pratchettfan Blog

Under discussion:

Donnie Darko  (2001)

SouthSide Works Cinema shows a Cult Movie once a month. Today it was Donnie Darko. I discovered this movie a couple of years back on DVD and was enthralled by it's mysterious and disturbing story and was overjoyed to get the chance to finally see it on the big screen. It was a terrific experience and intensified the fantastic visuals and oppressive soundtrack. If you have not yet seen this movie, do so immediately! ;)

Under discussion:

Under the Sea 3D  (2009)

A documentary about creatures living under the water shot in dazzling 3D, giving you the feeling as if you were in the middle of the ocean almost touching the fish and reefs. Being a seasoned scuba diver myself I recognized many of the fishes and was delighted to meet cuttlefish, lion fish and the epaulette shark again, and then there were also a couple of fishes I've never seen, such as the Leafy Dragonfish, which looks a little bit like a seahorse but so much more elegant and interesting. It definitely awakened the urge in me to go scuba diving again. In short: A must-see for every scuba-diver and everyone interested in underwater creatures.

Under discussion:

Zack & Miri Make a Porno  (2008)

After discovering that "Zack and Miri Make a Porno", the new Kevin Smith movie opened Halloween weekend, it was clear I had to see it! After all Dogma is still one of my favorite movies of all times!

Zack and Miri have been good friends (and nothing more) since high-school, sharing the same apartment without major problems until their utilities get disconnected. Now they need to get money quick or end up on the street in the deepest winter. A porno seems to be an easy way to achieve that and so they start looking for actors, producers and a location. But their problems are just about to start...

Overall an entertaining movie, which doesn't quite reach the brilliance of some of Kevin Smith's other projects. What made this movie more relevant to me was the fact that it played in Pittsburgh and it's suburb Monroeville. So it was quite funny to see local "landmarks" such as Pittsburgh Steelers and Pengiuns fans, Downtown and the amount of snow I can expect in winter ;).
If you see the movie, stay seated during the end credits because there's a cool "infomercial" placed in the middle.

Under discussion:

The Great Buck Howard  (2009)

After exiting the cinema after seeing Tropic Thunder last Friday, we were handed an invitation for a pre-screening of The Great Buck Howard. Since I've never been part of such an event in Switzerland I definitely had to check it out.

So Guido and I returned to the Loew Waterfront cinema yesterday to see what would happen. When we arrived there was already a queue of about 40 people, but we saw that the cinema was big enough to seat even more people. The first thing we had to do was disclose our age, so that they could get an overview about the demographics of the audience. Next people were being let into the cinema and assigned seats. Just when we were about to enter the line was stopped to allow the others find their seats. When the facilitator returned he asked us if we would mind assisting him for a couple of minutes, in exchange he promised us prime seats. We were very intrigued and of course agreed immediately.

We (Guido, I and 10 other people) were then led to a saloon room on the second floor where we could give feedback on six different possibilities for the movie poster. This session was very interesting and it was amazing to see the different concepts. At the end we were almost unanimous about which poster we liked best.

Then we could take our seats in the front row of the dais. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460810/">The Great Buck Howard</a> is the story of the Great Buck Howard, a mentalist/magician who has been on the road for decades but has recently lost the link to the new generation, and Troy Gabel, a would be writer who gave up law-school and now works as Buck's road manager to earn his keep. The opening of the movie is very cool, with different texts appearing next to people on screen, but did remind me of the Bedazzled remake with Liz Hurley. After the funny start movie slows down a bit to introduce the main characters and Buck's show. On the road Troy soon discovers that Buck has a better image of himself than anyone around him and so he plays half empty theaters in the middle of nowhere as if they were packed houses in a big city. But then they get to Cincinnati and everything changes.

The Great Buck Howard is a very entertaining movie. Even though it is labeled as a Comedy, the human drama and interaction is more important and laugh-out loud moments are rare. The ending is a bit abrupt, because even the story of Buck Howard is well rounded, many questions are left unanswered regarding the fate of Troy Gabel. This and the fact that the movie dragged a bit in places lead to me rating this movie 4/5.

We didn't get to see the end credits, because as soon as the movie was over the light came on and we were handed a feedback form, which wanted our detailed impression on the movie. After completing the form most people could leave the cinema. We were asked to remain behind for a more in-depth feedback round. During the next 20 minutes we discussed the movie and its implications. At the end of the session we were again presented with the six posters we already saw at the beginning. Interestingly, the poster we initially selected was no longer our favorite, instead we picked another one which we thought more fitting to the movie.

All in all it was a very interesting evening and I was glad I took the chance to see this movie (and this pre-screening process) :)

Under discussion:

In Bruges  (2008)

Yesterday I saw In Bruges in the cinema. Two hit men are sent to Bruges in Belgium to take cover after a job in London went wrong. Whereas Ken enjoys the sights in this medieval town, Ray is still pained by pangs of remorse and is wondering what he should do in a "shit-hole" like Bruges. But after meeting Chloë, a Belgian drug dealer, his outlook seems to change a bit. If only their boss would finally call to instruct them about their next move...

In Bruges is a fantastic movie which manages to bridge the gap between hilarious dark comedy and drama, without the later sliding into the ridiculous. Colin Farrel and Brendan Gleeson deliver a perfect and extremely believable performance. This is probably the best movie I've seen this year and the ending is simply wonderful (i.e. not your standard happy ending). However, a word of warning for the faint of heart, in the second half of the movie the action does pick up and there are several long pursuits and a good deal of blood.

Under discussion:

Dead Alive  (1993)

Black Sheep  (2007)

A ruthless farmer genetically engineers a new race of sheep to revolutionize farming. However, when environmental activists steal one of the by-products and accidentally set it loose, the sheep suddenly develop a liking for blood and humans start transforming into super-sheep. And Henry, a former farm boy with a sheep-phobia, is the only one who can try to stop them...

This is probably the best splatter movie I've seen since Braindead, which incidentally was also shot in New Zealand. In addition to the cool and low-key special effects the movie is full of hilarious scenes and funny lines. Especially  the dialogs between Henry and Experience, the environmental activists, are laugh out loud funny.

Under discussion:

Santa Claus: The Movie  (1985)

The Santa Clause  (1994)

When I was a child we had several traditions for Christmas Eve (the day the presents are unpacked in Switzerland). First, we went to church at 5pm. Second, we ate canapé for dinner while watching Santa Claus. As I remember it, it was the perfect family Christmas movie with a nice happy end and of course, lots of presents. Unfortunately, television stations replaced this movie with The Santa Clause, which I admit is very funny and cool as well, but still it just ain’t the same ;).