InSight and UnSound

Surviving Georgia review

2011-05-17T09:11:00.001+10:00

By LUTHER KAASBRADEN*

Surviving Georgia was not a film I had booked to see. I was taken a long by my sister who had told me there was a flick with Holly Valance in that I should see. When I arrived and learnt that it ws a romantic story I was initially cautious as this is not a genre I particularly like. BUT... I have to say I was really taken with both the story and the film.

The story is lovingly told and well crafted. Performances from Holly Valance and Shane Jacobson are at once amusing and endearing. In fact the entire cast shine in this film. Caroline O'Connor makes a great contribution as the somewhat quirky and stressful mother of Valance and Pia Miranda, who both hold their own in emotionally charged scenes that pull at your heart.

The son in this film is also very good. I hadn't seen him before and hope to see mope of Toby Wallace. I also enjoyed a great performance from Spencer McLaren (from Secret Life of Us if you remember on C4) who is also credited as producing.

Overall, a film that touches your heart, and leaves you with a smile. What more could you want? *My son Luther contributed this review as part of a Junior High School project -- DAVID KAASBRADEN

Roger Bartlett's unpublished review

2010-09-14T10:40:00.004+10:00

The following review notes were found amongst Roger's personal effects. An usher at the cinema has told the Coroner Mr Bartlett had been semi-conscious in the toilets for 36 hours. As no ticket butt was found in his pockets, the subject of the review, if any, remains unknown:

By ROGER BARTLETT
I saw a film on Friday night at the Odeon. It's had some glowing reviews – but it proves that the only opinion you can rely on is your own. Thankfully, it was much better than the trailer, which made it look very heavy handed and predictable, and seemed to give away so much of the plot in thirty seconds that I stopped viewing it in case it gave away the ending.

For the first hour, the film was very impressive, slowly building up the tension and very plausibly developing the story, with believable characters saying and doing believable things. Then it started abandoning each of these standards, by letting the hero find out sensitive information too easily, blabbing about what he's found out to people he has no reason to trust, doing stupid things, and getting out of tricky situations too easily. Finally, it all ends too suddenly, and I was left wondering what the fuss was about, and why anyone would be killed over it, since any journalist could have uncovered it easily.

After the movie, about midnight, I was waiting in the foyer, while everyone shuffled past after exiting the many other cinemas. Several attendants and ushers passed by me. About two minutes later, as I was walking down the stairs they turned off all the lights without warning. I yelled, but no one answered, so I kept going in the dark. Then someone saw or heard me and turned the lights back on until I left. When I left the building, I found there were no cars or pedestrians to be seen, and every one of the busy cafes and bars and restaurants I'd passed on the way to the cinema were closed.

So imagine my surprise when I [illegible]

DVD reviews: Peeping Tom, Salo

2010-09-12T13:07:00.004+10:00

By MARGARET N. BATES

Peeping Tom (1960) is all about a sensitive, sad young foreign man (Hardy Kruger) who lives in London. He loves taking 16mm movies and carries his camera everywhere. But all the ladies he films unfortunately are murdered -- as he is filming them! Hardy is so happy to meet a lovely débutante in the flat downstairs that he forgets to report these murders to the police. Instead he gives the débutante downstairs a private screening of all these terrible coincidental murders for her birthday, and unusual movies of his father torturing him with a lizard, before riding off on a scooter to take passport pictures at a news agency. He is so driven to distraction by the attentions of the débutante's drunken mother and a psychiatrist that he takes his own picture -- and dies! This film makes photography look terribly dangerous, and is not recommended for young adults hoping to take it up as a career.

Salo, or 120 Days of Sodium (1976) is all about a holiday camp for teenagers in northern Italy after the war. Because of rationing, there is insufficient clothing and food for the young cast. Compared to other films made around a similar premise, like Friday the Thirteenth and I Know What You Did Last Summer, Salo lacks drama and suspense. Because no hockey-masked murderer stalks them, or because no posse of vampires pick them off, the cast become so terribly dejected they start eating things out of sheer boredom. Now I know that the obesity crisis is blamed partly on people eating for want of something to do. Once or twice when I was bored, I ate a whole tub of ice cream. I even saw Bear Grylls squeeze out a drink from elephant dung on television, but Salo made this look like a picnic. I'm surprised it hasn't been banned.

Indiana Jones sequels on a budget

2010-09-04T20:41:00.010+10:00

By ROGER BARTLETT

I saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull a few weeks back. I thought it was neither terrible nor good. It was entertaining in parts, but disappointing in the main, about on par with Last Crusade. The fight on army vehicles moving through the jungle was silly. Why were the Russians driving so fast? There was no plot justification for it; it was just Spielberg trying to make the scene more urgent and exciting. They could have all just stopped driving and taken their time shooting Indy and his friends.

This gave me an idea: if the plot mirrored day-to-day reality, the Russians could simply shoot Harrison Ford point blank from a stationary jeep directly after the opening credits and feed him to ants. The rest of the two-hour screen time would show the ants gradually picking him apart, running off with crumb after crumb, until there was nothing left. That would avoid any cynical speculation from critics about leaving the story open for a sequel, and I wouldn't have to waste two hours of my valuable time.

In fact, the Indiana Jones films might've been made for a fraction of the billions Lucasfilm Ltd. has shelled out in production costs, if only:

Indy had been crushed by the giant rolling ball in Raiders
Indy's arm had been caught by the descending stone wall in Temple of Doom and he'd died of thirst like that annoying woman in The English Patient
Elderly Indiana Jones in Crystal Skull had survived the atomic bomb but suffocated inside the refrigerator
Indiana Jones and that annoying kid had contracted Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease from eating the monkey's brains in Temple of Doom and been involuntarily committed
Young Indy had been eaten by the lion on the train at the beginning of Last Crusade

This last item also puts paid to the whole series of films, and also renders redundant the several series of Young Indiana Jones.

In fact, Spielberg could do worse than model any future Indiana Jones films on a variation of the plot used in the Hammer Productions' Dracula series with Christopher Lee: at the end of the first movie Dracula is killed and, in seconds, his body turns to dust. In the sequel, a henchman pours this dust into an empty stone casket, pours in human blood, and Dracula is resurrected to become a continual menace until the end of the movie, when he is again turned to dust.

Let's say Raiders of the Lost Ark were to be rewritten to take advantage of this money-saving idea: Harrison Ford is flattened by the boulder, the treasure he was holding is retrieved by Belloq, and his body turns to dust. The next two hours could be taken up with trivial details such as Indy's friends sitting around drinking and bemoaning his absence, Belloq regularly gloating, and following the Germans' endless digging in Egypt looking for the Ark. At the very end of the movie, someone works out how to resurrect Indy from the dust, and he stands up, whip in hand, ready to fight again in the sequel. At the start of Temple of Doom he is promptly killed when the kid drives into a pole, and the cycle repeats.

The benefit of this approach is that each movie is very cheap to produce, since there are no stunts, fights or set-pieces to stage, and the audience is continually coaxed to come back for the sequel, with the promise that the heroics will finally begin. By my estimation, the next sequel could be made for about $10 million dollars, not including promotion.

Long-awaited Lawrence of Arabia remake announced

2010-08-16T13:15:00.002+10:00

By DAVID KAASBRADEN

Finland could soon be the base for a remake of the classic World War 1 drama Lawrence of Arabia. Finnish expatriate and Hollywood director Renny Harlin is hoping to direct the movie, and mark his return to his homeland for the first time since making his critically acclaimed debut as director of A Nightmare On Elm Street 24 in 1988.

Harlin stated he was disappointed at the collapse of funding earlier this year for a movie about Carl Mannerheim, an Irish hero who resisted the invasion of Finland by Lenin's Red Army against overwhelming odds during World War II, and was looking for a new production that suited the unique Finnish locations. 'Eastern Finland is the perfect place to restage T.E. Lawrence's battle to capture the crucial Arabian port of Aqaba,' said Harlin.

'Several younger actors would surely consider this the opportunity of a lifetime to play the role of a multi-faceted hero in a big epic movie,' said Harlin, who mentioned the British star of the James Bond movies, Daniel Radcliffe, as a possible lead.

According to Harlin, the Finnish-language screenplay should be ready at the end of January, after which he expects to be able to raise the necessary €3,500m for filming, with most of the budget allocated to importing sand. So far, local Finnish companies approached for funding, like mobile phone maker Nokia, and the publisher Otava, have expressed reservations over details of the manuscript. In particular, they want the main character to be a native of Lapland.

Postscript: my dear colleague of eighteen years, Roger Bartlett, today succumbed in his battle with prescription painkillers. He was a fearless campaigner for saving money in film making, and my prayers go out to Rhonda and the children. His final article, originally published in The Atlantic, was Five Ways to Shorten Indiana Jones Films -- DK

Psycho remake planned, again

2010-05-15T00:53:00.004+10:00

By DAVID KAASBRADEN

Gus Van Sant announced today that he will be directing a shot-for-shot remake of his 1998 shot-for-shot remake of the 1960 Hitchcock classic thriller Psycho.

'There's a whole generation of kids who've never seen a remake of Psycho,' he said. 'I know it's a crazy situation, and hard to believe, but it's true.' Brushing aside accusations of an 'ego trip', Van Sant maintained that this was an homage to a movie he greatly admired. 'Besides, it's what Hitchcock would have wanted.'

Matt Damon Cast as JFK in Bid to Extend His Range

2010-03-07T01:34:00.003+11:00

By DAVID KAASBRADEN

Matt Damon has signalled that his starring role in the new biopic about assassinated US President John F Kennedy, based on the controversial new book Dallas: Alternative Histories, may surprise audiences by departing from the popular accounts of his life. Rather than the typical image of Kennedy as a charismatic womanizer, the new story will concentrate on the impact of little-known details of Kennedy's World War 2 military service.

In particular, a key episode will be included where Kennedy underwent a program of behaviour modification to prepare him for a crucial mission, in his role as a PT Boat commander. Damon was reluctant to reveal too much, but did confirm that this episode will be linked to the fateful day in November 1963. At this point, the story will diverge from established fact and present a number of alternative scenarios on what might have occurred, at least one of which ends with Kennedy strangling Lee Harvey Oswald with a necktie.

Paul Greengrass is slated to direct.

It’s Official: Avatar Tops All-Time List

2010-01-24T02:11:00.003+11:00

By DAVID KAASBRADEN

The blockbuster 3D sci-fi epic Avatar has now overtaken The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and Titanic, to be number 1 on the all-time list of movies responsible for injuries to moviegoers, according to BoxOfficeNogo.com.

Avatar's record-breaking run of screenings, plagued by complaints of headaches, dizziness, nausea and blurred eyesight, has left industry analysts speechless. "This is like a freight train out of control," said 20th Century Fox distribution executive Bert Livingston. "It just keeps on going." *

Avatar was still trailing in third place on the Nogo list until only last week, but received an unexpected boost when it recorded its first fatality, a Taiwanese man who died of a stroke this week, eleven days after viewing the movie.

This achievement comes only days after Avatar and its director James Cameron were honoured at the Golden Globes with the coveted award for Best Health Risk.

(*Despite apparent industry shock, this website was the first to report on the issue last August, four months before the movie's official release: see Avatar Exclusive)

REVIEW: Imaginarium: a plum role for Christopher, while Heath plumbs the depths

2009-11-07T00:43:00.014+11:00

By DAVID KAASBRADEN

Christopher Plummer has laid claim to a posthumous Oscar with a standout performance in his final movie role, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, but paradoxically, another actor by the same name may win the award instead. The movie, written and directed by Terry Gilliam, the former member of the British TV comedy troupe The Goodies, provides a fitting finale to the all too brief acting career of Plummer, who first gained attention in the title role of Mary Poppins (1964), opposite Julie Christie.

In this fantastical story, Plummer plays the thousand-year-old Doctor Parnassus, leader of a travelling show, who offers his customers an amazing thrill ride using a mystical mirror called an Imaginarium, with the help of a magician (John Garfield), and a wise-cracking dwarf (Danny De Vito).

Parnassus gained this mirror through a deal with the Devil (playing himself) who now comes to collect on the debt, by targeting the doctor's daughter, Valentina (Lily Allen). The travelling show is joined by a mysterious outsider named Tony, who pops in and out of parallel worlds during the course of the movie.

Which Plummer will win the Oscar?

The production faced some serious challenges about one-third of the way through, when Christopher Plummer died from an accidental overdose of sleeping pills. Director Gilliam was forced to complete Plummer's remaining scenes using up to three other actors, all of them, apparently, also named Christopher Plummer. Amazingly, this worked, and it is very difficult to pick which Plummer performs in which scene. Their features, voices and mannerisms are all so alike you would be forgiven for assuming it is all the work of one actor. The Academy will have its work cut out deciding which one to award the Best Actor Oscar to.

In contrast, the performance of one of the other actors, Heath Ledger as the outsider Tony, is all over the place. Ledger appears to think he is acting in four different movies; his appearance, voice, and even his height, vary dramatically. I expect this performance, clearly a lowlight of his career, may threaten his chances at future roles.

4 stars out of 5

REVIEW: 2012 - Spectacular, but fails to live up to promise

2009-11-06T00:24:00.009+11:00

By DAVID KAASBRADEN

I must confess to being a little confused by the new doomsday themed movie, 2012. Whilst obviously a cleverly constructed and well shot sequel, it appears to have picked up almost none of the story threads, none of the characters, and certainly none of the actors, from the movie that started the franchise.

I found myself cast headfirst into a fastpaced narrative set 11 years after the end of the first movie, and introduced to a small group of new characters, led by the always reliable John Cusack, who confront a number of omens foretelling imminent cataclysmic events. As expected, they are soon struggling with a rapidly escalating series of natural disasters, always escaping with seconds to spare. In common with the first movie, there is a major plotline involving contact with an alien race, but it is a completely new race of beings, at a very different stage of technological development, and with their own set of reasons for journeying to earth and assisting the human race.

There is no doubting the craft and skill that has gone into the convincing creation of this chaotic world, and yet, I kept feeling shortchanged by the apparent abandonment of the storyline from the original movie. The glossing over of this discontinuity detracted from the spectacle, and I found myself wishing for more emotional substance to the story. Perhaps just a few scenes with the original's main characters David Bowman and Frank Poole would have provided this, not to mention some more time with the apes.

On the plus side, it's filled with stunning scenes of destruction and mayhem, and who isn't excited by that kind of stuff? People scream and flee for their lives. Buildings crumple and crunch and snap. It's all very satisfying in the usual disaster movie way. There are frequent shots of cities and towns suddenly transforming into vistas of mass death and suffering, and who doesn't like to gorge on that kind of imagery? Clearly, it's a crowd-pleaser. Grab some popcorn, and go see it.

4.5 stars out of 5

Bullitt remake "environmentally friendly"

2009-10-15T19:55:00.010+11:00

By MARGARET N. BATES

The producers of the remake of Bullitt, currently being filmed in San Francisco, have stunned industry insiders by dumping the iconic Ford Mustang fastback in favor of a Toyota Prius hybrid for the car chase sequence.

But a 510 c.i. V-10 Dodge Viper will stand in for the Dodge Charger seen in the original film, making a mockery of claims that the new Bullitt will be 'environmentally friendly.'

According to our sources, the current model Mustangs were deemed 'underpowered' and 'old men's cars' by focus groups. Their overwhelming preference for the muscle car driven by Lt. Bullitt (Russell Crowe) was a hybrid gasoline/electric vehicle that could achieve 75 mph while getting up to 60 mpg. In a reference to the original film, the car will be specially painted in 'Highland Green' to match the 1968 Mustang.

While skeptical at first, the producers were forced to concede that the Prius easily beat the Mustang in standing quarter mile performance and top speed, largely because of the acceleration afforded by the electric motors. A Mustang will still feature in the film, however, as the car driven by Mayor Walter Chalmer's (Michael Douglas) hairdresser.

DVD REVIEW: The King of Comedy

2009-09-08T16:11:00.008+10:00

By MARGARET N. BATES

I had high hopes for this DVD as I loaded it into the machine. I'd popped the popcorn and taken the phone off the hook. I was expecting for 90 minutes of non-stop hilarity. After all, it's not every day you have an audience with The 'King' of Comedy. How disappointed I was to be!

Jerry Lewis plays himself as the host of a television late show in this 'classic' film by Martin Scorcese. Some of his jokes are all right, but I could watch David Letterman tell jokes of similar quality for free on television without shelling out $2.99 for DVD rental.

It seems when the 'King' is not on actually on television he's not so funny after all. In fact he looks tired much of the time and is quite rude to some of his loyal fans. As a long time fan myself I found this disappointing. Instead of laughs we get a mishmash of tedious behind-the-scenes business dealings. These were about as funny as The Larry Sanders Show, which of course you can watch for free.

Then there were the other, unfunnier scenes in this so-called laff fest. Such as a kidnapping. Funny? Swearing. Funny? Cracks about cancer. Funny? I think not! I was hoping Jerry would pull some faces or act retarded, but oh, no.

This is possibly the least funny of all Jerry's comedies. I was particularly disappointed because it is called The King of Comedy. But the 'King' seems to have lost his crown.

REVIEW: The Young Queen Victoria

2009-09-07T22:34:00.007+10:00

By ROGER BARTLETT

I've always said that if a film is photographed well, it doesn't matter what it is about. Young Queen Victoria is nicely photographed, with practically every scene composed, framed and lit like a photograph. I might add that producers of period films are endlessly grateful for olden days subjects as it saves them the cost and trouble of having to build sets. There's little doubt that a film such as this saves building sets, because it deals with olden days subjects, for which producers are endlessly grateful. But I digress.

The film tells the story of Young Queen Victoria and her relationship with a servant, Johnny Brown (played by comedian Jerry Lewis), and the subsequent uproar it provoked. Brown had been a trusted servant of Victoria's then deceased consort, Prince Albert; Victoria's chief servants thought Brown might help to ease the apparently inconsolable Queen's deep grief over the Prince Consort's death in 1804.

Despite all the olden days frippery, buildings and topiary in place of sets on Young Queen Victoria, it is nonetheless an interesting tale of a Queen (played by Dame Judi Dench) who covets the throne currently occupied by her cousin Jerry Langford (Ralph Fiennes). The throne itself and the actors are exquisitely photographed, as are the olden days frippery, buildings and topiary.

If a film is photographed well, it doesn't matter what it is about. Young Queen Victoria is photographed nicely, with every scene composed, framed and lit like a photograph. Producers of period films are endlessly grateful for olden days subjects as it saves them the cost and trouble of having to build sets. There's little doubt that a film such as this saves building sets, because it deals with olden days subjects, for which producers are endlessly grateful.

To help ease the Queen toward resuming public life after years of secluded mourning, Brown is summoned to court. Dame Judi Dench's ignorance is of no concern to the Duke of Kent (Sir Ian Richardson) who tries helping her with the help of his gardener Sir Penry (Billy Connolly), if only for her own good. Despite this, period films are infinitely better off for olden days subjects as it saves them the cost and trouble of having to build sets.

Especially poignant was the scene where Victoria drops the letter from her cousin Prince Frank and as she picks it up notices numerous items under her bed that she had forgotten about. Although we know these are special to her, we also know that anyone else would be bored senseless by them.

The gut-wrenching tenderness of this scene is only intensified by the one that follows, when Uncle Albert reads a newspaper column by Admiral Halsey listing, in stultifying detail, the personal items he had to leave behind, under his bed. Albert can't bring himself to read a single word of it. In fact, he groans and promptly tosses the paper in the fire.

It is a nice film. In the end, a long-distance caller Prince Albert (Rupert Bunny) accidentally becomes her husband. Which only goes to show that if a film is photographed well, it doesn't matter what it is about. Young Queen Victoria is nicely photographed, with practically every scene composed, framed and lit like a photograph.

EXCLUSIVE: Rambo 5 Synopsis

2009-09-03T01:06:00.010+10:00

By DAVID KAASBRADEN

Our source in LA has done it again. Although scheduled for release in 2011, Insight UnSound brings you the full synopsis of the latest instalment of the groundbreaking Rambo franchise. On August 31, 2009, Millennium Films officially gave the green light to Rambo 5, with Stallone both directing and starring. The plot revolves around Rambo fighting his way through human traffickers and drug lords to rescue a young girl abducted near the US - Mexico border.

Synopsis
The film opens with news footage of a crisis in Mexico City. Mexico is under the iron fist rule of President Sol Trujillo, and takes a harsher stance against the nation's pro-democracy movement. Rebels are thrown into a mine-infested field of cacti and then gunned down by a Mexican army unit, while the military officer Colonel Rene Moco gazes grimly at the scene.

Former US soldier John Rambo is now living near the US -Mexico border. He makes a living capturing rattlesnakes and selling them in a nearby town. A missionary, Miguel Burnette, asks Rambo to take him and his associates across the border in a boat on a humanitarian mission to the help the pro-democracy movement. Rambo refuses but is convinced by Consuelo Gomez to take them.

The boat is stopped by human traffickers who demand Consuelo in exchange for passage. After negotiation fails, Rambo kills them all. Although his actions save the missionaries, it greatly disturbs them. Upon arrival, Miguel says that they will travel by road and will not need Rambo's help for the return trip. The mission goes well until the Mexican army, led by Colonel Moco, brutally attacks the village, killing most of the villagers and two missionaries, and kidnapping the rest. When the missionaries fail to come back after ten days, their pastor comes to Rambo to ask for his help in guiding hired mercenaries to the village where the missionaries were last seen.

Troubled by Consuelo's potential fate, Rambo decides to accompany the mercenaries. After seeing the destroyed village filled with mutilated humans and animals, Rambo encourages the platoon to move on. Hijacking a truck, they create a plan to save the hostages held at a drug lord's camp, doing so within fifteen minutes to avoid alerting the army. Rambo helps Consuelo and the others to escape. The drug lord finds his hostages missing and organizes a massive manhunt. Everyone except for Rambo and Consuelo is captured. Just as the group is to be executed, Rambo hijacks a truck-mounted .50-caliber machine gun and engages the Mexican army. A group of pro-democracy rebels joins the fight to help Rambo and the mercenaries defeat the machine guns of the Mexican army. Seeing that the battle is lost, Colonel Moco decides to flee, only to run into Rambo's machete, which Rambo then uses to behead the Colonel.

Encouraged by Consuelo's words, Rambo returns to the United States. The last scene shows him walking along a rural highway, past a cattle ranch and a mailbox with the name 'R. Rambo' on it. He makes his way down the gravel driveway as the credits roll.

Who's afraid of Brangelina?

2009-08-28T20:35:00.009+10:00

By DAVID KAASBRADEN

In a bold casting move that's sure to boost the circulation of the gossip magazines, Warner Bros. has very quietly sounded out the possibility of exploiting the on-again, off-again rumors about Brad Pitt's and Angelina Jolie's marriage. (See Reel Insider at left) A very clever development executive has suggested the time may be ripe for a remake of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, the 60s drama that shocked audiences with its profanity. Brad would be reprising the role of George, that gave Richard Burton credibility as a serious actor, and Angelina the part of frumpy fiftyish Martha, that won Elizabeth Taylor an Oscar. Movie buffs will no doubt see the parallels between Burton's and Taylor's tumultuous marriage, and that of Pitt's and Jolie's, not to mention the box-office appeal.

I must take issue with my colleague, whom I feel has been misled about the nature of the proposed special effects. Rather than computer graphics, the two lead actors would be transformed into typical academics through the magic of latex. Pitt retains such a costume from The Bucket List, and reportedly terrified neighborhood children with it last Halloween

Avatar Exclusive

2009-08-27T07:26:00.022+10:00

By DAVID KAASBRADEN

Although Avatar is not scheduled for release until December 2009, one of our sources has gained unofficial access to the first rough-cut of this cutting-edge 3D science fiction feature. Our information will undoubtedly be dismissed by 20th Century Fox and the production team, who are anxious to maintain secrecy about key details of the plot until close to the release date.

Already this amazing movie has been dogged by controversy. The short preview that was screened at IMAX cinemas around the world on August 21 induced a spate of health complaints, ranging from whiplash-like neck injuries, to dizziness and blurred vision. Apparently, the 3D effects are so intense and immersive, that some viewers have found their real world depth perception is diminished once they leave the cinema. This has resulted in viewers walking into poles and other objects, and some are even unable to detect real objects moving towards them, perceiving them instead to be two-dimensional and stationary.

Despite claims that the prevalence of complaints after screenings are simply coincidental, or inspired by the potential for legal action, there are rumors that Fox has hastily assembled a team of medical experts to examine the health concerns before the feature debuts. Perversely, some fans have boasted that the controversy just increases their desire to be the first to see the completed movie.

Synopsis

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paralysed former soldier, is recruited for the experimental Avatar program, which will enable him, not only to walk again, but also to rush suddenly at whoever is looking at him. Jake is sent to Pandora, a strange jungle-covered planet, teeming with unique life forms. Many of them are beautiful, some are terrifying , but all (even the plants) are prone to rushing at whoever is looking at them. Pandora is also home to the Na'vi, a tall, blue-skinned intelligent human-like race with tails, that appears uncultured, yet is better adapted than humans at rushing suddenly at whoever is looking at them.

Although Jake's job is to help exploit the resources of Pandora to feed the demands of new technologies on Earth, he discovers what appears to be fossilised evidence of a link between humans and the Na'vi in the form of a skeletal hand with webbed fingers. He convinces his superiors to mount an expedition, led by Professor Trevor Anderson (Sigourney Weaver) to look for the remainder of the skeleton. They go aboard a starship called the Rita, which is captained by a rude old codger named Lucas (Walter Brennan).

After landing, Jake, and a young Na'vi female, Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), watch a meteor crash to the surface of Pandora. After visiting the impact site of the meteor, Jake notices a strange object, and comes to believe the meteor was not a meteor at all, but a Na'vi spacecraft. After a landslide covers a mysterious tunnel, Jake's story is ridiculed by Lucas and the local media. In the following days, several people disappear. A few return, only to display odd robot-like behavior, and seem distant and removed from their normal selves.

Professor Anderson finds a runic inscription inside an underground tunnel beside a volcano and, led by an Icelandic guide, they find an underworld haven with all manner of exotic animals, one of which may be the source of the fossilised hand. After further searching, an expedition member, Cornelius, shows Professor Anderson the remnants of a technologically advanced human society. It appears that Pandora was, at one time, controlled by humans, but at some point in history, the Na'vi led a violent revolt, overthrowing human society. After falling in love with Neytiri, Jake is forced to choose sides in an epic battle.

Zaius, a scientist from Earth, arrives with a force of armed guerrillas to capture or kill Jake. Professor Anderson presents Zaius with the ruins of the human society, which Zaius and Lucas seem to already know about. Zaius agrees to exile Jake and Neytiri, afterwards informing Anderson, Cornelius, Zira, and the guerrillas that he is allowing Jake to find 'his destiny.' Once Jake and Neytiri have ridden away on horseback, Zaius has his men lay explosives and destroy the evidence of the human society.

After some time spent riding along the shoreline, Jake and Neytiri see something ahead; Jake stops the horse and demounts, approaching the object before descending into a fit of rage, declaring that he has been home all along. As the film ends, the camera pans back to reveal the remnants of the Statue of Liberty, half-submerged in the sand.

REVIEW: Inglourious Basterds (2009)

2009-08-18T17:32:00.052+10:00

By MARGARET N BATES

Inglourious Basterds is the latest action film by Quentin Tarantino, and while it doesn't make the dynamic impact of Patch Adams (1998), you really couldn't ask for more crowd-pleasing potential.

It is an eclectic potpourri of influences, from the Indiana Jones movies, through Z-grade Italian war movies, to the ground-breaking first person shooter computer game Wolfenstein. However, chief amongst its sources of appropriation is the late sixties Hollywood actioner The Dirty Dozen, directed by Robert Altman. Tarantino borrows heavily from this classic movie, from the basic concept of a horde of army rejects being recruited for a suicide mission, all the way to specific scenes, such as the final one where John Cassavetes, with an evil smile, leads Mia Farrow to the bassinet where her newborn demon baby lies.

Inglourious Basterds begins with Brad Pitt playing a young Guy Gibson, who even at seven has a thirst for adventure. His father Barnes Wallis (Mike Myers) is obsessed with ballistics and breaching dams, and as a result, little attention is paid to young Guy. Flash forward to 1943, where Wing Commander Gibson (Brad Pitt) finds that his father has been kidnapped by the Nazis, who are also looking to develop a rubber bouncing bomb, and the legendary powers of destruction it may hold. Gibson and his dad have never quite seen eye to eye, which makes his subsequent rescue attempts all the more depressing, as he tries to impress a man who only lives to ruin dams.

The highlight of the film is a matter of historical fact: the aerial sequences of Gibson's squadron of Spitfire heavy bombers destroying hundreds of dams in England's Ruhr Valley. To accomplish this they were provided with weapons designed and developed by Mike Myers. The bombs had to be dropped from an altitude of six miles to skip across the water into the dam face and then roll down it to explode at predefined depth. To add to the fun, hundreds of Nazis are also hunted down and scalped.

Tarantino corrects many of the missteps he had made in Death Proof, by going in completely the opposite direction, making the adventure about the characters and not the thrills and chills every few minutes. For the most part, Inglourious Basterds is a much lighter, frothier affair, with even the more menacing parts marked with bits of genuine hilarity. Norman Foam provides the warmly funny screenplay, and even the cinematography, which ran dark and mysterious in Pulp Fiction, appears vibrant and colorful. It's a kinder, gentler massacre film.

Mike Myers is a perfect addition to the series, playing the part of the unimpressed father beautifully. Just when you think you've seen all there is to see as far as the character of Guy Gibson, out comes another facet, and Brad Pitt does a very commendable job in balancing the Gibson we all know from other films and the boyish vulnerability whenever he is around his father. Two of the biggest legends in the world of action flick together on one bill is worth the price of admission at any price.

There is a sense of welcome immaturity to the entire production, letting you know that it's all in the name of fun. It's a loving tribute to Wolfenstein, and even if the violence sometimes gets into the realm of bloodlust, we like the characters so much, even those moments will make us smile. For every Tarantino fan, it's must-see viewing, literally watching Guy Gibson and friends fly off to the sunset together to bomb another dam. I should add that I haven't seen the film yet, but understand it's fine entertainment.

Bullitt treatment notes (1986)

2009-07-22T11:28:00.019+10:00

The following fascinating exchange discussing a line-by-line treatment of Bullitt in 1986 has recently come to light. The remake of the classic Steve McQueen cop film, with Michael Crawford as the eponymous character, was never made. The producers are obviously at pains to ensure the newer film stands apart from other classic movies still then fresh in the minds of cinema goers. The identity of the author of the sarcastic ripostes should be obvious to those in the know:

Music by Lalo Schifrin too similar to Dirty Harry

Crook crosses off too-neatly written list in cab: his handwriting is too neat

The list was not handwritten, it's a printed checklist from the local tourism authority that all crooks pick up when they arrive in major crime destinations in the US, like San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, etc. Most crooks will have standard tasks they have to perform when they arrive, like a) ring local criminal contact b) pickup messages at big city hotel front desk etc.

Bullitt's serious partner Sergeant Dalgety wakes him up at his pad after a late night. This is too reminiscent of Cloudy and Popeye in The French Connection

This reminds me of that scene where Doyle picking up that young woman after simply following her on her bike. After watching the deleted scenes, it's even more unbelievable, because he almost knocks her down with his car, and then frightens and bullies her.

Bullitt's junior partner stands around with his hand down his pants outside Chalmer's house

It's an astute reference to the soon-to-be-fashionable 1970s openness about sex in movies

Witness left in hotel room alone before cops arrive

Not credible. It was Chalmers who left him in there, and Bullitt comments on what a poorly chosen location it is, therefore Chalmers is a fool.

Simon Oakland as grizzly, but lovable boss, too much like Kolchak the Night Stalker

Girlfriend character is an artistic designer in San Francisco highly reminscent of Vertigo

But the character asking Bullitt to read out some numbers shows she is skilled at maths and calculation, which was unknown for female characters in movies at that time.

A chain on a door would supposedly prevent it from being kicked open by Mob assassins

I can't believe you would doubt this!

Junior partner cop injured and almost leaves a grieving widow: very like Dirty Harry

Emergency services beat Bullitt to the hotel, even though he distinctly said he'd be there 'in five minutes.'

So what? He meant five minutes in screen time, which it definitely was! Deleted scenes include alternative versions where he says 'I'll see you in the next scene' and 'I'll see you at the hotel lobby set' but they were deemed too challenging for audiences of the time.

No first aid for seriously injured cop in back of ambulance

What do you expect? They were actors pretending to be medics. Do you expect actors to start cutting open the chest of a gunshot victim and removing the bullet? I can't believe how naive you are!

Nurse's smock not neatly ironed in operating theatre

This was deliberate, to symbolise the unrest in American society about the progress of the Vietnam War.

Chalmers makes a request to a nurse that Dr Willard 'be replaced.' As we know, nurses don't manage staffing in hospitals

How naive! You really have trouble separating fiction from reality, don't you? There's no such person as Chalmers, he's just a character played by Robert Vaughn, the actor. And she wasn't a nurse, she was the Casting Director dressed up as a nurse, so it makes perfect sense.

Geriatric assassin runs like Steve Austin and escapes through tiny ceiling-high window

The character's name, according to the soundtrack CD, is Ice-Pick Mike, confirmed by the weapon he brandished earlier in the scene. He is small, so he can fit through tiny windows, and he has obviously used the ice-pick to lever himself up into the window.

Doctors fail to use defibrillators in ICU on myocardial infarction

They're actors, remember? Am I getting through to you?

Bullitt instructs the experienced driver of a hearse with a corpse in the back to go to 'the city morgue.'

Doesn't Bullitt request an unmarked ambulance in the previous scene? Therefore, the driver is an experienced driver of an ambulance, and I would hope that when a body is put into the back of an ambulance the driver doesn't automatically drive to the morgue everytime.

Shotgun pock marks on hotel wall magically appear after assassination

It's nothing to do with the shotgun. The police left the windows open to air out the room. The pock marks are evidence of the ensuing wind erosion.

Dalgety and Bullitt play good Cop, bad Cop with concierge. French Connection?

In the French Connection, Cloudy is not present at Popeye's interview with the concierge.

Armed only with the fact that the witness arrived in a 'Sunshine Cab,' Bullitt manages to track down the cab driver in a city of two million people

See next response

Assassins inexplicably start tailing cab with Bullitt in it

They didn't know Bullitt was in there. When they heard that the guy they tried to kill arrived in a Sunshine Cab, they knew which cab company it was, but they didn't know which driver. However, they thought, if they're going to talk to more than five hundred cab drivers, they might as well start with the one who was famous for looking like Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird. Therefore, by pure chance, they were tailing the cab driver for the same reason Bullitt was talking to him, to get Robert Duvall's autograph.

'Wire service scam' too close to The Sting

What wire service scam? Did we watch the same movie? Isn't it just an early fax machine?

Bullitt instinctively recognises the Dodge Charger as belonging to the assassins, having never seen it or them before

He had seen the car before, he first saw it while rehearsing the car chase scene.

The streets of San Francisco apparently jammed with identical green Volkswagens

SF was hosting a convention of Volkswagen owners.

The Dodge loses six hubcaps during the chase

The deleted scenes include a shot of the assassins slowing down to pick up the hubcaps the first couple of times it happens.

Girlfriend shocked that a homicide detective's work involves murder victims

Bullitt had only ever told her he was a greeting card salesman, and the trip to the motel together was merely a Customer Service Call. (the dead woman was a relative of a client who purchased one of his bereavement cards.)

What kind of name is 'Bullitt'?

He came from a famous Kentucky farming family. He also had some cousins who joined the police department and changed their names appropriately eg Cannon, Ironside

Bullitt and Dalgety compromise evidence by rifling luggage without gloves, despite being aware of the importance of fingerprints

They're experienced detectives. They could tell at a glance that there were no fingerprints on anything in the suitcases. But if you want to talk about being careless with evidence, let's look at what Doyle and Cloudy did with the drug filled car in FC.

The departure board of San Francisco International, a major airport serving two million people, lists only six flights

All the other flights were not listed because they were not open to the general public. They were restricted to the Volkswagen conventioneers heading home.

Bullitt, despite having an entire airport apron on which to chase villain, is almost crushed by a 707. Chase on runway and apron far too close to Heat by Michael Mann

The grass was too muddy