John Barry has left the room.

I love film soundtracks and my collection is quite healthy and a broad mix of James Horner, John Williams but the love had to start somewhere. It had to be awoken, and that moment came when as an excited 8 year old I sat down to watch the first UK showing of You Only Live Twice. I remember the opening titles, the volcanic images and the moody spine tingling Nancy Sinatra singing the opening theme. Everything fell into place, the world made sense because John Barry's music made me feel so.
That Christmas my father bought me one of those cheap seventies albums Geoff Love and his Orchestra Bond themes. It was from this album of cover versions I became absorbed by the Barry sound. OHMSS the ski chase music would get repeated and repeated until the album became worn. As I grew older I migrated to John Williams Star Wars Soundtracks but then Disney climbed onto the SCI FI bandwagon and Barry composed the musci in which to enter a Black Hole. I had a Christmas voucher and it went on my first proper Barry tape, yes tape to go with my first stereo and boy did that tape get played from the Triumphant opening march through to the Ominous rumblings of conflict and heroics the Black hole soundtrack was well loved.. As time passed and I got my first job my collection expanded. But CD was a revelation. Midnight Cowboy, Zulu, Born Free, Out of Africa , Body Heat, Dances With Wolves.
     The man could address every genre and hold you in his gentle grip. He made bad movie s memorable and great movie s unforgettable. The last soundtrack I bought was his Enigma soundtrack, a moody romantic mystery perfectly complimenting the images that unfolded on screen.
      My favourite album of his is Moviola a drawing together of his more lyrical and memorable themes from Out of Africa to Chaplain , it will be my CD of choice tonight, particularly the Chaplin track, as I remember a great who gave Bond his edge, gave Africa its romance and the Wild west its epic ness and Harry Palmer his rebellious coolness.
Gold Bless you John

The Kings Speech Review

    This is a tale of a monarchy in crisis and a country on the precipice . But more importantly it tells of one man plagued by a stammer who will reluctantly assume the throne and become the figurehead of a  nation about to be plunged  into war. That's the abridged version but this is a magnificent film about the relationship of Bertie played by Colin Firth and his Australian speech therapist Lionel Louge played by the wonderful Geoffrey Rush. I really enjoyed this film this is not a showy razzmatazz movie, its very much a actors film the direction supporting their performances and not drowning them in stylistic flourishes. 

     Its also  a history lesson many details of which are well known. Edward VII  played by Guy Pearce  brilliantly essays the man who did not want to be king. A man unphased byduty and commitment and whose interest in Germany was borderline unhealthy and who could not be bothered with history or destiny. Who would abdicate to his brother for the love of a divorcee. Helen Bonham Carter and Timothy Spall ably support the leads adding colour and a human face to proceedings. 

     But what really draws you into the film is Rush's portrayal of Louge as a non conformist and unorthodox speech therapist. Its a wonderful character study ably supported by some great British and Australian actors who make you forget who they and allow you to become absorbed in the events unfolding before your eyes.

    This is a part of history I was never taught in school. Our wartime history lessons focused on Churchill, his speeches endlessly repeated in films and documentary's covering England role in the second world. war.

This is a story of a man who struggles against adversity and who led the monarchy into an uncertain future by

embracing the most vocal means of addressing his subjects by  embracing radio an unforgiving medium to communicate a caring monarchy a nation that needed to know they cared.

  Tom Scott's direction is understated and he allows the script and performances to shine through I highly recommend this movie

 

Captain America and Spider-man

Some nice images along with Wallpapers have surfaced on the Marvel website following the release of the Spider-man first look shots as a taster of things to come.
I have to confess I'm looking forward to the Captain America with its World War 2 origin story which promises something different.
The Spider-man one looks particularly moody and already the web is abuzz with the first site of potential mechanical web shoots.
Well we have until July next year before we'll know if the reboot was the correct way to go. No doubt more costume reveals further down the road, to counter the set spy photos which have surfaced on various news sites.

Green Hornet 3D

Well this is one comic book character whose history I wasn't aware of. Sure I had seen Dragon the Bruce Lee story and knew that the character of Kato was his induction into western film making. Sure I'd seen their guest appearances in the Batman 60's TV show.  But the characters never crossed the great Atlantic divide, or at least not that I was aware of. My world revolved around Spiderman, the Hulk and Daredevil. These were the heroes of my youth and Green Hornet and Kato didn't register on my radar.

      So when I went to see this film on the weekend I went in blind which sometimes is the way I like to see a film. I the idea that Seth Rogen had written the script and was starring the trailers had played up the humor was another big draw making it look like a fun hip superhero comedy. Also this was the first converted 3D movie I have seen and right at the start I will say the 3D conversion has been done well. It’s understated, noticeable but not in your face. It didn’t add to the film but neither did it leave you with a sour taste in the mouth.

   In basic terms it’s a popcorn movie with a capital P.

   Michel Gondry handles the film with aplomb though it does feel a half hour too long and only due to Seth Rogen’s character of playboy anti hero being a little grating at times but Jay Chou steals the show, his Kato just stealing the movie be it  his dry humor and martial arts skills.

    It’s just a refreshing change from the recent spate of dark and moody action tales. This is no Dark Knight. Christoph Waltz’s villain is well handled and memorable and the action is well handled. Not once are you confused everything is clear and the use of the 3D for Jay Chou’s Kato version shows Michel Gondry bringing his A game. In fact there are a few nice Gondry touches that are unmistakably his own.

   The only criticism would be with Cameron Diaz’s character which seems a bit light and fluffy and in one or two character beats just seems a tad underwritten and really doesn’t bring much to the table. Hopefully if this does go to a sequel this will be addressed and hopefully they’ll progress and develop Seth Rogen’s character as there is only so much you can take of the playboy idiot character. We need to see some more intelligence and character progression.

   All in all not a bad film certainly not the disaster one would expect. It’s not Ironman which seems to be the angle it strives for. But it has the potential to develop as a franchise and I came away with a smile on my face.

    Now I eagerly await the arrival of Thor and after this weeks release of images of Captain America this summer or winter if in NZ looks like an exciting period for the Super hero franchises.

Thor coming soon Poster

Found this coming soon Poster for Thor which makes the costume looking seriously bad ass, this coupled with the fact that Kenneth Branagh is directing has seriously got me excited. Lest we forget Jon Faverau is an actor director and look what he did for Iron man 1 & 2.  Im excited because with the Norse , Isengard elements this could be a grande operatic spectacle of an action movie, Hamlet proved Branagh can supply the eye candy and grandier so bring it on. This is the Marvel Character I have been waiting for, as Spider man, the Hulk and Thor were the main characters I had access too as a kid in the UK.  Marvel having a major UK presence when I was a kid although the UK editions were always in Black and white in the 70's which worked just fine for Tomb of Dracula which came out I believe mid 70's

Bond is back

Yes the news is good today, Bond 23 is go and will be returning in 2012. Sam Mendes will be directing and Daniel Craig will be returning. Hopefully this will be a return to form as set by Casino Royale and a more satisfying installment than Quantum of Solace. Hopefully the MGM hiatus will have allowed for much tighter script work being done in the background.
Its been a good week for the movies what with the Hobbit back on track and news of the Planet of the Apes Rising movie hitting the web with pictures of Mr Serkis is mo cap gear amok on the streets of San Francisco. I am one happy geek.

Peter Yates has left the room.

Another sad day for film with news of the death of Peter Yates. He was one of the directing greats with Steve McQueen's Bullit being the one particular movie of his that I love and in fact was one of the first DVD's I bought when the format was the new big kid on the block and video was still king.
But in later years he gave me another  pleasure and that was Krull.  This was an attempt to do something different from Star Wars but utilising the same sort of classic mythic structure popularised and informed by the works of Joseph Campbell. If I had one criticism of the film is that the world seems spartan,  there is no background colour no feeling of a world existing around our heroes. But he gave us one of the coolest weapons ever to feature in a film  the heroes glaive. Other notable films are The Deep and Breaking away. Its another sad day for cinema but he leaves behind some great films which are there for the  viewing.