mattieman73 Reviews

Feast (2005)

King Kong cost HOW MUCH?

[7/10 · 19 September 2006]

So Hollywood continues to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into JUNK like Poseidon and Mission Impossible...meanwhile, there are interesting cats like Chris Moore, Matt Damon and, yes...admit it...Ben Affleck who put there clout behind little flicks like Feast.

Yes, I did watch Project Greenlight. At first, this flick looked like a train-wreck. Gulagher looked completely clueless. Little did we know that, deep beneath that fat, mousy exterior, beat the heart of Andrew Vachss's Burke.

What should have been a trifle turned out to be a fun, gross, laugh out loud comedic screamer that had some legitimate jolts. Give Gulagher $10 million and keep a strong producer like Chris Moore involved and you could have another Usual Suspects or Lock, Stock... The guy knows how to create mood. If a regular genre director had healmed Feast, it would have been another Sci Fi Original piece of crap. But Gulagher really showed a knack for noir. The lighting, the camera angles, what he chose to focus on at certain key points...it all rolled together for an excellent cinematic experience.

Even though I had free passes, this flick is still definitely worth the cost of A Night At The Movies. If it doesn't come to your town, PUT IT ON YOUR NETFLIX QUEUE NOW!!! A satisfying gore-fest that won't leave you disappointed.

Revolver (2005)

Very misunderstood, flawed, interesting flick

[9/10 · 7 December 2005]

I'm not sure why this movie has been subjected to such savage reviews. I think that Guy Ritchie (of all people!) has made a very interesting, thought-provoking movie. This is a very worthy companion piece to Survive Style Five and Fight Club. I also felt a kindred spirit to Adaptation in the subtle shift of characterization as Jason Statham comes to grips with the voices in his head.

Yes, it starts off with some very pretentious gangster-movie-as-art-house-flick moments, but settles into a nice groove as the story wears on.

I loved the fact that there were no Ritchie trademarks (stop/fast motion, groovy soundtrack, Bricktop...etc...) but rather a slow moving, evolving storyline. I read an interview recently where Ritchie said that he understands why no one wants to pick this up for theatrical release but feels it will become a cult film on DVD. While this is, most likely, true, it is sad because this film needs to be seen on the big screen. The animation sequences alone should get it in theatres. But there are so many beautifully framed shots...it HAS to get off my TV and at least into art-houses.

It is a complex movie that would defy any kind of successful ad campaign. The people who really would enjoy this film would never go to a Guy Ritchie movie...and (at least the American) Ritchie-ites would walk out scratching their heads wondering what they just did with two hours.

C'mon people...it's not Swept Away. Scorsese directed the "Bad" video for Michael Jackson and people didn't crucify his next flick...

Natural City (2003)

Excellent film

[2 May 2005]

I don't understand the low rating of this picture.

THIS is what science fiction SHOULD be!!! Too much sci-fi has become pretty people in black PVC or leather bondage gear blowing things up in 360 slow-mo. Natural City actually sits back and tells a tells a story without bludgeoning us with Matrix-lite effects.

This is as much a sad tale of love denied as it is a renegade cop, a cyborg, a "hooker with(out) a heart of gold" and the military-industrial complex of a the future.

YES, the story is derivative of Blade Runner. Most, if not all, sci-fi of today is derivative of either Blade Runner, Mad Max or 1984. Move on. Enjoy the good stuff when it happens.

LOVED the fact that they did not stomp all over the subtleties of this movie with the standard industrial metal soundtrack that is de riguer in much sci-fi. The piano score was haunting and kept us grounded in R's sorrow for his pending loss.

Come into Natural City with an open mind and no Blade Runner hang-ups and you will be rewarded with a very good film. Not since Minority Report have we seen sci-fi done with this much respect paid to thinking grown ups.