Picturenose

Life is cheap

Srdan Golubović, director of the critically acclaimed Apsolutnih sto (Absolute Hundred) (2001), here turns his attention to a prosaic, personal nightmare that asks the question: How much is any person’s life worth?

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‘You better pray good…’

First Griner: [sarcastically] Canoe trip?
Lewis: That’s right, a canoe trip.
First Griner: What the hell you wanna go fuck around with that river for?
Lewis: Because it’s there.
First Griner: It’s there all right. You get in there and can’t get out, you gonna wish it wasn’t.

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It only comes out at night…

We’re into the realms of ‘based on a true story’ again here but, in all fairness to director Mark Pellington (Arlington Road (1999)), whether or not you believe the ‘Mothman’ yarns is irrelevant - the film still emerges as rather more than merely exploitative ’spookiness’.

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Sam’s last gasp

A funny one, this - but, as it was made by Sam Peckinpah, and it was his last film before his death in 1984, funny peculiar.

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Bellisima!

As part of Picturenose’s ongoing commitment to the cream of European cinema, a passion that we share with our sister site European Film Awards Reviews, Colin offers his thoughts on a modern Italian classic…

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Vive Mesrine!

Let’s face it – no one does Real McCoy, well-’ard gangster flicks like we Europeans. Of course, Stateside, you can cite Scorsese’s Goodfellas (1990) or Casino (1995) and, at a pinch, Coppolla’s The Godfather (1972) but sorry, when it comes to what violence, fear of violence and callous characterizations are really all about, we have (among many others) Get Carter (1971). We’ve got The Long Good Friday (1980). Frankly, you’ve never really had a glass smashed into your face unless you’ve had it this side of the Atlantic, and there is a gritty, seamy, downright dirty side to the 70s gangster look and feel that only European pubs, bars, clubs and strip-joints can effectively convey.

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Vengeance is mine!

Of the many adaptations of legendary graphic novel author Alan Moore, James McTeigue’s V for Vendetta (2005) is one that I think he would approve of. I say ‘think’, because he famously eschews the advances of the movie industry, and neither licenses nor watches any of the Hollywood adaptations of his art, preferring to let the graphic artists take the credit and the cash. He certainly wouldn’t like how the scriptwriters have changed the mission of the central character, V (Hugo Weaving), from anarchy to a much more screen-friendly freedom, but he’d probably enjoy how the style of the film captures the essence and feel of the original graphic novel series. Of course, I can’t and won’t speak for him, as he has already publicly denounced the screenplay, by Andy and Larry Wachowski, as ‘crap’ - I think he’s probably wrong.

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All just a bloody game…

I’ve been a film lover since I was first terrified by the wicked witch in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937) and a film professional for around 12 years, so, like choosing your football team late (which I also did - West Ham Utd, for those who care), it’s a relief to know that I can finally answer the ‘What’s Your Favourite Film?’ question that normally follows whenever I tell people about what I do.

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Code cracker

Given all the recent talk on Picturenose about alleged bad films (and Colin taking the mickey because I did in fact happen to enjoy The Bodyguard (1992)), the time seems right to present my take on a very successful film (that was adapted from a hugely successful book) that, er, didn’t go down too well with the critics on its initial release. Well, I liked it, and here’s why…

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Turn-a-boat

Following in the wake of another notable maiden-voyage catastrophe, it really isn’t the best of nights for sparkling ship Poseidon. The luxurious cruise liner is hit by a huge rogue wave on its New Year’s voyage and, as anyone who has seen Ronald Neame’s 1972 original, The Poseidon Adventure, will tell you, is turned upside down. Ill-advisedly, most of the surviving 2,000 passengers decide to wait for the rescue teams.

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