Just finished watching the classic that is Casino. I watched some of it as a 9/10 year old and funnily enough i only remember one short scene from the film.
Having invested 3 hours into the film, i felt i should give it a write-up.
The film follows the supposedly true story of a couple of men who get into the Casino business and eventually crack up under the pressure of extortion, corruption and domestic strife.
Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci play the two main characters, whilst Sharon Stone plays the former's wife, a crackhead whose only interest is trying to manipulate those around her. Every attempt at doing so, however, leads her further and further into a pit of dark depression - built on cocaine and alcohol.
The aforementioned actors give fantastic performances, i actually ended up hating the characters played by Pesci and Stone, something i don't normally do whilst watching films.
All in all, i felt that the storyline involving the infidelity and domestic problems was a bit too uninteresting for my liking though it did lead to the finale so i suppose it served its purpose.
Score: 8.5/10
Saturday, 26 July 2008
Friday, 25 July 2008
The end of Arrested Development..and Hancock
Hey there.
Literally just finished watching the final episode of Arrested Development, perhaps the best comedy on television.
Personally i felt the last series (the 3rd of 3 series) had an undertone of negativity or self-awareness about it. It was clear in a few episodes that the actors/staff knew the show was coming to an end because of Fox's idiotic decision to cancel the show after 13 episodes. The result was a more sombre show. Sure, some of the latter episodes (particuarly the penultimate one) are great but those containing the 'Mr F' storyline - involving the gorgeous Charlize Theron playing a retarded 30 something year-old - felt very poorly written and somewhat self-depricating in terms of the overall show. It was perhaps because these episodes focussed on Michael and Rita's relationship and impending (ruined) wedding, and not the rest of the family which was where the show's strengths lay.
All in all, it's sad that the show has ended, it was nice to see Onyong (not sure how that's spelt) make a surprise appearance and of course Ron Howard, executive producer make an in-joke aimed at the concept of Arrested Development. Thankfully a movie is rumoured to be in the works so i can only hope that it represents everything that's great about the show. The quick-wit, dry satire and wordplay.
As for Hancock, which i saw last night, i am in two minds about it.
On one hand, Jason Bateman's character (Bateman stars in Arrested Development) is played well. The audience sympathises with him and we see that he is an honest man, trying to do well at his job and provide for his wife and son. Playing his wife was a very hot-looking Charlize Theron who managed to look even hotter in the latter scenes. These were the two plus points about the film, as well as the cleverly implemented in-jokes referring to Arrested Development, which i was happy to acknowledge.
The downside was the plot. Sure, superhero movies aren't supposed to be realistic but i felt Bateman's inclusion in the film handed it an air of realism or currency about it. It felt like the film could have happened in modern times and that the storyline could have been credible. The backstory behind the main twist, however, completely threw me off completey and i was quite letdown. I won't spoil it for anyone but i will say that the backstory involved people living in the year 1000BC and this mention threw any reasonable viability about the fantastical characters out the window. I can appreciate fictional background stories but the way it was presented - semi serious - made me laugh more than it made me feel for the characters.
The ending was okay; Bateman's character saves Hancock, his wife survives a near-fatal attack and Hancock himself fights crime in New York.
The action scenes are fantastic to watch, and the acting in most places is respectable - especially in Bateman's case whereby he pretty much revives his Michael Bluth character from Arrested Development - but the over the top ideas that were tossed about in the imagining of the superheros and their history together spoilt what could have been a 'great' film.
Score: 6.7/10
Literally just finished watching the final episode of Arrested Development, perhaps the best comedy on television.
Personally i felt the last series (the 3rd of 3 series) had an undertone of negativity or self-awareness about it. It was clear in a few episodes that the actors/staff knew the show was coming to an end because of Fox's idiotic decision to cancel the show after 13 episodes. The result was a more sombre show. Sure, some of the latter episodes (particuarly the penultimate one) are great but those containing the 'Mr F' storyline - involving the gorgeous Charlize Theron playing a retarded 30 something year-old - felt very poorly written and somewhat self-depricating in terms of the overall show. It was perhaps because these episodes focussed on Michael and Rita's relationship and impending (ruined) wedding, and not the rest of the family which was where the show's strengths lay.
All in all, it's sad that the show has ended, it was nice to see Onyong (not sure how that's spelt) make a surprise appearance and of course Ron Howard, executive producer make an in-joke aimed at the concept of Arrested Development. Thankfully a movie is rumoured to be in the works so i can only hope that it represents everything that's great about the show. The quick-wit, dry satire and wordplay.
As for Hancock, which i saw last night, i am in two minds about it.
On one hand, Jason Bateman's character (Bateman stars in Arrested Development) is played well. The audience sympathises with him and we see that he is an honest man, trying to do well at his job and provide for his wife and son. Playing his wife was a very hot-looking Charlize Theron who managed to look even hotter in the latter scenes. These were the two plus points about the film, as well as the cleverly implemented in-jokes referring to Arrested Development, which i was happy to acknowledge.
The downside was the plot. Sure, superhero movies aren't supposed to be realistic but i felt Bateman's inclusion in the film handed it an air of realism or currency about it. It felt like the film could have happened in modern times and that the storyline could have been credible. The backstory behind the main twist, however, completely threw me off completey and i was quite letdown. I won't spoil it for anyone but i will say that the backstory involved people living in the year 1000BC and this mention threw any reasonable viability about the fantastical characters out the window. I can appreciate fictional background stories but the way it was presented - semi serious - made me laugh more than it made me feel for the characters.
The ending was okay; Bateman's character saves Hancock, his wife survives a near-fatal attack and Hancock himself fights crime in New York.
The action scenes are fantastic to watch, and the acting in most places is respectable - especially in Bateman's case whereby he pretty much revives his Michael Bluth character from Arrested Development - but the over the top ideas that were tossed about in the imagining of the superheros and their history together spoilt what could have been a 'great' film.
Score: 6.7/10
Thursday, 17 July 2008
Post- E3 Analysis, Ricky Gervais and eBay
Hey.
Since the last blog update (i can't for the life of me remember when that was), E3 has come and passed. For those of you who don't know what E3 is, it's basically the biggest event in the gaming calendar, whereby the world's biggest developers amass into various convention centres in Los Angeles and reveal bits of news about upcoming games.
Little to note about the Microsoft event, other than them announcing Final Fantasy XIII is coming to the 360, having been a big Sony title for decades. Alas, i don't care about Final Fantasy so this is a moot point. Sony revealed...well nothing really. A huge 256-man online combat game which interests me about as much as...well...i don't care.
Nintendo showed off a generic update to the Wii Sports/Play package with Wii Sports: Resort and Wii Music, the former being a variety of summer based mini games including jetskiing. Who said the Wii was just for kids! Other than that, a new Guitar Hero and new Animal Crossing, they also confirmed a new GTA game for the DS, though whether or not it'll be fully 3D and fully free-roam i very much doubt. I look forward to seeing more from that title though.
I'll be looking at the FIFA 09 and Smackdown vs Raw 2009 games when i can but other than that, nothing much else to say on that front.
I did some extra shifts this week and had a lot of fun with fellow colleagues there. I've got some more shifts booked for next week as well.
My New Manchester United 2008/09 Away shirt should be arriving tomorrow, and various games/HD DVDs should also be coming (fingers crossed) so i'll comment on those when they come.
Be safe, and check back soon.
Since the last blog update (i can't for the life of me remember when that was), E3 has come and passed. For those of you who don't know what E3 is, it's basically the biggest event in the gaming calendar, whereby the world's biggest developers amass into various convention centres in Los Angeles and reveal bits of news about upcoming games.
Little to note about the Microsoft event, other than them announcing Final Fantasy XIII is coming to the 360, having been a big Sony title for decades. Alas, i don't care about Final Fantasy so this is a moot point. Sony revealed...well nothing really. A huge 256-man online combat game which interests me about as much as...well...i don't care.
Nintendo showed off a generic update to the Wii Sports/Play package with Wii Sports: Resort and Wii Music, the former being a variety of summer based mini games including jetskiing. Who said the Wii was just for kids! Other than that, a new Guitar Hero and new Animal Crossing, they also confirmed a new GTA game for the DS, though whether or not it'll be fully 3D and fully free-roam i very much doubt. I look forward to seeing more from that title though.
I'll be looking at the FIFA 09 and Smackdown vs Raw 2009 games when i can but other than that, nothing much else to say on that front.
I did some extra shifts this week and had a lot of fun with fellow colleagues there. I've got some more shifts booked for next week as well.
My New Manchester United 2008/09 Away shirt should be arriving tomorrow, and various games/HD DVDs should also be coming (fingers crossed) so i'll comment on those when they come.
Be safe, and check back soon.
Friday, 11 July 2008
The new house
Hello.
Since my last blog entry, i have moved into a new student house, bought an HDTV and things have changed dramatically.
The new house is equidistant in terms of distance to the uni campus, though it will take an extra 10 minutes or so to get to work. I now live closer to Tesco and the gym, though this was not that big a factor when i was deciding on places to live.
The people i'm living with are all foreign; one is Japanese, another is from the Czech Republic and there are two are girls - orientals i believe - so socialising with them seems to be a bit of a big ask and i don't know how well we will communicate with one another.
My new setup - 360, laptop and HDTV - is rather swish. The HDTV looks very nice and games look more 'shiny'?
Leaving the former house, and saying goodbye to the people you've been living with for the last 10 or so months is hard to do. I'm coping at the moment but the change in location, change in facitilies and the lack of familiar people in the vicinity makes things feel very strange right now.
I'm debating whether or not to get a tv license but in the meantime i have work to look forward to, tomorrow and Sunday.
Bye for now.
Since my last blog entry, i have moved into a new student house, bought an HDTV and things have changed dramatically.
The new house is equidistant in terms of distance to the uni campus, though it will take an extra 10 minutes or so to get to work. I now live closer to Tesco and the gym, though this was not that big a factor when i was deciding on places to live.
The people i'm living with are all foreign; one is Japanese, another is from the Czech Republic and there are two are girls - orientals i believe - so socialising with them seems to be a bit of a big ask and i don't know how well we will communicate with one another.
My new setup - 360, laptop and HDTV - is rather swish. The HDTV looks very nice and games look more 'shiny'?
Leaving the former house, and saying goodbye to the people you've been living with for the last 10 or so months is hard to do. I'm coping at the moment but the change in location, change in facitilies and the lack of familiar people in the vicinity makes things feel very strange right now.
I'm debating whether or not to get a tv license but in the meantime i have work to look forward to, tomorrow and Sunday.
Bye for now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)