Movies

Having decided I wasn't moving much on Saturday evening, I lined up a few movies. Here's some brief reviews...

If... McDowell plays a schoolboy (Mick Travis) at a public (ie private for the rest of us) school, he and his mates don't fit in. Initally focussing on school traditions and power structure, the movie emphasises how the radicalism of Mick will create conflict with the 'Whips'. There's a number of reviews out there emphasising the surrealism of the movie, possible for it's time yes, and certainly later in the film, yes. But the first half, things seemed reasonably linear. Mick's activities seemed designed to torment tradition and establishment, setting the movie nicely as 'anti-establishment'. The choice of school was a good move too. The surrealism and general schoolboy anti-establishment fantasy kicks in during the second half when an arms cache is found. I enjoyed this, apparently it had an X rating when first released, showing how far we've come (what would they have made of Elephant?, similar in subject...) for ratings. Not hugely thought provoking, but excellent story, acting etc and worth watching. I do think McDowell was typecast after this tho'....

The Human Centipede I guess it comes as no surprise that I watched this. Mad german scientist, initially joining three dogs together, decided to move onto people. Annoying American chicks get kidnapped, along with an asian truck driver. Madness ensues. The movie has created a lot of comment in the press recently, for its apparent gross-out factor. Meh. It's a bgrade, dialogue isn't too bad, scripting and pacing is reasonably good, there's plot holes aplenty - but for all that the movie does try to be original. Which, in general, I think it achieves. It's not very disturbing (yeah that maybe me...), and when the evil doctor is crippled by the 'pede so begins one of the slowest chase scenes I've seen. Great stuff. I found it all quite funny. Your mileage may vary.

Anvil: The Story of Anvil Decided to rewatch this. It's such a sweet doco, you can't help but feel for Lips and Anvil. So trusting, and still trying to live the dream. They do make Spinal Tap seem irrelevant, and possibly too subdued. If you haven't seen it, and want an incredibly engaging story of two school mates taking on the world, and largely, failing - but with each other, go watch this.