The Rocket, an Australian production set in Laos is a charming, poignant sometimes weird humanist drama about family breakdown, western corporate greed, the enduring impact of the Vietnam War on Laos and the interpersonal bonds that carry people through awful times. The film is told largely from the perspective of Ahlo (Sitthiphon Disamoe) a young Laotian boy burdened with the
Read moreIMAX documentary, The Earth Wins is a less ambitious cousin to films like Koyaanisqatsi and Samsara. Like those films it’s composed of stunning images and music and has no dialogue or narration. The film presents remarkable aerial shots (courtesy of aerial film specialists Helifilms) of some the most astonishing places on Earth including vast urban slums, African grasslands, the sprawling
Read moreThe novelty of Red was that the gun-totin’, fist-fightin’ action stars, Bruce Willis, John Malcovich and Helen Mirren were all well past 50. This casting lent some senior-citizen empowerment, sophistication and philosophical reflection to the testosterone-fuelled world of the action movie. Red was still pretty silly and implausible but it was clever enough to stand out from the usual action
Read moreIn a world full of noble, philosophical super-hero movies, 2010’s obscene, ultra-violent super-hero parody Kick Ass was a welcome shock to the system. Featuring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the superbly nerdy Dave Lizewski aka clutzy crime fighting fan-boy Kick Ass and his idols, foul mouthed pre-teen super-heroine Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) and her killing-machine father Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage), Kick
Read moreBuilt For Speed – Playlist – Friday 6th September 2013 THE AFFECTED – Zilche. (Aus) KINGS OF LEON – Supersoaker. THE LIFE COACH – Fireball. SONS OF RICO – I’m not thinking about you (Aus). THE WHO – Won’t get fooled again. LED ZEPPELIN – Four sticks. QUEEN – Tie your Mother down. THE ROLLING STONES – Get off my
Read moreThis week on Built for Speed we take a look a host of current release films including Neil Blomkamp’s follow-up to District 9, the socially conscious sci-fi actioner Elysium, outrageous comedy We’re the Millers and Woody Allen-influenced quirkfest Frances Ha. There’s also plenty of new release music and older tracks including a classic from Michael Jackson who would have celebrated
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