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Dan Owen reviews
2 0 0 6 R e t r o s p e c t i v e |
SEPTEMBERFilmmaker Oliver Stone courted controversy with his movie based on the events of September 11 2001 in World Trade Center. Told from the perspective of the fire-fighters who entered the World Trade Center to rescue people, the movie wasn't as successful or as well-made as United 93 and divided audiences. The Children Of Men arrived late to stake a claim as one of the year's best films - a darkly beautiful and haunting dystopia from the mind of Alfonso Cuaron. Clive Owen was great, but it's the camerawork and production design that most lingers in your mind, together with the potent political commentary. A classic. |
OCTOBERA glut of sequels kicks off with Jackass 2 -- more of the same painful exploits that's ideal for a beer-fuelled Friday night DVD. While The Grudge 2 also failed dismally at cinemas and should kill the franchise once and for all (or move it into straight-to-video territory). Barnyard outraged critics and biologists with "male udders", but primarily for being a low-rent computer animation that perfectly encapsulated the problem this sub-genre faces: just because it's animated by computer doesn't mean it's intrinsically beguiling and hilarious to watch. One unlikely hit was The Devil Wears Prada, a fashion coming-of-age tale starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. It amazed everyone by becoming one of the year's Top 10 hit movies worldwide and has certainly done wonders for Hathaway's career post-Princess Diaries. |
NOVEMBERSacha Baron Cohen seemed to be everywhere in November as the release of his second movie, Borat, took the world by storm. The docu-comedy was on the lips of everyone as Cohen took his infamous Khazakstani reporter Borat on a road trip across America, exposing racism along the way. Many claimed the film to be the funniest of the decade, although it wasn't without its off-screen controversy - as the hoodwinked saw opportunities to launch legal battles against the filmmakers. From Borat to Bond - the British institution faced his most difficult mission in November as he tried to wipe the slate clean and go back to basics. With Daniel Craig replacing Pierce Brosnan as 007, the backlash against his casting had reached ridiculous heights earlier in the year, but he proved his doubters wrong. Resoundingly so. Casino Royale, the first of Ian Fleming's books, was universally praised, although a few nitpicked over just how much of a "Bond Movie" it really was without Q, gadgets, sexual innuendos, Moneypenny and all the other clichés. Stripped to the bones, the movie made a mint at the box-office and revitalized the franchise yet again. Will Ferrell's Stranger Than Fiction was his Truman Show, both in terms of storytelling uniqueness and the jump from comedy to drama. It wasn't the amazing success many insiders expected, but it certainly performed well and should find a bigger audience on DVD. |
DECEMBERWith CGI dominating children's entertainment in 2006 it was strange to see Aardman Animations get in on the act with Flushed Away. Aardman usual work with plasticine (they're the minds behind Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run) so their first foray into CGI was a dangerous step. The film ended up doing poorly in the US and only slightly better on home turf, which is frustrating because it's actually one of the better CGI animations of 2006. Jack Black's bad year continued post-Nacho Libre with Tenacious D In The Pick Of Destiny. It should have been a comedy rock version of The Blues Brothers, but it just failed to take flight. Black seems to work best when he's reigned in by a director (School Of Rock) or circumvents his crazy man-child shtick completely (King Kong). Happy Feet was the undoubted star of kid's films this year - a surprise hit from the director of Mad Max(!) about singing penguins. It charmed the world and even kept Bond off the Number 1 spot in the US. The black-and-white rotters! Disposable entertainment came along in the shape of Eragon, one of relatively few Christmas releases designed to do as much business as Narnia or Harry Potter. It failed simply because it's not very good - a soulless, pointless, Star Wars retread littered with bad performances. A slight reprieve came in the form of A Night At The Museum which, despite coming from Shawn Levy (hack director of Cheaper By The Dozen and the terrible Pink Panther remake) was perhaps the most solid live-action family release for the holidays. Ben Stiller starred as a security man who works in a museum where all the exhibits come to life at night. The movie has its share of problems, but it's mostly a fun yet forgettable diversion perfect to take kids to on Boxing Day. Overall, the box office chart for 2006 (based on worldwide takings) was as follows:
But 2006 is, like, so last year. What goodies await us in 2007? Well, my personal picks of stuff to look out for are in Part Four. |
Email Dan Owen
The following is a list of Dan's Movie Digests online :
2007 Retrospective: Part One 2007 Retrospective: Part Two 2007 Retrospective: Part Three 2007 Retrospective: Part Four
Issue 188: August 22nd 2007 Issue 187: August 8th 2007 Issue 186: February 22nd 2007 Issue 185: January 26th 2007
2006 Retrospective: Part One 2006 Retrospective: Part Two 2006 Retrospective: Part Three 2006 Retrospective: Part Four
Issue 184: December 20th 2006 Issue 183: December 8th 2006 Issue 182: November 30th 2006 Issue 181: November 22nd 2006 Issue 180: November 15th 2006 Issue 179: November 6th 2006 Issue 178: July 19th 2006 Issue 177: July 12th 2006 Issue 176: July 6th 2006 Issue 175: June 23rd 2006 Issue 174: June 16th 2006 Issue 173: June 7th 2006 Issue 172: May 18th 2006 Issue 171: May 10th 2006 Issue 170: May 4th 2006 Issue 169: April 26th 2006 Issue 168: April 20th 2006 Issue 167: April 12th 2006 Issue 166: April 5th 2006 Issue 165: March 29th 2006 Issue 164: March 15th 2006 Issue 163: March 9th 2006 Issue 162: March 3rd 2006 Issue 161: February 22nd 2006 Issue 160: February 15th 2006 Issue 159: February 8th 2006 Issue 158: February 3rd 2006 Issue 157: January 27th 2006 Issue 156: January 18th 2006
2005 Retrospective: Part One 2005 Retrospective: Part Two
Issue 155: November 24th 2005 Issue 154: November 18th 2005 Issue 153: November 11th 2005 Issue 152: November 4th 2005 Issue 151: October 21st 2005 Issue 150: October 12th 2005 Issue 149: October 7th 2005 Issue 148: September 29th 2005 Issue 147: September 21st 2005 Issue 146: August 19th 2005 Issue 145: August 10th 2005 Issue 144: August 4th 2005 Issue 143: July 29th 2005 Issue 142: July 22nd 2005 Issue 141: July 13th 2005 Issue 140: July 8th 2005 Issue 139: June 30th 2005 Issue 138: June 24th 2005 Issue 137: June 17th 2005 Issue 136: June 9th 2005 Issue 135: June 2nd 2005 Issue 134: May 25th 2005 Issue 133: May 20th 2005 Issue 132: May 11th 2005 Issue 131: April 20th 2005 Issue 130: April 13th 2005 Issue 129: April 6th 2005 Issue 128: March 23rd 2005 Issue 127: March 16th 2005 Issue 126: March 2nd 2005 Issue 125: February 23rd 2005 Issue 124: February 17th 2005 Issue 123: February 11th 2005 Issue 122: February 2nd 2005 Issue 121: January 26th 2005 Issue 120: January 21st 2005 Issue 119: January 12th 2005
2004 Retrospective: Part One 2004 Retrospective: Part Two 2004 Retrospective: Part Three 2004 Retrospective: Part Four
Issue 118: December 22nd 2004 Issue 117: December 15th 2004 Issue 116: December 8th 2004 Issue 115: December 1st 2004 Issue 114: November 24th 2004 Issue 113: November 18th 2004 Issue 112: November 11th 2004 Issue 111: November 3rd 2004 Issue 110: October 28th 2004 Issue 109: October 13th 2004 Issue 108: October 6th 2004 Issue 107: September 29th 2004 Issue 106: September 22nd 2004 Issue 105: September 15th 2004 Issue 104: September 8th 2004 Issue 103: September 1st 2004 Issue 102: August 11th 2004 Issue 101: August 7th 2004
Issue 100: Greatest Underdog Movies Part 4 Issue 100: Greatest Underdog Movies Part 3 Issue 100: Greatest Underdog Movies Part 2 Issue 100: Greatest Underdog Movies Part 1
Issue 99: July 28th 2004 Issue 98: July 21st 2004 Issue 97: July 9th 2004 Issue 96: July 7th 2004 Issue 95: June 30th 2004 Issue 94: June 22nd 2004 Issue 93: June 6th 2004 Issue 92: May 28th 2004 Issue 91: May 23rd 2004 Issue 90: May 14th 2004 Issue 89: May 9th 2004 Issue 88: April 30th 2004 Issue 87: April 24th 2004 Issue 86: April 17th 2004 Issue 85: April 9th 2004 Issue 84: March 27th 2004 Issue 83: March 19th 2004 Issue 82: March 12th 2004 Issue 81: March 5th 2004 Issue 80: February 27th 2004 Issue 79: February 20th 2004 Issue 78: February 13th 2004 Issue 77: February 6th 2004 Issue 76: January 30th 2004 Issue 75: January 23rd 2004 Issue 74: January 16th 2004 Issue 73: January 9th 2004
2003 Retrospective: Part One 2003 Retrospective: Part Two 2003 Retrospective: Part Three 2003 Retrospective: Part Four
Issue 72: December 12th 2003 Issue 71: December 4th 2003 Issue 70: November 28th 2003 Issue 69: November 21st 2003 Issue 68: November 14th 2003 Issue 67: November 7th 2003 Issue 66: October 31st 2003 Issue 65: October 24th 2003 Issue 64: October 17th 2003 Issue 63: October 10th 2003 Issue 62: October 3rd 2003 Issue 61: September 26th 2003 Issue 60: September 19th 2003 Issue 59: September 12th 2003 Issue 58: August 29th 2003 Issue 57: August 22nd 2003 Issue 56: August 15th 2003 Issue 55: August 8th 2003 Issue 54: August 1st 2003 Issue 53: July 25th 2003 Issue 52: July 18th 2003 Issue 51: July 11th 2003 Issue 50: July 4th 2003 Issue 49: June 27th 2003 Issue 48: June 20th 2003 Issue 47: June 13th 2003 Issue 46: June 6th 2003 Issue 45: May 30th 2003 Issue 44: May 23rd 2003 Issue 43: May 16th 2003 Issue 42: May 9th 2003 Issue 41: May 2nd 2003 Issue 40: April 25th 2003 Issue 39: April 18th 2003 Issue 38: April 11th 2003 Issue 37: April 4th 2003 Issue 36: March 28th 2003 Issue 35: March 21st 2003 Issue 34: March 14th 2003 Issue 33: March 7th 2003 Issue 32: February 28th 2003 Issue 31: February 21st 2003 Issue 30: February 14th 2003 Issue 29: February 7th 2003 Issue 28: January 31st 2003 Issue 27: January 24th 2003 Issue 26: January 17th 2003 Issue 25: January 10th 2003 Issue 24: January 3rd 2003
2002 Retrospective: Part One 2002 Retrospective: Part Two 2002 Retrospective: Part Three 2002 Retrospective: Part Four
Issue 23: December 20th 2002 Issue 22: December 13th 2002 Issue 21: December 6th 2002 Issue 20: November 29th 2002 Issue 19: November 22nd 2002 Issue 18: November 15th 2002 Issue 17: November 8th 2002 Issue 16: November 1st 2002 Issue 15: October 25th 2002 Issue 14: October 18th 2002 Issue 13: October 11th 2002 Issue 12: October 4th 2002 Issue 11: September 27th 2002 Issue 10: September 20th 2002 Issue 9: September 13th 2002 Issue 8: September 6th 2002 Issue 7: August 30th 2002 Issue 6: August 23rd 2002 Issue 5: August 16th 2002 Issue 4: August 9th 2002 Issue 3: August 2nd 2002 Issue 2: July 26th 2002 Issue 1: July 19th 2002
DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
