakes to a destroyed home, a pair of bodies in need of burying and a mighty case of desired vengeance, prompting him to learn how to shoot and head off in search of the red-booted gang who took everything he loved in the world. Continue reading →

My Week in Movies, 2015 Week 10

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First off, hurrah I survived skiing. I didn’t die, so yay for me. I also had a pretty great time in Switzerland, so extra bonus. Also, somewhat surprisingly, I watched a fair few films this past week, courtesy of the modest selection of DVDs in the Swiss apartment, and being too tired most evenings to do anything other than collapse in front of either the television or a deck of cards. That being said, very few of the films watched were from any actual list, so whilst I’ve got a bit to write about tonight, I didn’t make a lot of progress on any of my goals. So, basically, this is a momentous week in that I’m now behind on every single one of my goals. Bad times. My aim is to claw my way back one goal at a time, so hopefully this time next week I’ll have one glowing green YES! down there somewhere. Anyway, lets get on with business shall we? Here’s what I watched this week:
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Bad Timing

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This review was originally written for Blueprint: Review.

A girl is rushed to hospital in Vienna after an apparent suicide attempt. Accompanying her is a man whose relationship with her is unclear, and is unaided by his standoffish demeanour towards the police. Through flashbacks, it becomes clear that the man, named Alex (Art Garfunkel) is in a relationship with the woman, Milena (Theresa Russell), but that their relationship is strained by her marriage to an older man (Denholm Elliott) who may be a spy Alex is investigating. It is up to Inspector Netusil (Harvey Keitel) to try and sort the whole mess out, and ascertain whether Alex had a hand in Milena’s predicament.

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Splendor in the Grass

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This review was originally written for French Toast Sunday as part of my USA Road Trip series.

Wilma Loomis and Bud Stamper (Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty) are high school sweethearts. Wilma is from a low-key family, with a father described as lacking in ambition, and a domineering mother who seems intent on trying to keep her daughter as young as possible. Bud, on the other hand, is son to the richest man in town, who has big plans for his son to mark his name on the world. These varying parenting styles have some pretty intense effects on their children’s livelihoods.
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Predestination

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This review was originally written for Blueprint: Review.

In 1981 time travel was created, allowing specially recruited agents to travel up to 53 years into the past. One such agent, known as The Barkeep (Ethan Hawke), is trying to catch a terrorist, “The Fizzle Bomber”, and is sent to recruit a newcomer to the ranks to assist, but they turn out to have a very unique story to tell. 2013_04_12_Predestination_0869 Continue reading →

My Week in Movies, 2015 Week 9

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This week has basically been a write-off, and spoiler alert, but next week will be too. The reason being is that I’m currently on holiday. Or at least, I will be when this gets posted, because I’m writing this in the past, like usual, but this week even more so. Right now I’m probably flailing wildly as I fall down a mountain backwards in Switzerland attempting what I think is known as skiing, but which will be more readily identified as some kind of downhill breakdancing with planks tied to my feet. Basically, there’s a strong chance this post could be the last I ever do, and my quest through the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die will be cut short, and I’ll have failed. Let’s hope not, ey? Either way, here’s potentially the last things I ever saw:
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My Week in Movies, 2015 Week 8

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This has been a really unproductive week in terms of me watching and writing about movies. As in, I only saw three, and wrote about a different three. Needless to say, my weekly tally is not going well. I have, however, been watching a lot of 30 Rock, so there’s that. I’d seen seasons 1 and 2 before, loved them, but never watched any further for reasons, presumably, but I got the 7-season boxset for Christmas and have been working my way slowly through. How slowly? Well this past week I finally reached series 2. Yep. So I’ve yet to break new ground (I’m up to the episode where Tracey Morgan says something loud and stupid), but I’m still really enjoying it. What I hadn’t noticed before, however, was just how heavily scored the whole thing is. As in, there are times when I can’t hear the dialogue because the music is just too damn loud. It’s like Interstellar in there.
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Boyhood

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Mason Jr. (Ellar Coltrane) is six years old. Then he’s seven years old. A little later, he becomes eight years old, then nine, ten and eventually eleven years old. Soon, in a dramatic twist, he becomes twelve years old, then thirteen and, completely unexpectedly, fourteen years old. Some time later he grows to be fifteen, then sixteen. He spends a little time – around about a year – aged seventeen years old, before finally discovering he’s only gone and become an eighteen year old.
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