X FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE

We have been mostly watching new releases lately from the dvd machine at my work. This new x files movie doesn't suck like I have heard some people say. I mean, I can understand how some people might see it and think that - but overall I think we enjoyed the film. It is kind of weird that the x files hasn't been on tv for like a hundred years and then they put out a new movie. I used to watch it though and I even liked the first movie they came out with, i remember it had something in it about bee's. Anyway, the x files movie gets a rating of 6 out of 10 from both of us - decent but probably not something we will watch again, at least not for a really long time, but still a movie that is something you should see if you were ever a fan of the x files.

xxc.

BLACKWATER

Blackwater is the second Australian crocodile film we have watched recently. We saw the other croc movie - Rogue, a few weeks ago, and we rated it pretty poorly. Apparantly Rogue cost over $30 million to make but Blackwater was made on a shoe string budget of only $1.2 million. Blackwater is a fairly decent film - interesting enough to watch the whole thing through, but the movie ended and we were left feeling a bit like we kind of wished we never watched it. I think there's something about predator-waiting-to-kill-you type movies that always give me that feeling. The same thing happened when I watched the Vampire movie 30 Days of Night. I just couldn't help feeling a bit depressed when the film ended. But nonetheless, I chose Blackwater from the selection available in the RedRoom DVD machine because it said it was based on a true story - and whenever I see those words I know I have to see it. And I guess that is partly why I was left feeling depressed when the film ended - how could there be anything more terrifying and depressing than being stalked by a crocodile while you are stuck up a tree in the mangroves in the middle of nowhere just waiting to die? It's one thing if you can say to yourself "its just a movie, that never really happened" but when you know it actually did happen?! Terrifying! I researched a little and found out it was actually based on several true stories from the Northern Territory, one of which is the story of the death of Brett Mann in the Finniss River in 2003. According to the Northern Territory News "...He was killed by a saltie as he cleaned his quad bike in the flood swollen river. His friends, Shaun Blowers and Ashley Mcgough, spent the night in a tree as the crocodile lurked below. "The croc brought the body back and waited around," Director, Andrew Traucki said. Real crocs were used in the film and apparantly there were some close calls during filming. See this movie if you want to be scared off visiting the top end for ever! I rate Blackwater 6/10.

xx c.

TERKEL IN TROUBLE

This is a story about a school kid called Terkel who is getting bullied at school and who succumbs(?) to bullying himself to horrible consequences later having threats made on his life. It is a computer animated film originally made in Danish and translated into English so although they are speaking english all of the news papers and stuff is in Danish! I guess it would be considered a black comedy about bullying and human cowardice and has a lot of blood splattering and course language through the movie. It features the voice of Bill Bailey ('black books') among others.
I guess it could be considered somewhere between 'Wallace and Gromet' and 'South Park'
Ill give it a 5/10

THE DUDESONS

If you like to watch a bunch of guys kick each other in the balls, break bones and do alsorts of mad stunts and pranks that often go wrong, then you will like this movie. This is Finlands version of Jackass and has appearances from Bam and Stevo aswell as Bams parents. I thought the movie was pretty funny but I can understand that it might freak some people out... if you don't like Jackass you wont like this.

Make sure you watch the deleted scenes cause they go on for almost as long as the movie and are just as funny.

We've been a bit generous with the ratings so far so I give the movie a 6.5/10

OLD HAIRSPRAY VS NEW HAIRSPRAY

Last night for the fist time ever we watched 'Hairspray' (original). I have been meaning to see this movie for about 10 years but never seem to see it on the shelf when I go to the video store. We saw the new 'Hairspray' a few weeks ago so I thought we should see both and compare. Personally, I like both versions, but I think old Hairspray has a fuller storyline. And I love the storyline - set in Baltimore in 1963, 'pleasantly plump', big haired teenager Tracy Turnblad (Ricki Lake) and her best friend Penny Pingleton (Leslie Ann Powers) audition to be dancers on the Corny Collins Show. Tracy becomes a regular on the show, which infuriates the show's most popular dancer - Amber Von Tussle (Colleen Fitzpatrick). But Amber is a total bitch, and of course spends most of the film dishing out mean remarks about Tracy's weight. Tracy steals Amber's boyfriend, Link Larkin (Michael St. Gerard) and quickly becomes the most popular dancer on the show - meaning she is in the running for Miss Auto Show 1963 (which only infuriates Amber even more).

Anyway, the story continues and Tracy's Mother, Edna Turnblad (Devine) recieves a telephone call from Mr Pinky - the owner of The Hefty Hideaway Clothing Store - and he hires Tracy as a plus size model. This makes Tracy even more popular and somewhat of a 'Star' in Baltimore. When Link and Tracy are heading downtown on the bus to visit Motormouth Maybelle (Ruth Brown) at her Record Store, the bus stops outside the Hefty Hideaway and Tracy is mobbed by women who want her autograph! Motormouth Maybelle is the host of the monthly 'Negro Day' on the Corny Collins Show - and Tracy meets her son, Seaweed, when she is forced into a Special Education class at school because of a teacher's reaction to her big, ratted hair. Later, Penny starts going out with Seaweed, which freaks out her mother. She locks Penny in her bedroom and calls in a quack psychiatrist (John Waters) to use crazy techniques to get her interested in dating white boys and not Seaweed.

Throughout the film Tracy uses her popularity to try to end racial segregation in Baltimore and on the Corny Collins Show - with the help of Corny Collins (Shawn Thompson) his assistant Tammy (Mink Stole), Motormouth Maybelle and Tracy's Mother, Edna. Tracy is invloved in a race riot and she is arrested and sent to reform school right before she is voted in as Miss Auto Show 1963. Since Tracy is locked up at the reform school, she is unable to accept her crown and the title instead goes to Amber. While Amber is on stage being crowned Miss Auto Show, the Governor of Baltimore pardons Tracy and she and a crowd of her supporters dance their way over to where the ceremony is being held. Amber is stripped of the title and Tracy is crowned Miss Auto Show 1963!

So that is the plot of the 1988 version of Hairspray. The musical version, released in 2007, is a little bit different and stars Nicki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad. The two films both have great casts - John Travolta is great as Edna Turnblad in the new version. For me personally, Hairspray is probably all I want out of a film! A chubby, teenage female lead that I can relate to, an interesting storyline, a fantastic cast, some great costumes and a 1960's setting! Sooooo, in conclusion, I am rating 'Old Hairspray' 9 out of 10 and 'New Hairspray' 8 out of 10. I only rate Old Hairspray a point higher because I think Ricki Lake is awesome as Tracy and I think the story is fuller and goes into a little more detail. Now I just need to see the Broadway version!

xx c.

THE NUGGET

We loved this movie, its a classic Australian tale/comedy about 3 mates and council roadworkers who find the worlds biggest gold nugget and the dramas that follow. If you liked 'the Castle' or maybe 'Kenny' and Australian humour you will probably like this one. It has tonnes of Australian stars including Eric Banna, Stephen Curry, Dave O'neil, Bellinda Emmett, Vince Colosimo, Peter Moon, Chris Haywood, Max Cullen plus more.
We gave it a 7 before but I reckon maybe I will jack the rating up to 8/10 cause we love Australian movies.

MOST RECENT RATINGS

these are our off the top of our head ratings for the movies we have watched most recently:

Space is the Place - 7.5
The Nugget - 7
Vantage Point - 6.5
The King of Kong - 5
The Dudesons - 6.5
Enter the Dragon - 6.5
Just add Water - 5.5
Get Smart - 5.5
The Waterhorse - unfinished
Big Fish - 7.5
Corpse Bride - 6.5
Sweeney Todd - 7
The Hulk - 5.5
Psycho Beach Party - 5.5
Die Hard 4 - 7
Superbad - 7
Walk Hard - the dewey cox story - 6.5
Hellboy - 7.5
Breakfast at Tiffanys - 6.5
Milo and Otis - 6.5
Brothers Solomon - 5.5
Lets go to Prison - 6
Jackass movie - 6
Finding Nemo - 6.5
21 - 6.5
Kenny - 6
Little shop of Horrors - 8
Hairspray - 6.5