Robin Williams Tribute Month: Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

It's an accomplishment for any actor to create a truely memorable character. But it's even more astounding to have a male actor playing a male actor create a memorable female character. That's right, I'm talking about the ultimate 'Act-ception' movie, Mrs. Doubtfire.

The classic 90s comedy from Chris Columbus is still as fresh as ever, managing to keep me laughing in stitches all the way through, even on the one-millionth viewing. I dare say it has some of the most hilarious lines and funniest montages in history, and watching Robin Williams dressed as an elderly Scottish nanny beating a criminal away with her handbag never gets old.

Many would consider this to be Robin Williams best film. I think if you treat his comedic and his dramatic performances seperately then this quite probably is the best comedy he every did, but as we've found out over the tribute month, he starred in a wide array of classics. However this could well have been one of the most challenging roles for him. Consider yourself as a short hairy American male wearing a huge body suit, women's clothes, makeup and putting on a pretty damn convincing Scottish (though she claims to be English) female accent, whilst still managing to give an outstanding performance and you'll understand Williams' feat in this movie.

This is one of those hilarious films that you don't complain about when your local TV station plays it every two weeks, because it's so accessable and never, ever seems to get old. I grew up watching this film, and I intend to grow old watching it too. It's another perfect example of the energetic, yet incredibly authentic performances that defined the career of Robin Williams.

Ed

Like with rewatching Aladdin, revisiting this movie had me in stitches. I think Williams was at the peak of his popularity, or he was just very skilled, but this period of his acting career was amazing. Maybe it's because those two movies relied so heavily on his ability as a voice actor.

A lot of this movie's greatest scenes come from Williams interactions with the other characters whilst in makeup. His insane passive-aggression toward Pierce Brosnan is hilarious and tense. His relationship with Sally Field is heartfelt and genuine. He also is a loving father who cares for his kids like the world would be nothing without them.

My favourite scenes would probably be when he interacts with his court liaison (played by Polly Holliday), both in and out of costumes. When he explains the idea of doing voices, I was laughing, but when he was making her tea as Mrs Doubtfire, I was rolling on the floor laughing.

This movie is full of pop culture references, alluding to everything from Dirty Harry to Looney Tunes. Robin Williams even says a James Bond line to the next James Bond, Pierce Brosnan.

This movie was a staple of my childhood and I love it just as much now as I did back then. This is the perfect movie to end our Robin Williams month with. I hope everyone reading this goes back and watches not just this movie, but all the ones he was in.

Jack

The Little Death

I'm just putting it out there, but I think Josh Lawson has a foot fetish. Not that that's a bad thing. In fact, if we learn anything from his directorial debut, it's probably that you should tell your significant other what you are into. Because if you don't, well, things can get ugly.

This movie is divided into segments that focus on a different couple each time. As we are introduced to these people, we are presented with a particular fetish that relates to their particular story. And if you're thinking they're as simple as the aforementioned foot fetish, you'd be wrong. We see things like dacryphilia, somnophilia and even the good old fashioned role play (except highly creative role play). If you want to know about those first two, you can find a Wikipedia article for each one, here and here (I promise you that they aren't as bad as you think).

So, I know you're probably thinking that this is you're regular gross out sex comedy, with lots of nudity and coarse language. Well, you would be entirely wrong. Lawson, who also wrote the film, manages to make a funny, tender and, at times, bittersweet movie about relationships more than anything. Oh yeah, and despite being a movie about sex, there is no nudity whatsoever, although I would probably advise against going to this movie on a first date, or second, because it will probably up the ante for the rest of your relationship.

The cast of this movie is large and apart from Josh Lawson (Anchorman 2, The Candidate), you might not recognise the actors. Unless you watch a lot of Australian TV, especially the ABC. Patrick Brammall does a fantastic job at a man who has to cry a lot, Lachy Hulme is a creepy boss and Damon Herriman gets carried away with role play. A hilarious character, played by Kim Gyngall, uses people's sense of nostalgia to distract them while telling them he is a registered sex offender.

Verdict: The Little Death (a euphemism for orgasm, look it up) is a tender and hilarious comedy about sex. It really will make you think about what you're into. I know it made me think about it the whole way home, but that's a story for another time...

Robin Williams Tribute Month: Good Will Hunting (1998)

We couldn't do a Robin Williams month and not mention Good Will Hunting, the role which won him his only Academy Award (Best Supporting Actor). In addition to his role, the movie is pretty solid, with amazing direction from Gus Van Sant.

Will Hunting (Matt Damon) is a young mathematical genius with a photographic memory who works simply as a janitor at MIT. He mostly hangs out with his friends Chuckie (Ben Affleck) and Morgan (Casey Affleck) and they mostly spend time drinking and getting into fights. One day Will solves a difficult maths problem set by Professor Gerry Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård). He eventually gets caught by Lambeau, who sees potential in Will.

But Will's troubled past gets in his way and one of his conditions of working with Lambeau is that he goes and sees a psychiatrist. After a slew of failed attempts, Lambeau contacts Sean Maguire (Williams), his old college roommate and asks him for help.

While this story of troubled kid tries to make something of himself is nothing new, Good Will Hunting is still a great movie. A lot of this comes down to the amazing performances and direction. Of course the setting of South Boston is also a rousing feature (our friend Mark Wahlberg tells of his passion for Southie here).

Van Sant has always been an amazing director and I always look forward to his movies. He has chosen a slightly overexposed look for this movie, but at the same time focuses on warmer colours for most of the scenes.

But I should really be talking about Williams performance. Although we don't get introduced to him until halfway through the film, Williams dominates every scene he is in from that point. Although he does have his funny moments, most of the time he is sombre and reflective. He is a great mentor to Will and really tries to open him up to realising that it's okay to be vulnerable at times.

Both Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are also great in the film (although they did write these roles for themselves). While they didn't win any awards for acting, they won Best Original Screenplay. Skarsgård is great as the gruff Gerry Lambeau and Minnie Driver adds some touching moments to this all-boy movie.

Verdict: This movie is a must-see if only for Williams award-winning performance.

First Teaser of Lifetime's Aaliyah Biopic

Hot on the heel's of their "Unauthorised" biopic about the cast and the making of the popular '90's teen show, Saved By The Bell, US channel Lifetime have revealed the first teaser from their upcoming tribute and not-at-all-shameless-exploitation-on-nostalgia-and-a-young-singers-death television-movie Aaliyah: Princess of R&B.

Aaliyah Dana Haughton, better known by her shortened singular stage-name, became an R&B sensation in the 1990's after being signed to a major label at the tender age of 12. She managed to win several awards and sell over 52 million albums, many of those being based on posthumous re-releases. Her influence and dominance in modern R&B garnered her the monikers of "Princess of R&B" and she is ranked as the 27th most successful R&B artist according to Billboard. She also led a tumultuous life that came to an end in a plane crash in August, 2001. She was 22 years old.

Aaliyah is known to the film world as starring as the love interest in Jet Li's English-language breakout-vehicle urban-kung-fu movie Romero Must Die, where she received equal billing with the martial artist. She also filmed her scenes from early DVD bargain bin essential Queen of the Damned shortly before her death. Aaliyah will be portrayed by Alexandra Shipp, who most notably played the lead in Nickelodeon's teen soap opera House of Anubis. The first choice for Aaliyah, Zendaya Coleman supposedly left the TV movie over moral objections with the Haughton families lack of consent with the biopic, which bodes well(!). The series is slated for a November 5 premiere, so remember, remember.

The teaser can be viewed and commented upon, here.

Trailers Week 12: 28/09/14

Stretch
This comedy action flick from writer/director Joe Carnahan looks pretty good. Patrick Wilson leads in a cast made up of Ray Liotta, Ed Helms, Brooklyn Decker and Jessica Alba. I personally can't wait for this one.

The Wedding Ringer
Kevin Hart has been on a good run lately with some wacky comedies. His latest one has him as a best man for hire where his latest client seems to be a challenge. Also starring Josh Gad and Kaley Cuoco.

Jupiter Ascending
The Wachowski's make a return to an original story with their latest movie about the cosmic origins of the human race. Starring Mila Kunis, Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne and Channing Tatum as a space werewolf.

L.A. Slasher
Finally a movie that satirises the current obsession that we seem to have with reality TV and its stars. This is about a guy who abducts reality stars and murders them. Starring Dave Bautista, Danny Trejo, Mischa Barton, porn star Tori Black and Andy Dick. This looks like a genuinely good indie movie.

Blackhat
Michael Mann's latest action thriller is about hackers in our modern interconnected world. It stars Chris Hemsworth, Viola Davis and Jon Ortiz.

The Good Lie
Ron Howard's latest life-changing movie is about a woman who tries to bring a Sudanese child refugee to America. Starring Reese Witherspoon and Corey Stoll.

Classic Trailer: Full Metal Jacket (1987)
From now on I am going to start including a trailer for a classic movie. This week we look at the trailer for Stanley Kubrick's classic war movie. This is as much an anti-war movie than anything, covering the humiliation experienced during basic training and the fear and despondency felt when in the field. I think the trailer is one of the best ever made.

Robin Williams Tribute Month: Dead Poets Society (1989)

As John Keating says whilst perched upon his desk, "We must constantly look at things in a different way", quite a suitable turn of phrase from a film that could transform even the most sceptical person into a lover of literature and poetry. But that is not the only accomplishment of Peter Weir's Dead Poets Society, for it remains one of the most touching films I have ever seen.

The film follows a group of seniors at an elite preparatory school, Welton Academy. Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard) who struggles to overcome his Father's controlling attitudes, Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke), a new student whose introversion becomes his constant stumbling block, and Knox Overstreet (Josh Charles) who falls in love with the daughter of his parents' friends, are just three of the rich ensemble that graces this film. However it is Robin Williams who takes centre-stage here as the boys' new English teacher, John Keating, whose eccentric teaching methods have a profound effect on the lives of his students.

From ripping out useless textbook pages, to marching, to kicking soccer balls whilst reciting poetry, Keating's style doesn't simply keep the boys interested, it enriches them with the beauty of phrase, teaching them to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life. But it's his past life as a Welton Boy that inspires the troupe to reinstate Keating's old secret body, the Dead Poets Society. Meeting every few evenings in a damp cave off school grounds, the boys explore poetry in the hope that they will gain further understanding about the joys of life.

Revisiting this film for the first time in years, it's astonishing to see how talented these young actors were. Robert Sean Leonard is fantastic as Neil, perfectly enthusiastic whilst unable to justify his desires to an authoritative father, yet it is Ethan Hawke that really shines here for me. Even at nineteen, the talented actor who seems to be in every new release at the moment, brings to life the toils of a reclusive young male amongst a group of such lively, free-spirited boys, almost the polar opposite of his character in Boyhood.

Once again, Robin Williams proves his proficiency as a dramatic actor here. John Keating is one of the most memorable characters ever preserved on celluloid, partly because Tom Schulman is a fantastic scriptwriter, but largely because Williams is able to deliver such energy and humanity in his performance. Keating could have so easily become yet another character lost to the depths of pretension, yet the sincerity of Williams presence on screen makes him come across as a man driven by a passion to teach and an authentic love of poetry.

Dead Poets Society is an all time classic. It's one of Robin Williams' best films, and he's supported by an array of  talented young actors. If there was one underlying message to the film, it would be that we must strive to find our own voices in this world, and if you can't take that away from your viewing, then at least you'll gain plenty of fantastic quotes. 

Could Mark Strong be the next James Bond villain?

So in the coming months the next movie in the James Bond franchise goes into production. This is something that we here at That Other Movie Blog are very excited about. But when I saw this latest bit of news (although I could just be jumping to conclusions), I got even more excited.

James Bond himself has touched down in Morocco where some of the shooting will be done. But more exciting is the fact that fellow actor Mark Strong is with him.

Strong is no stranger to playing villains in films, being bad guys in movies like Sherlock Holmes and Green Lantern. He has also played a spy in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Now more exciting is the fact that EON Productions have just reacquired the rights to the classic Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld (it's a lengthy story that you can get an insight into here). Throw in the fact that producers were looking for a classic Bond henchman makes me think that the next film will be very exciting.

Check out the photos below and tell us if you think Strong will make a good Blofeld.

Tak3n is a thing now?

The French poster of the movie

That's right everyone. Even after the disastrous sequel to the action hit Taken was a failure, the producers still want to flog a dead horse for all its worth (which is a lot, apparently).

Liam Neeson returns as Brian Mills and this time instead of having someone kidnapped from under his nose, he is being framed for murder. Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace return as his wife and daughter with Forest Whitaker joining as the cop who tries to bring him done.

I think the Wikipedia page for this movie is even mocking it. It refer's to his "specific set of skills" in a very sarcastic way. The film is due for release sometime in 2015.

The Skeleton Twins

It's both refreshing, and a rarity to see a comedy that delves into confronting issues for the purpose of enriching the plot, rather than just as an excuse to employ black humour. The Skeleton Twins, the second feature from Craig Johnson, does so with a surprising amount of finesse.

Estranged twins Milo (Bill Hader) and Maggie (Kristen Wiig) are reunited for the first time in ten years when Milo attempts suicide. Maggie, who has also been having suicidal thoughts, suggests that Milo come back with her to New York so that they can catch up. Milo finally meets Maggie's husband, Lance (Luke Wilson) and attempts to rekindle a previous controversial relationship that he had with his high school English teacher (Ty Burrell).

Over the following days, Milo and Maggie open up to one another in a way that only siblings could, conversing about the various problems in their lives, Maggie with her doubts about her marital life, and Milo with his depression and failed acting career. With the can of worms opened, the two find themselves reaching out to restore the relationship that they once had.

Working from a script written by Johnson and Mark Heyman, The Skeleton Twins challenges the superficial structures that make up the majority of contemporary Hollywood comedies by offering a relatable and unwavering glimpse into the toils of these siblings' lives. From time to time, it fails to avoid cheesy scenarios, and rather tiring flatulence jokes, but mostly, this film dodges cliches. However, somewhere in the middle, it began to divide into more and more 'acts' that tried with my patience. It's a shame, as all these anti-climactic moments detract from what the film has to offer. 

Seeing two prominent Saturday Night Live actors performing so well in dramatic leads is quite a joy to behold. Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig both offer up some truly touching performances, drawing on their previous work together to interact as a realistic pair of siblings. Ty Burrell proves his dramatic proficiency as Rich and is certainly one of the film's valuable assets, whilst Luke Wilson brings both hilarity and innocent timidity to his role. A worthy assembly for such a character driven film.

This film is certainly bold in its subject matter and isn't afraid to place importance on drama over comedy when needed. Think the latter half of the M*A*S*H tv series. However I did feel that certain stages in the script could have done with some tightening up. Despite those issues, the poignant depiction of these dysfunctional siblings from Wiig and Hader, transforms this into a movie with plenty of substance.

The Equaliser

This review was written by our new recruit Saul, who is going to start writing for us every so often. - Jack

In recent years, Denzel Washington has established and slowly disintegrated his status as a badass action star in films like Man on Fire. And with director Antoine Fuqua, the pair have attempted to recapture the magic of the Academy Award-winning Training Day. Spoiler alert, they haven't. What they have done is create a solid, slow-paced action-thriller that gets progressively more random and inevitably settles down in mediocrity.

The Equaliser follows Robert McCall, a quiet, private and apparently ex-military middle-aged man working in a hardware warehouse store. Much of the first half of the film is spent following him through his daily routines, his work and his friendships there (specifically Ralphie, who Robert is helping to become a security guard), and a local coffee shop where he visits nightly to read and talk to under-age prostitute Teri (Moretz). McCall loves to help people out, and this eventually evolves from helping train Ralphie and encouraging Teri, to murdering her pimp and taking on an international criminal organisation.

The way in which The Equaliser implodes is indicative of a lack of concrete and original ideas, as though several pages of the script went missing and the director attempted to improvise in the missing parts. There is obvious vision for how the beginning will work, and how he becomes a hero for hire, but as the Second Act looms and the plot thickens, ridiculousness seeps in to worrying degrees, slowly consuming the film from the inside out, leading into an ending nearly fully detached from the first half. The positives of this film are, without a doubt, the establishment of McCall and his primary nemesis, Teddy/Nikolai, played by Marton Csoskas. Most of this is accomplished solidly without being too overt, there's little-to-no explicit mention of McCall's military service in the first half, but it's also glaringly obvious, mostly through Washington's commendable characterisation. And Russian enforcer Teddy is introduced as an enigmatic, intelligent, cold and dominant figure in the wake of the first action sequence, and during the second act explodes into violent acts that are not unlike Ryan Gosling's Driver character from Drive, cutting a fearsome path through his early scenes.

However, the film falls apart in so many ways that it beggars belief. Characters appear and disappear with little-to-no explanation or introduction, Chloe Grace Moretz's Teri literally vanishes after the first action scene, rendering any and all setup for her to be the Jodie Foster to McCall's Travis Bickle instantly null and void. Whatever good that began with McCall and Teddy's characters soon evolves into a pissing contest for emotionlessness, which even the movie explicitly mentions at one point. Character motivations and relations feel random and convenient, McCall is both invincible and omnipotent, and aside from brief moments in the climax, there is literally zero threat to McCall throughout the film. He nonchalantly dispatches henchmen with such amusing ease that rarely is it even shown onscreen for fear of boring the audience. And it's almost painfully nostalgic how the primary goons are tattoo-covered, muscly Russians with skull fetishes, perhaps indicative of a re-emerging trend in action films.. And on the technical side, the score and direction are so painfully "middle-of-the-road 2000's action" that, save for one GORGEOUS dissolve emphasising Teddy's dominance over the city of Boston, they hardly deserve a mention.

All in all, this is the cinematic equivalent of slowly watching a ball of yarn roll around the floor and untangle itself, eventually revealing itself as an assemblage of mediocrity, with brief, seemingly accidental moments of brilliance and beauty. Unfortunately, ridiculousness, and lack of emotion and motivation ruin a movie that had the potential to be much more than a good film gone bad. Wait for the DVD release.

Robin Williams Tribute Month: The World According To Garp (1982)

Out of all of Robin Williams' comedic roles, The World According To Garp is probably one of his most subtle. Sure, there are some hilarious moments, but he hasn't quite gotten to that manic state that he would be known for half a decade later. This is also Williams' first big starring role, unless you're counting Robert Altman's Popeye and I don't think anyone really counts that one.

Jenny Fields (Glenn Close) is a feminist woman who wants a child, but not a husband. After she rapes a soldier in the war hospital where she works, she gets her wish. She raises her son T.S. Garp (T.S. standing for Technical Sergeant) the way she wants to. We get an insight into Garp's early years, but the fun doesn't really start until he is in his early 20's.

When Garp (Williams) is at college he expresses a keen interest into both wrestling and writing and he excels at both. He has a passion to be a writer, which he is really good at, but it isn't until he meets Helen Holm (Mary Beth Hurt) that he really strives toward it. It is at this time that his mother notices lust for the first time in Garp and decides to write her own book on the subject.

Jenny soon releases her book A Sexual Suspect, which is part autobiographical. This is both a huge success with feminists and overshadows the release of Garp's book. Garp decides to settle down with Helen to pursue his career, whilst his mother sets up a feminist colony.

One thing about this movie is that it is incredibly long (it quite literally tracks one man's entire lifespan), but it is also incredibly rewarding and fun.Williams has many one liners about the situations that he finds himself in that cracked me up. This movie has its poignant moments too that can't really be forgotten.

The majority of the performances are fantastic. I am not really a fan of Glenn Close at all, but her performance is fantastic, considering that this was her debut film. She is a very strict mother, but at the same time you can tell that she loves Garp more than anything. John Lithgow gives a performance that will make me look at a different light forever. He plays transsexual ex-football player Roberta Muldoon. His performance is amazing as this big woman who is very gentle.

Of course this movie would be nothing without Williams. He is very gentle and softly spoken throughout the film although there are times where his character does get quite angry. It is fun to see him in a role that came after his serious acting training at Julliard and before his manic, crazy movie roles that would make him famous in the years to come.

Verdict: A fun and touching movie about the life of T.S. (Terribly Sexy) Garp.

Bone Tomahawk casting news

So I know some people find it hard to get excited about independent films, but after I heard who's in this movie and what its about, I got excited immediately.

Bone Tomahawk comes from writer/director S. Craig Zahler. This is his first at directing after having been the cinematographer on a few other films. The film is a western about four men who attempt to rescue a group of captives who have been kidnapped by cannibals.

As if that story couldn't sound better, the main cast consists of some of my favourite actors. Matthew Fox, Patrick Wilson (both pictured above), Kurt Russell and Richard Jenkins will play the men. This seems to be a perfect storm of story and casting.

I personally am a huge fan of Westerns, so I think this will be an amazing film. What do you guys think about this casting? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook.

Originally on Variety

True Detective Season 2 has cast its leads

Okay so I know I'm breaking the rules with bringing you all TV news, but such is the quality of HBO's anthology series True Detective that I feel I have to report on this. An official casting announcement has been made by HBO as to the leads of the new season.

Harrelson and McConaughey

Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn have been cast both as 'a compromised detective whose allegiances are torn' and 'a career criminal who is in danger of losing his empire', respectively. From the sound of these characters I'm a bit worried that this feels like a departure from what made the first season so good. But then again, I will probably be completely wrong.

I'm not going to say that Vaughn and Farrell are replacing Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as most news sites will tell you, but rather that this series focuses on a particular story each season. I think that is what was so appealing about the first season, because people liked the self-contained story.

No word yet on when it will air.

Robin Williams Tribute Month: Jumanji (1995)

Having not seen Joe Johnston's Jumanji since I was a kid, I swear the special effects looked better back then, but apparently this was a major flaw pointed out by reviewers at its release. Despite this, Jumanji is still great fun, and another of Robin Williams' energetic roles.

In the late 1960s, 12 year-old Alan Parrish (Adam Hann-Byrd), the son of a shoe-factory owner, unearths a mysterious chest that he hears beating away in a construction site. In it, he finds a board game, titled 'Jumanji'. After a row with his wealthy parents over going to boarding school, Alan and his friend Sarah Wittle (Laura Bell Bundy) start to play 'Jumanji'. Soon it becomes apparent that the game has supernatural powers. Alan is sucked into another world within the game and Sarah abandons him out of fear.

Some 26 years later, siblings Judy (Kirstin Dunst) and Peter (Bradley Pierce) also discover the game and rescue a grown-up Alan (Robin Williams) from inside. They must all now face the trails and tribulations presented to them by 'Jumanji', in order to finish the game.

Despite being adapted from a children's book, Jumanji manages to remain enjoyable for both children and adults, but not simply because it pitches different jokes at different levels (as many children's films attempt to do) but because it evokes some genuinely all age themes, including isolation, growing up and dealing with demanding parents, whilst still entertaining everybody through it's fun and fanciful plot line.

I had totally forgotten that Kirsten Dunst was in this as a child actor, but both her and Pierce are great as the two leading kids. Bonnie Hunt portrays the neurotic and anxious grown-up Sarah Wittle with ease, and David Alan Grier as Carl, shoe-factory worker turned cop, provides some great slapstick humour. However, every time I see this, I find Nora (Babe Neuwirth) absolutely intolerable, though that's more due to the character than Babe's acting.

As we saw with Hook and Aladdin, Robin Williams proves a fitting choice for a children's movie. Whilst his sense of humour may not have always be 'PG-13' (just check out any of his stand-up), his energetic delivery style breathes a lot of life into the characters. Here is no different. Its fun to see him explore the confusion of this boy, raised in the desolate jungles of the 'Jumanji' board, now thrown back into the real world to once more have the basic amenities of toilet paper and a razor.

This was never going to be Robin Williams greatest role, but there's no doubt that the film would have been much worse off without him. Jumanji manages to cross the age brackets and provide a fun experience for all, only slightly hampered by some fairly appalling special effects.

Robin Williams Tribute Month: Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)

With the exception of Apocalypse Now, Good Morning, Vietnam is possibly the best Hollywood movie about the Vietnam War. Although it doesn't really have a lot of war in it, it captures the feelings of the country (especially the people of Vietnam) during the war. It is also the first time in a movie that Robin Williams played a character that was closer to his stand-up persona. Indeed, a lot of his dialogue is lifted straight from his stand-up.

Adrian Cronauer (Williams) has been stationed in Saigon to become a new DJ at a radio station for the troops. Cronauer is immediately seen as subversive by his superiors, but is liked by both his fellow DJs and the troops in the field. He also falls for Trinh (Chintara Sukapatana) and meets her brother Tuan (Tung Thanh Tran).

I've always found this movie to be hilarious. Williams banter with both Forest Whitaker and Robert Wuhl is fantastic and he once again relies on his amazing improvisation skills for all of his radio dialogue. Bruno Kirby has a fantastic part as Lieutenant Hauk, Cronauer's immediate senior officer, who believes that he is much funnier than Cronauer, but ultimately fails when he tries his hand.

As funny as this film is, it is incredibly poignant too. There are so many touching scenes in this movie that hit me hard. When a bomb goes off at a cafe where many GIs hang out, the scene showing the aftermath is chillingly realistic. Another in which a jaded Cronauer realises how his work has been affecting troop morale. His final broadcast is also one that made me choke up.

It would wrong of me to talk about this movie without talking about its soundtrack. I listened to this soundtrack so many times as a kid and knew every song and piece of dialogue way before I saw the movie. The songs are perfectly chosen from the many rock hits of the 60s and in a way make this movie so special. Songs like "California Sun" and "I Got You" add to the comedy of many scenes, while Louis Armstrong's classic "What A Wonderful World" has the most impact in one of the film's most violent scenes.

Verdict: A really powerful film about the Vietnam War that has a surprising number of classic one-liners from Robin Williams.

Trailers Week 11: 21/09/14

The Liberator
Édgar Ramírez stars in this biopic about Simón Bolívar, a Latin American military leader who helped the independence movements of many Latin American countries from the Spanish Empire. Also starring María Valverde and Danny Huston.

A Walk Among The Tombstones
Liam Neeson uses his very specialist (and increasingly narrow) set of skills to track down kidnappers who have not stolen any of his relatives this time, but realises he can do it for money. Also starring Dan Stevens and Boyd Holbrook.

The Interview
Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen come back with their next stoner(ish) comedy about a news reporter and his producer who secure an interview with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and their plot to kill him. Starring James Franco, Seth Rogen and Lizzy Caplan.

Big Eyes
A very subdued looking Tim Burton movie about Walter Keane who fraudulently claimed he painted a number of popular paintings of large eyed waifs when the real artist was his wife Margaret. Starring Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams.

Low Down
Another biopic, this time about jazz musician Joe Albany and his relationship with his daughter Amy-Jo. Based on the memoir by the real Amy-Jo, this movie boasts an ensemble cast including Elle Fanning, John Hawkes, Lena Headey, Glenn Close and Peter Dinklage.

The Maze Runner

Let the comparison games begin! Ok, so if you've read the book, or even the description, you may draw some similarities between The Maze Runner and The Hunger Games, and you'd be right to draw those similarities. Nevertheless, this is an extremely adventurous and suspenseful movie, that makes itself its own.

Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) wakes up hurtling towards the surface in a wire-mesh elevator, with no memory of who or where he is. When he emerges, he joins a society of teenage boys, living in the centre of an enormous maze that opens, closes and shifts shape every day. None of the other boys know why they're there or who put them there, but they know that they must survive, and that they must escape.

There are several different roles in the makeshift society, led by Alby (Aml Ameen), but one stands out to Thomas, the runners. The runners spend every day sprinting through the maze, mapping its walls and searching for an exit. It's a dangerous job and you have to be specially chosen for it. Soon however, the rest of the boys realise that Thomas is different to all the others.

This is one of those stories that attracts the Hollywood bigwigs to come running with their wads of cash, but it's also one that inspires the imaginations of all-ages. I must admit that I'm a bit of a sucker for any post-apocalyptic themed movies, and whilst there's no implicit mention as to why they're in the situation they're in throughout most of the movie, there is a Lord of the Flies tone to it, with society (or in this case, a small group of adolescents) being forced back to their tribal roots.

From a relatively young cast, the acting is astonishingly good. Some stand outs for me were Dylan O'Brien in the leading role, Thomas Brodie-Sangster (AKA the awesome Jojen Reed from Game of Thrones) and Will Poulter (who I like to nickname 'Matt the Marky Damon Wharlberg').

There's no doubt that a large chunk of the budget went into the film's special effects, and they're truly stunning. The concrete maze structure towers over the audience in quite a menacing way, and the bizarre creatures that lurk within it's walls really come to life. As equally good as the visuals is the engrossing sound design which makes damn sure you hear every creak of the walls, every distant bird and every squealing lovable chubby kid.

I must admit that going into this I was a bit hesitant, but it turned out to be a very strong introduction to the franchise. I don't necessarily think the next instalment will be quite as engrossing, but this is a damn good start. It's sure to draw in even the most hesitant viewer with it's strong visuals and suspenseful plot.

The Deadpool movie we've all been waiting for

Listen up true believers, the Deadpool movie that we've been waiting for since his first appearance in 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine is finally happening. Well we have a release date anyway. February 12, 2016 to be exact.

Whether or not Ryan Reynolds will return as the merc with a mouth is up for debate, but we can only hope. What we do know is that the film will be directed by Tim Miller (who previously worked on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo in a visual effects capacity) and will be written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland).

Don't go expecting any crossovers with the main Marvel heroes any time soon. The rights are owned by two separate studios who would rather just make a bad movie than give up the chance to make any money. What we can hope to expect from Deadpool is a lot of breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience, something he does regularly in the comics, along with a lot of violence.

Robin Williams Tribute Month: The Birdcage (1996)

I think this is the only hilarious comedy on the list where Robin Williams plays a straight man to someone else's silly character. That's not to say he isn't over the top, but compared to his co-star Nathan Lane, he seems relatively subdued.

Armand Goldman (Williams) owns a successful South Beach gay club where his partner Albert (Lane) is his star drag queen. One day, Armand's son Val (Dan Futterman), that he had when he was younger, turns up to announce that he is getting married.

Meanwhile, Val's fiance Barbara Keeley (Calista Flockhart) is breaking the news to her own parents. Her father is the hard-line Senator Keeley (Gene Hackman), who is the co-founder of The Coalition for Moral Order. Because of this fact, Barbara has lied to her parents and said that Val's father is the cultural attaché to Greece, rather than bear the outrage that would come if they found out that Val's parents are in fact gay.

After a scandal involving Senator Keeley's associate and the subsequent media circus, the Keeley's decide to drive to Miami to meet Val's parents. This causes stress for Armand and Albert who must figure out a way to ruin Val's chance at marriage. They try everything from trying to make Albert act more masculine to pretending that he is just an uncle.

Mike Nichols has crafted quite a funny movie that for the time was pretty out there. A movie about two very conservative people meeting a flamboyantly gay couple is supposed to break down barriers. Indeed when you have Williams (one of the biggest stars at the time) playing an openly gay character, it really made people think. That's one of the reasons I like this movie so much. It did get people thinking at the time and because of it, people did start to be more accepting (not everyone I know, but this is hardly the place to discuss it).

Now I know I said earlier that Williams seems a little more subdued in this film. That's not entirely the case. Compared to Lane and Hank Azaria, he just isn't as flamboyant. He also has to carry some of the more emotional scenes. But he does get a chance to be hilarious. The scene where he is teaching Albert to be more masculine really stands out.

Speaking of Albert, Nathan Lane very nearly steals the show for me. His outlandish behaviour is hysterical. The other stand out performance for me is Hank Azaria as the Goldman's gay housekeeper, Agador Spartacus. Again he is over the top, but does it in his own way.

Verdict: A fun and refreshing comedy that does have a little bit of substance to it.

Robin Williams Tribute Month: One Hour Photo (2002)

One of Robin Williams' most defining characteristics was his versatility as an actor. The is most true of his role as a psychopathic film development clerk in Mark Romanek's One Hour Photo, which is about as far removed from any of his other films as is possible.

Seymour "Sy" Parrish (Robin Williams) works as a photo technician at SavMart, developing peoples celluloids into colourful photos with perfect precision. His life outside the department store is a lonely reality; spending his evenings watching television and tending to his pet hamster, his existence away from his work is of little value to him.

Over the years, Sy has befriended the Yorkin Family who are constantly having photos developed. He has followed the lives of Will (Michael Vartan), his wife Nina (Connie Nielsen) and their son Jake (Dylan Smith), whom Sy has seen develop since he was just a baby. Though beneath his cheery, shy exterior, lurks a darker side to Sy.

This is possibly the most definitive psychological thriller I've ever seen, with Romanek channelling a very Kubrickian approach to film making, both visually and in the plot (Romanek also wrote the screenplay). It's effectiveness for me, lies in the believability of the situation. We've all gone through bouts of loneliness, and seen how these can effect us. Too many modern thrillers rely on characters that are so psychologically unstable that we cannot relate to them in any way, however with Sy it's different. There's both an understanding and a reluctance from the audience to believe the paths he chooses to take, which make him one of the most memorable psychopaths in film, up there with Patrick Bateman (American Psycho) and Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver). Much of this is down to Williams' superb performance.

Sy is likely the most subdued of all of Robin Williams' characters, toning down his extreme energy to a level where he's often just expressionless on the screen. However it's this vague neutral expression that is the most chilling characteristic about Sy. Like all good performances, the devil is in the details, and all of Williams articulations and little nuances serve to build up both a chilling portrayal of an isolated individual, as well as one of the most powerful of all Williams' dramatic roles. 

Special mention should be made about the cinematography of this film, done by DP Jeff Cronenweth (Fight Club, The Social Network). As noted before, there are many similarities between One Hour Photo and some of Kubrick's work, with some of the more powerful sequences relying on static and tracking one-point perspective shots. You can tell that it stylistically plays on the photographic themes brought up in the plot, making it truly worthy of that awful hipster phrase '#meta'.

I think this is a film that you have to see a few times to fully appreciate, but even first-time viewers can appreciate both its unique visual look and another great Robin Williams performance.

Wish I Was Here

Zach Braff's latest directorial effort doesn't exactly cover new ground, especially for Braff himself. But I have to say that there is something special about the film and it did make me feel warm in certain parts of my body that haven't felt warm in a while.

Aidan Bloom (Braff) is an out of work actor who chases his dream while his wife, Sarah (Kate Hudson), brings in the family income. Aidan spends his time going to auditions and looking after their two kids Grace (Joey King) and Tucker (Pierce Gagnon). His father Gabe (Mandy Patinkin) has been suffering with cancer on and off, but this time it's here for good.

As you can see, this is a bit of generic family drama. Fans of Braff's previous film Garden State will definitely identify the similarities. But something about this film went a little deeper than that movie. The relationship with his estranged father is explored a little bit more and the idea of faith is touched upon, albeit briefly.

But this film is still about being lost at a certain point in your life and needing a little direction to get things back on track. The film also has way too much introduction. There's a point about an hour in where I thought that we didn't need to be introduced to any more plot points, but we were and that slowed the film down considerably for me. Although it did get better toward the end of the film.

One thing is for sure though and that is that Braff can make a beautiful looking film. All the shots are exquisitely crafted. There is one of the Santa Monica Pier at night that I did think captured the moment perfectly. Despite this, I did think that slow motion was overused here, with every serious moment drawing attention to itself, without letting the audience discover these moments for themselves.

The performances that were above the rest came from both Kate Hudson and Mandy Patinkin. I've never really thought of Hudson as being a good actor, but then again I haven't seen too many of her films. She has a really incredible range and works really well with some of the more emotionally heavy scenes. The same goes for Patinkin. Some of my favourite scenes in the film involved him dropping his harsh exterior.

Verdict: A heartwarming drama that is pretty harmless and makes you feel warm inside. Don't expect anything really new or exciting. A bit heavy on the soundtrack too.

Robin Williams Tribute Month: Hook (1991)

Only Steven Spielberg could make a live action sequel to the Peter Pan tale that almost lives up to Disney's animated classic, and after viewing, it's almost impossible to imagine anybody other than Robin Williams in the leading part.

Peter Banning (Robin Williams) is a successful lawyer whose relationship with his kids, Jack (Charlie Korsmo) and Maggie (Amber Scott), is on tenterhooks due to his busy schedule and inability to see things from their perspective. The family are on their way to London so Peter can deliver a speech in honour of his wife's grandmother, Wendy Darling (Maggie Smith), who helped Peter find a family when he was an orphaned child.

However, whilst they're out for the evening, Peter's children are kidnapped by Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman), a scheming pirate and Pan's enemy. Eventually, Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts) turns up to take Peter, who has forgotten that he is really Peter Pan, back to Neverland to beat Hook and save his children.

Written by James V. Hart (Bram Stoker's Dracula, August Rush), the film has an interesting take on the Peter Pan story arc, taking him away from Neverland and letting him grow up, so that he effectively has to start over again to prepare for his fight against Hook. Generally, it's a good script that is creative in the direction it takes the characters and never fails to amuse. However watching it back again all these year later, I would have preferred it to be a bit shorter.

This film has a great cast of actors that fill the roles very naturally. Maggie Smith may slightly overact the elderly lady gestures and tones, but she's still believable, and whilst I might find personally find Julia Roberts a bit annoying, she's great as Tinkerbell. Then there's the late Bob Hoskins, possibly the most cockney man who even lived, who makes the most perfect Smee imaginable. Though if anybody equals or even surpasses Williams in Hook, it's Hoffman as the titular character. Captain Hook's terrifying, barbarous charisma is brought to life more by Hoffman here than even Hans Conried in 1953, and he had animation to help him!

This is one of those roles that seems to fit Robin Williams perfectly. As an adult Peter, he may have grown up, but Williams' energy brings the inner Peter Pan out. His sense of humour comes through too when he's delivering all the great one-liners that are spread throughout. Though playing totally different characters, his performance here is quite reminiscent of some of his other children's films such as Jumanji and Patch Adams.

Ok, so this film certainly has it's issues, not the least of which is it's 2 Hour 20 minute running-time (for a children's movie? seriously?) but it never fails to be enjoyably childish and fun, which is what Peter Pan is all about right?

Editorial: Margaret and David are retiring!

Two of Australia's most beloved and well known movie critics, Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton, are retiring from their television show, which they have hosted for 28 years. They are known for their constant bickering that is fun to watch.

For those of our international readers who are unfamiliar with Margaret and David, think of them as an Australian version of Siskel and Ebert, except ten times as popular. Stratton is quite well known as a film scholar and has been the President of the Jury at both the Cannes and Venice film festivals. Pomeranz has been known for her vehement stance on anti-censorship and has even been detained by police for attending protests.

One of Margaret's favourite exclamations

The reason that this is such a big deal for me, is because without Margaret and David, I would not be reviewing movies now. I grew up loving watching The Movie Show (later At The Movies) and doing impressions of both of the hosts. I learned a lot about how to view cinema at an early age from them and I am truly grateful for that. They were such a big part of the international film scene and Australian TV screens will feel empty without them.

The final episode of At The Movies will air on December 9.

Robin Williams Tribute Month: Aladdin (1992)

This is by far my favourite Disney movie (with all respect to The Lion King, but this movie is hilarious) and that has to do entirely with Robin Williams performance as not one, but two characters.

For those not familiar with the plot at this stage (the story is based on a very old Arabic folktale), Aladdin (Scott Weinger) is a poor street rat who dreams of being rich like the Sultan of Agrabah. After being arrested and thrown into the dungeon when meeting Princess Jasmine (Linda Larkin), Aladdin is coerced into helping the evil Vizier Jafar (Jonathan Freeman) infiltrate the Cave of Wonders, which is filled with treasure. In this cave there is a lamp that is considered a great treasure.

I should point out how perfectly evil Freeman's performance is in this movie. As a kid I was terrified of the character of Jafar and he has a perfect sidekick in the form of Iago (Gilbert Gottfried). The art design for Jafar is amazing that it can still make me shudder at the sight of him as I watch it now.

It's at this stage that we meet the most memorable character of the movie; Genie (played superbly by Robin Williams). The entirety of Williams' performance is ad-libbed, after he recorded one performance as per the script, he was allowed to improvise all the dialogue, which is ultimately what was used. The animating team then worked the character around this voice work. This has resulted in a performance that is filled with pop culture references that go completely over any child's head, but once you grow up, you find yourself laughing at every single thing that comes out of his mouth.

There's a theory floating around that I think makes the viewing of this movie even more hilarious. At the start of the film we are introduced to a merchant (also voiced by Williams), who tries to sell the audience a lamp. The theory goes that this merchant made up the story to sell the lamp and thus inserted himself in the story as the Genie. This makes a lot of sense, especially when you look at the dimensions of the palace in Agrabah in comparison to the rest of the city.

Speaking of the city of Agrabah, the animation is amazing to look at. Not only are all the character animations are beautiful, but also the designs of static backgrounds are fantastic. In other animated movies of this time, the backgrounds normally were one-dimensional and lifeless, but these backgrounds are dynamic and colourful. This combined with the amazing early CGI defines the look of the film.

The last aspect that I want to talk about is the music. This movie has the best songs out of any Disney movie (sorry again, The Lion King). The songs are memorable and easy to sing along with. They are all very funny and/or tender and sweet.

Verdict: This Disney movie is a hilarious display of Robin Williams improvisation techniques and I recommend everyone watch it again immediately.

Trailers Week 10: 14/07/14

Serena
Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are in another movie together. On this leg of their journey back in time, they stop of in the 1930s and see how the Depression affected the timber business. Directed by Susanne Bier and also starring Rhys Ifans.

The Town That Dreaded Sundown
This movie has been classed as a meta-remake, so I'm guessing that means it is going to be self-referential to a certain degree. It's a slasher about a dude with a bag on his head, but the original did it way before we had even heard of Jason Voorhees. Starring Addison Timlin.

In Order Of Disappearance
This Norwegian action movie starring Stellan Skarsgård and Bruno Ganz looks fantastic.

The Homesman
This soft looking Western is directed by and starring Tommy Lee Jones as a man on a path to redemption by helping transport three damaged women across the country. Also starring Hilary Swank, Miranda Otto, John Lithgow and Meryl Streep.

Who Am I - No System Is Safe
This German thriller is about online hackers who look like they turn into cyber-terrorists. Starring Tom Schilling, Elyas M'Barek and Wotan Wilke Möhring.

John Wick
Keanu Reeves plays a retired hitman who goes on a rampage after some people kill his dog. Also starring Bridget Moynahan, Willem Dafoe, Ian McShane and Jason Isaacs.

Mark Reviews: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Just as I was about to go see TMNT, I got this review in my inbox from our good friend Mark Wahlberg, so there's one less movie I have to review. - Jack

Hey everyone I'm back and I got all new thoughts on a movie I saw. A few days ago, my mom called and said that she's missing me and Donnie. So I packed Donnie's backpack and we flew out to Boston to see the family.

After a dinner at our family's restaurant Wahlburgers (19 Shipyard Drive, Hingham, MA, if you're in the Boston area check it out and tell my brother Paulie I sent you), Donnie really wanted to go see this movie about turtles or something and I told Ma I'd take him, even though I knew he'd get tired and fall asleep.

First of all I'm pissed off that Michael Bay didn't put me in this movie. I could have played like Will Arnett's character or a turtle (or all four because I'm that good). I thought we had it good Michael, you already put me in two movies.

I'm so good I can play my own son

Anyway, Donnie fell asleep like I thought he would and I got really bored. Something about ninjas attacking New York (which I totally would have stopped if I was there) and the fact that these things are supposed to look like turtles. Whoever made this movie has never seen a turtle. I have to feed Donnie's pet turtles all the time so I know what they look like.

I suppose that Megan Fox is pretty good to look at, so it was a total waste. And that Johnny Knoxville can be pretty funny, but I really did want to see him fall down some stairs or get hit with a golf club.

So, I guess if you like looking at big monsters pretending to look like turtles or like falling asleep, you're gonna love this one. The weirdest part is that Donnie knew the exact parts of the movie he liked even though he was asleep during them. I gotta stop taking my brother to the movies.