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Movies - Cult Fiction

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'Wonderboys' may escape your attention due to various other similar movies that have become a staple of cinema in the last decade or two; namely films like 'Dead Poets Society', 'Good Will Hunting' and 'Finding Forrester'. 'Wonderboys' looks like one of these films, but it isn't.

The story concerns Grady Tripp (Douglas, in a different role to the types he usually plays), a university professor and successful writer who has been working on his latest novel for no less than 7 years. Over the course of a particularly hectic weekend he finds himself hounded by his editor (Downey Jr) and saddled with one of his students; the enigmatic James Leer (Maguire).

Michael Douglas' character is engaging and fascinating, Robert Downey Jr reminds us how sad it is that he can't keep himself out of gaol long enough to do more movies and Tobey Maguire does his usual weird kid schtick with a few twists thrown in. This isn't one of those mentor/disadvantaged genius films. This is a story about a writer coming to terms with events around him, and taking control. In this respect, and many others, it's a far more interesting film than something like 'Finding Forrestor'. It's funny, unpredictable and exceptionally acted by all involved.

And that's pretty much all I have to say about this film! It's entertaining, what else do you need to know?

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Let's Get Skase

November 28th 2006 09:05

Oh dear. This film showed a lot of promise. I mean, come on - a film about a crack squad trying to kidnap Christopher Skase? This could've been gold!. But it's not.

The plot is a lot more complicated than it needs to be. Basically, it's a heist film. There are characters who try to prevent the heist from happening, and some who want to take it over, but for all it's worth it never amounts to anything much of interest for the viewer. The comedy is displaced by drama at times, and this film should've aimed to be more of an outright laugh-fest.

Lachy Hume, the writer/star of the film, is pretty good as the opportunist heading up the kidnap plan. The team itself is an opportunity missed though - some of the characters (the driver and the ops guy particularly) are drastically underdeveloped, which is a shame considering that the driver's all too few lines are probably some of the funniest in the film. Craig McLachlan is surprisingly good, and does the best he can with an aggravating character. The direction though, well, it's a complete mess - at times looking very low budget and straight-to-pay-TV.

I can't stress enough how much of a disappointment this film was to me, it seemed like such a great idea. The Australianisms (eg. the description of Skase as a 'bullshit artist') had the potential for brilliance, but fall prey to the film's uneven nature. Better luck next time, I guess.

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Old School

November 24th 2006 04:25

Whilst not quite as old school as I had hoped it to be (the presence of a fun-hating Dean was good, but where were the nerds dammit?!) this is still a great stab at 80s-style college comedy.

Prankery - check. Nudity - check. Laughs - check. I can't really fault it too much based on it meeting it's requirements more than adequately. Ferrell steals the show for sure, and Vaughn is great as everyone's slightly-shifty mate (as usual). The use of slightly-older than normal characters in a teen-aimed comedy is inspired, it puts a more unique spin on what could've been another run-of-the-mill Road Trip/Van Wilder wannabe (and, let's face it, neither of those films were trailblazers either). As I mentioned before, it harks back to the campus comic adventures of the 80s. It could've been a little more old school, but hey - it can't help the fact that it was made in the 21st century, and it has a context to think about.

But I digress far too much. It has titties and chuckles, 'nuff said.

TRIVIA: Apparently the director saw this film as a comedy version of 'Fight Club', and there are several visual references to it throughout.

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The Parole Officer

November 22nd 2006 06:44

So, it is possible. A film can actually be funny and feature a clever and satisfying plot. Surprisingly, as these things usually are, 'The Parole Officer' is one of those lesser-known films you see hanging around the weeklies, sordidly mixing with films of a lower-standing... y'know, films that feature Hulk Hogan or the Olsen twins

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Cube

November 21st 2006 06:15

Say what you like, but no one can deny that 'Cube' is unoriginal. It's by no means a perfect film, but it's definitely different (and not in a 'look at the old Ukrainian woman masturbate' arty-farty kind of way

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Gettin' Square

November 17th 2006 05:27

One of the best Australian films of 2003, and easily the best Australian film I've seen in ages. The story is tight (though it perhaps borrows a little too much from a film I won't name [in fear of spoiling either], narratively-speaking), the characters and performances are an absolute cack to behold, and the direction is punchy and to-the-point

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League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

November 15th 2006 05:23

Biggest disappointment of the cinematic year of 2003? Yes, I think so. I'm glad I was let down by other people before I went to see this, as going in with expectations as high as they would've been could've been dangerous. I would've been hella angry. It's not the shittest film I've ever seen, but it's just aggravating knowing how good this might have been

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Pirates of the Caribbean

November 13th 2006 08:56

Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)

I'll spare you the now mandatory 'ahars' and various other pirate-related exclamations, but I will chime in on what everyone is saying at the moment - pirates are the 'new' cool, and they're back in full force. Just how long this so-called craze will last is anyone's guess, but with Peter Weir's 'Master and Commander' and this film’s own two sequels, it's a fair bet to say that naval battles and the like are proving themselves to be a bankable commodity once again, so it won't be too surprising to see a few more ventures into pirate territory over the next few years

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Gods and Monsters

November 12th 2006 10:35

Gods and Monsters (1999)

'Gods and Monsters' is a biopic (of sorts) of James Whale; the colourful director of 1930s horror classics 'Frankenstein' and 'The Bride of Frankenstein'. Taking it's lead from the latter days of his life, it explores his increasingly frailty of mind and a relationship he strikes up with his groundskeeper

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Terminator 3

November 10th 2006 11:11

Oh dear... I kind of knew what to expect right from the outset. I can't say I was surprised in any way with how this turned out, so I'll try and keep my gripes to a minimum - or well-balanced at the very least

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Death to Smoochy

November 8th 2006 09:42

Death to Smoochy (2002)

I watched this movie with little expectation other than that I knew Robin Williams was in it and would be playing a comically villainous role. As I watched it it became clear to me that this was satire, a genre I don't usually like. 'Death to Smoochy' pulls it off though, and shows how a satire should be done. It's very funny, blackly so, and treads all over children’s television. I loved it

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Requiem For a Dream

November 7th 2006 05:59

Requiem For a Dream (2000)

Drugs are bad, mmmkay? It's an old message but, as evidenced in 'Traffic', it's still relevant in an ever downward-spiralling drugs-soaked culture. 'Requiem for a Dream' complements a film like 'Traffic' perfectly... whereas 'Traffic' showed how people on different levels of society attempt to deal with the 'war on drugs', 'Requiem for a Dream' shows the effect of drugs in a more personal and familial way

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Chicken Run

November 5th 2006 23:56

Chicken Run (2000)

'Chicken Run' is an oddity in the animation world... in a time filled with CGI-extravaganzas someone decided to bring out a stop-motion clay animation movie. Brought to us by the award winning Aardman team ('Wallace and Gromit'), 'Chicken Run' is a film for adults and kids alike

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Austin Powers: Goldmember

November 3rd 2006 10:24

Austin Powers: Goldmember (2002)

Austin Powers, everyone's favourite swinging superspy, returns again in 'Goldmember'. Not content with playing three roles in the last film, Mike Myers opts for four in this one

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