V for 1984

the story of this weekend began as a fairly conspicuous phone call around 5:45am on Saturday morning. It was the furniture guys. Sara and I jumped up quick-sharp to clear out the living room and to move her car so they could shift our stuff into the living room. By stuff I mean 1 x 3 seater couch, 2 x arm-chairs, 1 x 6-seater dining table, 6 x dining chairs. It’s amazing how much new stuff can make a room look so much better. The dining suite is a nice, simple dark wood whilst the couch and armchairs are all a dark blue/navy colour - non of this micro-suede stuff that appears to be popping up everywhere.

We still have our old couch in the living room as well and are considering a beer, chips and PS2 games night. Noone would be allowed to drive, as you’d all have to get *pished*. (Especially you Amy!)

In preparation of said night Sara and I have begun our Tekken tag training regime. Mainly it consists of me kicking her ass then her spending some time practising moves, then a re-match, repeat ad infinitum. Slowly and surely the girl is learning.

Saturday night we had the lovely nichola over for dinner before declining an invite to V as we were feeling fairly exhausted from having to wake up so early for the furniture guys. In the end Sara’s brother+gf came over and we watched Lemony Snicket’s a Series of Unfortunate Events and ate M&Ms.

To sate my curiosity about V we decided to catch it on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately most of the movie was spoilt by some fucking losers up the front making a sound reminiscent of a whale’s mating call - through more than 85% of the flick. Surprisingly enough, regardless of how many people stood up, looked around, appeared to get irritated, or even mentioned the fact that they couldn’t catch most of the movie because of the sound - Sara and I found we were the ONLY people to complain. We got 2 free tickets to the Cinema, but admittedly I don’t think we’ll be going to see V again, which I feel is a real shame because what I saw of the movie I thought was fairly cool.

Of course the countless 1984 references couldn’t be ignored, specially as I’m actually reading the novel as we speak, but to tell you the truth, I wasn’t nearly as scared of “the finger” as I am of the “Thought Police”. Good to know heaps of other people have also mentioned the similarities. I’m also glad to know that I’m not the only person (thanks Bruce) who recognised that John Hurt played the V version of 1984’s Big Brother, whilst in back in the *real* ‘84 he played the original 1984 hero, Winston.

Still - was pretty entertaining.

Posted by Christian Posted in: Movies No Comments » 2 April 2006

Matrix: Constantly

I can’t remember the last time that Dad took me to see a movie. I have to admit though, that sometimes that thought sits quite nicely with me, especially when the last movie that he did take me to see was the next in the Matrix trilogy. Matrix: Constantine.

When I first saw the previews for this movie (only a week or two ago mind you) it surprised me that:

• I had not heard anything about this movie

and that

• This movie was coming out REALLY soon

Especially when most of the trailers we see down here indicate that the movie might be available in the next 12-24 months. (Read: Bubba Ho-Tep.) I guess another thing that the trailer made me think was “oh god i love rachel weisz!”

Unfortunately the grimacing began almost immediately after having dragged Sara, Dad and myself to our seats. Sara reminded me afterwards that the reason she doesn’t always rate movies too high on her list of “fun-stuff-to-do” is because they are one and a half to two hours of silently sitting next to someone in the guise of socialising. If it’s put that way it does make the whole ordeal appear fairly anti-social and I do have to admit that from the time we arrived at the cinema to the time we left I wouldn’t have said more than 15 words to Dad.

The movie itself was okay. Nothing I would recommend, only so far as it is very much a “wait for the rental” sort of flick. There were so many scenes in the movie that reminded me of the Matrix movies that by the end of the ordeal I was fairly disappointed and bored.

The redeeming features for me were definitely Peter Stormare who played an excellent Satan. I think as soon as he appeared with that grin smeared across his face I was sold. They couldn’t have found a more appropriate guy dressed in a white-suit for Satan if they tried. (Of course I was half expecting “The Architect” to pop out of a rip in the fabric of space/time and start explaining to Constantine that he was the sum of a remainder of an unbalanced equation…)

Furthermore, it took me about 2 or 3 days before I became aware that this movie was in fact based off a DC comic, Hellblazer. Now if only I had paid more attention earlier on, at least then my expectations would have been appropriately lowered prior to the movie. But I’m going to keep my complaining to a minimum. Dad bought the ticket, Sara provided the free chips - all in all.

It was a nice afternoon.

Posted by Christian Posted in: General, Movies No Comments » 27 February 2005

Top 10 Most Disturbing Things

I used to think i was fairly tolerant of graphic movies. Action/horror - whatever - Usually i’d be able to calmly sit down and watch even the most violent of flix and feel nothing, it’s like i have a switch on the back of my head that relays a message to my brain “don’t think about the next 1 and a half hours christian, it’s just a movie, just relax and enjoy it - i’m turning off your thinking process.. now” only to awaken from this stupor 1.5 hours later and believe that i enjoyed a relatively crummy movie.

Irréversible took my notion of “tolerant towards graphic-movies” and threw it out the window. Actually, it first repeatedly smashed this notion against some concrete floor, repeatedly, before throwing it out through a plate glass window.. let me tell you - the notion didn’t look too pretty. Irréversible is a movie written and directed by a french fellow called Gaspar Noé and if you haven’t heard anything about it well let me fill you in.

As you walk down the “New-Release” isle at your dvd/vid-store - you might notice a movie available to rent which has some warnings attached - something about the movie being banned for a while, graphic scenes, make up your own mind, etc - this in itself didn’t really set off too many alarm bells - because as i recall at some stage in history A Clockwork Orange was once banned.. but then i started remembering conversations i’d had with people who’d seen Irréversible, mainly discussing the movies two most graphic scenes - the “Head-Bashing” scene and the “Rape” scene. So, Jen & I being fairly naive about what this movie could entail rented it out.

It was the first time in my conscious memory that i had ever stopped a movie, not because it was just so mind-numbingly boring, or it was just plain old pathetic - it was just that .. disturbing. Those two scenes i mentioned earlier, are easily the most graphic and disturbing things i have ever seen in my life - real life or.. uhh .. unreal life. If i had a list of top 10 most disturbing things i had ever seen, this movie would be in 1st place - and the remaining 9 spots would be left blank.

I won’t go into details about the “scenes” more-so than what i titled them above, but it really effected me - which i suppose is what the director was after - but so much so, that i could never recommend this movie to anyone .. i mean seriously.. as much as it did have an influence on me, i would not recommend anyone ever watch this film. But being as contradictory as i am, after stopping the movie mid-rape scene, i found myself wondering what was going to happen next - i mean the two most graphic scenes had passed, so what was left? … after taking a chaser (read: a nice soft comedy movie) - i found myself watching the end of Irréversible - and even though in parts it made the movie feel “ok”, i just can’t seem to shake the images that this movie placed in my head.

I was talking to someone else about it, and i mentioned that if the two “scenes” had been toned down - or shortened - then the movie could have been brilliant, but then of course i wouldn’t have written this entry.. I guess Noé was trying to “shock” his audiences, in which case, i give him two thumbs up - but why in the name of God would anyone want to “shock” their audience as much as this movie did?

I guess as much as i’m warning anyone away from this movie, in the end you’ll have to make up your own mind.

Posted by Christian Posted in: Movies No Comments » 1 October 2004