The other side of the dog film debate

Not three weeks go by and I’m at another screening of a damn film about a dog, but in the ying yang fashion of movies this one was surprisingly good. Marley and me is a film based on a book, a story about a couples life with a rather eccentric canine. There were no real moments when the typical dog based jokes ruined the story, in fact they were funny. I think the real reason I enjoyed it was because I could relate to the whole falling in love having a family and still trying to hold onto dreams, the main character happens to be an aspiring writer.

The review will be up on my usual site when the film comes out so I’ll post that link; it’s a honest film about life seen through the eyes of a dog. I say life of course but in all these films it’s also life seen through “American dream tinted glasses”, but enough of me arrogantly quoting my own work. I haven’t seen anything else this week as I am currently watching all 9 seasons and 2 films of the x files, not all at the same time of course. I love the X files but more of them when I have finished my marathon.

I’m doing it again and ending my blog a little early but I haven’t seen any other films this week and there is no interesting news to talk about. Though this is a weekly blog so no doubt at some point I’ll have more than enough to say. Oh currently I am trying to watch the Oscars online for free, well I have found a place but the bloody buffering is annoying. If I can find a better site and stay awake I’ll post the winners as I hear them but I’m not promising anything as I am pretty tired. Well that little rant got me over 300 words so don’t feel too cheated. Keep watching and keep reading.

Valentines shmootz and Turtles, talking ones

So it’s been a week for the lovers, so to speak. Well it was Valentine’s Day and in the words of Joel Barish “a day invented by greetings cards companies to make the rest of us feel miserable” or something like that. Course I can’t complain I have my valentine. This week I finally got round to watching a rehash of one of my favourite cartoons as a kid, TMNT. Otherwise known as Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles, I would have to say that apart from there being no shredder (the bad guy from the original) it was actually rather good. The idea to do it in computer animation suited the style and didn’t take away from the original like other unmentionable films.

The story is well written and picks up where the original movies left off, shredder is dead and splinter has sent Leonardo off for some team leading training in the wilderness. Not sure how the wise vermin sensei thought that would do any good but whom are we to argue with a talking rat!
The writers have been not just true to the characters and their natures and relationships but made them funnier, I don’t think I ever laughed as hard at the originals, during a scene when the turtles are eating breakfast, I won’t spoil it but it is very funny. Leonardo is still the hard faced leader; Raphael is still the hard man with a chip on his shoulder, Donatello the intelligent one (saying that all of them being able to talk is pretty damn smart... for a turtle!) and Michelangelo the pizza obsessed comic relief. The characters have been explored more simply by taking Leonardo out of the process, making him more the leader than he ever was as the Turtles try hilariously to get on with their lives, seeing Donatello give IT help over the phone is great.


Anyway that enough for now, once again I won’t reach 500 words, but once again it is self inflicted so I don’t feel too bad. Keep reading keep watching.

Dogs and Baftas!

Name me a decent film with or about dogs? Did you think Beethoven, Homeward Bound maybe Lassie. Are they any good or just films you loved as kids? It doesn’t necessarily mean they are bad movies; you had to love them as kids so they were doing something right. Well I saw the press screening of a new film about dogs “Hotel for Dogs”. When I first heard the title, all I thought was some gangster film from America, how wrong could I be. This extremely kiddie friendly film is about two orphan kids who are dying to own a dog, when a stray dog finds its way into their lives they decide to hide it out in a derelict hotel.

This hotel eventually becomes the hotel in question, this half way house for vagrant canines is the one ingenious thing in the whole film. Of course one of the kids is quite good with technical things and the devices used to keep the dogs hidden and to help them use the hotel amenities are entertaining. That is where the good points end, like so many films before this one it is predictable, contrived and badly acted. Cut the humans out and you have about a half hour “animals do the strangest things” programme.

Anyway moving on, it’s the Baftas, strangely as I’m typing, thanks to the wonders of the internet I am watching them live whilst “The Devils wears Prada” booms out of the TV. Heath Ledger won the best supporting actor as expected; no one can question his performance. Danny Boyle has just won best Director for a film I’m yet to see and Mickey Rourke (the new comeback king) has just won best Actor. I can’t really comment on any of these as I’m yet to see a large amount of the movies, I’m not a big film journo, yet! I have just enjoyed a rather funny acceptance speech from Mickey Rourke.

I’m afraid I may have to end this column before I meet my landmark of 500 words, of course it’s self inflicted but there really is no news worth talking about. So thanks for reading, so till next week, keep watching.

The good, The bad and The damn right shameful!

Sitting here trying to write the second of my new columns and I’m at a bit of a loss, after a lovely week at centre parcs but bereft of any film viewing? I’m going to have to talk about recent film news instead. Not that I didn’t have fun on my holiday, it was great in fact. Well apart from the growing fear of all things aquatic; which isn’t good when you have two baby boys who are incredibly entertained by spinning around in their rubber rings.

Ok the first of today’s news I read today are some more updates about this year’s Dark Knight; Watchmen. This film is easily one of 2009’s most anticipated, adapted from arguably one of the finest graphic novels ever written. It really is that good, shamefully as a comic book fan I only got round to reading it a few months ago but it really is worth reading it before you catch it on the big screen. The reason for that is one update I heard today that confirmed they have changed the ending slightly, which for me is the first piece of bad news I have heard so far! The ending of the graphic novel blew me away, the ending was so risky it was one of the reasons a watchmen movie has been sitting in development hell for years. No director was willing to take it on; Zack Snyder has decided he’ll write his own!

A very bad idea indeed, still I’m going to see it and I’ll have to pay unless I can wrangle the press screening (fingers crossed). So there’s my bum on the seat for the film. From a bad idea to a good idea; letting Michael Bay Direct Transformers. I mean the hardcore fans of the robots in disguise were a bit insulted, but let’s face it who better than Michael “blow shit up” Bay could handle huge robots fighting, it’s his dream job surely. Well whether you liked it or not, the sequel is on its way and you can go here to check one of the first pieces of footage from the film...
http://www.latinoreview.com/news/transformers-revenge-of-the-fallen-super-bowl-spot-6088

It looks good, admittedly I just watched it with no volume as my lady is watching Roswell, but it does look good. Effects heavy, explosions heavy and well, just heavy in general I would say! Moving on, when will they learn to leave Resident Evil alone, they have just confirmed another one is written and ready to go, the saying “flogging a dead horse” comes to mind. Finally some of the worst news ever, I hope my friend from oz isn’t reading this but supposedly Fox are rumoured to be developing a predator “reboot”! Reboot? It doesn’t need any boot. This film stands up today and is still superb just leave it be! Right to angry to go on, baby crying and I have work in the morning, woe is me! Anyway, keep watching.