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The Invisible Man 1933
Having unbelievably only just watched The Invisible Man for the first time, I am left wondering why it isn't more often referred to as a comedy.
There are several scenes in The Invisible Man that are really very funny indeed. I did wonder if they were meant to be - after all, The Invisible Man is not the most subtle film of all time and coming out of the mid-1930s the acting was of an altogether more theatrical style than…
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Elite Squad 2007
The World Is More Than Enough - 30 Countries In 30 Days Challenge (19 / 30) - Brazil
Elite Squad reminded me of one of those sprawling war movies from the 1960s where there are about a million characters and nothing really makes sense and you're not sure what's going on and you don't know if you're really enjoying it and it seems to go on forever.
In fairness, it probably isn't a film that fits many, if any, of…
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Sound of My Voice 2012
The World Is More Than Enough - 30 Countries In 30 Days Challenge (18 / 30) - USA
SOME SPOILERS
Having been entranced by Another Earth a few months ago, Sound Of My Voice was one of the most eagerly awaited films on my watchlist due to sharing the same writer-lead actress Brit Marling.
The problem is that while I knew right away that I really liked that film, I've come out of this one not really sure what to…
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Daniel Tosh: Completely Serious 2007
Daniel Tosh came on to my radar when all that controversy erupted last year regarding a routine he did about rape at a comedy club.
As it turns out, this show is about as funny as rape. Get your head around that, Tosh, you deeply unfunny individual.
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Jim Gaffigan: Mr. Universe 2012
I really like Jim Gaffigan.
I mean, the guy does nothing but go on about food but he still manages to be consistently funny about it. I also really like his delivery style, which actually gives me the impression of a guy who doesn't really give much of a crap about anything rather than being someone who is pretending to not give much of a crap about anything.
He also does about half an hour on McDonalds. I think he…
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Russell Peters: The Green Card Tour 2011
Quite aside from spending half the show doing one of my peeves in stand-up comedy, that being pointing out into the audience and picking on people and, as well as that, chuckling at every one of his shitty gags, Russell Peters is pretty crap.
I watched one of his shows a couple of years ago and it seemed to be a whole heap of lazy racial and national observations with lots of audience participation. This is exactly the same except…
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Louis C.K.: Oh My God 2013
To date I have given all five of the Louis CK shows that I've watched 3.5 stars.
I think that says a lot about how consistent he has been as a stand up comedian. Even greats like George Carlin and Bill Hicks had their lesser shows that you would be unlikely to revisit. At the same time, however, they also had at least two truly great performances that are amongst the very best stand-up shows ever produced. Even a couple…
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The Hidden Face 2011
The World Is More Than Enough - 30 Countries In 30 Days Challenge (17 / 30) - Colombia
Most of the reviews that I have read of The Hidden Face since I've watched it have screamed "DON'T WATCH THE FRIGGIN' TRAILER!" or words to that effect. Having just watched the trailer after seeing the film, they're absolutely right.
It's why I don't watch trailers. This one is so amazingly misjudged in terms of the amount it reveals that it genuinely…
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The Trap 2007
The World Is More Than Enough - 30 Countries In 30 Days Challenge (16 / 30) - Serbia
ONE OR TWO MILD SPOILERS
Whilst much of the focus of the last couple of years has been on a certain other Serbian film, The Trap has rather been left behind coughing on the fumes of its censor-bothering compatriot when it comes to discussions of films from the former Yugoslavian republic.
I haven't seen A Serbian Film, and have absolutely no wish…
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The Proposition 2005
The World Is More Than Enough - 30 Countries In 30 Days Challenge (15 / 30) - Australia
Just how difficult, do you think, is it to create a film that finds the perfect blend of beauty and savagery set against a backdrop that favours the latter far more than the former?
Director John Hillcoat didn't have much of a background to speak of before he directed The Proposition, and even less to suggest that he would have been capable…
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Jar City 2006
The World Is More Than Enough - 30 Countries In 30 Days Challenge (14 / 30) - Iceland
I think that either Jar City caught me on a day when I was not in the mood for a relentlessly grim Nordic police procedural thriller, I'm really tired of relentlessly grim Nordic police procedural thrillers, or this is one of the more cliche-riddled relentlessly grim Nordic police procedural thrillers that I have seen to date.
Or maybe it was all three?…
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The Escapist 2008
The World Is More Than Enough - 30 Countries In 30 Days Challenge (13 / 30) - United Kingdom
After making a pig's ear of choosing a decent film from Canada to watch in this challenge, I was nervous about my UK selection as, once again, I had a whole heap of stuff to choose from.
I'm not even sure why I arrived at choosing The Escapist. I've had it on DVD for years and I'm a huge fan of…