What We Watched 16th - 27th March

You have good weeks and you have bad weeks. Ups and downs, peaks and troughs, Dogs and rats, Peaches and overripe bananas, Walnuts and gross nuts, Chocolate and bovril and you also have terrible films and awesome films. That is that way it has been for numerous years and if humans continue upon their current path, it's unlikely to sway from that anytime soon. What I'm trying to say is that this was a brilliant week and it is clearly reflected in the fact that 18 of the 25 films we watched were actually pretty excellent. Next week I intend to watch nothing but cliched and disgusting Katherine Heigl movies.
This is likely be the last What We Watched, at least the last in it's current format so you better love it as much as I love drunk sailors who carry kittens on their backs.

Sam's Week

They Live (1988)

“I came here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I’m all out off bubblegum.” That pretty much tells you all you need to know about this awesome B-Movie Ex-Wrestler starring 80’s action classic. When wandering Hobo ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper eases up into town he ain’t looking to get into trouble just to make an honest buck, befriend a black guy and occasionally take his top off. BUT THEN he puts on some Hoffman lenses, and with Hoffman lenses he can see the truth and the truth’s ass needs kicking. It’s silly, shocking and sometimes shoddy but that is what makes films of this ilk so damn brilliant.  3.5 Stars.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

Terrence Stamp is inspired. Guy Pearce is ripped. Hugo Weaving has a really scary face. The tale of two Australian drag queens and one transsexual as they road trip across the desert to a cabaret gig in Alice Springs is a unique visual feast. It won the Oscar for its lavish costumes and design and rightly so. It’s a truly unique film but one that occasionally gets a bit too much of a preening mess to handle. That being said though when it hits it hits hard with some astute social commentary and hilarious one liners. 3.5 Stars.

La Grande Illusion (1937)

It’s probably safe to say that La Grande Illusion is the best war film that doesn’t actually contain any war that has ever been made. More a tale of humanity, friendship and pacificism than a WW2 saga it is a truly sterling film definitely one of Renoir’s best. 4 Stars.

Gangs of New York (2002)

It’s understandable that a director with more than 50 credits to his name should occasionally do a few duds, have at least one bad day at the office. Gangs of New York feels like all of Scorsese’s off days rolled into one overly long, convoluted, poorly accented and quite frankly dull 2 and a half hour movie. It’s one of those films that annoys and disappoints me, with a cast the calibre that Scorsese assembles should make for a film on a par with Goodfellas, King of Comedy or Taxi Driver but it doesn’t. It barely gets off the ground. Also two of the only genuine Irish people they have get killed pretty sharpish. Bummer. 2 Stars.

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

An incredible film, absolutely incredible. Based on the actual transcripts of Joan’s trial Dreyer’s film oozes with intense realism, so powerful are the combined parts of this film that it feels at times more like a documentary of the actual trial. Undoubtedly one of the main reasons for it being quite so good is the unbearably amazing central performance. Maria Falconetti’s pained close ups and total immersion in the role make for some incredible viewing. Heartily recommended. 4.5 Stars.

Kes (1969)

Eeee Lad don’t thee knar that eet is reet grim for’t t’al people who mekk thurr home in’t t’grim narth. Eeee It’s reet bad our kid. Unless thee get theesel’ a pet t’hawk, lad. 

Once you get past the o’er the top northern accents Kes is a very good film, a film oozing with social realism and it does pull of the rather impressive feat of making a story about a working class kid who trains a hawk rather exciting and interesting. Eeee lad. 4 Stars.

Went the day well? (1942)

After watching The Titfield Thunderbolt last week I was keen to watch yet another Ealing film that’d definitely be rife with a quaint little British village and some scrapes that they got themselves into. However Went the day well? Is about Nazis and the threat of invasion that stalked the British towards the start of WW2, and it’s pretty hardcore. I don’t want to give anything away but it paints the Nazis as two dimensional, heartless embodiments of the devil himself and the subtitle could’ve been Nazis will kill everyone.Propaganda aside it is a really good flick, think of it like a cross between Hot Fuzz and Inglorious Basterds but made in the 40’s. 4 Stars. 

Joe's Week

Philadelphia (1993)

As far a courtroom dramas go this film is pretty much an A to B straight forward case with all the classic cliches. They way they demonize the other lawyers is laughable but in a way the whole thing is oddly endearing. Its so eager to impress, like a little kid coming home with a drawing of a cat, you can't say it's rubbish cause it'd break his little heart so instead you pat him on the head and send him on his way. 2.5 Stars.

Year of the Dog (2007)

Mike White does 3 things better than any working film maker in the world;

1. Write movies in which Jack Black is genuinely endearing  

2. Really really creep me out beyond what any Saw movie can achieve (see Chuck & Buck)

3. Surprise me.

This film has been on my shelf for a really long time and I was expecting this average kooky indie comedy that would, like Chuck & Buck, creep me out more than entertain but turns out that this film is actually a little hidden treasure about grief and influence. 4 Stars.

Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot (1953)

Unlike the Buster Keatons and Charlie Chaplins of this world, what Jaques Tati does is ask us to pay attention to the crowd, rather than the exploits of one bizarre man we notice the oddities of the many. 4 Stars.

An Inconvenient Truth (2006)

To me, a documentary can be so much more than a vehicle for alternative journalism (alternative to the news) it can be a snippet of life (Life in a Day) , the illustration of an idea (Encounters at the End of the World) or even a simple piece of pure art (Restrepo). An inconvenient Truth strips all external elements of the documentary film and instead is essentially a PowerPoint presentation. A bad thing? Well it could very easily be a terrible thing but Al Gore's passionate and genuine approach mixed with a comprehensive nutshell view of all things to do with pollution, global warming and all that eco-based fun makes it the most compelling and simply watchable PowerPoint I've seen since....well a friend of mine did a good one in year 5 about ducks. 4 Stars.

Still Walking (2008)

I could probably talk about this film for longer than any of us really want me too so I'll just say this; It is one of the best films I have ever seen. 5 Stars.

Weekend (2011)

Just like Still Walking, I could go on and on about why I loved this as much as I did but instead I'll just say this; Best Romantic drama I've ever seen? Probably. 5 Stars.

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Similarly I could go on and on about why this film is the dullest piece of trash I have ever witnessed but instead I'll just give it the Stars it deserves. 1.5 Stars.

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005)

It's funny and sharp and snappy but for the most part feels like a Tarantino movie not directed by Tarantino. Still damn good. 3.5 Stars.

Anything for Her (2008)

For those of you that think that French cinema is nothing but perfect gold watch this and tell me it isn't one of the most meh thrillers ever created. The leads arc makes little-to-no sense and for the most part it just feels like they are simply going through the motions. 2.5 Stars.

Fish Tank (2009)

Sure, Wuthering Heights was a big disappointment with it's superb first half and disjointed silly looking second round, but looking back nothing can tarnish how fresh and honestly enjoyable this council estate drama was/is. Their is something incredibly relatable in Mia even if I'm nothing like her. 4.5 Stars.

Encounters at the End of the World (2007)

Herzog asks some big questions in what turns out to be a bit of a double meaning of a film. March of the Penguins this is not, and thank god for that. 4.5 Stars.

SLC Punk (1998)

I will always love Matthew Lillard. After Scooby Doo 2 he somewhat dropped off the map and it's never really made any sense to me. In all the films he has at least a supporting role in, he carries the film. In the case of SLC Punk there is really nothing to watch without his presence. It's heavy handed and obvious, also the subject matter is some heavily trodden ground but it's still sincere in it's approach and at times dumb enough to work. 3 Stars. 

It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)

A product of it's era and it often shows for the worst, in many cases making you feel like you are missing out on a bigger joke but their is still a lot of fun to be had in this Hollywood classic. Next boxing day, bust this one out and watch a one man single-handedly rip apart a petrol station. 3 Stars.

A Kid With a Bike (2012)

Review Forthcoming

3 Stars.

The Woman in Black (2012)

Review Forthcoming

(Cliched, stupid, predictable and completely un-talented mess)

2 Stars.

L'Atlante (1934)

In many cases, the older a comedy gets the less funny it gets. This certainly does not apply in L'Atlante a film that screams charisma and humor and kittens. 4 Stars.

Scream 4 (2011)

If you are a fan of Scream and horror in general then consider this a return to the originals glory, my only real problem with it is the flimsy psychosis of the killer. 3 Stars.  

What We Watched: 10th - 15th March

Finally I think we are back on form, between us as glorious sixteen films have been seen and about fourteen of them were actually good. I have to admit I was getting a tad nervous that this lovely little dog was leading to my film-based demise. Thankfully I don't have to throw him in a bin just yet. Moving swiftly on let us begin with Sam's filmic endeavors. 

Sam's Week

The Artist (2011)

Just as joyously wonderful as it was the first time round, a film that is a true pleasure to watch. A sublime, celebratory love letter to an oft missed and unfairly forgotten golden age of cinema. All together now: “Wizz Pleeyyzzure.” 4.5 Stars.

The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953)

I won’t tell you exactly what happens but there is a moment in the Titfield Thunderbolt that gloriously exemplifies all that there is to love about Ealing comedies, a moment of such divinely refined Englishness that typifies what makes the Ealing flicks so great. I find most Ealing comedies an absolute pleasure and whilst I think naught will surpass the wonderful Kind Hearts and Coronets, Titfield sure comes close. 4 Stars.

The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)

From one stalwart British film making company to another, Revenge has all the hallmarks of a hammer classic, Peter Cushing, a classic movie monster reimagined, science and a hunchback. However it never really gets off the ground getting a bit too bogged down in the back story and moralistic complications of Frankenstein. 3 Stars.

Kick-Ass (2010)

My favourite film of 2010 still packs punch two years on, the tale of a geeky American kid who decides to live out his dreams of being a superhero and becomes the eponymous Kick-Ass and then proceeds to thoroughly get his ass kicked. It’s gleeful, anarchic comic book fun that I for one cannot get enough of and with eminently quotable lines coming out of every scene methinks it will be a film I will enjoy for quite some time. 4.5 Stars.

Mission Impossible III (2006)

This is the first M:I film I’ve ever watched. I wasn’t going to, as I have a bit of a weird thing about sequels and that, but the chair I was sitting in was super comfortable and I was still basking in the radiant glow of Kick-Ass. Oddly I remember very little of M:I III. I remember enjoying the mission bits, I remember laughing at what Ving Rhames did and said with his face, I remember being really really impressed by the sheer terrifying apathy of Phillip Seymour Hoffman and I remember having an “oh that’s cool” moment when it turned out that Tom Cruise’s brother in law was played by Jesse from the excellent Breaking Bad but all in all the rest is a blur… that can’t be a good sign… 3 Stars.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

 I was impressed by how quick this film is, of course it’s only 90 minutes long not a patch on a Gone with the Wind, but still, I felt like I’d only sat down long enough to take in an episode of a TV show. It’s so thrilling and fast paced meerily skipping along at a fair lick, which is pretty good for a film about a heist that never shows the heist. It’s funny, exciting, thrilling and a decade on still pretty fresh. QT still can’t act for toffee though. 4 Stars.

An Affair to Remember (1957)

This may well be a very odd and pretentious thing to think about An Affair to Remember but I thought it so you can hear it. One strength that I feel this film holds is just how exciting and sexy it is without showing anything thought of necessarily as exciting and sexy. Modern film makers could learn a lot from the sparkling back and forth dialogue shared by Kerr and Grant on the boat. But that is just of many reasons why this sublime romantic Hollywood classic is worth checking out. Divine. 4 Stars.

Brighton Rock (1947)

Whilst watching Richard Attenborough act it up as the menacing Pinkie I couldn’t help but occasionally find it quite funny that as he acted you saw sparks of the owner of Jurassic Park that was to come. Just sayin’. Brighton Rock, dinosaur park owners’ facial similarities aside, is a really good Brit Film Noir, oozing with atmosphere, menace and more than a few moments of almost German expressionist film making. Excellent film, I love the past. 4 Stars. 

Joe's Week

Rushmore (1998)

Wes Anderson is one of the few directors around today with a strong and distinct style. It's the reason why he is either completely adored or strongly disliked. Rushmore was his second film but the first to really wear this bizarre 60s European alternative scene on it's sleeve and dude, I freaking love it. The main reason I really adore this movie though beyond the charming story, the dark humor and Bill 'Fuckin' Murray, is a staged production of Serpico with school kids.......coolest thing in any film ever? It's up there. 4 Stars

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)

Having given Wes all that praise for his unique sense of style, sadly Steve Zissou lets it down ever so slightly. It's the only one of his films that at times feels like a bit too much style over substance which is a shame because of the set this has to be the most compelling idea (a Jacques Cousteau-esque character coming to the end of his incredibly successful career and wondering what people ever saw in him). When this overload of style is most apparent is when it just doesn't make any sense like Alistar Hennessey's ridiculous beyond the point of funny boat and crew. Having said that it's still brilliant and the ending is so incredibly sad. At times it feels like Bill Murray is asking all the questions of his character about himself and that blubber at the end was enough to leave me a bit ripped up at the end. Sign of an awesome directing talent? Their worst movie is a four out of five (or is that just the sign of a delusional fan?). 4 Stars.

The Cannonball Run (1981)

After telling Sam that he should watch this I realized that I needed to watch it again because this film is just brilliant. Why? Jackie Chan......there are other reasons but if you need more than just Jackie Chan this movie isn't for you! The only problem with this movie is the last thirty minutes. It's a lot of fun but towards the end it just retreads the same ground endlessly and what a dull ending. 3 Stars

Whiskey Galore! (1949)

The problem with Whiskey Galore! is that it can't help be compared to the other far superior and far funnier Ealing comedies primarily Kind Hearts and Cornets that came out the same year. The idea is brilliant but it I felt like it never actually got going. Unlike many other Ealings it feels dated and it just doesn't work as well as I wish it would. It's still littered with some decent performances and the ending line is hilarious. 3 Stars

Pretty Woman (1990)

Let's be honest who really needs to hear what I think of this rom-com. It's of an era and it does everything you'd expect. It's incredibly predictable but hey, it's cute and Julia Roberts has the most glorious head of hair I think I have ever seen on film. It's fine and harmless and you probably know if this is something you should see. 2 Stars.

A Prophet (2009)

A Prophet is just a hell of a great story with a stunning lead and beautiful cinematography. It's a great movie that I can't give it a higher accolade than just to say it's like The Shawshank Redemption without the redemptive qualities in fact everyone that goes into this jail seems to come out worse. Gangsters in jail is still entertaining. A big 4 Stars.

One Day (2011)

I really wanted to enjoy this film. I really enjoyed Starter For Ten in book and film form and An Education has to be in my top five romantic dramas of all time, I freaking love it. So we have this awesome director pedigree and a guy who knows how to right some good romance and yet I really really didn't enjoy this film. It's paced horrifically and I didn't particularly like anyone in it at any point. I saw the 'shock' ending coming from the very beginning and all in all it just annoyed me that I wasn't watching some French new wave film. Redeeming qualities? Edinburgh is awesome as is the many different haircuts of Anne Hathaway. 2 Stars.

Super (2010)

Throughout this film I couldn't make up my mind how I felt about it. It's almost impossible not to compare it to Kick-Ass (at one point Ellen Page says "I wonder all the time why no one's ever just stood up and become a real superhero?" clearly one of the poor souls without Big Daddy in their lives). It wasn't until the final moments that I realized that this was something entirely different. Kick-Ass was at times trying to display a real life kid and his failed attempt and superherodom, but at it's heart was just a giddy gleeful mess of fun, gore and freakin jet-packs. Super is at times almost completely honest with itself, portraying Rainn Wilson as a delusional religious mad man and Ellen Page's character as an unhinged and worryingly destructive youth. However I feel like the director didn't realize this until the end because Super can never figure out the tone it's actually trying to hit. In the end it's entirely down to the viewer to decide if this is a disturbing mess or a touching story of a psychopath. I believe I am the latter. Just under 4 Stars. 

What We Watched: 2nd - 9th March

This week we've been a bit lax on the whole film front. Between us we've only seen about 8 films, which as you know is probably less than we'd both watch individually on a normal week. The reason for this dip is once more, a furry one. Namely our new puppy, Hugo Melies Oliver. Y'see as well as Joe needing to deal with him this week Sam was home for a few days as well so his life was taken up by an adorable ball of puppy based cuteness. Therefore accept this formal apology for what has been a sparse week.

Sam's Week

The Cannonball Run (1981)

Seeing Jackie Chan kick Peter Fonda in the head made this film so massively worthwhile if only that had happened I would've been happy. BUT THERE WAS SO MUCH MORE. Roger Moore playing a man who thought he was James Bond, Burt Reynolds continually slapping a fat man in a cape, Dean Martin as a womanizing priest and Sammy Davis Jnr looking really cool in a sweet priest hat. Silly, Stupid but unnecessarily good fun. Smashing. 4 Stars.

Drive (2011)

I genuinely cannot see or even fathom this film getting worse. Second time round, if anything, i enjoyed it more than when I first saw it. So much did I enjoy it I even started thinking about whether it should've been crowned my favourite film of last year. Achingly, impossibly cool and with a sublime performance from Ryan Gosling. Also Carey Mulligan is so pretty it makes my brain hurt. 4.5 Stars.

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

When Harry Met Sally is one of those films that, before even seeing it, I was painfully aware of. The Orgasm Diner being the biggest "I'll have what she's having." But I was so massively surprised by how fresh, funny and exciting it all was. A lovely lovely film, very well performed, written and most importantly it managed to pull off that most excellent of Rom Com tricks, it was in no way too saccharine, cheesy or dully unbelievable. Also Leila was in it. 4.5 Stars.

Michael (2011) 

MINI BROTHERLY DISPUTE

Joe Says: It's a film about a paedophile with a kid in his basement but sadly that's as far as it goes. The tension they build is constantly expended at the wrong moments and it never feels comfortable with letting nothing happen and just letting us observe a day in the life. The characters don't really display too much of an interesting arc either being passably decent or just obvious stereotypes. It's not low key enough to be subtlety riveting but not explosive enough to be a mainstream passing fancy. More ITV drama than Arthouse intrigue. 3 stars.

Sam Says: I really enjoyed the odd pacing of the film and the way in which it dealt with such a contentious issue is such a, for want of a better word, boring way. Not that I am, or sympathize with, a paedophile with a kid in his basement I enjoyed and believed in the way it was handled. a very interest study in a quest for normalcy in the most abnormal of circumstances. 4 Stars.

Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)

This: http://brotherscinemazov.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-martha-marcy-may-marlene.html It's pretty wicked, also the more time that has elapsed since seeing it, the more i like it. 4 Stars and rising.

Joe's Week

The Conversation

The way that the film keeps returning to the titular conversation continually displayed the awesome sound editing and the great editing in general but what I really liked about this film was how it was gradually revealed that it was a Hitchcock style thriller that was in some ways actually deserving of that all too often damning attribute. 4 stars.

Kung-Fu Panda 2

I thought the first Panda movie was okay but nothing more than your average Dreamworks fare. This sequel doesn't do much to deviate from that same description but it does look and sound awesome and in general is a heck load of fun. There is also a classic joke about radishes. 3 stars.

Beginners

From the director of Thumbsucker comes a similar indie rom com about cancer, dogs and beginnings. It's sweet and sad and wonderfully cute. The problem lies in the moments where the film thinks it's being far smarter and artistic than it really is (the history of sadness being the main culprit). However if you were to remove those moments it would have to ditch the indie part almost entirely and just be comedy. My fascination with gay culture and attitudes continues. 4 Stars. 

What We Watched: 24th Feb - 1st Mar

This week, on top of our illustrious Love Film accounts, we both became Netflix users which surely must mean that we have thoroughly saucered our eyes with an obscene amount of films, yes? Well, sort of… Y’see Sam has had a week of hardly any shifts at work, lots of free time, an exciting sparkly new Netflix account and many opportunities to hide himself away in front of a cracking film. Whereas on the flip side of the coin Joe has had a week that has been full of the newest brother Cinemazov, Hugo Melies Oliver and therefore has kinda had his hands busy with looking after a puppy so film watching hasn’t exactly been his top priority. Puppy watching though, he has been all over like a damn rash. Hugo’s a puppy by the way, in case you hadn’t made that connection. Anywho let us begin.

SAM’S WEEK

Drive Angry (2011)

It’s a rare and somewhat disconcerting moment when a film that stars Nic Cage is defined not by the mentalness of Cage but by the mentalness of the film itself. Drive Angry is such a film. It was made to be seen in 3D but not being actual idiots we brothers don’t own a 3D TV so we watched it in 2D which highlighted two things, the ridiculous silliness of 3D (“Watch out for that bit of hair coming straight out of the screen!!”) and the shoddiness of effects in 3D films. The graphics may’ve looked awesome when you were being distracted by things flying at you but without them the shoddy shoddy graphics become the thing that hits you. That being said it’s a fun, distracting, very mental and not unenjoyable way to spend 90 minutes. Worth it just to see Nic Cage make sweet whiskey fuelled love and then shoot about 14 dudes. 2 stars. "Joe says: It's a much better use of your time to watched Shoot-em-Up with Clive Owen followed by Hobo with a Shotgun, aka best Grindhouse reboot in the world."

The Piano Teacher (2001)

Michael Haneke doesn’t like to make easy films. I’ve never thought “Y’know what I need something light, I’ll smack Funny Games on.” But that’s what Haneke does and flip me sideways he is good at it. The Piano Teacher is a tough watch frequently disturbing, uncomfortable and sticky but it is very worthwhile viewing a testament to what uncompromising can truly achieve. 4 stars.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

I was so so so not in the mood to watch this when I did. I was hungover, I was tired, I’d suggested we watch Anchorman, that’s the kind of mood I was in. As a result I didn’t get down with Oldman’s specs half as much as I did when I saw it first time round. So I’ll say no more.

Countdown to Zero (2010)

I have a real morbid fascination with Nukes, the cold war, atomic bombs and all things that could cause massive mutually assured destruction. Don’t know why in fact it really thoroughly terrifies me well and truly, yet I can’t tear my eyes away from it. Chalk Countdown to Zero firmly in that category, scary, terrifying, interesting and full of things that made me go “Oh Dear.” A very important documentary and a very well made one at that. 4 stars.

Rampart (2012)

Woody Harrelson as a bad ass take-no-crap LA cop given full rein to go crazy, deliver a truly powerhouse performance and teach us lessons about racism in the LAPD? This looks boss. It really did, I was well stoked for Rampart yet I left feeling thoroughly disappointed. There were many times that I thought that it was going to majestically soar off into new unchartered amazing territory but it never fully took off. Woody Harrelson is awesome in it mind, an incredible performance and along with Fassbender and Gosling ranks as a Oscar worthy performance that was unfairly snubbed. However the film that surrounds such a powerful performance is lacklustre, dialled in and a bittuva let down. Alas. 3 stars.

The Last Detail (1973)

Brilliant film, I mean just look at this damn poster and tell me that it isn’t awesome: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3773079040/tt0070290 I couldn’t tell you exactly why but it is such a cracking film. It’s not groundbreaking or revolutionary but the performances of Jack Nicholson and Randy Quaid are fantastic and it is they that provide an engaging talking point in such a simple film that in the hands of less talented actors would’ve been firmly relegated to bargain bins. Like Jack? Then you’ll love The Last Detail I sure did. 4 stars.

Super High Me (2007)

“Dude, what if you like totally made a documentary but rather than making it about poverty, politics or some other bummer of a topic you made it about weed and about how rad weed is…*tokes*”

“Yeah Dude, and then totally do it like it’s a rad stoner comedy. *tokes* yeah. That’d be awesome.” It is. 4 stars. "Joe Says: ...............................................................................sorry I forgot what I was gonna say.............*tokes*"

The Descendants (2011)

The other day some guy at work told me that he hated this film, he said that it was pants and such a cliched story that he’d seen done better a million times before. I was worried. Also, his name was Sam too… However I had no reason to worry The Descendants is awesome. Simple, quiet, affecting, funny and acted like a true pro by gorgeous George Clooney, a glorious follow up from Alexander Payne, I just hope he

doesn’t wait as long next time round. 4 stars. "Joe Says: Wait I think I remember what I was gonna say about Super High Me..........nope it's gone."

FILM OF THE WEEK

The Believer (2001)

I went into this film knowing almost nothing of what it was or what happened in it and enjoyed it so much more for the surprise it was. Suffice to say that Ryan Gosling plays a Nazi Skinhead who was raised Jewish and it is ridiculously cool, clever and cracking. Seek it out with the greatest of haste. 4.5 stars. "Joe says: After Sam sent me a text me saying I should check this out cause it was mega radical I bought it on amazon. Now one of the DVDs on my shelf has a swastika on it......... awkward."

Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)

A sublime, glorious, incredible slice of hysterical comedy perfection, literally bursting at the seams with clever jokes, witty lines, amazing characters and more ingenious ideas in one ninety minute stint than most contemporary comedians have in their entire life (Noel Fielding I’m looking at you.) Also that Spike Milligan cameo is a thing of true true true beauty. 4.5 stars.

In Bruges (2008)

I’d heard an awful lot said about In Bruges. People absolutely raved about it and from what I’d garnered it looked set to be a delightful slightly prejudiced romp through lovely Belgium delivered with great panache and cracking Irish accents. And it was. However I was not banking on quite how dark some of it is, less a black comedy more a pitch dark bottom of a cave with your head inside a light proof box comedy. I was taken aback but pleased because the delightful shades that the film is painted in make for a truly unique and exhilarating ride, with Irish accents. 4 stars.

Crash (1996)

Not the Oscar winning superstar racism one, the seedy Cronenburg car crash sex one. If you haven’t seen this film chances are that its reputation precedes it and having watched it without just cause. Yes it’s shocking at times and a bit weird but once you accept that it’s a film about perversion it all becomes a bit blasé and rather than being shocked at seeing groping in a car wash or some bruises in unsightly places you become irked at how these perversions are only displayed, not explored, only exploited not explained. It irked me. An alright film but not as controversial or worthy of hushed whispers as it thinks. 3 stars.

JOE'S WEEK

This week I got an adorable puppy. He's a springer spaniel and he has floppy ears and he gets confused when I whisper.........so yeah....he's cute. Having a dog does mean that this week I was incredibly busy and had very little time to watch any films. I did watch three that were pretty decent; The Others (atmospheric and some beautiful fog but it relies far too much on it's twist), Waiting For Superman (American kids are screwed 4 Stars) and Drive Angry (disappointingly unfunny/not nearly original and crazy enough to reach it's goal 2 Stars), but that was it. I'm sorry to have let the side down. This video is a pretty good representation of how I spent my week.