The Oscars are rapidly approaching and this week ‘Built For Speed’ reviews one of the big hopefuls, Alejandro Innaritu’s Birdman. We also take a look at a film that will probably not win any Oscars, The Wedding Ringer. There’s also our usual selection of fine music with new and classic tracks from Australia and overseas with The Go Team, Sun
Read moreAlejandro González Iñárritu’s idiosyncratic serio-comic take on the machinations of theatre, the decline of cinema and the fickleness of celebrity, Birdman, has been the toast of international film festivals meaning it has arrived on our shores carrying the weight of enormous expectation. That sort expectation often leads to disappointment and that is to some extent the case here. While this
Read moreInto the woods, which is based on a stage musical, mixes the stories of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel into a campy fairy tale meta-movie. While this attempt at a jokey musical comedy initially offers some pantomime amusement it transforms into a turgid, overlong snooze fest. Set in a mythical medieval kingdom, the story
Read moreThe charming Australian film Paper Planes has many of the ingredients usually found in successful Aussie movies: a story of triumph over adversity, larrikin humour and young romance and like recent hits such as Red Dog it deserves to become a family favourite. Ed Oxenbould, who was so impressive as the conniving younger brother in the excellent TV adaptation of
Read moreUnbroken is Angelina Jolie‘s second film as director following 2011’s In the Land of Blood and Honey. A World War Two drama, Unbroken explores important topics in an earnest manner and with impressive film-making technique but doesn’t amount to an entirely satisfying film. Unbroken tells the gruelling story of American Private Louis Zamperini (Jack O’Connell) a delinquent kid turned star
Read moreBuilt For Speed – Playlist Friday 23rd January 2015 CITAY – Careful with that hat. THE WALKMEN – The rat. OKKERVIL RIVER – This is not a movie or maybe. DRIVE BY TRUCKERS – Lookout Mountain. QUEEN – Great King Rat. TINY MIGRANTS – A public execution. (Aus) STRAIGHTJACKET FITS – Down in splendour. HEADER – Restoration. (Aus) SASKWATCH –
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