Just watched V for Vendetta on DVD tonight, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I’ve loved Alan Moore since back in my teens reading 2000AD, but recently my reading hasn’t taken in graphic novels. Still, I love the genre, enough that I’m wary and excited when a film-maker gets hold of the rights to make the movie of the book.
Let me make a suggestion – go see how wholesome organic vegetables can be made into a tasty, filling Star Wars pastiche. How? Go see Store Wars! (more…)
The Star Wars list of silly names goes on. It would seem that in an old Star Wars TV Special (that shockingly I somehow missed when it was on TV) Chewbacca’s family came into the story. His father is named… Itchy. Itchy. Wow.
But perhaps better yet, Chewy’s son. They called him Lumpy.
It’s happened. I’ve now seen it. I’ve been to see Revenge of the Sith.
What is with George Lucas that he gets away with calling his films such dumb schmuck names? The characters too, like General Grievous? I laughed out loud. How is that remotely ok? Why did nobody say, “George, no!”
It’s not as if he doesn’t know how to get it right. Take Skywalker, for example. How cool is that? Luke Skywalker is the most fantastic sci-fi hero character name of all time. And what about Darth Vader? Wow. And then there’s the simple, beautiful “Star Wars” itself. Magical. But, Grand Moff Tarkin? What? Whu… what? George! No! Suffice to say the man is a genius – but he could do with an editor with sense.
When Star Wars Episode V came out, I went to see IV and V in a double showing at the local cinema. I was ten, and took my ten year old girlfriend with me. To tell the truth, I’m not sure it was as good for her as it was for me. Also sadly, she wasn’t prepared to play Luke and Leia with me afterwards, but in light of later events that’s probably a good thing. Soon after, we kind of drifted apart. I don’t remember seeing Return of the Jedi with her, anyway.
It’s argued that New Hope was the first blockbuster, and that its incredible success rescued the movies from a dangerous collapse. That’s an amazing thought. If those things are true, then Star Wars genuinely changed the world – or at least changed the hairdo on the face of popular culture. There’s no doubt that any work of art that creates huge public interest demands discussion and analysis. The problem with Star Wars Eps I, II and III, however, was the two huge packs of slavering hordes waiting for their arrival, one to rip them apart, the other to laud them with joyful praise, from the very instant they lit the canvas screen. The kids were still the best at just watching the films to enjoy them, like myself back when I saw IV and V with my chick.
Now complete, it is a thirty year oeuvre that stands absolutely unique in cinema history. Star Wars has been a sort of companion to me, and clearly many many others, for most of my life. Sure, I’ve had my problems with Eps I and II, and yes I know that there are flaws in the series, and like I said Lucas can sometimes stagger you with his childish ineptitudes. Of course, it’s his childish imagination that has borne this epic in the first place. Although it’s hard to forgive him for not making everything perfect, it’s also in my view ridiculous to say that Star Wars has been anything other than a helluva ride.
I don’t mind telling you that I absolutely loved every minute of Revenge of the Sith. Even the occasions where the characters looked like they were relieved it was nearly over. Even the occasional bridge-of-a -spaceship shots that looked disconcertingly like the Power Rangers’ control room. Even the ongoing rubbish impersonation of Alec Guinness by Ewan McGregor. Even the stodgy mid-section that struggled with a lamely scripted love story. What the hell. I loved it. Hugged it squeezed it loved it.
Previous to this film, my favourite opening scene of any movie ever was A New Hope (with maybe Darkman a close second). This beats it hands down. From that fantastic opening sequence, I was hooked right through to the end, and when the end came, I clapped like people used to do at the end of a movie, and dammit still should!
And then I stood and watched the credits role, and thought, wow, that’s it. There are no more. It’s done. It’s complete. I felt a bit choked (or was it Darth up to his tricks again?).
People will talk about Star Wars forever. It will be studied. It’s an epic work of cinema art, has had huge sociological impact, and it stands as a genuine work of great fiction. The one thing I wonder is, will I live to see some young gun director of the future, perhaps one who is right now a young boy, or indeed young girl, looking at the stars, dare to do the remake? Who knows…
If you haven’t been there yet, use some bandwidth at this Darth Vader mind reading site. You will laugh your Sith off. (Thanks Juno for the link on your site!) And, when you’ve done that, you’d be mad not to hear the tale told from The Darth Side.
Bit late to the party, but I saw Dead Birds last night. My rating is: top horror!
As a presentiment of the superb atmosphere, it opens when a bright day, which has real opening shocks of its own, descends into a windy, then stormy night of visceral horror. In a ramshackle old house the wind becomes a constant, unsettling moan beyond the walls. The tension rises with well paced dialogue and brooding visuals. The plot is pretty regular horror fare in some ways, but there are enough shock moments to keep you with it.
The trouble is, all this also highlights its biggest flaw – the sound quality. When that haunting wind is blowing, and the edgy atmospheric music is rising, often the characters are, well, whispering. Ok, they’re scared, so they’re whispering, fine, but the upshot of it all is that often you can’t hear what they’re saying, and more than once we had to back the DVD up to catch the words. Also, the attempted plot twist at the end is something of an anticlimax, leaving more irritation than anything else.
But Sarah was genuinely daren’t-look-behind-herself spooked when it was all over. It does succeed in giving you the creeps. It’s as good a genuine, classic horror as I’ve seen in a very long time. It’s a demonic haunted house story with all the limitations of its genre, but with a setting that is brimming with original, strong direction from relative newcomer Alex Turner. Previously it seems he’s only directed shorts, so for a debut feature, this is promising.
If you’ve had enough with Hollywood horror offering the saccharin scares of Sixth Sense, or the teen market fodder of Jeepers Creepers, Dead Birds will remind you what the horror reflexes used to feel like, and will leave you as a horror film should – at least for a while, not quite yourself.