Is Turin Brakes’ album JackInABox the album of the summer or what? I had written off TB as sad and whiney, but JackInABox is sweet and summery and packed with excellent-to-wail-along-to songs whilst cycling at speed though the streets. Great lyrics too, but it’s mostly in the delivery…A minor revelation?
Other news, being a film geek, or maybe a geek film fan, this year I volunteered to work at the most excellent Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival. In it’s 21st year, it’s part of a small but well loved and championed international festivals highlighting sci-fi, horror, anime, thrillers and fantasy.
Saw
Se7en style thriller/horror. Hollywood gloss but good pace and an adrenaline winner.
Calvaire
Disturbing Belgium story about a city guy whose van breaks down in a remote rural area. A lonely local farmer who offers help isn’t as harmless as he seems. Excellent film in that it really is torture to watch, but throws in a few truly surreal black comedy moments that lift the film for a few moments. Not good if you want to leave the cinema feeling upbeat and happy about the human race.
Paul Schrader’s Exorcist - the Prequel.
Slow, boring, awful acting, vaguely scary “evil demon possessing village idiot” but in general don’t bother
Appleseed
Execellent anime. Fun storyline, kickass heroine with cool clothes. Good story about the balance of power between GE clones and real humans.
Ferpect Crime
Smart, frantic and peculiar Spanish comedy. Tells the story of a suave, womanising employee of a department store who accidentally murders a rival for the Floor Manager position. The quiet, ugly sales assistant who witnesses this uses the opportunity to entrap the unwitting killer into becoming her reluctant lover. Great stuff, and recommended for any film fans who just enjoy some alternative comedy.
Nightwatch
Fun Russian good vrs evil fantasy tale set in modern day Moscow. Elements of all your favourites, the Matrix, X-Men, Vampire flicks and Blade with a slightly Stars Wars-esque attempt at an epic scale. Part one of a trilogy. has potential but borrows too widely.
The Machinist
Christian Bale is the paranoid machinist. Good film. Slightly memento but slower.
Hitchhikers Guide the Galaxy
Quirky sets and campy space silliness. Martin Freeman is a decent Arthur, as is Zooey (rhymes with gooey?) Deschanel as Trillian. However I found Mos Def to be a rubbish Ford Prefect and Sam Rockwell just irritated me. Not bad though, I know the jokes too well to react “freshly” to the film but Garth Jennings did a good job.