Sorry to say, this will be my last entry on the Situation Universe Website. I've decided to concentrate solely on my scriptwriting and filmmaking.
I've had fun slagging off shit movies and telling you about the great ones, but running a website can consume a lot of time.
If you want to watch any of my films, go to youtube
Thanks again for reading.
Friday 12 June 2009
Sunday 24 May 2009
Tuesday 19 May 2009
The Warriors
The Warriors
There are films that you remember from your youth which, when watched again as an adult, only serve to disappoint. The haircuts and the clothes are decades out of fashion and provoke a snort of laughter which destroys your suspended disbelief. The quality of the film is so poor next to your fancy Blu-Rays that your High definition television cracks when you press play. But, there are also films that have grown up with you.
Films that you can't help revisiting every couple of years because you loved them so much. Because of that, the ever-degrading quality is more subtle and forgivable. That's when you realise; It's not the film that's changed, it's you.
I remember the first time I discovered The Warriors. My uncle was friends with a local video shop owner and would often get old ex-rental videos for free. The tape on top of his latest stack of Betamax videos had a drawing of a crowd of people all facing front; some were wearing baseball outfits with painted faces, others had dungarees and roller skates on. Above them all, written in blood-like graffiti spatter, were the words 'The Warriors'.
The Warriors are a gang of young hoods from Coney Island identifiable by their maroon leather waistcoats. Along with many other colourful and contrasting gangs, they are invited to a meeting where an influential gang-leader called Cyrus tries to convince them to form one large gang (With 20,000 hardcore members). Someone in the crowd shoots Cyrus and in the commotion blames The Warriors.
As the gangs flee the scene, one of the Warriors is beaten to death. Word soon gets out to all the gangs that the Warriors killed Cyrus and they have to fight their way back home to Coney Island. Led by Swan (Michael Beck) they take on gangs such as the Turnbull AC's, the Baseball Furies and the all-female Lizzies.
It doesn't tackle any heavy subjects. It doesn't have any hidden depths. It doesn't even have any decent actors. It's because it lacks any of the pretentions of modern movies that makes it so enjoyable.
The characters are two dimensional. So what? The plot is paper thin. So what? These are all things that adults want to see in a film. When you're a kid, violent thugs do wear make-up and roller skates. The bad guys get what they deserve at the end and your heroes walk off into the sun blazed horizon. The dialogue may be cheesy, but you'll remember it like your own name. "Waw-ree-yurrrs, come out to play-ee-ay."
These are the films that you call your own. As soon as you think they're old and crap, take a look in the mirror and remember... they're younger than you.
Verdict 10/10
A slice of your life.
Watch out for the Tony Scott directed sequel/remake due out in 2010. Info.
There are films that you remember from your youth which, when watched again as an adult, only serve to disappoint. The haircuts and the clothes are decades out of fashion and provoke a snort of laughter which destroys your suspended disbelief. The quality of the film is so poor next to your fancy Blu-Rays that your High definition television cracks when you press play. But, there are also films that have grown up with you.
Films that you can't help revisiting every couple of years because you loved them so much. Because of that, the ever-degrading quality is more subtle and forgivable. That's when you realise; It's not the film that's changed, it's you.
I remember the first time I discovered The Warriors. My uncle was friends with a local video shop owner and would often get old ex-rental videos for free. The tape on top of his latest stack of Betamax videos had a drawing of a crowd of people all facing front; some were wearing baseball outfits with painted faces, others had dungarees and roller skates on. Above them all, written in blood-like graffiti spatter, were the words 'The Warriors'.
The Warriors are a gang of young hoods from Coney Island identifiable by their maroon leather waistcoats. Along with many other colourful and contrasting gangs, they are invited to a meeting where an influential gang-leader called Cyrus tries to convince them to form one large gang (With 20,000 hardcore members). Someone in the crowd shoots Cyrus and in the commotion blames The Warriors.
As the gangs flee the scene, one of the Warriors is beaten to death. Word soon gets out to all the gangs that the Warriors killed Cyrus and they have to fight their way back home to Coney Island. Led by Swan (Michael Beck) they take on gangs such as the Turnbull AC's, the Baseball Furies and the all-female Lizzies.
It doesn't tackle any heavy subjects. It doesn't have any hidden depths. It doesn't even have any decent actors. It's because it lacks any of the pretentions of modern movies that makes it so enjoyable.
The characters are two dimensional. So what? The plot is paper thin. So what? These are all things that adults want to see in a film. When you're a kid, violent thugs do wear make-up and roller skates. The bad guys get what they deserve at the end and your heroes walk off into the sun blazed horizon. The dialogue may be cheesy, but you'll remember it like your own name. "Waw-ree-yurrrs, come out to play-ee-ay."
These are the films that you call your own. As soon as you think they're old and crap, take a look in the mirror and remember... they're younger than you.
Verdict 10/10
A slice of your life.
Watch out for the Tony Scott directed sequel/remake due out in 2010. Info.
Saturday 16 May 2009
Role Models
Role Models
I know that I ceaselessly complain about the lack of decent comedy these days. How I'm always fondly reminiscing about the olden days when comedy was actually funny. When Leslie Nielsen was a king and Eddie Murphy was a genius. Back when Steve Martin's hair was white. You get the picture.
I'm still quietly hopeful that a film will emerge that will be consistently funny from beginning to end, making me laugh 'til I poop. As they say, opinions are like arseholes... they all stink of shit.
Danny Donohue (Paul Rudd) is disillusioned with life. He hates his job as an energy drink spokesman and wonders where he's headed. His defeatist attitude to life drives away his girlfriend Beth (Elizabeth banks) and ultimately leads to him having a meltdown.
At a school where he's promoting the energy drink with his care-free and care-less friend Wheeler (Seann William Scott), he gets into an argument with a tow-truck driver ending with them crashing into the school statue.
Danny and Wheeler are given the choice of a thirty days prison sentence or 150 hours community service. They opt for the community service as Wheeler protests they'll be raped in prison.
Their community service assignment is a Big-brothers styled program where they each must spend time with a troubled kid. Danny is teamed with Augie (Christopher Mintz Plasse); an oddball teen who likes nothing more than his live-action medieval role-playing games. Wheeler teams up with Ronnie (Bobb'e J. Thompson) a potty mouthed kid who likes boobies.
At first Danny and Wheeler are only interested in running down the hours, but they soon bond with the kids and learn things about themselves in the process. Danny learns to open up and enjoy life, whilst Wheeler realises the importance of forging real and lasting relationships.
Seann William Scott is always a safe pair of hands when it comes to comedy, especially playing a carbon copy of Stifler. Paul Rudd is solid as the straight man to foil Wheeler's antics. But it's neither them nor McLovin' that take centre stage here, the spotlight is squarely on little Ronnie. Bobb'e J. Thompson may be small but he gets the biggest laughs – All the best one liners come from him. Only thirteen years old and he acts everyone off the screen.
There's a healthy amount of laughs to be had here, but they're less than consistent with a few jokeless sections. The whole plot about Danny losing his girlfriend also doesn't feel plausible enough. Danny's miserable to the same degree before and after the split. Hey, at least they didn't end with Danny singing to her in front of hundreds of people. (Oh, wait. They did).
Verdict 7/10
A solid effort, better than most of it's contemporaries.
I know that I ceaselessly complain about the lack of decent comedy these days. How I'm always fondly reminiscing about the olden days when comedy was actually funny. When Leslie Nielsen was a king and Eddie Murphy was a genius. Back when Steve Martin's hair was white. You get the picture.
I'm still quietly hopeful that a film will emerge that will be consistently funny from beginning to end, making me laugh 'til I poop. As they say, opinions are like arseholes... they all stink of shit.
Danny Donohue (Paul Rudd) is disillusioned with life. He hates his job as an energy drink spokesman and wonders where he's headed. His defeatist attitude to life drives away his girlfriend Beth (Elizabeth banks) and ultimately leads to him having a meltdown.
At a school where he's promoting the energy drink with his care-free and care-less friend Wheeler (Seann William Scott), he gets into an argument with a tow-truck driver ending with them crashing into the school statue.
Danny and Wheeler are given the choice of a thirty days prison sentence or 150 hours community service. They opt for the community service as Wheeler protests they'll be raped in prison.
Their community service assignment is a Big-brothers styled program where they each must spend time with a troubled kid. Danny is teamed with Augie (Christopher Mintz Plasse); an oddball teen who likes nothing more than his live-action medieval role-playing games. Wheeler teams up with Ronnie (Bobb'e J. Thompson) a potty mouthed kid who likes boobies.
At first Danny and Wheeler are only interested in running down the hours, but they soon bond with the kids and learn things about themselves in the process. Danny learns to open up and enjoy life, whilst Wheeler realises the importance of forging real and lasting relationships.
Seann William Scott is always a safe pair of hands when it comes to comedy, especially playing a carbon copy of Stifler. Paul Rudd is solid as the straight man to foil Wheeler's antics. But it's neither them nor McLovin' that take centre stage here, the spotlight is squarely on little Ronnie. Bobb'e J. Thompson may be small but he gets the biggest laughs – All the best one liners come from him. Only thirteen years old and he acts everyone off the screen.
There's a healthy amount of laughs to be had here, but they're less than consistent with a few jokeless sections. The whole plot about Danny losing his girlfriend also doesn't feel plausible enough. Danny's miserable to the same degree before and after the split. Hey, at least they didn't end with Danny singing to her in front of hundreds of people. (Oh, wait. They did).
Verdict 7/10
A solid effort, better than most of it's contemporaries.
Friday 15 May 2009
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