New iPhone App: MyMovies

MyMovies, a new iPhone app created by my friend Aaron Stephenson of Bronron Apps, allows you to store your entire movie collection in one place. Now you never have to get caught out wondering if you already own that movie when you are out shopping. I, for one, have had this problem.

With MyMovies you have instant access to your entire movie collection.

Search through over 155,00 movie titles, with high quality movie posters. 60, 000 TV series coming soon!

Note: this app does not allow you to download or watch movies, simply record all the movies you have in your collection. Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and optimized for iPhone 5.

To download this app visit the Apple App Store and for other apps by Aaron, click here.

Review: Need For Speed (Scott Waugh, 2014)

Scott Waugh is at the helm of Need For Speed, a high-octane cinematic adaptation of the best-selling video game. Aaron Paul (best known for Breaking Bad) is on leading man duties, and this impressively choreographed racing thriller delivers on its promise of flash cars, cocky drivers and plenty of rubber-burning mayhem.

In a last attempt to save his struggling garage, blue-collar mechanic Tobey Marshall (Paul), who with his team builds and races muscle cars on the side, reluctantly partners with a wealthy, arrogant ex-NASCAR driver Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper). Just as a major sale to a British car broker Julia Bonet (Imogen Poots) looks like it will save the business, a disastrous, unsanctioned race results in Tobey being framed for manslaughter. Imprisoned, and mourning the loss of his friend and protégé, Tobey seeks revenge on Dino. Tobey has his chance, facing off against Dino in a secret, highly dangerous cross-country road-race with a massive purse.

Conveniently leaving prison just days before the scheduled event Tobey (with the thick-skinned Julia in the passenger seat) has just 45 hours to drive from the East Coast to the pre-race meeting at an unspecified Californian location to register for the race and learn where it will start. The journey there becomes the bulk of the film as the parole violator races across the country attracting the attention of hapless police patrols (by design as it turns out; a daring escape from a pursuit is for the benefit of a race audition video captured by his tailing entourage) and hardcore drivers pursuing a bounty placed (by Dino) on his head.

Continue reading at Graffiti With Punctuation.

Review: All is Lost (J.C. Chandor, 2013)

In writer/director J. C Chandor’s bold and breathtaking technical feat, All is Lost, a stunningly emotive Robert Redford stars as a solitary man at sea forced to exhaust everything at his disposal to survive a series of worsening catastrophes. Like the experiences offered by Gravity and Captain Phillips (to name just two recent examples) this is an extremely intense and involving survival drama that greatly benefits from the environment of the cinema.

Cruising the Indian Ocean on his yacht the Virginia Jean, our unnamed central character (Redford) awakens one morning to water flowing into his cabin. He has sailed into an abandoned supply container, which has caused a serious dent in the side. He quickly and efficiently sets to work; separating his yacht from the container, temporarily repairing the damage, sapping up the water from within and rescuing anything he can. Content with his solution he starts to sail on. But, this setback has perhaps delayed his journey and he finds himself in the middle of the ocean with a fierce storm bearing down on him. His proud vessel soon becomes nature’s ragdoll and an irreparable capsize proves to be the first of many hardships to follow. Throughout the story we never leave Redford’s side – accompanying him to the top of his masts and to the depths of the ocean - nor are we ever introduced to another character. The dialogue is minimal, and yet so much is conveyed through Chandor’s patient direction and intelligent script, Redford’s weathered face and the compelling intricacies of the sets and production design.

New Releases 13/03/14

In cinemas this week: The Monuments Men, Need For Speed, The Armstrong Lie, Hannah Arendt and Generation Iron. 

The Monuments Men: Based on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history, The Monuments Men is an action drama focusing on an unlikely World War II platoon, tasked by FDR with going into Germany to rescue artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves and returning them to their rightful owners. It would be an impossible mission: with the art trapped behind enemy lines, and with the German army under orders to destroy everything as the Reich fell, how could these guys - seven museum directors, curators, and art historians, all more familiar with Michelangelo than the M-1 - possibly hope to succeed? But as the Monuments Men, as they were called, found themselves in a race against time to avoid the destruction of 1000 years of culture, they would risk their lives to protect and defend mankind's greatest achievements.

Need For Speed: Based on the most successful racing video game franchise ever with over 140 million copies sold, DreamWorks Pictures' "Need for Speed" captures the thrills of the game in a real-world setting. An exciting return to the great car-culture films of the 1960s and '70s, when authenticity brought a new level of intensity to the action, "Need for Speed" taps into what makes the American myth of the open road so enticing. The story chronicles a near-impossible cross-country race against time - one that begins as a mission for revenge, but proves to be one of redemption. In a last attempt to save his struggling garage, blue-collar mechanic Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul) - who with his team skillfully builds and races muscle cars on the side - reluctantly partners with wealthy, arrogant ex-NASCAR driver Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper). Just as a major sale to car broker Julia Bonet (Imogen Poots) looks like it will save the business, a disastrous, unsanctioned race results in Dino framing Tobey for manslaughter.
 
Hannah Arendt: The sublime Barbara Sukowa reteams with director Margarethe von Trotta (Vision, Rosa Luxemburg) for her brilliant new biopic of influential German-Jewish philosopher and political theorist Hannah Arendt. Arendt's reporting on the 1961 trial of ex-Nazi Adolf Eichmann in The New Yorker-controversial both for her portrayal of Eichmann and the Jewish councils-introduced her now-famous concept of the "Banality of Evil." Using footage from the actual Eichmann trial and weaving a narrative that spans three countries, von Trotta beautifully turns the often invisible passion of thought into immersive, dramatic cinema. An Official Selection at the Toronto International and New York Jewish Film Festivals, Hannah Arendt also co-stars Klaus Pohl as philosopher Martin Heidegger, Nicolas Woodeson as New Yorker editor William Shawn, and two-time Oscar Nominee Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs) as novelist Mary McCarthy.

The Armstrong Lie: In 2009 Alex Gibney was hired to make a film about Lance Armstrong's comeback to cycling. The project was shelved when the doping scandal erupted, and re-opened after Armstrong's confession.

Weekly Recommendation: I have seen Need For Speed but my thoughts remain embargoed. The Monuments Men should be worth a look for the great ensemble cast, but reports haven't been great about Clooney's latest. Hannah Arendt and The Armstrong Lie will have very limited releases, and could be worth seeking out if you have interest in the controversial subjects. Last week's pair of All is Lost and Tracks come with higher recommendations, and if you still haven't seen Nebraska, get to it.

New Releases (06/03/14)

In cinemas this week: All is Lost, Tracks, Vampire Academy and 300: Rise of an Empire

All is Lost - Academy Award-nominated writer/director J.C. Chandor (Margin Call) takes the helm for this tense adventure drama about a man (Robert Redford) who must fight for survival after being lost at sea. As simple as that. I understand it is almost entirely dialogue-free, but a powerful and technically marvelous study of the strength of the human spirit.

Tracks - A young woman - Robyn Davidson (Mia Wasiskowska) - goes on a 1,700 mile trek across the deserts of West Australia with her four camels and faithful dog.

Vampire Academy - Rose Hathaway (Zoey Deutch) is a Dhampir: half human/vampire, guardians of the Moroi, peaceful, mortal vampires living discretely within our world. Her legacy is to protect the Moroi from bloodthirsty, immortal Vampires, the Strigoi.

300: Rise of an Empire - Based on Frank Miller's latest graphic novel Xerxes and told in the breathtaking visual style of the blockbuster "300," this new chapter of the epic saga takes the action to a fresh battlefield-on the sea-as Greek general Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton) attempts to unite all of Greece by leading the charge that will change the course of the war. Themistocles is pitted against the massive invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), and Artemisia (Eva Green), vengeful commander of the Persian navy. 

Weekly Recommendation: Yet to see any of these, despite some opportunities. It has been a long time coming for All is Lost. It premiered at the Melbourne Film Festival last year and the release date has continued to be pushed back. It and Tracks - which I understand is quite good - are on my list this week. I doubt I will see Vampire Academy or Rise of an Empire. I absolutely hated 300.  

86th Academy Awards Recap: Complete List of Winners

On a night that brought us some Ellen DeGeneres hosting gold, a hilarious mid-ceremony pizza delivery (which involved Brad Pitt and Kevin Spacey assisting by handing out plates to hungry nominees), one of the great 'selfies' - which actually broke Twitter for a good while and became one of the most re-tweeted images ever - and a most bizarre name mispronunciation (Travolta, what the hell?), it certainly was an entertaining ceremony.

There were few surprises, but even with Gravity winning seven Oscars, 12 Years A Slave took out Best Picture. Other highlights include Jared Leto, Lupita Nyong'o and Cate Blanchett's speeches, Chivo winning Cinematography (finally!) and Pharell bringing 'Happy' to the star-studded crowd.

Here is the full list of winners at the 86th Academy Awards:

Best Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Best Actor: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
Best Original Screenplay: Spike Jonze, Her
Best Adapted Screenplay: John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave
Best Original Song: “Let It Go,” Frozen
Best Original Score: Gravity
Best Production Design: The Great Gatsby
Best Editing: Gravity
Best Cinematography: Gravity
Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Best Sound Editing: Gravity
Best Sound Mixing: Gravity
Best Foreign Language Film: The Great Beauty
Best Documentary Feature: 20 Feet from Stardom
Best Documentary Short: “The Lady In Number 6: Music Saved My Life”
Best Live Action Short Film: “Helium”
Best Visual Effects: Gravity
Best Animated Feature Film: Frozen
Best Animated Short Film: Mr Hublot
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Dallas Buyers Club
Best Costume Design: The Great Gatsby
Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Oscar Hopefuls That Likely Won't Happen, But Would Be Awesome

It is Oscar Day! While always a lot of fun, it is very often that the 'best' in cinema for the year aren't even nominated, let alone win. This year's nominees are pretty strong, though. I have published my predictions for this year, but to make the day more fun, I hope some of these long-shot hopes take home a statue.

Bruce Dern OR June Squibb - Best Actor/Supporting Actress

Before Midnight - Best Adapted Screenplay

Dirty Wars - Best Documentary Feature

'Happy' - Best Original Song

Her - Best Production Design

Monthly Round-up: February 2014 Viewing

In February I watched 27 films. I didn't visit the cinema as much as usual, but I did catch some undisputed classics (Lawrence of Arabia, His Girl Friday and Dog Day Afternoon) at home. I wrote only a few reviews (linked below), but kept up with the pretty crazy award season. Here are my Oscar Predictions (Part 1/Part 2) and my contribution to Andrew Kendall's 2013 Motifs in Cinema.

As for television, I continued through the brilliant True Detective (just two episodes left in S1) and watched the entirety of House of Cards S2, which started with a bang and eventually fell apart under the weight of its surprisingly soapy cheesiness, and a lack of enticing subplots. 

New-to-Me Films (In Order of Preference)

-------- Essential Viewing --------

Lawrence of Arabia (David Lean, 1962) - A timeless classic. My first viewing was a restored and 4K remastered 50th Anniversary blu-ray copy on my TV, but it was spectacular, nonetheless. Phenomenal film-making...on every level.

His Girl Friday (Howard Hawks, 1940) - Gee, this script sure does rocket along. Very very funny. I have never seen Rosalind Russell in anything before, but she's terrific.

Stray Dog (Akira Kurosawa, 1949) - I loved this film. A very-likely major influence on the noir procedural and the rookie/vet buddy cop thriller. Right up there with Kurosawa's best - Seven Samurai, Rashomon and Ran. While its phenomenal technical aspects warrant lengthy discussion, I was fascinated by the thematic layers and post-war setting, the analysis of the different paths taken by veterans - an emasculated and still-green homicide detective (Mifune, outstanding) tracks down an embittered and disillusioned thief/murderer through the unforgiving Tokyo underworld.

Clue (Jonathan Lynn, 1985) - So what's the consensus on Clue? It wasn't very well received initially, but I get the sense that could have had something to do with whichever ending was screened. Three different endings were distributed to cinemas, and the cinemas did not know which one they had. On home video, all of the endings play back-to-back, and a cult following has spawned. I found it to be a hilariously entertaining parody of the Agatha Christie-like cosy school mysteries. I love a good whodunit, and Lynn manages to match the immeasurable campness with intelligence and wit.

Dog Day Afternoon (Sidney Lumet, 1975) - With sweltering tension and stellar Pacino, Lumet tackles 70's paranoia, marginalized individuals and crime-fueled media circus.

-------- Essential Viewing --------