E-mail Subscription

Receive an e-mail notification of new posts on this site:

Vimu Subscription

Category Quick Links

Film & TV on DVD - John Doe News & Reviews

Greetings Film Fiends and welcome to John Doe's Film Blog. 30 years of dedicated celluloid obsession has meant that I have seen a few films. Drawing attention to some of the lesser discussed gems that I love. Cult classics, obscure curios and quality genre pictures. This blogs purpose is to translate some of my passion for these films and with luck, inspire you the reader to go check em out.

[ August 2008 ] [ October 2008 ]

Film & TV on DVD - September 2008

John Doe Goes Live on the Wireless

September 30th 2008 06:03

Welcome to the John Doe Radio Show

Testing, Testing...1,2,3

After years of toiling away online and developing a modest audience for JDMFilmReviews.com this creative outlet has finally opened up further opportunities for John Doe to do what he loves best, talk film.

Thanks have to go to our own Pop Culturist Mr Nice Guy whose surprising offer about a month ago facilitated JD’s transition to the radio waves. Airing on Tuesday Nights between 7.30pm-8pm on Hawkesbury Radio 89.9FM in Sydney Johnny has now been chatting on air for four consecutive weeks.

Utilising a 10 minute window your very own Doe voices his opinion on New Release films in Cinemas and on DVD. Posting a companion review for each new movie that he critiques the list so far consists of Tropic Thunder, Gone Baby Gone, The Godfather and Wall-E.

Obviously this is just a slice of shameless self promotion, so to be blunt - all those in the area please tune in tonight, where the topic will be an overview of the life and films of Paul Newman.

A quick note of appreciation to all the regular readers and visitors that have made this possible - Bryn, Cib, Morgan, Lilla, D Armenta, Damo, David, James Rickard, Dusk Devi, David O Connell, Nathan 1, Kylie W and many more (You know who you are)...Let the quest for world domination begin.

Turn on, Tune in and listen

285

Shared on

Comments (46)

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: JohnDoe - Category: Film News and Views

Email this Post to a Friend

John Doe remembers Paul Newman

September 30th 2008 02:07

Live fast, Die Old, Leave a legacy to be envied.

Newman in Somebody Up There Likes me

Paul Newman’s recent passing has left John Doe empty and despondent, this will be brief.

While the grim reaper of death has taken many notable stars in the last few years none have left the same void in JD’s life. (Aside from maybe Brando).

Forever Cool

A towering figure of effortless cool, malleable charm and human vulnerability, Newman’s presence in front of the camera was over whelming. His entrances unforgettable as the lens burnt his image onto celluloid. Carrying a maelstrom of vibrant activity this was a man whose smallest mannerism could be more captivating than a 100 million dollar pyrotechnical explosion.

Over the course 2 years posting Johnny D has managed to review several of Mr Newman’s films. Click on the title link to read his critique of Cool Hand Luke, The Hustler and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

The Hustler

Back in May 2007 Newman announced his retirement from acting. This was the occasion where JD decided to reflect on some of his personal favourite films by the Cool Handed, Fast Eddie Hud stud. Click HERE to read JD’s entire salute to Paul Newman’s filmography with quotes from the man himself.

The end of an era, what Newman represented as a performer, what he bought to the silver screen and what he gave in return for his fame is a body of work, a life that stands as an idealist existence.

More than just an actor, he was a humanitarian that embraced obstacles, devoted himself to every challenge and led an extraordinary life of speed, fame and compassion.

Paul Newman R.I.P

NB* Stay Tuned because Bryn from Horrorphile will make a special guest appearance on this site with his review of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Several Orblers have also expressed their own feeling on the death of Paul Newman, visit Blogging In America, Movies by Damsel and Idiot Boxers.

An early Paul Newman screentest opposite James Dean

An excerpt from a documentary about Newman's one true love, his wife Joanne Woodward

An interview Newman did at the time of his retirment

314

Shared on

Comments (32)

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: JohnDoe - Category: Film News and Views

Email this Post to a Friend

Wall-E (2008) - Trailer Included

September 24th 2008 00:01

Open the Pod Bay Doors Wall-E, I want more

In Australian Cinemas Now

Writer/Director: Andrew Stanton
Music: Thomas Newman
Voices: Ben Burtt, Sigourney Weaver, Jeff Garlin, John Ratzenberger, Fred Willard, Elissa Knight

Pixar studios are the modern day pantheon of animated feature films. Ever since the success of their first full length cinema event Toy Story in 1995 they have continued to raise expectations of what can be achieved through the medium.

The production houses latest achievement, WALL-E shatters any doubts that a manufactured reality can connect on an emotional level with audiences.

A marvel of pure visual storytelling harking back to the days of cinemas golden age, there is a nickelodeon pantomime quality to the characters that reminds the viewer of iconic silent comedians like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Setting this tone against a state of the art digital future makes for a charming and often dazzling cinema experience.

Wall E, EVE and that Cube

Welcome to earth, circa 2800. Mankind has destroyed its natural resources, human life can no longer be sustained. Forcing a total evacuation of the planet we have lived in outer space for 700 years.

All that remains on the surface post apocalypse is one lone robot named WALL-E (an acronymn for Waste Allocation Load Lifter-Earth-class.). Isolated and lonely, he continues to complete his prime directive, of cleaning up the endless trash left behind. Building towering structures from the compost bricks he makes, the landscape is now filled with high rise garbage piles.

Developing a personality all his own, over time WALL-E’s daily routine includes collecting relics and curios that he places in his lunchbox. They are symbols that intrigue his mechanised yearning for understanding. Most importantly though Wall-E craves companionship, a friend, someone he can share his time.

While endlessly rewatching an old VHS tape of the film Hello Dolly he comes to comprehend the nature of love and also recognises his own lonely plight.

Then one day, without warning the earth begins to shake, a deafening noise is heard and then a spaceship lands. From it emerges a sole probe droid, EVE (Extraterrestial Vegetation Evaluator) and Wall-E is immediately infatuated.

Wall E - The tin man with a heart

John Doe Says:
Poetically imaginative, by blending live action footage with CGI for the first time Pixar has created a work of artistic splendour. Delivering not only a touching and beautiful work, but also a classic science fiction film that can be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Solaris and 2001 A Space Odyssey.

Written and Directed by Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo) this romantic and tender film, bravely decides to make the opening 40 minutes virtually dialogue free. Endearing itself almost immediately with its simultaneous bleak scenario of optimism . Even later on the script remains sparse, preferring to show instead of tell its plot. This engages the mind, letting the audience assess and make conclusions on what they have seen. It also allows for a level of subtlety that has been missing from the genre till now.

The films messages are not rammed down your throat, the sentimentality is never vocalised and so we are left to take from it what we will. There is much about over reliance on technology, a disconnected society and the shape of things to come.

Due to the minamilist style of the action, Thomas Newman’s musical score has to lift us and carry us through, and it does. There is a magical nuance to the experience that comes largely down to his emotive melodic accompaniment. When combined with the ingenius sound FX that are pivotal to the miracle this film performs, it is the big budget experimental film.

Love across the universe

A bleak, alien atmosphere exudes from the opening shots and the cinematography throughout has a raw, naturalistic feel. (Something that many live action sci-fi’s fail at) The filmmakers actually consulted the Coen Brothers Director of Photography Roger Deakins, discussing the use of light and camera angle in order to shoot scenes to appear as if they were live action. The results are staggering, it takes all of about 5 minutes before you forget you are watching an artificial computer enhanced world.

Normally relying on big name stars to voice their characters, here Pixar has gone largely unknown save for the Axiom Ship’s voice of Sigorney Weaver (A clever twist on her parts in Galaxy Quest and Alien).

As Wall-E and numerous other robots we have Ben Burtt doing the vocals. Burtt is a highly respected and sought after sound FX guru who amongst others did sound design for the Indiana Jones and Star Wars films.

There is something very Joshua in War Games meets number 5 from Short Circuit about the leads mode of communication and it is endearing. There are also plenty of references to movies of the past, parallels between HAL in 2001 and AUTO being the most obvious. Keep your lens focused too because a lot of WALL-E’s toys in the background are easily recognisable. (Eg: Rex from Toy Story)

Going against the conventions in much the same way as E.T did for Alien invasion, here we have machines that act more human than the de-evolved humans. Instead of trying to take over the world or destroy it, the robots are our friends. JD is not a fan of animorphising in films, making animals talk, giving inanimate objects human characteristics, but here it won him over.

For John Doe this is Pixar’s greatest achievement (Though the Incredibles is still a close second), he cried, he laughed and he was awestruck. Tackling important issues with a steady hand, the way the story is told makes every scene intriguing. Piquing curiosity and inspiring thought, as the Hollywood Reporter said in their review, “the films one fault really is where does Pixar go from here after setting the bar so high.”

Truly a film for “Children of any age” the sense of wonderment and joy that comes from viewing is sublime.

It would be wrong to not also acknowledge the fabulous short “Presto” that precedes the film. A Looney Tune/Tex Avery style escapade of hijinx between a Magician and a bunny, JD was taken back to his childhood and giggled from the first frame to the last.

WALL-E Trailer