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Days of Thunder

By James Southall Monday November 25, 2013

2 Comments

Composed by Hans Zimmer
La-La Land Records / 2013 / 71m

Every motor racing movie that comes out is greeted with the marketing machine saying something along the lines of “We know every other motor racing movie that’s ever been made has been rubbish, but this one’s actually great!” The same was true of Days of Thunder, the 1990 movie (rather improbably written by Robert Towne) that reunited Top Gun‘s star Tom Cruise with its director Tony Scott and producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson. Unfortunately, it was rubbish, despite its impressive stuns and a characteristically strong performance by Robert Duvall as Cruise’s pit boss and mentor. (Ron Howard’s Rush may finally mean future motor racing movies have to find something else to say in their marketing.)

La Ragion Pura

By James Southall Saturday November 16, 2013

2 Comments

Composed by Ennio Morricone
GDM Hillside / 2013 / 49m

A 2001 film directed by Silvano Agosti, La Ragion Pura (known as The Sleeping Wife in English) sees Franco Nero and Eleonora Brigliadori as a married couple falling out of love; but who live out an exciting, erotic fantasy life in their dreams.

The Book Thief

By James Southall Sunday November 10, 2013

10 Comments

Composed by John Williams
Sony Classical / 2013 / 53m

A child’s eye view of Nazi Germany, The Book Thief (based on Australian author Markus Zusak’s acclaimed novel) tells the story of a girl who lives through the harrowing times with the help of a love of books, a Jew hiding in her family house and her foster parents. The film stars Sophie Nélisse as the main character, Liesel, and Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson as her foster parents; it’s directed by Downton Abbey‘s Brian Percival. It’s generating a lot of buzz and its release in the traditional “awards slot” is a decent sign that it’s expected to do well.

Thor: The Dark World

By James Southall Thursday November 7, 2013

9 Comments

Composed by Brian Tyler
Hollywood Records / 2013 / 78m

The seemingly unstoppable Marvel money-making machine at the cinema continues in 2013 with Thor: The Dark World, the latest instalment in the Avengers franchise, with Chris Hemsworth reprising his role as the housewives’ favourite. This time round, there’s lots of buildings being blown up, a few fights and some witty banter – the creativity that goes into these things is continually astonishing. No Kenneth Branagh in the director’s chair this time round, though, duties falling instead to Alan Taylor, who has previously worked mostly in television, including a lot of big HBO shows.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

By James Southall Monday November 4, 2013

0 Comments

Composed by Brian Tyler
Ubisoft Music / 2013 / 102m

The latest instalment in the popular video game franchise, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag sees the player travel back on the high seas to the time of the pirates (Caribbean, not Somali). Despite its title, it’s actually the tenth game in the franchise (different games having been released for different consoles).

Sebastian

1 Comment

Composed by Jerry Goldsmith Intrada / 2013 / 77m The sixties were swinging in full force when Sebastian came along, an espionage romance set amongst all the cool goings on in London at the time. The outstanding cast includes Dirk Bogarde, Susannah York and John Gielgud and the film received good reviews, though it’s very rarely […]

Adore

1 Comment

Composed by Christopher Gordon Additional music by Antony Partos Varèse Sarabande / 2013 / 45m Adore sees Robin Wright and Naomi Watts play a pair of lifelong friends who each stumble into relationships with the other’s son. It’s the English-language début of director Anne Fontaine, and was made in Australia; that nation’s premiere film composer Christopher Gordon […]

The Ultimate Life

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Composed by Mark McKenzie Varèse Sarabande / 2013 / 45m A follow-up to 2006′s The Ultimate Gift, The Ultimate Life sees a young billionaire grappling with his family over his fortune and reliving his late grandfather’s rags-to-riches tale through his journal. Like the earlier film, it is intended to showcase the force of doing good things.

La Mula

0 Comments

Composed by Oscar Navarro MovieScore Media / 2013 / 53m Sounding very much like a Spanish War Horse, La Mula is based on Juan Eslava Galán’s novel about a mule discovered on a battlefield during the Spanish Civil War, and his subsequent travels.

Toy Story of Terror!

1 Comment

Composed by Michael Giacchino Walt Disney Records / 2013 / 22m The first Toy Story television special, Toy Story of Terror! follows Woody, Buzz and the gang who are forced to spend the night in a spooky motel. It’s produced by Pixar and features the big stars reprising their voice roles.

Copperhead

3 Comments

Composed by Laurent Eyquem Varèse Sarabande / 2013 / 61m Starring Bill Campbell, Angus MacFadyen and Peter Fonda – and Rex Hamilton as Abraham Lincoln – Copperhead is the third of director Ron Maxwell’s film series exploring the American Civil War following Gettysburg and Gods and Generals. Focusing on Northern Democrats who were opposed to Lincoln, […]

True Grit

2 Comments

Composed by Elmer Bernstein Original tracks: La-La Land Records / 2013 / 69m (score 47m) Re-recording: Tadlow Music / 2006 / 70m (score 47m) The legendary John Wayne’s only Oscar win came for his performance in Henry Hathaway’s 1969 movie True Grit, in which he played drunken, ageing US Marshal Rooster Cogburn, helping young girl […]

Parkland

1 Comment

Composed by James Newton Howard Rhino / 2013 / 54m This film chronicles the events which overtook the lives of a group of ordinary people in Dallas after President Kennedy was shot (including the staff at the hospital to which he was taken, called Parkland). It has opened to largely mediocre reviews, many citing a […]

Epic

1 Comment

Composed by Danny Elfman Sony Classics / 2013 / 53m The eighth feature-length animation from Blue Sky Studios, 2013′s Epic – a kind of Ferngully: The Last Rainforest for this generation – was met with mixed reviews and the lowest box office take of any of the studio’s films.

The Pleasure of His Company

1 Comment

Composed by Alfred Newman Kritzerland / 2013 / 68m (score 36m) Based on the play by Samuel Taylor and Cornelia Otis Skinner, George Seaton’s 1961 film The Pleasure of His Company starred Fred Astaire as a wealthy man who reconnects with his daughter (Debbie Reynolds) on the eve of her wedding to Tab Hunter and then tries […]

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Days of Thunder

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