Review: Tenacious D In The Pick Of Destiny

Director: Liam Lynch
Main Cast: Jack Black, Kyle Gass, Tim Robbins, Dave Grohl

This is the film that Jack Black was born for! It's an air guitar-playing, side-splitting, foul mouthed comedy musical which is brings out the best in Jack Black, especially for those familiar with his Tenacious D songs.



Admittedly, the plot is a bit absurd, if there is one to speak of in the first place. But who cares, with scenes that would make you laugh your arse off. The opening pre-credits sequence, featuring none less than Meatloaf and Ronnie James Dio, is in my opinion one of the best Rock & Roll scenes ever put to screen, beating the likes of anything in Spinal Tap or even the Bohemian Rhapsody head-banging scene in Wayne's World.

A movie purely only (and a must-see!) for fans of Jack Black and/or Rock & Roll, or better still, both. Definitely the This Is Spinal Tap of our times. Jack Black kicks a$$!!!!

Review: The Prestige

Director: Christopher Nolan
Main Cast: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson

An overall interesting film by Christopher Nolan, director of Memento and Batman Begins, about 2 rival magicians trying their vicious best to outdo each other and come out tops. While the storyline is simple, the editing is a bit unusual, which is no surprise coming from the director of Memento. There are lots of flashbacks, and more flashbacks within those flashbacks, which at first do make you somewhat confused, but adds to the fascination of the film and at least stops you from dozing off!



What does intrigue me, not only in this film but many others, is why producers can't just cast Americans in American roles, and English in English roles, rather than torture our ears with horrid fake OTT accents. For example, The Prestige:

1. Hugh Jackman (Aussie) doing American
2. Scarlett Johansson (American) doing English
3. Andy Serkis (English) doing American
4. David Bowie (English) doing East European (Serbian to be exact, but who cares!)

Anyway, good film. Very gothic, with a plot that kicks dirt in the face of linearity. Shame about the last act though, felt cheated a bit when the film came up with something out of fantasy that cannot be explained. Took away a lot of the "magic" of the film, so to speak.

Eagle-eyed

Just finished watching Return Of The King on the telly, first time I've seen it since I saw it at the cinema. And then too I didn't watch it fully, as I dozed off a third of the time! Anyway, watching the ending again, I'm compelled to ask the following:

If Gandalf can use the giant eagles to go rescue Frodo and Sam from Mount Doom, if it seems so easy, why not just use the same damn eagles to send them there in the first place? Would save a lot of humans, elves, dwarves and whatever creature from dying, me reckons.

All you Lord Of The Rings fans, I expect your answer!