Missives From Troy

I am Helen Doremus. I write. I sing. I create things. I do kung fu. I wear a hat. I occasionally curse. I like pie. When I make a thing that's meant to amuse, it comes here to live.

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Posts tagged "attack the block"

Sunday Soundtrack: Basement Jaxx — The Ends

Between watching the first three seasons of Misfits with my room mates and all the other things that have happened this last week, I found myself needing something punchy and instrumental. This theme (and this movie) scratch that itch nicely.

Audio
popculturebrain: Poster/Art: Attack The Block by Alex Pardee Pardee writes on his Tumblr,  I saw Joe Cornish’s alien-invasion movie “Attack The Block” the other day and I was so refreshingly blown away by it I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I drew this for funsies…If you are anywhere within atomic-bomb-fallout distance from one of the few theaters that is showing “Attack The Block” I highly suggest you do your eyes and heart a favor and go see it. In case you can’t tell, I liked this movie. A lot. The end. (Posted instead of reblogged because the original was a text post). Seeing this movie when it comes back to Dallas on the 19th is what I want for my birthday. Just so’s you know.

popculturebrain:

Poster/Art: Attack The Block by Alex Pardee

Pardee writes on his Tumblr, 

I saw Joe Cornish’s alien-invasion movie “Attack The Block” the other day and I was so refreshingly blown away by it I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I drew this for funsies…If you are anywhere within atomic-bomb-fallout distance from one of the few theaters that is showing “Attack The Block” I highly suggest you do your eyes and heart a favor and go see it.

In case you can’t tell, I liked this movie. A lot. The end.

(Posted instead of reblogged because the original was a text post).

Seeing this movie when it comes back to Dallas on the 19th is what I want for my birthday. Just so’s you know.

Photo
ATTACK THE BLOCK Is Expanding, And You Can Demand It Comes To Your Town | BAD →
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I got the chance to go to a screening of ATB a month ago, and this review sums up nicely why Attack the Block is one of the best movies I’ve seen all year. It’s just a damn good movie from beginning to end. popculturebrain: Review: Attack The Block At some point last year JJ Abrams sat down with Steven Spielberg and said something along the lines of, “I’d like to make a heartfelt alien creature feature starring a group of boys.” Spielberg said yes and the two went off to make Super 8 - a fine film in its own right, reliant on pastiche. Attack The Block is the movie Abrams and Spielberg tried to make. Where Super 8 reminds you of the warm summer movie time feeling, Attack The Block delivers.  Jodie Whittaker stars as Sam, a twenty something nurse living in a low-income high rise in South London. Walking home one night Sam is attacked by a group of teenage thugs, lead by the laconic Moses (John Boyega). What could have ended in disaster for our heroine is instead disrupted by a fiery mass crashing into a car on the street. Sam flees while the boys investigate the anomaly.   Thus is the set up of Joe Cornish’s balls-out screenplay and big screen directorial debut. Those familiar with the genre bending works of Edgar Wright (Exec producer), Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost (who appears here in a supporting role) will find themselves right at home. Block takes the familiar approach of fusing comedy and genre. This time around it’s comedy and sci-fi. Attack the Block is a charming blend of character earned laughs, ironic wit, intense action, and clever creature design without forgetting to stir in the warmheartedness found in Wright, Pegg, and Frost’s films as well.  Filmmaking ingenuity at its best, many of Cornish’s creative choices are so perfect and so well executed that you may find yourself angry at his ability. First, it is said that he himself was mugged and that’s what brought upon the inspiration for the film. While one should never wish a mugging upon another, if it inspired these characters and this setting…The notion of placing the action in a poor block in South London and having its protagonists be first despicable thugs and then eventual sympathetic heroes is not only an inspired move but downright impressive when he pulls it off. So much comedy, character development and intrigue, juxtaposition, and action is mined from its setting and circumstance you wonder how no one ever thought of it before.  And that’s not even mentioning the aliens. What they’re able to do with the low budget is miraculous and that’s largely thanks to the creativity of Cornish, the producers and how they formed the monsters. At once both minimal and enormously present, the creatures are truly unique. In response to Super 8, Kyle Buchanan wrote a recent article for Vulture entitled Movie Aliens Need a Makeover. He cites Abrams’ insectoid creatures as overdone, while praising the unconventional Lost smoke monster. Well Mr. Buchanan, your makeover has arrived.  The teenage actors show diversity and depth unknown by their American Spielbergian counterparts. A lot of it has to do with the script, but the stunt work, the scared expressions, the timing of pithy banter, the sense of danger and delight is all them. Boyega as the leader leaves a weighted presence in his practically silent role. Without saying a word an entire character history can be read on his face, every hardship etched into his skin much like the clawed in scars he receives early in the movie. (And don’t think I didn’t notice the overt biblical metaphor in naming his character Moses and not having him speak).  Attack The Block is unapologetic, unfiltered, surprisingly intelligent fun. The kind of movie that makes you believe in movies. Just try and wipe the smile from your face or pick your jaw up from the floor. This is going to be one of those cult hits (like Shaun of the Dead) that people talk about for a long time. And if not, they’ll all have missed out on something incredibly special.

I got the chance to go to a screening of ATB a month ago, and this review sums up nicely why Attack the Block is one of the best movies I’ve seen all year. It’s just a damn good movie from beginning to end.

popculturebrain:

Review: Attack The Block

At some point last year JJ Abrams sat down with Steven Spielberg and said something along the lines of, “I’d like to make a heartfelt alien creature feature starring a group of boys.” Spielberg said yes and the two went off to make Super 8 - a fine film in its own right, reliant on pastiche. Attack The Block is the movie Abrams and Spielberg tried to make. Where Super 8 reminds you of the warm summer movie time feeling, Attack The Block delivers. 

Jodie Whittaker stars as Sam, a twenty something nurse living in a low-income high rise in South London. Walking home one night Sam is attacked by a group of teenage thugs, lead by the laconic Moses (John Boyega). What could have ended in disaster for our heroine is instead disrupted by a fiery mass crashing into a car on the street. Sam flees while the boys investigate the anomaly.  

Thus is the set up of Joe Cornish’s balls-out screenplay and big screen directorial debut. Those familiar with the genre bending works of Edgar Wright (Exec producer), Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost (who appears here in a supporting role) will find themselves right at home. Block takes the familiar approach of fusing comedy and genre. This time around it’s comedy and sci-fi. Attack the Block is a charming blend of character earned laughs, ironic wit, intense action, and clever creature design without forgetting to stir in the warmheartedness found in Wright, Pegg, and Frost’s films as well. 

Filmmaking ingenuity at its best, many of Cornish’s creative choices are so perfect and so well executed that you may find yourself angry at his ability. First, it is said that he himself was mugged and that’s what brought upon the inspiration for the film. While one should never wish a mugging upon another, if it inspired these characters and this setting…The notion of placing the action in a poor block in South London and having its protagonists be first despicable thugs and then eventual sympathetic heroes is not only an inspired move but downright impressive when he pulls it off. So much comedy, character development and intrigue, juxtaposition, and action is mined from its setting and circumstance you wonder how no one ever thought of it before. 

And that’s not even mentioning the aliens. What they’re able to do with the low budget is miraculous and that’s largely thanks to the creativity of Cornish, the producers and how they formed the monsters. At once both minimal and enormously present, the creatures are truly unique. In response to Super 8, Kyle Buchanan wrote a recent article for Vulture entitled Movie Aliens Need a Makeover. He cites Abrams’ insectoid creatures as overdone, while praising the unconventional Lost smoke monster. Well Mr. Buchanan, your makeover has arrived. 

The teenage actors show diversity and depth unknown by their American Spielbergian counterparts. A lot of it has to do with the script, but the stunt work, the scared expressions, the timing of pithy banter, the sense of danger and delight is all them. Boyega as the leader leaves a weighted presence in his practically silent role. Without saying a word an entire character history can be read on his face, every hardship etched into his skin much like the clawed in scars he receives early in the movie. (And don’t think I didn’t notice the overt biblical metaphor in naming his character Moses and not having him speak). 

Attack The Block is unapologetic, unfiltered, surprisingly intelligent fun. The kind of movie that makes you believe in movies. Just try and wipe the smile from your face or pick your jaw up from the floor. This is going to be one of those cult hits (like Shaun of the Dead) that people talk about for a long time. And if not, they’ll all have missed out on something incredibly special.

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