About me
lists are what I do when I have too much spare time on my hands.
Lists
Recent reviews

Posted : 13 years ago on 13 March 2012 04:23
(A review of
The Up Series (Seven Up / 7 Plus Seven / 21 Up / 28 Up / 35 Up / 42 Up))
First of all, this five star rating is a general rating to the whole series, aswel as the review. Secondly, it's a magnificent study, more than anything else. More than the label of documentary or tv show. I saw the whole series, from when the subjects were still children, until they're 49, and I must say, it's so damn interesting to see and reflect on how people, in general, evolve, wether mentally or physically. It's also briliant because it provides a comparison basis to the viewers, as it did for me. It's no problem to be 7 and say you want to be an astronaut and prefer to play instead of thinking about girls, it's no problem to be 21 and don't have a clue of what to do in the future. These are just some examples of some things that are all part of life and growing up.

0 comments,
Reply to this entry

Posted : 13 years ago on 13 March 2012 03:02
(A review of
Nanook of the North)
Undeniable is its importance to film industry history, even if being considered a faux documentary. Flaherty wanted a portrayal of the true Inuit ancestors in the cold arctic, so he fooled the audiences to accomplish that, by adding a bit of staging. The result is in sight. An unscrupulous depiction of a now lost kind of living.

0 comments,
Reply to this entry

Posted : 13 years ago on 13 March 2012 03:02
(A review of
Caligula)
Caligula is one hell of a porn film, above any other label. Of course orgies were a common thing in ancient Rome, and in a lot more civilizations by then, and so there's absolutely no reason to produce any other, far from the truth, prudish depiction of the Roman living like Hollywood got people used to. And yes, the added sex scenes are a bit too excessive, too extravagant and too perverse, and there's controversy on that, but then wouldn't be a real portrayal of the history, specially on Caligula's reign.

0 comments,
Reply to this entry

Posted : 13 years ago on 10 March 2012 11:01
(A review of
Inglourious Basterds)
Tarantino pays another hommage to cinema. This time not only by abusing of the pastiche, so common in his films, but also by giving cinema an ironic proeminence in the fall of the Nazi regime. Chris Waltz gives, what I think, the best performance of the film. The film itself is fun, above everything, but hardly Tarantino's best, for those who believed so, even himself.

0 comments,
Reply to this entry

Posted : 13 years ago on 10 March 2012 11:00
(A review of
Hype!)
Its fantastic how the grunge scene started out in a almost musically lost city, Seattle, at least for the music enthusiasts, and ended becoming one of the most influential music scenes in the world, in the 90's, gathering comparisons to the London scene in the 60's, or the New York scene in the 70's. As for me, being a really big fan of Nirvana and Pearl Jam, I really had the need to watch this documentary, since it brings an in-depth view on grunge origins and background, aswell as the consequences of its separation from the underground scene.

0 comments,
Reply to this entry

Posted : 13 years ago on 10 March 2012 11:00
(A review of
The Best of Youth (2003))
Its quite impressive to see the different stages of a family, how it builds up and changes within itself. The story is marvelous, quite dramatic, although sometimes resembling a bit too much of a soap opera. Nevertheless, you'll sit up watching its 6 hours, and end up asking for a continuation.

0 comments,
Reply to this entry

Posted : 13 years ago on 10 March 2012 10:58
(A review of
Maradona by Kusturica)
There's no need to be a football fan to admire the quality of such player on-field, and person outside of it. Maradona is one of the greatest personalities of the last fifty years, and that can be proven by the masses he achieves to gather, in praising to not only his great achievements, but also to his own life. Kusturica, as a fan, produces here his own view of Maradona, and not just a detailed documentary, searching also for a social background to the victories and misfortunes of the "Dios".

0 comments,
Reply to this entry

Posted : 13 years ago on 10 March 2012 10:56
(A review of
TRON)
It may have been innovative, and it is, in fact, quite pleasant to watch, but thats not enough. It's also a bit dumb at times, to say the least, and there's always the sensation we're watching some lame 3D tv show for kids. As much as this enchanted many people, and of course, the wannabe nerds of the eighties, it didn't wowed me. Bill Gates favorite film? I'd say yes.

0 comments,
Reply to this entry

Posted : 13 years ago on 10 March 2012 10:53
(A review of
Back to the Future Part III)
And of course, there was an ending needed to the series. From the first film we could already tell the series would take us to something like this, a spoof of a western. Its, nevertheless, the weakest part of the series. The story, even though not bad at all, is less clever and more predictable. And the ending was lame, lets admit it.

0 comments,
Reply to this entry

Posted : 13 years ago on 10 March 2012 10:53
(A review of
Back to the Future Part II)
Zemeckis tried to follow the success of the first Back to the Future, and although not as good, it's still remarkable. The story becomes a bit more intricate, mostly because of the second trip to '55, but it doesn't steal any of its quality.

0 comments,
Reply to this entry
Movies
TV
Games
Music
Books
DVDs
list
Honestly, there were many films on your list that I agree with you about or simply see as weak efforts. Most of the sequels you named there I feel the same way about. The talking animals films, I think, were aimed at kids so I don't judge them too harshly but still...
I also find movies that come off as if the audience is dumb quite tedious and more than a bit offensive. I despise "dumb comedies" like Tommy Boy and Dumb and Dumber for just that reason. That said I also can't fault Hollywood and it's peers for making such things because (and let's be honest with ourselves here) there is a vast majority of the populace that is, in fact, dumb and to whom "eclectic taste" are simply two words that they would have to look up in the dictionary to find the meaning of...if they knew what a dictionary looked like, that is.
Case in point, the cancerous mass that is "reality television", the Judge (fill in the blank) shows and Springer, whose 'guests' and audience are among those I was referring to in the last paragraph. At times, I've even remarked to friends that I can't believe that shows like these are still made and shown in marathons for God's sake; but I know that's why. The world is, in fact, full of...well, idiots.
In regards to my comment on unrealistic films and critics of them, I wish to say that it was aimed, in truth, at Siskel & Ebert in remembrance of their obnoxious and slightly arrogant manner on their old show...not at you, my friend. I used to say that you could pick a good movie to watch simply by watching their show and picking whatever they gave a thumbs down to. ;)
Dei uma olhadela nas tuas coisas (nos teus 'gostos' vá) e resolvi adicionar ;)
Welcome to Listal!