Weekend Retrospective - Walk Without Rhythm

DUNE (1984)

Oh David Lynch you old eccentric. He once described the production of Dune as about 'seventy-five percent nightmare,' but even without knowing the whole story his lack of creative control is often apparent on screen. This isn't some overlooked classic, or even an underrated gem. It's certainly an interesting movie, but is it a good one? The answer is no. Still, there are bits and pieces throughout its running time that are compelling for one reason or another. The first half isn't too bad, the second half is a truncated mess, and the conclusion is all wrong. But it's still a film that I often go back to, even if I can never really confirm why as the credits roll. However, since the new adaptation is here I guess this is the time for a fresh examination.

Review Roundup - Ring Out

SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS (2021)

With the Marvel Cinematic Universe constantly shifting to include magical dimensions and space travel, it was inevitable that they'd try to incorporate genre elements from Wuxia cinema. Kung-fu had been toyed with in their television shows after all. But this time it's definitely aiming for less realism and more fantasy. There's no longer any reason to make this grounded, and they have the budget to go beyond Luke Cage and Daredevil. This is more in the vein of Doctor Strange. For better or worse this is a movie which starts with hand-to-hand combat and ends with dragon-on-dragon monster action. It's hardly on par with the kind of action sequences from the classic days of Golden Harvest, but it's not entirely without merit.

Review Roundup - Double or Nothing

NO TIME TO DIE (2021)

Daniel Craig's 'tenure as James Bond', as they call it, has been less than stellar. There have been many highlights, but beyond the franchise reviving first instalment things have been rather shaky to say the least. Which isn't just a jab at the second unit camera work in Quantum of Solace. It seems at every turn there was a writer's strike or a long production delay of some kind. But this is a definitive conclusion to the rebooted series, for better or for worse. Does it go out on an all-time high or is it just a patchy affair? Unfortunately while this is a major step up from the laughable Spectre, the results reflect a lot of what has come before. Which is to say it includes the best, and worst, of Craig's time in the tuxedo, behind and in front of the camera.

Scorecard

OCTOBER 

FILM OF THE MONTH: The Shining ☆☆☆☆