Displaying Review 1 - 5 of 12 in total

• Le Roi et l'Oiseau — for Le roi et l'oiseau
  Written by Greymatter on 11.08.2009

  Le Roi et l'Oiseau or the King and the Mocking Bird is a french animated motion picture by Pault Grimault, hitting the screens in 1980. The movie is based on the tale by Andersen The Chimneysweeper and the Shepherdess. It's his director's most successful movie, winning the Louis Delluc price and amazed audiences.

  The story takes place in the kingdom of Takicardia where a selfish and hateful king (Charles Five and Three made Eight and Eight made Sixteen) lives in a giant castle. Among all his suite (all obsequious), only a bird dare to make fun of him. The king appears to be in love with a painting of his collection, The Shepherdess. But one night, she try to escape with her lover the chimneysweeper to avoid wedding with the king...

  This movie is truly amazing. For a kid it's just a very good animated picture, but for a grew up person, it's more obvious to see all the references in the movie. The tyranny and all what goes with it : Personnality cult, forced work, segregation... Also some references at the masterpieces of art, some statues and some paintings can be easily recognized. Among all of that, the quotes of Jacques Prévert, the wonderful and poignant music of Wojciech Kilar and the layout of Grimault and his team make an unforgettable cocktail of bitter nostalgia. This movie inspired both japanese animators such as Miyazaki for Laputa or american (Iron Giant). If you have the opportunity of seeing it, don't miss it, you won't regret. It's truly a masterpiece of animation.

• They should have been only one... — for Highlander
  Written by Greymatter on 22.11.2010

  Curious fact, this Highlander franchise. The movies are getting worst, getting cheesy even before their release. But the first one is actually great.

  This is the eternal story of a bunch of mens blessed - or cursed - to be immortal. Nothing can kill them, except being beheaded. They travel through time and periods, changing their identity regulary. By an unknown factor, the immortal's fate is to fight each other, till only one left. Connor Mac Leod die at his first battle in Scotland. But few days later, still alive, he is banned from his clan. Another immortal, Ramirez, tell him all about the Immortals. And now, the time for the final act has come.

  The background is nice, Queen's music still haunt the memory and the characters are memorable. So what happened ? Well they got to ruin it all by making some nonsense followings, explaining the origin of Quickening (Immortals power source) and breaking the end of the first movie. The Prize...Yes the Prize of that game is to be mortal...To fully enjoy the life, having a family, having some children. And that's the bottom line of that picture. Of course it's a nice action movie with epic sword battle but finally the message is : Life is short, enjoy it. Just remember the song of Queen.

  Who wants to live forever ?...

• Who will survive and what will be left of them ? — for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
  Written by Greymatter on 26.11.2010

  The seventies...Nice shirt and trousers, disco music...and a freaking adventures of a crazy faceless lunatic ! Nowadays, you will say it's the typical slasher movie. Teenagers on a road trip will cross the way of an hysterical family of butchers. There's a mad hitchiker (never invite one to jump in in the Texas), some crazy old man and the most impressive of all, Leatherface. Just like a big baby with 5 of IQ and an incredible strenght.

  One of the first thought I had when I first saw this movie, it's that it's not as gore as you can think. In fact, nothing is really shown, that's one part of the good directing. All in the suggestion. The movie is filled with some sticky atmosphere, inhuman behaviour and an exquisite bad taste. Furniture made with some bones, zoom inside an eye, aggressive noise...It's like visiting a giant haunted house.

  Today, some might think that it's too old, not frightening anymore. I disagree. In my own opinion, the impact is not the same that in 1974, but it's definitly a turn in the history of cinema. So if your perverted mind want to see some crazy guy slice a disable guy on a wheelchair with a chainsaw, you know where to look...

• Witherless animation — for Beauty and the Beast
  Written by Greymatter on 09.12.2010

  Ok. I know, I'm a guy. I used to be a little kid and my father bought me every single Disney that comes out on VHS. At this time, I had my favourite and that was not that one. When I saw it at the theater, I enjoyed it, but it didn't made a great impression on me. But, now I'm a grown up man, I gave it a second chance on the Blu-ray format and...My world just got torned apart.

  Now I see all the things that makes this Disney a classic and let's face it, a masterpiece. It was nominate that year for the better movie award. Totally deserved. Beautiful settings, enchanting characters, incredible voice actings and exquisite colours. Among the voice, truly unforgettable Angela Lansbury definitly IS Mrs. Potts. Couldn't imagine a better voice for that character.

  As the movie goes, it's interesting to see the way the Beast character advanced, getting more and more human, as Gaston becomes more and more inhuman. The prince that was turn into that beast was in that state for so long, he forget almost evrything. How to stand, how to eat without spitting evrywhere, how to read...So it will be hard for him to court a beautiful lady. Gaston, otherwise, is the traditional good looking guy of the place. He could have been the prince...

  The soundtrack is of course to be mentionned. "There something there" and "Beauty and the Beast" are the most famous song, but all the score is amazing and perfectly match with the sequences. The scene of the transformation of the prince, at the end, with that powerful music, always gave me goosebumps.

  I just highly recommend this movie, truly one of the most impressive animation picture of all time. The only Disney the Library of Congress choose to keep among his movies for his "historic, esthetic and cultural interest".

  Made in heaven.

• One movie to rule them all — for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  Written by Greymatter on 01.03.2011

  I have to say I was not familiar with the books when it cames out. But I was still eager to see it. Why ? Because it's so rich. It's unbelievable to think one single man could give birth to such an amazing world. Peoples, lands, legends, monsters, even languages and writing...How uncanny.

  I will not make a summary of the story because everyone knows it. And actually, I will speak for the three movies, as I know, Tolkien himself was considering it like a big fairy tale for adults. All the actors are amazing. Perfect Gandalf, stunning Saroumane, amazing Gimli...I could talk about the whole cast. I even have to mention all the extra and the crew. What an awesome work with the models, the shots...

  The story could have take place in our world. "Forest will burn in the fire of industry..." History became legend, legend became myth...". It's all the mankind story in those words. I've got to say that the boxing of special collector's edition long version is like a treasure for me, appearing like three old books, containing the greatest and the most epic story of our time. Sir Tolkien, you will be remembered. You're now part of the legend you create. Hail to the Ring. Hail to the King. Hail to all Fantasy lovers who likes these tales full of dragons, brave warriors and evil lords.