Hobbit a week goes by.

Well just a quick little post, the Hobbit machinery is starting to kick into gear and film ties are starting to appear. The Hobbit Almanac being the first I've seen out there in bookshops along with the book with the cover being the film poster image of Bilbo. But messing around on my IPAD this afternoon, I came across the Hobbit App on Itunes and for fans out there who need a pre film fix its not a bad little primer. I suspect there will be a few updates prior to the films December release and that this is an evolving little program but try it out. There are links to it on the official Hobbit Facebook page.
     Also in following the local Wellywood scene via news and social media there is a brilliant blog by Nolder. Seek him out, as his posts are always informative and interesting. In fact this week after one of the Guardians writers did a hack job on Peter Jackson questioning his film making talents Nolder had the opportunity to defend Jackson via a local radio item.
   Seek his blog out if and One Ring Net is a good place to start if you haven't visited their site already.
   

Find Nemo 3D

Well last Sundays plan to see Finding Nemo 3D did pan out as expected. I spent the first part of  Fathers day enyjoying a great family  meal at Wellington's Joes Garage (where they serve my favourite coffee).  Then  followed twenty minutes of waiting in line to enter the preview screening being run by one of our local Radio Stations.  Only  to be told that there had been an almighty screw up with the cinema and the screening had been pushed back two hours to four oclock.
     Well we had already been in town for two hours, and my 4 year old was now running out of steam.  We therefore decided it was best to head for  home. We were not alone with many other parents deciding the same.
      Well my cinema drought ended yesterday when I took my four year old boy to finally see Nemo up on the big screen with the added 3d element.  Now I'm not going to break into a review, this isn't a new release and I suspect it being Pixar many of you will have it on DVD but I will comment on the extra dimension.
     Animated titles suit 3D well, but Nemo is a mixed bag, there are scenes that shine in 3D and then there are scenes which don't. Basically anything that is just a blue expanse gains nothing from the extra dimension. Intimate scenes, or scenes where the screen is busy however do. If your exposing your child to the film for the first time, then Nemo is Nemo. Its a great movie well told and it rattles along at a cracking pace. But if your just wanting to see this in 3D I'd think carefully about it. It just didn't wow me in the way I thought it would. This is one film where 2D is best.

The Dark Knight Rises and other matters

Well my absence from the big screen ended last week. It wasn't a new release I chose to see, but The Dark Knight Rises which has been out for a while and which I'm sort of glad I waited to see. Negative reviews from Aint It Cool Readers and some critics I respected had dampened my enthusiasm. But last weekend It was the Dark Knight or Total Recall. Batman won.
And to be honest, I enjoyed it, it is the weaker of the series but not to such an extent that it spoiled the experience. To be honest I loved it, I'm not prissy and over protective about the treatment of comic book legends. By virtue of his being a comic book creation, his story , his origin has been revisited many times and so a re imagining is legitimate and just as this has been a successful franchise for Warner Brothers there have been at least two misfires.
Chaos has been the undercurrent of Nolans Trilogy and the more grounded interpretation of his more iconic foes has been a breath of fresh air. My only criticism with this third and final entry of the Nolan canon is his treatment of Bain. Come on, who decided that Tom Hardy (an excellent and watch-able actor) should voice his character like some poor Sean Connery imitator with cotton wool in his mouth. I didn't feel the menace, it diluted the threat for me to the point that in one or two moments I found myself stifling my desire to laugh.
Nolan's direction is stand-out, action scenes pop, set pieces shine. Hats off too the special effects guys because in this film I find it hard to differentiate between the practical and cgi.

Now who will reboot this franchise.

Lastly, tomorrow Fathers day, I'm off to Courtney Central to see Finding Nemo 3D with my boy. So a review will follow shortly after. I also will be looking at the Avengers blu ray and will post up what extra's are on the Australasia release of the film. But finally I have now in my possesion, Jaws!!!!. I have had a brief glimpse and the picture is stunning, my favourite film in a brilliant release. This is one viewing I am going to savour.

So back online soon, also might put up a post with films that I'm looking forward too.

Hunt for the Jaws Blu Ray

Jaws, just the thought of it takes me back to the day my brother and I persuaded our babysitter to detour from the line for The Man Who Would be King in favour of the line for the film with a Poster that promised big sharks with big teeth. I was about 7 and the introduced me to the magic of Mr Spielberg, Duel , Close Encounters and my first cinematic love, Raiders of the Lost Ark.
   So yesterday I spent my lunch hour treking through Wellington, in search of the blu ray that was my own personal holy grail. My efforts went by unrewarded. Websites told me that 22 August was the New Zealand day of release. But I just couldn't find  a copy of it for love or money. What happened, why can't I find it anywhere. Not even my beloved JB Hi-Fi had a copy.
  So last night, I was down, today I spent yet another lunch hour in a fruitless search for the object of my obsession and still no joy.

   So a big thank-you to my wife who came to the rescue, yes I could've ordered online from Amazon. But nah so she took the matter in her own hands and ordered from a local supplier. If all goes well I will have the silver platter in my hands tomorrow night and I will be revisiting my favourite movie but this time in all its high def glory.
    I just wish I knew why I couldn't find it in JB

The Comeback and catch up

Well its been quiet on the blog recently, mainly due to the last three weeks or so dealing with family matters, hospital visits, and catching up with the folks back home via webcam, and skype. After seeing the Spider man film I was all movie d out and found it hard to motivate myself to go to the flicks. But that doesn't mean I gave up on movie s, nah, that's what blu ray is for. I reconnected with my favourite classic movies as my Amazon parcel belatedly arrived with film loving goodness. Top of which was viewing my Blu ray copy of The Italian Job with Michael Caine , which is an absolute fantastic transfer that allowed me to wallow in its pristine presentation.

But before I go on, I have to acknowledge two cinematic heroes passing away. Firstly the marvellous Marvin Hamlisch who as a Bond fanatic I have to acknowledge for his brilliant theme for the Spy Who Loved me. Lastly Tony Scott, whatever way he left this earth, and for whatever reasons I will miss his cinematic eye and storytelling prowess. There is a small select group of movies that I constantly revisit. Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Frighteners, The Italian Job, Die Hard, Star Wars and amongst those classics, The Last Boy Scout. So tonight I will be watching that gem soaking up Shane Blacks brilliant acidic dialogue and feeling the sadness wash over me.

So a toast to Mr T Scott, thanks for the great movies you delivered, and the memories I have.
Normal service is about to be resumed when I visit the cinema to see Total Recall and maybe add a few Blu ray reviews to the site.

I missed you but now I'm back.

ICE AGE 4 Continental Drift, and Pixar's Brave.

Well yesterday I plugged my brain on the back seat of the Wizmobile, and took Mrs W and Master W to the pictures for our family outing, the weather was proving unpredictable, and I wanted to try out our son with a Reel D presentation as I kinda figured the light plastic frames would be more child friendly than the more heavier Dolby Digital 3d glasses.
Well my experiment was a success, my son having kept his glasses on for the duration of the film  which was ICE AGE 4 Continental Drift.
Now right off the bat lets be honest, ICE AGE as a movie franchise, is not going to win any Oscars for best screenplay, like a tv show it is a series of films that invites you to join a familiar cast of characters, and a few new members to the franchise on a series of escapades, playing fast and loose with history. Ice Age 4 as the title tells you, takes place during the continental drift, which is an excuse to separate our friends from the loved ones and for them to spend the next 90 minutes reuniting with each other.
     The last episode introduced us to Bucky as voiced by Simon Pegg and this time, we are introduced to a villainous band of pirates led by an ape, voiced, well I'll let you guess who but Game of Thrones fans will be pleasantly surprised.
      The story is only a frame work for a series of sketches and outlandish action sequences, but you know these films are critic proof because they are there to entertain the youngsters, and to be honest I kinda loved it. I know going in to these films what to expect, and every time I come away with a smile, having enjoyed the experience. This is a family film that delivers, I enjoyed it a lot more than the Lorax, and a hell of a lot more that the Alvin films and my 4 year old was suitably entertained and didn't move till the end credits. Though that might be due to the excessive amount of sweets he had consumed during the presentation.



Today I took my good wife to see the latest Pixar movie Brave, a Scottish tale about the conflict between a mother and daughter, a well paced, beautifully animated and colourfully told with a wonderful Scottish voice cast. I loved this film. Now I know some trusted critics have described it as a Pixar lesser work, I strongly disagree, I do feel it delivers for an older audience which is why we didn't take our 4 year old. By older I mean more your 7 years and upwards, just because its a little more talkie than your usual pixar fair. If I was to group this with other Pixar films I enjoy then this would be up there with the Incredible's and Ratatouille. Now I would break down the story for you, but that would be spoiling it  , this is a film you need to discover for yourself. But I enjoyed it ,Pixar still has it, and this film delivers. I guess in simple terms critics can have their opinion but this is one film that really invites you to decide for yourself.

Birthdays, the Lighthouse and Blu Rays

Well its been a wicked fortnight spent on the one hand celebrating birthdays and on the other battling the stomach bug from hell. Now I would be a lier if I even attempted to claim that this had curtailed my cinema going. It didn't, simple truth of the matter is Rock of Ages was the only new film in town, and to be quite honest it didn't really appeal. But last Saturday was spent celebrating my sons 4th birthday and Thursday my own 46th. 

   Well if you have been a follower of my blog you will know that Birthdays in our household mean a visit to Amazon.co. UK , a time when my wife unleashes the Visa card and sets me loose. As you well know when placed in this intolerable situation I tend towards a mix of the old and the new in the blu ray selection process. So this years official Mark's birthday selection is as follows.

1. The Yellow Submarine, if there is one other love outside of cinema, then it would be for the music of the Beatles. As a young kid in the 70's they were something I grew up with, and became a part of my make up. The Yellow Submarine to a kid brought up on Disney is like a shot of adrenaline , very much a product of its time, and yet timeless due to its wonderful stylistic choices. I already have the DVD but I now have the 4K blu ray restoration. It was the one film I did watch on my birthday and Its never looked better.
2. Transformers 3 The Dark side of the moon. Purchased to show off my 3D set up and because I actually enjoyed this third effort. 
3. X Men complete collection, it was on special and as it had X Men First class and for this reason it jumped to the top of my order along with
4. The Jurassic Park Collection, Spielberg, Dinosaurs, what more can I say. Its not Jaws but that Blu ray is out soon so this will help the wait.
5. Despicable Me 3D what can I say, I love this animated marvel, and its one I can share with my son.
6. The Italian Job, this is the original and in my eyes greatest version. Michael Caine, Benny Hill, Cool Britannia and a brilliant Quincy Jones soundtrack. I've yet to see the Blu Ray but its one I cant wait to hold in my hands and put into the player.

So although my blog has been quiet, my film watching hasn't been. I was even taken aback by the Blu Ray of Highlander which I had been led to believe was barely better than the DVD version. ( Its a lot better, it shows its age, but I was pleasantly surprised). 

    

     But normal service is about to resume, later today I will be taking the family to our local Lighthouse cinema to see Ice Age 4 and then tomorrow I will be taking my wife to see Brave. We would have taken my son but reviews have led me to believe that it might be for a slightly older audience. So watch this space. Also in the next week or so we will have Spiderman and the Darknight films to look forward too.

      But tonight I have something else to look forward too. Rialto film channel is showing Kill List the Ben Wheatly movie which I have been waiting to see for nearly 12 months to see. It didnt get distributed in Wellington so this is my first chance to see it and I'm pretty excited so I might expect my views in the next roundup I post.