Monthly Movie Roundup

Dead Man's Shoes
Genre: Drama/Crime (2004)
Director: Shane Meadows
Starring: Paddy Considine, Gary Stretch, Toby Kebbell
Rating:
Comment: Very cool movie about an ex soldier that returns home and takes revenge on the gang that used to pick on his retarded brother. A lot better than what this simplistic plot may suggest.

Ghost Town
Genre: Comedy/Romance/Fantasy (2008)
Director: David Koepp
Starring: Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Téa Leoni
Rating:
Comment: A fresh new approach to the “I can see dead people”-concept. The whole thing kinda stands and falls with Gervais, the other actors don’t really add all that much to the movie. Funny, but not great.

Murderball
Genre: Documentary (2005)
Director: Henry Alex Rubin
Starring: Mark Zupan, Joe Soares
Rating:
Comment: Guys in wheelchairs playing rugby. Next time you catch yourself pitying a paraplegic just because he can’t walk, think of this.

Punisher: War Zone
Genre: Crime/Action (2008)
Director: Lexi Alexander
Starring: Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Colin Salmon
Rating:
Comment: Sometimes I am a little masochistic: despite hating the first Punisher movie, I still sat down and saw this. No plot and mediocre acting at best, but the ongoing carnage saved it from a one-star rating :)

Speed Racer
Genre: Action (2008)
Director: Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski
Starring: Emile Hirsch, John Goodman, Christina Ricci
Rating:
Comment: I’m a little ashamed to admit that I enjoyed this movie, and thoroughly so. Over two hours of fast-paced, action-infused eye candy. It won’t challenge your intellect, but it sure is a blast to watch.

The Deaths Of Ian Stone
Genre: Thriller/Horror (2007)
Director: Dario Piana
Starring: Mike Vogel, Jaime Murray
Rating:
Comment: I had actually seen this one before but totally forgot about it, which usually isn’t a very good sign. But it’s a really good movie that is tons of fun to watch – monsters getting addicted to feasting on people’s fear? Count me in!

The End Of America
Genre: Documentary (2008)
Director: Ricki Stern
Starring: -
Rating:
Comment: Writer Naomi Wolf draws disturbing parallels between the developments in the US since 9/11 and what has happened in Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Some analogies are a little stretched, but it makes you think nonetheless.

Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans
Genre: Action/Fantasy (2009)
Director: Patrick Tatopoulos
Starring: Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Rhona Mitra
Rating:
Comment: I’m haven’t been a big fan of the Underworld series, and the latest installment isn’t too impressive either. Fine as a midweek popcorn movie, but that’s about it.

Zack And Miri Make A Porno
Genre: Comedy/Romance (2008)
Director: Kevin Smith
Starring: Elizabeth Banks, Seth Rogen
Rating:
Comment: Very funny, unique and a little edgy. The love story seemed a bit mushy towards the end, but hey. It’s Kevin Smith so you know it’s good.


Double Recommendation: Slumdog Millionaire

Usually my movie recommendations just end up in the Monthly Movie Roundup (alongside my cinematic caveats), but I would like to single out Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire for two reasons. For one, it is a truly great movie with a fresh cast that tells a fantastic story that inspires a sense of wonder, and I did not want to let this movie go under amidst the other MMR entries.
Secondly – and more importantly – it has an outstanding soundtrack, an amazing blend of traditional Indian music and modern electronic dance elements. The opener O… Saya immediately takes you hostage and sends your mind on a journey through soundscapes so magnificent, yet unfamiliar to our western ears. Other highlights are the incredibly catchy Paper Planes (which you might have come across on the radio), the more traditional sounding Ringa Ringa and most definitely the breathtakingly beautiful Latika’s Theme.
I do not believe that Academy Awards are necessarily a reliable indicator for the quality of a movie, but in this case the ten Oscar nominations (including one for Best Score and two (!) for Best Song) are well deserved and I’d be very surprised not to see Slumdog Millionaire win a good portion of them. Jai Ho!