Thursday September 8
Weird Science [SABC3.22.30]
Fools Rush In [e.tv. 20.30 and 00.50]
Mostly Martha [e.tv.22.40]
Friday September 9
Youth in Revolt [M-Net.21.30]
Flight 93 [e.tv.22.40]
Fright Night [e.tv.00.30]
Michael Collins [SABC3.01.35]
Saturday September 10
Mao’s Last Dancer [M-Net. 18.00]
The Box [M-Net.21.25]
A UNIVERSAL IMAGE- ARMED SOLDIERS AND UNARMED CHILDREN
Darfur Now [SABC1.22.15]
The Bourne Ultimatum [SABC3.19.30]
The Ground Truth [SABC3.21.30]
The Cat in the Hat [e.tv.20.00]
World Trade Center [e.tv.21.40]
Sunday September 11
CAM AND TOM
Knight and Day [M-Net.20.05]
Monster’s Ball [M-Net.02.35]
Brokeback Mountain [SABC3.02.30]
LOTTE LENYA AS ROSA KLEBB IN FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE-CHECK HER SHOES
From Russia With Love [e.tv.22.40]
Monday September 12
17 Again [M-Net.09.30]
Dreamcatcher [SABC3.01.35]
Tuesday September 13
The Box [M-Net.23.00]
Wednesday September 14
Mao’s Last Dancer [M-Net.09.30]
Knight and Day [M-Net.22.30]
Youth in Revolt [M-Net.01.20]
***
HE ALSO WROTE CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG
The work of some writers transfer to film extremely well. Some writers don’t film well at all, while still others adapt in a very hit or miss way. This week, we have all of the above, plus that other variable, books that are more popular as film than they ever were in written form.
ROBERT LUDLUM- EVENTS SURROUNDING DEATH TEN YEARS AGO READ LIKE THE PLOT FROM ONE OF HIS NOVELS
To begin; two repeats—one finite one seemingly infinite. Matt Damon is Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne in the third and final Bourne movie, The Bourne Ultimatum [SABC3.Saturday.19.30].
IAN FLEMING HAD AN INTERESTING TIME DURING WW2;HIS CODE NAME WAS 17F
While, down the decades, Sean Connery is Ian Fleming’s James Bond for the second time in From Russia With Love [e.tv.Sunday.22.40]; as I mentioned last week, who would have thought then that Bond in his various incarnations would still be stirring not shaking 48 years later.
CANADIAN BORN ACTOR MICHAEL CERA
CD Payne created Nick Twisp in a series of epistolary novels, yeah; I had to look up the word, too. Youth in Revolt [M-Net.Friday.21.30 and Wednesday.01.20] is in the ‘coming of age tradition’, which, cinematically, I guess had its origins in Rebel Without a Cause. Don’t get too excited; this movie is not in the same league but Michael Cera is sweet and the movie has some funny, poignant moments. Cera has such a fine, strong young presence, I wonder how he will age?
HE HAS HAD 47 PUBLISHED TITLED; AN AVERAGE OF ONE A YEAR SINCE THE AGE OF 20
A lot less pleasing is an adaptation by Lawrence Kasden and William Golding of Stephen King’s Dreamcatcher [SABC3.Monday.01.35]. King is very hard to capture on film; just for starters, many of his novels exceed 900 pages and tend to go on and on, always, of course, with some wonderful moments.
HARD WORKING ACTING MAN
I spent six months once, trying to plough through It and then left the (by then) battered paperback on a train, so I still don’t know what happened in the end. Dreamcatcher has Morgan Freeman in the unrewarding leading role and a plot that sees aliens passed anally. For non King enthusiasts, this is not a misprint.
A MUCH LOVED MOGGIE
Dr Seuss and his Cat in the Hat were part of many a childhood, the books were catchy, clever and informative; If you thought that you could relive parts of your youth by watching the movie version, think again.
DR SEUSS AND FRIENDS
Even though the 2003 movie stars plenty of talented people and Paris Hilton, The Cat in the Hat [e.tv.Saturday.20.00] film is nasty and is an insult to the memory of Theodor Seuss Geisel. I’m sure that the books are available online; so forget about the movie and order yourself an early Christmas present.
CAMERON DIAZ
The best movie adaptation this week is Button, Button, short story by Richard Matheson, a writer who does film well; he wrote The (Incredible) Shrinking Man, shown a few weeks back and Bid Time Return, filmed as Somewhere in Time; both big favourites of mine.
FRANK LANGELLA- ACTING IN FILM SINCE 1970
Matheson’s Button, Button became The Box [M-Net.Saturday.21.25 and Tuesday.23.00], starring Cameron Diaz, James Marsden and an extremely sinister Frank Langella. The moral of the story is quite simple; nothing on earth is free; everything has a price.
WAS FLIGHT 93 HEADING FOR THIS BUILDING?
If a writer penned some events from real life, his or her work would be dismissed as far fetched. With the 10th Anniversary of 9/ 11 looming, I’m sure everyone remembers where they were on that fateful Tuesday. I can remember switching my television on and rubbing my eyes in disbelief.
NICOLAS CAGE IN FIGHTING GEAR
Two movies commemorate that day, both repeats, Flight 93 [e.tv.Friday.22.40], is the throat catching account of the only plane not to reach it’s target that day. Also on offer is Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center [e.tv. Saturday 21.40] starring Nicolas Cage.
HUANG WEN BIN
Made in Australia and directed by Bruce Beresford, Mao’s Last Dancer [M-Net. Saturday.18.00 and Wednesday.09.30] is a delight to balletomanes (isn’t that a lovely pretentious word) and everyone else too. The movie based on the memoirs of Chinese dancer Li Cunxin and is a delightful display of poetry in motion.
A TELLING STILL FROM THE GROUND TRUTH
Real life documentaries are often harrowing. This is true of both Darfur Now [SABC1.Saturday.22.15],an examination of the situation in that region in 2007 and The Ground Truth [SABC3.Saturday.21.30], which tells a story of American troops in Iraq. Both these documentaries have something pertinent to say, especially The Gound Truth but both contain images that are very disturbing and linger a long time. Be Warned.
KELLY LE BROCK- ALWAYS THE WOMAN IN RED
Some decades date better than others. While the 80s were happening and The Brat Pack was running hard, many of the films made appeared cutting edge and timeless. Sadly they haven’t dated well and now are for nostalgia freaks only. A good example is Weird Science [SABC3.Thursday.22.30] made by the late John Hughes and starring Boy of the Moment back in 1985; Anthony Michael Hall. I saw in The Argus this week that Hall is out on bail for disturbing the peace. Sad.
(A VERY) PRETTY BOY
I wonder if Zac Efron’s sell by date has already come and gone. Seventeen Again [M-Net.09.30] reworks an old formula, a second chance at life, I think the theme is so popular because most of us would love another turn, if only to pick up the $200. Nicely timed performances from Efron and Matthew Perry make Seventeen Again a not unpleasing little movie.
NOT BOGIE AND BACALL- BUT MUCH BETTER THAN SOME ROMANTIC DUOS
Mathew Perry is also in Fools Rush In [e.tv.Thursday.20.30 and 00.50] , this time with Salma Hayek; a romantic comedy that works well, thanks to a thoughtful script and good acting from the leads. There is no better way to while away a Thursday evening.
TASTY..VERY TASTY
In similar mode is Mostly Martha [e.tv.Thursday.22.40], a German film dating from 2001. If it looks and feels familiar, the movie was remade in Americanese as No Reservations with Zeta Catherine Jones, Aaron Eakhart and Abigail Breslin in the roles created by Martina Gedeck, Sergio Castellitto and Maxime Foerste.
AARON EAKHART AND CATHERINE ZETA JONES IN THE REMAKE. NOTE THE AMERICAN SIT COM STANCE
What a sweet, spontaneous movie this is; much lighter than a lot of other so called continental cinema, maybe I’m being unfair; but to me, cinema from the European Mainland often relies too heavily on torment and toilet humour.
RODDY MCDOWALL AS PETER VINCENT
Vampires are the creature of choice just now; Fright Night has, in fact, just been remade. The original [e.tv.Friday.00.30] pops up this week; it is a good one, teetering in some circles on cult status. This 1985 offering stars William Ragsdale, Chris Sarandon (one time husband of the more famous Susan) and the late Roddy McDowall, who was, man and boy, a very fine actor. But,…when all is said and done, a vampire movie is a vampire movie is a vampire movie.
DIAZ AND CRUISE- NOT AS YOUNG AS THEY WERE!
Talking of creatures of choice, Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz have worked together once before, in Vanilla Sky, a movie that didn’t work too well. Knight and Day [M-Net.Sunday.20.05 and Wednesday.22.30] doesn’t work at all. No amount of charismatic smiling can save this one; very much a case of Rusty Knight and Dismal Day, I’m afraid.
HALLE BERRY'S FINEST HOUR
Many films on show this week are ones that I have already reviewed at length; check, by title, for reviews on Brokeback Mountain [SABC3.Sunday.02.30], Monsters Ball [M-Net.Sunday.02.35] and in fact some 26 other titles, brought back to thrill you once again..
JULIA ROBERTS PLAYS KITTY KIERNAN
Also, check my recentish review of Michael Collins, my dates and times were skewered that week; fortunately it is on again [SABC3.Friday.01.35]
GERMAN ACTRESS MARTINA GEDECK
An unusual pick, the German romantic comedy, Mostly Martha [e.tv.Thursday.22.40].