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Weekend film viewing
Saturday:
The General: Buster Keaton is awesome and I was very happy to finally find a decent print of this with an actual score (the only other version I'd scene had a random assortment of music, like somebody had just left Classic FM on in the background). Totally unsurpassed in physical comedy and deadpan. 10/10.
Texas Chainsaw 3D: I went in expecting a hilarious, inept, splattery desecration of an already strung out 'franchise' which has all but milked all of the shock and quality out of the original film (I have an Unlimited card, as I obviously wouldn't pay £14 to see something I knew was going to be shit). What I got was far worse than I could have imagined. The worst dialogue I've heard spoken out loud outside of a Syfy original movie. Zero tension, blank eyed mannequins in the younger cast, phoned in weariness amongst the grown ups, and not to come across like the guys in the video shop in The League of Gentlemen, but not a decent moider scene to be found. Weirdly prudish and boring. At one point, the main girl, having found out that she is related to Leatherface, slides him a chainsaw (IN EYE POPPING 3D) and says 'Do your thing, cuz'. In another, she spends about 4 minutes of screentime reading a file. Also, the film gives a prominent supporting role to an R&B singer called Trey Songz, then slips a bunch of his songz in to the soundtrck. Not cool. One and a half rusty chainsaws/10.
Eye Of The Beast: Speaking of Syfy original movies, it turns out that Dawson Leery himself, James Ver Der Beek, once sunk so low that he did battle with the least convincing giant squid this side of the one Martin Landau rassled in Ed Wood in this bizarre, sad little film. Bereft even of the intentional, knowing camp of the usual Syfy crapfests. I felt genuinely bad for him. Still, he beat the squid, so he's got that going for him. 2/10ticles.
Sunday: Silver Linings Playbook. Very likeable. Turns out Bradley Cooper isn't totally, fundamentally unlikeable. Jennifer Lawrence is properly great. It was nice to see David O. Russell make another big, unweildy, messy domestic explosion of tics and overwrought emotional outbursts. 7 and a bit/10