DaViD´82

Taxidermia is proof that even movie decadence can be beautiful in a rather twisted way. Unfortunately, the makers remained somewhere half way up the path and the result is a hybrid that is neither sufficiently extreme, nor sufficiently movie-like. Apart from the marvelous visuals, the first tale offers nothing and is just hollow filling. The second is actually absolutely outstanding to start of with, but after the excellent “sporty" into follows a less good ending and the whole thing just seems to fizzle out. Although the last tale is the most well-balanced of all, it isn’t enough to save to rather puzzling impression of a missed opportunity. You can’t deny that the makers had fresh ideas, excellent techs and very fine camerawork. All the same, I would expect rather more from such an ambitious project like this that just a movie that is more interesting than actually being of any quality.

In recent years German cinema has been making massive efforts and every year it manages to produce one or two really high quality pictures. The Lives of Others is just such a picture, mainly thanks to the topic they deal with. The very first scene when the theory of interrogating “subversives" is cut with a real interrogation is great. It is in these scenes where we learn how the Stasi worked and what methods it used that the picture is at its most powerful. Unfortunately, the makers relatively soon abandon this and continue in the style of a classic drama, not getting back onto the same rails we wanted the whole picture to run on until toward the end. I found the Gerd Wiesler character bewildering. Although Ulrich Mühe does a very good job, somehow I couldn’t understand from the movie why he starts behaving how he behaves from the very beginning of the interrogation and what motives led him to behave that way. Why does an unfeeling interrogation machine turn become a “good person"? From persuasion and realization, for love in just because he has the power? If I hadn’t read the official distributor’s text, I wouldn’t even know (and in my opinion what the distributor claims isn’t in the movie). Despite all of the above shortcomings, this is a picture worth watching. Although a chamber piece, it isn’t boring and it’s very well acted by all concerned. Added to that it has really effective music and camera, which shoots everything with faded and cold tones of color which is really atmospheric. In the end, this is almost a classic bugging thriller set in an interesting environment. But still I can’t help feeling that if the makers had kept the whole movie on the same wave as it was at the beginning, we would be looking at a much better movie altogether. But this way it isn’t at all disappointing, quite the opposite.

Salvation lies within. A marvelous, no, perfect adaptation of a story with the same title by Stephen King to the movie screen. A feature movie debut and one of the best movies in history. Everything here is perfect and of the highest possible quality. From unforgettable acting performances (for most involved these are the performances of their lives) through the director, the music, the camerawork... Simply everything without exception, thank you very much. There’s nothing to criticize here - everything is simply exactly as it should be. Ingenious, flawless, unforgettable and an captivating emotional experience. That’s The Shawshank Redemption for you.

The Last Action Hero is not funny enough for a comedy and not action-packed enough for an action movie. If this film had any potential, the filmmakers drowned it in an exorbitant running time. There are some good scenes, but far from enough in those more than two hours.

A great atmosphere, traditionally fantastic Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe, good tempo and the dialogues are almost unbelievably delicious. On the other hand, it has a needlessly overcomplicated screenplay. The Big Sleep is without a doubt one of the best classic film noir movies, but there are also other better ones. But at least one thing I have to admit: The beginning of the original trailer for The Big Sleep is priceless.

I’m grateful to Telecom/Télefonica O2 for getting rid of the telephone boxes from my neighborhood. I’m such a dummy that I also might pick up a forlorn call. Just that I’m in no way such a hot shot like Farrell. I’d be a darn piece of cake for “that guy". And for this movie is a piece of cake too because everything works as it should and practically all came out unprecedentedly well. Especially the atmosphere. Something that would be hard to find in a regular Prague phone booth.

The first series is an outstanding documentary with great ideas and lots of absolutely unique shots. Unfortunately, as time goes on, the makers begin to place their narration and exhibitionism over the stories of the animals themselves and the uniqueness gradually wore off and it turned into just another documentary. Still, the first six or so episodes are literally genius and if you have the chance to see them, don’t hesitate.

The creators probably liked the look of National Lampoon’s Christmas Adventure with the Griswold family and decided that they wanted to film a Christmas comedy like it. But a movie like that needs Christmas spirit and funny moments - neither of those were evident here. It is only bearable thanks to the reliable Jamie Lee Curtis and Aykroyd, otherwise it’s all terribly boring right from the start, sometimes even annoying.

A typical representative of the seventies disaster movie, but this one is two decades younger. Dante’s Peak has all the attributes that you would expect; the technical side is absolutely brilliant, even in today’s terms (one of the most impressive combinations of miniatures and CGI of the nineties), but also it takes too long to get going, has one-dimensional characters (luckily they don’t give us any wannabe funny characters, hi there Twister), an animal in distress and loads of sometimes more, sometimes less amusing clichés. It’s pleasant to watch, there are even some thrills, but don’t expect anything more than a relaxing watch. For the simple reason that there is nothing more than that to see here.

A very successful Shakespeare adaptation with excellent actors. I was pleasantly surprised by Mel Gibson, whom I had never ever before imagined playing the Prince of Denmark, but in fact he did an excellent job with the role of Hamlet. Along with Branagh, Zeffirelli is one of the few directors who know how to bring Shakespeare to the movie screen in a way that the end result doesn’t seem just like a recording of a theatre performance. But they manage to retain the spirit of the play. Slightly short of perfection, but even so, this Hamlet is a very respectable example of a Shakespeare movie.