The Great Gatsby that came before...

The Great Gatsby (1974) I believe, cannot be bettered by its remake (directed by Baz Lurhmann 2013). Granted I have not seen it but by viewing the trailer, and reading reviews I have come to the conclusion that the film does not live up to the book. Which is a great shame because the book is quite groundbreaking and considered a 'classic'; on the surface a romance, yet underneath a critique on social life and manners that are current in the higher echelons of 1920s American society. Honestly, there are many twists and points of accelerated tension that it becomes a mixture of romance, mystery, drama and even attempts at being comedic.

This film that I will be reviewing is a more literal adaptation which works better in giving justice to F Scott Fitzgerald's work. The lines are mostly the same and consequently the film, funnily enough is a realisation of the images I had in my head when reading the book. However the camera work is more experimental that I would expect, however the close ups, emphasizing emotion that would be missed without this technique due to the wealthy character's facade, add dynamism to the film. The recurrent flickers of shots of a billboard advertising an oculist T. J Eckleburg highlight Fitzgerald's concept that despite the lawless antics happening in West Egg, there is a omnipresent God like figure that watches ominously over the party-goers, especially Jay Gatsby; his actions and their repercussions. This idea perhaps is made too obvious however as a motif it works effectively.

Regarding the individual characters, Daisy Buchanan, a whimsical 'beautiful fool' acts delightfully airheaded even though her looks are dark and sharp. Her lifeline is money and firmly believes that the $$$ is the centripetal force that keeps her society rotating. You can't pity her or feel sorry for her, as it is difficult for most people to relate. Personally I find Jay Gatsby pathetic, and Robert Redford doesn't have the elusive charm that I envisaged Fitzgerald's fictional Gatsby to have. My favorite character is the under rated and modest narrator Nick, whose accidental, but timely appearance into awkward situations makes him a great omniscient third person narrator.

The visual aspects are beautiful, especially the wardrobe departments' recreation of flashy, swishy, 1920's flapper dresses. Cartier features as the jewellery designers and Ralph Lauren as the brand behind the extravagant garments. The best accessory is Gatsby's yellow car that is driven whilst Gatsby wears a flamboyant pink suit. The clashing colours are harsh on the eyes and you realise that Gatsby clearly can't buy class & style although he can buy diamonds.

This film is interesting, quite unique and tackles a difficult book to make into film.
sorry its a long one

****

GO CUTTERS!

Breaking Away (1979) is a beautifully shot movie, set in Bloomington, Indiana - a top college town. The story of the cycling sports movie crossed with a coming of age / dealing with class prejudice need little in the way of big budget and CGI, but instead, sensitive and sincere actors e.g young Dennis Quaid (Vantage Point) and Dennis Christopher who can convey the true personality of the character that the director envisaged.

The four main kids ('the Cutters', named this because of the stone cutting industry that once gave jobs to less educated boys from the town), enjoy being slackers, and in their city, I would too as there is this disused quarry that is filled with water that the boys like to swim in. It seems so chilled and heavenly. They have survived high school but didn't get into college. Now 19 years old they are prepared to spend the rest of years doing nothing. Consequently there is an ongoing conflict between the college kids and the townies, that is still present today in society. Luckily in Breaking Away, the 'Cutter' townies are deemed the 'good guys' that prevail.

A warmth of authenticity comes across in this film, stunning scenes of freewheeling or riding no hands through a green forest, the leaves glitter lime green in sunlight. Although, there is a wide range of feelings portrayed to the audience; sadness, longing, hope and love as the characters realise that youth won't last forever, or the moment when childhood heroes aren't as righteous as first seemed. Furthermore, it is moving when the father steps up to appreciate and support his son instead of hindering his dreams.


Yet what is more idyllic is the additional character of the bikes. They are so beautiful with their sleek, simplistic shape; the 1970s racing bike is now deemed vintage and has surged into popular/alternative culture in the 2010s.

This film is so pure, and perfect, that works for all viewers hoping for different genres. It is adorable and it makes you want to get on a bike and ride forever into the sunset. aaaaahh

*****

What Twilight should have been like...

The Lost Boys (1987) is like all American 80s nostalgia packed into about two hours of pure entertainment. I know nostalgia is really cheesy when written about on blogs however there are many arguments to the fact that life & society was better back then.

The subtle things like choices of furniture to capture that perfect essence of crazy design and spontaneity if the decade e.g a massive red swatch watch (grandfather clock size) to loud choices of hair and wardrobe for the kids of Santa Monica. Bright oversized shirts, nike sneakers, contrasted the gothic, dark and sombre style (almost new romantic) of the older boys and the main character's love interestsoundtrack was 80s with the saxophone solo in I Still Believe and the rock anthem infused with synth sounds of a Roland Keyboard in Cry Little Sister (don't watch too much of this music video before you see the film). When the younger kids rode on the 1980 styled BMX bikes, I was like dayymmm - I wanna live in this era. That scene strengthened this desire, one that I have had since seeing the bike chase in E.T.

There is even that dusky, dreamy 'flying through cloud' sequence synonymous with 80s fantasy films like The Neverending Story. This picture is actually from The Neverending Story but I just watch the film and you'll see.

The only criticism would be to expand the story as the condensing of a plot is never advisable however as bit of enjoyment it works. The story has elements of high school film clichés such as; the new kids arrive in the midst of a mystery and solve it during a prompt romance, yet I guess clichés are clichés because successful path in story telling.

The Kids are cool; the horror works because you become attached to the characters - no-one wants Corey Feldmen (Goonies, Stand By Me) to die; the film's a perfect 'popcorn' movie - one that you don't just aimlessly watch to accompany you eating popcorn - it is actually worth watching - the popcorn only functioning as a tension reliever (stuffing it into your face when the suspense heightens).

In this review you can probably tell I became emotionally attached and thought I would write less of the synopsis seeing as I saw The Lost Boys with no previous knowledge of the plot.

a hearty **** from Georggiaaa

Next up...

Premiering soon... The Lost Boys

The Secret Communist State in a Bedroom

Good Bye, Lenin! (2003)

This German film is unique and succeeds in its quirky portrayal of tragic and momentous events, some which define a young mans life, others define the 20th Century. The story is quite far- fetched, but yet it is not outrageous. The comedic aspect of the film relieves the cynicism one might have for the strange plot; a mother, and a devout communist, has a heart attack when she sees her son protesting for easy crossing into the enemy state on the other side of the Berlin Wall. This puts her in a coma, sleeping through the swift deformation of all that she believes in. To prevent his mother having another heart-attack from the shock of seeing the effects, the loss of her socialist fatherland, the son Alex recreates the oppressive regime in the secret, and safety of a bedroom.


There is not much dramatization of the footage, the pulse-raising footage come from old newsreels of exultation as the wall collapses, or rocket launches or bombastic troops marching in true soviet style. Sentimentality was a pleasant addition as subplots of the familial longing for the lost father, or the pure love of mother and son. There is suspenseful tension when the bedridden mother nearly catches glimpses of western infiltration - a zeppelin advertising greetings from the west and Coca Cola trucks rolling past. There are awkward moments of an old socialist reunion for the mothers' birthday party where ex Young Pioneers are paid to sing drab pompous old communist songs of progress, plus scenes where tv news reels faked in the studio of Alex's friend are watched by the mother who is ignorant to the untruths conveyed - whilst Alex hopes that she stays that way. The lies in the media were a fervent feature of communism yet Alex doesn't realise he is acting similarly to General Secretaries of the Party like Khrushchev or Gorbachev.

Germany in the film is shown to be a new hotbed of culture. After having recently vising the country for a history trip, seeing the colourful yet bleak architecture juxtaposed against the weather-worn, gaudy Gothic architectural relics was visually interesting. This echos the film - there are bursts of bright colour in the furniture and fashion despite being backed by towering council blocks. Especially the Wall, as seen in the film, the youth cultures of Berlin thrived off it as a art space for political graffiti, even though they had the potential to be apprehended by Stasi Police if an 'Ossi (someone from the East)'.

Alex's eyes are opened when he meets Lara, a young nurse, who introduces him to West Berlin club culture. A riot of clashing techno sounds and men on basses in mechanical costumes emerge. The knowledge that families deserted Berlin apartments when they escaped to the West opens up a massive opportunity to young adults to commandeer the houses. Next, ensues a life of spontaneous fun, living off the explosive culture, unfamiliar to East Berliners.

It is hard to really understand the elation or disappointment when two halves of a city merge after only 40 Years of being apart. Families would be reunited and risk of escaping for freedom would dissolve. The influx of something they had been indoctrinated to believe was dangerous (capitalism and a crazed consumerist society) is hard for some to comprehend. It was a strange time only to be fully appreciated if you were a Berliner in the 1990s only 20 years ago.

Very good if your studying the cold war for GCSE like me ;) so ****

premiering soon

coming up... Goodbye Lenin

the 30 sec epic of Wyatt Earp

I watched this film because there was nothing else to watch... 

Watching Tombstone for me was like spot the actor I've seen before. 

So for a bit of actor trivia, there is: Kurt Russel from Stargate (1995), Bill Paxton from Thunderbirds (2004 - you've gotta love that movie), Thomas Hayden Church (the sandman from spiderman) and others... 

TOMBSTONE (1993)
This is not one of your 'classic western' as it was made a lot after the genre's heyday in the 1930s-40s, however it is a good introduction for the modern generation to the genre. The updated tale of Wyatt Earp and his stand-off against the Clayton gang at the O.K Coral continues the legend about the famous sheriff. Courage and Justice prevail once again. The setting of 'the railroad cattle town' is authentic as ever yet the story has more Hollywood-esque sequences than desired. Riding parallel to the sunset is one example, and the ending: Wyatt Earp's crack law & order crew ride into the night gunning down the outlaws (who banded together under a red sash and named themselves 'the cowboys'). 


One of the reasons why I watched the film was because it features Val Kilmer (Top Gun) as the steadfast but at times reckless sidekick Doc Holliday. Kilmer portrays the ex doctor turned gambler as extrovertly witty with an unfaltering swagger and disregard for health or life, contrasting to points where he becomes weak, haggard and insecure. This successful character development highlights how good an actor he is; he really makes the film.

Special bit of the film from 2:25 onwards.  See... Doc Holliday is just cool.

Personally I would say watch the progression of the story from My Darling Clementine - Gun Fight at O.K Coral - then finish up at Tombstone to understand context in which it was made and appreciate the film as a remake. 
Then you can make up your mind to which film is better.
Its another *** from your faithful reviewer Gigi
 

Do aliens and old people mix well?

 So went and bought this film called Cocoon cos it was on offer - (skint kids these days)

This film is a weird film. Running on the same theme of 80s - with the 'good alien' like in E.T, this sentimental film is a hard one to categorize because it quite silly really. The story doesn't really work, old people and aliens combination - yet the director (Ron Howard: Arrested Development, Rush) does try to win the viewer over by creating a sweet relationship between the phantom like creatures and the old pensioners.

A group of old age men who are all friends find that their disused swimming pool that they attended regularly has been bought by some aliens disguised as humans. The aliens use the swimming pool to keep cocoons alive. However when the old men enter the swimming pool they feel themselves internally gaining a new lease of life and energy. But this has repercussions for the aliens :/ is their spaceship going to come save them? The ending has so much cheese I don't want to spoil it for you so you can relish in the moment when your like 'omg that was just so cheesy' or whatever you say to express that.

Whilst trying to make the story relatable - the director uses clichés which, to be honest doesn't really help the movie - the story of Atlantis really doesn't have to feature in it. What is actually quite sweet is that the boy in the film is Bastian from The Neverending Story! n'aww bless.

so yeah go watch if you want... not really a cult classic. just a bit of a strange film really.

*** from MiloG written by Georgiaa

making things clear

haha at the people without 3d specks, what kind of film must they be watching?

So had a bit of a reshuffle name and all - went from Doovdplayer  :/ quote from Phone Jacker to Escapism, then pure escapism, now to its current one which isn't any better. Just getting comfortable.

Watching films has to definitely be done in the right atmosphere. For certain films you have to be at that perfect place in your life when the subject matters of the film really strike a chord. For example for my bro being twelve whilst watching Stand By Me (coming soon) was too perfect. To watch other peoples lives and adventures, learning from their experiences and almost sharing in them too is what you just gotta love about film.

Exciting times guys

We are going to start by reviewing on of our BEST LOVED FILMS.

S T A R W A R S 1977 - 1983

this is a real neat poster which we would love to say is ours... but we can't. :(

Okey so readers don't judge. We are not one of those fans who put Jedi down as their religion in the UK 2011 census. Although, I did ask my mum to make me a full Jedi robe once. :/ Star Wars: A New hope was watched on early 2000s VCR ( *sigh*) as one of my first. It opened my mind to what could be portrayed on screen, and what kind of worlds could be imagined by such a good director as George Lucas. Here are top 3 arguments for why this film is just too good.

1. First of all the opening sequence to the space opera.

and BAM you know where the film was set, when it was set in the first shot. Can you say that about many Epic sci-fis these days. Then begins the main theme and the scrolling yellow story against a stary night. You know now you are truly submerged and there is no going back. My dad told me that when he first saw Star Wars in the cinema it was groundbreaking as the first actually footage is of two ships that were shot as if they were flying over head. The sound of the ships above echoed around the cinema; you really were aware of the advances in sound technology thanks to a great sound editor Ben Burt and George Lucas's new state of the art THX.

2. You really can't be cynical with this films as we all know yes it is a bit dated but then again that can be a good thing as in the original version the puppetry of Yoda is reality and you can sense the mastery that Frank Oz has with these things. Reality of this distant galaxy really comes across when you see the constructed Tatooine - the desert village fabricated in Tunisia. The dedication to the intricacies like the iconic spaceships (millennium falcon, the X-Wing ect.) and their rusted metal feeling all contribute to making the film so iconic. These ships are so much more authentic then the shiny plastic and artificial ships that are recurrent in many films.

3. The music. You've all heard it. You can all hum it. Round of applause to John Williams go get an Oscar. It is so emotive and is almost an extra omnipresent character. This is a score which is best heard live with full symphony orchestra which we both have done.

so this film i guess you guessed is a ***** from us.

shhh.... its the start of the film

so we are going to write about some films for you, hopefully you’ll be inspired to watch them because we only write about the best of the best, or at least the films where there are some key moments. Films are a time for people to reminisce on childhood or discover the awesome feelings when you know a film is one of those great films remembered in History. Hopefully we’ll provide you with some intellectual stimulus so you guys can go away feeling clever. Some will be obviously good and some hidden gems but we hope to write about our take on them, or maybe criticize (that’s quite fun) certain aspects and all that shizzzzzz.

Friday or Saturday is film night so grab a good seat at the cinema or on a sofa with your cuppa or whatever you like, sit back and relaxxxx.

from georgia + myles thats a wrap!