It may be lazy criticism, but it’s impossible not to compare Tony Scott’s remake to the 1974 version and unfortunately it’s not a comparison that does this outing any favours. Back then,Walter Matthau and the gang were framed through some steady, drawn out shots with few stylistic additions by ‘King of Television’ Joseph Sargent and what emerged was a wonderfully taut character piece. It kept you riveted and even allowed you to forgive Robert Shaw his bizarre Dalek-voiced turn as head baddie. Here, however, Tony Scott leaps in with a full palette of directorial trickery, crash zooms, juddering edits. Whip-pans abound and it’s to the detriment of an already uneven script.
Monthly Archives: July 2009
NewsGush: All Hail The Stath!
3 CommentsJuly 16, 2009 – 10:15 am
Professional monkey-nut and all-round cockerney badass Jason Statham is cementing his rep as STS’ favourite actor with a raft of projects lined up over the next year, each apparently more ridiculous and fantastic than the last.
The Hurt Locker
1 CommentsJuly 15, 2009 – 3:20 pm
Having seemingly been in hiding following Harrison Ford clunker K-19, The Hurt Locker marks a welcome return to action for Katheryn Bigelow, with a true life account of Gulf War II based on Mark Boal’s book about bomb disposal experts. And it’s one of the director’s finest works. A loud and proud combat film that manages to inexorably link itself to Gulf War II, but remains fiercely apolitical, focusing on one small group of men and their mission. Here, bombs aren’t political tools – they’re volatile explosive devices- and this refusal to comment makes for some thrilling cinema.
Slashing The Seats Podcast One
2 CommentsJuly 14, 2009 – 11:34 pm
Following in the illustrious footsteps of Watch With Mothers, we at Slashing The Seats have recorded our first podcast!
We do our very best to stay on the topic of the best movie villains, however descend into the religious symbolism within Robocop, first year film students, a vast sci fi Scientologist / Conan conspiricy, and why Terminators have USB chips in their fingers.
It’s essentially around 45 minutes of slightly drunk Westcountry movie buffs talking amusing nonsense about films.
You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. Don’t forget to rate and review!
Slashing The Seats Podcast
NewsGush: Hammer Time
2 CommentsJuly 14, 2009 – 1:33 pm
More rumblings from the heavens over at Marvel studios today, as Queen of Space/Hitman’s assistant Natalie Portman joins the impressive looking cast for Kenneth Branagh’s Thor movie as Thor’s Earthly love interest, nurse Jane Foster.
