My daughter, a horsed

 

Party Party ( 1983)

 

So this  film was a distant memory from the 1990s. You would see Party Party! advertised in the back, of Loaded magazine, along with Quadrophenia or Adventures of a Taxi Driver

My opinion of Party Party  is it a fine piece of young fun, indeed the film comes across as rather innocent.

One of the characters is a church organist. There is talk of Youth clubs, Lemonade and Table Tennis. A flash motor could be bought for 250 pounds.  It seems to have been filmed in Harlesden, Wembley, maybe Kingsbury that part of old London Town. Areas which have gone through quite the demographic change. 

I did wonder if the police officers we see in this film are cadets. 

Oh, and I just realised I don't think there is any drug use. 

Some friends in the early 1980s hold a New Years Eve party.  Hearts are broken, kisses are stolen, cherries are lost, beers are drunk, scores settled. 

I did enjoy the 80s soundtrack

Some thoughts

Did Karl Howman ever look young. He seems to have been born in his late 20s

Daniel Peacock- plays the idiot a bit too much. I did wonder if this hurt his career, or he got typecast. Did he ever play it straight

Caroline Quentin proves my point, about her being the sexier one in Men Behaving Badly, she is a teenager full of the flush of hormones

We see a departed Old Friend in the Late Great Gary Olsen

Clive Mantle playing a villian, Nick Berry has a brief cameo and Perry

All early 80s life is here. Skinheads, Goths, and New Romantics

As I said a fine bit of fun. I am glad I saw it, a nice way to spend a friday night

QPR V Bristol City

 

Training Day

 

I should have watched this one, when it was released. As Training Day has been referenced and repeated sso many  times in media I think I lost something while I waited. One of the Mexican gang members, is that guy from The Closer, the corrupt detective is explored in the Shield. 

I think the script isn't great. It depends on honour amongst thieves, and a gang banger who is very concerned about his nieces's education. 

 Denzel elevates it, with a full throttle performace.

Oh and Denzel does gangster speak, he repeats everything. He constantly questions, and challenges- I find this tiring

I note that Denzel is reading a newspaper, this dates the film

Oh, Snoop Dog in a Wheel Chair,  John Spencer, and a Ford Ka, I note that the 1990s has not ended yet

Indeed Ethan Hawke

I thought the plot rather then the script, was weak. Surely it is easier just to kill the Newbie first

I am glad I crossed it off my script

Lawrence of Arabia

 

I have seen at least half of this before. I wanted to complete it

Firstly what a soundtrack. What cinematography 

The film begins with the death of the hero. We see Lawrence's funeral in Westminister Abbey-here the question is asked does Lawrence deserve his place in the Panethon of an Empire

Speaking of Pantheons. Lawrence is like a homeric epic, this films feels like something from an earlier time. Even the film mentions this- the desert being a place for Gods. 

Peter O' Toole seems to be wearing eye make up. Which adds to the feeling of this being old, ancient. 

It is a disturbing performance from O'Toole. His first starring role, and like Lawrence he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. O'Toole makes a fine Atlas

Omar Sharif, and Anthony Quin give monumental support. Omar is introduced to the audience by casually killing the guide Lawrence had hired

Oh so that's where the line a ``River to my people'' comes from

The horror of war is shown. Lawrence is violated off screen, but the intent of his captors is clear. We see destruction of a small village and women's spoiled corpses and panned over. I think we can infer a lot about the fall of Aquaba

The racism of Lawrence's time is not concealed. 

I note Alec Guinness as an Arab royal is treated favourably but the Arab clan leaders are depicted warts and all. I wonder if the death of the German soldiers we see manning and running Turkish traines was a bit of parrelling Europeans employed by Muslims to fight in the war between Arab and Turk

 I did enjoy Alec Guinness's performance- the anagram is true

This was the first time I saw Allenby on screen

A masterpiece

Punch Drunk Love

 

This was Adam Sandler's first movie where he played it straight. Indeed I had forgotten that Emily Watson was an actress 

So is Barry Egan- who Sandler is playing here. Is he supposed to be Irish?

I think Barry is supposed to be on the spectrum- and the scenes where Barry meets his sisters for a family event and loses his temper feels right. If you have not seen an autistic meltdown then this is as good as a depiction as any on film

I was pleased to see Hawaii in this film

Emily Watson is great. She doesn't do an American accent

There is a bit of social history caught on film here. 

There is a sex phone line- social security number scam here. Barry calls a sex land looking for companionship rather than sexual release. The phone sex girl tries to blackmail barry and indeeds partially suceeeds  Today it would be a cam girl

The prices of the food products a quarter for a pudding cup, and a $1.75 for a teriyaki chicken are but a dim memory

I did wonder if Barry's constantly being dressed in a blue suit. Which indeed looked the zenith of  1990s style. The price of impressing everyone over a zima would be stinking

Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays the villian. A small town hood

The film recalls a Airline miles offer - and the work of  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Phillips_(entrepreneur)

It was fine. I won't rewatch

Dune part 2

 

I have just finished viewing this film, as I type this

The film was not bad, I can see why people have enjoyed the story of a messiah coming out of the desert for decades,. There were spectacular special effects. I liked the scene when the troopers used anti gravity devices to scale a desert moutain

None of the performances are bad. There is problem of Paul Artreides sounding American when he is angry. Why is Gerald Butler doing an accent but not Timothee Chalmet 

I did enjoy Butler, Brolin, and Walken's performance.

I appreciated the fact-that the Zendaya and Chalmet love story does not end happily. Duty prevails or she is tossed aside for another woman 

The story leaves me cold, the desert sun doesn't melt my aloofness. I am pleased to have seen the film. 

If for no other reason then it will be simpler than reading the novel- and I am now more familar with the lore