I really enjoyed The Bourne Identity (despite the changes from the book; quite enjoyed The Bourne Supremacy. But the final one? Got bored twenty minutes into the DVD and haven't bothered watching the end of it...
Bourne: I like all the Bourne films. Part of the reason I like them is because the police are not being portrayed as buffoons and the cars get totally fucked up in a realistic way. Far better than the Mission Impossible films, which drift heavily into what I would call "fantasy" over even "speculative fiction". Bourne's entire "brain wiping" program stuff is fantastical, of course, but the rest of it is pretty "real".
Videodrome and Existenz: I much prefer Videodrome, though in seeing Existenz you can tell it is more the film he *wanted* to make. Existenz has a much tighter plot and is also a film made with 20 years more experience - so I don't know why I prefer Videodrome.
Crank: Yeah, this thing is just brilliant. I have no idea how or why they wanted to make a sequel - I mean, *why would you do that*? It was fine as is.
Yeah, Bourne III and then Mission Impossible II was a harsh combo to have run through. I'm not even opposed to spy-thriller-action films wandering into the realm of fantasy; if you want accuracy, you watch something like THE LIVES OF OTHERS. But if you're going to do spy-thriller-action for me, I want it punchy and rough, not glossy and smooth.
I think part of Videodrome's superiority is that Cronenberg is only just figuring out what he's really INTO - the body invasiveness, organo-gore technology, etc. - while Existenz is Cronenberg just enjoying it, having long since figured out what he likes. I like seeing him throwing stuff against the wall to see if it'll stick or not, unsure whether it's all going to work together but taking a shot at it anyway.
Really, I have to admit, I think it was horrible. Absolutely, hideously bad. I'm still not sure if it was the GOOD horrible, though. Portions were just... ugh and blah. Seen it, seen it, wasn't this in the FIRST movie, seen it....
And then there's the fight in the electrical substation, which I think made the entire movie completely worthwhile. I would buy the movie JUST for that bit, I really would.
Totally agree with your assessments, especially Robocop. While rewatching it may be nearly redundant because I can recall every scene perfectly, it is akin to attending a church service of awesomeness or singing along to a favorite song.
I may have to give Crank another try. I saw some bits and pieces of it while flipping cable channels and apparently missed the marvelous forest for the terrible trees. And yetra said the other day that the sequel is brilliant in a crazed Miike sort of way.
Crank is stupid, but technically pretty impressive. Low expectations and seeing it as a direct response to Speed (as crisper notes) both help immeasurably.
I watched Crank on a plane, of all things. Really should watch it on a proper screen. Anyway, besides the fact that its awesome, its got Statham innit. He's pretty cool. Haven't seen an action film with him in that sucked yet.
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I love reading your mini reviews, btw.
OBComments:
Bourne: I like all the Bourne films. Part of the reason I like them is because the police are not being portrayed as buffoons and the cars get totally fucked up in a realistic way. Far better than the Mission Impossible films, which drift heavily into what I would call "fantasy" over even "speculative fiction". Bourne's entire "brain wiping" program stuff is fantastical, of course, but the rest of it is pretty "real".
Videodrome and Existenz: I much prefer Videodrome, though in seeing Existenz you can tell it is more the film he *wanted* to make. Existenz has a much tighter plot and is also a film made with 20 years more experience - so I don't know why I prefer Videodrome.
Crank: Yeah, this thing is just brilliant. I have no idea how or why they wanted to make a sequel - I mean, *why would you do that*? It was fine as is.
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I think part of Videodrome's superiority is that Cronenberg is only just figuring out what he's really INTO - the body invasiveness, organo-gore technology, etc. - while Existenz is Cronenberg just enjoying it, having long since figured out what he likes. I like seeing him throwing stuff against the wall to see if it'll stick or not, unsure whether it's all going to work together but taking a shot at it anyway.
I am stupidly excited to see CRANK 2.
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Really, I have to admit, I think it was horrible. Absolutely, hideously bad. I'm still not sure if it was the GOOD horrible, though. Portions were just... ugh and blah. Seen it, seen it, wasn't this in the FIRST movie, seen it....
And then there's the fight in the electrical substation, which I think made the entire movie completely worthwhile. I would buy the movie JUST for that bit, I really would.
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I may have to give Crank another try. I saw some bits and pieces of it while flipping cable channels and apparently missed the marvelous forest for the terrible trees. And yetra said the other day that the sequel is brilliant in a crazed Miike sort of way.
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