ALIEN (1979) Director: Ridley A “sophomore slump”, depending on which definition you choose, can either be a director’s second film, or the next film they make after their breakout hit. For Ridley Scott, your options would be Alien or Blade Runner. I would say that anyone calling either of those a “slump” probably has a … Continue reading
THE DUELLISTS (1977) Director: Ridley Ridley Scott’s directoral debut is the story of two French officers, d’Hubert (Keith Carradine) and Feraud (Harvey Keitel), who engage in a decades long conflict with each other over the coarse of the Napoleonic Wars. It’s based on a short story by Joseph Conrad, which was itself inspired by a … Continue reading
I don’t really “get” Ridley Scott; Never have, possibly never will. Which is a little strange, given that he fits all the criteria for a director that I should love: He makes sci-fi, fantasy and horror films (Or, for the most part, movies in which several people are shot in the face or skewered by … Continue reading
Shaun Of The Dead is a good movie to compare this to. For instance, it’s one of those rare films that I can blanketly recommend to anyone who is friends with me; If you like me, you will like this. Secondly, like Shaun, it will entertain you whether you’re a fan of the genre of … Continue reading
Ray Harryhausen is one of the most fascinating figures in film history: A special fx artist who would single handedly bring a cavalcade of monstrous horrors to the silver screen, while simultaneously serving as the main creative force behind the films that he worked on. Harryhausen didn’t create monsters to bring the story to life; … Continue reading
Got my hands on a free pass for this film, which is the right price for me, if not always the best motivation for seeing a movie (That is, after all, how I ended up seeing Jerry Springer’s Ringmaster in the theater). Having, to be honest, not much interest in seeing this, I must say; … Continue reading
There is an early Simpsons episode, set in Kamp Krusty, in which the unfortunate campers are being subjected to the cruel machinations of Mr. Black and his goonish group of counsellors. As Bart and Lisa settle into their dilapidated shacks, Mr. Black proposes a toast at his lavish dinner table; “Gentlemen. . . To evil!”. … Continue reading
You are born in a room with stark, bare walls. Within this room you remain for your entire childhood. You have no human interaction. When hungry, you type what you want into a computer, and it materializes for you. Besides your sex and complexion, you know nothing about yourself. You don’t know your parents, your … Continue reading
Getting back into watching Lost via Netflix instant. I had seen the first season, and a couple episodes of season two, back when they first aired. Having been mightily impressed by the first few episodes, I found myself being disappointed with the goofier aspects; Ridiculous flashbacks (Of course the Arab dude was once undercover in … Continue reading
If you happened to miss seeing Precious or An Education last year, you might want to save yourself some time and check out Fish Tank, which is a nice little combo of the two. The latest film in the “Life of an impoverished child, and there’s an animal that symbolizes something” genre, it is to … Continue reading