BLUE MAG

We’re midway through the summer season of blockbuster extravaganzas so here’s a brief recap of what has spilled across the silver screen and into my brain. Summer is usually about these huge big budget spectacles but I’ve thrown a couple of smaller films in there just to spice it up.

Spiderman 3 – I really liked the first two Spiderman movies. The second one in particular was like pure visual joy. This third one was horrible. At times it reminded me of some of the Joel Schumacher Batman movies. Too many villains. Too many Nutty Professor dance sequences. It does have two brilliant sequences: the birth of the Sandman and Bruce Campbell’s cameo (when is Bruce not good, though?)

The Wind that Shakes the Barley – Ken Loach has been making movies for a long time and they’re all good. This won Cannes last year and was released earlier this summer. It portrayed the troubles in Northern Ireland and was brilliant.

Ocean’s 13 – Everything you like about all the other Oceans movies but without any of the annoying character development and romance (note all the women stars are gone replaced by the ever sexy Ellen Barkin). I kind of liked it better this way.

Eagle v. Shark – This movie from New Zealand director Taika Waititi is funny and really rewarding on all levels. I find myself quoting it the way Office Space was quoted in the late 90s. Remember the late 90s? If you have HBO check out the new show The Flight of the Conchords for a taste of the style of the movie.

Live Free or Die Hard – Director Len Wiseman (who made the vampire v. werewolf Underworld movies) needs to stop making movies. This was just a mess. When I go to see an action movie the only thing I need/want from the film is inventive action sequences. Everything in this movie action-wise has been in another action movie and done better. Also: any movie with computer viruses in it shouldn’t be made. At times I felt I was watching something written in 1995 that someone dusted off and crossed out the original title, added John McCain viola you have Die Hard 4.

Once – A film about Irish buskers. It captures just the right energy and feeling and makes you happy the way listening to the Beach Boys or the Beatles does.

1408 – I was hoping this was going to be a refreshing answer to all the torture porn (second use of the awesome new catchphrase!) horror movies of late. It was not refreshing. It sucked (to quote Roger Ebert.)

Sicko – As others have said this is probably Michael Moore’s most accessible movie probably because it’s his least controversial. Who’s going to argue that heath care isn’t perfect? I almost think if he had been more radical in this movie it would have had a bigger impact.

Ratatouille – The Pixar movies are always good but I think this could be my favorite. Brad Bird (who directed The Iron Giant and The Incredibles) has made a classic film that you can’t help but be caught up in. I think this is storytelling on the level of Casablanca and I had no idea where the story was going to take me. I laughed, I cried, it’s better than CATS.

Joshua – Seen earlier this year at Sundance. The director of the documentary Hell House paints a darker portrait of childhood with this indie psycho thriller. Beautifully photographed but empty film that I think ultimately encourages child abuse and homophobia.

Transformers – Okay, I hate Michael Bay but fuck it this movie was awesome. It had giant transforming robots in it fighting in downtown LA. And it looked real. It looked better than real. At one point a character screams “it’s like Armageddon times 100.” The perfect representation of the ultimate big summer American blockbuster. It’s also the best ad for cars, toys and above all the armed forces.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – The third Harry Potter movie is still the equivalent to the Empire Strikes Back of the series. This new film is no better no worse than the others. I enjoyed myself but found myself wanting a bit more from the visuals. These are films that should be showing us the impossible but much of the time I found these visuals lacking. The cast is extraordinary and it’s hard to take your eyes off a movie with every great living British actor in it (I mean EVERYONE).