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cj-mckay
Reviews
Ozone (2003)
Brilliant Film - Easily Misunderstood By The Predjudiced
Ozone is a truly excellent short film. It defies definite categorisation as it is a blend of Gilliam-esquire surreality, social comment and science fiction. Thus I can understand the negative comments made by the other reviewers although I think they have missed the point entirely and failed to grasp the concept of this short movie. I was particularly amazed by the reviewer here who refers to what he calls unpleasant violin music at the start of the film.. The music is Saint Saens' Danse Macabre - A Cello-led piece of music and rather a beautiful one, too. It suggests motion and suits well the opening action of the movie.
I saw Ozone recently and, having recorded it from the TV, I have watched it about five times now. This is a short film which is packed with directorial detail and tells the story of a future executive who is called to a strange "reward" meeting by his company.
The action and character reactions are certainly alien and stilted but the performances are all superb with the main characters saying so much through their facial expressions.
I very much liked the little reference to "Brazil" - the classic Terry Gilliam movie which is a surreal tour-De-force. Look out for the little chocolate bars on the fat ladies' trolley - they have the "Brazil" logo from the movie.
This film is not for everyone. To enjoy it you must suspend judgement and let it wash over you. There is more in this sub-20 minute movie than there is in many full-length features. This is a brilliant portrayal of a future world which is different in most respects from our own. My sincere compliments to the directorial team Honey.. I hope we can expect a full-length feature of this quality soon and that these talented directors will be encouraged by the fact that there are a few of us out here who grasp what they are doing :-) Chris Johnys 03/11/2006.
Tales of the Unexpected: Galloping Foxley (1980)
Dahl Reflects on Terrible Schooldays
In its short-story form, Galloping Foxley is an excellent and typically horrifying tale of British public-school abuses and ritual humiliation. I have always loved Dahl's most sinister and dark work and this story is darkened further by the clear note of autobiography evident within it.
As an episode of "Tales Of The Unexpected" it shines even brighter. Dahl opens the episode with his usual address to the audience. He tells us that "every single word of the following tale is perfectly true" - ramming home the fact that this is an autobiographical venture. The story concerns a typically-British businessman, William Perkins, who loves the routine of his life. One day, turning up as usual at the railway station for his journey to work, he finds that a rather obnoxious-looking man has taken his place first on the platform and then in his usual carriage.
Breaking the silent code of the commuter, the new traveller addresses our man Perkins and engages him in uncomfortable conversation. These privations go on for several days until Perkins finally recognises the man as Bruce Foxley, the older boy from his school who had brutally beaten and abused him during his childhood. Foxley seems not to have recognisers Perkins.
Perkins determines to expose Foxley in front of the other commuters and proceeds to do so with relish, waiting until the train is nearly at its destination.. And at this point the written and televisual versions diverge.. I feel that the written story has a weaker ending than the TV version. In the original, the supposed bully Foxley simply denies that he is Foxley and gives his real name and old school - there the tale ends. In the TV version the denial is made and then we see the other embarrassed commuters leave the carriage. 'Foxley' addresses Perkins in the empty carriage whilst holding his distinctive cane over his shoulder in the manner we have previously seen earlier in the school-time flashbacks. This implies that the new man is indeed Foxley whilst leaving us in enough doubt not to be sure of it. A rather clever improvement, I thought. It gives subtlety to the ending and affords the possibility that the man is really Foxley and that he has once again and after all of these years, humiliated poor Perkins.
I Am Sam (2001)
Classic Sunday afternoon weepie - Great performance from Sean Penn.
This film is nowhere near as bad as other people have made it out to be. I saw it for the first time today and was particularly impressed with Penn's performance. His nouveaux-Method style does suit the portrayal of this intellectually challenged character.
Sam's John Lennon fixation is gently emphasised by the excellent soundtrack of late Beatles songs performed by contemporary artists and this lends authenticity to the experience.
A fairly straightforward tale of a man who has little more than the intellect of a seven-year-old child struggling to raise his little girl alone in a society which is naturally prejudiced against him. A solid performance from Michelle Pfieffer, too, as Sam's lawyer.
There are some very touching scenes which make this more than just a formula weepie flick. If you are looking for guns, killings and excitement then this film is not for you. I think it is sweet.
Look Around You (2002)
Look Around You Series Two - Pure Genius From A New Generation Of Brit Comedians
I was very impressed with the original series of 'Look Around You.' It was an excellent parody of the old 1970s school science programs. These short 10-minute episodes packed in enough comedy for a half-hour or more! Series two is rather different, though. A more sophisticated concept and even more hilarious...
As a child, I watched the BBC's Tomorrow's World avidly every Thursday night. This was also the night for sweeties, fizzy pop... and Top Of The Pops.. I recall those late 1970's childhood days with a gentle nostalgia.. And that phrase is the key to the humour within both series of Look Around You. Gentle nostalgia - but brilliantly executed.
I was disappointed to read so many poor reviews of this series. I feel that many viewers just totally missed the point. With Look Around You the humour is in the detail. The incredible, spurious scientific and medical references, the little glimpses into the characters of the presenters, the clunky computers with strange names. We meet characters like the BBC's bespectacled "Computer Jones" who seems to chime with a memory of a chap who actually used to present a BBC computer show in the 80's. A lot of the things you see in Look Around You are very subtle pastiches of half-remembered inventions and characters from the past. This is a series which would be best understood by viewers like myself who remember what T.V. was like in the old days!
This rendition of a 1980 popular science program is perfect in every respect. Each episode is themed: Sport, Computers, Music etc. Within each theme the ideas explored are both surreal and hilarious. Totally impractical devices are presented as if they were incredible advances for science. In the shows' grand finalé and an amazing feat of technical wizardry, "His Royal Highness Sir Prince Charles" presents an award to the winner of the Look Around You invention competition looking exactly as he did in 1980! You have to see it to believe it.
The erudite humour of Peter Serafinowicz shines through the peculiar and stilted 1980-style presentation. This man has a gift for the twisted phrase; the ability to bend reality just enough to make it very, very funny indeed.
If you like the new flavour of modern British comedy then you will love both series of Look Around You. In my humble opinion some of the best-ever Brit comedy is now being produced and Look Around You is a fine example. Many are the souls who cry for the "good old days" of Monty Python and Dad's Army but, if you know where to look, there are fresh and brilliant comedy shows on British T.V. You just have to open your mind to something new. Rob Popper and Peter Serafinowicz (the writers) have earned the right to be regarded as heirs apparent to the great comic legacy we have in Britain.