I'd rather ashamedly never seen this, but I'm so glad I did. It may have been quoted to death by students, nerds, and student nerds alike, but it deserves all that classic status. Richard E Grant is astounding as the eponymous Withnail, swaggering about outrageously drunk and drugged to the eyeballs, but still maintaining a hysterical, shabby elegance. I will be buying this sooner than you can say "Scrubbers!"
Hot Fuzz
I didn't think Shaun of the Dead was anywhere near the best film ever made. The first hour was superb, but the uncomfortable change in tone just didn't work. The more balanced reviews of Hot Fuzz described a similar shift - multiple genres fighting with each other and none of them winning out.
But I needn't have worried. Hot Fuzz is a masterful, audacious blend of film homage, slapstick comedy, rural satire and cop-buddy movie. The script is excellent, with a whole range of comedy from crude swearing to superb punnery. Nick Frost is totally brilliant as Danny Butterman, making what could have been a dumb, countryside stereoetype into a loveable four-dimensional (yes, four) character and virtually stealing the film as he goes. The supporting cast of long-serving thespians flesh out the eccentric villagers with aplomb, with special mention to the dastardly (and never was that word so apt) Simon Skinner aka Timothy Dalton.
As with SOTD, this isn't the best film ever made either, but my criticisms are few and far between: there was a peppering of over-zealous directing by whip-pan Wright, specifically the recurring crash-montages of the arrest scenes; and finally, I am ever-so slightly disappointed that Simon Pegg doesn't get to flex his comedy muscles as much as he can. In his desire, perhaps, to do some 'proper' acting, it is a little while until you warm to the straight-laced Nicholas Angel, a character almost the antithesis of Tim Bisley or Shaun.
But nevermind, this is as much fun as you will have at the cinema, probably all year.
Dollydagger wrote:I was just going to ask all the people who loved Hot Fuzz if they also liked Shaun of the Dead!
I didn't laugh once throughout that film
I liked it, but it's nowhere as good as the Fuzz.
I found the first hour very Spaced-like in humour - if you liked/have seen Spaced, I don't see much difference in style - and then the laughs stop, when they tried to get a little to serious.
Dollydagger wrote:I was just going to ask all the people who loved Hot Fuzz if they also liked Shaun of the Dead!
I didn't laugh once throughout that film
LOL!! I love the bit at the start of SOTD when they are all in the pub and Nick Frost asks... "Do any of you cnuts want a drink?"
Whether a fan of the "c" word or not its genius!!!
"You know, just simple lines intertwining, you know, very much like - I'm really influenced by Mozart and Bach, and it's sort of in between those, really. It's like a Mach piece, really"
Nigel Tufnel talking about his song "Lick My Love Pump" - This Is Spinal Tap.
memly wrote:I think I am gonna try and watch Troy tonight.
Even though I have heard its rather shit.
It is...
"You know, just simple lines intertwining, you know, very much like - I'm really influenced by Mozart and Bach, and it's sort of in between those, really. It's like a Mach piece, really"
Nigel Tufnel talking about his song "Lick My Love Pump" - This Is Spinal Tap.
Beautifully shot and with a fantastic score (can’t beat Thomas Newman). The only mystery was why it took me so long to watch this! Jude Law's character was great