Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) is an ex-Korean War Veteran. After his wife's death his family attempt to put him in a elderly retirement home, Walt refuses to leave his home despite the new arrivals of Hmong families in his neighbourhood. His prejudice towards his new neighbours reaches boiling point when next-door neighbour Thao (Bee Vang) tries to steal his 1972 Gran Torino car as part of a gang initiation. Confronted by Walt he is forced to regain the family's honor by working for him as a way of apology, it is during their time together that they put differences aside and become friends. Meanwhile, a nearby gang begin to harass Thao and his family by getting him to join their group, Walt steps in and protects the family until things get out of hand where he himself becomes a target for the gang leading to and inevitable bloody climax.
Gran Torino is quite simply an outstanding piece of film making. Clint Eastwood (in what is supposedly his last acting role) is superb, leaving the question, 'why did the oscars not pick up on it?' In many ways Clint goes out all guns blazing, and with a clever story he gets the best out of his unkown support cast, it seems as though the older he gets the more watchable both he and his films become.
The film explores many racial tensions that are still going on in America today, some people have taken offence to these issues but I feel that Gran Torino attempts to tackle these racial problems instead of exploit them. Afterall, there's no doubt that seeing Clint Eastwood making over-the-top racial remarks won't raise some sort of smile.
An amazing film, one that must be seen.
* * * * *
Monday 6 April 2009
Thursday 2 April 2009
The Format War - HD DVD vs Blu-ray
A format war describes the competition between different types of formats, typically data storage and recording formats for electronic media. High-definition optical disc formats: Blu-ray Disc versus HD DVD. Several disc formats that were intended to improve on the performance of the DVD were developed, including Sony's Blu-ray and Toshiba's HD- DVD. The first HD-DVD player was released in March 2006, followed quickly by a Blu-ray player in June 2006.
The format warwent largely in Blu-ray's favor after the largest movie studio supporting HD DVD, Warner Brothers, decided to abandon releasing films on HD-DVD in January 2008. Shortly thereafter, several major North American rental services and retailers announced the exclusive support for Blu-ray products. Thus, Blu-ray won the HD war.
Wednesday 1 April 2009
1970's Horror Films (Part 1)
1970's Horror:
Countless splatter horror films were released in the 1970's, including Three on a Meathook (1972); The Hills Have Eyes (1977), I Spit on Your Grave (1978) and Tourist Trap (1979). Horror director David Cronenberg took the splatter film to a different place, and in three films explored the horrors of the human body and its betrayal by forces beyond human control in Shivers (1975), Rabid (1977) and The Brood (1978). It’s Alive (1974) and Dawn of the Dead (1978), George Romero’s sequel his subversive 1968 horror film 'Night of the Living Dead', are other typical examples of the 70s fascination with gore, although the latter may be more memorable for its satire of modern consumer culture, graphic disembowelments notwithstanding.
In addition, the occult horror film was also a popular genre in the 1970s. Major studios were more likely to finance these films because of hugely successful predecessors, like Roman Polanski’s 'Rosemary’s Baby[/b]' (1968). These films often featured big-name stars and higher production values. The most infamous of these, William Friedkin’s story of a young girl possessed by a demon, The Exorcist (1973), featured head-twisting special effects, sophisticated make-up and excellent sound techniques. Brian de Palma’s Carrie (1976) featured Sissy Spacek as an abused girl with telekinetic powers, and Hollywood legend Gregory Peck fought the Antichrist in The Omen (1976). The Amityville Horror (1979), the film version of the best-selling pulp novelization of one family’s allegedly true-life escape from a house haunted by demons, updated the haunted house story. Other entries in this genre include The Wicker Man (1973) and Audrey Rose (1977).
The horror genre was so commercially successful in the 1970's that it spawned blaxploitation versions of classics, such as Blacula (1972) and its sequels, and comedic spoofs like The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and Love at First Bite (1979). Possibly the greatest horror film of the decade, Alien (1979), adapted many elements of all 70's films, with 'last girl alive' Sigourney Weaver battling a terrifying alien creature rather than deranged human.
Countless splatter horror films were released in the 1970's, including Three on a Meathook (1972); The Hills Have Eyes (1977), I Spit on Your Grave (1978) and Tourist Trap (1979). Horror director David Cronenberg took the splatter film to a different place, and in three films explored the horrors of the human body and its betrayal by forces beyond human control in Shivers (1975), Rabid (1977) and The Brood (1978). It’s Alive (1974) and Dawn of the Dead (1978), George Romero’s sequel his subversive 1968 horror film 'Night of the Living Dead', are other typical examples of the 70s fascination with gore, although the latter may be more memorable for its satire of modern consumer culture, graphic disembowelments notwithstanding.
In addition, the occult horror film was also a popular genre in the 1970s. Major studios were more likely to finance these films because of hugely successful predecessors, like Roman Polanski’s 'Rosemary’s Baby[/b]' (1968). These films often featured big-name stars and higher production values. The most infamous of these, William Friedkin’s story of a young girl possessed by a demon, The Exorcist (1973), featured head-twisting special effects, sophisticated make-up and excellent sound techniques. Brian de Palma’s Carrie (1976) featured Sissy Spacek as an abused girl with telekinetic powers, and Hollywood legend Gregory Peck fought the Antichrist in The Omen (1976). The Amityville Horror (1979), the film version of the best-selling pulp novelization of one family’s allegedly true-life escape from a house haunted by demons, updated the haunted house story. Other entries in this genre include The Wicker Man (1973) and Audrey Rose (1977).
The horror genre was so commercially successful in the 1970's that it spawned blaxploitation versions of classics, such as Blacula (1972) and its sequels, and comedic spoofs like The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and Love at First Bite (1979). Possibly the greatest horror film of the decade, Alien (1979), adapted many elements of all 70's films, with 'last girl alive' Sigourney Weaver battling a terrifying alien creature rather than deranged human.
Gran Torino
Gran Torino was released on the 27th February of this year, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood in what is reportedly his last acting role. I have seen the film a number of times and personally loved it, however though the film was a box office success the critics had mixed reviews about Gran Torino. Below are small quotes from two different reviews found on two respected film websites.
www.cinemablend.com/reviews/Gran-Torino-3579.html
Gran Torino is smarter than it seems and it’s broader, funnier, and more straightforward than you’d expect. This is the Clint Eastwood we all remember in a perfect final performance. He’s riding off into the sunset scowling, snarling, and spitting blood. JOSH TYLER
www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturecritics/sukhdevsandhu/4698062/Gran-Torino-review.html
They will surely wish that the film could have lost 30 minutes, depicted immigrant gangs with a jot of subtlety, and reined in the onerous symbolism at its close that leaves us empty and unsatisfied. Sukhdev Sandhu
Both reviews carry different opinions and though it was incredibly successful at the box office the film failed to register at the Oscars. This could have been because of the hard hitting topics the film explores and the racial disputes and insults that some viewers may find hard to take in.
www.cinemablend.com/reviews/Gran-Torino-3579.html
Gran Torino is smarter than it seems and it’s broader, funnier, and more straightforward than you’d expect. This is the Clint Eastwood we all remember in a perfect final performance. He’s riding off into the sunset scowling, snarling, and spitting blood. JOSH TYLER
www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturecritics/sukhdevsandhu/4698062/Gran-Torino-review.html
They will surely wish that the film could have lost 30 minutes, depicted immigrant gangs with a jot of subtlety, and reined in the onerous symbolism at its close that leaves us empty and unsatisfied. Sukhdev Sandhu
Both reviews carry different opinions and though it was incredibly successful at the box office the film failed to register at the Oscars. This could have been because of the hard hitting topics the film explores and the racial disputes and insults that some viewers may find hard to take in.
Tuesday 17 March 2009
British Films
It has come to my attention that there has been a strong decline in the variety of British films shown at cinemas, typical period dramas such as 'Pride and Prejudice' (2005) and more recently 'Young Victoria' (2009) appear to be produced by the major Hollywood production companies such as Universal and GK films. At the moment apart from a few exceptions (This Is England, 2006) the British Film Industry as a whole is struggling to break free from the US/Hollywood. However, with the success of 'Slumdog Millionaire' at the 2008 Oscars which was produced solely by British companies, Celador Films and FilmFour it has broken the mould to an extent to what British made movies can achieve and in what quantities.
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