MovieFest

• Oldboy, 2003 • 9.6/10 • 'Oldboy' is one of the most intense movies you will ever see. Breathtaking, brutal and easily one of the best revenge movies ever made. Every shot is bursting with background detail and wonderful colour. The screenplay is probably one of the best I have ever seen. The acting is amazing, especially Choi as the main protagonist Dae-su Oh. All the actors did great but his performance was powerful, emotional and raw (all you need to do is see the infamous squid scene). I also highly commend Ji-tae Yu, he put in a spectacularly believable performance as the sadistic and very lonely Woo-jin Lee. Chan-wook Park gives this movie a very unique style with his subliminal direction and his extremely intelligent and edgy script. It will leave you guessing right up until the very end whilst simultaneously making you think and question your moral compass! Must see! Thoughts??

 • Akira, 1988 • 8.5/10 • Katsuhiro Otomo co-wrote the screenplay of Akira and also directed this 1988 adaptation of his much-loved 1980s-era manga (comic book). When it arrived in America, it became a cult classic and introduced our Western audiences to anime, a genre that remains extremely popular to this day. Akira is extraordinarily dense and enormously complicated, and things like story and characters tend to go out the window in favor of cosmic ideas, mysteries, bizarre imagery, and astounding levels of violence. It takes full advantage of the animated medium with its sheer imagination and intensity. Considering I saw this for the first time two days ago, time has not yet dulled the sheer impact of the work, and the level of detail, movement, and fluidity is still highly impressive. It's still essential viewing for anyone who loves anime!

• Moon, 2009 • 9/10 • 'Moon' is one the best (independent) Sci-Fi flicks I have seen in a very long time. It puts a relatable human touch on an intriguing and deep sci-fi story that explores loneliness to a T. Sam Rockwell puts on an emotionally spellbinding performance as Sam Bell, and Kevin Spacey's monotonous GERTY voice-over is eery and excellent. I rarely come across movies that have me so engrossed and intrigued from beginning to end. Some may say the film starts off slowly, but I found the first half hour to be an important and gripping portrayal of what it would mean to be alone in space, without it, the movie would not be as effective. As a film fanatic who is not really a sci-fi buff, I would recommend this flick to anybody who wants to see a movie that will take over their lives for a whole 97 minutes and leave you thinking of how beautifully layered it was hours after. P.S - I really do love it when independent films with small budgets and minimal e...

• MovieFest Marathon #10 • Dog Day Afternoon, 1975 • 10/10 • 'Dog Day Afternoon' has a very simple premise, two guys rob a bank, but everything that can go wrong, does. Simple premise, perfectly executed. From the get-go your completely enticed, and for the remaining 2 hours of the film it fails to let that grip go, keeping you enthralled to the very end. The script, direction, screenplay, dialogue and score were all sublime. Everything about this film screams entertainment, especially knowing everything that happened here, is pretty much true. Al Pacino is mesmerising. If u thought he was spectacular in GF I, II, and Scarface....then just watch him in Dog Day Afternoon. Quite simply one of the greatest performances in movie history. Definitely my favorite of his. The depth and energy with which he plays Sonny is such a treat to watch that I lost count of how many times he left me in AWE. This is definetly Al's film, and probably my favourite performance of his, ...

• MovieFest Marathon #9 • Full Metal Jacket, 1987 • 8.2/10 • Although this is a film about the Vietnam War, it could just as easily be about recent events. The ugly realities of war, and what soldiers have to endure before they even get there, are a timeless theme, and 'Full Metal Jacket' looks at the whole picture. There isn't really a lot of plot -- the soldiers go from training to war and they fight for their lives -- but the relationships among the men and the extremity of the situation they're in are riveting. The film captures both the excitement and the tedium of war, but ultimately loses something by not having a stronger storyline and a stronger leading man. Modine is a good actor, but he is something of a cipher here. We don't know enough about him to care deeply for him, but he's the moral center of the film. It's a well-made film that is powerful and still relevant, but it somehow doesn't quite deliver what it seems it could. P.S - I...

• MovieFest Movie Marathon • Spirited Away, 2002 • 10/10 • This is a thrilling, spectacularly beautiful movie, filled with imagination, amazing animation, wonder and plenty of wit. 'Spirited Away' is an edgy portrayal of what a young girl needs to do in order to grow up and take responsibility for more than herself. Chihiro fights Yubaba, she rescues Haku and aids a wounded spirit, triumphing where others do not because she is not sidetracked by (the ample temptations of) greed. Beautiful animation, beautiful story, beautiful score, this film is 100% beautiful! Must see!

• MovieFest Movie Marathon #7 • Little Miss Sunshine, 2006 • 8.5/10 • A winning obsessed father with a heart of gold, looking to sell his "9-Step" program. A beleaguered mother with unflagging hope in her daughter's potential. Her troubled, homosexual brother, fresh out of the hospital after a suicide attempt. A Nietzsche-obsessed brother who has taken a vow of silence until he becomes a pilot. A porn-ogling, foul-mouthed grandfather regretful of having "not fucked a lot of women" in his lifetime, and a precocious little girl determined to be the winner of the titular pageant. What a family! 'Little Miss Sunshine' is a 'quirky' road-trip comedy where the standard-issue dysfunctional family bonds and learns an Important Lesson at the denouement. It's also laugh-out-loud funny, brilliantly acted, perfectly written and genuinely moving (the climax made me want to laugh, cry, and cheer, all at the same time). The feature debut of husband...

• MovieFest Movie Marathon #6 • Apocalypse Now • 9.3/10 • This intense, potent film is infamous for Coppola's over-budget and over-schedule process. Can you believe, the six-week shoot ultimately took 16 months! The project was plagued by problems. Coppola shot nearly 200 hours of film and took almost three bloody years to edit the project. Despite multiple glitches in the process, the final product is a gripping and incredibly disturbing image of the murkiness of war and the depths of human depravity. Apocalypse features some of the best performances I have ever seen. Sheen, Fishburne, Booth, Bottoms and Forrest were all sensational. Robert Duvall gives a disturbing performance as Lieutenant Kilgore, a man who finds surfing and combat compatible activities and the character credited with one of the films most famous lines, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning." All in all, what a spectacle! The score, cinematography, editing, absolutely everything was sen...

• MovieFest Movie Marathon #5 • Airplane • 8.7/10 • Without a doubt, this movie reigns as king of all '80s parody films and it still even beats most others to this day. Leslie Nielsen, Robert Stack, and Lloyd Bridges appear to enjoy portraying characters that lampoon their previous dramatic roles (like Naked Gun). And, although the dialogue and references will appeal mainly to adults, sight gags such as the jive-talking granny and exchanges such as, "Surely you can't be serious?" "I am serious ... and don't call me Shirley," will have families rolling on the floor. Along the way, Airplane! mixes embarrassingly obvious puns and sight gags with surprisingly quick-witted knocks at everyday airport/airplane situations. All in all, I'm glad I finally watched this. Like a fine wine, only gets better with age! P.s - Who loves the ridiculous backgrounds behind Kramer's driving? 😂

MovieFest Movie Marathon #4 • Raging Bull, 1980 • 10/10 • Director Martin Scorsese uses gorgeous black-and-white photography to evoke the time period. But, that barely covers up the mean, modern stuff, from the language and behavior to the ferocious fight sequences. On top of everything, the performances set a new standard for American movies and actors, with Robert De Niro famously gaining 60 pounds over the course of the production for his character. The acting was phenomenal, De Niro is on another level (scenes where he resites material for his stand-up, shows how talented he really is.) Pesci was just born to act, every thing he does turns to pure gold. I really can't commend his performance enough, I love him! What a career debut from Cathy Moriarty, before this she had never acted before, Pesci found her in a nightclub and casting director Cis Corman gave her two weeks of training before she met Scorsese and De Niro. Lucky woman, what a first film! I h...

• MovieFest Movie Marathon #3 • Dazed And Confused • 8/10 • 'Dazed And Confused' is your typical coming of age high-school dramedy. Just like nowadays, only 42 years later, it follows a group of rowdy teenagers celebrating there last day of school. The funny thing is, when you think about it, what's changed? 42 years down the line and the social groups in school/college are exactly the same. For example, you always have some big kid picking on a little kid, wether that be girl or boy. Though conflicts do arise, the film does not let such serious moments complicate the good time these youngens experience. I loved that every time something bad happened -- Affleck and his bullies hazing freshman -- it was switched up so the bullies became the bullied, and that for me, kinda made it feel more like a light-hearted version of 'Stand By Me!' The acting was fresh, soundtracks were amazing and the realism was there. Ben Affleck and Mathew McConaughey with them mul...

• MovieFest Movie Marathon #2 • North By Northwest • 8.7/10 • • Sure to entertain viewers with even the most diverse of tastes, the film is a true cinematic pleasure with an impressive pedigree (you wouldn't expect any less with Hitchcock behind it). North by Northwest is consistently light and comic. Some sort of silly comment or joke relieves even the tensest scene. Cary Grant is superb as Thornhill. The character demands large tonal shifts, from mama's boy to suave sophisticate, from terrified man on the run to indignant pawn of the government, and Grant pulls it all off convincingly. Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) is a perfect foil for Thornhill's man under pressure. She's cool and mysterious, leaving Thornhill unsure of whether to trust her for much of their time together. Deffo a must see for any true movie lover, what an experience! • #northbynorthwest #alfredhitchcock #thriller #drama #comedy #classic #cine #movielover #careygrant #evamariesaint #jamesmaso...

• MovieFest Movie Marathon #1 • The Usual Suspects • 9/10 • 'The Usual Suspects' is a typical favorite "guy movie" for its cool crook-talk dialogue (filled with swearing) and breathtaking twist at the end. It is a transfixing, convoluted film noir thriller that forces you to think through events and in the end still leaves you questioning everything you was led to believe. My favourite part about the film (bar Kevin Spacey) is that there's no "good" guys, there all just as bad as each other in there own twisted ways, and for me, that paints a pretty picture of a violent world. The plot was intriguing, the score was perfect, the dialogue was witty, smart and filled with F-Bombs and the whole cast were sensational. The man who stole the show.... obviously Spacey and my short-lived favourite was Benicio Del Toro! 1st movie of the #MovieFestMarathon ✅ #theusualsuspects #bryansinger #kevinspacey #beniciodeltoro #gabrielbyrne #stephenbaldwin #kevinpol...

Ok cinephiles... I have just spent a good couple of hours putting this list together. Here are 24 films that I have always wanted to see but never got around to experiencing. So, I thought why not set myself a little challenge, a movie marathon if you will. I'm going to give myself 30 days from today to watch and review every one of these films: • It Happened One Night - Frank Capra • Full Metal Jacket - Stanley Kubrick • Apocalypse Now - Frances Ford Coppola • Amores Perros - Inarritu • 2001: A Space Odyssey - Stanley Kubrick • Lost Highway - David Lynch • The Usual Suspects - Bryan Singer • My Left Foot - Jim Sheridan • North By Northwest - Alfred Hitchcock • The Third Man - Carol Reed • Dog Day Afternoon - Sidney Lumet • The Elephant Man - David Lynch • Spirited Away - Hayao Miyazaki • Rushmore - Wes Anderson • The Birds - Alfred Hitchcock • Airplane - David Zucker, Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams • Little Miss Sunshine - Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris • W...