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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.

In Cinemas Coming Soon - Film & TV on DVD

Coming Soon: March 2008 Australian Cinema Releases

March 2nd 2008 00:00

Australian Cinema Releases: March 2008

As usual this is not a comprehensive list of all the films released in Aussie Cinemas this month. Instead it’s a compilation of big screen arrivals that have an element of interest for John Doe.

Paranoid Park released March 2008

March 6th

Gus Van Sant’s Paranoid Park
Director Gus Van Sant (Elephant, Drugstore Cowboy) continues his exploration of the subversive, segregated and misunderstood within society. Johnny D was utterly spellbound by Elephant and the trailer makes this look like it may explore some similar themes.

Richard Attenborough’s Closing the Ring
The latest film from Director Richard Attenborough (Ghandi) stars Pete Postlewaite (Usual Suspects), Shirley MacLaine (The Apartment), Christopher Plummer (Triple Cross) and Neve Campbell (Panic). Not receiving much press, let’s just hope the trailers ending schmaltzy tune is an exception to the rule of the film.

Sharkwater
A documentary that looks to demolish the mythology of these dominant finned predators, the footage in the trailer glimpses at a unique perspective.

March 13th

Gillian Armstrong’s Death Defying Acts
Neither Guy Pearce nor Catherine Zeta-Jones-Douglas do much for JD but it is the name Gillian Armstong (My Brilliant Career, Oscar and Lucinda) that peaks the curiosity. It could go either way but with Harry Houdini involved it may be tricky to avoid checking it out.

The Other Boleyn Girl
Natalie Portman (Leon The Professional) is Anne Boleyn and Scarlett Johansson (GhostWorld) plays Mary Boleyn feuding for the affections of Henry Tudor (Eric Bana). Waiting for DVD on this one.

The other boleyn girl released March 2008

Vantage Point
Taking Kurosawa’s much utilised Rashmon multiple perspectives of one event sounds good for an espionage thriller. Hope the Director does a better job than De Palma did with Snake Eyes.

Vantage Point released March 2008

March 20th

Michel Gondry’s Be Kind Rewind
Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine on the Spotless Mind) always delivers quirky laughs and this one sounds just crazy enough to work.

Brick Lane
This looks like an affecting journey into a human experience seldom seen in the west.

Brick Lane released March 2008

Dr Suess’ Horton Hears a Who
This is one I will definitely wait to hear what the jungle drums say first before stepping into a dark theatre…I still have nightmares about the atrocities of Ron Howard’s Grinch, bbbbrrrrrrr shudder bbbbbbrrrrrrr.

Horton Hears A Who out March 2008

Sidney Lumet’s Before the Devil Knows Your Dead
Director Sidney Lumet the man who bought us Dog Day Afternoon and the original 12 Angry Men teams with Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Happiness, Boogie Nights) and Ethan Hawke (Tape, Before Sunset) for a heist thriller, count JD in.

March 27

Get Some aka Never Back Down
New kid at school gets hassled by karate chopping bully. Bully's girlfriend likes new kid. Severe beating ensues. New kid decides to learn to throw hands and finds an easily accessible Sensei. New kid and Bully must face off in the "fight club" ring.
From the trailer this looks like a karate Kid remake, feels like a karate kid remake, even smells like a Karate Kid remake…At least they didn’t call it the Karate Kid because one Daniel sun is enough. “Your the best, around…” (screeching)

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Australian Cinema Releases - November 2007

November 5th 2007 00:01

Australian Cinema Releases - 2007

Poster for David Lynch's Latest

Like the DVD list, this is not a complete rundown of all titles, just the ones that have piqued John Doe’s interest.

November 8

30 Days of Night
Read the Horrorphile review of this vampire thriller HERE
Here’s collection of clips from the film with a little background info on the history of bloodsucker mythology.

Rogue
Read the Horrorphile review for the killer croc film HERE
Take a look at the trailer, it could be a fun ride

November 15

Gabriel
A Supernatural Aussie Actioner that shows promising Dark City visual style and was partly edited by Orble’s own Yoda.

Inland Empire
David Lynch’s latest opus has met mixed reviews (as do all his works) but still the promise of ambiguous storytelling from an obtuse viewpoint has John Doe anticipating something trippy and unique.

An Old Mistress
Starring Asia Argento this 'Dangerous Liaisons' type story looks lavish and dramatic.

November 22

Angel
Legendary French Director Francois Ozon’s (Swimming Pool) lush European drama looks opulent by design and engaging in its cinematic techniques.
The Trailer

Rescue Dawn
The single minded warped genius of Director Werner Herzog teams with Christian Bale and Steve Zahn for an inspired by a true story tale of survival in the Vietnam War.
Watch interviews with cast and crew, includes behind the scenes footage.

Halloween
Rob Zombie’s remake inexplicably was held back past October 31st and though it won’t touch the original does look like it has could excite.

Rendition
Jake Gylenhaaul stars in this examination of the war crimes interrogation and abduction techniques of the allies.

Joshua
John Doe is a big Sam Rockwell (Safe Men, Lawn Dogs, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind) fan and that’s the main atrtraction. The story resembles The Bad Seed and later offspring is a devil films.

We own the Night
This one could go either way Joaquin Phoenix is in it (A good thing) but so is Marky Mark (Not so good). A crime drama about the one man’s struggle to save his family from ties to the Russian Mafia.

November 29
Into the Wild
Sean Penn returns to the Directors chair (Indian Runner, The Pledge) for this beautifully shot emotional journey of a disenchanted youth searching for his right of passage in the Alaskan wilderness. Based on a true story, this has the potential to be one of the highlights of the year.

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Quentin Tarantino’s DeathProof (2007) – Trailer Included

October 4th 2007 06:15

A high powered box office death machine?

John Doe’s trip to the U.S of A was filled with visits to cinematic landmarks and the odd historical monument but the greatest pleasure derived from the journey was access to DVD’s currently unavailable in Australia. Due for a bigscreen release in Oz on November 1st JD was lucky enough to grab the 2 disc unrated Special Edition of Mr Tarantino’s latest schlock celluloid salute.

The Poster

Writer/Director:Quentin Tarantino
Starring:Rose McGowan, Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Sydney Poitier, Tracie Thoms, Vannessa Ferlito, Zoe Bell, Eli Roth, Jordan Ladd

“I'm not a cowboy, Pam... I'm a stuntman.” – Stuntman Mike

Constructed on a foundation of sexual and violent, high concept exploitation, the Grindhouse cinema of the 1970’s was meant to entertain a small band of sicko’s and repel the masses. Generally a single warped concept created an eye catching poster that low budget filmmakers penned a script around. Often screening as a double bill at the drive-in these were genre pictures that were propelled by an inventive combination of subversive button pushing and striking pop culture imagery.

Tarantino’s Death-Proof fits snugly into this classic mold and unashamedly salutes the actual speed automotive destruction gems like Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry and Vanishing Point which are cited in the script on several occasions. Taking elements of The Hitcher this is the story of Stuntman Mike’s (Kurt Russell) reign of twisted metal terror.
“Hey, Pam, remember when I said this car was death proof? Well, that wasn't a lie. This car is 100% death proof. Only to get the benefit of it, honey, you REALLY need to be sitting in my seat.” – Stuntman Mike

In typical fashion the plot is simple, 3 sexually extroverted female victims are heading away to daddy’s lakehouse but are sidetracked by booze and boys. Inebriating themselves at a bar and flaunting their wares, enter the psychopathic thrill seeker with a muscle car reinforced to become “Death-Proof”.

Soon blood will drip down the windscreen, black tyre marks are left on the asphalt as lust and desire are mutilated into a sick display of mechanical prowess. But that’s only half the story with the next 45 minutes seeing the tables turned when a new set of girls make the hunter into prey.
“It was a fifty fifty shot on whether you'd be going left or right. You see we're both going left. You could have just as easily been going left, too and if that was the case... It would have been a while before you started getting scared. But since you're going the other way, I'm afraid you're gonna have to start getting scared... immediately!” – Stuntman Mike

The striking Colourful femmes - just get out and have a drink

John Doe Says:
Sure this a misogynistic, sexist empty vessel that reeks of petrol fumes but that’s the point. For those who dig the old school style chase films with CG free death defying driving work and a genuine fear that someone may die for the good of the shot look no further.

The benchmark aimed for here may be low in some eyes, but it’s easy to enjoy the dialogue heavy affair that takes its time meeting the ultimate destination of 4 wheel, big block engine mayhem and revenge.

Moving one of his chess pieces

Directed with obvious relish, Its easy to see that “T” is in his element bringing much of his trademark shtick to bare ahead of tension or excitement. The opening 30 minutes are spent with little attention to the villain and instead focus on hip repartee between the potential targets of disaster.

An eclectic soundtrack propels the visuals. Unashamedly tacky sexploitation replaces character and story development, frames burst with breasts, legs and butts (plus of course feet). Sticking to its inspiration there are times when nothing much happens, there is very little exposition which means the joy comes from the guilty pleasure of words and situations.

Guaranteeing the villain is the coolest dude in the show by the time Kurt swaggers in to the bar we are barracking for him to unleash his gory desires.

The stunt work is breathtaking, the mangled high octane instruments of death seer images into the mind. The appropriately tattered appearance of the film stock and crash cut editing maintain a retrospective atmosphere as if we are just now seeing a movie 30 years after its release.

The woman all slot into the landscape carrying themselves with an appropriate lack of trashy consciousness. Rose McGowan (Jawbreaker, Doom Generation, Nowhere) and Rosario Dawson (Sin City, A Guide to Recognizing your Saints, 25th Hour) seem in there element, scantily clad and bimboing it up.

Vanessa Ferlito (25th Hour, Spiderman 2) ups the vamp tramp quota while Sydney Poitier and Tracie Thoms (Wonderfalls) remain the most likeable of the two vixen packs.

A conglomerate of his past, Kurt Russell (Escape from NY, Big Trouble In Little China, Tango and Cash, The Thing) brings the baggage of Snake Plisken, Jack Burton and his other Carpenter co productions adding pleasure to watching this evil persona.

Obviously John Doe is biased because he loved this type of no holes barred filmmaking the first time round and has been hugely influenced by the movies it homages. Death-Proof won’t win any industry awards or convert non-believers but as with many of the celluloid contributions cited on JDMfilmreviews it is aware of it limitations and will satsify those who know what to expect before the curtain raises in a dark, dingy movie-house.

The abysmal response to the Robert Rodriguez/Quentin Tarantino presents Grindhouse twin feature serves to emphasise that the brash pair have succeeded in their goal. After all this was never meant for the mainstream, it also highlights the publics misconception of the Director’s work which has always existed to recreate the schlock entertainment he loves not revolutionize cinema.

*****SPOILERS INCLUDED****** Lap dancing missing and mangled bodies, a fun clip from the film