This Blog Is Now Closed

For those of you who may have come across this site by Google or follow my primary blog at prestonmedia.blogspot.com ; please note that this blog will no longer be in use.  I don't want to get into too much detail as to why, but basically I felt that this would take up time unnecessarily.  As much as I love movies and love writing, the amount of time I spend on writing a review could be spent on other priorities right now.

I am not closing the blog yet, as I figured some of you may come across the site by Googling a specific movie.  And I don't want the 3 movie reviews I have written to go to waste, so at least they will remain recorded in cyberspace.

I also may come back to writing reviews in the future.  Until then, there are other priorities I need to focus on.  Thanks for reading, and please visit me at my primary blog James Preston Online or follow me on Twitter.

God's richest blessings on you!

James

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Super 8 - 91%

From the moment I watched the Bonus Features of "Lost" season 1, I became an avid JJ Abrams fan.  He has a unique and incredibly talented movie mind like very few in today's industry.  He thinks on the same level and wavelength as such greats as George Lucas, Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg.  And when I saw the teaser trailer of Super 8 and who was behind the film, I knew it was going to be special.  I wasn't disappointed.

Interestingly, Steven Spielberg got involved in the movie as well, at the request of JJ Abrams it would seem. Along with assistants and friends Matt Reeves and Larry Fong, the partnership makes for a masterpiece.

Super 8 is just that, a masterpiece.  And will go gladly be notched as a star on Spielberg's already remarkable repertoire.  While Abrams continues to grow an impressive filmography.

While a number of regular movie goers may find it an average movie, it is not.  Only average movie goers would say such a thing.  Anyone with half an interest in movies and how they are made would recognise the brilliance that is Super 8.

It is a family, sci-fi action thriller.  Almost like a "scarier" version of ET.  It would seem Abrams wanted a picture that would appeal to a wide audience, including family viewers, while keeping strong elements of suspense, action and thrill.  He does this brilliantly by weaving the entire film around the story of 6 young teenagers making a movie on their Super 8 camera.  The movie is more about these 6 innocent kids than it is the sci-fi alien action.  The audience are drawn into their story, sympathising with them, which alleviates the anxiety and suspense of an alien terrorising the town.

But that's just one aspect that makes this movie brilliant.  I could go on forever about the way in which Abrams' explores the emotions of love, loss, bitterness, sympathy, friendship and ambition.  Coupled with brilliant suspense scenes and action sequences, remarkable special effects, stunning cinematography and perfectly cast actors, this movie has to be one my favourites of 2011.  So far, it is leading the race for my "Film of 2011".

If you love movies for what movies are made for, you will love Super 8.  A classic that will remembered for a long time to come.

Super 8:

91%  (A++)

F-Count:  1  (Uses of the F-Word below 3)  (I remember 2 uses, with only 1 being prominent)

Written by:  JJ Abrams

Directed by:  JJ Abrams

Produced by:  JJ Abrams and Steven Spielberg

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The Town - 60%

Now here is a film with the strongest language I have heard in a while... The Town. Written, directed and starred by Ben Affleck, it is promising on all counts. The cast, the story, the production team. But like Affleck's other directing success, "Gone Baby Gone", it is based in Boston and comes with the city's back-alley language.

I rented the movie with some friends of mine, and like most guys, we're not too affected by strong language (even the continuous use of the F-Word). But like most ladies, my wife wasn't at all pleased, and while trying to read in her bedroom, she politely asked us to turn the volume down on account of the language.

This is unfortunate. The screenplay that is. Because it is typically a good movie. I know there has been some debate surrounding the use of the F-Word in Hollywood (not enough in my opinion) but I just wish there were some way to overcome the obstacle for so many movie lovers like me.

Take a Blu-Ray disc for example. I now hire mostly Blu-Rays, and they can hold 50gb of data! They often have additional languages as options in the menu for international audiences. So why can't an additional language be with the F-Word dubbed out? It can't be that hard! It would make the viewing experience that much more pleasing and I am sure would increase disc rentals.

Like Affleck's other directing credit "Gone Baby Gone", "The Town" is set in Boston and is a crime thriller. The cast is all star, with some outstanding performances, particularly from Affleck, Jeremy Renner (Hurt Locker) and Rebecca Hall (The Prestige). The cinematography, sound editing and action sequences are all stunning and give an audio and visual feast throughout the film. The story keeps one guessing and on the edge of one's seat right to the final crescendo shoot out. But then kind of drops off weakly. I guess most people enjoy their happy endings and stories to be tied up nicely, which The Town doesn't necessarily do. It leaves a lot for the viewer to complete themselves. Which is far more artistic than is stomached by our "feed me" society unfortunately.

Had the movie not used such realistic Boston language, I would have given it a B, about 75%. But because I am such a protected little boy (and proud of it), I wouldn't watch it again, and unfortunately, in my books it has to go down as a C- at 60%. Just scraping into the C's by virtue of it being a darn well produced film.

Affleck is a gifted writer and director. I look forward to seeing more of his work in the future, hopefully for wider audiences.

The Town:
60% (C-)
F-Count: 3 (Strong use of the F-Word)
Written by:  Ben Affleck, Peter Craig and Aaron Stockard
Directed by:  Ben Affleck
Produced by:  Graham King and Basil Iwanyk

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