The Wolfman – Better than New Moon
February 13, 2010
I don’t like remakes. There, I said it. For the most part remakes are an exercise in studio greed. It’s a dislike more of principle than practice as I still go to see them, some of which are good. Some older films could probably benefit from a makeover – due to terrible special effects or weak plot – but surely older classics at least should be respected.
But. as the studios have no shame and, like vikings, pilfer anything not tied down, we arrive at my first review for Geek Actually.
The Wolfman is a remake of the 1941 horror classic of the same title.Lawrence Talbot, a well-to-do actor, is summoned back to his English childhood home by news of his brother’s disappearance. He soon realises something is afoot when he is bitten by a werewolf. To say more would probably give everything away but really you get most of the information needed from the title. The plot for the remake starts off the same as the original but escalates enjoyably from there.
Regardless of what was said above regarding remakes, this film is good. It’s fun and, while not going to scare anyone used to horror movies, quite tense. Director Joe Johnston obviously has a lot of respect for the Hammer Horror and Universal Monsters of the past as the movie oozes with so much atmosphere it practically drips on the audience.
It’s gothic horror; so much so that it seems to have nearly every gothic stereotype. Bosoms heave; mist spills and creepy old men live in decrepit castles. It may seem ridiculous but because of the film’s grounding in classic horror they feel perfectly at home. In fact it’s a good thing. It’s been a while since a decent gothic horror came along and I’d like to think this could lead to a resurgence in the genre.
To get picky for a moment, jump scares are a good device for heightening tension –and they do this admirably here – but you can have too much of a good thing.
Now, for the special effects. The Wolfman is probably the best design and execution of a man-wolf since American Werewolf in London. The transformations are amazing and, oddly enough, believable. The combination of prosthetics and special effects is near seamless. The wolf was designed by Rick Baker, who is something of a name in the special effects business (Wolf, Harry and the Hendersons). And it shows. The beast is a beauty to behold.
Benicio Del Toro was a surprise pick as Lawrence Talbot – well done to the studio for not picking a fake-looking sex symbol – but he grows into the role and from the second quarter onwards really makes it his own. By the end of the film he really does look like he has had an immensely crap day.
Anthony Hopkins is highly competent as Lawrence’s batty and suspicious father, though his role doesn’t leave much room for anything but vague menace – and much the same could be said for Emily Blunt. She is fine in her role but her character is pretty much straight up and down love interest.
Hugo Weaving plays Abberline, the Scotland Yard investigator sent to investigate (as they do) the werewolf-related murders. Again, Abberline is there to play support to Del Toro and Hopkins but he does his usual admirable job with the supporting role.
Universal have expressed interest in remaking their Universal Monsters properties. HA, I thought; I was right. Those greedy bastards.
However, that anger has been eased slightly by The Wolfman. The studio has mentioned remakes of Dracula, Frankenstein and are in active pre-production of Creature from the Black Lagoon. If Universal can pull off what Marvel have managed with their properties – namely casting great actors with directors who care about the source material – then we may have something less than terrible on our hands.
The Wolfman is a good film and I breathed a sigh of relief on leaving the cinema. It would’ve broken my heart for them to ruin such a classic of my beloved genre.
Go see this film.
- Calum
The Ultimate Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Review
June 29, 2009
I want to thank our regular listener AtomicBetty for sending this review to me, it is quite possibly the best review of the new Transformers movie I have read yet. I was laughing out loud. Click the link below and prepare to have your mind expanded 
Let’s face it, this is what we are all thinking.
http://io9.com/5301898/michael-bay-finally-made-an-art-movie?skyline=true&s=i
Four Holidays – A Geek Review
December 9, 2008
An upwardly mobile urban couple who live for the moment and themselves have to face Christmas with the relatives. Sound familiar? It should, it is the plot-line from dozens of comedies and dramas over the years. The fact that we are in very familiar territory is not the issue, this is Christmas time and we like movies about going home for the holidays … don’t we? Judging by the box office takings of this little film, the answer is, yes.
Now that we have the issue of originality out of the way, what is this film actually like? It is a fun Drama/comedy about discovering who we really are and what is really important in life to you.
Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn play the couple in this bitter/sweet Christmas drama, yes I said drama that has some very funny moments. They are a self centered, self obsessed couple who regularly lie to their respective families so they can get out the holidays. This year they are caught out on their lie by some unfortunately timed fog and they are forced to visit their families for Christmas. The trouble is, they both come from broken homes so they have to visit all four parents separately. On a side note, Australian distributors have made a huge mistake changing the title of this film, the original US title, Four Christmases, suits the film so much better.
This is a film that has been heavily marketed as a comedy, I think this is a little off kilter as the film really is a drama that happens to have a lot of humorous moments. This is a plus to the film as it allows us to get a little feeling into the proceedings and Reese handles this well, you can see the day building on her and the realisation that her life is missing something. Vince doesn’t fare so well, unfortunately. He is basically playing the same character he played in Wedding Crashers and Dodgeball, which in those films worked so well, here he feels shallow and a little out of place. Ultimately, by the films end, we have seen Reese’s character grow but Vince’s character arc is not entirely believable.
The support cast is excellent, particularly Jon Favreau as Vince’s brother. He has taken a little time away from his directing career (he made Iron Man) to play this truly horrid redneck, tailer trash character. He is a joy. Also interesting is the choice of casting a veteran actor in the role of each parent. Sissy Spacek, Mary Steenburgen, Robert Duvall and Jon Voight all look like they are having a great time in this film.
When all is said and done, Four Holidays, is a fun film that is entertaining but nothing really special. It is a good way to pass some time and get a nice warm holiday glow. However, I do have to say that this film is perfectly suited to DVD and I am not really sure I would recommend it as a full priced movie ticket.
Slacker Uprising
September 28, 2008
Michael Moore
I just want to start this by saying that I think Michael Moore has done an amazing thing by releasing this for free to the North American’s via the web. However, I don’t think he went far enough. Even if he didn’t want it to be free everywhere in the world, he could have released a paid for copy simultaneously everywhere else. I would have paid for it! The DVD of this film is advertised on the site next to the free download, he could have made it free in North America and then released it on DVD and through iTunes rentals everywhere else at the same time.
Why do I concern myself with this? There are a lot of US citizens (myself included) living in foreign countries and I think the film is important and should be seen by ALL potential voters before this election is stolen by the Republicans again!
Okay, the film. How is it? Well, that is the interesting thing, I didn’t think the film was actually as good as his previous work. It is more of a highlights reel of his tour in 2004 than a documentary, but that was his aim I believe. What I will say about the film is his passion. I don’t think I have ever seen Michael Moore so passionate in his speaking. This is a subject that he feels is very important and he shows it.
The film is worth seeing and makes a nice companion piece to Fahrenheit 9/11. As a film on it’s own it is not quite as successful. It is worth noting that the sequence when they applaud the soldier in the audience reduced my wife to tears and Rosanne Barr’s speech near the end had me roaring with laughter.
We will be discussing this film, other works by Michael Moore and the current state of the US election in this weeks netcast, it should be worth downloading and listening to this. You will be able to Listen to it here or download (and subscribe) it on iTunes or Podbean.com on Tuesday (30th September 2008).
Wanted – Fun Nonsense
August 14, 2008
Saw Wanted last week. It is nonsense from the first frame until the last, but what fun nonsense. Listen to a full review in the podcast (Episode 2 – Don’t Take Our Popcorn).
In a nutshell, I loved this film. It was a loud cartoon of an action movie that is full of CG and things that go boom. If you are looking for the secret to life or wanting to improve you spirit and body, this is not for you. Grab the popcorn, a coke and an ice cream sit back and just go for a ride.
The X-Files: I Want to Believe – Not as bad as I thought it would be
July 30, 2008
I went to see the new X-Files movie last night, I was expecting a real Thanksgiving dinner, I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t suck as much as I was expecting. In fact, I thought it was a fairly interesting thriller. My biggest complaint would be that it didn’t need to be an “X-Files” movie. You could have put any detectives in there and it still would have worked as an interesting little thriller.
I was a huge X-files fan for the first 3 or 4 years of the show and then I kind of just lost interest. I did not see the final seasons at all and I was worried that I would not know where I was in the new movie. Luckily, as long as you are familiar with the characters of the series, you can jump straight into this film without much trouble. This film works like the odd little stand alone shows of the series, no aliens here. The story is simply about serial kidnappings and murders. What makes it an X-File is a fallen priest who is having visions of the victims. Mulder is called out of hiding to figure out if the priest is on the level or just faking it.
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson slip back into their roles of Scully and Mulder as easily as you put on an old comfortable glove. Although, Anderson is looking thin more gaunt than usual. Out of the two I think Duchovny has always been the more interesting to watch as an actor. Billy Connolly, as Father Crissman is a joy. Connolly has proved time and time again over the years that he is an excellent dramatic actor and he doesn’t disappoint here.
I will give a much more detailed review in this weeks podcast, so I hope you will be listening.
Bottom Line: “The X-Files: I Want To Believe” is far from perfect but is a an entertaining two hours. The thriller aspects of the film worked well, but it didn’t really have to be an X-Files story. Did I have a good time at the movies? You bet, it was fun.
Dr. Horrible – The Verdict
July 26, 2008
Well, I have been busy with getting the podcast happening and I completely forgot to write my verdict on “Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog”.
Okay, here goes, I loved it. I already think that Joss Whedon is a bit of a legend and I am a huge Buffy and Angel fan. I also think that Firefly was one of the most under-rated and mistreated shows on television. Firefly was were I discovered the amazing talent of Nathan Fillion, who plays Captain Hammer in Dr. Horrible.
I didn’t get to watch all of this streamed through the site, but I did buy it on iTunes so I feel I have supported the show in my own way. This site also carried banners for the show leading up to the release. Aren’t I good Whedon Fanboy!
The story is simple, Dr. Horrible wants to join the Evil League of Evil and Captain Hammer is out to stop him. Add to this mix a shared love interest and some really good songs (sung well by the talented cast) by Mr. Whedon and you have a very enjoyable comedy romp. I must note that I also really enjoyed the Buffy episode, “Once More With Feeling” and the music is very similar in style.
The stand out is Neil Patrick Harris as Dr. Horrible, his performance is pitch perfect and I have all new respect for this man – I was never an Doogie Howser fan and what the hell was he doing in Starship Troopers! After this, I’d watch him read the telephone book – great stuff.
As far as the female love interest goes, Felicia Day is lovely. She has a wholesome, girl next door charm. She is a newcomer to me, I looked over her IMDB profile and although she has done a number of roles (including Buffy episodes) and yet I’ve never really noticed her before. I hope this leads to many more roles.
And lastly we come to Mr. Fillion, he plays Captain Hammer with gusto. A not so bright, full of himself superhero who really only wants the girl to piss off Dr. Horrible. He is fun and I didn’t know he could sing, although it has to be said he is the weakest singer of the three.
Overall, a really fun 40 minutes and hopefully a vision of the shape of things to come in TV making and distribution. I applaud you Joss, and everyone else involved.
Get Smart
July 18, 2008
On Tuesday me and the big geek went to see Get Smart at the movies and it was really good and it was funny. It’s a really good film and my dad liked it too. Go see Get Smart you will like it.
Steve Carell makes a good Max and Anne Hathaway was good as 99.
I have started watching the TV show on Foxtel and even though it is better, the movie is really fun.
Hi, Big Geek here,
I’m just adding my two bits worth to Little Geeks post. I did enjoy Get Smart, it is not as fresh or original as the series (as expected), but we had a great time watching it and that is what this site is all about. Bringing back the fun to the movies.
Watch for the peeing scene, it is a killer!!!!
Speed Racer, Visual Overload!
July 17, 2008
Okay, my son, The 9 Year Old Geek, and I went to see this a couple of weeks ago but with all the iPhone news, it got kinda lost in the background.
The Wachowski Brothers (The Matrix Trilogy) have not really done it again. Sorry, but the film was complete style over substance and I know it based on a cartoon and I know it was the brothers intent to put a live action cartoon on screen, but come on! Batman is based on a comic book, Iron Man is based on a comic book, Spider-Man was based on a comic book. You can make a visually stylish film and still give it deeper characters and a story to latch onto, look at Sin City, this was a stylish film that used all sorts of digital tricks but still managed to grip the audience and make sense.
Okay, rant over. I didn’t hate Speed Racer, but I was disappointed. I, as a child, watched the cartoon all the time and I was looking forward to the film. I enjoyed all of the Matrix films, I loved Bound and was blown away by their production of V for Vendetta (James McTeigue directing). Speed Racer by the Wachowski’s, what could be better, I thought. Well to answer this I would like to paraphrase Stephen Colbert when he said it was like putting all of the 4th of July fireworks in a tumble dryer and then climbing inside with them! The film is a digital cartoon that is so colorful it threatens to give you a headache and moves so fast that when they are on a race track you have no idea what is going on. When the announcer says things like, “Such and such has won, oh my god, they won!”, you go, “Oh, is that what just happened?”
My last point on this is: why do we talk down to kids? Speed Racer set out to be a kids’ film, okay, that’s fine but we don’t give kids enough credit. Speed Racer has the “funny” chimp side kick and the silly young kid who go around and offer silly comic relief whenever the filmmakers feel that they need to lighten things up. Kids don’t need this kind of shit and the parents with the kids just groan.
When Steven Spielberg released E.T. on the world in the early 80s it was a smash success. Why? Because it treated kids like everyone else. Everyone in the audience got the same experience, adults and kids alike. We can let our kids see grown up concepts without fear of scarring them for life; this is how they get prepared for the world. Kids and adults alike cried during the death scene of E.T. The only “kids” film I can think of in recent years that really dealt with an adult concept was The Bridge to Terabithia (a great film, by the way). My son and I watched this film and we both really enjoyed it. He accepted the tragedy in the film as a part of life and we moved on.
See Speed Racer at your own risk but I would say wait for DVD. With a pause button you might actually be able to make it make sense.
Hancock soars!
July 17, 2008
Hey everyone, saw “Hancock” the other night. I really enjoyed the film, it was light weight but an enjoyable romp.
John Hancock is a superhero with a twist, he hates himself and everyone else. He drinks too much and sleeps on park benches like a hobo. When problems arise, Hancock tries to help but because he doesn’t really care about anything, destruction usually follows in his wake. This drives everyone in the city to hate him, which fuels his self loathing and so he drinks more. Enter Justin Bateman, a humble PR man who gets saved by Hancock, so he decides that it is time to change Hancock’s image.
This film is a romp with a fairly unexpected twist. Will Smith is wonderful as Hancock, a role, it would seem, he was born to play. The cast is uniformly good and director Peter Berg (“The Kingdom”) handles the film well. Berg is much better suited to this kind of material (just as he was with “Very Bad Things” and “The Rundown” (“Welcome to the Jungle” for the Australian readers)) than he was to “The Kingdom”. For the film and TV buff, watch carefully in the ER scene to see a cameo by Berg looking very much like he did in “Chicago Hope”.
Buy your popcorn, disengage your brain and just enjoy it for what it is, a fun, loud, fantasy romp.
