A few reviews

[Vultural]

Sing Street - 2016 - 7/10

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Joyous, “let’s put a band together” story set in mid 80s Dublin.
Chocked with tunes from the era, as well as the band’s own compositions.
The early numbers are dreadfully funny, though the band improves quickly.
Typical of the time, they also make videos, with like a 5p budget.
The female star of the videos is the unreadable girl across the street, who transfixes the lead singer.
No great revelations plotwise in quite likeable film.
Cast is almost perfect.  Don’t just watch the videos, watch it whole.
Wonderful movie and great pairing with God Help The Girl.

[ThrowgnCpr]

Def Leppard - In The Round - 1989 - 7/10

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^ looks like a tasty beer. 

I don't have much love for the over-teased, glossy hair-metal of that era. I love early Van Halen (not Van Hagar), but will pass on most of the lip-gloss wearing acts that followed. The music was far too saccharine and deluded.

[Vultural]

Conte de Printemps - 1990 - 7/10
AKA - A Tale Of Springtime

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First installment of Éric Rohmer’s four seasons quartet.
Journalist is away on assignment, and his girlfriend cannot abide living in his messy, dirty apartment.
She meets an exuberant younger female at a party and spends the night in the girl’s flat.
The younger girl is unhappy with the golddigger attached to her father.
The girl’s matchmaking.attempt is blatant.
What always intrigues me with French fare is how individuals stroll themselves into such situations.
The women circle and spar throughout - the men are barely seen.
Nice looking film, packed with nuanced conversations, yet an air of resignation may put some viewers off.

[Vultural]

The Impossible - 2012 - 6/10

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“Based on actual events"
Vacationing family tries to stay together after being hammered by tsunami in Thailand.
No syrup or sugar coat on this one.
Just the struggles to survive, stay alive, find help.
Naomi Watts, Ewan MacGregor as leads are dependable as ever, actors playing kids are fine.
Lush scenery, great effects (helped by a robust sound mix), harrowing scenes.
Must see for vacation seekers who envision sandcastles, cool waves, and endless Sangria.

[Vultural]

The Pleasure Girls - 1965 - 6/10

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Country girl arrives in Swinging London and moves into flat with several other girls.
Boys, money problems, parties, clothes shopping, moral decisions.
Considerably fresher and more realistic than 1969's Take A Girl Like You.
This has a grittier edge and seems a good period piece showing that time.  
Ian McShane and Francesca Annis lead, with Klaus Kinski as well dressed slumlord.
The parties and gambling are reminiscent of those in A Hard Days Night only more middle class.
Obscure music track, too.  I couldn’t tag a song.
The European cut features nudity, sexual situations, and graphic violence.

[Vultural]

A Hard Days Night - 1964 - 9/10

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Classic film capturing the Beatles during their meteoric, giddying ascent.
Funny, witty, irreverent, featuring great songs, gear clothes, posh clubs ...
The lads would continue to grow in fame and importance, but there is something especially exciting about this period, when they were streaking to heights unknown.
So many of my young friends and colleagues assumed the Fab Four were Sgt Pepper or The White Album.
No so. The early period was essential, and terrific fun.
The final 12 minutes or so, the concert, Richard Lester somehow, brilliantly, captured lightning in a bottle.
Sheer exuberance, and a tonic.

[bionicbob]

At Vultural suggestion, I dug this one off the shelf, having not watched it in years....

The third MGM Tarzan flick, it still holds up really well.
Evil big game hunter wants to capture the white ape, while relatives of Jane want to bring her back to civilization.
Weissmuller has mastered his balance of sweet jungle innocent and ruthless savage.
O'Sullivan is absolutely stunningly gorgeous and her chemistry with Weissmuller is excellent.
John Buckler as the evil Capt Fry gives a surprising layered performance, rising above the typical moustache twirling villains of the day.
The final fate of Captain Fry is either horrifying or hilarious, depending on your mindset when watching.
Good solid fun!

[bionicbob]

Went with a Tarzan double feature last night....

I was lucky to grow up in small town with an independent family run movie theatre, and every weekend for matinees they would play older movies.   It was here I saw my first Tarzan movie on the big screen.....



Part of the Sy Weintraub era of produced Tarzan movies -- Tarzan is fully articulate, there is no Jane, the adventures are shot on location and in colour, the stories have a more serious, edgier undercurrent and they become more global as the franchise continued.

This was Mike Henry's second of three outings as the Lord of the Jungle.  He would later go on to the Smokey & the Bandit movies.
While not the strongest of actors, Henry brought a powerful physicality to the role and his action scenes are fantastic.  Almost no stunt double in this action adventure.  The climatic end fight scene is incredible.

Its amazing this movie from 1967 is rated G, as I am sure if it was released today, based on some of the violence, it would be PG-13.  But there is nice comedic relief for the kids in the form of a crusty but loveable river captain and his cute kid sidekick.

Overall, a solid escapist entry!

Though as a young child when I first saw this movie, and even to this day, I find it odd that Tarzan would give his animal friends to a zoo.... lol  But how else were the producers going to get his lion and chimp to Brazil? 

[Gaith]

Shaun The Sheep Movie - 2015 - 7/10
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Just watched this, as my introduction to Shaun. Loved it; grinned and chuckled throughout. Right up there with Pirates! and the original Wallace and Gromit shorts, and much better than my dreary memory of Chicken Run and the so-so memories of Curse of the Were-Rabbit and A Matter of Loaf and Death.

Grade: A

[ThrowgnCpr]

I love all things Aardman. I found the Shaun movie a tad long, but I still enjoyed it. That said, I feel that the set of characters does far better in the show's 10-minute episodes. If you liked the movie, I suggest you take a peek at the show.  It's something I can put on when my nieces are visiting and it doesn't make me want to kill everything (holy crap is kid's television bad these days).