Shameless, 2012 - ★★½

Shameless, 2012 - ★★½
REVIEWED

"So that's how it is in their family"

Ed Rooney the Principle in Ferris Bueller

Morally dubious and downright gloomy incestuous relationship slash social drama from Poland. Tadek moves back in with his sister Anka, whose now become a trophy date to her rising in politics boyfriend. Its clear both Tadek and Anka have been very close earlier in their lives, only the brother wants to take it further.

Shameless is not an easy film to judge, on one hand its got interesting statements to make on modern Polish life, especially with the gypsy character of Irmina whose built up an infatuation with Tadek. But on the other hand it suspiciously plays out like a slice of Eurosleaze, especially in the way Anka seemingly prances around most the film, subtly teasing her poor brother. I just wish the film would have made up its mind and been one or the other, instead of falling someplace between.

[PRFR: Personal Reasons For Remembering]

The sexy Polish actresses Agnieszka Grochowska and Anna Próchniak.

Originally taken from Letterboxd

Skellig: The Owl Man, 2009 - ★★★½

Skellig: The Owl Man, 2009 - ★★★½
REVIEWED

"Reasons to be cheerful part 3, 1 2 3, some of Buddy Holly, the working folly, the Bolshoi Ballet...."

Dave (John Simm) Dad singing to Ian Dury

Wickedly subdued slice of fantasy dealing with faith and self belief. Michaels parents move to a rundown old house in-order to make room for their impending addition of a new baby sister. Angsty teenager Michael discovers a stranger is living in an old work shed in the garden. At first he assumes the man is merely a junkie seeking shelter, though later he learns the man who seems to have given up on himself isn't what he first appeared.

Charming made for TV family movie based on David Almond's clever children's book. The story is very reminiscent of the classic children's faith testing movies 'Forbidden Games' & 'Whistle Down the Wind' only much more fantasy orientated, its a solid adaptation with great production values. I'm actually shocked how mature SKY Televisions output has become over the last three or four years, gone are the crumbly old days of starsearch. The casts fantastic with Tim Roth, Kelly Macdonald & John Simm, but its young 'Son of Rambow' actor Bill Milner that shines brightest.

[PRFR: Personal Reasons For Remembering]

Quality acting, magical numbered Chinese take aways and dodgy gags about arteritis (Arthur Itus).

Originally taken from Letterboxd

The Last Flight of Noah's Ark, 1980 - ★★★½

The Last Flight of Noah's Ark, 1980 - ★★★½
REVIEWED

"God is my co-pilot"

Bernie (Bujold)

Hugely entertaining live action family adventure from Walt Disney. In order to runaway from his debts pilot Noah Dugan (Elliott Gould) takes a job flying missionary Miss Lafleur (Geneviève Bujold) her animals and two kid stowaways to her new tropical outpost. Only they fly off course and are forced to land on a remote island inhabited by two Japanese soldiers who've been stranded since wwII, and still think the wars ongoing.

Not even the overtly Christian themes, dire repetitive theme song and teared up Ricky Schroder (this time doing his don't die champ shtick, only with his love for a yak) put me off enjoying this fun romp. If ever your stuck finding entertainment for children you could do far worse than slapping this in the old VCR. A rare treat to have such a remarkable ensemble of actors in a family movie. You expect Gould being great in everything, but its also Bujol's best performance I've seen her in, outside of her two medical shockers 'Dead Ringers' & 'Coma'.

[PRFR: Personal Reasons For Remembering]
The magnificent sight of the airplanes fuselage being turned into a sea worthy raft and rent a crier child star Schroder almost becoming shark bait.

Originally taken from Letterboxd

Between Time and Timbuktu, 1972 - ★★★½

Between Time and Timbuktu, 1972 - ★★★½
REVIEWED

"I think that I'm traveling through my own nightmares... ohh and a few nice dreams too"

Astronaut Stoney Stevenson (William Hickey)

Idiosyncratic and downright surreal made for TV science fiction fantasy & social satire based on various Kurt Vonnegut Jr scribblings. Average American Stoney Stevensen is the not so lucky winner of a fizzy drinks contest that promises to put a man into space. Only the spacecraft Prometheus 5 takes poor Stoney on a voyage of self discovery and to the verge of madness.

The writing and plot is all over the damn place which gives it a very disjointed feel, the only theme that constantly carries from one segment to the next is the anti establishment vibe. The more surreal segments include tropical hippy communes, cryogenic sperm banks hell theres even a little yellow submarine style animated piece thrown in. Age hasn't been so kind but it still makes a great curiosity, sad that modern Television doesn't take risks on material like this anymore.

"I'm not in control of my own destiny... its a miracle I can control my own bladder."

Stoney (William Hickey)

[PRFR: Personal Reasons For Remembering]
The moments Stoney goes crazy, and starts speaking with himself, we even got multiple images of him.

Originally taken from Letterboxd

Not Quite Hollywood, 2008 - ★★★

Not Quite Hollywood, 2008 - ★★★
REVIEWED

"I'm sorry about Mr Prouse's absence, I've been told he'd have given his right hand to be here"

Barry Humphries (About one armed film censor Richard Prouse)

Viewed as part of my Beware the Docs of March Marathon 1. A look back at the history of ozploitation movies, from its humble origins in smut with "The Naked Bunyip" through to world hits like "Mad Max" & "Lost Weekend" right up to its modern revival with "Wolf Creek".

Its hugely entertaining but as a documentary its pretty standard fair. Its a familiar talking head format mixed with film clips, the archive interviews and set footage look like they're just ripped from DVD extras.

It shockingly seems to cover a surprising amount of time on overseas stars as much as its home grown ones. These include George Lazenby, Dennis Hopper, Steve Railsback and Jamie Lee Curtis, who all made movies there. They didn't always get their own way, Jamie Lee Curtis recounts feeling like an outcast and being made to feel like she'd taken a job from one of their own actors. While Hopper recalls being so in trouble for road offences he was banned for being caught in a vehicle (be it as a driver or passanger).

Highlight for me was the final segment covering the amazing Brian Trenchard-Smith's movies, hes championed by super fan Quentin Tarantino who likens BTS's movies to his own. He really knew how to make damned entertaining flicks, many being personal faves of my own from my youth.

[PRFR: Personal Reasons For Remembering]
Learning about the film "Next of Kin", Humphries amusing digs at homosexuality, censorship the English, and exploitation legend the Trench.

Originally taken from Letterboxd

Dusty and Sweets McGee, 1971 - ★★★★½

Dusty and Sweets McGee, 1971 - ★★★★½
REVIEWED

"I'm only a freak by the standards I accept."

Male Hustler

Maybe, just maybe 'Dusty and Sweets McGee' is the holy motherfucking lost grail of counter culture drugsploitation movies. It starts with the intention of fooling the audience into thinking they're watching a real documentary (I'll be honest I dived into it under the false pretense it was, but it didn't take long to realize its not), at the start it notifies us that all the characters are played by real people, using their real names. What follows is 100 minutes of screen gold (well kinda more brown). We follow a set of lowlife heroin addicts and hustlers, plus a new couple to the scene, dabbling in the might of the horse for the first time. The characters speak candidly sharing their life stories, while the film itself cuts between dramatic scenes and spoken ones randomly throughout.

How the hell have I never heard of, nor seen this 70's WB movie before (my only guess is somehow it got held up with copyright issues or something, can understand lesser companies movies going AWOL but not WB). Its like watching Gus Van Sant's Drugstore Cowboy & My Own Private Idaho rolled into one, with Reservoir Dogs 'K Billy's Super Sounds of the 70s' playing as its musical backdrop. I must confess beforehand they were all movies I greatly respected and deemed extremely original, after seeing this I'm not so sure I'll feel the same.

Speaking of the soundtrack its truly jaw dropping, the music choices are amazing covering 50's doo-wop through to 70's classic rock, it even features its own fabtastic DJ named Weird Beard. Visually the film looks aged slightly, but that raw 70s era holds up well (at least it does for me). Acting isn't perfect but its sufficient to the characters and their stories. The actors clearly stayed up a few nights to give them the appearance of being tired and drawn, or maybe they really dabbled a little in the old H, hehe kinda 'Taking drugs to make movies to take drugs to' to coin a phrase.

The stories and dialog are the key to it working, they're either true (say taken from dudes in twelve step programs) or they're extremely well researched. I've not seen a Floyd Mutrux directed movie before, but I plan on changing that sooner or later. Of his writing credits i've seen, they go from pretty drool worthy to very watchable.

Originally taken from Letterboxd

Godspeed You! Black Emperor, 1976 - ★★★★

Godspeed You! Black Emperor, 1976 - ★★★★
REVIEWED

"I didn't quit school, I've never been to school."

A juvenile delinquent

Viewed as part of my *Beware the Docs of March Marathon 1.Legendary cult b&w documentary following the rise in rebellious youth bikers in 70's Tokyo, Japan. Its still fascinating close to 40 years later.

Not perfect (captured far too much home life and just sitting around for me), and one the cool movie hipsters have overrated (you know the types who daringly see Eraserhead and let you know about it), but 'Godspeed You! Black Emperor' aka 'Goddo supiido yuu! Burakku emparaa' still ranks as one of the most interesting film documents on a youth movement, thats ever been made. It packs enough energy and cool to fill 10 docs. Visually its extremely gritty very new wave cinema feeling, best segments are just watching the teens riding around, or being shy chatting with or about girls. My favorite segment was when one of the boys bought a new bike for the first time, a fun scene with bonkers j-music.

Theres some truly amazing b&w photography used as well, like the sight of a lone bike in-front of a lights flashing police car or the various goofy kids sporting penned on swastikas (I'm all for rebellion, so long as it washes off for my studies or office job tomorrow).

* I did make one rule with my doc theme month, not to list anything I'd seen previously, though I'd seen segments of this before (hard not to have done being a fan of the band GSYB, I was bound to be interested how they got their name). But I'd not previously seen it in its entireity, honest l; )

Originally taken from Letterboxd

Legend of the Witches, 1970 - ★★★★½

Legend of the Witches, 1970 - ★★★★½
REVIEWED

"The symbolic whippings let him understand, from now hes subject to the disciplines of the cult."

Narrator

Viewed as part of my Beware the Docs of March Marathon 1. Brilliant and somewhat eerie B&W documentary oddity, covering English witches and paganism from medieval times through to modern day. It works as both a nature style docu with a narrator describing the actions of a witchcraft cult, and also includes the history of their beliefs, and how it predated Christianity.

For an old vintage film it really kicks ass, its got it all from debasing Christianity, a cock sacrifice, hallucinogenic herbs, sound induced trances and naked pagan fertility ceremonies. A little bit of the documentary uses old paintings or stock footage, but theres also heaps of marvelously filmed b&w footage of black masses and a bizarre Cornish witchcraft Museum, thats got jars of mutilated sex organs among its many delights. I was fascinated throughout, I learnt so much about my own countries darker history, plus it packed lots of boobs which sealed the deal for me. Its also given me a new twisted catchphrase "Piercing the wafer".

It could be argued that much of this is sensationalized performance pieces and not authentic witches in action. But aren't all docs subjects slightly playing up towards the camera, anyway out of all the great docs I've caught in March, this was probably my favorite (certainly in my top 3). I'm coming to the end of March now, but anyone recommend me any docu oddities please do so HERE.

Originally taken from Letterboxd

Dancing Outlaw II: Jesco Goes to Hollywood, 1999 - ★★

Viewed as part of my "Beware the Docs of March Marathon 1". Brief sequel to Jesco Whites original Dancing Outlaw. It plays more like an appendix to the first documentary. Close to 10 years since we last seen him, Jesco gets invited to Hollywood by Tom Arnold to appear on the Rosanne Show.

Pretty lame filler, sole highlight was seeing Tom Arnolds concern over Jesco having a swastika tattoo. Which he claimed to not really understand just that he got it when he was wasted and that he knew it was a German symbol. John Goodman seemed a genuinely nice bloke.

Originally taken from Letterboxd