pantera1
Joined Nov 2004
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Reviews24
pantera1's rating
Ever gone to your shop expecting one film and get the other? Instead of DON'T LOOK NOW,a supernatural master piece, I was generously given DON'T LOOK BACK.
About Bob Dylan.
A different kind of supernatural talent, BUT NOT THE ONE I WAS EXPECTING. Bugger. And then I started watching it. And iabout a tour in 1965 to the UK. And it wasn't half bad.
Made by DA Pennebaker it was only released in 1967. After Dylan had gone electric. There are hints of his interest in going electric throughout the film, staring into a shop window longingly at a electric guitar; talking to people who did his covers electrically.
Also some great concert footage throughout. There's also shots of notables including Joan Baez and Donovan. So a great doccie all in all of an exciting musical time. And then I chanced on the commentary track. And it is brilliant. And must be listened too. it explains who was who within the film. what happened to them and so on. It brings a different dimension that was unavailable until DVD and well worth the viewing.
About Bob Dylan.
A different kind of supernatural talent, BUT NOT THE ONE I WAS EXPECTING. Bugger. And then I started watching it. And iabout a tour in 1965 to the UK. And it wasn't half bad.
Made by DA Pennebaker it was only released in 1967. After Dylan had gone electric. There are hints of his interest in going electric throughout the film, staring into a shop window longingly at a electric guitar; talking to people who did his covers electrically.
Also some great concert footage throughout. There's also shots of notables including Joan Baez and Donovan. So a great doccie all in all of an exciting musical time. And then I chanced on the commentary track. And it is brilliant. And must be listened too. it explains who was who within the film. what happened to them and so on. It brings a different dimension that was unavailable until DVD and well worth the viewing.
When going to their movies, I used to actively search out the Aussie films. These were often low budget wonders with iconoclastic/individualistic qualities. They often had a single uitlander(non Australian) somewhere in the cast ( e.g. MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER with Kirk Douglas, PRISCILLA etc with Terence Stamp) with the up and coming burgeoning talents like Mel Gibson, Russell Crowe and Toni Collette amongst others.) And you were pretty much guaranteed an interesting time.
And then they discovered that they weren't actually making bad little movies. And got vain. And instead of careful nurturing we get more randomly thrown together product. Product as opposed to craft. And it ends up looking like this.
This started with a cute little idea; It's set in a small town, West Village( a play on Go west and Greenwich Village) somewhere in Oz where the most exciting thing that usually happens is a dog runs away). And then people start being murdered in a style reminiscent of the Village People. Could've been great.
And is unremittingly awful. Written by three alleged comedians from somewhere in the comedic basements of Australia, it doesn't know what the hell it is. There's a bit of a Miami Vice pastiche, some line dancing and omni present confusion. Great direction makes you want to know about the characters and where they are going within the story arc. Poor direction makes you wonder why you're there. Thank god popcorn doesn't fly otherwise screens around the country would be saturated.
The problem occurs when you get stand-up comedians trying to up their exposure outside of their usual 15 minute routine. It is populated with friends of friends and relatives instead of talent. According to the director, Anthony Mir (not short for Mirth) the original story started as a two minute sketch for TV. Why in god's name did they let it get longer? Should've been stopped at birth.
And then they discovered that they weren't actually making bad little movies. And got vain. And instead of careful nurturing we get more randomly thrown together product. Product as opposed to craft. And it ends up looking like this.
This started with a cute little idea; It's set in a small town, West Village( a play on Go west and Greenwich Village) somewhere in Oz where the most exciting thing that usually happens is a dog runs away). And then people start being murdered in a style reminiscent of the Village People. Could've been great.
And is unremittingly awful. Written by three alleged comedians from somewhere in the comedic basements of Australia, it doesn't know what the hell it is. There's a bit of a Miami Vice pastiche, some line dancing and omni present confusion. Great direction makes you want to know about the characters and where they are going within the story arc. Poor direction makes you wonder why you're there. Thank god popcorn doesn't fly otherwise screens around the country would be saturated.
The problem occurs when you get stand-up comedians trying to up their exposure outside of their usual 15 minute routine. It is populated with friends of friends and relatives instead of talent. According to the director, Anthony Mir (not short for Mirth) the original story started as a two minute sketch for TV. Why in god's name did they let it get longer? Should've been stopped at birth.
breasts that launched a thousand skits. If you've ever seen the movie, you'll know what I mean. If you haven't, wait for it. It also sparked AIRPLANE (8/10) quotes including "Ever been inside a Turkish prison?"
Based on his biography, this is the story of Billy Hayes who was sent away for 30 years for smuggling Hash. Not heroin, but hashish. Bloody idiot. He should've tried it out of Amsterdam; at least the prisons would've been more comfortable.
The depiction of the prisons as an unrelenting horror zone and a random justice system, irritated the Turks no end at the time with them threatening to stop the export of Turkish coffee and the misnamed Turkish delights to the US.
And who else to do the irritating but the most maverick of the mainstream; Alan Parker. While you have lots of individualist directors, they tend to be limited to a very art house crowd. And spread their messages in the most doom ridden, clichéd ways. (Sorry, Mike Leigh). Alan parker, on the other hand, has done what the hell he likes; taking unfilmable works and making them his own in an original, accessible way. Think of BIRDY (8/10), BUGSY MALONE(7/10), PINK FLOYD'S THE WALL (7/10) and even EVITA (8/10).
It's not surprising knowing his background; he was an advertising copywriter before joining the pantheons of the film gods. So he knows how to make a difficult concept saleable. In this he was joined in the script writing by none other than Oliver Stone, another maverick and conspiracy king, who later helped him with writing EVITA. (Yes, sort of like finding out that your macho gym teacher wears Victoria's Secret.)
Scattered throughout are some great performances by Randy Quaid and John Hurt (already looking sixty at the ripe old age of 38) but the star performance is by Brad Davis as Billy Hayes; a tortured, realistic performance. He went on to be one of the first and best known stars to die of AIDS. Truth be told, Midnight Express was his greatest role and the one he will be remembered for.
Even though it was made in the late 70's it is a pretty timeless piece, give or take a polyester suit, which is the way those prisons are.The brutality exhibited would make a dominatrix squeal.
Based on his biography, this is the story of Billy Hayes who was sent away for 30 years for smuggling Hash. Not heroin, but hashish. Bloody idiot. He should've tried it out of Amsterdam; at least the prisons would've been more comfortable.
The depiction of the prisons as an unrelenting horror zone and a random justice system, irritated the Turks no end at the time with them threatening to stop the export of Turkish coffee and the misnamed Turkish delights to the US.
And who else to do the irritating but the most maverick of the mainstream; Alan Parker. While you have lots of individualist directors, they tend to be limited to a very art house crowd. And spread their messages in the most doom ridden, clichéd ways. (Sorry, Mike Leigh). Alan parker, on the other hand, has done what the hell he likes; taking unfilmable works and making them his own in an original, accessible way. Think of BIRDY (8/10), BUGSY MALONE(7/10), PINK FLOYD'S THE WALL (7/10) and even EVITA (8/10).
It's not surprising knowing his background; he was an advertising copywriter before joining the pantheons of the film gods. So he knows how to make a difficult concept saleable. In this he was joined in the script writing by none other than Oliver Stone, another maverick and conspiracy king, who later helped him with writing EVITA. (Yes, sort of like finding out that your macho gym teacher wears Victoria's Secret.)
Scattered throughout are some great performances by Randy Quaid and John Hurt (already looking sixty at the ripe old age of 38) but the star performance is by Brad Davis as Billy Hayes; a tortured, realistic performance. He went on to be one of the first and best known stars to die of AIDS. Truth be told, Midnight Express was his greatest role and the one he will be remembered for.
Even though it was made in the late 70's it is a pretty timeless piece, give or take a polyester suit, which is the way those prisons are.The brutality exhibited would make a dominatrix squeal.