Fellowship of Filming(s)

Sliding Doors (1998)

Wikipedia:

Sliding Doors is a 1998 romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Peter Howitt and starring Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah, while also featuring John Lynch, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and Virginia McKenna. The film alternates between two storylines, showing two paths the central character’s life could take depending on whether or not she catches a train.

Okay, full disclosure: I wanted to watch this movie simply because on of my all-time favorite bands has a song in this movie (and as far as I know it’s the only movie they do have a song in) so I had to watch it. For reference, it is this song:

And I don’t deny that because of this there might be a little bias in my review. I’ll try to keep a lid on it though. I’ll also try to hold back on all the Monty Python references this movie makes (it is set in England).

I’m usually not a big fan of Rom-Coms, but the way this one is structured is better than I expected. I also really did not expect that ending, which is another thing I don’t like about Rom-Coms, the predictability. I also got quite a bit of nostalgia for England from this movie too.

My Rating: ★★★

Mysterious Museum (1999)

IMDB:

While visiting a museum, siblings Ben and Kim a fierce electrical storm creates a passage between the real world and worlds within the paintings. They are magically whisked through time to the 1600’s and find they must square off against a wicked magician and also locate a valuable jewel in order to return to the present day.

This is a made for TV movie that ended up on my “8 Movie Family Collection” DVD, so I’m watching it. I feel like I’ve watched this before, but maybe I’ve left the DVD on while I’ve slept so, I’m going with that.

One thing about these kid movies, escpecially the ones I’ve been watching lately, is where are the parents? There’s only one parent, and they’re busy trying to keep the debt collectors at bay, or they’re involved with their own problems and neglect the kids so they drop them off at a museum (well, one of the kids does “work” there).

I did like how everyone worked together to defeat the bad guy and get back home again. But, again, that’s how family movies work, the family gets over the little irritating things and realize they do actually love each other.

My Rating: ★★

Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1982)

Wikipedia:

Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl is a 1982 British concert comedy film directed by Terry Hughes (with the film segments by Ian MacNaughton) and starring the Monty Python comedy troupe (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin) as they perform many of their sketches at the Hollywood Bowl. The film also features Carol Cleveland in numerous supporting roles and Neil Innes performing songs. Also present for the shows and participating as an ‘extra’ was Python superfan Kim “Howard” Johnson.

While this is considered a “movie” its actually a series of skits which is what the Flying Circus started out with as a tv program. They do feature some of the more popular skits, such as The Ministry of Silly Walks. I also quite enjoyed some of the musical numbers that were represented.

I really enjoyed this “live” version of Monty Python, and they way they interacted with audience was wonderful. I don’t think it’s something that can be done anymore, and I wish that wasn’t the case. It really was wonderful, and I wish I could have been at this performance.

My Rating: ★★★★★

Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)

Wikipedia:

Monty Python’s Life of Brian, also known as Life of Brian, is a 1979 British comedy film starring and written by the comedy group Monty Python (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin). It was also directed by Jones. The film tells the story of Brian Cohen (played by Chapman), a young Jewish man who is born on the same day as—and next door to—Jesus Christ, and is subsequently mistaken for the Messiah.

Okay, I am not entirely at all sure of what it was I just watched. I know what its supposed to be, because of the wiki article, but that doesn’t do it justice. I am aware that this movie is a parody, it’s supposed to be ridiculous, and not at all serious, but there actually is a message here (its a movie about Jesus, so I suppose even if its meant to a parody you still need a message).

Don’t let anyone tell you what to do.

Which is interesting because he was telling people not to let anyone tell you what to do. Which made sense as this is supposed to be a comedy and basically no one really listened anyway.

Spoiler! Maybe. The “real” Messiah never makes an appearance, you just get the story of Brian. I wasn’t sure the ending was the ending, until it ended. The Holy Grail had an ending of sorts, this one just ended.

I’m still not sure what I watched, but don’t let anyone tell you what to do.

My Rating: ★★

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Wikipedia:

Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1975 British comedy film concerning the Arthurian legend, written and performed by the Monty Python comedy group of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, and directed by Gilliam and Jones. It was conceived during the hiatus between the third and fourth series of their BBC television series Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

A moose once bit my sister…

I have this movie on VHS, but as I don’t have means to watch it at the moment, so I found it on Netflix. As such, I’ve forgotten just how ridiculous this movie is! And because there are so many quotable quotes, I’ll be sprinkling them throughout this post.

Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?

Help, Help! I’m being repressed!

The basic story is as the title suggests, King Arthur goes in search of the Holy Grail, but in the process we hear all the wonderful backstory. We also get to see quite a bit of the countryside and some local customs.

Your Mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberrries!

what is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

Okay, I’ve been watching this movie for several decades now, and it’s even a decade older than I am (am I showing my age?) so there really isn’t any way that this movie isn’t one of the classic parodies that sit alongside the likes of Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles.

On second thought, let’s not go to Camelot. Its a silly place.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Species III (2004)

Wikipedia:

Species III is a 2004 science fiction action thriller television film. The film, directed by Brad Turner, is the third installment of the Species series and stars Robin Dunne, Robert Knepper, Sunny Mabrey, Amelia Cooke and John Paul Pitoc. Natasha Henstridge, who was contracted to a trilogy commencing with the first Species film, briefly reprises the role of Eve in the opening scene.

The premise for this movie makes more sense than the previous two. This one is a direct continuation of the second movie, which is nice because I wouldn’t want to see want to see what new origin story the creators could come up with. This is actually what should have happened with the first movie.

I would have to say that this is the movie with the best plotline. It worked out so much better, and I liked the ending so much more. The aliens were much more human (for reference, all the “aliens” were hybrids anyway), and it was just much more entertaining to watch.

My only complaint is that you do have to at least have an understanding of the first two movies to figure out what’s going on in this one.

My Rating: ★★★

Species II (1998)

Wikipedia:

Species II is a 1998 American science fiction horror thriller film directed by Peter Medak. The film is a sequel to Species (1995) and the second installment in the Species series. The film stars Natasha Henstridge, Michael Madsen, and Marg Helgenberger, all of whom reprise their roles from the first film. The plot has Patrick Ross (Justin Lazard), the astronaut son of a senator (James Cromwell), being infected by an extraterrestrial virus during a mission to Mars and causing the deaths of many women upon his return. To stop him, the scientists who created the human-extraterrestrial hybrid Sil in the original Species try using a more docile clone of hers, Eve (Henstridge).

I’m still really against the origination of this movie, I mean an alien infection directly from Mars? They could at least be a little more creative and have had an accident with an asteroid or something.

I also really don’t understand why the two “aliens” have a telepathic connection (and this is never really explained either), but it does help advance the loose plot of breeding with everything in sight. As from the previous movie, I don’t really like this plot point but at this stage it is the entirety of the series.

The ending is well enough the same as the previous one, with one somewhat notable exception.

My Rating: ★ ★

Species (1995)

Wikipedia:

Species is a 1995 American science fiction horror film directed by Roger Donaldson and written by Dennis Feldman. It stars Natasha Henstridge (in her film debut role), Ben Kingsley, Michael Madsen, Alfred Molina, Forest Whitaker and Marg Helgenberger. The film’s plot concerns a motley crew of scientists and government agents who try to track down Sil (Henstridge), a seductive extraterrestrial-human hybrid, before she successfully mates with a human male.

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This movies starts out really quickly, there is some backstory, but it happens in like 5 minutes and all of a sudden there is a girl running around causing havoc. And within the next few movie minutes there’s now a woman causing havoc.

A strategic team is put together to track her down before she reproduces: a government agent, an empath, an anthropologist, and a biologist. The scientists attempt an experiment which shows the true nature of what they’re tracking, while the empath and agent work through her next moves.

Sci-fi movies are meant to be a little strange, and out there, and I think my issue with this movie is that it’s all about breeding and finding a mate. Which is not my cup of tea for a plot. A plot point maybe, but not the entirety of the storyline.

My Rating: ★ ★

The NeverEnding Story III (1994)

Wikipedia:

The NeverEnding Story III: Escape from Fantasia (also known as: The NeverEnding Story III: Return to Fantasia) is a 1994 English-language film, the second sequel to the fantasy film The NeverEnding Story (following the first sequel, The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter). It starred Jason James Richter as Bastian Balthazar Bux, and Jack Black in one of his early roles as the school bully, Slip. This film primarily used the characters from Michael Ende’s novel The Neverending Story (1979), but introduced a new storyline. It is an international coproduction between the United States and Germany.

When I first started watching this film (and the others) I wasn’t entirely sure I’d seen this one, the third one. But I think I’ve seen it on TV before as a younger person. Melody Kay is a young actress I’ve seen in other movies (Camp NoWhere for one) and I do wish that she had been able to play in more roles.

Also, seeing it now, a very young Jack Black makes an excellent bully (and he’s kind of cute too). I also have some nostalgia with this movie as I saw it when I was about the same age as the main characters.

It starts as a normal high school movie, new kid at school, bullies (the Nasties), an unfeeling new sibling, and a magical book.

It’s a brand new story that doesn’t follow from the two previous movies that were based on the original book. It’s definitely a more modern story as it plays out in the modern world with modern problems: shopping, high school, and divorce.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★

The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter (1990)

Wikipedia:

The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter is a 1990 English-language German fantasy film and a sequel to The NeverEnding Story. It was directed by George T. Miller and stars Jonathan Brandis as Bastian Bux, Kenny Morrison as Atreyu, and Alexandra Johnes as the Childlike Empress. The only actor to return from the first film was Thomas Hill as Carl Conrad Coreander. The film used plot elements from Michael Ende’s novel The Neverending Story (primarily the second half) but introduced a new storyline.

Well, it doesn’t star any of the actors from the previous film, except one, and it’s not a main character. That never bodes well for sequels if you ask me. I get if you need a different child (children tend to grow up eventually), but the adults are even different.

Also, this movie starts almost exactly the same as the first. A fight with Dad, teasing at school, and stealing a book from the bookseller.

From there, the movie does get better. Its still not as great at the first one, but it’s not bad at all. Its an interesting take on who really is your friend and how much family really means.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★